Cnotes Sports Page For Wednesday August 12th Best Bets-Trends-News !

CNOTES · Aug 12, 2015

MLB

Wednesday, August 12

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Trend Report
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3:40 PM
BALTIMORE vs. SEATTLE
Baltimore is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Baltimore's last 13 games when playing Seattle
Seattle is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against Baltimore
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Seattle's last 19 games at home

3:40 PM
CINCINNATI vs. SAN DIEGO
Cincinnati is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against San Diego
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cincinnati's last 9 games when playing on the road against San Diego
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of San Diego's last 17 games when playing Cincinnati
San Diego is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Cincinnati

3:40 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. ARIZONA
Philadelphia is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games on the road
Arizona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Arizona's last 14 games

3:45 PM
HOUSTON vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 7 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
San Francisco is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
San Francisco is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing Houston

4:10 PM
BOSTON vs. MIAMI
Boston is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Miami
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Miami
Miami is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing Boston
Miami is 3-10 SU in its last 13 games

7:07 PM
OAKLAND vs. TORONTO
Oakland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oakland's last 5 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games
Toronto is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Oakland

7:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Atlanta's last 8 games when playing on the road against Tampa Bay
Atlanta is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games
Tampa Bay is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games at home

7:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 5 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cleveland's last 7 games when playing NY Yankees
Cleveland is 7-14 SU in their last 21 games when playing NY Yankees

7:10 PM
COLORADO vs. NY METS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing NY Mets
NY Mets are 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Colorado
NY Mets are 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:05 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. CHI CUBS
Milwaukee is 5-12 SU in its last 17 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
Chi Cubs are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games

8:10 PM
TEXAS vs. MINNESOTA
Texas is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Texas's last 13 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games at home
Minnesota is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games at home

8:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. CHI WHITE SOX
LA Angels are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
LA Angels are 5-13 SU in their last 18 games
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Chi White Sox's last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Chi White Sox's last 8 games at home

8:10 PM
DETROIT vs. KANSAS CITY
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Detroit is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Kansas City
Kansas City is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City's last 7 games when playing Detroit

8:15 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. ST. LOUIS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 5 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
St. Louis is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh

10:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. LA DODGERS
Washington is 7-18 SU in their last 25 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games
LA Dodgers are 18-7 SU in their last 25 games when playing at home against Washington

CNOTES · Aug 12, 2015

MLB

Wednesday, August 12

Pitcher change - R.A. Dickey, Toronto

Toronto vs. Oakland on August 12 at 7:07 PM. Previous Starter: Mark Buehrle.

The Blue Jays have swapped Dickey and Buehrle in the rotation, just to give Buehrle an extra day rest.

Over trending when Shields gets the ball at home

The Over has gone 8-2-1 in James Shields' past 11 home starts.

Wednesday's slate of MLB action pits Shields against Raisel Iglesias and the Cincinnati Reds at Petco Park.

As of this writing, the total for the game was off the board.

Mariners on cruise control in Iwaukuma's starts

The Seattle Mariners have won five out of the last six games Hisashi Iwakuma has taken the mound.

He's scheduled to get the start Wednesday opposite of Kevin Gausman and the Baltimore Orioles.

Seattle is currently in the -127 ballpark at sportsbooks.

Over hot in Nationals games lately

The Over is 8-1 in the Washington Nationals' last nine games.

Tuesday's MLB slate pits the Nats against the Los Angeles Dodgers with Joe Ross and Zack Greinke getting the nod for Washington and L.A., respectively.

As of this writing, the total was sitting at 6.5.

CNOTES · Aug 12, 2015

MLB

Wednesday, August 12

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Five hidden-gem pitchers piling up profits since the MLB All-Star break
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Arizona's Rubby De La Rosa is now 4-0 with a shocking 2.81 ERA in five starts since the break.

Does it really come as a surprise that Zack Greinke, Clayton Kershaw, Jon Lester and Felix Hernandez, who have five Cy Youngs and 17 All-Star Games between them, combine to own a lights-out record of 12-1 since the MLB All-Star break?

Of course it doesn’t, because with resumes like those, we expect greatness. More to the point, we expect winning results. And that’s exactly what four of the highest-paid and most recognizable pitchers in the game have produced since the calendar flipped to mid-July and the hunt for the postseason became that much more intense.

But here’s the thing about stars like Greinke, Kershaw, Lester and Hernandez: EVERYBODY knows that these guys are dominant starting pitchers. And as a result, bookmakers tend to inflate their respective team’s prices every time one of those four studs takes the bump. It’s not brain surgery, it’s simply a matter of staying ahead of the betting public.

Where bettors find good value, however, is in effective, yet lesser-known starting pitching. In this instance, we’re talking about somewhat under-the-radar guys who may play on bad teams in small-market cities and have yet to break through into the national spotlight like Clayton Kershaw.

These are the hidden gems that can produce favorable wagering results this time of year thanks to the betting public’s lack of awareness as to who these pitchers truly are. And with that in mind, here’s a look at five highly-profitable post-All-Star break starting pitchers.

Note: Profits in parenthesis are based on a bettor who lays $100 on underdogs while playing to win $100 with favorites.

Rubby De La Rosa, RHP, Arizona Diamondbacks (+$422)

In the four and a half seasons of work De La Rosa completed prior to this year’s All-Star break, the 26 year old from the Dominican Republic produced an overall record of just 14-20 with a career ERA well north of 4.00.

What a difference a few days off in July can make for just one man, as De La Rosa is now 4-0 with a shocking 2.81 ERA in five starts since the break. Sure, three of those wins came against bottom dwellers like the Marlins, Brewers and Phillies, but De La Rosa took down Gio Gonzalez and the Nationals on August 5 and he was also on the bump for Arizona’s 6-4 victory over the American League West-leading Astros on July 31, even though De La Rosa didn’t earn the decision.

And as if all that weren’t impressive enough, note that no pitcher in baseball has more wins post-All-Star break at the moment than De La Rosa.

Next start: Sunday at Atlanta Braves

Colby Lewis, RHP, Texas Rangers (+$419)

The 36-year-old Lewis won’t wow you with his post-All-Star Break ERA of 4.11. But he most certainly will grab your attention thanks to the 4-1 mark he’s posted since July 18, with all four of those victories coming with Texas as a dog of +114 or higher.

During this white-hot stretch Lewis has beaten playoff contenders such as the Astros (twice), Angels and Yankees, with his sole defeat coming against Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez in Seattle this past Sunday.

Take specific note of the fact that prior to the All-Star break opposing batters were hitting .269 BA against Lewis. In the second half of the season, that number has plummeted to a stalwart .233.

Next start: Saturday vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Marco Estrada, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays (+$339)

The seven-year veteran’s first 13 starts of the 2015 campaign resulted in a 6-5 record with a 3.52 ERA despite the fact that opposing batters were hitting just .223 BA against the 32-year-old left hander.

But much like the rest of the Toronto pitching staff, the second half of the season has been a vastly different experience for Estrada, who is 4-1 with a 2.35 ERA in five starts since the All-Star break.

In those five starts, opposing batters are hitting an anemic .183 against Estrada with just one homer and eight walks in 30 2-3 innings of work. David Price and R.A. Dickey are the arms who may command most of the attention north of the border, but Estrada has played a significant role in Toronto’s second half surge.

Next start: Saturday vs. New York Yankees

Jimmy Nelson, RHP, Milwaukee Brewers (+$332)

Between the 9-9 record and fact that he plays on the worst team in the National League Central, it’s easy to overlook the run Nelson has put together over the last five weeks.

The Brewers may be 17 games under .500 with a minus-56 run differential, but Nelson has been incendiary since the break with a perfect 3-0 record highlighted by the 26 year old’s 1.85 ERA. Not only are opposing batters hitting just .197 BA against Nelson since the July vacation, but the three-year veteran has allowed more than three earned runs in a start only twice over his last 10 outings.

Take note that Nelson’s starts tend to offer appealing value, as he’s taken the bump with Milwaukee as a dog of +115 or higher in two of his last three turns through the rotation.

Next start: Saturday vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Nathan Karns, RHP, Tampa Bay Rays ($+302)

The 6-foot-5, 225-pounder and the 92 mph four-seam fastball he’s thrown 59.2 percent of the time this season have really turned a corner over the second half of the season.

Karns went from a 4-5 record with a 3.63 ERA pre-All-Star break to a spotless 3-0 mark with a rock solid 2.95 ERA in his four starts since. Opposing batters are hitting just .215 against Karns since mid-July, which is an impressive feat especially after you consider the fact that the 27 year old has surrendered two or fewer earned runs in eight of his last 10 starts.

Next start: Friday at Texas Rangers

CNOTES · Aug 12, 2015

MLB

Wednesday, August 12

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Game of the Day: Nationals at Dodgers
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Washington Nationals at Los Angeles Dodgers (-215, 6)

All eyes will be on Washington’s lineup card Wednesday when the Nationals face the host Los Angeles Dodgers in the rubber match of a three-game series. Star right fielder Bryce Harper was scratched from Tuesday’s lineup with left knee soreness, but Nationals manager Matt Williams said he could return for Wednesday’s series finale.

With Harper sidelined, the Nationals went quietly Tuesday in a 5-0 loss that dropped them 2 1/2 games back of the first-place Mets in the NL East. Williams has been encouraged by the improved play of first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and shortstop Ian Desmond, but the Nationals’ key offensive figure might be left fielder Jayson Werth, who is 8-for-50 in 14 games since returning from the disabled list. The Dodgers maintained their 2 1/2 game lead in the NL West over second-place San Francisco on Tuesday as right fielder Yasiel Puig homered and drove in all five runs. Los Angeles won despite another rough showing by rookie center fielder Joc Pederson, who was hitless in two at-bats and is 3-for-35 over his last 12 games.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)

LINE HISTORY: Books opened the Dodgers in the -200 range but that has moved to around -215. The total has opened at 6 at most offshores.

INJURY REPORT: Nationals - LF Bryce Harper (Questionable, knee).

WEATHER WATCH: Temperatures expected to be in the mid-70s under clear skies and wind blowing out to right field at around 6 mph.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Jordan Zimmermann (8-7, 3.44 ERA) vs. Dodgers LHP Clayton Kershaw (9-6, 2.51)

Zimmermann is 1-2 with a 4.67 ERA over his past six outings, but is coming off a solid effort against Colorado on Friday. The 29-year-old retired 18 of the first 20 batters he faced and exited after yielding one run on four hits with no walks in 6 2/3 innings. Carl Crawford is 5-for-13 and Adrian Gonzalez is 5-for-18 with a home run against Zimmermann, who is 2-1 with a 5.00 ERA in seven career starts against the Dodgers.

Kershaw saw his 37-inning scoreless string came to an end Friday against Pittsburgh as he allowed four runs over six innings, including a leadoff homer to Gregory Polanco on his first pitch of the game. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is three strikeouts away from recording his sixth straight season with at least 200. Kershaw improved to 8-2 with a 2.31 ERA in 12 games (11 starts) against Washington after striking out 14 over eight shutout innings on July 18.

TRENDS:

* Dodgers are 6-0 in Kershaw's last six starts vs. Nationals.
* Nationals are 7-21 in the last 28 meetings in Los Angeles.
* Nationals are 1-6 in their last seven games as an underdog.
* Dodgers are 24-3 in Kershaw's last 27 starts vs. National League East.

CONSENSUS: Sixty-four percent of users are backing the Dodgers.

CNOTES · Aug 12, 2015

MLB

Wednesday, August 12

Wind blowing in at Cleveland Wednesday

According to weather forecasts, wind is expected to blow in from left field at around 12 miles per hour when the Cleveland Indians host the New York Yankees Wednesday evening.

The Indians are presently -123 with the total at 7.5.

Home teams have historic night going perfect on the diamond

Home teams went a perfect 15-0 in Major League Baseball action Tuesday night, making it the first time in baseball history all 15 home teams won on the same day.

The damage was mostly done by home favorites, who went 13-0, while the Miami Marlins and Chicago White Sox were able to get the job done as home dogs.

The previous record for most win by home teams in a single day was 12, set all the way back on May 23, 1914, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Home teams are now 930-756 on the season, which is a winning percentage of 55.16.

With another 15 games on tap for Wednesday, check out our Scores and Matchups page for all you need to know to see if this crazy trend will continue.

Orioles playing well coming off a loss

The Baltimore Orioles are 6-0 in their last six ball games following a loss.

The O's lost to the Seattle Mariners by a score of 6-5 Tuesday and will therefore look to make it seven wins when coming off a loss in their last game.

Baltimore hasn't lost back-to-back games since a four-game losing streak from July 21 through July 24.

Kevin Gausman is expected to start for the Orioles (+116) while Hisashi Iwakuma is slated to get the ball for the Mariners (-126).

Blue Jays huge faves going for 10th straight win

The Toronto Blue Jays are currently tabbed as big -225 favorites for Wednesday's matchup with the Oakland A's, as they try to win their 10th consecutive game.

The Blue Jays have steamrolled opponents since acquiring Troy Tulowitzki, going 12-0 with him in the starting lineup and outscoring them 65-27 in the process.

The Blue Jays hand the ball to R.A. Dickey (3.93 ERA, 9-11 O/U) Wednesday night to go up against the A's Aaron Brooks (2.41 ERA, 1-1 O/U). Dickey is another red-hot Blue Jay, pitching to an 0.41 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP in his last three starts
Last edited by Udog; Today at 05:58 AM.

CNOTES · Aug 12, 2015

Pro Baseball Trend Report

PHILADELPHIA (45 - 69) at ARIZONA (56 - 56) - 3:40 PM
AARON NOLA (R) vs. CHASE ANDERSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PHILADELPHIA is 22-45 (-23.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 3 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 7-28 (-17.8 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss this season.
ARIZONA is 56-56 (+4.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 56-56 (+4.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ARIZONA is 44-41 (+6.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ARIZONA is 32-17 (+16.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
ARIZONA is 774-682 (-86.8 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
ARIZONA is 48-70 (-21.2 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
ARIZONA is 6-15 (-11.8 Units) against the money line in home games after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 3-2 (+1.4 Units) against ARIZONA this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.9 Units)

AARON NOLA vs. ARIZONA since 1997
No recent starts.

CHASE ANDERSON vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
ANDERSON is 0-0 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 1.69 and a WHIP of 1.126.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

CINCINNATI (49 - 62) at SAN DIEGO (54 - 60) - 3:40 PM
RAISEL IGLESIAS (R) vs. JAMES SHIELDS (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CINCINNATI is 49-62 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CINCINNATI is 21-36 (-13.0 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
CINCINNATI is 11-24 (-15.6 Units) against the money line in day games this season.
CINCINNATI is 49-62 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CINCINNATI is 36-47 (-11.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CINCINNATI is 23-33 (-13.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
CINCINNATI is 17-31 (-18.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 66-45 (+20.4 Units) against the money line in home games after a win over the last 3 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 33-43 (-12.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN DIEGO is 4-1 (+3.0 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.8 Units)

RAISEL IGLESIAS vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
No recent starts.

JAMES SHIELDS vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
SHIELDS is 0-1 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 5.14 and a WHIP of 1.286.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

COLORADO (47 - 64) at NY METS (61 - 52) - 7:10 PM
JORGE DE LA ROSA (L) vs. JACOB DEGROM (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 113-160 (-38.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 5-23 (-15.0 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +150 to +175 over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 5-27 (-17.8 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +175 to +200 over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 43-95 (-38.3 Units) against the money line in road games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 113-160 (-38.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 25-46 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
COLORADO is 25-61 (-27.6 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 17-48 (-22.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 61-52 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
NY METS are 40-18 (+19.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
NY METS are 27-14 (+10.9 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less this season.
NY METS are 60-48 (+11.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
NY METS are 26-13 (+11.5 Units) against the money line in home games in night games this season.
NY METS are 36-24 (+10.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
NY METS are 23-9 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
NY METS are 36-17 (+17.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 42-44 (+4.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
DE LA ROSA is 29-22 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
DE LA ROSA is 29-22 (+9.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
DE LA ROSA is 33-13 (+23.3 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
DE LA ROSA is 16-11 (+8.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
NY METS is 2-0 (+2.0 Units) against COLORADO this season
2 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+2.0 Units)

JORGE DE LA ROSA vs. NY METS since 1997
DE LA ROSA is 4-1 when starting against NY METS with an ERA of 4.06 and a WHIP of 1.484.
His team's record is 4-1 (+2.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 3-2. (+1.1 units)

JACOB DEGROM vs. COLORADO since 1997
DEGROM is 1-0 when starting against COLORADO with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.375.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

MILWAUKEE (48 - 66) at CHICAGO CUBS (63 - 48) - 8:05 PM
MATT GARZA (R) vs. JASON HAMMEL (R)
Top Trends for this game.
MILWAUKEE is 48-66 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 48-66 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 36-55 (-19.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
MILWAUKEE is 26-39 (-13.3 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
GARZA is 70-80 (-24.7 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
CHICAGO CUBS are 63-48 (+5.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 24-15 (+12.4 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 63-48 (+5.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 41-26 (+14.4 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 156-127 (-47.8 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 776-750 (-166.8 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 365-348 (-86.4 Units) against the money line in home games against division opponents since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 1065-1192 (-211.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 676-775 (-198.6 Units) against the money line after a win since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 154-167 (-43.2 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 710-708 (-160.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 211-183 (-47.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season since 1997.
HAMMEL is 15-26 (-15.8 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
HAMMEL is 6-18 (-17.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CHICAGO CUBS is 7-4 (+1.6 Units) against MILWAUKEE this season
7 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.6 Units)

MATT GARZA vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
GARZA is 1-3 when starting against CHICAGO CUBS with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.100.
His team's record is 2-3 (-1.4 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 5-0. (+5.0 units)

JASON HAMMEL vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
HAMMEL is 7-0 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 2.18 and a WHIP of 1.127.
His team's record is 7-2 (+5.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 4-5. (-1.3 units)

PITTSBURGH (65 - 45) at ST LOUIS (72 - 40) - 8:15 PM
GERRIT COLE (R) vs. MICHAEL WACHA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 20-28 (-13.3 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
PITTSBURGH is 258-493 (-105.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 112-247 (-74.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
ST LOUIS is 72-40 (+24.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 41-16 (+18.4 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
ST LOUIS is 62-30 (+20.9 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less over the last 3 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 31-17 (+10.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
ST LOUIS is 72-40 (+24.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
ST LOUIS is 50-28 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
ST LOUIS is 56-26 (+25.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 46-26 (+13.8 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
ST LOUIS is 31-17 (+13.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ST LOUIS is 19-6 (+12.1 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
WACHA is 16-5 (+8.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
WACHA is 16-5 (+8.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
PITTSBURGH is 65-45 (+11.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 65-45 (+11.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 108-77 (+18.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 53-36 (+11.3 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
COLE is 31-13 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLE is 31-13 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
COLE is 28-12 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 6-5 (+1.0 Units) against PITTSBURGH this season
5 of 10 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.6 Units)

GERRIT COLE vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
COLE is 3-3 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 3.05 and a WHIP of 1.060.
His team's record is 4-3 (+1.1 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-2. (+3.0 units)

MICHAEL WACHA vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
WACHA is 3-0 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 1.69 and a WHIP of 0.875.
His team's record is 4-1 (+2.8 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-3. (-1.2 units)

WASHINGTON (58 - 54) at LA DODGERS (63 - 50) - 10:10 PM
JORDAN ZIMMERMANN (R) vs. CLAYTON KERSHAW (L)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 58-54 (-7.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 57-53 (-8.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
WASHINGTON is 34-37 (-9.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
WASHINGTON is 28-12 (+12.3 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
ZIMMERMANN is 33-12 (+18.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZIMMERMANN is 43-19 (+19.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LA DODGERS are 63-50 (-10.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA DODGERS are 31-29 (-13.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
LA DODGERS are 63-50 (-10.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA DODGERS are 45-38 (-12.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
LA DODGERS are 33-31 (-14.6 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
LA DODGERS are 58-57 (-10.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 3-2 (+0.7 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.6 Units)

JORDAN ZIMMERMANN vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
ZIMMERMANN is 2-1 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 5.00 and a WHIP of 1.417.
His team's record is 6-1 (+5.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-2. (+3.2 units)

CLAYTON KERSHAW vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
KERSHAW is 8-2 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 2.38 and a WHIP of 0.958.
His team's record is 9-2 (+5.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-6. (-0.9 units)

BALTIMORE (57 - 55) at SEATTLE (53 - 61) - 3:40 PM
KEVIN GAUSMAN (R) vs. HISASHI IWAKUMA (R)
Top Trends for this game.
BALTIMORE is 17-28 (-10.5 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field this season.
BALTIMORE is 15-29 (-13.4 Units) against the money line in road games against right-handed starters this season.
BALTIMORE is 157-125 (+34.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 48-39 (+15.7 Units) against the money line in road games in day games over the last 3 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 71-53 (+20.9 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 30-18 (+9.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
BALTIMORE is 32-15 (+15.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 53-61 (-15.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SEATTLE is 4-13 (-11.0 Units) against the money line at home with a money line of -100 to -125 this season.
SEATTLE is 20-31 (-22.7 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 25-33 (-17.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
SEATTLE is 13-18 (-10.0 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less this season.
SEATTLE is 16-26 (-13.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 48-60 (-19.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
SEATTLE is 18-23 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
SEATTLE is 17-35 (-23.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 3-2 (+0.7 Units) against SEATTLE this season
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

KEVIN GAUSMAN vs. SEATTLE since 1997
GAUSMAN is 0-0 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 1.35 and a WHIP of 1.499.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

HISASHI IWAKUMA vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
IWAKUMA is 0-2 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 3.66 and a WHIP of 1.017.
His team's record is 1-2 (-1.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+0.9 units)

OAKLAND (51 - 63) at TORONTO (62 - 52) - 7:05 PM
AARON BROOKS (R) vs. R.A. DICKEY (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
TORONTO is 3-1 (+2.0 Units) against OAKLAND this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.0 Units)

AARON BROOKS vs. TORONTO since 1997
BROOKS is 0-1 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 94.03 and a WHIP of 11.940.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.4 units)

R.A. DICKEY vs. OAKLAND since 1997
DICKEY is 3-4 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 4.08 and a WHIP of 1.249.
His team's record is 5-8 (-2.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-8. (-3.6 units)

NY YANKEES (61 - 50) at CLEVELAND (52 - 59) - 7:10 PM
C.C. SABATHIA (L) vs. DANNY SALAZAR (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SABATHIA is 53-22 (+24.5 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997. (Team's Record)
CLEVELAND is 52-59 (-19.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 23-33 (-21.8 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
CLEVELAND is 48-59 (-23.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 33-37 (-11.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 14-25 (-15.0 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
CLEVELAND is 22-29 (-14.1 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
CLEVELAND is 25-31 (-10.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
CLEVELAND is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against NY YANKEES this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.1 Units)

C.C. SABATHIA vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
SABATHIA is 4-1 when starting against CLEVELAND with an ERA of 2.94 and a WHIP of 1.204.
His team's record is 4-3 (-4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 5-2. (+2.9 units)

DANNY SALAZAR vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
No recent starts.

LA ANGELS (59 - 53) at CHI WHITE SOX (53 - 58) - 8:10 PM
ANDREW HEANEY (L) vs. JOHN DANKS (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 86-86 (+14.3 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 157-120 (+16.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 773-758 (+63.1 Units) against the money line in road games since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 648-639 (+55.8 Units) against the money line in road games in games played on a grass field since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 123-87 (+19.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 88-52 (+23.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 42-18 (+16.5 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DANKS is 20-36 (-22.3 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 2-0 (+2.2 Units) against LA ANGELS this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.0 Units)

ANDREW HEANEY vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
No recent starts.

JOHN DANKS vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
DANKS is 3-4 when starting against LA ANGELS with an ERA of 3.11 and a WHIP of 1.217.
His team's record is 5-6 (-1.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 7-3. (+3.5 units)

DETROIT (54 - 59) at KANSAS CITY (68 - 44) - 8:10 PM
DANIEL NORRIS (L) vs. EDINSON VOLQUEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
DETROIT is 144-134 (-14.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 25-34 (-11.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
DETROIT is 234-201 (-27.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
DETROIT is 27-41 (-15.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
DETROIT is 38-47 (-10.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
DETROIT is 63-69 (-18.2 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 68-44 (+22.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 39-18 (+17.3 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 26-12 (+12.6 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 18-6 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 32-18 (+12.8 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
KANSAS CITY is 67-41 (+24.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
KANSAS CITY is 45-30 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
KANSAS CITY is 41-28 (+11.1 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
KANSAS CITY is 38-20 (+18.3 Units) against the money line after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 36-20 (+15.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
VOLQUEZ is 16-7 (+8.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
VOLQUEZ is 21-9 (+10.9 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
VOLQUEZ is 16-6 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
KANSAS CITY is 0-8 (-14.8 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -175 to -200 over the last 2 seasons.
Head-to-Head Series History
KANSAS CITY is 7-5 (+1.7 Units) against DETROIT this season
8 of 12 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+3.4 Units)

DANIEL NORRIS vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
No recent starts.

EDINSON VOLQUEZ vs. DETROIT since 1997
VOLQUEZ is 1-3 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 4.98 and a WHIP of 1.707.
His team's record is 1-3 (-2.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-4. (-4.1 units)

TEXAS (55 - 56) at MINNESOTA (56 - 56) - 8:10 PM
NICK MARTINEZ (R) vs. MIKE PELFREY (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 42-65 (-21.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 56-56 (+10.3 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MINNESOTA is 35-22 (+15.9 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
MINNESOTA is 56-52 (+14.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MINNESOTA is 31-30 (+8.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
MINNESOTA is 22-14 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters this season.
MINNESOTA is 34-23 (+17.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
TEXAS is 55-56 (+15.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TEXAS is 32-27 (+19.7 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
TEXAS is 52-52 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
TEXAS is 42-38 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
TEXAS is 35-33 (+10.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
TEXAS is 16-10 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss this season.
MINNESOTA is 115-132 (-38.3 Units) against the money line in home games in August games since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 2-2 (+0.0 Units) against TEXAS this season
3 of 4 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+1.9 Units)

NICK MARTINEZ vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
MARTINEZ is 0-0 when starting against MINNESOTA with an ERA of 4.97 and a WHIP of 1.657.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

MIKE PELFREY vs. TEXAS since 1997
PELFREY is 0-2 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 7.02 and a WHIP of 1.800.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+0.9 units)

HOUSTON (61 - 53) at SAN FRANCISCO (60 - 52) - 3:45 PM
SCOTT FELDMAN (R) vs. CHRIS HESTON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 23-35 (-12.2 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
HOUSTON is 11-20 (-10.8 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss this season.
FELDMAN is 7-25 (-16.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
SAN FRANCISCO is 160-131 (+19.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 30-16 (+14.8 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 18-4 (+13.8 Units) against the money line in home games in an inter-league game over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 62-44 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in day games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 160-131 (+19.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO is 36-24 (+10.7 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 736-726 (+46.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record since 1997.
HOUSTON is 131-145 (+4.4 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 20-12 (+10.1 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +100 to +125 over the last 2 seasons.
HOUSTON is 61-47 (+9.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
HOUSTON is 16-7 (+9.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN FRANCISCO is 2-1 (+1.5 Units) against HOUSTON this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

SCOTT FELDMAN vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
FELDMAN is 0-3 when starting against SAN FRANCISCO with an ERA of 5.17 and a WHIP of 1.533.
His team's record is 0-3 (-3.2 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.4 units)

CHRIS HESTON vs. HOUSTON since 1997
HESTON is 1-0 when starting against HOUSTON with an ERA of 1.00 and a WHIP of 0.222.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.5 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

BOSTON (50 - 63) at MIAMI (45 - 68) - 4:10 PM
EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ (L) vs. ADAM CONLEY (L)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 50-63 (-19.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 23-35 (-10.8 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
BOSTON is 43-57 (-22.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BOSTON is 34-47 (-19.1 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 51-58 (-16.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 176-163 (+29.6 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game since 1997.
MIAMI is 405-402 (+35.2 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters since 1997.
MIAMI is 45-68 (-22.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MIAMI is 45-65 (-19.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MIAMI is 26-38 (-14.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
BOSTON is 2-1 (+0.9 Units) against MIAMI this season
1 of 2 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+0.1 Units)

EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ vs. MIAMI since 1997
No recent starts.

ADAM CONLEY vs. BOSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

ATLANTA (51 - 62) at TAMPA BAY (57 - 56) - 7:10 PM
MATT WISLER (R) vs. JAKE ODORIZZI (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 130-145 (-18.9 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 103-116 (-16.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 30-52 (-19.8 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 28-27 (+7.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
TAMPA BAY is 134-141 (-28.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 23-30 (-9.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
TAMPA BAY is 65-74 (-30.9 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 15-22 (-10.6 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 7 or less this season.
TAMPA BAY is 16-25 (-15.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Wednesday over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 66-75 (-31.2 Units) against the money line in games played in a dome over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 74-83 (-30.2 Units) against the money line in games played on artificial turf over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 94-104 (-25.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 19-30 (-20.1 Units) against the money line after shutting out their opponent over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 28-35 (-10.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
TAMPA BAY is 2-1 (+0.7 Units) against ATLANTA this season
2 of 3 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.8 Units)

MATT WISLER vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
No recent starts.

JAKE ODORIZZI vs. ATLANTA since 1997
ODORIZZI is 0-1 when starting against ATLANTA with an ERA of 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

CNOTES · Aug 12, 2015

Cards, Pirates square off

August 12, 2015

PITTSBURGH PIRATES (65-45) at ST LOUIS CARDINALS (72-40)

First pitch: Wednesday, 8:15 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: St. Louis -120, Pittsburgh +110, Total: 6.5

The Pittsburgh Pirates look to stay in the NL Central race as they take on the St. Louis Cardinals in the second of three games on Wednesday night.

The Pirates have continued to find success as they keep their top young talent around and over the past 16 games have gone 11-5. They defeated some solid competition in that time, earning six wins in seven opportunities against the likes of the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers. The team was unable to get things done in the first game of this series, though, and despite knocking out nine hits against the always tough St. Louis pitching, was a mere 2-for-9 with RISP in the 4-3 contest. OF Andrew McCutchen (.297) went hitless in the game, but over his last six is 9-for-20 (.450) with two doubles, two homers, eight RBIs and seven runs.

On the other side of the diamond it is business as usual for the Cardinals and they currently own the top record in all of baseball and have kept it up after the All-Star break with a mark of 16-7. They are just coming off of a six-game road trip in which they were able to grab 4-of-6 games, including three shutouts in a row, against both Cincinnati and Milwaukee. They kept things going on Tuesday with a 4-3 victory behind a solid effort (8 IP, 3 ER, 9 H, 8 K) from starter Carlos Martinez and at least one hit from each of the top-four batters in the lineup. OF Stephen Piscotty (.355) continued his hot hitting at home with a 3-for-4 night and overall on the year is 15-for-31 (.484) with four doubles and six RBIs in front of the hometown crowd.

A couple of young “aces” will take the mound in this one as 24-year-old RHP Gerrit Cole (14-5, 2.39 ERA) of Pittsburgh takes on 24-year-old RHP Michael Wacha (13-4, 2.92 ERA) for the host group. The Pirates have not done too well (26-27) when playing on the road in 2015, and will have a very tough task ahead against this St. Louis group which is an otherworldly 41-16 at home. The series between these two teams has certainly tightened over the past few years and since the start of 2013, the Cardinals hold a slight 29-25 edge over Pittsburgh, but have dominated at Busch Stadium to the tune of a 20-6 record in that time.

This year they have already met on 11 occasions with St. Louis having a 6-5 advantage as they are again excelling (4-0) at home. Trends show that the Pirates are 53-36 (.596) against right-handed pitching this year as the Cardinals are 19-2 (.905) in home games after six consecutive contests versus division rivals in the last two seasons. The injury report has plenty of depth missing for Pittsburgh with 3B Josh Harrison (Thumb) being the only significant omission from the lineup as St. Louis continues to play without 1B Matt Adams (Quad), OF Matt Holliday (Quad) and OF Jon Jay (Wrist).

Cole has developed into the No. 1 starter that the team hoped he would become when they drafted him as the first overall pick in the 2011 amateur draft. Despite pitching in 22 or fewer games in his first two years, he was still able to get double-digit wins, and now that he is putting together a full season with no injuries, he has already matched his career-high in starts (22) and has added another 14 victories in 2015. His numbers have remained consistent over the last three seasons in the big leagues and he is currently mowing down a batter per inning with great control (2.0 BB/9) and minimal homers (0.50 HR/9). His groundball percentage (50.8%) continues to rise as batters are hitting a mere .236 against him.

Since his All-Star Game appearance, Cole has continued to pitch well, going 26 innings over four outings with 10 runs allowed (9 ER) on 23 hits and has a K/BB ratio of 27:4. He’s always done well against the Cardinals, going 3-3 (4-3 team record) with a 3.05 ERA (1.06 WHIP) and earned a win in his one start (7 IP, 2 ER, 6 H, 3 K) earlier this year. Infielders 3B Matt Carpenter (4-for-13, 2 HR, 4 RBIs) and SS Jhonny Peralta (4-for-14, 2 doubles) haven’t had too many issues off of the youngster, but, C Yadier Molina may have a rough night as he is 1-for-12 in the matchup.

Pittsburgh has compiled quite an impressive bullpen and they have gone 20-13 with a 2.75 ERA (1.24 WHIP) and a mark of 38-for-49 (78%) in save chances. Mark Melancon (1.56 ERA, 35 saves) has blown just one save on the year and has allowed just 42 hits in 52 frames despite striking out just 6.4 batters per nine innings as he has left 86.5% of runners on base and forced the opposition to hit it on the ground 61.7% of the time.

Wacha burst onto the scene in 2013 and figures to be a fixture in this rotation for years to come as he has been able to improve over his 19 starts last year with a sub-3.00 ERA over 21 outings in 2015. He does not blow anyone away via the strikeout (7.6 K/9), but will keep the ball around the plate (2.2 B/9) and has benefitted from the opposition hitting a meager .264 BABIP.

Wacha is able to limit the amount of balls leaving the park (0.68 HR/9) with batters hitting it on the ground a career-high 46.9% of the time against him as they are swinging at 35.1% of the balls he throws outside of the strike zone. He comes into this matchup on the heels of consecutive shutout starts, tallying 14 total innings in that time with eight hits allowed and 13 strikeouts (3 walks) against the Rockies and Reds.

The righty has also been huge against the Pittsburgh crew in his career, going 3-0 (4-1 team record) with a 1.69 ERA (0.88 WHIP) and saw his team win in both his attempts this year in which he totaled 12.2 innings with three runs (2 ER) allowed on 11 hits and just three strikeouts (2 walks). Despite Wacha’s solid play against them, OF Andrew McCutchen (5-for-12, 1 double) has still done well in the matchup, but the likes of 3B Pedro Alvarez and 2B Neil Walker have combined to go 2-for-19 (.105) with five strikeouts.

The Cardinals have put together what is arguably the best bullpen in baseball and it has gone 20-14 with a 2.26 ERA (1.23 WHIP) and saved 46-of-58 (79%) games. Trevor Rosenthal (1.54 ERA, 34 saves) is once again mowing down double-digit batters per nine (10.3 K/9) as he is leaving 87.5% of runners on base and has given up a single homer in 52.2 innings of work (0.17 HR/9).

CNOTES · Aug 12, 2015

LEADING OFF: Cole vs Wacha; Jays go for 10; Harper's knee

August 12, 2015

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

ACES UP

Pittsburgh right-hander Gerrit Cole (14-5), who leads the NL in wins, faces Michael Wacha (13-4) and the Central-leading Cardinals. His last time out, Cole took a no-decision in a matchup with Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw. Wacha, meanwhile, has won three of his past four starts. Most recently, he threw seven scoreless innings at Cincinnati. With his 2.92 ERA, Wacha ranked fifth among starters for the pitching-rich Cardinals.

HOT WINGS

Troy Tulowitzki and the Blue Jays seek their 10th consecutive victory when they host the Athletics. Toronto has won all 12 games started by Tulowitzki since the star shortstop was acquired from Colorado on July 28. The Blue Jays are averaging 5.5 runs per game since the deal.

HARPER'S KNEE

The Nationals hope to have Bryce Harper back when they face Kershaw at Dodger Stadium. The star slugger was held out of the lineup Tuesday night as a precaution with a swollen left knee - the same one that's troubled Harper in the past.

OLD STOMPING GROUNDS

Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia returns to a mound he knows well as New York continues its series in Cleveland. Sabathia pitched for the Indians from 2001-08, winning the AL Cy Young Award in '07. He has more wins (51), starts (121), innings (775) and strikeouts (702) than any pitcher in Progressive Field history. Sabathia is looking for his first win since July 8.

PITCHING IN

Jacob deGrom has a 2.08 ERA in four starts since throwing a perfect inning with three strikeouts (on 10 pitches) at the All-Star Game. He's struck out 30 and walked three over 26 innings in that stretch, trimming his ERA to 2.13. The right-hander leads the first-place Mets against the Rockies.

BUMP IN THE ROAD

Giants rookie Chris Heston is 0-1 with an 8.31 ERA in two August starts after posting a 1.57 ERA in five July outings. He tries to bounce back in the finale of a two-game interleague series against the Astros. Heston tossed his first career complete game at Houston on May 12.

HOME COOKING?

Tampa Bay right-hander Jake Odorizzi, set to start at Tropicana Field against the Braves, has a 1.40 ERA in eight home starts. The Rays, however, are 4-4 in those games.

CNOTES · Aug 12, 2015

Baseball Capsules

August 12, 2015

SEATTLE (AP) Austin Jackson hit a bases-loaded single in the 10th inning to give the Seattle Mariners a 6-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night, marking the first time since baseball expanded to 30 clubs that all 15 home teams won on the same day.

Jackson's single off reliever T.J. McFarland (0-2) down the right-field line scored Logan Morrison from third and finished off the major league schedule for the night.

The last time home teams went undefeated on a day with more than one game was an 8-0 record on Aug. 28, 2008 - although road squads were 7-0 on April, 2, 2013, according to STATS. Arizona and Tampa Bay joined the majors in 1998, bringing the total to 30 teams.

STATS said the best performance by home teams had been 11-0, accomplished six times - three in the 1800s. The most recent occasion was Sept. 16, 1989.

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Carlos Martinez was strongest at the end of his eight innings and Jason Heyward had two hits and two RBIs, helping St. Louis edge Pittsburgh in a matchup of the National League's top two teams.

Yadier Molina tied it with a sacrifice fly and rookie Stephen Piscotty singled in the go-ahead run on consecutive at-bats off Jeff Locke (6-7) in the fifth inning. Kolten Wong singled twice for his first multihit game of the month and Piscotty had three hits.

Trevor Rosenthal struck out the side in the ninth for his 34th save in 36 chances. The Cardinals lead the Pirates by six games in the NL Central and are 6-5 in the season series with seven of the games decided by one run and five in the final at-bat.

St. Louis is 72-40 overall, at 32 over .500 it matches the season's high water mark, and 41-16 at home - both major league bests.

INDIANS 5, YANKEES 4, 16 INNINGS

CLEVELAND (AP) - Michael Brantley's RBI single with one out in the 16th inning lifted Cleveland to a victory over skidding New York, which lost its fourth straight and had its lead in the AL East over Toronto trimmed to a half-game.

Brantley hit a hard single off Branden Pinder (0-2) that first baseman Mark Teixeira couldn't handle and easily scored Jose Ramirez from second base. Brantley's clutch hit ended the 5-hour, 4-minute game and triggered just the second walk-off winning celebration by the Indians this season.

Austin Adams (2-0) worked a perfect inning and combined with seven other Cleveland pitchers to record 16 strikeouts.

The first four hitters in New York's lineup - Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner, Alex Rodriguez and Teixeira went a combined 1 for 25.

CUBS 6, BREWERS 3

CHICAGO (AP) - Anthony Rizzo and Jorge Soler each drove in two runs, Dan Haren picked up his first victory for the Cubs and Chicago won for the 11th time in 12 games.

The Brewers, last in the NL Central, announced earlier in the day that Doug Melvin is moving into an advisory role after 13 years as general manager.

The Cubs, meanwhile, continue to roll.

Haren (8-7), acquired from Miami on July 31, pitched into the sixth.

Rizzo had two hits, including an RBI double, and drew a bases-loaded walk. He is 19 for 42 in his past 12 games.

Soler extended his hitting streak to 10, and Chicago took advantage of three errors along with some wild pitching on the way to yet another win.

DODGERS 5, NATIONALS 0

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Yasiel Puig drove in a career high-tying five runs with a homer and a triple, Zack Greinke pitched six sharp innings and Los Angeles defeated Washington to snap a season-worst four-game skid.

Greinke (12-2) allowed six hits, struck out six and walked four to remain unbeaten in his last 10 starts, going 7-0 in that span. He lowered his major league-leading ERA to 1.65.

Puig homered into the left-field pavilion in the fourth to score Andre Ethier, whose leadoff triple stood up after the Dodgers challenged the call. Replays showed third baseman Yunel Escobar didn't tag Ethier's leg before he reached the bag.

BLUE JAYS 4, ATHLETICS 2

TORONTO (AP) - Jose Bautista hit a solo home run, Drew Hutchison pitched seven strong innings and Toronto won its ninth straight game, beating Oakland.

Toronto starting pitchers have held the opposition to three earned runs or fewer in 15 consecutive games.

Hutchison (11-2) allowed two runs and four hits in seven-plus innings. The right-hander hadn't completed seven innings since a complete-game victory over the Chicago White Sox on May 25.

Hutchison is 9-1 with a 2.68 ERA in 12 home starts and 2-1 with a 9.00 ERA in 11 road outings.

Roberto Osuna pitched the ninth for his 11th save.

ROYALS 6, TIGERS 1

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Lorenzo Cain went 4 for 4 with a home run and Yordano Ventura pitched six scoreless innings as Kansas City defeated Detroit.

Cain, who raised his average to .316, led off the sixth with his 12th homer, a mammoth shot to left field. Mike Moustakas snapped an 0-for-18 drought with a homer to right field with Kendrys Morales aboard in the same inning.

Ventura (7-7), who is 3-1 since the All-Star break, limited the Tigers to two hits but walked a career-high six. He struck out eight, tying his season high.

Eric Hosmer hit a two-run homer in the first, giving him 21 RBIs in the opening inning.

METS 4, ROCKIES 0

NEW YORK (AP) - Matt Harvey pitched four-hit ball for eight innings, Ruben Tejada had a go-ahead single in the sixth and New York beat Colorado for the eighth straight time at Citi Field.

Juan Lagares had a two-run double in the eighth to help the Mets improve to 40-18 at home, matching last season's win total when they lost 41 at Citi Field.

Harvey (11-7) was dominant for a fourth straight start. He walked none for the third straight outing and struck out four, pitching to contact rather than overpowering the Rockies. He was lifted for pinch-hitter Curtis Granderson with the bases loaded in the eighth.

Granderson got a gift RBI from Boone Logan for the second straight night. He was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded Monday. This time Logan walked Granderson, who did not start against Chris Rusin (3-5), a lefty.

Lagares, who has lost most of his playing time since the arrival of Yoenis Cespedes, followed with the two-run double.

TWINS 3, RANGERS 2

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Eduardo Escobar's two-out double in the ninth inning drove in the winning run, capping a late rally by Minnesota for a much-needed victory over Texas.

Joe Mauer and Miguel Sano tied the game with RBI doubles in the eighth, and Glen Perkins (1-3) pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up the win, just the seventh for the Twins in 23 games since the All-Star break.

Spencer Patton (1-1) quickly got the first two outs in the ninth, but he walked Kurt Suzuki before reaching the bottom of the order with Escobar, who grounded a full-count fastball down the right-field line. Suzuki scored easily and the Twins were able to smile and dance.

GIANTS 3, ASTROS 1

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Madison Bumgarner pitched a five-hitter with 12 strikeouts, Brandon Belt broke up a pitcher's duel with two solo homers, and San Francisco beat Houston.

Belt's homers, in the fourth and sixth innings, gave him 17 this season to match his career high also done in 2013. It was his third career multihomer game and second this year for the defending champion Giants, who bounced back at home after being swept by the Cubs in four games over the weekend at Wrigley Field.

Bumgarner (13-6) outpitched fellow southpaw Scott Kazmir (6-7) in an anticipated interleague matchup of top lefties for the World Series MVP's eighth career complete game and second this season. He didn't walk a batter in the 105-pitch gem.

Kazmir, who had allowed only one earned run for a 0.44 ERA in three starts since joining his hometown Astros in a July 23 trade from Oakland, committed two throwing errors while losing his second straight start.

WHITE SOX 3, ANGELS 0

CHICAGO (AP) - Carlos Rodon threw seven scoreless innings, Trayce Thompson hit his first career home run and Chicago beat Los Angeles.

Rodon (5-4) had struggled in his previous four starts, going 1-2 with a 9.33 ERA. He did considerably better Tuesday, striking out a career-high 11, allowing four hits and finishing seven innings for the first time for the White Sox, who have won the first two of the three-game series.

Hector Santiago (7-6) was making his first start at U.S. Cellular Field since being acquired by Los Angeles from the White Sox in a December 2013 three-team deal. He pitched 5 1/3 innings and gave up three runs and four hits while striking out four.

That wasn't enough to prevent the Angels from losing their eighth straight on the road, their longest streak since dropping nine in July 1993.

PADRES 11, REDS 6

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Colin Rea pitched well into the sixth inning in his major league debut and Jedd Gyorko homered and drove in four runs as San Diego beat Cincinnati.

San Diego scored three runs in the first and five more in the second as they chased Cincinnati starter Michael Lorenzen. Lorenzen (3-8) gave up seven runs on seven hits in his shortest outing of the season.

Rea (1-0) picked up the win after allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out four and walking one.

Gyorko singled home two runs in the first and then belted a two-run homer off the second-deck facade in in left field when Dylan Axelrod came in to replace Lorenzen in the second.

The Padres added three more runs in the third, giving Rea a comfortable advantage.

RAYS 2, BRAVES 0

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Erasmo Ramirez pitched efficiently into the eighth inning for his first win in more than a month, Kevin Kiermaier hit a two-run homer and Tampa Bay beat Atlanta.

Kiermaier's fifth home run of the season - and first since June 3 - came off Williams Perez one out after Asdrubal Cabrera's infield single.

Perez (4-3) gave up four hits in his first career complete game. Ramirez (9-4) won for the first time in five starts since July 10. Xavier Cedeno got his first save.

MARLINS 5, RED SOX 4, 10 INNINGS

MIAMI (AP) - Dee Gordon tripled to lead off the 10th inning and scored on a walk-off base hit by Justin Bour to lift Miami to a come-from-behind win over Boston.

The Red Sox led 4-0 in the sixth inning before the Marlins climbed back into the game with two runs in the sixth, one in the seventh and one in the ninth before Bour's heroics in the 10th.

Bryan Morris (4-3) earned the victory with a scoreless 10th.

Five Marlins' relievers combined to retire the final 13 Boston hitters.

DIAMONDBACKS 13, PHILLIES 1

PHOENIX (AP) - David Peralta hit a grand slam in an 11-run second inning and tied a career high with five RBIs, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks to a victory over Philadelphia.

The 11 runs - all off starter David Buchanan - were the second-most scored in an inning in Diamondbacks' history. Peralta and Aaron Hill hit home runs and Jeremy Hellickson becoming the second pitcher in club history to collect two hits in one inning.

Hellickson (8-8) allowed an unearned run and seven hits and struck out six, improving to 6-1 in his last seven home starts.

The 11 runs allowed by the Phillies were the most they gave up since allowing 12 on May 31, 1975.

CNOTES · Aug 12, 2015

Giants CF Angel Pagan goes on DL with right knee injury

August 11, 2015

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) The San Francisco Giants placed center fielder Angel Pagan on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with patella tendinitis in his right knee, something he believes has been aggravated dating back to last season given all of his diving catches and plays against the wall.

Pagan received a platelet-rich plasma injection in the knee. He hopes two weeks of rest will get him healthy for the season's final month as the reigning World Series champions chase another playoff berth.

''I'm giving it all. That's all I can do, all I can control,'' Pagan said. ''I would benefit a lot from some time.''

San Francisco recalled outfielder Juan Perez from Triple-A Sacramento to fill the roster spot in time for the opener of a two-game interleague series against Houston. The Giants then have a key four-game set with Washington - a rematch of last year's NL division series.

Pagan was batting .258 with 26 RBIs in 103 games, starting 95 of the Giants' first 111 games.

''The knee was really affecting him more from the left side,'' manager Bruce Bochy said. ''He was going out there when he wasn't 100 percent.''

Also Tuesday, right-hander Tim Lincecum threw a 40-pitch bullpen session. He considered it on par with a regular ''in-between-start bullpen'' as he works back from a bruised right forearm. He also was recently diagnosed with degenerative hips, which was not considered a career-threatening injury. He remains optimistic he will pitch again this year.

Right-hander Tim Hudson also threw a bullpen to test his strained throwing shoulder. He was eligible to be activated from the DL on Tuesday, and the Giants will discuss their next move with him. Hudson hasn't pitched since July 26.

Left fielder Nori Aoki left the Giants' game Sunday against the Chicago Cubs after he was hit by a pitch in the head. He was given one day of rest as a precaution but is likely available off the bench Tuesday.

He's expected to start Wednesday afternoon in the series finale against the Astros.

''He passed all his tests, a CT scan,'' Bochy said.

Aoki was hit on his batting helmet by a 92 mph fastball from Jake Arrieta.

Giants backup catcher Andrew Susac was relegated to a designated hitter role in his rehab assignment for Class-A San Jose following a root canal in the back of his mouth Monday.

Perez has bounced back from tendinitis in both Achilles and a strained ligament in his left wrist and hand.

''It's always good to be back,'' he said. ''I'm trying to come back here and help the team.''

CNOTES · Aug 12, 2015

Nationals' Bryce Harper sits against Dodgers with sore knee

August 11, 2015

LOS ANGELES (AP) Bryce Harper is out of the Washington Nationals' starting lineup against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The outfielder banged his left knee while making a sliding catch in the third inning of the Nationals' 8-3 victory Monday night, but stayed in the game.

Manager Matt Williams says Harper is being held out of Tuesday night's game as a precautionary measure, although he's available to pinch-hit.

Harper is hitting .333 with 69 RBIs and 29 home runs.

CNOTES · Aug 12, 2015

Influx of youth adds freshness to Indians' roster

Aug 12, 2015

CLEVELAND -- As far as Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona is concerned, the kids are alright. The Indians have added several young players in recent days and the newcomers are paying no attention to the standings, but a lot of attention to the details.

"They are playing hard and with enthusiasm every game," said Francona.

Even the veterans are noticing. Michael Brantley, whose game-winning single in the bottom of the 16th inning game the Indians a 5-4 win over the Yankees on Tuesday, said he has been impressed by the influx of youth to the roster.

"The kids are learning a lot up here. It's fun to watch and to help teach them," said Brantley. "They all come to the clubhouse every day with smiles on their faces. It's a great atmosphere around here."

The Indians may be out of the race for a spot in the postseason, but the energy brought by the handful of young players who have been added to the roster in the last two weeks has changed the dynamic of the dog days for the Indians.

"They are all swinging the bat well, so that helps a lot," said Francona. "It's contagious. The energy they play with, and how hard they play. It's having the will to want to do it."

CNOTES · Aug 12, 2015

Frustration builds for Yankees

Aug 12, 2015

CLEVELAND -- The frustration is building for the New York Yankees almost as fast as the losses.

"They are frustrated, but when you're not winning you should be frustrated," said New York manager Joe Girardi of his team, which lost its fourth game in a row on Tuesday, 5-4 to the Indians, in 16 innings.

In their four consecutive losses, the Yankees have scored a total of just five runs. A home run by Stephen Drew in the sixth inning Tuesday snapped a streak of 31 consecutive innings without scoring a run for a slumping Yankees lineup that has been shutout in two of its last four games, and scored just one run in a third game.

The lack of offense seems almost baffling to Girardi.

"I thought we squared up a lot of balls tonight. We just didn't get any results," he said after Tuesday's loss.

One of the problems for Girardi and for the team overall is the inconsistency at the top of the lineup. In the loss to the Indians, Jacoby Ellsbury, Brett Gardner, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Brian McCann, the top five hitters in the lineup, were a combined 1-for-28, with 10 strikeouts.

"That surprises me. We need to get those guys going," said Girardi.

Another more immediate problem, in light of the 16-inning game on Tuesday, is an overworked bullpen. The Yankees used eight pitchers in the game.

Asked following the game about the state of his bullpen, Girardi again shrugged. "Every arm out there is exhausted," he said.

CNOTES · Aug 12, 2015

Under wagers hot in Royals-Tigers meetings

The Under has cashed in back-to-back meetings and six of the previous seven games between the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers heading into Wednesday's series finale.

In the current series, the under has cashed in both instances as the Royals have won 4-0 and 6-1 in games one and two respectively.

Newcomer Daniel Norris is probable to start for the Tigers (+167) while Edinson Volquez is set to counter for the Royals (-182). The total opened at 8 and has remained at that number through the time of writing.

CNOTES · Aug 12, 2015

Team Pitcher Open Line Movements Current Runline Scores

3:40 PM EDT

901 PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES (R) Nola, A 8.5u20 8.5u20 / 8.5u12 8.5u15 +1.5(-140)
902 ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS (R) Anderson, C -165 -160 / -159 / -157 -175 -1.5(+120)

TV: FS-Arizona, DTV: 686

3:40 PM EDT

903 CINCINNATI REDS (R) Iglesias, R 6.5o25 6.5o25 +1.5(-210)
904 SAN DIEGO PADRES (R) Shields, J -140 -140 / -135 / -132 -117 -1.5(+180)

TV: FS-Ohio, FS-San Diego, DTV: 660, 694

3:40 PM EDT

913 BALTIMORE ORIOLES (R) Gausman, K 7o25 7o25 / 7o20 / 7o15 7o30 +1.5(-200)
914 SEATTLE MARINERS (R) Iwakuma, H -130 -130 / -129 -126 -1.5(+170)

SEA-LF-Nelson Cruz-? | TV: MASN, ROOT-Northwest, DTV: 640, 687

3:45 PM EDT

925 HOUSTON ASTROS (R) Feldman, S 7o25 7o25 +1.5(-195)
926 SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS (R) Heston, C -140 -130 / -129 / -128 -128 -1.5(+165)

TV: CSN-Bay, ROOT-Southwest, DTV: 674, 696

4:10 PM EDT

927 BOSTON RED SOX (L) Rodriguez, E -120 -120 / -119 / -118 -122 -1.5(+140)
928 MIAMI MARLINS (L) Conley, A 7.5o20 7.5o20 +1.5(-160)

MIA-RF-Giancarlo Stanton-OUT | TV: FS-Florida, NESN, DTV: 628, 654

CNOTES · Aug 12, 2015

MLB Consensus Picks

SIDES (ATS)

3:40 PM Cincinnati +114 218 32.68% San Diego -123 449 67.32% View View

3:45 PM Houston +116 241 35.81% San Francisco -126 432 64.19% View View

3:40 PM Philadelphia +143 250 37.04% Arizona -155 425 62.96% View View

3:40 PM Baltimore +116 267 41.92% Seattle -126 370 58.08% View View

4:10 PM Boston -120 420 66.46% Miami +111 212 33.54% View View

TOTALS (OVER/UNDER)

3:40 PM Cincinnati 7 192 52.89% San Diego 7 171 47.11% View View

3:45 PM Houston 7 205 56.32% San Francisco 7 159 43.68% View View

3:40 PM Baltimore 7 240 60.00% Seattle 7 160 40.00% View View

3:40 PM Philadelphia 8.5 231 60.16% Arizona 8.5 153 39.84% View View

4:10 PM Boston 7.5 234 64.46% Miami 7.5 129 35.54% View View

CNOTES · Aug 12, 2015

MLB Regular Season League Standings - 2015

AMERICAN LEAGUE

AL EAST W L PCT GB HOME AWAY EAST CENT WEST NL MONEY OU

NY Yankees 61 50 .55 - 32-21 29-29 26-21 13-7 16-14 6-8 -1 55-52-4

Toronto 62 52 .544 0.5 37-21 25-31 26-21 15-13 12-12 9-6 413 52-54-8

Baltimore 57 55 .509 4.5 34-21 23-34 26-24 12-10 11-14 8-7 -102 47-58-7

Tampa Bay 57 56 .504 5.0 29-29 28-27 24-26 10-13 13-11 10-6 -174 49-55-9

Boston 50 63 .442 12.0 27-28 23-35 20-30 9-11 13-17 8-5 -1953 56-52-5

AL CENTRAL W L PCT GB HOME AWAY EAST CENT WEST NL MONEY OU

Kansas City 68 44 .607 - 39-18 29-26 10-10 32-18 15-10 11-6 2259 47-54-11

Minnesota 56 56 .5 12.0 35-22 21-34 13-10 24-24 11-10 8-12 1045 52-52-8

Detroit 54 59 .478 14.5 28-30 26-29 10-16 29-20 8-13 7-10 -698 61-47-5

Chi. White Sox 53 58 .477 14.5 28-26 25-32 12-14 20-31 13-4 8-9 -590 50-57-4

Cleveland 52 59 .468 15.5 23-33 29-26 9-9 17-29 16-14 10-7 -1906 54-56-1

AL WEST W L PCT GB HOME AWAY EAST CENT WEST NL MONEY OU

Houston 61 53 .535 - 38-18 23-35 14-13 9-14 28-23 10-3 346 52-57-5

LA Angels 59 53 .527 1.0 36-23 23-30 16-13 8-7 28-23 7-10 1 52-56-4

Texas 55 56 .495 4.5 23-29 32-27 16-9 12-11 18-28 9-8 1470 50-55-6

Seattle 53 61 .465 8.0 25-33 28-28 13-15 10-14 23-22 7-10 -1512 52-57-5

Oakland 51 63 .447 10.0 27-34 24-29 9-15 12-17 24-25 6-6 -2053 55-51-8

NATIONAL LEAGUE

NL EAST W L PCT GB HOME AWAY EAST CENT WEST AL MONEY OU

NY Mets 61 52 .54 - 40-18 21-34 30-17 9-17 16-12 6-6 875 53-54-6

Washington 58 54 .518 2.5 31-23 27-31 27-20 10-16 13-9 8-9 -770 59-49-4

Atlanta 51 62 .451 10.0 30-23 21-39 25-25 12-14 9-15 5-8 -209 56-50-7

Miami 45 68 .398 16.0 27-30 18-38 16-28 7-12 16-18 6-10 -2302 53-55-5

Philadelphia 45 69 .395 16.5 27-29 18-40 18-26 9-18 11-17 7-8 -552 60-44-10

NL CENTRAL W L PCT GB HOME AWAY EAST CENT WEST AL MONEY OU

St. Louis 72 40 .643 - 41-16 31-24 16-7 31-17 14-7 11-9 2402 40-67-5

Pittsburgh 65 45 .591 6.0 39-18 26-27 18-8 20-28 14-2 13-7 1184 49-50-11

Chi. Cubs 63 48 .568 8.5 32-24 31-24 16-10 27-22 14-9 6-7 628 45-58-8

Cincinnati 49 62 .441 22.5 28-26 21-36 16-12 22-26 5-13 6-11 -1329 51-54-6

Milwaukee 48 66 .421 25.0 24-36 24-30 11-10 19-26 10-20 8-10 -1711 54-53-7

NL WEST W L PCT GB HOME AWAY EAST CENT WEST AL MONEY OU

LA Dodgers 63 50 .558 - 38-19 25-31 18-13 8-13 29-20 8-4 -1081 56-52-5

San Francisco 60 52 .536 2.5 31-23 29-29 14-15 8-9 27-23 11-5 192 55-49-8

Arizona 56 56 .5 6.5 30-28 26-28 14-15 9-10 24-26 9-5 412 58-48-6

San Diego 54 60 .474 9.5 26-28 28-32 12-12 12-14 24-23 6-11 -809 63-47-4

Colorado 47 64 .423 15.0 25-29 22-35 13-10 14-11 17-29 3-14 -1063 58-49-4

CNOTES · Aug 12, 2015

WILD-CARD RACE

AMERICAN LEAGUE

TEAM W L PCT GB

Toronto 62 52 .544 -

L.A. Angels 59 53 .527 -

Baltimore (49) 57 55 .509 2

Tampa Bay (48) 57 56 .504 2½

Minnesota (48) 56 56 .500 3

Texas (48) 55 56 .495 3½

Detroit (45) 54 59 .478 5½

Chi. White Sox (46) 53 58 .477 5½

Cleveland (45) 52 59 .468 6½

Seattle (43) 53 61 .465 7

Oakland (41) 51 63 .447 9

Boston (41) 50 63 .442 9½

NATIONAL LEAGUE

TEAM W L PCT GB

Pittsburgh 65 45 .591 -

Chi. Cubs 63 48 .568 -

San Francisco (48) 60 52 .536 3½

Washington (46) 58 54 .518 5½

Arizona (44) 56 56 .500 7½

San Diego (40) 54 60 .474 10½

Atlanta (38) 51 62 .451 13

Cincinnati (38) 49 62 .441 14

Colorado (36) 47 64 .423 16

Milwaukee (34) 48 66 .421 16½

Miami (32) 45 68 .398 19

Philadelphia (31) 45 69 .395 19½

CNOTES · Aug 12, 2015

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

-- Steelers lost kicker Shaun Suisham for the season Sunday night; they added one yesterday, signing Garrett Hartley, who struggled in the Superdome with the Saints. .

-- 12 of 32 NFL head coaches have coached another NFL team.

-- Browns OT Joe Thomas revealed this week he has played thru three torn MCLs in his career-- those are torn knee ligaments. Football players are tough humans.

-- NFL Draft will be back in Chicago next April; it was a success there this year.

-- Florida State has tremendous losses on offense this year; they lost a QB who went 27-1 as a starter and four starters from the O-line, who started 164 games.

-- Texas Longhorns have not had an offensive lineman drafted since 2008.

**********

Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Random stuff on Hump Day.......

13) Get well soon to Flip Saunders of the Timberwolves, who is undergoing chemo for non-Hodgkins' Lymphoma, which he says is very treatable. We hope so.

I remember seeing his son play in an AAU tournament in Florida a few years ago; Saunders wasn't coaching, but at halftime, with the kids resting in a hallway away from the court, he was diagramming plays on a board for the kids and teaching them.

12) Rough year for John Farrell; not only do the Red Sox suck, on his off day in south Florida this week, he had hernia surgery. Ouch. Apparently he was at the game last night, as Boston's bullpen melted down again. Just a bad year. Get well soon.

11) Then there are the Jets; QB Geno Smith is out 6-10 weeks after a teammate, now an ex-teammate (they cut the guy) punched him because Smith wouldn't pay back a $600 debt. Things escalated, words became punches and now Ryan Fitzpatrick is the Jets' starting QB, which is an upgrade, in my opinion.

Two things crossed my mind after hearing this........
-- How long before the Patriots pick up the guy who punched Smith?
-- Baylor rookie Bryce Petty is not ready to play in the NFL, which is why it looks like Tyler Thigpen will be brought in to back up Fitzpatrick.

10) Washington Nationals are 35-24 when Denard Span bats leadoff this year, 23-30 when he does not and it doesn't look like he'll be back this season. Reading between the lines during a Washington TV broadcast, they're a sinking ship-- Bryce Harper is sitting out games with a sore knee in August? A definite red flag. .

9) Golf is an Olympic sport next August and it is screwing with the PGA Tour's schedule for 2016. British Open and PGA will sandwich the Canadian Open next July, and the tournament in Akron that is being played this week will be the same week as the French Open next year, meaning none of the European players will be there.

8) BYU is an independent in football, for some goofy reason; their schedule opens with these four games:

at Nebraska, Boise State at home, at UCLA, at Michigan. Yikes. They probably do not lose a game after those four, but still, thats a rough September.

7) This is state of Purdue's football team: They're a 7-point underdog at Marshall in their season opener. Big 14 teams shouldn't be a TD underdog to the Thundering Herd.

6) Weird college football game Labor Day weekend: New Hampshire goes to San Jose to lose (and collect a check) from San Jose State, hardly a national power. It can not be easy to get to San Jose from the Granite State, which reminds me, why the hell did Chip Kelly stay at New Hampshire as an assistant coach for fifteen years????

5) Mets are now 45-7 when thy score 4+ runs, 16-45 when they do not.

4) Weird moment on Diamondback TV Monday, during a bad game Arizona was winning by a lot; the play-by-play guy wishes former D'back manager Al Pedrique a happy 55th birthday- Pedrique was the interim manager in 2004, after Arizona had fired Bob Brenly, who is now the analyst on Arizona TV broadcasts.

Brenly seemed genuinely surprised Pedrique was mentioned, then seemed annoyed by it all, telling a couple stories about that season, but because he is a good-natured guy, he wound up laughing it off, saying he got paid to stay home and barbecue for half of that season. Still, it was at least a little awkward in that booth for a few minutes.

3) Milwaukee shoved GM Doug Melvin out the door Tuesday, which is what will happen when your team is awful and everyone else gets fired-- you're next.

2) One last note about Geno Smith: he is on a 4-year contract that pays $5,019,063; he is supposedly the leader of the team. Stiffing a teammate out of $600 stinks. If I was the owner of the Jets, I'd cut both guys-- who wants a QB who aggravates a teammate so much he slugs him? Quarterbacks are supposed to be leaders, not instigators.

1) Why didn't I think of this? Philly Eagles fans are asking the Pope to bless Sam Bradford's knees before the NFL season starts. Good luck with that one.

CNOTES · Aug 12, 2015

Preview: Shock (10-13) at Sun (11-10)

Date: August 12, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

Riquna Williams continues cementing herself as one of the most feared scorers in the WNBA.

That's about all that's going well for the Tulsa Shock.

Tulsa looks to avoid losing 10 straight games for the first time in four years when it visits the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday night.

Williams began the season coming off the bench as starting guard Skylar Diggins shined during the Shock's 8-1 start. She averaged 12.8 points during that run before being thrust into the starting lineup after Diggins tore her ACL on June 28.

The fourth-year guard is averaging 18.0 points in 14 games as a starter after matching a season high with 35 in Sunday's 98-90 loss to Atlanta, her third 30-point effort over her last nine.

Those outbursts shouldn't be all that surprising. Williams, whose average of 16.0 points on the season would be a career best, scored a WNBA-record 51 points against San Antonio in 2013.

The Shock (10-13) haven't been able to rally around Williams. Each of her 30-point performances has coming during a losing streak that is the third longest since the franchise moved from Detroit for the 2010 season.

Tulsa hasn't dropped 10 straight since a WNBA-record 20-game skid in 2011. Coach Fred Williams changed his starting lineup Sunday, inserting rookie Brianna Kiesel in place of Odyssey Sims, who had seven points in 24 minutes off the bench.

Kiesel finished with seven points in 16 minutes. Karima Christmas joined Williams in double figures with 18, but the Shock tied their season worst for points allowed.

Despite not having won since beating Los Angeles on July 11 at home, Tulsa still sits in third place and in playoff position in the Western Conference. It's unclear if Williams will keep the same starting five against the Sun (11-10), who are fifth in a tight East race.

Connecticut had a two-game winning streak snapped with Sunday's 84-73 loss at Washington. Alex Bentley had a career-high 31 points in Friday's win over the Mystics, but she missed all three of her field-goal attempts and finished with two in the rematch.

The Sun shot just 34.4 percent. Leading scorer Kelsey Bone (15.0 points per game) shot 5 of 15 from the floor but hit 9 of 10 from the free-throw line and finished with 19.

Connecticut is seeking a fourth straight home win while looking to deal Tulsa a fifth straight road loss. The Sun won the last meeting 78-76 on the road July 5, 2014, on a layup with 5.8 seconds remaining.