| Monday's MLB schedule featured just 10 games | | | | 1976); Dennis Eckersley, Indians (2.20 in 1975); |
| but three separate teams scored 15 runs, the | | | | Gary Peters, White Sox (2.04 in 1963); Spec |
| D'backs, Marlins and Twins. It was the first time in | | | | Shea, Yankees (2.07 in 1947); Atley Donald, |
| 70 years that three teams scored at least 15 | | | | Yankees (2.30 in 1939); Lou Fette, Boston Bees |
| runs in a game on the same day with 10 or | | | | (2.46 in 1937); and Wilcy Moore, Yankees (2.35 in |
| fewer major league games played. The last time | | | | 1927). Check back tomorrow and I'll reveal if any |
| was July 25, 1936! | | | | held on to win the ERA title. |
| My free play for Tuesday is Tor/NYY Over at | | | | It's full 15-game schedule tonight. The Giants will |
| 7:05 ET. I'm not waiting to play my lone | | | | try to avoid a ninth straight loss tonight at 10:15 |
| Oddsmaker's Error in August, releasing it today. | | | | ET when they host the Nationals. The Nationals |
| Also, don't miss my 15* NL Blowout of the Month. | | | | send Livan Hernandez to the mound and the |
| Get them BOTH, right now! | | | | Giants counter with Matt Cain. The Nationals have |
| While the above three teams were scoring all | | | | won the last six times Hernandez has started, |
| those runs, the Rockies took care of the Brewers | | | | despite his 5.88 ERA. However, his ERA is a little |
| 4-2 in Coors Field. The game lasted just two | | | | deceiving, as he allowed seven ERs in one of the |
| hours and six minutes, the fastest game in that | | | | starts while allowing exactly three ERs in each of |
| stadium's history. The Rockies are averaging just | | | | the other five! |
| 4.7 runs per game at home this year, after | | | | The Pirates will try to make it six straight wins |
| averaging 6.7 runs per games in Coors from 1995 | | | | when they host the Braves at 7:05 ET. John |
| through 2005! | | | | Smoltz goes for Atlanta and he's 4-0 in his last |
| With that in mind, it should come as no surprise | | | | five outings while Ian Snell toes the rubber for the |
| that the Rockies are MLB's biggest 'under' team in | | | | Pirates. Snell is 2-0 in his last four outings, with the |
| 2006, with a mark of 39-59-7. That's 20 more | | | | Pirates winning all four. Your move! |
| unders than overs. Only Detroit comes anywhere | | | | In other games of note, the A's and Angels |
| close to that mark (42-59-4), as Detroit leads the | | | | resume their three-game series in Anaheim ((10:05 |
| league in runs allowed with 418 (3.98/game). In | | | | ET), after Oakland won last night 3-1 (now 3-0 in |
| the NL, only the Houston Astros, and by just one | | | | Anaheim this year). The A's have won five of |
| game at 49-50-6, have played more unders than | | | | their last six with a team ERA of 2.83 but |
| overs! | | | | tonight's starter (Joe Blanton) is 0-4 in five career |
| Chase Utley hit in his 32nd consecutive game in | | | | starts vs the Angels. The Angels go with Joe |
| the Phillies' 15-2 loss to the Marlins, giving him the | | | | Saunders, who makes just his fourth career start. |
| second-longest hitting streak in team history. | | | | He won back on July 18 vs Cleveland but had an |
| Jimmy Rollins had a 38-game streak snapped in | | | | ERA of 7.71 in two starts for the Angels last |
| Philadelphia's third game of this year, after finishing | | | | year. |
| 2005 by getting a hit in his last 36 games. Utley | | | | In San Diego, it's Andy Pettitte vs Jake Peavy |
| has entered rarified air as since 1901, there have | | | | (10:15 ET). Pettitte was 17-9 with a 2.39 ERA last |
| been just 16 streaks longer than his current one, | | | | year but is 9-11 this year with a 5.18 ERA, |
| with Joe D's 56-game streak in 1941 leading the | | | | allowing 173 hits in 139 innings. Peavy, who was |
| way. | | | | 15-6, 2.27 in 2004 and 13-7, 2.88 in 2005, is just |
| The Giants lost 10-7 at home to the Nationals last | | | | 5-10, 5.01 this year (team is 8-12 in his starts), |
| night, keeping alive MLB's longest active losing | | | | despite a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 139-19. Peavy |
| streak. San Fran has now lost eight straight | | | | owns the highest ERA among the majors' top-30 |
| games and last night's three-run loss could be | | | | in strikeouts. |
| considered a blowout, as the Giants had lost their | | | | NFL notes |
| previous seven games by a grand total of just 10 | | | | Each day this week I'm previewing some of the |
| runs! The Pirates own MLB's longest active winning | | | | topics I'll be covering over the next month with |
| streak at five in a row but were idle last night. | | | | my NFL countdown to the 2006 season. |
| The calendar turns to August today and this is | | | | The 2005 NFL regular season ended with 11 |
| the first time in major-league history that rookies | | | | teams finishing with at least 11 wins, the most in |
| lead both leagues in ERA at the end of July. Josh | | | | any single year since the league adopted a |
| Johnson of the Marlins leads the NL in earned run | | | | 16-game schedule in 1978. The 10-6 Kansas City |
| average (2.52) and Francisco Liriano of the Twins | | | | Chiefs became just the fourth 10-win team not |
| leads the AL with a 1.96 mark. | | | | to make the playoffs since 1990, the year when |
| Eight rookies prior to Liriano and Johnson have led | | | | the NFL expanded to its current 12-team |
| their leagues heading into August: Mark Gardner, | | | | postseason format. |
| Expos (2.34 in 1990); Mark Fidrych, Tigers (1.80 in | | | | |