Saturday 5/14/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

North - South Side Good Bets

On the North Side of Chicago the Cubs better than most expected look like a team that will not be denied. The Cubbies ranked first in scoring (5.9 runs/game) along with superb pitching from the likes of Jake Arrieta (6-0, 1.12 ERA), Jason Hammel (4-0, 1.85 ERA), Jon Lester (4-1, 1.96 ERA) are tops in the Majors at 25-8 stuffing +$1025 into betting accounts split between 12-5 (+$79) at Wrigly Field 13-3 (+$946) in enemy territory.

On the South Side of Chicago the White Sox ranked fifth in scoring (4.4 runs/game) are second best in the league at 23-12 earning backers +$1186 at the betting window showing the ability to win / earn anywhere going 10-5 (+$442) within the confines of U.S. Cellular Field, 13-7 (+$734) in an opposing park. Chris Sale (7-0, 1.79 ERA), Jose Quintana (5-1, 1.38 ERA) and Mat Latos (5-0, 3.4 ERA) lead Pale Hose hurlers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (24-12) at Yankees (14-20)

Game: 2
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: May 14, 2016 1:05 PM EDT

The ace of the Chicago White Sox helped them snap an uncharacteristic losing streak to open a series against the New York Yankees. Next, they turn to their other top starter looking to put together a familiar win streak.

Jose Quintana looks to again follow Chris Sale's lead when he tries to get Chicago started on another roll Saturday in the Bronx.

Chicago (24-12) won for just the third time in the last 13 matchups in this series with Friday's 7-1 victory. Sale threw a six-hitter to become the first pitcher in the majors to eight wins, and allowed his team to avoid a season high-tying third consecutive loss.

That sets up fellow left-hander Quintana (5-1, 1.38 ERA), the other half of the White Sox's dynamic 1-2 punch. He's won his last four starts with a 0.64 ERA, with 24 strikeouts in 28 innings during that stretch.

Quintana, the AL leader in ERA, made his 11th quality start in 12 outings Sunday, holding Minnesota to one run in seven innings of a 3-1 victory.

"I think I started a little slow, I missed a lot of pitches but I tried to get the outs," Quintana told MLB's official website. "It was more good after that. I feel better commanding."

Though Quintana is 2-1 in three career starts against the Yankees - all between 2012-13 - he's posted a 5.27 ERA. Brett Gardner is 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles in the matchup.

Quintana is expected to face one of his former teammates from the Yankees' minor league system in Gary Sanchez. The rookie catcher was called up for this series to be the designated hitter against Sale and Quintana. Sanchez went 0 for 4 with a strikeout against Sale on Friday.

Sent down after being beaten out for the backup catching job by Austin Romine after a poor spring training performance, Sanchez batted .288 with 11 doubles, five homers and 21 RBIs in 27 games at Triple-A, while also showing improvement behind the plate.

'We're pretty pleased with where he is at defensively,' manager Joe Girardi said. 'We've see a lot of growth in him.'

Ivan Nova (1-1, 4.34) will start again for New York in place of the injured CC Sabathia. The right-hander made his first start Monday after six appearances out of the bullpen and pitched 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball in a 6-3 win over Kansas City.

Nova has gone 3-1 with a 2.54 ERA in six career starts against the White Sox, holding them to one run in six innings of a 12-3 victory in Chicago on Aug. 2.

However, Melky Cabrera (7 for 12) and Austin Jackson (8 for 17) have hit Nova well in their careers. Cabrera has two home runs and four RBIs in the matchup while Jackson has three doubles.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Astros (15-22) at Red Sox (22-14)

Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: May 14, 2016 1:05 PM EDT

The Boston Red Sox's stunning streak of four games of double-digit scoring came to an end - as did their five-game winning streak.

Their offensive performance in the defeat still would have been more than enough for a victory if not for a season-worst performance by starter Steven Wright.

More big numbers on the scoreboard could be imminent with a pair of inconsistent pitchers set to take the mound when the Red Sox host the Houston Astros on Saturday.

Boston (22-14) had outscored opponents 51-16 in the previous four games, reaching at least 11 runs in each, before falling 7-6 on Friday.

The Red Sox had little trouble with another starting pitcher in tagging Lance McCullers for five runs in the second inning, but the Astros' bullpen allowed one run and Wright - who came in with a 1.52 ERA - gave up five runs in 4 1/3.

"It's pretty cool, but obviously we wanted to win tonight," said Bradley, who had three hits and extended the longest hitting streak in the majors this season to 19 games. "We put together some quality ABs. We just weren't able to score more runs."

George Springer homered and drove in four runs for Houston (15-22), which lost Thursday's opener 11-1. The right fielder is 6 for his last 13 after an 0-for-12 stretch.

"After they put up a big number on us, it was nice to put up a big number ourselves," manager A.J. Hinch said.

Marwin Gonzalez added two RBIs and has batted .361 with two homers and eight RBIs in his last nine games.

Clay Buchholz (2-3, 5.90 ERA) doesn't evoke the same confidence as Wright did. The right-hander allowed at least four runs for the fifth time in seven starts Monday, lasting five innings in a 14-7 win over Oakland, though he won his second straight outing.

He's 3-1 with a 2.35 ERA in five career starts against Houston, although he gave up five runs in 5 2/3 innings of the most recent, an 8-3 road loss April 23.

Luis Valbuena is 4 for 13 with two doubles and a home run against him.

Buchholz will be opposed by Collin McHugh (4-3, 5.50), who hasn't been much better so far. The right-hander has won his last three starts, though, and turned in just the second quality start of his disappointing season Sunday with seven innings of one-run ball in a 5-1 victory over Seattle. He had a 6.75 ERA in his previous four outings.

McHugh gave up five runs and 10 hits in a 6-2 home loss to the Red Sox on April 22.

Bradley is 3 for 4 against McHugh. Mookie Betts is 4 for 5 with two doubles and a triple in the matchup, while Xander Bogaerts is 5 for 11 with two doubles and Brock Holt 4 for 10.

Bogaerts is batting .405 with two home runs and five RBIs during an eight-game hit streak, Travis Shaw is at .526 on a five-game run and Hanley Ramirez 9 for 18 in a five-game streak. Betts has driven in eight runs in the last five games.

Boston has homered in 14 straight contests.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Marlins (18-16) at Nationals (22-13)

Game: 2
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: May 14, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

Although the weather may again cause some changes for the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals, at least this time the temperature will be suitable for baseball.

Saturday's split doubleheader at Nationals Park was the result of an early April postponement due to temperatures in the high 20s, but even with the forecast calling for mid-70s, rain is expected to fall during the nightcap.

The Marlins (18-16) and Nationals (22-13) can at least get in the makeup game after Bryce Harper hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning Friday to help Washington kick off the series with a 5-3 win.

"In that situation there I don't feel handicapped because it's what we've been doing all year," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said of using right-handed reliever Kyle Barraclough against the lefty swinging Harper in the seventh.

The victory was the Nationals' fourth in seven meetings with Miami this season.

Tanner Roark (2-2, 2.03 ERA) takes the hill in Game 1 trying to reverse a bad trend against the Marlins, who have handed him both his losses and a 6.30 ERA in those starts.

Roark has allowed no earned runs in four of his seven outings but has given up seven earned out of nine total runs against Miami this season, and the only homer he's surrendered in 44 1/3 innings came off the bat of Giancarlo Stanton.

It's all part of an extended struggle for the right-hander, who is 2-5 with a 4.30 ERA in eight career starts against the Marlins after losing four straight against them.

Perhaps Roark can find inspiration in outworking the reigning NL Cy Young winner in his previous start. Although Washington eventually lost 4-3 in 13 innings at Wrigley Field on Sunday, Roark allowed four hits and an unearned run with seven strikeouts in six innings to best Jake Arrieta, who lasted five and gave up three runs.

That game also featured Harper tying a major league record with six walks. After another two free passes Friday, he's been walked 20 times in his last eight games.

Opposing Roark will be left-hander Justin Nicolino (2-0, 2.79 ERA), who has pitched well in three starts since being inserted into Miami's rotation in late April.

Nicolino gave up three runs - two earned - and seven hits in six innings of a 6-5 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday.

Stephen Strasburg (5-0, 2.76 ERA) gets the ball in the second game after an interesting outing in his last turn. The right-hander struck out a season-best 11 in seven innings Monday, but he also matched season worsts with three walks and four runs allowed in a 5-4 win over Detroit.

During the up-and-down outing, news broke that Strasburg would skip his first shot at free agency, instead agreeing to a $175 million deal from 2017-23.

"It was a grind. I threw a couple of pitches that I definitely would want back," Strasburg told MLB's website. "I just kept trying to turn the page and try to do everything I can to keep the score where it was."

He was outstanding in his only start against Miami this season, tossing eight innings of three-hit ball with 10 strikeouts in a 7-0 win April 19. He is 11-7 with a 3.46 ERA over 24 career starts versus the Marlins.

Strasburg and his huge contract present an imposing challenge for Kendry Flores, whom the Marlins will call up from Triple-A Nashville to make a spot start.

Flores, who has posted a 2.59 ERA over 31 1/3 innings at Nashville this season, was hit hard in his only career start in 2015, allowing five runs and seven hits in five innings of a 7-1 loss to Philadelphia on Aug. 21.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pirates (18-16) at Cubs (26-8)

Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: May 14, 2016 2:20 PM EDT

Jake Arrieta's nine-start winning streak is over. The Chicago Cubs' winning streak with him on the mound is alive and well, and the Pittsburgh Pirates are sick of hearing about it.

It could reach 21 games Saturday at Wrigley Field against those Pirates, who have fewer hits on their five-game losing streak against the reigning NL Cy Young winner than the Cubs have provided him runs.

Arrieta (6-0, 1.13 ERA) is 17-0 with a 0.76 ERA in 20 regular-season starts since last losing on July 25.

The latest - a 4-3 home win over Washington on Sunday - ended his nine-start winning streak with the right-hander giving up three runs â?? two earned â?? and six hits in five innings.

He for once had to rely on his teammates to bail him out, and they got him off the hook for a loss and later won on Javier Baez's 13th-inning walk-off homer.

"It was a team win," Arrieta told MLB's official website. "We grinded it out."

The team's 20-game winning streak in his starts is tops in baseball since Atlanta won 23 straight Kris Medlen starts from 2010-12.

Control is to blame for any and all of Arrieta's "shortcomings" in recent starts. He walked four for the third time in four outings against the Nationals, and while the first was a no-hitter, he's been limited to five innings in the other two.

But Arrieta still hasn't given up four runs or more in 27 regular-season outings since June 16, going 22-1 with a 0.92 ERA. In 14 of those, he hasn't allowed a run. The only other pitcher in data available to 1913 to go even 26 starts without giving up four runs once was Chris Short, who was 10-11 with a 2.13 ERA in 26 straight in pitching-dominant 1967-68.

The last time Arrieta saw the Pirates, he extended that run to 26 by limiting them to two hits in seven innings of a 7-1 win in Pittsburgh on May 3. Opponent frustration ensued.

"I really don't care what he was doing. It's good for him what he's doing," that night's counterpart Jonathon Niese said.

In his last five games against them, including a playoff start, he's 4-0 with a 0.24 ERA. The Pirates have 16 hits in his 38 innings of those games, while the Cubs have provided Arrieta with 21 runs. He's needed very little of that support while posting 23 scoreless innings over his last three starts in the series.

Jordy Mercer (0 for 8), Josh Harrison (1 for 13), John Jaso (1 for 8), Gregory Polanco (3 for 23 with eight strikeouts), Jung Ho Kang (2 for 12) and Starling Marte (4 for 21) have all struggled against him.

There's a little less to say about Jeff Locke (1-2, 4.68). The left-hander has three straight quality starts after limiting St. Louis to three runs and four hits in six innings of last Saturday's 6-4 road loss. He's 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA in those three outings.

He's 0-1 with an 8.31 ERA in four career starts at Wrigley while making it through five innings once. Dexter Fowler is 4 for 9 against Locke, and Anthony Rizzo is 7 for 20 with three home runs and two doubles. Rizzo's .900 slugging percentage is the highest among those with more than 10 at-bats against him.

The Cubs (26-8) opened the series with Friday's 9-4 win after losing two straight for the first time this season. They've won the last six in the series including the playoffs by a 37-9 total with the Pirates stuck with the misfortune of seeing Arrieta in three of those.

Pittsburgh (18-16) is 3-7 this month with four of those losses coming against Chicago. Its rotation has a 6.28 ERA in the 10-game span, while the Cubs are scoring 6 runs and batting .294 in their last 11.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Twins (8-26) at Indians (17-15)

Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: May 14, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

After his manager suggested he was returning to his Cy Young Award-winning form, Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber endured one of his worst performances.

The right-hander now looks to harness his command against a Minnesota Twins team that finally got some promising results from its new-look lineup.

As the Indians go after their seventh victory in eight home games, the AL-worst Twins try to avoid second nine-game losing streak of the season Saturday.

Terry Francona believed Kluber was back to the dominant ways that resulted in 18 wins and a 2.44 ERA in 2014 after he allowed three earned runs with 23 strikeouts over a three-start stretch heading into the week.

Kluber, however, couldn't hit his spots in the third inning Monday, forcing him to come in over the middle of the plate. He surrendered five runs, five hits and three walks over 2 2/3 of a 7-1 loss at Houston.

"There (were) some pitches I didn't locate that well, and when I threw those pitches, they took advantage of them," he told the league's official website.

Kluber (2-4, 4.14 ERA) will try to get back on track against a Minnesota team that gave him trouble in September. He gave up eight runs over 9 2/3 innings in a pair of losses, leaving him at 6-4 with a 3.64 ERA in 15 career starts in this series.

Joe Mauer went 5 for 15 with a home run and two doubles off him last season, though Miguel Sano and Brian Dozier were a combined 2 for 23.

Mauer is 2 for 10 in three games since manager Paul Molitor moved him into the leadoff spot. However, Eduardo Nunez, Sano and Byung Ho Park - Nos. 2, 3 and 5 in the lineup - went 6 for 15 with four homers and six RBIs in Friday's 7-6 series-opening loss.

Park hit two home runs after going 0 for 11 with six strikeouts over his previous three games. Sano has homered in the last two after going 2 for 23 in the previous six.

Minnesota (8-26) scored six runs for only the third time in 18 games. It had averaged 2.9 over its previous seven.

Right-hander Ervin Santana (0-2, 3.86) is looking for some support after struggling in his return from a back injury last Saturday. He allowed three runs, seven hits and three walks over 3 1/3 innings of a 7-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

Santana has gone 4-10 with a 4.47 ERA in 19 starts against the Indians (17-15), though he's limited them to three or fewer earned runs in 14 of his last 16.

Jose Ramirez is 6 for 8 when facing Santana, while Mike Napoli has gone 7 for 19 with three home runs. Marlon Byrd, however, is 7 for 39 (.179) with 13 strikeouts in the matchup.

Byrd delivered a two-run double in the eighth inning Friday when Cleveland scored three times to overcome a 5-4 deficit. Jason Kipnis hit a solo home run and Yan Gomes added a two-run shot to break a 2-for-42 slump.

Michael Brantley could be sidelined for a fourth straight game because of fatigue in his surgically repaired right shoulder. That's after Lonnie Chisenhall was placed on the bereavement list.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics (15-21) at Rays (15-18)

Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: May 14, 2016 6:10 PM EDT

Matt Andriese doesn't know what the Tampa Bay Rays' plans are for him beyond this start and, frankly, neither do they. All he's focused on is performing as well as he did in his first outing.

Kendall Graveman is trying to forget nearly everything he's done on the mound over the last two-plus weeks and move on to better days. He'll have another chance to get back on track Saturday night in Tampa as the Oakland Athletics look to hand the Rays a fifth straight defeat.

Andriese was impressive in his season debut Sunday, giving up one run and four hits in a career-high seven innings of a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels. He was recalled from Triple-A Durham on Friday and made the cross-country flight.

Manager Kevin Cash decided to give the right-hander another opportunity, meaning Erasmo Ramirez is likely to remain in the bullpen for the time being. Cash said there's no specific plan moving forward for Andriese.

"They just said they were going to keep me in the rotation," Andriese told MLB's official website. "I'm pretty happy about it. I can get in a good routine and go from there. ... They told me I've got another start. That's all I can really worry about."

Andriese faced Oakland out of the bullpen Aug. 23, giving up two runs and four hits in just two-thirds of an inning. Graveman started that contest for the A's, one of two times he pitched six scoreless innings against the Rays last season.

Graveman (1-4, 5.74 ERA) is hoping another matchup with Tampa Bay will him get over his recent problems. He posted a 2.04 ERA over his three starts but has fallen off dramatically, losing each of his last three with a 10.54 ERA.

He's given up six runs twice in that stretch, including Sunday when Baltimore hit four homers off him in 2 2/3 innings of an 11-3 defeat. The right-hander also walked three while giving up the most homers of his career.

"For me, especially with righties, I gotta be able to sink the ball in and get the ground ball, and it just didn't, and they were able to lift some balls in the air and get it out of the park," Graveman said. "I have to continue to make pitches and change speeds and go back to work and get on top of the baseball with my sinker."

Oakland (15-21) snapped a five-game skid with Friday's 6-3 victory in the series opener. It was outscored 51-18 in the previous four, allowing at least 11 runs in four straight for the first time in franchise history.

The A's also were the first team to give up at least 13 runs in three straight since the Chicago White Sox in 1999, but Rich Hill pitched six solid innings to beat the Rays (15-18). Danny Valencia hit a pair of solo homers and Khris Davis added a three-run shot to help provide the offense.

Valencia, who sat out the previous two with a hamstring injury, also made a diving play in the ninth to rob Evan Longoria of a hit with the bases loaded.

"I've had a zero in (the home run) column and it's the middle of May so it's definitely nice to get in that column finally," Valencia said.

Tampa has allowed at least five runs each time during its four-game skid. Longoria, Steve Pearce and Steven Souza Jr. drove in runs Friday for the Rays, who finished with only five hits.

Second baseman Logan Forsythe sat out a third straight game with a shoulder injury.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Reds (14-21) at Phillies (21-15)

Game: 2
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: May 14, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

While he's been outstanding on the road, Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola has yet to solve what's been holding him back at Citizen Bank Park.

Fortunately, the Cincinnati Reds aren't hitting - or winning - on the road.

As Nola chases his first home victory, the surprising Phillies go after their sixth win in seven games Saturday night against the Reds.

Nola has pitched like the ace Philadelphia (21-15) hopes he can become when on the road. He's 2-0 with a 1.32 ERA with 34 strikeouts and five walks in five starts.

Home, however, hasn't been nearly as comforting for the 22-year-old. He's allowed a combined 11 runs and 13 hits over 12 innings while dropping both outings.

Nola will try to reverse that trend as he makes his first start at home since April 16 when he allowed a career-high seven runs over five innings in an 8-1 loss to Washington. He's 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA over his last four outings - all Phillies wins.

Nola (2-2, 3.13 ERA) was sensational in his only career meeting with Cincinnati. He allowed one run with eight strikeouts over seven innings in a 3-2 loss April 6.

Eugenio Suarez accounted for the only run off him with a first-inning homer

The Reds (14-21) are batting .228 and averaging 3 runs - well below their 4.6 mark at home - while dropping 11 of 13 on the road. Brandon Phillips (.195), Jay Bruce (.194) and Suarez (.192) are among those scuffling away from home.

Adam Duvall had two of the team's four hits in Friday's 3-2 series-opening loss that ended a seven-game winning streak over the Phillies, who are six games over .500 for the first time since finishing 2011 with a franchise-record 102 wins.

Cincinnati hopes to get something going for Tim Adleman. After allowing two runs and three hits over six innings in a 6-5, 11-inning win at Pittsburgh in his major league debut, he gave up one run and four hits over five in Friday's 5-1 home victory over Milwaukee.

"I obviously didn't do an awesome job at times of hitting my spots, but I was able to make some pitches in spots.," the rookie right-hander told the league's official website.

Adleman (1-0, 2.45) faces a Philadelphia lineup that hasn't exactly been lighting up the scoreboard with a .228 batting average and 3.3 runs per game on the season.

Tyler Goeddel, who entered the contest batting .158, had the big blow Friday with a two-run triple in a three-run fourth inning. The rookie had dropped Tucker Barnhart's fly ball down the left-field line, allowing two runs to score in the second.

Starter Jeremy Hellickson drove in the go-ahead run on a suicide squeeze. Odubel Herrera went 0 for 3 with a walk after hitting safely in 21 of his previous 22 games.

'We have to play small ball,' manager Pete Mackanin explained. 'We don't have the pop to wait for a three-run homer. We have to take what we can.'

Reds reliever Ross Ohlendorf will be available while appealing a three-game suspension for hitting Pittsburgh's David Freese this week after warnings had been issued. Manager Bryan Price is back after serving his one-game penalty.

Outfielder Billy Hamilton is out after being placed on the bereavement list.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tigers (15-20) at Orioles (22-12)

Game: 3
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: May 14, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

That the Baltimore Orioles are hitting home runs during a winning streak isn't at all surprising. Their excellent starting pitching is far more unexpected.

Baltimore tries to match its season-opening seven-game win streak Saturday night and send the Detroit Tigers to their 11th loss in 12 contests.

One look at the Orioles' lineup shows their preferred way to score is via the home run, and they've done that with regularity through the first six weeks. They lead the AL with 50 after connecting for 14 during the six-game streak.

Adam Jones hit his 200th career homer to back a stellar performance from Chris Tillman in Friday's 1-0 victory over the Tigers.

"I think it's pretty cool," Jones said of the milestone. "Glad we got the win."

Tillman scattered five hits over seven innings and provided Baltimore (22-12) with its fifth quality start in six games. The rotation has a 3.20 ERA during the run, an impressive stretch for a group that opened with low expectations after ranking 14th in the AL last year with a 4.53 ERA.

Jones has been a key contributor during the streak, heating up after a dismal start. He's 11 for 27 with three homers and eight RBIs in those six games after hitting one home run with eight RBIs in his first 22.

He's gotten ample protection in the order from Chris Davis, who is 10 for 16 with six RBIs in four games.

A victory Saturday would give the Orioles two seven-game streaks after they failed to win seven in a row in any of the previous 10 seasons.

That win, however, will have to come with Mike Wright (1-3, 5.83 ERA) on the mound, and those have been hard to come by for the right-hander. Since going 2-0 with a 1.40 ERA in his first three major league starts, Wright is 1-8 with an 8.17 ERA in his past 11.

He was unable to record back-to-back quality starts his last time out, allowing five runs and a career-high 10 hits over five-plus innings of an 8-4 loss to Oakland last Saturday.

Wright's only appearance against the Tigers came with a scoreless inning of relief on July 31.

Detroit (15-20) continued to struggle offensively in its 10th loss in 11 games, a span during which it's averaged 2.9 runs and batted .222.

"You're going to lose games 1-0 during the course of the year," manager Brad Ausmus said, "but the timing wasn't great."

J.D. Martinez and Justin Upton have been two of the biggest culprits. Martinez is 5 for 37 in nine games, while Upton is 2 for 29 with 16 strikeouts in eight.

Anibal Sanchez (3-3, 5.89) will try to help end the Tigers' slide and win for the second time in six starts. The right-hander is 1-3 with a 6.92 ERA in his last five outings but has pitched 13 combined innings in his last two.

He continued to struggle with his control Monday at Washington, walking three over six innings in a no-decision to bring his season total to 22 in 36 2/3 innings.

Sanchez's last start at Camden Yards on Aug. 1 was one he'd rather forget. He was tagged for six runs and nine hits - including two homers - over 6 2/3 innings of a 6-2 loss.

Pedro Alvarez is 5 for 15 with two homers and two doubles in their matchups, while Matt Wieters (4 for 9) and Manny Machado (3 for 6) also have taken Sanchez deep.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Padres (16-21) at Brewers (15-21)

Game: 3
Venue: Miller Park
Date: May 14, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

The Milwaukee Brewers have struggled to score, but they'll get a chance to piece things together against a San Diego pitching staff hoping to survive an injury scare.

While Wily Peralta looks to build off his solid start for the Brewers on Saturday night, the visiting Padres will counter with a "bullpen game" in the third contest of a four-game set at Miller Park.

After Tuesday's 10-2 win over Miami, Milwaukee (15-21) has struggled to post crooked numbers. The Brewers have totaled three runs in their last three games, and they mustered just seven hits in Friday's 1-0 win in the series opener.

Chris Carter's sacrifice fly drove in the winning run.

That first-inning run also snapped a 23-inning scoreless streak by San Diego (16-21). Padres starters hold a 2.82 ERA in 23 games dating to April 20 and have surrendered just 14 hits and one run in the last three games.

Milwaukee has scored fewer than three runs a dozen times but will try to bust out offensively against what is likely to be a number of Padres pitchers on Saturday.

With Andrew Cashner placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right hamstring, San Diego manager Andy Green said he would start Luis Perdomo (1-0, 9.88 ERA) and also lean on a number of relievers. It will be Perdomo's first big-league start.

"We have some options in the bullpen," Green told MLB's official website.

Carlos Villanueva was the only pitcher to come out of the bullpen Friday, pitching two scoreless innings in relief of Christian Friedrich, who gave up one run in six.

Cashner's trip to the DL is retroactive to May 9, meaning he'll be eligible to return May 24 against San Francisco. He was originally slated to start Saturday.

San Diego's best scoring opportunity Friday came in the fifth when Adam Rosales doubled to the left-field wall with one out before moving to third on a wild pitch. Junior Guerra then struck out Christian Friedrich and got Jon Jay to bounce out.

"If we are going to be a good offensive baseball club, we have to be in the strike zone. We have to swing at strikes," Green said. "We got outside the zone, (Guerra) preyed on that a little bit."

The Brewers will trot out Wily Peralta (2-4, 6.75), who gave up eight earned runs in 11 2/3 innings but received 19 runs of support to pick up his first two wins on April 24 and May 1 against Philadelphia and Miami. However, Milwaukee supplied him no runs when he was on the mound in Monday's 4-1 loss against the Marlins.

Still, it was a positive start as the right-hander allowed just two runs in six innings despite coughing up 10 hits. He missed his last turn while on paternity leave.

"I thought Wily really competed well (Monday night)," manager Craig Counsell told MLB's official website.

Peralta is 1-1 with a 7.45 ERA in two starts against the Padres, surrendering 14 hits and nine runs - eight earned - in 9 2/3 innings. San Diego has batted .333 against him, and Jay (10 for 30) and Matt Kemp (4 for 11) have done well in the matchup.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Braves (8-26) at Royals (17-18)

Game: 2
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: May 14, 2016 7:15 PM EDT

After missing out on the New York Mets' surprise run to the World Series last season, Dillon Gee is getting his chance to contribute with the club that beat them.

Gee, who signed a minor league deal with Kansas City in the offseason, gets the first of what could be several starts Saturday night when the struggling Royals continue their three-game series against the Atlanta Braves.

Gee has posted a 2.61 ERA in seven relief appearances for Kansas City (17-18), striking out 16 over 20 2/3 innings after spending his first six seasons primarily as a starter for the Mets.

The right-hander went 40-37 with a 4.00 ERA in 110 starts from 2010-15, but the emergence of several young arms made him obsolete in New York's plans. Gee was sent to the minors midway through last season and became a free agent over the winter.

Now with right-hander Chris Young on the disabled list with a strained forearm, the 30-year-old may get a few turns in the rotation and definitely would like to improve on his most recent numbers as a starter: 0-3 with a 5.92 ERA over seven outings in 2015.

His best effort will be needed with Kansas City struggling. The defending champions had lost 12 of 16 before beating the Braves 5-1 in Friday's series opener.

"It was good, man, especially to play at home, coming back from New York where we had lost three games over there and to win the first game at home was a great feeling for us," said Edinson Volquez, who got his first win since April 21. "It was a big win."

Gee may not be as flashy as New York's current rotation, but he was dependable for the club and early in 2015 even set a team record by pitching at least five innings in his 51st straight start - which at the time was the longest active streak in the majors.

He saw plenty of action against the Braves (8-26) during his career in the NL East, going 6-5 with a 3.68 ERA over 17 starts. Freddie Freeman has seen him the most among Atlanta batters and is 9 for 37 with two homers in the matchup, while Kelly Johnson (5 for 14) and Nick Markakis (5 for 9) have hit Gee well.

The motivation for Gee in this outing may be strong considering his previous start against Atlanta was a train wreck and also his last in the majors.

While making a spot start June 14 after being demoted to the bullpen, Gee was tagged for eight runs and 11 hits in 3 2/3 innings of New York's 10-8 comeback victory. The Mets designated him for assignment the next day.

In a rather odd coincidence, the Braves starter who opposed Gee in that rough outing will be pitching opposite him in this one.

Mike Foltynewicz (0-1, 5.06 ERA) has made two starts since being recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett and is still in search of his first win since Aug. 8.

After lasting just 3 2/3 innings and allowing four runs in his season debut, the right-hander worked seven sharp innings with two runs allowed on five hits with a career high-tying eight strikeouts in a 5-3, 11-inning loss to Arizona on Sunday.

"I came in with a different game plan today, cleaned some stuff up mechanically and everything else was flowing well and in sync," Foltynewicz told MLB's official website. "I'll just take that to my next bullpen and go into my next start with it."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jays (19-18) at Rangers (20-16)

Game: 2
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: May 14, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

Toronto's starting pitchers have been performing extremely well since the beginning of the month, something the Texas Rangers were made aware of before the Blue Jays came to Arlington for this series.

The trend continued in the opener, and Marco Estrada will try to keep it going when he faces the Rangers on Saturday night.

Blue Jays starters have a 1.59 ERA since May 1, allowing fewer than three earned runs 11 times during that 8-4 stretch. R.A. Dickey pitched eight innings in a 5-0 victory Friday to help Toronto (19-18) toss its second shutout in three games.

Edwin Encarnacion's solo homer and Troy Tulowitzki's two-run shot helped put it away in a three-run eighth.

Estrada (1-2, 2.39 ERA) had an excellent outing in that stretch against the Rangers on May 3, giving up two hits - the first a homer to Rougned Odor on the second pitch of the game - in six innings of Toronto's 3-1, 10-inning home victory.

The right-hander followed that up by allowing one run and three hits in seven innings before getting another no-decision in the Blue Jays' 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.

It marked the fourth time in six starts Estrada has allowed one or no runs, but he's been given eight runs of support in 37 2/3 innings.

'These things happen,' Estrada said. 'Hopefully it doesn't last very long with anybody."

Estrada is 2-1 with a 1.48 ERA in four career starts against Texas, including a 5-1 victory in Game 3 of last season's ALDS, in which the Blue Jays won the final three games after dropping the first two.

Including that series, Toronto has won seven of eight matchups with Texas (20-16). Colby Lewis pitched well for the Rangers on May 4, allowing three runs and striking out seven in a no-decision as the Blue Jays won 4-3.

It was the second of three straight outings in which Lewis (2-0, 3.20) has pitched seven innings. The right-hander allowed two runs and avoided the loss in Monday's 8-4 defeat to the Chicago White Sox.

"He keeps showing up and being masterful in what he does," manager Jeff Banister said of Lewis. "He pounds the strike zone, he knows where to throw his fastball."

Justin Smoak is 8 for 19 with two homers and two doubles off Lewis, and Jose Bautista also has gone deep twice while drawing 10 walks in their matchups.

Prior to Friday, the Rangers had won five of six while scoring at least four runs in each contest. Their three hits were their fewest since they beat Seattle with one on opening day.

The biggest story Friday was the major league debut of Texas reliever Matt Bush, who seven months ago was released from prison after serving 3 1/2 years for badly injuring a man in an alcohol-related car accident.

Bush, the No. 1 pick of the 2004 draft by San Diego as a shortstop, pitched a perfect ninth.

'I realized I'm not the same person when I drink. I tend to make horrible choices,' Bush said. 'I don't ever want to be that person again. I like myself today and being sober. I feel like I'm living a dream and I don't ever want this to stop.'

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mets (21-14) at Rockies (17-18)

Game: 2
Venue: Coors Field
Date: May 14, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

The New York Mets were hoping their lineup would wake up at Coors Field this weekend, but the opener against the Colorado Rockies just brought more offensive frustrations.

The Mets look to bust out at baseball's friendliest hitting ballpark Saturday night as they try to pull even on their lengthy road trip against the Rockies.

New York (21-14) is 4-5 on a season-high 11-game trip, averaging 2.78 runs on the road swing. The Mets have scored eight times while losing three of their last four games.

New York scored two runs in the second inning but did little else in suffering a 5-2 defeat in Friday's opener. The Mets finished with six hits, in failing to reach double digits in that category for the 10th time in 11 games.

The Rockies snapped their 11-game losing streak in this series.

New York's Logan Verrett (3-0, 1.27 ERA) earns a start with Steven Matz nursing a sore left elbow. Matz is only expected to miss one turn.

Verrett filled in seamlessly for a pair of starts in April, logging 12 scoreless innings against Miami and Philadelphia.

The right-hander owns a 2.36 ERA in six career starts, and he tossed eight innings of one-run ball at Coors in place of Matt Harvey in a 5-1 victory Aug. 23. He held the Rockies to four hits while walking one and striking out eight. The lone run came on a Carlos Gonzalez homer.

With the scare of Noah Syndergaard's MRI on his right elbow earlier this month - which revealed no concerns - and now Matz's sore elbow, manager Terry Collins talked about the health of his young staff this week.

"The issue is with the big picture, you've got to take care of these guys," Collins told MLB's official website. "We made a commitment that we're going to watch out for these pitchers early in the year. And we're going to. .. I (told) these guys from the first day of spring training, 'Don't be a hero here. Heroes die fast in this game.'"

Eddie Butler (1-1, 3.86) is also filling a spot in Colorado's rotation after opening the year in the bullpen. After giving up five runs in 5 2/3 innings of a 6-3 loss at San Diego on May 3, the right-hander went six in Sunday's 2-0 win over San Francisco. He struck out a career-high six during the best start of his three seasons.

"I felt a little bit out of rhythm early on, but in the fourth or fifth inning I really started to attack the zone with good pitches," Butler told MLB's official website. "It was time to hunker down and make pitches. I wasn't really doing that early on."

Butler is 2-5 with a 6.80 ERA in eight starts at Coors Field, and his lone start against the Mets was a disaster - giving up six runs in four innings of a 12-3 road loss Aug. 13.

Curtis Granderson homered off Butler in that game.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (20-18) at Diamondbacks (17-21)

Game: 3
Venue: Chase Field
Date: May 14, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

There's no sugarcoating it - Jake Peavy has been mostly bad. And even when San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy says he pitched well enough, Peavy's numbers still aren't very good.

The veteran tries to end a three-start losing streak and help the visiting Giants win a season-high fourth in a row when he faces the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday night.

Peavy (1-4, 8.47 ERA) has allowed at least four runs in five of his seven starts, including at least six three times. He's also surrendered seven homers, four of which came in a loss to Cincinnati on May 4.

The right-hander gave up three in five innings Monday, but he also walked five for the second time in three outings and lost 3-1 to Toronto. Bochy, though, was happy he stayed in long enough to throw a season-high 112 pitches.

'Step forward for Peavy,' Bochy said. 'He was determined to keep us in the game and he did a nice job of that.'

Peavy has a 7.20 ERA in his last three starts against the Diamondbacks after giving up four runs in five innings of Arizona's 9-7, 11-inning victory April 18. Another poor outing could keep the Giants (20-18) from their first four-game winning streak.

Joe Panik homered for the second straight night Friday, a three-run shot in the sixth that provided all the offense they'd need in a 3-1 victory in the series opener. San Francisco has scored 12 times during its win streak after totaling three runs while dropping its previous three.

Santiago Casilla picked up his eighth save, one night after having an outburst on the mound after being removed when he loaded the bases in the ninth. Casilla apologized to Bochy prior Friday's contest.

"Sometimes you say things without realizing it," Casilla told MLB's official website. "And then, having thought about it overnight, I realized that I have to respect my manager."

For his part, Bochy said, 'What was said is between us. It's over.'

The Diamondbacks (17-21) have dropped three straight following a five-game winning streak. They've been outscored 27-8 during a five-game home skid and are 5-14 at Chase Field.

Chris Owings had three of Arizona's eight hits and Jean Segura drove in the only run Friday.

Patrick Corbin will try to help Arizona snap its skid. Corbin (1-3, 4.12) had his best effort of the season Sunday, allowing five hits in seven scoreless innings of Arizona's 5-3, 11-inning victory over Atlanta. He had a 7.41 ERA over his previous three starts and gave up five homers in that stretch.

The left-hander won his last two starts against the Giants last season, giving up 11 hits in 13 scoreless innings. Brandon Crawford is 3 for 16 with 10 strikeouts against Corbin, but Hunter Pence is 10 for 21 with three homers and three doubles in their matchups.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (19-17) at Dodgers (19-17)

Game: 2
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: May 14, 2016 9:10 PM EDT

Carlos Martinez's eye-catching start to the season is a few weeks in the rearview mirror. With another poor start, his struggles since will have almost balanced out that four-start winning streak.

Ensuring it doesn't get to that point could come Saturday night in Los Angeles as the St. Louis Cardinals face the Dodgers, and the right-hander is hoping a disruptive illness has run its course.

Martinez (4-2, 2.61 ERA) was 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA entering May but has lost his last two starts with five runs and 10 hits allowed in 10 innings.

He gave up a run and three hits with three walks in 3 1/3 innings of a 4-2 home loss to Pittsburgh on May 6 and had this start pushed back two days as he overcame a respiratory illness that caused him to drop 15 pounds.

He threw 51 pitches before fatigue set in against the Pirates.

"It looked like he was on the mend and things were going in a good direction and he just kind of didn't have it," manager Mike Matheny told MLB's official website. "He was hydrated, and he passed everybody's test. We didn't see anything that was making us concerned that this might be the case."

The Dodgers might be the team to re-establish himself against. Martinez is 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA in five starts and a relief appearance against them, which includes a run and four hits allowed in 14 innings of two wins last season.

Adrian Gonzalez is 1 for 10 against him, but Yasiel Puig is 3 for 5.

Martinez is up against Scott Kazmir, who's surrendered nine home runs in his seven starts with the Dodgers, all of which have come in four multihomer outings.

The last two have fit that description with the latest being Monday's 4-2 home loss to the New York Mets after the left-hander gave up four runs â?? three earned â?? and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. Two left the yard.

"It's definitely not written up the way I wanted, that's for sure," Kazmir said. "I feel like I'm really close to getting where I want to be. I don't want to look too far in the past of what happened. That's in the past. I'm confident out there. I know what I'm doing. It's just a matter of executing."

Kazmir (2-3, 5.54) has been hit hard by Matt Holliday (4 for 9 with two home runs), but his recent hot streak wasn't nearly enough as Los Angeles (19-17) took the first of the three-game series with Friday's 8-4 win.

Holliday had two hits Friday and is 9 for 19 in the past four games, while Yadier Molina is 9 for 16 in the same span.

The Cardinals (19-17) saw their three-game winning streak come to an end after sweeping the Los Angeles Angels. They've given up 18 runs and 26 hits in the last two games.

The Dodgers have returned to offensive normalcy after a 1-6 span over which they averaged 1.7 runs per game and hit .167. On the 6-4 span since, they've scored 4.8.

Puig was 3 for 5 with a home run Friday after going 3 for 24 without an extra-base hit or RBI in his previous seven.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (14-21) at Mariners (21-14)

Game: 2
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: May 14, 2016 9:10 PM EDT

Jhoulys Chacin insists he's finally healthy after battling shoulder problems over the past two seasons. The Los Angeles Angels are counting on it.

Making his Angels debut, the right-hander will try to provide a spark for a struggling, injury-ravaged rotation as Los Angeles looks to put together only its second winning streak in a month Saturday night against the Seattle Mariners.

Chacin (1-2, 5.40 ERA) was one of Colorado's top pitchers in 2013 when he went 14-10 with a 3.47 ERA despite playing at Coors Field. However, he developed a sore shoulder the following season and spent 2015 trying to regain strength.

Chacin said he finally felt like his old self during winter ball in Venezuela. His effort there earned him a deal with Atlanta, where he had a 3.27 ERA in four starts before allowing eight runs over 4 2/3 innings in an 8-0 loss to the Mets on May 4.

With C.J. Wilson, Andrew Heaney and Garrett Richards all sidelined, the Angels saw enough from Chacin to acquire him for minor leaguer Adam McCreery on Wednesday. He'll look to bolster a rotation that has an 8.54 ERA over the past 12 games.

"My last two years were hard on my shoulder," the 28-year-old told the league's official website. "But last year, and all of this year, I've been fine. I had one really bad game, but besides that, I've been feeling great."

Chacin will try to help Los Angeles (14-21) claim its second winning streak since a season-high four-game run from April 10-13 after Friday's 7-6 comeback win snapped a six-game skid. AL West-leading Seattle lost for only the sixth time in its past 22.

He'll get his first look at the Mariners (21-14), who have hit .271 with 32 home runs and averaged 5.2 runs over their last 21 games. Norichika Aoki has three homers and a double in 11 at-bats off him dating to his time in the NL.

Nelson Cruz and Chris Iannetta homered Friday when the Mariners built a 6-3 lead before reliever Joel Peralta allowed two runs in the eighth inning and closer Steve Cishek gave up two in the ninth as their three-game winning streak came to an end.

Robinson Cano extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a double. The slugger is batting .426 with four home runs and nine RBIs over that stretch.

Seattle's Hisashi Iwakuma has limited opponents to three runs or less in five of his seven starts, but he's received three runs or less in six of those outings. He allowed three runs and seven hits over five innings in Sunday's 5-1 loss at Houston.

Iwakuma (1-4, 4.19) has gone 8-3 with a 2.76 ERA in 14 career starts versus Los Angeles. The right-hander was outstanding at Angel Stadium on April 22 when he surrendered two runs over eight innings in a 5-2, 10-inning victory.

Kole Calhoun and C.J. Cron homered off him in that contest. Mike Trout, though, is hitting .231 in 39 career at-bats and Albert Pujols has hit .143 in his 42 at-bats.

Cron went deep in the eighth inning Friday before adding a two-run bloop single in the ninth. He's 10 for 24 with two homers and six RBIs over his last six games.

Yunel Escobar could be held out for the second straight game after suffering a thumb injury Thursday while diving for a ball.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Saturday, May 14, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

Maybe I'll actually recommend backing the Atlanta Braves over the next 10 days because they are away from Turner Field until May 24. Why? The Braves are an absurd 2-17 at home. Their 1-16 start at home was the worst in the majors since the 1913 Yankees lost their first 17 decisions. If you are wondering, and I was, the modern record for worst home winning percentage is held by the 1939 St. Louis Browns, who went 18-59 (.234) at Sportsman's Park. The Braves' road record is a decent 6-8 entering the weekend. Their lone series win was on the road, sweeping three games in Miami from April 15-17.


Pirates at Cubs (-255, TBA)

A 2:20 p.m. start. Earlier this week, Cubs ace and reigning NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta said he's not giving the Cubs a hometown discount when he hits free agency after next season and that he expects to get more than the $175 million Stephen Strasburg just got. Arrieta might get more than Strasburg's $25 million a season, but he's not getting $175 million because Arrieta will be 32 for the start of the 2018 season, so no team in its right mind would offer more than five years. Arrieta (6-0, 1.13), who I'm sure can only afford to eat Ramen Noodles on his $10.7 million salary this season, dominated these Pirates on May 3 in Pittsburgh, shutting them out over seven innings on two hits. The Cubs have won his past 20 regular-season starts. Pittsburgh goes with lefty Jeff Locke (1-2, 4.68). He has had three straight quality starts, but the Pirates lost the past two. Locke hasn't faced Chicago this season and was 1-0 with a 9.00 ERA in four starts against the Cubs in 2015. Anthony Rizzo is 7-for-20 with three homers, two doubles and five RBIs off him.

Key trends: The Pirates are 1-6 in Locke's past seven vs. teams with a winning record. The Cubs are 6-0 in Arrieta's past six at home vs. teams with a winning record. The "over/under" is 6-1-1 in his past eight vs. Pittsburgh.

Early lean: Cubs and under if wind not blowing out (likely 7).

Mets at Rockies (+108, 11)

New York publicly is saying it's not worried about lefty Steven Matz, but his scheduled start here is being skipped due to forearm soreness. I don't need to tell you that can be a warning sign for a problem that can require Tommy John surgery. The Mets are being cautious because Matz pitched through lat discomfort last season, the injury worsened and cost him two months on the DL. There are no plans to put him there this time. So it's Logan Verrett (3-0, 1.27), who has been very valuable as a swingman this season. He made two very good starts in place of Jacob deGrom last month. Verrett's best career start was Aug. 23, 2015, at Coors Field when he allowed one run and four hits over eight innings, striking out eight. Carlos Gonzalez is 1-for-3 with a homer off him. The Rockies go with Eddie Butler, one of their top prospects. Butler (1-1, 3.86) shut out the Giants on four hits over six innings on Sunday. Only a few Mets have faced him. Curtis Granderson is 1-for-2 with a homer. Yoenis Cespedes is 1-for-3 with a double.

Key trends: The Rockies are 1-8 in Butler's past nine vs. teams with a winning record. The under is 5-2 in his past seven vs. teams with a winning record.

Early lean: Mets and over.

Giants at Diamondbacks (-130, 9)

I'm probably going to preview every Giants game when Jake Peavy starts because if you aren't betting against San Francisco when he does go, then you aren't paying attention. Peavy (1-4, 8.47) actually lowered his ERA in losing his last start to Toronto, allowing three runs over five innings. He also walked five. Peavy has one quality start all year. He took a no-decision vs. Arizona on April 18, allowing four runs over five innings. Peavy is 0-3 with a 14.25 ERA on the road this season. Paul Goldschmidt is 3-for-9 off him with a homer. Jean Segura is 4-for-13. It's lefty Patrick Corbin (1-3, 4.12) for the Snakes. He had his best start of the season Sunday, shutting out the sorry Braves on five hits over seven innings in Atlanta. He hasn't faced San Francisco this season. Angel Pagan is 9-for-28 with three doubles off him. Pagan is expected to return this weekend after not playing since May 1 with a hamstring injury.

Key trends: The Giants are 7-0 in Peavy's past seven on Saturday. The Diamondbacks are 8-2 in Corbin's past 10 on that day. The over is 6-1 in Peavy's past seven. It is 4-1 in his past five vs. Arizona.

Early lean: Diamondbacks and over.

Angels at Mariners (-165, 7.5)

How decimated is the Angels rotation? They were so desperate they traded a prospect, albeit not a good one, to Atlanta this week for a guy who was 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in the weaker National League (weaker because no DH). That was Jhoulys Chacin, and he will make his American League debut in this game. Since the Rockies designated him for assignment during 2015 spring training, this will be Chacin's fifth organization (three of them spent in the minors). Chacin gave up eight runs in 4.2 innings against the Mets in his last outing on May 4. He has never faced Seattle. The Mariners go with Hisashi Iwakuma (1-4, 4.19). He pitched well at the Angels on April 22, allowing two runs and six hits in a season-high eight innings but got a no-decision. He's 8-3 with a 2.67 ERA in 15 career games vs. the Halos. Albert Pujols hits .143 off him in 42 at-bats with nine strikeouts. Kole Calhoun is 6-for-24 with two solo homers. Mike Trout 9-for-39 with 11 strikeouts.

Key trends: The Angels are 1-4 in their past five Saturday games. Seattle is 10-2 in Iwakuma's past 12 in Game 2 of a series. The over is 4-1 in his past five on five days of rest.

Early lean: Mariners and over.

Cardinals at Dodgers (-109, 7)

Certainly the marquee series of the weekend as each franchise has won its division the past three years. St. Louis definitely isn't winning the Central in 2016, but the Dodgers could take the very mediocre NL West. The Cards' Carlos Martinez (4-2, 2.61) was to pitch Thursday but was pushed back here due to illness. He left a May 6 start vs. Pittsburgh early due to a respiratory ailment. Apparently he has lost nearly 15 pounds since then. I wonder how much stamina he would have here. Not many Dodgers have had success off him. Yasiel Puig is one, going 3-for-5. Adrian Gonzalez is 1-for-10 with two strikeouts. Carl Crawford is 2-for-3. It's lefty Scott Kazmir, a guy the Cardinals looked into this winter, for L.A. Kazmir (2-3, 5.54) has given up four runs exactly in four of his past five starts. Homers have been a big problem for him this season with nine allowed. He has allowed multiple home runs in four of his seven starts. The Cards' Matt Holliday is 4-for-9 off him with two homers.

Key trends: The Cardinals are 13-3 in Martinez's past 16 road starts. L.A. is 1-5 in Kazmir's past six starts. The under is 4-1 in Martinez's past five road starts vs. teams with a winning record.

Early lean: Cardinals and under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Over-Whelming chance this one plays 'Over'

Detroit Tigers at Baltimore Orioles May 14, 7:05 EST

The third of a four-game series is today's betting focus as the Baltimore Orioles host the Detroit Tigers at Camden Yards. According to opening odds the Orioles were -$1.25 to -$1.40 home favorites depending on locale with the total a consistent 9.5 runs across all shops.

Orioles have tasked Mike Wright with starting duties. The righthander brings a season record of 1-3 with a 5.83 ERA to the hill. Wright is also saddled with a 3-8 record in his 14 career starts as an Orioles with the club 5-9 during the span. The Tigers counter with Anibal Sanchez who is 3-3 on the campaign with a 5.89 ERA. Detroit has lost three of Sanchez's last four starts and Tigers are now ridding an 0-5 May skid with the hurler. On a possitive note, Tigers are 3-1 vs Orioles w/Sanchez.

In the last nine games between these teams at Camden Yards the 'Over' has been the correct choice six time with two 'Under' and one 'Push'. The presence of today's starters bodes well for 'Over. That's because Orioles are 4-2-1 'Over' in Wright's last seven at home, Tigers are 'Over' in six of Sanchez's seven starts. Additionally, the Tigers righthander's penchant for making 'Over' gamblers happy didn’t begin with this campaign. Tigers are 15- 2-1 'Over' in Sanchez's last eighteen starts including 7-2-1 'Over' last ten in enemy territory.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Saturday's games

National League games

Pirates @ Cubs
Locke is 1-0, 2.84 in his last three starts; four of his last five starts went over. .

Arrieta is 6-0, 1.30 this season; all seven of his starts went over. .

Pirates won seven of last ten road games; over is 13-4 n their last 17 road contests. Cubs won nine of their last 11 games; six of their last seven went over.

Marlins @ Nationals
Flores was 1-2, 4.97 in seven MLB games LY; he is 1-1, 2.59 in six AAA starts this season. Nicolino is 2-0, 3.26 in three starts this year (over 2-1).

Strasburg is 5-0, 2.76 in seven starts this year; under is 5-0-1 in his last six starts. Roark is 1-0, 1.32 in his last four starts; five of his last six starts stayed under.

Miami is 12-5 in its last 17 games; over is 8-2-1 in their last 11 road tilts. Nationals won three of last four games; six of their last seven went over.

Reds @ Phillies
Adleman is 1-0, 2.45 in his two starts (over 1-1).

Nola is 2-0, 1.33 in his last four starts (under 5-2).

Reds are 2-11 on road, 3-4 in last seven games overall; five of their last six road games stayed under. Philly won five of its last six games- their last four home games stayed under the total.

Padres @ Brewers
With Cashner on DL, this is a bullpen game for San Diego. They haven't announced who will start this game.

Peralta is 2-1, 5.16 in his last four starts; all four of his home starts went over. .

Milwaukee is 4-3 in its last seven games; three of its last four games stayed under the total. Padres are 9-6 in last 15 games; under is 10-5 in their last 15 road games.

Mets @ Rockies
Verrett is 2-0, 0.00 (12 IP) in two starts this season. .

Butler is 1-1, 3.86 in two starts this season (over 1-1). .

New York won 10 of last 16 road games; six of last eight road games went under total. Colorado lost seven of last nine home games; over is 8-4 in their last 12 games at Coors Field.

Giants @ Diamondbacks
Peavy is 0-3, 11.08 in his last three starts (over 6-1).

Corbin is 0-0, 2.19 in his last two starts; over is 4-0-1 in his last five.

Giants won five of last six road games; over is 8-4-1 in their last 13 road games. Arizona lost seven of last eight home games; its last six home games stayed under.

Cardinals @ Dodgers
Martinez is 0-2, 4.35 in his last two starts (over 4-1-1). .

Kazmir is 1-3, 5.93 in his last five starts; over is 4-1-1 in his last six starts.

St Louis is 7-4 in its last 11 games; eight of its last ten road games went over total. Dodgers lost eight of last 12 at home; under is 12-5-1 in LA home games.


American League games

White Sox @ Bronx
Quintana is 4-0, 0.64 in his last four starts; his last six starts stayed under total.

Nova allowed one run n 4.2 IP (81 PT) in his first '16 start.

New York won seven of last 11 home games; six of its last seven games went over the total. White Sox are 4-4 in last eight road games; over is 10-1 in last 11 road games.

Tigers @ Orioles
Sanchez is 1-3, 7.62 in his last five starts; over is 5-1-1 in his last seven. .

Wright is 1-3, 5-79 in his last four starts (over 3-2).

Detroit lost ten of last 11 games; five of its last seven games went over. Orioles won eight of last ten games; three of their last five games went over.

Twins @ Indians
Santana is 0-2, 5.01 in five starts this year (under 3-2).

Kluber is 2-1, 3.04 in his last four starts; under is 4-1-1 in his last six starts.

Minnesota is 2-16 on the road; they've lost eight in row overall. Over is 7-2 in their last nine games. Cleveland won six of its last seven home games; six of their last eight home games went over the total.

Astros @ Red Sox
McHugh is 3-0, 3.57 in his last three starts (over 4-2-1).

Buchholz is 2-2, 6.08 in his last four starts (over 4-3).

Astros lost nine of last 12 road games; under is 3-2-2 in their last seven games. Red Sox won 16 of its last 21 games; nine of its last 12 home games went over.

A's @ Rays
Graveman is 0-3, 10.54 in his last three starts (over 3-3).

Andariese allowed one run in seven IP (91 PT) in his first '16 start.

Oakland lost 10 of last 13 road games; over is 12-3 in their last 15 road tilts. Tampa Bay lost its last four games; under is 13-4 in their last 17 home games.

Blue Jays @ Rangers
Estrada is 0-2, 2.19 in his last four starts (under 6-0).

Lewis 1-0, 2.67 in his last four starts; three of his last four starts stayed under.

Toronto won seven of last ten games; under is 15-1 in their last 16 road games. Texas won six of last seven games; over is 12-5-1 in their last 18 home games.

Angels @ Mariners
Chacin is making Angels' debut; he was 1-2, 8.22 in his last three starts for Atlanta; three of his last four starts went over.

Iwakuma is 1-4, 4.62 in seven starts this year (over 4-3).

Angels lost 11 of last 13 games; over is 4-0-1 in their last five road games. Seattle won nine of last 11 home games; over is 7-2-1 in their last ten games overall.


Interleague

Braves @ Royals
Foltynewicz is 0-1, 5.06 in two starts this year (under 1-0-1).

Gee is making first Royals start; he is 40-37, 3.99 in 110 MLB starts, all in NL. He is 0-0, 2.61 in seven relief stints (20.2 IP) this season. .

Atlanta lost seven of its last eight games. Royals lost 12 of their last 17 games; eight of their last ten games went over the total.


Teams won-lost records when this pitcher starts:

Pitt-Chi-- Locke 1-5Arrieta 7-0
Mia-Wsh-- Flores 0-0 Nicolino 2-1; Strasburg 7-0 Roark 2-5
Cin-Phil-- Adleman 2-0; Nola 4-3
SD-Mil-- unknown x-x; Peralta
NY-Col-- Verrett 2-0; Butler 1-1
SF-Az-- Peavy 1-6; Corbin 4-3
StL-LA-- Martinez 4-2; Kazmir 2-5

Chi-NY-- Quintana 6-1; Nova 1-0
Det-Balt-- Sanchez 3-4; Wright 2-3
Minn-Clev-- Santana 0-5; Kluber 2-5
Hst-Bos-- McHugh 4-3; Buchholz 2-5
A's-TB-- Graveman 1-5; Andariese 1-0
Tor-Tex-- Estrada 2-4; Lewis 3-4
LA-Sea-- Chacin 2-3/0-0; Iwakuma 3-4

Atl-KC-- Foltynewicz 0-2; Gee 0-0


Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning:

Pitt-Chi-- Locke 1-6; Arrieta 0-7
Mia-Wsh-- Flores 0-0 Nicolino 0-3; Strasburg 2-7 Roark 1-7
Cin-Phil-- Adleman 0-2; Nola 3-7
SD-Mil-- unknown x-x; Peralta
NY-Col-- Verrett 0-2; Butler 0-2
SF-Az-- Peavy 3-7; Corbin 3-7
StL-LA-- Martinez 0-6; Kazmir 5-7

Chi-NY-- Quintana 1-7; Nova 0-1
Det-Balt-- Sanchez 2-7; Wright 1-5
Minn-Clev-- Santana 2-5; Kluber 1-7
Hst-Bos-- McHugh 4-7; Buchholz 3-7
A's-TB-- Graveman 2-6; Andariese 1-0
Tor-Tex-- Estrada 2-6; Lewis 5-7
LA-Sea-- Chacin 2-5; Iwakuma 1-7

Atl-KC-- Foltynewicz 1-2; Gee 0-0


Umpires

Pitt-Chi-- Underdogs won four of last seven Knight games.
Mia-Wsh-- Four of last five Rackley games stayed under. Under is 4-1-2 in Vanover games this season.
Cin-Phil-- Three of last four Carapazza games stayed under.
SD-Mil-- Three of last four Gonzalez games went over total.
NY-Col-- Three of last four Torres games went over the total.
SF-Az-- Underdogs won last four Layne games.
StL-LA-- Three of last four Hamari games went over the total.

Chi-NY-- Three of last four Muchlinski games stayed under.
Hst-Bos-- Three of four Basner games went over the total.
Min-Clev-- Under is 5-1-1 in Hernandez games this season.
A's-TB-- Five of seven Carlson games stayed under the total.
Det-Balt-- Underdogs won last four Tumpane games.
Tor-Tex-- Home side won four of five LBarrett games.
LA-Sea-- Home team won all three Lentz games.

Atl-KC-- Three of four Hickox games went over the total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Saturday's six-pack

Some Week 1 college football pointspreads, from the South Point casino:

-- South Carolina (-5.5) @ Vanderbilt

-- Oregon State @ Minnesota (-4)

-- Colorado State @ Colorado (-10)

-- Georgia Tech @ Boston College (-4)

-- UCLA @ Texas A&M (even)

-- USC vs Alabama (-10) (Arlington, TX)