Cnotes Major League Baseball Playoffs Rated Games - Trends - News - Etc !!

[CNOTES]

MLB
Dunkel

Wild Card Games


Chicago Cubs @ Pittsburgh

Game 933-934
October 7, 2015 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago Cubs
(Arrieta) 16.654
Pittsburgh
(Cole) 12.885
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago Cubs
by 4
5
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago Cubs
-130
5 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago Cubs
(-130); Under




MLB
Long Sheet

Wednesday, October 7

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CHICAGO CUBS (97 - 65) at PITTSBURGH (98 - 64) - 8:05 PM
JAKE ARRIETA (R) vs. GERRIT COLE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 98-64 (+21.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 42-26 (+13.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
PITTSBURGH is 53-28 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 98-64 (+21.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 132-92 (+23.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 78-48 (+21.7 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PITTSBURGH is 62-34 (+20.5 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
PITTSBURGH is 46-33 (+11.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
PITTSBURGH is 28-16 (+13.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
COLE is 23-9 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
COLE is 21-5 (+13.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLE is 23-9 (+10.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
COLE is 20-5 (+12.4 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLE is 15-3 (+12.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season. (Team's Record)
CHICAGO CUBS are 97-65 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 37-24 (+9.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 19-9 (+8.6 Units) against the money line on the road with a money line of -100 to -125 this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 13-3 (+9.2 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -150 this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 48-33 (+13.7 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 21-9 (+13.1 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 7 or less this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 46-30 (+10.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 97-65 (+16.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 59-35 (+19.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 77-51 (+12.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 58-37 (+12.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 25-10 (+13.8 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 43-30 (+12.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ARRIETA is 25-8 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 18-4 (+12.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 16-2 (+14.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 12-1 (+11.1 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 7 or less this season. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 25-8 (+13.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 16-3 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 10-1 (+9.1 Units) against the money line in road games after a win this season. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 7-0 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1997. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 24-12 (+12.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ARRIETA is 14-5 (+10.0 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 34-42 (-16.6 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 11-8 (+2.7 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
10 of 17 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.5 Units)

JAKE ARRIETA vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
ARRIETA is 6-1 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 1.68 and a WHIP of 0.831.
His team's record is 8-1 (+7.7 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-6. (-4.3 units)

GERRIT COLE vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
COLE is 7-1 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 2.88 and a WHIP of 1.101.
His team's record is 8-1 (+7.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 6-3. (+3.2 units)

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MLB
Short Sheet

Wednesday, October 7

Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh, 8:05 PM EDT
Chicago: 40-17 SU as a favorite of -125 to -175
Pittsburgh: 34-42 SU against division opponents




MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, October 7


National League
Arrieta is 8-0, 0.54 in his last seven starts (under 6-0-1 last seven).

Cole is 4-0, 2.62 in his last five starts (over 4-2 last six).

Cubs won last eight regular season games, allowing nine runs (under 7-2-1 last ten); Cubs won four of last six games with Pittsburgh (under 5-1)- they're in playoffs for first time since '08. Pirates are hosting Wild Card for third year in row; they're 6-4 in last ten games (under 7-3).




MLB

Wednesday, October 7

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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8:08 PM
CHI CUBS vs. PITTSBURGH
Chi Cubs are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Pittsburgh's last 10 games

 

[CNOTES]

MLB

Wednesday, October 7

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game of the Day: Cubs at Pirates
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

There is one heck of a pitching matchup in the NL Wild Card game when the Cubs' Jake Arrieta takes on the Pirates Gerrit Cole at PNC Park.

Chicago Cubs at Pittsburgh Pirates (+126, 5.5)

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs went through 162 games and ended up with the second and third best records in the major leagues, respectively. The two will square off and continue to spark debate about the postseason format when the Cubs visit the Pirates on Wednesday in the one-game National League wild-card playoff for the right to face the MLB-best St. Louis Cardinals in the divisional round.

Pittsburgh is no stranger to the one-game playoff and is making its third straight trip to the game after winning in 2013 and falling to the eventual World Series-champion San Francisco Giants in the edition. Ace Gerrit Cole did not get a chance to pitch in either of those first two games but will take the mound on Wednesday opposite Jake Arrieta, who is coming off a historic second half. Chicago’s ascent this season is one step in a process started when Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer took over the front office, and the team they built is brimming with young talent on offense like Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Kyle Schwarber. The Pirates took two of three from Cincinnati over the final weekend of the regular season to finish the season one game ahead of the Cubs and ensure the game would take place in Pittsburgh, where they are 53-28.

TV: 8:08 p.m. ET, TBS

LINE HISTORY: The Pirates opened as +104 home dogs and the line has steadily moved in the Cubs direction ever since and now the Pirates currently sit at +126. The total hasn't moved off its very low opening number of 5.5.

INJURY REPORT: N/A.

WEATHER REPORT: It will be partly cloudy at gametime with a slight 13 percent chance of rain. There will also be a minor four mile per hour wind gusting out to right field.

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "With Arrieta pitching we have seen the total move from 6 to 5.5, but we are still seeing 77 percent of the action come in on the over and over 60 percent of the action favoring the Cubs on the moneyline and the -1.5 run line."

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Jake Arrieta (22-6, 1.77 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Gerrit Cole (19-8, 2.60)

Arrieta is on the short list for the NL Cy Young Award due in large part to a second half in which he went 12-1 with a 0.75 ERA. The 29-year-old scattered six hits and one walk over 22 scoreless innings in his final three starts while striking out 27. The last time Arrieta, who allowed one hit in seven innings at home against the Pirates on Sept. 27, gave up a run and failed to earn a win came at Pittsburgh on Sept. 16, when he was charged with two runs (one earned) on six hits in eight innings without factoring in the decision.

Cole won his final three starts as well, yielding a total of six runs and 17 hits in 21 innings with 19 strikeouts. The former No. 1 overall draft pick went seven innings at Chicago on Sept. 25 and allowed one run and four hits to pick up the win and improve to 7-1 with a 2.88 ERA in nine career starts against the Cubs. Cole struck out 32 in 25 2/3 innings against the Cubs in 2015.

TRENDS:

* Cubs are 4-0 in Arrieta's last four road starts versus the Pirates.
* Under is 5-0-1 in Arrieta's last six starts versus the Pirates.
* Pirates are 8-1 in Cole's last nine starts versus the Cubs.
* Under is 5-1 in the last six meetings.

CONSENSUS: The public is siding with the Cubs in this spot with 58.84 percent of wagers backing the Lovable Losers, currently listed at -137.

 

[CNOTES]

Aces Arrieta, Cole hold wild-card hopes


Jake Arrieta wasn't an All-Star, but the Chicago Cubs right-hander swears he was made for this big stage, Wednesday's National League wild-card game.


Standing in the way of the Cubs' early arrival to the playoff party and a National League Division Series meeting with the St. Louis Cardinals are the Pittsburgh Pirates and 19-game winner Gerrit Cole.


"I'm obviously confident. Everything is where it needs to be," Arrieta said following his 22nd win of the season. "Wednesday is the most important thing for everybody here."


Arrieta (22-6, 1.77 ERA) and Cole are Cy Young candidates from the same division with success against Wednesday's opponent.


Arrieta tossed a one-hitter in his last start against the Pirates Sept. 27. He was 3-0 with a 0.75 ERA in five starts against the Pirates this season.


Cole is 7-1 with a 2.88 ERA in nine career starts against Chicago, including 2-1 with a 2.13 ERA this season.


"This is our guy," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of the 25-year-old Cole, who averaged 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings in 2015.


Cole was the No. 1 pick in the 2011 and skipped one start in September to be lined up for this game. He is one of the young home-grown core players drafted by the Pirates who've helped the team to a third wild-card game appearance. The do-or-die situation is nothing new to young veterans such as Andrew McCutchen, the 2013 MVP.


That won't be the case for the heart of the Cubs' order, but the thumpers in the middle of the Chicago lineup have done just fine against Cole.


First baseman Anthony Rizzo and left fielder Kris Bryant, the leading candidate for National League Rookie of the Year, were a combined 9-for-26 against Cole this season. The Cubs led MLB with 48 road wins.


"It's a chess match," Arrieta said. "They've seen what I throw. They know what I throw, but the sequences are things that I constantly change and constantly switch up so it's hard to find any pattern."


NOTES: The Pirates were tied for third in MLB with 53 wins at home this season. … Division foes since 1969, this is the first playoff game between the Cubs and Pirates. … Pirates RHP Gerrit Cole started 15 games at PNC Park this season and was 9-3 with a 2.83 ERA. … Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo has a .353 career average against Cole. … The Cubs won the 2015 season series 11-8.

 

[CNOTES]

Arrieta on incredible hot streak heading into Wild Card game


There has been no hotter pitcher in baseball than the Cubs' Jake Arrieta, so it is no surprise he gets the start in the National League Wild Card games against the Pittsburgh Pirates.


In Arrieta's last 13 starts the Cubs have gone 13-0, with Arrieta himself gong 11-0 with a 0.57 ERA, a 0.67 WHIP and 95 strikeouts in 94 1/3 innings pitched.


He faces a tough matchup in Pittsburgh against Gerrit Cole and the Pirates, who himself is 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA in his last three starts, but books have the Cubs pegged as -127 road favorites.

 

[CNOTES]

Wednesday's Playoff Action
October 6, 2015




CHICAGO CUBS (97-65) at PITTSBURGH PIRATES (98-64)


First pitch: Wednesday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Chicago -137, Pittsburgh +127, Total: 5.5


The Pirates and Cubs will be fighting for a spot in the next round when the teams meet in Pittsburgh for the NL wildcard game on Wednesday.


The Cubs enter the postseason as hot as could be, winning each of their past eight regular season games. Their pitching has been phenomenal in that stretch, allowing a total of nine runs over the course of the winning streak. If the Cubs continue to get that type of production from their starting pitchers then they will be a tough out in these playoffs.


The Pirates, meanwhile, have been playing well themselves. Pittsburgh comes into this game after having won seven of its past 11 and the team defeated the Cubs in the most recent series the two clubs have played. Chicago, however, was 11-8 against the Pirates overall and 6-4 in Pittsburgh when the teams played this season.


Both teams will be sending out their aces on Tuesday, as RHP Jake Arrieta (22-6, 1.77 ERA, 236 K) of the Cubs will be going up against RHP Gerrit Cole (19-8, 2.60 ERA, 202 K) of the Pirates. Chicago will be extremely confident with Arrieta on the mound, as the team went 17-1 against the money line in the second half of this season when he started. The Pirates, however, are an impressive 42-14 against the money line after three or more consecutive home games on the year. The Cubs are entering this game at close to full strength and the Pirates will only be without SS Jung Ho Kang (Knee), but he will be missed greatly.


The Cubs are one of the hottest teams in baseball and pitching for them on Wednesday will be the hottest starter in baseball. Jake Arrieta has been the most dominant pitcher in the game lately, allowing just two earned runs over his past eight starts. In fact, he has allowed just four earned runs in his past 88.1 innings on the mound.


Arrieta has faced this Pirates team twice since the start of September and in those games, he has pitched a total of 15.0 innings and allowed just one earned run while striking out 14 batters. Chicago will be hoping that he can put forth another performance like those ones on Wednesday.


If Chicago is going to win this game, the team will need its stars to find some success against Cole. 1B Anthony Rizzo (.278, 31 HR, 101 RBI), OF Kyle Schwarber (.246, 16 HR, 43 RBI) and 3B Kris Bryant (.275, 26 HR, 99 RBI) are a combined 10-for-31 with no homers and just one RBI against the starter. They will really need to break through and be productive in this one.


One player to watch out for is SS Starlin Castro (.265, 11 HR, 69 RBI). Castro is 6-for-17 with four RBI against Cole and could really spark this team by adding some offense on Wednesday.


Gerrit Cole will be taking the ball in this elimination game for the Pirates and not only will he be looking to help his team advance, but he also will be out to prove that he can outduel Arrieta on Wednesday. The last time Cole faced the Cubs, he pitched seven innings of one-run baseball and struck out eight batters. The Pirates would certainly sign up for another performance like that on Wednesday.


Pittsburgh will really need a big game from OF Andrew McCutchen (.292, 23 HR, 96 RBI) if the team is going to advance. McCutchen is the only Pirates player who has had much success against Arrieta, going 8-for-23 with two double and an RBI against the pitcher. OF Pedro Alvarez (.243, 27 HR, 77 RBI), meanwhile, is the only player to have homered against the Cubs ace, but he is just 2-for-17 against him overall.


OF Starling Marte (.287, 19 HR, 81 RBI) is another guy that must show up in this one. He is 4-for-17 against Arrieta in his career, but the Pirates will need him to make a bigger impact.

 

[CNOTES]

Playoff Betting Outlook
October 6, 2015



AMERICAN LEAGUE


After a bit of a bumpy September in which they lost 16 of 25 at one point, the Kansas City Royals (2/1) stabilized in the final week of the regular season to wrest home-field edge in the playoffs. There were some concerns early in the month when the bullpen briefly faltered and manager Ned Yost demoted closer Greg Holland, who would eventually be diagnosed with a torn ligament in his elbow. Set-up man deluxe Wade Davis might be an upgrade as the closer, though K.C.'s bullpen bridge to the ninth inning, an integral component in last October's charge to the World Series, has been altered, with Luke Hochevar and/or Ryan Madson now preceding Kelvin Herrera before Davis gets the ball.


While the relief corps appears to remain solid, there are some questions in the rotation, especially trade-deadline addition Johnny Cueto, who was a major disappointment (KC has lost 7 of his last 9 starts). But last year's playoff experience should prove invaluable to sorts such as Lorenzo Cain, Eric Gordon, and Mike Moustakas, while the offense might have a sharper edge than a year ago with DH upgrade Kendrys Morales and deadline addition Ben Zobrist. With home-field edge and the AL's best bullpen, KC has some definite advantages in October.


Many are nonetheless suggesting the Toronto Blue Jays (3/2) as the team to beat, and certainly the Jays have been the AL's best since the All-Star break, having tapped a rich vein of form that was augmented by several aggressive trade-deadline acquisitions that added a staff ace (David Price) and an MVP-caliber SS (Troy Tulowitzki), plus veteran reliever Latroy Hawkins, whose presence seemed to settle what was an unreliable bullpen that eventually uncovered a new closer in young Roberto Osuna.


Make no mistake, however, Toronto is going to try to slug its way to the World Series for the first time since 1993 with MLB's top-scoring offense that also roughed up the KC staff when taking 3 of 4 from the Royals at Rogers Centre in late July. If facing the Royals, the Toronto bats might be able to compensate for KC's bullpen edge, though the Jays might rue blowing home edge in the final week, as they have been very tough to beat at Rogers Centre.


Of the rest in the AL, we would be most wary of the precocious yet streaky Houston Astros (15/2), whose penchant for blowing hot-and-cold almost cost them a wild card berth. The 'stros did manage to overcome a final week on the road after recording one of the AL's worst visitor marks the previous four months. Possible Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel was almost unbeatable at Minute Maid Park this season, and fellow starters Lance McCullers and Collin McHugh form the nucleus of the AL's most promising young rotation.


But can such a free-swinging lineup cope with playoff-caliber pitching? The New York Yankees (15/2) also have to go the wild card route and did not exactly finish with a flourish after surrendering the East to the Blue Jays. We wonder about pitching depth, especially with CC Sabathia now in alcohol rehab after a mostly-ineffective season, and much faith being placed in rookie fireballer Luis Severino (2.77 ERA in ten starts), who appears to be the staff ace entering the postseason. The absence of injured 1B Mark Teixeira (shin) has taken the biggest bat out of Joe Girardi''s lineup. The Texas Rangers (6/1) appear the least-likely AL World Series threat, unless trade-deadline addition Cole Hamels can pull a Madison Bumgarner-like act from a year ago. We don't think the Rangers have enough pitching, and the bullpen remains a potential issue.


NATIONAL LEAGUE


By now, the Pittsburgh Pirates (5/1) might be tiring of the wild card game, participating in the one-game knockout three years running. This fall's route to the NLCS will also have to go through the NL Central (Cubs and Cards), which might be bad news for the Bucs, who were under .500 within the division, with losing records even vs. the lowly Brewers and Reds (huh?). Still, Pittsburgh is now playoff-seasoned, has difference-makers such as recent MVP Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte in the field and at the plate, and the rotation was bolstered by key deadline addition JA Happ, added as insurance in case AJ Burnett was slow to return from the DL.


Gerrit Cole starts the wild card game at PNC Park vs. the pesky Chicago Cubs (6/1), who arrived much earlier as a contender than even their most-loyal diehards were expecting, thanks largely to new manager Joe Maddon, who pushed the right buttons all season. Though we are not sure about the rotation beyond likely NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta (who starts the wild card game vs. Cole), the Cubs have had quite a flair for the dramatic this season. If foes cannot pitch around 1B Anthony Rizzo and star rookie 3B Kris Bryant, each of whom delivered many big hits this season, they could be courting trouble.


Why are we talking about the wild card Pirates and Cubs and not the NL West winner Los Angeles Dodgers (3/1)? Perhaps because the Blue have faltered in recent postseasons, especially ace Clayton Kershaw, surprisingly ineffective in past playoff action. Critics have suggested that Kershaw has "stopped pitching" and merely tried to blow away opposing batters in recent postseason failures; let's see if Kershaw has taken heed. Staff co-ace Zack Greinke might have the better shot at the NL Cy Young with an ERA that spent much of the season in circa 1968 Bob Gibson territory, but the Vin Scullys spent the entire season looking for upgrades at the back of the rotation and are hoping ex-Brave and deadline addition Alex Wood can help after another addition, Mat Latos, recently flopped.


Still, the Dodgers have home-field edge in the NLDS vs. the New York Mets (17/5), the league's surprise entry that capitalized upon the collapse of the East and the dysfunctions of the division-favorite Nats. Deadline additions Jose Uribe and especially Yoenis Cespedes added a very sharp edge to the Mets' attack, though it will be up to a young rotation (Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Jacob de Grom, and perhaps rookie Steven Matz) to carry the Mets deep into the postseason.


We have used space talking about the other contenders because we cannot add to the many praises of the St. Louis Cardinals (2/1), who steamed to the best record in the bigs. Other than their postseason-nemesis Giants, who aren't in the playoffs this October, no team has fared as well in the playoffs lately as the Cardinals, who can still manufacture runs effectively and own proven October forces in Matt Holliday, Yadier Molina, and Matt Carpenter. Importantly, St. Louis has had the Dodgers' number the past two years in the playoffs, as the Cardinals' pitching depth and ability to hit in the clutch have proven the difference.


While we think the Pirates and the Cubs are dangerous X-factors, and both capable of beating the Dodgers or Mets in the NLCS, we doubt any of those can top the Cards. An eventual rematch of the epic 1985 "I-70" World Series vs. the Royals might be in the Redbirds' future. If so, thirty years on, perhaps St. Louis can finally erase the memories of Don Denkinger, Jorge Orta, and Dane Iorg and gain long-awaited revenge.


Stay tuned.

 

[CNOTES]

MLB MONEYLINE


MLB > (909) TEXAS@ (910) TORONTO | 2015-10-09 12:45:00 - 2015-10-09 12:45:00
Play ON TEXAS using money line when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 23 Wins and 14 Losses for the this season (+18.77 units)


MLB > (901) TEXAS@ (902) TORONTO | 2015-10-08 16:05:00 - 2015-10-08 16:05:00
Play ON TEXAS using money line when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 23 Wins and 14 Losses for the this season (+18.77 units)


MLB > (907) NY METS@ (908) LA DODGERS | 2015-10-09 21:45:00 - 2015-10-09 21:45:00
Play AGAINST LA DODGERS using money line after 3 or more consecutive wins
The record is 20 Wins and 27 Losses for the last two seasons (-19.35 units)


MLB > (911) HOUSTON@ (912) KANSAS CITY | 2015-10-09 15:45:00 - 2015-10-09 15:45:00
Play ON KANSAS CITY using money line against right-handed starters
The record is 64 Wins and 40 Losses for the this season (+18.95 units)


MLB > (903) HOUSTON@ (904) KANSAS CITY | 2015-10-08 20:05:00 - 2015-10-08 20:05:00
Play ON KANSAS CITY using money line against right-handed starters
The record is 64 Wins and 40 Losses for the this season (+18.95 units)


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


MLB RUNLINE


MLB > (933) CHICAGO CUBS@ (934) PITTSBURGH | 2015-10-07 20:05:00 - 2015-10-07 20:05:00
Play ON CHICAGO CUBS on the road when the total is 7 or less
The record is 23 Wins and 7 Losses for the this season (+16.8 units)


MLB > (901) TEXAS@ (902) TORONTO | 2015-10-08 16:05:00 - 2015-10-08 16:05:00
Play ON TORONTO vs. right-handed starters
The record is 37 Wins and 25 Losses for the this season (+16.9 units)


MLB > (909) TEXAS@ (910) TORONTO | 2015-10-09 12:45:00 - 2015-10-09 12:45:00
Play ON TORONTO in home games
The record is 46 Wins and 35 Losses for the this season (+19 units)


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MLB TOTALS


MLB > (903) HOUSTON@ (904) KANSAS CITY | 2015-10-08 20:05:00 - 2015-10-08 20:05:00
Play UNDER KANSAS CITY on the total when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 15 Overs and 38 Unders for the this season (+20.65 units)


MLB > (911) HOUSTON@ (912) KANSAS CITY | 2015-10-09 15:45:00 - 2015-10-09 15:45:00
Play UNDER KANSAS CITY on the total when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 15 Overs and 38 Unders for the this season (+20.65 units)


MLB > (907) NY METS@ (908) LA DODGERS | 2015-10-09 21:45:00 - 2015-10-09 21:45:00
Play OVER LA DODGERS on the total against right-handed starters
The record is 75 Overs and 44 Unders for the last two seasons (+30.35 units)

 

[CNOTES]

MLB TOP POWERLINES


MLB > (933) CHICAGO CUBS @ (934) PITTSBURGH | 2015-10-07 20:05:00 - 2015-10-07 20:05:00
Line: CHICAGO CUBS BTB PowerLine: CHICAGO CUBS137
Edge On: CHICAGO CUBS (7)


MLB > (901) TEXAS @ (902) TORONTO | 2015-10-08 16:05:00 - 2015-10-08 16:05:00
Line: TEXAS BTB PowerLine: TEXAS-170
Edge On: TEXAS (35)

MLB > (903) HOUSTON @ (904) KANSAS CITY | 2015-10-08 20:05:00 - 2015-10-08 20:05:00
Line: HOUSTON BTB PowerLine: HOUSTON113
Edge On: HOUSTON (40)


MLB > (907) NY METS @ (908) LA DODGERS | 2015-10-09 21:45:00 - 2015-10-09 21:45:00
Line: NY METS BTB PowerLine: NY METS-123
Edge On: NY METS (52)

 

[CNOTES]

MLB Consensus Picks


SIDES (ATS)


Time Away Line Picks Pct Home Line Picks Pct Detail Odds


8:00 PM Chi. Cubs -127 1094 58.72% Pittsburgh +117 769 41.28% View View




TOTALS (OVER/UNDER)


Time Away Total Over Pct Home Total Under Pct Detail Odds


8:00 PM Chi. Cubs 5.5 867 58.62% Pittsburgh 5.5 612 41.38% View View

 

[CNOTES]

THIS PICK IS BASED ON THE PIRATES GETTING BOOTED OUT OF THE PLAYOFFS THE LAST TWO YEARS......I THINK ITS TIME THEY GET IN.......
CHICAGO HAD A GREAT YEAR AND GREAT TEAM THIS SEASON......NEXT YEAR CUBBIES........


WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7


Game Score Status Pick Amount


Chi. Cubs - 8:00 PM ET Pittsburgh +117 500 DOUBLE GRAND SLAM


Pittsburgh - Over 5.5 500 *****

 

[CNOTES]

2015 NL Wild Card game pitching preview: Arrieta vs. Cole


Now that the AL wild card game is in the books, our focus can turn to what looks like a magnificent pitchers' duel in the National League wild-card game, which is set for Wednesday at 8:07 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs.


This is the strongest Wild Card game we've had in the short history of the game, thanks to the Cubs having gone 97-65 while the Pirates went 98-64 in the regular season.


The Pirates were 53-28 at home this season while the Cubs were 48-33 on the road. The Cubs won the season series 11 games to eight. The Cubs took three of four in PNC Park in September, but the Pirates then took two of three in Wrigley.


We're also set to watch two aces coming off Cy Young-caliber seasons: Jake Arrieta of the Cubs and Gerrit Cole of the Pirates.


RHP Jake Arrieta, Cubs: 22-6, 1.77 ERA (219 ERA+), 0.87 WHIP, 236 K, 229 IP


This couldn't have lined up much better for the Cubs. Arrieta is coming off a record 0.75 second-half ERA and has gone 16-1 with a 0.86 ERA in his last 20 starts. Opponents have only hit .150/.200/.210 against him in that stretch. He's also on normal rest, as he last started on Friday.


Arrieta and the Pirates are familiar with one another, too, as he's taken the ball against them five times. He's been pretty dominant, too. In five starts, he's 3-1 with a 0.75 ERA in 36 innings. Collectively this season, the Pirates hit just .151/.192/.176 with 33 strikeouts and five walks against him. Last time out, he was perfect through six innings and it was on Sept. 28.


That was in Wrigley Field and this game will be on the road. Arrieta's actually been better on the road (13-1, 1.60) than at home (9-5, 1.97) this season, though.


Here's how the Pirates players have fared against Arrieta in their careers:


Name PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS


Andrew McCutchen 27 23 8 2 0 0 1 3 7 .348 .444 .435 .879


Neil Walker 26 25 4 1 0 0 1 1 6 .160 .192 .200 .392


Aramis Ramirez 21 19 2 0 0 0 0 1 2 .105 .190 .105 .296


Pedro Alvarez 19 17 2 0 0 1 1 2 4 .118 .211 .294 .505


Starling Marte 18 17 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 .235 .278 .235 .513


Gregory Polanco 16 16 3 0 0 0 1 0 5 .188 .188 .188 .375


Francisco Cervelli 13 13 2 0 0 0 1 0 5 .154 .154 .154 .308


Josh Harrison 10 10 1 1 0 0 0 0 2 .100 .100 .200 .300


Mike Morse 9 9 2 1 0 0 1 0 2 .222 .222 .333 .556


Travis Snider 5 5 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 .200 .200 .200 .400


Jordy Mercer 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000


Jaff Decker 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000


Travis Ishikawa 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 .000 .000 .000 .000


Total 181 171 29 5 0 1 6 7 45 .170 .215 .216 .432


So McCutchen has great overall history, but no one else does. This shouldn't be too surprising given that McCutchen is awesome at baseball and Arrieta has overall owned the Pirates this year. Of note: In the last two games against Arrieta, McCutchen is 0 for 5 with four strikeouts.


RHP Gerrit Cole, Pirates: 19-8, 2.60 ERA (148 ERA+), 1.09 WHIP, 202 K, 208 IP


Arrieta is going to get all the headlines leading up to the game, but don't let this fool you into thinking it's a one-sided affair. Cole emerged as a bona fide ace this season. He also comes in well-rested, as his last start was on Sept. 30.


Again, there's a familiarity here. Cole has seen the Cubs four times this season, going 2-1 with a 2.13 ERA in 25 1/3 innings. Much like with Arrieta against the Pirates, the Cubs haven't gotten much in the way of extra-base hits off Cole. The Cubs have hit .225/.268/.236 against Cole this season as a group.


They've seen each other recently, too, as Cole allowed only one run on four hits in seven innings on Sept. 25, a 3-2 Pirates win. He struck out eight. That was in Wrigley. Coincidentally, Cole -- like Arrieta -- was also better on the road (10-5, 2.39) than at home (9-3, 2.83) this season, though he was hardly bad in PNC Park.


Here's how the Cubs have fared against Cole in terms of career numbers:


Name PA AB H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS


Anthony Rizzo 20 17 6 1 0 0 1 2 3 .353 .450 .412 .862


Starlin Castro 19 17 6 0 0 0 4 1 4 .353 .368 .353 .721


Chris Coghlan 17 13 2 0 0 0 1 2 5 .154 .294 .154 .448


Dexter Fowler 15 14 3 0 0 0 0 1 4 .214 .267 .214 .481


Kris Bryant 11 9 3 0 0 0 0 2 6 .333 .455 .333 .788


Chris Denorfia 7 6 3 1 0 0 0 1 0 .500 .571 .667 1.238


Addison Russell 7 7 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 .286 .286 .286 .571


Jorge Soler 7 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 .286 .286 .286 .571


Javier Baez 6 6 1 0 0 1 1 0 3 .167 .167 .667 .833


Tommy La Stella 6 6 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 .167 .167 .333 .500


Kyle Schwarber 6 5 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .200 .333 .200 .533


Miguel Montero 5 5 3 0 0 0 1 0 1 .600 .600 .600 1.200


David Ross 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 .000 .000 .000 .000


Matt Szczur 1 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 1.000 1.000 1.000 2.000


Total 147 132 34 3 0 1 12 10 44 .258 .320 .303 .623


Rizzo's success has been fairly equally distributed, but on Castro, he was only 1 for 8 this season against Cole. The rest of that is the previous two seasons, before Cole was really an ace.


Overall, the samples on a per-player basis are pretty small, but knowing what we know this has the makings of a pitchers' duel that looks like a complete toss up. Perhaps we'll get some late-inning drama? We could sure use it after the AL game.

 

[CNOTES]

Bert, at 85 years old, always wanted a pair of soft spike golf shoes like Freddie Couples, so seeing some on sale after his round, he bought them and he was so delighted with his purchase decided to wear them home to show the "missus."

Walking proudly into the house, he sauntered into the kitchen and said to his wife, "Notice anything different about me?"



Margaret at age 83, looked him over and replied, "Nope."



Frustrated as all get out, Bert stormed off into the bathroom, undressed and walked back into the kitchen completely naked except for the new golf shoes.



Again he asked Margaret, a little louder this time, "Notice anything different NOW???"



Margaret looked up and said in her best deadpan response, "Bert, what's different? It's hanging down today, it was hanging down yesterday, and it'll be hanging down again tomorrow ."



Furious, Bert yells out,"AND DO YOU KNOW WHY IT'S HANGING DOWN, MARGARET?"



"Nope. Not a clue", she replied.



"IT'S HANGING DOWN, BECAUSE IT'S LOOKING AT MY NEW GOLF SHOES!!!”;



Without missing a beat old Margaret replies, "Shoulda bought a new golf hat.”;

​

​

​

​

 

[CNOTES]

Thursday's Playoff Action
October 7, 2015




TEXAS RANGERS (88-74) at TORONTO BLUE JAYS (93-69)


First pitch: Thursday, 3:30 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Texas +197, Toronto -235, Total: 8.0


The Rangers will be looking to steal Game 1 on the road when they head to Toronto and take on the Blue Jays on Thursday.


Texas avoided the AL wildcard game by winning four of its final six regular season games to win the division. This team was a long shot to make the playoffs at the midseason mark, but it found a way and will now be looking to take down Toronto.


This Blue Jays team, meanwhile, was one of the most dominant clubs in baseball after the trade deadline. The team does, however, come into this series after having lost four of its past five games and will be hoping that those struggles do not carry over into this series.


The starters in this game are going to be RHP Yovani Gallardo (13-11, 3.42 ERA, 121 K) for the Rangers and LHP David Price (18-5, 2.53 ERA, 225 K) for the Blue Jays. Toronto has dominated this head-to-head series over the years, going 4-2 against Texas this season and 14-5 over the past three seasons. Also worth noting is the fact that 14 of those 19 games over the past three years have gone Under the total.


The Rangers are an impressive 23-11 against the money line against AL East opponents this season. They are, however, up against a Blue Jays team that is 10-0 against the money line in home games after two or more consecutive losses this season with Price on the mound. Both teams also happen to be entering this series at close to full health.


Yovani Gallardo is going to be the Rangers’ starter on Thursday and he has had a bit of trouble recently. Although Gallardo has allowed two earned runs in each of his past two starts, he has allowed 17 hits over those two games and has allowed at least eight hits in five of his past nine appearances. He’ll need to do a better job of keeping the ball out of play on Thursday.


Gallardo has, however, been extremely effective against Toronto recently. He has shut the team out in his most recent two starts against the Blue Jays, totaling 13.2 innings in those games and allowing just six hits in total. If he can find a way to pitch anywhere near that well on Thursday then his team will be ecstatic.


Another thing this Rangers team has going for it is that some of its hitters have done very well against Price in the past. 3B Adrian Beltre (.287, 18 HR, 83 RBI) is the guy who has dominated Price in his career. He is 10-for-33 with two homers, four doubles and six RBI against the ace. He’ll need to produce at the plate on Thursday as well.


Another guy who has given Price trouble is SS Elvis Andrus (.258, 7 HR, 62 RBI). Andrus is 10-for-25 with seven walks and five RBI against Price and will need to get on base often in this game. It’d be a huge plus for this team if DH Prince Fielder (.305, 23 HR, 98 RBI) can figure Price out. He is just 2-for-11 with one RBI against the ace in his career, but he is the Rangers’ best hitter and the team will need him to come through in this series.


David Price has been nothing short of spectacular since being acquired by the Blue Jays at the trade deadline. Toronto has won in nine of his 11 starts and he has allowed more than three earned runs in just one of those games. That game was, however, his most recent one. Price allowed four earned runs on six hits in just five innings of work against the Rays on Sep. 26. He’ll need to shake that one off and pitch the way he has all season in order to get his team a 1-0 lead in this series. In his only start against Texas this season, Price pitched six innings and allowed two earned runs while striking out eight batters. He may need to be even better on Thursday.


If the Blue Jays are going to advance, the superstars in this lineup will need to get it going offensively. DH Edwin Encarnacion (.277, 39 HR, 111 RBI) may be able to set the tone for this team on Thursday. He is 5-for-16 against Gallardo in his career, but three of those five hits have left the park. He would give his team a huge momentum boost if he can provide that type of power in Game 1. It will also likely allow Price to pitch with a lead and that is not something that the Rangers want.


OF Jose Bautista (.250, 40 HR, 114 RBI) and 3B Josh Donaldson (.297, 41 HR, 123 RBI) will also need to get their bats going on Thursday, though. They are a combined 4-for-21 with no homers and two RBI against Gallardo and that likely will need to change if this team does not want to go down 1-0 in the series.

 

[CNOTES]

Carpenter boosts Cardinals offense
October 7, 2015


ST. LOUIS (AP) Matt Carpenter really muscled up this season. The St. Louis Cardinals leadoff man hit 28 homers, more than his first three major league seasons combined.


Carpenter struck out a lot more, too, but it seemed to be a worthy trade-off.


''He's having an incredible season, an incredible season,'' manager Mike Matheny said Wednesday, two days ahead of the NL Division Series opener. ''I don't know where we'd be if he didn't have the kind of season he's had.''


The Central champions led the majors with 100 victories because of air-tight pitching, not a bruising lineup. They led the majors with a 2.94 ERA, but scored the fewest runs among the playoff teams.


The 29-year-old Carpenter also led the National League with 44 doubles.


''I've been telling Carp all year he's had a great season,'' teammate Jason Heyward said. ''It's really impressive to see somebody say they want to add that to their game and go out and do it.''


St. Louis had a power void with Matt Holliday and Matt Adams sidelined for extended periods. Holliday missed about half the season and hit just four after topping 20 the previous five seasons, and Adams had five in just 60 games after averaging 16 the previous two years.


''I think I lost my power and it's good to see Carp found his,'' Adams joked. ''For him to be able to add that to his game and go out there each night and be able to blast one out of the park, it's been fun to watch.''


Two years ago, Carpenter led the league with 199 hits - only 11 of them homers - and with 98 strikeouts. This year he led the team in homers and with 84 RBIs, and no one quibbles about the 151 strikeouts, which is 40 more than his previous career high.


The homer total is the most by a St. Louis left-handed hitter since Jim Edmonds had 29 in 2005.


Randal Grichuk and Jhonny Peralta hit 17 homers apiece and Heyward and Mark Reynolds contributed 13 each.


''It happens to guys when they get a little older,'' Reynolds said. ''Maybe he realized we needed somebody to do it.''


Matheny said he never asked Carpenter to step up the power, instead crediting batting coaches John Mabry and Bill Mueller with helping tweak the mechanics of the swing.


''You've got to be careful doing that, and then watch what those long swings turn into,'' Matheny said. ''Matt's made a great adjustment.''


Carpenter also has been versatile in the field, switching to second base two years ago.


Carpenter had some fatigue issues early on, and missed a trip to Pittsburgh in May due to an accelerated heart rate from the grind of the season.


That was the only time off he needed. The biggest break of all came when Matheny put him back at leadoff July 30.


''It's not easy doing what he did, and doing it at this park especially,'' Wong said. ''This guy, he's been locked in the whole season.''


Carpenter batted .322 with a franchise-record 22 homers along with 50 RBIs batting leadoff, and just .225 with six homers and 33 RBIs hitting second.


He's hot heading into the NL division series after homering eight times the final month. That could be bad news for St. Louis' opponent, recalling that last fall he became the first player in franchise history to homer in three consecutive games of a postseason series against the Dodgers in the divisional round.


''Did any one of us think he'd be sitting where he right now?'' Matheny said. ''I knew he could most likely hit 20, but he's done it in a fashion that's been very impressive and timely, too.''

 

[CNOTES]

Puig says he's on Dodgers' playoff roster
October 7, 2015


LOS ANGELES (AP) Yasiel Puig said Wednesday he's on the playoff roster for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who haven't revealed their 25-man squad for the upcoming NL Division Series.


Manager Don Mattingly said players were informed of their status for the best-of-five series against the New York Mets beginning Friday at Dodger Stadium. However, the team will wait until the roster is due that morning to announce it.


Puig missed the final month of the regular season while sidelined with a hamstring injury. He returned last week and played in the last two games, starting and getting a hit in the first one.


The Cuban said he feels good and wants to give himself a chance to be productive off the bench.


''I'm very happy I've been given the opportunity to prepare with the team,'' Puig said through a translator.


His season was marred by two stints on the disabled list, which limited him to 79 games. He is hitting .255, with 11 home runs and 38 RBIs.


Puig is making his third consecutive playoff appearance since becoming a sensation upon being called up by the Dodgers in June 2013. Last season, he hit .250 with four runs scored, a triple and an RBI in the NLDS, where the Dodgers lost in four games to St. Louis.


The Dodgers likely had an easier time deciding to go with Puig because outfielder Scott Van Slyke is hurt. He didn't join in a workout Wednesday because of his right wrist, which hasn't responded quickly enough.


Van Slyke got hurt on Sept. 15 and came back five days later only to reinjure his wrist last week while taking a throw at first base. He was hitting .239 with 6 homers and 30 RBIs.


With Andre Ethier expected to start in right field, Puig and Justin Ruggiano will back him up. Ruggiano hit a combined .248 with six homers and 15 RBIs with Seattle and then the Dodgers this season.


''This is a time of no egos,'' Mattingly said. ''It's all about one thing and that's walking out of here with a `W' on Friday. It's not about who is the star.''


Mattingly said reliever Jim Johnson was sent home. The right-hander was 0-3 with a 10.13 ERA and didn't figure in the team's postseason plans.


The Dodgers boast baseball's highest payroll at $289.6 million - $66 million more than the second-place Yankees, who were eliminated in the AL wild-card game Tuesday.


Although expectations have risen along with the team's payroll, Mattingly said there's no connection between payroll and playoff success.


''What guys make doesn't have anything to do with how you perform,'' he said.

 

[CNOTES]

High-octane Blue Jays set to swing away
October 7, 2015


TORONTO (AP) For some pitchers trying to stop Josh Donaldson and the rest of the powerful Toronto Blue Jays, it's enough to take their breath away.


''You can't let up,'' Texas Rangers closer Shawn Tolleson said a day ahead of Thursday's AL Division Series opener. ''There's no getting past one guy and taking an exhale. Definitely, that poses its challenges. It's not an easy lineup to just pitch around one guy and get to the next.''


Still, in their final series of the regular season, a four-game showdown against the Los Angeles Angels, the Rangers' pitching staff got something of a warm-up for facing the bashing Blue Jays.


''We've tried to do a good job this season about keeping the mindset of never letting up,'' Tolleson said. ''We had those same talks when playing Anaheim the other day, pitching to (Mike) Trout and (Albert) Pujols and then you face (C.J.) Cron, who had really hurt us a lot all season long.''


''We talked about how you get Trout and Pujols out and you kind of take an exhale and then, before you know it, Cron hits a double off the wall or a home run. I think that kind of preparation is going to prepare us for this,'' he said.


Good practice, for sure, but Toronto's deep lineup will present even tougher challenges, with AL MVP candidate Donaldson followed by sluggers Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion. Catch your breath while you can, because shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and catcher Russell Martin aren't far behind.


''Our lineup is legit,'' Donaldson said. ''One through nine, I feel like we have probably the best lineup in baseball.''


Tolleson wasn't about to argue.


''It's probably going to be more challenging than it would be going up against another team,'' he said.


Toronto was the only big league team to top 800 runs and outscored the Yankees, baseball's second-most prolific offense, by 127 runs. That's the biggest gap in the major leagues between the No. 1 and 2 offenses since 1953, according to STATS.


Texas finished third in the majors with 751 runs.


Toronto scored double-digit runs 26 times this season, the most since St. Louis and Atlanta in 2003 - the tail end of the Steroids Era.


''The consistency, that's what blows you away,'' Blue Jays pitcher R.A. Dickey said. ''Every team probably has five or six games a year where they score 10 runs, but we have an offense that has generated a lot of runs in a lot of games. It's a pretty consistent baseline that you're seeing.''


Besides their big run output, Toronto's also led the major leagues with 232 homers, 852 RBIs and 570 walks.


''That's a great group of hitters,'' Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. ''You've got to give them credit, you look at their numbers and what they've done, they speak for themselves.''


Texas opens with right-hander Yovani Gallardo, who beat Toronto twice this season and didn't allow a run in 13 2-3 innings.


''I think we've come up with a good game plan, just being aggressive,'' Gallardo said. ''Obviously they have a good lineup, a powerful lineup. With the catchers, we did a good job of making adjustments throughout the game whenever we had to.''


Donaldson said Gallardo has become a different pitcher by improving his fastball command and adding a cutter to his arsenal.


''He's done a pretty good job of evolving himself into more of a complete pitcher,'' Donaldson said. ''You have to take advantage of those mistakes that he's going to make, because he's not going to make a whole lot throughout the course of a game.''


Toronto starts left-hander David Price, who went 9-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 11 starts after he was acquired from Detroit on July 30t.


''He throws 98 with a couple of off speed pitches. He hits his spots,'' Rangers designated hitter Prince Fielder said. ''He doesn't mess around too much. He comes after hitters and he's not afraid of contact. He's a great pitcher, and it's going to be tough.''


Price hasn't pitched since allowing five runs in five innings in a Sept. 26 start against Tampa Bay, an 11-day break between outings.


''If you can get these days off at this point in the season, that's good,'' said Price, who threw 220 1-3 innings during the regular season. ''If you can come into the postseason with your body feeling the way I feel right now, that's a plus.''

 

[CNOTES]

Matheny mum on Cardinals rotation
October 7, 2015


ST. LOUIS (AP) John Lackey gets the start in Game 1 of the NL Division Series for the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.


At the beginning of a two-hour workout for the NL Central champions on Tuesday, manager Mike Matheny said he was not ready to announce the rest of his playoff rotation or his roster, or even whether he would carry 11 or 12 pitchers. Matheny said he likely will reveal the roster after a workout Thursday.


''I know it's a hot topic,'' Matheny said. ''I think everybody who follows this team closely realizes there's a lot of decisions that need to be made.''


The biggest involves All-Star catcher Yadier Molina, who has worn a brace protecting the strained ligament in his left thumb during practice in recent days. The Cardinals are optimistic Molina, injured on a tag play at the plate on Sept. 20, can play.


Matheny said Molina caught, blocked balls in the dirt and threw Tuesday, mostly in an indoor batting cage. Molina worked out with the rest of the team Wednesday.


''All those things are pointing in the direction that it's possible,'' Matheny said, adding the biggest worry is handling foul tips.


Overall, there are far more difficult decisions to be made than usual. Spots for veterans Matt Adams and Jon Jay, both coming off injuries, could be in jeopardy given the emergence of rookies Stephen Piscotty and Tommy Pham.


In the bullpen, ace Adam Wainwright is expected to claim a spot after making a rapid recovery from a torn Achilles in late April.


''I know people say that's a great problem to have,'' Matheny said.


General manager John Mozeliak said experience is factor, but added everyone has to make a debut sometime.


''I think we can triangulate the roster if we ask enough questions,'' Mozeliak said. ''I think we have a lot of good options.''


Randal Grichuk can throw nearly 200 feet following an elbow injury and could start in right field. Mark Reynolds, who has started at first base and third base, said he was on the roster, and seldom-used outfielder Peter Bourjos said he was not.


The 36-year-old Lackey went 9-4 with a 1.93 ERA in 17 starts at home. Overall, he was 13-10 with a 2.77 ERA - the first sub 3.00 ERA of his big career.


The Cardinals needed a veteran leader when Wainwright tore his left Achilles in late April, and Lackey was that guy. Plus, he has plenty of postseason experience, including a World Series victory over St. Louis in 2013 when he was with Boston.


''I think he's been as consistent as anybody in the league,'' Matheny said. ''There's so many different things he has brought to this club that makes it to us a pretty obvious choice.''


Matheny has Jaime Garcia (10-6, 2.43), Lance Lynn (12-11, 3.03) and Michael Wacha (17-7, 3.38) for Games 2, 3 and 4, in some order. Wacha could be pushed back after going 2-3 with a 7.88 ERA in five September starts.

 

[CNOTES]

LEADING OFF: Postseason returns to Toronto, KC hosts Astros
October 7, 2015


A look at what's happening around the major leagues Thursday:


WHAT'S THE PRICE?


Blue Jays ace David Price tries to reverse his playoff history - the lefty is 0-5 with a 4.98 ERA in five career postseason starts. The former Cy Young Award winner, acquired in late July, will throw the first pitch when Toronto hosts Texas in Game 1 of the best-of-five American League Division Series.


QUITE A TURNAROUND


After making a splash in the World Series last year with his 100 mph fastball, Yordano Ventura got off to a rocky start this season with the Royals. He beefed with Angels star Mike Trout, set off a bench-clearing brawl with the White Sox and later got sent to the minors. The 24-year-old Ventura bounced back to go 9-1 down the stretch, earning the start in Game 1 when Kansas City hosts Houston in the ALDS.


DECISIONS, DECISIONS


Cardinals manager Mike Matheny might reveal the rest of his rotation for the NLDS following a workout at Busch Stadium. Matheny says John Lackey will start the opener Friday in St. Louis. Lackey went 9-4 with a 1.93 ERA in 17 starts at home.


PUIG PRESENT


Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig says he's been told that he'll on the roster for the National League Division Series against the Mets. LA will wait until Friday's opener to announce it. Puig missed nearly the entire final month because of a hamstring injury. He is hitting .255 with 11 home runs and 38 RBIs.


WELCOME BACK


It's been a while since there was a postseason game in Toronto. A very long while. The last time was 1993, when Joe Carter's bottom-of-the-ninth homer drove in future Hall of Famers Rickey Henderson and Paul Molitor to win the World Series. A sellout crowd at Rogers Centre - formerly SkyDome - is ready to rock when the Blue Jays end baseball's longest current playoff drought.


GO, YO!


Yovani Gallardo went 2-0 vs. Toronto this season, shutting out the highest-scoring team in the majors for 13 2-3 innings. He'll start the opener for Texas in their ALDS matchup. Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion is 5 for 16 with three home runs against the Rangers righty.

 

[CNOTES]

A capsule look at the Astros-Royals playoff series
October 7, 2015


A look at the best-of-five American League Division Series between the Houston Astros and Kansas City Royals:


Schedule:


(All times EDT) Game 1, Thursday, at Kansas City (7:37 p.m.); Game 2, Friday, at Kansas City (3:45 p.m.); Game 3, Sunday, at Houston (4:10 p.m.); x-Game 4, Monday, Oct. 12, at Houston (TBD); x-Game 5, Wednesday, Oct. 14, at Kansas City (TBD). (All games on FS1 or MLBN).


---


Season Series: Astros won 4-2.


---


Projected Lineups:


Astros: 2B Jose Altuve (.313, 15 HRs, 66 RBIs, 40 2Bs, 38 SBs, 200 hits), RF George Springer (.276, 16, 41, 16 SBs), SS Carlos Correa (.279, 22, 68, 22 2Bs), LF Colby Rasmus (.238, 25, 61, 23 2Bs), DH Evan Gattis (.246, 27, 88, 11 3Bs), CF Carlos Gomez (.255, 12, 56, 29 2Bs, 17 SBs with Brewers and Astros), 3B Luis Valbuena (.224, 25, 56) or Jed Lowrie (.222, 9, 30), 1B Chris Carter (.199, 24, 64), C Jason Castro (.211, 11, 31).


Royals: SS Alcides Escobar (.257, 4 HRs, 32 RBIs), 2B Ben Zobrist (.276, 13, 56 with A's and Royals), CF Lorenzo Cain (.307, 16, 72), 1B Eric Hosmer (.297, 18, 93), DH Kendrys Morales (.290, 22, 106), 3B Mike Moustakas (.284, 22, 82), C Salvador Perez (.260, 21, 70), LF Alex Gordon (.271, 13, 48), RF Alex Rios (.255, 4, 32) or Jonny Gomes (.313, 7, 26 with Braves and Royals).


---


Starting Pitchers:


Astros: RH Collin McHugh (19-7, 3.89 ERA), RH Lance McCullers (6-7, 3.22), LH Dallas Keuchel (20-8, 2.48 ERA, 216 Ks), LH Scott Kazmir (7-11, 3.10 with Athletics and Astros) or RH Mike Fiers (7-10, 3.69, no-hitter).


Royals: RH Yordano Ventura (13-8, 4.08), RH Johnny Cueto (11-13, 3.44 with Reds and Royals), RH Edinson Volquez (13-9, 3.55), RH Kris Medlen (6-2, 4.01) or Chris Young (11-6, 3.06).


---


Relievers:


Astros: RH Luke Gregerson (7-3, 3.10, 31/36 saves), RH Chad Qualls (3-4, 4.04, 4 saves), LH Tony Sipp (3-4, 1.99, 62 Ks in 54 1-3 innings), RH Will Harris (5-5, 1.90, 2 saves), LH Oliver Perez (2-4, 4.28 with Arizona and Houston) RH Vince Velasquez (1-1, 4.37), RH Josh Fields (4-1, 3.55).


Royals: RH Wade Davis (8-1, 0.94, 17 saves), RH Kelvin Herrera (4-3, 2.71), RH Ryan Madson (1-2, 2.13), LH Franklin Morales (4-2, 3.18), LH Danny Duffy (7-8, 4.08), RH Jeremy Guthrie (8-8, 5.95), RH Luke Hochevar (1-1, 3.73).


---


Matchups:


These teams have never met in the postseason. ... The Royals were swept in Houston early in the year before winning two of three in the rematch at Kansas City, highlighted by Ventura outpitching Keuchel in a 5-2 victory July 26. That was the final game between the teams this season. ... The only Royals starters expected to get the ball against Houston who pitched in the six previous games this season are Ventura and Volquez. ... Keuchel went 1-1 against the Royals this year. McCullers and Kazmir also picked up wins against Kansas City.


---


Big Picture:


Astros:


Houston (86-76) made the playoffs for the first time since reaching the World Series in 2005, getting in as the second AL wild card on the last day of the season. ... Under first-year manager A.J. Hinch, the Astros made a 16-win improvement from last year's 70-92 record that came after three straight 100-loss seasons. ... Houston led the AL West for most of the year before late-season struggles allowed the Rangers to take the division title. ... Keuchel was the AL's only 20-game winner and the first Houston pitcher to reach the mark since Roy Oswalt in 2005. Keuchel then tossed three-hit ball for six innings at Yankee Stadium on three days' rest to lead the Astros to a 3-0 win in the wild-card game. ... Houston's pitching staff posted an AL-best 3.57 ERA. ... The Astros struggled on the road, going 33-48. ... Correa, the top pick in the 2012 draft, set a franchise record for home runs by a rookie despite not being called up until June 8. His 22 homers were the most by an AL rookie and led all AL shortstops. ... Carter, who lost his starting job late in the season, returned to the lineup in mid-September and got hot, batting .326 with an .837 slugging percentage and 6 homers with 12 RBIs in his last 15 games. He walked 3 times in the wild-card win. ... Though the Astros hadn't been to the postseason in 10 years, they do have several players with October experience. Lowrie leads the group, having played in 18 postseason games before this year. Qualls is second on the squad with 17 appearances, including 15 games in Houston's run to the 2005 World Series. ... There are four players on Houston's roster who were with the team for two of the three 100-loss seasons. Altuve, Castro, Keuchel and INF Marwin Gonzalez were all with the Astros in 2012 and 2013. ... Altuve didn't commit an error in the last 51 regular-season games and led all second basemen with a .993 fielding percentage. ... Gomez homered in the wild-card game despite dealing with a strained intercostal muscle.


Royals:


Defending AL champions went 11-17 in September before holding off the Blue Jays for home-field advantage throughout the postseason. ... Won the AL Central by 12 games over Minnesota for first division title since taking AL West in 1985 . ... Enter playoffs without closer Greg Holland, who recently had Tommy John surgery. ... The Royals' bullpen remains among the best in baseball, with Davis a dominant closer in his own right. ... Kansas City (95-67) had three players hit 20 or more homers after having none accomplish the feat last season. ... Cain was fourth in the AL in wins-above replacement (WAR) behind the Angels' Mike Trout, Blue Jays' Josh Donaldson and the Rays' Kevin Kiermaier. ... Kansas City had third-best team batting average (.269) in baseball and 10th-best ERA (3.73). ... The Royals had seven All-Stars this season, not counting manager Ned Yost and the entire coaching staff.


---


Watch For:


- Go Long. Houston ranked second in the majors with 230 homers and hit 2 in the wild-card win at Yankee Stadium. The Astros tied a major league record with 11 players who had at least 10 homers. Lowrie and Jake Marisnick added nine apiece.


- Starting Situation. The Royals acquired Cueto from Cincinnati before the trade deadline to be their playoff ace, but he struggled mightily in September. So the Game 1 nod goes to Ventura, whose 100 mph fastball was the revelation of last year's postseason.


- Aggressive Baserunning. The Astros topped the AL with 121 stolen bases, and Altuve led the league. Marisnick, who often comes in as a pinch runner when not in the starting lineup, was second on the team with 24. But sometimes their approach on the basepaths doesn't pay off. Altuve was caught stealing 13 times, most in the AL, and Marisnick was tied for third with nine.


- October Experience. The Royals ended a 29-year playoff drought last season, advancing all the way to the World Series. Most key pieces are back from that team, and Kansas City added more postseason pedigree by trading for Zobrist and Gomes, who is seemingly helping a different team in October every year.

 

[CNOTES]

MLB
Dunkel

Division Series


Texas @ Toronto

Game 901-902
October 8, 2015 @ 3:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas
(Gallardo) 16.648
Toronto
(Price) 18.143
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
-240
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-240); Over

Houston @ Kansas City

Game 903-904
October 8, 2015 @ 7:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
(McHugh) 17.142
Kansas City
(Ventura) 16.090
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 1
6 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kansas City
-140
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(+120); Under




MLB
Long Sheet

Thursday, October 8

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

TEXAS (88 - 74) at TORONTO (93 - 69) - 4:05 PM
YOVANI GALLARDO (R) vs. DAVID PRICE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 93-69 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TORONTO is 49-30 (+16.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
TORONTO is 53-28 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
TORONTO is 53-28 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on artificial turf this season.
TORONTO is 72-52 (+13.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
TORONTO is 48-31 (+13.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TORONTO is 24-8 (+14.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
PRICE is 24-8 (+11.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
PRICE is 11-1 (+9.4 Units) against the money line in day games this season. (Team's Record)
TEXAS is 88-74 (+29.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 36-23 (+19.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
TEXAS is 45-36 (+24.3 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
TEXAS is 21-12 (+15.4 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
TEXAS is 48-43 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 35-31 (+11.7 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
TEXAS is 47-40 (+16.2 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
TEXAS is 45-27 (+30.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
TEXAS is 22-15 (+10.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
GALLARDO is 11-4 (+10.3 Units) against the money line on the road when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
GALLARDO is 10-2 (+10.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 4-2 (+1.3 Units) against TEXAS this season
3 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.3 Units, Under=-0.6 Units)

YOVANI GALLARDO vs. TORONTO since 1997
GALLARDO is 3-0 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 1.33 and a WHIP of 0.984.
His team's record is 3-0 (+3.6 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.3 units)

DAVID PRICE vs. TEXAS since 1997
PRICE is 3-7 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 5.04 and a WHIP of 1.345.
His team's record is 7-7 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-7. (-1.0 units)

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

HOUSTON (87 - 76) at KANSAS CITY (95 - 67) - 8:05 PM
COLLIN MCHUGH (R) vs. YORDANO VENTURA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 34-48 (-17.1 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
HOUSTON is 22-31 (-11.3 Units) against the money line in road games in night games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 95-67 (+18.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 51-30 (+11.5 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 14-4 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in October games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 92-63 (+19.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
KANSAS CITY is 66-51 (+5.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 64-40 (+19.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
KANSAS CITY is 56-40 (+10.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
KANSAS CITY is 43-24 (+18.3 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 86-65 (+16.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 41-28 (+11.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 87-70 (+4.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 64-64 (+11.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
MCHUGH is 34-23 (+11.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MCHUGH is 21-9 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
HOUSTON is 4-2 (+1.9 Units) against KANSAS CITY this season
4 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.9 Units)

COLLIN MCHUGH vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
MCHUGH is 1-0 when starting against KANSAS CITY with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.714.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

YORDANO VENTURA vs. HOUSTON since 1997
VENTURA is 2-1 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 3.78 and a WHIP of 1.380.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-2. (-1.0 units)

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




MLB
Short Sheet

Thursday, October 8

Texas at Toronto, 3:35 PM EDT
Texas: 23-11 SU against AL East opponents
Toronto: 18-7 OVER after 2 or more consecutive losses

Houston at Kansas City, 7:35 PM EDT
Houston: 22-31 SU in road games in night games
Kansas City: 42-26 SU against AL West opponents




MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, October 8

American League
Rangers vs Blue Jays
Gallardo is 1-2, 5.59 in his last four starts (under 8-1-1 in last ten).

Price is 5-0, 2.61 in his last five starts (over 3-1 in last four)

Rangers lost six of last eight games with Toronto (under 6-4 last ten); Texas is in the playoffs for first time since losing first AL Wild Card game in 2012- they've won four of last six games overall (over 5-4 in last nine).

Blue Jays are in playoffs for first time since winning '93 World Series; they lost four of last five games, after they clinched AL East-- over is 5-0-1 in their last six games.

Astros vs Royals
McHugh is 3-0, 2.49 in his last three starts (over 4-2-1 in last seven).

Ventura is 3-0, 3.23 in his last five starts (under 3-0 in last three).

Houston won seven of its last nine games to get here; this is Astros' first postseason since 2005. Astros are 7-2 in last nine games with Royals, but lost last two (under is 4-1 in last five). Houston played in Bronx Tuesday and is now here.

Kansas City lost Game 7 of World Series LY, its first playoff appearance since 1985; Royals won last five games overall (under 6-2 in last eight).




MLB

Thursday, October 8

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

3:37 PM
TEXAS vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Texas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Toronto's last 16 games when playing Texas

7:37 PM
HOUSTON vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Kansas City
Houston is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Kansas City
Kansas City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City's last 8 games