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[CNOTES]

Preview: Mariners (27-34) at Astros (35-27)
Game: 3
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: June 14, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

After watching Houston rough up their ace in the first inning of the series opener, the Seattle Mariners immediately jumped on the Astros' starter the following day.


Neither club expects that trend to continue with two stingy pitchers - Houston's Lance McCullers and Roenis Elias - taking the mound in Sunday's finale at Minute Maid Park.


The AL West-leading Astros (35-28) snapped a seven-game losing streak Friday in resounding fashion, scoring eight runs in the first and chasing Felix Hernandez after just one-third of an inning in a 10-0 victory.


Seattle (28-34) responded Saturday by plating five runs in the first and three more in the third off Collin McHugh in an 8-1 win after being shut out in its previous two games.


Logan Morrison homered twice, while Nelson Cruz had two hits and is batting .409 over his last six. Morrison's three-run shot in the first marked his first home run since May 12 before he added a two-run blast in the third.


He's hit safely in 18 of his last 19, raising his average from .219 to .258.


"It's unrealistic to think it's going to happen every day, but at the same time it has to happen more often for us," Morrison said. "We have a great team. We know it. We've got to find a way to be more consistent, not only with our at_bats but with our production. Hopefully this is a step in the right direction."


Runs could be more difficult to come by in this contest.


McCullers (2-1, 2.32 ERA) has been solid in five starts since making his major league debut May 18 against Oakland, striking out 36 and walking only six in 31 innings. The 21-year-old has especially found his groove in his last two outings.


The right-hander allowed one run and fanned 11 in a four-hitter to beat Baltimore 3-1 on June 3 before giving up three runs and striking out seven in seven innings of Monday's 3-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox.


McCullers is close friends with Carlos Correa, the former No. 1 pick who made his big league debut during McCullers' last outing. Correa hit two homers with at least one hit in his first four games before going 0 for 3 with a walk and two strikeouts Sunday.


Correa and the rest of the Astros lineup hopes for more production against Elias (3-3, 2.79), but they'll likely have to do it without Jose Altuve for a second straight game.


George Springer batted leadoff Sunday in place of Altuve, who hurt his hamstring in the first inning of the series opener.


"I have to be smart about this," Altuve told MLB's official website. "It's not going to be easy for me to sit on the bench, but I have to support my team from here."


Elias walked Altuve then allowed a two-run homer to Evan Gattis in the first inning May 1 before giving up a solo shot to Jake Marisnick in the second of Seattle's 4-3 loss.


The left-hander, who is 0-1 with a 2.60 ERA in three career starts against the Astros, will look to keep Houston off the board early this time.


He's allowed two runs or fewer in five of his last six starts, including Tuesday when he gave up one in six innings of a 3-2 win over Cleveland. Elias has given up more than three runs just once in nine outings.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Mariners at Astros
Fri, Jun 12 Final 0 to 10
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2


Mariners at Astros
Sat, Jun 13 Final 8 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Mariners at Astros
Sun, Jun 14 - 2:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Royals (34-24) at Cardinals (40-21)
Game: 3
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: June 14, 2015 2:15 PM EDT

Being 20 games over .500 isn't out of the ordinary for the St. Louis Cardinals. Being 20 over with 100 to play? That's something even the most successful franchise in the history of the NL hasn't accomplished very often.


St. Louis hasn't reached the mark this quickly since World War II, and it'll try to keep rolling Sunday by completing a three-game home sweep of the Kansas City Royals.


The Cardinals (41-21) reached 20 over for the first time this season with Saturday's 3-2 victory, doing so in 62 games. That's the fastest since the 1944 club did it in 54, which is one of nine teams in franchise history to beat the current club to the mark.


Six of those predate 1890, and two of the three since went on to win the World Series.


Manager Mike Matheny doesn't want his team to slow down to consider the accomplishments that have followed some serious adversity, including the offseason death of Oscar Taveras and current injuries to Adam Wainwright, Matt Adams, Lance Lynn and Matt Holliday.


"I'm proud of the fact that they're not getting distracted, because it's a story," Matheny said. "It's being fed to them from everybody on the outside, even some of their closest friends are saying, 'Hey, this amazing that this happened and that happened.'


"... As long as they don't buy into it, and they look at that lineup and say, 'We've got a plenty good team here to win today, and what we're doing is going to be enough.' And as soon as they back off that, we would be in trouble."


The most recent win featured a familiar formula with a starter limiting the Royals to two runs before the bullpen took over for four scoreless innings.


St. Louis has won three straight and 14 of 19 with a 2.13 ERA, a stretch that started with a 6-1 victory over Kansas City on May 24 that averted a three-game sweep. The bullpen has a 0.99 ERA in that stretch with one earned run allowed in 27 1-3 innings over 12 games this month.


The Royals (34-25) are 6-11 in that time with 2.4 runs per game.


"We're a good offensive team," left fielder Alex Gordon told MLB's official website. "We'll get out of this (offensive) slump."


Next up on the mound for the Cardinals is John Lackey, whose success this season has been entirely dependent on venue. Lackey (4-4, 3.74 ERA) is 4-1 with a 1.73 ERA in six home starts and has a 6.27 mark in six on the road.


Since being acquired at last season's trade deadline, the right-hander has gone 6-1 with a 2.02 ERA in 11 starts at Busch Stadium.


He gave up a career high-tying 10 runs and 12 hits in four innings of Monday's 11-3 loss at Colorado, his shortest outing of the year.


Chris Young's last start was the antithesis of that as the right-hander had a no-hitter going into the seventh of Tuesday's 2-0 victory at Minnesota. Young (5-2, 2.25) allowed one hit and issued three walks in 6 1-3 innings after surrendering 10 runs in 11 innings of back-to-back defeats.


He beat the Cardinals 5-0 on May 22 by allowing six hits in six innings to give him a 1-3 mark and a 2.93 ERA in six starts against them. Young has held Mark Reynolds (2 for 14 with five strikeouts), Jason Heyward (2 for 10) and Jhonny Peralta (0 for 5) in check.


Lackey faced the Royals the day after and allowed three runs in five innings of a 3-2 loss. He's gone 1-2 with a 5.09 ERA in his last three starts against Kansas City. Gordon is 7 for 14 with two home runs off him.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Royals at Cardinals
Fri, Jun 12 Final 0 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Royals at Cardinals
Sat, Jun 13 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Royals at Cardinals
Sun, Jun 14 - 2:15PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Twins (33-27) at Rangers (32-29)
Game: 3
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: June 14, 2015 3:05 PM EDT

The Minnesota Twins sure look as if they could use a spark during their worst stretch of the season. Maybe baseball's top prospect can provide it.


Byron Buxton will be in center field for Minnesota in Sunday's series finale against the Texas Rangers.


The Twins (33-28) have dropped five straight, scoring two runs or fewer in the first four of those losses. They're 3-9 this month while hitting .207 after going a major league-best 20-7 with a .276 average in May.


Buxton's arrival should at least bring some energy for Minnesota, which announced during Saturday's game that it would purchase the outfielder's contract from Double-A Chattanooga and he would join the team Sunday.


Widely considered baseball's No. 1 prospect, Buxton is hitting .283 with 25 extra-base hits, 20 stolen bases in 22 attempts and 37 RBIs in 59 games for Chattanooga. Named a Southern League All-Star on Tuesday, the second overall pick heads to Texas having gone 14 for 30 during an eight-game hitting streak for the Lookouts.


The move appears to be prompted by the absence of outfielders Torii Hunter and Aaron Hicks. Hunter sat Saturday after dropping his appeal of a two-game suspension for his tirade earlier in the week, while Hicks was scratched with a sore elbow.


Minnesota staged a late rally with four ninth-inning runs in Saturday's 11-7 loss, but was outhit 15-9.


Texas (33-29) scored six in the fourth, led by back-to-back homers from Mitch Moreland and Joey Gallo. The club is averaging 6.9 runs while winning seven of eight at home.


Nick Martinez (5-2, 2.65 ERA) was excellent in Tuesday's 2-1 win at Oakland, surrendering one hit and three walks in six innings. He was six days removed from surrendering a season-worst seven runs in just 3 1-3 innings of a 9-2 defeat.


"I'm back to the type of pitcher I am, just attacking hitters to both sides of the plate and working off that," Martinez said. "In my last outing I had trouble finding it. It was a great way to bounce back."


The right-hander didn't allow a home run for the first time in four starts and is 4-0 in the eight starts in which he's kept the ball in the yard.


Martinez didn't record a decision in his only matchup with Minnesota as a rookie, allowing four runs and nine hits over 5 2-3 innings of a 5-4 road victory on May 29, 2014.


Phil Hughes (4-6, 4.81) is trying to avoid losing a third straight start after suffering defeats against Boston and Kansas City. It's been a turbulent season for Hughes, who started the year with four straight losses before going 4-0 in his next six.


Hughes' fate has largely been decided by the Twins' bats, though, as he's 0-6 when he receives two runs or fewer of support He was saddled with the loss in Monday's 3-1 defeat against Kansas City after allowing three runs in 7 2-3 innings, his second-longest outing of the season.


"(I'm) still not where I want to be and not where I have to be if we want to continue down this path of winning baseball," he told MLB's official website.


The right-hander is 0-3 with a 4.06 ERA in his last five starts versus Texas after winning his first two career matchups while throwing 14 1-3 scoreless innings.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Twins at Rangers
Fri, Jun 12 Final 2 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Twins at Rangers
Sat, Jun 13 Final 7 to 11
Boxscores


GAME 3
Twins at Rangers
Sun, Jun 14 - 3:05PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Diamondbacks (28-32) at Giants (34-28)
Game: 3
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: June 14, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

Chris Heston's no-hitter wasn't the first solid start of his young career, though it certainly could go down as his most memorable. What he'd like to forget is how poorly he pitched following his other fantastic outings.


The 27-year-old rookie now looks to help the San Francisco Giants avoid their longest home losing streak in nearly 22 years when he takes the mound against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Sunday's series finale.


Heston (6-4, 3.77 ERA) struck out 11, allowed only two balls out of the infield and overcame three hit batters to no-hit the New York Mets in a 5-0 victory Tuesday. It marked the first no-hitter in the majors this season and came in just his 13th career start.


"This has got to be No. 1, probably right next to my first big league appearance (a relief effort Sept. 13)," Heston said. "Definitely something I'll remember forever."


Reveling in his success could cost him again, though. Heston's best start prior to the no-no came May 12 when he allowed one run and two hits while striking out 10 in a complete-game, 8-1 victory over Houston.


However, he was chased before recording an out in the third inning after allowing five runs in his next outing against Cincinnati on May 17, then gave up six runs to Colorado five days later. On three other occasions, the right-hander has allowed one run or fewer only to give up at least five in his next start.


"Honestly, I think it's just a matter of him just kind of trying to find his way right now," catcher Buster Posey said. "He's still early in his career in establishing what type of pitcher he's going to be. And it's something that we all go through when we first get to the majors."


Rubby De La Rosa knows the ups and downs continue in the later years, too. He'll try to overcome his current struggles while handing the Giants (34-29) an eight straight home loss for the first time since Sept. 7-15, 1993.


De La Rosa (4-3, 5.84) is 0-1 with a 10.29 ERA in four starts since giving up two runs in nine innings of Arizona's 3-2, 13-inning win over Miami on May 18. He gave up seven runs against Atlanta on June 3 and nine over five innings of Monday's 9-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.


The right-hander has given up two homers in five of his 12 outings, including each of the last three. Manager Chip Hale said he plans to keep De La Rosa in the rotation despite another disastrous start.


"He's one of our guys," Hale said. "We're in a situation here where we're trying to win games, and also trying to develop guys along the way. And with Rubby's stuff and his changeup and his velocity, we feel like he's worth the development. So we're just going to keep working with him and get him better."


De La Rosa has struggled against the Giants as well this season, allowing 10 runs and 17 hits over 12 innings in two April starts. The Diamondbacks (29-32), though, have held San Francisco to three runs while winning the last three meetings.


"The offense right now, we're out of sync," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy, whose club has hit .135 over its last three games. "The first five innings we looked dead."


Arizona snapped a four-game skid with a 1-0 victory in Friday's series opener before scoring three in the first inning of Saturday's 4-2 win.


The Diamondbacks have won five of the last six matchups at AT&T Park.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Giants
Fri, Jun 12 Final 1 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Giants
Sat, Jun 13 Final 4 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Giants
Sun, Jun 14 - 4:05PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Dodgers (36-26) at Padres (32-32)
Game: 3
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: June 14, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

Mike Bolsinger credits an increase in confidence for his surprising run since securing a spot in the Los Angeles Dodgers' rotation.


The San Diego Padres had the misfortune of seeing him at his best.


The right-hander takes the mound as the Dodgers look to deal James Shields his first defeat of the season in Sunday's series finale at Petco Park.


Bolsinger (4-1, 2.08 ERA) has allowed two runs or fewer in six of his seven starts, most recently allowing two runs and three hits while striking out eight over seven innings in a 9-3 win over Arizona on Monday.


The Diamondbacks traded Bolsinger to the Dodgers (36-26) in the offseason and he's only held a rotation spot since being recalled from the minors May 12.


"In Arizona, it had more to do with me," said Bolsinger, who went 1-6 with a 5.50 ERA in 10 games as a rookie in 2014. "I went out there with a bad mentality. I'd have a bad start and thought: 'If I pitched bad, I'm going to get sent down.' But you can't think like that. It's crazy to see how much I've kind of grown up mentally in just one year. My mentality is so different than it was last year."


San Diego hasn't noticed too drastic of a change. Bolsinger gave up two runs and three hits in six innings while with Arizona the first time he faced the Padres (32-32) on June 29 before suffering a tough 2-1 loss.


The right-hander was even better May 23, giving up a leadoff single in the first then retiring the final 23 batters he faced while striking out eight in a 2-0 win in the best start of his short career.


James Shields turned in his own solid effort the following day, giving up three runs in seven innings to beat the Dodgers 11-3. He allowed two runs and struck out eight in six innings the first time he faced Los Angeles on April 6, and he'll look to continue his unbeaten run in this contest.


Shields (7-0, 3.79), the only pitcher in the majors with at least seven starts not to suffer a loss, rolled through five innings against Atlanta on Tuesday, then was charged with five runs and was removed with one out in the sixth of San Diego's 6-5 loss.


The right-hander went 3-0 with a 2.73 ERA in his previous five outings.


"For the most part I was making pitches all night long and keeping them off balance the best I could," Shields said. "But like I said, we're up 5-0 going into that inning. I need to do a better job bearing down out there."


Justin Upton came through Saturday, homering with two outs in the eighth to give the Padres a 2-1 victory. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly challenged that a fan reached over the wall, but the homer was upheld after a short review.


Upton has five home runs - including a grand slam - and 15 RBIs in 11 games against the Dodgers this season.


"That's what makes the game fun, when you are in pressure situations," Upton said. "I think you ask most guys and they enjoy those situations."


NL West-leading Los Angeles had a four-game winning streak snapped. Yasmani Grandal, whom the Padres traded for Matt Kemp in the offseason, homered against his former team.


The Dodgers are just 4-8 on the road since May 19.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Dodgers at Padres
Fri, Jun 12 Final 4 to 3
Boxscores


GAME 2
Dodgers at Padres
Sat, Jun 13 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Dodgers at Padres
Sun, Jun 14 - 4:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Athletics (25-39) at Angels (32-30)
Game: 3
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: June 14, 2015 3:35 PM EDT

Though the Oakland Athletics are mired in another rough road stretch, Sonny Gray has been quite good away from the Coliseum. He's also consistently shut down Albert Pujols.


Riding a 13-inning road scoreless stretch, the right-hander tries to help the A's avoid a season-high sixth consecutive defeat away from home Sunday against Pujols and the Los Angeles Angels.


After managing a season-low two hits during Saturday's 1-0 defeat, Oakland (25-39) has batted .216 and totaled 12 runs over its last five road contests. The A's, who last dropped six straight on the road in 2011, have lost at least four in a row away from home three times in 2015.


Despite those struggles, Oakland starters have a 2.05 ERA in the last three games.


The AL ERA leader, Gray (7-3, 1.74) is 4-1 with a 1.85 ERA in seven road starts while receiving an average of 7.0 runs of support. He's yielded six hits, one walk and no runs over those 13 innings to win his last two.


Gray returned home Tuesday and gave up two runs over six innings of a 2-1 defeat to Texas.


'If that's a bad game, then I'll take it any day,' said manager Bob Melvin, whose team has lost six of eight. 'Every game he pitches, we're either in or we're winning it.'


Home or away, Gray has been awfully tough while posting a 1.64 ERA to win two of his last three against Los Angeles (32-30). Both victories have come while giving up three runs over 15 innings this season.


Pujols, 2 for 19 against Gray, has batted .373 with 10 home runs and 16 RBIs in his last 15 games. His first-inning shot Saturday was the difference for the Angels, winners of three straight and four of five.


'I probably threw too many fastballs in that sequence. That's on me,' losing pitcher Kendall Graveman said about the homer to Pujols, the sixth player in Angels history to homer at least 10 times in a 15-game span and the first since Mo Vaughn in 2000.


While Gray's been strong on the road, Matt Shoemaker (4-4, 4.86) has yielded one run over 12 1-3 innings while not getting a decision in his last two home starts after going 0-3 with a 9.45 ERA in his first three. The right-hander's most recent outing came at Tampa on Tuesday when he gave up two runs in 6 1-3 innings of an 8-2 victory.


"Earlier in the season (it was) a little rough, but fixed my focus, more execution and just go from there," Shoemaker, 1-0 with a 1.45 ERA in his last three outings, told MLB's official website. "It's baseball, and I've got to go out there ... and be ready to go again."


He's 0-1 with an 8.31 ERA in two starts against the A's this season. Marcus Semien, who doubled Saturday, went 4 for 5 with two doubles and one home run against Shoemaker in those contests.


After closing out victories each of the last two nights, Huston Street has a 1.26 ERA while converting all 12 save chances against the A's.


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Athletics at Angels
Fri, Jun 12 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Athletics at Angels
Sat, Jun 13 Final 0 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Athletics at Angels
Sun, Jun 14 - 3:35PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Reds (28-33) at Cubs (33-27)
Game: 4
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: June 14, 2015 8:08 PM EDT

The starting pitchers for the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds in their series finale landed with their clubs this offseason by very different means.


The one riding a three-start winning streak isn't the one who signed a six-year, $155 million deal, while the one on a three-start losing streak isn't the one who was acquired in a modest trade.


Jon Lester and Anthony DeSclafani battle Sunday night at Wrigley Field with the Cubs seeking a third win in the four-game set, while the Reds continue to struggle on the road.


Lester (4-5, 4.25 ERA) is winless in four starts and has posted a 10.61 ERA in the last two after surrendering five runs and nine hits in 4 1-3 innings of Tuesday's 6-0 loss in Detroit, which matched his shortest outing of the year.


The only time the left-hander lost four straight starts was in 2010.


"I don't want him to feel like he got beat up (in his last start), because he didn't," manager Joe Maddon told MLB's official website. "It wasn't like he was making awful pitches, because he wasn't. He may not have been on top of his game, but I thought his stuff was pretty good early on in that game."


Lester has failed to get a decision while posting a 6.75 ERA in two starts against the Reds this season. He never faced them while in the AL.


DeSclafani (5-4, 3.53), who came from Miami in the Mat Latos deal, is unbeaten in four starts and his three straight wins have come after he earned a total of three over his first 14 starts in the majors. The right-hander gave up two runs and 10 hits in 6 1-3 innings of Tuesday's 11-2 home win over Philadelphia.


DeSclafani has done his best work on the road in his two seasons in the majors, going 5-2 with a 2.54 ERA as opposed to 2-4 with a 6.09 at home. He's 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA in three starts against the Cubs, two of which have come with the Reds. He yielded just one earned run over 12 innings in those outings.


Chicago's Anthony Rizzo (0 for 8), Starlin Castro (1 for 7) and Kris Bryant (0 for 3) haven't had any success against DeSclafani, but Miguel Montero is 2 for 4 with a home run.


The Chicago catcher also homered in Saturday's 4-3 walk-off win, giving him three in the last four games while going 7 for 15. He also has three home runs in his past four against Cincinnati while going 6 for 14 with seven RBIs in that span.


Bryant was 3 for 4 with three runs to give the rookie his second hitting streak of at least 10 games in his first 52 in the majors.


Joey Votto homered Saturday for the Reds and has seven while batting .357 in his last 15 contests.


Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips (groin) has been out of the starting lineup for three straight games, and it sounds like he could be out again Sunday.


"Until I see him make more explosive movements, I don't think he'll start," manager Bryan Price said.


The Cubs (33-27) have won nine of 11 against the Reds (28-33) dating to last season.


Cincinnati has dropped 11 of its last 13 on the road, averaging 2.8 runs. The Reds are 19-49 away from home since June 30 to tie Colorado for the worst road record in that span.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Reds at Cubs
Thu, Jun 11 Final 3 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Reds at Cubs
Fri, Jun 12 Final 5 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Reds at Cubs
Sat, Jun 13 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores


GAME 4
Reds at Cubs
Sun, Jun 14 - 8:08PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Diamond Trends - Sunday


June 14, 2015




SU TREND OF THE DAY:


-- The Mets are 12-0 SU on since Sep 28, 2014 as a favorite and it is the last game of the series.


PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:


-- When Jorge De La Rosa starts the Rockies are 10-0 since May 12, 2013 after he had a WHIP of less than one his last start for a net profit of $1090.


MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:


-- The Nationals are 13-3 since June 10, 2014 coming off a 5+ run win against this opponent.


CHOICE TREND:


-- The Cardinals are 10-0 SU on since Oct 07, 2014 at home and it is the last game of the series.


ACTIVE TRENDS:


-- When John Lackey starts the Cardinals are 0-10 OU since August 03, 2014 after his team lost the last time he started for a net profit of $1005 when playing the under.

 

[CNOTES]

LEADING OFF: No-hit Heston vs. D-Backs, Toronto tries for 11


June 13, 2015


A look at what's happening all around the major leagues today:


HE'S HERE


Byron Buxton, considered by many the top prospect in the minors, is set to make his major league debut and start in center field for Minnesota. The 21-year-old was promoted from Double-A Chattanooga for the series finale in Texas. Buxton was the second overall pick in the 2012 amateur draft - the top choice was shortstop Carlos Correa, who made his big league debut for Houston on Monday. Buxton was hitting .283 with 12 triples, 20 steals and a Southern League-high 44 runs this year.


HESTON'S HILL


Giants rookie Chris Heston faces the Diamondbacks in his first start since pitching a no-hitter at the New York Mets. The 27-year-old righty accomplished the feat in his 13th major league start, and didn't throw a pitch over 91 mph. When Heston returned to AT&T Park in San Francisco, he had a new locker stall among aces such as Madison Bumgarner and Matt Cain. ''I guess I moved up in the real estate,'' Heston said. Johnny Vander Meer remains the only pitcher to throw consecutive no-hitters, in 1938 with Cincinnati.


BLUE JAYS FLY


Toronto goes for its 11th straight win, which would match the team's best streak since an 11-game run in June 2013. The Blue Jays go for a sweep at Fenway Park and will take on rookie sensation Eduardo Rodriguez - since making his big league debut last month, he's given up one run and eight hits while striking out 21 in 20 2-3 innings. Boston has lost five in a row.


OH, K!


White Sox star Chris Sale will try to become the first pitcher to strike out at least 12 in four straight starts since Pedro Martinez in 2001. Heading into the game at Tropicana Field, the lefty has given up one run and fanned 39 in his last three starts. He goes against Tampa Bay, which has won seven in a row vs. left-handed starters.


AWAITING ALTUVE


Houston second baseman Jose Altuve might need another day to recover after straining his right hamstring trying to beat out a grounder. He didn't play Saturday vs. Seattle, having been hurt Friday. The All-Star who led the majors in batting last year is hitting .290 with 27 RBIs and 17 steals for the AL West leaders.


SHIELD HIM


James Shields has given up 15 home runs this season, one behind major league leader Kyle Kendrick. Yet Big Game James has found a way to prevent those homers from really hurting him. He's 7-0 with a 3.79 ERA in 13 starts during his first year with the Padres. He'll pitch vs. the visiting Dodgers

 

[CNOTES]

Holy $hit betting stat of the day: Under wagers have cashed in all of Elias' starts this season


Under wagers are scorching hot in Seattle Mariners pitcher Roenis Elias' starts this season, going 9-0 in all nine starts heading into Sunday's showdown against Lance McCullers and the Houston Astros.
The Cuban southpaw is 3-3 with an ERA of 2.79 and a WHIP of 1.24 in nine starts this season, but the Mariners are just 3-6 in those starts. They've scored just 24 runs combined in the eight games the 26-year-old has started.


Both the Mariners and their opponents in Elias' starts are combining to average just 5.4 runs in those games.


With Elias and McCullers toeing the rubber Sunday, oddsmakers at some online books opened the total at 7.5. As of early Sunday morning, the total stood at 8

 

[CNOTES]

Quality starts making Rangers a hot under play


The Texas Rangers' rotation has turned in nine straight quality starts, the franchise's longest string since 1992, and the under has been a hot wager thanks to the efforts from the pitching staff.


The Under has gone 7-2 in those previous nine ball games, which includes a five-game under streak in the first five games.


Next up, the Rangers turn to Nicholas Martinez, who contributed to the quality starts streak with six innings of one-hit ball in a 2-1 victory over the Oakland A's back on June 4. Martinez will go up against Phil Hughes and the Minnesota Twins in Arlington Sunday afternoon.

 

[CNOTES]

Gray has been spectacular during day games


Oakland A's ace Sonny Gray has been spectacular no matter what the time of day is, but he's been sensational during day games. In four starts under the sun, Gray is 2-1 with a 0.69 ERA. He's allowed just two earned runs over 26 innings of work in those four starts.


Gray will get the ball Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles as the A's tangle with the Angels. The A's are 5-2 in Gray's last seven starts versus the Halos, including wins in both of Gray's starts versus their AL West rivals this season.

 

[CNOTES]

Home team cashing bets with this umpire working


The home team has won the last six ball games when umpire Andy Fletcher is working home plate heading into Sunday's action. Fletcher will be at Camden Yards in Baltimore working home plate as the Orioles host the New York Yankees Sunday afternoon.


Fletcher ranks as the ninth-best homer umpire according to our MLB umpire stats this season. The home team has gone 9-3 in his 12 games with the home team averaging 5.42 runs per game and the visitors averaging 4.25.


Sportsbooks operated by Boyd Gaming have opened the Orioles at -115.

 

[CNOTES]

Kluber, Indians struggling against AL Central rivals


The Cleveland Indians have posted an abysmal record of 0-7 in seven ball games this season against rivals from the American League Central with ace Corey Kluber starting.


Kluber will give it another shot when he takes the mound against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park Sunday afternoon. He has one start under his belt against the Tigers this season. The righty tossed 6 1/3 innings allowing two earned runs, but the Indians lost 9-6.


The Indians are presently -128 road favorites against the Tigers, who are expected to give the ball to Alfredo Simon.

 

[CNOTES]

Indians place DH Swisher on DL


Jun 14, 2015


The Cleveland Indians placed designated hitter/outfielder Nick Swisher on the 15-day disabled list Sunday with knee inflammation.


Swisher underwent bilateral knee surgery last August and began his season on May 3. In 30 games in 2015, he has batted .198 with four doubles, two home runs and eight RBIs in 30 games.


The club also called up infielder Francisco Lindor from Triple-A Columbus.


Lindor, 21, has spent the entire season with the Clippers where he has hit .281 with 11 doubles, five triples, two home runs and 22 RBIs in 58 games. He was selected by Cleveland in the first round (eighth overall) of the 2011 draft.

 

[CNOTES]

Total dropping in Royals-Cardinals matchup


Books have lowered the total in the Kansas City Royals-St. Louis Cardinals matchup to 7 from the opening 7.5 as of Sunday morning.


The two clubs finish up a three-game series at Busch Stadium Sunday afternoon. The first two games both resulted in cashed Under wagers with the Cards prevailing 4-0 and 3-2 in the first two games respectively.


Chris Young is the probable starter for the Royals while John Lackey is expected to start for the Cardinals.

 

[CNOTES]

Report: Indians' top prospect Lindor to make debut Sunday


Jun 13, 2015


The Cleveland Indians are expected to promote their top prospect in time to play Sunday against the Detorit Tigers.


Shortstop Francisco Lindor is rated by Baseball Prospectus as the fourth-best prospect in all of baseball.


Multiple reports Saturday night said Lindor indeed had been called up and would make his major-league debut Sunday.


The 21-year-old Lindor was hitting .279 at Triple-A Columbus with two home runs, 22 RBIs and eight stolen bases.

 

[CNOTES]

Twins call up OF Buxton


Jun 13, 2015


Byron Buxton, considered the top prospect in the Minnesota Twins' organization, will make his major league debut on Sunday against the Texas Rangers.


The outfielder, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 draft, was batting .283 with six home runs, 37 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 22 attempts in 59 games for Double-A Chattanooga this season. His 12 triples lead the Southern League


Buxton, who was hitting .370 in 46 at-bats this month at Chattanooga, said the call to the big leagues was out of the blue.


"I had none at all," Buxton said. "Definitely unexpected. Really caught me by surprise. I was shocked. When I heard my name, a lot of joy and happiness went through me. Just blessed and thankful that I got the opportunity to get called up to The Show."


The 21-year-old Buxton experienced an injury-filled 2014 season. In August, he suffered a concussion during a crash in the outfield playing in the minor leagues and then dislocated a finger while diving for a ball during the Arizona Fall League in October.


The Twins, currently in second place in the American League Central, will make a move before Sunday's game to clear roster space for Buxton.

 

[CNOTES]

MLB roundup: Blue Jays win 10th straight


Jun 14, 2015


BOSTON -- The Toronto Blue Jays blew a four-run lead but pulled out their 10th straight victory when Russell Martin hit a leadoff home run in the 11th inning to give his team a 5-4 victory over the staggering Boston Red Sox on Saturday at Fenway Park.


Martin hit a 2-0 pitch from right-hander Matt Barnes (2-2) for his 10th home run of the season as the Jays won 10 in a row for the first time since an 11-game streak two years ago.


Martin's home run made a winner of left-hander Aaron Loup (2-3), with left-hander Brett Cecil pitching the bottom of the 11th for his fourth save.


The Red Sox, in last place in the American League East, lost their fifth straight game and fell a season-worst nine games under .500.


Mariners 8, Astros 1


HOUSTON -- Left-hander Mike Montgomery delivered another quality start for an injury-ravaged rotation as Seattle used a five-run first inning to end a seven-game losing streak at Minute Maid Park.


Montgomery (1-1) gave up one run, six hits and three walks in six innings, his third consecutive start of at least six innings with two or fewer earned runs.


Logan Morrison hit a three-run homer in the first and a two-run homer in the third. It was his third career multi-homer game, and his five RBIs matched his career best.


Rays 5, White Sox 4


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Tampa Bay got two runs on three singles and a key reversal with two out in the bottom of the eighth to beat Chicago.


Jake Elmore hit an infield single deep to shortstop, and Alexei Ramirez's flip to second missed wide, allowing Steven Souza to score the go-ahead run.


Souza had been called out trying to steal second to seemingly end the inning, but the call was reversed on replay. He had tied the game with an RBI single to bring in David DeJesus.


Marlins 4, Rockies 1


MIAMI -- Giancarlo Stanton drove in all four runs and Mat Latos tied a season high with 11 strikeouts, leading Miami past Colorado.


Stanton leads the major leagues with 23 homers and 59 RBIs. In the bottom of the first inning, he hit a towering two-run double to left field that bounced high off the wall and eluded left fielder Corey Dickerson.


The Marlins' bats were silent until Stanton electrified the crowd with a long two-run home run to left in the sixth inning. It was his 10th home run in the past 14 games.


Nationals 7, Brewers 2


MILWAUKEE -- Bryce Harper drove in two runs and had three hits, Yunel Escobar and Wilson Ramos homered and Joe Ross secured his first major-league victory as Washington defeated Milwaukee.


Harper's two-out walk in the fourth inning allowed Washington to break the game open against Brewers right-hander Jimmy Nelson, who followed the walk by giving up a two-run homer to Ramos that made it 5-2.


Harper reached base five times but left the game after taking a pitch on the left knee in the ninth inning.


Pirates 4, Phillies 3


PITTSBURGH -- Right-hander Gerrit Cole gave up two runs in six innings to get his major-league-best 10th victory as Pittsburgh beat Philadelphia.


Cole (10-2) yielded two runs (one earned) on five hits in six innings. He struck out seven and walked none.


Philadelphia (22-41) owns the worst road record in baseball at 7-25 and has lost 18 of its last 23 games.


Cardinals 3, Royals 2


ST. LOUIS -- Tyler Lyons earned his first victory in more than two years by allowing only three hits over five innings as St. Louis defeated Kansas City.


It was Lyons' first win since May 28, 2013, when he beat Kansas City 4-1 in his second career start. Since that game, Lyons had gone 0-8 in 13 starts across three seasons.


Lyons, recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Friday when Lance Lynn was placed on the disabled list, struck out six and walked one in helping the Cardinals move 20 games over .500 at 41-21.


Braves 5, Mets 3 (11)


NEW YORK -- Center fielder Cameron Maybin's two-run single in the top of the 11th inning capped a comeback by Atlanta, which won for just the fifth time in 12 games this month.


New York had a two-game winning streak snapped.


The Braves trailed 3-1 in the ninth but tied the score with four singles off right-hander Hansel Robles and left-hander Alex Torres, including back-to-back two-out RBI hits by Maybin and first baseman Freddie Freeman.


Indians 5, Tigers 4


DETROIT -- Yan Gomes hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly with one out in the sixth inning and added an RBI double in the eighth as Cleveland spoiled the season debut of Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander.


Right-hander Cody Allen got the last four outs for his 14th save.


Verlander (0-1) gave up only three hits in five innings, with two walks and two strikeouts. He threw 87 pitches and was strong through the first four, spotting a fastball that reached 94 mph and mixing it with changeups, curves and sliders. Verlander had been out because of a sore right triceps.


Rangers 11, Twins 7


ARLINGTON, Texas -- Mitch Moreland drove in four runs ans Shin-Soo Choo knocked in three as Texas moved 1 1/2 games behind Houston in the American League West.


The Rangers broke open a 3-3 game with six runs in the fourth, including a three-run homer by Moreland and a solo shot by Joey Gallo.


Eddie Rosario drove in two runs for the Twins.


Diamondbacks 4, Giants 2


SAN FRANCISCO -- Right-hander Allen Webster allowed two runs and two hits in 5 2/3 innings in his Arizona debut as the Diamondbacks improved to 5-1 at AT&T Park this season.


Giants right-hander Ryan Vogelsong lasted just 3 2/3 innings, his second shortest start of the season, and lost his third straight game. He allowed four runs and six hits, walked five and struck out just one.


Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt and David Peralta each went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run.


Orioles 9, Yankees 4


BALTIMORE -- Nolam Reimold and Manny Machado each hit two-run homers and Machado tied a career high with four RBIs as Baltimore extended its winning streak to six.


Matt Wieters and Ryan Flaherty each had two hits and scored twice for the Orioles, who have won eight of their last nine and made it over .500 for the first time since May 4.


New York's Chase Headley went 3-for-5 with two runs and Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run homer.


Angels 1, Athletics 0


ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Albert Pujols hit his 10th home run in 15 games and C.J. Wilson allowed two hits in seven innings to lead Los Angeles over Oakland.


Wilson (4-5) matched his season high with eight strikeouts, induced eight groundouts and did not concede a run for the first time since April 7.


Pujols gave the Angels a 1-0 lead in the first with his 18th home run of the season and the 538th of his career. The drive gave Pujols 1,636 career RBIs, tying him with Hall of Famer Ernie Banks for 29th place all time.


Padres 2, Dodgers 1


SAN DIEGO -- Justin Upton snapped a 1-1 tie with a two-out homer in the eighth inning that lifted San Diego over Los Angeles and ace Zack Greinke.


Upton's 13th home run of the season carried 406 feet to the entrance to the Padres bullpen. It halted the Dodgers' four-game winning streak and gave the Padres only their fourth win in 11 games against the Dodgers this season.


The win was the Padres' first against Greinke, who entered with a 5-0 record against them with a 1.53 ERA in 10 starts. He allowed two runs and eight hits in eight innings.


Cubs 4, Reds 3


CHICAGO -- Starlin Castro singled home Kris Bryant in the bottom of the ninth inning to send Chicago past Cincinnati.


Castro lined a 1-0 pitch to center for the winner to end a long night that included a two-hour, 48-minute rain delay. Bryant doubled to center off Tony Cingrani (0-3) to lead off the ninth and Miguel Montero was hit by a pitch before Castro came through with the big hit.


Jason Mott (3-1) pitched a scoreless ninth for the Cubs. Montero hit a two-run homer in the in the second that gave Chicago a 2-0 lead.

 

[CNOTES]

LeBron says Cavs will stay course, not panic


Jun 13, 2015


The Cleveland Cavaliers aren't panicking after losing Game 4 in the NBA Finals at home. They plan to stay the course as the series shifts to Golden State on Sunday night.


The Warriors surprised the Cavs on Thursday night by going with a smaller lineup, starting Andre Iguodala in place of Andrew Bogut, and came away with a win that evened the best-of-seven series at two games each.


Cavs forward LeBron James said Saturday that the Cavaliers won't do anything drastic for Game 5 at Oracle Arena.


"We're going to play our game," James said. "We've gotten to this point by playing the way we play, and we're not going to change. We'll make adjustments throughout the game, but we won't change our starting lineup."


The Cavs have been forced to alter their lineup throughout the playoffs because of injuries to Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving and when J.R. Smith was suspended. Tristan Thompson replaced Love, Matthew Dellavedova took over for Irving and Iman Shumpert subbed for Smith.


"Well, I think that we've made more than our share of adjustments throughout the course of the entire playoffs, not only in this series," Cavaliers coach David Blatt said. "Every game brings out new things and certainly presents new challenges.


"If you look at the one game, it makes you think, 'OK, we've got to change this, that and the other thing.' If you look at the four games, in three out of four of those games we were pretty good doing the things that we did. So I think you'll see a combination of both of those possibilities. We've got to continue to do certain things really well. What we need to change, we will."


The Cavs have used primarily a seven-man rotation, but that could expand as the series progresses. Blatt possibly could turn to veterans Shawn Marion or Mike Miller.


"We've got a lot of experienced players on our roster and a lot of guys have been through these battles before," Blatt said. "Some of the guys have not played a whole lot. Our results have been pretty good as we've been playing, but, again, I believe in those guys and their ability to step in, if necessary, and do what needs to be done."


Warriors coach Steve Kerr wasn't tipping his hand about his lineup, saying he lied about it Thursday "so however I answer right now, you shouldn't believe me anyway."


James expects the Cavs to be ready for the Warriors' smaller lineup.


"You've got a guy that's primarily on the perimeter (Iguodala) in Game 4 versus guarding a guy that's always in the paint (Bogut), for the most part, unless he's initiating offense," James said. "So it's definitely a different change for us. But I think we'll be much more prepared for it [Sunday] night if they go with the same lineup."