Monday 9/19/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Yonkers: Monday 9/19 Analysis
By Matt Rose

DRF

MEET STATS: 321 - 930 / $1,754.50

BEST BETS: 43 - 77 / $144.90

Best Bet: SIPPIN ON SUDS (12th)

Spot Play: BRED TO RACE (9th)


Race 1

(1) GALYNS GIFT broke through into the win column for Burke last week at Pocono and she arrives here with the best post; seems capable of repeating. (4) THIS DAY FORWARD ships down from the WEG circuit in Canada and looks like a great fit here, but note she's 0 for 22 lifetime and has burned tons of money in the process. (3) NEVER ANY DOUBT gets post relief in her second start for Allard; threat.

Race 2

(6) SHIFT RIGHT was overmatched last week in 30K claimers but didn't race that badly; 4-year-old clearly fits better here. (1) CENOVIS returns from the Excelsior wars for Toscano and draws best. (4) PREJUDICE arrives from Freehold looking for three straight.

Race 3

(6) ANOTHER LOOK was handled very aggressively in her debut for new connections and despite tiring she can build off that effort. (2) LILMISSTALKSALOT had a couple of good efforts here last month. (1) STEUBEN CINDY gets Stalbaum in the bike for Chindano, which is usually a good angle.

Race 4

(3) SELFIE won two starts back and was second best to a runaway last out; filly looks best from this spot. (4) NEW JOEZ is a nice check-earner and she does get some post relief. (5) BEACH SCENE closed decently in her last two versus lesser and will be a big price here; consider underneath.

Race 5

(2) CHEYENNE TRIENGEL faltered with little excuse last out at odds-on but she has a post edge again on her main competition and deserves another chance. (6) MARLA MCGIVERS was a good second in last and may be firing from the gate. (1) TRACEY'S DESIRE was a hundred lengths back throughout from the eight hole in a strung-out race and the start prior she had a troubled trip; post relief helps.

Race 6

(3) ROSY OUTLOOK tired after a two-move effort last week in her debut for Milici; she may be the best price of the contenders in this open affair. (6) PEACHY has come up just short in her three local appearances. (2) PLACE TO ROCKNROLL hails from connections that have been very live here with limited stock.

Race 7

(2) PLAUDIT HANOVER steps up to face tougher off a nose victory last week but faces a suspect field. (1) SQUEEZE THIS should be flashing speed from the rail. (6) NIP'S BEACH GIRL needs to find a way into the race earlier; hard to ignore anything from the Oakes barn, however.

Race 8

(3) NASSAU COUNTY qualified back decently after a series of awful efforts and he hails from a barn that seems to be firing on all cylinders again. (4) MEETYOUATMIDNIGHT tried to go down the road last out and was easily collared by a longshot; use caution. (1) CHEYENNE JEFFREY draws best and will be close up throughout.

Race 9

(2) BRED TO RACE has closed very well in his last two after tiring badly in a big speed effort; obviously these new tactics and the addition of Lasix have helped this Burke trainee. (3) BREAKTIME HANOVER was collared as the odds-on chalk by a tough rival last out; big threat. (4) DEVILS CUT has had some useful efforts at this level in the past.

Race 10

(6) PRETTY BOY HILL looked great winning last out and the well-bred Alagna trainee is clearly capable of repeating. (1) WINNING LINC toured the track from the eight hole last out after jogging from the inside the start prior. (4) SHOW THE FASHION hails from Milici and has early speed.

Race 11

(6) REGAL SIGHT has raced deceptively well in his two starts off the Jack Franklin claim; gelding will need some help from this spot but the price will be right. (2) WESTERN DYNASTY has been racing well with better and clearly seems like the one to beat but there won't be any value there. (7) MY MIND IS MADEUP closed well last out after escaping traffic; post is a problem, however.

Race 12

(2) SIPPIN ON SUDS has been a terror out of town since joining the Burke barn and he should fit well here. (1) ELWELL gets much-needed post relief. (5) LONE SURVIVOR blasted down the road from the outside post last out with Bongiorno and he's been great since entering this barn.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPOT PLAYS

For Monday

TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE

Delaware Park (1st) Alexandra's Mist, 7-2
(7th) Night Madam, 4-1


Finger Lakes (2nd) World Elite, 4-1
(6th) Mental Iceberg, 5-1


Mountaineer (3rd) Honor Ronoh, 5-1
(5th) Playful, 5-1


Parx Racing (2nd) Musket Mary, 5-1
(8th) Not Goliath, 5-1


Presque Isle Downs (2nd) Cake Pop, 4-1
(4th) Sweet Nkosi, 9-2


Thistledown (6th) Sandcat, 5-1
(7th) Graduatewithhonors, 7-2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB roundup: Brewers hand Hendricks rare loss
By The Sports Xchange

CHICAGO -- The Milwaukee Brewers handed Chicago Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks his first loss in nine starts as they claimed a 3-1 victory on Sunday afternoon.
The Brewers took three of four from the National League Central champions in the weekend series, but the Cubs still won 12 of 19 in the 2016 series.
Brewers right-hander Wily Peralty worked six innings for his second win in 12 days over Chicago.
Right-handed reliever Tyler Thornburg earned his 11th save despite putting two Cubs on in the ninth. He struck out Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo to preserve the Milwaukee win.
Hendricks, a potential Cy Young Award candidate, last lost on July 26 against the White Sox and then won six games and had two no decisions over the next seven-plus weeks.

Red Sox 5, Yankees 4
BOSTON -- Hanley Ramirez slugged two home runs, including the go-ahead solo shot in the seventh inning, and had four RBIs to help Boston beat New York at Fenway Park.
Ramirez also launched a three-run shot two innings earlier. Ramirez has 28 homers on the year, nine in September and 20 since the All-Star break.
He also matched his career high in RBIs at 106, set in 2009 with the Florida Marlins. Ramirez was 9-for-16 with four homers and nine RBIs in the four-game series with the Yankees.

Mets 3, Twins 2
NEW YORK -- Gabriel Ynoa came within an out of a win by pitching 4 2/3 effective innings, T.J. Rivera homered and New York completed a three-game sweep of Minnesota.
Ynoa allowed one run and four hits while throwing 76 pitches. He struck out eight, equaling a season-high set June 23 at Reno for Triple-A Las Vegas. Ynoa was pressed into the role when originally scheduled starter Jacob deGrom was lost for the season due to an elbow injury Saturday.
After Saturday's 12-inning win, the Mets rested regulars Jose Reyes, Asdrubal Cabrera, James Loney and Curtis Granderson.

Reds 7, Pirates 4
CINCINNATI -- Joey Votto had four hits including a home run and Tucker Barnhart tied a career high with four RBIs to help Cincinnati avoid a four-game sweep with a victory over Pittsburgh at Great American Ball Park.
The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Pirates, who last swept a four-game series in Cincinnati in 1991. The Pirates swept a doubleheader from the Reds on Saturday.
Pirates shortstop Sean Rodriquez hit his 17th home run of the season in the loss.

Orioles 2, Rays 1
BALTIMORE -- Mark Trumbo hit his league-leading 43rd home run in the eighth inning and Baltimore beat Tampa Bay, earning a split in the four-game series.
The Orioles won four of their past six games and hold one of the wild card spots for the playoffs entering the final two weeks of the season.
Manny Machado got his career-high 36th home run of the season for the Orioles.

Tigers 9, Indians 5
CLEVELAND -- Justin Upton and J.D. Martinez hit home runs to lead Detroit over Cleveland at Progressive Field.
Daniel Norris pitched five innings and gave up four runs (two earned) on five hits to get the win. Francisco Rodriguez pitched the last 1 1/3 innings to pick up his 43rd save.
Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer gave up six runs on 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings to take the loss. Bauer struck out five, walked two and hit three batters.

Marlins 5, Phillies 4
PHILADELPHIA -- Thanks to an eighth-inning rally, Miami beat Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park to avoid a sweep.
Reliever Hector Neris took the loss after blowing a two-run lead for the Phillies in the bottom of the eighth. Christian Yelich hit the left-field foul pole to tie the game at four befor the Marlins got an unearned run.
Mike Dunn picked up the win and A.J. Ramos recorded his 37th save of the season.

Royals 10, White Sox 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kendrys Morales and Alex Gordon homered as Kansas City blasted Chicago.
Morales drove in four runs with a two-run homer in the sixth, a single in the first and a double in the fourth. His home run off reliever Chris Beck was his 1,000th career hit.
Starter Danny Duffy was the beneficiary of the Royals' offensive splurge. He allowed three runs on seven hits, walked one and struck out eight in seven-plus innings.

Rangers 5, Athletics 2
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Khris Davis reached 40 home runs by slamming two as Oakland won its second consecutive game against Texas.
Oakland has now won six of its last seven games and Texas has dropped three of four.
Davis hit a solo homer off Texas starter Colby Lewis (6-3) in the fourth inning to cut the Rangers' lead to 2-1. After the A's moved ahead 3-2, Davis added some insurance in the eighth with a two-run homer off Keone Kela.

Mariners 7, Astros 3
SEATTLE -- Seth Smith hit a pair of homers as Seattle defeated Houston to salvage the final game of the series.
Smith's 15th and 16th home runs, both of which came off Astros starter Doug Fister, helped the Mariners jump out to a 7-1 lead over the first four innings. Seattle (79-70) went on to snap its two-game losing streak while maintaining a three-game separation behind American League wild-card leader Baltimore. The Toronto Blue Jays held a 2 1/2-game lead over the Mariners at the conclusion of Seattle's win.
Houston (78-71) fell to four games behind Baltimore and three behind the Blue Jays.

Cardinals 3, Giants 0
SAN FRANCISCO -- Rookie right-hander Alex Reyes combined with two relievers on a five-hitter, leading St. Louis to a victory over San Francisco and a split of the four-game series.
Aledmys Diaz smacked a two-run home run off Giants starter Albert Suarez in the third inning, giving St. Louis a lead it would not relinquish en route to its second straight victory.
As a result, the Giants (79-70) and Cardinals (78-71) end the series exactly where they started - with San Francisco holding a one-game advantage in the National League wild-card race with now 13 games to play.

Angels 4, Blue Jays 0
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Rookie Alex Meyer combined with four relievers on a shutout as Los Angeles defeated Toronto at Angel Stadium.
Meyer (1-3) scattered two hits and three walks in five shutout innings while amassing a career-high seven strikeouts and throwing 79 pitches. The right-hander came to the Angels with fellow pitcher Ricky Nolasco from the Minnesota Twins in a four-player transaction at the trading deadline for left-hander Hector Santiago.
The Angels' pitchers combined to concede just four hits and collect 12 strikeouts.

Braves 6, Nationals 2
ATLANTA -- Right-hander Matt Wisler continued his late-season resurgence, throwing 5 2/3 strong innings in Atlanta's rain-shortened win over Washington.
The game was called with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Umpires stopped play for the second time and waited 110 minutes before postponing the game when heavy rains left the field unplayable.
Wisler (7-12) allowed two runs and five hits and struck out two. He did not walk a batter and was the beneficiary of two double plays. He threw only 66 pitches but did not return to the mound after a 97-minute rain delay, the first of two lengthy stoppages.

Rockies 6, Padres 3
DENVER -- Colorado parlayed an early five-run rally and superb relief pitching into a win over San Diego.
The sweep of the Padres was the Rockies' first since they won all three games in a set at Coors Field in September 2014.
Rockies starter Chad Bettis wasn't as sharp as he has been recently. Bettis, who pitched into the sixth, was 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in his past three starts. Chris Rusin, Boone Logan and Adam Ottavino followed Bettis (13-7) to the mound, combining to work 3 2/3 scoreless innings and retire 11 of the 13 batters they faced.
The Rockies sent 10 batters to the plate during a five-run fourth, a rally that included four hits and three walks. Mark Reynolds' two-run homer put the Rockies ahead 2-1 with one out.

Diamondbacks 10, Dodgers 9 (12 innings)
PHOENIX -- Arizona overcame its major-league-worst pitching to outlast Los Angeles in 12 innings.
The Diamondbacks' Brandon Drury ended the marathon by singling home Paul Goldschmidt, who had doubled.
Chris Owings hit a two-run homer in the eighth to tie the game 9-9.
The Diamondbacks rolled to a 6-0 lead while Robbie Ray retired the first 14 batters he faced, eight by strikeout. Then Hernandez drilled a 2-1 pitch over the left-field fence.
Drury also had his 15th homer, a solo shot to left, in the fifth inning.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (72-77) at Royals (76-73)

Game: 4
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: September 19, 2016 2:15 PM EDT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Chicago White Sox missed Tyler Saladino's bat the past couple of days, losing two to the Kansas City Royals.

Saladino has been held out with a left calf issue after exiting the game prematurely Friday. The White Sox are hopeful Saladino could start Monday for the final game this year against the Royals.

"He's getting better," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "Again, it's just something that he's dealing with that Herm's (Schneider, trainer) dealing with. There's nothing wrong. He got checked out yesterday. There's nothing mechanically wrong in there. He's just sore and you just have to treat it."

Saldadino is .500, 16-for-32, in his past nine games, with three doubles, five runs and four RBIs. He has a .349 average in his past 28 games and a .377 average in 14 September games against American League opponents, who are getting a third look at him.

"He's made his own adjustments, even going through it last year, guys starting to get a book on him, pitching him a certain way," Ventura said. "For him, coming into this year and even later on, like this last month, hitting with some power, hitting some doubles, being able to drive in runs from down in the lineup is, I think, just a test of how he can adjust and improve and continue to just play baseball.

"When you look at him, he's just a baseball player. There's things that he does that, you know, proves over and over again how valuable he is."

Saladino has started 38 games at second, 27 at shortstop and 10 at third base.

"He's been an everyday player as of late," Ventura said. "Just being able to have the versatility, being able to move him around, and moving him around gives him more value. A lot of guys don't always look at it that way, but if there is an injury, even though he is a shortstop and can play third base, similar to this year, with Brett (Lawrie) going down, you can play him at second base and you can leave him there. That's how versatile he is. You don't really sit there and look at it as 'we'll just make do for a couple of days'. You actually let him play it out."

The Royals won 10-3 Saturday and are 13-5 against the White Sox this season with one game remaining. The White Sox did not win consecutive games against the Royals this season. The White Sox have lost six consecutive season series to the Royals, going 40-71 in that span.

Left-hander Carlos Rodon will make his 26th start of the season Monday and his fifth against the Royals. Rodon is 2-1 with a 2.28 ERA with the Royals hitting .290 off him in the four outings. Rodon has struck out 23 in 23 2/3 innings.

Rodon beat the Royals 7-2 on Sept. 9 at U.S. Cellular field, striking out nine in six innings, while allowing one run on six hits. He struck out nine and walked two.

While Rodon is 5-1 with a 2.77 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings in his past eight starts, seven of them quality, he is coming off a loss Wednesday to the Cleveland Indians. Rodon surrendered six runs on nine hits, including one home run, and three walks in five innings against the Indians for his first loss since July 31.

Rodon, the third overall pick in the 2014 draft out of North Carolina State, spent time on the disabled list in July after injuring his left wrist when he slipped on the and fell in the White Sox dugout.

Lorenzo Cain is 6-for-10 off Rodon, but he will likely not play. Cain has appeared in only one September game because of left wrist injury. Whit Merrifield is 4-for-7 off Rodon.

The Royals will start right-hander Yordano Ventura in the final matchup of the two clubs this year. Volquez is coming off one of his worst starts, allowing five runs on seven hits over 4 1/3 innings in an 8-0 loss to Oakland on Wednesday.

Volquez is 1-2 with a 5.19 ERA in three September starts. Is his past three starts, opponents are hitting .324 off him and he has walked 12.

Left-hander Danny Duffy baffled the White Sox Sunday, giving up three runs on hits, while striking out eight and walking two in seven-plus innings. Manager Ned Yost said he thought Duffy might "be running out of gas" in the eight he gave up an Adam Eaton single and walked Jose Abreu and brought in rookie reliever Kevin McCarthy.

"What I had in the tank in the sixth and seventh," Duffy said. "I didn't feel tired at any point, even in the eighth when I walked Abreu. They were battling both of those at-bats, spitting on good sliders. I think just staying within myself for the most part.

"I trust my fastball and everything else plays off of it. That's probably why I don't try to nibble with it."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Sox (85-64) at Orioles (82-67)

Game: 1
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: September 19, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

The Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles begin a critical four-game series Monday at Camden Yards that will help decide the American League East crown.

Boston comes off its first sweep of the rival New York Yankees in a series of four or more games in 26 years since June 4-7, 1990. The Red Sox now lead the division by three games and can further distance themselves from the Orioles, who split a four-game with the last-place Tampa Bay Rays over the weekend.

"I know our guys are going to be ready and I know Boston is going to be ready," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "They're in a good spot. We knew coming out of spring training after watching all the things they did in the offseason they were going to be one of the favorites going in."

With a young group of players in place like Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr., the Red Sox have appeared re-energized in the second half of the season. Boston has managed several come-from-behind victories over the past month and that has only boosted its confidence.

"It's really fun to be a part of," Boston reliever Matt Barnes. "This is a team that we've gone through struggles, not too many, but we know the capability of this team. This team never gives up. You kind of know from start to finish it never stops."

The Orioles will try to set the tone for the series with Dylan Bundy (9-5, 3.88 ERA) in the opener. Bundy has been one of the anchors of the rotation since being named a starter earlier in the season. In his last outing, Bundy picked up the win against the Red Sox when he allowed three runs on six hits over 51/3 innings.

Baltimore might have caught a break with the return of Darren O'Day, who was reinstated Sunday from 15-day disabled list after recovering from a right shoulder rotator cuff strain. O'Day, the Orioles' setup man, pitched for the first time since Aug. 11 against the Rays and allowed a home run to Corey Dickerson on his first pitch.

"It was awesome to be back," O'Day said. "Be able to help the guys out They've been having a heavy workload down there. So to take one inning it's helpful. Obviously the day was made even better by the win at the end there. It was a good day."

Boston will counter with Rick Porcello (20-4, 3.12 ERA), who leads the American League in wins. Porcello lost his last outing against Baltimore 1-0 when he allowed a homer to Mark Trumbo in the second inning. That allowed the Orioles to take the key three-game series.

While Boston sits atop the division, manager John Farrell expects his team to be in a fight to the final day of the season, especially with the amount of talent in the division. The Toronto Blue Jays are also within striking distance of the division lead.

"We don't anticipate anything different from here all the way out," Farrell said. "This is going to be a hard-fought division right to the final game of the season. We fully embrace it. We fully expect it and we're looking forward to the challenges ahead."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

September Pitchers Report
By Marc Lawrence

Much like our waistlines after a tasty Labor Day barbeque, MLB rosters have expanded to accommodate September, the final month of the season. And as College Football and the NFL crash onto the scene, MLB pitchers take the final spotlight in hopes of leading their teams on to the playoff trail.

The question is which ones can we count on and which ones figure to be candidates for offseason Weight Watchers meetings?

Check it out.

Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a two-to-one or better success ratio in team starts the last three seasons during the month of September. On the flip side, we’ve also listed pitchers that struggle in September team starts, winning 33% percent or less of their efforts.

To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at least one start each September over the last three years.

Note: * designates a categorical repeat appearance by this pitcher, maintaining status quo from last season’s September’s list.

Enjoy the games.

GOOD MONTH PITCHERS:

Arrieta, Jake - 12-2 (8-1 H)

For nearly two full seasons, Arrieta has been as good as it gets in baseball as a starting pitcher. While strikeouts have been down a bit and walks are up of late, at this time it hard to find fault with a hurler who has opposing batters hitting below .200 against him and has a 2.84 ERA to start the month.

Cole, Gerrit - 14-3 (6-0 H)

The Pittsburgh ace has frankly had a mediocre injury-plagued season and on August 27th had an MRI on his elbow, which revealed no damage. If Pirates the are going to snare a third consecutive Wild Card bid, they will need the Cole of the past two years. Note: Cole’s record also represents his MLB career team start mark during the month of September.

*Grenike, Zack - 13-3 (7-1 H)

Greinke's ERA is higher than past year's but pitching in thinner air of Arizona has contributed to this. While the Diamondbacks have little too play for, expect Grienke to be tough as nails like usual.

Hamels, Cole - 12-5 (6-2 H)

Need a big game pitched in September? It’s hard to go wrong with Hamels, whose ERA of 2.91 is well below career mark of 3.26. Still owns lively fastball and changeup is knee-buckling. A true professional.

*Jimenez, Ubaldo - 12-1 (6-0 H)

Still toeing the rubber every five days or for Baltimore in spite of mid-sixes ERA. Baltimore has few options and Jimenez is not trustworthy in the bullpen either. Orioles need big month from their big man to reach the playoffs and this is his best month.

*Kershaw, Clayton - 12-3 (6-1 A)

Kershaw threw in simulated game on August 30 and later said "feeling really good" and if all goes well, the Dodgers hope Kershaw can pitch in September and beyond in some role, which only makes the Dodgers a bigger threat. Best pitcher in baseball.

Kluber, Corey - 10-3 (5-1 A)

Has been back to Cy Young form since the All-Star break with an ERA under 2.00 and Cleveland has won his last six outings. When he commands both sides of dish with fastball, for whatever reason, his curveball has more break. A true established ace for the Tribe trying to win the division.

Koehler, Tom - 10-5 (5-1 A)

Been very effective in a quiet way nationally, but has been extremely dependable for two months leading to this month for Miami, supplying six to seven solid innings per start. If he's throwing strikes inside to batters, he’s tough to hit. Note: Koehler’s record also represents his MLB career team start mark during the month of September.

Peavy, Jake - 11-3 (5-1 H)

Went on DL in late August with lower back strain. Had been working out of bullpen most of August and future status with San Francisco is as cloudy as the weather in the Bay.

*Price, David - 12-5 (7-2 H)

After a largely below season in Boston, Price has been much sharper in latter stages of August, which is what the Red Sox need. What has changed is Price became more effective in keeping the ball lower and is getting more fly ball outs as a power pitcher, which are genuinely more routine.

*Scherzer, Max - 11-4 (6-3 H)

After a somewhat slow start, Scherzer has been getting better and better and base hits allowed are well below innings pitched (128 vs. 190), yet walking few batters (45), especially compared to strikeouts (238). Back to pacing around mound like the king of the jungle.

*Shields, James - 13-4 (8-0 A)

It has been a wild ride for Shields this season, with numerous hideous outings blended in with several sharp ones. At this stage, hard to think the 34-year righty can duplicate the past seasons.

Strasburg, Stephen- 9-4 (5-1 A)

Starts the month on the DL after some very ugly starts last month. If Washington is to do anything in the postseason, Strasburg needs to regain early season form, which features moving fastball and big breaking curve.

*Zimmermann, Jordan - 11-4 (6-2 A)

If rehab assignments go well, September 10th is target date for return. Zimmermann has not been very effective for quite some time and easy to forget he had ERA of 2.45 in mid-May, compared to current 4.44.

BAD MONTH PITCHERS:

*Hellickson, Jeremy - 2-10 (1-5 H)

All things considered, Hellickson has not had a bad year in Philadelphia. However, upon closer inspection, most of his numbers are now near career norms and if that ends being the same this month, real bet against potential.

Leake, Mike - 5-10 (1-7 A)

The Cardinals right-hander has been a lot like his teams, when Leake has been good, he and St. Louis have generally won, when not they have too often lost badly. Cards are hoping not to see a repeat performance from the veteran.

Ross, Tyson - 3-11 (1-6 A)

Started on Opening Day and has not been seen since for San Diego with bum shoulder. Still trying to work way bad through rehab. Probably best to forget 2016.

*Sale, Chris - 2-12 (0-8 A)

It is almost unimaginable Sale could have a record like this in September, yet he does. Part of it is the White Sox offense is too unreliable and Sale's miscues end up being quite costly. Let's see what the final month brings for the big lefty.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nationals (88-61) at Marlins (74-75)

Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: September 19, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

MIAMI -- The Miami Marlins are getting a key player back from the injured list on Monday, although it's virtually too late for their playoff chances.

The Washington Nationals (88-61) are also trying to get healthy.

But the big difference is that the National League East-leading Nationals, who open a three-game series at Marlins Park on Monday, are a sure-fire playoff club and the health status of their players truly matters.

Key among those players is right-hander Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 3.60 ERA), who has been out with an elbow injury he suffered on Sept. 7. Strasburg tossed a ball -- lightly -- this weekend for the first time since he got hurt.

Strasburg, who has already tied a career high this season with his 15 wins, is needed at the top of the rotation if the Nationals can realistically be expected to make a postseason run.

The 28-year-old Strasburg has a 1.10 WHIP, and batters are hitting just .218 against him.

While waiting for Strasburg, the Nationals got good news on Sunday when right-hander Joe Ross came off the disabled list.

The 23-year-old Ross, who hadn't pitched since July 2 because of a shoulder injury, allowed five hits and one run in three innings against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. He struck out five.

"He's sort of on a spring training schedule right now," Nationals manager Dusty Baker told media members in Atlanta. "Let's see how his arm feels before we increase his workload."

While Strasburg recuperates and Ross works on getting extended, Washington will start right-hander A.J. Cole (1-2, 4.71) at Miami. It will be his first career start against the Marlins.

As for the Marlins (74-75), left-hander Wei-Yin Chen (5-4, 4.99) is set to return off the disabled list to start Monday's game. This will be Chen's first appearance since July 20 when he sprained his left elbow.

Chen, who replaces rookie Jake Esch in the rotation and moves ace Jose Fernandez back one extra day, will likely be restricted by a pitch count, somewhere around 80.

Meanwhile, Marlins right fielder Giancarlo Stanton, who suffered a severe groin injury on Aug. 13, returned as a pinch hitter on Sept. 6. On Friday at the Philadelphia Phillies, he played the field for the first time since his injury.

Stanton is expected to be back as a starter on Monday as the Marlins are being careful not to overwork him.

In Friday's game, he batted second in the order for the first time since 2008, when he played for Class A Greensboro.

The reason he hit second was that Marlins manager Don Mattingly, who restricted Stanton to six innings in what became a 4-3 loss in 13 innings, wanted his slugger to get as many at-bats as possible while he was out there.

Stanton went 0-for-2 with two walks and a run scored before being replaced by Ichiro Suzuki.

"We're not out of it," Stanton told media members in Philadelphia this past weekend when asked about the playoff race. "It's not going to be easy, but the opportunity is there. As long as I can help, that's what I'm here for."

Despite Stanton's claims, the Marlins were officially eliminated from NL East title contention on Saturday, and their chances of securing a wild-card playoff berth are less than one percent, according to projections.

In other storylines:

-- Nationals rookie center fielder Trea Turner, a converted shortstop who was the San Diego Padres' first-round pick in 2014, continues to be on a remarkable roll.

On Saturday, he became the first player in franchise history to post four hits, two steals and score four runs in one game. He is hitting .355 for the season.

-- Nationals star right fielder Bryce Harper, a four-time All-Star and an NL MVP last year, had been hitless in his past 17 at-bats before getting a single in his final at-bat on Sunday. He is batting .243 this season.

-- The Marlins probably regret not trading for Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Jeremy Hellickson when they had the chance -- according to reports -- at the deadline in July. Hellickson beat the Marlins with a three-hit shutout on Saturday and is 3-1 with a 2.01 ERA in six starts against Miami this season.

Instead of Hellickson, the Marlins traded away their top hitting prospect and a possible future closer to get right-hander Andrew Cashner, who has been a disaster with Miami. He has a 5.27 ERA this season and lasted just four innings on Sunday, allowing three runs.

Hellickson, who is 12-9 this year with a 3.57 ERA, is a free agent after this season. Perhaps the Marlins can acquire him this winter to make up for their non-move on him in July.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Reds (63-86) at Cubs (94-55)

Game: 1
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: September 19, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs secured their main objective when they clinched the National League Central title last week.

But there are still more goals as they proceed through the season's final 13 games -- including their final six home regular season games this week.

That run begins with Monday's opener of a three-game series with the Cincinnati Reds (63-86) and concludes with three against the St. Louis Cardinals this weekend before closing the 2016 campaign with seven road games.

"You want win 100 games and clinch home field," said Cubs manager Joe Maddon on Sunday. "There are still some short term goals that lead to long-term benefits. Yeah, we want all that.

"But you just do that one day at a time and then however the chips fall then you react to that moment."

The Cubs (94-55) send right-hander Jason Hammel (14-9. 3.60 ERA) against Reds righty Tim Adleman (2-4, 4.21 ERA) in Monday's opener.

Hammel, who makes his 29th start of the season, is 9-1 with a 1.77 ERA in 13 home starts. It's the second-best home record in baseball (trailing only teammate Kyle Hendricks).

In his last outing on Sept. 13 at St. Louis, Hammel allowed a pair of two-run home runs in a 4-2 Cubs loss.

Hammel is 3-1 with a 3.52 ERA in 11 games (10 starts) against Cincinnati. He has not allowed a run in his last three starts against the Reds, including two scoreless appearances this season.

Adleman will make his 11th career appearance and start and seventh since his Aug. 16 promotion from Triple-A Louisville. It will be his first career appearance against Chicago.

The Reds will likely be without shortstop Zack Cozart, who hasn't played since suffering a knee injury on Sept. 10.

"Zack (Cozart)'s knee hasn't responded to treatment," Reds manager Bryan Price said on Sunday. "I wouldn't put him out there unless there's no pain."

Billy Hamilton, out with a right knee contusion, is also unlikely to see any time.

"Billy is tenuous," Price said. "He's shown improvement but he's had zero baseball activity. I'm not going to say it's impossible for him to come back but it's improbable."

A Tuesday pitcher is still to be determined due to a full schedule that included a Saturday doubleheader loss to the Pirates.

"We will have three young starters," Price said. "Whoever the starter is on Tuesday, we want to go into that series as rested as possible but that's hard to do with the double header."

One ailing player could make a return to the Cubs lineup early this week.

Maddon said left fielder Jorge Soler underwent an MRI that turned up no issues after he suffered tightness in his side.

"There's nothing really bad," he said. "We're going to treat it like a day-to-day situation."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (65-84) at Rangers (88-62)

Game: 1
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: September 19, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The series opener between Texas and the Los Angeles Angels on Monday isn't just a big game for the first-place Rangers.

It's also a big deal in Venezuela. The pitching matchup features Texas lefty Martin Perez (10-10, 4.20 ERA) against his countryman, right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (5-8, 5.43 ERA).

For Perez though, the game has everything to do with building off his recent success and nothing to do with who his mound opponent is.

Perez recorded quality starts in each of his past three outings and is 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA in that span. The start will be his 31st of the season, which is the most of any Texas pitcher and a career high.

Perez feels as if he has found his groove after a rough start to the second half of the season.

"You never have 30 consistent starts," Perez said. "I think the first half was good for me. In the second half, I've faced teams I've faced before and they know how I pitch and they've got me. I've done my adjustment and now I feel great. I just need to continue to throw strikes and attack the zone every time and move the ball and see what happens."

One thing that is working well recently for Perez is minimizing damage. In the past, he struggled because of the big inning. He learned from those outings, though, and knows he doesn't have to be perfect every inning to give the Cowboys a chance to win.

"If I do my job, we're going to win," he said. "I just want to give my team a chance to win. We don't have time to practice things. It's time to win, and it's time to compete. The time for working on things is in spring training. I prepared myself to do this, help my team. I think I did a great job, but I have to stay focused and continue to win."

Winning won't be easy against the Angels despite Los Angeles being in last place in the division. The Angels are 8-8 against the Rangers this year, and they have won 20 of their past 35 meetings against Texas.

Chacin has been tough on the Rangers, too. He has faced Texas three times this year and has allowed four earned runs in 12 innings. And while Chacin has been bouncing between the bullpen and the rotation, he has excelled in his recent starting action. He has allowed a total of one run in 11 2/3 innings over his past two starts.

On Wednesday against the visiting Seattle Mariners, Chacin got an emergency start in place of left-hander Tyler Skaggs, who was scratched because of a sore forearm. In six innings, Chacin gave up just one run on three hits. He didn't walk a batter while striking out five in a 78-pitch outing.

"He's doing great," Angels rookie catcher Juan Graterol said of Chacin. "He's always ahead in the count, and he throws everything for strikes."

Chacin will take the mound for a last-place Los Angeles team that just beat the playoff hopeful Toronto Blue Jays in consecutive games, 6-1 on Saturday and 4-0 on Sunday. The Angels had lost nine of 10 before those two victories.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Braves (58-91) at Mets (80-69)

Game: 1
Venue: Citi Field
Date: September 19, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- Four young pitchers helped the New York Mets reach the World Series last season.

Only one has not spent time on the disabled list this season.

Noah Syndergaard can be considered the "survivor" of the young rotation and he will be on the mound Monday night when the Mets open a three-game series with the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field.

Syndergaard is 13-8 with a 2.43 ERA to go along with a 1.12 WHIP and 205 strikeouts. Those are similar numbers to what the Mets thought Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Steven Matz might individually provide before injuries derailed the trio.

Instead, Harvey was limited to 92 2/3 innings and 17 starts before having thoracic outlet surgery in July.

DeGrom was supposed to bookend the top of the rotation with Syndergaard until GM Sandy Alderson announced Saturday he was not pitching the rest of the season because of an ulnar nerve in his elbow, which requires surgery.

Matz might return from a strained left shoulder that has kept him sidelined since Aug. 14. Even though he had a 30-pitch bullpen session Saturday, it's unknown when he will be back.

Those three have combined for 373 innings, but none since deGrom pitched five innings on Sept. 1 against Miami. Last year, the quartet combined for 651 1/3 innings during the regular season and postseason.

Even without three-fourths of their rotation, the Mets are a game ahead of San Francisco for the first wild-card spot. They have won 20 of 27 after Gabriel Ynoa struck out eight in 4 2/3 innings, Michael Conforto had a two-run single and T.J. Rivera homered in a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.

"It's a tremendous feeling because I'm so proud of the way they've handled themselves in there because they could have (folded)," Collins said. "They don't because they're pros, but at any time when things were really tough, they could have insisted, "Oh, Jesus," it's not going to happen this year and they've never done that.

"I think they realize, they've played this hard, this long, might as well finish it out. It'd be a tremendous achievement to have that (wild card) game here, but it'd be a tremendous achievement to get in."

Syndergaard has helped matters by going 3-1 with a 1.06 ERA in his last five starts since a 2-0 win at San Francisco on Aug. 21. He has 34 strikeouts in that span, including 10 on Tuesday at Washington when he pitched seven innings but did not get a decision in a 10-inning win decided by Rivera's home run.

Atlanta will be second straight last-place team to visit New York after winning a series from a playoff contender. The Twins visited New York after getting two games in Detroit and the Braves are making their trip after taking two of three from Washington.

The Braves scored 13 runs in their last two wins after dropping the series opener. In Sunday's 6-2 victory, Matt Wisler pitched 5 2/3 innings before the game was called because of rain with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning.

"We told him, going back isn't a bad thing all the time," Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. "A lot of guys that have been successful here have had to do it over the years. It's good when they go down, work on things and put it use. We just want him to trust himself, conviction in his pitches. If he can believe in himself the way we believe in him, he's going to be something."

The Braves are hoping Snitker might make similar comments about Aaron Blair at some point. Blair takes a 0-6 record and an 8.28 ERA into Monday.

He has been on the disabled list since Sept. 3 with a right knee strain and has not pitched since allowing five runs and eight hits in four innings during a 13-4 loss at San Francisco on Aug. 28.

Blair made 11 of his 12 starts before the All-Star break. Three of those starts have been against the Mets and the right-hander is 0-2 with an 8.04 ERA in those outings.

Besides seeing if Blair can pitch effectively, the Braves will see if Freddie Freeman can keep rolling.

Freeman had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 22 games, tying Minnesota's Brian Dozier for the longest active streak in the majors. He is batting .342 (29-for-85) with four homers and 19 RBIs since the streak began Aug. 24 and Atlanta is 12-10 in those games, with the last two after his wife gave birth to their first child.

Freeman also has reached base in a career-best 38 straight games. It is the longest by an Atlanta player since Chipper Jones had a 41-game streak in 2008.

Freeman often hits the Mets well and this year has a .365 average (23-for-63) in 16 games against New York. During Atlanta's three-game sweep in New York on June 17-19, he was 7-for-13.

The Mets have won seven of nine meetings this season. They won five of the first six, but the Braves completed a three-game sweep on June 17-19 in New York.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (78-71) at Rockies (72-77)

Game: 1
Venue: Coors Field
Date: September 19, 2016 8:40 PM EDT

DENVER -- Their win Sunday at San Francisco enabled the St. Louis Cardinals to split a four-game series with the Giants and not fall back in the National League wild-card scramble.

The Cardinals, who open a three-game series Monday against the Colorado Rockies, trail the Giants by one game for the second wild-card spot. The New York Mets, who won Sunday, are one game ahead of the Giants in the race for the first wild-card team.

All three teams have 13 games left to play.

"This is playoff baseball already for us," Cardinals second baseman Kolton Wong said. "We're playing every single game like it's our last."

In the series opener with the Rockies, the Cardinals will start Carlos Martinez, who is 14-8 with a 3.15 ERA. The Cardinals have won five of his past six starts. They lost the last one Wednesday at Chicago, when he gave up eight hits and four runs in six innings with no walks and nine strikeouts, and the Cubs won 7-0.

Martinez didn't face the Rockies when the Cardinals won two of three games from Colorado in St. Louis from May 17-19.

Martinez is 1-0 with an 8.04 ERA in six games, two starts, against the Rockies and 1-0 with a 6.75 ERA in two games, one start, at Coors Field. That start was June 10, 2015, a 7-2 Cardinals win in which Martinez allowed eight hits and two runs in 6 1/3 innings.

Tyler Anderson will start Monday for the Rockies. A 26-year-old rookie who made his major league debut June 12, Anderson has been remarkably consistent and a huge addition to the Colorado rotation.

But he is coming off a poor outing last Monday at Arizona, a 12-9 loss to the Diamondbacks in which Anderson did not factor in the decision after allowing nine hits and six runs, five earned, in 4 1/3 innings.

In his three prior starts before that game, Anderson was 1-1 with a 1.93 ERA and six walks and 17 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings.

Anderson, who has never faced the Cardinals, is 5-5 with a 3.65 ERA in 17 starts and is 5-1 with a 3.04 ERA in 11 starts at Coors Field. He has pitched at least six innings in 12 starts and has pitched seven or more four times.

"I think in a lot of ways he's well beyond his years, his experience level," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "The pitchability, the demeanor, the confidence, the competitiveness -- he doesn't look like a rookie when he's out there on the mound.

"He understands how to upset timing -- speed hitters up, slow them down, put sequences together. He gets all that. It's one thing to understand it, but to be able to execute it, that's the next level. And that's what he's been able to do. He makes pitches."

The Rockies are coming off a three-game sweep of the San Diego Padres and will finish their homestand with the series against the Cardinals. At 72-77, the Rockies won't be playing in the postseason. But they have exceeded their 68-win total from last year and are three wins shy of their most victories since 2010, when they last finished above .500 with 83 wins.

Recent history and the ultimate won-lost record this season are bookkeeping matters compared with the more tangible opportunity for the Rockies to make it more difficult for the Cardinals to reach the postseason.

"There's always a reason to be motivated to play well, no matter what, and that's the way it always should be," Weiss said. "Of course, the Cardinals -- it's a great franchise, one of the best teams in the National League year after year, so we have to play at a high level to win that series. You always get up especially for teams like that."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Astros (78-71) at Athletics (66-83)

Game: 1
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: September 19, 2016 10:05 PM EDT

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The hot-hitting Oakland Athletics will attempt to continue their torrid pace in front of the home fans when they open a three-game series against the Houston Astros on Monday.

When last seen in Oakland, the A's were totaling just 26 runs in a nine-game homestand, losing six of the nine contests.

When they take the Oakland field again Monday night, they will do so as one of the hottest teams in baseball.

The A's scored 43 runs in a four-game sweep at Kansas City to start last week, then added 22 more in taking two of three at Texas.

"That was a great trip," A's manager Bob Melvin gushed Sunday after Oakland's 5-2 win over the Rangers. "Beating Kansas City four in a row, losing just a really, really tough game (7-6 at Texas on Friday) and responding the next two games ...

"I can't say enough about the desire and commitment these guys still have to finishing out the season strong. You want to play for your team, you want to play for your job, and all these things combined. We have a lot of hungry guys."

Outfielder Khris Davis became the first member of the A's to reach 40 home runs in a season since 2000 (Jason Giambi) when he smacked a pair Sunday.

Davis will take his cracks Monday at Astros right-hander Brad Peacock, against whom he has batted just one time in his career and struck out.

Peacock (0-0, 2.70 ERA) pitched the final two innings of the Astros' 6-0 home win over the A's on Aug. 29, the only time he faced Oakland this season.

Peacock has a miserable overall history against the A's, having gone 1-4 with a 4.97 ERA in nine outings (eight starts). But that must seem like a different lifetime.

He has allowed just one hit to a current member of the A's (Stephen Vogt) in 18 at-bats.

The A's will counter with Jharel Cotton, who unlike A's hitters, will attempt to duplicate what he did during the club's last homestand.

Cotton (1-0, 1.50 ERA) won his major league debut at home on Sept. 7, allowing just two hits and one run in 6 1/3 innings against the Los Angeles Angels.

He followed that up with a no-decision on the road in a 5-4 win at Kansas City on Tuesday, when he yielded three runs (one earned) in 5 2/3 innings.

Cotton will be facing an Astros team that enters the final two weeks of the regular season three games out of the final playoff spot in the American League.

Houston helped itself by winning two of three at Seattle, and it now looks to take advantage of an Oakland team that has struggled at home.

"Every series is huge now," Astros designated hitter Tyler White said after his team clinched the series win over Seattle on Saturday night. "We go out every day, try to take care of the task at hand, and we'll see where we stand at the end."

The Astros have a 10-6 lead in the season series over the A's but have lost four of six in Oakland.

The schedule surely gives Houston an opportunity to move up in the wild-card standings. The Astros finish the regular season with 10 of their final 13 against the bottom two in the AL West, including seven against the last-place Angels.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jays (81-68) at Mariners (79-70)

Game: 1
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: September 19, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

SEATTLE -- The Seattle Mariners salvaged the third game of a pretty big September series against fellow wild-card contender Houston on Sunday.

That series was nothing compared to the enormity of the three games that could make or break Seattle over the next three days. The Mariners (79-70) come off their Sunday win over Houston with a huge series against a Toronto team that lost Sunday and now holds a two-game lead over Seattle in the American League wild-card standings.

The approach the Mariners are taking into this series with all-or-nothing consequences is to treat it like the rest.

"Anyone can beat anyone," catcher Mike Zunino said after Sunday's 7-3 win over the Astros. "To put added pressure on ourselves is out of our style. That's not something we need to do."

Center fielder Leonys Martin said the Mariners aren't getting too wrapped up in the standings.

"We're in a situation now where we've got to win every game, no matter who we're playing," Martin said. "We just need to keep fighting and never give up, like we've been doing."

Seattle will send right-hander Taijuan Walker to the mound for Monday's opener, and it's hard to know what to expect whenever the 24-year-old former top prospect is on the mound. Walker struggled with inconsistency and a foot injury to the point that he was demoted to Triple-A in August, and he endured one of the worst starts of his career in a 10-3 loss to the Angels on Sept. 3. But he's bounced back to put together two solid outings, including a complete-game shutout his last time out.

The Mariners credit Walker's latest turnaround -- albeit for only two starts -- to a dramatic change in his delivery. It's worked out so far, as the new delivery has produced good results.

Pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. told MLB.com recently that Walker's willingness to adapt was a big part of his improvement.

"At the tail end of the season for a team that is possibly in a playoff run, to go out and kind of create a new delivery is not easy to do," Stottlemyre said.

Toronto is hoping starter Marco Estrada (8-9, 3.78 ERA) can change the team's fortunes after losing the final two games of the Angels series over the weekend. The Blue Jays managed to score just one run in those two losses, causing them to fall a game behind Baltimore in the wild-card standings.

Sunday's loss left manager John Gibbons to tell reporters: "Sometimes you run into a road block and you struggle."

The Blue Jays hope to navigate the obstacle and keep moving forward this week -- and on into their final three series against the Yankees, Orioles and Red Sox.

"We're right there," shortstop Troy Tulowitzki told MLB.com on Sunday. "We play those teams that are right there with us, too, with our remaining schedule. We like where we're at, obviously we know we can play better and hopefully that comes out real soon."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB betting cheat sheet and odds: Royal Pain
By MONTY ANDREWS

MLB cheat sheet breaks down the best MLB betting notes so you can handicap every series like a pro this week, including the Kansas City Royals who will look to spoil the Cleveland Indians' party.

Royal Pain

The Kansas City Royals look to put a crimp in the Cleveland Indians' plans of locking up the American League Central when the teams kick off a three-game series Monday night at Progressive Field. Kansas City could be in tough this week, as it has dropped five of six games it has played in Cleveland this season and was the underdog in all six. The Royals also won't be able to rely on new staff ace Danny Duffy, who pitched Sunday against the Chicago White Sox.

Legendary Lefties

Two of the best left-handers in baseball square off Monday night on the West coast as Madison Bumgarner and the San Francisco Giants visit Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The two have faced off twice this season, with Kershaw's Dodgers prevailing both times - but both outings came back in April, before Bumgarner caught fire to emerge as the Cy Young favorite. Bumgarner's Giants won three of four head-to-head meetings in 2015, going Under in three of the four starts.

Eastern Showdown

Top spot in the American League East is up for grabs this week as the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles duel in a four-game series beginning Monday at Camden Yards. The Orioles may have the momentum after taking two of three from division-leading Boston at Fenway Park earlier this month, but the teams have played the season series to a near-stalemate, with the Orioles having won eight of 15 meetings to date.

Injury Updates

* To say the Indians are in trouble without the services of starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco may be an understatement. Carrasco, who will miss the remainder of the season with a broken hand, was one of the top pitchers in the AL Central this season, with the Indians going 16-9 in his 25 starts in 2015.

* New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is considered day-to-day after leaving Sunday's game against the Minnesota Twins with nausea and dizziness. The Mets can ill afford to be without Cespedes in its quest for a National League playoff spot; they're 12-15 for a whopping -574 units in 27 games with Cespedes out of the lineup.

Hitting Notes

* Mark Trumbo continues to mash, returning from a two-game absence to belt his major league-leading 43rd home run in Sunday's triumph over Tampa Bay. The Orioles have Trumbo to thank for their spot in the pennant race; they're 29-9 in games in which Trumbo has gone deep at least once.

* Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner is making doubters out of even his staunchest critics - especially those based in Atlanta. The rookie infielder has obliterated the Braves this season, batting .475 with five doubles, six home runs, seven stolen bases, 12 RBIs and a stunning 20 runs scored in just 13 games.

Pitching Notes

* J.A. Happ looks to cap a dream season with his 20th win of the season as he leads the Toronto Blue Jays into Seattle for a date with his former team on Tuesday night. Happ, who is aiming to become the majors' second 20-game winner, enters the week ranked sixth in the majors in units won ($1,189).

* Rich Hill has been making Under bettors happy since joining the Los Angeles Dodgers in a trade with Oakland earlier this summer. Hill is 0-3-1 in four starts with the Dodgers; that four-game stretch increases his streak of starts without an Over to nine (0-8-1) going into Tuesday's outing against Johnny Cueto and the Giants.

Totals Trend

Keep riding that Kansas City Over streak - it isn't showing any signs of slowing down. The Royals went 2-1 O/U against the White Sox over the weekend, extending their sensational run to 18-3-1 O/U since the end of August.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (63-86) at Padres (62-87)

Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: September 19, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

SAN DIEGO -- These are not good times for the San Diego Padres.

On Saturday night, third baseman Yangervis Solarte's wife, Yuliette, died at age 31 due to complications from her fight against cancer.

"We're broken-hearted for Yangervis," Padres manager Andy Green said Sunday. "We know he and his family have been dealing with this throughout the season. Right now, there are things that are so much more important to baseball."

Then on Sunday afternoon, the Padres took a 6-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies and absorbed a three-game sweep at Coors Field.

Solarte is away from the team. Catcher Derek Norris is day-to-day with an injured finger, and the Padres are playing without a right-handed-hitting outfielder. General manager A.J. Preller starts his 30-day, Major League Baseball-mandated suspension Monday.

And any help that might be coming from El Paso is another three days away because the Chihuahuas are headed to Tuesday night's Triple-A Championship Game against International League champion Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (New York Yankees) after winning the Pacific Coast League championship Saturday night.

On Monday night, the ailing Padres open a 10-game homestand.

As if they need a reminder of how tough this season has been, the Padres (62-87) open the homestand with three games against Arizona (63-86). Over the last two weeks of the season, the Padres and Diamondbacks will play six times essentially to see who finishes last in the National League West and possibly enters the offseason with the second-worst record in the National League.

Not that matters are much better for the Diamondbacks.

While Green seems secure in his job, Arizona manager Chip Hale, his former boss, is one of several Diamondbacks leaders who could be two weeks away from the unemployment line.

Matters are that dire in the southwest corner of the United States.

The matchup Monday will see Arizona right-hander Braden Shipley (4-3, 5.56 ERA) oppose left-hander Clayton Richard (2-3, 3.00 ERA). Richard is 2-2 with a 1.70 ERA in eight appearances (six starts) since returning to the Padres in August as a free agent.

Richard's return to San Diego is easily explained. One, Clayton and Ashley Richard enjoy living in San Diego. Two, as Clayton says, "The Padres promised me a chance to start."

Shipley, 24, the Diamondbacks' first-round pick (15th overall) in the 2013 draft, will be making his ninth start -- and second at Petco Park -- after two straight appearances out of the Arizona bullpen.

"It's different," Shipley said of the second and third relief outings in his 91-appearance professional career. "As pitchers, we're so routine oriented that my whole pregame ritual was thrown off a bit."

Shipley picked up his fourth win of his rookie season as a reliever against the Rockies on Wednesday, although he allowed five runs on eight hits in four innings. In fact, his ERA in two relief appearances is 9.39.

He made one previous start against the Padres on Aug. 21 in San Diego and took the loss, allowing seven runs on seven hits -- including homers to left-handed-hitting outfielders Travis Jankowski and Alex Dickerson -- in 5 1/3 innings.

Richard absorbed the loss the previous day when he made a pair of throwing errors that led to two unearned runs -- the only runs he allowed over six innings in a 2-1 loss. In four starts since, Richard is 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA -- and the Padres are 4-0.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Blue Birds'

Toronto Blue Jays at Seattle Mariners September 19, 10:10 EST

Two clubs headed in opposite direction recently square off at Safeco Field when Toronto Blue Jays visit Seattle Mariners. Things have not gone well for Toronto during September, the Blue Birds have won just 5 and lost 11 platting 3.4 runs/game with the pitching staff surrendering 5.4 per/contest. Mariners meanwhile have won 11 and lost 5 during the month crossing 6.1 runs/game with the pitching staff allowing 4.0 per/contest.

Marco Estrada carrying an 8-9 record, 3.78 ERA toes the rubber for John Gibbons' crew in the opener. The Jays hope they’ll get better results from Estrada. The right-hander roughed up for 13 runs over his last 12 2/3 innings of work has not only lost all three starts in September, the hurler heads to the mound having lost all three starts vs Mariners since joining Blue Jays. It may be some comfort to know Jays are on a 3-1, 7-2 stretch in an opposing ball park with Estrada, 3-1 in his last four opening a road series.

Mariners counter with Taijuan Walker who tossed a nine inning shutout gem last start with 11 K, 0 walks bringing his record to 6-10 with a 4.28 ERA on the year. Walker is 0-2 in three life-time starts vs Toronto with Mariners 1-2 in those games. A key to baseball handicapping is the ability to unearth hidden gems among a sea of baseball betting tips. Those who have done so would be quick to note Mariners are not a peg to hang your hopes on with Walker following super quality starts by the right-hander. Mariners are 0-4 in his last four after tossing => 8 innings while surrendering =< 2 runs. Additionally, Mariners are 1-3 in Walker's last four opening a new series.

Current odds have Mariners -$1.12 to -$1.15 home favorites depending on local with the total set at 8.5 across all shops.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (79-70) at Dodgers (84-65)

Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: September 19, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

The first two times Clayton Kershaw opposed Madison Bumgarner, it was too early to gauge whether it would be the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Francisco Giants winning the National League West.

The left-handed aces opposed each other twice in a span of six days in the first two weeks of the season with the Dodgers winning both meetings. Kershaw went 1-0 with a 2.40 ERA in those games and Bumgarner was 0-1 with a 4.09 ERA.

Fast forward six months later, it is Kershaw's Dodgers who are in first place over Bumgarner's Giants, and the two stars will be on the mound in the opener of a three-game series on Monday night at Dodger Stadium.

It will be the 10th regular-season matchup between Kershaw and Bumgarner, who made their major league debuts 15 1/2 months apart in 2008 and 2009. Kershaw has gone 3-4 with a 2.18 ERA and Bumgarner is 4-3 with a 2.88 ERA in those games.

Kershaw will be making his third start since returning from a back injury. When he pitched five innings in Wednesday's 2-0 victory at Yankee Stadium, it could not have pleased him and the Dodgers any more.

The three-time Cy Young award winner pitched around two rain delays, threw 64 pitches and about 16 more in a simulated game. He retired the first 12 hitters and ended his outing by striking out Yankees catcher Austin Romine with two on in a scoreless game.

"We felt comfortable with that delay to go back out there for the fifth. I think that just individually for Clayton it couldn't have worked out any better under the circumstances," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "Fastball was good, velocity was really plus. He got the strikeout when he needed to, but to see Clayton go out there and do what he does, it was a huge lift for us."

"It was pretty much the same (intensity) both times," Kershaw said. "I was obviously thankful to be back the first time, but I wasn't thinking about that. Once you start pitching, you're pitching. You're trying to get guys out, and if you're not doing that effectively you need to look at it. So I did that.

"Just a little bit was better overall today. Maybe it was back on a normal routine, a normal four days almost -- or whatever my normal is now. Maybe that helped a little bit, I don't know."

Kershaw is 7-1 with a 1.31 ERA in eight home starts this season. He has not pitched at home since beating Washington on June 20.

Against the Giants, he is 18-7 with a 1.62 ERA in 34 games. He has posted a 0.80 WHIP, held Giants hitters to a .182 average and on June 10 Kershaw struck out 13 without a walk on 108 pitches in a 3-2 victory.

The current Giants have a collective .161 average against Kershaw and it's a significant drop-off after Buster Posey and Angel Pagan. Posey and Pagan are a combined .250 (37-for-148) against Kershaw. The rest of the team is 29-for-263 (.110).

Burmgarner will be seeking his 100th career win. He is 4-5 with a 3.87 ERA in his last 12 starts after he took the loss Wednesday against the San Diego Padres when he allowed three runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings.

"Tough luck. No other way to describe it," Bumgarner said of the loss. "I made some good pitches."

He is 13-9 with a 2.78 ERA in 25 appearances against the Dodgers, though he has a 5.63 ERA in his two outings against Los Angeles this season.

The current Dodgers have a combined .243 average against Bumgarner and the best average belongs to outfielder Enrique Hernandez .579 (11-for-19) with three home runs. Justin Turner is 11-for-41 and left-handed hitters Adrian Gonzalez and Chase Utley are 10-for-50 and 2-for-12, respectively.

The Giants led by 6 1/2 games at the All-Star break but lost the lead to the Dodgers on Aug. 21 after falling 2-0 to the Mets. That loss also put the Giants in a fight for the wild card with the Mets and Cardinals.

Since the lead changed hands, the Giants have lost 15 of 26 and the Dodgers have won 17 of 27.

The Dodgers missed a chance to extend the lead to six games when Ross Stripling gave up a 10th-inning single to Arizona's Brandon Drury in Sunday's 10-9 loss.

"We've been waiting for this series for a while," Roberts said. "I think we're still playing pretty good baseball."

The Giants were held to five hits and were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position during Sunday's 3-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. The loss dropped San Francisco into the second wild spot, one game behind the Mets and one ahead of St. Louis.

"We created some chances today; we just couldn't get them in," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "We couldn't get the big hit."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Blue Birds'

Toronto Blue Jays at Seattle Mariners September 19, 10:10 EST

Two clubs headed in opposite direction recently square off at Safeco Field when Toronto Blue Jays visit Seattle Mariners. Things have not gone well for Toronto during September, the Blue Birds have won just 5 and lost 11 platting 3.4 runs/game with the pitching staff surrendering 5.4 per/contest. Mariners meanwhile have won 11 and lost 5 during the month crossing 6.1 runs/game with the pitching staff allowing 4.0 per/contest.

Marco Estrada carrying an 8-9 record, 3.78 ERA toes the rubber for John Gibbons' crew in the opener. The Jays hope they’ll get better results from Estrada. The right-hander roughed up for 13 runs over his last 12 2/3 innings of work has not only lost all three starts in September, the hurler heads to the mound having lost all three starts vs Mariners since joining Blue Jays. It may be some comfort to know Jays are on a 3-1, 7-2 stretch in an opposing ball park with Estrada, 3-1 in his last four opening a road series.

Mariners counter with Taijuan Walker who tossed a nine inning shutout gem last start with 11 K, 0 walks bringing his record to 6-10 with a 4.28 ERA on the year. Walker is 0-2 in three life-time starts vs Toronto with Mariners 1-2 in those games. A key to baseball handicapping is the ability to unearth hidden gems among a sea of baseball betting tips. Those who have done so would be quick to note Mariners are not a peg to hang your hopes on with Walker following super quality starts by the right-hander. Mariners are 0-4 in his last four after tossing => 8 innings while surrendering =< 2 runs. Additionally, Mariners are 1-3 in Walker's last four opening a new series.

Current odds have Mariners -$1.12 to -$1.15 home favorites depending on local with the total set at 8.5 across all shops.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mike Wynn

Bonus Play: MLB Miami w/Chen +115 Over Washington

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Razor Sharp

FREE PICK FOR MONDAY: Take HOUSTON (Peacock) Pick'em over Oakland