Monday 7/25/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Phillies (45-55) at Marlins (53-45)

Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: July 25, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

MIAMI -- The Miami Marlins entered this weekend with a potent lineup, a solid bullpen, a 1 1/2-game lead over the New York Mets in the battle for the National League wild-card playoff race and a very shaky rotation once you get past All-Star Jose Fernandez.

On Sunday, that rotation issue became much worse, and Miami's lead shrunk to a half-game over the Mets as a result of a 3-0 loss to New York.

Next up for the Marlins (53-45) is a visit from the Philadelphia Phillies, but Miami will have to take them on without starting pitcher Wei-Yin Chen.

After Sunday's game, the Marlins announced that Chen, who they signed to an extravagant, five-year, $80 million contract in the offseason, was going on the disabled list due to an elbow injury.

There are rumors that Chen could be done for the season and may need Tommy John surgery. But, as of now, that's not what the Marlins are saying.

"(Chen) came in after his last start a little bit tender in the elbow," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "We've got to be cautious with him. We don't feel like it's anything crazy (such as surgery), but we also want to be careful."

Chen, who is 5-4 with a 4.99 ERA, has been a major disappointment for Miami. In fact, he hasn't been anywhere near the solid pitcher he had been during his four-year career with the Baltimore Orioles. Chen was 46-32 with a 3.72 ERA with the Orioles, which is how he got the big contract from Miami.

Unfortunately for the Marlins, Mattingly has no other good choice. He is about to replace one disappointing pitcher with another.

Jarred Cosart is expected to join the rotation in time to start Monday against the Phillies. Cosart, who started the season with the Marlins, was quickly demoted after he went 0-1 with a 7.98 ERA in three starts.

He has been mediocre at Triple-A New Orleans, posting a 3-4 record, a 4.09 ERA, a .158 WHIP and .279 batting average allowed.

This will be Cosart's first major league start since April 22, when the Marlins finally gave up on a pitcher who walked 15 batters in his first 14 2/3 innings this season.

Now, though, they need Cosart again.

"(Cosart) is the guy," Mattingly said. "He is throwing the ball the best down there (in New Orleans) right now."

That's not exactly a strong endorsement, but what else can Mattingly say?

The fact remains that the Marlins are one of several teams fighting -- at least for the moment -- for two wild-card spots. That list includes the Mets, St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers. And don't forget the Pittsburgh Pirates -- they are just two games behind Miami.

Meanwhile, the rebuilding Phillies (45-55) are realistically out of the playoff race

Philadelphia, which lost to the Pirates 5-4 on Sunday, has dropped seven of 10 games since the All-Star Game. There is speculation that it won't be long before the organization calls up two top prospects -- 21-year-old shortstop J.P. Crawford and 22-year-old left fielder Nick Williams.

Phillies shortstop Freddy Galvis, who is batting just .232, could move to second base or to a utility role once Crawford arrives. Crawford, who is in his first year at Triple-A, is batting .317 with a .381 on-base percentage.

The Phillies on Monday will likely place infielder Andres Blanco on the disabled list after he was spiked by Gregory Polanco of the Pirates. Blanco's absence could open up a spot for Crawford.

Phillies third baseman Maikel Franco, who missed Saturday's game after getting hit by a pitch on his wrist, returned on Sunday.

The big need is for an upgrade at shortstop, which Crawford could address if he is ready.

The Phillies started Cody Asche in left field on Sunday, but he is hitless in his past 21 at-bats, including 10 strikeouts.

The solution could be Aaron Altherr, who was expected to be the Phillies starter in right field this season before he needed wrist surgery. The Phillies could also turn to reserves Tyler Goeddel or Jimmy Paredes.

Williams, who draws precious few walks, is another possibility, but he could probably benefit from remaining at Triple-A to hone his plate discipline.

On Monday night, Philadelphia will throw right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (7-7, 3.84 ERA) against Cosart, a matchup the Phillies no doubt love.

After all, Hellickson beat the Marlins 4-1 on Wednesday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (52-46) at Mets (52-45)

Game: 1
Venue: Citi Field
Date: July 25, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- A year ago, the New York Mets had an eventful first homestand after the All-Star break.

The Los Angeles Dodgers' Clayton Kerhsaw nearly threw a perfect game against the Mets, who called up their top prospect, made three trades and vaulted into first place in the National League East.

New York will hope its first homestand of this year after the All-Star will be filled with wins. The Mets kick off the home portion of the second-half scheduled Monday with the opener of a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The homestand will begin a year and one day after Michael Conforto was called up and trades for Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson were completed. It also starts three days shy of the one-year anniversary of the Wilmer Flores-for-Carlos Gomez trade that fell through, setting up the dramatic acquisition of Yoenis Cespedes three days later.

Conforto, Johnson, Cespedes and Flores are still with the third-place Mets, who are 52-45 and five games behind the Washington Nationals in the National League East. New York also is a half-game behind the Miami Marlins for the second NL wild card.

The Mets would have been further back, but they took two of three in Miami and ended an eight-game road trip by getting a 3-0 victory, highlighted by Steven Matz retiring Giancarlo Stanton with two on for the final out of the fifth inning.

"This was crunch time for us," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "We couldn't lose any more ground. We have to hang in there until we start to get healthy or we start to really get it clicking offensively. This was a good series for us to win."

Cespedes had an RBI single Sunday, and he has five hits in 20 at-bats in six games since returning from a quadriceps injury. He is batting .299 with 21 home runs and 56 RBIs, but the quad ailment means he can't move well enough to play center field and can play only left field.

Conforto was used in center field for the first time Sunday. He is 5-for-11 in five games since returning from Triple-A Las Vegas after a massive slump earned him a demotion.

Trade rumors are swirling around the Mets. Among the reports: The New York Daily News wrote that the Mets are among the teams trying to acquire Milwaukee Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy with a possible offer being catcher Travis d'Arnaud and a prospect.

While d'Arnaud may become expendable, Noah Syndergaard is not.

Syndergaard was acquired with d'Arnaud from the Toronto Blue Jays following the 2012 season in the R.A. Dickey deal and has emerged as the Mets' ace. He will pitch the series opener against the Cardinals on Monday, only his second outing in 17 days surrounding the All-Star break.

Syndergaard (9-4, 2.43 ERA) experienced arm fatigue July 8 against Washington, and the Mets pushed him back to the fifth game after the break to give him more time off. His fastball velocity reached 100 mph Tuesday, when he allowed an unearned run in 5 2/3 innings during a 2-1 win over the Chicago Cubs.

"I felt really comfortable starting the game," he said. "I was just trying to nibble on the corners a little bit and not getting the balls over and missing my spots -- not by much -- just a little bit. ... (But) I felt pretty crisp in terms of mechanics out there."

The right-hander is 5-2 with a 2.30 ERA at home this season and 12-4 with a 2.39 ERA in 23 appearances at home with 167 strikeouts and 16 walks.

In his only career outing against the Cardinals, Syndergaard pitched seven innings of two-run ball in a 3-2 loss July 17, 2015 at Busch Stadium.

St. Louis (52-46) will play 20 of its next 26 games on the road, and it starts this stretch a game behind the Marlins in the wild-card chase and 7 1/2 behind the first-place Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. The Cardinals will start the trip without third baseman Jhonny Peralta, second baseman/third baseman Matt Carpenter and first baseman/outfielder Brandon Moss but could end it with the trio back in the lineup.

"Any way you look at it, it certainly strengthens your club," Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said.

The Cardinals won six of their first eight games after the break, but following a 16-inning win Friday, they were outscored 16-8 in consecutive losses to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

St. Louis used its bullpen for 20 2/3 innings in the weekend series, and so it will look for distance Monday from starter Carlos Martinez (9-6, 2.83 ERA). Martinez allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings Wednesday against the San Diego Padres and is 3-1 with a 1.52 ERA in his last seven starts.

Martinez has provided St. Louis with distance by pitching into the seventh during 10 of his 18 starts. He did so in his last start after getting a bloody nose in the second inning.

"It actually really helped me stay focused after the fact," Martinez said through an interpreter. "I was trying to stay in the game and (keep) my mind in the game where it should be."

Martinez is 1-1 with a 0.57 ERA in five career appearances (two starts) against the Mets. He was the losing pitcher when the teams played 19 innings July 19, 2015, in St. Louis, and he allowed four hits in 6 1/3 innings during a 9-0 win at New York on May 20, 2015.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tigers (51-48) at Red Sox (55-41)

Game: 1
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: July 25, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

BOSTON -- Drew Pomeranz is looking for a do-over after his rocky Boston Red Sox debut last Wednesday.

The former San Diego Padres southpaw was all but sharp in his first start after being traded to Boston July 14, giving up five runs on eight hits in three innings against San Francisco.

"I was going along pretty good there through the first three (innings)," Pomeranz said. "I made some bad fastball-location pitches, and they made me pay for it."

On Monday, the first-time All-Star faces an easier challenge as the Detroit Tigers come to town in the opener of a three-game series at Fenway Park.

Pomeranz (8-7, 2.83 ERA) would certainly like to borrow some of the run support Boston gave Rick Porcello in Sunday's 8-7 win over Minnesota.

Porcello wasn't at his best, giving up five runs on six hits in 6 2/3 innings, but three-run homers from Hanley Ramirez and Travis Shaw helped him improve to 10-0 at home this year.

Boston (55-41) couldn't gain any ground on American League East-leading Baltimore, which earned a 5-3 win over Cleveland to remain 1 1/2 games up in the standings.

The Red Sox have been the majors' hottest team in July, going 13-5 in the month while homering in 15 consecutive games.

Pomeranz has never started against the Tigers, but has made one relief appearance against them, pitching a scoreless inning.

No current Detroit batter has more than five at-bats against Pomeranz, with Justin Upton going 2-for-5 with two walks and a pair of punch outs.

Detroit lost not once, but twice Sunday after dropping a pair of one-run contests against the Chicago White Sox.

The Tigers fell 4-3 in the conclusion of a suspended game earlier Sunday before losing 5-4 on Melky Cabrera's walk-off single in the second game, 5-4.

Meanwhile, Tigers star Miguel Cabrera was hitless in six at-bats in the last two games against Chicago.

"It's nothing different than what happens to other hitters," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said, "it just happens to Miguel Cabrera less often than it does with other hitters."

Despite the losses, Detroit (51-48) remains in striking distance of Cleveland in the AL Central, trailing the Indians by six games.

In the wild card race, the Tigers face only a four-game deficit, with three teams -- Boston, Toronto and Houston -- ahead of them.

Justin Verlander (9-6, 3.74 ERA) counters Pomeranz for the Tigers and hopes he can reignite the Fenway magic he experienced last season.

Verlander threw eight one-run inning in a no-decision at Fenway last July 24, and he's been strong ever since, posting a 14-11 record with a 3.11 ERA in 231 2/3 innings dating back to that outing.

Last time out, Verlander gave up one run on two hits and two walks with nine strikeouts in an eight-inning no-decision Wednesday against the Twins.

Prior to that, Verlander notched his fourth 10-strikeout game of the season in a win at Kansas City, lasting seven innings while surrendering two runs -- one earned -- on four hits and two free passes.

The former AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner is 3-5 with a 3.16 ERA in 13 career starts against Boston. At Fenway, Verlander is 2-3 with a 3.56 ERA in eight starts.

David Ortiz has hit Verladner particularly well, going 11-for-29 (.379) with two home runs and four RBIs, but has nine strikeouts against him.

Aaron Hill is 5-for-16 (.313) with two RBIs lifetime against Verlander, while Dustin Pedroia has struggled to the tune of a 1-for-18 (.056) clip vs. Verlander.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (41-57) at Brewers (41-55)

Game: 1
Venue: Miller Park
Date: July 25, 2016 7:20 PM EDT

MILWAUKEE -- Braden Shipley, the Arizona Diamondback's top prospect, will make his major league debut Monday when he takes the mound against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

The 15th overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft, Shipley started 19 games for Triple-A Reno this season, posting an 8-5 record and 3.70 ERA while striking out 77 and walking only 22 in 119 1/3 innings of work.

"He's really pitched well in Reno," Arizona manager Chip Hale told MLB.com. "When you talk to (Reno manager) Phil Nevin, there's been a couple ... farmhands have come through and really have controlled the offenses in Reno's ballpark, and Braden's one of those guys. We're excited about it."

In 81 career minor league appearances -- 80 starts -- Shipley is 24-27 with a 3.79 ERA.

"His pitches play in the big leagues," said Hale. "His fastball, if it's down, is very good. He's got an above-average change-up and breaking ball. He has a chance to compete. We just have to work with him and realize there are going to be some butterflies tomorrow and have him enjoy it."

Arizona has lost 17 of last 21 games but snapped a four-game losing streak Sunday with a 9-8 victory over the Reds in Cincinnati. The Diamondbacks hit four home runs in that contests, including a pair from Yasmany Tomas.

"Our guys did not quit," Hale said. "Which they hadn't done that the last two days. They just were able to really hang in there in their at-bats. Obviously, Tomas with the two home runs were huge."

Milwaukee will try to bounce back from a frustrating loss to the Cubs Sunday. The Brewers jumped out to an early 4-0 against Jon Lester but stranded 12 runners on the day and allowed five runs in the seventh inning to drop the series with their NL Central rivals.

To get back on track, they'll turn to former Diamondback Chase Anderson, himself looking to get corrected. Anderson is 0-4 with a 9.13 ERA in his last six starts and has failed to work more than 4 1/3 innings in his last five outings.

Anderson lasted just four innings his last time out, allowing three rubs in six hits and a pair of walks while striking out two in a 9-5 victory at Pittsburgh.

"I thought the second inning he got stuck a little bit, he got out of it and then the next two innings were pretty good," said manager Craig Counsell. "He was up to 85, 86 pitches and going through the meat of their order again. We'd like to get him a little more efficient with his pitches, but I thought he rebounded from that second inning, which was important."

Monday will mark Anderson's first career start against Arizona, which selected him in the ninth round of the 2009 MLB Draft. He spent two seasons with the Diamondbacks, going 15-13 with a 4.18 ERA before being traded to Milwaukee in January along with Aaron Hill and prospect Isan Diaz for Jean Segura.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics (45-54) at Rangers (57-42)

Game: 1
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: July 25, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

The Texas Rangers are finally back at their ballpark and they could use some home cooking. The Oakland A's may be the perfect guests.

The Rangers open a seven-game homestand with a three-game series beginning Monday night against AL West rival Oakland. Texas is coming off a 3-6 road trip out of the All-Star break.

The West-leading Rangers (57-42) did win the final two on the road at defending World Series champion Kansas City. Sunday's 2-1 victory ended a stretch in which the Rangers played only four home games in a 28-day span beginning on June 27.

"Very nice way to end this road trip," Texas manager Jeff Banister said. "Opportunity to win a series, get back on a winning track, put a couple of games together than obviously were hard fought."

Starting pitching has been an issue for Texas over the last three weeks. The Rangers did get consecutive solid starts out of ace Cole Hamels and A.J. Griffin against the Royals, and more help appears on the way.

General manager Jon Daniels indicated Sunday that injured starters Derek Holland and Colby Lewis will rejoin the rotation on the first day they're eligible to come off the disabled list, Aug. 20 and 21, respectively.

Daniels also admitted the club could be in the market for a "rental" to boost the rotation before the trade deadline Aug. 1.

"I was hoping we wouldn't consider rentals," Daniels told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "We're always open for long-term, controllable acquisitions."

The injuries to the staff led to the reversal of ground for the Rangers, who have seen what was once a 10-game lead chopped to 2 1/2 games.

"With a healthy rotation we would, like we did last year, not consider rentals," Daniels added. "It's still not my preference, but we've got to be open to it."

Though the A's (45-54) are last in the AL West, they've been hot since the All-Star break. Oakland is 7-3 since baseball resumed and is on a three-game winning streak, including Sunday's 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay on Billy Butler's go-ahead home run in the eighth inning.

The A's took the lead in the eighth or later in each of the three wins against the Rays. Oakland has also won three consecutive series for the first time since 2014.

"Winning's definitely contagious," Butler told MLB.com. "I feel like when you come from behind or make surges late, once you do them you have confidence as a team that you're going to do it."

Oakland opens its nine-game road trip by sending right-hander Daniel Mengden (1-5, 5.52 ERA) to the mound against Texas. The Rangers counter with lefty Martin Perez (7-7, 4.37).

The Rangers and Oakland are playing in Arlington for first time this season. The A's have gone 4-3 in the first seven meetings, all in Oakland, but have lost the last three. Oakland will visit Globe Life Park for a series once each in July, August and September.

Texas is 29-15 at home this year.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (50-48) at Astros (54-44)

Game: 1
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: July 25, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

HOUSTON -- As if he were affixing a cherry on top of the sundae that was the weekend sweep of American League West rival Los Angeles, Astros manager A.J. Hinch, unprompted, shared some important news before the assembled media vacated his postgame presser on Sunday.

The Astros (54-44), 10 games above .500 for the first time this season, were promoting top prospect Alex Bregman so he could make his major league debut against the Yankees Monday at Minute Maid Park.

Bregman, the second overall pick of the 2015 draft, has lived up to the hype that came with his selection. In his first full professional season, Bregman opened 2016 with Double-A Corpus Christi and hit .297/.415/.559 with 14 home runs and 46 RBIs in 62 games. After earning a promotion to Triple-A Fresno, Bregman hit .356/.397/.685 with six homers and 15 RBIs in 17 games. His bat has earned raves throughout scouting circles and when midseason prospect rankings were recently released, Bregman was ranked first overall by ESPN.

Seemingly the only thing slowing his promotion was determining where Bregman would play defensively. A shortstop by trade, Bregman was blocked by Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, the 2015 AL Rookie of the Year. At second base, the Astros employ Jose Altuve, who is in the running for AL Most Valuable Player honors. After joining Fresno, Bregman played third base and left field to prepare for the inevitable.

"We wanted a couple extra innings in left field, at third base," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "We accomplished that over the weekend. It's never going to be enough when you're trying to teach somebody a different position to play. We feel like his time's now to come up and add whatever he can to a good clubhouse, a good team and not have to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders as a young player."

Left-hander Dallas Keuchel (6-9, 4.70 ERA) will start for the Astros. Keuchel is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA against the Yankees (50-48) this season and 3-1 with a 1.45 ERA in four career starts against them. He is riding a three-game winning streak and enjoying a stretch of six consecutive quality starts, posting a 3-2 record and 2.79 ERA during that span.

Right-hander Michael Pineda (4-9, 5.25 ERA) will open the series for the Yankees. Pineda earned the win against the Astros on April 6, the beneficiary of an offensive explosion that yielded a 16-6 victory. Pineda allowed six runs on eight hits with five strikeouts over five innings.

The Yankees capped a series win over the NL West-leading Giants on Sunday with a 5-2 victory. The Yankees have won 8 of 12 since last dropping two games under .500.

Distractions are a part of playing for the Yankees and recent weeks have been no different with rampant trade speculation following the club as it spins its wheels in the postseason chase.

"We don't want to be broken up," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "We want a chance to fight and fight but we need to play better is the bottom line."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cubs (59-38) at White Sox (48-50)

Game: 1
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: July 25, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- After five seasons in Cincinnati, Todd Frazier is looking forward to his first taste of the crosstown rivalry between the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Cubs.

"I heard it gets a little crazy over here on the South Side, which is great," Frazier said. "I wouldn't expect anything less from the fans we have here. ... I heard it's kind of like a playoff atmosphere."

Expect U.S. Cellular Field to be buzzing for Monday's series opener, even if the clubs appear to be heading in opposite directions in their respective seasons. The teams will play Monday and Tuesday on the South Side before shifting eight miles north to Wrigley Field for a pair of games Wednesday and Thursday.

The Cubs (59-38) own the best record in the National League and have spent 110 days in first place in the NL Central. Manager Joe Maddon's team is 6-3 since the All-Star break following Sunday's 6-5 comeback win against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Maddon said he had not decided who would serve as his team's designated hitter to open the interleague series.

"It will be entertaining," Maddon said with a grin. "The South Siders have a wonderful sense of humor that we all can appreciate.

"From a game perspective, having been involved in so many games -- we've been to the playoffs there with the Rays and the Angels ... I've had a little connection. Really good people."

Meanwhile, the White Sox (48-50) have lost seven of 10 games since the All-Star break despite picking up a pair of wins Sunday against Detroit. After starting the season 23-10, the team has gone 25-40.

A roller-coaster season for the White Sox took a bizarre twist Saturday when left-hander Chris Sale reportedly cut up the team's throwback uniforms because he thought they were uncomfortable. Sale was suspended five days by the team and will not be eligible to return until Thursday.

While the White Sox open the series without their ace, the Cubs will turn to theirs.

Right-hander Jake Arrieta (12-4, 2.60 ERA) will look to turn in his second strong performance in a row. During his last time out, Arrieta limited the New York Mets to one run on five hits in seven innings. That snapped a rare cold streak for Arrieta, who did not earn a quality start in his previous four outings.

Arrieta is 3-1 with a 3.82 ERA in six career starts against the White Sox. Since joining the Cubs in 2013, Arrieta is 2-0 with a 2.75 ERA in three starts against the South Siders.

Right-hander Miguel Gonzalez (2-5, 4.41 ERA) will take the ball for the White Sox. Gonzalez has posted four consecutive quality starts and owns a 2.77 ERA during that span. In his only career start against the Cubs on Aug. 24, 2014, he allowed two runs in 6 1/3 innings.

Frazier said he spoke with manager Robin Ventura about the intensity of the crosstown series.

"I've played against Cleveland (when I was with the Reds)," Frazier said. "We have that interstate rivalry. I don't think it's anywhere close to what this is.

"Talking to Robin about it, he said these kind of series -- and the New York 'subway series' -- are just a little different than the other ones. So it's going to be exciting. I've got a lot of family here, and they're excited, as well."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (43-55) at Royals (48-49)

Game: 1
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: July 25, 2016 8:15 PM EDT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Time is running out on the Kansas City Royals if they are going to make it back to the postseason.

After advancing to the World Series the past two years and winning it all in 2015, the Royals take a 48-49 record into a three-game series Monday night against the Los Angeles Angels to close out this nine-game homestand.

The Royals fell below .500 for the first time since May 15 after a 2-1 loss Sunday to the Texas Rangers. They have not won back-to-back games in July, a month where they have a putrid 6-13 record.

It is time for the Royals to get it going if they are to remain in playoff contention.

"We thought about that like three weeks ago," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "We can think it all we want. That doesn't help you. We've got to get it going."

The Royals are 9-36 when they score three or fewer runs.

"It's important to get all of our guys going again," Yost said. "When you struggle offensively, generally, when we do it we do it as a team. We've got to find ways to produce more offense."

The Royals will start right-hander Ian Kennedy in the series opener. He is 0-3 with a 6.35 ERA in four career starts against the Angels. He lost a 6-1 decision on April 25 at Anaheim, when the Royals were swept in a three-game series and scored only seven runs in the three games.

Albert Pujols is 4-for-10 with three home runs off Kennedy, while Mike Trout is 1-for-6.

Kennedy has had trouble the third time through the lineup. They are hitting .215, 67-for-312, the first two times. On the third time, hitters have a .293 batting average with nine home runs and two doubles.

The Angels will counter with right-hander Hector Santiago, who had his career-high 24 inning scoreless inning streak snapped in his previous start by the Rangers. He owns a 2.28 ERA in his past seven starts.

Eric Hosmer is 6-for-19 and Alcides Escobar is 5-for-16 off Santiago.

Shortstop Anrelton Simmons is batting .404 since June 23 and is the hottest Angels' bat.

The Angels lost 13-3 Sunday at Houston with Jose Altuve hitting two home runs and driving in five runs in the first two innings off Tim Lincecum, who was yanked after retiring only four batters and allowing eight runs.

"Pretty pathetic," Lincecum said after the poor performance. "I wasn't putting the ball where I needed to at all, from the first pitch. I have a lot of work to do. I'm confident in the process, that this is part of what I'm going through right now. If it takes going through this, then it takes going through this."

Lincecum won't start against the Royals and there is some uncertainty whether he will remain in the rotation with an 8.70 ERA and allowing nine home runs among his 54 hits, while walking 15 and allowing 31 runs, 29 earned, in 30 innings. His fastball is mostly 86-87 mile per hour.

"He has enough life on his fastball," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "But he has to get it into better zones than we've seen."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Reds (38-60) at Giants (58-40)

Game: 1
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: July 25, 2016 10:15 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO -- Veteran right-hander Jake Peavy will seek to extend two impressive streaks when the San Francisco Giants open a week-long homestand Monday night against the Cincinnati Reds.

The National League West leader and NL Central last-place team met in May at Cincinnati, with the Giants winning two of three.

The Reds' lone win of the series came against Peavy, the 35-year-old veteran of four teams -- the San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, Boston Red Sox and now the Giants.

The loss was the first of his career against the Reds after seven wins.

Peavy (5-8, 5.15 ERA) has never lost a home game against Cincinnati, going 4-0 while allowing only 37 hits in 52 innings. His ERA over those seven starts (three no-decisions) is 1.90.

Peavy has been remarkably resilient since joining the Giants in a trade from the Red Sox for pitchers Edwin Escobar and Heath Hembree in 2014. His 19-18 record tells only half the story.

Six of those losses came against teams Peavy faced again later in the same season. He won all six of the rematches, allowing only 13 runs in 39 2/3 innings (2.95 ERA) after having gotten lit up for 21 runs in 28 2/3 innings (6.59) in the first meeting.

He will be looking to extend that run to seven straight against the Reds, who roughed up Peavy for eight hits and seven runs in six innings in a 7-4 Cincinnati win on May 4.

The Reds will send their top pitcher, right-hander Anthony DeSclafani, to oppose Peavy in the series opener.

After two no-decisions to start his season, DeSclafani (5-0, 2.50 ERA) has won five of his past six starts, including road triumphs against the Texas Rangers, Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs.

In his only previous start against the Giants, DeSclafani gave up six runs on six hits in three innings during a 9-8 loss on May 17, 2015.

Seven days before the non-waiver trade deadline, the series brings together teams that have swapped players twice in the past 53 weeks.

Left fielder Adam Duvall, the NL's fifth-leading home run hitter with 23, went to the Reds leading up to the 2015 trade deadline in a deal that allowed the Giants to import a veteran pitcher, Mike Leake, for their unsuccessful run at defending their World Series championship.

Leake since moved on to the St. Louis Cardinals as a free agent.

The Giants went to Cincinnati shopping for a bat a month later and came away with slugging outfielder Marlon Byrd. The Reds received minor league pitcher Stephen Johnson in the swap.

Like Leake, Byrd left the Giants as a free agent after the 2015 season and now plays for the Cleveland Indians.

With star right fielder Hunter Pence having missed almost two months with a hamstring injury, the Giants once again find themselves in the market for outfield help. Reds right fielder Jay Bruce has been mentioned as a possibility.

Bruce hit a three-run, ninth-inning homer Sunday in a 9-8 home loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Afterward, he was asked if he sensed it might be his last homer as a Red in the Great American Ball Park.

"It could have been. We'll see," he said. "I obviously know what's going on (with trade rumors), but I can't control any of that. Just have to play ball and try and help this team win games."

The Giants are returning home off a 1-7 road trip that opened the season's second half. They batted just .125 (9-for-72) with runners in scoring position during the trip, which ended with a 5-2 loss to the New York Yankees on Sunday.

"We're all just slumping at the same time," said first baseman Brandon Belt, has just two hits in 33 at-bats (.061) since the All-Star break.

 

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Monday's Diamond Notes
By Joe Williams

Hottest team: Cubs (7-3 past 10)

The Cubs managed a 5-15 record from May 20 to July 9 to rustle up that old doubt in the minds of even the most faithful north sider supporter. However, order has been restored since the All-Star break, as the Cubs are 7-3 over their past 10 games after taking two of three in Milwaukee this past weekend. The Cubs meet their rivals from the south side, and that usually means good things. The Cubbies are 6-1 in their past seven interleague games, and 10-2 in their past 12 interleague road battles against a team with a losing record. Plus, it's good to have Jake Arrieta on the bump, as the Cubs are 23-4 in his past 27 assignments away from home while going 22-8 in his past 30 against a team with a losing overall mark.

Coldest team: Brewers (3-8 past 11)

The Brewers lost two of three from the Cubs, and they have now dropped six of their past seven series going 7-13 over the past 20 games. Milwaukee might catch a break with Arizona visiting, as the Diamondbacks have been equally inept lately. The Snakes turn to their top pitching prospect, Braden Shipley, to try and stem the the tide of losing. Arizona as dropped seven of their past eight road games, and they're just 3-15 in their past eight 18 vs. RHP. Milwaukee is 1-4 in their past five at home, 1-6 in their past seven against right-handed starters and 1-5 in Chase Anderson's past six outings. Something's gotta give between Arizona and Milwaukee.

Hottest pitcher: Justin Verlander, Tigers (9-6, 3.74 ERA)

Verlander's overall numbers aren't particularly impressive, but he is making up for lost time. He is 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP with 24 strikeouts and just eight walks over the past 20 2/3 innings. The Tigers are 6-2 in Verlander's past eight starts against a team with a winning overall record, and 5-2 in hisp ast seven road outings against winning teams. While the Tigers are 7-3 in their past 10 against the American League East, the Tigers are only 3-10 in Verlander's past 13 assignments against AL East foes.

Coldest pitcher: Martin Perez, Texas (7-7, 4.37 ERA)

Perez has been horrid in the month of July, going 0-3 with an 8.34 ERA in four starts in the month, allowing five or more earned runs in each of his past three outings, all losses. Perez posted quality starts in six of seven outings from May 8 to June 9, but he has managed just two over his past seven assignments since. The Rangers have been terrible lately, winning just 3-8 in their past 11 games, and Perez doesn't figure to stem the tide of losing. While the Rangers are a surprising 8-3 in his past 11 outings, they're 0-5 in his past five against teams with a losing overall record.

Biggest UNDER run: Orioles (12-0 past 12)

The 'under' run for Baltimore has been amazing, one of a handful of impressive streaks. The 'under' is also 10-0 in the past 10 for the Yankees, 1-10-1 in the past 12 for the Mets and 2-8 over the past 10 for the Giants. Suddenly the offense has dried up for a lot of teams. Strong pitching has been the key to Baltimore's amazing under run, as they have allowed three or fewer runs in each of their past four games, and nine of the past 12 outings. They face a Colorado team which has seen the under go 12-4 in their past 16 against right-handed starting pitching, and 7-2 in their past nine road outings.

Biggest OVER run: Cardinals (5-3 past 8)

Offense has been at a premium lately in the majors, as teams appear to have a hangover after the All-Star break. The Cardinals have bucked that trend somewhat, as the 'over' is 5-3 in their past eight games, 5-1 in their past six against National League East teams and 3-1-5 in Martinez's past nine outings against NL East teams. The under is the predominant trend for the Mets, but the over is 4-1 in Noah Syndergaard's past five home outings and 7-2 in his past nine games overall.

Matchup to watch: Yankees vs. Astros

It's a tale of two teams when the Yankees host the Astros at Minute Maid Park for the series opener Monday. The Yankees took two of three from the contending Giants in interleague play over the weekend, but the Bronx Bombers are still just two games over .500 and expected to be sellers at the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. The Astros have won four in a row, and they're 11-5 over the past 16 outings to find themselves right in the wild-card mix. New York enters 6-2 in their past eight games overall, but 6-13 in their past 19 road outings against a team with a winning record and 5-12 in their past 17 against a left-handed starter. The Astros are 24-6 in Dallas Keuchel's past 30 home starts, and the Astros are 7-1 in their past eight home games against a team with a winning overall record.

Betcha didn’t know: The Astros have picked on the weak to get where they are in the standings, going 4-0 in their past four home games against a team with a losing road record. However, they have also handled their business against winning teams, too, especially at home. They're 7-1 in their past eight at Minute Maid Park against winning teams while going 54-23 in their past 77 games overall. The Astros face Michael Pineda, and the Yankes are just 1-5 in his past six road outings against a team with a winning overall record.

Biggest public favorite: Blue Jays (-255) vs. Padres

Biggest public underdog: Diamondbacks (+125) at Brewers

Biggest line move: Blue Jays (-230 to -255) vs. Padres

 

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'Windy City Battle'

Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs open a four game home-home series on the South Side starting Monday. One of the more unusual dichotomies MLB bettors need to take note of, is the atypical home/road splits in this series. Since 2012, backing the club playing in the opposing park has been the correct choice. Pale Hose have won seven of ten at Wrigley Field, the Cubbies have won seven of ten at U.S. Cellular Field.

Sports Gaming enthusiast with a penchant towards betting MLB 'Totals' will note, 'Over' has dominated when the clubs play on the South Side (6-3-1) with 'Under' being the best choice on the North Side (6-2-2).

 

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'Giant Slump'

Cincinnati Reds at San Francisco Giants July 25, 10:05 EST

The San Francisco Giants are slumpin', the nosedive has reached a woeful 1-7 stretch in which the club has platted just 2.9 runs/game while the pitching staff has given up a whopping 5.0 per/contest. Giants must now try to solve one of the leagues hottest pitchers, Cinci's Anthony DeSclafani. The righthander is undefeated (5-0, 2.50 ERA) and has spun six consecutive quality starts with an eye-opening 36-3 KW ratio.

 

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MLB

Monday's games

National League

Phillies @ Marlins
Hellickson is 3-1, 2.81 in his last five starts; Phillies split his eight road starts. Hellickson's last six starts stayed under the total.

Cosart was 0-1, 8.59 in his three starts (over 3-0), last of which was April 22.

Phillies lost six of last eight games; over is 18-7 in their last 24 road games. Marlins are 8-3 in last 11 home games; under is 10-5 in their last fifteen games. Marlins are 8-8 in home series openers. Phillies are 6-10 in road series openers.

Cardinals @ Mets
Martinez is 5-1, 1.50 in his last nine starts; under is 6-0-1 in his last seven starts. Cardinals are 5-2 in his road starts.

Syndergaard is 1-1, 2.60 in his last three starts; over is 6-2-1 in his last nine. New York is 6-4 in his home starts.

St Louis won five of last seven games but lost last two; they're 5-9 in road series openers. Three of their last four games went over. Mets are 5-7 in last 12 games, 2-4 in last six home games; they're 12-3 in home series openers. Under is 11-1 in their last twelve games.

Diamondbacks @ Brewers
Shipley makes his MLB debut here; he was 8-5, 3.70 in 19 starts at hitter-friendly Reno.

Anderson is 0-4, 9.51 in his last six starts (over 5-0-1). Brewers are 3-5 in his home starts.

Arizona lost 17 of its last 22 games, is 9-6 in road series openers; four of their last five road games stayed under. Milwaukee lost eight of last 11 games; under is 6-2-1 in last nine games at Miller Park. Brewers are 3-14 in home series openers.

Reds @ Giants
DeSclafani is 5-0, 2.59 in his last six starts; under is 3-0-2 in his last five.

Peavy is 1-2, 6.20 in his last four starts; eight of his last ten stayed under. Giants won his last five home starts.

Cincinnati won six of its last nine games, is 9-8 in road series openers. Over is 8-4 in their last 12 road games. San Francisco is off a 1-7 road trip; they won five of last six at home- they're 8-7 in home series openers. Last three Giant games stayed under the total.


American League

Tigers @ Red Sox
Verlander is 2-0, 2.28 in his last four starts; under is 9-2 in his last 11. Detroit is 5-4 when he starts on the road.

Pomeranz is 3-0, 2.50 in his last five starts; six of his last eight stayed under. He allowed three runs in five IP (80 PT) in his Boston debut.

Boston won 12 of last 16 home games; seven of last 11 Red Sox games stayed under the total. Sox won their last five home series openers. Detroit is 4-7 in its last 11 road games, 6-11 in road series openers. Under is 11-2-1 in Tigers' last 14 games.

A's @ Rangers
Mengden is 1-5, 5.93 in eight starts this year; four of his last five went over.

Perez is 0-3, 13.79 in his last three starts; six of his last seven home starts stayed under the total. Texas won his last five home starts.

Oakland won seven of last ten games; five of last six stayed under the total. A's are 10-5 in road series openers. Texas lost 15 of last 21 games but won last two; they're 8-6 in road series openers. Seven of last eight Ranger home games went over.

Bronx @ Astros
Pineda is 1-2, 5.29 in his last four starts; his last five stayed under. Bronx ix 3-5 when he starts on the road.

Keuchel is 3-0, 3.29 in his last six starts; under is 7-3 in his last ten. Houston is 4-4 in his home starts, but won last three.

Houston won eight of its last ten home games; they're 10-6 in home series openers. Under is 7-3-1 in their last 11 home games. New York won six of its last eight games, is 7-8 in home series openers. Over is 11-2 in last thirteen Bronx road games- on the homestand they just finished, under was 10-0.

Angels @ Royals
Santiago is 4-0, 1.44 in his last four starts; over is 11-4 in his last 15. Halos are 7-3 when he starts on the road.

Kennedy is 0-2, 5.66 in his last four starts; five of his last six stayed under. Royals won five of his seven home starts.

Home side won Angels' last 11 games; they've lost last five road games, are 7-9 in road series openers. Over is 5-1-1 in their last seven games. Royals lost seven of last ten games; five of KC's last seven home games went over the total.


Interleague

Rockies @ Orioles
De la Rosa is 1-3, 6.00 in his last four starts (over 9-4). Colorado split his eight road starts.

Gallardo is 0-1, 5.57 in his last four starts; six of his last eight stayed under. Orioles won all four of his home starts.

Colorado won seven of last ten games, is 9-7 in road series openers. Seven of their last nine Rockies games stayed under. Baltimore won its last four games; their last 12 games stayed under the total. Orioles are 9-7 in home series openers.

Padres @ Blue Jays
Rea is 2-2, 6.98 in his last six starts; over is 12-3 in his last fifteen. San Diego won five of his seven road starts.

Sanchez is 4-0, 2.03 in his last six starts; seven of his last nine stayed under. Toronto won five of his last six home starts.

Padres lost eight of last ten road games; six of their last nine road games stayed under total. San Diego is 11-5 in road series openers. Toronto won nine of last 12 home games, is 5-11 in home series openers. Seven of last eight games in SkyDome stayed under.

Cubs @ White Sox
Arrieta is 0-2, 5.40 in his last three starts; over is 3-1-1 in his last five. Cubs are 8-2 in his road starts, but lost last two.

Gonzalez is 1-2, 3.46 in his last four starts (under 3-1). White Sox are 2-3 in his home starts.

Cubs won seven of last ten games, are 4-7 in last 11 road series openers. Eight of Cubs' last nine games stayed under. White Sox lost eight of last 11 games but won last two; they're 8-8 in home series openers.


Teams won-lost records when this pitcher starts:

Phil-Mia-- Hellickson 10-10; Cosart 1-2
StL-NY-- Martinez 9-9; Syndergaard 12-6
Az-Mil-- Shipley 0-0; Anderson 6-12
Cin-SF-- DeSclafani 6-2; Peavy 10-9

Det-Bos-- Verlander 11-9; Pomeranz 1-0/9-8
A's-Tex-- Mengden 2-6; Perez 10-10 (0-3 last 3)
NY-Hst-- Pineda 9-10; Keuchel 9-11
LAA-KC-- Santiago 14-6 (5-0 last 5); Kennedy 9-10 (2-7 last 9)

Col-Balt-- De la Rosa 6-7; Gallardo 7-4
SD-Tor-- Rea 10-7; Sanchez 12-7
Cubs-CWS-- Arrieta 13-6 (3-6 last 9); Gonzalez 6-8


Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning:

Phil-Mia-- Hellickson 6-20; Cosart 2-3
StL-NY-- Martinez 1-18; Syndergaard 4-18
Az-Mil-- Shipley 0-0; Anderson 7-18
Cin-SF-- DeSclafani 4-8; Peavy 4-19

Det-Bos-- Verlander 8-20; Pomeranz 3-18
A's-Tex-- Mengden 1-8; Perez 7-20
NY-Hst-- Pineda 7-19; Keuchel 4-20
LAA-KC-- Santiago 8-20; Kennedy 7-19

Col-Balt-- De la Rosa 5-13; Gallardo 6-11
SD-Tor-- Rea 9-17; Sanchez 4-19
Cubs-CWS-- Arrieta 3-19; Gonzalez 6-14

 

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#1 Sports

Monday's Free Selection: Chicago Cubs - 205

 

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Mike Wynn

Bonus Play: MLB Kansas City w/Kennedy -120 Over LA Angels

 

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Razor Sharp

FREE PICK FOR MONDAY: Take BOSTON (Pomeranz) -145 over Detroit

 

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Totals4U

Monday's Free Selection: Arizona/Milwaukee over 9 1/2

 

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Platinum Plays

Free Pick: Chicago Cubs w/Arrieta -200 Over Chicago Wsox

 

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Hawkeye Sports

Monday's Free Selection: Toronto Argonauts - 5 1/2 (CFL)

 

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The Vegas Steam Line

Your free winner for Monday: Take BALTIMORE (Gallardo) -135 over Colorado