Friday 9/16/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rays (63-83) at Orioles (80-66)

Game: 2
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: September 16, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

BALTIMORE -- Baltimore Orioles right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez will seek to extend his recent surge when he faces the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.

With the 7-6 loss to Tampa Bay on Thursday night, the Orioles fell two games behind the Boston Red Sox for first place in the American League East. While the last-place Rays are looking at another offseason full of retooling, they have an opportunity to play spoiler over the final two weeks of the season.

"We're playing well," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "I don't think we care about spoiler. We're playing well and this is great learning experience for all of us in these environments. It seems like every one of those wins, there's been really crucial parts of the game and we're having some guys who are really coming through for us."

Baltimore will need to bounce back quickly with so many American League teams within striking distance of the two wild-card spots. Many of the players on the Orioles' roster were on the postseason teams of 2012 and 2014 and that experience could serve them well.

"I don't think you press as much compared to a team that might not be familiar with it," Orioles closer Zach Britton said about the final playoff push. "You go about your business every night. But if you win a series, you know the next series is just as important. You come down to the end here, every game is really important. We don't get too far ahead of ourselves in here, which I think really helps us."

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay is hoping some of its younger players can come up big and provide some optimism for 2017. Some of them are already impressing Cash.

"We knew coming into September, this was going to be a good time to evaluate some of our players," Cash said. "Right now, there are guys doing some good things, Corey Dickerson and Steven Souza and Kevin Kiermaier, all of them are playing great for us offensively. That's great to see."

Jimenez (7-11, 5.98 ERA) has been one of the Orioles' best pitchers over the past month after losing his starting job. Jimenez went back in the rotation when Chris Tillman went on the disabled list. From there, Jimenez has thrived and has helped the playoff push.

In his last outing against the Tigers, Jimenez allowed two runs on four hits with three walks and four strikeouts to pick up his second straight win. Jimenez has a 2.83 ERA in his past four starts.

"It feels great to finally be able to be there for the team, since it wasn't going the way I wanted it at first," Jimenez said. "That is the beauty of life and this game -- every day is a new day. You can't give up and you have to find a way to keep fighting."

The Rays will look to fare better against Jimenez than the previous time they faced him. On Sept. 5, Ubaldo pitched a complete game in Baltimore's 7-3 win.

"Basically, we saw Ubaldo get in a comfort zone," Cash said. "I talked about it after the game. I saw him do that with the Indians. Once he feels he can throw, he's got four or five different pitches and changes speeds with all of them. It's basically, here it is, hit it approach. That's what he did. There was just a ton of soft contact."

The Rays will counter with Chris Archer, who has struggled over parts of the season and is trying to avoid a 20-loss season. Archer (8-18, 4.05) took a hard-luck loss in his previous outing when he allowed three runs on four hits over seven innings in a 5-1 loss to the Yankees.

Archer is fourth in the American League with 217 strikeouts. He could possibly join the Angels' Nolan Ryan (1976) as the only two pitchers to lead the American League in both losses and strikeouts in the same season.

"The New York game, that was an unbelievable start," Cash said. "He gave up back-to-back homers. I know you're going to lose games like that, and you have to prevent that from happening. We'll take that start from Arch for 35 of them."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Twins (55-92) at Mets (77-69)

Game: 1
Venue: Citi Field
Date: September 16, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The New York Mets didn't have to do a thing Thursday in order to take sole possession of the second wild card in the National League. On Friday, the Mets will begin taking playoff destiny into their own hands.

The Mets open up their final homestand of the regular season Friday night, when the Minnesota Twins visit for a three-game interleague series at Citi Field. New York (77-69) was off Thursday following a 1-0 loss to the Washington Nationals on Wednesday while the Twins (55-92) beat the Detroit Tigers, 5-1, at Comerica Park Thursday afternoon.

While the Twins are hoping to avoid 100 losses, the Mets will enter Friday with a one-game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals (76-70) in the race for the NL's second wild-card spot by virtue of the Cardinals' 6-2 loss Thursday night to the top wild card, the San Francisco Giants (78-68).

The Mets, the defending NL champions, appeared finished four weeks ago Friday, when an 8-1 loss to the Giants dropped them to 60-62 and into fifth place in the wild-card race, 5 1/2 games behind the second wild card Cardinals.

But the Mets have the best record in baseball (17-7) since Aug. 19 and will play their final 16 games against a quartet of teams -- the Twins, Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and Miami Marlins -- that enter Friday a combined 88 games under .500.

"We have caught up a lot in the last couple of weeks," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "We have a chance to do some damage if we take care of our own business."

The Mets have done damage of the past month thanks largely to strong pitching from three unexpected contributors: Rookies Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman as well as wise old sage Bartolo Colon. The trio is a combined 9-1 with a 2.58 ERA in 14 games (13 starts) during New York's run.

Colon, the oldest player in baseball at age 43, is scheduled to start Friday's opener while Lugo is expected to pitch Saturday.

"At this time of year, (with) where we're at, and you see the young guys stepping up and doing their job, you can tell how good stuff they have," Mets catcher Rene Rivera said after Gsellman threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings Wednesday.

The Twins, meanwhile, will look to continue playing spoiler as they try to avoid the franchise's first 100-loss season since 1982. Minnesota, which needs to go 8-7 the rest of the way to finish with fewer than 100 losses, just split a four-game series with the AL wild card-contending Tigers and will play the next 12 games against four teams -- the Mets, Tigers, Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals -- who are currently over .500 and within six games of a playoff spot.

Rookie right-hander Jose Berrios, who has a 9.27 ERA in his first 11 big league starts, is scheduled to oppose Colon on Friday night.

"We're trying to finish and at the same time construct a little bit in our brains going forward, what people are in our mix," Twins manager Paul Molitor told reporters Thursday afternoon.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nationals (87-59) at Braves (56-90)

Game: 1
Venue: Turner Field
Date: September 16, 2016 7:35 PM EDT

ATLANTA -- The Washington Nationals are heating up, which is bad news for the Atlanta Braves.

The Nationals travel to Atlanta to start a three-game series Friday. They've won eight of their last 10 and just took two of three from the New York Mets, leaving them with a 10-game cushion in the National League East.

The Braves are headed the other way. They are 2-4 on their current homestand and won only two of their last nine as they try to avoid their first 100-loss season since 1988.

Now the sagging Braves must host their biggest nemesis. The Nationals are 14-2 against the Braves this year, including a three-game sweep last week in Washington. The Braves have won only two games in its last 25 tries against the Nats. Atlanta needs to go 7-9 or better to avoid a 100-loss season.

"We're trying to win every game we play," Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. "We're playing every game like it was the seventh game of the World Series. We're not going to lay down and give in."

Meanwhile, Washington's magic number to clinch the division is seven.

"I'm not a big stat guy," said bench coach Chris Speier, who was acting as manager while Dusty Baker was attending a family funeral. "The magic number stuff? No. You play one game. Win one game. Don't worry about anything else."

The first game of the series features Washington's veteran right-hander Max Scherzer (16-7, 2.78 ERA) against Atlanta rookie right-hander John Gant (1-3, 4.40).

Scherzer is on a four-game winning streak, although he received a no-decision in his last start when he threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out eight against the Phillies. He is 11-3 since June 1.

Scherzer beat the Braves on Sept. 5. He pitched seven innings and allowed two runs on seven hits with five strikeouts. In his career against Atlanta, Scherzer is 4-3 with a 3.84 ERA in 11 appearances (nine starts).

Gant makes his 16th appearance and seventh start. He pitched a scoreless inning of relief in his only appearance against Washington on April 6. Gant's last start came against the Mets on Sept. 10, when he received a no-decision after allowing three runs (one earned) in 4 2/3 innings.

Both teams may be missing a key player. Washington's Danny Espinosa left the team Wednesday after the game to join his wife in California, where their first child is due. Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman left his team in the seventh inning Wednesday to join his wife for the birth of their first child.

The Braves would really miss Freeman's bat. He is riding a 20-game hitting streak, the longest in the National League this season, and has reached base in a career-best 36 straight contests.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Padres (62-84) at Rockies (69-77)

Game: 1
Venue: Coors Field
Date: September 16, 2016 8:40 PM EDT

DENVER -- The San Diego Padres will be trying to win a season-high fourth straight contest and left-hander Christian Friedrich will be seeking another win against the Colorado Rockies on Friday when the clubs begin a three-game series.

The Padres have won four of their past five contests after a three-game sweep at San Francisco. It was San Diego's second series sweep of the season; the other was July 15-17 against the Giants. That was also the last time the Padres won three straight.

Colorado will be trying to regroup after a dismal series at Arizona.

The Diamondbacks swept three games from the Rockies and outscored them 34-19. During the sweep, which was Arizona's first at Chase Field this year, Rockies pitchers yielded four or more runs in an inning five times and a total of 50 hits, including 10 home runs. The Colorado starters allowed 25 hits and had a 10.22 ERA while working just 12 1/3 innings. The relievers also allowed 25 hits and had an 11.57 ERA in 11 2/3 innings.

Those three ugly losses left the Rockies 2-5 on a trip that began in San Diego when the Rockies and Padres split a four-game series.

"It's important to get to the finish line the right way," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said.

Charlie Blackmon hit four homers on the seven-game trip and went 7-for-13 in the series at Arizona with blasts in the final two games. Blackmon is hitting .319 with career-highs in homers (27), RBIs (73) and runs scored (101).

It's not as though Coors Field has propped up Blackmon's production. Indeed, he is hitting .318 with 10 homers, 41 RBIs and an .889 OPS in 239 at-bats at home and .320 with 17 homers, 32 RBIs and a .967 OPS in 272 at-bats on the road.

"He's done a lot of damage on the road," Weiss said. "It's good to see, because I think it gives him even more credibility on a national level. He's turned into a big-time player."

Friedrich, who was Colorado's first-round draft pick in 2008, will make his second consecutive start against his former team. The Rockies moved him to the bullpen in 2014 and released him after last season when he pitched entirely in relief.

In two starts against the Rockies this season, Friedrich is 1-0 and has allowed one unearned run and four hits in 13 innings with four walks and 19 strikeouts.

At Coors Field on June 12, Friedrich gave up two hits and one unearned run in six innings. He left trailing 1-0, but the Padres tied the game in the seventh before dropping a 2-1 decision.

In the Padres' 6-3 victory Saturday at San Diego, Freidrich, who is 5-10 with a 4.67 ERA, gave up two hits in seven scoreless innings with one walk and a career-high tying 10 strikeouts to win for the first time in 12 starts since June 23.

Shortstop Luis Sardinas, 23, has seized the opportunity to play every day since the Padres acquired him from Seattle for cash considerations on Aug. 15.

In 32 games and 77 plate appearances with the Mariners, Sardinas hit .181/.203/.264. In the three-game sweep of the Giants, Sardinas went 7-for-14 with one triple, two RBIs and four runs scored and extended his hitting streak to six games. In 21 games and 76 plate appearances with the Padres, he is hitting .328/.400/.463

"You want to be a shortstop in the major leagues for a long period of time, there's more work out in front of him," San Diego manager Andy Green said. "But he's embracing that. He's playing hard, aggressive, every day. He's doing things on the bases, swinging the bat well. There's definitely still more work out for him."

The Padres lead the season series 9-7, and the teams have split six games at Coors Field.

Tyler Chatwood, who is 11-9 with a 3.82 ERA in 24 starts and 4-8 with a 5.67 ERA in 13 starts at Coors Field this season, will start for the Rockies. He will face the Padres for the second consecutive start.

In his second start since returning from the disabled list with a mid-back strain, Chatwood broke a three-game losing streak, limiting the Padres to one run and five hits in 6 2/3 innings in a 4-1 win on Friday.

Chatwood is 4-0 lifetime time with a 3.18 ERA in eight games, six starts, against San Diego. This season, Chatwood is 3-0 with a 1.69 ERA in three starts against the Padres.

In his lone start against them this season at Coors Field on June 11, Chatwood gave up three runs in 6 2/3 innings and won 5-3.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Dodgers (82-64) at Diamondbacks (62-84)

Game: 2
Venue: Chase Field
Date: September 16, 2016 9:40 PM EDT

PHOENIX -- Right-hander Kenta Maeda and left-hander Zack Greinke will face off for the second time in 11 days Friday night as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks meet for the second game of their four-game series.

The Dodgers come into the game with a four-game lead in the NL West despite alternating wins and losses over the past eight days. Los Angeles has been in first since August 21.

Maeda scattered three hits and allowed one run over 6 1/3 innings in the Dodgers' 10-2 win over the Diamondbacks on Sept. 5. He was decidedly less sharp in his last outing, giving up three runs on a season-high eight hits over six innings and taking the loss in the Dodgers' 3-0 loss to Miami.

Maeda (14-9) will try for the second time to move into second-place on the club's single season rookie victory list. He currently is tied with fellow Asian imports Hyun-jin Ryu and Kazuhisa Ishii.

Greinke, meanwhile, is looking to reverse his month-long slide. The former NL Cy Young-runner up allowed eight runs on nine hits, including five home runs, in only 4 2/3 innings. Greinke (12-6) has lost four of his past six starts, a stretch that started when he gave up nine runs on 10 hits in only 1 2/3 innings in Boston on August 14.

In his last start, against San Francisco, the normally reserve Greinke was clearly frustrated, arching his back and throwing his head back after several pitches.

"I felt pretty good. Not perfect, but then the last inning, just missing by a little bit on just about every pitch," Greinke said. "Getting behind and trying to make a good pitch, and just missing by little bit again."

Greinke has struggled at Chase Field all season, posting a 5-4 mark and a 5.08 ERA with 80 hits and 10 homers allowed in 72 2/3 innings.

The Diamondbacks, like Greinke, have struggled all season at Chase Field but have shown signs of life in the past week. Arizona has won four straight home games, the team's longest streak since winning four straight in July 2014.

"You want to build momentum but you also want to play well every night," said Arizona manager Chip Hale.

Outfielder Brandon Drury has been Arizona's most consistent player the past week, driving in at least one run in each of his past seven games, the longest streak by a rookie in franchise history.

The Dodgers' offense has sputtered recently, scoring fewer than four runs six of its past eight games. Utley was the only Los Angeles hitter with more than one hit in the series opener, finishing 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI.

"Whatever it is, whatever it might be, it goes in spurts," said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "It is up and down but I know we are a good offensive club and we will win our share of games."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics (64-82) at Rangers (87-60)

Game: 1
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: September 16, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers tinkered with their rotation this week to get things set up for a possible postseason run.

Now all the Rangers have to do is get there, which seems like a certainty for a club with an 8 1/2-game lead in the American League West.

However, just getting to the postseason isn't enough for the Rangers or left-hander Cole Hamels (14-5, 3.24 ERA), who gets the start for Texas on Friday in the series opener against Oakland. Right-hander Kendall Graveman (10-10, 4.13 ERA) will start for the A's.

After two rocky starts, Hamels was better Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels, as he allowed two runs in six innings. It marked the first time in three starts that he went more than 4 1/3 innings. Hamels is 0-1 in those three outings with an 11.25 ERA.

Those aren't exactly the kind of numbers he expects out of himself as he's lined up to be the Game 1 starter in the American League Division Series if the club makes it to the postseason.

"I wasn't happy I walked four guys (against the Angels)," Hamels said. "That's kind of been my downfall this year. To me, that's unacceptable. To me, that's something I've got to correct. When you get to the postseason, walks hurt you. You can't give away freebies. That's the focus -- getting back to establishing strikes in the strike zone and being aggressive, not putting myself behind."

The 72 walks Hamels has allowed are a career high and the most in the American League. While that number isn't good, he knows he has time to get things going.

"My main focus is being ready for the postseason," Hamels said. "Maintaining health, that's what you want and be sure that everything's in sync and take the understanding of what it takes to get into the postseason and succeed in the postseason. We're getting ready every day to put ourselves in the best possible position to be prepared."

Before the Rangers can get to the postseason, they have to figure out a way to beat the red-hot A's, who have been tough on the Rangers despite their standing in the West.

Oakland is coming off a four-game sweep of Kansas City in which it outscored the Royals by 31 runs, the largest margin of victory for Oakland in a four-game set in club history.

The A's have made like tough for the Rangers, too. The A's are 6-7 against Texas, despite getting swept in their last series in Arlington.

Oakland has found a spark with young players such as third baseman Ryon Healy, who homered and drove in three in a 14-5 win at Kansas City on Thursday.

"Veteran guys look at this and say, you know what, I've got to up my game a little," Oakland manager Bob Melvin told MLB.com of his team's surge.

Graveman is the leading winner for Oakland, and he allowed three runs or fewer in four of his past five starts. His last outing was a dud, though, as he gave up eight runs and 12 hits in five-plus innings Saturday against the Seattle Mariners.

Despite being Oakland's leader in starts and innings pitched, he hasn't faced the Rangers yet this season. In his two career starts vs. Texas, he has struggled to a 7.84 ERA, but he does have a win against the Rangers.

Hamels got a no-decision against the A's on May 17 in Oakland, allowing four runs (three earned) in 6 2/3 innings. In three career starts vs. the A's, he is 1-1 with a 2.18 ERA.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jays (80-66) at Angels (63-83)

Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: September 16, 2016 10:05 PM EDT

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Two struggling right-handers from two struggling teams will face off when the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Angels continue their four-game series Friday night at Angel Stadium.

The Blue Jays' R.A. Dickey, who has lost five of his past seven decisions, will face the Angels' Jered Weaver, who had to win his last three decisions to get his record to .500.

Weaver is the only remaining healthy starter from the Angels' projected rotation, which injuries have decimated. As a result, Los Angeles (63-83) will have its first losing season since 2013 and could reach 90 losses for the first time in manager Mike Scioscia's 17-year tenure.

Toronto has won just four games this month yet remains in the thick of the race for a playoff spot. The Blue Jays (80-66) are two games behind the Boston Red Sox (82-64) in the American League East while sharing the top AL wild-card spot with the Baltimore Orioles.

A 7-2 win against the Angels on Thursday night also enabled Toronto to expand its lead over the Tigers and the Mariners in the wild-card race to two games. Detroit and Seattle are both 78-68.

Following their series in Anaheim, the Jays will meet the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field.

"The West Coast has never been friendly, really, for anybody," Toronto manager John Gibbons told the Toronto Star before the series opener in Anaheim on Thursday. "It's going to be a big test for us, and Seattle has always been tough. This next road trip will say a lot. I would say it determines what happens to us."

Dickey won the 2012 National League Cy Young Award with the New York Mets, when he amassed 20 victories and pitched in the All-Star Game. Since then, however, the knuckleballer has gone just 48-51 with a 4.08 earned-run average. This year, Dickey, 41, owns a 9-14 record and a 4.60 ERA.

One of his recent bright spots was a 7-2 win against the Angels at Rogers Centre on Aug. 23. He allowed two runs -- both on Nick Buss' second-inning, two-run homer -- in 6 2/3 innings.

"I felt good about handling the middle of their order, I didn't feel so good about handling the lower half of their order," Dickey said.

"(Dickey) was fantastic," Gibbons said. "After the two-run homer, he was in cruise control."

Inconsistent results also have afflicted Weaver (11-11, 5.25 ERA). The 33-year-old needs one more win to reach 150 for his career, but one more loss would match his single-season high.

After going 0-4 in a six-start span, Weaver has been on the rise since winning in Toronto on Aug. 25, when he gave up two runs (one earned) in 5 2/3 innings.

In his most recent start, he limited the Rangers to two runs in 6 2/3 innings during a 3-2 win Sunday at Angel Stadium.

"The fastball command was good," said Weaver, who has fought injuries and declining velocity in recent seasons. "Everything is starting to free up, and I'm getting a little stronger. It's happening a little later than I thought, but the body is responding well in between starts. I'm doing a lot of work in between starts with the trainers and a strength guy to try to get back on track. I'm feeling good."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (71-75) at Royals (74-72)

Game: 1
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: September 16, 2016 8:15 PM EDT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The clock has not struck midnight yet for the Kansas City Royals to defend their World Series championship, but it is getting close.

The Royals were not just swept in a four-game series by the Oakland Athletics, who are in last place in the American League West, but were embarrassed. They fell 14-5 Thursday and did not score a run until the ninth inning.

They were outscored 43-12, the most runs they have allowed in a four-game series in Royals history. The previous high was 41 by the New York Yankees in 1998 and Minnesota Twins in 2006.

"It's been tough," said Christian Colon, who hit a three-run homer with two out in the ninth for his first career home run. "We're not used to this, so it's hard. It's hard to really enjoy this because you play to win the game. That's what matters the most at the end of the day."

The Royals' chances to get back into postseason are rapidly fading with 16 games left.

The Royals, who have lost eight of their past nine Kauffman Stadium games, continue this eight-game homestand with four games against the Chicago White Sox.

The White Sox are coming off a 2-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians, who are running away with the American League Central. Jose Abreu homered for the White Sox, while Carlos Sanchez had a walk-off RBI-single.

"He (Abreu) started out a bit slow but when you look at the end of the year he's probably going to have numbers there as impressive as anybody in the league," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "If he can get a few more homers and everything else, it's historic stuff he's chasing (30 HR, 100 RBI)."

The White Sox will start All-Star left-hander Chris Sale in the series opener Friday. Sale, who leads the American League with a 3.03 ERA and five complete-games, lost 2-0 to the Royals on Sunday in Chicago.

Sale is among the AL pitching leaders with 205 strikeouts, 15 victories, 201 2/3 innings, .220 opponents batting average, 2.55 road ERA and 9.1 strikeouts per nine innings.

Sale usually has little difficulty with left-handed hitters, but Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer is 18-for-45, .400, off him. Hosmer is the only left-handed hitter with three home runs off Sale.

Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar has a .354 average, 23-for-65, with one home run, off Sale. Royals designated hitter Kendrys Morales has only a .190 average in 21 at-bats off Sale, but two of his four hits are home runs.

The Royals will start right-hander Ian Kennedy, who outdueled Sale Sunday, pitching six scoreless innings and allowing just one hit, a leadoff single to Adam Eaton, but worked around four walks, while striking out six.

Kennedy is 5-0 with a 2.16 ERA, yielding 12 earned runs in 50 innings, since the beginning of August.

Kennedy is 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA in three starts this season against the White Sox. He has a 2-1 record with a 3.38 ERA in his career against the White Sox.

It seems unlikely Royals outfielder Lorenzo Cain will appear in the series as he continues to nurse a sore left wrist. He has played in only game this month and could be out for the remainder of the season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Astros (76-70) at Mariners (78-68)

Game: 1
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: September 16, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

SEATTLE -- The red-hot Seattle Mariners are making a final push in the American League wild-card race as they begin a three-game series with the undermanned Houston Astros on Friday night.

Six of Seattle's final 16 games come against Houston (76-70), which is two games behind the Mariners (78-68). Seattle is tied with Detroit, two games behind Toronto for the final wild-card spot, with the New York Yankees three back.

The Astros will likely be without MVP candidate Jose Altuve, who left Wednesday's 8-4 victory over Texas with an oblique injury. Also, rookie Alex Bregman (hamstring) is expected to be out of Friday's lineup.

"They're getting looked at, getting all the tests (from) doctors," Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. "They're going to have a full evaluation before we're going to know anything, but I'm not optimistic about Friday for either of them."

Altuve leads the AL in batting average (.341) and hits (196) while his 24 home runs and 94 RBIs are career highs. Bregman is hitting .260 with eight homers and 32 RBIs in 47 games.

Seattle is coming off back-to-back sweeps of AL West doormats Oakland and Los Angeles after it appeared out of the race when it hit the road nine days ago.

"Outstanding trip," manager Scott Servais told reporters Wednesday night. "Guys are really confident. The energy is up. It should be a really fun homestand coming up."

The streak coincides with a return to form by the Mariners' starting rotation, which had fallen on hard times before getting well against some of the league's worst offenses. Hisashi Iwakuma and Taijuan Walker put together solid back-to-back starts heading into Thursday's off day, and Seattle looks to ace Felix Hernandez to continue that trend Friday night.

Hernandez (11-5) recovered from back-to-back tough outings to throw six scoreless innings in Oakland his last time out.

Houston counters with Mariner-killer Collin McHugh, who is 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA in three starts against Seattle this season. McHugh (10-10) is one of the few Astros starters who have stayed healthy during an injury-plagued month. Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers have succumbed to injuries, putting pressure on pitchers such as McHugh to step up and keep Houston in the playoff race.

Wednesday starter Joe Musgrove did his part by throwing 6 1/3 solid innings as the Astros etched out an 8-4 victory over Texas to close out that series.

"I want to see them again," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said of the Rangers. "If we see them again, it means we're meeting in October, so bring it. I hope we're there."

Before the Astros can think about a second consecutive postseason appearance, they'll have to hurdle four teams. Unless they can take at least two of three this weekend, that's probably not going to happen.

"Every game matters right now," Astros infielder Marwin Gonzalez told reporters after Wednesday's victory. "We're going to try to win as much as we can, and that's it."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Friday, September 16, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

Back in the spring, I predicted a Red Sox-Astros ALCS matchup, and while Boston might get there it's looking grim for Houston to return to the playoffs. Especially after All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve, the AL batting leader, left Wednesday's game with an oblique injury. In the third inning against Texas, replays showed him grimacing after a swing during the plate appearance. Those oblique injuries usually take a while, and if that's true here, Altuve's season is likely over and he won't get to 200 hits, although he'll still win the batting title. It could also potentially cost him the AL MVP Award. Meanwhile, Houston rookie third baseman Alex Bregman left the same game with a hamstring issue, so his season could be in jeopardy too. Bregman is one of the top prospects in the game. The Astros start a six-game road trip on Friday in Seattle.


Yankees at Red Sox (-171, 10)

An MLB network national TV game and should have live betting. New York has lost rookie outfielder Aaron Judge likely for the rest of the season to an oblique injury suffered on Tuesday. He's considered a good prospect but was hitting just .179 with four homers and 10 RBIs in 84 at-bats since being called up in mid-August, so not a huge loss for 2016. Rob Refsnyder should get the bulk of the at-bats in right field. The Yanks are scheduled to start rookie Luis Cessa (4-1, 4.34) on the mound. He comes off that first big-league loss, allowing four runs and five hits (three homers) over 5.2 innings vs. Tampa Bay. Cessa pitched two innings of scoreless relief in Boston on Aug. 11 and got the win. The Red Sox's Clay Buchholz (6-10, 5.31) is still in the rotation because of the injury to Steven Wright, but Buchholz might not be on the playoff roster. He was shelled Sunday in Toronto, allowing six runs in three innings. He has thrown two-thirds of an inning this year vs. New York. Chase Headley is 3-for-8 off him with a homer.

Key trends: The Yankees are 4-1 in Cessa's past five. The Red Sox are 0-5 in Buchholz's past five vs. New York. The "over/under" is 5-2 in his past seven against New York.

Early lean: Yankees and over.

Tigers at Indians (-170, 7.5)

Detroit probably has to sweep this series to have a shot at the AL Central title, although the Tigers still host Cleveland for four games. It's AL Rookie of the Year candidate Michael Fulmer going on six days of rest for Detroit. Fulmer (10-6, 2.76) hasn't won in his past four starts but did pitch very well last time out, allowing two runs and three hits over seven innings against Baltimore. He left with a lead, but his bullpen blew it -- although Detroit won. Fulmer is 1-1 with a 4.91 ERA in two starts this year vs. Cleveland. Mike Napoli is 2-for-6 with a homer and three RBIs off him. Carlos Santana is 2-for-5 with a double. Cleveland's Corey Kluber could add a second Cy Young if he finishes strong. Kluber (16-9, 3.05) overpowered the Twins in his last start with no earned runs and 10 strikeouts over seven innings. He's 2-0 with a 0.53 ERA in two starts this year vs. Detroit. Miguel Cabrera hammers him, going 20-for-42 with five homers. Victor Martinez is 10-for-32 off him with three dingers.

Key trends: The Tigers are 4-1 in Fulmer's past five in Game 1 of a series. The Indians are 8-1 in Kluber's past nine at home. The under is 7-1 in Fulmer's past eight. It is 5-1 in Kluber's past six at home vs. teams with a winning record.

Early lean: Indians and under.

Twins at Mets (-193, 8.5)

Minnesota will lose the DH for this interleague series (usually Miguel Sano, who is a bit banged up anyway), and it's a series the wild-card hopeful Mets should definitely sweep against the sad-sack Twins. This starts a really easy 10-game homestand with the Braves and Phillies to follow. Minnesota goes with its top pitching prospect in Jose Berrios (2-6, 9.27). He has just one quality outing in 11 big-league starts and lasted only 2.2 innings last time out vs. the Indians. But maybe the fact he will hit in an MLB game for the first time (assuming he's still in the game then) will get him going. New York's Bartolo Colon (13-7, 3.27) comes off a third straight quality starts but lost in Atlanta, allowing three runs in six innings. He has not faced the Twins since 2013 when he was with Oakland. Kurt Suzuki is 5-fo13 off him with two doubles. Brian Dozier is 0-for-3.

Key trends: The Twins are 0-6 in Berrios' past six. The Mets are 7-2 in Colon's past nine at home. The over is 8-1-2 in Berrios' past 11.

Early lean: Mets and over.

Nationals at Braves (+216, 7.5)

No-hitter alert! But then I could probably say that whenever Max Scherzer (16-7, 2.78) starts, and he's the guy to beat in the NL Cy Young race since he leads the NL in innings, strikeouts and WHIP. Although if I 'm a voter I am considering he got to face the sorry offenses of the division-rival Braves and Phillies plenty this season. Scherzer comes off 6.2 shutout innings vs. those Phillies with eight strikeouts. So that's five starts against them and this will be his fifth against Atlanta this year. Scherzer is 3-0 with a 4.10 ERA vs. the Braves. Matt Kemp is just 3-for-36 off him career with 10 strikeouts. Ender Inciarte is 5-for-15 with three doubles. Atlanta's John Gant (1-3, 4.40) is off a no-decision vs. the Mets, allowing three runs (one earned) over 4.2 innings. The rookie has thrown one scoreless inning vs. the Nationals.

Key trends: The Nats are 7-0 in Scherzer's past seven vs. teams with a losing record. The under is 11-3 in his past 14 overall.

Early lean: Nationals and under.

Dodgers at Diamondbacks (+118, 9)

One of the reasons the Dodgers signed Japanese right-hander Kenta Maeda this offseason was because they weren't able to re-sign Zack Greinke. Those two are matched up here. Maeda has been way, way better value than Greinke this season as Maeda will make only about $5 million including incentives and might win NL Rookie of the Year honors in many other seasons as he is 14-9 with a 3.28 ERA. Maeda did lose Sunday in Miami, allowing three runs over six innings. But it was his 14th quality start in 28 overall. Maeda is 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA vs. Arizona. Jake Lamb is 7-for-13 off him with three doubles and a homer. Jean Segura is 5-for-14. Greinke (12-6, 4.54) will make a cool $31 million this year. He lost to the Giants on Sunday and gave up three runs over six innings. Greinke is 1-1 with a 7.71 ERA in two starts against his former teammates. Corey Seager is 5-for-6 off him with two homers and four RBIs. Justin Turner is 3-for-8 with a homer.

Key trends: The Dodgers are 4-1 in Maeda's past five vs. the NL West. The Diamondbacks are 5-2 in Greinke's past seven at home. The under is 4-1 in his past five there.

Early lean: Diamondbacks and under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Friday’s games

National League

Brewers @ Cubs
Anderson 1-1, 1.15 in his last three starts; under is 7-2 in his last nine. Brewers are 5-8 in his last 13 road starts.

Lackey 2-1, 2.33 in his last six starts; under is 6-2 in his last eight starts. Cubs are 8-6 in his home starts.

Milwaukee is 10-5 in its last 15 games; five of their last seven games stayed under. Cubs are 10-2 in last 12 home games; six of Cubs’ last eight games stayed under the total.

Marlins @ Phillies
Koehler is 0-3, 5.32 in his last four starts; over is 10-6 in his last 16. Miami is 2-6 in his last eight road starts.

Morgan is 1-2, 2.41 in his last three starts; four of his last five went under the total. Phillies are 2-7 in his home starts.

Miami won five of last seven games, is 13-10 in road series openers. Marlins’ last five road games went over the total. Phillies lost nine of last 11 home games; they’re 7-16 in home series openers. Under is 7-2-3 in their last 12 home games.

Pirates @ Reds
Vogelsong is 0-2, 9.69 in his last three starts (over 3-0). Pirates split his four road starts.

Stephenson is 2-1, 4.87 in four starts this year (over 2-2).

Pirates lost five of last seven road games, are 14-10 in road series openers. Under is 5-1-2 in their last eight games. Cincy won five of last six games, is 8-2 in last ten home series openers; under is 11-4 in their last 15 games.

Nationals @ Braves
Scherzer is 4-0, 2.00 in his last five starts; under is 11-3 in his last 14. Washington won his last six road starts.

Gant 0-2, 5.82 in his last four starts (over 3-3).

Nationals won eight of last ten games, is 6-1 in last seven road series openers. Five of last six Washington games stayed under. Atlanta lost seven of last nine games, is 8-15 in home series openers. Over is 13-1 in Atlanta’s last 14 home games.

Padres @ Rockies
Friedrich is 1-4, 4.71 in his last six starts; his last three went over. San Diego is 3-8 in his road starts.

Chatwood is 1-3, 6.04 in his last five starts; under is 4-2-2 in his last eight. Colorado is 4-8 in his home starts.

Padres won five of last seven games, are 14-9 in road series openers. Three of their last four games stayed under. Colorado lost four of last five games, is 9-3 in last 12 home series openers. Five of last seven Colorado games went over.

Dodgers @ Diamondbacks

Maeda is 5-2, 3.69 in his last seven starts; over is 7-3 in his last 10. LA is 8-5 in his road starts.

Greinke is 0-2, 9.28 in his last two starts; six of his last seven went over. Arizona is 6-6 in his home starts. Dodgers Arizona

Dodgers are 6-10 in last 16 road games; seven of their last nine games stayed under the total. Arizona won its last four games; over is 20-4 in their last 24 home games.

Cardinals @ Giants
Weaver is 1-1, 2.86 in his last four starts; four of his last five starts stayed under.

Moore is 3-1, 3.42 in his last four starts (under 6-2). He is 1-2, 4.96 in three home starts for Giants.

St Louis lost six of its last nine games; five of its last six games stayed under. San Francisco lost three of last four games; under is 7-3 in their last ten home games.


American League

Rays @ Orioles
Archer is 1-2, 3.55 in his last four starts; over is 9-3 in his last 12 road starts. Rays are 5-10 in his road starts.

Jimenez is 2-0, 2.81 in his last two starts; over is 12-4 in his last sixteen. orioles are 8-3 in his home outings.

Tampa Bay won four of its last five games; under is 4-1-1 in their last six. Orioles won four of their last six games; under is 9-1 in their last ten home games.

New York @ Boston
Cessa is 0-1, 5.29 in his last three starts; three of his last four went over.

Buchholz is 2-0, 3.68 in his last four starts; six of his last eight stayed under. Boston is 3-7 in his Fenway starts.

New York lost four of last five games; under is 9-5 in their last 14 games. Boston won six of last nine games; over is 7-3-1 in their last 11 home games.

Tigers @ Indians
Fulmer is 0-3, 5.32 in his last four starts; seven of his last eight stayed under. Detroit is 11-4 in his road starts.

Kluber is 7-1, 2.48 in his last nine starts; under is 6-3-1 in his last ten. Indians won eight of his last nine home starts.

Tigers lost six of last nine games; they’re 10-13 in road series openers. Over is 7-3 in their last ten road games. Cleveland won nine of last 11 home games, is 16-8 in home series openers. Over is 5-3 in their last eight home games.

A’s @ Rangers
Graveman is 0-2, 5.40 in his last three starts; six of his last seven stayed under. Oakland is 6-8 in his road starts.

Hamels is 0-1, 11.25 in his last three starts; over is 4-0-1 in his last five. Texas is 10-3 in his home starts.

A’s won their last four games (over 3-0-1), are 12-11 in road series openers. Texas is 11-2 in last 13 home games; they won last eight home series openers. Last six Texas home games went over the total.

White Sox @ Royals
Sale is 0-2, 2.45 in his last four starts; White Sox scored six runs in the four games. Four of his last five stayed under.

Kennedy is 5-0, 2.45 in his last eight starts; over is 3-1-1 in his last five. Royals are 7-4 in his home starts.

White Sox won six of last nine games; they’re 3-13 in last 16 road series openers. Over is 9-3 in their last 12 road games. Kansas City lost its last five home games, is 16-7 in home series openers. Over is 8-1-1 in their last ten home games.

Blue Jays @ Angels
Dickey is 1-2, 5.88 in his last five starts; three of his last four stayed under. Toronto is 6-7 in his road starts.

Weaver is 3-0, 4.37 in his last four starts; four of his last five stayed under. Angels won five of his last six home starts.

Toronto lost nine of last 13 games; under is 4-2-2 in their last eight games. Angels lost eight of last nine games; under is 6-1-2 in their last nine home games.

Astros @ Mariners
McHugh is 3-0, 3.98 in his last four starts; under is 5-3 in his last eight. Houston is 6-3 in his last nine road starts.

Hernandez is 5-1, 4.06 in his last six starts; Seattle is 13-1 this year if they give Felix 3+ runs- they’re 6-3 in his home starts. Over is 8-2 in his last ten starts.

Astros lost six of last eight road games, are 10-13 in road series openers. Over is 6-2 in their last eight road games. Seattle won its last eight games, is 15-8 in home series openers. Over is 10-3 in last 13 Seattle’s home games.


Interleague

Twins @ Mets
Berrios is 0-5, 11.41 in his last six starts; over is 6-1-1 in his last eight. Twins are 3-2 in his road starts.

Colon is 3-0, 3.06 in his last five starts; four of his last six starts went over total. New York is 7-6 in his home starts.

Twins are 2-12 in last 14 road games, 8-15 in road series openers. Under is 4-1-1 in their last six games. Mets won eight of last 11 games, are 2-6 in last eigh thome series openers. Under is 6-2 in New York’s last eight home games.


Teams’ record when this pitcher starts:

Mil-Chi– Anderson 11-16; Lackey 14-12
Mia-Phil– Koehler 12-17; Morgan 4-14
Pitt-Cin– Vogelsong 3-7; Stephenson 3-1
Wsh-Atl– Scherzer 20-10; Gant 3-3
SD-Col– Friedrich 8-12; Chatwood 13-11
LA-Az– Maeda 18-11; Greinke 15-9
StL-SF– Weaver 3-3; Moore 4-4/9-12

TB-Balt– Archer 9-21; Jimenez 11-11
NY-Bos– Cessa 4-1; Buchholz 7-11
Det-Clev– Fulmer 17-6; Kluber 17-12
A’s-Tex– Graveman 14-14; Hamels 21-8
Chi-KC– Sale 16-12 (0-4 last 4); Kennedy 15-14 (6-1)
Tor-LAA– Dickey 11-17; Weaver 13-15 (4-0 Last 4)
Hst-Sea– McHugh 18-11 (5-0 last 5); Hernandez 14-7

Min-NYM– Berrios 2-9; Colon 18-11


# of time pitcher allows 1+ runs in first inning:

Mil-Chi– Anderson 7-26; Lackey 9-26
Mia-Phil– Koehler 9-29; Morgan 9-18
Pitt-Cin– Vogelsong 4-10; Stephenson 1-4
Wsh-Atl– Scherzer 9-30; Gant 2-4
SD-Col– Friedrich 7-20; Chatwood 7-24
LA-Az– Maeda 5-29; Greinke 8-24
StL-SF– Weaver 2-6; Moore 6-29

TB-Balt– Archer 12-30; Jimenez 11-22
NY-Bos– Cessa 3-5; Buchholz 8-18
Det-Clev– Fulmer 5-23; Kluber 6-29
A’s-Tex– Graveman 5-28; Hamels 6-29
Chi-KC– Sale 9-28; Kennedy 10-29
Tor-LAA– Dickey 7-28; Weaver 10-28
Hst-Sea– McHugh 11-29; Hernandez 3-21

Min-NYM– Berrios 4-11; Colon 9-29


Teams’ records in first five innings:

Team (road-home-total)- thru 9/15

Arizona 24-36-11…..32-37-6…….56-72
Atlanta 27-36-11…..24-34-13……51-70
Cubs 39-25-10……43-21-9…….82-46
Reds 20-42-9……33-36-5…….53-78
Colo 27-34-13…..33-34-4……..60-68
LA 29-32-11……46-21-8…….74-53
Miami 31-32-10…..32-24-16…….63-56
Milw 24-41-9……40-24-10…..64-65
Mets 32-44-10……33-26-11……65-60
Philly 24-32-18…..26-33-14……50-63
Pitt 21-38-13…..42-26-6……63-63
St. Louis 33-32-7……28-33-13…….61-65
SD 23-47-5…..32-34-6……..55-81
SF 33-35-7…….36-21-14……69-56
Wash 36-22-14….30-22-22……66-44

Orioles 30-37-9…….36-28-8…….66-65
Boston 30-30-11……44-21-9…….74-51
White Sox 31-31-9…….39-31-6……..70-62
Cleveland 38-27-10……35-29-6……..73-56
Detroit 30-32-9…….31-36-5……..61-68
Astros 29-33-11…..34-29-8……..63-62
KC 28-37-11……29-28-13……57-65
Angels 30-37-7…….25-34-13…….55-71
Twins 28-35-13…….25-38-13…..53-73
NYY 24-38-8……34-31-13……..58-69
A’s 25-39-8……26-35-14……51-73
Seattle 35-29-11……33-25-12……68-54
Tampa Bay 26-31-13……32-33-12……58-64
Texas 28-39-11…….35-24-9……63-63
Toronto 43-24-5……..40-30-5……83-54

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (76-70) at Giants (78-68)

Game: 2
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: September 16, 2016 10:15 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO -- Everyone seemed to be of the same mind that Thursday's series opener between the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants was an important game.

More important, they all agreed, is the series.

The Giants got the jump on the Cardinals with a 6-2 win Thursday night behind Johnny Cueto's complete game.

Cueto seemed to challenge his teammates after the win, boasting, "Every game I will pitch from now on, I will pitch like a playoff game. That's the way we need to play, like it's a playoff game."

The Giants and Cardinals are well versed in playoff-type games, dating back to the Giants' run at their first of three World Series championships in 2010.

But neither of Friday's starting pitchers has been a part of it.

The Giants' Matt Moore, acquired at the trade deadline from the Tampa Bay Rays, and Cardinals' Luke Weaver, who has only six games of major league experience, will duel in Game 2 of the series.

The night will begin with the Giants (78-68) leading the New York Mets (77-69) by one game and the Cardinals (76-70) by two in the race for the two National League wild-card spots.

Also at stake in the Cardinals-Giants series is home-field advantage in a possible wild-card tie-breaker should they finish the regular season in a tie.

Home field will go to the team that has the better head-to-head record during the regular season. The Giants' win Thursday evened that count at 2-2.

"I'm not trying to downplay (Thursday's) game, but we do have time left," losing pitcher Adam Wainwright insisted. "We have plenty of time left to make this thing happen. We just have to play good games and have good starting pitching and play good defense and get timely hits. That's what we're going to try to do going forward."

The Giants had all of the above in the opener. Hunter Pence hit a two-run homer off Wainwright, Buster Posey had a four-hit game, and Denard Span, demoted from first to eighth in the batting order, contributed a key two-run single in support of Cueto.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, got a subpar effort from Wainwright (four runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings), hit poorly in general (seven 1-2-3 innings), and stranded four baserunners in the two innings in which they scored single runs.

No doubt, the spotlight was on, and the Giants responded best on the first night.

"There was added intensity with who we're playing," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of the playoff-type atmosphere. "We're both fighting to get there. We knew we had to go out and play well, and we did that."

The Cardinals welcomed back a potentially key player for their stretch run when former closer Trevor Rosenthal was activated from the disabled list before Thursday's game.

He could play a role in the series before weekend's end.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Totals4U

Friday's Free Selection: Tampa Bay Rays/Baltimore Orioles under 9

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

#1 Sports

Friday's Free Selection: Colorado Rockies - 165

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mike Wynn

Bonus Play: MLB LA Dodgers w/Maeda -125 Over Arizona

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Friday’s six-pack

— Jets 37, Bills 31– Surprisingly fun game; Jets’ coach Bowles needs to learn about game management– when Jets scored to make it 36-24 with 4:02 left, he has to go for 2 there. Not doing so almost cost him dearly.

— I’ll have more on this later on, but MLB suspended San Diego Padres’ GM AJ Preller for 30 days without pay for hiding medical records of Padre players, and not disclosing info they have to potential trade partners.

— Padres’ GM/Ivy League genius Preller has had a couple of run-ins with MLB rules before; wonder if he is a Patriots’ fan?

— Georgia Tech picks up a good hoop recruit in Jose Alvarado– new Tech coach Josh Pastner gets Alvarado out of Rutgers’ backyard.

— Want to win a bar bet? Indians’ Francisco Lindor leads MLB this year, with 12 sacrifice flies. Matt Kemp has 11.

— North Dakota State has been paid a total of $1.675 million for playing its last five I-A opponents on road. Bison won all five games- they play at Iowa this week.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Atlantic Sports

Friday's Free Selection from Atlantic Sports: Hamilton Bear-Cats - 10 (CFL)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Platinum Plays

Free Pick: MLB Detroit Tigers w/Fulmer +150 over Cleveland

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Golden Dragon Sports

Free Pick NY Yankees Cessa +155

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Huddle Up Sports

Bonus Play Cleveland Indians