Monday 8/15/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Padres (50-67) at Rays (47-69)

Game: 1
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: August 15, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- As the Tampa Bay Rays return home from a 2-4 road trip at the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees, their three-game series with the San Diego Padres brings a reunion with former Rays player Wil Myers.

Myers won the American League Rookie of the Year with Tampa Bay in 2013 but saw his numbers drop considerably in 2014, hitting .222 after .293 as a rookie. He was traded to San Diego in a three-team deal that brought outfielder Steven Souza to Tampa Bay.

Myers, 25, is just now showing the form that the Rays had hoped for when they acquired him from the Royals, but he said he has no ill will toward his former team.

"When I was in Tampa, I was young and dumb," Myers told the Padres' official site this week. "I did a lot of things that weren't great, as far as just being a big-leaguer. I've really felt like I've grown as a big-leaguer, grown as a teammate. That's one thing I wish that I could've given Tampa."

Tampa Bay has gotten middling results from Souza, 27, who has raised his average to .244 this season with 11 home runs and 37 RBIs. While his average is 19 points higher than last season, his on-base percentage has dropped by 20, with his walks cut in half while he continues to struggle with a high strikeout rate.

Both teams come in after going 2-4 on road swings -- the Rays are now home for 10 straight and the Padres are wrapping up their road trip in Florida. San Diego saw Mets pitcher Steven Matz take a no-hitter into the eighth inning Sunday on the way to a 5-1 Mets win, and the Rays bounced back to close a series at the Yankees with a 12-3 win.

Third baseman Evan Longoria continues to wield a hot bat, with three hits and four RBIs to spark a game in which all nine Rays starters had hits and scored.

"We had a nice offensive approach and it was nice to see," said Rays manager Kevin Cash, whose team had 21 runs in two wins last week and 15 in four losses. "(Longoria) has been outstanding. His at-bats, his approach, everything he does. He's a guy you want when guys are on base. Right now, he's seeing everything really well."

Tampa Bay (47-69) has found surprising consistency since the All-Star break from Drew Smyly, now 4-11 after two wins in his last three starts. He has thrown four straight quality starts, allowing exactly two earned runs in each of his last three.

San Diego (50-67) has a far less proven arm on the mound in rookie right-hander Luis Perdomo, who is 5-6 but carries a 6.80 ERA, having shown inconsistent results in his time as a reliever and starter this season. He hasn't fared well in interleague play this season, but neither has Smyly, who is 1-3 all time against National League teams with a 4.62 ERA.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics (52-66) at Rangers (69-50)

Game: 1
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: August 15, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers suddenly can't score any runs despite fielding a lineup that is among the most potent in baseball.

The American League leaders don't seem to be concerned with a scoring drought that's stretched to 21 innings and included rare back-to-back home shutouts by Detroit. Texas hasn't scored since the fifth inning on Friday.

"It's going to happen," Texas' Carlos Beltran said. "Baseball is a game of ups and downs. We feel we have a good team and feel like we'll be able to bounce back."

The Rangers (69-50) hope to get back on track against A.L. West rival Oakland in the opener of a three-game series Monday night at Globe Life Ballpark. The Athletics are beginning a six-game road trip.

Texas has seen its lead in the division fall to 5 1/2 games over Seattle after the two straight losses. That's the smallest lead for the Rangers since Aug. 3.

They'll continue to lose ground if the bats don't get it going. The Rangers were shut out in two straight at home for the first time since Sept. 16 and 18, 2009 against Oakland and the Los Angeles Angels. Texas had never been blanked in back-to-back home games within the same series at Globe Life Park.

But the Rangers aren't ready to panic, especially considering the boost they've received since adding Beltran and Jonathan Lucroy at the trade deadline

"We have a good offense," manager Jeff Banister said. "We like our offense. We like what our guys can do."

The Athletics have been a thorn in Texas' side despite being fourth in the West at 52-66. Oakland is 6-4 against the Rangers this season, including 2-1 in Arlington.

Khris Davis has been especially hard on Texas. The left fielder has seven home runs and 19 RBIs against the Rangers in those 10 games.

Davis also joined the 30-homer club for the first time in his career with a two-run blast in Sunday's 8-4 loss to the Mariners. He's gone deep in three straight games for the second time in his career.

"I'm just trying to do me and help the club out and have fun with the boys," Davis said.

Davis is the first Oakland player with at least 30 home runs since Brandon Moss in 2013.

The A's are hoping for another solid outing from Ross Detwiler (1-0, 2.13) in the series opener. The left-hander was called up from Triple-A Nashville last Wednesday and pitched eight scoreless innings in his Oakland debut.

After starting the season with Cleveland, Detwiler was traded to the A's on July 17.

Texas counters with Martin Perez, who is 7-8 with a 4.22 ERA. The lefty is winless in his last eight starts dating back to July 1, going 0-4 with a 5.77 ERA over that span.

He is seeking to avoid matching the longest losing streak of his career. Perez has induced a MLB-leading 31 double plays this season, tying the club's single-season record set by C.J. Wilson in 2011.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nationals (69-47) at Rockies (56-62)

Game: 1
Venue: Coors Field
Date: August 15, 2016 8:40 PM EDT

DENVER -- After an abysmal road trip, the Colorado Rockies will try to regroup at home. It won't be easy since they begin a three-game series Monday with the Nationals and conclude their six-game homestand with a weekend series against the Cubs.

The Rockies were swept in three games at Philadelphia, finishing a 1-4 road trip that began with two games at Texas. In the three losses to the Phillies, the Rockies' starters combined to pitch just 11 1/3 innings. Tyler Chatwood pitched into the fourth Sunday but was dealing with the same upper back tightness that forced him out of a start in mid-June and onto the disabled list, causing him to miss two starts.

Sunday's loss was the ninth in 11 games for the Rockies, who are six games below .500 for the first time since July 22.

Charlie Blackmon hit two homers Sunday, giving him five in the three-game series, a club record, and a career-high 20 homers, one more than he hit in 2014. Blackmon has raised his average to a season-high .324, the result of an astounding power surge. In his past nine games, Blackmon is hitting .548 (23-for-42) with three doubles, eight home runs, 14 RBIs, 15 runs scored.

"I'm seeing the ball well, but I'm not going to get too excited about it, because I know tomorrow or next week or whatever, things aren't going to go so well," said Blackmon, who is hitting .322 with nine homers at Coors Field and .326 with 11 homers on the road.

The Rockies are hoping that Monday against the Nationals, left-handed starter Jorge De La Rosa can take some stress off the bullpen with a decent outing. De La Rosa will make his 300th major league appearance and 235th start Monday. He's 2-3 with a 3.99 ERA (47 1/3 innings, 21 earned runs) in his past eight games with the Rockies 2-6 in those outings. While De La Rosa has been in those eight games, the Rockies have scored a combined 20 runs.

He was not involved in the decision in a 5-4 loss Wednesday at Texas when he gave up seven hits and three runs in five innings and left trailing 3-1. De La Rosa is 4-3 with a 5.06 ERA in 10 games, seven starts, at home this season. He's 5-1 with a 3.44 ERA in nine starts with the Rockies against the Nationals and 2-1 with a 2.53 ERA in five starts against them at Coors Field.

The Rockies and Nationals will play for the first time this season. The Nationals have played every other club in the National League. In addition to the Nationals, the Rockies have still not played Milwaukee this season.

The Nationals are embarking on a nine-game road trip that will also take them to Atlanta for four games and Baltimore for two. The Nationals' 33-24 record on the road is the second-best road record in the majors. They have won three of their past four games and eight of their past 11. At 69-47, the Nationals are a season-high 22 games above .500.

Left fielder Jayson Werth didn't play Sunday in Washington's 9-1 win over Atlanta, keeping his on-base streak on hold. Werth has reached base in a career-high 42 straight games. It's the longest on-base streak in the majors this season and one behind the club record 43-game on-base streak of Ryan Zimmerman. His streak extended from April 8-May 25, 2009.

Right fielder Bryce Harper, who had gone 9-for-67 (.134) with one homer and five RBIs since the All-Star break and missed the previous five games with a stiff neck, returned to the lineup Sunday. He went 1-for-3 with a run-scoring double on his first at-bat and two runs scored. Nationals manager Dusty Baker was going to give Harper another day off but relented when he pleaded his case to play.

Baker said, "I told him "No,' and he told me 'Please.' How do you tell a grown man (no) that says so politely that he wants to play? So, I put him back in the lineup. He actually sounded like a little kid when he said so, and you know I'm partial to kids sometimes."

Max Scherzer, who is 12-7 with a 2.80 ERA and leads the majors with 208 strikeouts, will start Monday for the Nationals. He's 1-4 with a 4.35 ERA in four career starts against the Rockies and 0-3 with a 5.32 ERA in four starts at Coors Field.

But Scherzer has been very good lately. In eight starts dating from June 29, Scherzer is 4-2 with a 1.44 ERA with 70 strikeouts and 11 walks in 56 1/3 innings. During that span, he has held opposing hitters to a .157 average and a .472 OPS.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mets (59-58) at Diamondbacks (48-69)

Game: 7
Venue: Chase Field
Date: August 15, 2016 9:40 PM EDT

PHOENIX -- The New York Mets picked things up after manager Terry Collins lit into them Thursday afternoon.

Maybe it is Arizona Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale's turn.

New York left-hander Steven Matz took a no-hitter into the eighth inning of a 5-1 victory over San Diego on Sunday, marking the first time the Mets had won consecutive games before the All-Star break, July 6-7 against Miami and Washington.

After sweeping the Mets to draw Collins' ire early in the week, the Diamondbacks lost the final three contests of the six-game road trip in Boston by a combined score of 31-9. The Red Sox finished it off with a 16-2 victory over Zack Greinke on Sunday, as Mookie Betts had three homers -- one off Greinke in each of the first two innings -- and Dustin Pedroia had five hits.

"It was one of those days," Hale told reporters. "We've all been there. We've all been on the good side. We've all been on the bad side. It's a tough day. It's a tough day for the pitching staff. It's one of those days you deal with. That's our ace, our No. 1 guy. They got him. We win as a team, we lose as a team. Today was a tough one."

The Mets and Diamondbacks will begin a three-game series Monday at Arizona, a quick turnaround after the Tuesday-Thursday series in Citi Field last week.

Collins challenged the Mets' effort after they were outscored 17-5 in the series. Arizona trailed in only one of the 27 innings, that's when the Mets scored in the first inning of the series opener.

"I know one thing -- there's got to be a passion to come and play," Collins told reporters after the Diamondbacks finished the sweep in a 9-0 shutout Thursday behind rookie right-hander Braden Shipley.

"You owe a responsibility to our fan base, the organization and yourself to respect this game to come out and grind it out. ... You're going to get beat and you're going to get beat bad sometimes. But you need to pick yourselves up and move on. ... Starting (Monday), we're going to get after it. And those who don't want to get after it, I will find somebody else who does, because in Las Vegas there's a whole clubhouse filled with guys who want to sit in this room."

Arizona left-hander Robbie Ray will face right-hander Bartolo Colon in the first game of the series Monday, a rematch of Arizona's 3-2, 12-inning victory last Wednesday and the next start for each. Ray gave up three hits with no walks in seven scoreless innings in that one. He did not walk a batter, a career first in games he had pitched into the seventh.

Colon gave up only one run, that coming after Jean Segura stole second base in the third inning, took third on a throwing error by the catcher and scored on Paul Goldschmidt's single.

Colon is attempting to become the 18th pitcher in major league history and the third this season to beat all 30 teams. The D-backs are the only team he has not beaten in a career that began in 1997. Cubs right-hander John Lackey and Nationals right-handed Max Scherzer did it this season. Colon is 0-1 with a 3.20 ERA in three career starts against the Diamondbacks.

Arizona stole 13 bases in 15 attempts in the series, tied for the third-most in the majors in a three-gamer series since the Diamondbacks began play in 1998. Only Miami (17, 2000) and Texas (14, 2010) had more.

The Diamondbacks got three quality starts in the Mets' series, the first time that had happened since they had four quality starts in a four-game sweep at Philadelphia from June 17-20.

Arizona starters gave up 23 runs (17 earned) in 8 2/3 innings against Boston, and left-hander Patrick Corbin was moved to the bullpen after giving up eight runs (four earned) Friday. Corbin (4-12) leads the majors in losses and earned runs (82) in his first full season since undergoing Tommy John surgery that cost him the 2014 season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mariners (62-54) at Angels (49-68)

Game: 1
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: August 15, 2016 10:05 PM EDT

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Seattle Mariners will seek to continue their recent surge at the expense of a reeling divisional opponent when they meet the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night to begin a four-game series at Angel Stadium.

The Mariners enter the series with 10 victories in their past 12 games to move into second place in the American League West. Seattle trails the first-place Texas Rangers by 5 1/2 games in the divisional race and the Boston Red Sox by two games in the competition for the final wild-card spot.

"We are playing loose and we have nothing to lose," Mariners manager Scott Servais told the Seattle Times. "That's how we need to play and that's how we're going to go about it."

The Angels, however, own a 10-game losing streak, the team's worst since 1999 and the longest in manager Mike Sciocia's 17-year tenure. A four-game weekend sweep in Cleveland proved especially painful. The Indians out-scored Los Angeles 37-12 and stole eight bases in a 13-3 rout Friday night.

Nine of the Angels' 10 losses came on their just-completed road trip, which became the team's worst since 1969 and which began when the Mariners' swept Los Angeles on Aug. 5-7.

Seattle will send right-hander Felix Hernandez to the mound after he recorded one of his best performances of the season Wednesday night.

The American League's Cy Young Award winner in 2010 permitted just one run and three hits in seven innings against the Detroit Tigers, collected eight strikeouts and issued four walks while throwing a season-high 117 pitches. The Mariners scored twice in the bottom of the eighth inning to earn a 3-1 victory.

"It may have been one of the better outings he's had all year," Servais told the Seattle Times. "He located and kept the ball down. He does not give in late in the game. He's not going to beat himself and he's going to continue to make pitches. That's why he's Felix."

In his past two starts, Hernandez conceded only five runs, six hits and seven walks in 15 innings while amassing 14 strikeouts. The right-hander, who missed seven weeks because of a strained right calf, has 22 strikeouts in his past 20 innings.

Opposing Hernandez is right-hander Ricky Nolasco, making his second start since coming from the Minnesota Twins for left-hander Hector Santiago in a four-player trade Aug. 1.

Nolasco has not won since July 9 but in his last start Wednesday night against the Chicago Cubs, he allowed just two runs and one walk in six innings while conceding six hits and striking out six in a 3-1 loss.

"That was a very encouraging start," Scioscia said afterward. "For the most part, he had command of his sinker. He really spun the ball with a couple of different breaking balls, and that's when he's at his best."

Another member of the Angels' rotation will have a more important test Monday. Right-hander Garrett Richards, who went on the disabled list May 2 with an injured ulnar collateral ligament, will have his elbow examined. Richards hopes to avoid Tommy John surgery by relying on stem-cell therapy to regenerate tissue.

"I literally feel like my arm is just refreshed," Richards told the Orange County Register. "Everything feels great. My shoulder feels nice and loose. I feel zero discomfort in my arm, nothing even close to what I was feeling when I was put on the DL."

After an MRI on Aug. 3 showed continued progress, Richards started intensifying his limited rehabilitation program.

"I'm just continuing to do my internal rotational stuff, staying on my lifting and doing more exercises that simulate more throwing motions," Richards told MLB.com. "I'm doing a lot of weighted-ball stuff in a throwing motion, so that's added stress more than a normal baseball would. Everything feels completely normal. I'm hopeful that this works."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pirates (59-56) at Giants (66-51)

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

SAN FRANCISCO -- Ryan Vogelsong will make his first start against the San Francisco Giants in 12 years Monday when the Pittsburgh Pirates open a three-game series against the National League West leaders.

Vogelsong, 39, played seven seasons for the Giants, including 2012 and 2014, when he started seven games and went 3-0 in the postseason as the club was winning a pair of World Series championships.

The 12-year veteran was allowed to leave as a free agent last winter, signing with the Pirates while the Giants were adding free agents Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija.

The Giants have since acquired a third new starter, Matt Moore, in a trade with Tampa Bay. The left-hander will oppose Vogelsong in the series opener.

Vogelsong last faced the Giants as a starter on Aug. 12, 2004, when he was the losing pitcher for the Pirates in a 7-0 home loss. He allowed three runs on six hits in five innings that day.

He started a game for the Pirates at AT&T Park in San Francisco earlier that season, limiting the Giants to two runs on eight hits over six innings in a 4-2 win.

He did not get a decision in that game, and has gone 0-1 with a 5.74 ERA in four career appearances (three starts) against the Giants.

Vogelsong went 48-49 with a 3.93 ERA over two stints with the Giants that covered all or parts of seven seasons. He started 132 games for San Francisco.

"He's never a foe; he's someone we're competing against," Giants right fielder Hunter Pence said of his former teammate. "I'll always be a fan of Ryan Vogelsong. You enjoy competing with him, and you're grateful for the honor to compete against him."

The right-hander will be making his third start (fifth appearance) this season for the Pirates. He's gone 1-2 with a 2.67 ERA, which would be a career-low if he were able to finish the season with it.

Vogelsong recorded his best season ERA as a Giant in 2011, when he made the NL All-Star team en route to a 13-7 record and 2.71 ERA.

He has pitched well for the Pirates since joining the starting rotation in August following the club's trade of Francisco Liriano to the Toronto Blue Jays. He's allowed just one earned run in 12 innings against Atlanta and San Diego, although the Pirates lost both games, 5-2 to the Braves and 4-0 to the Padres.

"It's no secret that I feel more comfortable (starting)," said Vogelsong, who has been used both as a starter and a reliever by the Giants and Pirates in his career. "For some reason, when I start, I feel like my stuff is better."

The Pirates flew to San Francisco on Sunday night on the heels of taking two of three from the Giants' NL West rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Like Vogelsong, the Giants' Moore has been the victim of a scarcity of run support. He has yet to record a win for San Francisco in two starts since the trade despite allowing a total of just four runs on six hits in 12 innings at Philadelphia and Miami.

The Giants have split those games, beating the Phillies 3-2 and losing to the Marlins 2-0. Moore received a no-decision and a loss in those games.

The 27-year-old will be making his AT&T park debut Monday, and will be facing the Pirates for the first time in his six-year career.

The Giants are coming off a stunning, 8-7 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday, a game San Francisco led 7-1 in the seventh inning.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Monday's Diamond Notes
By Joe Williams

Hottest team: Indians (4-0 past four, 6-2 past eight)

The Indians swept the Angels in a four-game set over the weekend, winning by a combined total of 37 runs to 12. Now, they set their sights on the Boston Red Sox Monday afternoon in a makeup of a rainout from back on April 7. Boston uses former Tribe prospect Drew Pomeranz, who continues to search for his first win since being acquired from the San Diego Padres after the All-Star break. Josh Tomlin faces the former first-round pick of the Indians, and he is also looking to slap the brakes on a skid. Tomlin has allowed 14 runs and 17 hits over 8 2/3 innings over the past two outings. He is 2-2 with a 5.94 ERA over six career appearances, including five starts, against the Red Sox.

Coldest team: Angels (0-10 past 10)

The Angels are in a nosedive and they're not showing any signs of pulling out of it. The Halos were broomed in Cleveland in a four-game set over the weekend, their third straight series resulting on the short end of a sweep. The good news is that they return home after a disastrous road trip, but the bad news is that the Seattle Mariners and Felix Hernandez will be awaiting them. The M's have won eight of their past nine, and they're 6-1 in their past seven against right-handed starting pitching while going 5-1 in their past six inside the division. On the flip side, the Angels are 3-14 in their past 17 vs. RHP, 2-14 in their past 16 against winning teams and 0-4 in their past four divisional games.

Hottest pitcher: Max Scherzer, Nationals (12-7, 2.80 ERA)

Scherzer is coming off a hard-luck loss against the Cleveland Indians last time out, as he allowed just one run and three hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts over seven innings Aug. 9. He is 2-1 with a 2.05 ERA and a sparkling 0.73 WHIP over 22 innings with 27 punchouts and just four walks. The Nats have won nine of their past 12, and they're 4-0 in their past four road games against teams with a losing overall record. Washington is also 6-2 in Scherzer's past eight road outings, while the Nats are 11-5 in their past 16 road games against left-handed starting pitching.

Coldest pitcher: Josh Tomlin, Indians (11-5, 4.18 ERA)

Tomlin had been on fire earlier in the season, but he has certainly tailed off of late. In his past three outings he has a 9.19 ERA with a 1.79 WHIP over 15 2/3 innings. He hasn't issued a ton of walks, he has just left plenty of pitches over the plate and he has been getting hammered. As mentioned above, he has struggled over his career against the Red Sox. And while he has a 5-2 record in nine home starts, he has a 4.33 ERA and opponents are hitting a robust .275 against him at Progressive Field over 52 innings.

Biggest UNDER run: Royals (11-4 past 15)

The Royals are in the midst of a long-term 'under' run, and the under is 3-1 in their past four against the Tigers, including 2-1 in their three games at Comerica Park this season. The under is a perfect 5-0 in Kansas City's past five against a team with a winning overall record, and 5-1 in their past six road outings against left-handed starting pitching. The under has also cashed in six stragiht starts by Ian Kennedy, and 5-1 in his past six assignments against teams with a winning overall mark.

Biggest OVER run: Rays (8-1 past nine, 11-4 past 15)

The Rays pitching staff has allowed six or more runs in five of the past seven games, and Drew Smyly has been very hittable so another 'over' is likely coming. The over is 11-3-3 in Smyly's past 17 starts overall, and 6-2-1 in his past nine on astroturf. The over is also 4-1 in San Diego's past five against teams with a losing record, 6-2-1 in their past nine interleague games against a southpaw and 18-7-2 in their past 27 interleague games.

Matchup to watch: Diamondbacks vs. Mets
The Mets hit the road trying to get on track after an ugly homestand and inability to piece together a win streak. The Mets have managed a 1-11 record in their past 12 games following a win. They're also just 4-13 in their past 17 against National League West teams, 1-5 in their past six against left-handed starting pitching and 2-7 in their past nine games against teams with an overall losing record. The Diamondbacks have also been struggling, posting an 0-5 mark in their past five home games against teams with a winning record, and 12-29 in their past 41 games overall. New York has won seven of the past nine in the desert, and the Mets have won nine of Bartolo Colon's past 13 outings, including 5-2 in his past seven road assignments.

Betcha didn’t know: Pirates RHP Ryan Vogelsong faces the Giants, his former employer, in Monday's series opener. He has a better knowledge of AT&T Park than his counterpart, Giants LHP Matt Moore, who is making his first career start at his new home park, and just his third with the Giants since coming over in a trade from Tampa Bay. Vogelsong is 9-13 over 40 appearances (36 starts) since the start of the 2013 season in San Francisco, but he has a stellar 3.69 ERA with 179 strikeouts over 221 2/3 innings while posting a .242 opponent batting average.

Biggest public favorite: Rays (-170) vs. Padres

Biggest public underdog: Reds (+120) vs. Marlins

Biggest line move: Angels (+135 to +115) vs. Mariners

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB betting cheat sheet and odds: Marlins malaise

Our MLB cheat sheet breaks down the best MLB betting notes so you can handicap every series like a pro this week, including the Miami Marlins who received some really bad news in their chase for a National League wildcard spot.

Minnesota Massacre

An incredible offensive display in July by the Minnesota Twins has given way to repeated pitching meltdowns as we reach the middle of August. The Twins dropped an 11-4 decision to the Kansas City Royals on Sunday for their fifth loss in the past six games; they’ve surrendered a whopping 53 runs over that stretch, the main contributor to their 5-1 O/U mark in that span. The Twins are easily the top over team in baseball (72-40-6) heading into a six-game road swing against hosts Atlanta and Kansas City.

Breaking Even

Speaking of the Royals, they’re back to being the closest break-even bet in baseball following Sunday’s one-sided win over Minnesota. The defending World Series champions are a +2 in units won through 117 games, slightly ahead of the San Diego Padres (+6). Kansas City has been one of the safest bets at home (36-21), but has been positively abysmal away from Kauffman Stadium (21-39). The Royals will look to improve that wretched road mark as they open a three-game set Tuesday in Detroit.

Marlins Malaise

The Miami Marlins face an uphill climb in their quest to reach the National League postseason. The Marlins learned Sunday they’ll be without star slugger Giancarlo Stanton for the rest of the season with a groin injury. Miami enters this week’s action a whopping 8 1/2 games behind the division-leading Washington Nationals, and in a multi-team battle for the second NL wild-card spot. But take heed, Marlins fans: Miami is 5-3 SU and +231 units in eight games with Stanton out of the lineup.

Batting Stats

* We’ve said before that Jose Altuve is pivotal to the Houston Astros’ success, and he proved it again Sunday - going 0-for-4 in a 9-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Astros fell to 7-19 SU and 8-17-1 O/U when Altuve - the runaway American League batting leader - fails to record a hit.

* Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds continues to be one of the most torrid hitters in the second half, adding a pair of hits in four at-bats Sunday to boost his post-All-Star-break average to .463. The Reds are an impressive 16-11 SU and 12-12-3 O/U over that stretch.

Pitching Stats

* Bet against Danny Duffy at your peril. The Royals left-hander opens the week fourth in baseball in units won ($1,172) and is on an impressive stretch in which Kansas City has won each of his last nine starts. He has allowed two runs or fewer in seven of those nine outings.

* Fans at Camden Yards will be treated to quite the showdown Wednesday when Boston Red Sox lefty David Price takes on Orioles ace Chris Tillman. Price has been one of the worst value pitchers in baseball this season (-$941) while Tillman comes in leading the majors in units won ($1,553).

Totals Trend

The Toronto Blue Jays have been an Under bettor’s dream so far this season, going 18-35-3 O/U away from the hitter-friendly confines of Rogers Centre. The Blue Jays embark on a pivotal six-game road trip beginning Monday night at Yankee Stadium.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Monday’s games

National League

Marlins @ Reds
Phelps is 0-1, 0.96 in two starts for Miami (under 2-0).

Finneran is 2-0, 1.50 in his last three starts; five of his last seven went over. Reds are 3-6 when he starts at home.

Marlins are 4-8 in last 12 games, 11-7 in road series openers. Four of last five Miami road games went over. Cincinnati is 15-10 in its last 25 games, 7-2 in last nine home series openers. Over is 5-1-1 in their last seven games.

Nationals @ Rockies
Scherzer is 3-1, 2.09 in his last six starts; seven of his last eight stayed under. Washington is 9-5 in his road starts.

De la Rosa is 1-0, 3.09 in his last four starts (under 3-1). Rockies are 3-4 in his home starts.

Nationals are 8-3 in last 11 games, 10-8 in road series openers. Last four Washington games went over the total. Colorado lost nine of last 11 games; they’re 10-9 in road series openers. Over is 6-2-1 in last nine Colorado games.

Mets @ Diamondbacks
Colon is 0-3, 4.18 in his last six starts; six of his last seven stayed under. Mets lost five of his last six road starts.

Ray is 0-3, 6.46 in his last four starts; over is 3-1-1 in his last five. Arizona lost five of his last seven home starts.

New York lost 12 of last 18 games; they’re 2-5 in last seven road series openers. Under is 22-7 in their last 29 road games. Arizona lost six of last eight home games; they’re 4-15 in home series openers. Over is 14-3-1 in their last 18 home games.

Pirates @ Giants
Vogelsong is 0-1, 1.89 in four starts this year (over 2-2).

Moore is 0-1, 3.00 in two starts for the Giants (under 2-0).

Pirates are 4-9 in last 13 road games, 12-8 in road series openers. Under is 9-4 in their last 13 road games. Giants are 9-18 since All-Star break, 8-10 in home series openers. Under is 6-2 in their last eight home games.


American League

Red Sox @ Indians
Pomeranz is 0-2, 5.26 in five starts this year; three of his last four stayed under.

Tomlin is 1-3, 8.31 in his last four starts; over is 12-5-2 in his last 19 starts. Cleveland won seven of his nine home starts.

Red Sox won their last three games, scoring 31 runs; they’re 7-2 in last nine road series openers. Under is 12-3 in last 15 Boston road games. Cleveland won its last five home games; they’re 12-6 in home series openers. Six of last eight Indian home games went over.

Blue Jays @ New York
Dickey is 1-3, 7.96 in his last five starts (over 4-1). Toronto split his ten road starts.

Green is 1-2, 8.35 in four starts this year (over 3-0-1).

Blue Jays are 8-4 in last 12 games, 11-7 in road series openers. Last seven Toronto road games stayed under. New York won four of last five games; they’re 12-4 in last 16 home series openers. Four of last five New York games went over the total.

Royals @ Tigers
Kennedy is 0-0, 1.93 in his last three starts; nine of his last ten stayed under. Kansas City lost his last eight road starts.

Norris is 1-0, 4.24 in four starts this year (over 2-2).

Royals won six of last eight games; under is 12-4 in their last 16. KC is 5-13 in its road series openers. Detroit won eight of last ten home games; they’re 8-1 in last nine home series openers. Five of last seven Detroit games stayed under.

A’s @ Rangers
Detwiler threw eight shutout innings (108 IP) in his first start this season.

Perez is 0-4, 7.08 in his last eight starts; six of his last nine stayed under. Texas won his last eight home starts.

A’s lost three of last four games; they’re 10-8 in road series openers. Six of last eight A’s games stayed under. Texas lost three of last four games; they got shut out last couple days. Rangers are 12-6 in home series openers. Under is 11-2-2 in their last fifteen games.

Mariners @ Angels
Hernandez is 2-0, 3.81 in his last four starts; five of his last six went over. Seattle is 4-3 in his road starts.

Nolasco is 0-1, 5.25 in his first two starts for the Angels (over 1-1).

Mariners are 10-2 in last 12 games, 3-8 in last 11 road series openers. Six of last eight Seattle road games went over. Angels lost their last ten games; they’re 9-9 in home series openers (won last four). Five of last seven Angel games stayed under total.


Interleague

Padres @ Rays
Perdomo is 0-2, 6.94 in his last two starts (over 8-4). San Diego is 5-3 in his road starts.

Smyly is 2-0, 2.52 in his last four starts; over is 13-4 in his last 17 starts. Tampa Bay is 4-6 in his home starts.

Padres lost five of last seven games; they’re 12-7 in road series openers. Four of last five San Diego games stayed under. Tampa Bay lost five of last seven games; they’re 7-12 in home series openers. Eight of Rays’ last nine games went over total.


Teams’ record when this pitcher starts:

Mia-Cin– Phelps 1-1; Finnegan 9-15
Wsh-Colo– Scherzer 14-10; De la Rosa 7-10
NY-Az– Colon 14-9; Ray 7-16
Pitt-SF– Vogelsong 1-3; Moore 1-1/9-12

Bos-Clev– Pomeranz 2-3/9-8; Tomlin 16-5
Tor-NY– Dickey 9-15; Green 2-2
KC-Det– Kennedy 10-13; Norris 2-2
A’s-Tex– Detwiler 1-0; Perez 13-11
Sea-LA– Hernandez 9-6; Nolasco 0-2/9-12

SD-TB– Perdomo 7-5; Smyly 9-13 (3-0 last 3)


# of time pitcher allows 1+ runs in first inning:

Mia-Cin– Phelps 0-2; Finnegan 7-24
Wsh-Colo– Scherzer 8-24; De la Rosa 8-17
NY-Az– Colon 7-23; Ray 5-23
Pitt-SF– Vogelsong 0-4; Moore 5-23

Bos-Clev– Pomeranz 4-22; Tomlin 11-21
Tor-NY– Dickey 6-24; Green 3-4
KC-Det– Kennedy 8-23; Norris 0-4
A’s-Tex– Detwiler 0-1; Perez 10-24
Sea-LA– Hernandez 3-15; Nolasco 10-23

SD-TB– Perdomo 6-12; Smyly 6-22

 

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Monday’s 6-pack

— Mookie Betts hit 3 HRs, knocked in 8 in a 16-2 Boston win over the awful Diamondbacks.

— Orioles 8, Giants 7– Baltimore trailed this game 7-1 in 7th inning.

— Chip Kelly/Bill O’Brien were both defensive assistants in a 1994 UNH-Brown game; what were the odds that they would both end up as NFL head coaches?

— Justin Rose won the Olympic gold medal in golf; Ryan Moore won the Quad Cities Open and $864,000. Advantage, Moore.

— Toronto 80, UNLV 79– Rebels fouled 3-point shooter with 0:00.5 left, kid made all three FTs to hand Rebels a loss on their first game in the Bahamas.

— Thoughts/prayers to people in Louisiana, where more flooding is taking place this weekend.

 

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#1 Sports

Monday's Free Selection: Colorado Rockies + 155

 

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Totals4U

Monday's Free Selection: Miami/Cincinnati over 8 1/2

 

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Mike Wynn

Bonus Play: MLB Texas w/Perez -155 Over Oakland

 

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Razor Sharp

FREE PICK FOR MONDAY: Take OAKLAND/TEXAS OVER the total of 10 runs

 

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Atlantic Sports

Monday's Free Selection from Atlantic Sports: San Diego + 160

 

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Platinum Plays

Free Pick: Tampa Bay Rays w/Smyly -170 over San Diego

 

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Hawkeye Sports

Monday's Free Selection: Colorado Rockies + 155

 

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The Vegas Steam Line

Your free winner for Monday: Take CLEVELAND (Tomlin) Pick'em over Boston

 

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High Stakes Syndicate

Free Selection for Monday: Oakland Athletics + 150

 

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Nevada Sharpshooter

Your free winner for Monday: Take WASHINGTON/COLORADO UNDER the total of 10 runs