Cnotes 2014 Major League Baseball playoff schedule - Trends - News -Best Bets !

[CNOTES]

MLB

Friday, October 3


Bats, offense highlighting playoffs

Even though we are only three days into the MLB postseason, big bats have come out to sting books. The over is now 3-1 through the first four games in these playoffs.

Games have seen an average of more than 17 hits per game and 11 runs per game so far.

There are four games on the MLB slate Friday.

 

[CNOTES]

MLB
Short Sheet

Friday, October 3

National League Division Series - Best of 5 - Game 1

San Francisco at Washington, 3:05 ET
Peavy: SAN FRANCISCO is 50-38 (+10.7 Units) against the money line after a win
Strasburg: 8-1 OVER (+7.1 Units) as a home favorite of -175 to -250


National League Division Series - Best of 5 - Game 1

St Louis at LA Dodgers, 6:35 ET
Wainwright: 20-11 (+12.2 Units) against the money line as an underdog
Kershaw: LA DODGERS are 15-19 (-10.1 Units) against the money line against NL Central opponents


American League Division Series - Best of 5 - Game 2 - Balt. leads 1-0

Detroit at Baltimore, 12:05 ET
Verlander: 13-6 OVER (+7.2 Units) when the money line is -100 to -150
Chen: BALTIMORE 16-29 in home day games


American Division Series - Best of 5 - Game 2 - KC leads 1-0

Kansas City at LA Angels, 9:35 ET
Ventura: n/a
Shoemaker: n/a

TSR = Team Start Record​

 

[CNOTES]

Strasburg gets Game 1 start in NLDS

October 2, 2014



WASHINGTON (AP) - Stephen Strasburg's postseason debut will come in Game 1 of the NL Division Series on Friday when he takes the mound at home for the Nationals against the San Francisco Giants.

The announcement by Washington manager Matt Williams on Thursday was no surprise: Strasburg was the team's opening-day starter and he's been much better at home than away.

In 18 starts at Nationals Park this season, Strasburg went 9-3 with a 2.56 ERA. In 16 road starts, he was 5-8 with a 3.82 ERA. Still, one of the right-hander's worst showings came at home against San Francisco. On Aug. 24, the last time the teams met, Strasburg left after only four innings, having allowed five runs.

Strasburg was held out of the 2012 playoffs by the Nationals to protect his surgically repaired right elbow.

Jordan Zimmermann, who threw a no-hitter in Sunday's regular-season finale, will start Game 2 at Washington on Saturday. Doug Fister will start Game 3 at San Francisco.

Williams would not say who his starter would be if there is a Game 4, although that is expected to be Gio Gonzalez.

 

[CNOTES]

NLDS - Cardinals at Dodgers

October 2, 2014
!

National League Division Series - Game 1
St. Louis Cardinals (90-72) at Los Angeles Dodgers (94-68)
First pitch: Friday, 6:35 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line and Total: Los Angeles -195, St. Louis +182, Total: 5.5

Two storied franchises, the Cardinals and Dodgers, open their best-of-5 NLDS with Game 1 in L.A. on Friday night.

St. Louis just barely edged out Pittsburgh for the NL Central title by going 10-5 since Sept. 12, and then clinching the division with a 1-0 victory over Arizona on the last day of the season. With an offense ranked eighth-worst in the league in runs (619), the Cardinals earned most of their victories with solid pitching which had an overall 3.50 ERA. Their hottest hitter coming into the postseason is 1B Matt Adams (.288 BA) who has gone 11-for-34 (.324) with three doubles, 3 RBI and four runs over his past nine contests.

Los Angeles played up to its potential in the 2014 campaign and beat out the Giants for the NL West title over the last series of the year. The team with the league's highest payroll finished the season on a high note with victories in eight of the final 10 games, including winning the final five contests. The offense had the best on-base percentage (.333) in all of baseball this year while scoring 718 runs (6th in majors). OF Matt Kemp (.287 BA) closed out the year in impressive form by going 12-for-30 (.400) with four home runs, 12 RBI and nine runs over his final eight contests. The pitching matchup will be a great one as RHP Adam Wainwright (20-9, 2.38 ERA) faces the best pitcher in baseball, LHP Clayton Kershaw (21-3, 1.77 ERA).

The Cardinals have not played well on the road this year with a 39-42 record (.481) and will be facing a Dodgers team which has gone 45-36 (.556) in front of their fans. Since the beginning of the 2012 campaign, L.A. is 14-11 in this matchup while going a solid 9-5 at home, including taking 3-of-4 games at Chavez Ravine earlier this season.

Bettors should keep an eye on the fact that the Dodgers are only 19-26 (.422) after two or more consecutive wins this season while going 50-27 (.649) after having won six or seven of their previous eight games over the past two seasons.

The Cardinals come into this game with no injuries, while SS Dee Gordon (hip) is listed as day-to-day for the host Dodgers.

Adam Wainwright has won 19 or more games in four of his past five seasons while pitching under a 2.95 ERA, and has thrown at least 198 frames in each of the past five years. His consistency has come from his ability to control the strike zone with a walk rate of 2.0 BB/9 in 2014 while holding batters to a mere 10 homers in his 227 innings (0.40 HR/9). Wainwright finished off the season in spectacular fashion, going 5-0 with a 1.38 ERA while having a 39:5 K/BB ration in five September starts. Despite a 4-6 career record (6-7 team record) against his opponent, Wainwright has a strong 2.83 ERA and 1.10 WHIP when facing the Dodgers.

He has lost his past three outings in this matchup despite allowing only six runs in 22 frames. OF Andre Ethier (9-for-33, 3 doubles, 2 HR, 6 RBI) has been one of the few L.A. players able to produce off of the ace, while 1B Adrian Gonzalez, OF Matt Kemp and SS Hanley Ramirez are a combined 12-for-66 (.182) with 15 strikeouts when facing Wainwright.

The relievers for St. Louis are 26-23 (.531) this year with a 3.62 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, and have been successful saving games in 55-of-72 (76%) attempts. Closer Trevor Rosenthal (3.20 ERA, 45 saves) allowed far too many free passes (5.4 BB/9) while holding opposing hitters to just 0.26 HR/9 and striking out 11.1 batters per nine innings.

Clayton Kershaw has been in a league of his own over the past few seasons with an ERA under 3.00 in each of the past six years while pitching to a mark better than a 2.00 ERA in each of the past two years. Amazingly, Kershaw improved on his 2013 Cy Young performance with a career-best 1.77 ERA, 10.9 K/9 and 1.41 BB/9 this season. He has kept 81.6% of runners on base in 2014 and forced 51.8% of balls in play to be hit on the ground, which are also both career-best marks. He has allowed more than three runs just once on the year and was a perfect 5-0 with a 1.95 ERA over the final month of the regular season.

Kershaw has actually not done too well against the Cardinals in his career, going 5-7 (8-9 team record) with a 3.69 ERA and 1.31 WHIP, but he did throw a quality start in both of his outings this year, including seven shutout innings with 13 K's at Dodger Stadium on June 29. OF Peter Bourjos (4-for-11, 1 HR, 2 RBI) is the only player on the St. Louis roster with a homer against the lefty while OF Matt Holliday (9-for-35, 10 K's, 10 BB's) and 3B Matt Carpenter (5-for-18, 4 K's) have been decent in the matchup.

In the regular season, L.A.’s bullpen was a subpar 18-24 (.429) with a 3.80 ERA and 1.31 WHIP, while going 47-for-61 (77%) in save opportunities. Closer Kenley Jansen (2.76 ERA, 44 saves) struck out a wealth of batters (13.9 K/9) and was on the losing side of batters hitting .350 BABIP against him.

 

[CNOTES]

2014 MLB Playoff Results

October 3, 2014


Overall Results:

-- Favorites are 1-3

-- Home teams are 2-2

-- The Over is 3-1

American League Divisional Series

Detroit vs. Baltimore

Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under

1 Detroit at Baltimore (+110) 12-3 Underdog Over 7

2 Detroit at Baltimore - - -

3 Baltimore at Detroit - - -

4 Baltimore at Detroit - - -

5 Detroit at Baltimore - - -


Kansas City vs. Los Angeles

Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under

1 Kansas City (+165) at Los Angeles 3-2 (11) Underdog Under 7 ½

2 Kansas City at Los Angeles - - -

3 Los Angeles at Kansas City - - -

4 Los Angeles at Kansas City - - -

5 Kansas City at Los Angeles - - -


National League Divisional Series

San Francisco vs. Washington

Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under

1 San Francisco at Washington - - -

2 San Francisco at Washington - - -

3 Washington at San Francisco - - -

4 Washington at San Francisco - - -

5 San Francisco at Washington - - -


St. Louis vs. Los Angeles

Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under

1 St. Louis at Los Angeles - - -

2 St. Louis at Los Angeles - - -

3 Los Angeles at St. Louis - - -

4 Los Angeles at St. Louis - - -

5 St. Louis at Los Angeles - - -


Wild Card

Wild Card Game

Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under

AL Oakland at Kansas City (+100) 9-8 (12) Underdog Over 6 ½

NL San Francisco (-110) at Pittsburgh 8-0 Favorite Over 6 ½

 

[CNOTES]

Friday ALDS, NLDS matchups watch list

October 3, 2014 8:57 am ET

Friday promises a bounty of playoff action, as all eight remaining teams will take the field. Let's have a closer look at each contest (schedule/scoreboard) ...

Detroit Tigers at Baltimore Orioles, 12:00 pm ET, TV: TBS

Pitching matchup: Justin Verlander (206 IP, 4.54 ERA, 2.45 K/BB) vs. Wei-Yin Chen (185 2/3 IP, 3.54 ERA, 3.89 K/BB)

•Verlander for his career has allowed a line of .201/.246/.358 against current Oriole hitters. That's good, of course, but keep in mind that the 2014 Verlander hasn't been in vintage form. In two starts against Baltimore this season, Verlander has given up seven runs in 14 innings of work, striking out seven and walking five. He ended the regular season with back-to-back strong starts.

•The sample sizes are small, of course, but J.J. Hardy and Alejandro De Aza have each had some success in hitting for power against Verlander.

•Detroit hitters have put up a career line of .286/.423/.429 against Chen; however, that's across a total sample of just 26 plate appearances. Chen didn't face Detroit during the regular season.

•This season, the Orioles' offense ranks fifth in the AL in Weighted Runs Created+ (wRC+) against right-handed pitching. The Tigers are tied for first in the AL in wRC+ versus lefties.



San Francisco Giants at Washington Nationals, 3:00 pm ET, TV: FS1

Pitching matchup: Jake Peavy (202 2/3 IP, 3.73 ERA, 2.51 K/BB with BOS and SF) vs. Stephen Strasburg (215 IP, 3.14 ERA, 5.63 K/BB)

•In his career, Peavy has given up a slash line of .248/.265/.463 against hitters presently on the Nationals. Adam LaRoche has hit three homers against him in 14 career ABs. He hasn't faced the Nats in 2014.

•Giants hitters have a combined career line of .292/.342/.444 against Strasburg, but that's across a total sample of just 80 plate appearances.

•The Giants this season ranked third in the NL in wRC+ against RHPs, while the Nationals check in at fourth.

•Dating back to the 2012 NLCS, the Giants have now won eight straight postseason games.



St. Louis Cardinals at Los Angeles Dodgers, 6:30 pm ET, TV: FS1

Pitching matchup: Adam Wainwright (227 IP, 2.38 ERA, 3.58 K/BB) vs. Clayton Kershaw (198 1/3 IP, 1.77 ERA, 7.71 K/BB)

•Hitters presently on the Dodgers have a line of .226/.267/.343 against Wainwright. In particular, Andre Ethier, who may be on the bench, has enjoyed a great deal of success against the St. Louis ace across 42 career plate appearances.

•Kershaw against current Cardinal hitters has allowed a line of .258/.345/.376, including postseason play. He's faced the Cardinals twice this season, and across those two games he allowed three runs in 14 innings, striking out 21 and walking three.

•Will Kershaw's missing roughly a month early in the season because of a back injury actually help him? Last season, some blamed mounting fatigue for his NLCS struggles against the Cardinals. Counting his two NLDS starts in 2013, he entered that series with a seasonal workload of 249 innings. This time around, he faces the Cardinals with, as listed above, just 198 1/3 innings of work behind him, so he figures to be much fresher.

•The Cardinals this season are tied for third in the NL in wRC+ versus lefties, while the Dodgers check in at tops in the NL in wRC+ against right-handers.



Kansas City Royals at Los Angeles Angels, 9:30 pm ET, TV: TBS

Pitching matchup: Yordano Ventura (183 IP, 3.20 ERA, 2.30 K/BB) vs. Matt Shoemaker (136 IP, 3.04 ERA, 5.17 K/BB)

•The rookie Ventura has permitted a line of .400/.400/.480 against Angels hitters, but you can pretty much ignore that, as we're talking about a total sample of just 25 plate appearances. In his lone start against the Halos this season, Ventura gave up a pair of runs in four innings and struck out three against zero walks.

•Ventura, of course, is coming off a rough relief outing against the Athletics in the ALDS. That the Royals wound up winning the game probably reduces the chances of any "psychological carryover," but his command in the early innings is something to watch.

•Shoemaker, also a rookie, has allowed a line of .475/.477/.650 against current Royals. Most of that damage came in a June 27 start at KC, in which he gave up eight runs on 11 hits in four innings of work.

•I think pitcher wins and losses are almost uniformly usesless as stats go, but still: Shoemaker managed to notch 16 wins in just 136 innings and 20 starts.

•The Angels in 2014 ranked fourth in the AL in wRC+ against RHPs, while the Royals ranked 11th in that same category.

•Going back to the 1985 World Series, the Royals have won five straight postseason games.

 

[CNOTES]

Playoff Record:


Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

10/02/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*450 Detail

10/01/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail

09/30/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail

Totals 6-*2-*0 75.00% +1550


4 - 1 ........ + 3.00.......*****

2 - 0 .........+ 4.00 ......Double Play

1 - 1 .........- 2.55.......Triple Play

0 - 0 .........- 0.00.......Grand Slam


Friday, October 3

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Detroit - 12:00 PM ET Detroit +105 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Baltimore - Over 7.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY


San Francisco - 3:00 PM ET San Francisco +163 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Washington - Under 6.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

 

[CNOTES]

National League Game # 1


St. Louis - 6:30 PM ET St. Louis +171 500 TRIPLE PLAY

LA Dodgers - Over 5.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

 

[CNOTES]

AMERICAN LEAGUE GAME # 2


Kansas City - 9:30 PM ET LA Angels -155 500 TRIPLE PLAY

LA Angels - Under 7 500 TRIPLE PLAY

 

[CNOTES]

Playoff Record:


Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

10/03/14 6-*2-*0 75.00% +*2395 Detail

10/02/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*450 Detail

10/01/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail

09/30/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail

Totals 12-*4-*0 75.00%% +2550


Rated Plays Only Record:


4 - 1 ........ + 3.00.......*****

4 - 2..........+ 5.26 ......Double Play

4 - 2 .........+ 3.93.....Triple Play

0 - 0 .........- 0.00.......Grand Slam

 

[CNOTES]

2014 MLB Playoff Results

October 3, 2014

Overall Results:

-- Favorites are 2-3

-- Home teams are 3-2

-- The Over is 4-1

American League Divisional Series

Detroit vs. Baltimore

Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under

1 Detroit at Baltimore (+110) 12-3 Underdog Over 7

2 Detroit at Baltimore (-120) 7-6 Favorite Over 7.5

3 Baltimore at Detroit - - -

4 Baltimore at Detroit - - -

5 Detroit at Baltimore - - -


Kansas City vs. Los Angeles

Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under

1 Kansas City (+165) at Los Angeles 3-2 (11) Underdog Under 7 ½

2 Kansas City at Los Angeles - - -

3 Los Angeles at Kansas City - - -

4 Los Angeles at Kansas City - - -

5 Kansas City at Los Angeles - - -


National League Divisional Series

San Francisco vs. Washington

Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under

1 San Francisco at Washington - - -

2 San Francisco at Washington - - -

3 Washington at San Francisco - - -

4 Washington at San Francisco - - -

5 San Francisco at Washington - - -


St. Louis vs. Los Angeles

Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under

1 St. Louis at Los Angeles - - -

2 St. Louis at Los Angeles - - -

3 Los Angeles at St. Louis - - -

4 Los Angeles at St. Louis - - -

5 St. Louis at Los Angeles - - -


Wild Card

Wild Card Game

Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under

AL Oakland at Kansas City (+100) 9-8 (12) Underdog Over 6 ½

NL San Francisco (-110) at Pittsburgh 8-0 Favorite Over 6 ½

 

[CNOTES]

MLB
Dunkel

St. Louis at LA Dodgers
The Cardinals look to follow up last night's 10-9 win in the opener and come into today's contest with a 4-1 record in Lance Lynn's last 5 starts against the Dodgers. St. Louis is the pick (+150) according to Dunkel, which has the Cardinals favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+150). Here are all of today's MLB picks.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4

Game 913-914: San Francisco at Washington (5:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Hudson) 13.662; Washington (Zimmermann) 15.138
Dunkel Line: Washington by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Washington (-210); 7
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-210); Over

Game 915-916: St. Louis at LA Dodgers (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Lynn) 16.405; LA Dodgers (Greinke) 15.398
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 6
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-170); 7
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+150); Under




MLB
Long Sheet

Saturday, October 4

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SAN FRANCISCO (90 - 74) at WASHINGTON (96 - 67) - 5:35 PM
TIM HUDSON (R) vs. JORDAN ZIMMERMANN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 96-67 (+8.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 96-67 (+8.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 41-24 (+11.5 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
ZIMMERMANN is 45-19 (+19.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZIMMERMANN is 25-7 (+17.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZIMMERMANN is 45-19 (+19.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 90-74 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 45-38 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 29-18 (+18.2 Units) against the money line in road games in October games since 1997.
SAN FRANCISCO is 38-26 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 90-74 (+11.1 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 60-44 (+12.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 51-38 (+12.5 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 20-17 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
HUDSON is 50-30 (+18.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HUDSON is 49-29 (+17.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
HUDSON is 163-93 (+36.1 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 5-3 (+0.8 Units) against SAN FRANCISCO this season
6 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.3 Units)

TIM HUDSON vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
HUDSON is 18-5 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 2.35 and a WHIP of 1.089.
His team's record is 21-10 (+6.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 16-15. (-0.0 units)

JORDAN ZIMMERMANN vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
ZIMMERMANN is 5-2 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 2.79 and a WHIP of 1.123.
His team's record is 5-3 (+2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-2. (+4.0 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ST LOUIS (91 - 72) at LA DODGERS (94 - 69) - 9:35 PM
LANCE LYNN (R) vs. ZACK GREINKE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 45-44 (-7.9 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
LA DODGERS are 29-10 (+15.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Saturday over the last 3 seasons.
LA DODGERS are 46-22 (+18.6 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
GREINKE is 42-21 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 24-6 (+14.2 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 42-21 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 45-20 (+18.1 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
GREINKE is 22-8 (+12.4 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ST LOUIS is 197-145 (+16.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 153-100 (+27.9 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 41-30 (+8.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 22-13 (+10.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
LA DODGERS are 45-37 (-6.9 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
LA DODGERS are 45-37 (-6.9 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 4-4 (+1.2 Units) against LA DODGERS this season
5 of 8 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.8 Units)

LANCE LYNN vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
LYNN is 4-1 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 4.31 and a WHIP of 1.564.
His team's record is 4-2 (+2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-4. (-2.5 units)

ZACK GREINKE vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
GREINKE is 10-5 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 3.39 and a WHIP of 1.186.
His team's record is 10-6 (+3.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 7-9. (-2.7 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, October 4

Giants-Nationals
Hudson is 0-4, 9.18 in his last four starts, but was 2-0, 0.73 vs Washington this season; he is 1-3, 3.46 in nine postseason starts, with last one in 2010; the win was in 2001.

Zimmerman threw no-hitter Sunday; Nationals won his last 11 starts- he is 6-0, 2.25 in his last seven starts. He beat Giants 6-2 August 23,, allowing two runs in eight IP. He allowed five runs in four IP in two postseason tilts (one start).

Giants are in playoffs for third time in last five years; they won World Series in 2010/2012. Giants lost six of last eight road games.

Washington won 13 of its last 17 games, eight of last 12 at home; they're in the playoffs for second time in three years, after not making it since they were the Montreal Expos back in 1981.

Hudson 18-14.........8-32 first inning
Zimmerman 23-9.......4-32 first inning

Cardinals-Dodgers
Lynn is 0-2, 2.33 in his last four starts; Cardinals scored six runs in four games. He allowed nine runs in eight IP in two starts vs LA this year. Lynn is 2-3, 6.57 in five postseason starts- he's pitched more in relief in the playoffs.

Greinke is 4-0, 2.37 in his last six starts, 1-1, 3.55 vs St Louis this season. He is 2-2, 4.30 in six career postseason starts.

St Louis is in playoffs for 4th year in row, 8th time in last 12 years-- they are 4-4 in last eight games overall, 4-6 in last ten on road.

Dodgers won five of last six games, scoring 45 runs; they're in playoffs second year in row, after missing the three years before that. LA has by far biggest payroll in baseball.

Lynn 19-14.........9-33 first inning
Greinke 19-13.............7-32 first inning




MLB

Saturday, October 4

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5:37 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. WASHINGTON
San Francisco is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games when playing Washington
San Francisco is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 10 games when playing at home against San Francisco
Washington is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against San Francisco

9:37 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. LA DODGERS
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of St. Louis's last 15 games when playing LA Dodgers
St. Louis is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of LA Dodgers's last 15 games when playing St. Louis
LA Dodgers are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against St. Louis

 

[CNOTES]

MLB

Saturday, October 4


Dodgers' Greinke has plenty of history with Cardinals

After seven years across the state in Kansas City and two more years in the National Leauge Central with the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Zack Greinke has plenty of history with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Most of it is pleasant memories for Greinke. He is 9-4 with a 3.17 ERA in 14 career regular-season appearances against the Cardinals. It is more mixed in the postseason. He won two of three starts against the Cardinals in the 2011 (with the Brewers) and 2013 (with the Dodgers) National League Championship Series.

He will face them again Saturday in Game 2 of the NL Division Series between the Dodgers and Cardinals.


Zimmerman has been lights out entering playoffs

There is no doubt that Jordan Zimmerman has been great this year, but he ended the regular season as hot as any other pitcher in the majors. The rightie has gone 8-0 with a 1.77 ERA in 11 appearances since the start of August.

Those 11 games has seen Zimmerman strikeout 69 batters while only allowing 15 runs.


Hudson coming into postseason cold as ice

Before the all-star break, Tim Hudson was one of the feel good stories of the MLB season. However, his numbers have dipped and they reached their lowest point entering the postseason.

The elder statesman of the Giants rotation is 0-3 with a 10.97 ERA in his last three starts. Those starts consisted of 10.2 innings and 20 hits allowed.


Absentee offense puts Angels on brink

The Los Angeles Angels led the majors in runs scored during the regular season, but they managed only three runs total in losing the first two games of the American League Division Series to the Kansas City Royals.

While the Royals are pitching well, the Angels seem to be making it easy on them. The biggest holes in the Angels offense right now are Mike Trout and Josh Hamilton. Hamilton is 0-for-9 in the series, but it isn't a surprise to many.

Trout, though, seems to be pressing. He's still without his first career postseason hit, going 0-for-8 with two walks.

"I think it's unfair to focus on one guy in looking at us," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said when asked about Trout. "Mike's going to adjust and start squaring the ball up. He just needs to get in the box, see the ball and eventually he'll start hitting the ball hard again. We need him, no doubt."

Trout admitted the spotlight of the playoffs has affected him.

"You try to tell yourself it's nothing different," Trout said. "It's a bigger atmosphere, obviously, but we have to do a better job. I try to keep it the same, but it's definitely more hyped.

"There's obviously more pressure, but you can't put it on yourself. We've got to be relaxed, we can't be tight, just play loose and leave it on the line."

Scioscia held a closed-door meeting with his team in an effort to make sure the club does just that.

"Yeah, we got together and talked about a couple things," Scioscia said. "Naturally, (being down 0-2) is not the position we want to be in. Nobody has their head buried in the sand. We need a three-game winning streak, that's what we need to do."

 

[CNOTES]

MLB

Saturday, October 4


Nationals, Zimmermann hot at home versus Giants

The Washington Nationals are 4-0 in Jordan Zimmermann's last four starts at Nationals Park versus the San Francisco Giants.

Zimmerman, who will be on the bump in Game 2 of the NLDS series Saturday, got the win versus the Giants back on Aug. 23. He lasted eight innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits in Washington's 6-2 win.

Tim Hudson gets the start for the visiting Giants and oddsmakers have tabbed the Nats as big home faves, currently -208.

 

[CNOTES]

MLB

Saturday, October 4

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Saturday's MLB Playoff betting preview
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San Francisco Giants at Washington Nationals (-203, 7)

The San Francisco Giants attempt to extend their postseason winning streak and put a stranglehold on their National League Division Series when they visit the Washington Nationals for Game 2 on Saturday. San Francisco, which advanced to the NLDS by trouncing Pittsburgh in the wild-card game on Wednesday, built a three-run lead in Friday's series opener before holding on for a 3-2 triumph. Joe Panik, Brandon Belt and Buster Posey each delivered an RBI single while Jake Peavy yielded two hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings as the Giants posted their ninth straight playoff victory.

NL East champion Washington made a late comeback attempt, with Bryce Harper and Asdrubal Cabrera belting solo home runs in the seventh inning, but was unable to gain the upper hand in the series. The Nationals, who finished with the best record in the NL during the regular season, look to avoid being pushed to the brink of elimination in the best-of-five series and hope to head to San Francisco with the matchup even at one win apiece. Giants veteran Tim Hudson makes his 10th career playoff start as he faces Jordan Zimmermann, who enters with one postseason start - a loss at St. Louis - under his belt.

TV: 5:37 p.m. ET, FS1

LINE HISTORY: Pinnacle Sports opened the Nats -208, but that is now -203. The total has held at 7.

POWER RANKINGS: Giants (-184), Nationals (-199)

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with wind blowing across the field at 14 mph.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants RH Tim Hudson (9-13, 3.57 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Jordan Zimmermann (14-5, 2.66)

Hudson struggled down the stretch, losing each of his last four outings to extend his winless streak to six starts. The 39-year-old, who hasn't pitched in the postseason since 2010 while with Atlanta, has surrendered three or more runs in five straight starts and at least five in three of those contests. Hudson improved to 18-5 in 31 career turns against the Nationals franchise on Aug. 22, when he allowed two runs - one earned - over 5 1/3 innings at Washington.

Zimmermann is coming off the best performance of his career as he tossed the first no-hitter in Nationals history on Sept. 28 against Miami. The 28-year-old won each of his last eight decisions during the regular season, ending the campaign with a 13-start unbeaten streak after losing at Philadelphia on July 11. Zimmermann raised his career record versus San Francisco to 5-2 on Aug. 23 as he yielded only two runs while striking out eight in as many innings.

TRENDS:

* Nationals are 4-0 in Zimmermann's last four home starts vs. Giants.
* Over is 5-1 in the last six meetings.
* Giants are 6-0 in their last six Divisional Playoff road games.
* Under is 13-3 in Nationals last 16 overall.

CONSENSUS: 62 percent of wagers on Consensus are backing the Nationals.



St. Louis Cardinals at Los Angeles Dodgers (-162, 7)

The Los Angeles Dodgers look to shake off a disappointing loss and even their National League Division Series at one win apiece when they host the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday. NL West champion Los Angeles appeared on its way to victory in Friday's opener as Cy Young Award favorite Clayton Kershaw was staked to a 6-2 lead after six innings. But St. Louis touched the 21-game winner for six runs and six hits during an eight-run seventh and held off a late comeback attempt to emerge with a thrilling 10-9 triumph.

Los Angeles outhit NL Central champion St. Louis 16-10 but went just 4-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 while the Cardinals left just one runner on base. Matt Carpenter belted a solo homer and put St. Louis ahead with a three-run double during the huge seventh inning while Matt Holliday capped it with a three-run blast. A.J. Ellis highlighted a 4-for-5 performance with a two-run homer and Adrian Gonzalez added a two-run shot of his own for the Dodgers, who hope to avoid falling into an 0-2 hole in the best-of-five series.

TV: 9:37 p.m. ET, MLB Network

LINE HISTORY: Pinnacle Sports opened the Dodgers -160 but that has gone to -162. The total has held at 7.

POWER RANKINGS: Cardinals (-192), Dodgers (-202)

WEATHER: Temperatures in the mid-80s under clear skies. Wind will blow slightly out to right field at 5 mph.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Lance Lynn (15-10, 2.74 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Zach Greinke (17-8, 2.71)

Lynn ended the regular season with a four-game winless streak but produced quality starts in each of his last nine outings. The 27-year-old hasn't allowed more than three runs since June 28, when he was tagged for seven - six earned - over two innings in a loss to Saturday's counterpart Zach Greinke at Los Angeles. Lynn is 3-1 in five career starts against the Dodgers but owns a hefty 4.50 ERA.

Greinke finished the 2014 campaign with an eight-game unbeaten streak that included five victories. The 30-year-old former American League Cy Young Award winner allowed more than two earned runs only twice during his run and yielded fewer than two on four occasions. Greinke fell to 9-4 in 14 career games - 12 starts - against the Cardinals on July 19, when he surrendered four runs on six hits and five walks over 5 2/3 innings at St. Louis.

TRENDS:

* Cardinals are 4-1 in Lynn's last five starts vs. Dodgers.
* Cardinals are 7-1 in their last eight vs. National League West.
* Dodgers are 5-0 in Greinke's last five starts.
* Over is 21-4-2 in Dodgers last 27 overall.

CONSENSUS: 68.33 percent of wagers on Consensus are backing the Dodgers.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Giants (87-74) at Nationals (96-66)
Game: 2
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: October 04, 2014 5:37 PM EDT


When he last took the mound for the Nationals, Jordan Zimmermann threw the first no-hitter in Washington in 83 years.

A lot more will be at stake against San Francisco's NL-record postseason win streak.

While Zimmermann looks to extend his dominance, Tim Hudson will try to overcome his recent struggles and help the Giants to a 2-0 edge in the division series Saturday night.

Following a 3-2 loss in Friday's opener, Washington could use a strong performance from Zimmermann (14-5, 2.66 ERA), who has been fantastic since the beginning of August.

On the final day of the regular season Sept. 28, Zimmermann struck out 10 and allowed only two baserunners in a 1-0 win over Miami that marked the first no-hitter in the nation's capital since Bobby Burke did it for the Senators in 1931.

The right-hander has gone 8-0 with a 1.81 ERA over his last 11 starts - all Washington wins. He's also 9-1 with a 2.27 mark in 15 starts on five or more days' rest this season.

"The secret to his success is what he showed on the final game of the season," manager Matt Williams told MLB's official website. "That's balls in the strike zone, pound the zone, work quickly, get us back in the dugout."

Brandon Crawford had three hits after belting a grand slam Wednesday in an 8-0 wild-card win at Pittsburgh. The shortstop is 11 for 26 in his last seven versus Washington.

Brandon Belt and Joe Panik each added two hits and an RBI as the Giants won their NL-record ninth postseason game in a row dating to their 2012 World Series title run.

Now Hudson (9-13, 3.57) will take a shot at extending the streak, though the Giants have lost his previous five starts. The right-hander went 0-4 with an 8.72 ERA in September, with his last win coming at Washington on Aug. 22.

"You have to like his experience," manager Bruce Bochy said of the 39-year-old. "He's such a pro in how he goes about his business, how he prepares. I think his biggest issue was that his hip was bothering him. I think he's over that."

Over nine career playoff starts, Hudson is 1-3 with a 3.40 ERA, but he's made only one postseason appearance since 2005 - and that was back in 2010 with Atlanta.

Hudson, however, is 17-5 with a 2.39 ERA in 30 career starts against the Nationals since the franchise moved from Montreal in 2005. He's also 4-0 with an 0.80 mark in five meetings over the past two seasons.

Denard Span, Anthony Rendon and Asdrubal Cabrera are a combined 0 for 17 versus Hudson this season, but Jayson Werth has gone 2 for 5 with a home run and is hitting .386 with four long balls in 44 career at_bats.

Bryce Harper, who hit a long solo shot Friday, is 4 for 9 with two homers in his last two home games versus San Francisco.

"We can't go 0-2 into San Fran," Harper said. "That's tough, so we've got to get that 'W' tomorrow."

Zimmermann will have to perform better than he did in his only career playoff start when he allowed five runs over three innings in a 12-4 loss to St. Louis in the 2012 NLDS.

He's gone 5-1 with a 2.04 ERA in his last six starts against the Giants after giving up two runs with eight strikeouts over eight innings in a 6-2 home win Aug. 23 in his only meeting this season.

Pence hit a two-run home run off him in that contest and is 8 for 20 with two homers all-time in the matchup. Pablo Sandoval has gone 6 for 13 when facing Zimmermann, but Buster Posey is just 3 for 15.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Cardinals (90-72) at Dodgers (94-68)
Game: 2
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: October 04, 2014 9:37 PM EDT


Zack Greinke and Lance Lynn both have an inconsistent postseason history.

The playoff starts they have won, however, have come exclusively against the opponents they're about to face.

The two take the mound Saturday night in Los Angeles for Game 2 with the St. Louis Cardinals seeking a commanding lead in the NL division series.

Greinke (17-8, 2.71 ERA) faces the brunt of the pressure as he tries to keep the Dodgers from going down 0-2 at home after the Cardinals' improbable 10-9 comeback win Friday over MVP candidate Clayton Kershaw.

Greinke began building postseason confidence last season after struggling in 2011 with Milwaukee in his only previous experience. In 2013, he went 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA and .189 opponents' batting average in 21 innings over three starts, the final two against the Cardinals in the NLCS.

Four of his six playoff starts have come versus St. Louis, resulting in his only two postseason wins - though it's the Cardinals who have eliminated his teams in both of his playoff trips. Overall, Greinke is 2-2 with a 4.30 ERA in the postseason.

"It's the playoffs, so there's plenty of motivation," Greinke told MLB's official website. "But the Cardinals have knocked me out both of the times in the playoffs, so it's not any more motivation, but it's kind of tough losing to the same team twice."

It's been quite a while since he's had that feeling this season, going 5-0 with a 2.34 ERA in his last eight outings.

He's working on five days of rest after beating Colorado on Sunday, running his home record to 10-2 with a 2.55 ERA. That includes a win over St. Louis to account for the better half of a 1-1 record and 3.55 ERA in the season series.

Matt Holliday is 12 for 37 with two homers off Greinke, but the entire Cardinals lineup could be entering with plenty of confidence after roughing up Kershaw for eight runs to come from five down.

Matt Carpenter went 2 for 5 with a home run, double and four RBIs, and the leadoff hitter is batting .375 in his last five postseason games. Kershaw also allowed home runs to Randal Grichuk and Holliday, who now has 13 playoff homers - tied for 14th all-time.

"That was a very special win and now to be able to put that behind us and get ready for the next one, just, it sounds like a boring methodical approach, but I believe that's really what these guys have bought into and what's going to give us a chance to be successful," manager Mike Matheny said.

The Dodgers also had plenty of offense with 16 hits, including 11 against Adam Wainwright. The difference was 11 stranded runners to St. Louis' one.

Catcher A.J. Ellis went 4 for 5 with a home run and is batting .417 with hits in seven straight postseason games, all against St. Louis. Carl Crawford went 2 for 4 to extend his postseason hitting streak to 11.

Lynn (15-10, 2.74) is coming off arguably his best regular season but hasn't won in his last four starts. A lack of run support has been the issue, with Lynn posting a 2.33 ERA while receiving just six runs over 27 innings. He'll be going on six days' rest after not factoring into last Saturday's loss at Arizona.

The right-hander is 5-4 with a 4.81 ERA in 21 postseason games, but he's just 1-3 with a 5.56 ERA in five starts. That victory came in Los Angeles in last season's Game 4. Lynn also won Game 1 in relief and allowed two runs over 7 1-3 innings in the series.

Like Greinke, Lynn split his two starts in the regular-season series, though they came with a 9.00 ERA.

 

[CNOTES]

Playoff Record:


Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

10/03/14 6-*2-*0 75.00% +*2395 Detail

10/02/14 2-*2-*0 50.00% -*450 Detail

10/01/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail

09/30/14 2-*0-*0 100.00% +*1000 Detail

Totals 12-*4-*0 75.00%% +2550


Rated Plays Only Record:


4 - 1 ........ + 3.00.......*****

4 - 2..........+ 5.26 ......Double Play

4 - 2 .........+ 3.93.....Triple Play

0 - 0 .........- 0.00.......Grand Slam


Saturday, October 4

Game Score Status Pick Amount

San Francisco - 5:30 PM ET San Francisco +180 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Washington - Over 7 500 TRIPLE PLAY

 

[CNOTES]

2014 MLB Playoff Results

October 5, 2014

Overall Results:

-- Underdogs are 7-3

-- Road teams are 6-4

-- The Over is 5-5

American League Divisional Series

Detroit vs. Baltimore

Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under

1 Detroit at Baltimore (+110) 12-3 Underdog Over 7

2 Detroit at Baltimore (-120) 7-6 Favorite Over 7.5

3 Baltimore at Detroit - - -

4 Baltimore at Detroit - - -

5 Detroit at Baltimore - - -


Kansas City vs. Los Angeles

Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under


1 Kansas City (+165) at Los Angeles 3-2 (11) Underdog Under 7 ½

2 Kansas City (+155) at Los Angeles 4-1 (11) Underdog Under 7

3 Los Angeles at Kansas City - - -

4 Los Angeles at Kansas City - - -

5 Kansas City at Los Angeles - - -


National League Divisional Series

San Francisco vs. Washington

Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under

1 San Francisco (+165) at Washington 3-2 Underdog Under 7

2 San Francisco (+180) at Washington 2-1 (18) Underdog Under 7

3 Washington at San Francisco - - -

4 Washington at San Francisco - - -

5 San Francisco at Washington - - -


St. Louis vs. Los Angeles

Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under

1 St. Louis (+165) at Los Angeles 10-9 Underdog Over 6

2 St. Louis at Los Angeles (-170) 3-2 Favorite Under 7

3 Los Angeles at St. Louis - - -

4 Los Angeles at St. Louis - - -

5 St. Louis at Los Angeles - - -


Wild Card

Wild Card Game

Game Matchup Score Favorite-Underdog Over-Under

AL Oakland at Kansas City (+100) 9-8 (12) Underdog Over 6 ½

NL San Francisco (-110) at Pittsburgh 8-0 Favorite Over 6 ½

 

[CNOTES]

MLB
Dunkel

LA Angels at Kansas City
The Royals look to clinch the ALDS series tonight and face an Angels team that is 0-7 in C. J. Wilson's last 7 starts as an underdog. Kansas City is the pick (-130) according to Dunkel, which has the Royals favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-130). Here are all of today's MLB picks.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 5

Game 917-918: Baltimore at Detroit (3:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Norris) 16.621; Detroit (Price) 15.559
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Detroit (-180); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+160); Over

Game 919-920: LA Angels at Kansas City (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Wilson) 15.109; Kansas City (Shields) 16.756
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-130); 7
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-130); Under




MLB
Long Sheet

Sunday, October 5

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BALTIMORE (98 - 66) at DETROIT (90 - 74) - 3:35 PM
MIGUEL GONZALEZ (R) vs. DAVID PRICE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 15-26 (-15.4 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 99-66 (+38.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BALTIMORE is 21-16 (+17.5 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +150 to +175 over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 47-35 (+21.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
BALTIMORE is 24-15 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Sunday over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 38-21 (+19.4 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 51-37 (+23.2 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 88-59 (+32.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BALTIMORE is 55-42 (+15.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
BALTIMORE is 47-27 (+26.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
BALTIMORE is 33-15 (+21.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
DETROIT is 90-74 (-5.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
DETROIT is 65-60 (-21.2 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 87-71 (-5.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
DETROIT is 27-27 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
DETROIT is 37-36 (-10.1 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
PRICE is 9-14 (-14.8 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
DETROIT is 5-3 (+1.4 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
5 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+2.0 Units)

MIGUEL GONZALEZ vs. DETROIT since 1997
GONZALEZ is 0-2 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 9.00 and a WHIP of 2.067.
His team's record is 1-2 (-0.9 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.2 units)

DAVID PRICE vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
PRICE is 7-3 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 2.82 and a WHIP of 1.237.
His team's record is 10-7 (-3.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 10-7. (+1.5 units)

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LA ANGELS (98 - 66) at KANSAS CITY (92 - 73) - 7:35 PM
C.J. WILSON (L) vs. JAMES SHIELDS (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 5-3 (+3.1 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
4 of 7 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.6 Units)

C.J. WILSON vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
WILSON is 4-0 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 3.18 and a WHIP of 1.257.
His team's record is 6-1 (+4.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-2. (+2.1 units)

JAMES SHIELDS vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
SHIELDS is 6-3 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 3.31 and a WHIP of 1.283.
His team's record is 10-3 (+7.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-8. (-3.4 units)

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MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, October 5

Orioles-Tigers
Norris is making his first postseason start; he is 4-0, 2.08 in his last five starts, but was 0-2, 6.39 against Detroit this season. Orioles won seven of his last nine road starts.

Price is 0-4, 6.15 in four career playoff starts; he won a game in relief for Rays in '08 playoffs. Price is 1-0, 1.69 in his last two starts, 0-1, 5.40 vs Baltimore this year, allowing three runs in five IP.

Baltimore scored twelve 8th-inning runs in first two series games, rallying from down 6-3 in 8th inning in Game 2- they've won last three games overall.

Tigers' bullpen imploded in first two series games, allowing 11 runs in 4.2 IP. Detroit lost four of its last five games overall.

Norris 19-9.............10-28 first inning
Price 14-9/6-5.........12-34 first inning

Angels-Royals
Wilson is 1-5, 4.82 in nine playoff starts; he is 3-1, 4.68 in his last five starts, with one terrible start skewing the RA. Wilson is 1-0, 4.50 in two starts against Kansas City this season.

Shields is 0-1, 4.74 in his last four starts, 2-4, 5.26 in seven playoff starts. He allowed four runs in six IP in his only '14 start against the Angels.

Angels lost five games in a row, scoring 8 runs; they're 3-9 in last 12 overall; Angels are 10-21 in playoff games since winning the '02 World Series.

Royals won six of last seven games, last three in extra innings; they scored 22 runs in last four games. They're 5-6 in their last eleven home games.

Wilson 16-15.........7-31 first inning
Shields 22-13..........9-35 first inning




MLB

Sunday, October 5

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Trend Report
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3:45 PM
BALTIMORE vs. DETROIT
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Baltimore's last 24 games on the road
Baltimore is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games

7:37 PM
LA ANGELS vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Angels's last 6 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
LA Angels are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Kansas City's last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas City's last 6 games when playing at home against LA Angels


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MLB

Sunday, October 5

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Sunday's MLB Playoff betting preview
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Baltimore Orioles at Detroit Tigers (-180, 7.5)

The Detroit Tigers traded for David Price at the deadline so that the former Cy Young Award winner could pitch meaningful games for the team in the postseason. It won’t get any more meaningful than Sunday, when the Tigers host the Baltimore Orioles in Game 3 of the American League Division Series needing a win to stay alive. Detroit is hoping for some length from the left-hander so it can avoid using a bullpen that has been a disaster in the first two games.

The Tigers have allowed a total of 12 runs in the eighth inning in the series, with setup men Joba Chamberlain and Joakim Soria combining to surrender nine while recording only four outs. The bullpen breakdowns have obscured great efforts from Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez, who have combined for seven RBIs to pace Detroit's offense. The Orioles are getting more balanced production from their offense, and pinch-hitter Delmon Young delivered a go-ahead, three-run double in Friday’s 7-6 victory to give the AL East champions a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

TV: 3:37 p.m. ET, TBS

PITCHING MATCHUP: Orioles RH Miguel Gonzalez (10-9, 3.23 ERA) vs. Tigers LH David Price (15-12, 3.26)

Gonzalez allowed three or fewer earned runs in each of his last eight starts to lock up a spot in the postseason rotation, breezing through five scoreless frames in his final regular-season turn. The 30-year-old Mexican did not yield a run in three of his last five starts but completed seven innings in only one of those turns. Gonzalez faced Detroit twice early in the regular season and was ripped for a total of nine runs – eight earned – and 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Price pitched Detroit to the AL Central title by striking out eight over 7 1/3 scoreless innings against Minnesota on Sunday. The Vanderbilt product was up-and-down over the last five weeks of the season, allowing five or more runs in three of his final seven outings. Price is 1-4 with a 5.06 ERA in his postseason career and was lit up for seven runs in as many innings in the ALDS as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays last season.

WALK-OFFS:

1. The Orioles have not won a postseason series since beating the Seattle Mariners in the 1997 ALDS.

2. Tigers CF Rajai Davis (abdomen) left Game 2 in the fourth inning and is day-to-day.

3. Baltimore DH Nelson Cruz is 4-for-8 in the series and batting .400 in eight career postseason games against Detroit.



Los Angeles Angels at Kansas City Royals (-128, 7)

The Kansas City Royals look to complete a stunning sweep when they host the Los Angeles Angels in Game 3 of their best-of-five American League Division Series on Sunday. Kansas City won both of the first two games in extra innings on the road to shock Los Angeles, which had the AL’s best record in the regular season. “It’s not the position we want to be in,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia told reporters. “Nobody has their head buried in the sand, we need a three-game winning streak.”

Mike Moustakas hit the game-winning homer in the opener and Eric Hosmer smacked the decisive blast in Game 2 as the Royals appeared to play looser than Los Angeles, the heavy favorites. “It’s fun to be the underdog,” Hosmer told reporters. “It’s fun to realize and go out there and play and you don’t have anything to lose and just let it all on the line.” Angels star Mike Trout has been one of his club’s underachievers, going hitless in eight at-bats in the series.

TV: 7:37 p.m. ET, TBS

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels LH C.J. Wilson (13-10, 4.51 ERA) vs. Royals RH James Shields (14-8, 3.30)

Wilson has struggled mightily on the road, going 4-8 with a 5.31 ERA in 16 starts. He was 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two outings against Kansas City this season, and Scioscia is counting on a big performance. “C.J. dissects his ability and what he is trying to do on the mound more than anybody I’ve been around,” Scioscia said. “He has to find the balance between finding that edge and keeping his stuff where it needs to be.”

Shields somehow has the nickname “Big Game James” despite his postseason ERA rising to 5.26 in seven career starts (2-4 record) after allowing four runs and five hits in five-plus innings against Oakland in Tuesday’s AL wild-card game. He is 6-3 with a 3.31 ERA in 13 career starts against the Angels, and closer Greg Holland said he is the key to Kansas City's starting rotation. “He leads by example, taking the ball every five days and giving his heart and soul,” Holland said in a press conference. “I think once you start rattling off good start after good start, it kind of builds on itself.”

WALK-OFFS:

1. Kansas City is the first team in major-league history to play three consecutive extra-inning contests to begin a postseason - and win them.

2. Royals 2B Omar Infante, who is hitless in eight at-bats in the series, is 7-for-15 with two doubles against Wilson.

3. Angels LF Josh Hamilton, who is 0-for-9 in the series, is just 3-for-25 with 11 strikeouts versus Shields.


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MLB

Sunday, October 5


Umpire trend you need to know for Orioles-Tigers

The Detroit Tigers and the Baltimore Orioles face off at Comerica Park in Game 3 of their AL Divisional Series Sunday, and there's one particular trend bettors who plan on wagering on the game need to be aware of.

Umpire Jeff Kellogg will be behind the plate for the matchup. In Baltimore's last seven games with Kellogg calling balls and strikes, the Over is a sizzling 7-0.

Baltimore sends Bud Norris to the mound, while David Price counters for Detroit.

The Tigers are currently -175 faves on the moneyline with a total of 7.5 for the contest.