Monday 5/16/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Reds (15-22) at Indians (17-17)

Game: 1
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: May 16, 2016 6:10 PM EDT

The Cleveland Indians are hoping a day off will help Marlon Byrd and Rajai Davis regain some confidence.

Byrd and Davis are expected to be back in the lineup Monday night when the Indians host the Cincinnati Reds.

The outfield duo both sat out in Sunday's 5-1 defeat to Minnesota. Byrd is struggling at .231 with five hits in his last 35 at-bats while Davis is at .210 with 18 consecutive hitless at-bats.

These Ohio rivals will play twice in Cleveland this week before two games in Cincinnati. This contest marks the second start by the Indians' Cody Anderson since he was recalled from the minors on May 7.

Anderson (0-3, 7.31 ERA) was sent down after going 0-1 with a 7.65 ERA in his first four starts. He returned and lost his first start back before also losing in relief Wednesday by allowing Marwin Gonzalez's winning two-run homer over 3 1/3 innings in a 5-3, 16-inning loss at Houston.

The Indians (17-17) have lost all six games he has appeared in.

"Whenever you are going through things like this, you've just got to focus on keeping the ball down and trusting your defense and not try to do too much," Anderson said.

The right-hander is 0-2 with a 5.49 ERA in four career interleague starts entering his first versus the Reds.

Cincinnati (15-22) has dropped 13 of its last 14 games at Cleveland.

The Reds are hoping Adam Duvall continues his strong hitting from over the weekend as he went 7 for 11 with four doubles as they lost two of three in Philadelphia. Duvall doubled in the first run of the game in Sunday's 9-4 victory.

"I think the main thing is letting the ball get a little bit deeper so I can hopefully cut down on strikeouts that way and use the middle of the field because I think there's a lot of hits in the middle of the field," he said. "That's the approach and that's what I've been working on and what I've been continuing to work on."

Joey Votto, meanwhile, was hitless in 10 at-bats with six strikeouts in the City of Brotherly Love to see his average drop to .215.

That's still a better mark than Cleveland's Yan Gomes, expected to be back in the lineup after a day off as he will try to improve on a .167 average that is one of baseball's worst.

Cleveland will face John Lamb (0-0, 1.80) for the first time. Lamb is making his third start after being activated earlier this month following back surgery.

The left-hander hasn't pitched since he left in the top of the fifth May 8 in a 5-4 loss to Milwaukee due to a sprained left thumb. The Reds have lost 10 of his 12 career starts, with Lamb posting a 5.13 ERA in them.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Braves (9-27) at Pirates (19-17)

Game: 1
Venue: PNC Park
Date: May 16, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

The Pittsburgh Pirates closed a sub-par stretch within their own division on a high note, making it a bit easier to step away for the next three weeks.

The MLB-worst Atlanta Braves should make for an easy transition.

The Pirates open a 24-game run outside of the NL Central with Monday night's opener of a four-game series against the Braves, who are trudging through their latest slump.

Pittsburgh (19-17) avoided a sweep at the hands of the Central-leading Chicago Cubs with Sunday's 2-1 victory, capping a 6-8 stretch within the division.

That span ended with a 4-4 trip, but the Pirates open a 10-game stay at PNC Park hoping to snap a four-game skid there. They are 12-11 against Central foes but won't face another until hosting St. Louis from June 10-12.

The Cubs pounded Pittsburgh for 17 runs in the first two games of their weekend set, but ace Gerrit Cole gave up just three hits in eight scoreless innings Sunday.

Jonathon Niese looks to take that momentum and turn it into the club's ninth win in 12 games against Atlanta (9-27), which enters riding a 2-8 slump.

Niese (3-2, 5.63 ERA) had coughed up 15 runs over 15 1/3 innings in three outings before settling in with his second quality start last Monday in Cincinnati. The left-hander gave up seven hits and three runs in 6 2/3 innings of a 3-2 loss. All the runs came on solo homers - the fourth time this season Niese has given up more than one.

"There's too many positives in this outing to dwell on the negatives," he told MLB's official website. "The biggest negative was we lost. But there were a lot of positives. I'm going to take those and run with them and build off them for my next start."

Niese faced Atlanta plenty during eight years with the New York Mets and netted mostly positive results. He is 9-6 with a 3.08 ERA in 22 starts against the Braves, and in his last nine he is 3-2 with a 2.30 ERA.

Jeff Francoeur and Kelly Johnson are each 4 for 11 in the matchup, but Freddie Freeman is the Atlanta batter with the most experience against Niese. The slugging first baseman is 11 for 49 against him with two doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs.

The Braves counter with Williams Perez, who looks to continue making his pitch to remain in the starting rotation.

Perez (1-0, 3.54) failed to last five innings in his first three starts and was subsequently demoted to Triple-A Gwinnett. But after getting recalled Wednesday to replace the traded Jhoulys Chacin, the right-hander delivered one of the best starts of his young career in a 5-1 win over Philadelphia.

Perez matched a career high with eight innings and held the Phillies to two hits and a solo homer in an efficient 85-pitch outing. He became the third Braves pitcher since 2000 to throw 85 or fewer in eight innings, joining Greg Maddux (twice) and Tom Glavine.

With Chacin shipped to the Los Angeles Angels that afternoon, Perez didn't make it to the ballpark until a few hours before first pitch.

"That's pretty incredible," Freeman told MLB's official website. "They seem to do that throughout history, when you just don't know what's going to happen and you get called and you come to the big leagues, and next thing you know, you throw eight innings of one-run ball."

During his rookie 2015 campaign, Perez faced the Pirates twice with poor results, giving up nine hits and six runs in 9 2/3 innings while walking and striking out seven.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Marlins (20-17) at Phillies (22-16)

Game: 1
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: May 16, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

The Philadelphia Phillies are the best team in one-run games this season, and two comeback victories against the Miami Marlins earlier this month are part of that sterling record.

The Phillies will try to make things a little less stressful when the Marlins visit Philadelphia for a three-game series beginning Monday night.

Philadelphia is 14-3 in one-run games and boosted that mark with two wins against Cincinnati to open this weekend. Tyler Goeddel threw out Eugenio Suarez at the plate to finish off a 4-3 victory Saturday.

The Phillies (22-16) couldn't complete a three-game sweep Sunday and their 9-4 loss snapped a string of six consecutive home wins.

"We've been playing so well up to this point and this was a hiccup," manager Pete Mackanin told MLB's official website.

They'll try to bounce back while getting started on another series victory over the Marlins (20-17). Philadelphia won the final two of its three games in Miami earlier this month, scoring the go-ahead runs in the eighth inning both times.

Andres Blanco provided pair of key doubles in a 4-3 win May 7 and a 6-5 victory May 8. Goeddel hit the tying two-bagger in the series finale, his first career extra-base hit.

Miami had won 11 of 12 before those back-to-back defeats and had lost five of seven until back-to-back victories over Washington to close out this weekend. Giancarlo Stanton shook off an outfield collision with Marcell Ozuna to hit his 11th home run, and Ozuna extended his hit streak to 15 games.

"I peeked at (Ozuna). I peeked at the ball. I knew it would get there at the same time," Stanton said of Ryan Zimmerman's flyball that became an inside-the-park home run. "So I started calling it, and he tried to get out of the way at the last second, so we barely skipped our shins together and then hit the ground pretty hard."

Ozuna, a career .328 hitter versus Philadelphia, went 5 for 12 in the three-game series in Miami. He has one double in three career at-bats against Jerad Eickhoff (1-5, 4.43 ERA).

The Phillies right-hander suffered his fourth consecutive loss Wednesday with a 5-1 defeat in Atlanta, allowing four runs in 4 1/3 innings. Eickhoff has a 2.03 ERA in six career home starts for Philadelphia, pitching at least six innings in each, and a 2.25 mark in his three this season.

He tossed six scoreless innings in his only matchup with Miami, a 7-1 road win Aug. 21.

Adam Conley (2-2, 3.72) will try to get back on track following a 10-2 loss to Milwaukee on Tuesday. The left-hander gave up four runs in four innings after pitching 13 scoreless in back-to-back victories.

Conley took a no-hitter into the eighth inning before being lifted in his most recent road game, a 6-3 victory against Milwaukee on April 29. He went 0-1 with a 2.00 ERA in three overall starts against Philadelphia in his rookie season while getting a combined four runs of support.

Martin Prado will try to give him a lift this time while boosting his .374 average and a .310 career mark versus the Phillies. Prado went 6 for 10 with two doubles in the series earlier this month.

Christian Yelich is batting .565 in his last six games against the Phillies and .331 in 33 overall meetings.

Philadelphia's Odubel Herrera, batting .392 in his last 21 games, is 10 or 19 in his last six versus the Marlins and .371 in 22 lifetime matchups.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Sox (24-14) at Royals (18-19)

Game: 1
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: May 16, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

Already one of MLB's best offensive teams over a stretch of two-plus weeks, the Boston Red Sox reached more spectacular heights during a seven-game homestand.

They'll try to carry over those prodigious performances into Monday night's visit to the Kansas City Royals, who have gotten shaky pitching at times lately, and Jackie Bradley Jr. will seek to extend his hit streak to 22 games.

Boston was batting .302 with 97 runs in the 18 games before its homestand and kicked that up to .369 while winning six of seven at Fenway Park. The Red Sox (24-14) outscored their two opponents 73-37 and rallied after blowing an early four-run lead Sunday for a 10-9 victory against Houston.

Mookie Betts hit the go-ahead triple in the seventh inning, and Xander Bogaerts contributed a three-run homer in the second. Bogaerts is batting .408 in his last 24 games and has driven in seven runs in his past four.

"We are getting contributions up and down the lineup," manager John Farrell said. "It's fun to be a part of."

Bradley, who singled in the fifth to extend his streak, is hitting .402 with a .768 slugging percentage and 26 RBIs in his last 21 games. David Ortiz was given the day off after finishing a single shy of the cycle and hitting the winning 11th-inning double in a 6-5 victory Saturday.

Ortiz is batting .341 with seven homers, 11 doubles and 23 RBIs in his last 22 games. In his final series in Kansas City, the retiring slugger will face a rotation that has a 7.07 ERA in its last 11 games.

The Royals' staff has a 5.13 ERA in its past 12 contests but allowed a combined eight runs while taking two of three from lowly Atlanta this weekend, including a 4-2 victory in 13 innings Sunday.

"There's a lot of harmony in the clubhouse. Everyone is pulling for each other," designated hitter Kendrys Morales told MLB's official website following his game-ending home run.

Yordano Ventura (3-2, 4.62 ERA) is coming off a 7-3 win against the New York Yankees on Wednesday. The right-hander gave up three runs in six innings after allowing a combined 10 in back-to-back losses, lasting just four innings each time.

Ventura gave up one run in six innings in his only matchup with Boston last season, a 6-3 win Aug. 22.

Rick Porcello bounced back from his only loss this season with a 13-3 victory against Oakland on Wednesday, allowing three runs in 6 2/3 innings.

Porcello (6-1, 3.11) has a 7.20 ERA while losing his last three starts against the Royals and gave up six runs in five innings in his lone meeting last season, a 7-4 defeat in Kansas City on June 20.

Boston went 4-3 against the Royals in 2015 but has won five of seven in Kansas City. The Red Sox will try to extend a pair of streaks in the first matchup this season.

They have homered in 16 consecutive games, the second-longest run in franchise history behind a 19-game streak in 1996. They also have double-digit hits in each contest in their homestand.

Boston hasn't recorded 10-plus hits in eight straight games since a run of 11 in May 2008.

Bogaerts is batting .433 in his last seven matchups with Kansas City, and Mookie Betts is a career .420 hitter against the Royals. Bradley has a lifetime .229 average in 11 meetings, and Ortiz is hitting .193 with one homer in his last 15.

Lorenzo Cain, batting .361 in his last 15 games, is 5 for 13 versus Porcello.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rays (16-19) at Blue Jays (19-20)

Game: 1
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: May 16, 2016 7:07 PM EDT

The Toronto Blue Jays would prefer to avoid developing a bad habit when it comes to J.A. Happ's starts against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The only two losses they've suffered this season in games Happ has started came at the hands of the Rays, but their recent run production for the left-hander may keep it from becoming a trend in Monday night's opener of a three-game set at Rogers Centre.

Despite the fact Happ (5-0, 2.05 ERA) has put in a quality start in both his outings versus Tampa Bay (16-19) this season, Toronto has lost twice in the late innings and the southpaw has walked away with a no-decision each time.

Happ tossed six innings of two-run ball in his season debut April 6 and left with a one-run lead, but the Rays scored three times in the eighth for a 5-3 victory. He wasn't in line for a victory April 30 when he departed a tie game after tossing 6 2/3 innings before the Blue Jays (19-20) lost 4-3 on Curt Casali's walkoff single in the ninth.

Plating runs for Happ has been a bit more generous in his two starts since that loss. Toronto has scored 15 times with Happ on the mound in those outings, though it hasn't exactly needed those numbers with him turning in two solid performances.

Happ's last start was a gem in which he tossed 8 2/3 innings and gave up six hits with five strikeouts in a 4-0 win at San Francisco on Tuesday. He threw 75 of 111 pitches for strikes and permitted just three runners past first base until the ninth.

He is 12-1 with a 1.68 ERA in 16 starts dating to Aug. 19.

"Happ was tremendous," manager John Gibbons said Tuesday. "He's a different cat now. He's on a nice little roll. The last couple of months last year, this year, it has been a pleasure to watch. He's a pitcher now, he's not a thrower."

Toronto could use another solid start from him after losing three of four since his win over the Giants. The Jays dropped the last two of a weekend series at Texas to close a 3-3 trip and will head back out on the road for seven games after this series.

The finale of the road swing got a little heated when Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor punched Jose Bautista after the Blue Jays slugger took him out with a hard slide. A feud has simmered between the clubs since Bautista's bat flip in last year's AL Division Series boiled over into a wild brawl that led to eight ejections.

"I was pretty surprised," Bautista said after the 7-6 loss. "I mean, obviously, that's the only reason that he got me and he got me pretty good, so I have to give him that. It takes a little bit bigger man to knock me down."

The Rays would welcome a strong starting performance after a 1-5 stretch in which their rotation has posted a 5.79 ERA while allowing opposing hitters to bat .290.

One of Tampa Bay's losses in that span came in left-hander Drew Smyly's worst outing of the season. Smyly (1-4, 3.63 ERA) was touched for six runs and 10 hits in a 6-4 loss at Seattle on Tuesday.

"Just a bad night," Smyly said. "They hit every bad pitch I made. They hit a few good pitches I made. I just wasn't very good. My stuff wasn't very sharp."

Except for an eight-run outburst in his only win this season at the New York Yankees on April 24, the Rays have scored eight combined runs for him in the other six starts.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Twins (10-26) at Tigers (16-21)

Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: May 16, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

Perhaps Jordan Zimmermann would still be unbeaten if his mound opponents in his last two starts weren't among the game's best.

This time, he faces an easier assignment against the AL's worst team with a rookie pitching opposite him.

Zimmermann and the Detroit Tigers open a three-game home series Monday night against the Minnesota Twins, who are giving Jose Berrios his fourth big league start.

The Tigers right-hander began 5-0 before losing to Cole Hamels of Texas and Max Scherzer of Washington in his last two starts, allowing six runs over 15 innings and gaining one run of support. He posted a 0.55 ERA in winning his first five outings.

Zimmermann (5-2, 1.50 ERA) last won when he gave up one run over seven innings April 30 in a 4-1 victory over the Twins. He's 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA in two starts versus Minnesota (10-26) with 15 strikeouts in 14 innings.

Brian Dozier has the most at-bats among the Twins against Zimmermann, going 0 for 6. The struggling Dozier is batting .218 and sat out Sunday's 5-1 victory at Cleveland.

Detroit (16-21) will get its first look at Berrios (1-1, 6.28), who has 19 strikeouts over 14 1/3 innings with eight walks as his command has been lacking at times. He allowed three runs in five innings in a no-decision in Tuesday's 5-3 defeat to Baltimore.

The 21-year-old right-hander was named Minnesota's minor league pitcher of the year in 2015 as he split time at the Double-A and Triple-A levels.

Dozier wasn't the only Minnesota player out of Sunday's lineup with slugger Trevor Plouffe getting the day off. Manager Paul Molitor put together an odd lineup as the Twins won their second straight after an eight-game losing streak and captured their first road series.

"We've tried some different things which makes sense to do when you're having trouble winning," Molitor said. "You take out a couple of your regular guys that you rely on almost on a daily basis and give other people an opportunity."

Joe Mauer stayed in the lineup and went 0 for 4 to drop to 6 for 37 (.162) in his last 11 games.

The Tigers swept three games in Minnesota from April 29-May 1. Nick Castellanos went 6 for 11 with two homers and seven RBIs, Victor Martinez was 9 for 13 and Justin Upton 7 for 13.

Martinez leads the AL with a .352 average with Castellanos second at .344.

Detroit opens a nine-game homestand after avoiding a four-game sweep with Sunday's 6-5 win over the Orioles to cap a 2-5 trip. The Tigers erased an eighth-inning deficit on solo homers by J.D. Martinez and Miguel Cabrera.

"At the end we were able to sneak one away there," J.D. Martinez said. "Those aren't supposed to happen."

Help could be on the way for the Tigers since outfielder Cameron Maybin is expected to be activated on this homestand after being out with a broken wrist.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (16-20) at Diamondbacks (17-23)

Game: 1
Venue: Chase Field
Date: May 16, 2016 9:40 PM EDT

A successful homestand injected some much-needed confidence into the New York Yankees. A winless one has the Arizona Diamondbacks at a new low.

Both will try to move up from last place in their respective divisions when the Yankees visit the Diamondbacks on Monday night.

New York (16-20) was facing major offensive issues during a 1-7 rut earlier this month and entered a 10-game homestand buried in last place in the AL East. The Yankees are still there but just barely and with a whole new perspective after leaving with seven wins.

The best part: they won each of their series against rival Boston, defending World Series champion Kansas City and the AL-Central Chicago White Sox.

'It really shows we're capable of winning against good teams,' Carlos Beltran said.

A boost in run production played a huge part. New York had averaged 2.57 runs its previous 21 games but churned them out at a rate of 4.8 per game the last three series at Yankee Stadium.

Beltran hit his fourth home run of the homestand in Sunday's 7-5 win over the White Sox - becoming the fourth MLB switch hitter with 400 in his career - and Brian McCann also went deep.

Chase Headley lined a pinch-hit tiebreaking double in the seventh inning, capping a .333 homestand - which moved his batting average to a season-high .200 after entering at .151.

'Obviously, it's a big homestand for the whole team,' Headley said. 'I think we're playing the way we're capable of.'

While New York's lineup is finally clicking - and will try to give the Yankees their 12th win in the last 16 meetings of this series - Arizona's has stumbled during a five-game skid.

The Diamondbacks (17-23) have scored seven runs their last four games, and shuffling their lineup didn't help in Sunday's 2-1 loss to San Francisco - opening a seven-game homestand with a four-game sweep.

Arizona's lone run came on Paul Goldschmidt's sacrifice fly, and the Diamondbacks stranded runners at third four other times, twice with one out. Goldschmidt was moved to fourth in the lineup, while Chris Owings shifted from center field to shortstop, and catcher Chris Herrmann manned center.

Michael Bourn was also promoted from Double-A and is likely to see time in center field.

'It is difficult to score runs, more difficult than people think, when a runner is on third,' manager Chip Hale said. '(But) we are not doing a good job offensively that way. We have to get better.'

They will try to do it against Chad Green, who makes his MLB debut after Michael Pineda's start was pushed back to Tuesday.

The 24-year-old right-hander posted a 1.22 ERA in seven starts at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before getting called up on Saturday to provide the Yankees with bullpen depth.

Arizona will counter with another 24-year-old, Robbie Ray. After opening the season with three quality starts, Ray (1-2, 4.84 ERA) has failed to complete five innings in three of his last four while compiling a 7.94 ERA.

The left-hander allowed nine hits and five runs - three earned - in 4 2/3 innings of Wednesday's 8-7 loss at Colorado. He walked three but struck out a career-high nine.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (22-16) at Athletics (16-22)

Game: 1
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: May 16, 2016 10:05 PM EDT

Derek Holland's April was about as promising as the Texas Rangers could have hoped for after missing most of the previous two seasons due to injury. May has washed that all out.

He'll try to get back on track Monday night as the Rangers begin a three-game road series with the Oakland Athletics against another struggling left-hander.

Holland (3-2, 6.09 ERA) went 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA in his first five starts and completed at least five innings in each. Over his last two, he's 0-1 with 16 runs allowed in just five total innings. He gave up five runs - four earned - and eight hits in 2 1/3 innings of Tuesday's 13-11 home win over the Chicago White Sox.

He hasn't faced the A's since 2014 but has struggled in his last four starts in the series, going 0-2 with a 5.94 ERA and making it through at least five innings just once. Holland has still fared well against Coco Crisp (4 for 23) and Josh Reddick (2 for 11).

Holland will be trying to guide the Rangers (22-16) to their first game in more than a week of allowing fewer than five runs. They've gone 4-2 in that span because of some strong offensive showings, and the rotation has been strong enough with a 3.58 ERA, but the bullpen has posted a 6.75 mark.

Texas still managed to take two of three from Toronto over the weekend with Sunday's 7-6 win. Nomar Mazara was 2 for 4 and is 6 for 15 in his last four games, while Ian Desmond has heated up by going 10 for 27 with 10 RBIs in his last six.

"They're a very good team, very well-balanced," A's manager Bob Melvin told MLB's official website. "They have a strong lineup, and we're going to see three lefties on top of it."

Holland is up against Sean Manaea, who hasn't yet shown he can make it at the big league level. Manaea (0-1, 11.37 ERA) had the worst start yet of his three the last time out, giving up eight runs and 10 hits in 2 2/3 innings of Tuesday's 13-5 loss in Boston.

The 24-year-old was brought to Oakland in the deal that sent Ben Zobrist to Kansas City, but the touted prospect is struggling with location. It's resulted in four home runs in 12 2/3 innings.

"I was just leaving the ball out over the middle, and they were taking advantage of it," Manaea said. "I felt like I was maybe getting inside, but looking back on it, I was pretty much throwing right down the middle. It's frustrating, because I know I'm a lot better than this."

Oakland (16-22) is relying on him for its first set of consecutive wins since the end of April. The A's took two of three in Tampa Bay over the weekend, including Sunday's 7-6 win, but they're 3-10 this month.

Danny Valencia homered three times in the series finale two days after hitting his first two home runs of the year. The third baseman is batting .405 on a 10-game hitting streak.

"I felt pretty good in the whole series, really," said Valencia, who had been limited for much of the spring by a strained left hamstring. "I got some good pitches to hit and I didn't miss `em. It's just one of those days, one of those experiences. I've never done that before."

The Rangers won the last four games against the A's last season, including a three-game sweep from Sept. 22-24 in Oakland.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (16-21) at Dodgers (20-18)

Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: May 16, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

Los Angeles Dodgers starter Kenta Maeda has struggled since dazzling his way through his first four major league outings. Los Angeles Angels starter Matt Schoemaker has just plain struggled.

They square off Monday night at Dodger Stadium with Maeda looking to help his club to a fifth straight home win in the Freeway Series.

Maeda (3-2, 2.30 ERA) is coming off his shortest outing yet after giving up four runs and six hits in five innings of Wednesday's 4-3 home loss to the New York Mets. He surrendered a pair of home runs and has given up four in his last three starts after serving up one in his first four.

Those three starts have resulted in a 0-2 record and 5.09 ERA after going 3-0 with a 0.36 mark in the first four. What's worse is the right-hander gave up those latest two homers to opposing pitcher Noah Syndergaard.

"They were definitely not good pitches, the ones that he hit for home runs," Maeda told MLB's official website. "It ended up being a regrettable result contributing to a total of four runs."

That'd probably be a step in the right direction for Shoemaker (1-5, 9.12), who returned to the big leagues after a one-start Triple-A stint to lose his fourth straight major league outing. The right-hander gave up four runs and seven hits in four innings of Wednesday's 5-2 home loss to St. Louis.

On the losing streak, he's made it beyond four innings once and has a 10.91 ERA with a .394 opponent batting average. Granted, luck hasn't been on his side. Shoemaker entered the season with a career .286 average on balls in play. This year, it's .345.

"It's frustrating after that second, third run score, especially after some ground-ball hits," Shoemaker said. "That's going to happen in this game, but it's just even more frustrating in that situation. Two feet, three feet, four feet and that's a double-play ball. That's sometimes the name of the game."

Shoemaker lost his only career start against the Dodgers in 2014 after giving up two runs and six hits in six innings of a 2-1 final.

The Angels (16-21) responded to being swept in consecutive series by sweeping Seattle in three over the weekend. Sunday's 3-0 win was Los Angeles' first shutout of the season, but it's been the lineup that's showing consistency. Over the last four games, the Angels are batting .336 with 7.3 runs per game.

Kole Calhoun is 7 for 14 with three walks in that span, while Johnny Giavotella was 6 for 11 in the series.

"We didn't play a perfect series, obviously, but we got enough things done and were fortunate enough to hold some leads," manager Mike Scioscia said.

The Dodgers won five of six in last season's series, including a three-game sweep last year to give them a four-game home winning streak over the Angels.

The Dodgers (20-18) were unable to complete a three-game sweep of St. Louis on Sunday, falling 5-2 despite a pair of home runs from Corey Seager. The shortstop has homered four times in his last five games and is batting .429 in his last nine.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Monday's Diamond Notes
By Kevin Rogers

Hottest team: Yankees (7-3 last 10)
New York is still sitting in last place of the AL East in spite of a 7-3 homestand. The Yankees outlasted the White Sox on Sunday, 7-5 to grab two of three from the AL Central leaders. New York’s offense woke up at home by scoring at least six runs in five of those victories, while the ‘over’ cashed seven times in the past 10 games. The Yankees travel to Arizona for their first game against an NL opponent, as right-hander Chad Green makes his Major League debut for New York on the mound.

Coldest team: Tigers (2-11 last 13)
Detroit avoided the sweep at Baltimore on Sunday with a 6-5 victory, but the Tigers finished its Beltway road trip against the Nationals and Orioles at 2-5. The Tigers have played 12 of their last 15 games away from Comerica Park as the next nine games will take place in the Motor City against the Twins, Rays, and Phillies. Jordan Zimmermann began the season at 5-0 for Detroit, but lost his last two starts to the Rangers and Nationals. In both of those outings, Zimmermann was opposed by Cole Hamels and Max Scherzer, as the Tigers’ ace is opposed by Minnesota rookie Jose Berrios in Monday’s series opener.

Hottest pitcher: J.A. Happ, Blue Jays (5-0, 2.05 ERA)
The Toronto southpaw has put together seven quality starts this season, while coming with one out of a complete game shutout in his last outing at San Francisco. In all three home victories for Happ, the Blue Jays have scored 29 runs, while Toronto is hosting Tampa Bay for the first time this season after the first seven meetings took place at Tropicana Field. The two no-decisions for Happ this season came against the Rays, both Toronto losses as the Jays’ bullpen gave up a lead in each of those defeats.

Coldest pitcher: Cody Anderson, Indians (0-3, 7.31 ERA)
Anderson makes his first start since a May 7 home loss to the Royals. The right-hander is winless in five starts this season, while allowing four earned runs or more in each of his past five starts. Cleveland won five of six matchups with Cincinnati last season, while the Indians have won four consecutive home series openers, which bodes well for the struggling Anderson.

Biggest UNDER run: Phillies (4-1-1 last six at home)
Philadelphia allowed its most runs in the last 13 games in a 9-4 home defeat to Cincinnati on Sunday. The Phillies eclipsed the ‘over’ at home for the first time in the past six games, while snapping a six-game winning streak at Citizens Bank Park (all wins by one run each). In the previous five home victories, the Phillies allowed three runs or less, going 4-0-1 to the ‘under’ prior to Cincinnati’s blowout on Sunday. Jerad Eickhoff takes the mound for the Phillies against the Marlins, as Philadelphia owns a 5-1 mark to the ‘under’ in his previous six outings.

Biggest OVER run: Red Sox (7-0 last seven)
Boston’s offense is coming off an incredible homestand by plating 73 runs in seven games, while going ‘over’ the total in each contest. The Red Sox have finished ‘under’ the total in four of the past six games away from Fenway Park as they travel to Kansas City to begin a three-game series. The Royals were riding an 8-1 mark to the ‘over’ prior to three consecutive ‘unders’ cashed in this past weekend’s series against the Braves. In seven meetings last season between the Red Sox and Royals, the ‘over’ finished 5-1-1.

Matchup to watch: Angels vs. Dodgers
The first edition of the Freeway Series takes place at Chavez Ravine as the Angels look to stay on fire. Following an 0-6 homestand against the Rays and Cardinals, the Halos bounced back in a big way by sweeping the AL West-leading Mariners at Safeco Field, capped off by a victory over Felix Hernandez on Sunday. The Dodgers captured five of six matchups from their Southern California counterparts last season, including a three-game sweep at Dodger Stadium. Dodgers’ right-hander Kenta Maeda has struggled of late by going 0-2 in his last three starts, while allowing 10 earned runs and 15 hits in this span. Matt Shoemaker has failed to win in his last four outings for the Angels, while failing to last past the fourth innings in three straight starts.

Betcha didn’t know: Oakland returns home after rallying past Tampa Bay on Sunday to host Texas. The Athletics own a 1-4 record in home series openers, compared to a 5-2 mark in Game 1’s of a road series. Derek Holland gets the ball for Texas, as the Rangers are 3-1 in his last four starts at the Coliseum, but Texas has compiled a 1-5 record in his past six outings on the road since September 2015.

Biggest public favorite: Dodgers (-180) vs. Angels

Biggest public underdog: Rays (+115) at Blue Jays

Biggest line move: Red Sox (-105 to -110) at Royals

 

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'Runs at a Premium'

Tampa Bay Rays at Toronto Blue Jays - series May 16-18

The upcoming three game series between Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays should grab the attention of 'Under' gamblers. Blue Jays unable to find a consistent stroke at the plate crossing 4.1 runs/game have played 'Under' posted totals 61.5 percent of the time recording 24 'Under', 12 'Over', 3 'Push'. Tampa Bay's hit-and-miss offense batting 2.22 platting 3.6 runs/game have certainly followed in that same vein going 20-11-4 'Under' on the campaign.

The series 14-7-5 'Under', Blue Jays 4-9-1 'Under' for the month of May, Rays with a penchant for making 'Under' bettors happy in an opposing park at 13-4-1 'Under', the arrow is clearly pointing toward 'Under' when the clubs collide north of the border to open the week. Another possitive for 'Under' gamblers, Jays are on a 11-0 'Under' streak vs the division, Rays a 7-1-1 'Under' stretch vs the A.L. East

 

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MLB

Monday's games

National League games

Braves @ Pirates
Perez is 1-0, 3.54 in four starts, three of which went over.

Niese is 0-2, 7.56 in his last three starts; five of his seven starts went over.

Pirates lost eight of last 12 games (over 8-3-1). Atlanta lost eight of its last 10 games; five of its last six gaes stayed under.

Marlins @ Phillies
Conley is 2-1, 2.16 in his last three starts (over 3-2-2).

Eickhoff is 0-4, 5.97 in his last five starts; his last three starts stayed under.

Miami is 14-6 in its last 20 games; over is 10-3-1 in their last 13 road games. Phillies won six of their last eight games- five of their last six home games stayed under.


American League games

Red Sox @ Royals
Porcello is 6-1, 3.11 so far this season; four of his last six starts stayed under.

Ventura is 1-2, 8.36 in his last three starts (under 4-3).

Boston won seven of its last eight games; its last seven games went over. Royals are 4-7 in their last 11 games; their last three games stayed under.

Rays @ Jays
Smyly is 0-2, 5.63 in his last three starts; three of his last four went over.

Happ is 5-0, 1.91 in his last six starts (over 3-3-1).

Tampa Bay lost five of its last six games; four of its last five stayed under. Blue Jays lost three of last four games (over 3-1).

Twins @ Tigers
Berrios is 1-1, 6.28 in three starts; he lasted less than six innings in all three. .

Zimmerman is 5-2, 1.88 in seven starts, five of which stayed under.

Minnesota is 4-16 on the road, but won last two; over is 8-3 in their last 11 games. Detroit lost 11 of last 13 games; seven of its last nine went over.

Rangers @ A's
Holland allowed 16 runs in five IP in his last two starts (over 3-1-1 in last five).

Manaea is 0-1, 11.37 in his first three MLB starts (over 3-0).

Texas won eight of last nine games; seven of its last eight games went over. A's lost 10 of last 12 games; six of their last seven games went over.


Interleague

Reds @ Indians
Lamb is 0-0, 1.80 in two starts this year (under 1-0-1).

Anderson is 0-3, 7.56 in five starts, four of which went over.

Reds lost five of their last seven games; under is 3-1-1 in their last five. Indians lost three of last four games; over is 6-3-1 in their last ten.

Bronx @ Diamondbacks
Green is making first MLB start; he was 2-3, 1.22 in seven AAA starts this year.

Ray is 0-2, 6.95 in his last four starts (under 5-2).

Bronx is 7-3 in its last ten games; six of its last seven games went over. Arizona lost its last five games, all by 1 or 2 runs; its last four games stayed under the total.

Angels @ Dodgers
Shoemaker is 0-4, 12.06 in his last four starts (under 3-1-1 in last five).

Maeda is 0-2, 5.09 in his last three starts (under 4-2-1).

Angels won their last three games; three of their last four games went over. Dodgers won three of last four games; under is 6-3-1 in their last ten.


Teams won-lost records when this pitcher starts:

Atl-Pitt-- Perez 3-1; Niese 5-2
Mia-Phil-- Conley 4-3; Eickhoff 2-5

Bos-KC-- Porcello 6-1; Ventura 5-2
TB-Tor-- Smyly 3-4; Happ 5-2
Minn-Det-- Berrios 1-2; Zimmerman 5-2
Tex-A's-- Holland 4-3; Manaea 1-2

Cin-Clev-- Lamb 0-2; Anderson 0-5
NY-Az-- Green 0-0; Ray 2-5
LAA-LA-- Shoemaker 1-5; Maeda 3-4


Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning:

Atl-Pitt-- Perez 1-4; Niese 1-7
Mia-Phil-- Conley 2-7; Eickhoff 3-7

Bos-KC-- Porcello 2-7; Ventura 3-7
TB-Tor-- Smyly 0-7; Happ 2-7
Minn-Det-- Berrios 0-3; Zimmerman 1-6
Tex-A's-- Holland 2-7; Manaea 1-3

Cin-Clev-- Lamb 2-2; Anderson 3-5
NY-Az-- Green 0-0; Ray 0-7
LAA-LA-- Shoemaker 3-6; Maeda 0-7

 

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Monday's six-pack

Some college football pointspreads for this fall, from the South Point casino:

-- Oct 15: Alabama (-3.5) @ Tennessee

-- Oct 20: BYU @ Boie State (-11.5)

-- Oct 29: Clemson (-1) @ Florida State

-- Nov 5: TCU @ Baylor (-7.5)

-- Nov 12: Stanford @ Oregon (-1.5)

-- Nov 26: Michigan @ Ohio State (-6.5)

 

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#1 Sports

Monday's Free Selection: Los Angeles Dodgers - 180

 

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Mike Wynn

Bonus Play: MLB LA Angels w/Shoemaker +170 Over LA Dodgers

 

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Razor Sharp

FREE PICK FOR MONDAY:Take TEXAS/OAKLAND OVER the total of 8 runs

 

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Totals4U

Monday's Free Selection: New York Yankees/Arizona Diamondbacks over 9

 

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Atlantic Sports

Monday's Free Selection from Atlantic Sports: Cleveland Gladiators - 8 1/2 (Arena)

 

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Platinum Plays

Free Pick: Pittsburgh Pirates w/Niese -170 over Atlanta

 

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Golden Dragon Sports

Free Pick NBA Series Winner Golden State -400