Saturday 5/28/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Reds (15-33) at Brewers (22-26)

Game: 2
Venue: Miller Park
Date: May 28, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

Another start from the struggling Alfredo Simon might not give the Cincinnati Reds a good chance to end the majors' longest current losing streak.

As Simon looks to avoid losing his third straight outing, the visiting Reds attempt to end their 11-game skid Saturday against a Milwaukee Brewers team trying to win its fifth in a row.

After allowing 10 runs and 14 hits in 4 1/3 innings of a 13-1 loss to Cleveland on May 17, Simon (1-5, 10.16 ERA) gave up five with nine hits over five frames of Sunday's 5-4 defeat to Seattle.

'I'm not doing anything different,' Simon said. 'I have to focus and keep my head up.'

Though manager Bryan Price certainly expects more from Simon, he is still not ready to remove the right-hander from the rotation. Mostly because that rotation has been hampered by injuries and Cincinnati's bullpen owns a major league-worst 6.49 ERA.

'We need the innings out of Simon as a veteran pitcher, and that will happen when he keeps his pitches down," said Price, whose club is mired in its longest slide since dropping 13 in a row late last season.

"In the same respect at some point in time, I have to see him improve and give us those types of innings. He's going to have to get better."

Simon's longest 2016 outing came May 5 when he gave up a two-run homer to Alex Presley and one other run in 7 2/3 innings of a 9-5 victory over Milwaukee.

Five of the seven runs Chase Anderson (2-6, 5.33) yielded over five innings of that contest came off home runs by Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce. The right-hander allowed one run over 20 2/3 innings while going 2-0 in his first three starts against the Reds (15-33).

Anderson gave up his team-leading 12th homer Sunday and two other runs in five innings of a 3-1 loss to the New York Mets. It came five days after he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning, allowed two runs and came one out from a complete game against the Chicago Cubs.

'Obviously, it's not where I want to be after pitching well last time," he said. "But I feel like I'm still building to get back on track and I feel like I'm getting to where I want to go."

In the midst of their longest winning streak of 2016, the Brewers (22-26) got three hits and two RBIs each from Jonathan Villar and Aaron Hill in Friday's 9-7 victory.

Hill, who homered twice, has five hits in the last two contests and is 10 for 21 with five home runs and 10 RBIs in five games against the Reds this season. He went 2 for 3 against Simon this month.

'It's not anything about who you're playing," Hill said. "It's sticking with the process of your work ethic."

Villar is batting .377 in 17 games and has five RBIs in the last three.

With a three-run, first-inning homer Friday, three of the four hits in Adam Duvall's last 17 at-bats for Cincinnati have left the park. Three of his 10 home runs and seven RBIs have come in five games against Milwaukee this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (30-20) at Rockies (23-24)

Game: 2
Venue: Coors Field
Date: May 28, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

It's been more than a month since the San Francisco Giants lost a game started by Madison Bumgarner. He beat the Colorado Rockies for the fourth straight time during that stretch.

Looking to rebound from only their second defeat in 15 games, the Giants try for a seventh consecutive victory with the left-hander on the mound Saturday at Coors Field.

Bumgarner (6-2, 2.17 ERA) improved to 5-0 with a 1.25 ERA in his last six starts as he allowed three hits in 7 2-3 innings of a 1-0 victory over the major league-leading Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

"He competes, man, he competes," Cubs manager Joe Maddon told MLB's official website. "He's out there with one purpose. I mean, his stuff's good, don't get me wrong, but people talk about the heart. What have you got going on inside? He's got a lot."

The Giants (30-20), who had a five-game winning streak snapped with Friday's 5-2 defeat, last dropped a start by Bumgarner on April 20 against Arizona when he yielded two runs in seven innings.

"He's young and strong," manager Bruce Bochy said. "He's a great teammate. If you were selecting one player to start an organization, he's got all the attributes you'd want if you went with a pitcher."

He can also hit, as evidenced by him driving in the lone run Sunday with a fifth-inning double. He has a .353 average in his last seven starts at Coors, though he has a 5.44 ERA in that span.

Bumgarner went 0 for 3 at home against Colorado (23-24) on May 6, but he did strike out 10 while yielding two earned runs over 7 1/3 innings of the 6-4 victory. He's posted a 2.40 ERA in his last four starts against the Rockies.

Mark Reynolds recorded three hits off Bumgarner earlier this month, and he had two Friday as Colorado won its fifth straight at home. Reynolds is batting .478 with six RBIs in seven games against the Giants this season.

The best start of Eddie Butler's season came May 8 when he allowed four hits and struck out six in six innings of a 2-0 victory at San Francisco. With that performance, the right-hander improved to 3-0 with a 2.08 ERA against the Giants.

Butler (2-2, 3.58) pitched a scoreless 2 2/3 innings of relief Tuesday at Boston, but he's going back in the rotation after Jorge De La Rosa was sent to the bullpen and the Rockies opted to push back Chris Rusin to Sunday. Butler, who has a 3.97 ERA in four starts, gave up an earned run in six innings of a 2-1 loss at Pittsburgh in his most recent start last Friday.

"He's gotten back to being a strike-thrower," manager Walt Weiss said. "Getting in good counts makes a world of difference."

Buster Posey is 0 for 9 against Butler and 2 for 13 in his last four games.

Brandon Belt, 3 for 5 against Butler, could be available after sitting Friday with a sprained ankle. Hunter Pence (hamstring) also could return to the lineup for the first time since last Friday.

Nolan Arenado and DJ LeMahieu are a combined 9 for 54 against Bumgarner.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Orioles (27-19) at Indians (25-21)

Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: May 28, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

If a team's momentum is measured by the next day's starting pitcher, the Baltimore Orioles enter Saturday with very little.

Struggling Ubaldo Jimenez faces his former team seeking his first road win of the season as the Orioles and Cleveland Indians continue this three-game series.

A terrific season debut gave the Orioles hope that Jimenez could carry last season's late success into 2016, but he hasn't been able to duplicate that performance.

He's 1-5 with a 6.80 ERA in eight starts since beating Minnesota on April 7, with poor control his biggest issue. Jimenez (2-5, 6.04 ERA) has walked 27 over 43 2/3 innings during that span, including 11 in his last three starts spanning 15 innings.

The right-hander struggled again in Sunday's 10-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, yielding six runs - five in the third - and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings to drop to 0-3 with a 7.02 ERA in three road starts.

"It's always a test every time you aren't there for the team," Jimenez told the team's official website. "I'm the type of guy who will never lose my confidence. I always have it in my mind that things are going to change."

This will be Jimenez's fifth start against his former team since leaving the Indians following the 2013 season. He's gone 1-2 with a 5.06 ERA, though he tossed four-hit ball over eight innings in a 4-0 victory June 28 in the most recent matchup.

Mike Napoli (4 for 13 with two homers) and Juan Uribe (5 for 15) have fared well against Jimenez.

Baltimore's slumbering offense came to life for a 6-4 victory in Friday's series opener to snap a season-high four-game skid. Manny Machado collected four of his team's 13 hits, and Mark Trumbo moved into a tie for the major league lead with his 15th homer after the Orioles (27-19) were held to three runs or fewer in five straight.

Manager Buck Showalter tweaked his lineup after his team struck out 52 times in three consecutive losses in Houston.

'The thing we've been focused on the last four games is Ws and Ls,' he said. 'We're trying to get to the end of the game having more runs than they got after nine innings.'

Adam Jones, who usually bats third, was moved into the leadoff spot for the first time since 2010, and Machado was dropped from second to third. Jones responded with three hits following a 3-for-37 slump.

'We had four options and this one worked the best,' Showalter said. 'Things like that you can only do if you trust good players.'

Jose Ramirez had a career-high four hits for Cleveland (25-21), which had a three-game win streak stopped despite home runs from Francisco Lindor and Napoli.

Danny Salazar (4-3, 2.32) would appear to be in good position to rebound from his shortest start of the season given his past success against the Orioles. In two career meetings, the right-hander is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA while walking two and striking out 14 in 12 innings.

After posting a 1.80 ERA in his first eight starts, Salazar wasn't sharp Sunday at Boston. He threw 40 pitches in the first inning alone, and eventually allowed four runs and a season-high eight hits over 4 1/3.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (23-24) at Rays (21-25)

Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: May 28, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

Alex Rodriguez was just starting to find his groove when he went on the disabled list three weeks ago. It didn't take him long to shake off the rust.

After getting closer to his 700th career home run, Rodriguez looks to help the New York Yankees win a seventh straight road game when they face the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.

Rodriguez went hitless in his return Thursday from a strained right hamstring, then hit his sixth homer of the season and 693rd of his career in the sixth inning of Friday's 4-1 victory. He's batting just .188 on the season, but he hit .368 over the final six games before going on the DL.

'It's always good to produce and drive the ball like that,' Rodriguez said.

Manager Joe Girardi put Rodriguez back in the DH spot despite Carlos Beltran hitting well in his place.

'This team was built, when we started the year, for Alex to DH and Carlos to play right field,' Girardi said. 'Alex was swinging the bat really well before he got hurt and I think it's way too early to abandon what we were seeing.'

Beltran homered in the eighth Friday to account for the final margin after Rodriguez's two-run shot during a three-run sixth.

The Yankees (23-24) have won seven of nine with six of those coming on the road. They had previously been 4-12 away from home. New York hasn't won seven straight road games since June 2012.

Michael Pineda takes the mound looking to help deal the Rays (21-25) a seventh loss in their last eight. Pineda (2-5, 6.34 ERA) had gone winless since his season debut, including 0-4 with a 7.43 ERA in his previous five starts, before allowing three runs and six hits in six innings of Sunday's 5-4 win over Oakland.

'I threw the ball better,' Pineda said. 'All my pitches were down. The last couple of starts, I was looking to make adjustments to be better in the game. That's what I'm looking for, to be better all the time.'

It's not difficult to be better than he was against Tampa Bay on April 24. The right-hander gave up season highs of seven runs and 10 hits over five innings of an 8-1 loss. Pineda struck out nine, but Steven Souza (twice), Steve Pearce and Corey Dickerson all went deep off him.

Pineda had a 2.70 ERA in his first seven starts against the Rays, who have scored five runs during a three-game skid. Evan Longoria went hitless Friday and is 2 for 19 over his last five.

Tampa sends Matt Moore to the hill looking to break out of its slump. Moore (1-3, 5.47), though, allowed 10 hits and five runs - including three in the first - of Monday's 7-6 loss to Miami and is winless over his past six starts with a 6.89 ERA.

However, he was encouraged by his outing.

'I felt great,' Moore said. 'I felt I got better as the game went on. I made some good pitches when I needed to.'

Moore has made a lot of pitches in a short amount of time lately, though. He hasn't recorded an out in the sixth inning in any of his last four starts after going at least into the seventh in each of his previous four.

The left-hander went 6 2/3 innings against the Yankees on April 22 but gave up four runs in a 6-3 loss.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Dodgers (25-24) at Mets (28-19)

Game: 2
Venue: Citi Field
Date: May 28, 2016 7:15 PM EDT

The last time Noah Syndergaard gave up an earned run, the Los Angeles Dodgers took a brief 2-1 lead in the fourth inning over the New York Mets before his offense tacked three on in the fifth and went on to win.

The right-hander has strung together 18 innings without allowing an earned run since, and he gets another shot at the Dodgers Saturday night in New York.

Syndergaard (5-2, 1.94 ERA) logged eight innings and gave up two solo home runs in that 4-3 win on May 11 in Los Angeles for his first of a three-start winning streak. More recently, he gave up an unearned run and six hits in seven innings of Sunday's 3-1 home win over Milwaukee.

The 3-0 span comes with a 0.82 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 22 innings. Teammate David Wright thinks Syndergaard might soon be right up there with the top names in the game.

"When I think of the elite, elite in the game," Wright said, "not just are they dominant, but they've done it consistently for a little while now. And I think we've got guys that can be those types of pitchers. But I think what makes those guys special is they've got a track record also.

"We've got some guys who are starting to form a pretty good track record also. They're certainly working their way there. Pure stuff-wise, I'd put Noah up there against anybody. Now he just needs to pitch games, and show just how dominant he is."

Syndergaard is 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA in two starts against the Dodgers while holding Howie Kendrick and Chase Utley to 0 for 7 each. Corey Seager (2 for 4), Adrian Gonzalez (2 for 6) and Yasmani Grandal (1 for 4) have all homered off him.

He's up against Kenta Maeda, who hasn't won since April 23. Maeda (3-3, 3.29) was 3-0 with a 0.36 ERA through four starts but is 0-3 with a 6.08 mark in five since. He's given up four runs in four of those outings, including Sunday's 17-inning 9-5 win in San Diego.

The right-hander allowed four runs and four hits in five innings, which came two starts after a similar line against the Mets. Maeda gave up four runs and six hits in five-plus innings of that loss to Syndergaard, and it was the opposing pitcher who tagged Maeda with a pair of home runs.

"They were definitely not good pitches, the ones that he hit for home runs," said Maeda. "It ended up being a regrettable result contributing to a total of four runs."

The Mets (28-19) started the series with Friday's 6-5 win on Curtis Granderson's walk-off home run for their sixth win in seven games. Juan Lagares also homered on a 3-for-4 night and is batting .385 in his last 14 games. Wright homered for a third straight game after hitting four in his first 34 contests.

The heroics came after the Dodgers (25-24) tied the game at 5-all with four runs in the top of the ninth, but Los Angeles' four-game winning streak came to an end.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (25-24) at Nationals (29-20)

Game: 3
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: May 28, 2016 7:15 PM EDT

Both the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals might choose to keep a top hitter out of the lineup Saturday night even if healthy.

That's because Gio Gonzalez is pitching.

The Nationals left-hander is coming off his worst outing of the season and the first with Wilson Ramos calling the signals, but Gonzalez remains very tough on lefty hitters and that could lead to the red-hot Matt Adams remaining on the bench.

Gonzalez (3-2, 2.87 ERA) has been backstopped in every game by Jose Lobaton, including 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball against the New York Mets on May 18. Five days later against the same team but with Ramos catching, Gonzalez allowed season highs of seven runs and 10 hits in five innings.

"I take this one on me. He did everything right as part of calling the game," said Gonzalez, who served up three homers after allowing only three in eight previous starts. "If I execute the pitches that I wanted, and I bring it down with more movement, different game.'

With this night game preceding a day game Sunday, manager Dusty Baker could sit Ramos, who is batting .324 to rank second on the Nationals behind major league batting leader Daniel Murphy (.393).

Adams is batting .320, including .522 with three homers and nine RBIs in his last eight games. However, he has only 18 plate appearances against lefties all season with a career .234 average, compared to .342 versus righties.

With left-handed hitters batting .194 against Gonzalez and all seven hits being singles, Adams might get an extra day off despite sounding ready to play. Adams sat out Friday's 6-2 win due to a stiff back which forced him out of Thursday's 2-1 loss in the series opener.

"I woke up and the stiffness felt a lot better," he said before Friday's game.

Matt Carpenter is eligible to return from the paternity list, but Greg Garcia has reached base in five of six plate appearances after being called up to replace him at third base. Garcia homered Friday after Stephen Piscotty delivered his first career grand slam off Max Scherzer as St. Louis (25-24) snapped a three-game skid.

"He's a special player," Piscotty said of Garcia. "Hopefully he's around here a long time."

The Nationals (29-20) were held under three runs for a third consecutive game despite Danny Espinosa homering for a second straight day.

Adam Wainwright (4-3, 5.77) has won his last four regular-season starts against Washington, posting a 1.19 ERA, and the Cardinals have won his last six even though he hasn't exactly dominated. His ERA ranks among the NL's worst, his 5.46 strikeouts per nine innings is the worst and he's yet to complete seven innings.

However, Wainwright has been pleased with his progress after missing most of last season with a torn Achilles. After throwing six scoreless innings against Colorado, Wainwright allowed seven hits and three walks in six innings against the Chicago Cubs on Monday but only allowed three runs.

'I loved my stuff," he said. "I just have to attack a little better than I did in a couple of those innings. But that stuff translates. That's going to play well the rest of the season.'

Wainwright has had trouble with Murphy, who is 7 for 14 against him. Murphy has reached base at least twice in six consecutive games.

Washington is 6-9 at home after starting the season 8-1.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pirates (28-19) at Rangers (27-21)

Game: 2
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: May 28, 2016 7:15 PM EDT

When Yu Darvish last pitched in a major league game, the Texas Rangers were already in the dregs of a lost season that would see them finish with the AL's worst record.

The club's in considerably better shape upon his much-anticipated return.

Nearly 22 months after last stepping on the mound, Darvish gets back to business after recovering from Tommy John surgery Saturday night against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates.

Darvish last pitched in the majors on Aug. 9, 2014, with the Rangers sitting at 45-70, landing on the 60-day disabled list four days later with right elbow inflammation that would require elbow surgery the following spring after more issues arose.

That wiped out 2015 and nearly the first eight weeks of this season, but the right-hander is ready to go after five stellar rehab starts. In those outings, split between Triple-A Round Rock and Double-A Frisco, Darvish had a 0.90 ERA with 21 strikeouts and six walks in 20 innings.

'All the reports we got were glowing. The fastball, how he used the fastball, secondary stuff was sharp,' manager Jeff Banister said Monday.

Darvish threw 87 pitches in his final outing and that's about what they'll limit him to Saturday.

"That would be a good pitch count," pitching coach Doug Brocail told MLB's official website. "It all depends on how he looks during the game and how many pitches he has. We're not going to have him go out there and throw 150 pitches. Hopefully he gets out there and uses his fastball to get early outs and uses his pitches wisely and keeps us in the game."

Darvish has faced the Pirates (28-19) once, holding them to a run over seven innings in a 1-0 loss Sept. 9, 2013.

When Darvish last pitched in a Rangers uniform, Texas (27-21) had the AL's worst rotation ERA (5.02). Heading into Friday night's opener with the Pirates, it was the best (3.43), something not lost on starter Derek Holland.

"We're going to be really good," Holland said. "There is no doubt we have the confidence. We believe it. He adds one more power arm to the rotation."

Their best arm had a rare rough night in the opener. Pittsburgh hit Cole Hamels hard and knocked him out in the fifth, putting up six runs as Starling Marte and Jung Ho Kang took the left-hander deep en route to a 9-1 win.

Andrew McCutchen and Gregory Polanco also homered in the Pirates' fifth straight victory while Texas lost for just the second time in seven games.

'If you pitch long enough, you're going to have games like this,' Hamels said. 'You're going to have good games, bad games, a ton of games in between."

Juan Nicasio gets the ball for the Pirates hoping his final start in May is a lot better than his first three. The right-hander had a 3.33 ERA and .198 opponents' batting average in his five April outings but has seen that nearly double to 6.46 while teams have hit .333 off him this month.

Pittsburgh gave Nicasio seven first-inning runs May 17 in a 12-9 win, though Nicasio struggled by allowing five through five. His Sunday start against Colorado was postponed after one inning, and his rotation turn was skipped as the organization tries to limit the work of a pitcher who tossed only 58 1/3 innings last season, almost exclusively in relief.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Astros (20-29) at Angels (22-26)

Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: May 28, 2016 10:05 PM EDT

While the Houston Astros' struggling ace looks to ease his frustration, the Los Angeles Angels' former ace hopes to build on his recent success.

Dallas Keuchel will try to avoid his longest losing streak in four years while helping the visiting Astros even this three-game series Saturday night against Jered Weaver and the Angels.

Houston (20-29) had a 2.03 ERA during a season-high three-game winning streak before Mike Fiers allowed seven runs over just 3 2/3 innings in Friday's 7-2 defeat.

Now the Astros, tied with Oakland for last in the AL West, are turning to Keuchel (2-6, 5.92 ERA) as they look to avoid a 17th loss in 24 road games. The 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner, however, hasn't been anywhere near the same pitcher he was last season.

The left-hander allowed at least five runs for the fifth time in 10 starts Sunday after giving up that many three times in 33 outings during his 20-win season a year ago. Keuchel surrendered seven runs over six innings in that contest, a 9-2 loss to Texas.

The 28-year-old has gone 0-5 with a 7.78 ERA over his last seven starts. It's his longest losing streak since a seven-game slide during his 2012 rookie season.

"Dallas is searching for answers," manager A.J. Hinch told MLB's official website. "It's a bad stretch of starts, but he's going to figure it out and it's going to start with his mechanics and body positioning and how consistently he can get back to getting down the hill. His pitches are really good."

Keuchel has gone 5-1 with a 2.49 ERA in his last seven meetings with Los Angeles (22-26).

Mike Trout went 5 for 12 with a home run when facing him last season, though Albert Pujols was 0 for 12. Trout doubled and drove in three runs Friday while Pujols hit his 570th career home run to move within three of Harmon Killebrew for 11th all-time.

The Angels have won four of six at home and totaled 16 runs in their last two overall.

The soft-tossing Weaver (4-3, 5.33) hopes that offensive surge continues as he looks to build on his last two performances. Since posting a 6.96 ERA over a six-start stretch, he's given up five earned runs over 14 innings in those outings.

Weaver won for the first time in almost a month Sunday when he allowed two runs and struck out a season-high six over seven innings in a 10-2 home win over Baltimore.

"There's some good days and bad days," the right-hander said. "If I get hit around, I'm going to take my beating like a man. If I go out there and keep the team in the game and we're able to win, that's a plus overall."

Weaver had been 4-1 with a 1.67 ERA over his previous six starts versus Houston before giving up five runs over 5 2/3 innings in a 6-3 road loss in September. Carlos Correa went 3 for 5 with a homer and Jose Altuve was 7 for 13 off him last season.

Colby Rasmus is 1 for 17 lifetime in the matchup, but he went 2 for 4 Friday after going hitless in 11 at-bats over his previous three games. Colin Moran had two hits and two RBIs after going 0 for 13 to begin his big-league career.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Padres (20-29) at Diamondbacks (21-29)

Game: 2
Venue: Chase Field
Date: May 28, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

Zack Greinke won't dig too deep to figure out exactly why he's throwing the ball better for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Looking to win a third straight start, Greinke tries to help the Diamondbacks avoid a fifth consecutive defeat Saturday night against the visiting San Diego Padres.

Since giving up 11 runs in 10 innings of his first two starts, Greinke (5-3, 4.59 ERA) has yielded two or fewer in five of eight outings.

"Maybe little adjustments, but probably just pitching better in general," Greinke told MLB's official website about his improvement. "Hopefully not being as predictable. Just mixing it up good and making better pitches."

The right-hander was hardly predictable Sunday while giving up a solo homer in eight innings of a 7-2 win at St. Louis.

"He was moving the ball around," manager Chip Hale said. "I know he had good sink on his ball."

Another of Greinke's better efforts came at San Diego (20-29) on April 15 when he allowed two runs in 7 1/3 innings but received a no-decision in the 3-2 victory.

In 13 career starts against the Padres, Greinke is 6-1 with a 1.64 ERA.

The Diamondbacks (21-29) totaled 12 runs in Greinke's last two starts, but have managed 11 while losing four in a row since his most recent.

This outing comes a day after Arizona placed starters Shelby Miller (finger) and Rubby De La Rosa (elbow) on the disabled list. It also optioned relievers Evan Marshall and Andrew Chafin to Triple-A Reno and recalled right-handers Silvino Bracho, Dominic Leone and activated Josh Collmenter from the DL.

"No one likes a lot of change, but that's what happens in professional sports when you're not performing to where we're supposed to be," Hale said.

Leone, Collmenter and Bracho each saw action Friday, but couldn't help the Diamondbacks from falling 10-3 in this series opener. Since Greinke's gem against the Cardinals, Arizona starters have a 9.15 ERA in four games.

Robbie Ray was tagged for five runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings Friday, as San Diego snapped a four-game slide during which it totaled 10 runs.

Matt Kemp, who went 0 for 3 against ex-Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Greinke last month, homered for one of his three hits in the series opener. The home run was Kemp's 32nd against Arizona, the second-most among active players behind Adrian Gonzalez.

Teammate Yangervis Solarte hit a three-run homer and a solo shot. Three of Solarte's five hits in 13 at-bats over his last three games left the park. However, he is 2 for 13 against Greinke.

Cesar Vargas (0-2, 3.34) tries a seventh time for that elusive first career victory, but is coming off his longest outing last Saturday against the Dodgers. The right-hander allowed a two-run homer in his seventh and final inning and struck out seven in the 3-2, 11-inning win.

This will be Vargas' first appearance against the Diamondbacks.

This series marks the return to Arizona for Padres manager Andy Green, who spent seven seasons in the Diamondbacks organization as a player and four as a coach and manager in its system.

"It's always got a special place in my heart and always will," he said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Twins (13-34) at Mariners (28-19)

Game: 2
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: May 28, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

Wade Miley's time with the Seattle Mariners got off to a terrible start in his first three outings, and while his latest start wasn't ideal, it was another win as his season continues to trend in the right direction.

The left-hander catches another assignment that could have some wiggle room Saturday night against the visiting Minnesota Twins, whose win in the series opener has them in position for just their second series win of the month.

Miley (5-2, 4.50 ERA) went 0-2 with an 8.04 ERA in his first three starts with the Mariners. Since, he's 5-0 with a 3.12 mark, and the latest decision came in a 5-4 win in Cincinnati on Sunday. He gave up four runs and eight hits in six innings but again got some strong run support. His 8.26 RSA would rank third behind Jake Arrieta and David Price if Miley had completed enough innings to qualify.

Three of the runs he allowed against the Reds came in the first inning before he settled in.

"Wade Miley hung in there," manager Scott Servais told MLB's official website. "It was kind of rough in the first inning. He kind of forgets who exactly he is. He's got to pitch. He's got to go back and forth. He got a lot of fastballs in the first inning, but he made adjustments. He got us through six, and our bullpen was outstanding."

He's up against Phil Hughes, whose season is already two losses shy of matching his 2015 total. Hughes (1-7, 5.55) gave up three runs and eight hits in six innings of Sunday's 3-1 home loss to Toronto to fall to 0-5 with a 6.23 ERA since his only win of the year on April 18.

The right-hander has given up five home runs in his last three games, and both he served up to the Blue Jays came in a three-run first inning.

"The first inning was rough, but I felt like I settled in OK," Hughes said. "But when you give up three runs, it's a tall task for our guys to dig out of the hole. (Marcus) Stroman was on his game today, and we couldn't come back from that."

Hughes has plenty of success in Seattle to fall back on, going 5-1 with a 0.96 ERA in five starts and two relief appearances. Franklin Gutierrez (4 for 11) and Seth Smith (6 for 17) have homered against him.

The Twins (13-34) opened the series with Friday's 7-2 win. Joe Mauer went 2 for 4 with a home run and is 8 for 17 with two homers in his last four games. Miguel Sano was also 2 for 4 with a home run and has gone deep in consecutive games.

The Twins haven't lost a series in Seattle since 2012, going 8-4 since.

The Mariners (28-19) have still won seven of their last 10 while averaging 5.7 runs per game. Robinson Cano tripled Friday and is 5 for 13 in the last three games with four of those hits going for extra bases â?? two homers, a triple and a double.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Saturday, May 28, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

Whether the Texas Rangers repeat as AL West champions or make the playoffs at all could somewhat depend on what happens Saturday against visiting Pittsburgh in interleague play. Not whether they win or lose but because it's the first MLB start in more than 18 months of ace right-hander Yu Darvish. He had Tommy John surgery on March 17, 2015. Darvish made five starts on rehab assignment over the past month or so and built up to 87 pitches in his final outing. He won't go past 90 pitches here and certainly will be on an innings/pitches limit this season, probably around 140ish innings. But that would leave him the opportunity to still pitch in the postseason should Texas get there. The Rangers don't want to approach the 216 innings (including playoffs) that the Mets gave Matt Harvey off his Tommy John surgery last year. If Darvish is as good as he was pre-surgery, the Rangers have a stellar 1-2 punch along with Cole Hamels. Some guys take a good year, however, to return to form following TJS.


Pirates at Rangers (-150, 9)

Darvish was 13-9 with a 2.83 ERA and 277 strikeouts in 2013, his last full season. He was an equally good 10-7 with a 3.06 ERA and 182 strikeouts in 144.1 innings in 2014 before being shut down in mid-August. He was knocked around in Houston in his final start on Aug. 9, 2014. For his career, Darvish averages 16.4 pitches per inning. At that rate, he would make it through about 5.1 or 5.2 innings per game on a 90-95 pitch count limit. A few Pirates have faced him. John Jaso is 9-for-22 with two doubles, two homers and three RBIs but also eight strikeouts. Francisco Cervelli is 3-for-5 with two doubles. Matt Joyce is 1-for-9 with four strikeouts. Keep in mind that Bucs add the DH. The Pirates go with Juan Nicasio (4-3, 4.46). He has allowed at least four runs in three straight starts. Nicasio hasn't faced many Rangers. Prince Fielder is 2-for-4 with a double and walk against him. Adrian Beltre is 1-for-3 with a homer.

Key trends: The Pirates are 1-4 in their past five Saturday games. The Rangers are 4-1 in Darvish's past five at home. The "over/under" has gone under in 13 of his past 16 at home vs. teams with a winning record.

Early lean: Rangers and under.

Orioles at Indians (-155, 8)

Baltimore's Ubaldo Jimenez starts against one of his former teams here. The Rockies sent him to Cleveland at the trade deadline in 2011 and Jimenez stayed there through 2013. And that '13 season was the last year he was any good. Jimenez (2-5, 6.04) has been hit hard three straight starts and allowed six runs and eight hits over 5.2 innings Sunday at the Angels. His rotation spot might be in some jeopardy with another stinker. Cleveland's Danny Salazar (4-3, 2.32) might be the most underappreciated starter in the American League. He hadn't allowed more than five hits in his first eight starts, so maybe he was due a bad one. Salazar gave up four runs on eight hits over 4.1 innings in a loss in Boston last time out. Opposing teams are still just hitting .181 against him this season. The Orioles' Manny Machado is 2-for-3 with a homer off him. Chris Davis is 1-for-5 with three strikeouts.

Key trends: The Orioles are 0-4 in Jimenez's past four road starts. The Indians are 6-1 in Salazar's past seven at home. The over is 4-1 in Jimenez's past five. The under is 9-4 in Salazar's past 13 at home.

Early lean: Indians and over.

Cardinals at Nationals (-135, 7.5)

This game will be on Fox TV in some markets. The Cardinals likely will remain without leadoff hitter and third baseman Matt Carpenter as he is on the paternity list. St. Louis goes with Adam Wainwright (4-3, 5.77), and the Cardinals have won six straight of his starts -- scoring at least 10 runs in three of them. He beat the Cubs last time out, allowing three runs and seven hits over six. Wainwright didn't face Washington earlier this season. Bryce Harper is 6-for-15 off him with two doubles. Jayson Werth is 5-for-27 but with two homers and seven RBIs. It's lefty Gio Gonzalez (3-2, 2.87) for the Nationals. His ERA rose a run in his last start thanks to allowing seven runs and 10 hits over five innings against the Mets. Gonzalez has a 1.54 ERA in five career starts against the Cards. Yadier Molina is 6-for-15 with three doubles against Gonzalez.

Key trends: The Cardinals are 4-0 in Wainwright's past four vs. Washington. The Nats are 2-5 in Gonzalez's past seven Game 3 starts of a series. The over is 8-3 in Wainwright's past 11 road starts. The over is 5-1 in Gonzalez's past six on Saturday.

Early lean: Nationals and over.

Dodgers at Mets (-142, 7)

Also on Fox in some markets. So how good is Dodgers rookie Kenta Maeda (3-3, 3.29) really? He has come way back to earth after a record-setting start. Maeda has allowed four earned runs in three straight starts and four of five -- he allowed one earned in his first four MLB starts. Maeda lost to the Mets on May 11, allowing four runs and six hits in five innings. He gave up two dingers, his only game thus far giving up multiple homers. The guy who hit both? Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard (only the second Mets pitcher ever with two dingers in a game), and he goes here. Syndergaard (5-2, 1.94) hasn't allowed a run in his past two starts, spanning 14 innings against Milwaukee and Washington. He also has 21 strikeouts in that span. He allowed two runs in eight innings in beating Maeda and the Dodgers on May 11. Corey Seager is 2-for-4 with a homer against him. Adrian Gonzalez is 2-for-6 with a home run.

Key trends: The Mets are 12-4 in Syndergaard's past 16 at home. The under is 13-6 in his past 19 there.

Early lean: Mets and under.

Astros at Angels (+110, 7.5)

You know those issues that Mets are having with Matt Harvey? Houston is in the same boat right now with reigning AL Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel. The lefty fell to 2-6 with a 5.92 ERA in allowing a season-high seven runs and nine hits over six innings in a loss to Texas on Sunday. That's the fifth time this year Keuchel has allowed at least five runs. He hasn't faced the Angels in 2016 but was 3-1 with a 1.71 ERA in four starts against them last year. Mike Trout is 10-for-31 with 11 strikeouts against him. Albert Pujols is 5-for-25 with a homer. The Halos go with Jered Weaver (4-3, 5.33). He won for the first time since April 26 on Sunday, allowing two runs and five hits against Baltimore. Weaver owns a 2.98 career ERA in nine starts vs. Houston. Jose Altuve hits .345 off him in 29 at-bats. George Springer is 4-for-12 with a homer. Colby Rasmus is just 1-for-17 with six strikeouts.

Key trends: The Astros are 1-4 in Keuchel's past five on the road. The Angels are 1-5 in Weaver's past six vs. teams with a losing record. Houston is 4-1 in Keuchel's past five vs. L.A. The over is 12-3-1 in his past 16 on five days of rest.

Early lean: Angels (why is Houston favored?) and over.

 

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'Indians host Orioles'

Baltimore Orioles at Cleveland Indians May 28, 4:10 EST

Cleveland and Baltimore get ready to duel again after the Orioles held on for a 6-4 victory last night in the opener of this three-game-set at the Jake. Cleveland which has won eight of their last twelve moving into second place in the AL Central at 25-21 (+$33) hand the ball to Danny Salazar. The righhaner coming off his shortest outing of the season tossing just 4 1/3 innings against Boston allowing 4 runs in a loss carries a 4-3 record, 2.32 ERA to the hill along with a 4-5 team start record. Tribe are 1-1 vs Orioles handing the ball to their righthander.

Orioles (27-19, +$750) who have fallen from first to second in the AL East after losing seven of their last eleven counter with struggling Ubaldo Jimenez.. The Oriole righty off back-2-back defeats surrendering 12 runs over 10 innings of work heads to the mound 2-5 on the campaign with a 6.04 ERA. Jimenez, winless on the road this season has a career 1-3 team start record vs Tribe.

Orioles has been the right choice of late in this series as Birds have won 7 of the last 8 meetings. 'Under' gamblers enjoying success in this series have seen the 'Under' pay dividends in 9 of 11 encounters including 5 'Under', 2 'Over' at this venue. Well note, 'Under' is 9-4 in Salazar's last 13 home starts, 'Under' is 5-1 in Jimenez's last 6 road starts.

 

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MLB

Saturday's games

National League games

Phillies @ Cubs
Eickhoff is 1-5, 4.75 in his last seven starts; four of his last five starts stayed under. .

Hendricks is 0-2, 4.15 in his last three starts (under 6-2).

Phillies lost five of their last seven games; four of their last five road games went over. Chicago ae 10-4 in last 14 home games; over is 8-2 in their last ten Wrigley games.

Cardinals @ Nationals
Wainwright is 4-0, 5.09 in his last six starts (over 6-3 in his last nine starts).

Gonzalez is 2-1, 6.14 in his last four starts (over 3-0-1). .

Cardinals lost four of last six games; over is 6-2-1 in their last nine. Washington won six of its last nine games; over is 4-2-1 in its last seven home games.

Dodgers @ Mets
Maeda is 0-3, 6.07 in his last five starts, four of which went over.

Syndergaard is 3-0, 1.23 in his last three starts; three of his last four stayed under. .

Dodgers won four of last five games; over is 9-3 in their last 12 road games. Mets won six of last seven games; over is 6-3 in their last nine games.

Marlins @ Braves
Chen is 1-1, 5.48 in his last four starts (over 5-4).

Blair is 0-3, 8.44 in his five starts, last three of which went over.

Miami is 9-4 in its last 13 road games, last five of which stayed under. Atlanta lost 20 of 23 home games; five of their last six games stayed under total.

Reds @ Brewers
Simon is 1-5, 10.03 in his eight starts (over 5-1-2). .

Anderson is 1-6, 7.58 in his last seven starts, last three of which stayed under.

Cincinnati lost its last 11 games; over is 8-3-1 in their last 12. Milwaukee won its last four games; under is 5-2-1 in their last eight games at Miller Park.

Giants @ Rockies
Bumgarner is 5-0, 1.66 in his last six starts (over 4-2).

Butler is 2-1, 3.18 in his last three starts (under 2-0-1).

Giants won 13 of last 15 games; their last eight road games stayed under. Coloradolost six of last nine games but they've won last five at home- four of their last five games went over the total.

Padres @ Diamondbacks
Vargas is 0-3, 3.34 in his six starts; four of his last five stayed under.

Greinke is 3-1, 3.18 in his last five starts (under 5-3-1 last nine starts).

San Diego lost eight of last 11 games; under is 6-3 in their last nine road tilts. Arizona lost six of last seen games; under is 9-2-1 in their last 12 home games.


American League games

Red Sox @ Blue Jays
Porcello is 4-2, 2.87 in his last six starts; four of his last six starts stayed under.

Stroman is 1-1, 5.59 in his last three starts; under is 5-3 in his last eight starts. .

Red Sox won five of last eight games; over is 13-3-1 in their last 17 games. Toronto won six of its last eight games; five of last six Toronto home games went over.

Orioles @ Indians
Jimenez is 0-2, 10.20 in his last three starts; four of his last five starts went over.

Salazar is 2-1, 2.22 in his last four starts (under 6-2-1).

Baltimore lost four of last five games; nine of its last 13 road games stayed under the total. Indians won eight of last 12 games; over is 10-3 in their last 13 home games.

Bronx @ Rays
Pineda is 1-4, 5.51 in his last six starts (over 2-0-1 in his last three).

Moore is 0-3, 6.89 in his last six starts (over 4-1-1).

New York won seven of last nine games; under is 10-4-1 in their last 15 road games. Rays lost six of last seven games; under is 17-5 in their last 22 home games.

White Sox @ Royals
Rodon is 1-2, 5.57 in his last five starts (under 6-3). .

Ventura is 2-3, 7.01 in his last five starts; three of his last four starts went over.

Royals won five of lst seven home games; their last four games went over. White Sox lost 11 of last 15 games; six of their last nine games stayed under.

Astros @ Angels
Keuchel is 0-5, 7.78 in his last seven starts (over 5-1-1). .

Weaver is 1-3, 7.14 in his last five starts (over 3-1-1). .

Houston won three of last four games; five of its last seven games stayed under total. Angels are 4-8 in last 12 home games; six of their last seven home games went over.

Tigers @ A's
Boyd is making hsi first '16 start; he is 1-6, 6.97 in 12 career MLB starts, 1-3, 2.06 in eight AAA starts this season.

Hahn is 0-2, 6.11 in his last three starts (over 2-2).

Detroit won eight of its last 11 games; over is 8-4 in their last 12 road games. Oakland lost seven of last eight games; over is 6-4 in their last ten home games.

Twins @ Mariners
Hughes is 0-5, 6.23 in his last six starts (over 3-1-1 in his last five).

Miley is 5-0, 3.12 in his last six starts (over 3-0-1 in last four). .

Minnesota lost eight of last 11 games; over is 9-2-1 in their last 12 road games. Seattle won six of last eight games; seven of their last nine home games went over.


Interleague

Pirates @ Rangers
Nicasio is 2-2, 4.94 in his last five starts, last three of which went over. .

Darvish is making his first start since 2014; he is 39-25, 3.27 in 83 career starts.

Pirates won ten of their last 12 games; their last five games went over. Texas won 11 of last 15 home games; over is 8-3 in their last eleven home games.


Teams won-lost records when this pitcher starts:

Phil-Chi-- Eickhoff 3-6; Hendricks 3-5
StL-Wsh-- Wainwright 7-3; Gonzalez 5-4
LA-NY-- Maeda 4-5; Syndergaard 6-3
Mia-Atl-- Chen 5-4; Blair 0-5
Cin-Mil-- Simon 1-7; Anderson 3-6
SF-Col-- Bumgarner 7-3; Butler 2-2
SD-Az-- Vargas 2-4; Greinke 6-4

Bos-Tor-- Porcello 7-2; Stroman 6-4
Balt-Clev-- Jimenez 4-5; Salazar 4-5
NY-TB-- Pineda 3-6; Moore 3-6
Chi-KC-- Rodon 3-6; Ventura 6-3
Hst-LA-- Keuchel 3-7; Weaver 4-5
Det-A's-- Boyd 0-0; Hahn 2-2
Min-Sea-- Hughes 1-8; Miley 7-2

Pitt-Tex-- Nicasio 5-3; Darvish 0-0


Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning:

Phil-Chi-- Eickhoff 3-9; Hendricks 2-8
StL-Wsh-- Wainwright 3-10; Gonzalez 0-9
LA-NY-- Maeda 0-9; Syndergaard 2-9
Mia-Atl-- Chen 4-9; Blair 3-5
Cin-Mil-- Simon 3-8; Anderson 4-9
SF-Col-- Bumgarner 2-10; Butler 1-4
SD-Az-- Vargas 0-6; Greinke 1-10

Bos-Tor-- Porcello 2-9; Stroman 2-10
Balt-Clev-- Jimenez 3-9; Salazar 1-9
NY-TB-- Pineda 5-9; Moore 2-7
Chi-KC-- Rodon 3-9; Ventura 3-9
Hst-LA-- Keuchel 3-10; Weaver 2-7
Det-A's-- Boyd 0-0; Hahn 0-4
Min-Sea-- Hughes 5-9; Miley 3-9

Pitt-Tex-- Nicasio 1-8; Darvish 0-0


Umpires

Phil-Chi-- Under is 8-2-2 in last 12 LBarrett games.
Mia-Atl-- Six of last eight May games went over total.
Cin-Mil-- Four of last five Hoye games went over total.
SF-Col-- Over is 11-3-1 in last fifteen Gonzalez games.
LA-NY-- Three of last four Hamari games stayed under.
StL-Wsh-- Six of last nine Carlson games stayed under.
SD-Az-- Seven of nine Tichenor games stayed under.

Bos-Tor-- Last five Dimuro games went over the total.
Chi-KC-- Underdogs won five of last six Little games.
Det-A's-- Four of last five Fletcher games went over total.
Blt-Cle-- Over is 9-4-2 in last fifteen Wolf games.
NY-TB-- Three of last four Layne games went over total.
Hst-LA-- Five of seven Carapazza games stayed under.
Min-Sea-- Under is 5-3 in Foster games this season.

Pitt-Tex-- Four of last five Fagan games went over the total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Saturday's six-pack

-- Dr Henry Heimluch invented the Heimlich maneuver 42 years ago but had never saved anyone's life with it until Monday, when he saved a woman's life while she was choking on some hamburger. Dr Heimlich is 96 years old.

-- Cavaliers 113, Raptors 87-- Cleveland wins a dull series in six games.

-- Lebron James (and James Jones) have been in NBA Finals the last six years.

-- Average attendance at last eight Bronx @ Tampa Bay games: 12,646

-- Anthony Rizzo is hitting .149 vs lefties this year; he hit .294 against them LY.

-- Donald Trump will not debate Bernie Sanders after all, much to chagrin of TV networks who would've reaped a ratings bonanza had that debate taken place.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

#1 Sports

Saturday's Free Selection: San Diego Padres + 200

 

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Mike Wynn

Bonus Play: MLB Baltimore w/Jimenez +140 Over Cleveland

 

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Razor Sharp

FREE PICK FOR SATURDAY: Take KANSAS CITY (Ventura) -120 over Chicago White Sox

 

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Totals4U

Saturday's Free Selection: Los Angeles Dodgers/New York Mets under 7

 

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Atlantic Sports

Saturday's Free Selection from Atlantic Sports: San Francisco Giants

 

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Platinum Plays

Free Pick: Seattle Mariners w/Miley -155 over Minnesota