Bob, here's something on Cliff Lee --

Five-inning stat line:

   Lee Clev LHP first 5 -- 7al(Tex) - 4hl(Tor) - 1aw(NYY) - 1hl(KC) - 0hp(Bos) - 1ap(Det) - 0hp(Det)- 0hw(CHW)- 1aw(KC)- 2al(Cinn)- 3hl(NYY) - 1aw(Minn) - 2hl(KC) - 0hw(St.L.) - 1aw(CHC) - 0aw(Pitts) -
   Lee first 5 wlp: 7-6-3;  home 3-4-2;  team wlp over nine innings, 5-11.
   Richard-CHW LHP first 5 --
   Richard first 5 wlp:  4aw(Cleve) - 2al(Tor) - 0hw(Pitts) - 0aw(KC) - 5hl(Oak) - 3hp(Det) - 0(+)aw(Milw) - 5ap(Cinn) - 4hl(LAD) -
   wlp:  4-3-2;  team wlp over nine innings: 5-4.

   Pitching notes:  From this there's not much to do except take some hope, perhaps, from Clayton Richard's recent decline as a starter. 
   Cliff Lee, despite his skills, is one of the biggest money-losing pitchers in baseball this year.  (Click here for the list -- sorry, 9 innings only.  He's better in 5, of course.)

   The day-night splits give a little sunlight -- or lamplight, I guess.  Richard is less effective at night (4.6 ERA) than day (3.7), a little something there.  Lee's the opposite, much better at nighttime (2.0 ERA) than day (4.4). 

   Lee against the White Sox offers also offers some reason to consider the proposition.  He's won four of the last six outings against them, including a 4-0 gem on May 13, and a 5-0 game last September 1.  He lost a 3-2 nailbiter against them in July, 2008. 
   In fact, he's only had two klunkers against the White Sox, one in 2007, and one in 2006.  In the July 2007 outing, Lee gave up two runs in the first five, for a push -- but the Sox drubbed him for 5 more runs in the sixth, and nipped the Tribe 11-10 in the game.  In May, 2006 they touched him for 4 runs in the first and that was that, the Sox winning 11-0.

   Still, Lee's career line against the White Sox shows an ERA of 5.21, compared to an overall career ERA of 4.02.  Certainly nothing spectacular.  The recent trend is better:  Lee's career runs-allowed line against the Sox looks like this, going back to the middle of 2006: 
   1 - 1 - 7 - 1 - 0 - 0 . 
   (Those numbers are for the game, not the first 5.)  

   Sox against lefties:  Chisox are .381 against lefties in their last 10 games.  And scoring about 14 runs per 9 innings over the same period.  Yes, we double checked it. 
   This is, however, over a small sample, including poundings of such lefty relievers as Danny Herra of Cincinnati.  The Sox did put a statistical drubbing on Randy Wolf of the Dodgers -- 5 runs in 2 innings -- but other than that don't appear to have a lot of actual innings; all other starters were right-handers.  Take it with a grain of salt.
   As well, at least for us, a recent trend like that is trumped by a long stat line on an actual matchup.  Lee's pitched against the White Sox plenty, so however well or poorly they do against Generic Lefty Joe Jones, we know how they do against Specific Lefty Cliff Lee. 

   Even so, looking at the whole picture, it's hard to get excited about Lee at -190.  He's essentially a .500 pitcher even in the first 5 innings, and indeed, under .500 (first 5) at home. 
   The aggressive may wish to take heart from his last six starts against Chicago, which do mean something, or from Richard's mediocre performance so far this year, and throw him on as the first game of a parlay which you can redo later if the Indians can't get any runs for him. 

Some early comments on what Bob has to say -- subject to more research:

Blanton -- ehh, what's up with the Phillies? Seriously...

Hill/Smoltz -- makes sense, but we don't have much of a line on Smoltz.

Johnson -- ehhh. I like Carpenter too, despite some recent sosos. Maybe an under.

Lee -- see above. I don't say never bet him. I do say, discriminate.

Santana -- he plays for the Mets, right? Lookit, I'm pissed they couldn't even beat Wang Sunday. At least I got my money back on Monday. Lord I hate that team.

Billingsley -- I may lay off. Best team in MLB vs. the hottest. One of best pitchers (B'ley) vs. one of best money makers (Marquis. Check it out.) Why bet? -- unless you have an insight that's REALLY SPECIAL.

Zimmerman -- ? Not on sheet. Replacing Stammen? Mahhnnnn, I dunno. I'd rather take Florida for 9, as we recommended tonight with Nolasco ( yay ! ). Yah, he's won a couple games for me this year, but it's still a team sport. As we all learned Monday with Halladay.