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Preview: Angels (26-30) at Yankees (26-30)

Game: 1
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: June 06, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

After rallying to win their latest game, the Los Angeles Angels appear to have ended a difficult stretch, but their road trip is taking them to a place where they've often struggled.

The Angels will try to earn a rare victory at the New York Yankees' current home when they face Masahiro Tanaka on Monday night.

Los Angeles scored four runs in the final three innings Sunday for a 5-4 victory against Pittsburgh, and Albert Pujols brought home the final two with his 572nd career homer, putting him one shy of matching Harmon Killebrew for 11th all-time.

"You never know how a game is going to turn out or what's going to help you win a game, but you know there's a good chance he's going to be in the middle of it and he came up big today," manager Mike Scioscia said.

The Angels (26-30) have won four of six after going 3-6 in their previous nine, but they're 8-23 all-time at the new Yankee Stadium, including the playoffs. The Angels have also dropped five in a row and 14 of 18 there.

Tanaka (3-1, 2.78 ERA) will try to send them to another loss in the Bronx while bouncing back from his first defeat this season. The right-hander gave up two runs in six innings Wednesday in Toronto, but his teammates failed to produce in a 7-0 loss.

Tanaka has a 0.90 ERA in his last three starts, winning the previous two. The Yankees (26-30) totaled 18 runs and 34 hits while winning two of the following three games before losing 3-1 in Baltimore on Sunday.

Aroldis Chapman gave up Matt Wieters' go-ahead, two-run single for his first blown save in 10 chances with New York. The Yankees, previously 25-0 when leading after seven innings, had 10 hits but went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position.

"We had a lot of opportunities but weren't able to get the big hit," manager Joe Girardi said. "They got the big hit at the end and that's why we lost."

Matt Shoemaker (3-6, 5.50) will try to send New York to another defeat while rebounding from his first in four starts. Like Tanaka, the right-hander didn't get any support in a 3-0 loss to Detroit on Wednesday.

Shoemaker yielded two runs in seven innings despite allowing a season-high 10 hits and fanned eight. He is 2-1 with a 2.28 ERA in his last four starts and has 31 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings in his past three.

Shoemaker suffered a 3-1 loss in his only start against the Yankees on July 1, allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings.

Tanaka did not get a decision in his only matchup with the Angels on April 27, 2014, a 3-2 win for New York.

Brett Gardner will try to help lead him to a victory this time while boosting his .386 average in his last 11 games against Los Angeles. Gardner went 7 for 12 in three games in Baltimore after enduring an 0-for-23 slump.

Angels third baseman Yunel Escobar, batting .349 in his last 32 games, is hitting .367 in his last eight versus New York. Mike Trout has four homers in his past five matchups and is a lifetime .360 hitter at Yankee Stadium.

Kole Calhoun, batting .386 on the road this season, is a .154 hitter in 10 career games against New York.
 
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Preview: Royals (30-26) at Orioles (32-23)

Game: 1
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: June 06, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

The Kansas City Royals might be heading to Baltimore with a four-game losing streak on their minds, but they've won every contest Danny Duffy has started since entering the rotation in the middle of May.

On Monday night, he's up against Mike Wright, whose recent return to the Baltimore Orioles came a day after being sent down and never throwing a pitch for Triple-A Norfolk.

The Royals (30-26) are coming off a four-game road sweep at the hands of Cleveland, which wrapped up with Sunday's 7-0 loss. In the last three games, they've been limited to two total runs and are batting .144. Kendrys Morales was 1 for 15 in the series, and Alcides Escobar was 2 for 16.

"It's one of those weekends," manager Ned Yost said. "We're coming off an undefeated homestand where we pitched great. We just didn't play well here."

Duffy (1-0, 3.44 ERA) has made four starts with a 3.86 ERA, and the latest earned him his first victory. The left-hander gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings of Wednesday's 6-3 home win over Tampa Bay, and he's gone deeper into each start than the one before.

He didn't walk anyone and threw 75 pitches as the Royals take a conservative approach.

"I felt like I had another inning in me," Duffy told MLB's official website. "But I appreciate the fact that they are monitoring me closely. We built up this pitch count fast, so good to be careful."

Duffy threw a scoreless inning of relief against the Orioles on April 24 and is 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA in four starts and two relief appearances against them. Adam Jones (1 for 13 with seven strikeouts), Manny Machado (0 for 8 with four strikeouts) and Chris Davis (1 for 8) have all struggled against him.

Wright (2-3, 5.88) was sent to the minors Thursday but recalled Friday when setup man Darren O'Day went on the disabled list, so he's starting on normal rest. The right-hander gave up six runs and seven hits with four home runs in 2 2/3 innings of Wednesday's 13-9 home win over Boston.

"I'm pitching in the best league in baseball right now and I'm leaving pitches up," Wright said. "So that was the result."

Wright's last three starts - all no-decisions - have totaled just 12 2/3 innings with a 7.82 ERA.

He started the game in which Duffy appeared in April, giving up five runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings of a 6-1 defeat. In two starts against the Royals, he's allowed nine runs in 11 1/3 innings with four home runs.

Lorenzo Cain is 2 for 6 with two home runs against Wright, while Eric Hosmer is 2 for 4 with a homer.

The Orioles (32-23) just took two of three at home against the New York Yankees and have won four of five. They've averaged 8.0 runs in that span while batting .294 despite managing just six hits in a 3-1 win in Sunday's series finale.

Matt Wieters had a pinch-hit two-run single and has seven RBIs in the last four games.
 
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Preview: Blue Jays (31-27) at Tigers (28-28)

Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: June 06, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

Michael Fulmer is showing Detroit didn't come away empty-handed when trading Yoenis Cespedes last summer, and the Tigers' offense hasn't suffered in the slugger's absence.

Fulmer vies for a fourth consecutive winning start and attempts to stop the Toronto Blue Jays' current roll in Monday night's opener of a three-game series.

Obtained from the Mets in the July 31 deal that sent Cespedes to New York, Fulmer (5-1, 3.24 ERA) struggled through his first four major league outings but has looked every bit the front-line starter the Tigers envisioned over his last three. The impressive rookie has yielded one run and nine hits over 22 1/3 innings during a winning streak that began when he struck out 11 in seven innings against Tampa Bay in his Comerica Park debut May 21.

Fulmer followed with dominant efforts against Oakland and the Angels on Detroit's last road trip, limiting Los Angeles to two hits across 7 2/3 innings and carrying a no-hitter into the seventh of Wednesday's 3-0 victory. The 23-year-old became the first Tigers pitcher since Mickey Lolich in 1968 to record consecutive starts with seven-plus scoreless innings and three or fewer hits allowed.

"He's not intimidated by who's stepping into the batter's box," manager Brad Ausmus said. "The environment doesn't seem to bother him. I just think it's his makeup - and he's got good stuff.'

Detroit (28-28) is also swinging the bats well, batting .339 during a 4-1 stretch and collecting at least 11 hits in all five games. It recorded 12 in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Chicago White Sox to complete a three-game sweep.

The three wins came against left-handers Carlos Rodon, Chris Sale and Jose Quintana. The Tigers entered the series having lost eight of their last 10 matchups with southpaw starters and with a .239 average versus lefties for the season.

'We knew we were going to hit lefties better than we have, especially with our lineup, but this was big,' Ausmus said. 'Rodon's a younger guy, but he's got great upside, and Sale and Quintana are two of the best lefty starters in the game today.'

Detroit faces another good one in the opener, as J.A. Happ (6-2, 3.06) has produced quality starts in 10 of his 11 assignments, including all six on the road.

Happ has posted a 2.21 ERA over his last three starts, allowing 10 hits in 20 1/3 innings. The 33-year-old held the Yankees to a run over six innings in a no-decision Tuesday, the sixth time this season he's allowed one or less while pitching at least six innings.

"I'm happy with the results," Happ told MLB's official website.

Happ, 1-0 with a 3.05 ERA in four starts at Detroit, tries to follow up Marco Estrada's gem in Sunday's 5-4 victory at Boston. The right-hander had a no-hitter through 7 1/3 innings and permitted two runs over eight-plus against the majors' highest-scoring team, leading Toronto (32-27) to its ninth win in 11 games.

Happ will be challenged to duplicate Estrada's line against a potent Tigers' lineup. Justin Upton is 3 for 5 with a home run off him, Ian Kinsler is hitting .407 against lefties and Victor Martinez .410 over his last 10 games. Each had two hits Sunday, with Upton delivering a two-run double and Martinez finishing the series 7 for 12.

Toronto, which has won seven of 10 on the road, is 9-3 against Detroit since 2014.
 
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Preview: Astros (28-30) at Rangers (34-22)

Game: 1
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: June 06, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

The Texas Rangers went to Houston two weeks ago and swept a three-game series from the Astros, beginning their current hot stretch and keeping them unbeaten in Lone Star State showdowns this season.

Houston has since played its best baseball of the year as they try to catch a Rangers team with the AL's best record, and figuring out how to beat them during this series that begins Monday night in Arlington is its next task.

"We're not going to accomplish our goals unless we can beat the Texas Rangers," Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow told MLB's official website. "We can't beat them. I don't know what the problem is.

"I know we have the talent to beat them. We just either psych ourselves out or something happens. Hopefully we'll have more success against them for the rest of the season."

The Rangers (34-22) have outscored the Astros 29-14 in six meetings this year and have beaten them 10 straight times at Globe Life Park, including a sweep from April 19-21.

"They've controlled our series," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "They've played very well against us. We've played close games against them, we just haven't been able to find a way. We got to play better to beat them."

Houston (28-30) has lately, going 11-2 since Texas swept them May 20-22. It took all three games from Oakland over the weekend as Evan Gattis homered in each one, including Sunday's 5-2 victory.

The Astros are seven games back of the Rangers, who have won 12 of 15 and took a three-game lead in the AL West over Seattle after sweeping the Mariners over the weekend.

'This team has a lot of personality about it and we have a lot of confidence now,' Hinch said. 'We're swinging the bats a little better, our pitching is lining up better and so you don't feel that nervous energy when you fall behind anymore. That's what a good month and a half will do for you.'

Houston has won four in a row on the road, but the Rangers have won a franchise record-tying nine consecutive home series. It's unclear how much Texas will use Prince Fielder as it goes for a 10th.

Fielder was benched for the second straight day in Sunday's 3-2 victory. He's hitting .187 - the second-lowest average among qualifiers in the AL - and said he's never gone through this bad of a slump at any point in his career.

Jurickson Profar took Fielder's place at DH on Sunday and is batting .390 while hitting safely in all nine games since being recalled from Triple-A.

"I'm trying to get hits. I'm trying to drive in runs. I'm trying not to get benched for two days, you know?" Fielder said. "I'm just trying to play baseball. I'm not trying to hit homers. I'm just trying to not have this happen again."

Fielder is 2 for 6 against Mike Fiers, who gets the ball for the Astros. Fiers (3-3, 4.84 ERA) gave up two runs in seven innings of a 2-1 loss to the Rangers on May 21 and has allowed two runs or fewer in four of his last five starts.

The right-hander gave up one run in six innings of Houston's 5-4, 11-inning win over Arizona on Wednesday, bouncing back from allowing seven runs in his previous outing.

Colby Lewis (5-0, 3.09) takes the mound for the Rangers looking to win a fourth straight start. His personal winning streak began when he tossed seven shutout innings to beat the Astros 2-1 on May 20.

The right-hander, who gave up two hits in six scoreless innings of Tuesday's 7-3 win over Cleveland, is 9-0 with a 2.37 ERA in his last 11 against the Astros. Carlos Correa is 5 for 12 with two homes off Lewis, though.
 
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Preview: Rays (25-30) at Diamondbacks (25-34)

Game: 1
Venue: Chase Field
Date: June 06, 2016 9:40 PM EDT

With Evan Longoria and Logan Morrison powering the way, the Tampa Bay Rays have quickly changed their fortunes.

The Rays won't get the benefit of facing one of baseball's lowliest teams as they seek a season high-tying fourth straight victory Monday night and will instead visit the Arizona Diamondbacks to open the final series of a 10-game trip.

Longoria hit his fourth and fifth home runs in the past four games in a 7-5 victory against Minnesota on Sunday, Tampa Bay's third in a row following a 2-11 stretch. Morrison also had a pair of longballs, giving him four in his past three games and a .423 average in his last 20.

Longoria is batting .457 with six homers and 14 RBIs in his past nine contests.

"Both those guys, gosh, they're on fire," manager Kevin Cash said. "Just shows when you get two really good hitters on fire, they can carry a big load for you offensively and they're doing that."

Longoria and Morrison will try to help Tampa Bay register its third four-game win streak this season and aid Chris Archer's attempt to snap a personal three-game slide. The right-hander has a 5.82 ERA during the losing streak after giving up five runs over six innings Wednesday in a 6-3 loss in Kansas City.

Archer (3-7, 4.75 ERA) was the last Rays starter to face Arizona, getting a no-decision in a 9-8 loss Aug. 7, 2013. Tampa Bay has lost four straight at Chase Field after winning its first four there, and the Rays (25-30) have lost seven of nine overall in the series.

This time, they'll face a team that's lost nine of 13, but the Diamondbacks (25-34) snapped Chicago Cubs ace Jake Arrieta's string of 20 consecutive winning decisions with a 3-2 victory Sunday.

Yasmany Tomas had a two-run double off the right-hander and Paul Goldschmidt hit a key single in the fifth inning, his first RBI in six games.

"(Beating Arrieta) is something no one has done for a while now," manager Chip Hale said. " I'm very proud of the guys. They battled. I told them they have the guts of a burglar."

The Diamondbacks will try to provide Robbie Ray (2-4, 4.74) with some better support in his attempt to win for the first time in four starts. The left-hander has received one run over his last three outings and gave up three runs in five innings Wednesday in a 5-4 defeat in 11 innings at Houston.

Ray will face Tampa Bay for the first time. Morrison is the only Rays player to have gotten a hit off him, going 2 for 6.

Goldschmidt singled in his lone at-bat against Archer. The only other two Diamondbacks to have faced him, Michael Bourn and Chris Herrmann, are a combined 2 for 14 with five strikeouts.
 
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Preview: Braves (16-40) at Padres (23-35)

Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: June 06, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

Atlanta has lost its last four games and its last four against the San Diego Padres, but those streaks are growing common for the Braves.

What's more surprising is they haven't won a game in San Diego since 2012. They'll try to change that Monday night as the teams begin a three-game series.

Atlanta's last win in San Diego came Aug. 28, 2012, and it's since lost 10 straight with 2.4 runs per game and a 5.82 ERA.

If that's going to change, it'll in part be because of Williams Perez. The right-hander's last three starts have ended with victories, though he hasn't earned the decision in the last two. Perez (2-1, 3.86 ERA) gave up four runs - three earned - and five hits in 5 2/3 innings of Wednesday's 5-4 home victory over San Francisco.

He was part of the San Diego skid last year as he fell to 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA in two starts in the series after allowing four runs and seven hits with four walks in 6 1/3 innings of a 5-3 defeat Aug. 17. Matt Kemp is 1 for 2 with a home run against Perez.

The Padres counter with Christian Friedrich, who has won his last two starts but continues struggling with control. Friedrich (2-1, 2.53) gave up four runs - three earned - and nine hits with four walks in five innings of Wednesday's 14-6 home win over Seattle.

He needed 37 pitches to get through the first and has issued 14 walks in 21 1/3 innings in his four starts. His 18.8 pitches per inning would lead baseball if he'd pitched a qualifying level of innings.

"We had just picked up the bullpen phone," manager Andy Green told MLB's official website. "That's right where we were. He's upper-30s in pitches, but we're trying to give him a lot more leash than you typically do, considering the bullpen being used a lot yesterday. You don't want to run through the bullpen in the second inning."

The Braves (16-40) finally came up with some offense Sunday but lost 12-6. They'd managed two runs in their previous three games. Nick Markakis was 3 for 4 and is batting .324 in his last nine after entering that span at .232, but Freddie Freeman is 4 for 26 in his last eight.

"It was a tough series for us considering that we played pretty well in San Francisco and then we get here and these guys are swinging the bats well at home," interim manager Brian Snitker said. "We just got to keep fighting."

The Padres (23-35) fell a game short of a three-game sweep of Colorado over the weekend with Sunday's 10-3 loss.

Wil Myers stayed hot by going 2 for 4 with his third home run in five games and is batting .433 in his last seven. Alexei Ramirez was also 2 for 4 to extend his hitting streak to eight games. He's batting .356 in his last 12.
 
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Preview: Rockies (25-31) at Dodgers (31-27)

Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: June 06, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

Corey Seager and Trayce Thompson share a house with two other Los Angeles Dodgers that is far from their own but have built a bond that has them encouraging each other with each accomplishment.

Neither has been in the league very long and both took some time getting adjusted to Dodger Stadium. Now they're feeling right at home while helping Los Angeles come to the brink of tying its longest winning streak of the season.

Southern California native Tyler Chatwood should have plenty of supporters in the crowd Monday night, although the last thing the best road pitcher in baseball wants is to feel any sense of home when he takes the hill for the Colorado Rockies.

The 22-year-old Seager finished with six hits during a weekend sweep of visiting Atlanta, and five left the yard. He tagged three homers in the series opener before adding a pair in Sunday's 12-6 victory, helping give the Dodgers (31-27) a chance to win four in a row for the second time this season.

Seager is hitting .375 with 10 homers over his last 14 at Dodger Stadium.

"Just putting swings on balls right now, elevating them," he said. "They're going out. It's just one of those things you try to do every day, and it's working right now."

The 25-year-old Thompson is rolling, too. Manager Dave Roberts bumped him to the No. 3 spot in the lineup for the finale and he went 1 for 3 with two walks and two runs.

Thompson, the brother of Golden State Warriors standout Klay who came over from the Chicago White Sox in a three-game trade in December, homered in the series opener and is batting .406 with five long balls in his last 12 at Chavez Ravine.

"He's the type of guy when we acquired him in the offseason, he had a really high floor and we felt confident that he would be a really good extra outfielder with a real ceiling to it as well," president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman told MLB's official website.

"That lean, the plus athlete, those guys tend to take a little bit longer to develop and sync up their bodies with the long arms. He's continued to take another step forward this year and it's been great to watch."

Thompson is from the Los Angeles area like Chatwood, whose rise from injury has been even more stunning. Chatwood (6-4, 2.99 ERA) had Tommy John surgery after his fourth start in 2014 and missed all of last season while recovering.

Chatwood gave up one earned run over his previous two starts combined before a hiccup Wednesday, when he allowed five runs - four earned - in 5 2/3 innings of a 7-2 loss to Cincinnati. He also walked a season high-tying three in his shortest start since going a season-low four innings in a 4-1 loss to the Dodgers on April 23.

"He wasn't real crisp," manager Walt Weiss said. "Location was a little off, especially with the fastball. Got in a lot of tough counts. Wasn't as sharp as we've seen him lately."

The right-hander should be happy to be back out on the road after four of his last five outings came in Colorado. Chatwood is 4-0 with a major league-best 0.53 ERA and hasn't allowed a homer in five starts outside of Coors Field, where his ERA is 5.30.

There's plenty of time for it to change, but the only pitcher to finish a season with a sub-1.00 ERA with at least five starts on the road is St. Louis legend Bob Gibson with a 0.81 mark in 1968. The New York Mets' Steven Matz's 1.32 road ERA is the next best behind Chatwood.

He'll try to help the Rockies (25-31) to rare back-to-back victories after they snapped a four-game skid with Sunday's 10-3 win over San Diego. Carlos Gonzalez hit a pair of two-run homers and Nolan Arenado added a two-run shot.

Arenado, Gonzalez and Charlie Blackmon have 11 official at-bats apiece against Mike Bolsinger, who hasn't faced anyone more times.

Bolsinger (1-2, 4.20) has made three starts in two stints with the Dodgers this season. He hasn't thrown more than 85 pitches and gave up two runs and two hits in five innings of Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

"First start was a little iffy, but other than that it's actually been feeling pretty good," Bolsinger said. "It's a progression every outing. It seems to be getting better and better. Definitely looking forward to Monday."

The right-hander's lone victory came in his only start at Dodger Stadium, beating Cincinnati on May 24. He's 5-3 with a 3.26 ERA at Chavez Ravine since joining Los Angeles, including six scoreless innings against the Rockies there on May 17, 2015.

Bolsinger struggled in his last two starts against the Rockies - both on the road - while allowing 11 runs in nine innings. Gonzalez has five hits with a homer and a double in their matchups.

Arenado, who is tied for the major league lead with 18 homers, has just two singles off Bolsinger with three strikeouts.

"He's gotten close to hitting a couple home runs off me that went foul," Bolsinger said. "(I've been) working in and out with him, being aggressive with the fastball and throwing my offspeed pitches."

Scott Van Slyke could be in the starting lineup for this after Roberts decided against starting him at the last minute Sunday. Van Slyke was activated from the disabled list Friday.
 
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Preview: Indians (31-24) at Mariners (31-25)

Game: 1
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: June 06, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

It's certainly unfair for the Seattle Mariners to expect James Paxton to turn in Felix Hernandez-like starts as he fills in for their ace, but they're not out of line asking for more than they got in his first outing.

The left-hander gets a chance to improve on that Monday night against the visiting Cleveland Indians, who are seeking a sixth straight victory.

Paxton (0-1, 7.36 ERA) was called up from Triple-A Tacoma on Wednesday and promptly served up six runs in the first inning of Seattle's 14-6 loss in San Diego. The outing didn't last much longer with Paxton giving up eight runs - three earned - and 10 hits in 3 2/3 innings.

"I would certainly like to give him another opportunity," manager Scott Servais told MLB's official website. "That was not the best of Pax. We know that. I told him, 'We're going to need you.' It wasn't the outing he wanted to have, but it doesn't do any good to go drop your head and feel bad for yourself. You've got to work to get better and get back out there."

Paxton seems to think having the first-start jitters out of the way will help.

"I was just way too amped up," Paxton said. "I was going a little bit too fast and didn't get my feet set to throw the ball. I just tried to do too much and was going too quickly, and that first inning got away from me."

He's only faced Cleveland once and gave up four runs - three earned - and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 5-3 home loss on May 28, 2015.

The Indians counter with Trevor Bauer, who is looking for his first win in five starts. Bauer (3-2, 4.27) has had no-decisions in the last two after consecutive losses and gave up three runs and four hits in seven innings of Wednesday's 5-4 home win over Texas.

Over that 0-2 span, the right-hander has posted a 4.74 ERA, though that's far better than his work against the Mariners. Bauer is 0-4 with a 6.94 mark in four starts and a relief appearance with Nelson Cruz going 5 for 7 with a home run and a double. Kyle Seager is 5 for 12 with a home run and a double.

If he's able to end his struggles against the Mariners (31-25), the Indians (31-24) should have a good shot at establishing a new season-best winning streak. They just swept Kansas City in four games and gave up two total runs in the final three after Sunday's 7-0 win.

The offense has also been impressive with 6.0 runs per game and a .294 average on the streak, which includes nine home runs in the last three games. Tyler Naquin homered in all three of those after going his first 28 of the season without leaving the yard. Mike Napoli had six home runs on the Indians' 10-game homestand, which started with one win through five games.

"I mean, from the way we started our homestand to how we finished, it's nice," Napoli said. "Especially doing it against Kansas City, they were ahead of us. Being able to have a good series. Just want to win the series, but we put ourselves in position to sweep. We had a good day today. It's definitely a good feeling going on a long trip."

The Mariners were swept in three games in Texas over the weekend and managed just three hits in Sunday's 3-2 loss.

Over a 1-4 span, they've posted an 8.56 ERA with a .376 opponent batting average.
 
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'Cubs visit Phillies'

Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia Phillies June 6, 7:05 EST

Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies open a three-game set at Citizens Bank Park with each team coming at it from opposite ends of the spectrum.

The Cubs obviously having a tremendous season at a Major League leading best 39-16 (+$1014) head into the contest ridding a 10-2 streak outscoring opponents 62-30. The Phillies a surprising 28-29 (+$392) on the campaign have hit a rough spot and will be looking to improve a 2-8 skid in which they've been outscored 41-29.

Chicago will send out lefthander Jon Lester, who currently sports a 6-3 record, 2.29 ERA. In his last outing, Lester went the distance vs Dodgers allowing 4 hits, 1 run with 10 K's, no walks. Lester brings a perfect 5-0 record, 1.71 ERA in seven career starts against Philadelphia with his teams (Chi, Oak, Bos) 6-1 in those games.

The Phillies have southpaw Adam Morgan tasked with starting duties. Morgan saddled with a four game losing streak tagged for 6 long-ball, 21 runs is 1-4 over seven starts with a whopping 7.07 ERA. Morgan has faced Cubs twice in his career dropping both games surrendering 15 hits, 3 yardball, 10 runs over 9 innings of work.

Looking at those team/pitcher numbers, it's no surprise to see the Chicago Cubs pegged a hefty -$2.75 moneyline road favorite.
 
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'Rangers aim to maintain dominance over Stros'

Houston Astros at Texas Rangers June 6, 8:05 EST

When the Texas Rangers host Houston Astros at Globe Life Park in Arlington Monday night's they'll look to continue a solid trend against their in-state rival. The Rangers have won six straight vs Stros this season and have won 14 of the past 16 meetings including a sparkling 10-0 streak hosting Astros. Rangers handing the ball to Colby Lewis bodes well for the club extending the dominance. The Ranger righthander is 10-1 with a 2.50 ERA in 13 starts vs. the Astros (10-3 TSR).
 
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MLB

Monday's games

National League games

Cubs @ Phillies
Lester is 2-0, 1.76 in his last two starts; four of his last six starts went over.

Morgan is 0-4, 9.61 in his last four starts, three of which went over.

Cubs are 10-2 in last 12 games, 15-3 in series openers. Six of their last seven games stayed under. Philly is 4-12 in last 16 games, 2-7 in home series openers; four of their last five games went over.

Mets @ Pirates
Matz is 7-0, 1.51 in his last eight starts; three of his last four stayed under.

Niese is 2-0, 2.25 in his last four starts (over 7-4).

Mets are 4-6 in last ten road games, 6-3 in road series openers. Over is 7-4-1 in their last 12 games. Pittsburgh lost seven of last nine games; 5-4 in home series openers; their last seven home games went over.

Braves @ Padres
Perez is 1-0, 3.00 in his last three starts (over 5-3).

Friedrich is 2-1, 2.95 in four starts, last three of which went over.

Atlanta is 10-17 on the road; four of their last five road games stayed under. Braves are 2-7 in road series openers. Padres lost ten of last 14 games; nine of their last twelve games went over. San Diego is 7-3 in home series openers.

Rockies @ Dodgers
Chatwood is 2-1, 3.51 in his last four starts (under 10-1).

Bolsinger is 1-2, 4.20 in his three starts (over 2-1).

Dodgers won ten of last thirteen games; five of their last six games stayed under total. LA is 4-5 in home series openers. Colorado lost ten of its last 13 games (over 9-4); they're 6-4 in road series openers.


American League games

Angels @ New York
Shoemaker is 1-1, 1.99 in his last three starts (under 5-4-1).

Tanaka is 2-1, 1.35 in his last three starts, which all stayed under.

Bronx lost eight of last 12 games; under is 6-3-1 in their last ten. NY is 4-4 in home series openers. Angels are 8-4 in last 12 road games, with last four going over the total. Halos are 6-3 in road series openers.

Royals @ Orioles
Duffy is 1-0, 3.86 in his four starts (over 2-2).

Wright is 0-0, 9.24 in his last three starts; his last six starts went over.

Royals lost their last four games; over is 9-2-2 in their last 13. KC is 3-6 in road series openers. Baltimore won four of its last five games (over 4-1)- Orioles are 6-4 in home series openers.

Blue Jays @ Tigers
Happ is 1-0, 1.38 in his last two starts; four of his last five stayed under.

Fulmer is 3-0, 0.40 in his last three starts (over 5-2).

Toronto won nine of its last 11 games; under is 7-3 in its last ten road games. Jays are 7-2 in road series openers. Detroit won four of last five games; over is 15-5-2 in their last 22 home games. Tigers are 4-5 in home series openers.

Astros @ Rangers
Fiers is 0-2, 5.40 in his last three starts (over 5-1-1 in last seven).

Lewis is 3-0, 3.00 in his last three starts; four of his last five went over.

Astros are 11-2 in last 13 games, 3-6 in road series openers; six of their last eight tilts went over. Texas is 12-3 in its last 15 games, 6-4 in home series openers- five of their last six games went over the total.

Indians @ Mariners
Bauer is 0-2, 4.74 in his last four starts (under 4-3).

Paxton allowed eight runs in 3.2 IP (103 PT) in his first '16 start.

Indians won their last five games; they're 4-5 in road series openers. Over is 7-2-1 in their last ten games. Seattle lost seven of its last ten games- over is 11-1 in its last 12 games. Mariners are 4-5 in home series openers.


Interleague

Rays @ Diamondbacks
Archer is 0-3, 7.94 in his last three starts; four of his last five went over. .

Ray is 0-2, 6.14 in his last three starts (over 4-0-1 in last five).

Tampa Bay won its last three games; over is 14-2-1 in their last 17 road games. Rays are 4-6 in road series openers. Arizona.lost five of last seven games; they're 2-7 in home series openers. Last four Diamondback games stayed under the total.


Teams won-lost records when this pitcher starts:

Chi-Phil-- Lester 8-3; Morgan 2-5
NY-Pitt-- Matz 7-2; Niese 7-4
Atl-SD-- Perez 6-2; Friedrich 3-1
Col-LA-- Chatwood 7-4; Bolsinger 1-2

LA-NY-- Shoemaker 3-7; Tanaka 7-4
KC-Balt-- Duffy 4-0; Wright 6-3
Tor-Det-- Happ 7-4; Fulmer 6-1
Hst-Tex-- Fiers 5-5; Lewis 7-4
Cle-Sea-- Bauer 3-4; Paxton 0-1

TB-Az-- Archer 4-8; Ray 3-8


Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning:

Chi-Phil-- Lester 2-11; Morgan 2-7
NY-Pitt-- Matz 1-9; Niese 2-11
Atl-SD-- Perez 2-8; Friedrich 2-4
Col-LA-- Chatwood 3-11; Bolsinger 1-3

LA-NY-- Shoemaker 3-10; Tanaka 1-11
KC-Balt-- Duffy 0-4; Wright 2-9
Tor-Det-- Happ 4-11; Fulmer 2-7
Hst-Tex-- Fiers 2-10; Lewis 6-11
Cle-Sea-- Bauer 3-7; Paxton 1-1

TB-Az-- Archer 6-12; Ray 1-11
 
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Monday's six-pack

Odds to win the US Open golf tournament next week at Oakmont

15-2-- Jason Day

17-2-- Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth

20-1-- Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler

22-1-- Adam Scott

28-1-- Bubba Watson

30-1-- Hideki Matsuyama, Henrik Stenson, Danny Willett
 

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