Saturday 7/18/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB Preview: Twins (50-40) at Athletics (41-51)

Game: 2
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: July 18, 2015 9:07 PM EDT

The Minnesota Twins appear poised to pick up where they left off prior to the All-Star break.

They can match a season high with their fifth consecutive victory Saturday night on the road against the Oakland Athletics.

Brian Dozier hit a leadoff home run and Trevor Plouffe belted a grand slam in the sixth inning off All-Star Sonny Gray during Friday's 5-0 victory. Owners of the second-best record in the AL, the Twins (50-40) have averaged 6.0 runs, batted .287 and homered 12 times while winning seven of eight.

Minnesota, which has won two straight at Oakland after losing nine in a row there, didn't record its 50th victory last season until Aug. 3.

'I don't think it's beyond our expectations," Plouffe said. "We thought this was the team we could be."

Plouffe is hitting .368 with seven extra-base hits and eight RBIs in his last 10 games. Dozier has batted .219 in his last eight contests but has four home runs and 11 RBIs during that stretch.

Minnesota has won six straight starts by Phil Hughes (8-6, 4.32 ERA), who has gone 4-0 while receiving an average 7.20 runs of support over that span. The right-hander posted a 2.05 ERA in his first three of that stretch but has a 5.00 ERA in the last three.

He gave up four runs and eight hits, including his AL-leading 22nd homer, in five innings of a 9-5 victory over Detroit last Saturday. Hughes served up a grand slam to All-Star Stephen Vogt and a solo shot to Mark Canha plus seven other hits in six innings while not factoring in the decision of an 8-7 victory over Oakland (41-51) on May 4.

He'll be opposed by Scott Kazmir (5-5, 2.49), who allowed a season-high six runs plus seven hits in six innings of a 13-0 loss at Minnesota on May 6.

However, the left-hander is 3-1 with a 1.41 ERA and has a .173 opponent batting average in his last six starts. He hasn't allowed an earned run in 11 innings of the last two.

Kazmir left his most recent outing at Yankee Stadium on July 8 after three innings because of triceps tightness, but deemed himself ready to go after throwing bullpen sessions prior to the break.

"He's felt good every day since that night," manager Bob Melvin told MLB's official website.

Dozier is 2 for 22 with a home run against Kazmir, but Plouffe is hitting .381 when facing him.

Torii Hunter, who turns 40 on Saturday, is batting .360 in his last 12 regular-season games at Oakland.

'I got drafted at 17 and I'm still playing at 40," Hunter said. "I never thought I'd be doing that. It's just a number to me right now. I keep in shape and there are guys who keep me young. Thank God for genetics.'

Vogt is 3 for 7 with that homer against Hughes. He is batting .333 (6 for 18) in his last five at home against the Twins.

Teammate Billy Butler is 4 for 32 in his last nine contests.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB Preview: Mariners (41-49) at Yankees (49-40)

Game: 2
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: July 18, 2015 1:05 PM EDT

Michael Pineda was admittedly amped up last month when he made his first start against the organization that signed him as a 16-year-old almost a decade ago.

The New York Yankees right-hander will probably have even more juice in his arm Saturday following a long layoff for the All-Star break, though that actually puts him at a disadvantage when he takes on the Seattle Mariners.

Pineda has struggled after getting extended time off, going 1-7 with a 4.23 ERA in 14 starts following six or more days of rest. He's 0-2 with a 6.06 ERA in three such outings in 2015, and this one will come eight days after his third straight quality start.

Pineda (9-5, 3.64 ERA) allowed one run over 6 2-3 innings in a 5-1 win at Boston on July 10, giving him a 1.25 ERA and 24 strikeouts to one walk over his last 21 2-3 innings.

"I'm feeling very strong ... I'm feeling great," Pineda, who tied his career high for wins set in 2011 with Seattle, told MLB's official website.

Manager Joe Girardi opted to start Masahiro Tanaka in Friday night's series opener, which the Yankees (49-40) won 4-3 to extend their run in the series to seven.

"You can match it up the first time (after the break)," Girardi said. "... You don't want to give everyone too many days off because I think they just get out of rhythm."

Pineda was in rhythm on regular rest June 1 in Seattle as he gave up two runs and struck out nine in six-plus innings to outduel Felix Hernandez in a 7-2 victory.

"He kept us off balance, was able to hit his spots and made big pitches when he needed," Mariners catcher Mike Zunino said after striking out in both at-bats against Pineda. "Obviously, you know he's got good stuff."

Hisashi Iwakuma (1-1, 5.22) was on the disabled list with a strained lat muscle when the Yankees swept that three-game series.

He was roughed up in his return July 6 before posting his best performance in five starts this season by allowing three hits in eight innings of a 5-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels last Saturday.

"That's the Iwakuma I know and love," manager Lloyd McClendon said. "It's nice to see him back."

Iwakuma was 6-1 with a 3.06 ERA in nine starts when receiving at least six days' rest in his first three seasons before going 0-1 with a 7.36 mark in two this year.

The right-hander is 1-2 with a 3.33 ERA in four starts against New York.

Alex Rodriguez broke a 3-all tie in the seventh inning Friday with his 19th home run, while Kyle Seager hit a solo homer and a two-run shot for the Mariners (41-49).

Seager went 2 for 3 last month off Pineda, part of a 14-game stretch against the Yankees in which he's batting .382, and he's 6 for 9 with three homers, two triples and a double in Seattle's last two games at Yankee Stadium.

"This ballpark obviously, the Yankees and everything, it's got a lot of history to it, so it's a cool place," Seager said. "I grew up a Yankees fan, so that's always going to be, you know, exciting for me, for sure. It's a good ballpark to hit in."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rays (46-46) at Blue Jays (46-46)

Game: 2
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: July 18, 2015 1:07 PM EDT

R.A. Dickey's four-start losing streak began when he was victimized by the Tampa Bay Rays nearly a month ago.

The Rays can extend his misery and win for the sixth straight time in a start by Erasmo Ramirez on the road Saturday.

Dickey (3-10, 4.87 ERA) is tied for the AL lead in losses thanks to an 0-4 stretch in which he has posted a 4.56 ERA. That slide began June 23 when he gave up three runs in seven innings in a 4-3 defeat to fall to 0-3 with a 6.11 ERA in three starts against Tampa Bay (46-46) this year.

It has truly been a team effort since no Rays batter has more than two hits off Dickey in 2015. Thirteen of the 20 hits he's allowed to Tampa Bay have been singles.

The knuckleballer yielded two runs over seven innings in a 2-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox in his last outing July 9.

Toronto (46-46) has totaled four runs of support in Dickey's last four outings. The right-hander went into the All-Star break with baseball's second-worst FIP (fielding-independent pitching) at 5.13.

The Blue Jays will try to end a surge by Ramirez (8-3, 3.63), who is 4-0 with a 1.71 ERA in his last five road starts. He improved to 6-1 with a 1.23 ERA in his last eight overall by allowing one run in six innings in last Friday's 3-1 victory over Houston.

The right-hander has gone eight starts in a row in which he has given up two runs or fewer and can match Drew Smyly's current run of nine straight for the second-longest in club history.

Ramirez has come a long way since he went 0-1 with an 11.05 ERA against Toronto in his only two starts in April. Josh Donaldson went 4 for 5 against him and Devon Travis was 3 for 4 with two doubles.

Ramirez will try to find a way to slow down baseball's highest-scoring offense and prevent the big inning, which has been Toronto's specialty. The Blue Jays scored five times in the fifth as Donaldson and Justin Smoak went deep in Friday's 6-2 win.

It was the 19th time Toronto scored at least five runs in an inning. No other team has done it more than 12 times.

"That's what it's about," Donaldson said. "With this offense, we feel it's just a matter of time before we start bunching some runs together."

The Rays dropped to 7-4 in the season series. Four of Tampa Bay's five hits came in the fifth and sixth, but it scored once.

"It didn't seem like we were timed up very well," manager Kevin Cash said.

Grady Sizemore homered and Evan Longoria doubled for Tampa Bay, which has dropped eight of nine on the road. Offense has been a problem all year for the Rays, whose 332 runs at the break were the fewest in franchise history since scoring 308 as an expansion club in 1998.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (53-35) at White Sox (42-46)

Game: 2
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: July 18, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

The Chicago White Sox are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their World Series title, and while their current team will have some heavy lifting just to reach playoff contention, they've been collecting wins lately like that 2005 club.

Jose Quintana will try to deliver another victory Saturday while ending a lengthy winless streak against Kansas City. Jeremy Guthrie, meanwhile, will try to keep the Royals' surge going with another strong outing versus Chicago.

The members of the White Sox's 99-win World Series team will take part in a "Parade of Champions" before Saturday's game as part of its reunion weekend. Chicago's current players will seek to follow with the team's 11th victory in 15 games and ninth in 12 home contests.

The White Sox (42-46) split a doubleheader with Kansas City on Friday, taking a 2-0 win in the finale following a 4-2 loss. John Danks limited the AL-leading Royals (53-35) to four hits in the nightcap while handing them just their third loss in 12 games and sixth in the past 22 between the teams.

"Certainly, we know the situation we're in. It's a good opportunity for us, playing one of the teams ahead of us," said Danks, whose team trails Houston by six games for the second AL wild-card spot.

Quintana (4-9, 3.69 ERA) will try to provide another respectable outing while earning his third win in 12 starts.

The left-hander has a 2.82 ERA in his last nine games but has gotten a combined 14 runs of support. He gave up three runs in 7 1-3 innings in a 3-1 defeat to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

"He always pitches good," manager Robin Ventura said. "He always seems to give you a chance. ... He's tough. He doesn't always cave in to the fact that we haven't scored much for him or the no-decisions, he just goes out and pitches."

Quintana is 0-6 with a 4.50 ERA in 14 lifetime starts against the Royals. He yielded two runs in seven innings in his latest matchup April 24 but the White Sox backed him with two runs in their eventual 3-2 victory.

Guthrie (7-5, 5.36) is 4-1 with a 2.82 ERA in his last six starts against the White Sox and 5-1 with a 1.51 ERA in his past seven at U.S. Cellular Field. His most recent game in the series was a 3-1 victory in Chicago on Sept. 26.

The right-hander has lowered his ERA more than a run with a 3.99 mark in his last eight starts and a 3.26 in his last three.

Guthrie earned his second win in three starts July 8 against Tampa Bay but got plenty of run support in a 9-7 victory. He gave up four runs in six innings, matching his total allowed in his previous 13 1-3.

"I was all right," he said. "I felt good at times, but I felt I made a lot of mistakes that hurt me."

Adam Eaton is 5 for 13 lifetime against Guthrie, with all of those at-bats coming last season, and has hit safely in eight of his last 10 contests.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Dodgers (51-39) at Nationals (48-39)

Game: 2
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: July 18, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

Nationals Park isn't the only thing that can be lights-out at times.

Over each of the last four seasons, Clayton Kershaw has also pitched like that after the All-Star break, and the left-hander gets a chance to leave a disappointing first half of the season behind starting with Saturday's matinée at Washington following the completion of Friday night's suspended game.

Though the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner has pitched well at times, Kershaw (6-6, 2.85 ERA) barely resembled his dominant 2014 form in matching a career high for losses prior to the All-Star break. As a late replacement for Max Scherzer to represent the National League, it almost seemed fitting Kershaw took the loss in Tuesday's Midsummer Classic at Cincinnati by allowing two runs in the fifth.

'It was fun, except for giving up the runs,' he said. 'I felt fine. I wasn't really throwing the ball where I wanted to.'

Since 2011, though, Kershaw has thrown the ball everywhere he's wanted after the season resumes. The left-hander is 38-9 with a 1.70 ERA in 55 starts post All-Star break in that span, averaging 9.33 strikeouts per nine innings and compiling a 0.92 WHIP. En route to his most recent Cy Young Award last year, Kershaw went 10-1 with a 1.76 ERA in 13 starts and struck out 113 in 102 innings as the Dodgers (51-39) won a second straight NL West title.

His one inning in Cincinnati aside, Kershaw appeared to be his usual self heading into the break - he threw an eight-hit shutout with 13 strikeouts against Philadelphia on July 8 for his first complete game of the year and limited the New York Mets to one run in seven innings before leaving without a decision in a 2-1 defeat July 3.

Kershaw also has dominated the Nationals of late, winning five straight starts with a 1.16 ERA and holding them to a .157 batting average. He conceded one run over 15 innings while striking out 17 in two victories in 2014.

In what will be the marquee matchup, Bryce Harper's lone hit in six at-bats against him was a solo homer, but Kershaw has struck him out three times.

Friday night's series opener was delayed twice for a total of 2 hours and 2 minutes due to a bank of lights going dark on the third base side. After the second delay, Tanner Roark doubled and Yunel Escobar hit a go-ahead homer three pitches later as the Nationals (48-39) took a 3-2 lead, but after the lights dimmed for the third time before the top of the sixth, the umpires decided to suspend the game and resume prior to Saturday's scheduled contest.

'After the first, don't know if anyone quite knew what was going on or how long it would take,' Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. 'Second time, they felt they kind of knew and said basically if it happened again then we wouldn't finish it.'

Doug Fister (3-4, 4.08) has also had an uneven season when compared to his breakout 16-win 2014 and has gone 1-2 with a 3.70 ERA in four starts since returning last month from a tight forearm. The right-hander did not get a decision July 6 at Cincinnati, where he yielded two runs - one earned - in six innings of a 3-2 defeat.

Like Kershaw, though, Fister saved his best last season for after the break as Washington won the NL East. He went 8-4 with a 1.98 ERA in 13 starts and is 23-12 in such outings over the last three years.

Fister's lone start versus the Dodgers was a 4-1 loss to Kershaw on Sept. 2 when he was reached for four runs and 10 hits in five-plus innings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Marlins (38-52) at Phillies (30-62)

Game: 2
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: July 18, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

The Philadelphia Phillies own the worst record in baseball but the Miami Marlins aren't much better.

The Marlins will try to avoid matching their longest road losing streak of the season Saturday night against the Phillies.

Philadelphia (30-62) is on pace to lose 100 games for the first time since 1961, and the foundering Phillies are the only team worse than Miami (38-52) in both the NL East and the major league.

The Marlins have dropped 12 of the past 14 games on the road, averaging 2.4 runs while hitting .219 - .155 with runners in scoring position.

That stretch started with six straight defeats from June 8-19, and Miami is on the verge of another such skid after falling 6-3 at Philadelphia in Friday's opener of this three-game set.

Showing improvement offensively isn't going to be easy with Dee Gordon (thumb) and Giancarlo Stanton (wrist) on the disabled list.

Martin Prado filled in for Gordon at second Friday, going 0 for 4 after spending a month on the DL with a right shoulder sprain. He's batting .217 in his last 11 road games but owns a .375 average in his last 13 in Philadelphia.

Justin Bour is 7 for 12 with three doubles and six RBIs in the last three games overall, driving in one run with two hits Friday.

Tom Koehler (7-5, 3.40 ERA) is another Marlin struggling away from home. He's 3-4 with a 5.07 ERA in nine starts compared to 4-1 with a 1.79 ERA in seven as host.

The right-hander surrendered five runs in six innings of a 6-3 loss at Boston on July 8. All four he allowed in the third were unearned thanks to his throwing error.

"Any time you give them extra outs, you really have to bear down and try to put up a zero. I wasn't able to do that," said Koehler, who had won his three previous starts with a 1.80 ERA.

Koehler is 0-1 with a 5.21 ERA in four games - three starts - at Philadelphia. He allowed three runs in five innings while not getting a decision in a 4-3 home win May 1.

The Phillies set a franchise record for the most losses entering the All-Star break, but they're trying to win back-to-back games for the first time since a three-game winning streak June 21-23.

"The All-Star break couldn't have come at a better time," said Jeff Francoeur, who had a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the eighth Friday. "My tank was on 'E' and all of us needed to get away from each other.

"Hopefully, the second half we can stabilize more and have more outcomes like tonight."

Ryan Howard isn't expected to be part of it for long as one of the prime candidates to be dealt prior to the July 31 trade deadline. His value may be improving since he's 5 for 12 with five RBIs in three games after getting a run-scoring single Friday.

Phillies starter Chad Billingsley (1-3, 6.75) is 4-0 with a 2.76 ERA in eight games - seven starts - against the Marlins, but they all came with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He hasn't faced Miami since Aug. 24, 2012, and missed nearly two full seasons because of Tommy John surgery.

The right-hander was tagged for a four-run fourth before being pulled with no outs in the sixth in Sunday's 4-2 loss at San Francisco.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Orioles (44-45) at Tigers (45-44)

Game: 2
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: July 18, 2015 7:08 PM EDT

The All-Star break did nothing to help the Baltimore Orioles' sagging offense. A matchup with David Price figures to only make it worse.

Price looks to reach double-digit wins for the seventh straight season Saturday night when the Tigers and Orioles continue their three-game series at Comerica Park.

A 16-4 stretch through late June vaulted the Orioles (44-45) atop the AL East and primed to defend their division title. The offense cooled considerably, however, and they lost 10 of 13 before the break - batting .218 in that span - to drop to .500 and opened the second half with Friday's 7-3 loss.

'We were trying to create more opportunities, and we did that tonight,' Orioles manager Buck Showalter said after his team was 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position.

The majors' top hitting team with runners in scoring position before the current slide, Baltimore has gone 8 for 95 (.084) in such situations during its 3-11 stretch and now faces Price, the five-time All-Star who went 5-0 with a 1.60 ERA in his final seven starts before the break.

Detroit (45-44) is 15-3 this season with its ace left-hander on the mound.

Price, who earned the win in Tuesday's All-Star Game with one scoreless inning, allowed two unearned runs and struck out eight over eight innings in a 4-2 victory at Minnesota on July 9.

'I didn't feel as good tonight as I have in my previous starts,' Price said after beating the Twins. 'But I pitched deeper tonight. ... That's good when you can go out there and do that.'

Pitching deep against the Orioles has been an issue for Price (9-2, 2.38 ERA), who has completed more than six innings only once in his last six matchups. That came in Game 3 of the 2014 AL division series, when he allowed a two-run homer and four other hits over eight innings in a 2-1 loss.

Price is 7-4 with a 2.79 ERA in 18 starts against Baltimore despite winning once in his last seven meetings.

Matt Wieters has hit him well, going 15 for 41 (.366) with a home run and six doubles, while J.J. Hardy is 12 for 36 with five doubles.

Detroit ended a three-game skid Friday, taking control on Jose Iglesias' three-run homer in the fourth inning. Victor and J.D. Martinez also went deep for the Tigers, winners of four straight and six of seven in the regular season against the Orioles.

J.D. Martinez hit his 26th home run and Iglesias' was his second.

'That's why we have him - to hit homers,' manager Brad Ausmus deadpanned.

When that comment was relayed to Iglesias, he played along.

'Yeah, he's right,' Iglesias said. 'You're never looking for one. You just try to put some quality at-bats, put a good swing consistency, and eventually it's going to happen.'

Anthony Gose had two doubles to stretch his hitting streak to a career-best 11 games. He's 6 for 12 with a double and triple against Chris Tillman, who continued his resurgence in his final outing before the break.

The right-hander limited Washington to two runs over six innings, walked one and struck out six before the Orioles won 3-2 on a walkoff homer on July 10. Tillman (6-7, 5.40) remained unbeaten in seven starts since May 31 and is 1-0 with a 2.04 ERA in his past three.

He's 4-0 with a 3.59 ERA in seven starts against the Tigers after allowing two runs over five innings in a 12-3 victory in Game 1 of the ALDS.

Tigers rookie James McCann is batting .437 during an eight-game hitting streak.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pirates (53-36) at Brewers (39-52)

Game: 2
Venue: Miller Park
Date: July 18, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Jimmy Nelson flirted with a no-hitter his last time out before suffering a frustrating loss that ended his career-high winning streak.

The Milwaukee Brewers right-hander has a solid chance to get back in the win column based on how he has fared against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Nelson has turned in scoreless efforts in two victories this year over the Pirates heading into Saturday night's matchup at Miller Park.

Nelson (6-9, 4.21 ERA) posted a 3.86 ERA in a three-start win streak before taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning last Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He still had a two-hit shutout going into the seventh before a two-out error led to three unearned runs and a 3-2 defeat.

"That's as good as he's pitched this year," manager Craig Counsell told the Brewers' official website. "I thought he was excellent. He was in total control. He did a nice job. It's a shame."

Nelson is 2-1 with a 1.00 ERA in three starts against Pittsburgh (53-36) this season, limiting the Pirates to a .186 average and two extra-base hits â?? doubles by Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker.

Milwaukee (39-52) went into the All-Star break with baseball's worst average against left-handers at .222 and faces a tough matchup with Francisco Liriano (5-6, 2.98), who is limiting opponents to an NL-best .174 average on the road.

The Pirates have won four straight starts by Liriano in which he is 1-0 with a 2.05 ERA. He allowed two runs in 6 1-3 innings in Sunday's 6-5, 10-inning victory over St. Louis.

Liriano has gone 0-3 with a 5.87 ERA in his last four starts against the Brewers, surrendering three runs over eight innings in a 4-1 defeat June 9.

Carlos Gomez is 10 for 21 off Liriano and Jean Segura is 5 for 15.

The Brewers opened this three-game series with Friday's 4-1 victory behind Gerardo Parra's two doubles. Parra is hitting an NL-high .422 in July.

"He's been one of the best hitters in the league really," Counsell said. "He's definitely set the tone for our offense. Two big hits tonight."

The Pirates lost for the third time in 14 games. Pedro Alvarez committed his 15th error to match the NL's second-highest total while the offense mustered Jung Ho Kang's homer and two singles.

"We didn't meet the overall demands of the game," manager Clint Hurdle said. "I don't think it needs any more explanation than that. We weren't able to do a lot on offense."

McCutchen went 0 for 4 to drop to 7 for 29 in a season series in which Pittsburgh has taken six of 10. Hurdle said he wanted to give McCutchen the day off Friday before the All-Star talked his way into the lineup.

Ryan Braun, who leads Milwaukee with 56 RBIs, is 6 for 35 in the season series. He is 6 for 21 with a homer against Liriano.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cubs (47-41) at Braves (43-47)

Game: 2
Venue: Turner Field
Date: July 18, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Runs remain hard to come by for the Chicago Cubs, especially with Jon Lester on the mound.

They'll again look to give the left-hander some needed support as he tries for his first win in two months Saturday night against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.

A loser in four of five, Chicago (47-41) has totaled six runs, hit into seven double plays and gone 3 for 21 with runners in scoring position over the last four. The Cubs wasted three hits from catching prospect Kyle Schwarber by going 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position during Friday's 4-2 defeat.

The fourth overall pick in 2014 and MVP of Sunday's All-Star Futures Game, Schwarber is batting .423 (11 for 26) in seven games with Chicago, but he also was charged with two errors in his debut behind the plate Friday.

Schwarber won't catch as veteran David Ross, who has three more hits in 48 more at-bats than Schwarber, remains Lester's personal catcher.

"We'll try to pair (Schwarber) up as well as we can and give him a soft landing, catching-wise, and continue to move forward," manager Joe Maddon told MLB's official website. "We want to try to make the adjustment as easy as possible."

That might not bode well for Lester (4-8, 3.59 ERA), who has received eight runs of support over a 10-start stretch during which he's 0-6 with a 3.50 ERA. His 1.17 run-support average since May 22 is by far the lowest in baseball during that span.

He lasted seven innings for a third straight outing last Saturday, but allowed five runs, seven hits and struck out eight in a 5-1 loss to the White Sox.

'I feel like I've been OK to the point where I've looked up at the stats a little bit and kind of wondered what's going on,' said Lester, whose last win came against Pittsburgh on May 16. 'But it is what it is. At the end of the day, you can't give up more than the other guy and I've been doing that.'

He is 2-2 with a 3.60 ERA against the Braves (43-47), who snapped a five-game skid by winning for the eighth time in their last 10 at home. Eury Perez delivered a tiebreaking two-run double for his fourth hit in the last two games to help Atlanta beat Chicago for the 12th time in the last 14.

'We need everybody to step up," veteran Kelly Johnson said. "We need anybody and everybody.'

Johnson is batting .400 (12 for 30) with 12 RBIs in his last 10 games but is 1 for 15 against Lester.

Though left-hander Manny Banuelos (1-0, 0.75) is likely to finish his season in the Braves bullpen, he'll take the ball to begin this contest after allowing a solo homer and six other hits in 11 innings of his first two major league starts this month.

"This guy can do a lot of different things," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He's a good athlete. He's got poise. He's got composure. He competes."

Banuelos will try to extend the struggles of All-Star Kris Bryant, who is 3 for 23 with 10 strikeouts in the last seven games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (42-47) at Astros (50-42)

Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: July 18, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Though the Houston Astros must be more productive at the plate, they move forward knowing their skid is behind them.

They've consistently struggled against the Texas Rangers' Colby Lewis, who looks to continue his dominance at Minute Maid Park on Saturday night.

Houston (50-42) has scored 10 runs in seven contests since a 9-4 win at Cleveland on July 6, but it snapped a six-game slide while doing all of its scoring over the second and third innings of Friday's 3-2 victory. The first four hitters in the order combined for six of the nine hits as the Astros won for the fifth straight time and ninth in 11 at home.

"We swung the bats very well early in the game," manager A.J. Hinch said. "That wasn't your typical 3-2 game.'

Things could get tougher against Lewis (8-4, 4.77 ERA), who improved to 5-0 and lowered his ERA to 1.21 as a starter at Houston after allowing a run in eight innings of an 11-3 victory May 6. He's 6-1 with a 1.98 ERA in nine overall starts against the Astros.

Texas' lone defeat in his last six in the series came 6-4 in 14 innings at home April 12, when the right-hander allowed four runs over 7 1-3.

Lewis is 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in his last three road starts for the Rangers (42-47), who have dropped three straight and eight of nine.

Texas recorded 15 hits Friday - the most in franchise history when scoring two or fewer runs - but stranded 10.

'It's been our nemesis throughout this stretch ... not being able to get the big hit when we need it,' said manager Jeff Banister, whose club has left 63 on base over the last nine. 'You have to believe if you put up 15 hits as a team, we are going to score some runs.'

Scott Feldman (4-4, 4.80) makes his first appearance since landing on the disabled list May 29 with a knee injury that required surgery. The right-hander went 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in two rehab starts for Double-A Corpus Christi this month.

The longtime Ranger endured his shortest outing of the season May 5, when he yielded six runs and nine hits in three innings of a 7-1 home loss to his former club.

Elvis Andrus is 6 for 13 with three doubles in the last four games and is batting .375 (9 for 24) with two doubles against Feldman.

Houston's Colby Rasmus is 2 for 24 with 10 strikeouts in his last seven but 5 for 12 with a home run and triple when facing Lewis.

Teammate Chris Carter could be headed to the disabled list after he sprained his right ankle Friday. The first baseman is 0 for his last 18.

"It's possible that he avoids the DL, it's also very possible he wakes up (Saturday) and we have to talk about what's next for the next couple of weeks," Hinch told MLB's official website.

It's uncertain if Shin-soo Choo will be in the Rangers lineup after sitting Friday. The veteran outfielder is 1 for 18 in his last six games and batting .221.

"We still feel that Choo is part of the winning process," Banister said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Indians (42-47) at Reds (40-47)

Game: 2
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: July 18, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The home team in recent Ohio Cup matchups has usually come out on top, and with this weekend's series at the Great American Ball Park, it's looking like the Cincinnati Reds' turn for victories.

The Reds will seek to continue that trend while sending the Cleveland Indians' Corey Kluber to another defeat Saturday night.

Cincinnati's 6-1 victory in Friday's opener was its ninth in a row at home against Cleveland and 17th in the past 21 matchups there. The Reds (40-47) are 14-16 overall against their instate rivals since the start of the 2010 season because they've lost 13 of 14 in Cleveland, including a three-game sweep May 22-24.

Marlon Byrd went 4 for 4 with a solo homer in Friday's win, and pitcher Mike Leake drove in three runs. Cincinnati had lost 10 of 15 and three in a row at home before hosting Tuesday's All-Star Game.

"I was swinging pretty well before the break. I am just trying to keep it going," said Byrd, batting .351 with four homers in his last 18 games.

With Kluber on the mound, Cleveland (42-47) will seek to avoid a season high-tying fourth consecutive loss and a season-worst fourth in a row on the road. The Indians have won two of the last three games that last year's AL Cy Young Award winner has pitched after losing five straight, but struggled to support Kluber again in a 2-0 loss to Oakland on Sunday.

Kluber (4-10, 3.38 ERA) gave up two runs in eight innings while surpassing his loss total from 2014. The right-hander, who went 18-9 last season, is 1-4 in his last seven starts despite a 2.96 ERA.

Kluber is among MLB's leaders with 154 strikeouts and 133 1-3 innings, but his 2.30 run-support average is the worst among qualifying starters and 2.99 less than his previous two seasons combined. He was staked to 4.39 per game in 2014.

"I feel good when I'm out there on the mound," Kluber said. "Obviously, I haven't done a good enough job to put us in a position to win more games, but hopefully I can turn it around after the break."

Kluber hasn't needed too much assistance against Cincinnati, going 2-0 with a 1.17 ERA in two starts. He yielded one run in eight innings in a 2-1 victory May 23.

Anthony DeSclafani was the Reds' starter in that game, giving up one run in seven innings in his only start against Cleveland, and faces Kluber again. The right-hander, winless in his last five starts, missed his last turn in the rotation Saturday because of tightness in his glute.

DeSclafani gave up two runs in 5 2-3 innings - his fewest allowed in four games - in Washington on July 6, but the Reds didn't score the go-ahead run in a 3-2 victory until the eighth inning.

Jay Bruce, batting .348 in his last 24 games, is 4 for 7 lifetime against Kluber. That .571 average is tied for the best among players with at least seven plate appearances versus the Indians right-hander.

Cleveland last dropped four in a row from April 25-28.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mets (47-43) at Cardinals (57-33)

Game: 2
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: July 18, 2015 7:15 PM EDT

John Lackey wasn't one of the St. Louis Cardinals' six All-Stars but his recent performances have been worthy of that status.

Lackey looks to continue his run of outstanding outings Saturday night when the Cardinals face the New York Mets.

Since allowing 10 runs in a loss at Colorado on June 8, Lackey is 3-1 with a 1.69 ERA in his last six starts. He's been particularly good at home all season, going 5-2 with a 1.98 ERA in nine outings while completing at least seven innings in eight of them.

"He brings an intensity to the club that we need," third baseman Matt Carpenter told MLB's official website.

Lackey (7-5, 2.99 ERA) was headed for another victory last Saturday, yielding one run before leaving with two outs in the seventh only to watch the bullpen give up five runs in a 6-5 loss in 14 at Pittsburgh.

"Right now we've got to pitch well to win ballgames," Lackey said.

He did that against the Mets on May 18, allowing one run and three hits in seven innings opposite Matt Harvey before St. Louis fell 2-1 in 14 at New York (47-43).

The Cardinals, a major league-best 32-11 at home, took the opener of this three-game series 3-2 on Friday, their 15th win against the Mets in the last 20 matchups at Busch Stadium.

All-Star Jhonny Peralta is 8 for 18 with two homers over the past four games and his solo shot in the sixth Friday put St. Louis up for good. Keeping that stretch going won't be easy since he's 3 for 15 against scheduled starter Bartolo Colon, while Kolton Wong is 4 for 9.

Wong is 8 for 24 with six runs in five games against the Mets this year.

Colon (9-7, 4.46) had his worst performance of the season against the Cardinals on May 20, allowing nine runs and 11 hits - two homers - in 4 1-3 innings of a 9-0 home defeat.

He had been 4-0 with a 2.77 ERA over his first six starts against St. Louis.

The right-hander has lost four straight road games behind a 5.40 ERA, giving up three runs and 10 hits in six innings of a 3-0 loss at San Francisco on July 7 in his final start before the break.

The Mets had their four-game winning streak snapped Friday despite Curtis Granderson's fifth leadoff homer of the season.

"We battled our tails off till the very last strike," said Noah Syndergaard, who allowed two runs in seven innings. "We all knew how important it was to come out for the second half on a good streak. We just came up a little short."

Daniel Murphy is mired in a 3-for-23 slump over the last six games. He's 1 for 12 in the past three at St. Louis after hitting .385 in his first 14 there.

Wilmer Flores is 3 for 21 against the Cardinals this season. The shortstop is hitting .357 (15 for 42) in his last 11 games despite Friday's 0-for-4 effort.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (47-43) at Diamondbacks (42-46)

Game: 2
Venue: Chase Field
Date: July 18, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Having secured their longest win streak in nearly two months, the San Francisco Giants will try to help Jake Peavy earn his first this season.

The veteran right-hander will try to avoid matching the longest streak of losing starts in his career Saturday night against Arizona while the Diamondbacks' Chase Anderson faces the Giants for the first time since a splendid performance last month.

San Francisco (47-43) carried over its superb hitting before the All-Star break into its fourth consecutive victory, 6-5 in 12 innings Friday in Arizona. The Giants had 16 hits in their fourth win in 11 meetings with the Diamondbacks this season, and are batting .392 with 33 runs in their longest win streak since a five-gamer May 25-29.

Peavy (0-4, 4.71 ERA) will try to extend that run while avoiding his second five-start skid in 14 seasons. The other wasn't that long ago from July 12-Aug. 7, part of a career-worst string of 12 consecutive losing decisions.

Peavy has allowed four runs in 13 1-3 innings in his two starts since returning from a back strain that kept him out for nearly three months. He yielded two runs in seven innings in a 4-1 loss to the New York Mets on July 8 and has gotten a combined three runs of support in his four outings.

"I felt a little better, more comfortable," Peavy said. "It's just frustrating when you don't do enough to win."

Peavy gave up four runs in 3 2-3 innings in a 9-0 loss to Arizona on April 17, ending a streak of five winning starts against the Diamondbacks (42-46).

Anderson (4-3, 3.91) took a no-hitter into the seventh inning in his only start against San Francisco, a 1-0 victory June 12, but his recent performances have hardly been up to that level. The right-hander is 1-2 with a 7.77 ERA in his last four starts and gave up four runs in 4 1-3 innings while throwing 101 pitches in a 4-2 loss to the Mets on July 10.

Anderson has allowed a combined seven runs in the opening inning over his past two starts and will try to fix that in his return from an extended break.

"I feel like once I get past the first inning, everything's pretty good from there," Anderson told MLB's official website. "For me to have consistent stuff each and every time, I think I just need to throw a little bit more in the bullpen before the game to be ready for the game."

Arizona will try to avoid its first five-game losing streak since dropping six in a row Sept. 16-21. The Diamondbacks' bullpen had a 1.95 ERA in 15 games before giving up four runs in seven innings Friday.

"We just didn't do a good job tonight,' manager Chip Hale said. 'We've got to figure it out. It is four (losses) in a row now. We are a better team than that. We had a three-run lead and we couldn't hold that. It is not good."

A.J. Pollock, batting .340 in his 11 contests this month, has four hits in eight lifetime at-bats against Peavy. The outfielder was 2 for 3 versus the right-hander in the win in April en route to the second of his three career four-hit games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockies (39-50) at Padres (42-49)

Game: 2
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: July 18, 2015 8:40 PM EDT

The San Diego Padres have dominated the Colorado Rockies at home and giving the ball to Tyson Ross should see that continue.

Ross looks to match the longest winning streak of his career as the Padres try to beat the Rockies again Saturday night.

San Diego (42-49) is 6 1/2 games back of a wild-card spot, and a major reason is its 19-22 home record - one of the worst in the NL. The Padres, though, opened this 10-game homestand with a 4-2 win Friday.

"We've just to keep going, man," right fielder Matt Kemp said. "We've still got a long season; 70-some games left. We'll see where we end up at the end if we just continue to play good baseball."

The Padres have a 2.24 ERA while winning 14 of the past 17 home matchups with the Rockies (39-50), including five straight.

Ross (6-7, 3.34 ERA) now gets the chance to give them their first six-game run at home against Colorado since 1999. The right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 29 2-3 innings over his last five starts, and he also won a career-high four straight over a five-start span coming out of last year's All-Star break.

Ross struck out six and yielded three hits in 6 2-3 innings of a 2-1 win at Texas on Sunday.

"His stuff has been electric," interim manager Pat Murphy told MLB's official website. "His slider, at times, is as good as there is in the game."

Ross hasn't allowed a homer in 14 straight starts, one shy of the franchise record set by Dave Roberts in 1971. However, he's facing a Colorado team that is among baseball's leaders with 98 homers, and it's hit nine in the last five games at Petco.

Ross didn't get a decision in his most recent home matchup with the Rockies, tossing seven scoreless innings of a 2-1 win on Sept. 7, 2013.

He's lost all three meetings since with a 3.78 ERA and a homer in each, but they were all at hitter-friendly Coors Field.

He's served up one to Charlie Blackmon, who is 4 for 11 against him. Blackmon had a solo shot among his two hits Friday, giving him a .444 average (20 for 45) in his last 10 games.

The Rockies have dropped 13 of their past 17 games on the road.

Starter Chad Bettis (5-4, 4.91) has lost two of his last three road starts with a 5.94 ERA.

The right-hander matched his career high with five walks and allowed three runs in six innings of Sunday's 11-3 home win over Atlanta. That was an improvement after he was hammered for career worsts of 10 runs and four homers in 2 1-3 innings of a 10-2 defeat to the Los Angeles Angels on July 7.

Bettis has no record while striking out seven in 6 2-3 scoreless innings over four games against the Padres, but his only start came in a road loss on Sept. 8, 2013.

He's allowed Justin Upton to homer for his only hit in three at-bats in their matchups. Upton is 8 of 15 with two homers, two doubles and eight RBIs in four home meetings this season after connecting for a solo blast Friday.

Kemp also had a solo shot in the opener and is 11 for 24 with three homers and six RBIs over the last six games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Sox (42-48) at Angels (49-40)

Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: July 18, 2015 9:05 PM EDT

Mike Trout has had impeccable timing on his last two homers.

He and Albert Pujols may be licking their chops to face Rick Porcello on Saturday night.

The Los Angeles Angels' power-hitting duo has enjoyed success against the beleaguered Boston Red Sox right-hander, who has dropped four straight road decisions and owns the AL's worst ERA.

Trout become the first player to earn All-Star Game MVP honors in back-to-back years by leading off with a homer in Tuesday's 6-3 victory for the AL.

The superstar then dramatically gave Los Angeles (49-40) a 1-0 victory to open this four-game series by homering with two outs in the ninth inning off Koji Uehara on Friday. He is 13 for 31 with six homers, 10 runs and 12 RBIs in an eight-game hitting streak.

"It's been crazy, for sure. One of those weeks I'm definitely going to remember," said Trout, who has gone deep in five of his last six home games against Boston. "It's been fun, though. It's just why we play the game, to have fun and try to win ballgames."

Trout's 27 homers are one more than Pujols and Detroit's J.D. Martinez for the AL lead.

He is 6 for 18 against Porcello (5-9, 5.90 ERA) and Pujols is 5 for 16, with both homering once. Pujols' blast came May 22 when Porcello was ripped for seven runs over 4 1-3 innings in a 12-5 home loss.

It hasn't gone much better for Porcello on the road, where he is 0-4 with a 9.59 ERA in his last five outings. Even worse is his 11.25 ERA with an 0-2 record in three career starts in Anaheim.

Porcello ended an eight-start winless streak July 8 by allowing two runs in six innings in a 6-3 victory over Miami.

"It feels great to contribute in a positive way," he said.

The last time Porcello faced the Angels he was beaten by Garrett Richards (9-6, 3.53). Those two will meet again after Richards allowed five runs in six-plus innings for his first victory in three starts against Boston.

Dustin Pedroia is 4 for 10 off the right-hander and Mike Napoli is 5 for 9 with two homers.

Richards is 5-1 with a 2.25 ERA in seven home starts, including three straight wins. He was charged with four runs and matched a career worst with 12 hits allowed in 5 1-3 innings of a 7-2 loss at Seattle on July 9.

Pedroia went 0 for 4 on Friday after missing 16 games due to a right hamstring strain.

The second baseman's return meant that All-Star Brock Holt was out of the lineup. Holt is one game shy of matching a career best by hitting safely in 12 straight.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games during which he's batting .404 with 10 RBIs.

Napoli went 0 for 3 and has baseball's fourth-worst average at .191.

The Angels have won 12 of 15 while Boston (42-48) lost for the fourth time in 12 on the road.

"That was a well-played game, and unfortunately, we came up on the wrong end of a 1-0 score," manager John Farrell said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Yankees activate INF Ryan
The Sports Xchange

The New York Yankees activated infielder Brendan Ryan from the 15-day disabled list Friday.

Ryan had been sidelined since June 22 with a right thoracic strain (upper back). He is hitting .308 with two RBIs in six games.

The team also optioned second baseman Gregorio Petit to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Petit is hitting .167 in 42 at-bats this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Cardinals activate Holliday from DL
The Sports Xchange

The St. Louis Cardinals activated All-Star outfielder Matt Holliday from the 15-day disabled list Friday.

Holliday, 35, who has been on the disabled list since suffering a right quadriceps strain on June 8, was ranked fourth in the National League in on-base pct. (.417) at the time of his injury and was batting .400 (four in NL) with runners in scoring position.

Holliday, who is just one home run shy of 275 for his career, reached base safely in an NL-record 45 consecutive games to begin the 2015 season.

In 52 games this season, Holliday is batting .303 with three home runs and 26 RBIs. He was voted a starter on the National League All-Star team for the first time in his career, but did not play due to injury. It was his seventh All-Star selection overall.

The Cardinals also optioned left-hander Nick Greenwood to Triple-A Memphis. He never appeared in a game this season during a brief call-up.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mariners recall RHP Wilhelmsen
The Sports Xchange

The Seattle Mariners recalled right-hander Tom Wilhelmsen from Triple-A Tacoma on Friday.

Wilhelmsen, 31, did not give up a run in four relief appearances over four innings with Tacoma after being optioned on July 3.

With Seattle, he was 1-2 with a 4.68 ERA in 25 innings, with 28 strikeouts in 22 relief appearances this season. He had a 12.15 ERA over his last seven appearances after starting the season with a 1.96 ERA in his first 15 games.

Wilhelmsen fills the roster spot left open when right-hander Danny Farquhar was optioned on July 12.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Phillies' Werth starts rehab assignment
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

Washington outfielder Jayson Werth began a rehab assignment with Class A Potomac on Thursday night with the Nationals hoping that he could return to the major leagues by the end of the month.

Werth started in left field for Potomac and went 1-for-2 with one strikeout in its 1-0 loss to Myrtle Beach.

The 36-year-old Werth is recovering from a broken left wrist suffered May 15 in San Diego after he was hit by a pitch from right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne. The Nationals were expecting Werth to be back in the majors around Aug. 1, but his return could be pushed up if his rehab stint goes well without any setbacks.

Werth underwent surgery two weeks after the injury when two small fractures were discovered in the wrist. He resumed baseball activities two weeks ago and has been swinging a bat and working in the outfield.

The 2015 season started with Werth on the disabled list recovering from shoulder surgery. Once he returned, he played in 27 games for the Nationals and was batting .208 with two home runs and 12 RBIs before he sustained the broken wrist.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'On the diamond'

Washington and Los Angeles will play the second of this three game set Saturday after completing Friday's suspended game in which Nationals held a 3-2 lead after five. Nationals will have Doug Fister toeing the rubber. Fister hitting a rough spot going 1-3 the past five giving up 4 long-ball, 18 runs over 26 1/3 innings carries a 3-4 record, 4.08 ERA to the hill. On the other side, Clayton Kershaw gets the call for Mattingly's crew. It has been anything but smooth sailing for sports bettors backing Dodgers the past five with three time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw on the mound. Kershaw's numbers weren't exactly terrible allowing 11 runs over 36 innnings with 48 strikeouts to just 5 walks. But, when your team plate's only 13 runs of support while laying heavy juice costly losses are bound to happen as Dodgers went 1-4 dropping a whopping -$880 at the betting window. Kershaw showing dominating presence of the past in his last outing, a complete game shutout of Philadelphia the Dodgers are once again commanding heavy lumber (-$1.75 to -$2.00). Despite the fact Dodgers are on a sparkling 5-0 streak vs Nationals with the lefthander, 8-2 stretch his last ten vs Washington and sport a solid 8-2 mark his last ten July starts including 4-0 when away from Chavez Ravine the smarter play is a run line (-1.5 -$1.15).