Since I'm not eligible to win the $3 million Beat the Streak grand prize, I might as well try to help you out. Every weekday, make sure to check out the Beat the Streak Report to improve your odds with all the stats goodness you could ever dream of. You know, assuming you could use an extra three mill.


July 29


Joe Mauer's 2-for-4 afternoon teleported "richard.jucksch" -- our leader -- and his streak from 37 games to 38. Jucksch is now six days away from taking the conch from the immortal Dick George atop our season-long Beat the Streak Leaderboard.

Perhaps more importantly, Jucksch is still ignoring me and my e-mail, likely -- and understandably -- in fear of jinxing his impressive run.

This brings up an interesting internal dilemma:

Given the historical data and precedent, it's unlikely Jucksch will actually Beat the Streak. I mean, I don't mean to be the Debbie Downer here but I've read this story too many times and have seen how this one turns out. Just ask Ian Kay.

So unless this somehow transforms into one of those mind-blowing "Choose Your Own Adventure" books I was obsessed with as a 10-year-old, Jucksch's 15 minutes of (relative) fame is squarely on the clock.

Which brings us to the dilemma: Should Jucksch accept his likely fate and decide to play nice in the sandbox with me and respond to my e-mail while his story is still relatively relevant?

Or, should he go for the gold, keep up his mime impression and laugh at the face of the several jinxes before him?

Only time will tell.

Time for Thursday's picks


Oh, hello there ...



BTS Picks


• Buster Posey: 21-game hitting streak; has never faced Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez

• Nyjer Morgan: .563 AVG (9-for-16) lifetime vs. Braves starter Derek Lowe

• Raul Ibanez: .350 AVG (7-for-20) lifetime vs. D-backs starter Joe Saunders

• Chipper Jones: .464 AVG (13-for-28) lifetime vs. Nationals starter Scott Olsen

• Cristian Guzman: .571 AVG (8-for-14) lifetime vs. Braves starter Derek Lowe

• Troy Tulowitzki: .545 AVG (6-for-11) lifetime vs. Pirates starter Paul Maholm


Feeling kinda spicy?


• Alberto Gonzalez: .455 AVG (5-for-11) lifetime vs. Braves starter Derek Lowe


You'll thank me later ...


• Troy Glaus: .167 AVG (2-for-12) lifetime vs. Nationals starter Scott Olsen

• Chone Figgins: .067 AVG (1-for-15) last five years vs. White Sox starter Freddy Garcia

• Nick Markakis: .222 AVG (2-for-9) lifetime vs. Royals starter Kyle Davies


Leaderboard time!


A full nine games behind Juksch is "Grumps1945", who is sitting pretty with a 29-game streak.

If 1945 represents the year Grumps was born, that most likely makes him 65-years-old. My dad is right around that age and the thought that he'd be able to dominate this game at this juncture is borderline mind-blowing to me. So keep it up Grumps!


Top MLB streakers

• Buster Posey: 21 games

• Nelson Cruz: 16 games

• Scott Podsednik: 15 games

• Justin Upton: 13 games

• Michael Cuddyer: 13 games

• Matt Holliday: 13 games