Friday 7/29/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (55-47) at Marlins (55-47)

Game: 2
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: July 29, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

MIAMI -- For a visitor, Mike Leake sure feels at home at Marlins Park.

The St. Louis Cardinals right-hander is 3-0 with a 0.44 ERA in three starts here. It's the lowest ERA of any pitcher who has made at least that many starts at Marlins Park.

On Friday night, Leake gets the chance to extend his streak against a Marlins team he dominates. In six starts against the Marlins overall, Leake is 5-1 with a 1.33 ERA and .194 batting average against.

No active major-leaguer has a better ERA against the Marlins (minimum five starts).

The key for Leake is his control, which has been pin-point lately. He has gone a career-high 25 consecutive innings without allowing a walk.

Leake, 28, last faced the Marlins on July 10, 2015, when he beat them 1-0 as a member of the Cincinnati Reds. Leake struck out a season-high 10 batters in eight innings on that day.

This year with the Cardinals, Leake has been mediocre -- 7-8 with a 4.24 ERA. On Friday, he will be opposed by Marlins second-year right-hander Jose Urena (1-2, 5.34 ERA).

Urena is essentially getting his sixth chance with the Marlins. He has been demoted back to the minors five times previously, but is making the most of this opportunity.

In two starts since returning from his most recent detour to Triple-A New Orleans, Urena is 1-1 with a 1.54 ERA, allowing only two runs in 11 2/3 innings.

The 24-year-old Dominican doesn't have any great revelations about what is different now than previous failed bids to remain in the majors. He mentions "being aggressive" in going after hitters and "keeping the ball down."

But virtually every pitcher tries to throw strikes early in the county. And virtually every pitcher tries to keep the ball down.

Trying to do those things and doing them are two entirely different items.

But this much is for sure: If Urena, who had a 7.52 ERA in 16 relief appearances for the Marlins earlier this season, can turn in another solid outing against the Cards on Friday, the Marlins will feel a lot better about their rotation.

In other story lines for Friday's game:

--Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki needs two hits for 3,000. There is a good chance Suzuki, who recorded a pinch-hit double Thursday, starts Friday.

--It will be interesting to note the progress of Marlins two-time All-Star second baseman Dee Gordon, who missed the previous 80 games after a suspension for performance-enhancing drugs.

Gordon, who led the National League in batting average (.333) and steals (58) last season, went 0-for-4 with one strikeout Thursday.

"I thought Dee seemed a little quiet and probably a little nervous," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "As the game went on, he seemed more like himself."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockies (50-52) at Mets (53-48)

Game: 2
Venue: Citi Field
Date: July 29, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- More wins like the ones the Colorado Rockies enjoyed over the last two days might vault them into the playoff race. More losses like the ones the New York Mets endured over the same time frame might knock them out of contention.

Two teams with seemingly different goals for 2016 yet traveling in unexpected directions will meet Friday night when the Mets host the Rockies in the second contest of a four-game series at Citi Field.

The Rockies won the opener in surprising fashion Thursday afternoon, when they scored twice off All-Star closer Jeurys Familia in the ninth inning of a 2-1 victory. It was the first time all season Colorado has won a game in which it trailed after eight innings (1-41).

"Familia is as good as there is in the game," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "Their staff overall -- you're not going to come in here and put up big innings and big crooked numbers. You've got to scratch and claw for everything."

The Rockies might just be scratching and clawing their way into the wild card race. Colorado (50-52), which has endured five straight losing seasons, has gone 10-4 since the All-Star Break to move within five games of the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals, who are tied for the National League's second wild card.

The recent run for the Rockies has been fueled by -- of all things -- pitching. Colorado starters have produced 17 quality starts this month, the most by the staff since 18 quality starts were authored in August 2010.

"The fact (is) we've got to win games and stay in this thing," Weiss said.

If the defending National League champion Mets are going to stay in the race, they're going to have to start scoring some runs. New York ranks third in the majors in ERA (3.32) but last in batting average (.238).

"You have to come (Friday) ready to play, score some runs, help this pitching staff to win the game," Mets catcher Rene Rivera said. "That's the bottom line."

The real culprit for the Mets has been a struggling lineup that has performed in stunningly abysmal fashion in the clutch.

The Mets led 1-0 and had the bases loaded with nobody out in the seventh inning Thursday but could not add to the lead. Such woes are commonplace for New York, which is batting .205 with runners in scoring position this season -- last in baseball.

"I've talked to some of the great RBI guys in the game -- the one thing they talk about is driving in runs is mental," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "The approach you have at the plate, your mindset (is) all's you're trying to do is put the bat on the ball. You're not looking for home runs. You're not looking for anything. Just, hey, work the middle of the field. That's been kind of the common denominator with those guys. And we're just not doing it."

Mets left-hander Steven Matz is scheduled to oppose Rockies right-hander Tyler Chatwood. Matz faces Colorado for the first time as a big leaguer while Chatwood is 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in four career starts against New York.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (52-49) at Rays (39-61)

Game: 1
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: July 29, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Baseball's trade deadline is just days away, and two teams that are believed to be dealing will showcase starters on the market -- the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees -- open a three-game series Friday night.

The Yankees' Ivan Nova and the Rays' Jake Odorizzi have been widely mentioned as being available for contenders interested in upgrading their starting pitching, and both right-handers have pitched well in recent weeks to maximize the potential return for their teams.

Nova is 7-5 with a 4.65 ERA this season, but he's 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA in his last three starts. Much the same way, Odorizzi is just 4-5 with a 4.10 ERA overall, but he's 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA in his last three. The last time he faced the Yankees was his best outing of the season -- seven innings and just one hit allowed, though it was a two-run home run by Starlin Castro in a 2-1 Yankees victory.

Nova only faced the Rays this season in relief, but pitched 2 1/3 innings of hitless shutout baseball.

The Rays return home after a 4-5 road trip -- still a significant improvement from the disastrous stretch they finished before going on the road. Tampa Bay has scored three runs or less in five straight games, but that was enough to win in Wednesday's 3-1 win over the Dodgers, thanks to a strong outing by another pitcher on the trade market, Matt Moore.

"Matt Moore was outstanding," Rays manager Kevin Cash said after the win. "What he's done in the last eight, nine, 10 starts is really impressive. ... He had everything going. He did a tremendous job."

The Rays, at 39-61, are certainly sellers and could move any number of players, from starters like Moore and Odorizzi to key bats like the versatile Steve Pearce, who has been linked to the Giants and Indians.

The Yankees this week dealt closer Aroldis Chapman to the Cubs for a package of four players, including top prospect Gleyber Torres and reliever Adam Warren, who rejoined the team. The Yankees have now won four of six and eight of their last 11, improving to 52-49 and getting within 6.5 games of first-place Baltimore. They missed a sweep with Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Astros, and manager Joe Girardi said his team can't let opportunities like that get away.

"We're trying to make up ground. You're trying to win series, but when you have a chance to sweep, you can really help, and we weren't able to do it tonight," Girardi said after Wednesday's loss.

By the time the weekend series ends, both teams could have dealt away key players -- the Yankees are much more in contention, but must look to upgrade their team long-term. The Rays may avoid an outright fire sale, but even top starter Chris Archer, who has struggled to a major-league-high 14 losses this season, has been mentioned as being available, if at a high price.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics (47-55) at Indians (57-42)

Game: 1
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: July 29, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

CLEVELAND -- With Monday's non-waivers trade deadline fast approaching, two teams expected to be active, one as a buyer, one as a seller, will meet Friday night at Progressive Field for the first game of a three-game series.

The Oakland A's, who have been one of the hotter teams in the league since the All-Star break, will face the Cleveland Indians, who have come stumbling out of the break.

The A's have won five of their last six games and are 9-4 since the break. The Indians have lost four of their last five games and are 5-6 since the break.

Even with their recent surge, the A's are still 47-55 and in fourth place in the AL West while the Indians are 57-42 and in first place in the AL Central. However, in the last eight days the Indians have seen their lead in the division shrink from 7 1/2 games to 4 1/2 games.

The A's were thought to be sellers at the trade deadline, and have a handful of players who might be of interest to a contending team, but as the series in Cleveland begins, the A's haven't made any significant moves.

"I know there's some time left, but we haven't moved anybody," A's manager Bob Melvin told MLB.com. "We're playing better baseball and that certainly gives pause for thought."

The Indians, on the other hand, have been leading their division since June 3, but still have some needs that they would like to address before Monday's trade deadline. Chief among those needs is bullpen help, specifically a left-hander.

For most of this season the Indians have operated with no left-handers in their bullpen. They currently have just one: Kyle Crockett, who is a finesse lefty, who hasn't allowed a run in five appearances in July, but still has a 7.36 ERA in 16 appearances overall.

"When he's confident and hitting his spots and working ahead he can do it," said manager Terry Francona. "But he doesn't have the luxury of having a 95 mph fastball, which allows you to get away with some mistakes. When he makes his pitches, he's fine."

A left-handed reliever is at the top of the Indians' trade deadline shopping list, with a catcher being a close second. Catcher Yan Gomes is expected to miss at least another month with a separated shoulder. In Gomes' absence backups Chris Gimenez and Roberto Perez have shared the catching duties.

In game one of the series Friday night the A's starter will be Kendall Graveman, who has been on a roll. Cleveland's starter, Trevor Bauer, has struggled in recent starts.

In his first nine starts this season, Graveman was 1-6 with a 5.36 ERA. But in 10 starts since then he is 6-0 with a 3.25 ERA. In four July starts he is 4-0 with a 2.35 ERA. In his last start, July 23, he pitched his second career complete game in a 4-3 win over Tampa Bay. In two career starts against Cleveland Graveman is 0-1 with a 2.92 ERA.

Bauer has had three rough outings in a row. On July 1 he was 7-2 with a 3.02 ERA. But in three starts since then he is 0-2 with a 7.47 ERA. Friday's start will be Bauer second career appearance vs. the A's. On Aug. 2 of last year, a 2-1 Oakland victory in which he pitched 6 2/3 innings, he gave up one run on four hits with six strikeouts and four walks.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Astros (55-46) at Tigers (54-48)

Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: July 29, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

DETROIT -- Viable.

The Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers see that as their watchword during a three-game weekend series between two resurgent teams seeking to overtake their respective division leaders.

Houston trails Texas in the AL West while Detroit is stalking Cleveland in the AL Central. Neither can claim first place by Monday's non-waiver trade deadline, but both will remain contenders regardless of how the series plays out.

The Astros are seen as more of a buyer than the Tigers, who are limited by their $200 million payroll and limited trade chips, but neither club will be in sell mode. Detroit may make a minor cosmetic move but Houston would not surprise if it made a nice splash before the trade deadline.

Detroit and Houston were off Thursday, a plus for both sides.

Tigers' manager Brad Ausmus used the day off plus another scheduled break Monday to rearrange his rotation as he awaits the return of injured starters Jordan Zimmermann and Daniel Norris, both of whom will have one final rehab start this week prior to rejoining the staff. He is also using the breaks to push back rookie Michael Fulmer and further limit his starts and innings.

Exactly which day Fulmer pitches again has not been determined and may be contingent on where Ausmus wants to slot in Zimmermann and Norris next week.

Astros' skipper A.J. Hinch has two regulars nursing sore hamstrings -- third baseman Luis Valbuena and center fielder Carlos Gomez. Valbuena was injured Tuesday and Gomez had to come out of Wednesday's game early.

"It's a mild strain," Gomez told MLB.com. "We have the advantage of the off-day (Thursday) and (then) we have a night game. Like I said before, I had it in the past. I know how I feel. I don't think this is going to be something that will take me long to heal. In the past, I have had it worse than that and I was ready in six or seven days, and they put me on the DL. In this case, I don't think it's necessary."

Valbuena won't play Friday, Hinch said earlier in the week, but is possible for one of the next two games.

"It's not comfortable when the bench is pretty much empty with the exception of (Evan) Gattis as a pinch-hitter/catcher," Hinch said to MLB.com. "We've got some fortunate timing, if I can call it that, because we're expected to put (right-hander Doug) Fister on the paternity leave soon. His wife is going to deliver his first child in the next couple of days, so we might have a transaction in Detroit that will probably be a position player."

Fister worked Wednesday, so he won't pitch in Detroit. If he's placed on paternity leave Friday, the Astros can bring up a position player for the weekend.

Valbuena's strain is higher in the hamstring than Gomez's, which is just above the back of the knee.

"He's unlikely to play Friday," Hinch said of his third baseman, "and we'll assess him on Saturday. Where it's located, sort of behind the knee really low, makes for some tricky diagnosis."

That would give rookie Alex Bregman, just up from the minors, at least one more start at third. He's been working out in left field and likely will play the left side of the infield, outfield and do some designated hitting -- if he hits.

Right-hander Collin McHugh will pitch for Houston against southpaw Matt Boyd of Detroit.

Right-hander Mike Fiers and southpaw Dallas Keuchel will go Saturday and Sunday, respectively, for the Astros while the Tigers counter with right-handers Justin Verlander and Mike Pelfrey.

McHugh (7-6, 4.18 ERA) has never beaten Detroit but has only started three times against it, going 0-2 with a 3.72 ERA. He won his last start, against the Los Angeles Angels.

Boyd has been a fill-in starter for the Tigers this season and is currently holding place for the return of Zimmermann and Norris He is 1-2 with a 4.63 ERA in eight starts but is 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA over his last three starts. Boyd has started just once against Houston, not getting a decision in a five-inning outing in which he gave up five runs on six hits.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Phillies (47-57) at Braves (35-67)

Game: 2
Venue: Turner Field
Date: July 29, 2016 7:35 PM EDT

ATLANTA -- The Philadelphia Phillies plan to get an extended look at outfielder Aaron Altherr, starting with this weekend series against the Atlanta Braves.

Altherr returned to the club on Thursday, made his first start since sustaining a wrist injury in spring training that required surgery and went 3-for-4 with a homer. It appears Altherr is ready to pick up where he left off at the end of last season.

"I'm anxious to see him play," Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin said. "It's much better to get a two-month look at him than just a September call-up."

The Phillies and Braves play the second game of their four-game series at Turner Field on Friday. Philadelphia sends rookie right-hander Vince Velasquez (8-2, 3.34) against Atlanta rookie Tyrell Jenkins (0-2, 6.17).

Altherr was recalled last August and batted .241 with five homers and 22 RBIs. After he was recalled, Altherr led the team in runs, triples, extra-base hits, total bases and walks.

"We want to see him play as much as possible," Mackanin said. "If he stays healthy, I'll keep running him out there. He's an important part of what we want to do."

Altherr played in 13 minor league games with four different teams during his rehab assignment. He hit .341 with one homer and six RBIs in 41 at-bats.

"I'm definitely excited to get going and get in some situations that I can help the team win," Altherr said.

Atlanta, which had only 23 players on its roster Wednesday night, recalled two relievers from Triple-A Gwinnett and went with a nine-man bullpen. Right-hander Jose Ramirez and lefty Matt Marksberry were recalled after the Braves traded starter Lucas Harrell and reliever Dario Alvarez to Texas the previous day.

Ramirez made two appearances and pitched two innings in early April and allowed six runs. Ramirez was 3-2 with a 2.18 ERA in 36 appearances with the G-Braves, striking out 45 in 41 1/3 innings.

It was the third time Marksberry has played for Atlanta this year, where he's pitched in two games and compiled a 10.80 ERA. He was 0-3 with a 5.01 ERA in 31 relief appearances in 2015, when he made the jump from the Class A level. Marksberry was 4-2 with a 2.32 ERA in 34 combined minor league appearances in 2016.

"Ramirez has been pitching well," Snitker said. "He's got a great arm. It's just been about trying to get him more consistent. Matt has been here before and he's been pitching well."

The Braves will make another pitching move on Friday after optioning starter Matt Wisler to Triple-A following his loss on Thursday. Atlanta must now replace two starters in the rotation, with the most likely candidates being right-handers Casey Kelly and Aaron Blair, who have pitched in the majors this year.

Outside consideration may be given to rookie Rob Whalen. The right-hander, who was acquired along with John Gant from the Mets last season, has a 1.93 ERA in three starts for Gwinnett with 18 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (49-52) at Rangers (59-44)

Game: 2
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: July 29, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas -- With Monday's trade deadline looming large for the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals, their bullpens continue to get made over as they square off Friday in the second contest of a four-game series.

Texas got a boost Thursday when left-hander Dario Alvarez was added to the roster to give the club another option from the left side in the bullpen. Kansas City's bullpen suffered a huge blow as right-hander Luke Hochevar was put on the 15-day disabled list with symptom consistent with thoracic outlet syndrome.

The injury to Hochevar, who was 2-3 with a 3.86 ERA in 40 appearances, could put the Royals into a buy mode heading to the deadline as they try and replace one of their most consistent relief pieces. Losing Hochevar could also push the Royals into sell mode, in which closer Wade Davis would be an attractive target despite his recent struggles.

Alvarez, who didn't get into Thursday's 3-2 Texas victory, has been through a lot this season. He started the season with the New York Mets before getting designated and claimed by the Atlanta Braves in May. He was solid with the Braves, posting a 3.00 ERA and 28 strikeouts in his 15 innings for a last-place team.

He's made a big move in the standings after getting dealt Wednesday along with right-hander Lucas Harrell for minor-leaguer Travis Demeritte.

"I'm excited to be coming from a last-place team," said Alvarez, who warmed up in Thursday's game in the seventh inning. "I know I can help this team any way they want me. Of course I was surprised to get traded, but they have a lot of Latin players here and I feel very comfortable."

Alvarez joins Jake Diekman as late-inning left-handers in the bullpen and gives manager Jeff Banister some much-needed flexibility.

Kansas City manager Ned Yost, whose team has dropped seven of its last nine games, could use a little help in relief too. Hochevar last pitched Sunday and had tingling in his hands while he was throwing on the side Thursday.

That prompted the club to put him on the disabled list. His loss is huge as he's held left-handed hitters to a .164 average this season and opponents were hitting .216 against him with runners in scoring position.

The Royals will be hard-pressed to replace that kind of relief help, which puts more pressure on starters such as Edison Volquez (8-8, 4.56 ERA) on Friday. Volquez allowed one run in his six innings in his last start, which also came against Texas.

Kansas City's bullpen got a break Thursday night too as Yordano Ventura pitched eight innings to pick up his first career complete game.

While losing Hochevar is tough, Yost said he thinks the offense can make things a little easier on the pitching staff. In their last four losses, Kansas City hasn't scored more than two runs.

"Start stinking hitting," Yost said. "It's as simple as that. You've got to get some hits. You've got to get some run production."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pirates (52-48) at Brewers (44-56)

Game: 1
Venue: Miller Park
Date: July 29, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

MILWAUKEE -- After taking three of four from the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Milwaukee Brewers will look to keep their momentum going Friday when they open a three-game set with the Pittsburgh Pirates at Miller Park.

The Brewers' home park has been a house of horrors for the Pirates, who have dropped 61 of 78 games there since 2007. The Brewers have had their way with Pittsburgh in general, posting a 100-56 mark against the Pirates during that same stretch -- the second-highest winning percentage by one team over a divisional foe during that span.

It'll be up to Junior Guerra to keep it going. The 31-year-old rookie will take the mound Friday for his 16th start of the season but in search of his first victory since July 4.

Guerra pitched well in his three starts since, holding opponents to five runs with 13 strikeouts in 18 innings of work, but the Brewers have managed just eight runs in those contests.

He held the Cubs to just one unearned run over 6 1/3 innings in his last start, dropping his season ERA to 2.85.

"I thought he was great," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "He did more of the same from him. I thought kind of early in the game he got some three-ball counts on some guys and some deeper counts on some guys. But he still really recovered from them. The four walks today was a little high for him. Maybe his stuff wasn't quite as crisp as it's been in the past, and still, he did everything he possibly needed to do to have a good game."

Guerra faced the Pirates twice in his brief career, including his only start against them on July 18, when he took no decision after allowing two runs on three hits and struck out six over six innings.

Pittsburgh will hand the ball to rookie left-hander Steven Brault, who will return to the Pirates after a brief return to Triple-A Indianapolis, where he turned in back-to-back scoreless six-inning outings.

Brault made his major league debut on July 5, allowing two runs -- one earned -- on four hits with five strikeouts and a pair of walks over four innings of work. A Gregory Polanco error smeared his line score a bit and likely made his debut outing a little bit shorter than planned.

"I was less nervous at first than I thought. When I got into trouble, then it hit me a little bit, but overall I reacted well," Brault said after the game. "I tried to keep doing what I've been doing. With all the guys around me, it's easy to feel comfortable on the mound and let my defense do the work. I tried to be myself and had a lot of fun."

After the game, he was optioned back to Indianapolis, where he had gone 2-3 with a 2.31 ERA in nine starts to open the season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (50-52) at Twins (38-63)

Game: 2
Venue: Target Field
Date: July 29, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Chicago White Sox will look to continue their dominance of the Minnesota Twins when the teams open a three-game series on Friday night at Target Field.

The White Sox are 8-1 against the Twins this season, outscoring Minnesota by a 45-24 margin in those games.

Chicago swept a three-game series here in mid-April and is making its first of two trips to the Twin Cities over the next four weeks.

After winning five-straight games to get back in the playoff hunt, the White Sox dropped a pair of games to the Cubs on Wednesday and Thursday, dropping to 8 1/2 games back of the Cleveland Indians for first place in the American League Central, and 6 1/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox for the second wildcard spot.

"Where we're at, all of them are important," White Sox manager Robin Ventura told MLB.com. "Every game is important. There hasn't been a time where we thought games weren't important."

Chicago will send Jose Quintana to the mound to open the series. The left-hander is in the middle of a breakout season with an 8-8 record and a 2.97 ERA in 20 starts. With one more win, Quintana would tie his career high of nine, set each of the last three years. His ERA is nearly a half run lower than his career mark.

Quintana has a 6-5 record in 16 starts against Minnesota, with a 3.92 ERA in those games. He's 2-1 in three starts against the Twins this season, including a six-inning, one-run effort at Target Field on April 11.

He tossed 6 2/3 shutout innings his last time out against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday but did not figure into the final decision.

The Twins will look to build on a 6-2 win over the first-place Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, which snapped a three-game losing streak.

After the game, the team traded its lone All Star, infielder Eduardo Nunez, to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for minor league pitcher Adalberto Mejia.

It's just the first trade of what could be a busy weekend for the seller Twins, who have the worst record in the American League.

"He did everything we could have asked of him," said Twins interim general manager Rob Antony. "This was just an opportunity to get a starting pitcher. We need pitching."

Veteran Ricky Nolasco, another potential trade chip, will get the start on Friday. The right-hander is 4-8 with a 5.40 ERA on the season and was roughed up for six earned runs on six hits and three walks in just two innings his last time out against the Boston Red Sox.

Nolasco had been solid in three previous July outings, allowing three earned runs or fewer in all three starts. He is 0-2 against the White Sox this season and gave up seven runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings pitched at U.S. Cellular Field on June 29.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Sox (55-45) at Angels (46-56)

Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: July 29, 2016 10:05 PM EDT

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The difference between the two pitchers scheduled to start Friday's game between the Los Angeles Angels and Boston Red Sox couldn't be bigger, considering how each has pitched this season.

Red Sox starter Rick Porcello has won five starts in a row and has won seven consecutive decisions overall. He also won his first five starts of the season and is 13-2 for the season.

Lincecum, meanwhile, is coming off his worst start of the season after joining the Angels on June 18. He gave up eight runs in just 1 1/3 innings in his last start July 24 against Houston. Overall, he is 2-4 with an 8.70 ERA in seven starts.

While Porcello has been hot overall, the Angels can lean on the idea that Porcello is beatable on the road. His splits show that he is 10-0 with a 3.21 ERA in 11 starts at Fenway.

"I just feel good (at Fenway)," Porcello told Boston.com. "I feel comfortable pitching in front of our crowd."

Red Sox manager John Farrell sees the same thing.

"Rick is in a very good place ... in Fenway," Farrell said. "You talk about dependable and reliable, he embodies that. He epitomizes that."

The road, though, has not been quite as good to Porcello. He is 3-2 with a 4.02 ERA in nine starts away from Fenway. In fact, he's won on the road only once since the end of April.

It would seem, however, that Porcello doesn't need to be on the top of his game Friday considering the struggles of Lincecum, whom the Angels signed out of desperation amid an influx of injuries to their starting pitchers.

Lincecum had hip surgery last December and appeared to be a good pick-up for the club after he made his first start, giving up just one run in six innings against Oakland.

But he hasn't been able to last six innings in any of his six starts since, and has failed to last even five innings in four of seven of his starts, taxing the Angels bullpen.

"I'm confident in the process, that this is part of what I'm going through right now," Lincecum told MLB.com after his last start. "If it takes going through this, then it takes going through this. And if they have to make a decision that puts me in a different position, then I'll be open to that. But at the same time, I'm definitely going to go after this as a starter and still keep grinding it out that way, and try to give my team a chance to win. I haven't been doing that."

Though he's a two-time Cy Young award winner, Lincecum did not pitch well against the Red Sox earlier in his career when he was a better pitcher. Pitching in the National League, however, Lincecum has faced Boston only twice in his career, going 0-2 with a 10.13 ERA.

Likewise, Porcello didn't pitch well against the Angels while pitching against them as a member of the Detroit Tigers, going 4-6 with a 6.82 ERA in 13 career starts.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (42-60) at Dodgers (57-45)

Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: July 29, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers resume their pursuit of the top spot in the National League West with a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks beginning Friday at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers (57-45), who lost two of three to the Diamondbacks following the All-Star break, have gone 16-9 in their last 25 games and made up ground on the struggling NL West-leading San Francisco Giants. San Francisco's advantage in the division has dwindled from 6 1/2 games at the All-Star break to two. The Giants (59-43) have dropped 10 of 12 since the break.

Dodgers right-hander Kenta Maeda (9-7, 3.25 ERA), who starts Friday, was knocked around for five runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings in a 6-5 Arizona decision July 17 in Phoenix.

However, Maeda bounced back Saturday in St. Louis against the Cardinals, holding them to two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings in a 7-2 victory by the Dodgers. Maeda fanned three and didn't walk a batter on 92 pitches.

"I think he's exceeded our expectations," manager Dave Roberts said of Maeda, who is in his first season in the majors after pitching for eight campaigns in Japan. "He's pitched in some big games and thrown really well and you can't expect him to be great every time out. But I think that under all the circumstances, the adjustments, Kenta's been fantastic. Every time he takes the ball we feel good about it.

"He does a great job of taking care of himself, very athletic, does a lot of things on the field to help you win baseball games."

Right-hander Zack Godley (3-1, 5.88), who has never started against Los Angeles, takes the ball for the Diamondbacks. Godley earned a win against the Reds in his last start Sunday despite surrendering five runs in 5 2/3 innings.

The Diamondbacks (42-60), though, have stumbled since winning the Dodgers' series. Arizona has lost seven of its last nine, dropping three of four to the Milwaukee Brewers, including a 6-4 defeat Thursday.

The lone win against the Brewers was an 8-1 rout Wednesday.

"That was a great game today. We hit a couple of home runs and put a lot of runs on the board early," Diamondbacks shortstop Jean Segura said.

The Dodgers, who were off Thursday, had their three-game winning streak snapped Wednesday in a 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Dodgers, who split the two-game series with Tampa Bay, managed only four hits against Rays starter Matt Moore.

"Moore was good and kept us off-balance and made pitches when he needed to," Roberts said. "We just really couldn't stress him."

Diamondbacks ace Zack Greinke won't pitch against his former club during this trip. Greinke is on the 15-day disabled list with a left oblique strain.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nationals (60-42) at Giants (59-43)

Game: 2
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: July 29, 2016 10:15 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO -- The San Francisco Giants expect to have new infielder Eduardo Nunez in uniform and ready for action when they host the Washington Nationals in the second game of a four-game series Friday night.

The Giants acquired the American League All-Star from the Minnesota Twins on Thursday during their 4-2 loss to the Nationals.

San Francisco sent minor league pitcher Adalberto Mejia to the Twins in order to acquire the versatile infielder who was hitting .296 with 12 home runs for Minnesota this season.

Nunez likely will start at third base Friday as the Giants continue to await the return of Matt Duffy from the disabled list. Duffy, who has missed 32 games with an Achilles strain, is tentatively scheduled to begin a rehab assignment in the minor leagues this weekend.

Nunez, 29, went 0-for-4 in Minnesota's 6-2 win over Baltimore on Thursday night. He made his 49th start of the season at shortstop, but he also has received the call at third base 28 times and at second base on four occasions.

"He'll be used as we would use any utility infielder," Giants general manager Bobby Evans said of Nunez, who leads the AL with 27 stolen bases. "He'll help with his speed and experience and bat, and it gives us some versatility and flexibility."

Coincidentally, fill-in third baseman Conor Gillaspie was the Giants' most productive offensive player Thursday. He went 2-for-3 on a night when the Giants got only five hits, and he drove in San Francisco's first run with an infield out.

One day after they were held to four hits and one run over seven innings by Tanner Roark, the Giants will see Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer (10-6, 2.92 ERA).

Scherzer has had more than his fair share of problems against the Giants in general and at AT&T Park in particular. He gotten bombed to the tune of an 0-2 record and 7.88 ERA during his career in San Francisco.

He is 1-4 with a 6.85 ERA in five all-time starts against the Giants. That mark does not count Game 4 of the 2012 World Series in Detroit, when he pitched well for the Tigers (three runs in 6 1/3 innings), only to see San Francisco finish off its 4-0 sweep with a run in the ninth off the bullpen.

The Giants will counter Scherzer with Jeff Samardzija (9-6, 4.22 ERA).

Chances are the first batter Samardzija will see Friday night will be Trea Turner, who continued his recent hot run with two hits, a walk, a run, an RBI and a stolen base in Thursday's win.

Nationals manager Dusty Baker indicated before the game that he would flip-flop Turner and Ben Revere in center field.

"It's not to say much, but you'll take any edge that you can get," Baker said, according to the Washington Post. "And tomorrow will be something different. I'm hoping that I don't have to talk about my lineup every day and we can just go with it and see how it works. I mean, everything is about the odds and who's going good, who hits whom, whether the pitcher matches up better against right-handers or left-handers, if you need more speed. All that goes into my decision."

Few Nationals are hotter right now than Turner, who has hits in nine of his 10 game appearances since the All-Star break and has reached base in all 10.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Reds (40-61) at Padres (44-58)

Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: July 29, 2016 10:40 PM EDT

SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Padres look to continue their home run spree when opening a nine-game homestand against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday at Petco Park.

Or should the Padres' downtown digs be christened "Muscle Beach?"

While little has gone right for rebuilding San Diego (44-58) this season, it has blasted home runs in 25 straight games. Slugging San Diego joins the 1998 Atlanta Braves (25), and four American League clubs, as the only clubs to reach that mark in major-league history.

If the Padres go yard on Friday in the first of a three-game series with the Reds, they will set the NL record and inch closer to the 2002 Texas Rangers' standard of homers in 27 straight games.

San Diego's lineup is matched against a Reds starter who's been torched by big flies. Southpaw Brandon Finnegan (5-8, 4.93 ERA) has absorbed 22 home runs in 20 games.

The Padres are coming off Wednesday's 8-4 win against the Toronto Blue Jays in which Adam Rosales and Brett Wallace went deep and Alex Dickerson, among the organization's top prospects, stroked a homer for the fourth consecutive game.

That's a nifty personal feat but it pales to what the Padres are accomplishing.

What gives for a team which is shedding veterans and trying to construct a brighter future as it careens toward its sixth straight losing season?

"Our chase percentages are down outside the strike zone, and we're forcing guys into the zone more often, (and) we're walking more than we were early in the season," Padres rookie manager Andy Green told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "Those things you can control.

"Hitting the ball out of the ballpark 25 straight (games), it's borderline fluke. It's just one of those things that happen. We don't think about it much."

The Padres' brawn will likely occupy Finnegan's thoughts. He has surrendered a home run in six straight starts and 10 blasts in his last four.

San Diego hands the ball to veteran Edwin Jackson (1-1, 4.30 overall), hoping he can duplicate his last outing at Petco. He took a no-hitter into the seventh inning against the Giants in his Padres' debut on July 17 before settling for the win. Jackson has been keen in two starts after taking Drew Pomeranz's rotation spot when Pomeranz was peddled to the Boston Red Sox.

With Monday's trading deadline approaching, the Reds continue to field offers for Jay Bruce. The All-Star right fielder has been on a tear, tying a club record with a homer in five straight games; he has six homers in five games. It's possible the All-Star is playing his final games with the Reds.

"I would expect things to probably over the weekend get a little more engaged," Walt Jocketty, the Reds' director of baseball operations, told mlb.com. "There are clubs that have been engaged in Jay for a while. It's basically the same clubs but no one has really come up and been really aggressive."

It figures scouts from three West Coast contenting teams, the Giants, Dodgers and Mariners, will be evaluating the left-hand hitting veteran corner outfielder who fills a need.

Like the Padres, the Reds (40-61) are trying to flip their roster and collect young talent with upside. Surprisingly, San Diego is doing it while hitting the ball outside the ballpark at an historic rate.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Friday, July 29, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

Maybe something will come out of this lost season for the San Diego Padres after all -- other than restocking the farm system by trading away half the team. The club dealt outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. to Toronto earlier this week to open up a full-time spot for 26-year-old rookie Alex Dickerson. And all he has done is homer in four straight games entering Friday's series opener at home against Cincinnati. No Padres rookie had ever homered in four consecutive games before. Now, I'm not sure Dickerson is for real because you don't usually see rookies blossom at 26 years old and he's only ranked as the team's No. 25 prospect. But he did rake in Triple-A this season, batting .382 with 16 doubles and 10 homers. The Padres, by the way, have homered in a club-record 25 straight games. That's the longest run since the 2002 Texas Rangers set a major league record by homering in 27 straight. Incidentally, Reds outfielder Jay Bruce enters Friday's game having homered in five straight games.


Mariners at Cubs (-167, TBA)

MLB Network televises this matinee (2:20 p.m. ET) from Wrigley Field, and it should thus have live betting at sportsbooks. Seattle loses the designated hitter, but I'd assume that slugger Nelson Cruz simply moves to right field -- if healthy as he has been dealing with a minor foot injury -- as the M's won't want to lose his bat. These teams made a trade last week, with Seattle sending lefty reliever Mike Montgomery to the Cubs for two minor-leaguers. Seattle starts Hisashi Iwakuma (11-6, 3.96) here, and he has won five straight starts. Last time out, he won in Toronto, allowing two runs and four hits over six innings. He faced the Cubs once back in 2013 and allowed four runs in eight innings. Dexter Fowler is 2-for-11 against him with five strikeouts. Jason Heyward is 2-for-3. It's Jon Lester (10-4, 3.09) for the Cubs. He has been inconsistent of late, and he wasn't good Sunday in Milwaukee, lasting just four innings and allowing four runs with five walks. Lester hasn't faced Seattle since his final Red Sox season in 2014. Cruz hits him well, going 11-for-28 with three homers. Kyle Seager is 5-for-16 against him with two homers.

Key trends: The Mariners are 5-0 in Iwakuma's past five series openers. The Cubs are 6-1 in Lester's past seven in Game 1 of a series. The "over/under" has gone under in six of Seattle's past seven vs. a lefty. The under is 3-1-1 in Lester's past five interleague starts.

Early lean: Cubs.

Yankees at Rays (-112, 8)

Both these pitchers could be playing their final game with their respective teams as both have been heavily rumored on the trade market. New York's Ivan Nova (7-5, 4.65) wouldn't bring too much back as he will be a free agent after this season. But he has had back-to-back quality starts. He allowed a run and six hits over seven innings last time out vs. the Giants in a no-decision. Nova has pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief vs. the Rays this year and got the win in that outing. Evan Longoria is 10-for-36 career off him with three homers and nine strikeouts. Steve Pearce, another trade candidate, is 0-for-4. It's Jake Odorizzi (4-5, 4.10) for Tampa, and I'd be surprised if he's not dealt. He's under team control for a few years and comes off eight shutout innings in Oakland, allowing five hits in a no-decision. Odorizzi leads the league with 12 no-decisions. He lost to the Yankees in May 29 despite allowing just one hit and two runs over seven innings. Brian McCann hammers him, going 12-for-23 with three homers and 10 RBIs.

Key trends: The Yankees are 1-4 in Nova's past five road starts vs. teams with a losing record. The Rays are 1-9 in Odorizzi's past 10 in Game 1 of a series. The under is 4-1-1 in Nova's past six road starts. The under is 5-2 in Odorizzi's past seven vs. the AL East.

Early lean: Yankees and under.

Royals at Rangers (-137, 9.5)

This also is televised by the MLB Network. Could be the final start in a Kansas City uniform for Edinson Volquez, who reportedly is being heavily scouted by Friday's opponent, the Rangers. Volquez (8-8, 4.56) faced Texas on Sunday and allowed one run and seven hits over six innings in a no-decision. It was Volquez's third straight quality start. Mitch Moreland is 3-for-5 off him with a homer. Rougned Odor is 2-for-2 off him. It's A.J. Griffin (3-1, 4.06) for Texas. He also took a no-decision on Sunday vs. Kansas City, allowing one run and four hits over five innings. Griffin hasn't lasted more than five innings in six starts since coming off the DL. Alex Gordon loves seeing Griffin as he's 6-for-7 off him with a double and homer.

Key trends: The Royals are 2-5 in Volquez's past seven on the road. The under is 4-1 in his past five. The over is 4-0 in Griffin's past four at home.

Early lean: Royals and over.

Diamondbacks at Dodgers (-205, 7.5)

Arizona expects to activate outfielder David Peralta off the disabled list for this game. He has not played for the Diamondbacks since June 14 due to a back issue. He's hitting .259 with four homers and 15 RBIs this season in 41 games. The Snakes start right-hander Zack Godley (3-1, 5.88) on the mound. He was roughed up in Cincinnati on Sunday, allowing five runs and 10 hits, both season highs, over 5.2 innings. Yet Godley got the win. He has thrown two-thirds of an inning vs. the Dodgers this year and didn't allow a run. The Dodgers' Kenta Maeda (9-7, 3.25) won in St. Louis on Saturday, giving up two runs and five hits over 5.2 innings. He is 1-1 with a 4.02 ERA in three starts against Arizona. Jean Segura is 4-for-8 off him with a double. Jake Lamb is 5-for-7 with two doubles and a homer. Peralta is 0-for-4.

Key trends: The Diamondbacks are 5-1 in Godley's past six. The Dodgers are 5-2 in Maeda's past seven vs. the NL West. The under is 5-0 in Maeda's past five at home.

Early lean: Dodgers and over.

Nationals at Giants (+142, 7)

I'd say the marquee pitching matchup of Friday, but the Giants' Jeff Samardzija (9-6, 4.22) hasn't been pitching like a marquee guy for a while. He lost at the Yankees on Sunday, allowing five runs and eight hits over 5.2 innings. It's the fifth time in the past six starts he has allowed at least four earned. Samardzija hasn't faced the Nationals this year. Ryan Zimmerman might get the game off as he's 1-for-19 career of Samardzija with seven strikeouts. Daniel Murphy is 5-for-9 off him with a homer. Washington's Max Scherzer (10-6, 2.92) is pitching like an ace, not allowing more than two earned in five straight starts. He took a no-decision vs. the Padres on Saturday in allowing two runs and four hits over seven innings with 10 strikeouts. It's his first look at the Giants this year. Brandon Crawford is 2-for-3 off him with a homer. Gregor Blanco is 4-for-7 with two doubles.

Key trends: The Nats are 4-1 in Scherzer's past five vs. teams with a winning record. The Giants are 5-2 in Samardzija's past seven at home. The under is 5-0 in Scherzer's past five.

Early lean: Nationals and under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Blue Jays aim for sweep'

Baltimore Orioles at Toronto Blue Jays Series July 29-31 2016

Toronto and Baltimore play a crucial three-game series north of the border this weekend with top spot in the East at stake. The clubs have split ten games this season with Blue Jays holding a 3-1 edge meeting at Rogers Center.

A.L. East leading Orioles looking to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the division open the series with Kevin Gausman on the hill. Blue Jays two games back hoping to inch closer counter with Marco Estrada. Jays have won three straight vs Orioles in this park with Estrada, Gausman not a peg to hang your hopes on in an opposing park is saddled with an 0-13 skid in enemy territory.

Saturday, probable pitching matchup has J.A. Happ squaring off with Yovani Gallardo. Happ having a strong campaign is undefeated in eight starts. Toronto emerged triumphant in each of the games and have won ten of his last eleven trips to the mound. Gallardo is coming off perhaps the best outing wearing an Orioles uniform tossing 6 2/3 innings of 2 run ball in a home win vs Colorado. However, Orioles have lost four of his last six road starts which includes 1-3 as an underdog which will be the case here.

The finale features Aaron Sanchez and Chris Tillman on respective mounds. Sanchez in great form has surrendered two earned runs or fewer in 7 consecutive starts and 9 of his last 10. He also has won 10 consecutive decisions with Jays 12-4 over the sixteen starts. Sanchez carries to the mound a sparkling 5-1 team start stretch at home vs a division opponent. Tillman not at his best last outing tagged with a loss giving up 6 runs over 5.0 innings faces a big test. Rogers Centre has been a tough environment for Tillman, in eleven starts he's has a 7.94 ERA getting tagged for 19 yard-ball with Orioles 3-8 in those games.

Toronto's top three hurlers doing their bidding, Jays 9-2 vs the division with Sanchez, Estrada, Happ, 8-2 last 10 home hosting a division rival, 11-4 last 15 in front of the home audience expect the boys from north of the border to have a productive weekend winning 2-of-3 and/or possibly sweep the series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Friday’s games

National League

Cardinals @ Marlins
Leake is 2-4, 5.55 in his last six starts; over is 7-3 in his last 10. Cardinals are 5-3 in his road starts.

Urena is 0-1, 1.54 in his two starts (under 2-0).

Cardinals won five of last six road games; four of their last six games went over. Miami won eight of its last 12 home games.

Rockies @ Mets

Chatwood is 1-2, 7.2 in his last five starts; under is 14-4 in his last 18 starts. Colorado is 7-1 in his road starts.

Matz is 1-3, 3.24 in his last four starts; Mets lost four of his last five home starts. Under is 7-1-1 in his last nine.

Colorado won seven of its last eight games; under is 10-2-1 in their last 13 games. Mets lost six of last seven home games; under is 8-2 in last ten games at Citi Field.

Phillies @ Braves
Velasquez is 3-0, 2.70 in his last five starts; six of his last nine went over. Phillies are 5-4 in his road starts.

Jenkins is 0-1, 6.43 in his three starts (under 2-0-1).

Phillies lost four of last six games; under is 9-5 in their last 14 games. Atlanta is 4-9 in its last 13 games; seven of last ten games at Turner Field went over.

Pirates @ Brewers
Brault allowed two runs in four IP (82 PT) in his first MLB start.

Guerra is 3-1, 1.80 in his last six starts (under 5-1). Milwaukee lost four of his last five home starts.

Pirates won three of last four games (over 4-0); they’re 10-7 in road series openers. Brewers won four of last six games; under is 8-4-1 in last 13 games at Miller Park- they’re 8-9 in home series openers.

Diamondbacks @ Dodgers
Godley is 3-1, 6.23 in his four starts (over 3-1).

Maeda is 3-2, 4.33 in his last five starts; his last five home starts stayed under. Dodgers are 4-6 in his home starts.

Arizona lost seven of last nine games; over is 3-1-1 in their last five. Diamondbacks are 9-7 in road series openers. Dodgers won three of last four games; under is 13-3 in their last 16 home games. LA won four of last five home series openers.

Nationals @ Giants
Scherzer is 2-1, 1.31 in his last five starts (under 5-0); Nationals are 7-5 in his road starts.

Samardzija is 1-2, 6.46 in his last five starts; over is 9-2 in his last 11. Giants won five of his seven home starts.

Nationals are 8-5 in last 13 games; five of last six Washington road games stayed under. San Francisco lost ten of last 12 games, five of last six Giant home games stayed under the total.

Reds @ Padres
Finnegan is 2-4, 8.69 in his last six starts; his last four went over. Cincinnati is 3-7 in his road starts.

Jackson is 1-0, 3.65 in his first two starts this year (over 1-1).

Reds won seven of last ten games; three of their last four went over. San Diego lost seven of last ten games; three of their last four went over. Padres are 10-6 in home series openers; Cincy is 9-8 in road series openers.

American League

Orioles @ Blue Jays
Gausman is 2-2, 2.60 in his last five starts (under 13-4). Orioles lost six of his last seven road starts.

Estrada is 0-2, 5.82 in his last four starts (under 12-5). Toronto is 5-4 when he starts at home.

Orioles lost last three games, scoring three runs; their last 16 games stayed under. Toronto won three of its last four games; Jays are 6-11 in home series openers; Baltimore is 10-7 in road series openers.

Bronx @ Rays
Nova is 2-0, 2.66 in his last four starts (under 3-1). New York is 3-3 in his road starts.

Odorizzi is 1-0, 1.29 in his last two starts; his last three stayed under. Tampa Bay is 2-6 in his last eight home starts.

New York won seven of last ten games (under 9-1); they’re 8-8 in road series openers. Tampa Bay lost four of last five games (under 5-0); Rays are 6-10 in home series openers.

A’s @ Indians
Graveman is 4-0, 3.10 in his last seven starts; three of his last four stayed under. A’s won his last five road starts.

Bauer is 0-2, 8.04 in his last three starts; under is 5-2-1 in his last eight. Cleveland is 5-2 in his home starts.

A’s won five of last six games; six of their last nine games stayed under. Oakland is 10-6 in road series openers. Cleveland lost four of last five games (under 4-1). Tribe is 9-5 in home series openers.

Astros @ Tigers
McHugh is 2-0, 3.00 in his last three starts (over 2-0-1); Houston is 5-4 in his road starts.

Boyd is 1-0, 2.35 in his last three starts (under 3-0).

Astros won five of last seven games; under is 5-2-1 in their last eight. Detroit won its last three games; under is 3-1-1 in their last five. Tigers are 9-6 in home series openers; Astros won four of last five road series openers.

Royals @ Rangers
Volquez is 1-1, 2.84 in his last five starts; under is 7-3 in his last ten. Royals are 3-5 in his road starts.

Griffin is 0-1, 5.40 in his last six starts; over is 4-2-1 in his last seven. Texas is 3-1 in his home starts.

Kansas City lost seven of last eight games; under is 12-3-1 in their last 16 road games. Texas won four of last six games; over 9-4 in last 13 Texas home games.

White Sox @ Twins
Quintana is 3-0, 2.02 in his last four starts; under is 16-2-1 in his last 19 starts. Pale Hose won his last three road starts.

Nolasco is 1-4, 6.96 in his last six starts; over is 16-3 in his last 19 starts. Minnesota is 3-6 when he starts at Target Field.

Chicago is 4-5 in its last nine games; they’re 1-8 in last nine road series openers– under is 6-2-1 in their last nine road games. Minnesota lost three of last four games; they’re 7-11 in home series openers. Under is 5-1-1 in Twins’ last seven home games.

Red Sox @ Angels
Porcello is 5-0, 3.09 in his last five starts; over is 7-3-1 in his last 11 starts. Boston lost five of his last seven road starts.

Lincecum is 1-4, 11.25 in his last six starts; three of his last four went over.

Red Sox lost six of last seven games; last five Boston road games stayed under total. Angels won their last seven home games; over is 13-5 in Halos’ last 18 home games.

Interleague

Mariners @ Cubs
Iwakuma is 5-0, 2.56 in his last five starts; four of his last six stayed under. Mariners are 7-4 in his road starts.

Lester is 1-1, 10.13 in his last four starts; four of his last five went over. Cubs are 7-2 in his home starts.

Seattle won four of last six games; three of their last four went over. Mariners are 9-8 in road series openers. Cubs won five of last eight games, under is 10-1-2 in Cubs’ last 13 games. Chicago is 14-3 in home series openers.

Teams won-lost records when this pitcher starts:

StL-Mia– Leake 9-11; Urena 1-1
Col-NY– Chatwood 11-7; Matz 10-8
Phil-Atl– Velasquez 10-7; Jenkins 1-2
Pitt-Mil– Brault 1-0; Guerra 10-5
Az-LA– Godley 3-1; Maeda 11-9
Wsh-SF– Scherzer 12-9; Samardzija 11-9
Cin-SD– Finnegan 6-15; Jackson 1-1

Balt-Tor– Gausman 7-10; Estrada 9-8-8
NY-TB– Nova 7-7; Odorizzi 9-12
A’s-Clev– Graveman 10-9 (8-0 last 8); Bauer 7-8
Hst-Det– McHugh 13-7; Boyd 3-5
KC-Tex– Volquez 12-9; Griffin 8-4
Chi-Min– Quintana 11-9; Nolasco 8-12
Bos-LAA– Porcello 15-5; Lincecum 3-4

Sea-Cubs– Iwakuma 12-8 (5-0 last 5); Lester 14-6


Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning:

StL-Mia– Leake 7-20; Urena 0-2
Col-NY– Chatwood 7-18 (5 of last 8); Matz 4-18
Phil-Atl– Velasquez 3-16; Jenkins 2-3
Pitt-Mil– Brault 0-1; Guerra 3-15
Az-LA– Godley 2-4; Maeda 5-20
Wsh-SF– Scherzer 8-21; Samardzija 6-20
Cin-SD– Finnegan 7-21; Jackson 0-2

Balt-Tor– Gausman 6-17; Estrada 5-17
NY-TB– Nova 3-14; Odorizzi 4-21
A’s-Clev– Graveman 4-19; Bauer 4-15
Hst-Det– McHugh 8-20; Boyd 0-8
KC-Tex– Volquez 6-21; Griffin 2-12
Chi-Min– Quintana 4-20; Nolasco 8-20
Bos-LAA– Porcello 7-20; Lincecum 3-7

Sea-Cubs– Iwakuma 3-20; Lester 5-20

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

StatFox Super Situations

MLB | WASHINGTON at SAN FRANCISCO
Play Against - Road teams (WASHINGTON) poor hitting team (AVG <=.250) against an average starting pitcher (ERA=4.20 to 5.20) -NL, with a starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.150 or better on the season-NL
113-69 since 1997. ( 62.1% | 46.6 units )
7-6 this year. ( 53.8% | 0.0 units )


StatFox Situational Power Trends

MLB | KANSAS CITY at TEXAS
TEXAS is 54-29 (+27.4 Units) against the money line in Home games vs. good fielding teams - averaging <=0.6 errors/game over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was: TEXAS (5.3) , OPPONENT (4.4)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Friday’s six-pack

— Eduardo Nunez was having a good year in Minnesota, hitting .296; he was traded to the Giants Thursday.

— Golfer Martin Kaymer has 59 starts since winning 2014 US Open; he has 15 top 10’s, two 2nds, but no wins since then.

— Pacers-Nuggets will play a game in London in January.

— Team USA just beat China by 49/50 points; sadly for China, their first game at the Olympics is also against the Americans.

— Had a fun 10-day trip to Las Vegas; now it is time to hunker down and get ready for football season.

— People in airport going home from Las Vegas look a lot less happy than people in airport going there.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

#1 Sports

Friday's Free Selection: Toronto Blue Jays - 135

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mike Wynn

Bonus Play: MLB St Louis/Miami Over 8½ Runs