Friday 7/15/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (45-43) at Tigers (46-43)

Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: July 15, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

DETROIT -- The best teams in the American League Central Division in recent years wallowed in mediocrity prior to the All-Star break. Both will be seeking to jump start their seasons when they face each other for a three-game weekend series.

Injuries and spotty starting pitching left Kansas City and Detroit hovering around the .500 mark for a good portion of the season. The Tigers trail pitching-rich Cleveland by 6 1/2 games, with the Royals a half-game behind them and tied with the Chicago White Sox in third place.

Kansas City's lineup has been in a state of flux since collision between third baseman Mike Moustakas and left fielder Alex Gordon on May 22. Moustakas suffered a season-ending knee injury and Gordon fractured his wrist.

Gordon has returned to the lineup but the Royals entered the break with dynamic center fielder Lorenzo Cain (hamstring) and top closer Wade Davis (forearm strain) on the 15-day disabled list. Both are expected to return shortly, perhaps as early as this weekend.

The Royals are hopeful their run of bad luck is behind them.

"If there's a team that can put together a run, it's us," first baseman Eric Hosmer told MLB.com. "We've had a weird first half. It's definitely been inconsistent. It seems like anytime we get someone back then someone else goes down. It's just been kind of tough."

Hosmer comes into the second half on an emotional high after winning the All-Star Game MVP award. Hosmer and catcher Salvador Perez put the AL in front with second-inning homers.

"I felt like a proud papa there in the second inning after those two guys gave us the lead," Royals and All-Star manager Ned Yost said during the postgame press conference. "It's been a long time since I've been that proud of two players in a moment like that."

Ian Kennedy will start the series opener on Friday at Comerica Park. Kennedy (6-7, 3.97 ERA) has pitched well recently, averaging six innings and two earned runs in his last three starts while striking out 29 batters. He's winless in four career starts against Detroit, posting a 0-3 record and 4.94 ERA.

Detroit has been streaky throughout the season. It finished its pre-All-Star break campaign on a down note, losing five of its last seven after winning the first four games of an 11-game road swing. The Tigers are also 2-5 against the Royals this season, though all of those games were played in Kansas City.

"Any time you have a winning trip you're happy about it," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said to the Detroit Free Press. "But when you win the first four and then end up losing five of the next seven, you're not real excited."

The Tigers come out of the break still missing right fielder J.D. Martinez and two-fifths of their rotation. Martinez fractured his right elbow when he ran into a wall chasing a foul ball in Kansas City on June 16th. Starters Jordan Zimmermann (neck strain) and Daniel Norris (oblique strain) also begin the second half on the disabled list.

Without that duo, Ausmus was forced to put struggling Anibal Sanchez back in the rotation. Sanchez was the losing pitcher at Toronto on Sunday.

"Starting pitching needs to be better overall," Ausmus told MLB.com. "If we can get some of these guys back, like Zimmermann and Norris, get some health in the starting rotation; that obviously would be a big boost. We don't expect them to miss much time going into the second half, but we still have to get them back on the mound before we know exactly who we have in the rotation."

Ausmus will go with Justin Verlander, who has won six of his last eight decisions, on Friday. Verlander has 21 career wins against Kansas City, his most against any opponent. He's 21-8 with a 3.26 ERA overall against the Royals.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockies (40-48) at Braves (31-58)

Game: 1
Venue: Turner Field
Date: July 15, 2016 7:35 PM EDT

ATLANTA -- If the Atlanta Braves have any chance to avoid losing 100 games, their best opportunity begins now.

The Braves open the second half at home with a three-game series against Colorado.

Journeyman right-hander Lucas Harrell (1-0, 1.32) will pitch the series opener on Friday against veteran Colorado right-hander Jorge De La Rosa (5-6, 5.74).

This will be the last visit to Turner Field for the Rockies.

Coming out of the break, the Braves (31-58) have 16 straight games against teams with losing records. Seven of those games are against Colorado, the third-place team in the N.L. West. Three games are against Cincinnati, the last-place team in the N.L. Central. Two games are against Minnesota, the last-place team in the A.L. Central. Three are against Philadelphia, the team ahead of Atlanta in the East.

Atlanta needs to win 32 of its final 73 games to avoid its first 100-loss season since 1988. That would require the Braves to at least got 32-41, a .438 winning percentage. Atlanta had a .348 winning percentage before the All-Star break.

Atlanta hopes Harrell can give them another good outing.

He has been impressive in two turns since joining the rotation when John Gant suffered an injured oblique. He allowed one run over six innings in his first start against the Marlins, then pitched into the eighth inning and allowed one run against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

De La Rosa has made four straight quality starts and has a 2.61 ERA since he was reinstated in the starting rotation on June 14. But he has not pitched well against the Braves throughout his career, posting a 6.54 ERA. He started twice against Atlanta last season and allowed seven runs over 13 innings.

The Rockies (40-48) are trying to chase the N.L. West-leading Giants, who have a league-leading 57 wins. Colorado is 16 games out of first and seven games out of the wild card.

They have struggled to score runs, despite the presence of all-stars Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez and rookie sensation Trevor Story. Colorado has dropped 12 of 18 games since June 21 and has scored 19 runs in its last seven road games.

"We have to get out of this hole we dug ourselves into," Colorado first baseman Mark Reynolds said.

Atlanta has been the worst offensive team in the National League for most of the first half, but can take solace that first baseman Freddie Freeman has found a groove. In his last 26 games, Freeman is batting .396 with 20 extra-base hits.

"It adds a lot to everybody's psyche, I think, when he gets it going, Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. Everybody else doesn't feel like maybe they have to be the guy."

Atlanta will be without catcher Tyler Flowers, who will miss six weeks with a broken left hand. The injury occurred when he was hit by a pitch on July 1 and was aggravated when he checked his swing against the White Sox on Saturday.

Atlanta has recalled Anthony Recker from Triple-A Gwinnett to fill the spot. Recker was acquired from the Indians on May 9and has hit .243 with six home runs for the G-Braves. He has played for three different major-league teams and has a .185 career average in 167 games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Indians (52-36) at Twins (32-56)

Game: 1
Venue: Target Field
Date: July 15, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins open the second half of the Major League Baseball season with a three-game series beginning Friday night at Target Field.

Despite a 4-6 finish to the first half, the Indians will begin play 6 1/2 games clear of the Detroit Tigers for first place in the American League Central and seven games ahead of the Chicago White Sox and defending World Series champion Kansas City Royals.

It's the first time since Terry Francona took over as manager of the Indians in 2013 that the club begins the second half atop the division standings.

"I don't want to get too carried away because we're still playing, and nobody has a crystal ball," Francona told MLB.com. "But we've played ourself into a position where every single game we play from now on is fun as (heck). And I don't doubt our guys will embrace it and see how good we can be. That's the whole idea."

The Indians have done their damage with a balanced attack, including All-Star pitchers Corey Kluber and Danny Salazar as well as sterling defense and a lineup capable of piling up runs in a hurry.

Shortstop Francisco Lindor, another All-Star, has been a linchpin for the Tribe all season both in the field, where he is a strong Gold Glove contender, and at the top of lineup.

They've done it with outfielder Michael Brantley on the shelf with an injured shoulder for all but 11 games this season. But he is on a rehab assignment and could be just a week or two from rejoining the club.

Carlos Carrasco, who missed a sizable chunk of the first half with a hamstring injury, will start against Minnesota in Friday's opener.

The right-hander has allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his last six starts but has a record of just 3-2 during that stretch. He allowed five runs against the New York Yankees in his final turn before the break, but four of the runs were unearned.

Carrasco hasn't pitched against the Twins this season but struggled against them a year ago, going 0-2 with a 6.30 ERA in two starts against Minnesota in 2015.

Minnesota is the only team in the AL Central not within striking distance of the Indians, sitting 20 games out of first place. But the Twins were the best team in the division in the final two weeks of the first half, led by a suddenly surging offense.

Only the Chicago Cubs have equaled the Twins in the power department since June 26; both clubs have slugged 28 homers to lead the major leagues.

Minnesota's 140 runs since June 18 are eight more than the next closest club and the most in baseball since that stretch.

The Twins finished the first half by winning seven of their final nine games before the break, including five of seven over the AL-leading Texas Rangers during that stretch. Minnesota won three of four in Arlington in its final weekend before the break, outscoring the Rangers 38-18 in the series.

"I'd think we're on the high end here (offensively) the last two or three weeks, and it's been balanced," Twins manager Paul Molitor told MLB.com. "(Brian) Dozier has been hot, Kurt (Suzuki) has been on an incredible run.

"The young guys have injected some life and are taking advantage of some opportunities. (Max) Kepler's development and RBI-to-games-played ratio is pretty impressive. You can just go on about the guys who are swinging the bat well."

Minnesota's starting staff has also been better of late, led by right-hander Ervin Santana, who will get the ball against the Indians on Friday.

Santana, who has been the subject of trade rumors recently, is 2-0 with a 1.63 ERA in his last four starts, capped by a brilliant two-hit shutout of the Oakland Athletics his last time out on July 6.

Santana beat Cleveland in his only start against the Indians, limiting the Tribe to one run, five hits and a walk in six innings on May 14 at Progressive Field.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Marlins (47-41) at Cardinals (46-42)

Game: 1
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: July 15, 2016 8:15 PM EDT

By scoring 8-1 and 5-1 wins over the Milwaukee Brewers in their last two games before the All-Star break, the St. Louis Cardinals gained some much-needed confidence, according to manager Mike Matheny.

"We won the series and (now) we can just build off that," he said.

St. Louis will try to construct more success Friday night when the Miami Marlins visit to start a three-game series matching playoff contenders.

At 47-41, Miami enters the season's unofficial second half tied with the New York Mets for the National League's second wild-card spot, six games behind the first-place Washington Nationals in the NL East with two games in hand.

The Cardinals (46-42) are a game back of the Marlins and Mets and seven games back of the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. At stake for St. Louis in the season's homestretch: Extending their playoff streak to five straight years.

To do that, the Cardinals will have to make Busch Stadium a homefield advantage again. After going 55-26 at home last year, when they became baseball's first 100-win team since 2011, St. Louis went a miserable 19-26 before the break, including 4-5 on a nine-game homestand before winning two of three in Milwaukee.

This series opener kicks off a 10-game homestand for the Cardinals, which also entertain the San Diego Padres for four games and the Los Angeles Dodgers next weekend for three.

The good news for St. Louis is that help is on the way. Their bloated disabled list is about to shrink in membership as Kevin Siegrist (mono) could be available as soon as Saturday night.

What's more, Trevor Rosenthal (hamstring) and Matt Holliday (ankle) should be available Friday night, and it might not be much longer before 1B/OF Brandon Moss (ankle) returns from a stint on the 15-day disabled list.

"You can't allow yourself to go down that road of feeling sorry for yourself or saying too much about it," Matheny said about the injuries. "You just have to keep playing. We have very good players who can jump in and make it happen."

About the only aspect of the Cardinals that hasn't suffered from injuries is the starting rotation. That includes lefty Jaime Garcia (6-6, 4.01), who will make the start Friday night, perhaps based on his two dominant wins last year over the Marlins.

This Miami team might be a bit tougher than the one he owned last summer. The Marlins boast five .300 hitters, more than any team in baseball, none of them named Giancarlo Stanton.

However, Stanton bumped his average up 40 points in the last 3 ½ weeks before the break, then went out to San Diego and belted a record 61 homers in winning the Home Run Derby.

Miami will counter Garcia with a lefty of its own, Wei-Yin Chen (5-3, 4.83), who's coming off a 5-2 win July 5 at the Mets. Chen hasn't faced St. Louis in his career.

The Marlins haven't made the playoffs since 2003, when they won the World Series. Ace pitcher Jose Fernandez, who won't pitch in this series after working 1 1/3 innings in the All-Star Game, says the team is excited about being in contention.

"I believe in this team and how it's playing," he said. "We're good enough to go really far this year. Hopefully, we can get a lot better in the second half."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Dodgers (51-40) at Diamondbacks (38-52)

Game: 1
Venue: Chase Field
Date: July 15, 2016 9:40 PM EDT

PHOENIX -- Then-Dodgers Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw finished 2-3 in the National League Cy Young Award race last season and a case could be -- and was -- made that either could have won the award.

But neither ace will be on the mound when the Diamondbacks and Dodgers return to NL West play after the All-Star break on Friday in the opener of a three-game series at Chase Field.

Greinke has not played catch since suffering a strained left oblique after going two innings in June 28 start against Philadelphia, and Kershaw has not pitched since June 26 because of a herniated disk in his lower back.

In Greinke's absence, the Diamondbacks will send Patrick Corbin, Archie Bradley and Robbie Ray to the mound in the series. The Dodgers will counter with Bud Norris, Brandon McCarthy and Kenta Maeda.

Norris will make his second start for the Dodgers since being acquired from Atlanta immediately after Kershaw was placed on the disabled list, and McCarthy will make his third start since missing 14 months after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

The other big-name starter missing from the Arizona rotation is right-hander Shelby Miller, who was optioned to Triple-A Reno when the team gathered for a Thursday workout.

The move adds fuel to those who said the Diamondbacks gave up too much -- Ender Inciarte and minor leaguers Aaron Blair and Dansby Swanson -- to get Miller at the winter meetings, but the Diamondbacks believe it is the right move. Miller was 2-7 and his 7.14 ERA was the highest among NL pitchers with at least 12 starts. His WHIP is 1.75 in 14 starts.

"To his admission, he was not right here," Arizona manager Chip Hale said. "His stuff was good enough to win at times. He just couldn't put it together. We're letting him take a deep breath and go down there and pitch."

Miller, 25, was 11th in the NL in ERA and tied for 10th in quality starts last season in Atlanta. He was seen as a complement to Greinke to give the Diamondbacks a 1-2 punch to rival any in the NL West.

Miller allowed one run or fewer in 15 of his 33 starts a year ago, and his 6-17 record considered a reflection of the 2.54 runs of support he received.

But he gave up 10 runs and five homers in his first two starts this season and never seemed to recover, at one point tweaking his mechanics that caused him to brush his pitching hand on the mound after his delivery.

"I'm surprised I stayed up here this long," Miller said candidly. "Obviously, I haven't been helping in the way I can. Whatever it takes to get back up here. Figure some things out. There is still a lot of season left."

Arizona will recall left-hander Edwin Escobar to pitch out of the bullpen on Friday, Hale said, and will promote right-hander Zack Godley for Tuesday's start against Toronto.

Kershaw could return as early as Thursday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts seemed to indicate. There is no timetable for Greinke, who might pitch one or two simulated games and might not need a rehab start before returning, Hale said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (45-43) at Angels (37-52)

Game: 4
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: July 15, 2016 10:05 PM EDT

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- It was exactly one year ago as the Los Angeles Angels were about to embark on the second half of the season after the All-Star break that Angels left-hander Hector Santiago was on top of the world.

Santiago rejoined the team for the second half after spending a few days in Cincinnati for the All-Star Game. He was 6-4 in 18 games (17 starts) with a 2.88 ERA and had been named to his first major league All-Star Game.

Santiago, though, goes into Friday's start against the Chicago White Sox in a completely different situation. He has not been the same pitcher he was the first half of 2015. Since then, he is 9-9 with a 4.96 ERA, including 6-4 with a 4.58 ERA this season.

But he's shown enough of what he can do.

Santiago shut out the Tampa Bay Rays on three hits over seven innings in his last start July 7 and he likely will be a target for teams looking to make deals before the non-waiver trading deadline on Aug. 1.

At 37-52, the Angels are in last place in the American League West, holding a record better only than the Rays and Twins in the American League. Though Angels' general manager Billy Eppler refuses to say he will be a seller in the market as the deadline approaches, he uses language that doesn't hide the direction the Angels are likely to go.

"We'll continue to invest," Eppler told MLB.com. "We'll invest throughout this season, with a mind for this season, with a mind for the future and this winter, with a mind towards competing and contending year in and year out.

Miguel Gonzalez will get the start for the White Sox, who find themselves in the middle of the wild-card race, 4 1/2 games behind wild-card leaders Boston and Toronto. And the White Sox aren't out of the A.L. Central race either, trailing division leader Cleveland by seven games.

Gonzalez's numbers going in do not look great as he is 2-4 with a 4.39 ERA. Those numbers have improved slightly thanks to two solid starts going into the break.

On July 1 against the Houston Astros, Gonzalez gave up two runs and three hits in seven innings though he was tagged with the loss. Then on July 7 against the New York Yankees, Gonzalez threw seven scoreless innings, allowing five hits and one walk in a 5-0 victory.

Gonzalez initially wasn't scheduled to get Friday's start; that was going to go to Jose Quintana. But when Quintana was added to the All-Star team as an injury replacement, Gonzalez got the nod.

The White Sox are hoping to add a left-handed bat to their lineup and might not have to make a deal to get one. Justin Morneau, the 2006 A.L. MVP signed the club June 9, could be in the White Sox lineup very soon, having recovered from surgery on his elbow.

In the meantime, the White Sox will look to be more consistent. They began 23-10, lost 26 of their next 36 before finishing the first half with 12 wins in 19 games.

"It was good, then it was bad, then it started getting good again," Chicago manager Robin Ventura said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jays (51-40) at Athletics (38-51)

Game: 1
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: July 15, 2016 10:05 PM EDT

The first time the Oakland Athletics and the Toronto Blue Jays met this season, each team's situation was a lot different than it is now.

The Athletics were on a roll. When they beat the Blue Jays 8-5 on the opener of a three-game series at Rogers Centre on April 22, they increased their winning streak to six games to go to 10-7 and they were 7-0 on the road.

The Blue Jays dropped to 8-10 as they were slow out of the gate in defense of their American League East title.

Sonny Gray was the winning pitcher that night. He has not won since, and emerges from the All-Star break at 3-8. The losing pitcher was Aaron Sanchez, who has not lost since and his 9-1 record earned him an appearance in the All-Star Game.

The Blue Jays won the next two games of the series in April and hold a 2-1 edge on the season series when they visit the A's for a three-game series on Friday.

Toronto right-hander Marcus Stroman (7-4, 4.89 ERA) will oppose Oakland right-hander Daniel Mengden (1-4, 4.54 ERA).

The Athletics left Toronto and lost 12 of their next 16 games. They lost seven of their final 10 games before the All-Star break and sit at 38-51 and are 15 games behind the first-place Texas Rangers in the American League West.

"I feel that the best of this team is yet to come," As third baseman Danny Valencia said. "We haven't played our best baseball yet."

The Blue Jays still stalled around the .500 mark before entering the All-Star break on an 18-7 roll and were 51-40 at the break, third in the AL East and only two games out of first place. They currently occupy a wild-card spot and are 24-20 on the road,

"Our goal is still to win the division," Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson said. "We feel very comfortable. I think we were seven back at the break last year and now we are just two back. We feel like we are just now starting to play our type of baseball and feel very comfortable with the position we are in and moving forward."

Donaldson is in his second season with the Blue Jays. The Athletics traded him to Toronto before the 2015 season and watched from afar as he won the American League Most Valuable Player Award.

In 36 games since June 1, Donaldson has hit .376/.506/.722 with 10 homers and 34 RBIs.

This will be his second visit to his former home ballpark.

Last year when the Blue Jays visited Oakland, he was 5-for-13 with a home run, two doubles and five RBIs.

A's first baseman Yonder Alonso has batted .307/.367/.439 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 36 games since June 1.

"I'm very optimistic and I definitely feel we're not that far away," Alonso said. "With that being said, we've got a lot of work to do."

"I think we have a chance to be a lot better in the second half," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "We have guys back now as far as health goes. If we can stay healthy, we have the potential to have a lot better half than we had in the first half."

While the As may be talking a good game of optimism, the Blue Jays have genuine hopes that they will continue their surge because they have accomplished what they have so far while Stroman has often struggled. They also have been without right fielder Jose Bautista, who has been out with turf toe since June 17 and is expected to return in late-July,

Stroman has shown signs of regaining the form that made him the Opening Day starter. He is 5-4 with a 5.04 ERA in his past 15 starts but has made some adjustments and the results have been encouraging. He held the Kansas City Royals to three hits, one walk and two runs in eight innings in winning on July 6.

"That was as good as you're ever going to see him," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "He had everything working, really sharp. A really good breaking ball, you name it. He had starts in which he struggled, but the last two or three have been really good. I know he feels good about that, that's what we've been looking for."

Stroman has faced the As once in his career, in 2014 at Oakland when he allowed three hits, three walks and no runs over seven innings. He struck out seven in the no decision and Oakland won 1-0 in 12 innings.

Mengden, a 23-year-old who was called up on June 11, will get the start in the opener, replacing Rich Hill who was scratched because of a blister.

Mengden will be making his seventh start. He allowed six runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings last Friday in a no-decision at Houston.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Astros (48-41) at Mariners (45-44)

Game: 1
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: July 15, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

SEATTLE -- Two teams coming off vastly different Junes met in Houston just before the All-Star break, and nobody should have been too surprised at the Astros' sweep of the Seattle Mariners.

The Astros had used a hot June (18-9) to get back into the American League West pennant chase, and the once-contending Mariners had fallen on hard times.

The question as the two teams prepare to meet again at Safeco Field, beginning Friday night, is whether Houston can maintain its torrid pace and catch the division-leading Texas Rangers -- and if the Mariners will ever get back into contention.

Houston (48-41) comes out of the break trailing Texas by 5 1/2 games, but that's a miniscule separation when considering how far the Astros have come.

After getting swept by the Rangers in a May 20-22 series, Houston was 8 1/2 back, in third place in the AL West. A week later, Texas took three of four from the Astros and stood 9 1/2 games up at 37-23.

Since then, the Astros have posted a 19-8 record and hopped over the scuffling Mariners (45-44) into second place in the standings.

Having survived a 7-17 April and the early struggles of ace Dallas Keuchel, the Astros are riding the wave again.

"I want to win as many games as we can," manager A.J. Hinch told MLB.com after the Astros closed out pre-All-Star break play with a 10-inning victory, "and I don't care what order we win them in."

The turnaround has coincided with some better outings from Keuchel, who has started to look like the Cy Young contender he was last year in his recent starts. Keuchel won his last start on Sunday but isn't scheduled to pitch against the Mariners this weekend.

Friday's starter is listed as Doug Fister, a one-time Mariner who is also coming off one of his better starts of the season. He allowed three hits in eight innings his last time out but suffered the loss, his third in as many starts.

Fister went 7-1 with a 2.66 ERA in May and June but is off to an 0-2 start this month.

Seattle's starter, left-hander James Paxton, has experienced a similar battle with inconsistency. He has a 98 mph fastball and front-of-the-rotation stuff but opened the season at Triple-A and has gone 2-3 with a 3.91 ERA since being promoted.

The success of Paxton could be a big factor in how Seattle closes out the season, as the 27-year-old southpaw has helped ease the blow of three injuries to the Mariners' starting rotation. Wade Miley is already back, and the Mariners hope to get Taijuan Walker (foot soreness) and Felix Hernandez (strained calf) into the rotation in the next week or two.

Hernandez made his first rehab start last weekend and is scheduled to pitch for Triple-A Tacoma on Friday. If all goes well in that start, Seattle could have him back in the rotation as soon as next week.

Hernandez's first rehab start, at Class A Everett, didn't go that well. He allowed six hits and three runs in 3 2/3 innings, but he came out of it optimistic.

"I had some mechanical problems a little bit," Hernandez told MLB.com after the start. "I didn't feel comfortable, but it was OK. I wasn't sharp enough. It's been awhile, so that's what we expected."

The Mariners have Paxton going Friday, veteran Hisashi Iwakuma scheduled for Saturday and TBA listed for Sunday.

The Mariners have struggled against the Astros in recent years, with an 11-18 record since the start of 2015. Houston's Jose Altuve, who hits well against just about everyone, has been a particular challenge, as evidenced by his .417 batting average against Mariners pitching this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (57-33) at Padres (38-51)

Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: July 15, 2016 10:40 PM EDT

SAN DIEGO -- The San Francisco Giants start what they hope is a long second half when they face the San Diego Padres on Friday night at Petco Park.

The Giants, with baseball's best record at 57-33, have their sights on keeping their recent tradition alive. Since 2010, they've won the World Series in even years.

"We're in the business of winning around here," Giants manager Bruce Bochy told mlb.com

The Padres (38-51) are trying to avoid something they're known for: delivering losing baseball. San Diego starts its second half hoping to sidestep its six consecutive season under .500 and begins the second half without left-hander Drew Pomeranz, who was reportedly traded to the Boston Red Sox.

San Francisco offers ace lefty Madison Bumgarner (10-4, 1.94 ERA)against Padres right-hander Andrew Cashner (3-7, 5.40).

For Bumgarner, a four-time All-Star, it's his second outing at Petco Park in four days. Although the other one was merely a bullpen session before Tuesday's All-Star Game that he didn't pitch in.

Bumgarner's left arm was still rebounding from pitching a one-hitter on 117 pitchers in a 4-0 blanking of the Arizona Diamondbacks Sunday.

So it's a well-rested Bumgarner looking for the Giants' 10th straight win over the Padres this season in kicking off an eight-game road trip. The Giants have also claimed the last six series against their most southerly NL West foes.

Bumgarner has won two of his last three decisions and was back being his dominant self against Arizona. He had a no-hitter in the eighth inning and struck out a career-high 14.

"This guy has just amazed us with what he's done," Bochy said. "Nothing surprises us with what he does and how he elevates his game and gets even better."

The Padres know just how the Diamondbacks felt.

Bumgarner has won both decisions against the Padres this season. In the last matchup which came in San Diego on May 17, Bumgarner notched a complete game by allowing a run on five hits while striking out 11.

Cashner takes the mound and the Padres take a deep breath.

Cashner is coming off a dreadful outing in which he surrendered eight runs and four home runs in Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was the second start back for Cashner after he missed most of June with a neck injury.

The inconsistent Cashner could also be feeling the pressure of scuffling in a season in which his contract expires.

"This year's been tough for him in the sense that he's got all the potential in the world," Padres manager Andy Green said to mlb.com. "It's just a matter of putting him in there, giving him the opportunity to show what he can do and hopefully move past those struggles."

The Giants have contributed to Cashner, who was once traded Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, having a shoddy season.

They've beat him twice this year as he's lasted but 6 2/3 innings in his two starts. His 6.23 ERA against the Giants tells the story as Cashner continues to struggle with consistency, no matter the opponent.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Friday's Diamond Notes
By Kevin Rogers

Hottest team: Dodgers (7-3 last 10)

Los Angeles closed out the first half by winning the final three contests of a four-game set with San Diego. The Dodgers are hitting the road for the first time this month as L.A. has won three of its past four games away from Chavez Ravine. Recently acquired Bud Norris makes his third start for the Dodgers, as the right-hander has allowed three runs or less in each of his seven outings (five with the Braves). Los Angeles travels to Arizona on Friday as the Dodgers own a 4-2 record against the D-backs this season.

Coldest team: Royals (3-7 last 10)

Although Kansas City split its final series of the first half against Seattle, the Royals have flopped to a 16-30 record on the highway, which is second-worst in the American League. The Royals have work to do if they want to return to their third straight World Series, as the defending champions begin the second half seven games behind the Indians in the AL Central. Since grabbing a pair of games at St. Louis in late June, the Royals have put together a 1-5 road record in July as they venture to Detroit for a weekend series. The task won’t be easy for Friday’s starter, right-hander Ian Kennedy, who is winless in his last five road outings.

Hottest pitcher: Hector Santiago, Angels (6-4, 4.58 ERA)

Following a rough May, the Los Angeles southpaw has stepped up of late by allowing one earned run or less in three of his last four starts. Santiago is coming off one of his best outings of the season at Tampa Bay, yielding three hits and striking out nine in seven scoreless innings of a 5-1 victory. The Angels own a 3-1 record in his previous four home starts as he faces the White Sox on Friday. Santiago put together his best performance of the season at Chicago on April 18, striking out 10 in seven scoreless innings of a 7-0 shutout.

Coldest pitcher: Chris Archer, Rays (4-12, 4.66 ERA)

The Tampa Bay right-hander lost 13 decisions last season, but has already dropped 12 in the first half of 2016. Archer has solid strikeout numbers (130), while walking only 48 batters. However, Archer last picked up a victory on June 6 at Arizona in a 6-4 triumph, as the Rays are 0-6 in his last six trips to the mound. Archer and the Rays finished the first half with 1-10 record to sink to the bottom of the AL East, as Tampa Bay hosts Baltimore. The Orioles swept a four-game series from the Rays last month, but Archer shut down Baltimore the last time he faced them in a 2-0 home victory on April 25.

Biggest UNDER run: Blue Jays (5-0 last five)

The Dodgers and Blue Jays are tied for the most ‘unders’ in the first half of the season with 52. Toronto closed the first half with an 8-1 mark the last nine games, while allowing three runs or less in seven of the past eight contests. The Jays haven’t played a road game since June 29, as they are riding a five-game streak to the ‘under.’ Toronto has scored more runs on the highway recently, going 7-4 to the ‘over’ in the past 11 contests away from Rogers Center.

Biggest OVER run: Twins (6-2-1 last nine)

Minnesota closed out the first half in surprising fashion, winning seven of its final nine games following a disastrous start to the season. The Twins scored plenty of runs during this hot stretch, including double-digit runs four times. Minnesota’s bats caught fire in Texas in the final series prior to the All-Star break, plating 40 runs in a four-game set in Arlington, while hitting the ‘over’ three times. The Twins host the Indians to start the second half, winning four of six matchups against the AL Central leaders. Minnesota scored at least five runs in each of the past five matchups, but face right-hander Carlos Carrasco for the first time this season.

Matchup to watch: Red Sox vs. Yankees

New York finished the first half by winning three of four games at Cleveland to pull to .500 as the Yankees battle the hated Red Sox on Friday. The Sox have won six of seven since allowing 21 runs to the Angels on July 2, while picking up home series victories over the Rangers and Rays. These rivals haven’t met in over two months, as the Red Sox swept the Yankees at Fenway Park in late April before the Bronx Bombers grabbed two of three at home the following week. Michael Pineda takes the mound for New York in the opener, as the right-hander is coming off a rough outing in his last start at Chicago by allowing five earned runs in a 5-0 loss to the White Sox on July 6.

Betcha didn’t know: Playing away from Coors Field has affected Colorado’s offense recently, as the Rockies have scored one run or less in five of the past six road games. Colorado heads to Atlanta on Friday, as the Rockies have dropped nine of their previous 12 away contests. However, the Rockies captured six of seven matchups from the Braves last season, while scoring 11 runs in the final two victories at Turner Field.

Biggest public favorite: Giants (-200) at Padres

Biggest public underdog: White Sox (+115) at Angels

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Red Sox acquire LHP Pomeranz from Padres
By The Sports Xchange

The Boston Red Sox bolstered their pitching staff Thursday by acquiring left-hander Drew Pomeranz from the San Diego Padres.
The San Diego Union-Tribune initially reported the deal, multiple outlets confirmed Pomaranz and late Thursday night, the Red Sox announced the deal..
Pomeranz was 8-7 with a 2.47 ERA in 17 starts for the Padres, who obtained him from the Oakland Athletics in the offseason for Yonder Alonso and Marc Rzepczynski. He was not initially in San Diego's rotation when spring training started but became the ace for the fourth-place Padres.
In 102 innings this season, Pomeranz has a strikeout rate of 10.1 per nine innings and a 47.8 ground ball rate. He was named to the National League All-Star team as an injury replacement for New York Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard.
This is the second time that Pomeranz has been coveted near the non-waiver trade deadline. Five years ago, he was one of three prospects the Cleveland Indians sent to the Colorado Rockies for Ubaldo Jimenez.
Pomeranz struggled with the Rockies, going 4-14 with a 5.20 ERA in 34 appearances (30 starts). The Rockies traded him to Oakland after the 2013 season and he thrived as a reliever. With Oakland, he was 10-10 with a 3.08 ERA in 73 appearances (19 starts).
To obtain Pomeranz, Boston sent right-handed pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza, who received a $1.8 million signing bonus out of Venezuela in 2014. Espinoza has a 5-8 record and a 4.38 ERA in 17 starts with Class A Greenville of the South Atlantic League.
This is the fourth trade the Red Sox have made in the last week. Last week, Boston obtained Aaron Hill from Milwaukee, Brad Ziegler from Arizona and Michael Martinez from Cleveland.
This is the third major trade the Padres have made this season. San Diego has already dealt right-handed starter James Shields to the Chicago White Sox and closer Fernando Rodney to the Miami Marlins.
Thursday also marked the second major trade between the teams in the last year. During the offseason, the Red Sox obtained closer Craig Kimbrel for four minor leaguers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Friday, July 15, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

After the pretty impressive show that Miami's Giancarlo Stanton put on in the Home Run Derby on Monday night in San Diego with a record 61 homers, could he still win the regular-season home run crown? Doubtful. Sportsbooks list Stanton at +1000 to do so. He has 20 entering Friday's start of the second half of the season. That's eight behind MLB leader Mark Trumbo of the Orioles, who is the +350 favorite. Trumbo's previous career high is 34 while with the Angels in 2013. I actually don't see him winning this title even though he plays half his games in the bandbox that is Camden Yards. I'd probably favor White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier, the runner-up in the Home Run Derby, who has 25 dingers and is +700 along with Baltimore's Chris Davis. Frazier is in an even better hitter's park at U.S. Cellular Field. Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, also with 25 homers, is the second-favorite to Trumbo at +400. I don't expect any player to reach 50 dingers this year, either. The last to do that was Davis with 53 in 2013.


Rangers at Cubs (-183, TBA)

The second half of the season begins with a matinee from Wrigley -- televised by the MLB Network -- in a potential World Series preview with the Cubs as NL pennant favorites and the Rangers behind only the Indians on the AL odds. The big question here is whether the struggling Cubs will get back leadoff man and center fielder Dexter Fowler from his hamstring injury. He was voted a starter in the All-Star Game but the Cubs would have had to activate him to play and that could have posed a problem if Fowler's not ready Friday. A decision likely will come later Thursday. The Cubs are 7-15 without him. Chicago goes with its best pitcher at the moment, which is surprising, in Kyle Hendricks, a former Rangers minor leaguer. Hendricks (7-6, 2.55) hasn't allowed more than three earned since May 17. He was used in two innings of relief in his final outing before break. Texas goes with lefty Martin Perez (7-5, 3.85). He lost for the first time since May 18 last time out, allowing a whopping 11 runs (seven earned) over four innings at Boston. Neither starting pitcher has ever faced the opposing team.

Key trends: The Rangers are 1-6 in Perez's past seven road starts vs. teams with a winning record. The Cubs are 11-4 in Hendricks' past 15 at home vs. teams with a winning record. The "over/under" is 4-1-1 in Perez's past six on the road. The over is 4-1 in Hendricks' past five at home.

Early lean: Cubs and over regardless of number unless wind blowing in.

Red Sox at Yankees (-118, 9.5)

Naturally, the MLB Network will nationally televise this game. The Red Sox are without All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel for 3-6 weeks due to torn cartilage in his left knee. He had surgery early this week. Kimbrel injured the knee during pregame warmups Friday at Fenway Park. The Sox acquired Arizona reliever Brad Ziegler over the weekend and he might get some save chances, but most opportunities likely will go to set-up man and former closer Koji Uehara. Here the Sox go with young lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (1-3, 8.59), who will be recalled from Triple-A and given another shot in the rotation after struggling in six big-league starts this year. Rodriguez is 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA in four career starts vs. the Yankees. Jacoby Ellsbury is 5-for-11 off him with two homers. The Yanks go with Michael Pineda (3-8, 5.38). He's 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA in two starts this year vs. Boston. Mookie Betts is 5-for-17 off him career with two doubles, two homers and four RBIs.

Key trends: The Red Sox are 5-1 in their past six after an off day. The Yankees are 1-7 in Pineda's past eight vs. the AL East. The under is 4-0 in Rodriguez's past four vs. New York.

Early lean: Red Sox and over.

Orioles at Rays (-105, 8.5)

Tampa Bay should activate center fielder and defensive wizard Kevin Kiermaier off the DL for this game. Kiermaier suffered two broken metacarpal bones in his left hand diving for a ball hit by Detroit's James McCann on May 21 at Comerica Field. Tampa starts Chris Archer (4-12, 4.66) on the mound. The Rays have lost his past six starts. Weird that Archer has been so off this year. He is 1-1 with a 4.63 ERA in two outings in 2016 vs. Baltimore. Trumbo is 3-for-12 career off him with three strikeouts. Davis is 5-for-17 with two homers and six RBIs. The Orioles go with Yovani Gallardo (3-1, 5.82). He has lasted more than 5.1 innings once in five starts since returning from a long DL stint. Gallardo took a no-decision vs. Tampa on June 24, allowing three runs in 5.1 innings. Logan Morrison can't hit him, going 2-for-21 with six strikeouts.

Key trends: The Orioles are 5-0 in the past five meetings. The under is 4-1 in Archer's past five against the Orioles.

Early lean: Orioles and under.

White Sox at Angels (-109, 8.5)

Not that it really matters for the Angels because they aren't going anywhere this season, but first baseman/DH C.J. Cron has been lost for 6-8 weeks to a broken hand. A pitch by the Orioles’ Mike Wright hit Cron on Friday in Baltimore. Too bad: Cron was hitting .356 with 24 RBIs in his previous 20 games. He had just become the first major leaguer in 25 years to drive in two runs in consecutive games without notching a hit. Overall, he was batting .278 with 11 homers and 50 RBIs. That's one less worry for White Sox starter Miguel Gonzalez (2-4, 4.39). He comes off his best outing of the season, throwing seven shutout innings against the Yankees on July 6. This was to be Jose Quintana's start, but he was a late All-Star addition and now will go Sunday. Mike Trout is 3-for-16 career off Gonzalez with three homers and five RBIs. The Angels go former White Sox lefty Hector Santiago (6-4, 4.58). He closed the first half by throwing seven shutout innings at Tampa Bay, allowing three hits and striking out nine. He won at the White Sox on April 18, throwing seven shutout innings and allowing two hit and whiffing 10. Melky Cabrera is 1-for-8 career off him with a double. Adam Eaton is 2-for-6.

Key trends: The White Sox are 0-7 in their past seven after an off day. The Angels are 1-9 in their past 10 during Game 1 of a series. The Sox are 1-8 in their past nine at the Angels. The under is 4-0 in the past four meetings.

Early lean: Angels and over.

Giants at Padres (+165, 7)

San Francisco ace Madison Bumgarner might have started Tuesday's All-Star Game but he pitched last Sunday and thus wasn't available in San Diego. And Bumgarner (10-4, 1.94) was fantastic against Arizona last time out, throwing a complete-game one-hitter with a career-high 14 strikeouts. It was his fourth career one-hitter and his 7.1 innings was his second-longest no-hit bid. Bumgarner’s four one-hitters match Matt Cain and Juan Marichal for the second-most no-hitters/one-hit shutouts in Giants history. The only pitcher with more is Christy Mathewson, who had six (including two no-hitters). Bumgarner is 2-0 with a 1.72 ERA in two starts this year vs. San Diego. Matt Kemp is a career .185 hitter off Bumgarner with 14 strikeouts in 54 at-bats. Melvin Upton Jr. is 1-for-20 against him with nine whiffs. San Diego goes with trade candidate Andrew Cashner (3-7, 5.40). He was ripped for eight runs in 2.2 innings in his first first-half start vs. the Dodgers. He's 0-2 with a 6.23 ERA this year against the Giants. Buster Posey is a career .429 hitter against him with two homers in 28 at-bats.

Key trends: The Giants are 14-6 in Bumgarner's past 20 vs. the Padres. The over is 4-0 in Cashner's past four vs. the Giants. The under is 5-1 in the past six meetings.

Early lean: Giants and under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Friday's games

National League

Pirates @ Nationals
Liriano is 1-5, 7.59 in his last eight starts; Pirates split his eight road starts. His last four starts went over the total.

Strasburg is 2-0, 0.87 in his last three starts; Washington is 15-1 in his starts, winning all nine at home. Over is 13-1-1 in his last fifteen starts.

Pirates won nine of last 11 games, are 10-6 in road series openers. Four of their last five games went over total. Washington won four of last five games, is 9-4 in home series openers. Five of last seven National games stayed under.

Mets @ Phillies
Colon is 1-1, 4.50 in his last four starts; Mets are 5-3 in his road starts. Over is 5-3-2 in his last ten starts.

Hellickson is 2-0, 2.50 in his last three starts; his last four stayed under. Phillies split his ten home starts.

Mets lost seven of last nine road games, are 7-6 in road series openers. Five of last six New York games stayed under. Philly won 10 of last 13 games, is 4-10 in first game of a home series. Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Philly home games.

Brewers @ Reds
Garza is 1-2, 6.58 in five starts this year (over 2-0-1 in last three).

DeSclafani is 3-0, 2.28 in his last four starts; his last three stayed under.

Brewers lost seven of last ten games, are 5-9 in road series openers. Under is 4-1-1 in last six Milwaukee games. Cincinnati lost seven of last eight home games, is 6-8 in first game of a home series. Over is 13-6 in Reds' last nineteen games.

Rockies @ Braves
De la Rosa is 3-2, 2.61 in his last five starts; three of his last four stayed under. Rockies are 3-4 in his road starts.

Harrell is 1-0, 1.32 in two starts this year (over 1-1).

Rockies lost six of last seven road games, are 3-6 in last nine road series openers. Under is 8-3 in last 11 Colorado games. Atlanta won three of last four games, is 5-2 in its last seven road series openers. Under is 5-3 in Braves' last eight games.

Marlins @ Cardinals
Chen is 1-1, 5.40 in his last four starts (over 6-3 in his last nine). Miami split his four road starts.

Garcia is 2-0, 4.26 in his last four starts; over is 5-3-1 in his last nine. St Louis is 3-6 in his home starts.

Marlins won four of last five games, are 8-6 in road series openers. Over is 15-4 in last 19 Miami road games. St Louis won three of last four games, is 5-10 in openers of home series. Under is 8-2-2 in Cardinals' last twelve games.

Dodgers @ Diamondbacks
Norris is 1-0, 2.45 in two starts for the Dodgers (over 1-1). Five of his last seven starts stayed under the total.

Corbin is 0-1, 9.82 in his last three starts (over 3-0). Arizona is 1-7 in his home starts.

Dodgers won 10 of last 14 games, are 4-10 in road series openers. Under is 7-3 in last 10 LA games. Arizona lost 12 of its last 14 games, is 3-12 in home series openers. Over is 6-0-1 in their last seven home games.

Giants @ Padres
Bumgarner is 2-0, 1.69 in his last three starts; six of his last eight stayed under. Giants are 6-2 in his road starts.

Cashner is 1-5, 6.47 in his last seven starts (over 5-3-1 in last nine). San Diego is 4-3 in his home starts.

Giants won eight of last ten games, are 8-6 in road series openers. Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Giant road games. San Diego lost its last three games, is 9-6 in openers of a home series. Nine of last ten games at Petco Park went over the total.


American League

Red Sox @ New York
Rodriguez is 0-3, 10.41 in his last five starts; three of his last four went over.

Pineda is 0-2, 3.99 in his last five starts (under 4-1). New York is 5-4 when he starts at home.

Red Sox won six of last seven games, are 8-5 in road series openers. Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Boston games. New York won three of its last four games, is 7-6 in home series openers. Seven of last eight Bronx games went over the total.

Royals @ Tigers
Kennedy is 1-2, 3.27 in his last four starts (under 4-0). Kansas City lost his last five road starts.

Verlander is 1-1, 6.23 in his last three starts; seven of his last nine stayed under. Detroit is 5-4 in his home starts.

Royals lost six of last seven games, are 4-11 in road series openers. Five of last seven KC games stayed under the total. Detroit lost five of last seven games, is 7-6 in home series openers; seven of its last nine games stayed under total.

Orioles @ Rays
Gallardo 2-0, 4.97 in his last five starts; Orioles lost three of his last four road starts. Four of his last six starts stayed under.

Archer is 0-5, 5.05 in his last six starts; four of his last six stayed under. Tampa Bay lost his last five home starts.

Orioles won four of last five games, are 7-7 in road series openers. Four of O's last five road games went over total. Tampa Bay lost 22 of last 25 games; they're 6-9 in home series openers. Six of Rays' last nine games stayed under the total.

Indians @ Twins
Carrasco is 3-1, 2.42 in his last four starts; Indians are 4-2 in his road starts. Five of his last seven starts stayed under the total.

Santana is 2-0, 1.95 in his last four starts; last three stayed under. Minnesota is 2-8 in his home outings.

Indians lost four of last five games, are 9-6 in road series openers. Eight of last nine Tribe games went over the total. Minnesota won seven of last nine games; over is 20-6 in their last 26 home games. Twins are 6-9 in home series openers.

White Sox @ Angels
Gonzalez is 1-1, 1.93 in his last two starts; five of his last seven stayed under. Chicago is 4-3 in his road starts.

Santiago is 3-0, 2.59 in his last five starts; Angels are 5-3 in his home starts. 10 of last 13 Santiago starts went over the total.

White Sox won five of last seven road tilts, are 1-5 in last six road series openers. Under is 7-4 in their last 11 road games. Angels lost six of last seven home games, are 5-9 in home series openers. Nine of Halos' last 11 home games went over the total.

Blue Jays @ A's
Stroman is 1-0, 1.84 in his last two starts; his last three stayed under. Toronto is 4-3 in his road starts.

Mengden is 1-4, 4.79 in six MLB starts; his last three went over.

Blue Jays won eight of last nine games, are 9-5 in road series openers. Six of Toronto's last seven games stayed under. Oakland lost 10 of last 13 home games, but won four of last five home series openers. Four of A's last five games stayed under the total.

Astros @ Mariners
Fister is 0-3, 5.12 in his last three starts; four of his last six stayed under. Houston won six of his nine road starts.

Paxton is 1-1, 5.13 in his last four starts (over 4-4).

Astros won five of last seven games, are 6-8 in road series openers. Under is 11-3 in last 14 Houston road games. Seattle lost five of last seven games but won four home games in row; they're 8-6 in home series openers. Five of last seven Seattle games stayed under.


Interleague

Rangers @ Cubs
Texas won eight of last nine Perez starts, but he allowed 11 runs in four IP in his last outing; Rangers are 4-5 in his road starts. Under is 9-6 in his last fifteen starts.

Hendricks is 3-0, 3.13 in his last four starts (over 4-0). Cubs are 6-2 in his home starts.

Texas lost nine of last 12 games, are 8-6 in road series openers. Over is 8-0-1 in last nine Ranger games. Cubs lost nine of last 11 games, are 11-3 in home series openers. Over is 13-3-1 in Chicago's last 17 games.


Teams won-lost records when this pitcher starts:

NY-Phil-- Colon 11-6; Hellickson 9-9
Pitt-Wsh-- Liriano 8-9; Strasburg 15-1
Mil-Cin-- Garza 1-4; DeSclafani 4-2
Col-Atl-- De la Rosa 5-6; Harrell 2-0
Mia-StL-- Chen 10-7; Garcia 9-8
LA-Az-- Norris 1-1/5-5; Corbin 7-11
SF-SD-- Bumgarner 13-6; Cashner 6-7

Bos-NY-- Rodriguez 2-4; Pineda 8-9
Balt-TB-- Gallardo 6-3; Archer 5-14
KC-Det-- Kennedy 9-8; Verlander 10-7
Clev-Minn-- Carrasco 9-3; Santana 3-13
Chi-LA-- Gonzalez 6-6; Santiago 12-6
Tor-A's-- Stroman 9-9; Mengden 1-5
Hst-Sea-- Fister 11-6 (0-3 last 3); Paxton 2-6

Tex-Chi-- Perez 10-8; Hendricks 9-7 (4-0 last 4)


Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning:

NY-Phil-- Colon 6-16; Hellickson 6-18
Pitt-Wsh-- Liriano 4-17; Strasburg 4-16
Mil-Cin-- Garza 2-5; DeSclafani 2-6
Col-Atl-- De la Rosa 5-11; Harrell 0-2
Mia-StL-- Chen 6-17; Garcia 6-17
LA-Az-- Norris 2-12; Corbin 7-18
SF-SD-- Bumgarner 3-19;; Cashner 4-12

Bos-NY-- Rodriguez 3-6; Pineda 7-17
Balt-TB-- Gallardo 4-9; Archer 9-19
KC-Det-- Kennedy 5-17; Verlander 7-17
Clev-Minn-- Carrasco 2-12; Santana 5-16
Chi-LA-- Gonzalez 6-12; Santiago 8-18
Tor-A's-- Stroman 4-18; Mengden 0-6
Hst-Sea-- Fister 3-17; Paxton 2-8

Tex-Chi-- Perez 6-18; Hendricks 4-16

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Friday's six-pack

-- If you do nothing else today, go to ESPN.com and listen to Craig Sager's speech at the ESPYs. Courageous and inspirational; Sager is one tough dude.

-- If you ever see film of Hank Aaron's 715th homer, in 1974, the guy standing at home plate with a microphone is a much younger Craig Sager.

-- Red Sox landed P Drew Pomeranz from San Diego for Anderson Espinoza, who is having an average year in Class A Ball but is a highly touted prospect and only 18.

-- Chris Spielman moves from ESPN to FOX, will work with Dick Stockton on NFL games this fall. Spielman is really good; FOX makes good move.

-- According to Chris Fallica of ESPN, since WWII, five players have had 3+ shot lead after first round of British Open. Phil Mickelson is the 6th. None of the five won tourney or shot second round in 60s.

-- NBA Summer League makes this week tolerable, with no baseballl until today.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dave Cokin

Bonus Play Friday

WHITE SOX (Gonzalez) @ ANGELS (Santiago) 10:05 PM

Take: WHITE SOX +130

Tough to ‘cap these two starting pitchers, as both Miguel Gonzalez and Hector Santiago are highly erratic. Each is capable of getting drilled, although the two veterans went into the break off two good starts each.

My overall numbers slightly favor Gonzalez. The team data points to the Chisox. They’ve been very productive against lefties, although I should mention that in limited dealings Santiago has shut down their big bats. The White Sox bullpen has been erratic on the road, but they do have better overall numbers than their Angels counterparts.

One notable difference between these two is close game results. The White Sox have been outscored by 12 runs altogether, but have a winning record. The Halos are only -20 net runs, yet they’re 15 games under .500. That speaks volumes about their lack of ability to win tight battles, and this game has that look.

I look at this game as being pretty close to dead even, with the Pale Hose getting the majority of check marks via category comparisons. So with the price where it is, I can build a decent case for the White Sox and they’re the play for Friday evening.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Arthur Ralph Sports

Bonus Play: FRI RedSox w/ Wright +130

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Brandon Shively

PIT vs WAS

1* Free Pick on the Pirates/ Nationals Over the Total

I think there is a good chance we see more runs than expected Friday night. The Pirates offense entered the All-Star Break averaging 6 runs a game over their last seven games, and the OVER going 4-1 their last five. The Nationals will be facing Francisco Liriano of the Pirates who is a left hander and the Nationals rank #1 in the Majors with a .353 weighted on base average against left handers. And Liriano has not shown much promise this season, especially on the road. Opposing batters have a .524 SLG% and a .389 wOBA vs Liriano on the road this season and that is why he has a FIP of 6.56 on the road. I want to note Liriano’s xFIP on the road this season: 4.99, 6.25, 5.70, 5.27, 2.62, 4.36, 6.34, and 5.98.

The Nationals will have Stephen Strasburg on the rubber who is getting 6.8 runs of support a game this season. Strasburg has walked 7 batters in his last two starts which is a potential red flag and give me optimism for extra baserunners reaching base tonight. I think there should be some regression coming in the 2nd half of the season for Strasburg. His last three starts he has been fortunate to strand all baserunners which should be coming to an end tonight against a Pirates offense that is playing their best ball of the season.

Trends that point in our favor as well: The OVER is 13-3 in Strasburg’s 16 starts this season. The OVER is 4-0 in Liriano’s last four starts. The OVER has cashed in 64% of the Nationals last 53 home games vs a left handed starter. (1* Pirates/Nationals OVER the TOTAL)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mike Lundin

Marlins vs Cardinals

5* MLB Free Pick St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals have not had much success home at Busch Stadium this season and entered the All Star break with a 19-26 home record. They've won eight of the past 11 when hosting the Miami Marlins though, and this looks like a good spot to back the Cards.

Left-hander Jaime Garcia (6-6, 4.01) takes the ball for St. Louis. He's 2-0 with a 1.07 ERA in four career meetings with Miami. He has the current Marlins roster limited to a .218 batting average over 78 at bats.

The Marlins turn to another southpaw in Wei-Yin Chen (5-3, 4.83 ERA) who'll face the Cardinals for the first time in his career. Chen has struggled with the long ball on the road this season, serving up 11 homers through 48 innings of work.

The All Star break has given the banged up Cardinals a chance to recuperate, and both Trevor Rosenthal (hamstring) and Matt Holliday (ankle) should be available again and Kevin Siegrist (mononucleosis) is expected to rejoin the Cardinals' bullpen on Friday night.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Scott Spreitzer

Orioles vs Rays

Bonus Play Baltimore Orioles

I'm recommending a play on the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. Tampa Bay has lost Chris Archer's last six starts and nine of his last 10, including a 6-5 loss last Friday when the right-hander allowed five runs and seven hits in six innings after throwing 116 pitches. Baltimore hitters have a collective .802 OPS versus Archer and already this season, the Orioles have tagged Archer for six runs and 15 hits in 11 2/3 innings. Yovani Gallardo has made five starts since coming off the disabled list and Baltimore has won four of them as he generally has kept his team in the game while pitching five or six innings. The Rays are second to last in the major leagues with a home batting average of .231 and they have lost seven of their last eight home games. I'm backing the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Marc Lawrence

Indians vs Twins

Play - Cleveland Indians w/Carrasco

Edges - Indians: Carlos Carrasco 1.81 ERA and 0.83 WHIP away stats this season; and 2.15 ERA with 1.07 WHIP last seven overall starts; and 5-1 team starts versus A.L. Central foes this season. Twins: Ervin Santana 3-13 overall team starts this season, including 0-7 at night. With that look for Carrasco to improve to 4-0 in his last four away team starts during July here tonight. We recommend a 1* play on Cleveland. Thank you and good luck as always.