Thursday 9/10/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mets (78-61) at Braves (56-84)

Game: 1
Venue: Turner Field
Date: September 10, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

While the NL East-leading New York Mets are constantly under pressure to explain their decision to limit Matt Harvey's innings ahead of the postseason, Bartolo Colon is making a strong case for a spot in the playoff rotation.

Colon looks to extend the longest shutout streak of his career as the Mets try to continue their hot stretch on the road against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night.

New York (78-61) has built a season-high seven-game lead on Washington in the division. That sizable advantage should help reduce the pressure on the club after it decided to limit Harvey to 180 to 185 innings during the regular season.

There's no such concern for Colon (13-11, 4.18 ERA), whose 170 innings rank second on the team to Harvey's 171 2-3.

Colon has also been outstanding of late, going 3-0 and tossing 25 consecutive scoreless innings over his last four games - three starts. He went 1-4 with a 6.08 ERA in his previous seven starts.

The 42-year-old right-hander became the oldest Mets pitcher to throw a shutout Saturday, allowing nine hits in a 7-0 win at Miami.

"I've been working hard in the bullpen with the pitching coach, mainly on my secondary pitches, and that's made by fastball better," said Colon through a translator.

He could eventually land a spot in New York's postseason rotation after he was seemingly headed for a role in the bullpen.

Colon is 7-2 with a 2.53 ERA in nine career starts against the Braves (56-84), winning all four in Atlanta with a 1.29 ERA. He's won all three matchups overall this year behind a 3.79 ERA.

The Mets, though, are 1-5 at Turner Field this season after getting swept in a three-game series from June 19-21.

They enter this four-game set as winners of 11 of 13 on the road after completing a huge three-game sweep of the Nationals with Wednesday's 5-3 victory, their third consecutive comeback win in the series.

Yoenis Cespedes continued his torrid stretch with a two-run homer. He's hitting .432 with six homers and 13 RBIs in the last eight games, giving him a .312 average with 14 homers and 36 RBIs in 36 games since being acquired from Detroit at the July 31 trade deadline.

'The whole team is clicking, ready to fight until the last out,' Cespedes said through a translator. 'We know we're going to come back.'

The Braves are trying to snap an eight-game home skid, their longest since losing the first nine of 1988 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.

They open this 10-game homestand after taking two of three in Philadelphia, matching their win total from the previous 22 contests.

Atlanta collected a season-high 18 hits in Wednesday's 8-1 victory, and will now try to win consecutive games for the first time since a three-game streak from Aug. 6-8.

Giving the ball to Shelby Miller (5-13, 2.81), however, poses a problem. The right-hander is 0-12 with a 3.46 ERA over his last 20 starts, a run of futility that is the longest by a Brave since the team moved to Atlanta in 1966.

He's also compiled a 5.18 ERA during a four-start losing streak, surrendering seven runs in 4 1-3 innings of Saturday's 8-5 defeat at Washington.

Miller is 0-1 with a 3.50 ERA in three starts against the Mets.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (88-51) at Reds (57-81)

Game: 1
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: September 10, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The St. Louis Cardinals were pulling at their collars until a late rally turned what could have been an uncomfortable division lead into breathable again.

The Cardinals can exhale a bit more as they start a long road trip with the bottom two teams in the NL Central, beginning with Thursday night's series opener against the last-place Cincinnati Reds.

St. Louis (88-51) was five outs from its fourth consecutive loss and a series sweep at the hands of Chicago on Wednesday, potentially tightening its division lead to 3 1/2 games over Pittsburgh and 5 1/2 over the Cubs.

Instead, rookie Stephen Piscotty laced a two-run double in the eighth inning to help the Cardinals win 4-3, avoid their first sweep at home this season and remain 4 1/2 ahead of the Pirates.

St. Louis now looks to separate itself during a seven-game stretch in Cincinnati and Milwaukee before closing a 10-game trip in Chicago.

'It's definitely good to get that one,' Piscotty said. 'You don't want to get swept by the Cubs. We're fine. There's no panic. We did a good job of fighting back.'

The road trip starts in good hands with Jaime Garcia (8-4, 1.89 ERA) on the mound. The Cardinals have won each of his last seven starts, with the left-hander going 5-0 with a 1.76 ERA while limiting hitters to a .212 average.

The good news for Cincinnati (57-81) is that it was the last team to beat Garcia. A three-run homer by Joey Votto was all Garcia gave up in six innings July 28, but it was more than enough for a 4-0 Reds victory.

The bad news for the Reds is that Garcia is 10-3 with a 3.26 ERA against them lifetime. Brandon Phillips has seen him the most of Cincinnati's hitters with a .302 average, two home runs and four doubles in 43 at-bats. Jason Bourgeois (6 for 14, four doubles) and Votto (9 for 31) have also fared well, while Todd Frazier (1 for 17) has not.

While Garcia can't seem to lose lately, Cincinnati starter John Lamb hasn't been able to pick up his first career win.

In fact, the Reds haven't won any of the rookie's five starts since he was called up from Triple-A Louisville on Aug. 13.

Lamb (0-3, 6.11) looked destined to end the slide Saturday against Milwaukee when he carried a 5-1 lead into the sixth. The Brewers, though, used five singles, a double and a Reds error to score five runs in the inning and boot the left-hander out of the game.

Lamb's night was finished after allowing six runs and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings.

"It's just part of the game. Disappointed with the result, obviously," Lamb told MLB's official website. "I felt good about that going out there in the sixth, then the wheels fell off. ... Disappointing."

The Cardinals activated first baseman Matt Adams from the 60-day disabled list Wednesday. He hit .243 with four home runs and 20 RBIs in 144 at-bats before going down with a strained quad.

St. Louis has won eight of 12 meetings this season, including four of six at Great American Ball Park.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tigers (64-75) at Indians (68-70)

Game: 1
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: September 10, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

It's basically a foregone conclusion that Miguel Cabrera will win his fourth batting title. A few more games against the Cleveland Indians should only help his cause.

Progressive Field has been an extremely friendly place to Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers lately, and they'll try to keep it that way Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series.

Batting titles have become commonplace for Cabrera, who won three straight from 2011-2013 before hitting .313 last season for his lowest average since 2008.

The Detroit slugger is putting the competition to shame this season with a .351 mark, 33 points ahead of his closest pursuer - Cleveland's Michael Brantley.

A good portion of Cabrera's success this year has come against the Indians. He's batting .509 with five homers and 17 RBIs in 14 meetings, and is 15 for 22 (.682) with two home runs and seven RBIs at Cleveland.

Cabrera has hit safely in 12 straight games at Progressive Field, batting .566 with five homers and 14 RBIs. He's been a big part of Detroit's 20-6 record there since the start of 2013, including five wins in six games in 2015.

The Tigers (64-75) settled for a split of their six-game homestand with Wednesday's 8-0 loss to Tampa Bay.

It was the 14th defeat in 19 contests for last-place Detroit, which has seen its starting pitchers compile a 6.15 ERA during that span.

The Tigers have used 14 pitchers the past two games, including all 12 relievers.

'A lot of guys are getting a shot right now, and we'll see which ones take it,' catcher Alex Avila said. 'They all have the talent to be here, but they have to hone it if they want to stay.'

Alfredo Simon (12-9, 4.86 ERA) provided one of the few recent quality starts for Detroit, limiting the Indians to two hits over seven innings in a 6-0 victory Saturday.

He is 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA in four matchups this season.

"He's done very well against us," Indians manager Terry Francona told MLB's official website. "And I'm sure confidence plays a part in it. ... We certainly follow how guys are doing, but guys with that kind of stuff, if they're commanding on that night, it doesn't matter what he did last week."

This season has been quite a roller-coaster ride for Simon, who allowed 14 runs over 9 1-3 innings in his previous two starts before Saturday's gem. He began this year 7-3 with a 2.58 ERA but went 3-4 with an 8.19 ERA in his next 10 outings and followed that ugly stretch with a one-hitter against Texas on Aug. 20.

Brantley has hit Simon well, going 11 for 20 with five doubles lifetime.

Cleveland (68-70) continued its push to reach .500 for the first time since the season's first week, beating the Chicago White Sox 6-4 on Wednesday.

Francisco Lindor finished a double shy of the cycle for the Indians, winners in nine of 10 at home.

Danny Salazar (12-8, 3.54) hopes for a better performance as he pitches opposite Simon again. After posting a 2.03 ERA in his previous six starts, the right-hander was roughed up for six runs and eight hits over 3 2-3 innings in Saturday's loss.

That was the second consecutive poor start against the Tigers for Salazar, who is 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA in the last two meetings after going 1-1 with a 2.57 mark in the first two this season.

Cabrera is 8 for 23 with two homers against him.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Stroman return to pitch Saturday for Jays
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

Right-hander Marcus Stroman suffered what was believed to be a season-ending ACL tear during spring training but has recovered in six months and will start Saturday for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Stroman will be activated from the disabled list and take the mound against the New York Yankees in New York. The Blue Jays and Yankees face a crucial four-game weekend series in a tight American League East race.

The 24-year-old pitcher was injured during a fielding drill in spring training in March and believed to be out for the season. Dr. James Andrews, a noted orthopedic surgeon who works on high-profile athletes, was stunned by Stroman's rapid progress. And so was Stroman.

"That's just crazy, six months later ... I'm so excited," Stroman said on Twitter.

Stroman pitched in two rehab games to prepare for his first start in the big leagues this year. In low-Class A last week, he struck out seven and allowed no runs in 5 1/3 innings but gave up four runs, eight hits and four walks in three innings of a Triple-A game on Monday.

Last season, Stroman posted an 11-6 record with a 3.65 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 130 2/3 innings that included 20 starts and six relief appearances for the Blue Jays.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons plans to use Stroman in Mark Buehrle's spot in the rotation for the time being while giving Buehrle some extra rest.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Yankees RHP Eovaldi may miss rest of regular season
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

NEW YORK -- In a span of five days in late-August, Nathan Eovaldi flirted with a no-hitter and pitched eight innings.

In his next two starts, he struggled to get through the sixth and while it might been the norm for him, manager Joe Girardi felt something was off with Eovaldi.

"Outside of the performance, the command issue that he had really the last few outings that might explain it," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said before Tuesday's 2-1 loss to Baltimore Orioles. "He had no complaints really until the day after the start."

The Yankees thought "being off" meant mechanically. They were surprised to learn Eovaldi may not pitch for the rest of the regular season due to right elbow inflammation following an MRI on Monday.

"I was really surprised," Girardi said. "He had no problems, nothing. I blamed it on myself because I said about a week ago that was the one starter I wasn't worried about physically and the inflammation arose."

Inflammation is not as bad as Tommy John surgery, a procedure Eovaldi had while in high school eight years ago. It is just the timing is at one of the absolute worse times for injuries.

"I'm relieved it's just elbow inflammation and that everything's fine with the ligament and stuff but it just (stinks) because of the timing of it," Eovaldi said. "Worst timing that it could be."

The regular season ends Oct. 4 and it seems unlikely Eovaldi can complete the normal rehab by then. It also seems unlikely he would be built up enough to give sufficient distance in a postseason game should the Yankees get there.

"Until he goes through a successful rehab you can't automatically assume anything," Cashman said. "Our medical team has put in their minds the proper time frame in place. If it takes longer, it takes longer.

"The most important thing right now is having him be healthy. He's no good to us not healthy. He has been a nice asset for us, we've just got to give him a timeout and make sure that we put him in position to be that asset again. Hopefully it will be this year."

Until Monday night, Eovaldi was the only starter besides rookie Luis Severino not to miss time due to injuries. He leads the Yankees with 14 wins through the combination of effectiveness and run support and also has a team-leading 154 1/3 innings and 27 starts.

"It's not what you want this time of year," Girardi said. "We've had to overcome things this year, guys are going to have to step up and we're going to need someone to step up."

The Yankees have not officially announced who takes Eovaldi's spot. The primary candidates are right-handers Adam Warren and Bryan Mitchell.

Warren made 14 starts before Nova returned and would likely be able to provide 45 to 50 pitches this time around before getting stretched out to 70 and 90 pitches in subsequent starts.

Mitchell has made two starts and recently returned from the seven-day concussion list.

One of them would likely go Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays when Eovaldi was originally slated to start.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Bullpen fails Cubs in pivotal loss to Cardinals
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

ST. LOUIS -- For 7 1/2 innings Wednesday, the Chicago Cubs were on their way to a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals that would have given them a real puncher's chance to win the National League Central.

But manager Joe Maddon lifted Jon Lester for a pinch-hitter in the eighth and the bullpen followed with the kind of meltdown that marked the season's first half, turning a 3-1 lead into a galling 4-3 defeat.

Lester was at 105 pitches after seven innings in which he allowed just two hits and a run, walking one and fanning seven. He retired 20 of the last 21 hitters, allowing exactly zero hard-hit balls during that span.

While St. Louis wouldn't bite on the proffered bait -- players and manager Mike Matheny saying Chicago has a capable bullpen -- it had to be thrilled that Lester wasn't asked for another 10 or 15 pitches.

"I thought he was really good today after that first inning," Maddon said of Lester. "I thought we played a really good game, but we can't permit that kind of stuff to happen. We have to finish that game up."

Instead, Pedro Strop, Clayton Richard and Fernando Rodney gave up three hits and three runs, dealing the kind of gut-wrenching loss that has been a Cubs specialty for 107 years. Four games with hapless Philadelphia might wash the bitter taste away this weekend, but a two-game swing in the division -- from 5 1/2 out to 7 1/2 out -- will be hard to overcome.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Under has been oddly hot in Jays-Yankees meetings
Andrew Avery

For two major league clubs that boast such impressive bats, it's certainly an anomaly that the Under is so hot when the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays tangle.

The Under has cashed in the past seven meetings between the two AL East rivals and they'll renew acquaintances Thursday evening in the Bronx.

The clubs are averaging just 4.3 runs combined per meeting in those last seven games, which dates back to a 5-1 Jays win back on May 6.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Thursday, September 10, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

I am definitely not a fan of Alex Rodriguez. The guy had the talent to go down as perhaps the best offensive player in baseball history. He was that amazing. Yet A-Rod had to use steroids not once but twice (that we know of) and lied about it both times. So Rodriguez will never get into the Hall of Fame in my lifetime. Nor should he. But I have to give it up to A-Rod this season. At age 40, he hit his 30th homer of the season on Tuesday night to join Hank Aaron as the only MLB players with 15 seasons of at least 30. Rodriguez hit his 684th career home run leading off the sixth inning Tuesday against Baltimore. It was the first time he has reached 30 since 2010. I don't see how he can't be the American League Comeback Player of the Year after being suspended all of 2014. But many voters won't cast ballots for him because of his cheating history.


Rangers at Mariners (-141, 7)

Solid pitching matchup in this series finale with a 3:40 ET start, meaning a few regulars might get the day off with it being a getaway day game -- although the Rangers can't afford to give any games away. Seattle's Nelson Cruz hasn't played in a week due to a quad injury, and I can't see him doing so here. The M's go with Felix Hernandez (16-8, 3.65). He has won back-to-back starts and went eight innings in each -- both were against Oakland. He's 3-0 with a 2.18 ERA in three meetings against Texas this season. Elvis Andrus is a career .301 hitter off him with 13 RBIs in 83 at-bats. Prince Fielder is just 2-for-20 off Hernandez. Texas goes with lefty Derek Holland (3-1, 2.37). He has been terrific in his past two outings, both Rangers wins, allowing just one combined run and six hits over 17.0 innings. Holland beat Seattle in his only start against the M's this year on Aug. 19, his return from four months on the DL. Robinson Cano is a career .387 hitter off him in 31 at-bats.

Key trends: The Rangers are 5-1 in Holland's past six vs. teams with a losing record. The Mariners are 1-6 in their past seven at home vs. a lefty. The "over/under" has gone under in Hernandez's past four against Texas. The under is 3-0-2 in Holland's past five against Seattle.

Early lean: Mariners and under.


Blue Jays at Yankees (TBA)

Clearly the series of the weekend in MLB as first place in the AL East is on the line again. It's Toronto's final visit to the Bronx of the regular season. The Jays will host New York for three from Sept. 21-23. The last time Toronto visited Yankee Stadium, it swept three games form Aug. 7-9 and allowed just one run in the series. Lefty ace David Price goes here for the Jays. Price (14-5, 2.43) was great in his last start at New York, shutting out the Bombers on three hits over seven innings. He still has yet to allow more than three earned since joining the Jays. A-Rod hits .245 off him with 19 strikeouts in 53 at-bats. New York goes with good-looking rookie Luis Severino (3-2, 2.04). The Yankees have won his past three and he has allowed only two combined runs.

Key trends: The Jays are 5-2 in the past seven meetings. The under is 7-0 in the past seven. New York is 4-1 in its past five series openers. The Jays are 4-1 in their past five on Thursday.

Early lean: Blue Jays and under. TBA because starters haven't officially announced yet, but it's expected to be the two I listed. Expect Jays to be about -140 with a total of 7.5.


Cubs at Phillies (+260, 8)

Might be a bit of a letdown game for the Cubs if they happen to complete a three-game sweep in St. Louis on Wednesday. Chicago also took a five-game winning streak into that one. The Phillies swept three games in Chicago back in late July, including a Cole Hamels no-hitter. It's a huge pitching mismatch here. The Cubs go with ace Jake Arrieta (18-6, 2.03). He's 12-1 with 0.99 ERA over his past 15 starts, including a no-hitter, and hasn't allowed an earned run in 29 innings over four starts. That loss came opposite Hamels' no-hitter. Philadelphia goes with lefty Adam Morgan (5-5, 4.42). He allowed six runs over 6.1 innings in a loss in Boston last time out. Morgan has never faced the Cubs.

Key trends: The Cubs are 7-1 in Arrieta's past eight vs. the NL East. The Phillies are 1-8 in their past nine series openers. The under is 7-3-1 in Arrieta's past 11. The over is 5-1-1 in Morgan's past seven at home.

Early lean: Cubs on runline (Arrieta will avoid any letdown) and under.


Cardinals at Reds (+145, 7.5)

St. Louis had been having a historically good season in terms of a team ERA, but the Cards have been battered around of late. They had lost five of six entering Wednesday's finale vs. the Cubs and allowed at least seven runs in four of those five defeats. St. Louis still has the only team ERA under 3.00. The team's best pitcher of late has been lefty Jaime Garcia, a huge surprise. Garcia (8-4, 1.89) hasn't lost since July 28. That was against these Reds where Garcia allowed three runs in six innings. He has a 1.76 ERA over his past seven outings. Brandon Phillips is a career .302 hitter off him with two homers and eight RBIs in 43 at-bats. Cincinnati counters with rookie lefty John Lamb (0-3, 6.11). He was tagged for six runs over 5.2 innings in his last start vs. Milwaukee. Lamb has never faced the Cardinals.

Key trends: The Cards are 4-1 in their past five against lefties. The Reds are 1-5 in their past six at home vs. southpaws. The under is 8-0 in the past eight meetings. The Cards are 6-2 in Garcia's past eight vs. the NL Central.

Early lean: Cardinals and under.


Brewers at Pirates (-168, 8)

Pittsburgh gets a potentially big boost Thursday night as it attempts to catch St. Louis for the NL Central title or hold off the Cubs for the NL's top wild-card spot. All-Star A.J. Burnett (8-5, 3.06) returns to the rotation. Burnett, 38, was placed on the 15-day disabled list July 31 with a flexor strain in his right elbow and received a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection Aug. 3. His only outing vs. the Brewers this year was a good one, allowing one run over seven innings with six strikeouts. Ryan Braun is 7-for-20 with a double and seven strikeouts off Burnett. The Brew Crew start Wily Peralta (5-8, 4.21). His last start was cut short after just two innings because of a long rain delay. Peralta hasn't faced the Pirates in 2015. Pedro Alvarez hits .364 off him with two homers and four RBIs.

Key trends: The Brewers are 3-9 in Peralta's past 12 vs. teams with a winning record. The Pirates are 3-7 in Burnett's past 10 vs. the NL Central. The under is 9-2 in Peralta's past 11 vs. the NL Central. The under is 6-0 in Burnett's past six vs. Milwaukee.

Early lean: Brewers (Burnett likely rusty) and yet another under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Thursday's six-pack

Some trends to ponder for Week 1 NFL games.........

-- Broncos' coach Gary Kubiak was the Ravens' OC last season.

-- Since 2002, defending Super Bowl champ is 8-3-2 vs spread in its next opener.

-- Since 2002, Super Bowl loser is 2-11 vs spread in its opener the next season.

-- Last three years, Indy is 8-3-1 as road favorite, 13-9-1 vs spread in games where spread was 3 or less points.

-- Cowboys are 8-24 as home favorites since 2010, 3-9 in divisional games; they covered once in last six tries as a favorite in their home opener.

-- Over is 11-5 in Philadelphia road games under Chip Kelly.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dave Cokin

Bonus Play Thursday

CARDINALS (Garcia) @ REDS (Lamb) 7:10 PM

Take: CARDINALS -137

Jaime Garcia is on the hill for St. Louis tonight, and his presence generally means just two options for me. Play on Garcia or leave the game alone.

This guy is simply a winner. Garcia has really only had one nagging problem throughout his career, and that has been staying healthy. But when he’s good to go, there aren’t many better. Garcia might never blow away the opposition with fireballs. But this is the ultimate crafty southpaw who rarely offers a pitch that opposing hitters can barrel.

The numbers are telling the story for Garcia. He’s averaging only about 6.6 K’s per nine innings. But he doesn’t walk many, and taking Garcia deep is pretty much a foreign concept. He has not surrendered more than four runs in any start this season, and that only happened twice. Talk about the pitcher who gives his team a decent chance to win every time out. That’s Jamie Garcia.

John Lamb has the assignment for the Reds tonight. Lamb’s climb back from serious injury issues to make it all the way to the majors is a good story. There’s mixed opinion as to whether or not Lamb will be able to continue as a starting pitcher long term. But in spite of an 0-3, 6.11 ledger, Lamb has actually pitched more in bad luck than anything else thus far. Check out his BB/K ratios, his SIERA, his xFIP, his hard hit rate and his absurdly high BABIP and it’s pretty clear those old school base numbers are misleading.

Nevertheless, Lamb is not winning anything and Garcia isn’t losing anything. The Reds have been toast against lefties lately and this Cardinals team just finds ways to win even when it looks like they’re not supposed to. Tonight it looks as though they’re supposed to. I’ll look for the Redbirds to chalk up yet another victory this evening.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Arthur Ralph Sports

Bonus Play THURS La Tech-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Scott Spreitzer

Texas Rangers vs Seattle Mariners

Bonus Play Under

I'm recommending a play on the Under between the Rangers & Mariners on Thursday afternoon. Nice pitching matchup with Derek Holland pitching well for the Rangers since coming off the DL, and Felix Hernandez looking back in form off a pair of eight inning outings. Holland owns a 2.37 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, and .211 BAA in five starts this season, including a strong start in an August 19 outing against the Mariners. Holland's previous three starts against Seattle before 2015 saw the lefty post a 1.33 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and .192 BAA, while allowing just one homer in 20 1/3 IP. King Felix is doing his best work at home this season, sporting a 1.05 WHIP and .216 BAA. His numbers over his previous four starts against Texas are nearly as stingy as Holland's numbers against Seattle. I expect more of the same from both starters in this one. Texas & Seattle have played to an 18-7-2 Under mark in their last 27 meetings, including a 4-0 Under run at tonight's venue. I'm recommending a play on the Under between the Rangers & Mariners on Thursday afternoon. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.