Saturday 8/29/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mariners (60-69) at White Sox (60-67)

Game: 3
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: August 29, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Jeff Samardzija is on his way to finishing with his worst ERA since becoming a full-time starter three years ago, and the free-agent-to-be can look back at an especially brutal August if that ends up being the case.

The month had been going extremely well for Hisashi Iwakuma until his latest outing.

Iwakuma looks to help the visiting Seattle Mariners win for the fourth time in five tries as he faces the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.

Samardzija (8-10, 4.75 ERA) hasn't finished with an ERA worse than his 4.34 mark in 2012 after the Chicago Cubs made him a regular piece of their starting rotation. That's in jeopardy after he began August by losing his first five starts with a 9.00 ERA.

He allowed at least five runs for the fourth time in that stretch in Monday's 5-4 loss to Boston. Samardzija has lost his last four starts at U.S. Cellular Field with a 9.26 ERA.

'It's been frustrating,' Samardzija said. 'The last few times out when I've given up runs we've scored runs, and when (I) don't (give up many runs), we don't (score). That sums it up.'

The right-hander's only good start this month was when he went seven innings of a 1-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 19. The White Sox (60-67) were shut out for the second time in three games Friday, falling 2-0 to the Mariners (60-69).

Melky Cabrera had two hits to improve to 7 for 16 over his last four, and Alexei Ramirez had the other two for Chicago.

'We didn't muster any offense,' manager Robin Ventura said. 'You have to be able to put something on the board."

Ramirez is 1 for 11 lifetime off Iwakuma (5-3, 4.29), who looks to shake off a rough outing.

Iwakuma went 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA in his first four starts this month, including a no-hitter against Baltimore on Aug. 12. He struggled Monday, though, giving up a career high-tying seven runs in an 11-5 loss to Oakland.

The right-hander cruised through the first four innings and recorded two outs in the fifth, then allowed each run before being removed.

Iwakuma has been solid against the White Sox, going 1-0 with a 1.61 ERA in three starts and two relief efforts. He went seven innings of a 4-1 win the last time he faced Chicago on Aug. 8, 2014.

Seattle has scored two runs in each of the first two of this four-game set, all on homers. Franklin Gutierrez hit a two-run shot in Thursday's 4-2 loss before he and Kyle Seager each homered Friday.

Seager had three hits after going 2 for 28 over his previous seven. Nelson Cruz went 0 for 5, ending his career-high 37-game streak of reaching base as the Mariners stranded 10 runners.

'We were lucky to win,' manager Lloyd McClendon said.

Robinson Cano is 3 for 4 with two doubles off Samardzija, and Logan Morrison hit his second career homer in their matchups the last time Samardzija faced the Mariners in a 3-2 loss while with Oakland on July 11, 2014.

The Mariners haven't won back-to-back road games against the White Sox since 2007.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (65-63) at Indians (61-66)

Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: August 29, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Struggling to keep up in the playoff race, the Los Angeles Angels are looking to begin a reversal with another win against Corey Kluber.

Doing it away from home, however, could prove to be considerably more difficult.

The Angels attempt to solve their road issues Saturday night against the Cleveland Indians.

Los Angeles (65-63) has lost six of eight to fall 1 1/2 games behind Texas for the second wild-card spot. The Angels' futility away from Anaheim has been a major problem, as they've dropped 14 of 17 such games following a 3-1 loss to open the three-game series Friday.

Stopping that trend should be a challenge against Kluber (8-13, 3.43 ERA), who is 0-2 while allowing nine runs and 18 hits in 10 1-3 innings in two starts - both on the road - against Los Angeles. The right-hander was staked to a three-run lead before taking the mound against the Angels on Aug. 3, but gave up five runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings of a 5-4 defeat.

Kluber, though, has allowed one run in three of his last four starts - two of them complete-game wins. Plus, his last two home outings were complete-game victories and he's gone 3-2 with a 2.27 ERA in his last five at Progressive Field.

He was terrific away from Cleveland on Monday, carrying a perfect game into the sixth inning before yielding one run and leaving after 7 2-3 in a 2-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs. He didn't get the decision.

"There was absolutely zero wiggle room, and he just went toe to toe and pitched about as good as you can," manager Terry Francona told MLB's official website. "He executed pitches all day."

The Indians' Garrett Richards (12-10, 3.80) will try for the second time to match his career high in wins, set last year. The right-hander was pounded for nine runs and 10 hits - two homers - in five-plus innings of a 12-5 loss to Toronto on Sunday.

He had completed at least six innings in his seven previous outings and his 154 lead the team. That total is 14 2-3 shy of his career high from last season, which ended after 26 starts due to left knee surgery.

"I haven't really had any time off, but I'm doing my best to maintain what I have now and try to hopefully have that last bit to get through the end," Richards said. "This offseason will obviously be nice to be able to relax a little bit, but we're right in the middle of it. You don't play this whole season to not make the playoffs."

Richards allowed four runs with 11 strikeouts in 7 1-3 innings opposite Kluber in his only career meeting with the Indians on Aug. 3.

Mike Trout is hitting .200 over 13 games after going 0 for 2 with two walks Friday. He's 1 for 13 in four matchups with Cleveland this year, going 1 for 3 against Kluber.

Trout hasn't homered in 20 games, the longest drought of his career.

The Indians' Jason Kipnis, the league leader with a .324 average, has gone 6 for 13 with one homer, three doubles and six RBIs in the past three games. His RBI single capped a three-run seventh Friday.

He's batted .189 in 25 meetings with the Angels. Kipnis has never faced Richards.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (70-57) at Braves (54-74)

Game: 2
Venue: Turner Field
Date: August 29, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Luis Severino's four solid starts to begin his major league career have confirmed what the New York Yankees saw from their top pitching prospect prior to the season.

How many more he'll get down the stretch - and possibly into the playoffs - remains to be seen.

The Yankees hope to provide Severino with plenty of support after snapping their offensive slump in the series opener when they face the host Atlanta Braves on Saturday night.

Manager Joe Girardi was impressed with Severino (1-2, 2.74 ERA) in spring training, and the 21-year-old got his chance to pitch in the majors when Michael Pineda went on the disabled list in late July.

Severino picked up his win last Saturday after allowing one run in six innings against Cleveland. The Yankees lost the right-hander's first three starts after he made his debut Aug. 5, providing him two runs of support over 17 innings.

"For the first time, I feel like I belong here," Severino said.

It's unclear how long Severino will stay in the majors, though. Pineda was activated from the DL and pitched Wednesday, and Girardi hasn't decided if Severino will remain with the Yankees for the rest of the season and potentially into the postseason.

'I think that's a little early to put that type of pressure on him,' Girardi said. 'But I will say everything we've seen from him we like. I think he will even get better.'

The Yankees (70-57) are atop the wild-card standings and remained 1 1/2 games back of Toronto for the AL East lead after crushing Atlanta 15-4 on Friday. They had lost five of their previous seven and scored four times over their previous three.

'You play so many games in a long season, everybody goes through slumps," said Brian McCann, who hit a two-run homer in his first game in Atlanta since signing with the Yankees prior to last season after nine years with the Braves. "Over the long haul, I really like this lineup.'

Didi Gregorius also hit a two-run homer among his four hits and drove in six runs, and Chris Young added a solo shot. The Yankees did all their damage without Mark Teixeira, who sat out with a bruised right shin, and Alex Rodriguez.

The Yankees started eight position players who either bat lefty or are switch hitters, something that could be trouble for Matt Wisler should they do so again.

Lefties are hitting .357 with nine homers off Wisler (5-4, 5.43) compared to .265 with 29 of Wisler's 41 strikeouts for righties. The right-hander is coming off his toughest of 12 outings since making his major league debut June 19, as he allowed seven runs and four homers over 2 2-3 innings of Sunday's 9-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

Wisler is 0-3 with a 9.13 ERA and 2.07 WHIP in August.

'The ball is getting up a little bit instead of working down,' Wisler said. "I have to figure out how to pitch to lefties up here.'

The Braves (54-74) have dropped three straight and 14 of 17. Freddie Freeman hit a solo homer and was the only Brave to finish with two hits Friday.

Williams Perez gave up eight runs in 1 2-3 innings, increasing Atlanta's rotation ERA over the last eight games to 8.77.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics (55-74) at Diamondbacks (63-65)

Game: 2
Venue: Chase Field
Date: August 29, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Within striking distance less than a week ago, the Arizona Diamondbacks are hoping to climb back into the NL West race now that their offense is back on track.

After beating the AL's ERA leader, the Diamondbacks face a less intimidating challenge as they try to wrap up their fourth home series win in five tries Saturday night against the Oakland Athletics.

Arizona (63-65) moved within five games of the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday after batting .297 with 16 home runs while averaging 6.1 runs during a 9-5 stretch.

The Diamondbacks, however, fell 8 1/2 back after totaling eight runs while getting swept in a four-game home series against a St. Louis team that has the best ERA in the majors.

They then managed just two hits through the first five innings Friday against Oakland ace Sonny Gray before breaking through with two runs in the sixth and four in the seventh of a 6-4 win.

"He's got nasty stuff," manager Chip Hale told MLB's official website. "The ball was moving all over the place. Guys were scratching their heads how we were going to get to him."

David Peralta and Aaron Hill delivered RBI doubles, A.J. Pollock added a run-scoring single and Paul Goldschmidt hit a two-run home run as Arizona snapped a five-game home losing streak that was its longest since an eight-game skid from April 2-16, 2014.

Peralta is batting .564 with 12 RBIs over a 12-game home hitting streak, while Goldschmidt is hitting .429 with two homers, four doubles and eight RBIs in his last nine at Chase Field.

The Diamondbacks, who failed to gain ground after the Dodgers' win, will try to keep swinging the bats well against Aaron Brooks (1-1, 6.20 ERA). The right-hander was called up to give Felix Doubront an extra few days of rest after he was hit on the foot with a line drive in Monday's 11-5 win at Seattle.

Brooks is in his second stint with the A's (55-74) after he was acquired from Kansas City in the Ben Zobrist trade. He went 1-0 with a 1.26 ERA in his first two starts before getting removed from the rotation when he allowed eight runs over 1 2-3 innings in a 10-3 loss at Toronto on Aug. 12.

He may have to be cautious with Welington Castillo, who had a double and a sacrifice fly Friday. The catcher has three home runs and eight RBIs over his last eight home games.

Once a top prospect with Colorado, Jhoulys Chacin (0-1, 2.84) hopes to make the most of another shot in the big leagues after Jeremy Hellickson suffered a hamstring injury. He allowed two earned runs over 6 1-3 innings in Monday's 5-3 loss to St. Louis in his first start since June 28, 2014.

The right-hander will get his first look at an Oakland team that went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and had just five hits over the first eight innings Friday.

Brett Lawrie hit his second home run in as many days - an estimated 470-foot shot in the ninth - and is batting .452 with three homers and seven RBIs in his last eight games.

"His month's been phenomenal," manager Bob Melvin said. "That's hit a long way. You don't see too many balls hit that far in this park. It gives us a fighting chance."

The A's have dropped six straight at Arizona dating to June 2008.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB notebook: Mariners fire GM Zduriencik
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

General manager Jack Zduriencik was fired by the Seattle Mariners on Friday in the midst of a disappointing 59-69 season for a team many experts pegged as a contender entering the year.

Jeff Kingston, who has been the Mariners' assistant general manager since 2009, will handle the GM responsibilities for the remainder of the 2015 regular season.

"We have reached the point when change of leadership of our baseball operations is needed for the Seattle Mariners to reach our goal of winning championships," Mariners president and chief operating officer Kevin Mather said in a statement. "We are very disappointed with the results this season, and are not satisfied with the current operation. The search for a permanent general manager will begin immediately, and while there is no deadline, we expect to have a new GM in place as soon as practical."

Seattle has "quietly" reached out to potential candidates including former Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd, according to FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal.

Zduriencik, 64, was in his seventh season as head of the Mariners' baseball operations after being named to the position on Oct. 22, 2008. Prior to joining the Mariners, the 32-year veteran of Major League Baseball spent nine seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers' organization, including the final year there as vice president/special assistant to the general manager for player personnel.

The Mariners have not reached the postseason since 2001 and entered this season with only the 24th highest payroll in baseball according to CBSSports.com. But expectations were high with the signing of outfielder Nelson Cruz following an 87-75 record in 2014 that saw the Mariners vying for a playoff spot to the final day of the regular season.

---The Mariners later demoted catcher Mike Zunino to Triple-A Tacoma and recalled catcher John Hicks.

Zunino, the third overall pick in the 2012 draft out of the University of Florida, was rushed to the majors by June of 2013. While he has emerged as one of the top defensive catchers in the game, Zunino is batting just .174 with 11 home runs and 28 RBIs this season and has a career average of .193 in 1,055 at-bats.

Hicks, who turns 26 on Monday, will be making his major league debut as he joined the Mariners in Chicago on Friday night against the White Sox. He was hitting .245 with six home runs and 35 RBIs in 83 games at Tacoma.

---Washington Nationals center fielder Denard Span went back on the 15-day disabled list and likely won't return this season.

The 31-year-old Span is to have surgery on his left hip Tuesday, MLB.com reported.

The hip started bothering Span about two months ago after he received a cortisone shot for his ailing back and was placed on the DL. He had just returned Tuesday from the DL and played in two games, going 2-for-9 with a run scored. But the inflammation flared up again and he was put on the shelf in a move retroactive to Thursday.

The Nationals recalled outfielder Matt den Dekker from Triple-A Syracuse to replace Span on the roster. Den Dekker has batted .184 (9-for-49) in 26 games covering four separate stints with the Nationals this year.

---The New York Yankees reinstated right-hander Bryan Mitchell from the seven-day concussion disabled list.

Mitchell has not played since Aug. 17 after being hit in the face by a line drive, which caused a nasal fracture and concussion. He spent part of his rehab in Tampa, Fla., at the Yankees' minor league complex. He is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in 10 games and 21 innings this season.

The Yankees also outrighted left-hander Chris Capuano to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

---The St. Louis Cardinals placed right-handed reliever Trevor Rosenthal on the paternity leave list and recalled right-hander Sam Tuivailala from Triple-A Memphis.

Rosenthal, who earned his 41st save in Thursday night's 5-3 win at Arizona, is tied for the National League lead in saves and is ranked third among relievers with his 1.52 ERA.

Rosenthal, 25, and his wife, Lindsey, are expecting their second child, joining daughter Chloe.

Tuivailala, 22, will be joining the major league club for the fourth time this season. In 10 prior games with St. Louis, he was 0-1 with a 1.80 ERA.

---The Cardinals hired former major league pitcher Randy Flores as the team's director of scouting.

General manager John Mozeliak announced that Flores, who was on the Cardinals' 2006 World Series championship team, will begin his new job Tuesday.

Flores, 40, has been involved in coaching, scouting, private business and broadcasting since his playing career ended. The left-handed Flores spent eight seasons in the majors with Texas (2002), Colorado (2002, 2009-10), St. Louis (2004-08) and Minnesota (2010).

Flores fills the role last held by Chris Correa, who oversaw the 2015 draft but was dismissed soon after for his alleged role in the hacking of the Houston Astros' database that prompted an ongoing investigation by the federal government. The Cardinals' internal investigation also continues into the allegations that members of the front office illegally accessed the Astros' information.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dodgers place OF Puig on 15-day DL
The Sports Xchange

The Los Angeles Dodgers placed outfielder Yasiel Puig on the 15-day disabled list Friday and recalled infielder Jose Peraza from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Puig has been out with a right hamstring strain since Aug. 19. Manager Don Mattingly had said the strain was "very mild" and Puig was not expected to go on the disabled list.

This is his second DL stint this season; he was out from April 26 to June 6 with a left hamstring strain.

Puig is hitting .256 with 11 home runs and 38 RBIs this season.

Peraza, 21, has hit .293 with 33 stolen bases, four homers and 42 RBIs at the Triple-A level this season. That includes a .289 average with one homer and five RBIs in 22 games with the Oklahoma City Dodgers.

Peraza was acquired from the Atlanta Braves in an eight-player trade on July 30. He made his major-league debut on Aug. 10 and played in two games with the Dodgers before being sent back to Oklahoma City.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Red Sox shut down RHP Buchholz for season
The Sports Xchange

Boston Red Sox right-hander Clay Buchholz will not pitch again this season, according to team president Dave Dombrowski.

Dombrowski spent 25 minutes before batting practice speaking to reporters in the visitor's dugout Friday, confirming the earlier report.

Buchholz has been on the disabled list since July 11 because of a strained flexor muscle in his right forearm.

In late July, he received a platelet-rich plasma injection in the elbow.

At the time, manager John Farrell said, "There's going to be a little bit of a shutdown time now as a result, which is consistent with a PRP injection. The total time with that is yet to be determined."

The Red Sox had planned to evaluate him next week, but interim manager Torey Lovullo said this week "it might be a challenge" to get Buchholz back on the mound before the end of the season.

The Red Sox hold a $13 million option on Buchholz for 2016.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Saturday, August 29, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

If you follow these stories daily, you know I am pretty much obligated to touch on a pitcher's first start after a no-hitter. And to remind you that just one pitcher in big-league history, Cincinnati's Johnny Vander Meer in 1938, ever had consecutive no-hitters. Houston's Mike Fiers no-hit the Dodgers last Friday, striking out 10 and walking three. It was the fifth no-no in the majors this season, along with Seattle's Hisashi Iwakuma, Philadelphia's Cole Hamels, San Francisco's Chris Heston and Washington's Max Scherzer. Detroit's Justin Verlander took a no-no into the ninth on Wednesday vs. the Angels but lost it. Houston nearly got no-hit itself the night before Fiers' start getting just a fifth-inning single against Rays ace Chris Archer. Let's just say I don't expect Fiers to join Vander Meer in the record books.


Astros at Twins (+135, 8.5)

How unusual was Fiers' no-hitter? He had never even had a complete game before; he had only gone eight innings twice. Fiers threw 134 pitches, 21 more than his previous high. That's why he hasn't pitched in a week. It was Houston's first no-hitter since 2003 (that was a combined one at Yankee Stadium) and the 11th in franchise history. Only the Dodgers with 12 have more since Houston's inaugural 1962 season. Fiers (6-9, 3.63) is 0-1 with a 2.38 ERA in two starts against Minnesota this season. Eduardo Escobar is 2-for-3 with a triple and two RBIs off him. Minnesota's Mike Pelfrey (6-7, 3.69) lasted only 4.2 innings last time out in Baltimore, allowing nine hits and three runs. Houston's Jose Altuve is 0-for-2 off him. Jason Castro is 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.

Key trends: Houston is 2-10 in its past 12 on Saturday. The Twins are 1-4 in Pelfrey's past five vs. teams with a winning record. The "over/under" is 4-0 in Pelfrey's past four with five days of rest.

Early lean: I think all those pitches will take something out of Fiers, even with extra rest. Twins and over.


Tigers at Blue Jays (-251, 9.5)

This is the earliest-starting game on the schedule (1:07 p.m. ET) and will have live betting at sportsbooks with it being shown on the MLB Network. In recent years, you would see a lot of Tigers fans in Toronto because it's so close, but the Jays are playing to near capacity now, so that shouldn't be much the case. Detroit goes with Buck Farmer (0-2, 7.80). He comes off his best outing of the season, going 5.1 innings and allowing three runs in Cincinnati. Farmer took a shutout into the sixth but quickly gave up two homers. Toronto Opening Day starter Drew Hutchison (12-2, 5.06) will be recalled from the minors for this one. He only had one start down there as the Blue Jays didn't need a No. 5 starter for a bit. Toronto has won his past six starts. But in Detroit on July 3, he was rocked for seven runs and 10 hits in 4.2 innings. Red-hot Miguel Cabrera is 2-for-5 with an RBI off him. Victor Martinez is 4-for-6.

Key trends: The Jays are 5-1 in Hutchinson's past six vs. teams with a losing record. The over is 6-0 in Farmer's past six. The over is 5-0 in Hutchinson's past five vs. the AL Central.

Early lean: Jays and over. I'd probably take Detroit at +100 on runline, though.


Orioles at Rangers (-110, 9)

Keep an eye on the status of Orioles All-Star outfielder Adam Jones here. The team is fortunate he didn't suffer any broken bones in his wrist when Jones crashed into the outfield wall on Thursday. He also is experiencing minor whiplash. But X-rays were negative, and he doesn't have a concussion. Still, you'd think he would need at least a few days off. That would be just fine with Rangers lefty starter Martin Perez (1-3, 5.30). He is 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA in his last four starts. Perez hasn't faced the Orioles this season. Baltimore counters with Ubaldo Jimenez (9-8, 4.26). He is really starting to slip. Last time out, Jimenez was pelted for seven runs and 10 hits over 5.2 innings in Kansas City. The Rangers' Adrian Beltre is 9-for-23 with three doubles and two homers off him. Mike Napoli is 4-for-13 with two dingers.

Key trends: The Orioles are 1-6 in Jimenez's past seven road starts vs. teams with a winning record. Texas is 12-2 in Perez's past 14 vs. teams with a losing record. The over is 8-2 in Perez's past 10 against clubs with a losing record.

Early lean: Rangers and over.


Red Sox at Mets (-190, 7)

This also will have live betting at sportsbooks with it nationally televised on Fox Sports 1. New York's Jacob deGrom had been perhaps the NL's best pitcher since the All-Star break, but the wheels fell off last time out as he allowed seven runs and eight hits -- three homers -- at the Phillies. But his offense bailed him out of a loss. DeGrom hasn't lost since July 2. He has never faced the Red Sox. Hanley Ramirez is 1-for-2 with a homer off him. The Sox will lose the DH in this one. Boston goes with Joe Kelly (7-6, 5.18), who makes his first career start at Citi Field. Kelly was awful most of the season but has been good in his past four, all Red Sox wins, allowing a total of five earned runs. The Mets' Daniel Murphy is 2-for-3 off him. Michael Cuddyer is 2-for-4.

Key trends: The Sox are 0-5 in Kelly's past five against teams with a winning record. The Mets are 4-0 in deGrom's past four against teams with a losing record. The over is 6-1 in deGrom's past seven against teams with a losing record.

Early lean: Mets and under.


Cubs at Dodgers (+115, 7)

You will not see Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig in this game or probably for quite a while. Puig missed five weeks earlier this season with a strained left hamstring. He tweaked his right hamstring last week and then re-injured it Thursday beating out an infield single. A shame because Puig was finally starting to hit, batting .317 with three homers and nine RBIs over his past 11 games. That's one less concern for Cubs lefty Jon Lester (8-9, 3.44). He dominated the Indians last time out, coming within one out of his first NL complete game. Carl Crawford is 9-for-34 with two RBIs and nine strikeouts career off Lester. The Dodgers' Mat Latos (4-9, 4.81) had been dropped from the rotation for two weeks because he had been struggling since coming over from Cincinnati. He returns here. Latos pitched at the Cubs on July 5 while with the Reds and allowed just one hit over seven innings. Starlin Castro is 8-for-33 off him. Anthony Rizzo just 2-for-15.

Key trends: The Cubs are 4-1 in Lester's past five. The under is 7-1 in his past eight vs. teams with a winning record.

Early lean: Cubs and under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Saturday's six-pack

-- Dodger fans got the good news last night; Vin Scully is coming back next for his 67th season behind the mike; he's an American institution.

-- Illinois fired football coach Tim Beckman a week before the season started; he was 12-25 in three years. Lawsuits will follow; Beckman still wants to get paid.

-- Thru Thursday, 694 entrants already signed up for the Westgate Superbook NFL handicapping contest; they're expecting over 1,000 contestants.

-- 13,622 fans for Royals-Rays last night; Friday nite high school football started.

-- Former UCLA/St John's hoop coach Steve Lavin signed on with FOX Sports 1, not ESPN. Lavin would've been an excellent addition for ESPN.

-- Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans ten years ago today; doesn't seem possible.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dave Cokin

Bonus Play Saturday

STEELERS @ BILLS 4:00 PM

Take: STEELERS +2.5 and UNDER 42.5

This is generally “dress rehearsal” week in the NFL pre-season, with starters playing most of the first half and occasionally into the third quarter. That will be the case for the majority of teams in action today, but the Buffalo Bills will evidently be an exception to that rule.

The Bills have cluster injuries at the skill positions on offense. Buffalo will reportedly be sitting all of the following: RB’s LeSean McCoy, Boobie Dixon and Bryce Brown, as well as WR’s Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, Percy Harvin and Chris Hogan. Head coach Rex Ryan is also starting EJ Manuel at QB. One never knows what Ryan has up his sleeve and he’s not saying, but all indications have been that Manuel is not a contender for the QB1 spot in Buffalo.

Perhaps that changes with a stellar showing by Manuel tonight. But the consensus seems to be that the Bills are going to go with what amounts to a vanilla game plan on offense tonight. In other words, it’s at least a possibility Ryan has decided that, in light of so many of the team’s top skill position guys not even dressing, he’s better off going with a backup under center as well.

Based on that information, I think an edge has to be accorded to the Steelers tonight as far as the game is concerned. I also think this leads to a worthwhile shot on the Total as well. If the Bills are going to run a simplified offense, that’s one thing. But Ryan figures to have the starters on defense logging plenty of plays here and that Buffalo stop unit will be facing a Pittsburgh offense that now has to live life without Maurkice Pouncey, who is expected to miss at least the first ten games of the season thanks to a broken fibula. The Buffalo defense looked very strong last week and they should be up for a good test against Big Ben and company tonight.

I’ll split one unit here, tabbing the Steelers minus the points against the patchwork Buffalo offense and I’ll also fire a half unit on this game to stay Under the number.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Jim Feist

Jim Feist's Bonus Play for Saturday, August 29 9:10 PM EST

(961) CHICAGO CUBS VS (962) LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Take: UNDER THE TOTAL

Reason: Your Bonus Play Saturday, August 29th 2015 is in the MLB contest between the Cubs and the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Dodger stadium is a huge park, great for pitchers, and a shaky Chicago offense is in town, 16th in baseball in runs scored. They have a an ace on the mound in Jon Lester (3.44 ERA), with the team 10-3-1 under the total when he starts. Lester struck out six and walked one while holding the Indians to one run on six hits over 8.2 innings in a no-decision Monday. The Under is 8-0-1 in Lester's last 9 starts with 4 days of rest. The Dodgers are on a 6-1 run under the total and go with veteran Mat Latos, with a 1.29 ERA against the Cubs this season. When these teams clash the under is 13-6-3 in the last 22 meetings in Los Angeles. Play the Cubs/Dodgers Under the total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Arthur Ralph Sports

Bonus Play Sat SF 49 ers + 5 1/2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Doc's Sports

Philadelphia Eagles vs Green Bay Packers

Bonus Play from Doc’s Sports. #272 Take Under in Philadelphia @ Green Bay (Saturday 8 pm)

This may be the highest total every posted in preseason action and we will bite on it with the under. Both teams should have gone under the posted total last week were it not for a late barrage of scoring. I do not expect that to happen tonight, as the first string defenses will play the entire first half in this contest. I really do not like any of the quarterbacks in this game with the exception of Aaron Rogers and Green Bay will have to play conservative with him after suffering major injuries last week in Pittsburgh. Take the under in this game and watch your money grow.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

ASA

Minnesota Vikings vs Dallas Cowboys

ASA Bonus Play Dallas -1 over Minnesota, Saturday at 7:00 PM ET

Game 3 of the pre-season is always the “dress rehearsal” for the regular season. The starters usually play close to a full 3 quarters before playing very little if at all in the final game of the pre-season. The Cowboys have looked putrid in their first 2 games scoring a total of 13 points. On the flip side, Minnesota is a perfect 3-0 however two of those wins have come against Tampa & Oakland, two of the worst teams in the NFL last season. That sets this one up very nicely for Dallas. The Cowboys have shown no urgency to win either of their first two games. Tony Romo has thrown a total of ONE pass in the pre-season so expect him to get lots of work Saturday. Dallas head man Jason Garrett was very upset with their most recent performance and made that clear after the game. Romo also chimed in and stated, “If this team is going to improve it needs to understand that next week (vs Minnesota) is very important.” I think we can expect Dallas to play much better in their home opener on Saturday. Because of the polar opposite performances so far in the pre-season, we are now getting Dallas at less than a FG at home. With the starters on each side playing well into the 2nd half, Dallas is the better team. They were a Dez Bryant “over turn” catch call from playing Seattle in the NFC Championship game. We realize that Minnesota has not lost a pre-season game under Mike Zimmer (7-0), however this game has now become very important for the Cowboys and they will do everything they can to win this game. We’ll grab them at a low number.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Ari Atari

Watford vs Manchester City

Bonus Play Manchester City

Manchester City look every bit the champions elect so far after a very assured start to the season. Aguero is firing, Yaya Toures attitude looks very refreshed and his verve is back, Silva and new signing Sterling look dangerous every time they get the ball. City look very good.

Newly promoted Watford have had a steady if not spectacular start to life in the league. Three draws from three games suggests they aren't totally out of place in the top flight, but City will almost certainly inflict the first taste of defeat on them.City's form towards the end of last season was disappointing. They knew they had lost the title they had won the previous year, and this reflected in the performances of star players towards the end of the season. They look determined to correct that this year and Watford may find themselves on the wrong side of a big score line this weekend. Man City wins by more than 2 goals.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Andre Ramirez

Minnesota Vikings vs Dallas Cowboys

ANDRE RAMIREZ NFL TOTALS FREE 50 DIMES GAME

TODAY'S FREE WINNER: COWBOYS/VIKINGS 43 UNDER

The Vikings defense has been looking money this year. The Vikings have only allowed 31 points overall in 3 games this year. Today they will face the struggling Cowboys, who have only scored 13 points this year. The Cowboys defense is tough, and is rated #1 currently. This total is way overvalued, especially when you can read between the lines.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Scott Spreitzer

Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills 4:00PM

Bonus Play Buffalo Bills

I'm recommending a play on the Buffalo Bills on Saturday afternoon. Buffalo has one of the situations we look for in preseason play -- a race for the top QB spot. While this is dress rehearsal week for most teams, Buffalo has a little added incentive for a few of its players, including QB E.J. Manuel. The former Florida State signal caller watched Tyrod Taylor and Matt Cassel start the last two weeks and now he looks to make the most of his start. HC Rex Ryan says he won't be making a decision on who his regular season starter will be until next week -- so not only does Manuel get a chance to shine starting this week's contest, but I highly doubt his two "backups" will let-up when they get their shots behind center later in the contest. Manuel isn't being given much of a chance by most "experts" to land the regular season starting role even with tonight's shot, which may prove to make that chip on his shoulder a little bit bigger. Buffalo will be without a few targets in all likelihood in this one, but Manuel and the others will still be given a chance to deliver through the air. Pittsburgh enters a little sluggish in the ground game and that plays into another situation we look for in preseason play. You're 23-5 ATS going against road teams averaging no more than 70 yards per game on the ground in preseason play. That's the icing on the cake. Obviously, the key to this one is the QB play from three Buffalo signal callers. I'm recommending a play on the Buffalo Bills minus the points. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

GAMBLERS DATA

Cubs -109

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

BIG AL

Our complimentary selection for Saturday, August 29 is:

NY Yankees (Severino) over Atlanta Braves (Wisler).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

WNBA
Dunkel

Saturday, August 29


New York @ Connecticut

Game 601-602
August 29, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
New York
105.934
Connecticut
107.245
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Connecticut
by 1 1/2
144
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
New York
by 6
148
Dunkel Pick:
Connecticut
(+6); Under

Chicago @ Atlanta

Game 603-604
August 29, 2015 @ 7:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago
111.543
Atlanta
115.901
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 4 1/2
162
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago
by 3
165
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+3); Under