Saturday 7/30/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

July Pitchers Report
By Marc Lawrence

Fireworks and the MLB All-Star game go hand-in-hand during the month of July. It also denotes the start of the 2nd half of the MLB campaign. And as we’ve come to learn the key to each and every team’s fortune lies on the pitching staff.

Can they sustain or will they unravel like Jose Canseco going back on a fly ball? Stay tuned. What we do know is that certain pitchers love hurling this time of the season while others tend to get lit up like a roman candle on the 4thof July.

Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a two-to-one or better success ratio in team-starts over the course of the last three seasons during the month of July.

On the flip side, we've also listed pitchers that struggle in July, winning 33% percent or less of their team-start efforts. To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at least one start each July over the last three years.

And for your convenience alongside each record we break down each pitcher’s greatest success or greatest failure rate either home (H) or away (A) within his good or bad month.

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

GOOD MONTH PITCHERS:

*Chen, Wei-Yin - 9-4 (5-1 H)

The Miami left-hander has not been terribly effective with an ERA hovering around 5. If Chen can develop more command, he's shown again this year he's tough when in challenging situations, allowing .186 batting average and .271 on-base percentage with runners in scoring position.

Garza, Matt - 9-3 (5-1 H)

Since coming back from spring training injury on June 14th, the Milwaukee right-hander has been a mix of good and bad, but come through when it counted. Opposing hitters are batting over .300 against Garza, but he's held those runners in check and induced a heavy dose of ground balls that have led to outs. If he continues, this Brewers starter might be effective.

Greinke, Zack - 11-4 (6-2 H)

Though Arizona is falling short of preseason expectations, the Diamondbacks ace is not and, other than Clayton Kershaw, has arguably been as effective as any pitcher since the end of April with batters hitting around .200 against him. Once again his array of pitches are finding the right spots and fastball is cooking!

Kazmir, Scott - 10-5 (6-2 H)

When Kazmir misses on location for fastball, the other team's lineup begins to look for off-speed stuff, which has caused his inconsistency this season. When he's working the corners on the knees early in the count, this sets up secondary pitches. In the past he's done so in July, let's see what he comes up with this time.

*Kershaw, Clayton - 12-3 (8-0 A)

When either Kershaw loses or has a less than stellar performance, which is infrequent, it is home page news on most sports websites. With opponents batting just .185 against him, baseball's best pitcher has close to as many home runs surrendered (6) as walks (9) to start the month over 121 innings. It’s no wonder his name is whispered in the same company as Sandy Koufax.

Kluber, Corey - 13-4 (9-2 H)

Since winning the Cy Young award in 2014, Kluber has not been able to match that magical season, but is part of a very good Cleveland rotation. Looking ahead, if the Indians righty can do a better job than permitting .281 batting averages with runners in scoring position, all his numbers will drop and his victories will go up. Note: Kluber’s numbers above also reflect his career team mark during July.

*Liriano, Francisco - 12-2 (7-0 H)

After several fine seasons with Pittsburgh, Liriano has not been effective in 2016. Walks and home runs have done him in and in order to reflect past results of July, he's going to have to stop leaving pitches in the heart of the plate.

Peralta, Wily - 8-4 (5-1 H)

Peralta has been thoroughly ineffective all season (6.68 ERA) and was sent to minors after June 11th start. His return this month or this season depends on his Triple-A results. Note: Peralta’s numbers above also reflect his career team mark during July.

Price, David - 11-5 (7-1 A)

To date, the Boston lefty could be described as a mild disappointment, with an ERA north of 4.5 most of the season. No longer owning an upper 90's heater, Price does not blow away as many hitters as before and the fastball lacks some of the previous movement of the past. The slider has not had the usual bite from start to start. Red Sox need this ace to be one.

Ross, Tyson - 10-4 (4-1 H)

Ross has not pitched since he hit the DL with right shoulder inflammation after first start in April. San Diego Union reports a return even this month appears optimistic.
Note: Ross’ numbers above also reflect his career team mark during July.

Santana, Ervin - 11-4 (8-1 H)

Like his teammates, Santana is not having a good year, as opposing hitters are clocking him for nearly .300 average, compared to .256 over his 11-year career. Little reason to believe this month will match the past even if he improves with this Twins club.

*Volquez, Edinson - 10-5 (6-1 A)

Never a frontline hurler, Volquez numbers this campaign have matched the Royals, being very ordinary to date. The Dominican Republic native has done the job against right-handed batters, who have been knocking him around for nearly .300 average.

BAD MONTH PITCHERS:

Wood, Alex - 4-8 (0-6 A)

Wood – the only pitcher to appear on the July Bad Month list this season - was initially expected to be shut down for four weeks after landing on the 15-day disabled list at the end of May with a posterior impingement in his throwing elbow. Currently, the timetable is for mid-July return, but the oft-injured pitcher can hardly be counted on as record shows. Note: Wood’’s numbers above reflect his career team mark during July.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Orioles in midst of 16-game Under streak that makes absolutely no sense
By ROB HANSEN

Occasionally in sports things happen that simply don't make sense and in a stat-based sport like baseball the anomalies usually involve numbers. The Baltimore Orioles are currently streaking in a direction that nobody could have predicted with the make-up of their 2016 roster.

The pitching challenged and offensively loaded Orioles have played Under the closing total in a remarkable 16 consecutive games.

We've had our eye on this trend since it hit six games (since even that seemed bizarre for this O's squad) and it's been largely dismissed as "the pitching has been better and the offense is slumping," but 16 games is no longer a small sample size.

The Orioles are averaging 2.81 runs for and 3.19 runs against over their last 16 games. The math geniuses out there will quickly calculate that as 6.00 total runs per game during the streak.

This lack of runs scored comes from a roster that currently owns a .265 batting average in 2016 to go along with a .775 OPS (3rd in MLB). The O's hitters also lead Major League Baseball in home runs with 151 (Toronto Blue Jays are second with 144).

On the flip side, despite having a very good bullpen (3.09 ERA, 36 saves, .238 opponent batting average), their pitching overall in 2016 has been terrible. The O's hurlers (including their solid bullpen) currently possess a 4.21 ERA to go along with an opponent batting average of .261 and an OPS of .758.

Baseball fans outside the DMV area have never really bought into the 2016 Baltimore Orioles as a legitimate threat to win the American League East (pitching is the main reason) and it appears as though the oddsmakers have yet to buy into the O's as a legitimate Under threat.

Over the last 16 games involving the Orioles, the average closing total is 9.156. The lowest total they've seen during the streak were consecutive 8.0 totals against the Tampa Bay Rays back on July 16 and 17. During their just completed three-game series at home against the Colorado Rockies (of course all three games played Under the number) they saw Over/Under numbers of 10.0, 9.5, and 9.0.

Their 16th consecutive Under came against MLB's leader in Overs, the Minnesota Twins (58-37), on Thursday night. The O's lost to the Twins 6-2 with a closing total of 9.0.

On Friday night, the Orioles travel to Toronto to take on the offensively explosive Blue Jays (Kevin Gausman vs Marco Estrada). The total for Friday is set at 9.0.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB roundup: Suzuki goes hitless in Marlins' 11-6 loss
By The Sports Xchange

MIAMI -- Ichiro Suzuki remained two hits shy of 3,000 as he went 0-for-4 with a strikeout in Miami's 11-6 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night.
Suzuki lined into a double play, grounded twice and struck out.
Kolten Wong went 3-for-5 with two RBI and Tommy Pham had three RBIs as St. Louis (56-47) took a one-game lead over the Marlins (55-48) for the second wild card spot in the National League.
St. Louis right-hander Mike Leake allowed six runs in five innings.
Jose Urena gave up eight runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings, doing so hours after the Marlins acquired starting pitchers Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea in a seven-player trade with the San Diego Padres.

Nationals 4, Giants 1
SAN FRANCISCO -- Max Scherzer ran his string of impressive starts to six and Washington escaped a jam in the eighth inning with the first triple play in franchise history.
Jayson Werth had two hits, drove in a run and scored one for the Nationals, who roughed up Giants starter Jeff Samardzija for four extra-base hits in six innings.
Scherzer gave up a second-inning run on two hits but then shut out the Giants on hits in the next five innings before leaving after having thrown 115 pitches.

Red Sox 6, Angels 2
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Rick Porcello threw his first complete game in nearly two years to lead Boston over Los Angeles at Angel Stadium.
Porcello (14-2) gave up two runs and five hits while making an economical 107 pitches to win his sixth consecutive start. He's also won eight decisions in a row, his last loss coming on May 17. It was Porcello's first complete game since Aug. 20, 2014, when he shut out Tampa Bay while pitching for Detroit.
Boston had seven hits, two of them from Xander Bogaerts, who had an RBI double in the third inning and a two-run homer in the seventh.

Dodgers 9, Diamondbacks 7
LOS ANGELES -- Joc Pederson and Chase Utley homered to key a five-run rally in the seventh inning and Los Angeles beat Arizona before 50,966 at Dodger Stadium.
Yasmani Grandal's run-scoring single in the seventh was the difference as the Dodgers blew a three-run lead and then came back from a four-run deficit to prevail. The win pushed Los Angeles within a game of National League West-leading San Francisco.
After Andrew Toles singled to open the seventh, Pederson, who went 2-for-4 with a career-tying four RBIs, homered to right center off reliever Daniel Hudson to cut the Arizona lead to two runs. It was Pederson's 14th homer of the season. Chase Utley's two-run blast, his seventh this season, tied the score at 7. Grandal's single drove in Corey Seager with the game-winner.

Reds 6, Padres 0
SAN DIEGO -- Brandon Finnegan and two relievers ended San Diego's run of 25 straight games with a home run with a six-hit shutout and Eugenio Suarez drove in four runs with a pair of two-out, two-run hits for Cincinnati.
Although the Padres tied the National League record with the home run streak, Friday marked the major league-leading 12th time this year that they were shut out.
Brandon Phillips had two doubles and a single to extend his hitting streak to 16 games. Suarez, Zack Cozart and Adam Duvall each had two hits for the Reds.

Blue Jays 6, Orioles 5
TORONTO -- Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Troy Tulowitzki hit solo home runs in the first inning and Toronto moved within a half-game of first-place Baltimore in the American League East.
Manny Machado homered for Baltimore, which has dropped four straight.
Orioles starter Kevin Gausman (2-8) allowed six hits, three walks and six runs in three innings. Blue Jays starter Marco Estrada (6-4) gave up five hits, two walks and four runs (three earned) and had six strikeouts in six innings.

Indians 5, Athletics 3
CLEVELAND -- Carlos Santana homered in the sixth inning and Cleveland scored four more in the seventh and rallied past Oakland.
Abraham Almonte and Jason Kipnis had RBI singles in the seventh for the Indians.
Josh Reddick and Khris Davis homered for Oakland.

Cubs 12, Mariners 1
CHICAGO -- Jason Heyward and David Ross homered as Chicago rolled past Seattle.
Heyward and Anthony Rizzo had three RBIs apiece for the Cubs, and Jon Lester allowed four hits in six scoreless innings.
Hisashi Iwakuma allowed five runs and eight hits in three innings for Seattle.

Rays 5, Yankees 1
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Jake Odorizzi, the subject of trade rumors, pitched six shutout innings to lead Tampa Bay past New York.
Logan Forsythe and Corey Dickerson hit solo home runs in the first inning for Tampa Bay.
Ivan Nova allowed five runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings for the Yankees.

Tigers 14, Astros 6
DETROIT -- Tyler Collins and Justin Upton blasted three-run homers and James McCann hit a pinch-homer to help Detroit trounce Houston.
Matt Boyd allowed four hits in five innings, but two were homers that accounted for three Astros runs.
Collin McHugh (7-7) lasted only 1 2/3 innings and was roughed up for 10 hits and the Tigers' first eight runs.

Rockies 6, Mets 1
NEW YORK -- Carlos Gonzalez finished 2-for-5 with four RBIs as the Colorado remained red-hot.
Gonzalez opened the scoring and extended his hitting streak to 11 games with an RBI double in the first inning and provided the Rockies plenty of insurance in the ninth with a long three-run homer. The Rockies have won 11 of 15 since the All-Star break to get within a game of .500.
James Loney went 2-for-4 with a second-inning homer for the Mets, who have lost three straight and four of five, a stretch in which they have scored just 11 runs.

Braves 2, Phillies 1
ATLANTA -- Rookie Tyrell Jenkins allowed an unearned run in six innings and picked up his first major league victory in Atlanta's win over Philadelphia.
Jenkins, the organization's 2015 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, gave up four hits and four walks, one intentional, in his fourth career start.
The losing pitcher was rookie Vince Velasquez, who allowed two runs, seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts in six innings.

Rangers 8, Royals 3
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rougned Odor homered twice as Texas routed struggling Kansas City.
A.J. Griffin allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings for his first victory in more than three months.
Edinson Volquez allowed six runs and nine hits in six innings for Kansas City, which has lost eight of 10.

Red Sox 6, Angels 2
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Rick Porcello threw his first complete game in nearly two years to lead Boston over Los Angeles.
Porcello (14-2) gave up two runs and five hits while making an economical 107 pitches to win his sixth consecutive start. He also has won eight decisions in a row, his last loss coming May 17. It was Porcello's first complete game since Aug. 20, 2014, when he shut out Tampa Bay while pitching for Detroit.
The Red Sox had only seven hits, two of them coming from Xander Bogaerts, who had an RBI double in the third inning and a two-run homer in the seventh, the latter giving Porcello some late-inning breathing room.

Twins 2, White Sox 1 (12)
MINNEAPOLIS -- Joe Mauer's pinch-hit, walk-off walk in the 12th inning lifted Minnesota over Chicago at Target Field.
Eddie Rosario started the inning by getting hit by a pitch before a sacrifice bunt moved him to second. Byron Buxton and Brian Dozier walked to load the bases for Mauer, who received a free pass while batting for Robbie Grossman.
Adam Eaton homered for Chicago and Melky Cabrera had two hits, including a double.

Brewers 3, Pirates 1
MILWAUKEE � Junior Guerra allowed four hits in 8 2/3 innings and Milwaukee beat Pittsburgh.
Guerra (7-2) allowed a leadoff double to Starling Marte in the second inning and a leadoff single to Jordy Mercer in the sixth. He didn't allow either runner to advance as each time he retired the next three hitters. He was finally touched for a run in the ninth, allowing a single, a walk and two fielder's-choice grounders to bring in the lone run. A single by Marte chased Guerra one out short of the Brewers' first complete game in more than a year.
Milwaukee took a 2-0 lead on Chris Carter's two-run homer in the first.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Orioles (58-44) at Blue Jays (58-45)

Game: 2
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: July 30, 2016 1:07 PM EDT

TORONTO -- There could be a new leader in the American League East on Saturday.

A Toronto victory over Baltimore in an afternoon game at Rogers Centre vaults the Blue Jays past the Orioles and into first place.

While this is an important series, there are still two months to play in the season and possible trades to be made.

The teams still have two more series to play -- in Baltimore from Aug. 29-31 and in Toronto from Sept. 27-29. The Boston Red Sox are also close in hot pursuit as well.

"It's an important series any time you play the guys you're chasing," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "We've always had good battles with these guys. We're down to the final two months."

The game Friday was not a disappointment in that regard. The Blue Jays used three first-inning home runs Friday to defeat the Orioles 6-5. That moved Toronto within a half game of first-place Baltimore in the AL East.

"It was really a typical Baltimore-Toronto type game with two teams that really just slug it out," Gibbons said.

The Orioles have a secret weapon, however. Their starter Saturday is Yovani Gallardo (3-2, 5.37 ERA), who has never lost to Toronto.

The right-hander is 4-0 with a 1.78 ERA against the Blue Jays in four career starts. He also is 1-0 with a 3.60 in the playoffs after starting against them in the 2015 American League Division Series when he was with the Texas Rangers.

He will be seeking his first win since since June 29. In the five starts since, he is 0-1 with 4.88 and the Orioles are 3-2. He allowed two runs, five hits and two walks in 6 2/3 innings Monday against the Colorado Rockies but did not factor in the decision in a 3-2 Baltimore win. He struck out six.

He has a difficult opponent in left-hander J.A. Happ (13-3, 3.27 ERA), who has already set a career best for victories in a season. He held the Seattle Mariners to one hit and four walks while striking out six in six innings of a 2-0 victory Sunday. He is 3-3 with a 3.76 ERA in 10 career games (nine starts) against the Orioles.

Toronto leads the season series 6-5 and six of the games have been decided by one run.

The Orioles have lost four in a row overall and 11 of their past 16 road games. They are 1-4 this season at Rogers Centre.

After Kevin Gausman allowed six runs in three innings Friday, the Orioles had a solid four-inning relief outing from Vance Worley, who allowed only one walk and one hit.

It gave Orioles manager Buck Showalter some encouragement.

"Worley did a great job," Showalter said. "Our guys grinded against one of the better pitchers in the league (right-hander Marco Estrada) and got him out of there and gave us a chance. I was proud of the way the guys got back in it, tough environment."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mariners (51-50) at Cubs (62-40)

Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: July 30, 2016 2:20 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- The Seattle Mariners have not been to Wrigley Field in nearly a decade, but manager Scott Servais knows enough about the idiosyncrasies of the park and daytime baseball to give his team enough direction.

After an ugly 12-1 loss Friday, the Mariners hope Servais' knowledge translates into a win Saturday afternoon.

Servais played for the Cubs from 1995-98 mostly sub-par years for Chicago except for a 1998 postseason appearance.

"I played here for three and a half years," Servais said. "It was really the first time in my career I had the chance to play every day, probably because they didn't have anybody else when they traded for me.

His best season with Chicago was in 1996 when he hit .265 with 11 home runs and 63 RBI over 129 games.

This weekend is only Seattle's second all-time and the Mariners have lost three of four meetings in Chicago. The Cubs took two of three from the Mariners in their last visit to Chicago from June 12-14, 2007.

Servais will be giving a crash course in both Wrigley Field culture and big league baseball to the newest Mariner - 25-year-old Cuban prospect Guillermo Heredia who was called upon Friday from Triple-A Tacoma.

"We want to get him comfortable," Servais said. "He's a guy who can come in and defend late in the game, pinch hit, pinch run, do those type of things. We will get him some starts eventually."

Heredia did make his major league debut following Friday's 74-minute rain delay, settling in in right field in the bottom of the seventh. He also was 0-for-1 in his lone plate appearance.

Heredia was pleased to get his first big league opportunity after spending 84 games between Double-A Jackson and Triple-A Tacoma.

"The biggest adjustment is the pitching," he said through a translator. "Obviously it's different than Cuba. Here they focus more on fastball, (and the) changeup. That's the biggest thing."

Heredia signed with the Mariners as a non-drafted free agent on March 1 after hitting .285 with 231 runs, 57 doubles, 15 triples, 23 home runs and 121 RBI in 374 career games in Cuba's Serie Nacional.

The Mariners will be hoping their bats can perform better than Friday and Wade Miley lasts longer than Hisashi Iwakauma. Iwakuma only lasted three innings and the Mariners will look for some distance from Miley, who has dropped six straight starts.

Miley has a 5.13 ERA since his last win on June 7 against Cleveland but the Mariners have only scored six runs for him. Miley last pitched Sunday in Toronto when he allowed two runs and four hits in six innings of a 2-0 loss.

Miley will be facing Cubs ace Jake Arrieta, who is 3-4 since his no-hitter on May 16. Arrieta, the 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner, has struggled since he completed a run of 20 consecutive victories including a no-hitter on May 16.

He has gone 3-4 since and the Cubs are 0-4 in his last four starts while Arrieta has a 5.55 ERA in those games.

Seattle batters don't see Arrieta on anything approaching a regular basis although the Cubs right-hander has had two previous outings against Seattle.

He is 0-1 with a 4.63 ERA in three career starts against the Mariners but hasn't faced them since 2012 while with the Baltimore Orioles.

In his last outing, Arrieta allowed four runs on five hits over six innings against the White Sox. Three of those runs occurred when he allowed a home run to Todd Frazier.

"Jake was really good except for the one pitch," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "(The) three-run homer definitely did hurt us right there.

The Cubs have won three straight and will be hoping to give Arrieta similar support as Jon Lester had Friday. Lester had a five-run lead through three innings as David Ross and Jason Heyward homered.

"Up and down the lineup it was a well-played game," Maddon said. "We pitched well, we played well, we did everything well. After a really hard-fought series with the White Sox it was really nice to play a game like that."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nationals (61-42) at Giants (59-44)

Game: 3
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: July 30, 2016 4:05 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO -- Two pitchers making important starts at opposite ends of the career spectrum lock horns Saturday when the Washington Nationals duel the San Francisco Giants.

In the third game of a four-day series between National League division leaders, each team will be counting upon a pitcher who has done little or nothing to help get his team to the top of the pack.

For the second time this season, the Nationals are recalling right-hander Reynaldo Lopez from Triple-A Syracuse to start against a playoff contender.

The first time did not go well. The 22-year-old was roughed up for 10 hits and six runs in 4 2/3 innings at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this month.

Lopez was impressive in one regard in his debut. He struck out nine Dodgers among the 14 he retired.

Nationals manager Dusty Baker announced Friday he'd be pairing Lopez with someone with whom he's quite familiar. Pedro Severino, summoned from Syracuse to San Francisco one day ahead of Lopez, will catch the game, Baker disclosed.

Washington will be trying to build upon the momentum of two wins to open the four-game series. A triple play, the first in Nationals history, helped save Friday's 4-1 win.

"That's the first triple play that I've seen," insisted Baker, who has 39 years of experience as a major league player and manager. "There have been others. But I always seemed to be in the bathroom when it happened."

The Nationals have received brilliant pitching performances from right-handers Tanner Roark and Max Scherzer in the first two games of the series, only to have to sweat out exciting finishes once their fate got turned over to the bullpen.

Two days ahead of the trade deadline, the Giants will send righty Jake Peavy to the mound to oppose Lopez.

The 35-year-old Peavy will be making his 14th career start against the Nationals, the first having come 14 years ago when the club was known as the Montreal Expos.

Peavy has won 152 games in his career, but only five in 20 starts this season.

That lack of production, coupled with fellow veteran Matt Cain's two-win season, has the Giants reportedly active in trade discussions for a starting pitcher at the deadline.

It's possible Peavy or Cain, who will face the Nationals on Sunday, could lose his job with one more poor effort.

San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy insisted Friday he's more concerned about turning around the club's recent woes -- the Giants are a worst-in-baseball 2-11 since the All-Star break -- than pondering trades or changes in his starting rotation.

"It kind of is, really, when you get in these funks, what can go wrong, goes wrong," he lamented. "When you're in a good winning streak, the ball bounces your way. Everything's your way. And right now it's not going our way."

The Giants are expected to have Hunter Pence back in the lineup for Game 3 of the series.

Pence has missed 48 games with a strained right hamstring.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (52-50) at Rays (40-61)

Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: July 30, 2016 6:10 PM EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays are 6-7 since the All-Star break and steady starting pitching has been a major part of the turnaround for a team that had lost 24 of 27 games at one point.

"Everything is going well for our starters -- just consistent outings back-to-back-to-back," said Friday's winner, Jake Odorizzi, who pitched six-plus innings of shutout baseball in the Rays' 5-1 win over the New York Yankees.

"It really takes the stress off the bullpen. I think another thing is our defense is playing phenomenal. They're really backing us up and it's a lot easier to pitch when you have great plays being made behind you."

The Rays (40-61) have allowed more than four runs just once in 13 games since the All-Star break. At one point in June, they gave up at least five runs in 13 straight games, so they're at the opposite end of the spectrum.

"We've played that way since the break," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "I know we don't have the wins to support that, but we're playing tighter ballgames, our pitching has been tremendous and the timely hits, hopefully they continue to come."

As both teams move another day closer to the trade deadlines and teams around them continue to make moves, the Rays must decide if they're dealing starters like Odorizzi and Matt Moore.

Meanwhile, the Yankees -- having already dealt away closer Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs -- must decide how much talent they are willing to part with while they linger on the fringe of wild-card contention.

Asked if the trade deadline -- and the thin line between seller and buyer -- changes his approach to these games, Yankees manager Joe Girardi was adamant his focus is unchanged on putting his team in position to win games.

"Zero," he said of how he allows the deadline to impact his decisions as a manager. "You try to win every game, no matter what the situation is."

On Saturday, the Yankees will send RHP Nathan Eovaldi (9-6, 4.80 ERA) against Rays LHP Drew Smyly (2-11, 5.42). The Yankees have lost back-to-back games after a stretch that saw them win eight of 10. They went into Friday night with a chance to match their season high of four games above .500.

Just as the Tampa Bay pitching has stepped up, New York has struggled in its last two games, giving up a combined nine runs after holding opponents to 10 in the previous five games. Nova gave up two home runs Friday to the first three batters, literally trailing from his third pitch of the night on.

By the time the Rays-Yankees series ends, the trade deadline will arrive and both teams will have a better sense for whether their path to the end of this season is easier or harder, depending on how active they are at the deadline.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Phillies (47-58) at Braves (36-67)

Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: July 30, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Braves will be pleased to see Julio Teheran taking the mound on Saturday night.

After the team's No. 1 starter had to leave his most recent start after four innings, it was feared the right-hander might be headed to the disabled list.

But the tight muscle in his back that shortened his last appearance turned out to be less serious than believed and Teheran returns to the rotation against the Phillies when the Braves try to win for the fourth time in five games.

Saturday's game features Teheran (3-8, 2.71) against Philadelphia right-hander Jeremy Hellickson (7-7 3.65), who has been the subject of trade rumors over the last few weeks.

Teheran's last start was on July 22 at Colorado when he left after throwing four shutout innings. Teheran tweaked his back muscle and was planning to play through the injury, but shortstop Erick Aybar approached his teammate and encouraged him to call the trainer to the mound.

At first the team feared the injury was serious enough to send Teheran to the DL. Instead the team was able to give Teheran a couple of extra days off without losing him for two weeks.

"He felt a little better (Tuesday), just flat-ground throwing a little bit, more confident in turning everything loose, Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. "I think it's a good idea to take advantage of it.

The timing may be good, as Teheran has pitched well in his career against the Phillies. He is 3-0 with a 1.23 ERA in four starts against the Phillies this season and is 6-3 with a 2.29 in 12 career appearances against Philadelphia.

Hellickson has allowed two or fewer runs in five of his last six starts. He threw six shutout innings, giving up only one hit, in receiving a no-decision the Miami Marlins on July 25. The Phillies, who acquired him during the offseason from the Arizona Diamondbacks, have fielded plenty of calls from other teams who are looking for a pitcher before the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline. But Phillies are reportedly demanding top prospects in return.

"I guess I'm anxious just to get it over with, Hellickson said. "My focus is here and on my next start.

Hellickson has made one career start against Atlanta and it occurred this season. He received a no-decision on July 7 after allowing two runs in six innings.

Hellickson will be pitching after Vince Velasquez allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings. Velasquez's name has been mentioned in trade rumors along with Hellickson's

The Braves haven't announced who their starter will be for Sunday afternoon. They recalled right-hander Ryan Weber and could use him or dip into Triple-A Gwinnett for another player, possibly Aaron Blair or Casey Kelly. Another option is Joel De La Cruz, who has made two starts for the Braves, but has worked out of the bullpen since early July.

"We're not 100 percent sure yet," Snitker said. "We'll keep grinding away and something will rear its head and be the right thing to do."

The Braves did enough things right to snap a five-game losing streak to the Phillies with Friday's 2-1 win. Nick Markakis went 3-for-3 and Tyrell Jenkins allowed an unearned run in six innings for his major league victory.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (56-47) at Marlins (55-48)

Game: 3
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: July 30, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

MIAMI -- Jose Fernandez, a good-hitting pitcher, has faced right-hander Andrew Cashner before.

"I didn't like it at all," Fernandez said of the experience.

The Miami Marlins, who on Friday acquired Cashner as the centerpiece of a seven-player trade with the San Diego Padres, are hoping that opposing hitters will hate the experience, too.

Miami also acquired right-handers Colin Rea, who will start Saturday against the St. Louis Cardinals, and Tayron Guerrero, who was sent to Double-A Jacksonville.

Rea, 26, made his major-league debut last year, going 2-2 with a 4.26 ERA. This year, he is 5-5 with a 4.98 ERA.

On Saturday, Rea will face Cardinals right-hander Jaime Garcia, who will make his 21st start of the season, the most he has had since getting 32 starts in 2011.

Garcia leads the National League in ground-ball percentage (58.7). He has also induced 16 double plays, which ranks fourth in the NL. He has fared well in five career starts against the Marlins, going 2-0 with a 1.99 ERA. That's the sixth-best ERA against the Marlins among active pitchers.

That's a tough matchup for Rea, and it won't get any easier for Cashner when he makes his Marlins debut on Sunday. The Cards will counter with right-hander Carlos Martinez (10-6, 2.87 ERA).

Marlins GM Michael Hill said Friday that he believes Miami is "a playoff team," and that's why he gave up so much in the trade -- including his organization's top hitting prospect (first baseman Josh Naylor) and two pitchers who can throw 100 mph (Luis Castillo and Carter Capps). Veteran right-hander Jarred Cosart was also sent to the Padres.

"Andrew has pitched at the top of a rotation," Hill said. "We felt he was the most impactful target in the (trade) market.

"It was a big trade for our team."

Cashner is 4-7 this year with a 4.76 ERA -- not impressive numbers. But he went 10-9 with a 3.09 ERA in 31 starts in 2013 and 5-7 with a 2.55 ERA in 19 starts the next year.

Things have gone south for Cashner since then, but he has been better in his past three starts, posting a 2.55 ERA with 23 strikeouts and three walks. His fastball averages 94.1 mph, the kind of power stuff the Marlins prefer.

"We wanted to get someone who is hot," Hill said, "and that did play into it as we agreed on Andrew."

Hill said Marlins manager Don Mattingly was part of the trade-evaluation process. Mattingly knows Cashner well -- they competed against each other in the NL West when the former was the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Marlins had "a long list" of trade targets before settling on the Padres' offer that included Guerrero, a 25-year-old with a 100 mph fastball.

Hill said it wasn't easy to trade for an established starting pitcher such as Cashner.

"The asking prices -- the starting pitching market is very competitive," Hill said. "We knew we were going to have to give up very good players if we were going to accomplish our goals."

Now that the deal is done, we will see how it plays out on the field. The Marlins and Cardinals are in a tough fight -- as it currently stands - for the second and final NL wild-card playoff spot.

St. Louis, after winning the first two of the four-game series, leads Miami by one game in that pursuit.

But the Marlins, who have acquired three major-league pitchers -- Cashner, Rea and a previous deal with San Diego for reliever Fernando Rodney -- in the past few weeks, have at least proved they are serious about making a postseason push.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pirates (52-49) at Brewers (45-56)

Game: 2
Venue: Miller Park
Date: July 30, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

MILWAUKEE -- The Pittsburgh Pirates' Jameson Taillon may have a few extra thoughts running through his head when he faces Milwaukee's Hernan Perez on Saturday night.

Just 11 days earlier in Pittsburgh, Perez lined a pitch off the back of Taillon's head in the second inning. Fortunately, Taillon wasn't seriously injured. Even more remarkable, he remained in that game to pitch six strong innings, allowing just five hits and one earned run.

"To be honest, I was waiting for it to hurt when I was down," Taillon told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "I really felt good the whole way through."

Taillon knew he was extremely fortunate, saying on Twitter that night: "Not exactly how I imagined today going when I got out of bed. But going to bed feeling extremely lucky."

Taillon will make his eighth big-league start Saturday when he faces the Milwaukee Brewers.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2010 draft, Taillon took six full years to reach the majors. He'll turn 26 in November. He's 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA in seven starts with the Pirates this season.

Taillon showed no ill effects from the close call and made his next start last Sunday against Philadelphia. He went six innings and allowed eight hits and four runs (3 earned) but did not get a decision in a 5-4 victory.

The Pirates will be looking to avenge a 3-1 loss to the Brewers on Friday night.

Milwaukee counters with right-hander Chase Anderson, who snapped a four-game losing streak in his last outing. Milwaukee is just 7-12 in games started by Anderson.

The Brewers hope left fielder Ryan Braun will return to the lineup.

Braun has missed the last two games with stiffness in his right side.

"It is day-to-day," Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said before Friday's game. "He's improved today. I'm hoping he's back in there tomorrow. It is improving for sure and not deemed serious."

Braun is hitting a team-leading .321 with 14 homers and 46 RBIs.

"Pretty good," Braun said when asked how he felt before Friday's game. "A little bit better than yesterday. Just a little bit tight; waiting for it to loosen up.

"Obviously the danger becomes when it's really tight it won't loosen up. So we're just trying to avoid hurting it badly. I'll get some treatment on it today and hopefully get back out there tomorrow."

Braun has dealt with similar problems in the past.

"It's not fun, and obviously that's what we're trying to avoid," he said. "Whenever it gets to the point where it gets tight and it won't loosen up...I felt it for a few days but yesterday it just wouldn't loosen up so obviously it made sense to not take the chance to do something worse to it."

At 52-49, the Pirates are three games out of the National League's second wild-card position. They have earned a wild-card playoff berth in each of the previous three seasons after a 20-year playoff drought.

The Pirates appear likely to be without catcher Francisco Cervelli, who took a pitch off his right ankle Friday night behind the plate. Cervelli had just returned 10 days ago from a five-week stint on the disabled list because of a broken bone in his left hand.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle could only term the injury "right-foot discomfort" after the game, although Cervelli appeared to be in significant pain.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockies (51-52) at Mets (53-49)

Game: 3
Venue: Citi Field
Date: July 30, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The Colorado Rockies are hoping to hit the .500 mark Saturday and then use it as a springboard to more notable accomplishments. The New York Mets will be looking to avoid slipping another game closer to .500 while climbing out of the funk that has imperiled their chances at defending the National League pennant.

The Rockies try to reach .500 for the first time in more than two months Saturday night when they visit the Mets in the third contest of a four-game series at Citi Field.

Colorado (51-52) won its second straight game over New York (53-49) on Friday, when Carlos Gonzalez went 2-for-5 with four RBIs in a 6-1 victory. The win was the 11th in 15 games since the All-Star Break for the Rockies, who are five games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the race for the NL's second wild card.

The Rockies have not been at .500 since they were 21-21 on May 21. The franchise has not been at .500 after the All-Star Break since 2010, the last time Colorado finished with a winning record.

"That's a good benchmark," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "We've worked hard to get in this position. We've worked really hard. That's the first benchmark and there are other ones after that. Obviously we want to be playing after the regular season's over."

The Mets played as long as possible last season, when they won the NL for the first time since 2000 before falling to the Kansas City Royals in five games in the World Series. But New York has lost 11 of its last 17 to fall 2 1/2 games behind the Cardinals.

The Mets have scored three runs or fewer 13 times in the last 17 games. On Friday, they had runners at first and second with nobody out in the eighth before Rockies right-hander Scott Oberg recorded three outs on three pitches.

"I think they're going to bounce back," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "We just have to quit worrying about the bad stuff and start thinking about some of the good things ahead."

Mets right-hander Bartolo Colon will oppose Rockies left-hander Jorge De La Rosa in a battle of rotation elder statesmen. Colon, who earned the win in the second game of a doubleheader against the Cardinals on Tuesday, will be starting on three days rest for the first time since 2005. The 43-year-old is not only the only pitcher older than 28 in the New York rotation but also the oldest player in baseball.

The 35-year-old De La Rosa, the only 30-something in the Rockies' rotation, will be looking for his 100th career win. Twenty-six active pitchers have reached the milestone.

Prior to Saturday's game, the Mets will retire the number 31 worn by recent Hall of Fame inductee Mike Piazza, who played for the team from 1998-2005.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (50-53) at Twins (39-63)

Game: 3
Venue: Target Field
Date: July 30, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins broke through for a victory for the second time in 10 games against the Chicago White Sox in one of the weirdest ways possible Friday night: A pinch-hit, walk-off walk by Joe Mauer.

Despite an illustrious career filled with batting titles, All-Star games and an MVP award, it was only the second career walk-off plate appearance for Mauer, whose walk gave the Twins to a 2-1 victory.

An on-base machine over his career, White Sox pitcher Tommy Kahnle got strike one before missing on four straight balls to walk in the winning run.

"That might be my first (walk-off walk)," Mauer said. "I was happy for the opportunity. I haven't (had that chance) a whole lot over my career but those are fun situations to be in and when you come through like tonight, it's even better."

It was a tough way for Chicago to lose as it's dropped three straight contests. The White Sox trail the Central Division-leading Cleveland Indians by 9 1/2 games and the Boston Red Sox, the second wildcard, by seven.

"You feel like you gave it to them if you're not going to throw strikes," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "That's what makes it tougher."

Chicago tries to get back on track with Miguel Gonzalez on the mound Saturday. Gonzalez boasts a 2-5 record and a pedestrian 4.28 ERA but has been solid in five July starts, lasting at least six innings in each turn and posting a 2.76 ERA in that span. He has won just one of those outings however and the White Sox are 2-3 in games he has started since July 1.

Gonzalez has struggled in three career games against the Twins, posting a 1-2 record with a 5.94 ERA.

Minnesota goes with Tommy Milone (3-3, 4.97 ERA), who is looking to rebound off one of his worst starts of the season last time out against the Red Sox on Sunday when he allowed eight runs (four earned) on 10 hits in 4 2/3 innings.

A solid outing by Milone could help boost his trade value for a contender looking for a long reliever or bottom of the rotation arm heading into Monday's trade deadline. Minnesota traded infielder Eduardo Nunez on Thursday in the first of what is expected to be a busy weekend for the team with the American League's worst record. Rumors have been swirling about the future of a number of the Twins' veterans.

Milone gave up five runs on nine hits and a walk in 3 1/3 innings against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field on June 30, but has generally fared well against them in his career. The left-hander is 4-1 with a 2.75 ERA in nine starts.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics (47-56) at Indians (58-42)

Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: July 30, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

CLEVELAND -- With both teams nervously wondering if their teams will make any moves prior to Monday's trade deadline, the Cleveland Indians and Oakland Athletics meet Saturday night at Progressive Field for the second contest of their three-game series.

Cleveland won the first game Friday, coming back from a 3-0 deficit to win 5-3. The Indians and A's have been subject to lots of trade speculation, and the A's speculation took a dramatic turn Friday, when it was announced that left-hander Rich Hill will not make his scheduled start Sunday.

Hill, who is having a good year (9-3, 2.25 ERA), hasn't started a game in nearly two weeks. Hill's last appearaance came July 17, and he was removed from that game in the first inning because of a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand.

Hill had a throwing session Friday to test the finger.

"He's better, but it's not to the point where we want to run him out there and take the chance of him ripping a layer of skin off and then we lose him for an even longer period of time," manager Bob Melvin said. "He's eager to pitch, but he knows he has to be careful with it."

It seems likely Hill will be placed on the disabled list -- perhaps as early as Saturday -- in order to make room for left-hander Dillon Overton, who will be recalled from Triple-A Nashville and will start Saturday.

In three starts with the A's earlier this season Overton was 1-1 with an 8.40 ERA. In 17 appearances (16 starts) at Nashville, Overton was 10-4 with a 3.21 ERA.

The Indians on Saturday start control artist Josh Tomlin. Tomlin is 10-3 with a 3.48 ERA, and leads all American League pitchers with an average of 0.95 walks per nine innings.

In two career starts versus the A's, Tomlin is 0-2 with a 3.29 ERA. He is prone to giving up home runs. He has allowed 24 this year, easily the most of any Indians pitcher. Only three American League pitchers have allowed more.

The Indians are 6-6 since the All-Star break. They are still in first place in the AL Central, but second place Detroit has been closing the gap. The Indians' lead in the division, which was as high as 7 1/2 games on July 20, is down to 4 1/2 games.

The Indians did make a roster move Friday that affects their bullpen. Jeff Manship, who is one of the Indians' most used relievers and has a 3.38 ERA in 37 appearances, was placed on the disabled list with right wrist tendinitis.

"He's had it for a while and we felt this was a good time to shut him down for a couple weeks and let his wrist rest," manager Terry Francona said.

To replaced Manship on the roster, the Indians activated reliever Zach McAllister, who had been on the disabled list since July 7 with right hip discomfort.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Astros (55-47) at Tigers (55-48)

Game: 2
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: July 30, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

DETROIT -- The Houston Astros are a little pinched in the outfield and on the bench until center fielder Carlos Gomez gets back into action.

Houston plays the middle of a three-game weekend series in Detroit on Saturday night with Mike Fiers facing Justin Verlander in a matchup of right-handers.

Doug Fister didn't travel with Houston -- he's not scheduled to start again until Monday -- to be with his wife awaiting the birth of their first child. The Astros will place Fister on paternity leave once the baby's birth is imminent and at that time could add an extra player to alleviate the bench shortage.

They had another setback Friday night when first baseman Marwin Gonzalez had to come out in the seventh due to right hand soreness. If Gonzalez, who is listed as day-to-day, can't play for a game or two, that would leave Houston with just its backup catcher as its reserve.

Gomez suffered a mild hamstring pull Wednesday and Friday said he hoped to be able to play Sunday.

"I don't want to put a date on it," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. He's got to run first."

Houston added infielder Tyler White when it placed Luis Valbuena on the 15-day disabled list but that still left the club with just catcher Jason Castro and outfielder Preston Tucker as useable reserves and it had to hold Castro in reserve Friday in case something happened to starter Evan Gattis.

"We had to make a move," Hinch said. "We're pretty banged up."

Houston is facing Detroit's best pitcher over the last decade, Verlander, on Saturday night. Verlander is going for his 11th win after earning his 10th on Monday in Boston.

Verlander (10-6, 3.64 ERA) is 3-0 with a 1.60 ERA for July entering his final start of the month and will be looking to pitch Detroit to its fifth straight win after Tyler Collins, Justin Upton and James McCann homered in Friday's 14-6 win after the Tigers fell behind in the first inning.

"Once we scored two, it's a fresh game," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. "Looking at it from the opponent's point of view the last thing you want to do and we've done it, is when you score runs, you don't want to give up runs the next half-inning.

"But when you're in our situation, down a couple runs, best thing you can do is score a couple runs, get back in it, tie it, or even score more, take the lead. But it basically reset the game."

Over his career, Verlander is 3-0 with a 2.06 ERA against the Astros in six starts.

In Fiers, Detroit will be facing a pitcher who is 1-0 against it in three career starts. He beat the Tigers earlier this season in Houston. His career ERA against the Tigers is 3.24.

Fiers (7-4, 4.69 ERA) won his last start, allowing three runs in seven innings to the Los Angeles Angels.

The Tigers brought lefty Daniel Norris back to Detroit following his second rehab start (three runs, six innings) but Ausmus declined to reveal exactly when he gets plugged back into the rotation next week.

Rookie Michael Fulmer has his next start pushed back because Detroit has two days off between them. But exactly when he starts again is partially contingent on when Norris and the other Tigers starter on a rehab assignment, Jordan Zimmermann, get slotted back into the rotation.

Norris worked Thursday so he could be dropped back into the rotation Tuesday against the Chicago White Sox. If Zimmerman comes out of his rehab start Friday well he could pitch Wednesday.

But Ausmus is likely to have Fulmer work one of three games against the White Sox.

Detroit made two minor league moves Friday. It promoted hard-throwing closer prospect Joe Jimenez to Triple-A Toledo and also signed former Texas lefty Cesar Ramos to a Triple-A contract.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (49-53) at Rangers (60-44)

Game: 3
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: July 30, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Something going to have to give Saturday when Kansas City's Ian Kennedy matches up against Texas' Martin Perez.

Both pitchers are having months they'd rather forget as their teams have struggled to the month. At least they have that in common.

Kennedy, the subject of trade rumors, is 0-3 in July and 6.9 with a 4.41 ERA in a disappointing season for the right-hander. At least Perez (7-7) knows how Kennedy is feeling. Like Kennedy, Perez has suffered through a 0-3 July and has seen his ERA jump from 3.39 to 4.38 over his last four starts.

While Kennedy may be pitching for his rotation spot and a chance to impress a possible trade partner, Perez is just trying to get back on track after having a stretch in which he went 6-0 over eight starts from May 24 until July 1.

Saturday he'll have a chance to give their Rangers three-consecutive wins from the rotation for the first time since he was part of a four-game rotation winning streak June 14-17.

He knows what has to happen.

"I need to be more aggressive," said Perez, who allowed five runs (three earned) in his last start. "My curveball is back. I need to try and get hitters early and start being aggressive early in the game. I need to make the hitters uncomfortable."

Even though Perez is struggling this month, he has reached some milestones. Saturday's start will be his 22nd of the season, two more than he's made in any other year. He's also thrown 125 1/3 innings, a new career high. He pitched 124 1/3 in 2013.

Perez is also still tied for second on the team in quality starts with 13 in his first full season back since having Tommy John surgery in 2014. He knows how important going deep into games is for a rotation that's struggled.

"Last year I was coming back and I didn't throw that many innings," Perez said. "This year I need to stay healthy because they believe in me, and I think it's my job to help this team win games and try to go long in the games."

Adding to Kennedy's struggles is the fact that his name continues to pop up in trade rumors. He's trying not to pay attention to that and focus on his job.

"Man I just got here," said Kennedy, who signed a five-year deal with the Royals in the offseason. "I didn't hear that one (trade rumor). I did see my face on TV once, but I didn't hear what they said."

Trade talk is nothing new for Kennedy. He was traded in 2009 as part of a three-team deal and then dealt again in 2013 from Arizona to San Diego.

He knows trade talk goes with the territory, especially at this time of the year.

"It's kind of nothing," he said. "It's part of the business, now especially because there are so many prospects that are really good that teams want."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Reds (41-61) at Padres (44-59)

Game: 2
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: July 30, 2016 8:40 PM EDT

SAN DIEGO -- Brandon Finnegan and two Cincinnati Reds relievers Friday night ruined what could have been an epic showdown Saturday night at Petco Park.

Or, they beat Anthony DeSclafini to the punch.

Finnegan, Michael Lorenzen and Blake Wood shut out the Padres on six hits Friday night at Petco Park -- meaning the Padres didn't get a home run , ending San Diego's National League record-tying streak of games with at least one homer at 25 straight.

The effort of the Reds' trio ruined a showdown rematch between the Padres hitters and another right-handed Reds' starter -- DeSclafini.

Back on June 26, DeSclafini and left-handed reliever Tony Cingrani combined to shut out the Padres on five hits. In their very next game, the Padres launched their streak of homering in 25 straight games.

The win over the Padres was the second in the DeSclafini's run of six straight wins.

DeSclafini will be making his 10th start of the season Saturday night. He is the first Cincinnati pitcher to produce at least six wins without a loss over his first nine starts since Paul Wilson went 6-0 in his first nine starts in 2004.

DeSclafini has a 3.09 earned run average since starting his 2016 season 10 weeks late due to a strained left oblique muscle suffered in his last spring training start.

"Anthony is just hitting his stride," Reds manager Bryan Price said of the 26-year-old, who was 9-for-13 with a 4.05 ERA in 31 starts for the Reds last season.

DeSclafini will be matched against Padres left-hander Christian Friedrich Saturday night, who overnight became the dean of the Padres rotation when right-handed starters Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea were both traded to Miami Thursday morning in a seven-player trade.

Saturday will be Friedrich's 14th start, which is the most among the Padres current rotation of -- from top to bottom -- Luis Perdomo, Friedrich, Edwin Jackson (who gave up six runs to the Reds on Friday night on 10 hits in five innings), Paul Clemens and Jarred Cosart, who was one of four players acquired by the Padres from the Marlins.

Clemens replaces Rea in the Padres rotation Sunday in the series finale against the Reds. Cosart moves into the rotation Monday when the Brewers come to Petco Park.

The 28-year-old Friedrich has a 5.00 ERA and his performance has been slipping.

His most recent start last Sunday in Washington was his shortest of the season, lasting only three innings during which he allowed five runs on six hits and a walk with no strikeouts.

"Christian is fine when he hits his spots," said Padres manager Andy Green. "But he has to hit his spots to be in command."

Friedrich is 0-4 over his last five starts with a 7.72 ERA. He is 1-5 over his last seven starts with a 7.86 ERA.

His ERA has climbed in each of his last seven starts, ballooning from 2.12 to 5.00. Still, the Padres are 6-7 in his 13 starts.

"One of the things you like about Friedrich is that he is competitive," said Green. "He's going to give you everything he has. With a few exceptions, he's given us a chance to win. For the most part, he's been in close games."

But Friedrich's margin of error might be reduced if DeSclafini duplicates his first career start against the Padres on June 26.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Sox (56-45) at Angels (46-57)

Game: 3
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: July 30, 2016 9:05 PM EDT

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Having pitched for the American League West rival Oakland A's, Drew Pomeranz is no stranger to the Los Angeles Angels.

But the Pomeranz the Angels will face on Saturday will be a different Pomeranz than they're used to. And it isn't because Pomeranz now pitches for the Boston Red Sox.

Pomeranz, who was traded from Oakland to San Diego during the offseason, developed a much-needed third pitch that propelled him into the Padres' starting rotation and eventually to the National League All-Star team before he was traded to Boston on July 14.

He was 8-7 with a 2.47 ERA in 17 starts for the Padres, and a significant part of his success can be attributed to the cutter he learned just before the start of spring training.

While learning a new pitch is not all that unusual, what was unusual was who Pomeranz learned that pitch from.

Pomeranz was working out a couple weeks before spring training, playing catch with minor league catcher Travis Higgs, when Pomeranz noticed how Higgs' ball would move.

"I noticed his ball would cut, so I asked him about it," Pomeranz told The Huffington Post. "He showed me how to throw it. At first, maybe one out of 10 (of his pitches) would cut. I kept doing it every day, and guys were missing it. No one was squaring it up, so I was like, 'I guess this thing works.'"

It has been a good pitch to complement his exceptional curveball and a 92-mph fastball.

Pomeranz, though, is 0-1 with a 7.00 ERA in two starts for Boston, and will go up against one of the hottest pitchers in baseball. Angels starter Hector Santiago hasn't lost a decision since June 10, winning six consecutive decisions and five straight starts.

He is 5-0 with a 1.48 ERA in July, and is 9-4 with a 4.28 ERA overall in 21 starts. And he is doing it despite rumors he could be traded before the non-waiver trading deadline Aug. 1.

"Honestly, I have no control over that," Santiago told the Orange County Register. "I can't come in and tell them to trade me or not trade me. I just try to come in and have fun and be happy every day. If this is my last game here I just enjoy it and have fun with the guys and see what happens from there."

Santiago is 2-3 with a 2.97 ERA in seven career games (six starts) against Boston. His last start against the Red Sox came July 2 at Fenway, and Santiago earned the win after giving up just one unearned run and four hits in six innings.

Santiago has had success against most of the Red Sox's top hitters, holding David Ortiz to a .214 average and Mookie Betts to .222. However, Xander Bogaerts has had Santiago's number, hitting .556 (5 for 9) against him.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (42-61) at Dodgers (58-45)

Game: 2
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: July 30, 2016 9:10 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- While the Los Angeles Dodgers chase down the San Francisco Giants for the top spot in the National League West, the Arizona Diamondbacks are sinking farther into the cellar.

The Diamondbacks had to stomach another stinker Friday night at Dodger Stadium. Joc Pederson and Chase Utley homered to spark a five-run rally in the seventh inning and the Dodgers defeated the Diamondbacks 9-7 in a back-and-forth affair Friday night before 50,966.

"I don't think we were playing that way a month ago," said Pederson, who was 2-for-4 with a career-tying four RBIs. "We're coming up with a lot more clutch hits and we have a special thing going to get us through games late."

Yasmani Grandal's run-scoring single in the seventh was the difference as the Dodgers (58-45) came back from a four-run deficit to prevail. The win pushed Los Angeles (58-45) within a game of the National League West-leading Giants, who lost to the Washington Nationals.

"Every win's a big one but that was arguably the best of the year," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "We're resilient."

Meanwhile, the Diamondbacks (42-61) dropped 17 games back in the division and two behind the fourth-place San Diego Padres.

"It's unfortunate we didn't get the win (Friday) but we just got to come back and keep battling and hopefully we can scratch a couple (of win)," Arizona right-hander Zack Godley, who started the game but didn't factor into the decision.

Arizona will try to bounce back Saturday.

The Diamondbacks will start Braden Shipley (0-1, 10.13 ERA) against Los Angeles lefty Scott Kazmir (9-3, 4.35 ERA). The Milwaukee Brewers tagged Shipley for six runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings in his major league debut and a 7-2 romp on July 25.

In his last outing, Kazmir won his seventh straight decision in a in a 9-6 Dodgers' decision over the St. Louis Cardinals on July 24. Kazmir allowed three runs on six hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked none.

Kazmir hasn't faced the Diamondbacks since June 22, 2007 when he was with the Tampa Bay Rays. In that contest, Kazmir struck out eight, walked two and limited Arizona to a run on three hits in 7 2/3 innings and claimed the win in the Rays' 4-1 victory.

Arizona's Zac Curtis (0-1) allowed two runs and didn't retire a batter in Friday's debacle but he attempted to put a brave face on the rest of the series.

"It's just letting it go and move on," said Curtis, who suffered the loss in Friday's meltdown despite throwing only three pitches. "We're just going to come out (Saturday) and fight. I know it's hard right now because it's a tough loss after coming out and scoring like that but we'll get past it."

Added Diamondbacks catcher Wellington Castillo, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI on Friday night, "We fight. We hit them, they hit us and they got the win," Castillo said. "We kept competing."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Saturday, July 30, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

I suppose it's possible that the MLB futures odds could look vastly different by the time I write my next "Five to Follow" story for Tuesday's games, but I rather doubt it. The Cubs will be World Series favorites regardless, but a team like the Red Sox, Rangers, Nationals or Dodgers could make a big climb if they somehow landed ace Chris Sale from the White Sox. More likely, we see middling names traded by the Aug. 1 deadline. Guys like San Diego pitchers Andrew Cashner and Colin Rea, who were sent to the Marlins on Thursday night. Or Twins shortstop Eduardo Nunez, who was shipped to San Francisco (Nunez will surely play third with the Giants). Or a few guys listed below. In other words, nothing earth-shattering. I do believe we will see some big-name pitchers moved this offseason, however, because the free-agent class is terrible.


Orioles at Blue Jays (-168, 9.5)

It's the first game of the day with a 1:07 p.m. ET first pitch and should have live betting as it's televised by the MLB Network. The Birds go with Yovani Gallardo (3-2, 5.37), who is looking for his first win since June 29. Last time out he did pitch pretty well, allowing two runs and five hits over 6.2 innings against Colorado. Gallardo beat Toronto in his lone start against the Jays this year, allowing two runs over five innings on June 18. Jose Bautista is just 1-for-12 career off him with four strikeouts. Edwin Encarnacion is 6-for-17 with three homers. Toronto goes with lefty J.A. Happ (13-3, 3.27), who already has set a career high for wins. He was terrific last time out, shutting out Seattle on one hit over six innings. Toronto has won his past eight, a streak that started June 11 vs. Baltimore when Happ gave up four runs over seven innings. Chris Davis is 3-for-9 off him with a homer. J.J. Hardy is 3-for-18 off Happ.

Key trends: The Orioles are 4-1 in Gallardo's past five vs. the AL East. The Jays are 11-1 in Happ's past 12 at home. The "over/under" has gone under in Gallardo's past four. The under is 6-1 in Happ's past seven vs. Baltimore.

Early lean: Jays and over.

Nationals at Giants (TBA)

A 4:05 p.m. ET start and televised nationally on Fox Sports 1. Bit of a shame we won't see Max Scherzer or Stephen Strasburg against either Madison Bumgarner or Johnny Cueto in this terrific series. With Joe Ross still sidelined, the Nats are expected to go with one of their top prospects in Reynaldo Lopez (0-1, 11.57), although he could potentially be included in any trade the Nats might make for a reliever. Lopez made his big-league debut on July 19 vs. the Dodgers and allowed six runs and 10 hits over 4.2 innings -- but with nine strikeouts -- and was sent back down. He threw a complete-game shutout in his one outing in Triple-A since. The Giants go with Jake Peavy (5-9, 5.42). He was hit around for six runs (three homers) over five innings last time out in a loss to Cincinnati. This will be his first look at Washington this season. Bryce Harper is 3-for-5 off him with four strikeouts. Daniel Murphy is 3-for-11 with two doubles.

Key trends: The Giants are 9-0 in Peavy's past nine on Saturday. The under is 3-1-1 in his past five.

Early lean: TBA as Nats haven't officially announced Lopez yet, but it's going to be him barring a surprise. I like the Giants.

Phillies at Braves (-128, 7.5)

If I could find a prop on whether this is the last start for Jeremy Hellickson (7-7, 3.65) in a Phillies jersey, I'd drop some big bucks on that. In fact, it wouldn't shock me if he's scratched here with an impending deal in place. Although apparently the Phillies are asking a bit too much for him. So for now it's Hellickson's scheduled start. His last two outings were against the Marlins, who wanted him before that Padres deal, and he allowed just one run and six hits over 14 innings. Hellickson beat Atlanta on July 6, giving up one earned run and four hits over six innings. Jeff Francouer is 3-for-11 off him with two doubles. Nick Markakis is 9-for-44 with two homers. It's Julio Teheran (3-8, 2.71) for the Braves, who now seem likely to keep him at least the rest of this season. He left his last start after four scoreless innings in Colorado on July 22 with back tightness, so he'll go on a few extra days of rest. Teheran hasn't faced the Phillies this year.

Key trends: The Phillies are 5-1 in Hellickson's past six. The Braves are 1-10 in Teheran's past 11 at home. The under is 7-0 in Hellickson's past seven. The under is 11-3 in Teheran's past 14.

Early lean: Phillies and under.

Rockies at Mets (-137, 7.5)

I'd imagine a sellout crowd at Citi Field for this game as the team will retire the No. 31 jersey of Mike Piazza before the game. Of course Piazza, probably the best offensive catcher in MLB history, was inducted into the Hall of Fame last weekend in Cooperstown. It will be the fifth number retired by the Mets, joining Casey Stengel (37), Gil Hodges (14), Tom Seaver (41) and Jackie Robinson (42, by every team in MLB). Will Mets third baseman Jose Reyes get to play against the team that waived him earlier this season? Not looking good as he hasn't played since Tuesday due to an intercostal strain and already has been ruled out through Friday. Monitor the status of Yoenis Cespedes, too, as he was scratched Thursday due to a quad injury and it sounds like he might only be able to pinch-hit for a while. New York starts Bartolo Colon (9-5, 3.35). He had been shaky over his past few starts but dominated the Cardinals on Tuesday in allowing one run and three hits over seven innings. The Mets are a bit thin in their rotation thanks to a doubleheader on Tuesday, so Colon makes his first start on fewer than four days of rest in 11 years. Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez is 4-for-7 career off him with two solo homers. The Rockies counter with lefty Jorge De La Rosa (6-7, 5.70). He pitched well Monday in Baltimore in allowing one earned run over 6.1 innings but took a no-decision. The Mets' James Loney hits him well, going 8-for-18 with a homer and seven RBIs.

Key trends: The Rockies are 1-5 in De La Rosa's past six vs. teams with a winning record. The Mets are 5-0 in Colon's past five at home. The over is 4-1 in De La Rosa's past five on Saturday.

Early lean: Rockies and under (both if Reyes and Cespedes are out).

Red Sox at Angels (+127, 8.5)

Boston lefty Drew Pomeranz (8-8, 2.84) wasn't sharp in his first start with the Sox since being traded from the Padres, but he was much better last time out, allowing two runs and four hits over six innings against Detroit in a no-decision. His one mistake was a two-run homer by Jose Iglesias. Because Pomeranz already has thrown a career-high 111 innings, the Sox don't plan to let him throw more than 100 pitches in a game. He was pulled at 99 vs. Detroit. Pomeranz hasn't faced the Angels this year. Mike Trout is 1-for-8 career against him with a homer. Albert Pujols is 1-for-12. The Halos apparently are listening to offers for lefty Hector Santiago (9-4, 4.28), and his value is really high right now as he's 5-0 with a 1.48 ERA in July. That streak started with six innings pitched in Boston on July 2 when Santiago allowed one unearned run and four hits. Xander Bogaerts is 5-for-9 off him. David Ortiz is 3-for-14 with four RBIs.

Key trends: The Sox are 4-0 in their past four vs. a lefty. The Angels are 4-1 in Santiago's past five vs. teams with a winning record. The over is 9-4 in Santiago's past 13.

Early lean: Red Sox and over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Baltimore Orioles at Toronto Blue Jays Series July 29-31 2016

Toronto and Baltimore play a crucial three-game series north of the border this weekend with top spot in the East at stake. The clubs have split ten games this season with Blue Jays holding a 3-1 edge meeting at Rogers Center.

A.L. East leading Orioles looking to put some distance between themselves and the rest of the division open the series with Kevin Gausman on the hill. Blue Jays two games back hoping to inch closer counter with Marco Estrada. Jays have won three straight vs Orioles in this park with Estrada, Gausman not a peg to hang your hopes on in an opposing park is saddled with an 0-13 skid in enemy territory.

Saturday, probable pitching matchup has J.A. Happ squaring off with Yovani Gallardo. Happ having a strong campaign is undefeated in eight starts. Toronto emerged triumphant in each of the games and have won ten of his last eleven trips to the mound. Gallardo is coming off perhaps the best outing wearing an Orioles uniform tossing 6 2/3 innings of 2 run ball in a home win vs Colorado. However, Orioles have lost four of his last six road starts which includes 1-3 as an underdog which will be the case here.

The finale features Aaron Sanchez and Chris Tillman on respective mounds. Sanchez in great form has surrendered two earned runs or fewer in 7 consecutive starts and 9 of his last 10. He also has won 10 consecutive decisions with Jays 12-4 over the sixteen starts. Sanchez carries to the mound a sparkling 5-1 team start stretch at home vs a division opponent. Tillman not at his best last outing tagged with a loss giving up 6 runs over 5.0 innings faces a big test. Rogers Centre has been a tough environment for Tillman, in eleven starts he's has a 7.94 ERA getting tagged for 19 yard-ball with Orioles 3-8 in those games.

Toronto's top three hurlers doing their bidding, Jays 9-2 vs the division with Sanchez, Estrada, Happ, 8-2 last 10 home hosting a division rival, 11-4 last 15 in front of the home audience expect the boys from north of the border to have a productive weekend winning 2-of-3 and/or possibly sweep the series.