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BASEBALL — May 31

L.A. DODGERS at CHI. CUBS
(Milton vs. Marshall; Cubs -145, Dodgers +125, Total 9.5) — L.A.’s bats have been silenced in the first three games of this series, as they have scored just three runs. Since losing Manny Ramirez to the drug suspension, they have gone 13-9, and we can’t blame the recent drought on his absence. Not totally. This is still the National League’s second highest scoring team. Sean marshall has given the Cubs a decent effort in six of his seven starts this season, while Eric Milton has been more than serviceable for the Dodgers since coming back from his long absence; his ERA is an even 3.00, and he went five innings without a walk in his last outing. The Dodgers are fourth in the majors in hitting against lefties, with a .305 average, which accounts for their 11-4 mark against southpaws. The Cibs, on the other hand, have hit just six of their 54 homers against lefties.

THE PLAY: L.A. DODGERS (+125) *

All information is for news matter only
All games are graded on a scale of 1-4 stars
Lines are subject to change

BASEBALL — May 31

ST. LOUIS at SAN FRANCISCO
(Wainwright vs. Sanchez; Cardinals -140, Giants +120, Total 7.5) — Jonathan Sanchez has not done too badly lately, as he followed a six-inning, two-hit performance against the Padres with a another solid five innings against the Atlanta Braves. The Giants have lost five of his last six starts, though, and one of the reasons is that they can’t score runs for him for the most part – only ten runs in those five defeats. San Francisco can’t even average more than four runs per contest; meanwhile, St. Louis is 11-5 against left-handed starts, and one of the reasons is obviously Albert Pujols, who hit two solo homers yesterday and has six home runs in 47 at-bats against southpaws. Adam Wainwright’s been sizzling of late, allowing juts three runs and 12 hits in his last three starts, spanning 23-2/3 innings.

THE PLAY: ST. LOUIS (-140) **

All information is for news matter only
All games are graded on a scale of 1-4 stars
Lines are subject to change

BASEBALL — May 30

SEATTLE at L.A. ANGELS
(Hernandez vs. Palmer; Mariners -115, Angels -105, Total 8.5) — What would you have told me if I had said, back in spring training, that as June was approaching, the Seattle Mariners might be laying a price on the road to the Los Angeles Angels? Especially as Seattle has lost 16 of its last 24 games? Felix Hernandez has endured a little brutality at the hands of the Angels in his last two starts against them, surrendering ten runs, 24 hits and 30 base runners overall in just 11-2/3 innings. At the same time, he is perfectly capable of shutting out a team for seven or eight innings, as he’s done three times this year. The Angels are 6-0 in games Matt Palmer has started, and 18-23 in the others. He’s hardly immune to a little bombardment, though, having given up about a run per inning over his last two outings.

THE PLAY: OVER 8.5 (-110) *

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All games are graded on a scale of 1-4 stars
Lines are subject to change

BASEBALL — May 30

WASHINGTON at PHILADELPHIA
(Martis vs. Hamels; Phillies -265, Nationals +245, Total 9.5) — We give Shairon Martis all the credit in the world for having a 5-0 record, but he’s given up five runs in six inning sin each of his last two starts, and did not have much success in an April 27 start against the Phillies, allowing seven runs in just five frames. Cole Hamels has surrendered more than two runs in just one of his last six starts, and he’s been so good against this team that it’s scary – over the last five encounters with Washington he’s allowed one run in 35 innings. Wouldn’t you know it? The Nats are having a struggle putting runs across the plate right now, and that has resulted in seven unders in the last nine games. But our play is a little unorthodox here, as we’ll lay a short price on the Phils to put some distance between themselves and this opponent.

THE PLAY: PHILADELPHIA -1.5 (-120) *

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All games are graded on a scale of 1-4 stars
Lines are subject to change

BASEBALL — May 30

FLORIDA at N.Y. METS
(Johnson vs. Redding; Marlins -125, Mets +105, Total 8.5) — The Mets have won six of their last seven games, and with all of their guys on the disabled list, they deserve all the credit in the world for that. But sooner or later something’s got to give, and this may be that opportunity for Florida, which saw southpaw Sean West silence New York’s bats yesterday, only to see the Marlins come up anemic on the offensive end as well on thre way to a 2-1 extra-inning defeat. Today it’s another big guy, 6’7″ Josh Johnson, who has one of the top ten ERA’s in the National League, carrying a 5-0 record and 1.97 career ERA against the Mets into this one. He’s imposing for sure, and in Tim Redding the Mets are putting a guy in there who held the Dodgers to two hits over six innings in his first start of the season but was shelled against the Red Sox last Sunday. He’s obviously not showing the consistency Jerry Manuel would like to see, and Johnson is allowing slightly over one base runner per inning.

THE PLAY: FLORIDA (-125) *