9-21-11

[timbob]

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[Mr. IWS]

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
NY Yankees Host Rays For MLB Betting Doubleheader
By Jeff Grant


Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees (N/A)

UPDATE: New York has flipped starting pitching assignments for Wednesday's doubleheader vs. Tampa Bay. Phil Hughes will pitch Game 1 and CC Sabathia is on the mound in Game 2.

The Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees are in the midst of a four-game series that will determine a lot in the American League East Division and AL Wild Card races. Both teams are set to play six of their final nine games against each other.

Wednesday’s first pitch of a day-night doubleheader will come at 1:05 (ET) at Yankee Stadium and will be followed by a nationally-televised contest at 7:05 on ESPN.

New York opened the series with a magic number of four to clinch a playoff spot, and five in order to win the division. The club had won six of the first 11 meetings with Tampa Bay during the 2011 campaign heading into Tuesday's series opener.

Playing this series in the Bronx is a definite advantage for the Yankees who begin with a 3-2 home record against Tampa Bay this year, while holding an all-time 78-36 mark in the series when playing at Yankee Stadium.

The Bronx Bombers are an MLB-best 40-12 in day games this season, leading all teams with a .279 batting average and hitting 73 home runs. New York’s pitching staff also ranks sixth, owning a 3.33 ERA under the sun.

CC Sabathia (19-8, 3.01 ERA) will head to the mound for the first contest, looking to win his first game since Sept. 4. He failed to deliver a win in consecutive road games against the Angels and Blue Jays, allowing five runs and 18 hits over 11 2/3 innings.

The left-hander has tallied an impressive 8-3 record and 3.11 ERA in 15 home starts, issuing just 21 walks and registering 114 punch-outs in 110 frames.

Sabathia will be facing the Rays for the 24th time in his career, entering with a 9-7 mark and 3.13 ERA, including a 5-1 home loss on Aug. 12 (8 IP, 5 ER).

Bettors will find that the Yankees are 17-8 in their last 25 opening games of a doubleheader, while the ‘under’ is 10-3 in that particular situation.

Tampa Bay has won 11 of its past 15 games and has cut a nine-game deficit in the Wild Card standings to just two before Tuesday's action. The Rays have posted a 26-13 record since Aug. 8, which is the best second-best mark in the majors over that span behind the Detroit Tigers.

James Shields (15-11, 2.78 ERA) has won four of his last five starts and will be looking to improve his 4-10 career record against the Yankees. He did come away with a 2-1 home win over New York on July 21, giving up just a single run and six hits over 7 2/3 frames.

The right-hander will need to pitch carefully to Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano, who is 20-for-50 (.400) with three home runs and nine RBIs against him.

The Rays are 2-7 in Shields’ last nine road starts against the Bronx Bombers.

Tampa Bay is scheduled to send out Jeremy Hellickson (13-10, 2.91 ERA) in the nightcap to face New York’s Phil Hughes (5-5, 6.00 ERA).

It’s important to note that the Rays are 3-8 when playing the second game of a twinbill, while the Yankees are 8-3 in the situation.

Weather forecasts suggest comfortable temperatures in the low-70s for both contests, while a 40 percent chance of showers will persist throughout.

[Mr. IWS]

MLB NEWS AND NOTES
Wednesday's Streaking And Slumping Starting Pitchers

STREAKING

Randy Wolf, Milwaukee Brewers (13-9, 3.45 ERA)

Wolf has been pretty solid through his last three starts, allowing six runs over that span. He held the Reds to three runs on seven hits over seven innings in his last trip to the hill while striking out seven. The veteran lefty pounded the strike zone with 71 strikes in his 101 pitches. Wolf has thrown at least six innings in 18 of his last 19 starts.

Ubaldo Jimenez, Cleveland Indians (10-11, 4.49 ERA)

It certainly took Jimenez to show the Indians what he’s capable of, but he has now put together five straight quality starts with a 2.78 ERA during that streak. He held the Twins to just one earned run in 6 1/3 innings with four strikeouts the last time he took the hill, boosting that number to 30 in his last 32 1/3 innings.

SLUMPING

Kevin Slowey, Minnesota Twins (0-6, 6.51 ERA)

Things have gotten pretty ugly for Slowey. He obviously hasn’t won all season and has been pulled in the fourth inning in his last two outings, allowing 11 runs over that span. The only real bright side on his stat line is the five walks he has issued in more 47 innings.

“I don’t think I have the lexicon to describe how disappointed I am in how I threw today and how I have thrown most of the year, to be honest with you,” Slowey told reporters recently.

Derek Lowe, Atlanta Braves (9-15, 4.94 ERA)

Lowe is 3-8 with a fat 6.12 ERA in his last 11 starts and lasted just 2 1/3 innings in his last outing when he allowed nine hits and six earned runs before getting the hook.

“This was terrible," Lowe told reporters after that one. "It was non-competitive pitching from the first pitch... Honestly, what can you say? They did anything they wanted. You tried to make competitive pitches, and it just didn’t happen. Again, bad game at the wrong time."

[Mr. IWS]

Wednesday’s Betting Tips: Cubs Feasting On Lefties

Who’s Hot

MLB: The Chicago Cubs have won their last five games against a left-handed starter. They’re set as +105 home underdogs against Milwaukee lefty Randy Wolf.

MLB: St. Louis has won 10 of its last 12.

Who’s Not

MLB: Toronto is 5-12 in its last 17 games as an underdog.

MLB: Tampa Bay is 5-13 in James Shields’ last 18 starts against the Yankees.

Key Stat

74 – Better than 74 percent of the NFL’s games through two weeks have played over the total. Through the season's first two weeks, 172 touchdowns have been scored - a record for most in the opening weeks of any previous campaign - for 1,502 combined points. Quarterbacks are largely responsible for the boom, having netted 15,771 passing yards in that time, also a record through the first two weeks.

Injury That Shouldn’t Be Overlooked

Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants – Kung Fu Panda plans to play out the rest of the schedule but word has it he isn’t 100 percent. Manager Bruce Bochy indicated Sandoval could undergo offseason surgery on his left shoulder. The slugging switch hitter hasn’t been able to bat right-handed since about the middle of last month.

Game Of The Day

Atlanta Braves at Florida Marlins (-125, 7.5)

Notable Quotable

"I don't know. I really don't. I understand the nature of the injury as much as you can without being in medicine. We'll just have to see how it goes. It has everything to do with just his ability to handle the pain, and we know he has a bunch of it. We'll see how that goes. He'll be monitored obviously extremely closely regarding the pneumothorax and we'll see how it goes." – Jerry Jones on whether quarterback Tony Romo would be fit to start Monday night after fracturing a couple ribs and puncturing a lung in Week 2’s overtime win over San Francisco. Most books currently have the Cowboys-Redskins game off the board.

Notes And Tips

It’s a slow day in the sports world, but if you’re absolutely desperate to get some NHL betting in, there are 10 games on the preseason schedule Wednesday and you can find some lines if you hunt around the online shops. Some of the more interesting matchups include the New Jersey Devils at the New York Rangers, the Detroit Red Wings at the Pittsburgh Penguins and the San Jose Sharks at Anaheim Ducks.

Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen would like to know his fate before he leaves on a family vacation at the conclusion of the season. Guillen has been with the club since 2004, guiding the White Sox to a World Series title in that time. He had his option for 2012 exercised by ownership in January. But the 47-year-old acknowledges that his team has fallen short of expectations and is holding himself accountable for the disappointment. Guillen is scheduled to leave for a trip to Spain on Sept. 28 - two days after the season is over - and wants his future decided beforehand. The White Sox are third in the AL Central and were eliminated from playoff contention last week.

University of Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert had shoulder surgery and will miss the rest of the season, the school announced Tuesday. Gilbert hurt his shoulder in the season opener against Rice on Sept. 3. However, the school said nothing about the injury until Sept. 13 - three days after Gilbert started against BYU but was removed in the second quarter. Doctors recommended the surgery after being told by Gilbert that his shoulder was getting worse. He is expected to make a full recovery. A junior, Gilbert was 15-of-31 for 247 yards, one TD and two interceptions before the injury. He threw for 2,744 yards, 10 TDs and 17 interceptions in 2010. Case McCoy, the younger brother of former Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, has replaced Gilbert for the Longhorns.

[Mr. IWS]

HOT LINES

Wednesday's Best MLB Bets

Houston Astros at Cincinnati Reds (-135, 8)

Hey, if you have nothing better to do Wednesday afternoon, why not tune into the Astros-Reds matinee and see if Bronson Arroyo implodes on the mound?

He has already given up a franchise-high 44 home runs this season and is now just four dingers away from the NL record of 48, a distinction Jose Lima owns. If you’re thinking four homers in a single game might be stretching it even for Arroyo, consider that he did just allow four dingers in a loss to Milwaukee and three more in the start before that against Colorado.

"It could be age," the 34-year-old pitcher told reporters of his problems. "It could be my arm. It could be getting sick in spring training. It could be a bunch of things. All I know is, during the offseason, you've got to contemplate making some adjustments. Obviously, you have to do something to try not to duplicate this season."

We’ll jump all over Houston in this spot and hope for more homers. Sorry, Bronson.

PICK: Houston


San Diego Padres at Colorado Rockies (-110, 9.5)

Neither of these teams have much to play for, but Troy Tulowitzki’s expected return should give the Rockies a bit of a boost.

Tulo has been the team’s most energetic player all season, but has been on the shelf for the last week with a hip injury. According to Rockies beat writer Tony Renck, the 26-year-old shortstop will suit up for Wednesday’s game.

However, he’ll probably be used sparingly down the stretch.

“The thing you have to keep in mind is, we've got nine games to play,” manager Jim Tracy told reporters. “And you don't want to feel like you end up in a situation where, if a key component like that were to get hurt, that fractures you going into 2012. You have to be mindful of that."

He is hitting .304 with 30 homers and 105 RBIs this season and will be facing rookie Anthony Bass, who makes his second MLB start.

PICK: Colorado

[Mr. IWS]

Today's MLB Picks

LA Angels at Toronto

The Blue Jays look to take advantage of a Los Angeles team that is 1-5 in Dan Haren's last 6 starts as a road favorite. Toronto is the pick (+150) according to Dunkel, which has the Blue Jays favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+150). Here are all of today's picks.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 Time Posted: 6:30 a.m. EST

Game 951-952: Houston at Cincinnati (12:35 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Rodriguez) 15.336; Cincinnati (Arroyo) 14.091 Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 9 Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-135); 8 Dunkel Pick: Houston (+115); Over

Game 953-954: Milwaukee at Chicago Cubs (2:20 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Milwaukee (Wolf) 14.859; Cubs (Garza) 15.718 Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1; 6 1/2 Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-115); No Run Total Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (-105); N/A

Game 955-956: San Diego at Colorado (3:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Bass) 15.245; Colorado (Cook) 13.889 Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1 1/2; 10 1/2 Vegas Line: Colorado (-110); 9 1/2 Dunkel Pick: San Diego (-110); Over

Game 957-958: Pittsburgh at Arizona (3:40 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Ohlendorf) 14.187; Arizona (Miley) 14.904 Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1/2; 9 Vegas Line: Arizona (-180); 9 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-180); Under

Game 959-960: Washington at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Lannan) 15.418; Philadelphia (Worley) 14.421 Dunkel Line: Washington by 1; 7 1/2 Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-200); 8 Dunkel Pick: Washington (+170); Under

Game 961-962: Atlanta at Florida (7:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Lowe) 14.363; Florida (Vazquez) 15.346 Dunkel Line: Florida by 1; 8 Vegas Line: Florida (-125); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Florida (-125); Over

Game 963-964: NY Mets at St. Louis (8:15 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Schwinden) 15.312; St. Louis (Garcia) 15.124 Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: St. Louis (-200); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (+170); Under

Game 965-966: San Francisco at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Vogelsong) 15.745; LA Dodgers (Eveland) 17.102 Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1 1/2; 8 Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-110); 7 Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-110); Over

Game 967-968: Tampa Bay at NY Yankees (1:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Shields) 16.414; NY Yankees (Hughes) 14.689 Dunkel Line: Tampa Bay by 1 1/2; 9 1/2 Vegas Line: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 969-970: Chicago White Sox at Cleveland (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Buehrle) 14.310; Cleveland (Jimenez) 15.219 Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 7 1/2 Vegas Line: Cleveland (-135); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-135); Under

Game 971-972: LA Angels at Toronto (7:07 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Haren) 15.452; Toronto (McGowan) 16.413 Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 9 Vegas Line: LA Angels (-170); 8 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+150); Over

Game 973-974: Baltimore at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Hunter) 15.716; Boston (Beckett) 15.173 Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1/2; 8 1/2 Vegas Line: Boston (-300); 9 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+250); Under

Game 975-976: Seattle at Minnesota (8:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Pineda) 15.299; Minnesota (Slowey) 14.594 Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 1/2; 7 Vegas Line: Seattle (-135); 7 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+115); Under

Game 977-978: Detroit at Kansas City (8:10 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Detroit (Scherzer) 16.578; Kansas City (Paulino) 15.774 Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1; 10 Vegas Line: Detroit (-125); 9 Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-125); Over

Game 979-980: Texas at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Wilson) 17.372; Oakland (McCarthy) 14.901 Dunkel Line: Texas by 2 1/2; 6 Vegas Line: Texas (-150); 7 Dunkel Pick: Texas (-150); Under

Game 981-982: Tampa Bay at NY Yankees (7:05 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Tampa Bay (Hellickson) 15.324; NY Yankees (Sabathia) 15.806 Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1/2; 9 1/2 Vegas Line: No Line Dunkel Pick: N/A

[Mr. IWS]

Mighty Quinn

Mighty hit with the Braves Tuesday night.

Wednesday it's the Yankees (first game). The deficit is 2646 sirignanos.

[Mr. IWS]

Hondo

Hondo made a monster move on the deficit last night by bringing home three huge long shots -- the Nats, Orioles and Pirates -- to reduce the IOUs from 3,195 to 2,435 thons. Two words for those who amass their fortune by reversing Mr. Aitch: So sorry! Today, he is calling on Mr. Wandyful to mesmerize the Reds -- 20 units on the 'Stros. If that works out as planned, he will add another 20 on Hunter and the Birds at Fenway Pahk.

[Mr. IWS]

Gamblers Data

Free Play Wednesday

Indians -145

[Mr. IWS]

Free Selection from Arthur Ralph Sports

722- 529 57 % Run over 3 YEARS

Free one WED Brewers - 120 19-4 run

[Mr. IWS]

Baseball Crusher
Play of the Day:

Rangers -155 over Athletics

[Mr. IWS]

sportsbook Investing
Play of the Day:

Rangers -155 over Athletics

[Mr. IWS]

Cappers Access

Padres
Giants

[Mr. IWS]

JOE WIZ DAILY FREE PLAY

Over 8 runs bet. the Mets and St.Louis

[Mr. IWS]

Free Silver Key Pick for Wednesday ML Baseball

Houston Rodriguez -L +1.5 Runs, -170 over CINCINNATI