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July Pitchers Report
By Marc Lawrence

Fireworks and the MLB All-Star game go hand-in-hand during the month of July. It also denotes the start of the 2nd half of the MLB campaign. And as we’ve come to learn the key to each and every team’s fortune lies on the pitching staff.

Can they sustain or will they unravel like Jose Canseco going back on a fly ball? Stay tuned. What we do know is that certain pitchers love hurling this time of the season while others tend to get lit up like a roman candle on the 4thof July.

Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a two-to-one or better success ratio in team-starts over the course of the last three seasons during the month of July.

On the flip side, we've also listed pitchers that struggle in July, winning 33% percent or less of their team-start efforts. To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at least one start each July over the last three years.

And for your convenience alongside each record we break down each pitcher’s greatest success or greatest failure rate either home (H) or away (A) within his good or bad month.

Note: * designates a categorical repeat appearance by this pitcher, maintaining status quo from last season’s July list.

GOOD MONTH PITCHERS:

*Chen, Wei-Yin - 9-4 (5-1 H)

The Miami left-hander has not been terribly effective with an ERA hovering around 5. If Chen can develop more command, he's shown again this year he's tough when in challenging situations, allowing .186 batting average and .271 on-base percentage with runners in scoring position.

Garza, Matt - 9-3 (5-1 H)

Since coming back from spring training injury on June 14th, the Milwaukee right-hander has been a mix of good and bad, but come through when it counted. Opposing hitters are batting over .300 against Garza, but he's held those runners in check and induced a heavy dose of ground balls that have led to outs. If he continues, this Brewers starter might be effective.

Greinke, Zack - 11-4 (6-2 H)

Though Arizona is falling short of preseason expectations, the Diamondbacks ace is not and, other than Clayton Kershaw, has arguably been as effective as any pitcher since the end of April with batters hitting around .200 against him. Once again his array of pitches are finding the right spots and fastball is cooking!

Kazmir, Scott - 10-5 (6-2 H)

When Kazmir misses on location for fastball, the other team's lineup begins to look for off-speed stuff, which has caused his inconsistency this season. When he's working the corners on the knees early in the count, this sets up secondary pitches. In the past he's done so in July, let's see what he comes up with this time.

*Kershaw, Clayton - 12-3 (8-0 A)

When either Kershaw loses or has a less than stellar performance, which is infrequent, it is home page news on most sports websites. With opponents batting just .185 against him, baseball's best pitcher has close to as many home runs surrendered (6) as walks (9) to start the month over 121 innings. It’s no wonder his name is whispered in the same company as Sandy Koufax.

Kluber, Corey - 13-4 (9-2 H)

Since winning the Cy Young award in 2014, Kluber has not been able to match that magical season, but is part of a very good Cleveland rotation. Looking ahead, if the Indians righty can do a better job than permitting .281 batting averages with runners in scoring position, all his numbers will drop and his victories will go up. Note: Kluber’s numbers above also reflect his career team mark during July.

*Liriano, Francisco - 12-2 (7-0 H)

After several fine seasons with Pittsburgh, Liriano has not been effective in 2016. Walks and home runs have done him in and in order to reflect past results of July, he's going to have to stop leaving pitches in the heart of the plate.

Peralta, Wily - 8-4 (5-1 H)

Peralta has been thoroughly ineffective all season (6.68 ERA) and was sent to minors after June 11th start. His return this month or this season depends on his Triple-A results. Note: Peralta’s numbers above also reflect his career team mark during July.

Price, David - 11-5 (7-1 A)

To date, the Boston lefty could be described as a mild disappointment, with an ERA north of 4.5 most of the season. No longer owning an upper 90's heater, Price does not blow away as many hitters as before and the fastball lacks some of the previous movement of the past. The slider has not had the usual bite from start to start. Red Sox need this ace to be one.

Ross, Tyson - 10-4 (4-1 H)

Ross has not pitched since he hit the DL with right shoulder inflammation after first start in April. San Diego Union reports a return even this month appears optimistic.
Note: Ross’ numbers above also reflect his career team mark during July.

Santana, Ervin - 11-4 (8-1 H)

Like his teammates, Santana is not having a good year, as opposing hitters are clocking him for nearly .300 average, compared to .256 over his 11-year career. Little reason to believe this month will match the past even if he improves with this Twins club.

*Volquez, Edinson - 10-5 (6-1 A)

Never a frontline hurler, Volquez numbers this campaign have matched the Royals, being very ordinary to date. The Dominican Republic native has done the job against right-handed batters, who have been knocking him around for nearly .300 average.

BAD MONTH PITCHERS:

Wood, Alex - 4-8 (0-6 A)

Wood – the only pitcher to appear on the July Bad Month list this season - was initially expected to be shut down for four weeks after landing on the 15-day disabled list at the end of May with a posterior impingement in his throwing elbow. Currently, the timetable is for mid-July return, but the oft-injured pitcher can hardly be counted on as record shows. Note: Wood’’s numbers above reflect his career team mark during July.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB roundup: Wainwright, Cardinals shut down Pirates
By The Sports Xchange

ST. LOUIS -- Adam Wainwright spoiled the major-league debut of highly-touted pitcher Tyler Glasnow in a 5-1 St. Louis Cardinals victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium.
Wainwright allowed five hits and Pittsburgh's only run, walking one while tying a season high with nine strikeouts. He retired 10 batters in a row after Matt Joyce's lead-off double in the second inning.
Glasnow, who was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis after posting a 1.78 ERA and a 7-2 record in 17 starts, matched Wainwright pitch-for-pitch before St. Louis managed to gain some traction in its second and third passes through the order.
The Pirates, whose season-high seven-game winning streak came to an end, scored first in the second on an infield out by Jordy Mercer that plated Joyce.

Angels 5, Rays 1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Hector Santiago threw seven innings of three-hit shutout baseball as Los Angeles won its third straight over reeling Tampa Bay, closing the series with a win at Tropicana Field.
The Angels won three straight games for the first time since mid-May, while the Rays have lost 19 of 22, the worst stretch by any team in baseball this season and matching the worst 22-game stretch in franchise history.
Tampa Bay's Blake Snell and Santiago were locked in a scoreless tie for five innings, each giving up two hits entering the sixth.
Los Angeles finally got to Snell in the sixth, as Yunel Escobar led off with a single, advanced on an infield out and scored on an RBI single by Albert Pujols for a 1-0 lead. C.J. Cron hit a grounder up the middle for what looked to be an inning-ending double play, but second baseman Logan Forsythe's throw sailed high over first base, allowing a second run to score.

Yankees 5, Indians 4
CLEVELAND -- Didi Gregorius homered and New York's bullpen dominated the late innings to beat Cleveland at Progressive Field.
Ivan Nova pitched into the sixth inning to get the win for the Yankees. In 5 1/3 innings, Nova gave up four runs and five hits, with six strikeouts and no walks.
Indians starter Trevor Bauer, who was almost untouchable through the fourth, lost control and took the loss. He lasted 5 2/3 innings, allowing five runs and eight hits, with four strikeouts and two walks. Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth to pick up his 17th save.

Blue Jays 5, Tigers 4
TORONTO -- Troy Tulowitzki hit the go-ahead, two-run single in the eighth inning and had three RBIs to lead Toronto over Detroit.
Blue Jays starter Drew Hutchison allowed six hits (including two home runs), one walk and three runs in six innings. The right-hander, who was making his second spot start of the season, struck out seven. Jason Grilli pitched a scoreless eighth inning to earn the win. Roberto Osuna pitched a perfect ninth for his 18th save.
Tigers starter Justin Verlander allowed six hits, four walks and two runs in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out five. Justin Upton and Nick Castellanos hit solo homers for the Tigers.

Athletics 3, Astros 1
HOUSTON -- Rich Hill worked six strong innings and Oakland turned one modest uprising into a win over Houston at Minute Maid Park.
While Hill turned in a special effort in just his second start since coming off the disabled list, the Athletics made the most of their second-inning rally against Astros right-hander Doug Fister.
Hill closed his ledger allowing just three hits, two walks and one run while matching his season high of 10 strikeouts achieved twice in the opening month.

Mets 9, Nationals 7
NEW YORK -- Wilmer Flores hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the bottom of the fifth -- a half-inning after he entered in a double -switch -- to give New York Mets the lead for good in what turned out to be a wild win over Washington at Citi Field.
The Mets overcame an early 4-1 deficit to beat the Nationals in the opener of a four-game series between the top two teams in the National League East.
Flores' homer was the only non-solo shot on a hot and humid night in which the clubs combined for eight homers, a Citi Field record. Travis d'Arnaud, Jose Reyes and Asdrubal Cabrera all homered for the Mets while Bryce Harper, Clint Robinson, Anthony Rendon and Daniel Murphy each went deep for the Nationals. Curtis Granderson reached base five times in six plate appearances for the Mets via two doubles, two walks and a single. James Loney, Yoenis Cespedes and Neil Walker each had an RBI hit apiece.

Royals 4, Mariners 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Salvador Perez hit a two-run walk-off double as Kansas City scored two runs in the eighth and two in the ninth to defeat Seattle at Kauffman Stadium.
Whit Merrifield led off the ninth with a double. Kendrys Morales was hit by a pitch, and Jarrod Dyson pinch ran. After Eric Hosmer struck out, Perez launched one over the head of center fielder Leonys Martin for the game-winner. Steve Cishek took the loss for Seattle.
Brooks Pounders pitched the ninth for Kansas City and picked up his first major league victory.

Rockies 11, Phillies 2
DENVER -- Trevor Story hit two homers and drove in four runs as Colorado trampled Philadelphia in the opener of a four-game series.
With 21 home runs, Story tied the record for homers by a National League rookie before the All-Star break. He shares the mark with Dave Kingman (1972) and Albert Pujols (2001).
Mark Reynolds also had four RBIs, his season high and one shy of his career high. He hit a solo homer in the second off Adam Morgan (1-7) and a three-run double in the seventh when the Rockies scored five runs and blew the game open against rookie reliever Edubray Ramos.
Rockies starter Chad Bettis pitched 6 2/3 innings, his longest outing in nine starts, and he allowed just two runs. He permitted seven hits, including a Ryan Howard homer in the second.

Twins 10, Rangers 1
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Minnesota routed Texas at Globe Life Park in the opener of a four-game series leading into the All-Star break.
The Twins are 3-1 against Texas this season, including three straight wins in the last week. Minnesota is 6-2 over the last eight games between the clubs dating back to last season.
Max Kepler, Kurt Suzuki and Kennys Vargas homered for the Twins. Kepler drove in three, including a two-run blast in the eighth.

Padres 6, Dodgers 0
LOS ANGELES -- San Diego southpaw Drew Pomeranz pitched seven scoreless innings, scattering two hits and two walks while striking out six in beating Los Angeles.
Hyun-Jin Ryu, in his first appearance in 640 days, struggled for the Dodgers in his return from shoulder surgery. He lasted just 4 2/3 innings, surrendering six runs on eight hits with two walks. He struck out four, but never did look comfortable.
The Padres, who have won 11 of their last 17 games, scored single runs in three of the first four innings and three in the fifth to take the first contest of the three-game series. Melvin Upton Jr. hit a homer and Alex Dickerson added a two-run triple for San Diego.

Braves 4, Cubs 3 (11 innings)
CHICAGO -- Tyler Flowers hit a go-ahead single in the 11th inning to lead Atlanta over Chicago.
Flowers' single to right field scored Freddie Freeman, who led off the inning with a walk. Nick Markakis powered the rest of the Braves' offense as he went 2-for-5 with two home runs and three RBIs.
Atlanta snapped a four-game losing streak as part of a makeup contest from an April 30 rainout. The Braves notched their sixth extra-innings victory of the season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cubs (52-33) at Pirates (44-42)

Game: 1
Venue: PNC Park
Date: July 08, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

Joe Maddon isn't surprised by the Chicago Cubs' recent slump.

"We've lost some games, and things aren't going well right now," the Cubs manager said Thursday prior to a trip to Pittsburgh for a three-game series against the Pirates. "It's just our turn, and we've got to fight through it. Like Winston Churchill once said, when you're going through hell, just keep on going."

The Cubs opened the season with the best start in more than a century, climbing as high as 27 games above .500 and building a 12 1/2-game lead in the National League Central at one point.

Since June 5, however, the Cubs are 13-18 with seven losses in eight games following a rain-delayed, 4-3, 11-inning loss to the Atlanta Braves on Thursday at Wrigley Field.

"I think there are long-term dividends attached to all of this stuff," Maddon said. "A lot of the young guys getting more at-bats than we had thought at this time in the year -- guys like (catcher Willson) Contreras being forced into a more significant moment in July as opposed to maybe in September. It's just going to benefit him and us."

The Cubs have used five rookies in recent weeks, all of whom joined the team in roughly the last month.

Outfielder and leadoff batter Dexter Fowler, the catalyst to many first half wins, is on the disabled list along with backup catcher David Ross, who was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list this week.

Cubs starting pitching -- notably the big three of Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester and John Lackey -- have struggled of late, but they look to close the first half with positive performances.

Arrieta (12-3, 2.33 ERA) gets the first crack in the series opener Friday when he faces left-hander Francisco Liriano (5-8, 5.34 ERA). Arrieta is 9-1 with a 1.46 ERA in 12 career starts against Pittsburgh.

Liriano is 0-2 against Chicago this year. He lost a 9-4 decision at Wrigley Field on May 13 and a 6-0 decision to Arrieta on June 17. He is 5-4 with a 3.36 ERA in 13 all-time starts against the Cubs.

Lester goes on Saturday, and he will have Contreras behind the plate after Ross went disabled list. Lackey wraps up the series on Sunday.

Chad Kuhl will start for the Pirates on Saturday, and Jon Niese will pitch Sunday.

The Cubs' division lead is hardly in jeopardy at eight games over the St. Louis Cardinals and 8 1/2 over Pittsburgh. However, the race could tighten further against a surging Pirates team.

Three weeks ago, the Pirates were 15 games behind Chicago following a three-game Cubs sweep at Wrigley Field. Pittsburgh appeared on the verge of slipping out of contention, generating speculation it would write off the season and sell off players to contending teams.

The Pirates instead turned the season around. Pittsburgh is 10-3 since June 24 and had won seven straight until a 5-1 loss to the Cardinals on Thursday at Busch Stadium.

However, even the series-ending defeat was encouraging, as rookie Tyler Glasnow impressed in his big league debut. He pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on three hits, struck out five and walked two.

He became the second Pirates pitcher to make his major league debut in three days, joining Steven Brault, who had a four-inning no-decision on Tuesday.

The Cubs won't see either during the series.

Pirates pitching had the lowest ERA (2.64) in the major leagues between June 25 and Wednesday. An improved bullpen has also been a significant element, led by closer Mark Melancon, who has converted each of his past 22 save situations dating back to April 27.

"The bullpen's been incredible, that's tremendous," left-hander Jeff Locke said after he worked four innings Wednesday in the Pirates' 7-5 win over the Cardinals. "To hand the ball over to those guys -- you'd like to go further into the game than that, but every day can't be Christmas."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (36-50) at Orioles (49-35)

Game: 1
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: July 08, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles certainly will be glad to come back home for this weekend's three-game series versus the Los Angeles Angels, which starts Friday night after a tough nine-game West Coast trip.

Baltimore plays much better at home than on the road. The Orioles boast a 31-13 record at Camden Yards and are just 18-22 in away games after going 4-5 on the road trip that ended with Wednesday's 6-4 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in 14 innings

The Orioles, one of the best power-hitting teams in the majors, featured plenty of offense on the. But, as has been the case for much of the season season, the starting pitching didn't come through.

There's no question that the Orioles are going to be looking for pitching help with the trade deadline looms in the next few weeks. Baltimore has yet to officially name a starter for Friday's game, although it could involve using Ubaldo Jimenez or calling up Mike Wright from Triple-A Norfolk.

But the team knows that starting pitching is an issue -- a big one.

"We will probably need some pitching depth," Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette said to MLB.com this week. "I'm not exactly sure where we'll get it, but that's what we're looking to do to improve the team."

Despite the pitching problems, the Orioles return to Baltimore with a 49-35 record and leading the American League East. The power hitting, defense and bullpen has been what's carried the team so far.

Mark Trumbo hit two homers in the last game of the road trip, and the All-Star now leads the majors with 26 overall. The Orioles also are going to be making some roster moves after sending down outfielder Dariel Alvarez (to Triple-A Norfolk) and right-hander Jayson Aquino (to Double-A Bowie).

They also reinstated infielder Pedro Alvarez from the bereavement list Thursday afternoon. Right-hander Mychal Givens also will be leaving the team at some point shortly as his wife is about to have a baby.

The Orioles have won two straight but are facing an opponent that's taken three in a row. It's the first time the Angels (36-50) have won that many consecutive games since May.

"When you rebound and have three games like we have, you're going in the right direction," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said after Thursday's matinee victory over the Rays. "We have our work cut out for us. We need to keep getting better, and we're not going to get better until really that rotation gets solid and these guys get comfortable and throwing 1/8well 3/8."

After Hector Santiago gave Scioscia seven shutout innings Thursday, Matt Shoemaker takes the hill versus Baltimore Friday. Shoemaker's stats are a bit misleading.

He's 3-9 overall and has lost four straight decisions since his last victory on May 27. Shoemaker's ERA is 4.40 in 16 starts but he's pitched very well during his recent losing streak. Los Angeles, however, has not done much to help him.

The offense has scored just nine runs in those four losses, leaving Shoemaker little room for error. Shoemaker shut down Baltimore on May 21, striking out 12 and giving up just three hits in 7 1/3 scoreless innings but coming away with a no-decision.

The Angels' bats perked up on this trip. They've scored 57 runs on the first seven games with Baltimore being the final stop on the 10-game trip.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tigers (45-41) at Blue Jays (49-39)

Game: 2
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: July 08, 2016 7:07 PM EDT

TORONTO -- The Detroit Tigers had a bad start to their four-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays as a depleted bullpen turned a 4-2 lead into a 5-4 loss on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Toronto Blue Jays can chirp happily about a six-game winning streak as they strive to go into the All-Star break on a high note.

The Tigers' bullpen was without right-hander Bruce Rondon, who was sent back to the hotel during batting practice Thursday with the flu.

The Tigers can only hope for a quick recovery as they send out right-hander Mike Pelfrey (2-7, 4.78 ERA) against Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ (11-3, 3.54 ERA) on Friday in the second game of the series.

Rondon's absence meant that left-hander Justin Wilson stayed in for some of the tough Toronto right-handed bats in the eighth and he wound up with the loss after giving up three hits, one walk and two runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Right-hander Alex Wilson came in and gave up the two-run single to Troy Tulowitzki that provided the winning margin.

"He's been sick for a couple of days," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "He was sick on the plane last night, too....We were short. That's why we were kind of stretching (Shane Greene) and Justin (Wilson) both, trying to get through. I think at the end, really, Justin was kind of out of gas, so we went to Alex (Wilson)."

He said he did not want to use closer Francisco Rodriguez for four outs.

The Tigers also have problems with their rotation going into the break. Ausmus still would not say who would start the games Saturday and Sunday. Daniel Norris and Jordan Zimmermann are on the disabled list.

The Blue Jays meanwhile have their rotation set going into the break even though all-star Marco Estrada was put on the disabled list Wednesday and missed his start Thursday, which they overcame with a decent spot start by Drew Hutchison.

The Blue Jays have been winning games in a variety of ways. "That's how winning streaks start, that's how they continue, is it's a different guy every night" Tulowitzki said. "Get good pitching, play good defense, mixed in with some timely hitting. I think it's the recipe you'll hear teams talk about when they're on a winning streak."

The Tigers are still 5-3 on the road trip that takes them into the break. The swept four games from the Rays at Tampa Bay and lost two of three to the Indians in Cleveland before coming to Toronto.

The Blue Jays would seem to have the advantage in the starting rotation for the final three games.

Happ is having an excellent season. In his past five starts, he is 5-0 with a 3.48 ERA. In six career games, including five starts, against the Detroit Tigers, he is 1-1 with a 4.83 ERA. He will be followed in the rotation by Aaron Sanchez and R.A. Dickey.

Pelfrey is a ground-ball pitcher and has induced 18 double-play grounders, second in the American League. He tied for the major league lead in 2015 with 29 double-play grounders. The Blue Jays entered Thursday having grounded into 80 double plays, tied for the most in the AL. They did not hit into any on Thursday.

Pelfrey is 1-1 with a 4.96 ERA in three career starts against the Blue Jays. In his most recent start against Toronto, April 17, 2014, His only start at Rogers Centre was July 6, 2013, when he pitched six shutout innings to earn the win.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Reds (32-54) at Marlins (44-41)

Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: July 08, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

MIAMI -- Friday is Jose Day.

Can it be Stanton's Day, too?

Right-hander Jose Fernandez and right fielder Giancarlo Stanton -- the Miami Marlins' two biggest stars -- have rarely been good at the same time.

One or the other usually has been injured since Fernandez broke in as the National League Rookie of the Year in 2013.

Fernandez missed most of 2014 and half of 2015 due to elbow surgery. Stanton missed the first two months of 2013 due to a hamstring injury, sustained multiple facial fractures when hit in the face with a fastball toward the end of 2014 and suffered a season-ending hand injury in June 2015 -- just before Fernandez returned from his operation.

This year, Fernandez (10-4, 2.69 ERA) has been terrific, earning his second All-Star berth and his first since his rookie year. however, Stanton has been in dreadful slump, looking helpless while flailing at numerous pitches outside the zone.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, however, Stanton hit four homers in four consecutive at-bats, becoming just the second major-leaguer to accomplish that impressive feat, joining Albert Pujols, who did it in 2006.

Could this be what turns Stanton around?

Can Fernandez get a win and Stanton a homer on the same day?

The first one of those Marlins objectives appears likely, considering Miami (44-41, third in the NL East) will be facing the Cincinnati Reds (32-54, last in the NL Central) on Friday.

More important, perhaps, is the fact that the game is at Marlins Park, where Fernandez is 24-1 with a 1.48 ERA so far in his brilliant career.

Fernandez has been simply magical at home, and his exuberance -- both on the mound and at bat -- seems to lift the Marlins as well as the fans.

Miami, coming off a disappointing 3-6 road trip, is looking for Fernandez -- and Stanton -- to turn things around now that the Marlins are back at home.

Cincinnati, meanwhile, will counter with 27-year-old right-hander Dan Straily (4-5, 4.34 ERA). The California native is 17-18 in his five seasons in the majors, sporting a 4.54 career ERA. This is the fourth team in the past four years for the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Straily, who has little history against the Marlins.

Straily's only career appearance vs. Miami came in 2013, a start in which he gave up two runs in four innings.

The Reds have yet to have a winning month this season -- 12-16 in June was the best they have been able to manage so far.

Here are some other story lines to watch for this weekend:

--Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki has 2,990 major league hits. It is doubtful he will get to 3,000 in this series, especially since he is just a spot starter for Miami. And this is the final series for either team before Tuesday's All-Star Game, so Suzuki may have to wait awhile longer.

--Stanton and Reds left fielder Adam Duvall are looking ahead to their participation in the Home Run Derby on Monday in San Diego. Duvall, the third seed, will open against the Padres' Wil Myers in the first round, while fifth-seeded Stanton will face off with fourth-seeded Robinson Cano of the Seattle Mariners.

--Reds shortstop Zack Cozart has homered in three consecutive games. He has 13 homers already this season, good production for the team's shortstop.

--Lefty reliever Mike Dunn has 368 appearances with the Marlins. With one more appearance, he will break the record for a Miami pitcher, a mark he now shares with Braden Looper.

--Reds right fielder Jay Bruce did not start Wednesday, as he was resting some aches and pains. He walked in the ninth inning and was thrown out trying to steal second.

--Marlins third baseman Martin Prado was also rested Wednesday. Prado and Bruce are expected to return to their respective lineups Friday.

--The Reds had an off day in blazing-hot Miami on Thursday. How will that day -- presumably spent poolside at a posh hotel -- affect the team?

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nationals (51-36) at Mets (47-38)

Game: 2
Venue: Citi Field
Date: July 08, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The second game of the four-game series between the New York Mets and Washington Nationals will determine whether the Mets have a chance of catching the Nationals atop the National League East by the All-Star break.

It might also decide the NL's starting pitcher for Tuesday night's All-Star Game.

A marquee pitching matchup will take place Friday night at Citi Field, where Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard will oppose Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg. New York won the series opener Thursday, when Wilmer Flores hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the fifth inning of the Mets' wild 9-7 victory.

The Nationals raced out to leads of 4-1 and 6-4, only to watch the Mets storm back both times in a game in which the teams combined to hit eight homers, the most in Citi Field history.

"We fought back, they fought back," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "Probably a heck of a game to watch, but a terrible game to lose."

The Mets (47-38) are three games behind the Nationals (51-36) in the NL East. New York has cut Washington's lead in half over the past eight days.

"With the next three games, we've got to do everything we can to get as close as we can heading into the break," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "It's a big series for us."

Runs should be at a premium Friday, when Syndergaard and Strasburg square off against each other for the first time. The two pitchers are a combined 20-3 with a 2.56 ERA and 246 strikeouts -- 123 apiece.

While Syndergaard (9-3, 2.41 ERA) has become a cult hero in New York thanks to his long blonde hair and dry wit on social media, the stoic Strasburg (11-0, 2.71 ERA) will be the one looking to make history on Friday. If Strasburg does not lose, he will become the first starter to reach the All-Star Break with at least 10 wins and no losses since Dave McNally went 13-0 prior to the All-Star Game in 1969.

Each pitcher has at least two intangibles working in his favor in the drive for the All-Star Game start. Both will obviously be available to pitch on three days' rest Tuesday, which means there won't be any concerns over their ability to open the game with an inning or two.

Syndergaard is the ace of the defending NL champions, which means his manager is the one leading the NL All-Star team. Strasburg, meanwhile, is from San Diego, where the All-Star Game will be played, and he played in college at San Diego State under late Padres legend Tony Gwynn.

The Mets and Nationals may have some injury news to report Friday. New York right-hander Matt Harvey, who learned during an examination Thursday that he has symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome, is expected to decide by the end of the weekend if he will undergo surgery.

The Nationals played a man down Thursday due to first baseman Ryan Zimmerman's absence because of undisclosed soreness. Baker said the team may have to make a roster move Friday in order to get back to a full bench.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rays (34-51) at Red Sox (46-38)

Game: 1
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: July 08, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

BOSTON -- Two American League East rivals with very different immediate goals clash when the Boston Red Sox play host to the Tampa Bay Rays for three games at Fenway Park this weekend.

For the Red Sox, the goal is to win another series, which would be their third straight, and hit the All-Star break very much in contention to contend for another last-to-first scenario.

For the last-place Rays, the aim is to just try to win games. Perhaps even two straight at some point. That hasn't happened since a three-game winning streak June 12-15.

The Red Sox (46-38) closed a 10-16 June by losing two of three to the floundering Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla. They then came home for a nine-game homestand and won two of three against the Los Angeles Angels -- including a 21-2 loss -- before doing the same against the Texas Rangers, who have the best record in the AL.

Boston is three games behind the first-place Baltimore Orioles in the AL East.

"We've played much better baseball except for the one game this month," Red Sox manager John Farrell said after his team won the rubber match of a three-game series with Texas on Wednesday night. "It's nice to get back to back series wins."

The last-place Rays, meanwhile, have won only one other game in their last 22 besides the two they captured against the Red Sox, the 3-19 run representing the worst stretch in franchise history. They ended their homestand with a 5-1 loss to the Angels on Thursday, dropping three of four (the last three) in that series while falling deeper into the abyss.

Tampa Bay (34-51) leads the season series 4-2.

Two pitchers hoping to build on significant outings last Sunday square off in Friday night's series opener.

Tampa Bay's Chris Archer (4-11, 4.50 ERA) hasn't won since June 6, but he worked 5 2/3 scoreless innings in a no-decision against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. He loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning and then struck out three straight en route to a 10-strikeout effort.

"Can't help but feel really good about what Chris Archer did today," Rays manager Kevin Cash said Sunday. "For the way it started, and the way he kicked it in gear and kind of showed us the Archer that we know he's very capable of being. That was an outstanding effort, outstanding performance."

On the same day, a day after Boston was pummeled by the Angels, Sean O'Sullivan came up from Triple-A Pawtucket and gave the Red Sox what they needed -- five-plus innings of two-run ball, both runs scoring after the left with two runners on.

It earned the veteran journeyman at least this last start before the break, with Clay Buchholz demoted to the bullpen for the second time this season.

"That was, I'd say, one of the highlights of my career for sure," O'Sullivan said Sunday of receiving an ovation while leaving the Fenway Park mound.

He is 13-23 on his big-league journey -- 0-2 in two career starts against Tampa Bay, but the second of those was in 2010.

The Red Sox have won all three of his starts, and all have come at Fenway.

Archer has had a terrible time of it against Boston, going 1-8 with a 5.67 ERA in 13 starts lifetime, 0-2 this season.

David Ortiz, whose bat flip after a 2014 homer evoked verbal criticism from the young right-hander, is 12-for-31 (.387) with two homers and 15 RBIs against him, while Xander Bogaerts is 6-for-16 and Hanley Ramirez and Travis Shaw both 3-for-7. Mookie Betts has two homers in his four hits against Archer.

The Red Sox will have a new face for the game after acquiring Aaron Hill from the Milwaukee Brewers for two minor-leaguers on Thursday. Hill figures to serve as a reserve across the infield.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (42-43) at Indians (51-34)

Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: July 08, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

CLEVELAND -- The Yankees got a good win against a first-place team Thursday night. Manager Joe Girardi hopes there are plenty more where that came from.

"There needs to be a sense of urgency. The months are ticking away," Girardi said. "We can't expect to have one good month and be in the playoffs."

The Yankees will continue their quest to climb back into relevance in the AL East on Friday night, when they face the Cleveland Indians, who are in first place in the AL Central. Friday's game will be the second game of a four-game series that will take both teams into the All-Star break.

The Yankees posted a much-needed 5-4 win in the series opener Thursday. The win came in game seven of a 10-game trip that has taken New York from San Diego to Chicago, where they played the White Sox, and then on to Cleveland. New York lost two of three to the Padres and lost two of three in White Sox.

"We've lost two series in a row. It's been frustrating trying to climb back into this thing," said Girardi, whose team is still below .500 (42-43) and sits in fourth place in the AL East, 7 1/2 games behind first place Baltimore.

Friday night in Cleveland, the Yankees will send rookie Chad Green (1-1, 4.09) to the mound in his third major league start. In his last start, July 3 in San Diego, Green picked up his first major league win, a 6-3 victory over the Padres in which he gave up one run and three hits in six innings, striking out eight, with no walks.

Green's mound opponent on Friday will be Corey Kluber, a former (2014) Cy Young Award winner, who on Thursday was named to the American League All-Star team. In 17 starts, Kluber has a 3.79 ERA, with a deceiving record of 8-8. Kluber leads the American League in complete games (3) and he's tied for the league lead in shutouts (2). Kluber will be making his fourth career start against the Yankees. In the first three, he was 1-1 with a 2.65 ERA.

At the beginning of this seven-game homestand that will lead into the All-Star break, Indians manager Terry Francona talked about hoping his team could "grind through" the remaining games before the break. The team was coming off a grueling portion of their schedule in which they had played 20 of their previous 26 games on the road.

Cleveland is 2-2 in the first four games of this seven-game homestand. The Indians won two of three from Detroit, and on Thursday they lost the first game of their four-game series with the Yankees.

The Indians are still in first place, 6 1/2 games ahead of Detroit in the AL Central race. "We've just got to grind through this week and then get to the break," Francona said. "We have a chance to do something special. But being special is hard to do."

The Indians may be experiencing a slight hangover from their team-record 14-game winning streak, which ended on July 2. Since the end of their streak, they are 2-4.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Twins (30-55) at Rangers (53-34)

Game: 2
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: July 08, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The way they're going lately, the Minnesota Twins might want to skip the All-Star break and keep playing.

The Twins have won five out of six for the first time this season after taking the opener of a four-game set at Texas. The second game of the series that leads into the All-Star break is Friday night at Globe Life Park.

Three of those wins have come over the Rangers, who continue to own the best record in the American League at 53-34 despite five losses in last six.

Minnesota (30-55) has outscored the Rangers 32-10 in those three games, all coming since Saturday. The Twins pounded out 18 hits in Thursday's 10-1 win, including three home runs.

They're certainly enjoying the recent reversal of fortune.

"It's awesome," said Max Kepler, who has six homers in his last 17 games. "It's everything we ask for in a team. Most of all, we're all having fun. Everyone is picking each other up. No one is trying to do too much."

The Twins look to continue their uptick in a rematch of Sunday's matchup between Kyle Gibson and Texas ace Cole Hamels.

Gibson (2-5, 4.82 ERA) beat the Rangers in that one, after going 6 2/3 innings, surrendering two earned run on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts.

He has thrown at least six innings in each of his last four starts (Twins are 3-1), and Minnesota pitchers overall have six quality starts in the last seven games.

"It's been a lot about the starting pitching," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "We came close to putting up another shutout today. Guys are pitching better from top to bottom."

The Rangers are hoping for a strong outing out of Hamels. They sure could use one.

Texas starters have been shelled lately, especially during a stretch that's seen five losses in the last six games. No starter has lasted more than 4 2/3 innings in any of those losses, with each allowing at least four runs.

"We can't continue to cover four or five innings from the bullpen every single night," Texas manager Jeff Banister said. "We're going to find a way. I promise you we're going to evaluate every situation. We'll find a way. We'll figure out just how we're going better off the mound in a starting role."

Banister said there is no magic formula to turn things around.

"Stomping my feel, screaming and yelling aren't going to do much good," he said. "There are a number of messages that can be delivered to individuals. The bottom line is we've got to be better. We have to be better. We've been really good some stretches."

Hamels (9-2, 2.93 ERA) could help stem the tide, but even he's coming off this worst start of the season. The All-Star gave up five runs in four-inning stint at Minnesota on Sunday.

Hamels is seeking to become first Texas pitcher with 10 wins prior to the All-Star break since Matt Harrison (11-4) and Yu Darvish (10-5) in 2012.

Texas' injury-riddled staff isn't likely going to get any reinforcements internally anytime soon. Of the three starters on the shelf, Yu Darvish is the closest to returning, but he's probably three rehab starts away from rejoining the rotation.

"It has been a challenge," Banister said.

The Rangers are in the market for starting pitching as the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline approaches.

Texas should get first baseman Mitch Moreland back on Friday. He's missed the last five games with tightness in his right calf muscle.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Phillies (40-47) at Rockies (39-46)

Game: 2
Venue: Coors Field
Date: July 08, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

DENVER -- Two 24-year-old right-handers, both seen as building blocks as their respective teams look to better days, will oppose each other Friday night.

Vince Velasquez, who is 7-2 with a 3.34 ERA, will make his third start for the Philadelphia Phillies since coming off the disabled list June 27. In two starts since being reinstated, Velasquez is 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA with two walks and 14 strikeouts in 11 innings.

The Phillies acquired Velasquez on Dec. 12 from Houston in the six-player deal that sent reliever Ken Giles to the Astros.

Last season on June 15, Velasquez made his first career start against the Rockies. Pitching at Minute Maid Park, he allowed seven hits and five runs in 4 2/3 innings with two walks and seven strikeouts but wasn't involved in the decision.

Opposing Velasquez will be Jon Gray, who is 5-4 with a 4.81 ERA and has never faced the Phillies. Gray has pitched at least seven innings a team-high six times. He gave up three runs in six innings in his last start Sunday at Los Angeles and lost 4-1 to the Dodgers. Gray is 5-3 with a 4.60 ERA in 10 starts since May 13, when he earned his first career win while pitching seven innings against the New York Mets.

Gray will face a Phillies lineup that one through five has been much more fixed than it once was. Although the Phillies were thrashed 11-2 on Thursday night, they have played well lately. Before that one-sided loss, the Phillies had lost four straight games and eight of their previous nine. At 40-47, the Phillies have won 10 of their past 14 games.

"Early in the year, it was pointed out to me I was using a different lineup every night because nobody was hitting," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "And now I've been using pretty close to as set a lineup as I've ever used. And that's because (Peter) Bourjos has come out of nowhere, just forcing me to play him and hit him second. Then (Cody) Asche comes out of nowhere, starts hitting. (Maikel) Franco has turned it around. (Cameron) Rupp has been consistent. So now I've got one through five where it's pretty much the same lineup.

"(Freddy) Galvis and (Cesar) Hernandez right now are where they belong at seven and eight. Hernandez is thriving there. Freddy's taking his time. I know he's a better hitter than he's showing. I wish he would hurry up a little bit and get to .260-270 where I think he can hit. It's a lot more fun making out a lineup when you feel comfortable going one through five."

In the Rockies' lopsided win Thursday, reliever Adam Ottavino made his first appearance at Coors Field since April 25, 2015. He was the Rockies' closer at that time but underwent Tommy John surgery on May 7, 2015. Ottavino pitched for the Rockies for the first time since that operation on Tuesday at San Francisco.

Ottavino faced Giants' clean-up hitter Buster Posey to lead off the eighth with the Rockies leading 7-2. Ottavino got Posey to ground out and was removed from the game.

On Thursday, with the Rockies leading 11-2, Ottavino took the mound in the ninth. He gave up a one-out single to Galvis, hit pinch hitter Andres Blanco with a pitch with two outs and then got Odubel Herrera to ground into a game-ending force out. Ottavino threw 19 pitches, 12 strikes.

"With 'Otto' right now, we're just getting him back in the mix, get his feet underneath him and get some innings out there," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "We've had a couple opportunities. He faced a hitter in San Francisco and put down a whole inning here,

"We'll start to give him a little more each time. It's been good to be able to work him back in there."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (44-41) at Brewers (37-47)

Game: 1
Venue: Miller Park
Date: July 08, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

MILWAUKEE -- Jimmy Nelson will try for his first victory in over a month when he takes the ball Friday as the Milwaukee Brewers open a three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals at Miller Park.

Nelson was Milwaukee's best starter for the first two months of the season, going 5-2 with a 2.88 ERA through his first 11 starts. Since then, though, Nelson has scuffled and is 0-4 with a 5.59 ERA in his last six outings, but has shown signs of improvement by only allowing four over his last three outings.

"You always want to have no bad starts, no struggles, no little dips," Counsell said. "But I think we were all confident he was going to get back to a good place."

Nelson allowed seven hits, two earned runs and two walks to go along with four strikeouts.

"I did a pretty good job of keeping the ball on the ground and just simplifying things between starts," Nelson said. "Kind of letting the movement work. Felt good."

That loss was part of a three-game sweep at the hands of the Cardinals, but Milwaukee rebounded from that setback by taking two of three from the NL East-leading Nationals.

To keep it going, they'll have to do it without infielder Aaron Hill, who was dealt Thursday to Boston for a pair of prospects and cash.

After a slow start to the season, Hill became one of the more consistent producers in Milwaukee's lineup. A .166 hitter in the month of April, Hill battled .323 over his last 56 games for the Brewers, with seven home runs and 22 RBIs.

Hill was responsible for two of the nine hits allowed by Cardinals right-hander Michael Wacha in St. Louis' 9-8 victory over Milwaukee July 3.

Wacha only lasted five innings in that outing but held the Brewers to just a pair of runs while striking out six to extend his winning streak to three games.

He'll try to make it four in a row when he takes the mound Friday, as the Cardinals try to string together back-to-back victories after avoiding a four-game sweep with a 5-1 victory over the Pirates Thursday.

"There were times our team could have easily shut it down and they picked it up," said Adam Wainwright, who threw seven innings of one-run ball Thursday. "We're in that spot right now where Jhonny (Peralta) hurt and when (Brandon) Moss is hurt and when all these great players are hurt, (Matt Carpenter's) hurt, we've got to step up."

Wacha has never lost to the Brewers, posting a 4-0 record and a 4.10 ERA in six career games -- five starts -- including a 1-0 mark and a 9.00 ERA in two appearances at Miller Park.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, have gone 12-0-1 in the last 13 series with the Brewers and are 7-2 against Milwaukee in nine meetings this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics (37-49) at Astros (46-40)

Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: July 08, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

HOUSTON -- Oakland Athletics rookie right-hander Daniel Mengden, a Houston native drafted by his hometown franchise, will get an opportunity to show the Astros what they're missing Friday at Minute Maid Park.

Mengden (1-4, 3.48 ERA) will make his first career start against the organization that selected him in the fourth round of the 2014 draft. Mengden was packaged along with catcher Jacob Nottingham in the deal that sent veteran left-hander Scott Kazmir to Houston on July 23, 2015.

Selected from Triple-A Nashville on June 11, Mengden will make his sixth start of the career. His 31 strikeouts are tied for second in franchise history (since 1913) for the most by a pitcher over his first five appearances (Tim Hudson, 33 in 1999). Mengden, a product of nearby Texas A&M, began the season at Double-A Midland and finished 2-0 with a 0.78 ERA before his promotion to Nashville on May 1.

With the Sounds, Mengden went 3-1 with a 1.39 ERA in seven starts. His ERA was the sixth-lowest in the minors at the time of his promotion.

And while Mengden will get the first crack at helping Oakland (37-49) make it two in a row over the Astros following the Athletics' 3-1 win on Friday night, the Oakland bullpen will also play a key role.

Right-handers John Axford, Ryan Dull and Ryan Madson combined to work three perfect innings in the series opener, with Axford first relieving lefty Ken Hill and notching two strikeouts in the seventh inning. Axford had struggled of late, blowing two saves while posting an 18.00 ERA over his last six appearances.

"That was great to see," Athletics manager Bob Melvin. "We've seen now how effective he can be. He's gone through a little bit of a tough stretch, obviously. I think looking at his history he's had some stretches through the course of the season where he hasn't been as effective and he works hard to get through it, but I think this was a big game for him to pitch in a close game like that, get a 1-2-3 inning. He looked good."

Right-hander Collin McHugh (5-6, 4.50 ERA) will make his 18th start of the season for the Astros. He allowed four runs on five hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings in his lone appearance against the Athletics this season but did not factor in the decision. McHugh is 4-1 with a 3.23 ERA in his career against the Athletics, a mark that includes six starts.

While the Astros (46-40) will get an opportunity to improve to 12 games over .500 against right-handed starters, they fell to 11-16 against southpaw starters, a surprising record given the right-handed presence of George Springer, Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa in their lineup.

"We can certainly hit left-handed pitching," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "We've got guys who can do it. We've got a few guys hitting under their career norms, and that's never good. Halfway through the season, I don't think we can declare that we can't hit lefties. I think we've got some left-handed pitchers we aren't racing up to the batter's box to face. But clearly, it's been a touch of a struggle for us against that side."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Braves (29-57) at White Sox (44-41)

Game: 1
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: July 08, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox will see several familiar faces when they open a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.

Catchers A.J. Pierzynski and Tyler Flowers and infielder Gordon Beckham return to U.S. Cellular Field with the Braves to face their former team.

"It will be a fun experience," Flowers said. "I'll see a lot of friends. A lot of the guys, I've stayed in touch with, but I haven't seen them in person in a while, so a little bit of that. Coaches and staff, some people that have definitely helped me along the way. It will be nice to have some handshakes and hugs and all that, and then strap it up and play ball and try to get some hits off (Chris) Sale and (Jose) Quintana."

After the cheerful reunion, the Braves get to face Sale (14-2, 2.93 ERA), who leads the majors in victories and was named an All-Star for the fifth consecutive year. Sale is trying to become the first American League starter since the Blue Jays' David Wells in 2000 to reach 15 victories before the All-Star break.

Flowers downplayed having any edge as a hitter after catching Sale.

"There's really no advantage," Flowers said. "It's a completely different perspective standing sideways and looking to your left than squatting down and looking straight ahead. Plus, I called every pitch for those guys, so there's no telling what they'll throw now with different guys."

Then Flowers offered some insight.

"For a guy like Sale, you've got to be ready for anything that you can touch out over the plate," Flowers said. "He can vary his speeds and put pitches at different spots any time. You've just got to hope for a mistake out over the plate and hope that you're ready for it. That's how it is against all the aces in the league."

Flowers played for the White Sox from 2009-15, while Pierzynski helped the team win the 2005 World Series during his 2005-2012 stint, and Beckham was with the team for parts of seven seasons.

Flowers is hitting .249 with six home runs in 51 games. Pierzynski is batting .201 in 54 games. And Beckham came off the disabled list Thursday. He hit .284 before he went on the DL June 2 for a strained left hamstring.

Now they play for the team with the worst record in the majors (29-57). The Braves snapped a four-game losing streak by beating the Chicago Cubs 4-3 in 11 innings early Friday morning in a rain-delayed game that made up an April 30 rainout. Flowers drove in the winning run in the 11th.

"Even though the record is not very good, we've had a lot of fun, some success, and a lot of growth as a whole -- particularly the pitching staff," Flowers said. "That was a big part of coming here was to help their younger staff to develop."

The White Sox (44-41) have won five straight series and seven of their last 10 games. They will face Braves starting right-hander Matt Wisler (3-8, 4.16 ERA), who has allowed 10 runs and struck out 21 in his last

25 1/3 innings.

"The pitching's been great," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said.

"Offensively, we've been getting it. Everybody seems to be contributing in one way or another, and it's nice. We're playing better baseball, it's that simple."

The teams last met in 2013.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mariners (43-43) at Royals (44-41)

Game: 2
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: July 08, 2016 8:15 PM EDT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The two teams are a combined three games over .500, so to say the remaining three games of the series are crucial might be a bit of a stretch.

The Seattle Mariners (43-43) and the Kansas City Royals (44-41) have three games remaining in a four-game series that will conclude the unofficial first half of the season. Both teams still feel there is plenty of time to get back into their respective division races.

"We have some good players," Seattle second baseman Robinson Cano said after his team gave up a three-run lead in the last two innings Thursday and lost 4-3 to the Royals. "We will keep playing.

"You lose as a team and you win as a team. We don't want to blame anybody here."

The Mariners and Royals are two of eight teams within 4 1/2 games of the American League wild-card lead. Just a few games past the midway point in the schedule is no time to put extra pressure on this series, according to Kansas City manager Ned Yost.

Then again, Yost says he doesn't do that for any series.

"I don't know how many times I have to go over this," he said before the game. "I don't feel (extra) urgency. The reason for that is that we feel urgency every day. We don't treat these situations with more urgency than any other situation. In a major league season, every game is important. Your mindset has to be that this is the most important game of the year. Tomorrow, that's going to be your mindset."

Royals rookie second baseman Whit Merrifield added, "I wouldn't say there's urgency, but it's always important to put together good games and try to take the series. Going into the All-Star break it would be good to finish strong and build momentum. But I wouldn't say that it's any more urgent than any other series.

"I don't know about it still being early, but there's a lot of baseball left. A lot of stuff can happen between now and September or October. There are lot of games to be played and a lot of ups and downs to come."

Seattle has experienced ups and downs on the road. The Mariners started the season with a 19-8 road record, but they have now lost 15 of their last 17 away contests, including nine straight. Seattle is hitting the ball -- it has 129 home runs, the second-highest total in the majors. They Mariners also are pitching well, as they own the fourth-best ERA in the American League (3.94).

Their defense has let them down. Seattle is tied with the Minnesota Twins for the worst fielding percentage in the league.

The Royals' problems are almost opposite. Kansas City is one of the better defensive teams, but it ranks last in the American League in home runs and RBIs. The starting pitching also is struggling. Danny Duffy's strong outing Thursday was just the team's 32nd quality start in 85 games.

The Royals will throw inconsistent Yordano Ventura (6-6, 5.26 ERA) on Friday night. When he's on, he's on. When he's not, he's not.

Recent back-to-back starts against the Tigers and the Cardinals showed his good and bad form. He went 6 1/3 scoreless innings vs. Detroit on June 17, giving up six hits with no walks and five strikeouts. He followed that outing by going 5 1/3 innings and allowing seven runs on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts against St. Louis.

Ventura is running into much of his troubles early in games. He has a 7.31 ERA in the first two innings but a 4.07 ERA from the third inning on.

He will be looking for his first career win over the Mariners, as he is 0-3 with a 4.34 ERA in five starts. Ventura took a 6-0 loss at Seattle on April 30, when he allowed five runs in four-plus innings.

The Mariners will counter with Hisashi Iwakuma, who has been improving as the season progresses. Iwakuma (8-6, 4.43 ERA) is 7-2 in his past nine starts. His ERA is still 4.47 in that span, but he has been able to keep his team in games.

Iwakuma owns impressive career numbers against Kansas City: 3-0 with a 1.61 ERA four starts, though he hasn't faced the Royals this year.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Padres (38-48) at Dodgers (48-40)

Game: 2
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: July 08, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- San Diego's Drew Pomeranz threw a pitch that didn't register on the radar gun. This offering was one that screamed he belongs in next week's All-Star Game in San Diego.

The left-hander hurled seven scoreless innings in beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 6-0 on Thursday night. Pomeranz (8-7) was sensational in blanking the Dodgers, scattering two hits and two walks. He struck out six in his fourth consecutive quality start.

Just maybe it was good enough to get Pomeranz on the roster, if another pitchers bails out.

"He deserves to be in the game," Padres manager Andy Green said. "I think he's clearly a candidate."

Pomeranz said it's out of his hands.

"My goal is to go out there and do what I did," he said. "I don't know what else I'm supposed to do other than that."

Hyun-Jin Ryu (0-1), in his first appearance in 640 days, struggled in his return from shoulder surgery. He lasted just 4 2/3 innings, surrendering six runs on eight hits with two walks. He struck out four, but never did look comfortable.

"Getting him back on the mound was a victory in itself," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "To see him take the mound tonight was great, although we had hoped for some better results. But there was some good things in there."

The Padres, who have won 11 of their last 17 games, scored single runs in three of the first four innings and three in the fifth to take the first contest of the three-game series. Melvin Upton Jr. hit a homer and Alex Dickerson added a two-run triple for San Diego.

The way Pomeranz is producing, there's a chance he could be added to the National League All-Star roster for Tuesday's All-Star Game in San Diego if another pitcher bows out. Already owning one of the league's best ERAs and batting-average-against, Pomeranz did little to hurt his stock with a dazzling performance that kept the Dodgers stymied.

The Dodgers, who didn't fare any better against relievers Ryan Buchter and Paul Clemens, lost to the Padres for only the fifth time in their last 16 pairings.

"Pomeranz has had a real nice first half," Roberts said. "We just couldn't get any momentum against him. You got to give Pomeranz credit."

Consecutive doubles in the fifth by Matt Kemp and Yangervis Solarte pushed the Padres in front 4-0. Yasiel Puig then misplayed Alex Dickerson's liner into a triple, scoring Solarte to make it 5-0.

It was in the fifth inning that Ryu's fastball dropped from sitting in the 90s to the 80s.

"My velocity went down but I will have to adjust," Ryu said through a translator. "I know I will get so much better and pitch more innings."

The Dodgers' best scoring chance in the game's early stages came in the fourth as Trayce Thompson reached third after a one-out double. But A.J. Ellis popped up to Wil Myers to end the threat.

The Padres, fresh off scoring 13 runs in a win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, didn't waste any time on Thursday in grabbing a 1-0 lead.

A resurgent Melvin Upton Jr. continues to shine as he smacked his 14th homer of the year to open the game. Upton's home run total is his most since he hit 28 with Tampa Bay in 2012.

San Diego pushed its advantage to 2-0 in the second when an inning-opening walk to Derek Norris cost Ryu. That misstep would eventually extend the inning to allow Pomeranz to hit a two-out, four-hopper up the middle for an RBI single, scoring Dickerson.

The Padres tacked on another run in the fourth to go up 3-0.

Norris opened with an infield single on a fine play by Corey Seager, but Seager's throwing error allowed Norris to take second. He moved to third on a ground out and, with the infield up, Alexei Ramirez hit a run-scoring double off the base of the fence in center field.

NOTES: San Diego 1B Wil Myers will participate in Monday's Home Run Derby. It's the first time Myers, who has a career-high 19 home runs this season, has been selected. Los Angeles rookie SS Corey Seager (17 home runs) is also in the Home Run Derby. ... Padres RHP Tyson Ross (shoulder) remains on the disabled list and has also sustained a sprained ankle. Ross was hurt Wednesday while exercising in his hotel room in Phoenix and stayed behind at the team's training camp facility. ... Dodgers 2B Chase Utley was out of the lineup, one game after getting six hits. ... Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said LHP Clayton Kershaw (back) reported no setbacks Thursday after playing catch Wednesday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (38-49) at Giants (54-33)

Game: 1
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: July 08, 2016 10:15 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO -- One of the oddest series in Major League Baseball this season begins a fourth chapter Friday night when the Arizona Diamondbacks visit the San Francisco Giants.

Diamondbacks left-hander Patrick Corbin (4-6) will open the three-game set against Giants right-hander Jeff Samardzija (8-5).

In a season when the Giants compiled the fourth-best home record in the National League (26-17), none of that success came against the Diamondbacks.

Corbin missed Arizona's four-game sweep at AT&T Park in April, a series that ended with the Giants scoring a total of just three runs in the final three games.

The Giants walked off the home field 7-10 on April 21, a day on which the Diamondbacks handed Johnny Cueto his only loss of the season.

But San Francisco has since gone 47-23, aided in large part by seven meetings with the Diamondbacks in Arizona. The Giants have gone 6-1 in those games.

Samardzija helped in the turnaround in his first outing against the Diamondbacks, May 19, at Arizona. He pitched one of his best games of the season, limiting the home team to one run over eight innings in a 3-1 Giants win.

The next day, the Giants got to Corbin for nine hits in 6 1/3 innings in a 5-3 win.

Following two four-game sweeps that were totally dominated by the road team -- the Diamondbacks outscored the Giants 20-10 at San Francisco; the Giants outscored the Diamondbacks 14-7 at Arizona -- the clubs played a tight, three-game series last week in Arizona.

The Giants prevailed in two of three, with San Francisco winning a 6-4 game before the clubs split one-run affairs.

Corbin and Samardzija went head-to-head in the middle game of the series Saturday, with neither getting a decision in a game the Diamondbacks won 6-5.

Corbin allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings, Samardzija four runs in 7 1/3.

The Diamondbacks won the game against the San Francisco bullpen when Welington Castillo bombed a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning.

The Giants won three of four since then, including two of three over the Colorado Rockies to begin their current six-game homestand.

The Diamondbacks, on the other hand, have lost three of four, including two of three against the San Diego Padres in a duel of the bottom two teams in the NL West.

Getting back on the road might not be a bad thing for the Diamondbacks, who have been plagued by poor home attendance of late.

"The guys didn't let down because it wasn't a big crowd with a lot of emotion," Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said after his team's only win in the San Diego series Tuesday. "They created their own emotion in the dugout. That's baseball."

The Giants hope to have center fielder Denard Span back from a neck injury for Friday's series opener.

That doesn't mean time off for replacement center fielder Angel Pagan, one of the club's hottest hitters of late.

"We've got a nice (All-Star) break coming up," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said when discussing Pagan before Wednesday's win over the Rockies. "With all our injuries, we need his bat in there."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'N.L. East rivals clash'

Washington at NY Mets July 8, 7:10 EST

The Washington Nationals and New York Mets get ready to duel again after the Mets held on for a 9-7 victory in the first of a four game set at Citi Field. The Mets showing spunk winning seven of their last eight are now three games back of N.L. East leading Nationals.

The Mets' send Noah Syndergaard to the bump carrying a 9-3 record, 2.41 ERA. In his last outing, the righthander tossed a 7.0 inning 1 run-gem in a 14-3 home win over Chicago giving the hurler a 5-1 mark, 6-3 team start record over 9 starts in front of the home audience. Prior to that, Syndergaard was tagged with a loss shelled for 5 runs over 3.0 innings in Mets 11-4 loss vs Washington. Mets are now 2-3 in Syndegaard's five life-time stats vs Nationals.

Stephen Strasburg will start for Washington. To say Stephen Strasburg (11-0, 2.71 ERA) has been dominant this season would be an understatement. That dominance is reflected by the fact he's allowed two or fewer runs in ten of his fifteen starts with a 123-28 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Such success has not been limited to this season, the Nationals have emerged triumphant in eighteen of nineteen Strasburg starts dating back to last season with the righthander giving up two or fewer runs in fourteen of the nineteen allowing an average 2.1 runs/game with a 167-32 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Expect Nationals to do what they usually do in this situation with Strasburg. And that's win. The Nationals are a perfect 8-0 with Strasburg after a team loss the previous effort. Additionally, Nationals are 2-0 this season vs Mets with their ace hurler, 11-0 in his last eleven facing a division opponent.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Friday's games

National League games

Cubs @ Pirates
Arrieta is 1-2, 6.46 in his last three starts; over is 3-1-1 in his last five. Cubs are 8-1 in his road starts.

Liriano is 1-5, 8.15 in his last seven starts, with last three going over. Pirates lost his last four home starts.

Pirates won seven of last eight games, are 7-6 in home series openers- over is 9-6 in their last 15 games. Cubs are 5-13 in last 18 games, 8-6 in road series openers. Over is 8-1-1 in their last ten road games.

Reds @ Marlins
Straily is 0-3, 8.57 in his last four starts (over 8-2 in his last 10). Cincinnati is 3-4 in his road starts this season.

Fernandez is 1-2, 4.91 in his last four starts (over 3-1). Marlins are 6-3 in his starts at home.

Reds lost 11 of last 15 games, are 4-10 in road series openers. Over is 12-4 in their last 16 games. Miami is 8-3 in its last 11 home games, 7-7 in home series openers. Nine of their last 12 games went over the total.

Nationals @ Mets
Strasburg is 6-0, 2.66 in his last eight starts; his last 12 starts went over. Washington is 5-1 in his road outings. .

Syndergaard is 3-1, 4.07 in his last four starts (over 6-0-1 in last seven). Mets are 6-3 in Syndergaard's home starts.

Washington lost three of last four games; over is 14-5 in their last 19 road games. Mets won nine of last ten home games, under is 12-6-2 in last 20 New York games.

Phillies @ Rockies
Velasquez is 2-0, 1.64 in his last two starts; seven of his last nine went over. Phillies are 4-3 in his road starts.

Gray is 1-2, 5.09 in his last four starts; over is 6-2-1 in his last nine. Colorado is 4-2 in his home starts. .

Philly won eight of its last ten games; over is 16-6 in their last 22 road games. Colorado lost seven of last nine games, over is 7-1 in last eight games at Coors Field. .

Padres @ Dodgers
Cashner is 1-4, 4.60 in his last six starts; Padres are 2-3 in his road starts. Three of his last four road starts went over.

Kazmir is 2-0, 3.18 in his last three starts (over 8-4 in last 12). Dodgers are 5-1 in his last six home starts.

Padres are 11-6 in last 17 games, over is 14-5-1 in their last 20 games. Los Angeles lost its last three games; nine of last eleven games at Dodger Stadium stayed under.

Diamondbacks @ Giants
Corbin is 1-1, 6.35 in his last four starts (over 6-3 in last nine). Arizona is 6-3 in his road starts.

Samardzija is 0-1, 8.64 in his last three starts (over 7-1 in last eight). San Francisco is 4-2 in his home starts.

Arizona lost nine of last 11 games, is 9-4 in road series openers. Over is 10-2-1 in their last 13 games. Giants won five of last seven games, are 7-7 in home series openers. Six of last nine San Francisco home games went over.


American League games

Angels @ Orioles
Shoemaker is 0-2, 4.00 in his last three starts; six of his last seven stayed under. Angels lost his last four road outings.

Jimenez is 2-2, 8.04 in his last four starts; nine of his last ten went over. Baltimore won seven of his nine home starts.

Angels won their last three games, are 6-8 in road series openers. Over is 9-5 in their last 14 games. Baltimore lost five of last seven games; they're 8-6 in home series openers. Four of last five Oriole games went over the total.

Tigers @ Blue Jays
Pelfrey is 2-0, 3.86 in his last two starts; over is 7-4-1 in his last 12. Detroit is 2-6 in his road starts. .

Happ is 5-0, 3.77 in his last five starts; five of his last six went over. Blue Jays are 7-1in his home starts.

Tigers won seven of last ten games, over is 7-4 in their last 11 games. Toronto is 16-6 in last 22 home games, three of last four Blue Jay games stayed under.

Rays @ Red Sox
Archer is 0-4, 4.26 in his last five starts (under 4-1). Rays are 3-6 in his road starts.

O'Sullivan is 2-0, 7.05 in three starts (over 3-0). Boston scored 33 runs in three games.

Tampa Bay lost 19 of last 22 games, is 5-8 in road series openers. Over is 10-6 in Rays' last 16 road games. Red Sox won five of last seven at home, are 8-7 in openers of home series. Over is 4-0-1 in last five Boston games.

New York @ Indians
Green is 1-1, 6.30 in his two starts (over 1-0-1). .

Kluber is 4-2, 3.79 in his last six starts; four of his last five went over. Indians are 3-4 in his home starts.

New York is 7-12 in its last 19 road games, eight of last ten Bronx road games went over total. Indians won 16 of last 20 games, five of last six Cleveland games went over.

Twins @ Rangers
Gibson is 2-0, 2.63 in his last two starts; four of his last six starts went over. Minnesota lost two of his three road starts.

Hamels is 4-1, 1.99 in his last five starts (over 3-1-1). Texas is 6-2 in his home starts. .

Minnesota won five of last six games but is 4-9 in last 13 road games, over is 21-9-2 in their last 32 road games. Rangers lost seven of last nine games, over is 5-0-1 in last six Texas games.

A's @ Astros
Mengden is 1-4, 3.77 in his five starts (under 3-2).

McHugh is 0-1, 2.49 in his last four starts; his last five stayed under. Houston is 6-3 in his home starts.

A's lost six of last eight games, over is 7-3 in Oakland's last ten road games. Houston won 16 of its last 21 games, under is 11-3 in Astros' last 14 home games.

Mariners @ Royals
Iwakuma is 4-1, 5.17 in his last five starts (over is 10-3 in his last 13). Seattle is 5-4 in his road outings. .

Ventura is 2-3, 6.31 in his last five starts; six of his last seven went over. Royals are 6-1 in his home starts.

Mariners lost 10 games in row on road; nine of last 10 Seattle road games stayed under. . Royals lost five of last seven games; over is 11-7-1 in last 19 Kansas City home games.


Interleague

Braves @ White Sox
Wisler is 1-1, 3.55 in his last four starts; six of his last nine went over. Atlanta is 2-3 in his road starts.

Sale is 5-0, 4.11 in his last five starts; three of his last four stayed under. Pale Hose won seven of his nine home starts.

Atlanta lost four of its last five games, is 4-9 in first game of road series. Under is 10-1 in last 11 Atlanta road games. White Sox won five of last seven at home, are 8-6 in home series openers. Four of last five Chicago home games went over the total.


Teams won-lost records when this pitcher starts:

Chi-Pitt-- Arrieta 13-4; Liriano 7-9
Cin-Mia-- Straily 7-8; Fernandez 11-5
Wsh-NY-- Strasburg 14-1; Syndergaard 11-5
Phil-Col-- Velasquez 9-5; Gray 6-8
StL-Mil-- Wacha 9-8; Nelson 7-10 (0-6 last 6)
SD-LA-- Cashner 6-6; Kazmir 9-8
Az-SF-- Corbin 7-10; Samardzija 10-7

LA-Balt-- Shoemaker 4-12; Jimenez 8-8
Det-Tor-- Pelfrey 7-9; Happ 12-5 (5-0 last 5)
TB-Bos-- Archer 5-13; O'Sullivan 3-0
NY-Clev-- Green 1-1; Kluber 8-9
Min-Tex-- Gibson 4-5; Hamels 12-5
A's-Hst-- Mengden 1-4; McHugh 10-7
Sea-KC-- Iwakuma 10-7; Ventura 9-7

Atl-Chi-- Wisler 4-12; Sale 14-3


Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning:

Chi-Pitt-- Arrieta 3-17; Liriano 4-16
Cin-Mia-- Straily 3-15; Fernandez 4-16
Wsh-NY-- Strasburg 4-15; Syndergaard 4-16
Phil-Col-- Velasquez 3-13; Gray 5-14
StL-Mil-- Wacha 3-17; Nelson 4-17
SD-LA-- Cashner 3-11; Kazmir 9-17
Az-SF-- Corbin 7-17; Samardzija 3-17

LA-Balt-- Shoemaker 3-16; Jimenez 7-16
Det-Tor-- Pelfrey 8-16; Happ 4-17
TB-Bos-- Archer 8-18; O'Sullivan 0-3
NY-Clev-- Green 1-2; Kluber 5-17
Min-Tex-- Gibson 4-9; Hamels 3-17
A's-Hst-- Mengden 0-5; McHugh 8-17
Sea-KC-- Iwakuma 3-17; Ventura 5-16

Atl-Chi-- Wisler 8-16; Sale 5-17

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Friday's six-pack

-- Mets TV guy Gary Cohen openly insinuated last night that the baseballs that are being used this year are juiced, so more home runs get hit.

-- San Diego Padres are 15-10 vs lefty starters, 23-38 vs righties this year.

-- QB Jarrett Stidham is leaving Baylor; he was supposed to be QB of the future for the Bears, who've lost a lot of players since the school changed coaches.

-- Cavaliers got a trade exception and the rights to a foreign guy who will probably never play in the NBA in a deal with Milwaukee for Matthew Dellavedova.

-- Aledmys Diaz replaces Cardinal teammate Matt Carpenter on NL All-Star team

-- Paul Goldschmidt doesn't do social media, but he started a Twitter account to help get Jake Lamb elected to the All-Star Game. Thats a good teammate.