8-25-14

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U.S. Open betting: Men to watch in New York City
By DOC'S SPORTS

Three different men have won Grand Slams in 2014 heading into the final shot at glory, which will take place over the upcoming fortnight in New York. Novak Djokovic is favored to win his second U.S. Open title, but don’t forget about Roger Federer—especially with his nemesis on the sideline.

Favorite

Novak Djokovic (Even)

What’s wrong with Djokovic? That’s not usually a question being asked of someone ranked No. 1 in the world who just won his sport’s most recent Grand Slam. It is, however, a fair inquiry at the moment. Perhaps distracted following a Wimbledon title and marriage to his long-time girlfriend immediately thereafter, Djokovic has struggled on hard courts this summer. The top-seeded Serb lost in the third round in both Toronto and Cincinnati, to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Tommy Robredo, respectively.

Still, there are reasons to like Djokovic’s chances. He is well-rested heading into this event, which he has won once (2011) and reached the final of five times—including in each of the past four seasons. Although Djokovic has fared relatively well against Nadal throughout his career, the Spaniard’s absence certainly does not hurt.

Best of the rest

Roger Federer (+200)

What a difference a year makes. In 2013, Federer fell in the Wimbledon second round, skipped the Rogers Cup, and lost to Nadal in the Cincinnati quarterfinals. He eventually bowed out of the U.S. Open to Robredo in the fourth round. This time around, Federer reached the Wimbledon final, finished runner-up at the Rogers Cup in Toronto, and captured the Cincinnati title.

Nadal’s withdrawal is doubly good news for Federer. The 33-year-old Swiss is 10-23 lifetime against his chief rival, having lost five in a row and nine of their last 11 meetings. Had Nadal played, Federer would have been the No. 3 seed and on the same side of the draw as either Nadal or Djokovic. Now, Federer is the second seed and cannot face Djokovic until the final.

Underdog to watch

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (+1,400)

Any underdog—in other words, almost anyone other than Djokovic and Federer—is an intriguing play for this U.S. Open. That has to be the case with Nadal gone, Djokovic in a considerable albeit brief slide, and Federer owning no slam titles since Wimbledon in 2012 and just one since the 2010 Australian Open.

A slumping Tsonga has been an afterthought for almost the entirety of 2014. Out of nowhere, though, the 10th-ranked Frenchman triumphed in Toronto and in the process toppled four top-10 opponents: Djokovic, Federer, Andy Murray, and Grigor Dimitrov. Tsonga has never won a Grand Slam title, but he finished runner-up at the 2008 Australian Open and he made it to the U.S. Open quarterfinals in 2011.

Live long shot

Milos Raonic (+2,500)

Raonic is playing better and more consistently than just about everyone else on tour other than Federer. The huge-serving Canadian was a semifinalist at Wimbledon, won the Washington D.C. title, reached the quarters in Toronto, and advanced to the semis in Cincinnati. Fast hard courts in New York should also suit his game perfectly.

Because this particular tournament is much more wide-open than a typical Grand Slam on the men’s side, there are some additional enticing plays. Tomas Berdych—once thought to be the biggest threat to upend the proverbial “Big 4” of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray—is +5,000. John Isner, who always plays his best during the American hard-court summer and whose serve makes him a threat to anyone on tour—is +10,000.

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U.S. Open betting: Women to watch in New York City
By DOC'S SPORTS

The final Grand Slam of the 2014 tennis season will take center stage in New York over the upcoming fortnight. On the women’s side, most of the usual suspects are healthy and atop the list of title favorites. Serena Williams, of course, is expected to lift her sixth U.S. Open winner’s trophy.

Favorite

Serena Williams (+150)

This is Serena’s last opportunity to turn around what has been a stunningly disastrous year for her at Grand Slams. If you think this is a misprint, think again: Serena has not even reached the quarterfinals of any major in 2014. She lost in the Australian Open fourth round, the French Open second round, and the Wimbledon third round.

Gone are the days when Serena can be penciled in for titles before tournaments even begin, but it is hard to envision another early setback in New York. The world No. 1 has reached the U.S. Open final in four of her last five appearances and she is the two-time defending champion. Serena seems to have regained her confidence following the Wimbledon disappointment. She has won two titles in three hard-court tournaments this summer, including last week in Cincinnati.

Best of the rest

Maria Sharapova (+600)

Sharapova’s 2014 campaign has been an interesting one, combining a few inexplicable losses with some outstanding play. The sixth-ranked Russian won the French Open but failed to reach the quarterfinals at either the Australian Open or Wimbledon. Her hard-court summer has included losses to Carla Suarez Navarro in the Montreal third round and to Ana Ivanovic in the Cincinnati semis.

Sharapova triumphed in New York eight years ago but has never been back to the final. The five-time major champion made it to the semifinals in 2012 before missing last season’s installment of the tournament due to injury.

Underdog to watch

Caroline Wozniacki (+1,500)

The Rory McIlroy-Caroline Wozniacki breakup seems to be doing plenty of good for both athletes—at least on the playing field. McIlory’s accomplishments, so far, have been of a much more prestigious nature (major titles at the British Open and PGA Championship). But do not discount the resurgence currently being enjoyed by Wozniacki. The former world No. 1 plunged to 18th in the rankings this spring; she is now back up to No. 11. Since returning to hard courts after Wimbledon, the Dane has not lost to anyone other than Serena. She won a title in Istanbul and reached the quarters and semis of Montreal and Cincinnati, respectively.

Wozniacki is still without a Grand Slam triumph, but the U.S. Open has been her best major. She made it to her only such final in 2009 and reached the semifinals in both 2010 and 2011.

Live long shot

Ana Ivanovic (+2,500)

Not entirely unlike Wozniacki, Ivanovic’s career has been somewhat of a rollercoaster. The Serb’s highs have been higher than Wozniacki (she is a Grand Slam champion—2008 French Open—and a two-time major runner-up) and her lows have been lower. Her rises and falls have been more gradual. At the moment, Ivanovic is enjoying an obvious upward trajectory. The world No. 9 captured a grass-court title in Birmingham prior to Wimbledon and she finished runner-up to Serena last week in Cincinnati.

Record-wise, the U.S. Open has been Ivanovic’s worst major. At the same time, since the start of 2010 she has lost in the first round of the other three slams at least once. The former world No. 1 has not lost prior to the fourth round in New York since 2009.

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Royals sizzling as home faves
Stephen Campbell

The Kansas City Royals have been coming through as home faves recently, posting a spotless 8-0 record against visiting dogs at Kauffman Stadium through Sunday.

The Royals host the New York Yankees Monday. K.C. is currently -135 favorites with an O/U of 7.5, per BetOnline.

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Nats dominating competition behind Roark
Stephen Campbell

The Washington Nationals have gone on a hot streak behind pitcher Tanner Roark, winning seven out of the last eight games he's starter.

Rourk gets the nod when the Nats visit the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park Monday. BetOnline presently lists the Nats as -142 faves with a total of 7.5.

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Over scorching hot when A's-Astros meet in Houston
Stephen Campbell

Offense has been the story when the Oakland Athletics have visited the Houston Astros in the Lone Star State recently. In the last seven meetings between the two clubs at Minute Maid Park, the Over is 6-1 through Sunday.

The 'Stros host the A's yet again in Houston Monday. According to BetOnline, Oakland is currently -168 favorites with a total of eight.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Red Sox ice cold behind this pitcher
Stephen Campbell

It's been a tough season for the Boston Red Sox, but they've really been suffering behind starter Clay Bucholz over the past month. In Bucholz's last six outings, the Sox are an ugly 0-6.

He'll take the mound Monday when Boston takes on the Toronto Blue Jays north of the border Monday. The Jays are presently -121 faves with an O/U of nine, per BetOnline.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Rays, Odorizzi not producing as dogs

When the Tampa Bay Rays are listed as underdogs with Jake Odorizzi on the mound, their bettors are taking a hit.

In Odorizzi's last seven starts when the Rays are dogs, Tampa is a paltry 1-6. He'll be on the mound when the Rays visit the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards Monday. The Rays are underdogs again, as BetOnlinepresently has them at +115 with a total of eight.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Pirates becoming a boon for Over backers
Stephen Campbell

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been participating in a lot of high-scoring games lately, and as a result, bettors backing the Over have been collecting some nice profits.

In the Bucs' last eight games, the Over is a red-hot 6-1-1 through Sunday. They'll host the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park Monday.

Per BetOnline, the Pirates are presently -127 faves with a total of seven.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

U.S. Open Tennis Odds

The 2014 United States Open Tennis Championships begin in late August at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York. The event takes place over a two-week period, starting on Monday Aug. 25 and concluding with the Women’s Final on Sunday Sept. 7 and the Men’s Final on Monday Sept. 8.

Last year’s winner, Rafael Nadal, pulled out of the U.S. Open this past Monday because of an injured wrist and won’t defend his title.

With Nadal out, Novak Djokovic has been installed as a the top betting choice (1/1) to win this year’s men’s championship with Roger Federer (5/2) and Andy Murray (4/1) close behind. Djokovic won the event in 2011 and finished as runner-up in 2010, 2012 and 2013.

For the women, it’s no surprise that Serena Williams has been made a 7/4 (Bet $100 to win $175) betting favorite. She’s captured the last two U.S. Open championships and will look to be the first woman to win three straight since Chris Evert captured four consecutive titles from 1975 to 1978.


Odds to win 2014 U.S. Men's Open

Novak Djokovic 1/1
Roger Federer 5/2
Andy Murray 4/1
Grigor Dimitrov 12/1
Stan Wawrinka 12/1
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 14/1
Milos Raonic 25/1
David Ferrer 50/1
Kei Nishikori 50/1
Tomas Berdych 50/1
Ernests Gulbis 80/1
Marin Cilic 80/1
Nick Kyrgios 80/1
Jerzy Janowicz 100/1
John Isner 100/1
Richard Gasquet 125/1
Gael Monfils 150/1
Kevin Anderson 150/1
Alexandr Dolgopolov 200/1
Bernard Tomic 200/1
Nicolas Almagro 250/1
Philipp Kohlschreiber 250/1
Fabio Fognini 300/1
Fernando Verdasco 300/1
Gilles Simon 300/1
Janko Tipsarevic 300/1
Sam Querrey 300/1
Jeremy Chardy 500/1
Mikhail Youzhny 500/1

Odds to win 2014 U.S. Women's Open

Serena Williams 7/4
Maria Sharapova 6/1
Simona Halep 7/1
Eugenie Bouchard 8/1
Victoria Azarenka 8/1
Petra Kvitova 10/1
Caroline Wozniacki 15/1
Agnieszka Radwanska 20/1
Venus Williams 20/1
Ana Ivanovic 25/1
Angelique Kerber 30/1
Garbine Muguruza 30/1
Sloane Stephens 40/1
Madison Keys 50/1
Samantha Stosur 50/1
Dominika Cibulkova 60/1
Sabine Lisicki 60/1
Andrea Petkovic 100/1
Ekaterina Makarova 100/1
Flavia Pennetta 100/1
Jelena Jankovic 100/1
Lucie Safarova 100/1
Svetlana Kuznetsova 125/1
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 150/1
Camila Giorgi 150/1
Carla Suarez Navarro 150/1
Caroline Garcia 150/1
Alize Cornet 200/1
Sara Errani 200/1

[Can'tPickAWinner]

MLB

National League

Nationals-Phillies
Roark is 5-1, 2.18 in his last eight starts.
Burnett is 0-5, 8.89 in his last five starts.

Nationals won 12 of their last 13 games.
Phillies are 11-6 in their last seventeen home games.

Six of last eight Washington games went over the total.

Cardinals-Pirates
Lackey is 0-1, 7.50 in his last three starts.
Liriano is 0-3, 6.88 in his last three starts.

Cardinals won eight of their last eleven games.
Pirates won three of their last four games.

Over is 7-1 in last eight Cardinal games.

Brewers-Padres
Lohse is 0-3, 7.58 in his last four starts.
Stults is 3-0, 1.80 in his last four starts.

Brewers lost three of their last four games.
San Diego lost five of its last seven games.

Four of last five San Diego games stayed under.

Rockies-Giants
Matzek is 0-4, 7.89 in his last four starts.
Peavy is 2-0, 1.93 in last couple starts, after being winless in previous 18.

Colorado won five of its last six games.
Giants are 6-4 in last ten games, but lost last two.

Seven of last ten Colorado games went over total.


American League

Rays-Orioles
Odorizzi is 5-2, 3.43 in his last seven starts.
Tillman is 3-0, 1.57 in his last four starts.

Tampa Bay won three of its last four games.
Orioles lost last three games, scoring total of four runs.

Seven of last nine altimore games stayed under.

Red Sox-Blue Jays
Buchholz is 0-3, 7.30 in his last six starts.
Happ is 0-4, 4.44 in his last four starts.

Boston lost its last eight games, scoring 21 runs.
Toronto lost eight of its last eleven games.

Four of last five Boston games went over total.

A's-Astros
Samardzija is 0-2, 9.90 in his last two starts.
Feldman is 2-0, 1.61 in his last three home starts.

Oakland lost seven of last eight road games.
Astros lost three of their last four games.

Last five Houston games stayed under total.

Bronx-Royals
Pineda is 2-2, 2.05 in six starts this season.
Shields is 4-0, 2.17 in his last four starts.

Bronx won its last four games, allowing 10 runs.
Royals won 19 of their last 24 games.

Seven of last nine Bronx games stayed under total.

Rangers-Mariners
Mikolas is 0-3, 7.81 in his last five starts.
Elias is 2-2, 2.45 in his last five starts.

Rangers lost seven of their last ten games.
Seattle won 14 of its last 18 games.

Last three Mariner games went over the total.


Interleague games

Marlins-Angels
Cosart is 1-1, 2.45 in three starts for the Marlins.
LeBlanc is 20-32, 4.56 in 68 MLB starts; this is his first '14 start-- he was 1-5, 5.18 in seven starts for Miami LY.

Miami lost three of its last four games. .
Angels won nine of their last twelve games.

12 of last 17 Angel games stayed under the total.

Teams' record when this starting pitcher starts:
-- Roark 15-10; Burnett 10-17 (0-7 last 7)
-- Lackey 12-9/3-1; Liriano 10-12 (0-4 last 4)
-- Lohse 16-9; Stults 10-13
-- Matzek 2-11; Peavy 5-15/2-3

-- Odorizzi 11-14; Tillman 18-9 (5-0 last 5)
-- Buchholz 7-14; Happ 10-9
-- Samardzija 3-14/6-3; Feldman 9-14
-- Pineda 2-4; Shields 17-10
-- Mikolas 1-8; Elias 11-13

-- Cosart 13-12/2-1; Leblanc 0-0

Pitchers allowing runs in first inning:
-- Roark 4-25; Burnett 10-27
-- Lackey 5-25; Liriano 7-22
-- Lohse 10-25; Stults 9-25
-- Matzek 5-13; Peavy 5-25

-- Odorizzi 4-24; Tillman 11-27
-- Buchholz 8-21; Happ 3-19
-- Samardzija 10-26; Feldman 4-23 (0 of last 8)
-- Pineda 1-6; Shields 7-27
-- Mikolas 2-9; Elias 6-24

-- Cosart 11-26; Leblanc 0-0

[Can'tPickAWinner]

STATSYSTEMS SPORTS MLB REPORT

***** Monday, 8/25/14 MLB Information *****
(ALL RESULTS VS. ML) - Against The Money-Line - and most recent, unless noted otherwise. Each and every day during the 2014 Major League Baseball season we will analyze all of your daily baseball action, featuring on hot and cold pitchers, hot and cold teams, over/unders and home plate umpire trends. We will also highlight some of our Highly-Rated (Situational & Match-up) Power Trends, along with some of our Situational Analysis (Betting Systems) that pertain to some of that days match-ups.
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MLB Betting News and Notes - Week #22
•Peacock Doesn’t Expect To Miss Next Start: One day after exiting after five innings with right forearm tightness, Brad Peacock felt better Saturday. He’s optimistic that he’ll overcome the discomfort without having to skip a start. “I’m just going to take today off from throwing and then probably play catch (Sunday) and see how it feels,” he said. “It feels better today. I just haven’t done anything. It got to the point where it was hurting pretty bad. I had to tell somebody. I’ve had it before, so I knew there was nothing like really broken. It was hurting yesterday, so that’s about it.” The Astros aren’t likely to know if Peacock will be ready to start on schedule Wednesday until at least Monday. “I think we got him out of the game at a point where we didn’t make it any worse,” Bo Porter said. “I think in two or three days from now we’ll have more information and we’ll know whether or not it’s something that will bother him where we would need to do something as far as his next start will go.”

•Indians Promote C Gimenez: The Cleveland Indians selected the contract of catcher Chris Gimenez from Triple-A Columbus on Sunday. Gimenez, who was acquired from the Texas Rangers on Saturday, will be in uniform for Sunday's series finale against the Houston Astros. The Indians have 38 players on their 40-man roster. Gimenez, 31, has split the season between Texas and Triple-A Round Rock. He batted .262 with 10 doubles, 11 RBIs and 13 runs scored in 34 games for the Rangers from May 20 until being taken off the roster Aug. 7. He started the season and spent the last 10 days in Round Rock, where he batted .284 with four doubles, two triples, six homers and 22 RBIs in 39 games. Gimenez returns to the Indians organization after beginning his pro career with the club in 2004 as a 19th round draft pick. He spent a combined 73 games at the major league level in 2009-10. He also spent the 2012-13 seasons in the Tampa Bay Rays organization.

•Syndergaard Not On Mets’ Radar For September Call-Up: As the clock winds down on Noah Syndergaard’s minor league season, there still is no indication the Mets plan on promoting their top pitching prospect to the major leagues this year. According to a club source, team brass has held discussions on which players might be called up in September, and the 21-year-old Syndergaard hasn’t yet been mentioned as a candidate. Syndergaard allowed six earned runs over six innings in his latest start for Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday, and is 8-7 with a 4.85 ERA this season. Syndergaard has pitched 124 innings, leaving him within about 30 of his maximum for the year. After he wowed team officials with his stuff in spring training, it seemed like a foregone conclusion Syndergaard would join the Mets at some point in 2014, but the organization still is waiting for better results. “You’ve got to be a little more consistent,” manager Terry Collins said before the Mets’ 7-4 loss to the Dodgers Saturday night.

“He’s had some good games, but he’s had some rough games. The game [Friday] night was a rough game for him. “We can all talk about Vegas and the ballpark, but he’s had some ups and downs. I think if he does get recalled, certainly the energy will help, and we all know he can throw hard. I just think that if you’re going to get a look you should get more than [a few] innings.” Syndergaard allowed just a run over his final five innings on Friday and was hitting 97-99 mph in the sixth inning, according to a person who watched him pitch. After Syndergaard allowed five runs in the first, his teammates saw him “[ticked] off” for the first time this season, as the normally mild-mannered pitcher was visibly angry. The fact Syndergaard has struggled at times in the first inning this season may lead to organizational officials changing his approach before taking the mound.

Syndergaard is expected to get two more regular-season starts for Las Vegas — the second of which will be abbreviated — before the Pacific Coast League playoffs begin. How far Las Vegas goes in the postseason will have a say in Syndergaard’s potential September call-up. “You always like to see the prospects, but one thing I don’t want to have happen is have him called up and have five innings to work with,” Collins said. “[That is], start him in a game and have him go five and then shut him down for the rest of the year. I’m not sure that is a fair assessment of what he can do.” Rafael Montero will be a likely September call-up, according to a source, and Daisuke Matsuzaka is patiently awaiting his next assignment after recently pitching his third minor league rehab game. If the Mets were soon to make a waiver trade involving Bartolo Colon, the veteran Matsuzaka could fill that rotation spot, with Montero added in September as a sixth starter who would provide extra rest for Jacob DeGrom and Zack Wheeler, who are facing inning limits.

•Indians Send Gomes To DL, Add Gimenez: The Cleveland Indians placed catcher Yan Gomes on the seven-day concussion disabled list and acquired catcher Chris Gimenez from the Texas Rangers in a deal for cash considerations on Saturday. Gomes was struck on the helmet with a foul tip in the fifth inning of Thursday's game against the Minnesota Twins. While he said he's feeling better, the Indians decided to play it safe and put him on the DL, retroactive to Friday. The 27-year-old Gomes is batting .284 with 17 home runs and 53 RBIs this season.

Gimenez will take Gomes' place on the roster. The 31-year-old Gimenez was designated for assignment by the Rangers on Aug. 7. In 118 plate appearances and 34 games for the Rangers this season, Gimenez was batting .262. He was the catcher for 12 of ace right-hander Yu Darvish's 24 starts this year. With Triple-A Round Rock, Gimenez was batting .284 with six homers and 22 RBIs in 39 games. Gimenez began his career in the Indians' system in 2004 and played in 73 games for Cleveland in 2009 and 2010.

•Blue Jays Option Drabek To Triple-A: The Blue Jays optioned right-hander Kyle Drabek to Triple-A Buffalo Sunday to clear a roster spot for right-hander Sergio Santos. Santos was selected from Buffalo after Saturday's 5-4, 10-inning win over Tampa Bay, a game the Rays played under protest following a contentious replay review in the fourth inning. Drabek was recalled from Triple-A on Aug. 16 and had no record in three appearances with the Blue Jays, striking out five batters in three innings. Santos was 0-2 with a 7.78 ERA in 24 games with Toronto before being sent to the minors in late July. He went 1-0 with two saves in 11 appearances with the Bisons.

•Orioles Add RHP Miguel Gonzalez To Rotation: The Baltimore Orioles recalled right-hander Miguel Gonzalez from Triple-A Norfolk to start Sunday's game against the Cubs. Gonzalez replaces struggling right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez (4-9, 4.74 ERA) in the Orioles rotation. Gonzalez allowed one run in six innings against the Toronto Blue Jays in his last major league start on Aug. 7. Gonzalez is 6-6 with a 3.80 ERA in 20 games and 19 starts for Baltimore this season. Infielder Cord Phelps was designated for assignment. He went 0 for 3 in three games with the Orioles. After hitting .258 with 49 RBIs in 97 games at Triple-A. He has played 56 games over four major-league seasons with the Orioles and Cleveland Indians.
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Betting Notes - Monday

National League
•Nationals-Phillies - 7:05 PM
--Roark is 5-1, 2.18 in his last eight starts.
--Burnett is 0-5, 8.89 in his last five starts.

--Nationals won 12 of their last 13 games.
--Phillies are 11-6 in their last seventeen home games.

--Six of last eight Washington games went over the total.

•Cardinals-Pirates - 7:05 PM
--Lackey is 0-1, 7.50 in his last three starts.
--Liriano is 0-3, 6.88 in his last three starts.

--Cardinals won eight of their last eleven games.
--Pirates won three of their last four games.

--Over is 7-1 in last eight Cardinal games.

•Brewers-Padres - 10:10 PM
--Lohse is 0-3, 7.58 in his last four starts.
--Stults is 3-0, 1.80 in his last four starts.

--Brewers lost three of their last four games.
--San Diego lost five of its last seven games.

--Four of last five San Diego games stayed under.

•Rockies-Giants - 10:15 PM
--Matzek is 0-4, 7.89 in his last four starts.
--Peavy is 2-0, 1.93 in last couple starts, after being winless in previous 18.

--Colorado won five of its last six games.
--Giants are 6-4 in last ten games, but lost last two.

--Seven of last ten Colorado games went over total.
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American League
•Rays-Orioles - 7:05 PM
--Odorizzi is 5-2, 3.43 in his last seven starts.
--Tillman is 3-0, 1.57 in his last four starts.

--Tampa Bay won three of its last four games.
--Orioles lost last three games, scoring total of four runs.

--Seven of last nine Baltimore games stayed under.

•Red Sox-Blue Jays - 7:05 PM
--Buchholz is 0-3, 7.30 in his last six starts.
--Happ is 0-4, 4.44 in his last four starts.

--Boston lost its last eight games, scoring 21 runs.
--Toronto lost eight of its last eleven games.

--Four of last five Boston games went over total.

•Athletics-Astros - 8:10 PM
--Samardzija is 0-2, 9.90 in his last two starts.
--Feldman is 2-0, 1.61 in his last three home starts.

--Oakland lost seven of last eight road games.
--Astros lost three of their last four games.

--Last five Houston games stayed under total.

•Yankees-Royals - 8:10 PM
--Pineda is 2-2, 2.05 in six starts this season.
--Shields is 4-0, 2.17 in his last four starts.

--New York won its last four games, allowing 10 runs.
--Royals won 19 of their last 24 games.

--Seven of last nine Yankees games stayed under total.

•Rangers-Mariners - 10:10 PM
--Mikolas is 0-3, 7.81 in his last five starts.
--Elias is 2-2, 2.45 in his last five starts.

--Rangers lost seven of their last ten games.
--Seattle won 14 of its last 18 games.

--Last three Mariner games went over the total.

Interleague
•Marlins-Angels - 10:05 PM
--Cosart is 1-1, 2.45 in three starts for the Marlins.
--LeBlanc is 20-32, 4.56 in 68 MLB starts; this is his first '14 start-- he was 1-5, 5.18 in seven starts for Miami LY.

--Miami lost three of its last four games.
--Angels won nine of their last twelve games.

--12 of last 17 Angel games stayed under the total.

•Incredible Stat of the Day
Colorado Rockies' Tyler Matzek is 0-7 with a 6.10 ERA in his Major League Baseball career away team starts. In his first assignment against San Francisco Matzek will seek to avoid his sixth loss in as many appearances. He is 0-4 with a 7.89 ERA in four outings this month but pitched relatively well in Tuesday night's 7-4 defeat to the Kansas City Royals. The rookie left-hander was charged with three runs in 6 2/3 innings and two of those came from a double allowed by reliever Adam Ottavino.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Preview: Marlins (64-64) at Angels (76-52)


Game: 1
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: August 25, 2014 10:05 PM EDT


Having regained sole possession of the AL West lead, the Los Angeles Angels will try to add a cushion before a pivotal series later this week.

Wade LeBlanc looks to help in his scheduled return to the majors Monday night against one of his former clubs, the Miami Marlins, and prove a capable replacement for the injured Garrett Richards.

Los Angeles (77-52) had its two-game lead in the division over Oakland erased with back-to-back road losses to the Athletics but avoided a sweep with a 9-4 victory Sunday.

Josh Hamilton homered and drove in three runs in the first four innings while staking the Angels to an early 8-0 lead. Mike Trout added his 29th homer - one shy of matching a career high - in his club's 10th win in 14 games.

Los Angeles will host Oakland for four games starting Thursday, but it will first play three against the Marlins (64-65), who are four games behind San Francisco for the second NL wild-card spot.

LeBlanc (0-0, 7.36 ERA) is making his first major league start since May 6, 2013.

He pitched 6 1-3 innings in relief of an ineffective Richards on May 30 and made his only other appearance this season for the New York Yankees on June 4 before being designated for assignment again. He was signed to a minor league contract by Los Angeles on June 17.

The Angels called up the 30-year-old LeBlanc on Thursday, a day after Richards suffered a season-ending knee injury. The left-hander has a big spot to fill - Richards was fourth in the AL with a 2.61 ERA and tied for the team lead with 13 victories.

"As important as Garrett has been, he's only on the mound once or twice a week. You understand that he's a big piece of your team, but there's guys who can step in and help us," third baseman David Freese told MLB's official website.

LeBlanc is 1-1 with a 5.60 ERA in three career starts against the Marlins, the most recent a 4-3 win for San Diego in 2011. He went 3-10 with a 4.30 ERA in 38 appearances, including 16 starts, for Miami from the beginning of the 2012 season until he was acquired off waivers by Houston in June 2013.

His former club is batting .300 and has produced 39 runs in its last six games but has lost three of its last four. The Marlins lost 7-4 to Colorado on Sunday despite having seven of their 11 hits go for extra bases.

Miami has dropped five of eight on the road but is 12-5 in interleague play, matching its most wins against the AL in one season. The Marlins, whose starters have compiled a 6.04 ERA in the last four games, send out Jarred Cosart (1-1, 2.45) - easily their most effective member of their rotation of late.

The right-hander has permitted one run in 13 innings in his last two starts. He gave up one run in six innings Tuesday against Texas, but the Marlins' bullpen couldn't protect a two-run lead in an eventual 4-3, 10-inning victory.

"I think we all knew that this guy's got great stuff," manager Mike Redmond told MLB's official website. "I think it's been fun watching him over the last couple of starts pitching when games mean something."

Cosart, acquired from Houston on July 31, went 0-2 with a 5.68 ERA in two starts against the Angels this season while with the Astros.

[Can'tPickAWinner]

Today's MLB Picks

LA Angels at Oakland

The Orioles open up a series at home tonight against a Tampa Bay team that is 1-6 in Jake Odorizzi's last 7 starts as an underdog. Baltimore is the pick (-135) according to Dunkel, which has the Orioles favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-135). Here are all of today's MLB picks.

MONDAY, AUGUST 25 Time Posted: 7:30 a.m. EST

Game 951-952: Washington at Philadelphia (7:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Roark) 15.144; Philadelphia (Burnett) 16.202 Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 1; 7 Vegas Line: Washington (-160); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (+140); Under

Game 953-954: St. Louis at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Lackey) 15.309; Pittsburgh (Liriano) 16.443 Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 1; 8 Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-140); 7 Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-140); Over

Game 955-956: Milwaukee at San Diego (10:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Lohse) 16.895; San Diego (Stults) 15.419 Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-130); 7 Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-130); Over

Game 957-958: Colorado at San Francisco (10:15 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Matzek) 15.219; San Francisco (Peavy) 14.338 Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1; 9 Vegas Line: San Francisco (-175); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+155); Over

Game 959-960: Tampa Bay at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Odorizzi) 15.675; Baltimore (Tillman) 17.322 Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1 1/2; 7 Vegas Line: Baltimore (-135); 8 Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-135); Under

Game 961-962: Boston at Toronto (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Boston (Buchholz) 14.337; Toronto (Happ) 15.479 Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 8 Vegas Line: Toronto (-130); 9 Dunkel Pick: Toronto (-130); Under

Game 963-964: Oakland at Houston (8:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Samardzija) 14.043; Houston (Feldman) 15.603 Dunkel Line: Houston by 1 1/2; 7 Vegas Line: Oakland (-175); 8 Dunkel Pick: Houston (+155); Under

Game 965-966: NY Yankees at Kansas City (7:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Pineda) 16.476; Kansas City (Shields) 15.557 Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1; 8 Vegas Line: Kansas City (-140); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (+120); Over

Game 967-968: Texas at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Mikolas) 14.789; Seattle (Elias) 16.152 Dunkel Line: Seattle by 1 1/2; 7 Vegas Line: Seattle (-180); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-180); Under

Game 969-970: Miami at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Cosart) 16.214; LA Angels (LeBlanc) 15.119 Dunkel Line: Miami by 1; 7 Vegas Line: LA Angels (-150); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Miami (+130); Under

[Can'tPickAWinner]

2Halves2Win

MLB COMP

COL @ SF

1* Giants ML