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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mohawk: Friday 8/26 Analysis
By Garnet Barnsdale

DRF

Race 1 - $30,000 Guaranteed Pick Five Pool

Race 4 - $50,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool


20-CENT PICK 5: 3,5/3,5,6/2,4,8,9/7,8/3,6,9 = $28.80

EARLY PICK 4: 7,8/3,6,9/1,2,6,9/3 = $24

LATE PICK 4: 6,8,10/5/4,6/1,3,4,5,6 = $30

MEET STATS: 302 - 884 / $1573.80 BEST BETS: 52 - 82 / $166.60

SPOT PLAYS: 18 - 82 / $102.00

Best Bet: KATIE SAID (9th)

Spot Play: BIG TSUNAMI (11th)


Race 1

(5) MACHIN A TRICK easily beat similar two back and he should get put into play earlier here; top call. (3) MACH MESSIER was a good 2nd to a big favorite last time and he rates highly in this group. (1) ALWAYS ROCK N ROLL could get a trip similar to the one he got to win last time; using. (4) VEGAS DREAM was sharp in his August 19th qualifier and he should take a share here.

Race 2

(3) NEW YORK NIGHTMARE fits this class like a glove and he should be tough in here. (6) LISVINNIE had some steering issues last week which took him out of the race. He isn't the soundest, but he gets Hudon back and he will likely roll him to the front on the backside like he did in his two wins earlier in the month here. (5) CALGARY SEELSTER has been facing better. He should be a threat from close range. (4) MACHAPELO looks likely to fill one of the minor slots here.

Race 3

(2) EMOTICON HANOVER faces some tough invaders here but she holds a post position advantage which may tip the scales in her favour. (4) HAUGHTY has taken a while to get going this year, but her most recent start signals she could be coming up to her first win of the year soon. (8) DOUBLE EXPOSURE and (9) SOUTHWIND PEARL are two obvious threats based on their recent company lines, but, the posts do them no favors here.

Race 4

(7) IMAGINE DRAGON fits a similar profile to a Lindy Farm entrant that jogged here on Tuesday night; top call. (8) APPLE PIE ANGEL is in the best form of her life and is the one to beat. (3) RIDE AWAY SHARK is also in sharp form and she will be a threat from close range here. (1) VICTORIA SEMALU could get a great following trip here and stick around for a big piece of the purse.

Race 5

(3) A ROD HALL seems to have rediscovered his potent closing kick. If he is kept in close enough range, he can mow these down late. (6) RENEGADE MAGIC was beaten by two good sophomores last time out. She fits well here. (9) CLASSIC VENTURE can be a threat here if he is put into play earlier in the mile. (5) MARQUIS VOLO drops following a poor comeback race but he may need another start or two before showing his best.

Race 6

(1) SHES LIGHTS OUT has been showing the signs recently and she faces easier here; slight nod in a race with several possibilities. (2) BRING ME DIAMONDS is another that can take this if she leaves hard for position near the front. (9) SELLING THE DREAM is in excellent form and is a Pick 4 factor but the post could be her undoing. (6) GLORIOUS DELIGHT should make the ticket here but she could be prepping for a sophomore stake, too.

Race 7

(3) WINDSUN REVENGE qualified faster than the rest of this field has been racing. He may have some things figured out now. (2) STAN THE MAN has been racing well and should be there at the finish here. (7) KINETIC KING qualified well for his return and he will be passing horses late. (10) SHOOT THE THRILL made a miraculous recovery last time to fall one stride short. Post 10 likely limits him to a minor share here.

Race 8

(10) CAPRICE HILL looks best here, but her drawing post 10 gives the others a fighting chance; slight nod. (6) SIDE BET HANOVER is the one to fear most and she could make things difficult for the choice early here. (8) FLOWERS N SONGS saves her best for the biggest races. She isn't out of this. (3) LOOKIN SHARP has a good win record and is another that is likely to show early speed here.

Race 9

(5) KATIE SAID is the class of this field and I would expect Miller to get her moving earlier than he has been vs. the top mares on the continent. (3) WRANGLER MAGIC has raced better on Lasix and she should be a good price here; exacta factor. (9) BEDROOMCONFESSIONS has been on a roll and should be a factor here despite the post. (6) SANDBETWEENURTOES will likely need this race after missing more than a month's action.

Race 10

(4) LUCK BE A LINDY flashed early speed from the 10-hole vs. better last time. She should be a major factor with the class and post relief here. (6) D GS PESQUERO also drops and should be given an aggressive steer here. (9) NAUGHTY LADY B is a good one to use on the bottom of exotic wagers at a price. (2) JUSTABIT MEAN should take a smaller slice off a following trip here.

Race 11

(5) BIG TSUNAMI has had some rough trips recently but shown determination down the lane. If she can find a good helmet to follow here, she could break through with her first 2016 win. (1) LEGAL PROCESS was in a tough spot first up vs. a strong leader last time at Georgian. She should be contentious here. (3) DONTBRUISECARRIE can share from a better post here and could beat these if she gets a spot near the front early. (4) DOCTOR TERROR drops back to the bottom level and should make the Super ticket, at a minimum. (6) CASE DISMISSED raced well at this level in July and merits a look here.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Yonkers: Friday 8/26 Analysis
By Brewster Smith

DRF

MEET STATS: 198 - 859 / $1,262.30

BEST BETS: 25 - 82 / $129.70

Best Bet: ROYAL ENGAGEMENT (10th)

Spot Play: ANALYZE (7th)


Race 1

(2) MUSTANG MACH N has been in the exacta picture in his last four tries and clearly this gelding can boss this group. (5) ADDWATER was wide approaching the three quarters and just missed glory by 3/4 length. (6) SHADIOS most likely will be on the engine; the one to catch.

Race 2

(2) FRATERNITY put in an even finish from the 8-hole and was third best last out. Pacing gelding appears to be rounding to form; the pick. (3) DUKE DID IT was very game in his most recent outing and he should make some noise against these. (5) MISTER ACCUMULATOR lasted for show money in his Philly finale; watch out.

Race 3

(3) MACHERATI leaves the outside post and gets class relief. Gelding could take this with a well judged drive. (6) SPORTS BETTOR rallied up the cones to get up in time for win honors last out; big player again. (4) WINNING IS SWEET has good early zip and clearly this guy is not out of this.

Race 4

(3) DOUBLE YOUR BET has put in two sharp performances at Saratoga and now he moves his trade downstate. Gets a cozy post to work with and with a favorable trip he could get the job done. (1) TRACK MASTER D gets class relief and the moves to the fence; big threat. (6) MAINLAND KEY N 11-year-old is knocking at the door based on his last two trips to the post.

Race 5

(2) STEVENSVILLE'S last start was very dull but the good news is the 5-year-old moves back inside where he has done quite well and this is his second start off the dropdown; threat at his best. (3) DRUNKEN DESIRE A Gelding lost second in his last start but was very game; major player. (1) LAWGIVER HANOVER closed strongly to land the show spot in his latest; don't overlook.

Race 6

(8) KRISPY APPLE Pacing mare tired turning for home last out but clearly this gal seems to be ready to get back to the winning groove just like she did on August 5th. (6) SELL A BIT N was sharp in her last start at Pocono for the place spot; main danger. (5) TESSA SEELSTER was on the front most of the way but did not have enough gas in the tank and settled for place money last out.

Race 7

(1) ANALYZE makes her return to the Hilltop where this mare got the job done three starts back. Gets the fence where she beat Open foes at Tioga four trips ago. (4) VELOCITY VESPA moves down the ladder and that might help her cause against these. (5) JAG OUT was second best against lesser company in her latest; don't count her out of this.

Race 8

(3) SHORTSTACKED showed life in his last start flashing speed for a half and held the fourth spot. This 10-year-old has every right to get back to the winner's circle with a fine-timed drive from Brennan. (1) BULLET BOB has good speed and retains the rail; dangerous. (4) TRUE BLUE HALL closed strongly to nail down the victory at Saratoga last time around.

Race 9

(4) COWBOY TERRIER seems to be a perfect spot for this pacer where he just missed the victory by a head at this level three starts back. Ready to greet the cameraman for pictures. (2) RAMPAGE JACKSON is in the best form of his life and will take some catching in here. (1) TENDTOWIN has wheeled off two straight scores so this gelding must be considered in all the exotic slots.

Race 10

(5) ROYAL ENGAGEMENT was quite game in her last start finishing third but this pacing mare knows how to win at Yonkers and if she gets the favorable trip the rest will have to settle for minor awards. (7) MOSQUITO BLUE CHIP took charge right from the bell en route to victory in her last one; post hurts but she is very capable. (1) CINAMONY did not race badly last out and should appreciate the move to the fence.

Race 11

(2) TOBER is back with friends where this gelding put in a late rally for all the marbles three trips ago. Gets a good post and he should be poised to boss these for his sixth score of the year. (3) MONEY MAVEN Trotting gelding broke at the start and lost all chance last out but it was against much tougher; main danger. (5) WORLD CUP was second best in his 2016 Yonkers debut and has every right to put his best foot forward.

Race 12

(6) AL RAZA N Mare is knocking at the door and now she leaves the 8-hole and should find the NW20000 ranks to her liking. (1) HIDDEN LAND was in front most of the way but the gas ran out and she lost by 3/4 length; contender. (2) CHEYENNE ROBIN is very consistent and has tactical speed; must be considered in all of the exotics.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPOT PLAYS

For Friday

TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE

Arlington Park (1st) Two Gun Jak, 3-1
(8th) Darlin Rosie, 10-1


Belterra Park (6th) Here's Spartacus, 6-1
(8th) Hot Rod Daisy, 9-2


Canterbury Park (1st) Racinrosemary, 5-1
(4th) Back Alley Warrior, 3-1


Charles Town (6th) Runaway Charity, 3-1
(8th) Wildlittlestomper, 9-2


Del Mar (2nd) Poshsky, 5-1
(6th) My Samurai Warior, 8-1


Ellis Park (4th) Pink's Honor, 4-1
(8th) Pinky Promise, 5-1


Emerald Downs (2nd) Fashion Royale, 3-1
(6th) Kiss My Lulu, 5-1


Evangeline Downs (1st) Crossbow Huntress, 6-1
(12th) Lunar Fog, 3-1


Golden Gate Fields (3rd) Charming Gold, 6-1
(7th) Stormin' Promise, 6-1


Gulfstream Park (7th) Little Awesome 8-1
(8th) Lupo's Way, 9-2


Hastings Park (4th) Circle, 9-2
(6th) Venetian Mask, 10-1


Indiana Grand (3rd) Scarecrow, 4-1
(4th) Valiant Vixen, 3-1


Louisiana Downs (5th) Tiree, 3-1
(7th) Awesome Dancing, 7-2


Monmouth Park (5th) Cohen's Kat, 7-2
(6th) Tiger Bourbon, 6-1


Penn National (2nd) Lucky Empress, 6-1
(3rd) Haunted Vision, 4-1


Remington Park (4th) Margaret's Song, 8-1
(8th) Daring Artax, 9-2


Saratoga (2nd) Mo Promise, 6-1
(9th) King Kreesa, 7-2


Woodbine (1st) Lucky Emerald, 3-1
(9th) Scattered Style, 5-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

August Pitchers Report
By Marc Lawrence

With the MLB trading deadline officially closed, and the NFL preseason whetting our pigskin palates, the month of August sets the table for the stretch run of the baseball season. Which pitchers can we count on to satisfy our tastes, and which ones figure to sour our stomachs?

Take a look below.

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 August.

On the flip side, we've also listed pitchers that struggle in August, 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 April 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 August list.

I’ll be back next month with September’s Good Month Pitchers.

Until then, as legendary singer and songwriter Neil Diamond would say, enjoy the hot August nights.

GOOD MONTH PITCHERS:

Arrieta, Jake - 10-5 (6-3 A)

After being Clayton Kershaw-like for nearly 12 months, the Cubs starter has "regressed" back to just being among the best starters in baseball. Arrieta has a nearly 3-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio and only allows a base hit 70 percent of the time in innings pitched this season, among the finest in the majors.

Duffy, Danny - 11-4 (6-1 H)

After starting the season as a reliever, the Kansas City left-hander was forced back into the rotation based on need and he has responded. Since June, after a pair of starts, Duffy has put up an ERA of just over 3.00 and opposing batters have just a .289 on-base percentage against him.

*Gallardo, Yovani - 9-4 (5-2 A)

Not close to the same pitcher he used to be with Milwaukee, with ERA so far this season approaching almost two runs higher than career average (5.37 vs. 3.73). The lost velocity is to blame and secondary pitches have less bite. For Baltimore to win AL East, Gallardo has to find some of his old magic.

Greinke, Zack - 10-5 (5-2 H)

After being on the shelf with oblique injury since late June, Greinke is close to returning for Arizona if no reoccurrence were to take place after a rehab start or two this month. After pathetic start to season, the D-Backs prized starter has cut ERA by 2 1/2 runs and is close to career norms in all major categories. Elite starter.

*Hamels, Cole - 12-6 (8-4 H)

Having typical Hamels season, with low numbers across the board. In bigger picture, underrated high level hurler who has not been getting acclaim after Phillies fall, but has been ace with Texas. As usual, left-handed batters have no chance with .176 batting average and .287 slugging percentage.

*Iwakuma, Hisashi - 12-5 (7-1 A)

Not having normal season for Seattle, with hits allowed much higher than usual for Iwakuma. However, has won four of five starts and the Mariners are 10-3 when the righty has toed the rubber since May 20. With Felix Hernandez back, this pair could lead Seattle charge to postseason.

Milone, Tom - 7-3 (4-1 A)

Milone starts for bad Minnesota club and is inconsistent as ever. Of his 74 hits allowed in only 59 2/3 innings, 11 have gone the yard. Maybe he can keep the ball down and spot his pitches better like previous August’s.

*Sanchez, Anibal - 9-3 (5-1 H)

With decreased velocity and no action on breaking pitches, Sanchez ERA has been six or higher almost all season. Not sure if he can respond this month, with opponents having BA over .300 and owning a WHIP of 1.64.

*Strasburg, Stephen - 13-3 (8-1 H)

Only July 21st, Strasburg suffered first loss of entire season after 13 consecutive wins. Though the fastball is no longer in upper 90's all the time, the breaking pitches disappear from batter's view and he's been exceptional. If Strasburg has true to form month, he will have real shot at 20 wins in 2016.

Teheran, Julio - 11-5 (7-2 H)

Suffered lat strain in late July and has been a victim of no run support from bad Braves club with 2.81 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and opposing batters at only .205 batting average. Note: Teheran’s record also represents his MLB career team start mark during the month of August.

Weaver, Jered - 12-5 (7-3 A)

Shell of his former self at 33. Never a hard thrower, Weaver's fastball only occasionally makes the upper 80's these days and his once dominating changeup is a pitch batter's wait on now with lack of variance of speed of pitches. Will blend good and really awful performances these days.

*Zimmermann, Jordan - 12-6 (8-3 H)

On July 24th had excellent rehab start and will be rejoining Detroit this month. After sensational start with Tigers, Zimmermann was tagged for at least five runs in four of his last five outings. Detroit needs the Zimmermann they had early in the season to have chance to catch Cleveland in AL Central.

BAD MONTH PITCHERS:

Gray, Sonny - 5-11 (0-7 A)

Given Gray's troubles this month, his woes of all season are very likely to continue. Gray simply has been more hittable the entire season, permitting those with bats to hit almost 50 points higher than normal batting average permitted of .233. Note: Gray’s record also represents his MLB career team start mark during the month of August.

*Hellickson, Jeremy - 4-11 (2-9 A)

Back of the rotation starter, Hellickson has largely performed better than expected for Philadelphia and as this article went live, he was rumored to be traded. His KW ratio is significantly higher at 4 to 1 compared to 3 to 1 for his career. Will he be able to maintain the rest of season?

Kazmir, Scott - 5-11 (1-7 A)

The Dodgers port-sider has 9-4 record, but his 4.41 ERA is still above career average of 3.98. Durability has been issue all season, with too many starts around five innings for what is supposed to be Los Angeles No. 2 or 3 starter.

Koehler, Tom - 4-13 (0-10 A)

Above average arm but always up or down and unless he pulls a Rich Hill, at 30 is not likely to change. An 8-8 record, 4.18 ERA and WHIP of 1.46, is about what we have come to expect from Mr. Koehler. Note: Koehler’s record also represents his MLB career team start mark during the month of August.

*Miley, Wade - 5-11 (1-6 A)

Overrated lefty who does not miss many bats and fails to come anywhere close to averaging punch-out an inning. Strictly an innings-eater and provides nothing more than 50-50 chance to win.

Miller, Shelby - 5-11 (2-8 H)

Demoted to Triple-A in July after disastrous campaign. Miller hopes to regain confidence and repair mechanics that are really out of whack and return to Arizona yet this season.

Samardzija, Jeff - 5-13 (3-8 H)

After appearing as the No.3 starter San Francisco wanted for two months, Smards has returned to same old serviceable pitcher of the past and seen his ERA climb from 2.84 to present 4.30 heading into this month.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB roundup: Giants' Moore nearly no-hits Dodgers
By The Sports Xchange

LOS ANGELES -- Matt Moore came within an out of recording his first no-hitter, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 Thursday night.
Moore held the Dodgers hitless until Corey Seager blooped a single to right to end the bid with two outs in the ninth. Santiago Casilla came on in relief and forced Justin Turner to pop out to clinch the victory for the Giants.
Moore wound up allowing a hit and three walks in 8 2/3 innings on a career-high 133 pitches (88 strikes). He struck out seven.
Joe Panik homered and drove in two runs for the Giants, who snapped a four-game losing streak and dropped the Dodgers' lead in the National League West to two games. Los Angeles had its four-game winning streak halted.

Nationals 4, Orioles 0
WASHINGTON -- Max Scherzer gave up two hits, no walks and no runs in eight innings and Jayson Werth had two key hits, including a tiebreaking solo homer in the fourth as Washington beat Baltimore to salvage the finale of the two-city, four-game series.
Scherzer (14-7), who lowered his ERA to 2.92, did not allow a run for the fifth time this season. Closer Mark Melancon pitched the ninth in a non-save situation and retired the side while allowing one hit.
The first-place Nationals snapped a four-game slide and have dropped their last six games to the Orioles over the past two seasons, including four straight at Nationals Park.

Rangers 9, Indians 0
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Left-hander Cole Hamels allowed two singles in eight innings as Texas shut out Cleveland.
Hamels allowed a two-out single to Francisco Lindor in the first inning and retired the next 19 batters he faced. Hamels (14-4) finished with eight strikeouts as the Indians managed to get only four balls out of the infield against him before Carlos Santana singled to center to open the eighth inning.
The Rangers didn't have the same kind of problem against Cleveland starter Josh Tomlin (11-8). Texas jumped on Tomlin for three runs in the second inning on a three-run homer from newly acquired Carlos Gomez.

Angels 6, Blue Jays 3
TORONTO -- Mike Trout had three hits and four RBIs as Los Angeles claimed the rubber match of the three-game series with Toronto.
Jered Weaver (9-11) allowed two runs (one earned), five hits and three walks while striking out four in 5 2/3 innings to win for the first time since July 17. The right-hander improved to 11-2 in 14 career starts against the Blue Jays.
Toronto starter J.A. Happ (17-4) took his first loss since June 6 to end a string of 11 straight winning decisions. Josh Donaldson homered for the Blue Jays, who remained in a tie for first place in the American League East with the Boston Red Sox.

Rays 2, Red Sox 1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Mikie Mahtook snapped an 0-for-34 slump with an RBI double in the seventh inning that lifted Tampa Bay to a four-game series split with Boston.
Mahtook, whose batting average slumped to .130, was approaching Luke Scott's 0-for-41 mark as the worst slump in Rays' history. Tampa Bay starter Jake Odorizzi (9-5) improved to 6-0 since the All-Star break after allowing one run in seven innings.
Rays reliever Enny Romero struck out pinch hitter David Ortiz for the final out.

Royals 5, Marlins 2
MIAMI -- Alcides Escobar homered and hit the go-ahead double in the sixth inning to lead Kansas City over Miami.
The Royals (66-61) have won 10 of their past 11 games and have also claimed their sixth straight series win. Edinson Volquez (10-10) picked up the win, allowing two runs, none earned, in five innings. He had suffered through a 7.16 ERA in his past five starts.
Tom Koehler (9-9) took the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) in six innings. He cooled off after posting a 1.62 ERA in his past six starts.

Mets 10, Cardinals 6
ST. LOUIS -- Rookie Seth Lugo pitched five scoreless innings before a right calf cramp forced him out and Alejandro De Aza drove in a career-high five runs as New York defeated St. Louis in the rubber match of their three-game series.
Lugo (1-2) allowed two hits and three walks while striking out five as the Mets (64-63) pulled within 3 1/2 games of the Cardinals (67-59) for the NL's second wild card spot. It was only his second big league start.
Adam Wainwright (9-8), who lost his third straight decision, was victimized by a pair of errors that cost him five unearned runs. Brandon Moss cracked his 24th and 25th homers for St. Louis.

Pirates 3, Brewers 2 (10 innings)
MILWAUKEE -- Andrew McCutchen hit his 18th home run of the season and drove in two more runs with RBI singles, including the go-ahead score in the 10th inning, as Pittsburgh snapped a nine-game losing streak at Miller Park.
McCutchen's three-hit game was his first since July 27. He was the only Pittsburgh player to finish with multiple hits, though first baseman Josh Bell drew three walks in four plate appearances.
Wily Peralta allowed two runs, five hits and three walks with five strikeouts in five innings for Milwaukee, which had its four-game winning streak snapped.

White Sox 7, Mariners 6
CHICAGO -- Todd Frazier had two hits and three RBIs, including a game-winning, run-scoring single in the ninth inning as Chicago rallied to beat Seattle.
Frazier lined a single down the left-field line in the ninth off of Mariners reliever Nick Vincent (3-4). The hit scored Adam Eaton, who led off with a single and advanced into scoring position on Tim Anderson's sacrifice bunt. After Vincent intentionally walked Jose Abreu, Frazier delivered the winning hit.
David Robertson (4-2) picked up the win for the White Sox after pitching a scoreless ninth inning.

Braves 3, Diamondbacks 1
PHOENIX -- Matt Wisler took a no-hitter into the seventh inning as Atlanta earned a four-game split with Arizona.
Paul Goldschmidt broke up the no-hit bid by leading off the seventh with a single to right-center field. Wisler (5-11), who was promoted from Triple-A Gwinnett to make the start after spending the last month in the minors, allowed a run and two hits.
Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis drove in runs in the second inning off left-hander Robbie Ray (7-12) for a 2-0 lead and Gordon Beckham's RBI double in the sixth made it 3-0.

Tigers 8, Twins 5
MINNEAPOLIS -- James McCann recorded his first career four-hit day as Detroit completed a three-game series sweep of Minnesota.
McCann's afternoon capped a red-hot last month for the catcher, who entered the day hitting .212 on the season. In 21 games since July 25, McCann is hitting .313 with five homers and 19 RBIs.
Victor Martinez had three hits and knocked in two runs and Daniel Norris (2-2) pitched 6 1/3 solid innings as the Tigers ran their overall winning streak to four games. Detroit improved to 10-2 against the Twins this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockies (60-67) at Nationals (74-53)

Game: 1
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: August 26, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- It will be tale of two pitchers when the first-place Washington Nationals begin a home series on Friday against the Colorado Rockies.

The starting pitcher for the Nationals will be veteran lefty Gio Gonzalez, who will be looking for the 100th win of his career.

He has very little track record the past few years against Colorado hitters. Outfielder Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies is hitting .250 in just eight at-bats against the Washington pitcher.

The lefty from the Miami area will be opposed by Rockies right-hander Jeff Hoffman (0-1, 13.50), who will be seeking his first career win in his second MLB start.

Hoffman, a product of East Carolina University, made his MLB debut Saturday and gave up seven runs in four-plus innings against the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs had seven hits and just one walk while Hoffman had two strikeouts.

"I wasn't getting ahead as much as I should have been and that obviously opened up a whole world of opportunities for them," Hoffman told reporters after the game. "When you are not getting ahead, and you are facing guys in the box who know what they are doing, they are going to find holes. That's what they did tonight, they found holes with everything."

After facing the team with the best record in the majors, Hoffman will face a squad with the second-best mark in the National League on Friday. He will be the second East Carolina product to dress in the visiting clubhouse at Nationals Park after pitcher Mike Wright of the Orioles was here on Thursday and finished the game on the mound for the Orioles as Washington won 4-0.

The Nationals had lost four in a row before beating Baltimore, which had won the last six games over the past two seasons between the teams.

Washington right-hander Max Scherzer came up big as he went eight scoreless innings to beat the Orioles.

"First and foremost I knew I needed to pitch deep into the game tonight. Our bullpen has been taxed. That was a huge deal to get into the eighth and finish the eighth," Scherzer said. "They have a lot of guys who have a lot of thump in their lineup. I really came up with a game plan of how to pitch against them. I had a great game plan."

Another encouraging sign for the Nationals is that Bryce Harper had two more hits Thursday, lifting his average to .251. He had a big two-run double in the eighth.

"He's warm. He is not hot yet but he is getting there," said Dusty Baker, the Washington manager. "He is returning to April form."

Former Washington Senator slugger Frank Howard, a long-time resident of Northern Virginia, will be honored before Friday's game as he takes a spot in the ring of honor at Nationals Park.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Orioles (70-57) at Yankees (65-61)

Game: 1
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: August 26, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- In three weeks, Gary Sanchez has helped the New York Yankees stay within striking distance in the race for the American League wild card.

Sanchez and the Yankees get an opportunity to inch closer to a team holding one of the wild-card spots when they open a three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees will face the Orioles in each of the next two weekends and begin 4 1/2 games out of the second wild-card spot.

When Sanchez was promoted from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre, the Yankees were 53-53 and 5 1/2 games behind the Boston Red Sox for the second wild-card spot. Their smallest deficit since Sanchez was called up was 3 1/2 games from Aug. 11-13.

Since his promotion, Sanchez has hit nine home runs and New York has won 12 of its last 20 games to get to 65-61. Sanchez's latest home run occurred during Wednesday's 5-0 win in Seattle, which capped a 4-2 West Coast trip.

Sanchez has become the Yankees regular catcher while moving veteran Brian McCann to being the regular designated hitter. After his latest home run, Sanchez is batting .389 with an OPS of 1,297.

"You feel like he's going to hit the ball hard is what you feel," New York manager Joe Girardi said. "And you're not sure where it's going to end up but you feel like he's going to hit the ball real hard. He's been locked in and it's been fun to watch."

Sanchez is one of five major leaguers since 1913 with nine or more home runs in his first 21 games. He also is one of nine with 15 or more extra bases in his first 21 games.

As much as fans enjoy hearing those things, none of those accolades matter to Sanchez.

"I understand it, but the focus is not about me, it's about winning games here," Sanchez said through a translator. "That's where my focus is, go out there, play hard and win some games."

The Yankees did some winning in their last encounter with the Orioles by taking the first three games by a 14-2 margin before Chris Tillman pitched seven outstanding innings in Baltimore's 4-1 win on July 21.

To demonstrate how much has changed since those games, 10 players who were on New York's active roster will not be with the team Friday due to injuries, demotions or trades.

Baltimore moved into first place with its second series win against the Yankees June 3-5 but when it left the Bronx it was a half-game out of first place. The Orioles (70-57) have spent 111 days in first place, have not held a share of the division lead since Aug. 15 and trail the Blue Jays and Red Sox by one game.

The Orioles dropped 2 1/2 games out when it gave up 32 runs in a three-game sweep by the Houston Astros last weekend. Baltimore recovered decently by scoring 22 times in taking three of four against the Washington Nationals.

Chris Davis, Manny Machado, Jonathan Schoop and Mark Trumbo homered in the series. The quartet has combined for 118 of Baltimore's major league-leading 197 home runs. Neither player connected Thursday as the Orioles struck out 10 times and mustered three hits in a 4-0 loss.

"Good series for us," Baltimore center fielder Adam Jones said. "We took it to a good team and tonight they took it to us. I think overall it was a good series. We played well. Pitchers threw the ball extremely well. Now let's go to New York and do the same thing. Important series."

Jones had one of those hits before leaving with a leg cramp but he said he expects to play Friday.

Jones and the Orioles will be healthier than their last visit to New York when a flu bug hit the team and forced Machado, Davis and Showalter to miss games.

While Sanchez is part of the Yankees' attempt to get younger bats in their lineup, Luis Cessa is making his second career start out of necessity. Cessa and Chad Green are in the Yankees' rotation because Nathan Eovaldi is having elbow surgery and Luis Severino is in the minors.

Cessa made an impressive debut in New York's rotation last Saturday when he allowed two hits in six shutout innings during a 5-1 win at the Los Angeles Angels.

For all its prowess at the plate, Baltimore has struggled on the mound at times by posting a 4.38 ERA. Those struggles include Yovani Gallardo, who starts Friday and has a 5.08 ERA.

Gallardo is 1-4 with a 4.66 ERA in his last 10 starts though he has pitched decently in four starts this month. Gallardo has allowed three earned runs or less in four straight starts, including Sunday against Houston when he allowed three earned runs and seven hits in seven innings.

Gallardo faced the Yankees July 20 in New York and allowed four runs and five hits in seven innings of a 5-0 loss.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Twins (49-78) at Blue Jays (71-56)

Game: 1
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: August 26, 2016 7:07 PM EDT

TORONTO -- The Toronto Blue Jays are sputtering on offense.

The American League East co-leaders dropped the final two games of a three-game series with the Los Angeles Angels by scores of 8-2 on Wednesday and 6-3 on Thursday.

The Blue Jays face another non-playoff contender Friday, the Minnesota Twins, in the opener of a three-game series at Rogers Centre.

The Twins will start left-hander Pat Dean (1-3, 5.48 ERA) while Toronto will counter with left-hander Francisco Liriano (6-12, 5.21 ERA).

It would help the Blue Jays if the bats, which also were rather quiet while the team lost two of three to the Indians in Cleveland last weekend, started to become more productive.

"There's no doubt we've cooled off," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said after the loss Thursday. "That's due to change, it always does. We've fallen behind, and we haven't been able to mount any (rallies), get that big hit to climb back in it or even open up some games. That'll change.

"It was similar to earlier in the season. There's not a lot of season left, but we're due."

By losing to the Angels on Thursday, the Blue Jays wasted a chance to pull one game ahead of the Boston Red Sox in the division. Instead, the teams remain tied at 71-56 after the Red Sox lost 2-1 to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday afternoon.

The Baltimore Orioles also lost on Thursday, 4-0 to the Washington Nationals, to remain one game off the pace in the AL East.

The Twins (49-78) lost their seventh game in a row Thursday, 8-5 to the Detroit Tigers in Minnesota, to drop to a season-worst 29 games below .500.

After the loss to the Tigers, the Twins sent right-handers Jose Berrios and Tyler Duffey to Triple-A Rochester.

Berrios allowed six hits, five walks and five runs in five innings Thursday, and Duffey allowed six runs in three innings Wednesday.

Left-hander Andrew Albers will be one of the recalls from Rochester, with the other to be announced Friday.

The Twins also are dealing with injuries. Joe Mauer has been hobbled by a quadriceps problem, but the team hopes he will be available to play Friday. He missed the final two games of the Detroit series.

"I'm thinking about playing him, but it's not set in stone yet," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "We'll see how he feels when he gets up there and gets himself ready, and we'll try and make a decision."

The Blue Jays hope to have Devon Travis back in the lineup Friday after the second baseman missed all three games against the Angels due to an injured right ring finger.

Toronto did have Jose Bautista back from a sprained knee on Thursday, and he collected two RBIs.

Dean will be replacing left-hander Hector Santiago, who has a bruised thumb.

"It's just kind of a gripping thing, enough to where we think skipping a start is going to be good for him," Molitor said. "Maybe it will help him.".

It will be the seventh start of the season and the 12th appearance for Dean and. He will start for the first time since being recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Aug. 12 after making three recent relief appearances.

Dean started against the Blue Jays on May 21 at Target Field. He did not factor into the decision after allowing two runs on three hits with three walks and five strikeouts over six innings.

Liriano will make his 25th start of the season Friday, his fourth with the Blue Jays.

After going 6-11 with a 5.46 ERA in 21 starts with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he is 0-1 with a 3.57 ERA in three starts since being traded to Toronto.

He allowed one unearned run in six innings Aug. 19 at Cleveland but did not factor in the decision when the Indians won 3-2 with two runs in the ninth. Liriano, who was with the Twins from 2005-12, is 2-1 with a 5.66 ERA in four career starts against Minnesota.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Padres (53-74) at Marlins (66-61)

Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: August 26, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

MIAMI -- On Friday night, San Diego Padres right-hander Jarred Cosart will get a chance to stick it to the Miami Marlins, the team that traded him on July 31.

Cosart, who will step on the Marlins Park mound for the first time since July 25, will face Miami right-hander David Phelps (7-6, 2.28 ERA). Cosart is 0-1 with a 4.54 ERA.

"I'm just trying to prepare like it's another major league start," Cosart said. "I get nervous before every major league start. I'm sure I will have that same nervous excitement."

Cosart said he is trying to "build off what I've been doing the past three starts," when he posted a 3.78 ERA and walked just four batters in 16 2/3 innings.

It's been a battle for Cosart since his breakthrough year of 2014. He split his time that year between the Houston Astros and the Marlins, going 13-11 with a 3.69 ERA. However, he is just 2-6 since then.

Phelps, meanwhile, has been outstanding all year, first as a set-up reliever and more recently as a starter after Miami suffered rotation injuries to Wei-Yin Chen, Colin Rea and Adam Conley. Rea, who was part of the seven-player trade that brought Cosart to San Diego, was returned to the Padres after he got hurt in his first start.

With all that adversity, Phelps has come through, posting a 1.31 ERA in his first four starts. He has allowed hitters just a .192 batting average and a .550 OPS.

The Marlins (66-61) need to win this series against a Padres team that is not in playoff contention with a lowly 53-74 record.

Miami may look to start newly acquired outfielder Jeff Francoeur this weekend.

Francoeur, who was acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday, arrived in Miami on Thursday and got an infield single as a pinch-hitter in his Marlins debut.

Among his new teammates is Martin Prado, who played with him when they were with the Atlanta Braves.

"I've played against the Marlins forever," Francoeur said. "I do know some familiar faces. I have respect for a lot of these guys and (manager Don) Mattingly and his staff.

"I'm excited. (The trade to a playoff contender) was something I needed. It was a tough year in Atlanta with all the rebuilding. I'm excited to come here and get at-bats that mean something."

In other story lines:

--Both the Padres and Marlins were named on Thursday as two of the hosts of the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Marlins Park will get first-round games March 9-13. San Diego's Petco Park will get second-round games March 14-19.

--San Diego center fielder and leadoff man Travis Jankowski has reached base in 23 consecutive games. Hitting .257, Jankowski had two hits and scored one run in his most recent game, a 6-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.

--Marlins right fielder Ichiro Suzuki went 0-for-4 on Thursday and needs one more hit to tie Wade Boggs (3,010 hits) for 27th place on the MLB career hit list.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Phillies (59-68) at Mets (64-63)

Game: 1
Venue: Citi Field
Date: August 26, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- A good ending to a long road trip kept the New York Mets talking in the present tense for at least a little while longer. The Philadelphia Phillies, meanwhile, will arrive in New York on Friday having taken another step toward their future.

The Mets host the Phillies in the opener of a three-game series Friday night at Citi Field. New York (64-63) edged closer to the pack in the National League wild card race Thursday night by beating the St. Louis Cardinals, 10-5.

The win gave the Mets a series win in the three-game set against the Cardinals and pulled them within 3 1/2 games of St. Louis for the second wild card. New York went 5-5 on a 10-game road trip but ended the three-city trek with four wins in five games against the San Francisco Giants, who are currently the first wild card, and the Cardinals.

The Mets' two wins against the Cardinals came in games in which starter Jonathon Niese lasted just one out before exiting due to a knee injury and in which rookie Seth Lugo threw five shutout innings in place of left-hander Steven Matz, who is on the disabled list with a shoulder injury.

"I don't care who we're playing. we've got to put some wins on the board," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "We've got to get some streaks going, get back in the hunt here. Hopefully we get our pitching straightened away here in the next couple days where, going into that last month of the season, we'll know who is going to be out there."

The Mets will send their one sure thing -- 43-year-old Bartolo Colon -- to the mound in Friday's series opener. Colon, the oldest player in baseball, will be making his team-high 26th start and will be looking for his 12th win, which would break a tie for the team lead with Noah Syndergaard. If he lasts at least 3 2/3 innings Friday, Colon will also surge past Syndergaard for the Mets lead in innings pitched.

While the ageless Colon pitches for the Mets, the Phillies' youth movement will be on full display with their battery. Adam Morgan, a 26-year-old left-hander, will make his 15th start of the season and the 30th of his career for Philadelphia (59-68), which is headed for its fifth straight non-winning season.

Morgan may be throwing to rookie catcher Jorge Alfaro, who is expected to be promoted following Thursday's trade that sent 37-year-old catcher Carlos Ruiz to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for fellow aging backstop A.J. Ellis, minor league pitcher Tommy Bergjans and a player to be named later.

With Ruiz gone, the only member of the Phillies' 2008 World Series-winning squad still wearing a Philadelphia uniform is first baseman Ryan Howard, who is sure to depart following the season. While general manager Matt Klentak said the organization was glad to give Ruiz a chance at pursuing another ring, he acknowledged the trade will leave a big hole to fill for a rebuilding club.

"Carlos has been such an important leader for so long, we knew we had to fill a role on and off the field," Klentak told CSNPhilly.com. "There is a reasonably good chance one of our young catching prospects will be in the big leagues before the season is over."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (66-61) at Red Sox (71-56)

Game: 1
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: August 26, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

BOSTON -- Ian Kennedy shoots for a club record and the Kansas City Royals look to continue a second-half push when they open a three-game series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park on Friday night.

The veteran right-hander, who faces knuckleballer Steven Wright on Friday, has had five straight outings of at least six innings and one earned run or fewer, matching Larry Gura's club mark set in 1981.

Kennedy (8-9, 3.58 ERA), who signed a five-year, $70 million free agent contract with the Royals this past offseason, is 2-0 with an 0.79 ERA over those five games, lowering his ERA from 4.41 to 3.58. In his last start, Kennedy, who had been a victim of non-support, cruised to a 10-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins with eight shutout innings.

"That's five starts in a row where he's been completely in control. He's just been throwing the ball extremely well," manager Ned Yost said after Kennedy's last start.

Kennedy's surge has coincided with the defending World Series champions' second-half charge. The Royals have won 10 of their last 11 after a 5-3 victory in Miami on Thursday night. They have won their last six series and are four games out of a wild card spot and seven away from the American League Central lead.

Kennedy and Wright matched up May 18 in Kansas City, with Wright getting the loss and Kennedy a no-decision. Wright, one of the real surprises of the 2016 season, comes off the disabled list Friday to open Boston's six-game homestand.

Wright (13-5, 3.01), who is 5-0 since his last loss two months ago, was used as a pinch runner against the Dodgers in Los Angeles and suffered a right shoulder injury diving back into second base.

He threw a bullpen session in St. Petersburg, Fla., and was pronounced ready to make his first appearance since Aug. 6.

The Red Sox just finished a four-city, 7-4 road trip that actually ended poorly, with two painful losses to the last-place Rays. They lost rookie left fielder Andrew Benintendi to a knee injury Wednesday and come home for six before going back out to the west coast as their treacherous second-half road grind continues.

"We had a winning road trip," Boston manager John Farrell said after Thursday's loss. "We had to go out and put up a winning record, we've done that. But despite being 7-4 (on the road trip), there's times you look back, today being one of them, that you could have possibly capitalized."

Despite the two losses, the Red Sox remained tied with the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL East lead, with the Baltimore Orioles a game behind.

The Royals, 17-6 in August after a 7-19 July, still have work to do but a 2-1 start to a six-game road trip kept the momentum going.

Kennedy, making his second career start at Fenway, has significant National League numbers against some Red Sox with Hanley Ramirez 4-for-24 and former teammate Aaron Hill 5-for-13 against him. David Ortiz, who has 30 homers and 100 RBIs in his farewell season, is 3-for-6 with a homer against Kennedy.

The current Royals are just 9-for-45 (.200) as a team against Wright.

There is still no prognosis on Benintendi, originally diagnosed with a sprained left knee.

"I'll have more tests tomorrow and we'll take it day by day," he said Thursday. "There's nothing I can do about it now so I'll wait until the tests come back. I'm going to try to stay as positive as I can."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (54-73) at Tigers (68-59)

Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: August 26, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

DETROIT -- Jose Iglesias is likely to be activated off Detroit's disabled list Friday, which will prompt some dexterity in the handling of the situation by Tigers manager Brad Ausmus.

Iglesias was scheduled to play for Toledo on Thursday night in a final rehab game with no complications from the left hamstring strain that landed him on the disabled list two weeks back.

"There's no guarantees," Ausmus said after Detroit completed a sweep of the Minnesota Twins on Thursday with an 8-5 victory. "If his hamstring doesn't feel good he definitely won't be activated (Friday)."

Detroit hosts the Los Angeles Angels on Friday night for the start of a three-game weekend series. The Angels won the final two contests of a three-game series in Toronto -- their first road victories since July 26.

"Anytime you play well, you hope your team starts gathering confidence and gaining confidence," Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said prior to Thursday's game. "That's a good club we played and we did a good job on the offensive end. You hope you're going to build confidence with some things you want to do on a regular basis.

"We're not always going to go out there and (score) eight runs, but we did a lot of good things."

The Tigers picked up Erick Aybar, an ex-Angel, earlier this month to help provide some offense to a Detroit team that was struggling.

Ausmus is likely to want to take advantage of any extra juice Aybar might get from Los Angeles letting him go to Atlanta prior to this season. The Tigers traded with the Braves to get Aybar.

There is some wiggle room and Ausmus is likely to exploit that.

He could shift Aybar over to third, where veteran Casey McGehee has been filling in for injured Nick Castellanos, who is likely to be out until mid-September recovering from a broken bone in his left hand. Aybar has made just a couple appearances at third in his career but wouldn't be the first shortstop to move over.

"Aybar hasn't played much at third, not that he couldn't handle it," Ausmus said.

McGehee has supplied some hits but nothing in the way of driving in runs. He may look at matchups with the three to see which two play.

"Iglesias will get time at short but if Aybar is playing well, it's not like we're going to not play him,' Ausmus said. "If he's producing, he's going to play.

"It's just going to boil down to who we think is going to help us win. Pretty simple."

Detroit brings home a four-game winning streak after taking three in Minnesota.

"To come into any town and sweep them, it's tough to do," Ausmus said. "It's just the nature of the game. But our bats started to get hot and the pitching held up.

"Maybe it was the start of it but I'd like to seem them keep rolling. We have Anaheim coming in. That's how this team is built, it's built to slug. Our pitching is solid, especially the second half, but we're built to slug and it's nice to see it."

Justin Verlander (13-7, 3.38 ERA) starts the first game of the series for the Tigers against the Angels' Ricky Nolasco (4-11, 5.22 overall; 0-3, 5.70 for Los Angeles).

Verlander lost to Los Angeles in his only start against it this season, allowing four runs on four hits in 7 1/3 innings. Over his career, the Angels have handled him for a 5-7 record and 3.77 ERA and he has given up seven home runs to them in his 15 starts.

Nolasco was picked up in a deal with Minnesota with manager Scioscia's team stripped of starting pitching by injuries. He's 0-2 in three starts against Detroit this season with a 4.32 ERA.

For his career, Nolasco is 2-3 with a 3.86 ERA and the times he's been successful against the Tigers, he's stayed away from his fastball.

The injury bug that decimated the Angels' rotation has now chomped on the bullpen.

Closer Huston Street underwent surgery Tuesday on a knee that has bothered him for months and is through for the season.

On Wednesday, Los Angeles learned that Cam Bedrosian, his eventual replacement who hasn't pitched since Aug. 2, has a blood clot in his upper right arm. He will see a specialist to determine the next course of action.

"I think any time you have a young pitcher that has an issue that is lingering, you want to make sure that you check all the boxes and make sure that everything is taken care of," Scioscia said. "You're always concerned about every player when they're banged up."

Bedrosian had a 1.12 ERA in 40 1/3 innings of relief this season with 51 strikeouts.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Indians (72-54) at Rangers (75-53)

Game: 2
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: August 26, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Both the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers feel like they have winning pieces for a deep postseason run this year.

There's no doubt the Indians do in Mike Napoli and no one knows that better than Texas. Napoli, who went 0-for-3 in Thursday's 9-0 Texas win, has been to the postseason seven times since the 2007 season. Three of those seasons were with the Rangers and another resulted in a World Series title with Boston in 2015.

Now Napoli has a chance at an eighth postseason and another World Series with Cleveland. And while Napoli isn't the sole reason the teams he's played on have gone to the postseason, he's certainly been a big contributor.

"You know it's another year, another playoff run," Napoli joked Monday.

The Indians have been all smiles since signing Napoli too. He's leads the Indians in home runs (29) and RBI (87). His RBI total is sixth in the American League and his homer total has him tied for 10th. It's a product of Napoli playing every day and enjoying his time in Cleveland on the field and off the field, where his "Party at Napoli's" t-shirt has become a must-have item for Cleveland fans.

He's been everything manager Terry Francona could have hoped for after talking with Napoli's former teammate Dustin Pedroia about him in the offseason.

"In my book, getting the endorsement from Pedroia is a high mark, but I tell you what, it's been that and then some. He's been, you take the numbers, which are tremendous, but his will to compete every day, regardless of what the weather is, or how he feels, it's been a pleasure."

His impact in a clubhouse for a team that's been to the postseason just one time in the last nine years may have more of an impact than the numbers he's delivered from the cleanup spot.

"I'm sure there are a certain number of people that have the ability to take people one direction," Francona said. "He's one. I think there's a certain number they certainly look up to him. There are probably a few others that are scared of him. That's OK, but like when he practices, he practices right. He's been a pleasure."

The Rangers don't have any complaints about their newest addition either. Outfielder Carlos Gomez homered in his first at-bat with the club Thursday to key the win.

Like Napoli, Gomez provides spark with his play on and off the field. While his fiery personality may have rubbed some wrong in his previous stops, it's part of him and the club liked what they saw Thursday.

"This is an energy guy," Texas manager Jeff Banister said. "He'll give you a lot of energy. He's going to excite you. He pushes the envelope, which I don't mind. We've got some guys that do that already. I think he'll fit in in that department. And he's got passion for the game and he wants to win."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pirates (64-61) at Brewers (56-71)

Game: 2
Venue: Miller Park
Date: August 26, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

MILWAUKEE -- Don't count Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell among those who think something is wrong with Andrew McCutchen.

"I remember some of the Pittsburgh people asking me about that when I was there," Counsell said Thursday night. "I would never say there's anything wrong with that guy. I know he hasn't had the kind of great year he normally has, but he's a force. No question."

Counsell found that out the hard way, as McCutchen collected three hits Thursday night and accounted for all three Pittsburgh runs including a first-inning home run and the game-winning RBI single in the 10th inning in a 3-2 loss.

It was the latest effort in a good spurt for the Pirates' center fielder, who has seven hits in his last five games.

"I think it's already been going pretty well for me," McCutchen said. "I'm in a good spot. Even when I'm behind in the count, I know I can still battle and get the job done. I was able to do that today. There's 30-something games left and I'm just trying to finish them strong."

Hitting at Miller Park has rarely been an issue for McCutchen, who had 121 hits over his career in Milwaukee prior to Thursday. For the rest of his team, things haven't been so good in the Brew City.

Even with their victory Thursday, the Pirates are 18-64 in Milwaukee since the start of the 2007 season and 57-104 overall against the Brewers during that same stretch.

"They've had an awfully good offensive club here for a number of years," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "When you make mistakes, you pay here. Like a lot of places, this is more hitter-friendly than some parks. However, his mentality right now, he's building experience without reality in every new park. He was very aggressive tonight, that as much as anything is what dictates the results. You don't give in from the start, you go. You step on the gas, you make pitches and you stay aggressive."

The Pirates will try to stay on the winning track in Milwaukee on Friday when Ryan Vogelsong makes his seventh start of the season against Brewers right-hander Matt Garza.

Vogelsong has made 16 career appearances against Milwaukee, going 5-3 with a 4.67 ERA. But in his last six outings against the Brewers, Vogelsong is 4-0 with a 2.53 mark.

Garza, meanwhile, is still trying to get settled after missing the first two months of the season recovering from a shoulder injury.

He allowed five earned runs on nine hits and a walk in just 3 2/3 innings his last time out but took no decision as the Brewers rallied for a 7-6 victory in Seattle.

He's made 11 career starts against the Pirates, going 3-4 with a 4.37 ERA including 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA in two starts this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rays (54-72) at Astros (66-61)

Game: 1
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: August 26, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

HOUSTON -- Seemingly on the brink of collapse following a pair of interleague home losses to the St. Louis Cardinals last week, the Houston Astros rebounded with a successful swing through Baltimore and Pittsburgh and set the table to remain in the thick of the American League wild card chase with a six-game homestand opening Friday.

The Astros (66-61) finished 5-2 during their seven-game stretch against the Orioles and Pirates and are 9-5 over their last 14 road games. Once 10 games above .500, the Astros slipped to 61-60 after dropping the opener in Baltimore on Aug. 18. And while they remain are four games behind the Orioles for the second wild card spot, the Astros' recent road run breathed new life into their postseason hopes.

"It's one that we needed," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said following a 5-4 victory over Pittsburgh in Wednesday's series finale. "We played two good teams and came away 5-2. I'm really proud of our guys. We have a small margin of error these days and we've responded by playing well."

If the Astros are to surpass Baltimore, Detroit and Seattle in the wild card picture, they will need to take full advantage of their upcoming schedule. Houston hosts the Rays (54-72) and Athletics during their upcoming homestand, two teams well below .500 and long since realistically eliminated from playoff contention.

Right-hander Mike Fiers (9-6, 4.41 ERA) starts the opener for the Astros seeking to win consecutive decisions for the first time since he defeated the Rays and Reds on June 11 and June 19. Fiers allowed two runs on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts over seven innings while beating the Rays in his first career start against them.

Fiers is 2-1 over his last three starts but has posted a 4.86 ERA while surrendering six home runs over 16 2/3 innings, a hallmark of his inconsistency. While he is 2-2 with a 4.37 ERA this month, opposing batters are slugging .494 against Fiers during August and he has alternated wins and losses over his last seven decisions.

Left-hander Drew Smyly (6-11, 4.88 ERA) looks to continue his exceptional run of pitching for the Rays. He is 4-0 with a 2.79 ERA over his last six starts and the Rays have claimed victory in each of his previous five appearances. Smyly has lowered his season ERA by 0.76 runs over his last six outings, with 30 strikeouts against nine walks over 38 2/3 innings while limiting opponents to a .577 OPS.

Smyly is 1-2 with a 6.10 ERA over four appearances (two starts) against the Astros.

The Rays completed their most successful homestand of the season Thursday with a 2-1 victory over the Red Sox, winning consecutive games to split the four-game series. Tampa Bay finished 7-3 against the Padres, Rangers and Red Sox.

"We needed a lot of things to come together for us to get that win," Rays manager Kevin Cash told MLB.com. "It seemed like they all did today."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mariners (67-60) at White Sox (61-65)

Game: 2
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: August 26, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- Scott Servais can't underestimate the value that Kyle Seager adds to his Seattle Mariners' lineup.

But take the power-hitting third baseman away like he has been for the past two games with a bruised foot and things change. It becomes increasingly more evident when the Mariners will face a full complement of left-handed pitchers over the next three games against the Chicago White Sox starting Friday when ace Chris Sale takes the mound.

Seager, who is hitting .286 with 24 home runs and 83 RBIs, hopes to return this weekend after fouling a pitch off his foot earlier this week. But considering the challenge the Mariners face Friday against Sale (15-6), Servais would rather have Seager back sooner than later.

So would Seager.

"I would have loved to play the last two days," Seager said after Thursday night's 7-6 loss to the White Sox.

Said Servais: "He's a key guy for in the middle of that line-up. We miss him when he's not in there."

Despite his 15 victories, Sale has been shaky of late, losing five of his last seven starts. But Sale allowed only three hits over eight innings Saturday against Oakland heading into Friday's start when he will face Felix Hernandez, who has won four straight starts.

While Servais continues to have to make his adjustments to content with Chicago's string of lefties that will include Jose Quintana on Saturday and Carlos Rodon on Sunday, he understands what kind of challenge Sale presents.

That's where Hernandez's ability to shut down opposing teams. Hernandez (8-4) hasn't allowed more than two runs in his past three starts, giving Servais some indication that Friday may be a low-scoring affair.

"(Sale's) one of the better pitchers in the league, but I think our guy (Hernandez) is one of the better pitchers in the league -- it should be a good game," Servais said.

While the Mariners remain in playoff contention, the White Sox continue to try to battle despite big offseason changes could be coming. General manager Rick Hahn said Thursday that he, executive vice president Kenny Williams and White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf have a plan they will execute once of the offseason arrives.

Williams said earlier this week that the White Sox have got to "get some things together" as the regular season begins to wind down. But Hahn said that the top priority remains the present.

"Regardless of which direction it is -- full rebuild or add on --we're still in the middle of the season," Hahn said. "We have 25 guys in there trying to win a ballgame tonight. If I were to say we're going to do a full rebuild that's disrespectful to what they're trying to accomplish.

"We're working on (an offseason plan), exploring a lot of angles internally trying to come up with priorities so we can hit the ground running when the time is appropriate. But in terms of laying that out publicly, it simply isn't the right time."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics (55-72) at Cardinals (67-59)

Game: 1
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: August 26, 2016 8:15 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS -- On paper, the Oakland Athletics are the kind of team the St. Louis Cardinals should beat.

At 55-72, Oakland is 19 1/2 games out of first place in the American League West and going nowhere fast.

However, the games aren't played on 8 1/2-by-11 sheets of paper, and the way St. Louis continues to struggle at Busch Stadium, the Athletics look like a threat to play a spoiler's role in a three-game weekend series that starts Friday night at Busch Stadium.

Fresh off an off day Thursday, Oakland arrived in town after drumming the American League Central-leader Indians two out of three at home, holding Cleveland to a single run in each game. The A's also dumped the Baltimore Orioles, an AL East contender, three out of four games at home earlier this month.

"This has been kind of a theme for us this year," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said after his team's 5-1 win over Cleveland on Wednesday. "We've played well at times against good teams, then not so well against teams that aren't as good. I can't figure us out."

On the other hand, the Cardinals (67-59) are as easy to read as a rookie quarterback's eyes. They are the majors' best team on the road at 38-24, yet they can't consistently win at home, where their 10-6 loss to the New York Mets on Thursday night dropped them to 29-35.

Two frequent bugaboos -- sketchy starting pitching and defense -- hampered them in the latest loss. Adam Wainwright didn't throw well but wasn't helped by a pair of key errors that led to five unearned runs.

"I wouldn't say that's the whole story," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said of his team's leaky defense. "We had a guy throw a good game against us. And that's a lot of runs that you're giving up."

The Cardinals are guilty of 88 errors this year, the fourth-highest total in the majors. They also haven't made several plays that weren't counted as errors yet still extended innings and led to runs.

Even so, St. Louis remains 1 1/2 games ahead of the Miami Marlins for the National League's second wild-card spot. And with two more long road trips coming up down the stretch, the Cardinals can be excused for liking their chances at notching a sixth consecutive postseason berth.

St. Louis will send rookie right-hander Luke Weaver to the mound for his third major league start Friday. The hard-throwing Weaver (0-1, 5.00 ERA) is coming off a 4-2 loss Saturday night in Philadelphia, which nicked him for nine hits and three runs over five innings.

He will be facing the A's for the first time.

The Athletics counter with left-hander Ross Detwiler (1-2, 5.91 ERA overall). He will be making his fourth start with Oakland since he was acquired from the Indians for cash last month, and he is 1-2 with a 5.94 ERA for the A's.

A product of Wentzville, Mo., about 30 miles west of St. Louis, Detwiler is coming off a 6-2 loss Sunday at the Chicago White Sox, which racked him for 10 hits and six runs over four innings.

In five career games (two starts) against the Cardinals, Detwiler is 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Reds (54-72) at Diamondbacks (53-75)

Game: 1
Venue: Chase Field
Date: August 26, 2016 9:40 PM EDT

PHOENIX -- Are you ready for some offense?

Arizona and Cincinnati are in the top half of the National League in run production, and they have the two of the three highest team ERA in the majors.

Throw in a ballpark that usually plays small, and the conditions seem ripe.

Although the Diamondbacks were two-hit in a 3-1 loss to Atlanta on Thursday, they had 23 runs and 39 hits in the first three games while splitting the four-game series. Arizona is fifth in the NL with 585 runs, has 145 home runs and leads the majors with a franchise-record 49 triples. The ball travels well here, and the outfield is large, angling out to 413 feet in left- and right-center.

At the same time, the D-backs' staff ERA is 5.15.

The Reds pitched much better since assistant pitching/bullpen coach Mack Jenkins was promoted to pitching coach on July 4, but they remain 28th in the majors with 4.97 ERA. The Reds have scored 565 runs and hit 134 homers.

Manager Bryan Price's Reds are 22-15 since the All-Star break, the second-best record in the NL, and have won six of their last nine. They had a five-game winning streak during that run, their longest since July, 2014.

Cincinnati left-hander Brandon Finnegan will make his 26th start of the season against the D-backs in the first game of the series Friday, while Arizona will start rookie right-hander Braden Shipley.

Shipley, Arizona's first-round pick in the 2013 draft, will be making his seventh major league start after being promoted in late July. He is 2-3 with a 5.45 ERA.

Finnegan, 8-9 with a 4.32 ERA, has made 13 quality starts and has been the victim of four blown saves. He was one of the young left-handers Cincinnati identified and acquired in the trade that sent Johnny Cueto to the eventual World Series champion Kansas City Royals at the trade deadline last year.

He has twice taken no-hitters into the seventh inning this season, something the Diamondbacks saw Thursday when Atlanta right-hander Matt Wisler did not allow a hit until Paul Goldschmidt singled to open the seventh inning.

First basemen drive these teams, with a little help from their friends.

Goldschmidt had two three-hit games and drove in four runs in the Atlanta series, and his walkout homer won Monday's game, 9-8. That home was his second since July 24, a span of 130 plate appearances, and he hit another Wednesday. He is slashing .304/.421/.505 with 27 doubles, 20 homers, 20 stolen bases and 78 RBIs. He is the third first baseman since 1974 with back-to-back 20 homer/20 stolen base seasons, joining Jeff Bagwell and Ryan Klesko.

"I never sensed a frustration about not hitting home runs," Arizona manager Chip Hale said. "Ever. That's one thing he's never, ever made a big deal about. I sense frustration just about going through a little bit of struggles here and there and he wants to be the guy to get us out of problems. He's such good teammate, he wants to be that leader."

Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto, hitting .213 through May, leads the majors with a .444 batting average and a .538 on-base percentage and is second with a .690 slugging percentage since the All-Star break. He hit .419 in July and .438 in August. With six games remaining in August, Votto is attempting to become the first major league since 2010 and the first Reds player since 1900 to hit at least .400 in consecutive months. Josh Hamilton hit .454 in June and .418 in July 2010 with Texas.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cubs (81-45) at Dodgers (71-56)

Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: August 26, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- After nearly getting no-hit and watching one of their most popular players traded Thursday, the Los Angeles Dodgers now get the privilege of facing the Chicago Cubs, owners of the best record in baseball.

The teams square off in a three-game series beginning Friday at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers took two of three from the rival San Francisco Giants the past three days, but Matt Moore's gem in the series finale stood out more than the wins. Moore pitched 8 2/3 innings of no-hit ball before a Corey Seager bloop single ruined the bid in a 4-0 San Francisco victory.

The trade of well-liked catcher A.J. Ellis to the Philadelphia Phillies for catcher Carlos Ruiz hours stunned many in the Dodgers' clubhouse before the game, but first baseman Adrian Gonzalez said the distraction didn't affect the performance on the field.

"I think we were ready to go and played our best," said Gonzalez, who had his 17-game hitting streak snapped in an 0-for-3 effort.

Southern California native Mike Montgomery (1-1, 2.77 ERA) will face the Dodgers for the first time in his career while making his second start for the Cubs. Montgomery delivered in impressive fashion in his first start on Saturday at Colorado, taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning before departing after allowing a solo homer to Nick Hundley.

Overall, Montgomery is 1-0 with a 0.87 ERA in his past five games.

Montgomery, who was acquired by Chicago from the Seattle Mariners on July 20, has made 19 career starts in the majors, compiling a 5-7 record with a 4.34 ERA.

Cubs catcher David Ross will be playing in his final series against Los Angeles. Ross, who is retiring at season's end, started his major league career with the Dodgers in 2002.

"I'm just excited about going back to where it all started," Ross told the Chicago Tribune. "Being on the West Coast was different for a guy being from Florida. The whole California thing was just different than how I was raised and how things are out here."

The Cubs (81-45) were off Thursday after completing a sweep of the San Diego Padres on Wednesday. Chicago has won eight of its past 10 games. The Cubs captured three of four from Los Angeles in a series May 30-June 2 at Wrigley Field.

Bud Norris will start for the National League West leading-Dodgers (71-56). Norris last pitched in relief on Monday at Cincinnati, where he gave up for a run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning.

Norris (6-10, 4.69 ERA) last started Aug. 19 against the Reds, allowing six runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings and taking the loss as the Dodgers fell 9-2. He struck out three and tied a season high with four walks.

Since joining the Dodgers on June 30, he is 3-3 with a 5.67 ERA.

Norris last faced the Cubs on June 10 as a member of the Atlanta Braves, allowing one run on four hits with six strikeouts and no walks in seven innings, earning the win in the Braves' 5-1 victory.

For his career, Norris is 5-5 with a 3.39 ERA in 12 career games (11 starts) against the Cubs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Braves (47-81) at Giants (69-58)

Game: 1
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: August 26, 2016 10:15 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO -- Bring on the lightweights.

That is the new battle cry of the staggering San Francisco Giants, who completed the heavyweight division of their schedule with a one mighty punch Thursday night, salvaging one of three from the Los Angeles Dodgers on newcomer Matt Moore's one-hitter.

The Giants (69-58) flew out of Los Angeles early Friday morning trailing the Dodgers (71-56) by two games in the National League West.

The good news is, despite having gone a major-league-worst 12-25 since the All-Star break, they still have a three-game cushion over the Miami Marlins (66-61) in the race to earn one of two NL wild cards.

And the best news of all is: Twenty-one of their last 35 games are against the Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies.

The stretch breeze begins with a five-game homestand against the Braves (three games) and Diamondbacks (two).

Moore will pitch the fifth of the five games next Wednesday, and he hopes his effort in Los Angeles can trigger a turnaround that has him trying to extend a winning streak by then.

"Today was fun," he said after his masterpiece Thursday. "Hopefully, moving forward, we can build off this."

The Thursday victory ended a brutal stretch in which the Giants played 19 consecutive games against playoff contenders -- four against the New York Mets, and three against the Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles, Marlins and Washington Nationals.

The Giants went 7-12 in those games, taking them from a two-game lead in the West to their current two-game deficit.

So, bring on the Braves, who have the third-worst record in the NL (16-23) since the All-Star break, and then the Diamondbacks (15-23), who have the second-worst mark in that span.

The Giants will open the Atlanta series with right-hander Jeff Samardzija (10-9, 4.17 ERA) on the mound.

He is coming off one of his best games of the season, a 2-0 loss to the New York Mets on Sunday in which he took a no-hitter into the seventh inning for the first time in his career.

That night, he was up against Mets ace Noah Syndergaard. On Friday, he will see Braves rookie right-hander Joel De La Cruz, who is still looking for his first major league win. De La Cruz is 0-6 with a 4.47 ERA in 14 games (seven starts).

De La Cruz's last effort was his worst, as he was roughed up for seven hits and six runs in 5 2/3 innings during a no-decision against the Nationals.

Samardzija is 2-2 with a 3.41 ERA in 11 career appearances (five starts) against the Braves. He took the loss in a 5-3 defeat in Atlanta on May 30, allowing four earned runs in five innings.

De La Cruz, who made his debut for the Braves on June 29, has never faced the Giants.

The Braves are coming off a 2-2 split in their four-game series at Arizona. That constitutes a hot streak for a club that had lost seven of its previous eight.

However, Atlanta might have to open the San Francisco series without its best hitter, as first baseman Freddie Freeman took a hard fall chasing a foul pop up in the Thursday win.

"I'm just glad I didn't hit my head," Freeman said. "I'm going to be pretty sore (Friday)."