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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB roundup: Yankees win in Rodriguez's final game
By The Sports Xchange

NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez clapped his hands emphatically after getting an RBI double in the first inning. Five innings later, he celebrated a big hit by Starlin Castro and when it ended, he walked off the field from third base to a standing ovation and embraces from teammates.
On a night designed to celebrate Rodriguez's time with the New York Yankees, the 41-year-old had plenty to enjoy during a 6-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.
Before the game, Rodriguez was honored in a brief ceremony but there were some odd circumstances. The ceremony started with the tarp on the field and loud thunder was heard as it started and Rodriguez's family was introduced
The ceremony ended during a downpour but once Rodriguez's final game began, there was plenty of noise for the Yankees.
Rodriguez had an RBI double off Chris Archer (6-16) in his first at-bat and when he made it to second standing up, he applauded in excitement.

Padres 8, Mets 6
NEW YORK -- Ryan Schimpf hit two homers, including a first-inning grand slam, to spark an early power surge by San Diego, who held on for a win over New York at Citi Field.
The Padres won despite being unable to reach base over the final 6 1/3 innings against four relievers.
The Mets lost their fourth straight and fell under .500 for the first time since April 17. New York has lost six of seven and is 10-20 since July 8.
Schimpf hit a two-run homer in the third. It was the second two-homer game of his rookie season.

Astros 5, Blue Jays 3
TORONTO -- Teoscar Hernandez hit a home run for his first major league hit, Joe Musgrove struck out seven in seven innings for his first major league win and Houston defeated Toronto.
Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa each drove in two runs for the Astros, who won their fourth game in a row. The Blue Jays entered with a half-game lead over Baltimore in the American League East.
Musgrove (1-0) allowed six hits, one walk and two runs while striking out seven. He gave up a solo homer to Michael Saunders.

Indians 13, Angels 3
CLEVELAND -- Brandon Guyer recorded five RBIs, Jason Kipnis had four hits and Cleveland had a team record-tying eight stolen bases en route to a victory over Los Angeles at Progressive Field.
American League stolen base leader Rajai Davis had three, hoisting his league-leading total to 31. Jose Ramirez also had three steals, while Kipnis and Francisco Lindor had one apiece as Cleveland increased its league-leading total to 92.
The eight stolen bases tied the Indians' team record, originally set Aug. 27, 1917 against Washington.

Red Sox 9. Diamondbacks 4
BOSTON -- Hanley Ramirez hit three-run homers off Patrick Corbin in each of the first two innings and David Price won for the first time in more than a month as Boston ended Arizona's four-game winning streak with a victory in the opener of a three-game interleague series.
Red Sox manager John Farrell said Ramirez, who didn't hit in the ninth inning after injuring his lower back Thursday, let him know early in the day he would play Friday. Ramirez then hit his 15th and 16th homers of the year to stake Boston to an 8-2 lead.
David Ortiz also had two hits in the first two innings, one driving in a run, and then blasted a solo homer (No. 26) in the seventh as the Red Sox won for the second time in six games.

Cubs 13, Cardinals 2
CHICAGO -- Kris Bryant and Willson Contreras combined for five early RBIs while right-hander Jake Arrieta allowed just one run in 5 2/3 innings as Chicago scored early and late in a victory over St. Louis.
Bryant was 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two RBI while Contreras slammed a three-run homer to pace an early attack as the Cubs scored seven times in the first two innings off Cardinals starter Adam Wainwright.
The Cubs used the long ball for six late runs -- all off Cardinals reliever Jerome Williams.

White Sox 4, Marlins 2
MIAMI -- Miami native Carlos Rodon, pitching his first pro game in his hometown, led Chicago to a victory over Miami at Marlins Park.
Rodon (3-8) allowed one run, three hits and three walks in 122 pitches over six innings.
David Robertson, who blew two straight save chances earlier this week, pitched a scoreless ninth and earned his 28th save of the season.
The White Sox, playing their first game in Miami since 2004, were led offensively by leadoff batter Adam Eaton, who went 4-for-5 with a run scored.

Braves 8, Nationals 5
WASHINGTON -� Freddie Freeman hit a three-run homer and doubled in another run, Anthony Recker clubbed a two-run shot and Atlanta defeated Stephen Strasburg and Washington.
Jace Peterson also homered for Atlanta, which has won 7 of 10 and snapped a 14-game losing streak at Nationals Park.
Freeman also walked and was hit by a pitch as he continued his assault on Washington pitching. In 92 career games against the Nationals, he's hitting .327 with 26 doubles, 11 homers and 49 RBIs. Against Strasburg, he�s 14-for-34 (.412) with four homers and 13 RBIs.

Phillies 10, Rockies 6
PHILADELPHIA -- Ryan Howard hit a go-ahead grand slam and drove in five runs to help rookie right-hander Jake Thompson earn his first major league victory as Philadelphia beat Colorado.
Howard's fifth-inning slam off Jon Gray snapped a 3-3 tie. He added an RBI single off reliever Jordan Lyles in the eighth while going 3-for-5.
Thompson (1-1) was a winner in his first home start. Philadelphia, which won its second straight, had 11 hits.

Reds 7, Brewers 4
MILWAUKEE -- Homer Bailey threw six shutout innings and Adam Duvall hit his 27th home run of the season as Cincinnati opened a three-game series against Milwaukee with a victory at Miller Park.
Making his third start since undergoing Tommy John surgery last spring, Bailey (2-1) scattered three hits while striking out 11.
He was challenged just once, putting two on with nobody out in the fifth, but got out of it with an infield popup and pair of strikeouts, then struck out the side in the sixth.

Pirates 5, Dodgers 1
LOS ANGELES -- Andrew McCutchen and Jordy Mercer homered and Pittsburgh continued its dominance of Los Angeles in a victory before 47,438 at Dodger Stadium.
The Pirates won for the 14th time in their last 18 meetings with the Dodgers. Pittsburgh has taken four of five from Los Angeles this season.
McCutchen, who went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, is 8-of-16 with two homers in his last seven games at Dodger Stadium.

Mariners 6, Athletics 3
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Khris Davis hit his career-high 28th home run, rookie left-hander Sean Manaea pitched six solid innings and Oakland snapped Seattle's six-game winning streak with a victory at Oakland Coliseum.
Davis, who had 27 home runs last season for Milwaukee, set a career high with a two-run blast in the first inning when the A's built a 3-0 lead. He had two hits and scored twice.
Marcus Semien went 4-for-4, matching his career high for hits, and scored two runs for the A's, who won for the fourth time in their past five games. Stephen Vogt had two hits and an RBI double, and Yonder Alonso went 2-for-4 and drove in two.

Royals 7, Twins 3
MINNEAPOLIS -- Kendrys Morales homered and Yordano Ventura pitched seven solid innings to lead Kansas City to a win over Minnesota at Target Field.
Ventura stumbled through the early innings, surrendering two homers in the first three innings before settling down and retiring 13 of the final 15 men he faced. He gave up three runs, four hits and a walk while striking out nine in picking up his eighth victory of the year.
Morales, who served a one-game suspension on Thursday for entering the field after an ejection during a game last week, singled, walked twice and added a solo home run in the seventh.

Orioles 5, Giants 2
SAN FRANCISCO -- Mark Trumbo belted his major-league-leading 33rd home run, propelling Baltimore to a victory over San Francisco in the opener of a three-game interleague series.
Rookie Dylan Bundy won his third consecutive start with 5 2/3 strong innings as the Orioles reclaimed first place in the American League East from the Toronto Blue Jays, who lost 5-3 to Houston.
The loss was San Francisco's 17th in 25 games since the All-Star break, but the Giants nonetheless were able to retain a one-game lead in the National League West after the Los Angeles Dodgers lost to Pittsburgh.

Rangers 8, Tigers 5
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Jonathan Lucroy drilled two home runs to back Yu Darvish and Texas outslugged Detroit at Globe Life Park.
Lucroy has been on a tear since joining the Rangers at the trade deadline. The All-Star catcher has six homers and 11 RBIs with Texas after driving in five in the opener of a three-game series.
The American League West-leading Rangers improved to 69-48 after their sixth win in the last seven games. Texas has also beaten the Tigers six straight times.
Detroit is headed in the wrong direction. Despite being second in AL Central and in the thick of the wild-card race, the Tigers have dropped five in a row and the first four on their current six-game road trip.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rays (46-68) at Yankees (59-56)

Game: 2
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: August 13, 2016 1:05 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- For the first time in nearly 13 years, the New York Yankees will play a game without Alex Rodriguez somewhere in their organization.

A day after Rodriguez's run in New York concluded, the Yankees continue a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday afternoon.

"I'm going to miss him, I'm going to miss this guy," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "This guy did a lot of great things."

While throngs of media including CNN descended upon Yankee Stadium for Rodriguez's exit from the Yankees, the team will have another noteworthy event Saturday. The Yankees are honoring the 1996 championship team, which began the dynasty they were never able to recapture during the 41-year-old's eventful stint in New York.

Rodriguez played with a few of those members in Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte in New York as well as Jeff Nelson and Tino Martinez in Seattle.

Once the ceremonies end, the Yankees play their first game since Sept. 28, 2003 against Baltimore with Rodriguez not on the active roster, the restricted list or disabled list.

Then the Yankees will try to win their fourth straight game, which would be their second such streak since the All-Star break. New York won four straight July 17-20 but lost 10 of its next 18 games.

After Starlin Castro drove in four runs and Rodriguez had an RBI double in Friday's 6-3 victory, the Yankees (59-56) have a chance to equal a season high by getting four games over .500 while Rodriguez apparently prepares for life as an advisor to managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner.

"I have a lot of faith in our group," Rodriguez said. "Give those guys a lot of credit. We've played hard down the stretch. A lot of things have happened, but I think Hal has set the tone for us. He said we're still in this race and I believe him.

"That comment probably wouldn't have been a realistic comment 10 years ago but the way baseball is today, crazier things have happened. There is a lot of talent in that clubhouse."

While Rodriguez will be relaxing away from Yankee Stadium, the Yankees have not announced who will replace him on the roster. Reports from Scranton said Tyler Austin is expected to join the Yankees after he batted .323 in 53 games there this season.

Masahiro Tanaka takes the mound on five days' rest Saturday because of Monday's off day and numbers show he is better with longer rest. In 12 starts on extended rest, Tanaka is 6-1 with a 2.56 ERA.

Tanaka started on four days rest Sunday and produced one of his best outings of the season, allowing one run and six hits over six-plus innings during a 3-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians. It marked the 15th time he allowed two earned runs or fewer.

The right-hander is 3-0 with a 2.12 ERA in five starts against Tampa Bay.

The Rays swept the Yankees two weekends ago at home but have dropped seven of 11 since. Evan Longoria drove in two runs and hit his 15th home run at Yankee Stadium but the Rays struck out 12 times Friday.

Being the opponent for the 1996 celebration is nothing new for the Rays. Besides this weekend, Tampa Bay has been the visiting team when Mariano Rivera appeared in his final game in 2013 and when Derek Jeter had his 3,000th hit in 2011.

Matt Andriese makes his 11th start for the Rays on Saturday afternoon against the Yankees and looks to break a three-game losing streak. He started 6-0 but despite allowing three runs or fewer in seven straight starts, Andriese has been unable to get a win.

He last pitched Sunday against Minnesota when he allowed three runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings. He is 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA in three career appearances against the Yankees.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Astros (61-55) at Blue Jays (65-51)

Game: 2
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: August 13, 2016 1:07 PM EDT

TORONTO -- The Houston Astros have won four straight after dropping six of their seven previous games, and they had an injection of youthful enthusiasm to thank for that in Friday night's 5-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

A pair or 23-year-olds in right-hander Joe Musgrove and outfielder Teoscar Hernandez played key roles.

Musgrove pitched seven innings for his first major league win and Hernandez hit a home run for his first career major league hit.

Hernandez played center field in his major league debut after being called up from Triple-A Fresno. It would be reasonable to expect that he will be back there Saturday for the second game of the series.

Astros outfielder Jake Marisnick, who has started 26 games in center field this season, is listed as day-to-day after tweaking his right groin during the first game of the doubleheader sweep of Minnesota on Thursday.

"We've got a pretty young group now," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "This is fun to watch these guys come up and break in. (Hernandez) showed incredible poise. That wasn't an easy day for him. He arrived at the ballpark a little under an hour before the game."

The Astros will send out a more experienced starting pitcher Saturday in right-hander Collin McHugh (7-9, 4.69 ERA), a 29-year-old who will be making his 24th start of the season.

He will be facing 24-year-old Aaron Sanchez (11-2, 2.85 ERA), who took his first loss since April 22 last Saturday in Kansas City.

Sanchez has pitched a career-high 145 1/3 innings this season and, initially, the Blue Jays wanted to put him in the bullpen to control his innings. Instead, they went to a six-man rotation and, with a day off in the schedule Thursday, the right-hander will be pitching on six days' rest against the Astros.

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said that eventually, Sanchez will be passed over on a scheduled start from time to time as a way to keep his innings in check. Gibbons would not reveal any schedule for that, if there is one.

Sanchez will be making his 23rd start of the season Saturday.

At Kansas City last Saturday, he permitted the Royals nine hits, one walk and four runs in six innings while striking out three.

He had not allowed more than two runs in his previous eight starts, a span in which he went 5-0 with a 1.67 ERA.

Those starts followed a June 12 outing in which he allowed six runs in a 10-9 win over Baltimore. In three career games, including one star, he is 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA against the Astros. He has not faced them this season.

McHugh equaled a season-high Monday when he gave up 10 hits against the Minnesota Twins in allowing three runs in seven innings. He walked one and struck out six in taking the loss.

He has allowed three or fewer earned runs in nine of his past 10 starts during which he has a 4.03 ERA. He is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA this season in one start against the Blue Jays this season, allowing three runs in six innings on Aug. 3. He is 1-1 with a 3.20 ERA in four career starts against Toronto.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (60-56) at Cubs (73-41)

Game: 3
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: August 13, 2016 2:20 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- Mike Matheny was talking about how he guides his own team as the season moves into late summer.

But the St. Louis Cardinals manager might have also be offering free advice to the National League Central-leading Chicago Cubs as they navigate uncharted waters as a potential World Series favorite.

"We control what we control and that's how we play," Matheny said this week as his Cardinals played the Cubs in a weekend Wrigley Field series.

"You can't back off in this game. If you start allowing anything except your best every single night, I think you're opening up the door for this game to humble you in a hurry. For us, we just put our nose down whether we're in first place, whether we're not, whether we're somewhere in the middle."

The Cubs made it two straight over the Cardinals on Friday as Jake Arrieta got early run support in Chicago's 13-2 victory.

St. Louis right-hander Luke Weaver makes his major league debut Saturday against Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks (11-7. 2.17). The series concludes with a nationally televised Sunday night game.

The Cardinals won the NL Central last year with a 100-62 record while the Cubs scratched their way to a 97-65 mark and an NL wild card spot. Chicago eventually beat St. Louis to reach the NL championship series before losing to the New York Mets.

This year it's the Cardinals looking up at the Cubs, who go into Saturday with a 14-game division lead, the biggest in the majors.

St. Louis, meanwhile, remains in the hunt for a wild card berth.

The Cardinals will be without outfielder Matt Holliday -- their No. 3 hitter -- for the foreseeable future after he suffered a thumb fracture Wednesday. Holliday was hit on the hand by a Mike Montgomery pitch in the 10th inning and was scheduled to see a hand specialist in Chicago on Friday.

St. Louis immediately placed Holliday on the 15-day disabled list but had not yet made a corresponding roster move Friday.

"Unfortunately that's just part of the game and that happens pretty often," Matheny said. "You don't dwell on it. You're not happy about losing any of our guys but you don't let it carry into the next game."

The Cubs had no updates on recent developments involving two relief pitchers and an AWOL utility player.

Right-hander Hector Rondon continued to rest a sore triceps while reliever Pedro Strop was scheduled to undergo knee surgery after suffering a torn meniscus Wednesday.

"I know that I'm not out for the season and I'm going to be back (next) month," he said.

Infielder Tommy La Stella, meanwhile, remained on the temporarily inactive list and had still not reported after he was assigned to Triple-A Iowa two weeks ago.

Hendricks seeks his first career win over the Cardinals on Saturday. He's 0-2 in five regular season starts against St. Louis.

Hendricks, though, is 8-1 with a 1.19 ERA in 12 games (11 starts) at Wrigley Field this season. It's the best home ERA in the majors.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pirates (58-55) at Dodgers (64-51)

Game: 2
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: August 13, 2016 4:05 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- The Pittsburgh Pirates resume their chase in the National League wild-card race when they clash with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second game of their three-game series Saturday at Dodger Stadium.

Pittsburgh's Gerrit Cole (7-7, 2.94 ERA) will face Los Angeles' Brandon McCarthy (2-2, 3.00 ERA) as the Pirates try to catch the Miami Marlins for the second wild-card spot. The Pirates closed to within a game of the Marlins after beating the Dodgers 5-1 on Friday behind home runs by Andrew McCutchen and Jordy Mercer.

The Dodgers (64-51), who lead the wild-card race, remain a game back of the San Francisco Giants for the top spot in the National League West.

Cole will be looking to bounce back from a 7-3 setback to the Cincinnati Reds last Sunday, particularly since he has experienced much success against the National League West. Cole, who starred at UCLA, is 13-3 in 19 career starts against the NL West, including wins in his last four decisions. Cole is 5-3 with a 2.93 ERA in eight starts on the road this season.

Against the Dodgers, Cole is 3-0 with a 4.32 ERA in four career starts. At Dodger Stadium, Cole is 2-0 with a 4.05 ERA.

Joc Pederson leads the Dodgers with a .500 batting average in only four at-bats.

McCarthy had trouble locating his fastball in Sunday's no-decision against the Boston Red Sox. McCarthy walked five for the second straight outing, threw two wild pitches and allowed two runs on hits in 3 2/3 innings. In his last three starts, McCarthy is 0-2 with a 5.91 ERA.

McCarthy and pitching coach Rick Honeycutt worked on his mechanics this week and believe they solved some of his problems.

"We feel confident, and he feels confident, to make that start on Saturday," manager Dave Roberts said.

McCarthy will need a solid performance to cool off the Pirates, who have defeated the Dodgers in five of their six meetings this season. McCarthy will also need to slow McCutchen, who has feasted on Los Angeles pitching.

McCutchen, who went 2-for-4 with two RBIs on Friday, is 8-of-16 (.500) with two homers in his last seven games at Dodger Stadium. McCutchen is hitting .412 with three home runs and six RBIs in five games against the Dodgers, four of those Pittsburgh wins.

"Andrew had a very solid game, got a good swing off of the plate. Good to see," manager Clint Hurdle said. "He's worked hard, he had some good swings (Friday), liked the way he swung the bat, liked the way he attacked the zone to drive the ball.

"Any time a player can square up a ball here at Dodger Stadium and get it out to the opposite field it gets your attention. The ball doesn't carry well here at night."

In four games against the Pirates, McCarthy has a 1-2 mark with a 4.74 ERA with 15 strikeouts and seven walks. He hasn't faced them since July 3, 2014, when he was a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Although he hasn't given up any home runs, the Pirates are hitting .321 against him.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Braves (44-72) at Nationals (67-47)

Game: 2
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: August 13, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- A pair of 22-year-old rookies each making their third start will face off when the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves meet Saturday night in the second of three games.

Right hander Rob Whalen (1-0, 5.73 ERA) will try to continue Atlanta's impressive stretch while Washington counters with right hander Reynaldo Lopez (0-1, 9.35 ERA). Both will be facing their opponent for the first time.

The Braves (44-72) snapped a 14-game losing streak at Nationals Park with an 8-5 win on Friday night, handing Stephen Strasburg just his third loss of the season.

Atlanta has won 7 of its last 10 games and improved to 5-3 on their current road trip. Looking at a larger sample, the Braves are 26-26 in their past 52 games.

"We've been playing good for I think the last 55, 60 games," first baseman Freddie Freeman said. "Obviously we got off to a pretty rough start the first couple of months, but this team has really turned it around the last two months and we're trying to end strong."

With 12 games left against the Nationals, Freeman might have a lot to say about that.

After struggling against them during the first weeks of the season, he resumed his history of success versus the Nationals on Friday, going 2-for-3 with a three-run homer, RBI double, a walk and a hit-by-pitch.

"It was too much Freddie Freeman," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said.

In 92 career games against the Nationals, he's hitting .327 with 26 doubles, 11 homers and 49 RBIs.

The Atlanta offense as a whole continued its recent surge with Anthony Recker adding a two-run homer and Jace Peterson a solo shot.

"Our offense is kind of spread out lately," manager Brian Snitker said. "With Matt (Kemp in the lineup) and Erick (Aybar) hitting up at number 2, it kind of lengthens our offense and gives us a little more sock down at the bottom."

Over their last 17 games, the Braves are hitting .286 with 54 extra-base hits (34 doubles, three triples and 17 home runs) and 80 runs scored.

First-place Washington (67-47) fell to 1-3 without Bryce Harper, whose neck stiffness continues to keep him out of the lineup.

Nationals GM Mike Rizzo told reporters that a story Friday by Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci reporting that Harper has been playing through a right shoulder injury for the past two months is wrong and that Harper has a stiff neck.

Jayson Werth's RBI-double extended his on-base streak to 41 games Friday night, while Anthony Rendon (home run) and Trea Turner (three hits) stayed hot.

Since July 16, Rendon is hitting .333 (26 for 78) with nine doubles, five homers, 17 RBIs and 12 runs scored in 21 games. Meanwhile, the 23-year-old Turner has hit safely in 17 of 22 games since the All-Star break, raising his average to .301.

On Friday as Washington was beginning a streak of 20 games in 20 days, Baker used four relievers after Strasburg threw 103 pitches in 5 1/3 innings while allowing six runs.

"You don't want to start a 20-in-a-row streak getting deep in your bullpen because that could domino effect tomorrow and the next day and the next day," Baker said. "That's why we tried to stick with him as long as we could."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockies (56-60) at Phillies (54-63)

Game: 2
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: August 13, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

PHILADELPHIA -- Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff, having ended a long drought his last time out, attempts to win his second straight start when Philadelphia hosts the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night.

Eickhoff (7-12, 3.78 ERA) squares off against rookie left-hander Tyler Anderson (4-3, 3.04) in the second contest of a three-game series.

Eickhoff beat the San Diego Padres on Sunday, going six innings and allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits while striking out five. He did not walk a batter.

It was his first victory since he beat the Atlanta Braves on July 4. In the next five starts, he went 0-3 with a 5.08 ERA. That includes his only career start to date against Colorado, an 8-3 defeat July 9 in which he gave up eight runs on eight hits in 5 1/3 innings.

He gave up two home runs in his victory over San Diego. One was a two-run shot by Ryan Schimpf in the sixth inning, allowed the Padres to tie the game. Eickhoff has an 11.57 ERA in the sixth inning this season.

"If you look at the line, it's tough to look at," Eickhoff told reporters afterward. "But I just tried to keep us in the game the best I could. It was a great team win."

Anderson has gone seven innings each of his last two starts, matching his career high. He was saddled with a no-decision in last out Monday versus Texas despite giving up one run on two hits while striking out five and walking three. The Rockies lost 4-3.

The 26-year-old owns the lowest ERA for a Rockies starter through 11 games in club history. His road ERA (3.06) is likewise respectable, but he is 0-2 in three starts away from Coors Field. Colorado has scored one run in those three starts.

Anderson beat the Phillies in his only previous start against them July 9. He went six innings in that 8-3 victory, allowing two runs on nine hits while striking out six. He didn't walk a batter.

Philadelphia, averaging 6.1 runs per game in August, battered Jon Gray and four relievers in a 10-6 victory Friday night. Ryan Howard went 3-for-5 with five RBIs, and his fifth-inning grand slam off Gray -- a 457-foot shot into the Colorado bullpen in center field -- snapped a 3-3 tie.

It was the 14th career grand slam for Howard, who already held the club record in that category, and his 374th career homer. He is tied with Rocky Colavito for 76th on the all-time list.

Howard's big night coincided with the induction of the retired Jim Thome, once his mentor, into the club's Wall of Honor.

"It's something pretty special," Howard said. "I mean, you want to go out there and try to get the win on a special night like this. ... Being able to get something to hit and having it land on the other side of the fence is the bonus."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Padres (50-65) at Mets (57-58)

Game: 2
Venue: Citi Field
Date: August 13, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The team meeting New York Mets manager Terry Collins called following Thursday afternoon's lopsided loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks had the desired effect in terms of the Mets' effort, if not the on-field result, Friday night.

Perhaps the combination of a stirring offense and an ace pitcher on the mound Saturday will allow New York to stop the losing streak that threatens to ruin its season.

The Mets, losers of four straight and six of seven, will look to begin climbing back into contention when they host the San Diego Padres in the middle game of a three-game series at Citi Field on Saturday night.

The Padres hit four homers in the first three innings Friday night and hung on for an 8-6 win. With the loss, the Mets (57-58) fell to 10-20 since July 8 and slipped under .500 for the first time since April 17.

Still, the Mets took some solace in how they came back from deficits of 5-0 and 8-2 to send the tying run to the plate in the sixth as well as from the relief work of Seth Lugo, Erik Goeddel and Hansel Robles.

The trio of right-handers combined to retire the final 19 Padres batters after Logan Verrett was torched for eight runs in 2 2/3 innings.

"We feel that the turning around is on its way," second baseman Neil Walker said of the Mets, who fell to 24-1 this season when scoring more than five runs. "We hit some balls really hard tonight and did some pretty good things when we got some traffic on the base paths. And after the first several innings, we did a good job of keeping them off the board."

Another positive for the Mets should be the presence of Jacob deGrom on the mound. DeGrom has allowed one run or fewer in six of his last eight starts to lower his ERA to 2.35, the fourth-best mark in the National League.

DeGrom is scheduled to be opposed by Padres right-hander Jarred Cosart, who will be looking for his first major league win in almost 11 months.

Cosart will be making his third start for San Diego, which acquired him from Miami on July 29. He has not won since Sept. 17. 2015.

While deGrom appears to have the edge over Cosart, the Padres (50-65) will hope to draw on the chemistry and confidence they've built over the last two months.

San Diego, which fully embarked upon a rebuilding plan by trading veterans such as James Shields, Matt Kemp, Fernando Rodney, Andrew Cashner and Drew Pomeranz this season, has the second-best record in the NL West (23-23) since June 18.

"It's a different team," said Padres second baseman Ryan Schimpf, who hit a grand slam in the first inning and a two-run homer in the third inning.

"(Not to) take away anything with the other guys, we enjoyed our time with them. (Trades are a) part of baseball. We've got a good clubhouse here. It's fun to come to work with the guys everyday and battle it out and try to get some wins."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Reds (47-67) at Brewers (51-63)

Game: 2
Venue: Miller Park
Date: August 13, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

MILWAUKEE -- Standing all of six feet tall and 155 pounds, Zach Davies hardly looks like the prototypical staff ace -- but he's been exactly that for the Milwaukee Brewers this season.

Davies takes the mound Saturday evening against the Cincinnati Reds looking to write yet another chapter in what has been a breakthrough rookie season.

In 20 starts, Davies has gone 9-4 with a 3.96 ERA. He hasn't taken a loss since June 30, going 4-0 with a 2.31 ERA in his last six outings.

While he didn't take a decision his last time out, he held the Atlanta Braves to three runs on eight hits without a walk while striking out three over seven innings of work in an extra-inning loss at Miller Park.

"(I'm) frustrated a little bit with my outing but at the same time, I can take some positives from it," said Davies, who allowed more than two runs in a start for the first time since June 30. "It's tough going into extra innings and being on the losing side of things but there's always tomorrow."

Davies will be making his fourth career start against the Reds. He's 3-3 with a 2.41 ERA in his three previous outings against Cincinnati, with a 1-0 mark with a 1.42 ERA in two meetings this season.

He pitched seven shutout innings on July 17 when he scattered four hits and struck out five as the Brewers lost 1-0 on a ninth-inning passed ball.

"I let the defense make plays behind me," Davies said after that game.

Cincinnati will hand the ball to right-hander Dan Straily, who makes his 22nd start of the season looking to continuing a successful stretch. He hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in any of his last seven starts and is 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA in his last five outings.

"He's got a slider and a changeup and that's pretty vanilla when you think about it," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He doesn't have a power this or a power sinker, a power split, but he knows how to pitch and he has the deception element that allows him to play better than we see on the radar gun."

Straily began the year in camp with the Houston Astros, posting a 6.00 ERA in five Grapefruit League appearances. Houston traded him to San Diego on March 28 and the Padres waived him three days later.

Cincinnati claimed him later that day and after making three appearances out of the Reds' bullpen, he moved into the starting rotation on April 18 and has been there ever since.

"(His) performance has been sensational when you consider how we got him," Price said. "He was going to be a long man and became really our most consistent starter from the beginning of the season to date."

The Reds' victory Friday gave them a 6-5 lead in the season series with Milwaukee, which has a four-game lead over last-place Cincinnati in the National League Central.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (56-59) at Twins (46-70)

Game: 2
Venue: Target Field
Date: August 13, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Kansas City Royals will try and continue their dominance of the Minnesota Twins when the teams play the second of a three-game series on Saturday night at Target Field.

Kansas City is 6-1 against Minnesota this season, including a 7-3 victory in the series opener here on Friday.

The main reason for Kansas City's success has been the play of catcher Salvador Perez, who has been a Twins killer over the years and was again on Friday.

Perez had just one hit on Friday, but it was an important one, muscling through a Kyle Gibson curveball that snapped his bat and blooping it into shallow left, scoring two runs and giving Kansas City a lead it wouldn't relinquish.

For the season, Perez is hitting .519 against the Twins and has a .322 career mark against them.

"Those are the kind of breaks that have been going against us a little bit," said Royals manager Ned Yost. "To finally take the lead back, that was a big hit. But that's what happens when you put the ball in play. You got guys in scoring position and you find ways to put the ball in play. It doesn't have to be pretty, it just has to be effective and that certainly was effective."

Minnesota got home runs from Miguel Sano and Brian Dozier on Friday. Both players have been red hot of late, but other than those two, the Twins have struggled to score consistently.

Sano has five home runs in his last seven games and reached the 20 home-run plateau for the first time in his career.

Dozier's 17 homers since June 19 are more than any other player in baseball.

"It's unfortunate that (Dozier and Sano) has been the majority of our output it seems as of late," said Twins manager Paul Molitor. "Runners in scoring position, opportunities, some of those things are still areas that need improvement.

"We like the home runs, they play for sure, but we need to find some other ways to score."

Kansas City will turn to Dillon Gee in game two of the series, three days after he pitched two innings and earned the victory in the Royals' 14-inning win over the Chicago White Sox. Gee had his worst outing of the season in a start against the Twins on May 25, allowing six runs (five earned) on 10 hits and a walk in five innings.

Tyler Duffey will try for his third consecutive victory for Minnesota. He allowed just one run on four hits and a walk with eight strikeouts in six innings against Houston on Monday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (49-66) at Indians (65-48)

Game: 3
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: August 13, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

CLEVELAND -- An extremely lopsided series will continue Saturday at Progressive Field when the Cleveland Indians play host to the Los Angeles Angels.

The first two games of the four-game series have been blowouts, as the Indians have outscored the Angels 27-7. The Indians won 14-4 on Thursday and 13-3 on Friday.

The Indians this year are using a facet of their game that hasn't been this productive since the heyday of speedy Kenny Lofton and the powerhouse Indians teams of the late 1990s. Cleveland leads the American League with 92 stolen bases, and outfielder Rajai Davis tops the league with 31 steals.

Making Davis' stolen base total even more impressive is that he is not in the lineup every day. Davis has only started 82 of the Indians' 113 games.

In the Indians' 13-3 win on Friday, however, Davis was in the lineup and had three of the Indians' eight stolen bases. The eight steals ties a 99-year-old Indians record for most stolen bases in a season. The record was set Aug. 27, 1917 vs. Washington.

"I thought our baserunning set the tone," Indians manager Terry Francona. "We stole bases. We didn't just run with abandon. We were intelligent. I thought it set the tone for the whole game."

In their 115-year history in the American League, the Indians have only led the league in steals six times, most recently in 1999.

"You just trust your instincts, and you go," Davis said. "It helps us as a team, and puts pressure on the defense."

The beleaguered Angels were ill-equipped to stop Cleveland's running game Friday.

"Gio didn't have much of a chance (to throw out any of the runners). We'll make some adjustments," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of catcher Giovanny Soto.

Add controlling the running game to the Angels' growing to-do list, as their losing streak has now grown to eight games. It's their longest losing streak since then lost eight in a row in July 1999 as part of a streak that eventually became an 11-game losing streak.

"Nobody is taking this lying down," Scioscia said. "We know we can play better than this and we're going to make the necessary adjustments."

The Angels should feel good about their chances Saturday as they will send Matt Shoemaker to the mound. Shoemaker has a streak of 18 consecutive scoreless innings against Cleveland and an 0.82 ERA in three career games against the Indians.

In Shoemaker's last start against Cleveland on June 11, he pitched eight scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts and no walks. In 22 starts this season overall, Shoemaker is 6-12 with a 4.07 ERA.

The Indians will counter with Mike Clevinger, who was originally drafted by the Angels in 2011. The Angels traded him to the Indians in 2014 for reliever Vinnie Pestano. Clevinger has made four spot starts for the Indians this year and the results have not been good: a record of 0-1 and a 6.97 ERA.

However, Clevinger has spent most of the year at Triple-A Columbus, where he has had a big year, going 11-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 17 starts. This will be Clevinger's first career appearance against the Angels.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (55-60) at Marlins (60-55)

Game: 2
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: August 13, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

MIAMI -- Chicago White Sox right-hander James Shields' nine-year streak of double-figure wins is in serious jeopardy.

Sheilds, who starts Saturday night against Miami Marlins left-hander Adam Conley, is 5-14 with a 5.43 ERA this season.

Perhaps Shields, who turns 35 in December, has gotten old all of a sudden, and his days as an ace are over. Perhaps that is the answer, but it's still a bit odd because Shields has been so consistent for so long ... only to unravel this year.

Shields, who started the season with the San Diego Padres, was acquired by the White Sox on June 4. That's when things went from bad to worse -- in 12 starts with the White Sox, he has a 6.68 ERA.

Things have been really bad for Shields in his two previous starts as he has allowed 14 runs on 15 hits in a combined total of 6 1/3 innings. He got just four outs in his most recent start, against the Baltimore Orioles, allowing eight runs.

"I was pretty much bad all-around," Shields told the media after his most recent loss. "I wasn't in my spots, and they were capitalizing."

So what happened to Shields?

The short answer is that Shields is giving up too many walks and too many homers.

Shields has always been a fly-ball pitcher. For example, he gave up the most homers in the league, 34, in 2010, but still managed to win 13 games that year for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Last year, he again led the league by allowing 33 homers, this time for the Padres. But again, he won 13 games.

In fact, entering this season, Shields had an impressive 127-97 career record.

But Shields, who prides himself on a deluxe changeup that he can throw on any count and a fastball that ranges between 89 and 94 mph with movement, has allowed an alarming 2.2 homers per nine innings since his trade to Chicago. His career average is 1.1.

Shields' control has also been an issue. His walks have gone from a career mark of 2.4 per nine innings to 4.2 this season.

Whatever it is that is ailing Shields, the White Sox hope he can be fixed because he is under contract through the end of the 2018 season on a four-year, $75 million deal.

The Marlins, meanwhile, don't have nearly as much invested in Conley, a rookie who is 8.6 with a 3.70 ERA. Conley was Miami's second-best starting pitcher in the first half of the season, trailing only All-Star Jose Fernandez.

But Conley is averaging just 5 1/3 innings per start in the second half of this season and has eclipsed the 100-pitch mark just once. His 4.00 ERA and 5.6 walks per nine innings are also signs of decline from his first-half numbers.

His ERA was 3.65 in the first half of the season when he won six games.

The Marlins, who dropped to 60-55 after Friday's 4-2 loss to the White Sox (55-60), are fortunate to be a half-game ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals in the battle for the second and final NL wild-card playoff berth.

At least, that is the view of Marlins manager Don Mattingly.

"Somebody is going to get hot," Mattingly said of the teams that are chasing that wild-card spot. "Somebody is going to win 10 of 12 or 11 of 14 and put you in harm's way. So we are going to have to get going."

It may happen in time for Saturday's game or it could happen later or not at all, but the Marlins are reportedly considering signing Alex Rodriguez, who is due to be released by the New York Yankees after playing his final game for the club Friday.

The Marlins would use Rodriguez at first base as a replacement for injured Justin Bour, who won't return until September at the earliest, according to Miami manager Don Mattingly.

Rodriguez, 41, hasn't played in the field much, and he may not have much left. But he would spark interest in the team at the very least, and he may be able to supply some power.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (48-67) at Red Sox (62-52)

Game: 2
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: August 13, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

BOSTON -- Clay Buchholz gets another chance on Saturday night.

The two-time All-Star, twice banished to the bullpen this season, makes a spot start for the injured Steven Wright when the Boston Red Sox face the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 2 of a weekend interleague series.

"I'd love for him to take the approach that he's used out of the bullpen and that has been I think just a more-aggressive, simplified approach," Red Sox manager John Farrell said before Friday night's 9-4 victory in the opener of the series.

"He's made some slight adjustments to his arm slot that has allowed for better depth to his cutter, some consistent sink to his two-seamer ... but to not think about pitch count -- just go as hard as you can for as long as you can and let the game unfold and we'll adjust accordingly."

Buchholz, who has allowed just one run in 8 1/3 innings in his last six relief appearances, probably won't force his way into the rotation even with a strong showing -- Wright is improving as he works his way toward what Farrell hopes will be a Thursday start. But a good performance will at least allow him to provide depth if needed.

In three starts after coming out of the bullpen the first time, Buchholz went 0-3, allowing 18 hits and 14 runs -- 10 earned -- while walking seven and yielding five home runs in 14 1/3 innings.

"It's more what I want to do rather than letting the hitter determine what I'm going to throw," says Buchholz. "I battled that early in my career and I let that get to me early in my career. The years I've gone out and had good years are years I'm going out knowing what I want to do and I'm throwing the pitches I want to throw regardless of who's hitting.

"I'm in a little bit better place right now as far as delivery and things I've been trying to tweak. I just think everything is coming to a head as far as the stuff I've been working on, not really having to think about it. I'm just going out and pitching rather than going out and thinking about mechanical issues or fixes. Right now it's becoming second nature to me."

He is 4-9 with a 5.64 ERA overall this season as he takes the mound against struggling Arizona right-hander Archie Bradley.

Bradley, once 3-3 on the season but with only one win in his last nine starts, has failed to last five innings in his last two. He has worked eight innings in those two games, allowing 15 hits and 11 runs -- 10 earned while walking five.

Bradley came within one out of qualifying for a victory over the Milwaukee Brewers his last time out --a high pitch count chasing him with two out in the fifth inning of the 8-1 victory that started the four-game winning streak the D-backs brought to Boston.

He threw a career-high 116 pitches in that start.

"I just want to be aggressive out there," Bradley said. "After what happened against Washington (12 hits, seven earned runs in 3 1/3 innings), this is a big step for me, and something I can build."

Friday night starter Patrick Corbin gave up four runs in the first inning, ending a streak of 14 straight scoreless innings by Arizona starters.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tigers (61-54) at Rangers (69-48)

Game: 2
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: August 13, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers are in quite a groove right now, and they know it.

"It's an unbelievable lineup," catcher Jonathan Lucroy said. "Anybody can hurt you on any given day."

The Rangers (69-48) are in firm control in the American League West thanks to a recent 14-6 surge that's given Texas a 7 1/2-game cushion over Seattle and Houston in the division. It's also been six wins in the last seven games, including Friday's 8-5 victory over Detroit.

The Rangers and Tigers continue their three-game set with the middle game Saturday night at Globe Life Park. Texas has beaten Detroit six straight times, with the last four coming this season.

The Rangers look to make it seven in a row with ace Cole Hamels (12-3, 2.89 ERA) taking the mound for the 24th time this season. The lefty has gone 3-1 with a 1.83 ERA in five starts since the All-Star break. Hamels is 3-1 lifetime against Detroit.

Detroit (61-54) hopes to snap a five-game skid with left-hander Matt Boyd (3-2, 4.69) making his 11th start of the season. Boyd is 0-3 record with a 7.63 ERA in his career against Texas.

Boyd made a relief appearance Aug. 9 at Seattle, walking one and striking out one in a scoreless inning. His last start was Aug. 6 against the New York Mets, picking up the win after giving up three runs on six hits with five strikeouts over five innings.

The Tigers are in the midst of their second-longest skid of the season. Detroit is 1 1/2 games out of the second wild-card spot in the American League.

"The ups and downs, it's hard to describe for people that don't go through it," Tigers catcher James McCann said, "but it's something we just have to grind our way through."

Texas owns the best record in the A.L. and the best 117-game mark in franchise history. The Rangers are 36-18 at home, their best start ever through 54 games.

The long ball was good for the Rangers in the series opener, as Texas went deep four times. Trade-deadline pickup Jonathan Lucroy hit two homers to give him six since joining the Rangers on Aug. 1.

Lucroy has earned kudos for his handling of the pitching staff in addition to his bat.

"He doesn't miss his pitch very often," Texas manager Jeff Banister said. "For him to come in and really make an immediate impact, not only defensively but offensively, is pretty special."

Texas leads the major leagues with 89 home runs since June 9.

The Tigers suffered another injury before Friday's game as shortstop Jose Iglesias was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left hamstring strain. Third baseman Nick Castellanos and center fielder Cameron Maybin are also on the DL, along with starting pitchers Jordan Zimmermann and Mike Pelfrey.

"We're backed into a little bit of a corner because of injuries," manager Brad Ausmus said. "Our depth at Triple-A is kind of all here right now because of the injuries."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mariners (60-54) at Athletics (52-64)

Game: 2
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: August 13, 2016 9:05 PM EDT

OAKLAND, Calif. -- If it weren't for right-handers Hisashi Iwakuma and Kendall Graveman, change would have been the only constant for the Seattle Mariners and Oakland A's this season in terms of starting pitching.

Seattle's Iwakuma and Oakland's Graveman will face each other Saturday night at Oakland Coliseum in what shapes up as a pitching duel between rotation anchors in turbulent seasons.

Iwakuma (13-7) leads Seattle in wins and will make his team-high 24th start Saturday -- at least nine more starts than any other Mariner, including Felix Hernandez. The Mariners have used 12 starting pitchers this season.

"He's been throwing great," Mariners manager Scott Servais said of Iwakuma on Friday before a 6-3 loss to Oakland. "He's been our most stable guy all year. We would be nowhere close to being in this position if it weren't for him. Felix (Hernandez) going down and some other guys stubbing their toe in the rotation, he has been the constant. He's been great."

Graveman (8-7) leads the A's in wins and will make his team-high 23rd start. That's two more than Sonny Gray, who's on the disabled list, and at least six more than every other A's starter. Graveman is the only member of the A's original rotation who is on the active roster, and the only one who hasn't spent time on the disabled list.

"I think Kendall's certainly taken it to a new level, and we need him to, based on the guys that we have (out)," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "It's important that he pitches like he has for us. He's basically anchoring the rotation right now, and the only guy that's still there from the beginning of the season."

Iwakuma was 0-3 in April but has gone 13-4 since then. He's 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA against the A's this season. In his past two starts, Iwakuma beat Boston and Detroit, pitching a combined 14 1/3 shutout innings with 15 strikeouts and one walk.

"It's a little different every time out there," Servais said of Iwakuma's outings. "You don't know which pitch might be working best for him or what he's going to go to. But he's been really, really a pro for us."

Graveman is 7-1 with a 3.67 ERA in his past 13 starts. He's 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA in his past five home starts, including a 3-2 victory Monday against Baltimore. Graveman allowed one run and six hits in seven innings with four strikeouts and no walks.

Graveman relies primarily on his hard sinker, but against the powerful Orioles, he mixed in more cutters, curves and changeups to keep them off balance.

Graveman said he was able to adjust on the run.

"I think it helps," Graveman said. "Going into a game there might be one game plan, but to be able to change throughout a game is another thing, and to be able to do it effectively and on the move is something that you really strive for, you really look towards. Because the game plan sounds great and dandy before the game then you get out there and have to change something up to have success.

"So yeah, I think it will help. I think it definitely brings the percentage of the fastball down a little bit from the last month, month and a half. But the game plan's still going to be the same. Go out there and compete with the fastball and locate and then make adjustments when necessary."

Graveman is 1-1 with a 3.05 ERA in five career appearances against Seattle, including three starts. This year, he's 0-1 with a 5.06 in two starts against the Mariners.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Orioles (65-50) at Giants (65-50)

Game: 2
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: August 13, 2016 9:05 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO -- Former first-round draft picks will duel on the mound for the second consecutive game Saturday night when the Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants continue their interleague series.

Orioles right-hander Kevin Gausman, the No. 4 overall pick of the 2012 draft, and Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner, who went 10th overall in 2007, will square off where Baltimore's Dylan Bundy (fourth overall, 2011) got the better of San Francisco's Matt Cain (25th overall, 2002) in the series opener Friday.

Gausman has never faced the Giants in his four-year major league career, and his early ventures into interleague play generally have not been pleasant. He's 1-4 with a 5.22 ERA in seven starts against National League competition.

Only five pitchers who have made at least seven starts have a worse interleague record over that stretch.

Gausman got a no-decision in his only previous interleague start this season. He was roughed up for four runs on eight hits over five innings in a 6-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 6.

The 25-year-old has allowed two or fewer runs in four of five games against American League competition since then, although he has a losing record (2-3) to show for it.

He will be looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow elite prospect Bundy, who limited the struggling Giants to just three hits and one run in 5 2/3 innings in the series opener.

The Giants have alternated wins and losses in their last seven games, totaling just four runs in the four losses.

"Good start to the series," Orioles manager Buck Showalter assessed. "Gutty effort by Dylan. He battled tonight, gave us a chance to win."

Bumgarner, meanwhile, will be seeking to extend his streak of consecutive interleague starts without a loss to six. He's 1-0 in four starts against AL teams this season, having allowed more than two runs in a game just once.

The last time Bumgarner lost an interleague game was more than a year ago -- July 31, 2015 at Texas.

He's never faced the Orioles in his eight-year career that's included 20 interleague starts. The only other teams Bumgarner has never pitched against are the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Bumgarner hasn't won since July 10, a stretch of five games in which he's allowed six home runs.

The series matches the major league leader in homers (the Orioles, with 174) against the NL leader in homers allowed since the All-Star break (the Giants, with 37 in 25 games).

Orioles slugger Mark Trumbo added to both those totals in the series opener Friday, taking Cain deep for his 33rd home run of the season. First baseman Chris Davis also homered, his 24th.

Trumbo had a home run against Bumgarner last season as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Giants catcher Buster Posey noted after the loss that he knows what to expect from Bumgarner. The question is: Will the San Francisco offense do enough to support him?

"We have the ability to get on a good streak. That's the way we got to look at it," he noted. "We have to look and say tomorrow is the day we get it going."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Jays-Stros Series'

Houston Astros at Toronto Blue Jays - series Aug 12-14

Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros meet in a three-game series at Rogers Center this weekend. The clubs squared off earlier this month in Houston with Toronto winning three of four moving Jays record to 6-1 last seven meetings. Jays have won 8-of-10 encounters in front of its home audience since Astros joined the A.L. back in 2013.

Saturday, Jay's have Aaron Sanchez toeing the rubber. The righthander looks to rebound from just his second loss of the campaign after allowing four runs over 6 innings in his effort against Royals. Jays won Sanchez's only career start vs Houston back in 2015. Astros counter with Collin McHugh saddle with a three game slide allowing 14 earned over 14 2/3 innings of work. Stros have lost each of McHugh's last two starts vs Toronto.

In Sunday's finale it's Marcus Stroman for the home side with Mike Fiers getting tasked with Stros starting duties. Stroman struggled last time out taking a loss in allowing seven hits, 3 runs while lasting just five innings. Prior to that, Stroman tossed 7 innings of 3 hit, 1-run ball, strikingout 13, walking 2 batters in a no-decision against these same Astros. Fiers overcame a shaky outing last time to earn the win, allowing four runs on five hits, 3 long-ball in five innings of work. Previous to that, Fiers took the loss in a start vs Jays spinning 6 innings of 2 run-ball.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Saturday, August 13, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

Let me preface this by saying I don't hate the Miami Marlins or anything, and I had hoped they made the playoffs because I'm a Cubs fan living in South Florida and thus could potentially see a game or two of a Marlins-Cubs playoff series in person. Now? I hope the Marlins miss the wild card by a game. That's because they are depriving me, MLB fans and bettors an epic pitching matchup on Sunday between Cy Young contenders in Marlins ace Jose Fernandez against White Sox stud Chris Sale. The Marlins have opted to skip Fernandez's start to save innings on his arm. This is Fernandez's first full season off Tommy John surgery, so the club wants to limit him to about 185 innings and also potentially have him available for a wild-card game. Fernandez had a start skipped last month and probably will have one next month. This sort of thing ticks me off. Either you are healthy or you aren't. Limit him to five innings in a few starts. Go on five days rest when there's an off day. But why would you sabotage your best chance to win a game when fighting for your playoff life? From a marketing standpoint, it will no doubt cost the Marlins as well as I'm sure Sunday's game would have drawn a great crowd. Not sure the allure of Tom Koehler vs. Sale will do the same.


Rays at Yankees (-155, 8)

First pitch of 1:05 p.m. ET and on the MLB Network so should have live betting at sportsbooks. I have a feeling that no one is happier that Alex Rodriguez is gone than Yankees manager Joe Girardi as he clearly was tired of answering questions about A-Rod this week. New York goes with ace Masahiro Tanaka (8-4, 3.32). He beat the Indians last time out, allowing one run and six hits over six innings. Tanaka entered that game off back-to-back losses for the first time this season. Tanaka is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in two starts this year vs. the Rays. Evan Longoria is 1-for-14 career off him. Logan Morrison is 2-for-15 with six strikeouts. Tampa's Matt Andriese (6-3, 2.90) has been back in the rotation from the bullpen in his past two outings and hasn't been able to last five innings in either as the team stretches him out. Andriese's last relief appearance was on July 30 vs. the Yankees and he allowed a run in two innings. Jacoby Ellsbury is 3-for-4 career off him. Chase Headley is 2-for-4 with a homer.

Key trends: The Rays are 0-6 in Andriese's past six vs. teams with a winning record. The Yankees are 10-1 in Tanaka's past 11 at home. The "over/under" has gone under in his past seven vs. the AL East.

Early lean: Yankees and under.

Cardinals at Cubs (-225, TBA)

A 2:20 p.m. matinee from Wrigley. The Cardinals just can't keep all their guys healthy at once as Matt Holliday was hit by a pitch in Thursday's series opener with the Cubs and is DL-bound with a fractured right thumb. Another big blow to St. Louis' wild-card hopes. With Michael Wacha landing on the disabled list earlier this week, a spot is open in the St. Louis rotation, and on Saturday it will be taken by Luke Weaver, the team's first-round pick in 2014 whose 2016 season was delayed until early June due to a broken wrist. Weaver, a 22-year-old from Florida State, was 6-3 with a 1.40 ERA in Double-A this year, where he had 88 strikeouts and only 10 walks. That earned him a promotion to Triple-A, and he threw six shutout innings there in his lone start before getting a call to the Show. Needless to say, he hasn't faced the Cubs. They go with Kyle Hendricks (11-7, 2.17), who needs to be in the Cy Young conversation at this point as Hendricks is second in the NL in ERA. He beat the A's last time out, allowing one run and three hits over 7.1 innings and has held opponents to one or fewer earned runs in six of his last seven starts. Hendricks has allowed more than three earned runs twice all year and one was April 20 in St. Louis, when he gave up four over 5.1 innings in a loss. Matt Carpenter is 6-for-13 career off him with a homer.

Key trends: The Cubs are 6-0 in Hendricks' past six vs. teams with a winning record. The under is 5-0 in his past five.

Early lean: Cubs.

Angels at Indians (-140, 9)

Nationally televised by Fox Sports 1. Los Angeles has lost interim closer Cam Bedrosian to the DL, where usual closer Huston Street already is. Your guess is as good as mine as to whom might get the save chances for a while, but the Angels so rarely lead in the ninth inning these days it might not matter. It probably will be a committee. The Halos go with Matt Shoemaker (6-12, 4.07) here. He lost in Seattle last Sunday, allowing three runs and seven hits over seven innings. It was his fourth quality start in the past five. Certainly one of Shoemaker's best starts of the year was June 11 against the Indians with eight shutout innings, allowing three hits and striking out 11. Alas, he took a no-decision. Lonnie Chisenhall is 2-for-8 off him with a homer. Francisco Lindor is 0-for-3. Cleveland rookie Mike Clevinger (0-1, 6.97) was called up from Triple-A to make his most recent start, allowing two runs and seven hits over 4.1 innings against Minnesota. It was his fifth big-league appearance and he has never faced the Angels.

Key trends: The Angels are 1-7 in Shoemaker's past eight on the road. The under is 9-4 in his past 13 overall. The over is 4-0 in Clevinger's past four.

Early lean: Angels and over.

White Sox at Marlins (-178, 8.5)

Chicago loses the DH -- usually Justin Morneau -- for this interleague matchup. The bad James Shields has reappeared for the White Sox. He was historically bad in his first three starts with Chicago after the trade from San Diego, then really good over his next seven. But Shields (5-14, 5.43) was blasted for a second straight outing Sunday against Baltimore in lasting just 1.1 innings and giving up eight runs and six hits, four of them homers. Two of those were by Manny Machado. Shields hasn't faced the Marlins this year. Martin Prado is 5-for-10 career off him with two doubles and a homer. Dee Gordon is 3-for-4 with a triple. Marlins lefty Adam Conley (8-6, 3.70) also was shelled in his last start, allowing six runs and seven hits over five innings in Colorado but got the win. He has never faced Chicago. Todd Frazier has seen him, going 1-for-2 with a double.

Key trends: The Sox are 1-5 in their past six vs. teams with a winning record. The Marlins are 5-1 in Conley's past six at home. The over is 6-2 in Shields' past eight vs. teams with a winning record.

Early lean: Marlins and over.

Orioles at Giants (-183, 7.5)

This is on the MLB Network. Baltimore again without the DH. I was skeptical of Baltimore all year with that starting pitching and I think this team is starting to fade a bit, although it has been the offense's fault and not the pitching. I don't expect much offense from the O's on Saturday against Giants ace lefty Madison Bumgarner (10-7, 2.20). The Giants have lost his past five, really crushing MadBum's Cy Young chances. He has three quality starts in those five, so it hasn't been his fault much. Last time out, he allowed a run and two hits over eight innings in Washington but was on the wrong end of a 1-0 score. This will be his first career look at Baltimore. Mark Trumbo has seen him plenty, going 4-for-17 with a homer. The Orioles go with Kevin Gausman (3-9, 4.02). He lost in Oakland on Sunday, allowing two runs over six innings. It was his fourth quality start in the past five. Gausman has never faced San Francisco but Denard Span is 3-for-6 off him with two doubles and Eduardo Nunez 2-for-5.

Key trends: The Orioles are 1-5 in Gausman's past six vs. teams with a winning record. The Giants are 10-2 in Bumgarner's past 12 vs. teams with a winning record. The under is 12-3 in Gausman's past 15. The under is 6-1 in Bumgarner's seven at home.

Early lean: Giants and under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Cubs on a roll'

The third of a four game series is Saturday's baseball betting focus as the Chicago Cubs host the St Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field. Cubs taking the first two games have now won eleven consecutive to lead the majors with a 73-41 record. According to opening odds Cubs are -$2.10 to -$2.20 home favorites depending on locale.

Righthander Kyle Hendricks will toe the rubber for Cubs, bringing a 11-7 record to the hill with a 2.17 ERA. Hendricks in great form carries a 7-1 streak into the contest over his last nine starts allowing two or fewer runs in seven of the contest. Hendricks will be matching pitches with Cardinals' righthander Luke Weaver who will make his major league debut.

Those inclined towards laying extra juice, Hendricks doing Chicago's' bidding bodes well for Cubs chances. There's no place like Wrigley Field for Hendricks, who sports an 8-1 record, 1.19 ERA in front of the home audience with a 9-2 team start record. Additionally, Cubs are currenty ridding a sparkling 12-1 streak on the North side of Chicago and have a 6-1 streak in daylight hours.*

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Saturday’s games

National League

Cardinals @ Cubs
Weaver is making his MLB debut; he was 7-3, 3.30 in 13 minor league starts this year, 12 of which were in AA, only one in AA.

Hendricks is 6-1, 1.35 in his last seven starts, under is 4-0-1 in his last five. Cubs won his last seven home starts.

Cardinals lost nine of last 13 games; over is 9-4-2 in their last 15 games. Chicago won its last 11 games; seven of their last ten stayed under.

Braves @ Nationals
Whalen is 1-0, 5.73 in two MLB starts (over 1-1).

Lopez is 0-1, 9.35 in two MLB starts (over 1-1).

Braves won seven of last ten road games; three of last five Atlanta games stayed under. Washington won six of last nine games; under is 5-3-1 in their last nine home games.

Rockies @ Phillies
Anderson is 4-0, 3.05 in his last six starts (under 7-3). He is 0-2, 3.06 in three road starts.

Eickhoff is 1-2, 4.70 in his last four starts; under is 11-4 in his last 15. Phillies are 6-5 in his home starts.

Colorado lost seven of last nine games; over is 4-1-1 in their last six road games. Phillies are 8-6 in last 14 games, over is 8-1-1 in their last ten games.

Padres @ Mets
Cosart is 0-0, 5.40 in two starts for San Diego (over 2-0).

deGrom is 1-0, 0.44 in his last three starts; under is 9-3 in his last 12. Mets are 8-3 in his home starts.

San Diego lost 12 of last 17 road games; six of Padres’ last eight games went over. Mets are 4-12 in last 16 games; seven of last eight games at Citi Field went over.

Reds @ Brewers
Straily is 4-0, 1.93 in his last five starts; over is 8-5 in his last 13. Reds are 5-5 in his road outings.

Davies is 4-0, 2.54 in his last six starts (under 5-1). Milwaukee is 7-2 in his last nine starts at Miller Park.

Reds are 5-7 in last 12 road games, 2-7 overall in game following their last nine wins. Milwaukee is 8-4 in last 12 home games; six of last seven games at Miller Park stayed under. Under is 7-2-1 in last ten Cincinnati road games.

Pirates @ Dodgers
Cole is 2-2, 2.81 in his last four starts, last three of which went over. Pirates are 5-3 in his road starts.

McCarthy is 0-2, 6.75 in his last three starts (under 6-1). Dodgers won three of his four home starts.

Pittsburgh lost eight of last ten road games; under is 8-4 in their last 12 games. Dodgers won four of last five games; over is 5-1-1 in last seven Dodger home games.


American League

Rays @ New York
Andriese is 0-2, 4.05 in his last three starts; three of his last four stayed under. Tampa Bay is 3-2 in his road starts.

Tanaka is 1-2, 6.23 in his last three starts; four of his last five stayed under. New York is 10-2 when he starts at home.

Rays are 2-7 in last nine road games (under 6-3). New York won four of last five games. Five of last eight New York games stayed under the total.

Astros @ Blue Jays
McHugh is 0-3, 8.59 in his last three starts; under is 7-3-1 in his last 11. Astros are 5-6 in his road starts.

Sanchez is 4-1, 2.06 in his last seven starts; under is 7-0-1 in his last eight. Toronto won six of his last eight home starts.

Astros won last four games; over is 5-3 in Astros’ last eight road games. Toronto is 7-4 in last 11 home games; over is 6-2-1 in last nine games at Sky Dome.

Angels @ Indians
Shoemaker is 1-3, 4.05 in his last four starts; under is 9-4 in his last 13. Angels are 3-8 in his road starts.

Clevinger is 0-1, 7.71 in four starts this year (over 4-0).

Angels lost 13 of last 15 road games; three of their last five games stayed under. Cleveland is 6-3 in its last nine home games; their last six home games went over total.

Royals @ Twins
Gee is 0-3, 6.14 in his last four starts (over 4-4). He is 1-2, 6.60 in three road starts.

Duffey is 2-2, 9.77 in his last four starts; over is 5-1-1 in his last seven. Minnesota won four of his last five home starts.

Royals won five of last six games; under is 7-3 in Royals’ last ten road games. Minnesota lost its last four games; six of Twins’ last seven home games went over.

Tigers @ Rangers
Boyd is 3-0, 3.55 in his last five starts (over 5-4-1); Detroit is 1-4 in his road starts.

Hamels is 3-1, 2.36 in his last five starts (under 4-1). Texas is 8-2 in his home starts.

Tigers lost their last five games; three of last five Detroit games stayed under. Texas won six of last seven home games; under is 9-2-2 in last 13 Ranger games.

Mariners @ A’s
Iwakuma is 7-1, 2.54 in his last eight starts; six of his last nine stayed under. Seattle 7-5 in his road starts.

Graveman is 5-1, 3.75 in his last seven starts (under 5-2). Oakland won his last five home starts.

Mariners won six of last seven games; over is 6-2 in Seattle’s last eight road games. Oakland won four of last five games; five of last seven Oakland games stayed under.


Interleague

White Sox @ Marlins
Shields is 0-2, 19.91 in his last two starts; over is 8-3-1 in his Chicago starts. He is 0-3, 8.24 in his four road starts for the White Sox.

Conley is 2-1, 4.15 in his last four starts; under is 9-5 in his last 14. Miami won four of his last five home starts.

White Sox are 5-13 in last 18 road games; over is 7-5 in their last 12 games. Miami lost seven of last ten games; six of Marlins’ last nine home games went over.

Diamondbacks @ Red Sox
Bradley is 1-2, 6.75 in his last four starts (over 10-6); Arizona is 5-3 in his road starts.

Buchholz is 0-5, 8.42 in his last five starts, last of which was July 2. Boston is 2-7 in his home starts. Over is 7-6 in his home starts.

Diamondbacks won four of last five games; six of their last eight road games went over. Boston lost seven of last ten home games; under is 11-5 in their last sixteen games.

Orioles @ Giants
Gausman is 1-2, 5.63 in his last three starts; seven of his last nine stayed under. Orioles lost eight of his last nine road starts.

Bumgarner is 0-3, 4.50 in his last five starts; five of his last six stayed under. Giants are 7-5 in his home starts.

Orioles are 7-5 in their last 13 games; under is 13-5-1 in their last 19 road games. Giants are 8-17 in last 25 games; under is 6-1-1 in their last eight games.


Teams’ record when this pitcher starts:

StL-Chi– Weaver 0-0; Hendricks 13-8
Atl-Wsh– Whalen 2-0; Lopez 0-2
Col-Phil– Anderson 6-5; Eickhoff 10-13
SD-NY– Cosart 1-1/1-3; deGrom 11-9
Cin-Mil– Straily 12-9; Davies 11-9
Pitt-LA– Cole 8-9; McCarthy 3-4

TB-NY– Andriese 5-5; Tanaka 16-7
Hst-Tor– McHugh 13-10 (0-3 last 3); Sanchez 13-9
LA-Cle– Shoemaker 7-15; Clevinger 2-2
Det-Tex– Boyd 5-5; Hamels 17-6
KC-Min– Gee 2-6; Duffey 9-10
Sea-A’s– Iwakuma 14-9; Graveman 11-11

CWS-Mia– Shields 4-8/2-9; Conley 13-10
Az-Bos– Bradley 8-8; Buchholz 3-10
Balt-SF– Gausman 8-12; Bumgarner 13-11 (0-5 last 5)


# of time pitcher allows 1+ runs in first inning:

StL-Chi– Weaver 0-0; Hendricks 5-21
Atl-Wsh– Whalen 1-2; Lopez 1-2
Col-Phil– Anderson 3-11; Eickhoff 6-23
SD-NY– Cosart 3-6; deGrom 2-20
Cin-Mil– Straily 5-21; Davies 5-20
Pitt-LA– Cole 4-17; McCarthy 2-7

TB-NY– Andriese 3-10; Tanaka 3-23
Hst-Tor– McHugh 9-23; Sanchez 4-22
LA-Cle– Shoemaker 4-22; Clevinger 2-4
Det-Tex– Boyd 1-10; Hamels 5-23
KC-Min– Gee 5-8; Duffey 6-19
Sea-A’s– Iwakuma 3-23; Graveman 4-22

CWS-Mia– Shields 10-23; Conley 7-23
Az-Bos– Bradley 7-16; Buchholz 7-13
Balt-SF– Gausman 8-20; Bumgarner 6-24


Umpires

StL-Chi– Last four Meals games stayed under total.
Atl-Wsh– Four of last five Timmons games stayed under.
Col-Phil– Under is 7-3 in last ten Cooper games.
SD-NY– Under is 11-4-1 in last sixteen Estabrook games.
Cin-Mil– Under is 10-4 in last fourteen Tichenor games.
Pitt-LA– Under is 8-3 in last eleven Joyce games.

TB-NY– Underdogs won six of last eight Carapazza games.
Hst-Tor– Four of last five Eddings games went over.
LA-Cle– Nine of last ten Rackley games went over.
Det-Tex– Three of last four Hallion games stayed under.
KC-Min– Eight of last nine Danley games stayed under.
Sea-A’s– Under is 7-4-2 in last 13 Guccione games.

CWS-Mia– Under is 7-4-1 in last twelve Barry games.
Az-Bos– Over is 9-2-2 in last thirteen TBarrett games.
Balt-SF– Over is 3-0-1 in last four O’Nora games.