Cnotes Sports Page For Tuesday September 15th Best Bets-Trends-News !

[CNOTES]

MLB


Tuesday, September 15


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Game of the Day: Astros at Rangers
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Texas is 9-4 against the Astros this season while slumping Houston is just 2-5 on its 10-game road trip.


Houston Astros at Texas Rangers (+104, 9)


The Texas Rangers have the opportunity to overtake Houston for first place in the American League West when they host the Astros on Tuesday in the second contest of their four-game series. Texas won the opener 5-3 to move within one-half game of Houston and also holds a one-game lead over Minnesota for the second AL wild-card spot.


Rangers slugger Prince Fielder scored three times and drilled the tiebreaking two-run homer in the eighth inning of Monday's contest. Texas is 9-4 against the Astros this season while slumping Houston is just 2-5 on its 10-game road trip and owns one of the worst road records (29-43) in the majors. Houston's Jose Altuve homered as part of his third straight two-hit performance and is 9-for-22 with five doubles during his five-game hitting streak. Tuesday's game features a couple of hot starters in Houston's Collin McHugh - who is 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA in three career starts against the Rangers - and Texas' Derek Holland, who allowed one run in 17 innings over a two-start span before losing to Seattle in his last turn.


TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, ESPN, ROOT (Houston), FSN Southwest (Texas)


LINE HISTORY: Books opened the Rangers around +104. The total opened at 9.


INJURY REPORT: Astros - CF Carlos Gomez (Doubtful, ribs), 3B Jed Lowrie (Questionable, shin), C Jason Castro (15-day DL, leg). Rangers - LF Josh Hamilton (Out indefinitely, knee), C Robinson Chirinos (Late Sept., bicep).


WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the low-80s under partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow in from center field at 12 miles per hour.


WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "It may look like the AL Manager of the Year is a two-horse race between Joe Girardi and Ned Yost, but what about the job AJ Hinch has done in Houston? He's younger and less experienced than those two, but you wouldn't know if from the job he's done turning in a winner in his first season. The Rangers announced last week that OF/DH Josh Hamilton will have surgery to repair the meniscus in his knee. The good news is that this is an orthoscopic procedure and Hamilton may be available to play (probably only DH) by the final week of the regular season."


PITCHING MATCHUP: Astros RH Collin McHugh (16-7, 3.89 ERA) vs. Rangers LH Derek Holland (3-2, 3.13)


McHugh has won three consecutive starts and seven of his last nine decisions. He allowed two runs or fewer in six consecutive outings before giving up five runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings against Oakland in his last turn. McHugh is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in two 2015 starts against the Rangers .


Holland was moved up a day to follow Cole Hamels in the rotation due to his recent stretch of strong outings. "I still have to go out there and perform and be me," Holland told reporters. "I can't worry about being the hottest pitcher or any of those sayings that are out there as well." Holland is 3-2 with a 3.64 ERA in eight career starts against the Astros.


TRENDS:


* Rangers are 4-1 in Holland's last five starts vs. Astros.
* Over is 5-0 in umpire Phil Cuzzi's last five games behind home plate.
* Astros are 7-3 in McHugh's last 10 starts.
* Under is 6-1-1 in Rangers last eight home games.


CONSENSUS: Fifty-four percent of users are backing the Rangers.

 

[CNOTES]

MLB


Tuesday, September 15




Indians continue crushing right-handers at home


The Cleveland Indians just keep crushing right-handers at home, scoring 8.0 runs per game in their last seven home games against right handers. and not surprisingly the Indians and the over are 7-0 in those games.


Indians and overs backers hope the streak continues Tuesday night when the Tribe hosts the Kansas City Royals in the second game of a four-game series.


Cleveland faces Kansas City faces right-hander Kris Medlen (4.58 ERA, 3-1 O/U), while the Indians will counter with Josh Tomlin (2.85 ERA, 4-2 O/U). The Indians are currenly -125 favorites with a total sitting at 7.5 runs.

 

[CNOTES]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack


-- The 49 Super Bowl champs were 40-9 in their season openers that year.


-- Cleveland Browns have had 23 starting QBs the last sixteen years.


-- 20 current NBA players have fathers who also played in the NBA.


-- Washington reliever Drew Storen broke his thumb in a locker room tantrum after one of his many dismal performances last week-- his season is mercifully over.


-- 49ers played well last night, but those black uniforms? Wow they're ugly.


-- Three of last five nights, a major league pitcher had a no-hitter in the 8th inning; none of the three got the no-hitter, but close calls are more common nowadays.




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Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but.........


13) Falcons 26, Eagles 24-- Atlanta led 20-3 at half, then Philly's offense got hot, scoring three consecutive TDs, on drives totaling 183 yards on 21 plays. Bradford is going to be a good fit with Chip Kelly if he stays healthy; the first-place Cowboys visit the City of Brotherly Love Sunday. That could be fun.


12) 49ers 20, Vikings 3-- Not many NFL teams run ball for 230 yards in a game, but the 49ers pushed Minnesota all over Levi's Stadium. Green Bay is already in first place all by itself in the NFC North. Seattle is in last place by itself in NFC West.


11) Here is a comparison of two current NFL QBs; I'll identify them below. See if you can guess which quarterback is which........


-- Quarterback A: 40-23-1 regular season W-L record; 0-4 playoff record
-- Quarterback B: 75-48 regular season W-L reord; 2-4 playoff record


I'll identify these two down below.........


10) NFL officials definitely let DBs play more aggressively this week; last year they were throwing flags if a DB sneezed. I like letting the guys play a lot more.


9) Iowa QB CJ Beathard is grandson of former Redskins' GM Bobby Beathard.


8) It is amazing to me that the NFL Network has pregame shows on starting at 7am Sunday mornings. Who the hell watches TV at 7am on Sundays (in the east)?


7) There is actually a TV show on the Travel Channel called Booze Traveler, about a guy who goes all over the world drinking unique kinds of alcoholic drinks.


6) Jon Gruden during the Philly-Atlanta game Monday night:


"Pay no attention to preseason games; they mean nothing." He sounded like the guy in the Wizard of Oz: "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!!!"


5) ESPN's pylon camera is tremendous; it provides an interesting shot of the action coming towards the end zone, near the ground level.


4) Eli Manning signed an $84M contract extension last week; I'm thinking he should be an expert on NFL rules, so he can, you know......help his team win games. What he did or didn't do Sunday night was the equivalent of football malpractice.


Imagine if Johnny Manziel or Robert Griffin III ever screwed up like that?


3) Interesting that Dallas kicker Bailey sets up on the right hashmark when he tries the now-longer 33-yard PAT. Just about all kickers line up in middle of the field.


2) This is how the world works sometimes.........
-- Nebraska fired football coach Bo Pelini last fall.
-- Oregon State coach Mike Riley surprisingly left Corvallis for Nebraska.
-- Wisconsin coach Gary Anderson surprisingly left Madison for Oregon State.
-- Anderson needed a QB to run the offense he was switching to at OSU, so he took a kid from the San Diego area who had previously committed to San Jose State.
-- San Jose lost what would have been a great recruit for them because Nebraska fired Bo Pelini last fall, and then the dominos that followed. Life sucks sometimes.


1) Jason Garrett was out of replay challenges with 10:50 left in first half Sunday, but his second challenge was the equivalent of a turnover, so it was worth doing. It is an interesting study how coaches use their challenges.


-- Quarterback A is Cincinnati's Andy Dalton; Quarterback B is Tony Romo.