Monday 5/22/17 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA
Long Sheet

Monday, May 22

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

GOLDEN STATE (78 - 15) at SAN ANTONIO (69 - 28) - 5/22/2017, 9:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 1004-878 ATS (+38.2 Units) in all games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 510-429 ATS (+38.1 Units) in home games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 81-54 ATS (+21.6 Units) in home games in all playoff games since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 75-51 ATS (+18.9 Units) in home games after a loss by 10 points or more since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 181-135 ATS (+32.5 Units) in home games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
SAN ANTONIO is 24-14 ATS (+8.6 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 105-88 ATS (+8.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 98-84 ATS (+5.6 Units) as a favorite over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 46-29 ATS (+14.1 Units) against Southwest division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 92-67 ATS (+18.3 Units) after a win by 10 points or more over the last 3 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 62-48 ATS (+9.2 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
GOLDEN STATE is 25-15 ATS (+8.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 12-2 ATS (+9.8 Units) in road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 7-6 against the spread versus SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 8-5 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
7 of 13 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Monday, May 22

Golden State is 11-0 (7-4 vs spread) in playoffs, 5-0 on road (5-0 vs spread) with four of five road wins by 11+ points. Leonard is out here, so are Parker/Lee; Spurs led by 23 when Leonard went out in Game 1, have been outscored by 73 points in 9.5 quarters since then. Warriors are 3-3 in last five visits to San Antonio; five of last six series games went over the total. Underdogs are 4-3 vs spread in last seven series games. Seven of Warriors’ last eight wins were by 11+ points- over is 7-2 in their last nine games overall. Over is 9-2 in Spurs’ last eleven games.

Conference finals:
San Antonio-Golden State
GState 113-111, -10, O209.5
GState 136-100, -13, O211
GState 120-108, -9.5, U215.5

Cleveland-Boston
Clev 117-104, -4.5, O219
Clev 130-86, -5, U218.5
Boston 111-108, +16, O215.5

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Monday, May 22

Trend Report

9:00 PM
GOLDEN STATE vs. SAN ANTONIO
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Golden State's last 6 games
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Antonio's last 6 games when playing Golden State
San Antonio is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Golden State

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Monday's Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Preview and Odds: Ducks at Predators

The Predators are -145 favorites to win Game 6 of teh Western Conference final. With a win they'll advance to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Anaheim Ducks at Nashville Predators (-145, 5)

Predators lead series 3-2

Amid the Western Conference final turning into a series of attrition, the Nashville Predators can advance to the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history when they host the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night in Game 6. Nashville pushed the Ducks to the brink of elimination with a 3-1 victory at Anaheim on Saturday to take a 3-2 series lead.

The Predators had to overcome the stunning loss of top-line center Ryan Johansen to emergency surgery following Game 4 and the absence of captain and center Mike Fisher to win at the Honda Center for the second time in the series and earn the chance to clinch at home. "We all know it's nothing but Game 6 for us," said Nashville goaltender Pekka Rinne, who sparkled with 32 saves in Game 5. "If we win, we're in the (Cup Final). If we lose, we come back here, and we don't want to do that." The Ducks have major injury concerns of their own after starting goaltender John Gibson (lower body) exited Game 5 and Rickard Rakell, a 33-goal scorer during the regular season, sat out the contest. Gibson vowed to be back in the lineup Monday but coach Randy Carlyle was not as optimistic, telling reporters: "We'll do an assessment tomorrow and we'll do an assessment once we get to Nashville on Monday morning and see where that takes us."

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, CBC, TVAS

LINE HISTORY: Oddsmakers opened the Predators as -140 favorites to advance to their first Stanley Cup Finals in team history and they have been bet up slightly to -145. The total for Game 6 is 5.

GOALIE MATCHUP: John Gibson (ANA) vs. Pekka Rinne (NAS)

Gibson - GP: 16, W/L: 9-5, GAA: 2.59, SAVE %: .918
Rinne - GP: 15, W/L: 11-4, GAA: 1.62, SAVE %: .942

INJURY REPORT:

Ducks - RW L. Shaw (Questionable Monday, lower body), G J. Gibson (Questionable Monday, lower body), C R. Rakell (Out Monday, lower body), RW P. Eaves (Out indefinitely, lower body), D S. Despres (Out indefinitely, concussion).

Predators - RW C. Smith (Questionable Monday, undisclosed), C M. Fisher (Questionable Monday, eye), C R. Johansen (Out for season, thigh), LW K. Fiala (Out for season, leg).

ABOUT THE DUCKS: The murky status of Gibson -- "We can't risk him," Carlyle said -- could have Anaheim pinnning its must-win hopes on backup Jonathan Bernier, who turned aside 16 of 18 shots Saturday but hasn't made a start since April 9. Gibson finished 21-7-4 with a 2.50 goals-against average and ripped off a 9-0-1 stretch late in the season that started with a 4-3 shootout win over visiting Nashville on March 7, but he has been limited to three relief appearances in the postseason. Rakell has scored seven times in the postseason and was termed day-to-day by Carlyle, who assigned the same status to injured forward Patrick Eaves (career-high 32 goals), sidelined for the past nine games of the playoffs.

ABOUT THE PREDATORS: Nashville had to tap into its reserves to replace Johansen and Fisher and received more than they could hope for from two rookies: Pontus Aberg scored the game-winning tally (matching his career total) with an airborne swipe of a rebound before being summoned to the league's concussion protocol, and Frederick Gaudreau did yeoman's work against Anaheim's center men, winning 10 of 14 faceoffs in his postseason debut. "This was his first playoff game and he played like he's been in the League for 10 years," said star forward Filip Forsberg of Gaudreau, seeing his first action since Jan. 8. Forsberg continues to do the heavy lifting with four goals and two assists during a six-game point streak.

TRENDS:

* Ducks are 6-2 in their last eight road games.
* Predators are 9-3 in their last 12 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game.
* Under is 9-1-3 in Predators last 13 home games.
* Under is 3-0-4 in the last seven meetings in Nashville.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL
Dunkel

Monday, May 22


Anaheim @ Nashville

Game 13-14
May 22, 2017 @ 8:00 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Anaheim
11.308
Nashville
12.443
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Nashville
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Nashville
-140
5
Dunkel Pick:
Nashville
(-140); Over

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL
Long Sheet

Monday, May 22

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ANAHEIM (56-28-0-14, 126 pts.) at NASHVILLE (52-32-0-13, 117 pts.) - 5/22/2017, 8:00 PM
Top Trends for this game.
NASHVILLE is 32-19 ATS (+7.6 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
NASHVILLE is 24-12 ATS (+11.1 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
ANAHEIM is 56-42 ATS (+3.3 Units) in all games this season.
ANAHEIM is 38-22 ATS (+9.7 Units) second half of the season this season.
ANAHEIM is 5-0 ATS (+5.0 Units) in road games when trailing in a playoff series over the last 2 seasons.
ANAHEIM is 12-5 ATS (+6.6 Units) revenging a home loss versus opponent this season.
ANAHEIM is 28-16 ATS (+9.0 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent this season.
ANAHEIM is 13-3 ATS (+9.0 Units) after a loss by 2 goals or more in their previous game this season.
ANAHEIM is 16-6 ATS (+8.5 Units) after scoring 1 goal or less in their previous game this season.
ANAHEIM is 31-21 ATS (+8.2 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
ANAHEIM is 21-13 ATS (+7.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season this season.
NASHVILLE is 24-32 ATS (-10.5 Units) after a win by 2 goals or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
ANAHEIM is 11-10-0 straight up against NASHVILLE over the last 3 seasons
9 of 14 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons . (Over=+3.7 Units)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Monday, May 22

Trend Report

8:00 PM
ANAHEIM vs. NASHVILLE
Anaheim is 14-6 SU in its last 20 games
Anaheim is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Nashville is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Nashville's last 9 games

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Monday, May 22

Nashville can wrap this series at home, but road team is 3-2 in this series; Anaheim lost three of its last four visits to Nashville- under is 2-0-1 in last three series games. Predators won four of last five home games, with one loss in OT- they allowed one goal in all four wins. Under is 6-1-2 in last nine Predator games; over is 5-3-2 in Ducks’ last ten games. Nashville is 2-23 on power play in its last six games; Ducks are 2-30 on power play in their last nine games. Three of last six games between these teams went to OT.

Conference finals
Ottawa-Pittsburgh
Ottawa 2-1 OT
Pitt 1-0
Ottawa 5-1
Pitt 3-2
Pitt 7-0

Nashville-Anaheim
Nashville 3-2 OT
Anaheim 5-3
Nashville 2-1
Anaheim 3-2 OT
Nashville 3-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Info Plays
May 22 '17, 7:05 PM in 6h
MLB | Rockies vs Phillies
Play on: Phillies -119 at betonline

1* Bonus Play on Phillies -119

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Larry Wallace
May 22 '17, 7:05 PM in 6h
MLB | Royals vs Yankees
Play on: Yankees -171 at betonline

I like the Yankees in this match-up against the Royals. Michael Pineda this year is 4-2 with a 3.42 ERA. While pitching at home Pineda is 3-1 with a 2.02 ERA. Jason Vargas in his career against the Yankees he is 0-6 with a 7.27 ERA. The Yankees are 6-1 in their last 7 games when Pineda is taking the mound.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPORTS WAGERS

CHICAGO -1½ +103 over San Fran

The Cubbies are coming on again. After a somewhat stagnant start to the year perhaps due to a World Series hangover, Chicago has woke up by scoring seven runs or more in five of its last six games. John Lackey will make this start and he doesn’t need much of an introduction. Surely we're not going to question this old dog, who keeps sniffing out success wherever he goes. He throws strikes, gets whiffs (with additional swing and miss support), and limits baserunners. At some point the snarl will eclipse the stuff, but no signs of that yet. He’s a loyal and reliable old friend that we’re happy get behind here.

The real deal here is fading Ty Blach, who is one of the worst starters in the game. Blach’s horrible skills have been masked because 29 of the 35 innings he’s thrown this year have come at AT&T Park. Elton John could throw a good game at that park. Blach’s 4.15 ERA is by far the most misleading ERA in the game today. His xERA of 8.22 will very likely come out in full force here. Blach has a BB/K split of 10/11 in those 35 innings. His swing and miss rate is 4%. Blach is currently filling in for the injured Madison Bumgarner but given how poor his underlying skills have been, the window to fade him will run out as soon as the Giants get a healthy body back. With Blach’s extreme lack of strikeouts, his only hope is that balls are hit right at people but that’s a big time stretch at Wrigley with favorable hitting conditions. Blach is the type of pitcher that you might think could use more time in the minors, but at 26, he's already logged 328 IP at Triple-A. This stiff is no better than a pitching machine and must be faded.

Detroit (5 innings) +115 over HOUSTON

The Tigers pen is too unreliable to trust under any circumstances so we’ll attempt to take them out of this equation. That leaves us Michael Fulmer for the first five and he’s a rock solid starter to get behind. It’s a very rare day when this AL Rookie of the Year winner last year does not go five full. Fulmer burst onto the scene last year with a 2.25 ERA through his first 19 starts before his strand rate fortune caught up with him but it wasn't all luck. In the 2nd half, Fulmer traded a bit of K’s for control but his swing and miss rate was still good enough to rack up strikeouts. Combine that with his robust groundball rate and he’s a solid investment. This year Fulmer is right back at it with a BB/K split of 13/46 in 53 innings with a 2.72 ERA and 48% groundball rate. Man, you talk about consistency and one need not look further than this under the radar sophomore, who has the EXACT same xERA this year so far (3.44) as he had all of last year.

Brad Peacock will get bet today because he plays for the Astronauts and because of his 2-0 record and 1.10 ERA. While Peacock’s numbers look really appealing both above the surface and below it, it has all come in relief and there is an entirely different mindset between starting and relieving. Brad Peacock has worked 16 innings and has whiffed 22 batters. He’s also walked 10 but ooohhh man, that 18% whiff rate is tasty, particularly because his zone-contact % is just 66%. That’s the fifth lowest in the league and we can’t attribute that to any single pitch. Peacock’s whiff rates on his fastball, changeup, and slider have all jumped but we don’t see anything in his profile that suggests any major changes to his pitch mix, movement, or velocity so we’re not buying into Peacock just yet and probably never will.

Every reliever in baseball is a former starter that could not make it as such. Peacock has been given numerous chances to start but failed each time. He’s been around the major leagues since 2011 and has been riding the shuttle between the minors and majors ever since. Peacock’s career swing and miss rate was 7% prior to the 18% he’s posted this year. Again, there’s a big difference between pitching one inning where you can let it rip for 15-20 pitches and being asked to throw between 80-100 pitches and get to the sixth inning. Peacock has never been able to do the latter consistently and so his role has been relegated to relieving. This is a spot start for him in place of Dallas Keuchel, who will miss one start because of a pinched nerve in his neck. Over his starting career, Peacock has remained healthy but his skills haven’t. His stints at AAA were hardly a step forward. Walks remain an issue and his stagnant strikeout rate was always subpar and his swing and miss rate hints it will stay that way. His career xERA (5.09) and past performances for 280 innings prior to this year override what he’s done in 16 innings of relief this year.

Colorado +107 over PHILADELPHIA

This is a great opportunity to buy the Rockies in an evenly priced game. It’s in the pick-em range because Jared Eickhoff has 49 starts to his career with a very respectable 3.61 ERA while Colorado’s Jeff Hoffman is relatively unknown, having made just one start this year and just six starts last year with poor surface results. We’ll get back to the pitchers in a sec but even if we concede (which we are not) that Eickhoff is the superior pitcher here, Colorado is playing too good with no signs of letting up. The Rocks are 15-7 on the road. They’ve won five of their past seven and had it not been for a blown 7-1 lead against Cinci on Saturday, Colorado would have six wins in its past seven games. Manager Bud Black is handling the pitching staff with precision and has his team playing at a very high level while the Phillies are trending the other way with six losses in their last seven games. The Phillies are frustrated and they’re seeing BB gun pellets at the plate with an OPS of just .294 over their last 10 games, which is third worst in MLB over that span.

Eickhoff was solid in his first full season in MLB last year and with a BB/K split of 18/43 this year in 46 innings, he’s been pretty good this year too but there are reasons for concern. His command looks good on paper, but a weak 52% first-pitch strike rate suggests that good control won't last. Eickhoff had severe issues versus lefties last year and nothing has changed this year. That doesn’t bode well here, as the Rocks will send out four left-handed bats out of the eight everyday players and that does not include right-handed hitters Nolan Arenado, DJ LeMahieu or Mark Reynolds. Eichhoff’s fly-ball rate jumped in the 2nd half last year and has remained there (45%) there this year, thus putting him at risk for HR and at whims of hr/f. Eickhoff is worth keeping an eye on when taking back a decent tag at a pitcher’s park but there is not much upside here yet.

Jeff Hoffman was profiled in our MLB call-ups section. We’ll elaborate a little more. He went 0-4 with a 4.88 ERA in 31 innings for the Rocks last year. Hoffman’s overall control woes and gaudy OPS versus righties tanked his results but there is some intrigue to be sure. First, he has always posted solid strikeout numbers with his diverse arsenal that includes four velocity levels and a plus groundball rate. Velocity alone isn't enough as his fastball lacks command, but there is a strong foundation here. In seven innings over one start and one relief appearance, Hoffman has walked just two while whiffing 10 (!) Those 10 K’s have the support of his 17% swing and miss rate and now he’ll face a team that is gripping their bats a little too tightly. The general public will see Hoffman’s 5.40 ERA and not show much interest in Hoffman or the Rocks and what will be perceived as a tough game to call but we’ve pointed out Hoffman’s high ceiling and outstanding skills and will instantly jump in at this reduced price. You should too.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Wunderdog

Chicago @ Arizona
Pick: Under 9.5

Chicago is #17 in runs scored, #24 in on-base percentage, and #24 slugging. It's the pitching that has carried the load; fourth in baseball in team ERA (3.66) allowing one run in each of the last three contests. The White Sox 12-5-2 UNDER the total against a team with a winning record. They are also 15-6-1 UNDER in interleague road games against a right-handed starter. They face Diamondbacks ace righty Zack Greinke (3.09 ERA) here. He has a 2.82 ERA at home with a 49-7 strikeout to walk ratio in 38 innings here. Batters are hitting .203 off him at home and .269 on the road. Arizona is also 10-4 UNDER the total when their opponent allows two runs or less in their previous game.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals at Yankees
GAME: Kansas City Royals (18-25) at New York Yankees (25-16)
DATE/TIME: Monday, May 22 - 7:05 PM EST
WHERE: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York

Salvador Perez carried a nine-game hitting streak into last week's home series against the Yankees, only to go 1-for-10 as the Kansas City Royals dropped two of three to New York at Kauffman Stadium. Perez's one hit was a two-run homer off Michael Pineda, and the two will meet again on Monday as Kansas City opens a four-game set at Yankee Stadium.

Perez, who is batting .391 with two homers in his career against Pineda, got back in the swing of things by tying a franchise record with three homers in a series-ending doubleheader against Minnesota on Sunday. Kansas City split those encounters against the Twins and has dropped four of six since a season high-tying four-game win streak. While the Royals are tied with Oakland for the fewest road wins (six), the Yankees boast a 13-6 mark at home - with that loss total serving as the second-fewest in the league behind only Baltimore (four). Brett Gardner, who is batting a blistering .359 over his last 20 games, went deep for the eighth time in that stretch on Sunday as New York snapped a three-game skid by salvaging the finale of its series with Tampa Bay.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Kansas City, YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Royals LH Jason Vargas (5-2, 2.03 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Michael Pineda (4-2, 3.42)

Vargas matched the sum total of his season by allowing six runs in Wednesday's 11-7 loss to fall to 0-6 with a 7.15 ERA in 10 career appearances (nine starts) against the Yankees. The 34-year-old permitted a three-run homer to Aaron Hicks as part of a five-run fourth, accounting for just the second time he's been taken deep in 48 2/3 innings this campaign. Prior to Wednesday's letdown, Vargas yielded a total of seven hits while recording back-to-back scoreless outings.

Pineda posted his third straight quality start in Wednesday's victory over the Royals and benefited from his team's power surge to overcome tying his season-high run total. The 28-year-old Dominican allowed two homers for the third time in his last five starts, with Mike Moustakas joining Perez in going deep on two occasions in their respective careers versus Pineda. The hurler traditionally has gotten the better of both Alex Gordon (.182) and Alcides Escobar (.174) en route to posting a 4-5 mark with a 3.95 ERA in nine career outings against Kansas City.

WALK-OFFS

1. New York SS Didi Gregorius, who went 4-for-4 on Sunday, was 5-for-11 with three RBIs and four runs scored in last week's series with Kansas City.

2. Royals 1B Eric Hosmer went 7-for-13 with five runs scored in the last three games and is 20-for-49 in his last 11 road contests.

3. Yankees RF Aaron Judge went 5-for-12 in the series versus Kansas City and had extended his hitting streak to eight games before striking out in all four at-bats on Sunday.

PREDICTION: Yankees 5, Royals 3

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Twins at Orioles
GAME: Minnesota Twins (22-18) at Baltimore Orioles (25-17)
DATE/TIME: Monday, May 22 - 7:05 PM EST
WHERE: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland

The Baltimore Orioles own the majors' best home record despite seeing their eight-game winning streak at Camden Yards come to a halt in their last time out. The Orioles look to get back on track Monday when they open a three-game series against a Minnesota Twins team that has made itself at home in opponents' ballparks for much of this season.

Adam Jones belted his 124th homer at Camden Yards in Sunday's 3-1 setback to Toronto to tie Rafael Palmeiro for the most in the history of the ballpark, but Baltimore was done in by a season-high three errors and fell for the seventh time in 10 games overall. While the Orioles own a 15-4 mark at home, the Twins aren't too shabby when they leave Target Field with wins in nine of their last 11 road games and an 11-5 record on the season. Brian Dozier collected two hits and scored a run in each outing of Sunday's doubleheader split against Kansas City and owns a .318 batting average against Monday starter Ubaldo Jimenez. With Minnesota playing two doubleheaders in a four-day stretch, the team is expected to recall right-hander Kyle Gibson from Triple-A Rochester to make the start on Monday.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), MASN (Baltimore)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins RH Kyle Gibson (0-4, 8.20 ERA) vs. Orioles RH Ubaldo Jimenez (1-2, 6.52)

Gibson hasn't paid much in the way of dividends since receiving a one-year deal in the offseason, allowing six homers and 13 walks in 26 1/3 innings to earn a demotion to Triple-A earlier in the month. The 29-year-old was taken deep once and permitted five walks in five innings to take the loss at Baltimore on April 6, 2016 before settling for a no-decision against the Orioles in another encounter in July. Gibson has gotten the better of Jones (2-for-14), although the latter joined J.J. Hardy (5-for-9) and Chris Davis (4-for-11) in belting a homer off the hurler in their careers.

Jimenez surrendered two homers for the second straight start and third time in four outings on Wednesday in a 5-4 loss at Detroit. The 33-year-old Dominican surrendered five runs in five innings and has permitted fewer than three in only one of his seven starts this season. Jimenez owns a 5-3 career mark with a 2.49 ERA in 11 appearances (10 starts) against Minnesota, including retiring Eddie Rosario in all eight at-bats - five via strikeout.

WALK-OFFS

1. Minnesota 1B Joe Mauer is 11-for-34 with five runs scored during his nine-game hitting streak.

2. Baltimore DH Mark Trumbo has multi-hit performances in three straight contests and four of his last six.

3. Twins 3B Miguel Sano, who is riding a five-game hitting streak, collected four RBIs during Sunday's doubleheader.

PREDICTION: Orioles 6, Twins 3

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockies at Phillies
GAME: Colorado Rockies (28-17) at Philadelphia Phillies (15-26)
DATE/TIME: Monday, May 22 - 7:05 PM EST
WHERE: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Colorado Rockies have not lost a series in nearly a month and the Philadelphia Phillies have not won one during that the same time frame. The National League-leading Rockies will be looking to keep that streak intact when they wrap up a 10-game road trip with the first of four contests against the skidding Phillies on Monday night.

Colorado rebounded from blowing a five-run lead Saturday by capturing the rubber match at Cincinnati to improve to 28-17 overall - the best start in franchise history - and 15-7 away from home. DJ LeMahieu went 4-for-5 with a homer on Sunday for the Rockies, who own a 6-0-1 mark in their last seven series. Philadelphia fell to 4-17 in its last 21 games after a 1-0 defeat at Pittsburgh, despite one of its starters pitching six innings for the first time since May 6. The Phillies have dropped seven straight series for the first time since 2006 but hope to take advantage of a favorable schedule featuring 10 of the next 13 at Citizens Bank Park.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), CSN Philadelphia

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Jeff Hoffman (1-0, 5.40 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Jerad Eickhoff (0-4, 4.53)

Hoffman, one of the key components acquired in the trade that sent Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto 2015, is expected to be promoted from Triple-A Albuquerque to make his second start of the year. The ninth overall pick in the 2014 draft, Hoffman earned the win against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 11 while striking out eight in 5 1/3 innings of three-run ball. He was 0-4 with a 4.88 ERA in 2016.

While he remains in search of his first victory of the season, Eickhoff is coming off a much-needed confidence booster - striking out eight and permitting two earned runs over six innings at Texas. The 26-year-old was hit hard in his previous three turns, giving up 14 runs and 22 hits over 15 innings. Eickhoff has split two career decisions against Colorado, yielding 11 runs in 11 innings.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rockies CF Charlie Blackmon is 15-for-34 over his last nine games.

2. Phillies 3B Maikel Franco has hit safely in eight consecutive games.

3. Rockies closer Greg Holland has converted all 19 save opportunities.

PREDICTION: Rockies 6, Phillies 5

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels at Rays
GAME: Los Angeles Angels (23-23) at Tampa Bay Rays (23-23)
DATE/TIME: Monday, May 22 - 7:10 PM EST
WHERE: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida

The Tampa Bay Rays and visiting Los Angeles Angels - both showing improvement in the early season - take identical records (23-23) into a four-game series that opens on Monday. The Rays have won their last three series after taking two of three from the New York Yankees over the weekend, while the Angels have captured five of their last seven contests, including a 12-5 road victory over the New York Mets on Sunday in which they belted four home runs.

Tampa Bay saw its four-game winning streak come to an end with a 3-2 setback on Sunday, but Corey Dickerson remained hot by recording his fifth consecutive two-hit performance. Jake Odorizzi, who has struggled against Los Angeles in the past, takes the mound for the Rays in the series opener versus JC Ramirez. Mike Trout, who is batting .350 on the season, launched one of the Angels' homers and added a double as he has reached base in 38 of the 40 games in which he has played this year. Los Angeles slugger Albert Pujols (right hamstring) has missed three straight contests and is listed day-to-day.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN West (Los Angeles), FSN Sun (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Angels RH JC Ramirez (3-3, 3.97 ERA) vs. Rays RH Jake Odorizzi (3-2, 3.16)

Ramirez has completed at least five innings in all seven starts this season and limited opponents to three or fewer runs five times but has managed to record just one victory in that span. The 28-year-old Nicaraguan, who was 2-0 in three relief stints, gave up two runs and five hits over seven frames without factoring in the decision against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. Derek Norris homered in his only at-bat against Ramirez, who has worked two scoreless innings of relief versus the Rays in his career.

Odorizzi permitted four runs and seven hits over six innings last time out at Cleveland to gain the victory after allowing one run in each of his previous three starts, going 1-1 during that stretch. The 27-year-old native of Illinois has held opponents to a .195 batting average and has a 0.89 WHIP, but he has surrendered seven homers in seven outings - one in which he was limited to one inning due to an injury. Trout and Ben Revere both are 4-for-6 lifetime versus Odorizzi, who is 0-3 with a 6.98 ERA against the Angels.

WALK-OFFS

1. Trout’s homer on Sunday was the 182nd of his career, tying him with Troy Glaus for fourth place on the franchise list.

2. Tampa Bay RF Steven Souza Jr. has cooled off after a hot start, managing just four hits in 32 at-bats over his last nine games.

3. Los Angeles SS Andrelton Simmons went 6-for-14 in the last series and has recorded multi-hit performances in five of his last six contests.

PREDICTION: Rays 6, Angels 3

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Indians at Reds
GAME: Cleveland Indians (23-19) at Cincinnati Reds (20-23)
DATE/TIME: Monday, May 22 - 7:10 PM EST
WHERE: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati, Ohio

The Cleveland Indians look to build off an inspiring sweep of the top team in the major leagues when they visit the struggling Cincinnati Reds on Monday for the opener of their four-game, home-and-home Ohio Cup series. The Indians were puttering along at one game over .500 before taking three in a row in Houston over the weekend as Yan Gomes homered and knocked in five runs in Sunday's 8-6 victory.

Gomes has hit safely in four straight contests and eight of his last nine while Jason Kipnis is 12-for-31 during his seven-game hitting streak and has recorded at least one RBI in five consecutive games for Cleveland, which has won six in a row against the Reds. Josh Tomlin hopes to keep it going for the Indians when he takes the mound in the opener against Scott Feldman. Cincinnati got off to a promising 19-15 start but has dropped eight of its last nine contests and surrendered 59 runs over its last seven games as it is just one-half game out of last place in the National League Central. The Reds' offense has not been the problem as Scott Schebler is 5-for-9 with two homers and five RBIs over his last three games while Eugenio Suarez (8-for-18, five RBIs in five contests) - among others - also has been producing.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), FSN Ohio (Cincinnati)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Josh Tomlin (2-5, 6.86 ERA) vs. Reds RH Scott Feldman (2-4, 4.29)

Tomlin ended a stretch of five solid starts by allowing six runs and seven hits (two homers) over 2 1/3 innings in a loss to Tampa Bay on Wednesday. The 32-year-old Texas Tech product had given up 12 runs over 32 innings in his previous five outings and has walked just four in 40 2/3 frames this year. Zack Cozart is 7-for-11 with three extra-base hits and Joey Votto has homered twice versus Tomlin, who is 2-2 with a 4.55 ERA in five career starts against the Reds.

Feldman permitted seven runs - five earned - on five hits and three walks over 2 2/3 innings against the Chicago Cubs after producing two of his best performances of the season. The 34-year-old native of Hawaii yielded just two runs and 11 hits over 16 frames in his previous two outings - both against San Francisco. Carlos Santana and Edwin Encarnacion are 3-for-18 combined but have each homered against Feldman, who is 2-3 with a 3.02 ERA in 15 games (six starts) versus Cleveland.

WALK-OFFS

1. Cincinnati OF Billy Hamilton has reached base safely in a career-high 21 straight games.

2. Encarnacion has knocked in six runs in his last six contests after going eight games in a row without an RBI.

3. Votto belted his 233rd homer on Sunday, tying Jay Bruce for seventh place on the franchise list.

PREDICTION: Indians 7, Reds 4

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pirates at Braves
GAME: Pittsburgh Pirates (20-24) at Atlanta Braves (18-23)
DATE/TIME: Monday, May 22 - 7:35 PM EST
WHERE: SunTrust Park, Cumberland, Georgia

The Atlanta Braves have won three consecutive series and hope to keep rolling when they begin a four-game home set against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday. Atlanta took two of three in Miami and won three of four at Toronto before falling just short of sweeping Washington on Sunday, when it dropped a 3-2 decision in the finale of their three-game series.

Dansby Swanson looks to continue his strong performance at the plate, as the 23-year-old rookie drove in both of the Braves' runs on Sunday to finish the set 4-for-8 with a homer and five RBIs. Pittsburgh is 2-0-1 in its last three series after capturing two of three against Philadelphia over the weekend. The Pirates registered only five hits on Sunday but came away with a 1-0 victory, scoring the game's lone run when David Freese was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the sixth inning. Adam Frazier continued his torrid pace with the bat, going 2-for-3 for his sixth multi-hit effort in seven contests.

TV: 7:35 p.m. ET, ROOT (Pittsburgh), FSN Southeast (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Gerrit Cole (2-4, 2.84 ERA) vs. Braves RH Mike Foltynewicz (2-4, 4.10)

Cole ended his five-start winless streak Wednesday, when he limited Washington to one run and three hits over seven innings. The 26-year-old Californian has allowed two earned runs or fewer in each of his last seven outings and more than three just once in nine turns this year - his season debut at Boston on April 3. Cole has yet to lose to Atlanta in his career, going 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA in five starts - including a no-decision on April 9 in which he gave up three runs over six frames.

Foltynewicz has won two consecutive starts, including a turn against Toronto on Wednesday in which he allowed three runs and six hits over six innings. It was only the second time in seven outings this season the 25-year-old native of Illinois gave up more than two earned runs and fifth occasion in the last six starts he worked at least six frames. Foltynewicz remains in search of his first career win against the Pirates, as he fell to 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA in three turns on April 7 after yielding two runs on six hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings at Pittsburgh.

WALK-OFFS

1. Braves 1B Matt Adams had a forgettable debut with the team Sunday, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts after being acquired from St. Louis the previous day.

2. Pittsburgh could be without 3B Jung Ho Kang for the entire season as the 30-year-old recently lost his appeal of a suspended eight-month jail sentence for a third DUI charge since 2009 in his native South Korea.

3. Atlanta LF Matt Kemp is 7-for-16 with a pair of solo home runs during his four-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Pirates 5, Braves 3

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants at Cubs
GAME: San Francisco Giants (19-26) at Chicago Cubs (22-20)
DATE/TIME: Monday, May 22 - 8:05 PM EST
WHERE: Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois

The atmosphere might not be quite as intense when the San Francisco Giants return to Wrigley Field for the first time since October for a four-game series that begins Monday. The stakes are high, however, as the Giants and host Chicago Cubs look to continue their momentum after underachieving starts to the season.



The Giants’ last visit resulted in two losses to begin the National League Division Series, which the Cubs won in four games – three of which were decided by one run. The Cubs haven’t performed up to last year’s lofty standards, but they have won four of their last five after reigning NL MVP Kris Bryant blasted two of the team's four home runs during a 13-6 win over visiting Milwaukee on Sunday. San Francisco hit two homers in an 8-3 loss at St. Louis on Sunday but need to start getting runners on ahead of their blasts, as their last 15 have been solo shots. Nonetheless, the Giants have begun to turn around their season, winning three straight series and seven of their last nine games.

TV: 8:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, NBC Sports Bay Area (San Francisco), WGN (Chicago)



PITCHING MATCHUP: Giants LH Ty Blach (1-2, 4.15 ERA) vs. Cubs RH John Lackey (4-3, 4.37)

Blach broke through for his first win of the season last time out, holding the Los Angeles Dodgers to one run and five hits over seven innings. It was the 26-year-old’s second straight quality start and third in five outings since joining the rotation. The Giants are 2-10 in games in which Blach has pitched.

Lackey has won two straight starts and three consecutive decisions, but he had to grind to get the win last time out. The 38-year-old faced Cincinnati with the wind howling out at Wrigley Field and surrendered three runs – including two homers – in 5 1/3 innings. Lackey is 1-1 with a 2.37 ERA in three career starts against the Giants, including turns in 2006 and 2009.



WALK-OFFS

1. Cubs 2B/OF Ian Happ has reached base in seven straight games to begin his major-league career and is batting .346 with four doubles and two home runs.

2. Giants 3B/OF Eduardo Nunez is 12-for-33 with two homers during his eight-game hitting streak.

3. Chicago 2B/OF Ben Zobrist has reached base in 19 straight contests, which matches the third-longest streak of his career.



PREDICTION: Cubs 6, Giants 4

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tigers at Astros
GAME: Detroit Tigers (21-21) at Houston Astros (29-15)
DATE/TIME: Monday, May 22 - 8:10 PM EST
WHERE: Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas

The Houston Astros seek their first victory on their 10-game homestand when they begin a four-game series against the Detroit Tigers on Monday. Houston concluded a 6-1 road trip with four straight wins before kicking off its lengthy string at Minute Maid Park with three setbacks against Cleveland, including an 8-6 defeat on Sunday.

The Astros managed only six hits in the loss, but four were home runs - including the team-leading 10th of the season by Marwin Gonzalez, who ended his 11-game drought. Detroit is beginning an 11-game road trip after completing a 3-3 homestand with Sunday's 5-2 setback against Texas. Ian Kinsler homered and Miguel Cabrera went 3-for-4 with an RBI as the Tigers lost their first series since dropping two of three at Oakland from May 5-7. Cabrera is 6-for-12 with a homer, four RBIs and three runs scored in his last three contests.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Detroit, ROOT (Houston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Michael Fulmer (5-1, 2.72 ERA) vs. Astros RH Brad Peacock (2-0, 1.10)

Fulmer was awarded his fourth consecutive victory on Wednesday despite allowing four runs - three earned - and 10 hits in seven innings against Baltimore. The 24-year-old reigning American League Rookie of the Year is yet to surrender more than three earned runs this season and has not lost since April 18 at Tampa Bay. Fulmer, who is 2-0 with a 3.24 ERA in four starts at home this year, has yet to face Houston in his brief career.

Peacock will be called upon to make his first start of the season in place of ace Dallas Keuchel, who is on the 10-day disabled list with a pinched nerve in his neck. The 29-year-old Peacock has made 12 relief appearances this year, with 10 being of the scoreless variety, but hasn't recorded a victory since defeating the Los Angeles Angels in a start on Sept. 2, 2014. The Floridian is 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA in two career starts versus the Tigers.

WALK-OFFS

1. Astros LHP Ashur Tolliver allowed a run and two hits while striking out five over four innings of relief Sunday before being optioned to Triple-A Fresno.

2. Detroit C-1B Alex Avila has gone 9-for-19 with a homer and five RBIs over his last six games.

3. Houston placed Brian McCann on the 7-day concussion list and purchased the contract of fellow C Juan Centeno, who was in the midst of a 16-game hitting streak with Fresno.

PREDICTION: Tigers 9, Astros 3