Friday 9/4/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mariners (63-71) at Athletics (58-76)

Game: 1
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: September 04, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

Seattle's offense has been one of baseball's worst for much of the season, but the Mariners look like an entirely different club in the batter's box lately.

They'll look to continue their surge and clinch the season series against the Oakland Athletics as they visit them on Friday night.

The Mariners (63-71) have won with offense lately, averaging 5.5 runs while hitting .293 with 19 homers to overcome a 4.74 ERA in winning seven of their last 11. Previously, Seattle ranked 27th with a .242 batting average and 26th with 3.8 runs per game.

Robinson Cano has caught fire, batting .381 in the last 11 games, while Franklin Gutierrez, Kyle Seager and Mark Trumbo all have four home runs apiece while combining for 24 RBIs. Seager has a .462 average during a six-game hitting streak, but his .210 career average against Oakland is his lowest against an AL West opponent.

Much of the recent production has come without contributions by major league home run leader Nelson Cruz, who is day to day after leaving Wednesday's 8-3 win at Houston with a strained quadriceps. Cruz is 4 for 29 with 12 strikeouts during a seven-game homerless drought, his longest since a 13-game slump July 4-20. He has hit five home runs with 11 RBIs in his last 12 meetings with Oakland, though, going deep in each of the last two meetings.

Oakland (58-76) could be vulnerable against a hot lineup, having lost 14 of 21 after allowing 20 runs and 33 hits in dropping two of three to the Los Angeles Angels. Even staff ace Sonny Gray wasn't immune Wednesday, surrendering six runs over five innings.

The A's, who are 26-29 against AL West foes, haven't finished under .500 in the division since a 26-31 record in 2011, going 115-94 from 2012-14.

Seattle leads the season series, 9-4, and the teams cap also play a three-game series at Safeco Field Oct. 2-4.

Inexperienced pitchers will be on the mound for both teams, with Edgar Olmos (1-0, 2.13 ERA) making his second career start for the Mariners. He yielded three runs over five innings in Seattle's 6-5, 11-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. Olmos struggled with his command, walking five batters after issuing two over 7 2-3 innings of relief previously.

Hisashi Iwakuma was originally slated for this outing, but manager Lloyd McClendon flipped the two to give Iwakuma extra rest.

"Just giving him a couple extra days, that's all," McClendon told MLB's official website.

Aaron Brooks (1-1, 5.47) has sandwiched three starts of at least six innings while allowing two runs or fewer around a dreadful, eight-run, 1 2-3 inning outing against Toronto. This is his second start since being recalled to fill in for the injured Felix Doubront.

He gave up two runs over six innings in the club's 3-2 win at Arizona on Saturday, drawing praise from catcher Stephen Vogt.

"That top of the order is hard to get through over there," Vogt said. "It doesn't matter if they're hot, they're not, that's a tough part of the lineup."

Brooks has been solid in two starts in Oakland, limiting opponents to two runs over 14 1-3 innings.

Oakland's 31-38 home record is better than only Seattle (29-36) in the AL.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Dodgers (75-58) at Padres (65-69)

Game: 2
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: September 04, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Although an outstanding pitching staff has them on top in the NL West, the Los Angeles Dodgers aren't likely to reach their goals without assistance from the offense.

If his MLB debut is any indication, Corey Seager may be able to provide a much-needed lift.

Looking to build on his memorable opener, the 21-year-old will try to help the visiting Dodgers bounce back with their ninth win in 11 games Friday night against the San Diego Padres.

Los Angeles starters had posted a 1.60 ERA over a 10-game stretch heading into this four-game series at Petco Park, while the offense was averaging just 2.8 runs over the previous 15.

After getting recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque to provide a spark, Seager did just that while starting for the slumping Jimmy Rollins in Thursday's 10-7 loss. The highly touted prospect doubled in the fifth inning and added a two-run single to put the Dodgers ahead in a five-run sixth.

"It was really fun,' Seager said. 'It would have been nice to win but I still had fun in my first day."

However, the club's three-game winning streak ended when the bullpen failed to hold an eighth-inning lead and allowed an opponent to score five or more for the first time in 18 games.

The Dodgers (75-58) maintained a 6 1/2-game division lead with San Francisco's loss, though they could have a tough time building on the offensive showing against James Shields. He's has been very good at Petco, going 6-2 with a 2.56 ERA in 14 career starts.

Shields has alternated between good and bad outings in his past four outings overall. He was on the good side Sunday when he gave up one run over seven innings in a 9-4 win at Philadelphia.

The right-hander allowed one run over seven in a 4-2, 12-inning loss June 14 in his only home meeting with the Dodgers this season. He's 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in three matchups overall.

Andre Ethier (2 for 9), Chase Utley (2 for 9) and Carl Crawford (3 for 14) have struggled versus Shields (10-6, 3.78 ERA), but Ethier, Alex Guerrero and Adrian Gonzalez have homered off him.

After spending the past month at Triple-A Oklahoma City, Mike Bolsinger hopes to replicate the best performance of his career May 23 against the Padres (65-69). In that outing, he allowed one hit and struck out a career-high eight over eight innings in a 2-0 home win.

Manager Don Mattingly said the right-hander would be in the rotation for at least one turn.

Bolsinger (5-3, 2.83) has gone 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 10 2-3 innings in two career starts at Petco, including one last season while with Arizona. Justin Upton is 1 for 6 when facing Bolsinger this season, while Matt Kemp has gone 0 for 5 with two strikeouts.

Yangervis Solarte went 4 for 5 with his 12th home run Thursday, Upton and Derek Norris had three hits apiece and Jedd Gyorko homered as San Diego won for the ninth time in 13 home games.

Solarte is batting .452 with three home runs in his last eight home games, while Upton is batting .400 in his last six. Kemp has reached base in a career-high 23 straight games.

'(Solarte) has been great for us this year,' interim manager Pat Murphy said. 'This kid has been as consistent as anyone on the team."

The Padres have batted .316 while averaging 6.4 runs in their last 12 at Petco.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Giants' Cain, Panik scheduled for rehab starts
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

LOS ANGELES -- San Francisco's injured right-hander Matt Cain and infielder Joe Panik are scheduled to make rehab starts with Triple-A Sacramento this week.

Cain, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Friday with nerve irritation in his right elbow, will pitch Friday. Cain, who missed the first three months of the season due to injuries, has been hit hard this season, posting a 2-4 record with a 6.15 ERA in 10 starts. He was tagged for six runs in five innings in a losing effort in his last start against the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 25.

Panik, who has been sidelined since Aug. 2 with lower back inflammation, will play Thursday with Sacramento. Panik, who was batting .309 with seven home runs and 35 RBIs in 375 at-bats, will probably play three games with the River Cats before joining the Giants for their three-game series at the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sept. 7-9, manager Bruce Bochy said.

Injured right-hander Tim Lincecum traveled to Colorado to get a second opinion on his ailing hip. Lincecum was diagnosed with a degenerative hip earlier this season.

"(Thursday) we will get with Timmy and decide what we're going to do," Bochy said.

Lincecum went on the DL on July 2. He posted a 7-4 mark with a 4.13 ERA in 15 starts before being shut down. Lincecum hasn't pitched since June 27, when he took a line drive off his forearm.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Moore to rejoin Rays rotation
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

BALTIMORE -- Left-hander Matt Moore, who was called up from Triple-A Durham on Sept. 1, will rejoin the Tampa Bay Rays rotation and start Saturday against the Yankees.

As a result, rookie Nathan Karns, who has gone 7-5 with a 3.69 ERA in 26 starts, will work out of the bullpen at least in the short-term. Rays manager Kevin Cash said he will revisit the overall rotation after Moore makes his start.

"It was a difficult decision," Cash said. "We all know in this clubhouse and in this organization that we are not in this spot if it wasn't for what Nathan Karns has provided. That being said, Matt Moore is also a huge part of this organization now and going forward."

Moore underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2014 and struggled with his command when he returned earlier this season. He was optioned to Durham on Aug. 3 to work on his mechanics and he responded by going 2-1 with a 3.30 ERA with 43 strikeouts in five starts. On Aug. 22, he struck out 16 batters in six innings for the Bulls, which set a record for the minor league club.

Moore went 17-4 in 2013 and was also named to the All-Star team that year. However, when Moore returned to the club in July, he went 1-3 with an 8.78 ERA in six starts.

Rays officials were optimistic those struggles were an aberration and the rust was from not pitching the major leagues for a year.

"He went down and did what was needed and what was asked," Cash said about Moore. "We decided given the matchup against the Yankees -- all the lefties, all the switch-hitters, the short porch in right -- we figured we take a crack at it with a left-handed pitcher."

Tampa Bay will not go with a six-man rotation, Cash confirmed. Chris Archer, Jake Odorizzi, Drew Smyly and Erasmo Ramirez kept their spots in the rotation, which left Karns as the odd man out.

"There is definitely a chance he gets starts again," Cash said about Karns.

The Rays believe they can make a run at the wild card. A successful trip to Baltimore, where they won two out of three games, has given them even more confidence. Tampa Bay has six games remaining with both the first-place Blue Jays and second-place Yankees. So, the Rays essentially control their own destiny.

"For a team in our situation right now, you want to play these teams because we are going to have to beat all of these teams to get where we need to," Cash said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Yankees send INF Figueroa to Triple-A
The Sports Xchange

The New York Yankees sent infielder Cole Figueroa to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday.

Figueroa had been designated for assignment Tuesday.

He saw limited action with the Yankees this season, batting .250 (2-for-8) with two doubles in two games. In the minors, he hit .299 (130-for-435) with three home runs and 44 RBIs in 118 games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Giants RHP Lincecum undergoes hip surgery
The Sports Xchange

San Francisco Giants right-hander Tim Lincecum underwent hip surgery on Thursday and will miss the rest of the season, general manager Bobby Evans said.

Lincecum, 31, went on the disabled list in July and had sought several opinions. The final decision was made after Lincecum met with Dr. Marc Philippon, a noted hip specialist, in Vail, Colo., on Wednesday.

The Giants had referred to it as a "degenerative" condition. It was believed to have been the source of Lincecum's decreased pitching velocity.

Lincecum is expected to be ready for spring training, although he will be a free agent next offseason.

"The next step for him is to do everything he can and get back and get well, but it's going to take him out for the season," Evans said. "What that leads to in terms of his progression healthwise will dictate what opportunities he has with us or elsewhere."

Lincecum was 7-4 with a 4.13 ERA in 15 starts this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB notebook: Giants RHP Lincecum undergoes hip surgery
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

San Francisco Giants right-hander Tim Lincecum underwent hip surgery on Thursday and will miss the rest of the season, general manager Bobby Evans said.

Lincecum, 31, went on the disabled list in July and had sought several opinions. The final decision was made after Lincecum met with Dr. Marc Philippon, a noted hip specialist, in Vail, Colo., on Wednesday.

The Giants had referred to it as a "degenerative" condition. It was believed to have been the source of Lincecum's decreased pitching velocity.

Lincecum (7-4, 4.13 ERA) is expected to be ready for spring training, although he will be a free agent next offseason.

---The Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly called up infielder Corey Seager -- the franchise's top prospect and the No. 2 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline.

Seager, 21, is expected to join the Dodgers in time for Friday night's game at the San Diego Padres.

The younger brother of Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle Seager, Corey Seager was the No. 18 overall pick in the 2012 draft and has a .307 career batting average and .368 on-base percentage in parts of three minor-league seasons. He has hit .293 with 18 home runs combined this season in stops with Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City.

---Minnesota Twins closer Glen Perkins told reporters that he "can barely walk" while suffering back spasms.

Perkins will not travel with the team for a three-game series beginning Friday at Houston, and the timetable for his return is unknown.

Perkins has converted 32 of 34 save opportunities and has a 2.68 ERA, with 46 strikeouts against only eight walks.

---The New York Yankees sent infielder Cole Figueroa to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Figueroa had been designated for assignment Tuesday.

He saw limited action with the Yankees this season, batting .250 (2-for-8) with two doubles in two games. In the minors, he hit .299 (130-for-435) with three home runs and 44 RBIs in 118 games.

---ESPN will keep baseball analyst Curt Schilling off the air for the remainder of the season after he made a controversial remark on Twitter last month.

ESPN removed Schilling, a former major league pitcher, from its broadcasts at the Little League World Series last month.

"At all times during the course of their engagement with us, our commentators are directly linked to ESPN and are the face of our brand," the network said. "We are a sports media company. Curt's actions have not been consistent with his contractual obligations nor have they been professionally handled; they have obviously not reflected well on the company. As a result, he will not appear on ESPN through the remainder of the regular season and our wild-card playoff game."

In a tweet last month, Schilling compared Muslim extremists with Nazis in Germany.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Twins' closer Perkins 'can barely walk' due to spasms
The Sports Xchange

Minnesota Twins closer Glen Perkins told reporters on Thursday that he "can barely walk" suffering back spasms.

Perkins will definitely not travel with the team for a three-game series beginning Friday at the Chicago White Sox and his timetable for return is unknown.

Perkins has converted 32 of 34 save opportunities this season and has a 2.68 ERA with 46 strikeouts against only eight walks. Kevin Jepsen, who was acquired at the trade deadline, will fill in as the Twins' closer with Trevor May working as the primary set-up man.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Hutchison rolling along in home starts
Andrew Avery

Toronto Blue Jays' righty Drew Hutchison has some pretty insane home/away splits and he'll get another chance to build on his impressive home form with the Baltimore Orioles in town to open a three-game set Friday evening.

Hutchison is 11-1 with a 2.46 ERA in 14 starts at Rogers Centre so far this season and the Jays have won his last 10 starts north of the border.

In away starts, the 25-year-old is 2-1 with a 9.00 ERA in 11 appearances.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Diamondbacks hold edge versus Cubs in recent meetings
Andrew Avery

The Arizona Diamondbacks open a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field Friday afternoon and if recent head to heads between the National League clubs are anything to go by, the Cubs could have their hands full.

The Dbacks have posted a record of 7-1 in the last eight meetings with the Cubs, including taking two of three from a series at Chase Field earlier this season.

Early lines have the Cubs -205 with Jon Lester on the bump. The Dbacks, who are expected to counter with Zack Godley, are +188.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'On the Diamond'

The high-flying Blue Jays and spiraling Orioles meet in a three-game series at the Rogers Center north of the border. Blue Jays head into the weekend series ridding an impressive 23-5 stretch crossing 6.21 per/contest with hurlers surrendering just 2.8 per/game. Jays are 14-3 the past 17 in the comfort of Rogers Center (5.7 runs/game). It’s been a big collapse for Buck Showalter’s team. The Orioles struggling to get anything going lately have dropped 12 of their past 14 games platting a lowly 3.0 runs/game with the pitching staff giving up a whopping 6.0 runs/contest. Orioles head north of the border 7-15 the past 22 in enemy territory scoring 3.5 runs/game.

Jays opening the series with Drew Hutchison on the mound is not good news for Orioles. Hutchison has an 11-1 record, 2.46 ERA in front of the home crowd with Blue Jays 12-2 in his fourteen starts. Adding to those numbers, Jays have won both Hutchison starts vs Orioles this season and sport a solid 4-1 record the past five with the hurler when hosting Baltimore. Sportsbooks are currently offering Toronto at -$1.80 to -$1.90 in their own ball park.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Friday September 4, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

I enjoy baseball's infatuation with statistics. And thus I give you another one. On Wednesday night, future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols of the Los Angeles Angels hit his 35th homer of the season and No. 555 of his career. This latter number tied Manny Ramirez for 14th on the all-time list. The former number surprised me: He is just the fourth player with at least 35 dingers in his first 15 seasons. I definitely thought that number would be higher. But he joined Willie Mays (10), Mike Schmidt (11) and Alex Rodriguez (12) on that short list. Pujols is now on pace for 42, a number he hasn't reached since 2010. I do think this will be the last season that Pujols gets to 35 considering he will be 36 years old in January.


Diamondbacks at Cubs (-245, TBA)

Slumping Chicago should catch a break in Friday's only matinee as it's not likely that Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt, who is gunning for the NL Triple Crown, will make it back to the team in time for the game. He was excused from the club to be with his wife in Phoenix for the birth of the couple's first child. It's doubtful he plays Friday. Cubs lefty Jon Lester will take that considering Goldschmidt is hitting .322 with 27 homers and 97 RBIs. Lester (8-10, 3.59) has been shelled in two of his past three starts but had one very good one in between. He finished August 2-2 with a 5.04 ERA in five starts. He threw seven shutout innings vs. Arizona earlier this season. Aaron Hill has by far faced him the most of any Diamondbacks player, going 4-for-35 with nine strikeouts. It's rookie Zack Godley (4-0, 1.90) for Arizona. This will be just his fourth career start and first look at the Cubs.

Key trends: Arizona is 4-1 in its past five on Friday. The Cubs are 4-1 in Lester's past five at home. The "over/under" is 7-2-1 in Arizona's past 10 road games vs. lefties. The under is 4-0 in Lester's past four series openers. The Snakes are 7-1 in the past eight meetings.

Early lean: Cubs on runline (Goldschmidt is that good).


Mariners at A's (-108, 7.5)

Monitor the status of big-league home run leader Nelson Cruz here. He strained his quad in Wednesday's game and is considered day-to-day. Cruz has been well worth his big free-agent money, batting .310 with 39 homers and 82 RBIs. I never expected this many homers playing half his games in spacious Safeco. So Oakland pitcher Aaron Brooks (1-1, 5.47) might catch a break here. He came over in the Ben Zobrist trade. Brooks had a quality start last time out, allowing two runs over six innings in Arizona. He has never faced Seattle. The Mariners go with rookie lefty Edgar Olmos (1-0, 2.13) -- you are going to see a lot of pitchers you never heard of down the stretch on non-contenders. He has pitched 5.0 innings in two relief appearances vs. Oakland this season and is 1-0 without allowing a run.

Key trends: The Mariners have lost seven straight series openers. The A's are 1-5 in their past six following an off day. The over is 9-2 in Seattle's past 11 road games vs. teams with a losing record. Seattle is 9-3 in the past 12 meetings.

Early lean: A's (especially if Cruz out) and under.


Braves at Nationals (-200, 8)

Washington can ill afford to be without MVP candidate Bryce Harper for any period of time, but he had to leave Wednesday's game in St. Louis in the fourth inning with glute tightness. So obviously keep an eye on his status. Harper is batting .331 with 31 home runs and 78 RBIs. Washington starts Tanner Roark (4-4, 4.54) here. He takes the spot of Stephen Strasburg, who is being skipped because of upper-back tightness suffered during his last start. Roark's start was abbreviated to two innings at Double-A Harrisburg on Monday so he would be potentially available for this game. Atlanta's Julio Teheran (9-7, 4.62) was blown up last time out, allowing eight runs and nine hits over 4.1 innings against the Yankees. He is 0-0 with a 7.59 ERA in two starts this season against Washington. Harper is 9-for-21 off him with two homers. Ryan Zimmerman is 5-for-23 with two homers and seven RBIs.

Key trends: Atlanta is 5-0 in Teheran's past five vs. the NL East. The Braves are 1-6 in Teheran's past seven road starts vs. teams with a winning record. Washington is 4-1 in Roark's past five at home. The over is 10-1-1 in Teheran's past 12 on the road. The over is 4-1 Roark's past five overall.

Early lean: Nats and over. Although if Harper sits I'd probably take Braves on runline.


Mets at Marlins (+170, 7)

Another guy to monitor is New York infielder Daniel Murphy. He left Wednesday night's game against the Phillies after the bottom of the third inning with what the team call "mild discomfort," in his left quad. Murphy was on the disabled list with a strained left quad from June 5-30, missing 22 games this season. New York goes with Jacob deGrom (12-7, 2.32) here. He rebounded from his worst start of the season by allowing just two runs over six innings last time out against Boston, although he did take the loss. He shut out the Marlins over 7.2 innings in his lone start against them this season. One guy he apparently won't have to worry about is Giancarlo Stanton. He and the team were targeting Friday as his return from a long stint on the disabled list, but that now is considered doubtful. No reason to push it with the Marlins one of baseball's worst teams. Miami starts Tom Koehler (8-13, 4.12). He is 0-2 with a 14.73 ERA in three starts vs. the Mets this season. Ruben Tejada is 7-for-20 with four doubles and seven RBIs off him. Yoenis Cespedes is 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs.

Key trends: The Mets are 6-0 in deGrom's past six on the road. The Marlins are 0-7 in Koehler's past seven overall. The over is 4-0 in deGrom's past four on the road. The under is 6-2 in Koehler's past eight at home.

Early lean: Mets and under.


Twins at Astros (-178, 8.5)

Minnesota gets another of its good young players back on Friday as outfielder Aaron Hicks will be activated off the disabled list. He hasn't played since Aug. 19 due to a hamstring injury. Hicks is batting .268 with eight homers and 25 RBIs. Hicks hit a three-run homer in Triple-A on Wednesday. Mike Pelfrey (6-8, 3.85) starts here for Minnesota. It's his second straight start vs. Houston as last Saturday he lasted only 3.2 innings and allowed four runs and seven hits in a loss. Pelfrey didn't have to face George Springer then, but he's also expected to be activated off the DL on Friday. He has been out since July 1 with a wrist injury. Springer is hitting .264 with 13 homers and 29 RBIs in 75 games. Houston's Collin McHugh (14-7, 3.92) hasn't allowed more than two earned in his past five outings. He didn't face Minnesota last weekend.

Key trends: The Twins are 1-5 in Pelfrey's past six vs. teams with a winning record. Houston is 10-1 in McHugh's past 11 vs. teams with a winning record. The under is 5-2-1 in Pelfrey's past eight vs. teams with a winning record. The under is 9-2 in McHugh's past overall.

Early lean: Astros and under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Friday's six-pack

-- Washington's Ryan Zimmerman has 23 RBI in his last eleven games.

-- Atlanta Braves lost their last nine games, outscored 82-20.

-- Juan Uribe holds an odd record; in 2010, he saw 21 pitches in one game without swinging at any of them, the most of any player in the last ten years.

-- Credit to Oklahoma State, which went to Central Michigan and TCU, which went to Minnesota; much better than opening the year with cupcakes.

-- Padres are 7-5 in extra innings; road team won 11 of the 12 games.

-- Former Packers/Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman is now a high school coach on Cape Cod; man must have saved his money to be doing that.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CAPPERS ACCESS

SMU
W. Michigan
Boise St
Brewers

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dave Cokin

Bonus Play Friday

MARINERS (Olmos) at ATHLETICS (Brooks) 10:05 PM

Take: ATHLETICS -117

Rookie pitchers on the hill tonight at Oakland as the A’s open a weekend set with the division rival Mariners. Edgar Oleos will throw for Seattle while Aaron Brooks gets the call for the home team.

Anyone who has followed my baseball knows how big I am on control and command when it comes to sizing up pitchers. This game is a classic illustration of my thought process in that regard.

Olmos is a lefty who has had consistent issues throwing strikes and unless or until he remedies that ailment, his chances of success at the big league level are severely limited. Brooks, on the flip side, isn’t blessed with great stuff. But the Oakland righty rarely beats himself. There will be games when Brooks gets lit up and I doubt that he’ll be more than a decent innings eater in the bigs. But pitchers who display efficiency can survive for a long time and win their share of games, and from what I’ve seen of Brooks, he has a chance to stick around.

As far as the team data is concerned, Oakland remains the ultimate underachiever this season. The A’s have a terrible record, yet incredibly, they’re still outscoring the opposition on the season. The fact the Athletics are still +9 for the year whole saddled with a miserable 58-76 ledger is somewhat remarkable. The Mariners are just plain bad. They have the second worst run differential in the AL and it looks as though a shakeup could be in store with the GM already having gotten fired.

I like Brooks over Olmos here. The Mariners might be without Nelson Cruz, who has a quad strain and is status unknown for this game right now. It’s never easy it back Oakland because of their propensity for blowing late leads and finding ways to lose baseball games. But I think this one is priced a bit on the cheap side and I’m going to side with the A’s to pick up a win tonight.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Arthur Ralph Sports

Bonus Play FRI MIch St -17

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mike Lundin

Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals

Mike's *Best of the Rest*

8* Bonus Play St. Louis Cardinals

The Pittsburgh Pirates are off four consecutive losses and have fallen 6.5 games back of the St. Louis Cardinals for the NL Central title. The Cardinals had a four-game winning streak ended with a 4-3 loss to the Nats Wednesday, but I think they'll bounce back with a win here in the opener of this series. J.A. Happ will take the ball for the Pirates and he's been sharp since coming over from the Mariners posting a 1.98 ERA through five starts. Sharp is not a word I would use to describe his previous performances versus the Cardinals though; Happ is 1-8 behind a 6.79 ERA in 10 starts career meetings overall and 0-3 with a 12.34 ERA in three career starts at Busch Stadium specifically. Brandon Moss is riding a seven game hitting streak going 7-for-12 over his last three games and he's 6-for-8 in previous at bats versus Happ.

The Cardinals will send Carlos Martinez to the mound and he'll be pitching on eight days' rest due to back tightness he experienced his last outing on Aug. 27. Martinez has a very respectable 2.91 ERA for the year and the Cardinals are 13-3 in his last 16 home starts. He's 2-1 with a 4.35 ERA against Pittsburgh on the season and held it to three runs in eight innings of a 4-3 win on Aug 11 in the lone meeting at Busch Stadium this year.

Note that:
- Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen sat out Thursday's contest with tightness in his left Achilles. He's expected to be back here but is just 3-for-16 in previous at bats versus Martinez.
- Pittsburgh is 1-5 in its last six games as a road underdog of +110 to +150.
- St. Louis is 12-2 in its last 14 games following a loss.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

JOE WIZ

Under 52 Kent and Illinois

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

BIG AL

Our complimentary selection for Friday, September 4 is:

Cleveland (Kluber) over Detroit (Lobstein)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Friday, September 4

Trend Report

2:20 PM
ARIZONA vs. CHI CUBS
Arizona is 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when playing Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Arizona's last 6 games when playing Chi Cubs
Chi Cubs are 14-4 SU in their last 18 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games when playing at home against Arizona

7:05 PM
ATLANTA vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing Washington
Washington is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta

7:05 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. NY YANKEES
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing NY Yankees
NY Yankees are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games at home

7:07 PM
BALTIMORE vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Baltimore's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Baltimore's last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home
Toronto is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Baltimore

7:08 PM
CLEVELAND vs. DETROIT
Cleveland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Detroit's last 7 games at home
Detroit is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland

7:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. BOSTON
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Philadelphia's last 11 games when playing on the road against Boston
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Philadelphia's last 10 games
Boston is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing Philadelphia
Boston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:10 PM
NY METS vs. MIAMI
The total has gone OVER in 14 of NY Mets's last 17 games
NY Mets are 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Miami
The total has gone OVER in 17 of Miami's last 23 games when playing NY Mets
Miami is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

7:10 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. CINCINNATI
Milwaukee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Cincinnati
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Cincinnati's last 15 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 7 games when playing at home against Milwaukee

8:10 PM
MINNESOTA vs. HOUSTON
Minnesota is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing Houston
Houston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Minnesota
Houston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games

8:10 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Chi White Sox's last 8 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
Chi White Sox are 4-10 SU in their last 14 games on the road
Kansas City is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi White Sox
Kansas City is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox

8:15 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. ST. LOUIS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing St. Louis
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing Pittsburgh
St. Louis is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh

8:40 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. COLORADO
San Francisco is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 5 games when playing on the road against Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing at home against San Francisco
Colorado is 8-16 SU in its last 24 games

10:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games when playing Oakland
Seattle is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Oakland's last 11 games
Oakland is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Seattle

10:05 PM
TEXAS vs. LA ANGELS
Texas is 7-18 SU in their last 25 games when playing LA Angels
Texas is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Angels's last 5 games
LA Angels are 4-9 SU in their last 13 games

10:10 PM
LA DODGERS vs. SAN DIEGO
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of LA Dodgers's last 21 games when playing on the road against San Diego
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Dodgers's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of San Diego's last 21 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
San Diego is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home