Monday 4/18/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Previews, Streaks, Tips, Notes

Indiana Pacers at Toronto Raptors April 18, 7:00 EST

Toronto Raptors hitting a woeful 38.0% from the field, committing 20 turnovers suffered another game-one opening-round playoff loss. The best thing Toronto backers can do after witnessing an eight consecutive opening Conference Quarterfinal failure is 'Forgetaboutit'. That's because Raptors have always dug down deep and responded the game following a RD-1 opening defeat posting a 5-1-1 record against-the-betting line. Additionally, Raptors have responded off its last ten defeats going 7-3 ATS and are 3-0 ATS as home chalk off a 10 or more point thrashing.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mohawk: Monday 4/18 Analysis
By Garnet Barnsdale

DRF HARNESS

Race 1 - $30,000 Guaranteed Pick Five Pool

Race 4 - $50,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool

20-CENT PICK 5: 1,3,4/8/4,6,7/3,5,7/2,5 = $10.80

EARLY PICK 4: 3,5,7/2,5/2,4/1,4,5,8 = $48

LATE PICK 4: 1,4,5,8/1,2,4/1/4,6,7 = $36

MEET STATS: 19 - 50 / $99.00 BEST BETS: 4 - 5 / $28.20

SPOT PLAYS: 0 - 5 / $0.00

Best Bet: DONICUS (2nd)

Spot Play: REAL ROCKER (10th)


Race 1

(3) MERCHANDISER qualified much faster than any of these can race but continues to have gait problems at night. He is obviously the fastest horse but is also risky with the trainer down to drive; your call at a short price. (1) ON THE RIDGE spun his wheels a bit late last week but seems the most logical to benefit if the choice blows up. (4) BLENHEIM broke in his season debut but figures to be on the ticket if he behaves this time.

Race 2

(8) DONICUS destroyed his rivals last week in the opening leg of the series and just appears to be too fast for these foes as well. (1) SUMMAJESTIC was interfered with last week but still managed to get a check. He has some upside and can complete this exacta. (2) PUKKA also was a victim of interference and has a good chance to share here if he stays flat.

Race 3

(6) SHIPPEN OUT was a dead-game winner last week, holding off the pocket-sitter. He fits this class like a glove and should be tough again here. (4) YORK SEELSTER showed some improvement first time out for Auciello and gets the stable's main driver now; threat. (7) READ THE PROPOSAL couldn't catch the choice late but rates highly again in his second start for Moreau.

Race 4

(7) LUMIERE was 2nd to a strong winner in his first start over Mohawk and was claimed out of that mile. He rates highly here and should be prominent throughout. (5) MARKATHY was rode gapped-out cover to get second behind a runaway winner Thursday night. He figures if he goes here, but, note the 2 for 53 record the past two seasons. (3) FOUR CORNERS makes his first start off the claim for a barn that sends them ready; using.

Race 5

(2) WILD AND CRAZY GUY and (5) MUSCLE MATTERS both drop to a level where they should be the main players. Give the nod to the former who has faced better consistently but use both in multi-race wagers. (7) HUBBY NUMBER ONE dodges the best trotter in the land and could crash the exotics at a price here.

Race 6

(2) P H KENNY drops back to the non-winners of two class which should make him very tough here. (4) NEW YORK NIGHTMARE took his life's mark here last year and comes in with a decent qualifier on display; using. (5) BIG PETES STYLE needs slightly slower fractions than he got last time which seems unlikely here. Minor award predicted.

Race 7

(1) CASH FOR GOLD was visibly motoring down the centre of the track late in the mile last week and fell just short. He could do here off a trip but is one of several contenders that could get the job done. (4) MURMUR HANOVER drops and dodges a hot horse that won two straight. He should be prominent on or near the lead here. (8) CHARMED LIFE makes her six-year-old debut and will be passing most of these late but may have too much to do late if she drops to the back as expected.

Race 8

(2) P L JERICO faced some decent ones last year and looks ready to go based on his two qualifiers. (4) RUSTY HEFNER made a powerful move to the front in the third 1/4 last time but broke when under pressure. He can contend here. (1) UNICUM BI is the first foal to race from an unraced but well-related dam. His most recent qualifier suggests he has a bit of speed to offer.

Race 9

(1) NEWBIE is razor-sharp and will be tough to beat here, likely at a short price. (6) TIGHTEN UP couldn't threaten the choice when first up last week. He would stand a better chance here if he blasted off the gate and landed in the pocket, which is possible. (3) SINGLE WHITE SOCK has a chance to crack the exotics at a price here with the move inside.

Race 10

(6) REAL ROCKER had a race over the track, finished quickly, and now faces easier. He might be a decent price, too; top call. (4) DEETZY makes his first start out of Zeron's barn and could wake up with a better effort here. (7) LITTLE TURK benefitted from a slowing late pace to win last week and should share here although would need similar luck to repeat. (1) DISTINCTIVE RUSTY raced well from the rail twice at Woodbine and should be able to follow along for a share here. (2) MACHAPELO is another that is likely to follow along and re-emerge late for a share.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Yonkers: Monday 4/18 Analysis
By Matt Rose

DRF HARNESS

MEET STATS: 112 - 357 / $621.60

BEST BETS: 16 - 30 / $57.10

Best Bet: GREAT VINTAGE (12th)

Spot Play: DCS BETTER LIFE (4th)


Race 1

(2) ART CRITIC had a decent run as a freshman in the NYSS and she won her seasonal debut at Philly; clearly the Burke trainee makes the most sense in here. (4) IDEAL FANTASY gets post relief in her second 2016 start and she can be more involved. (5) CHEYENNE MOLLY was a trip-sitting upset winner last out.

Race 2

(2) DEVILS CUT rallied to be a decent second last out with Dube driving; he's back in the bike tonight from another good post. (5) JK HEAVEN SENT tired at Philly last out but jogged two back at Yonkers. (1) PRINCE ASTON gets some needed post relief for her local return.

Race 3

(5) SINGLE ME banked over $200K in her 3-year-old season for Croghan and she qualified nicely in Florida in preparation for this; mare should be ready to roll. (2) ENCORE DEO is another Burke-trained filly who should be ready off those morning preps. (1) CHEYENNE TRIENGEL looks for three straight but clearly she is facing tougher tonight.

Race 4

(3) DCS BETTER LIFE was never involved last week but she did finish with late pace; from this improved post and with an improved trip she could get it done at a price. (2) MY MIND IS MADEUP was a good winner versus similar last out and can clearly repeat. (6) GRAND THEFT returns from Pocono where she raced okay in the Weiss.

Race 5

(2) AMERICANPRIMETIME was too far back to threaten in his first seasonal start but did finish with belated pace; from this much-improved post I'm looking for a big effort. (4) SOUTHWIND MASIMO gets MacDonald in the bike tonight, and maybe the fresh set of hands could make a difference. (7) SHADOW'S IMAGE made live moves in his last two for the Cad Gregory barn and this one could be considered at a big price.

Race 6

(2) VALIDUS DEO drops in class off a good try versus much better and he draws well again; I can't envision any scenario where the Bamond trainee loses tonight. (4) SAFE HARBOR has shown improvement since switching to the Ruiz barn. (1) JUSTIFIED also gets class relief and Abbatiello will be aggressive early to protect good position.

Race 7

(1) FLEM EN EM N is another classy Bamond veteran who lands in a winning spot; short price. (2) LIFE UP FRONT gets class and post relief; when he's good he's really good. (3) DUNE DUDE lacks the class of the top two but he's been sharp recently.

Race 8

(5) WARRAWEE QUALLY has battled bravely in her last two, both strange races with slow final quarters but I don't hold that against her; mare seems sharp enough in this competitive event. (6) HOT LEMONADE was game in defeat in her seasonal debut. (3) GOLD STAR DYNASTY was gaining late to just miss at a price last out.

Race 9

(4) OK HEAVENLY hung late after an aggressive two-move effort last week and the mare can be tighter off that effort. (5) QUEEN OF DENIAL stopped from the eight hole last week; prior starts were good. (6) MYDELIGHT BLUECHIP gets Sears in the bike tonight and she's occasionally a closing threat.

Race 10

(3) LET'S DRINK ON IT proved overmatched in the Levy but he jogged in his last two at this reduced level. (5) SOHO LENNON A has looked very sharp in his two U.S. starts and he import must be considered despite facing better. (2) BIG N BAD looks for two straight and has plenty of back class.

Race 11

(6) DRUNKEN DESIRE A lands a tough outside post but he should be competitive with this type and he can power home with a live trip. (4) MODERN YANKEE rallied to be second best last week to an easy front-end winner. (3) RONNY BUGATTI was going nowhere last week from the eight hole; obviously it's a different game tonight from the improved post.

Race 12

(1) GREAT VINTAGE raced huge two back versus better and was actually my top pick last out in the Levy, where he was a rail-sitting fourth; Takter trainee is lock-city in the finale. (8) GHOST PINE faces tougher and is stuck in the far outside post but he was a variant-busting winner last out; worth a look underneath at a price. (5) FOOL ME ONCE returns locally and was a winner a couple of months back at this level with Bartlett driving.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPOT PLAYS

For Monday


TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE

Finger Lakes (1st) Back to Me, 9-2
(6th) Lucci the Lion, 4-1


Mahoning Valley (4th) Rick's Pick, 7-2
(8th) Mr. Elkhorn, 7-2


Mountaineer (1st) Blade Unbridled, 10-1
(9th) Fiery Dream, 8-1


Parx Racing (4th) Change of Seasons, 6-1
(5th) Seven Storms, 7-2


Turf Paradise (1st) The Fox Said What, 9-2
(2nd) Wolf Pond Jack, 9-2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jays (6-7) at Red Sox (6-5)

Game: 4
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: April 18, 2016 11:05 AM EDT

While there's little doubt he can be a frontline starter when healthy, Clay Buchholz still seems to be working his way back after having last season cut short.

The right-hander has yet to perform like the No. 2 starter the Boston Red Sox hoped for, but he'll try to take a step forward Monday when the Red Sox look to get back on track and take three of four from the potentially high-scoring Toronto Blue Jays.

This will be the final Patriots Day game for retiring David Ortiz, who gave a powerful pregame speech at Fenway Park five days after the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.

"First and foremost, you can't forget the victims and those that were impacted most directly," manager John Farrell told MLB's official website. "Not only the individuals themselves, but certainly their families. That was a surreal moment when it took place."

Buchholz (0-1, 10.00 ERA) will try to give Boston (6-5) a holiday victory by pitching more like he did during an 11-start stretch in 2015 when he went 5-2 with a 1.99 ERA before having to miss the entire second half with a flexor strain.

After getting tagged for five runs over four innings of a 7-6 loss at Cleveland on April 6, he surrendered five runs in five innings of Tuesday's 9-5 home loss to Baltimore.

The two-time All-Star has struck out nine after posting a career-high 9.0 per nine innings last season, but he's walked six and allowed 11 hits, including three homers.

"It's all about consistent location for Clay," Farrell said.

Buchholz held Toronto (6-7) to one run over eight innings of a 3-1 road win in his most recent meeting June 29, but he's 1-5 with a 5.51 ERA in his last eight matchups at Fenway. Ryan Goins is 9 for 21 lifetime off him and Chris Colabello went 5 for 9 last season.

Colabello, hitting 2 for 25 in 2016, could get a day off after getting hit in the helmet by a fastball in the fourth inning of Sunday's 5-3 victory. The first baseman got up and stayed in the game, though he was replaced by Justin Smoak in the bottom of the eighth.

Jose Bautista had his third home run and a double Sunday when Toronto snapped a four-game road losing streak. Bautista and Josh Donaldson each have four hits over the past two games, while Edwin Encarnacion is 6 for 13 with two homers in this series.

The Jays had been hitting .214 before finishing with a season-high 14 hits Sunday. Troy Tulowitzki singled to raise his average to .128, but struck out three times.

J.A. Happ (1-0, 2.25) looks to continue his outstanding stretch after improving to 8-1 with a 1.52 ERA in his last 12 starts dating to last season.

The left-hander allowed only one run in Wednesday's 7-2 home win over the New York Yankees despite allowing seven hits and three walks over six innings.

"If you look back, our starting pitching has been very, very good, for the most part," manager John Gibbons, whose staff is 6-3 with a 3.44 ERA in 13 starts, told the team's official website after Happ's previous outing. "They've always given us a shot."

Happ has gone 1-1 with a 2.88 ERA over his last four starts against the Red Sox, who have yet to face a lefty starter this season.

Boston finished with a season-low four hits as its three-game winning streak ended Sunday. Travis Shaw had one of the highlights with a two-run home run - his first of the season - in the ninth inning and has now knocked in five runs in this series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mets (5-6) at Phillies (6-7)

Game: 1
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: April 18, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

Just over a week ago, the New York Mets scuffled through the last two games of a series with the Philadelphia Phillies.

The offense is now showing signs of life, something that's usually associated with Noah Syndergaard's fastball.

The hard-throwing Syndergaard would certainly appreciate some help from the Mets' offense as he goes for another dominant outing Monday night against the Phillies.

New York (5-6) entered the season with lofty expectations after winning the pennant last year, but dropped five of its first seven games, including two of three to Philadelphia from April 8-10.

The Mets were limited to two runs and seven hits while losing the last two games of that series, and they didn't look much better by following that stretch with consecutive defeats to Miami and getting outscored 12-4.

After compiling a .194 average and scoring 2.5 runs through the first eight games, they were much more productive this weekend in Cleveland. The Mets totaled 17 runs, batted .279 and hit seven homers while taking two of three from the Indians.

New York won 6-0 Sunday, getting three doubles and a triple among its nine hits.

"It's been a few good days," said left fielder Michael Conforto, who was 5 for 12 in the series after being moved to third in the batting order. "Hopefully we can keep it going."

Syndergaard (1-0, 0.69) surely hopes so since he's been backed by three total runs through two starts. The right-hander only received one Tuesday, getting a no-decision after striking out 12 and yielding one run in seven innings in a 2-1 loss to the Marlins.

"He did exactly what you wanted. He got us to the eighth inning," manager Terry Collins told MLB's official website. "We just couldn't put anything on the board for him to work with, but he was outstanding."

Syndergaard has won both of his starts against the Phillies (6-7), posting a 1.46 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 12 1-3 innings.

Starting with their series win over the Mets, the Phillies have won six of nine. They avoided being swept by Washington on Sunday, winning 3-2 in 10 innings on Freddy Galvis' walkoff double that followed Andres Blanco's RBI single.

Philadelphia didn't need to do much with Jerad Eickhoff (1-1, 1.50) on the mound Wednesday against San Diego. The right-hander allowed four hits over seven scoreless innings and struck out nine in a 2-1 win.

"(Eickhoff) was in total command," manager Pete Mackanin said. "I can't say enough good things. Nothing but superlatives."

Eickhoff is 1-3 despite 2.88 ERA in four career starts against the Mets. He was charged with a 7-2 defeat in New York during his season debut April 8, allowing two earned runs in five innings.

He's had a tough time with Conforto, who is 5 for 10 with a homer and two doubles off him. However, Yoenis Cespedes, Curtis Granderson, David Wright and Travis d'Arnaud are a combined 3 for 27.

D'Arnaud is nursing a bruised left elbow that could sideline him for a second straight game. Kevin Plawecki had two hits in his place Sunday, but he's 4 for 19 in seven career games against the Phillies.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nationals (9-2) at Marlins (3-7)

Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: April 18, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

Jose Fernandez hadn't been saddled with a loss in his previous 26 outings at home before struggling in his first appearance of the season.

The right-hander hasn't had much trouble with the Washington Nationals no matter the location, though, and he'll try to help the Miami Marlins snap their worst home start in 21 years Monday night.

Fernandez (0-1, 5.06 ERA) entered this season 17-0 with a 1.40 ERA and 192 strikeouts in his career at Marlins Park while holding opponents to a .180 average. Although he struck out 13 against Detroit on April 6, he also allowed five runs and threw 106 pitches in 5 2-3 innings of a 7-3 defeat.

He labored through the early innings Tuesday, too, but settled down and gave up one run in five innings of the Marlins' 2-1 road win over the New York Mets.

"You've got to battle," Fernandez said. "You've got to go out there and give your teammates a chance to win, every game."

Fernandez had done that against the Nationals (9-2), going 3-0 with a 0.98 ERA in six starts, with all but one being at home. He's held Washington to a .164 average while striking out 43 over 36 2-3 innings.

The Marlins (3-7) sure could use a dominant effort from Fernandez. They've dropped their first five at home for the first time since starting 0-9 in 1995 and are coming off a three-game sweep at the hands of previously winless Atlanta.

Miami trailed 5-0 on Sunday before Ichiro's RBI single in the ninth tied it, but Mallex Smith's run-scoring hit in the 10th gave the Braves a 6-5 win. Giancarlo Stanton, who struck out seven times in the series, went 0 for 4 to drop his average to .205.

'Obviously you'd like to play well at home,' manager Don Mattingly said. 'We've had some good crowds, and people like to walk out of here feeling good. We just have to keep going.'

Stanton's only multihit game of the season came off Tanner Roark on April 7 in a 6-4 victory. Most of the Marlins had a good day, as Roark (1-1, 2.45) gave up four runs and nine hits while walking three in four innings.

The right-hander bounced back Wednesday, though, scattering four hits through seven innings of a 3-0 win over Atlanta. He moved up one day after Stephen Strasburg was scratched with the flu.

"We gave him 24 hours to prepare, and he came through big time," manager Dusty Baker said. "He gave us seven innings, got our bullpen kind of back in order."

Roark's had much more time to get ready for the Marlins again, and hopefully he used it wisely. He's lost his last three starts against Miami with a 7.24 ERA and hasn't pitched beyond the fifth in any.

He'll try to help the Nationals get back on track in the opener of this four-game set. They had a seven-game winning streak snapped with Sunday's 3-2, 10-inning loss at Philadelphia after Bryce Harper gave them the lead with a homer in the top half.

Jonathan Papelbon blew his first save in six opportunities by allowing a pair of RBI hits with two outs.

"A series win is a series win," said Harper who is 8 for 15 with 10 RBIs while homering in a career-high four consecutive games. "We take this into Miami and keep it going, hopefully."

Harper homered three times at Marlins Park last season, but the Nationals went just 3-6 there.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockies (7-5) at Reds (6-6)

Game: 1
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: April 18, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

The Colorado Rockies finally found some quality pitching to complement their continued home run barrage.

That could spell trouble for Cincinnati ahead of Monday night's series opener at Great American Ballpark, considering the Reds have had troubles keeping opponents inside the park.

Colorado (7-5) has won four of five after taking two of three on the road from the Chicago Cubs, who had lost only once in their first nine games. The Rockies limited Chicago to 15 hits in the series after the Cubs came in averaging 9.2 per contest. Tyler Chatwood's seven innings Sunday powered the Rockies to their first shutout in a 2-0 victory - two days after Chad Bettis threw six scoreless innings in a 6-1 win.

Colorado posted a 7.20 ERA before the series.

"Overall, it was a big team win and series win, and that was our focus coming in," Chatwood told MLB's official website.

Nolan Arenado's fifth and sixth home runs were all the offense Colorado needed. The Rockies' 23 homers are tied with Baltimore for the most in baseball, and they're on pace for 46 this month, which would surpass the franchise record of 41 for April, set in 2001.

Arenado has hit .412 with four homers and 11 RBIs in his last nine matchups with the Reds.

Carlos Gonzalez's career-high 21-game hitting streak dating back to last season came to an end Sunday, though he's still batting .367 and has four multihomer games in his last 15 meetings with Cincinnati.

The Reds (6-6) have allowed 20 home runs, tied for the second-most, including 10 in their last three contests. They surrendered 48 runs in losing five of six in road series against the Cubs and St. Louis.

Cincinnati tweaked its rotation ahead of this three-game set, pushing Alfredo Simon back to Tuesday, while Dan Straily (0-0, 3.24 ERA) joins the rotation in the opener. Rookie Tim Melville has been banished to the bullpen after giving up seven earned runs over as many innings in his first two starts.

Straily, claimed off waivers from San Diego on April 2, has logged 8 1-3 innings over three relief appearances. He's 0-3 with a 6.26 ERA in his last nine starts.

Colorado's Jordan Lyles (0-1, 11.25) struggled in two starts at Coors Field, allowing five earned runs both times against San Diego and San Francisco. He has issued five walks over eight innings.

Lyles was in position for a win Wednesday against the Giants but manager Walt Weiss pulled him one out shy of qualifying in an eventual 10-6 victory.

Billy Hamilton is expected to rejoin Cincinnati's lineup after missing two games to rest his surgically repaired shoulder. He's hitting .185 through 11 games.

Zack Cozart has been playing well atop the order, improving his batting average to .483 with a 2-for-4 day in Sunday's 4-3 loss to the Cardinals. He has hit safely in all eight of his starts.

The Rockies have won 12 of the last 18 meetings while batting .307 and averaging 6.5 runs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cubs (9-3) at Cardinals (7-5)

Game: 1
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: April 18, 2016 8:09 PM EDT

It's fitting that the first meeting of the season between the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals will see both John Lackey and Jason Heyward return to Busch Stadium.

Those players were on the opposite side a season ago when the upstart Cubs knocked off the Cardinals in an NL division series and could be greeted rudely by the St. Louis faithful in Monday night's three-game series opener.

St. Louis (7-5) has been to five straight postseasons and won 100 games last year for the first time in 10 years before its run of capturing four straight division series ended with a four-game loss to Chicago, which captured the league's second wild card.

The Cubs (9-3) then strengthened themselves in the offseason, most notably from a St. Louis perspective by the free agent signings of Lackey (2-0, 5.68 ERA) and Heyward.

The Heyward signing seemed to signal a changing of the guard in the NL Central, as Chicago not only splashed out a $184 million, eight-year contract for him but also held his introductory press conference at the swanky Spiaggia Restaurant in the city's famed Magnificent Mile. The outfielder indicated that the Cubs' youth was a major reason why he signed with them.

'I felt like if I were to look up in three years and see a completely different team, that would kind of be different for me,' Heyward said. 'Chicago really offers an opportunity to come and really be introduced to the culture by a young group of guys, grow up with them and watch them grow up and still watch myself grow up and have some fun with familiar faces for a long time.'

Heyward, though, is off to a slow start for Chicago, going 9 for 44.

The Cardinals took exception to the notion they are an older club. There's also a culture clash between the no-nonsense, buttoned-down culture in St. Louis compared to the fun-loving atmosphere with the lovable Cubs, who held disco parties after games last year with the blessing of colorful manager Joe Maddon.

Unsurprisingly, St. Louis manager Mike Matheny tried to downplay Monday's opener between baseball's top offenses. The Cardinals are averaging 7.1 runs and the Cubs 5.9.

"I will say this, I know there's going to be some electricity in the stadium, because our fans are into this thing too and that does influence, you can't help it, it influences the atmosphere on the field so we're excited about that but when it comes down to it, if our guys are doing anything different, or if they're playing any harder, we've got some conversations that we've got to have," Matheny said.

Lackey went 16-13 with a 3.10 ERA in 43 starts with the Cardinals since being acquired from Boston on July 31, 2014, before he signed a two-year deal with Chicago. He'll take the mound at Busch for the first time since going 7 1-3 innings in a 4-0 victory over the Cubs in the Division Series opener in rosier times for the Cardinals.

The right-hander has never faced St. Louis in the regular season. The available Cardinals he has faced the most are Brandon Moss (4 for 8) and Matt Holliday (0 for 7).

He gave up two runs in 6 2-3 innings in Wednesday's 9-2 rout of Cincinnati.

Lackey will be opposed by Mike Leake (0-1, 6.97), who has yielded four runs in each of his first two starts after he lasted six innings in Wednesday's no-decision in a 6-4 loss to Milwaukee.

Leake went 0-1 with a 3.67 ERA in four 2015 starts versus the Cubs. Anthony Rizzo is 10 for 30 with two homers against him.

The Cubs, who dropped two of three to Colorado over the weekend, sport an NL-best 5-1 road mark. The Cardinals have taken two of three in a pair of series to begin this nine-game homestand, not starting Yadier Molina for some rest in Sunday's 4-3 win over the Reds.

Molina is expected to return to the lineup for Monday's much-anticipated contest.

"We do need the build-up for the good of the game and the excitement, it's been a long-time rivalry," Matheny said. "But now the ability to have all the excitement about them, I think there's some excitement about us, around here at least. So now we get to go out and stop all the talking and play the game."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (5-7) at White Sox (8-4)

Game: 1
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: April 18, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

The White Sox and Angels are off to slow offensive starts, but Chicago has been able to compensate with strong pitching more often than not.

Both clubs will be looking to ignite their lineups in Monday night's series opener at U.S. Cellular Field.Though Chicago's 2.49 ERA leads the American League, the team's pitching was finally unable to bail out its cold bats this past weekend against Tampa Bay. The White Sox dropped consecutive games for the first time and were held to five runs during the three-game series, striking out 28 times.

The middle of the order, in particular, continues to struggle, with Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier hitting a combined .187.

Chicago is 3-3 when allowing three runs or more.

"It's a rough stretch, but if you told me we'd be 8-4 right now I'd take it any day of the week," said Frazier, who struck out in all four at-bats Sunday. "(I) might be trying to do too much. In a stretch like this, you have to hit strikes and I haven't been doing that. We missed a lot of pitches."

The Angels (5-7) were swept on the road by the Twins, who had started 0-9. Los Angeles was held to four hits in Sunday's 3-2, 12-inning loss, including just two after Albert Pujols' first-inning two-run homer. It's already the third time they've been limited to four hits or fewer.

Pujols is batting .196, while Mike Trout is off to a slow start as well at .233.

"We haven't been able to open some things up," manager Mike Scioscia said. "It's going to start not with just one guy. There are some guys here that need to get into their game, and once it does, I think this lineup, the way this lineup is stacked, I think it makes a lot of sense."

Scioscia gives the ball to Hector Santiago (0-0, 3.95 ERA), who lost his only previous start against his former team Aug. 11 when he gave up three runs over 5 1-3 innings in a 3-0 road defeat. Santiago opened his career with the White Sox, going 8-10 with a 3.41 ERA over 78 games from 2011-13, including 27 starts, before being traded in a four-player deal.

He gave up four runs over 7 2-3 innings without a decision in Tuesday's 5-4 win at Oakland.

Chicago counters with a fellow left-hander in Carlos Rodon (1-1, 1.38), who is off to an impressive start in his first full season. Rodon is 6-3 with a 1.73 ERA over his last 10 games going back to Aug. 11 - when he struck out a career-high 11 over seven innings in a 3-0 win against the Angels.

Rodon scattered three hits over six innings in a 3-0 victory at Minnesota on Wednesday, though he was inefficient, walking five on 107 pitches. "His strength and endurance is something that's going to be a calling card for him, because he can continue on," manager Robin Ventura said. "Right there, he's throwing too many pitches, but as the game's going on you can see him getting stronger."

The White Sox held Los Angeles to 14 runs in winning last season's series 4-3.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Brewers (5-7) at Twins (3-9)

Game: 1
Venue: Target Field
Date: April 18, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

Teddy Higuera is the only pitcher in the history of the Milwaukee Brewers to start a season without allowing an earned run in three straight starts. Chase Anderson is an unlikely candidate to become the second.

The Brewers look to win for a third time with Anderson on the mound as they try to snap the Minnesota Twins' winning streak Monday night.

Anderson tossed five scoreless innings in a 6-4 win over Houston in his Brewers debut April 8. He was tagged for three runs - all unearned - in the first inning Wednesday, but he followed up with five scoreless before getting a no-decision in a 6-4 win at St. Louis.

That's a major improvement after he was hammered for 19 runs and five homers in 14 2-3 innings over five starts during spring training.

He's already joined Earl Stephenson (1972) as the only pitchers to not allow an earned run in his first two starts with the Brewers. However, Anderson has a chance to match Higuera's 1990 record of no earned runs against through the first three starts of a season.

"I know in spring training he was working on some stuff, and now you see it (coming to) fruition," catcher Jonathan Lucroy told MLB's official website. "You've got a guy who can pretty much throw any pitch in any count, any time he wants. When you have a guy like that, you're going to have a long night (as a hitter)."

The Brewers (5-7) have had plenty of those themselves, batting .213 and averaging 3.3 runs, and their 114 strikeouts trail only San Diego's 128 for the most in the NL.

Lucroy is 2 for 15 in four games after hitting .346 during a season-opening seven-game hitting streak. He's a .349 hitter in 11 career games at Minnesota.

He had one of the Brewers' six singles in Sunday's 9-3 loss at Pittsburgh.

Ryan Braun is expected to be back after getting Sunday off. He could be used as the designated hitter, and he's 10 for 20 with two homers, three doubles and five RBIs over the last six meetings with the Twins.

The Twins (3-9) enter this four-game, two-city series after beating the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 in 12 innings Sunday to sweep the three-game set.

Ten-year veteran Phil Hughes (0-2, 4.38) takes the ball opposite the Brewers for the first time.

The right-hander lost his first four starts last year and could use some help from the offense to avoid moving closer to matching that. He's only been backed by two runs through two starts, and he got none while allowing three and striking out seven in 6 1-3 innings of a 3-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

Oswaldo Arcia is 5 for 9 with one homer and three RBIs over the last two games after going 0 for 8 in his first three games. The left fielder, who hit 20 homers in 2014, is trying to prove he belongs in the majors after spending nearly all of last year in the minors.

"I guess I have to keep reminding myself that that lad is still 24," general manager Terry Ryan said. "It seems like he's 34, he's been around so long. But he's 24 years old and I've got to remember that and make sure everybody else remembers that as well."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (5-8) at Giants (7-6)

Game: 1
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: April 18, 2016 10:15 PM EDT

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale figures to turn back to his usual lineup for the four-game series opener against the San Francisco Giants after giving some regulars some rest.

Yasmany Tomas doesn't look like he needs any days off after a red-hot weekend.

Tomas and the Diamondbacks just captured a series for the first time and continue this trip Monday night against a Giants team that was abysmal at home in this series a year ago.

Hale did not start slugger Paul Goldschmidt, right fielder David Peralta, second baseman Jean Segura, center fielder Socrates Brito and catcher Welington Castillo in Sunday's 7-3 win over San Diego after losing 5-3 in 14 innings the night before. Arizona (5-8) responded with its second-highest scoring effort of the year.

'It felt good,' Hale said. 'Most people that saw the lineup were wondering what we were doing. But with all those innings last night, we turned to our guys that didn't play as much. Very proud of them. They battled.'

Tomas was the star as he went 3 for 4 with his first multihomer effort and three RBIs. He was 7 for 14 with six runs scored as the Diamondbacks took two of three after he entered the series with four hits in 23 at-bats.

'I feel really happy,' Tomas said through a translator. 'I believe those two homers were really great for the team because it was the first series we won this year."

The Diamondbacks were happy often at AT&T Park last season, capturing eight of 10 games there for their best winning percentage in a year at San Francisco (7-6) in club history.

They'll look to add to the woes of Giants starter Jake Peavy (0-1, 10.00 ERA), who has been one of baseball's worst pitchers in allowing 10 runs over nine innings.

He surrendered six runs in four innings to lose in Wednesday's 10-6 defeat at Colorado, yielding a franchise-record 10 extra-base hits. The veteran right-hander became the first pitcher to allow 10 since Boston's Curt Schilling on Aug. 10, 2006.

"The stuff was there, execution was just simply poor," Peavy said.

Peavy went 1-1 with a 7.20 ERA in two 2015 starts versus the Diamondbacks. Goldschmidt, batting just .205, is 2 for 7 with a homer against him.

Arizona has scratched Rubby De La Rosa from this outing after he was needed out of the bullpen Saturday. Archie Bradley, recalled from the minors Sunday, will make his 2016 debut.

Bradley, who went 2-3 with a 5.80 ERA in eight starts as a rookie with the Diamondbacks last year, was in his hotel room in El Paso, Texas when he learned he was promoted.

"Obviously it was a welcome phone call, but then kind of went into panic mode trying to pack and figure everything out," Bradley told MLB's official website. "Happy to be here, though."

The right-hander faced the Giants once, giving up two runs in 6 2-3 innings in a 7-6, 12-inning win April 16, 2015.

San Francisco starts a 10-game homestand after losing for the fourth time in five games, 3-1 on Sunday to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Buster Posey is in a 1-for-16 slump and Matt Duffy was hitless in 12 at-bats over the weekend. Posey, though, batted .333 with 15 RBIs last season against Arizona.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Monday's games

National League games

Mets @ Phillies
Syndergaard is 3-0, 1.82 in his last four starts (under.3-1).

Eickhoff is 3-1, 1.35 in his last six starts; under is 5-3 in his last eight.

Mets won three of their last four games. Phillies won four of their last six games; under is 5-2 in their home games. Philly is 0-4 in series openers.

Nationals @ Marlins
Roark is 1-2, 2.28 in his last four starts (under 3-1).

Fernandez is 0-2, 4.32 in his last three starts; three of his last four at home went over.

Washington won seven of its last eight games; three of their last four games got over the total. Miami lost its last four games; they're 0-5 at home, with all five games going over the total.

Rockies @ Reds
Lyles is 0-5, 8.91 in his last eight starts; three of his last four went over.

Straily is making first start for Reds; he's 0-1, 6.46 in his last three starts. Straily is 13-13 in 45 career major league starts (27 of 45 were in 2013).

Colorado won four of its last five games; three of its last four road games stayed under total. Cincinnati is 1-5 on road; five of the six games went over the total. .

Cubs @ Cardinals
Ex-Cardinal Lackey is 3-0, 4.70 in his last four starts; his last three went over.

Leake is 1-3, 4.76 in his last five starts; under is 5-3 in his last eight starts.

Cubs won six of their last eight games; five of their last seven games went over total. St Louis won seven of its last nine games (over 7-2). .

Diamondbacks @ Giants
Bradley is making first '16 start (De la Rosa pitched in relief in 14th inning Saturday night in San Diego); Bradley is 1-3, 10.91 in his last four starts, last of which was back on June 1, 2015.

Peavy is 0-1, 10.00 in two starts this month; five of his last seven starts went over.

Arizona is 4-7 in its last 11 games; they're 0-4 in game following a win. Under is 6-3 in their last nine games. Giants lost four of their last five games (over 3-1-1).


American League games

Blue Jays @ Red Sox
Happ is 3-0, 1.84 in his last five starts; five of his last six stayed under.

Buchholz is 0-2, 9.49 in his last three starts; both his starts this month went over.

Toronto lost four of its its last five road games (under is 6-1 in their last seven games overall). Red Sox won three of their last four games, all of which stayed under.

Angels @ White Sox
Santiago is 0-0, 6.17 in his last four starts; over is 4-1 in his last five road starts.

Rodon is 4-1, 1.60 in his last five starts; under is 5-1-1 in his last seven.

Chicago won six of its last nine games (under 7-2-1 in last ten). Angels lost last three games; under is 7-4 in their last eleven games.


Interleague

Brewers @ Marlins
Anderson is 1-0, 2.01 in his last four starts; over is 3-2 in his last five road starts .

Hughes is 1-5, 5.90 in his last six starts (under 4-1-1).

Milwaukee lost three of its last four games; six of its last nine went over. Miami lost all five home games; all five went over he total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'On the Diamond'

Washington at Miami April 18, 7:10 EST

The opening matchup of a four game series is Monday’s baseball betting focus as Washington takes on Miami at Marlins Park. It's not difficult making a case for Nationals who have opened the campaign an impressive 9-2 stuffing +$623 into betting accounts. However, Miami having Jose Fernandez on the mound is enough to conclude Marlins are the right choice.

History shows Jose Fernandez loves pitching in front of the friendly crowd at Marlins Park. In the righthanders 27 starts at the venue he is 17-1 with Miami 23-4 in those games. The dominance is reflected by the fact he's allowed an average 1.92 runs/game over the span with a 205-45 strikeout-to-walk ratio.

Additionally, Miami owns a profitable 11-2 record at home off a loss handing the ball to Fernandez, 4-1 record at home vs Nationals with Fernandez on the mound. Finally, Fernandez will be trading pitches with Tanner Roark carrying a 2-4 career record vs Marlins.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Monday's six-pack

Week 1 NFL pointspreads

Carolina @ Denver (-1)...........................Chicago @ Houston (-4.5)
Tampa Bay @ Atlanta (-3.5)..................Green Bay @ Jacksonville (+3.5)
Minnesota @ Tennessee (+3).................Miami @ Seattle (-7.5)
Cleveland @ Philadelphia (-7.5)..............NJ Giants @ Dallas (-5.5)
NJ Jets @ Cincinnati (even)....................Detroit @ Indianapolis (-5.5)
Oakland @ New Orleans (-1.5)...............New England @ Arizona (even)
San Diego @ Kansas City (-7.5).............Pittsburgh @ Washington (+3)
Buffalo @ Baltimore (-3).........................Los Angeles @ San Francisco (+2.5)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sharp Bettor

Sharp Bettor's Free Pick for Monday, April 18, 2016, NBA. 04/18 07:35 PM NBA (521) HOUSTON ROCKETS VS (522) GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS.

Play UNDER the total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Roz Wins

Roz's Monday, April 18, 2016, Free MLB Pick:

Washington at Miami. Miami is a huge park and the Under is 10-4-1 in the Nationals last 15 games vs. a right-handed starter.

Play Washington/Miami Under the total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dave Cokin

Bonus Play Monday

963 ANGELS (Santiago) at WHITE SOX (Rodon) 8:10 PM

Take: WHITE SOX -120

I’m not normally one to sound the bad line alert. But I think we’re seeing quite a few of those in the early going as far as the Angels are concerned. I might end up being dead wrong on this assessment, but I don’t think the Halos are going to be any good this season, I bet them Under on their win total, and it looks to me like the numbers on their early season games have been consistently off.

Note this isn’t a shot at the oddsmakers. The comment is more tilted toward the bettors, who must have a different collective view than I do regarding the Angels. But it’s also worth noting that the money showed against the Halos the last couple of days, and I expect the same thing to happen here.

Carlos Rodon will make the start for the White Sox tonight, and he’s one of the rising pitching stars in baseball. Rodon has a great four-pitch arsenal, and while his control is not always spot on, this lefty’s potential is Cy Young level. Rodon is just plain nasty and when he’s hitting his spots, he’s a nightmare for opposing hitters.

The tough part of handicapping Rodon at this point is that there’s really no way of knowing if he’s going to be crushing the strike zone or having command issues. Once that inconsistency is cured, the sky’s the limit. His first two starts this season serve as a prime example. But it’s also important to note that in his most recent start, the damage done was pretty limited even though it was a game where Rodon issued far too many walks.

I like Rodon’s chances against an Angels offense that just isn’t doing much right now. Mike Trout will eventually break out, but for the present he’s struggling a bit, and the supporting cast is not impressive. Yunel Escobar is doing pretty well, Kole Calhoun is continuing to improve, and Albert Pujols can still send a mistake into orbit. But this is decidedly not a scary lineup right now and if Rodon is sharp tonight, the Halos are in trouble.

Hector Santiago is well down the list as far as my starting pitcher rankings are concerned. I’ll admit he’s surprised me to some extent in finding ways to hang in despite below average metrics, and it’s not like he’s facing murderer’s row tonight. Todd Frazier is in one of his long swing slumps to start the season. The White Sox walk rate thus far is absurdly low, and it’s actually kind of amazing that they’re off to a good start in spite of some glaring offensive deficiencies.

But as bad as the Chisox have been with the sticks, the Angels have actually been even worse. So for me, this is pretty much all about the pitching, and I give the hosts check marks on both the starter and the bullpen here. I made Rodon a considerably higher number here, so I’ve got not problem spotting the 6:5 odds currently available on the White Sox.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Jim Feist

Jim Feist's Comp NBA Pick, Monday, April 18, 2016 8:10 PM ET

(963) LOS ANGELES ANGELS VS (964) CHICAGO WHITE SOX

Take: UNDER

Reason: Your Bonus Play for Monday, April 18, 2016 is in the MLB scheduled contest between the LA Angels and Chicago White Sox. The LA Angels were just the medicine that the Minnesota Twins needed. The Twins started the season 0-9 before sweeping the Angels in their three game series. The Angels offense has been sputtering badly thus far, scoring just 36 total runs over 12 games, third worst in the A.L. The White Sox have started fast, winning eight of their first 10 before losing the last two games. Their pitching has been solid, allowing just 32 runs over 12 games, that's best in the A.L. The Sox have been a good under team, going 6-17-3 O/U/P in their last 26 games overall. The way the Angels are hitting coupled with the excellent White Sox pitching is a recipe for this game to go UNDER.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Matt Josephs

NYM vs PHI

Bonus Play UNDER 6.5

The Phillies have won six games this season without having double digit hits in a single game. They have played in seven unders in their 13 contests overall and that's also because of solid starting pitching. Jerad Eickhoff has gone 12 innings this season giving up three runs and nine hits. He faced the Mets back on April 8th when he held them to three runs and five hits in five innings. The righty is 1-3 with a 2.88 ERA and a WHIP of 1.000 in four career starts against New York. Noah Syndergaard has given up just one run in two outings. He has 21 strikeouts to just two walks and should have few problems navigating this Phillies lineup. Philly is hitting .180 in night games while the Mets are hitting a lusty .222. These two pitchers should be able to do some work on Monday.