Saturday 8/20/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (65-56) at Phillies (57-66)

Game: 2
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: August 20, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

PHILADELPHIA -- Much of the week in the world of Philadelphia Phillies baseball has revolved around separate blows to the organization's young pitching staff.

On Wednesday, it was announced that Aaron Nola (right elbow) was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. On Friday, young starter Zach Eflin underwent successful surgery on his right knee. A surgery is likely to follow on the left. He, too, was transferred to the 60-day DL, ending his season.

What once looked like a promising young pitching corps now has some question marks.

Saturday's starter, Jeremy Hellickson (9-7, 3.65 ERA), almost wasn't here after the trade deadline a few weeks ago. But his presence is needed now more than ever for a pitching staff and team trying to get through the rest of what's likely another season without playoff baseball.

Phillies GM Matt Klentak wouldn't acknowledge Friday afternoon that injuries had anything to do with keeping Hellickson around.

"It didn't really affect our thinking," Klentak said. "We did know that something was going on with Aaron's elbow, but didn't know the significance of it at that point. It would have been hard to adjust a trade deadline plan on incomplete information. But the decision we made to hang on to Jeremy had more to do with Jeremy and what we thought the market was than anything to do with Aaron."

Hellickson, who was signed last offseason on a one-year deal to provide some veteran presence, is coming off a brief injury of his own. The right-hander left his last start on Aug. 10 in Los Angeles with back tightness.

The last month and change of 2016 is important for his future, as well. In a weak free agent market, Hellickson's 3.65 ERA -- his lowest since 2012 -- and what will be his highest career strikeout total (if he stays healthy the rest of the year) will be awfully attractive come winter.

He'll look to continue a strong 2016 campaign Saturday night against the St. Louis Cardinals against RHP Luke Weaver (0-0, 4.50).

The Cardinals won their fifth straight game overall in beating the Phillies in come-from-behind, extra-inning fashion 4-3 on Friday night.

Jedd Gyorko launched a game-tying, two-run homer off Phillies closer Jeanmar Gomez in the ninth inning.

Later on, Randal Grichuk, who finished a triple shy of the cycle, put St. Louis ahead for good with an RBI double in the 11th.

"I'm a big believer that hitting is contagious," Gyorko said Friday night.

Winning is starting to become contagious for St. Louis, as well.

They entered play Friday night just two games off the pace of the San Francisco Giants for the final wild-card playoff spot in the National League.

To continue their climb in the standings, the Cardinals will need good outings from their pitching staff. Adam Wainwright struggled a bit with a wet mound in Philadelphia on Friday night but battled to complete six innings. He allowed three runs -- including back-to-back solo homers -- and five hits and struck out five while walking two.

"Adam was better today," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "Just a couple of those solo home runs put us in a hole."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Astros (62-60) at Orioles (67-54)

Game: 3
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: August 20, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles have shown lots of power in the first two games of their series with Houston but the Astros continued banging out hits, a big reason they've each won one.

Now, the question for Saturday's game is which offense can do more.

The Orioles (67-54) lead the major leagues with 188 homers and already have hit 11 in the first two games.

They belted six in Thursday's 13-5 victory. Then, they hit five on Friday -- four of which came before Houston (62-60) recorded an out in the first inning, a new major league mark -- but the pitching could not hold an early four-run lead as the Astros rallied for a 15-8 victory.

Houston banged out seven hits in Thursday's loss. The Astros then rebounded Friday with 18 hits and runs in seven innings in that victory.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter said his team simply has to forget about this game and move on.

"Our guys turn the page very quickly, just like their team did before tonight's game," Showalter said. "You can't sit there and live in that world. If you do, you're going to have it happen again and again and again."

Baltimore now will need stopper Chris Tillman to step up on Saturday as the Orioles have dropped three of their last four games. Tillman (15-4, 3.46) was moved back three days due to some shoulder issues. He had been scheduled to start the second game of the Boston series but Dylan Bundy stepped in.

Tillman last pitched when he went seven innings in last Thursday's 9-6 victory in Oakland. He allowed two runs in seven innings.

The right-hander will face right-hander Mike Fiers (8-6, 4.66). He lasted 4 2/3 innings and took the loss in last Sunday's 9-2 defeat against Toronto, allowing five runs despite striking out seven.

This is going to be his first career appearance versus the Orioles.

Houston needs better work from its starters, who've had issues lately. In this series, Joe Musgrove gave up eight runs in 5 1/3 innings Thursday and took the loss.

On Friday, Collin McHugh allowed four homers to the first five batters and eventually allowed seven runs in three innings. Manager A.J. Hinch said the starters need to take the pressure off of the tired bullpen.

"We're at our best when our starters are getting us at least the sixth and seventh, and now we're having a hard time getting through four and five innings," Hinch said. "It's never ideal for your staff when your starters take it on the chin, and you're usually playing from behind, you're usually depleting your bullpen."

Hinch also confirmed that center fielder Jake Marisnick isn't quite 100 percent due to groin issues. To that end, the skipper said he'll probably put him in the lineup every other day for a while. He did not play Friday.

For the Astros, the question now is how much a victory like Friday can give them a spark as they ended a five-game losing streak in a strong way.

"These games are never over," said Houston right fielder George Springer. "To get down after the first inning and then just to keep fighting back when they took the lead and kind of extended it ... is big for us."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nationals (72-49) at Braves (44-78)

Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: August 20, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

ATLANTA -- Ryan Zimmerman is set to come off the Washington Nationals disabled list for Saturday night's game against the Atlanta Braves and he can do it without anything weighing on his mind.

Major League Baseball cleared Zimmerman of any violations of the drug policy, announcing Friday that no evidence of wrongdoing was found during an investigation prompted by Al Jazeera America's controversial documentary of steroid use in professional sports.

"Obviously, it's something I expected." Zimmerman said of being cleared. "But just to have the whole situation done, I can move on to finishing the rest of the year, helping this team win for the next month and a half and hopefully win our division and play in some playoff games."

Zimmerman has been on the disabled list since Aug. 1 with a left wrist contusion since being hit by a pitch and has struggled at the plate when healthy this season.

The veteran first baseman is batting .222 over 80 games with 12 homers and 38 RBIs. He has a .284 on-base percentage and .394 slugging mark.

"It's not something anyone wishes to have to go through," Zimmerman said. "I wouldn't say it distracted me, but it's definitely nice that it's over with."

"I wasn't worried, but I'm very pleased that he was cleared," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "It's been a long time. I first heard about it in the winter and it's August."

Zimmerman and Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, also cleared by MLB, will proceed with their defamation lawsuit against Al Jazeera, the segment's reporter and the British athlete who went undercover to catch pharmacist Charlie Sly making claims about athletes he supplied with PEDs.

Zimmerman and catcher Jose Lobaton, out since July 20 because of left elbow tendonitis, traveled to Atlanta on Thursday after a three-game rehab stint with Triple-A Gwinnett, but the Nationals decided to let them work out Friday before activating them from the disabled list.

"Health-wise, I feel great," Zimmerman said.

Max Scherzer (12-7, 2.95 ERA) faces the Braves for the third time this season Saturday, but the first time since his first two starts of the season.

The All-Star right-hander had a no-decision on Opening Night in Atlanta before beating the Braves in Washington, allowing a combined nine hits and six runs over 13 innings.

Scherzer, who is 2-3 with a 3.77 ERA in his career against the Braves, lasted only four innings in a no-decision at Colorado on Monday, but has pitched at least seven innings 16 times in 25 starts.

Scherzer will be opposed by Braves rookie Tyrell Jenkins, who hopes to bounce back from a rough outing Sunday in Washington. He allowed seven runs in 4 2/3 innings after giving up two total runs in his previous three starts.

Jenkins (2-3, 4.89 ERA) is 1-1 with a 3.10 ERA at home compared to 1-2 with a 6.31 ERA on the road.

Things unraveled for Jenkins in Washington after he walked opposing pitcher Tanner Roark.

"You can't go out and give free passes to these guys," Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said. "It's a really good offensive club. You've got to make them earn everything they get."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Dodgers (67-54) at Reds (52-69)

Game: 2
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: August 20, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

CINCINNATI -- The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed a National-League leading 26 players on the disabled list this season. Slowly but surely, they are getting healthy.

Good news abounded on Friday. Right-handed starter Bud Norris and left-handed reliever Adam Liberatore were reinstated from the DL and ace Clayton Kershaw will take a significant step forward in his rehab from a herniated disk on Saturday when he throws 20-25 pitches off the mound inside Great American Ball Park.

"I'm always cautiously optimistic," manager Dave Roberts said on Friday. "With all the things we've incurred, we still find a way."

The news wasn't as good on the field Friday as Norris allowed six earned runs in 3 2/3 innings in his return in a 9-2 loss to Cincinnati.

The Dodgers had won nine straight against the Reds. They'll be looking to start another streak when Brett Anderson takes the mound Saturday hoping to improve on his season debut on Sunday when he allowed five runs and five hits in one inning of an 11-3 loss to the Pirates.

Anderson will make his third career start against Cincinnati. In his two prior starts against the Reds, Anderson went 2-0 with a 2.13 ERA with just three earned runs given up in 12 2/3 innings. Cincinnati batted .224 against him in those outings.

The Reds will counter with left-hander Brandon Finnegan who will make his 25th appearance and start of the season on Saturday. He'll face the Dodgers for the second time in his career.

Finnegan's last start at Dodger Stadium was a memorable one.

On May 23, Finnegan allowed one run and five hits through eight innings of a 1-0 loss. It was the first complete game by a Reds left-hander since Lance Davis beat the Tigers on July 16, 2001, at Cinergy Field.

Finnegan, who was acquired last July in the trade which sent Johnny Cueto to the Kansas City Royals, has endured some hard luck this season.

He was matched up against Kershaw in the aforementioned start in May. He took a no-hitter into the seventh inning on April 11 only to have it broken up with two outs then eventually lost the game. Finnegan also was the Reds' starter on April 21 when Jake Arrieta no-hit them at Great American Ball Park.

Fortunes for Cincinnati have turned around. Since the All-Star break, the Reds are 20-12 and have won eight of 10 series. They own the second-best record in the major leagues since the break.

"I understand that it was a tough first half and now it's exciting to come to the ballpark knowing you have a chance to win," said Reds manager Bryan Price. "Nobody wants to be at the bottom (off the standings). The overriding feeling in the first half, besides getting the pitching together, was we're just a couple of pieces short. This is the way we envisioned the second half going."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Sox (68-53) at Tigers (64-58)

Game: 3
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: August 20, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

DETROIT -- Dave Dombrowski will see the results of his work when Saturday night's game between Boston and Detroit begins.

Not his efforts on behalf of the Red Sox, where he is the chief executive, but his work of last July when he was still president, CEO and general manger of the Tigers.

Dombrowski made three non-waiver deadline deals for Detroit near the end of last July that netted the Tigers three young starting pitchers -- Matt Boyd, Michael Fulmer and Daniel Norris.

Boyd started for the Tigers against the Red Sox on Thursday, Fulmer was the starter Friday night and Norris was slated to be on the mound at the beginning of Saturday's contest.

Detroit fired Dombrowski scant days after the deadline passed, but before the season ended Boston had scooped him up to run their organization.

The Tigers began the season with none of the three starters Dombrowski acquired on their major league roster.

Fulmer was kept in the minors to learn a changeup, but was brought up early because of an injury to another starter. He settled in after a handful of starts and has been with the team since. Boyd has been up and down a couple times this year but now appears to be up to stay.

Norris had a so-so spring, got hurt, and has fought through a couple more injuries before recently rejoining the rotation.

"They've done well," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said."Some of the young guys have done well. Fulmer was doing well already, Boyd has pitched well, Norris has pitched well.

"We've still got time to go. Just because they've done it so far doesn't mean it's over. They just have to continue to do it."

Norris (1-1, 3.47 ERA) makes his sixth start and seventh appearance of the season and will be looking to beat Boston for the first time in his short career.

Norris, who has a nice mix of pitches but off-and-on control, is 0-1 with a 12.27 ERA against the Red Sox. He has pitched against them twice with one start, which was Aug. 7, 2015 when he allowed five runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Boston sends left-hander Drew Pomeranz (9-9, 2.99 ERA; 1-2, 4.59 with Boston) to face Detroit, the second time he has pitched against the Tigers this season.

Pomeranz was making his second start with the Red Sox after being acquired in a trade with San Diego when he pitched against the Tigers on July 25. Detroit only got four hits and two runs in six innings off him but he still wound up as the losing pitcher.

Pomeranz got his first win for Boston in his last start, allowing two runs on five hits at Cleveland over 7 2/3 innings.

The Red Sox saw their bullpen give up a 3-1 lead in the eighth inning in losing Thursday's game to the Tigers 4-3.

"We've had a number of guys with very some good performances," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "We've had some inconsistencies.

"When you're in those games in which you feel like you're anywhere from three to six outs away from closing down, when those get away those can be a little bit more frustrating."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jays (69-53) at Indians (70-50)

Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: August 20, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

CLEVELAND -- Following a game that took everyone's breath away, the Cleveland Indians host the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday in the second contest of their three-game series.

It will be tough to top the opener.

The Indians beat the Blue Jays 3-2 on Friday night on a walk-off inside-the-park home run by Tyler Naquin, the first Indians player in 100 years to do that. In the at-bat before Naquin, Jose Ramirez homered to tie the game.

"That was tough," Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "We were sitting pretty good. That went from feeling pretty good to feeling rotten pretty quick."

Indians manager Terry Francona felt pretty good pretty quick.

"The guys play until it's time to go home," he said. "It's one of the qualities I admire most in our guys."

Saturday's pitching matchup will be Cleveland's Josh Tomlin (11-6, 4.14 ERA) versus Toronto's Aaron Sanchez (12-2, 2.84). Tomlin will be activated off the Family Medical Emergency List. He was placed on that list Wednesday and returned to his home in Tyler, Texas.

The Indians will make a roster move prior to the game to add Tomlin. The most likely candidate to be moved is pitcher Shawn Armstrong, who was recalled from Triple-A Columbus on Friday to give the Indians some protection in the bullpen. In Thursday's game, the Indians use four relievers to pitch eight innings.

That's because Danny Salazar, the Indians starter in that game, was removed after throwing 34 pitches and giving up three runs on three hits in the first inning.

Tomlin got off to an excellent start this season, but has struggled lately. His last win came on July 30, when his record stood at 11-3 with a 3.43 ERA. However, he is 0-3 with a 9.37 ERA in three starts since. That's part of a bigger slump that stretches back seven starts, in which he is 2-5 with a 6.26 ERA.

Tomlin's biggest problem, even when he was pitching well -- on June 26 his record was 9-1 -- has been the home run ball. He has given up a career-high 29, tied for the most in the major leagues with the White Sox's James Shields.

Sanchez is having an outstanding season. He ranks second in the American League in ERA, and is second in winning percentage.

He has lost only one game since April 22. In 19 starts since, he is 11-1 with a 2.74 ERA. He has not faced Cleveland this year. In two career appearances (one start) against the Indians, he is 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA.

The Blue Jays may have third baseman Josh Donaldson (jammed thumb) and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki (strained calf) back in the lineup Saturday. Both missed Friday's game.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics (53-69) at White Sox (57-64)

Game: 2
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: August 20, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- White Sox left-hander Chris Sale will look to snap a six-week drought between victories when he takes the mound against the Oakland Athletics on Saturday evening.

Sale, whose last victory came July 2, was the first pitcher in the majors to reach 14 wins this season and started for the American League in the All-Star Game. However, the lanky southpaw is 0-4 with a 4.43 ERA in his past six starts, dropping his overall record to 14-6 with a 3.30 ERA.

The White Sox (57-64) have struggled along with their ace pitcher. They have lost 14 of their last 21 games, including a 9-0 blowout defeat in Friday's series opener against Oakland (53-69).

"It's tough," White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier said. "I think everybody understands their role, I think everybody understands being a professional. That's when you've got to come together. We talked the other day about understanding that it's OK, we're going to lose, we're not going to win every game. But (keep) playing hard, going hard every day, diving for that ball, hustling out that at-bat and focusing on that kind of stuff, and hopefully the tides will change."

The A's will send journeyman left-hander Ross Detwiler (1-1, 4.15 ERA) to the mound against the White Sox. The 30-year-old southpaw started the season with the Cleveland Indians before he was designated for assignment. In two starts for Oakland, he is 1-1 with a 3.55 ERA.

Detwiler has faced the White Sox only twice in his nine-year career. Both of those appearances came in relief, with Detwiler allowing two runs on three hits in 2 2/3 innings.

Sale's winless streak has included a mix of bad performances and bad luck, not to mention a bizarre incident in which he reportedly sliced his team's throwback jerseys before a game because he thought they were uncomfortable. The White Sox suspended Sale for five days because of the outburst, but they elected not to move him before the Aug. 1 trade deadline.

On paper, Sale would appear to have an advantage against the A's up-and-down offense. He is 4-2 with a 3.04 ERA in 11 appearances (six starts) against Oakland during his career, including a victory April 4 in which he limited the A's to three runs in seven innings.

However, Oakland erupted for nine runs Friday to match its most lopsided win of the season. Khris Davis, Stephen Vogt and Yonder Alonso all went deep as the A's snapped a five-game losing streak.

Oakland manager Bob Melvin is making plans to be without reliable shortstop Marcus Semien soon. Semien's wife is nine months' pregnant, and her due date is Saturday.

Whenever the baby arrives, Semien's long streak of consecutive games will come to an end. He has started 124 consecutive games, which is the second-longest active streak in the majors.

"It's impressive," Melvin said. "I've seen guys play and play and play a lot of times out of necessity, and they look run down some. But he never does."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Twins (49-73) at Royals (62-60)

Game: 3
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: August 20, 2016 7:15 PM EDT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Manager Ned Yost called it "just another day."

It wasn't. It was Yost's 62nd birthday on Friday, but he had to wait until Saturday morning to celebrate the Kansas City Royals' 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins in 11 innings.

It was the hat trick: three-hour, three-minute rain delay, 12-minute delay for a lights malfunction and extra innings.

"Guys pulled up a truck last night (Thursday) and they probably had too much to drink and they wanted me to go out and have a beer with them after the game," Yost said. "I said, 'no guys. I'm sorry.' A (guy) said, 'Well, it's my birthday.' I said, 'good, happy birthday, mine is tomorrow.' And they said really."

Yost asked them how old he looks?

"They said, 'You look 50-51,'" Yost said. "I said, OK, good. You guys go have a good time and stay out of trouble.'"

Yost could have had a happier birthday if starter Edinson Volquez maintained a 4-1 lead in the fifth inning with three quick outs, which would have made it an official game. Instead, Volquez retired only one of the five batters he faced, and yielded three runs, three doubles and a single.

The Royals have won six straight, equaling their longest winning streak of the season.

Right-hander Ian Kennedy will start for the Royals on Saturday and the Twins will counter with left-hander Hector Santiago.

Kennedy is 1-0 with a 0.95 ERA in his first three August starts. He has not won since June 26 at Kauffman Stadium.

Santiago, who was acquired Aug. 1 from the Los Angeles Angels for Ricky Nolasco and Alex Meyer, is 0-3 with a 9.42 ERA in his first three Twins starts. Santiago has allowed 16 runs (15 earned) and 21 hits, including four home runs, three walks and a hit batter in 14 1/3 innings.

The Royals beat up Santiago on Saturday at Target Field. He was pulled after four innings, surrendering seven runs and nine hits. With the bullpen worn out after five relievers were utilized in the extra-inning loss, Twins manager Paul Molitor is hoping Santiago can give them several innings.

He said he will talk to pitching coach Neil Allen about who might not be available for Saturday. That would include right-hander Ryan Pressly, who required 45 pitches to get through two innings. Left-hander Taylor Rogers threw 23 pitches in 1 2/3 innings and is probably iffy.

"I'll have to talk to Neil and try to measure who's available and how much we can get from people," Molitor said. "There's going to be some people not available, so, come on, Hector."

Molitor said they debated on sending Pressly out for another inning.

"I thought a little bit about tomorrow and Sunday, but we had a chance to win a game and if he was OK I was going to let him go out there," Molitor said. "Sure enough, he had a long inning, some long at-bats, and he got up there past the 40s and I wanted to make sure he was OK.

"We were able to give him a few days rest prior to today, but he wanted that last hitter and he was able to get him out. That was a pick-me-up at the time for him to get through two for us."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cubs (77-44) at Rockies (59-63)

Game: 2
Venue: Coors Field
Date: August 20, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

DENVER -- Jeff Hoffman will make his major league debut for the Colorado Rockies and start Saturday night at Coors Field against the high-flying Chicago Cubs.

"Right into the fire," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "We feel like Jeff can handle it. He's got plenty of stuff. It's plus'stuff, even at the major league level. He can navigate lineups with his stuff only, but you got to be able to command it, too. I feel like he's ready for this.

"You've got to start your career at some point, and his is going to be (today)."

Hoffman was the centerpiece acquistion when the Rockies traded for him and two other minor league pitchers on July 27, 2015, and sent star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki to the Toronto Blue Jays.

This is the first full professional season for Hoffman, who underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2014 and pitched 104 innings at high-Class A and Double-A last season. Hoffman has pitched 118 2/3 innings this season.

The Rockies will have to add Hoffman, 23, to their 40-man roster. He has spent the season at Triple-A Albuquerque, where he is 6-9 with a 4.02 ERA, 124 strikeouts and 44 walks in 118 2/3 innings.

In Hoffman's past two starts, he has pitched a combined nine scoreless innings with four walks, 13 strikeouts and four hits allowed.

Because this is Hoffman's first full professional season after Tommy John surgery, the Rockies began limiting Hoffman's outings. In his past five starts dating from July 20, he has thrown between 66 and 76 pitches but won't be on a severe pitch or innings limit against the Cubs.

"We've backed off on him recently just so if he did come up here, he could go deeper into games," Weiss said. "So we lightened the load to try to get out in front of it as opposed to dealing with it here."

Hoffman will have five days of rest since he last pitched Sunday at Colorado Springs. In that outing, he allowed one hit in five scoreless innings with one walk and nine strikeouts and threw 66 pitches, 46 strikes.

Mark Wiley, the Rockies' director of pitching operations, watched that start and said of Hoffman, "He's got a live fastball with carry. He can create angles with it. He can pitch at the top of the strike zone. He has both a curveball and a slider that when they're right, they're following pretty good the fastball line to the plate so they're hard to pick up, hard to see. And he has a changeup with good arm speed -- looks like his fastball."

Mike Montgomery will make his first start for the Cubs and his third this season, taking the turn of injured John Lackey. Since the Cubs acquired Montgomery from Seattle on July 20, he has made seven relief apperances and has four straight scoreless outings totaling six innings, and two of those have been for two innings.

Right fielder Jason Hayward, a free agent after last season who signed an eight-year, $184 million contract with the Cubs, is going to get this series off. Chicago manager Joe Maddon gave Hayward the day off Thursday when the Cubs played a day game after a night game. The Rockies started left-hander Tyler Anderson on Friday and will start left-hander Jorge De La Rosa on Sunday.

Hayward is slumping in August with 9-for-48 (.188) this month with one RBI. Overall, he's hitting .225 in 108 games with five homers, 32 RBIs, a .304 on-base percentage and a .313 slugging percentage. The left-handed hitting Hayward is batting .228 (26-for-114) against left-handed pitchers.

"So what I'm thinking about doing is just giving him the whole weekend off," Maddon said. "Just let him chill a little bit for the weekend and then come back for sure on Monday in San Diego. Play him in emergency only; otherwise I want him to just chill out."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (50-72) at Padres (52-70)

Game: 3
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: August 20, 2016 8:40 PM EDT

SAN DIEGO -- Robbie Ray could be getting untracked.

The Arizona Diamondbacks certainly hope that's the case.

Over his last two starts, the 24-year-old left-hander has allowed one earned run in 12 innings -- a vast improvement over his 6-11 season with a 4.47 earned run average.

"He's recently been the pitcher we know he can be," Arizona manager Chip Hale said.

Saturday night at Petco Park, Ray will be paired against recycled Padres veteran Clayton Richard in a match of left-handers as the four-game series between the National League West's two worst teams continues.

Richard, 32, will be making his fourth appearance and second start with the Padres since signing for a second tour with the club on Aug. 6 as a free agent. Richard, who previously played with the Padres between 2009 and 2013, is 0-1 with the Padres with a 4.27 ERA over 6 1/3 innings.

Richard's first start for the Padres came against the New York Mets last Sunday at CitiField. He gave up two runs -- on a pair of solo homers -- over five innings to suffer the loss. He allowed three hits and three walks with three strikeouts.

The addition of Richard to a young rotation helps Padres manager Andy Green in several areas.

First, it enabled the Padres to go to a six-man rotation at least through next week to assist in limiting the innings of several other young starters. And it has added a veteran presence to the rotation.

"Clayton has already influenced some of our younger pitchers," said Green. "I love the way he handles himself. I think he's a great example not only on the day he pitches but in between starts, the way he prepares. Handling the days in between starts is almost as critical as the way you pitch."

The Padres are looking to get Christian Friedrich out of the rotation within the next two weeks to limit his innings. They also hope to have Tyson Ross returning in September. Ross, who has not pitched since injuring his shoulder on Opening Day, is scheduled to face live hitters for the second time in a week Saturday. If all goes as planned, Ross will start a rehab assignment next week.

"I don't think we need to extend him out that far because he might be throwing only three or four innings in several September starts," said Green. "But having Ross back and Richard will give us the flexibility to take some innings off some of the other younger starters."

Ray, meanwhile, had a 5-12 won-loss record as a rookie in 2015 despite posting the fourth-lowest ERA by a rookie starter in Diamondbacks history. His two-season won-loss record is 11-23.

"That's unfortunate and misleading," said Hale of Ray's record. "He's pitched better than that. Over the last two seasons, we haven't helped him as much as we could have."

Ray will be looking for his first road win since June 17 in Philadelphia. He will be making his second career start against the Padres. He suffered the loss on June 26, 2015 at Petco Park despite allowing two runs over six innings.

With two wins in the first two games of the series, the Padres have moved two games ahead of the Diamondbacks in the battle to avoid the cellar in the National League West.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Brewers (52-69) at Mariners (65-56)

Game: 2
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: August 20, 2016 9:10 PM EDT

SEATTLE -- Having already been bit by the injury bug, starting pitchers Wily Peralta of the Milwaukee Brewers and Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners head into Saturday's showdown with a little bit of momentum.

Both starters recently came off the disabled list and have had some success as they try to work their way back into form.

Hernandez (7-4) has gone 3-0 since coming off the disabled list on July 20, and he has had two of his stronger outings his last two times out.

Peralta (5-8) was already having a pretty rough season before an oblique strain landed him on the disabled list for nearly two months. Since his return, he has been a lot more effective, holding two opponents to a combined eight hits and three runs in 12 innings.

He'll have his work cut out for him against a Seattle team that piled up 11 hits on Friday night and has won 11 of its past 14 games.

The Mariners hit three home runs in a game that came against a rare left-handed Milwaukee starter. Rookie southpaw Brent Suter made his major-league debut, marking the first time in 474 games -- nearly three years -- that the Brewers have started a lefty.

"I think it's a little fluky," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "It's certainly nothing to do with player development ... the intention of how we acquire players. It's just a funny statistic. It's not meant to be that way."

Seattle has already used six different left-handed starters this season, as the Mariners have struggled through injuries on their pitching staff. The Hernandez injury was the most crushing blow, but Seattle has hit its stride since he returned from the disabled list.

A big part of the Mariners' resurgence has been a rebuilt bullpen that includes rookie closer Edwin Diaz, whom Brewers slugger Ryan Braun said late Friday night has "some of the best stuff going in the game right now." That came after a rare ninth inning of struggles for Diaz, who walked three batters and gave up a two-run single but survived for his ninth save of the season.

"He's human," manager Scott Servais said. "He's not a robot. He's not going to strike every one of them out every night throwing 100 miles per hour. We asked him tonight to go out and get three outs before they scored three runs, and he did that."

The man Diaz replaced as closer, Steve Cishek, returned to the bullpen after a 2 1/2-week stint on the disabled list. It was one of several moves made by the Mariners, who also demoted first baseman Dae-Ho Lee to Triple-A Tacoma.

The Brewers activated outfielder Damien Magnifico before Friday's game and brought up Suter to make his debut.

Milwaukee almost pulled a memorable ninth-inning comeback but fell just short.

"Let's keep trying to put ourselves in that situation," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said, "and one of these nights we'll get it done."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (62-59) at Angels (51-71)

Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: August 20, 2016 9:35 PM EDT

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Though Yankees manager Joe Girardi insists his team is "going for it" and is focused solely on a postseason berth, yet another sign of the franchise's transition will be in evidence on Saturday, when 24-year-old right-hander Luis Cessa is scheduled to make his first major league start against the Angels.

Cessna has been shuttled back and forth between New York and its Triple-A affiliate this season. His recall on Aug. 11 is his fourth stint with the Yankees and, with Nathan Eovaldi's season-ending injury opening up a position in the starting rotation, Girardi will hand the ball to Cessna to keep the team's slight playoff chances on track.

"As a young player, you're looking to make an impression and Luis has that opportunity now," Girardi said. "His ability to mix up his pitches and locate his fastball has been good."

Though the game is a milestone in his progression, Cessa was relaxed when discussing his first big-league start.

"I'm ready, I don't feel nervous," Cessa said. "It's a great opportunity to show the team what I can do. I will be ready because the Angels have dangerous hitters throughout their lineup."

While the Yankees are still playing games that matter, the Angels are attempting to find some consistency in their game after one of the worst stretches in franchise history plummeted them into the cellar of the AL West. With nothing more than personal achievements to play for, the Angels have been reduced to the spoiler role for their final 40 games.

Ricky Nolasco will make his fourth start as an Angel trying to improve on a 1-1 record with a 5.40 ERA since being acquired from the Minnesota Twins on Aug. 1. Nolasco pitched well in a start against New York earlier this season with the Twins, tossing seven innings and allowing two earned runs on eight hits with no walks and five strikeouts. Pitching for two last-place teams this season is a contributing factor in Nolasco's 4-10 record but his struggles on the hill (5.10 ERA, 1.352 WHIP) places his status in question despite having one year left on his $ 49 million, 4-year contract.

Third baseman Yunel Escobar's status for next season is the polar opposite from Nolasco's. Escobar, acquired from the Washington Nationals last December, is the Angels' leading hitter with a .320 average and is a lock to have the Angels exercise his $ 7 million option for the 2017 season. Despite his defensive deficiencies at the base (17 errors in 108 games), he has been a consistent offensive force in the leadoff spot. Escobar fell prey to the injury bug dogging the team this season on Friday. He fouled a ball directly off his face and cheek during a bunt attempt in the fourth inning and while X-rays were negative, Escobar may have to go on the disabled list.

"Yunel is as good as we have on this team at putting the ball in play at hitting it sharply. He's having a terrific season." said Angels manager Mike Scioscia. "He's sore and we will have to make a determination on his status."

Despite the Angels being on track to miss the playoffs for the sixth time in the last seven seasons, Scioscia is not in jeopardy of being fired. General manager Billy Eppler addressed the manager's status on Friday and expects him to return for his 18th season as the Angels' bench boss. Eppler feels the injuries that plagued the team all season are a major factor in their poor performance.

"I have no reason to believe Mike wouldn't be here managing our team next season," Eppler told MLB.com. "You have to have the horses to pull the cart. If your horses get hurt, we can only do so much."

Scioscia signed a 10-year extension in January 2009 that runs through the 2018 season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Saturday, August 20, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

Presumably the Detroit Tigers will honor retiring Red Sox DH David Ortiz either Saturday or Sunday at Comerica Park as this will be Ortiz's last time playing in the park barring a playoff matchup. The Tigers haven't won a World Series since 1984 but won the AL Central each year from 2011-14. I believe the best club in that stretch was the 2013 team. I also believe that if Detroit had beaten Boston that year in the ALCS it would have won the World Series over the Cardinals. And, finally, I believe the Tigers get to the Fall Classic if not for Ortiz. In Game 2 of the ALCS at Fenway Park and with the Tigers holding a 1-0 series lead, Detroit was up 5-1 entering the bottom of the eighth inning. With two outs and the bases loaded, the Tigers brought in reliever Joaquin Benoit to face Ortiz because Big Papi didn't have a good history against Benoit. First pitch: grand slam. That totally changed the series as Boston would win Game 2 and take the ALCS in six on the way to its most recent World Series title. The Tigers haven't gotten close to the Fall Classic since. So if you hear some boos in the stands at Comerica this weekend for Ortiz, you will know why.


Mets at Giants (-145, 8)

Weird Saturday schedule this week as this is the only matinee, with a start time of 4:05 p.m. ET. It also should have live betting at sportsbooks with it nationally televised by Fox Sports 1. New York goes with Bartolo Colon here, and I'm more interested to see what he does at the plate in all honesty. Colon (10-7, 3.38) wasn't sharp in his last start, allowing five runs (two earned) and nine hits over four innings in a loss at Arizona. What Colon, one of the worst hitters in big-league history, did do was draw his first big-league walk, and it only took the 43-year-old 282 plate appearances. No other player in big-league history had appeared at the plate that many times without a walk. Colon hasn't faced the Giants this year. Hunter Pence is 6-for-11 off him with two homers and seven RBIs. Brandon Belt is 2-for-8 with a homer. Lefty Matt Moore (7-9, 4.14) makes his fourth start with the Giants since the trade from Tampa Bay and looking for his first win. He's 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA with San Francisco and hasn't faced the Mets this year. Yoenis Cespedes is 2-for-6 off him with a double.

Key trends: The Mets are 7-1 in Colon's past eight vs. teams with a winning record. The Giants are 4-0 in their past four on Saturday. The "over/under" has gone under in five of Colon's past six on the road.

Early lean: Giants and under.

Red Sox at Tigers (+115, 9.5)

This is shown on the MLB Network and is a matchup of southpaws. Boston's Drew Pomeranz (9-9, 2.99) was a bit shaky in his first few starts with the Red Sox after coming over from San Diego but has been much better in the past three. He won in Cleveland on Monday, allowing two runs and five hits over 7.2 innings, easily his longest start with Boston and his first win with the team. Pomeranz lost to the Tigers on July 25, allowing two runs and four hits over six innings. J.D. Martinez is 2-for-2 career off him with a double. Miguel Cabrera is 1-for-1 with two walks. Detroit's Daniel Norris (1-1, 3.47) lost to Kansas City on Monday, allowing two runs over 5.1 innings with four walks. He hasn't faced the Red Sox this year. Ortiz is 1-for-3 off him with a homer.

Key trends: The Sox are 9-3 in their past 12 vs. a lefty. The Tigers are 9-4 in their past 13 vs. a southpaw. The under is 4-1 in Pomeranz's past five. The under is 3-1-1 in Norris' past five at home.

Early lean: Red Sox and under.

Brewers at Mariners (-210, 7.5)

Lone interleague game of the weekend and the Brewers will add the designated hitter. With Ryan Braun banged up a bit (knee, ankle), I could see him playing there. The Brewers were hoping to activate surprising 31-year-old rookie Junior Guerra (7-3, 2.93) off the DL to start here, but he instead will throw in the bullpen Friday and target next week. Nice break for Seattle as it's terrible Wily Peralta (5-8, 6.00) instead. Although Peralta does come off a good outing vs. Cincinnati, allowing one run and four hits in a win. Peralta hasn't faced the Mariners this year. Adam Lind is 2-for-3 career off him with a double. Nelson Cruz is 0-for-2. The Mariners go with Felix Hernandez (7-4, 3.34). He won at the Angels on Monday, allowing two runs and four hits over 6.2 innings. He is 3-0 with a 4.12 ERA in six starts since returning from a two-month DL stint. King Felix hasn't faced Milwaukee since 2013 when he threw eight scoreless innings. Braun hasn't seen him. Jonathan Villar is 0-for-7. Chris Carter is 3-for-11 with five strikeouts.

Key trends: The Brewers are 2-5 in Peralta's past seven on the road. The Mariners are 5-2 in Hernandez's past seven at home. The under is 8-2-1 in Hernandez's past 11 following a quality start in his most recent appearance.

Early lean: Mariners and under.

Nationals at Braves (+225, 7.5)

Not a whole lot for Atlanta fans to see on their rather anonymous team these days, but it was a pretty big deal when last year's No. 1 overall pick, shortstop Dansby Swanson, debuted on Wednesday night with two hits against the Twins. Swanson took just 397 days from being signed (July 17, 2015) to getting promoted to the majors, the third-shortest amount of time since 2000. Swanson was the fastest No. 1 overall pick to reach the majors since Darin Erstad in 1995. Swanson was part of that package coming over from Arizona this past offseason for Shelby Miller, perhaps the most lopsided trade this decade if not longer. Swanson certainly didn't see anyone in the minors like Washington's Max Scherzer (12-7, 2.95). He had some issues in Denver last time out, however, allowing four runs and seven hits in four innings. That was Scherzer's shortest outing of the season, but Coors Field will do that to guys. He is 1-0 with a 4.15 ERA in two starts this year vs. Atlanta. The Braves' Tyrell Jenkins (2-3, 4.89) was shelled in Washington by these Nationals last Sunday, allowing seven runs over 4.2 innings. Anthony Rendon is 1-for-2 with a homer and four RBIs off him.

Key trends: The Nationals are 4-0 in Scherzer's past four on the road. The under is 8-1 in his past nine.

Early lean: Nationals and under.

Yankees at Angels (-123, 9)

Latest-starting game of the night, also on the MLB Network and not exactly an awe-inspiring pitching matchup. It will be the first big-league start for New York rookie Luis Cessa. He has pitched 18.2 innings of relief this season with the Yankees and is 2-0 with a 5.30 ERA. Cessa was last on the mound last Sunday vs. Tampa Bay and allowed five runs in three innings. Cessa, who has never faced the Angels, takes the rotation spot of Nathan Eovaldi, who already has been ruled out for all of next season due to major elbow surgery. He won't pitch for the Yankees again as they will surely non-tender Eovaldi this offseason. Los Angeles has lost all three starts by Ricky Nolasco (4-10, 5.13) since he came over from the Twins. Nolasco allowed three runs and eight hits over 5.1 innings last time out vs. Seattle. Guy is not a good pitcher but he did fare well against the Yankees while with the Twins on June 18, allowing two runs with no walks over seven innings in a no-decision. New York shortstop Didi Gregorius kills Nolasco, going 10-for-19 with three doubles. Brian McCann hits .323 off him with eight homers and 24 RBIs in 65 at-bats.

Key trends: The Yankees are 1-4 in their past five on Saturday. The Angels are 5-16 in their past 21 vs. a right-hander. The over is 5-1 in the Yankees' past six in Game 2 of a series.

Early lean: Way over! Go Angels.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Royals extend red hot August streak'

Minnesota Twins at Kansas City Royals August 20, 7:15 EST

Streaking Royals reeling off six straight, eight of nine and eleven of thirteen look to extend the red-hot August when they host Twins in the third of this four game series at Kaufman Stadium. According to opening odds the Royals are -$1.45 home favorites with the total set at 9.0 runs across all shops.

Righthander Ian Kennedy will toe the rubber for Ned Yost’s squad tonight, bringing a 7-9 record to the hill with a 3.78 ERA. Kennedy has been sharp over his last four outings, giving up three total earned runs in that stretch recording four quality starts but Royals remain a dreadful 2-7 in hurlers last nine starts.

Kennedy will be matching pitches with Twins' Hector Santiago. Things have not gone well for the lefthander since being acquired from Halos. In his three starts with Twinkies, Santiago is 0-3 with a whopping 9.42 ERA including a loss to the Royals in his last effort surrendering 7 runs over 4.0 innings of work.

As a team, Royals have thrived in this series. In the last fourteen meetings the result has been 12 wins, 2 losses including a sparkling 5-0 in front of the home audience. Royals ridding a 9-1 streak vs the division, Paul Molitor's troops not a peg to hang your hopes on lately facing a division rival (1-5) the numbers add up well enough to conclude Royals are the right choice.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Saturday’s games

National League

Marlins @ Pirates
Phelps is 1-1, 1.84 in three starts for Miami (under 2-1).

Kuhl is 2-0, 2.00 in his last thee starts; three of his last four went over.

Marlins are 4-7 in last 11 road games; five of their last six road games went over. Pittsburgh won six of its last eight games; five of last six Pirate games went over.

Cardinals @ Phillies
Weaver allowed two runs in four IP (85 PT) in his first MLB start.

Hellickson is 4-0, 2.30 in his last five starts; under is 8-1-1 in his last ten. Phillies won three of his last four home starts.

Cardinals won their last five games; over is 11-3-1 in last 14 Cardinal games. Phillies lost three of last four games; over is 7-2-2 in last 11 Philly home games.

Dodgers @ Reds
Anderson allowed five runs in one IP (30 PT) in his first ’16 start.

Finnegan is 2-1, 2.70 in his last four starts; six of his last eight starts went over. Reds lost four of his last five home starts.

Dodgers are 6-9 in last 15 road games; over is 7-1-3 in last 11 Dodger games. Cincinnati is 11-4 in last 15 home games; seven of Reds’ last eight games went over.

Nationals @ Braves
Scherzer is 3-1, 2.68 in his last seven starts; eight of his last nine stayed under. Washington won his last four road starts.

Jenkins 2-1, 3.97 in his last four starts (under 5-1-1).

Nationals are 12-5 in last 17 games; seven of their last nine games went over. Atlanta lost eight of last nine games; seven of their last eight games went over.

Cubs @ Rockies
Montgomery was 1-1, 3.97 (over 2-0) in two starts for Seattle.

Hoffman is making his first MLB start; he was 6-9, 4.02 in 22 AAA starts this year.

Cubs are 18-4 in last 22 games; under is 3-2 in their last five games. Colorado is 5-10 in its last 15 games; over is 6-2 in their last eight games.

Diamondbacks @ Padres
Ray is 1-0, 1.50 in his last two starts; three of his last four went over. Arizona lost four of his last five road starts.

Richard allowed two runs in five IP (74 PT) in his first ’16 start.

Arizona lost its last five road games; over is 7-2 in their last nine road games. San Diego lost five of its last seven games; seven of their last eight home games went over total.

Mets @ Giants
Colon is 1-2, 4.76 in his last four starts; under is 7-3-1 in his last 11. Mets are 6-4 when he starts on the road.

Moore is 0-2, 4.50 in three starts for the Giants (under 2-1).

New York lost 16 of last 23 games; their last five games went over. Giants are 11-21 since All-Star break, but won last two; six of their last seven games went over the total.


American League

Red Sox @ Tigers
Pomeranz is 1-0, 2.37 in his last three starts; four of his last five stayed under.

Norris is 1-1, 4.03 in five starts this year (under 3-2).

Red Sox won seven of last eight games; under is 13-4 in last 17 Boston road games. Detroit lost eight of last 11 games; six of last seven Tiger games stayed under the total.

Astros @ Orioles
Fiers is 1-2, 6.32 in his last three starts; five of his last seven went over. Houston is 3-7 in his road starts.

Tillman is 1-3, 5.79 in his last five starts; under is 6-1-3 in his last ten. Orioles are 10-2 in his home starts.

Astros lost five of last six games; eight of last ten Houston games went over total. Baltimore lost six of last nine home games; under is 11-2-2 in last 15 games at Camden Yards.

Rangers @ Rays
Griffin is 1-1, 7.41 in his last three starts; under is 3-1-1 in his last five. Texas is 7-3 in his road starts.

Odorizzi is 4-0, 2.13 in his last six starts; his last three went over. Rays won his last three home starts.

Rangers are 10-3 in last 13 games; under is 7-1-2 in their last ten road games. Tampa Bay won four of last five games; over is 10-3 in last thirteen Tampa Bay games.

Blue Jays @ Indians
Sanchez is 3-1, 2.38 in his last five starts; under is 8-0-1 in his last nine. Toronto is 6-5 in his road starts.

Tomlin is 0-3, 9.37 in his last three starts; over is 12-6-2 in his last 20. Cleveland is 7-3 in his home starts.

Blue Jays are 10-6 in last 16 games; under is 9-2 in Toronto’s last 11 road games. Cleveland is 8-2 in last ten home games; under is 5-2 in their last seven home games.

A’s @ White Sox
Detwiler is 1-1, 3.55 in two starts for Oakland (under 2-0).

Sale is 0-4, 4.43 in his last six starts; under is 6-4 in his last ten. White Sox are 7-3 in his home starts. This is his first home start since he shredded the throwback uniforms.

Oakland lost five of last six games; under is 10-3 in A’s last 13 games. White Sox are 7-14 in last 21 games; four of their last six games went over the total.

Twins @ Royals
Santiago is 0-3, 10.05 in three starts for the Twins (over 3-0).

Kennedy is 1-0, 1.04 in his last four starts; under is 9-1 in his last ten.

Twins are 11-6 in last 17 road games; over is 10-1-2 in their last 13 road tilts. Kansas City won 10 of last 12 games; under is 14-5 -1 in their last 20 games.

New York @ Angels
Cessa is making first MLB start; he is 2-0, 5.30 in eight MLB relief stints (18.2 IP). He was 6-3, 3.03 in 14 AAA starts this year.

Nolasco is 0-2, 5.19 in three starts for the Angels (under 2-1).

New York won its last three road games; five of last seven Bronx games went over total. Angels lost 13 of last 15 games; under is 5-2 in their last seven games.


Interleague

Brewers @ Mariners
Peralta is 2-1, 3.18 in his last three starts; five of his last six went over. Milwaukee is 2-4 in his road starts.

Hernandez is 2-0, 2.91 in his last three starts; four of his last five went over. Seattle is 5-3 in his home starts.

Brewers lost their last six road games; six of last nine Milwaukee games went over. Seattle won its last seven home games; over is 10-5 in Mariners’ last 15 home games.


Teams’ record when this pitcher starts:

Mia-Pitt– Phelps 2-1; Kuhl 6-0
StL-Phil– Weaver 1-0; Hellickson 14-10 (5-0 last 5)
LA-Cin– Anderson 0-1; Finnegan 9-16
Wsh-Atl– Scherzer 15-10; Jenkins 4-3
Chi-Col– Montgomery 0-0/1-2; Hoffman 0-0
NY-SF– Colon 14-10; Moore 1-2/9-12
Az-SD– Ray 8-16; Richard 0-1

Hst-Balt– Fiers 12-10; Tillman 20-6
Tex-TB– Griffin 11-5; Odorizzi 12-13
Bos-Det– Pomeranz 3-3/9-8; Norris 2-3
Tor-Clev– Sanchez 14-9; Tomlin 16-6 (1-4 last 5)
A’s-Chi– Detwiler 1-1; Sale 15-8 (1-5 last 6)
Min-KC– Santiago 0-3/16-6; Kennedy 11-13
NY-LA– Cessa 0-0; Nolasco 0-3/9-12

Mil-Sea– Peralta 6-9; Hernandez 10-6


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

Mia-Pitt– Phelps 0-3; Kuhl 3-6
StL-Phil– Weaver 0-1; Hellickson 7-24
LA-Cin– Anderson 1-1; Finnegan 8-25
Wsh-Atl– Scherzer 9-25; Jenkins 3-7
Chi-Col– Montgomery 1-2; Hoffman 0-0
NY-SF– Colon 8-24; Moore 5-24
Az-SD– Ray 5-24; Richard 0-1

Hst-Balt– Fiers 5-22; Tillman 8-26
Tex-TB– Griffin 2-16; Odorizzi 5-25
Bos-Det– Pomeranz 4-23; Norris 1-5
Tor-Clev– Sanchez 5-23; Tomlin 11-22
A’s-Chi– Detwiler 0-2; Sale 8-23
Min-KC– Santiago 12-25; Kennedy 8-24
NY-LA– Cessa 0-0; Nolasco 10-24

Mil-Sea– Peralta 6-15; Hernandez 3-16


Umpires

Mia-Pitt– Over is 5-0-1 in last six O’Nora games.
StL-Phil– Six of last nine Reyburn games went over.
LA-Cin– Underdogs are 6-5 in last 11 Bucknor games.
Wsh-Atl– Under is 8-4 in last twelve Cuzzi games.
Chi-Col– Over is 4-2-1 in last seven Blakney games.
NY-SF– Five of last six Carlson games stayed under.
Az-SD– Underdogs are 8-7 in last fifteen Foster games.

Hst-Balt– Underdogs won five of last six Scott games.
Tex-TB– Under is 8-3 in last eleven Cederstrom games.
Tor-Clev– Five of last six Gibson games stayed under.
A’s-Chi– Under is 7-3 in last ten Holbrook games.
Min-KC– Under is 5-2 in last seven Scheurwater games.
NY-LA– Three of last four Fletcher games went over.

Mil-Sea– Under is 7-3 in last ten Hudson games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

StatFox Super Situations

MLB*|*ARIZONA*at*SAN DIEGO
Play On - All teams when the money line is +125 to -125 (SAN DIEGO) below average NL hitting team (AVG <=.255) against a team with a bad bullpen (ERA >=5.00), starting a well rested pitcher who is working on 5 or 6 days rest
177-117*since 1997.**(*60.2%*|*63.7 units*)
11-8*this year.**(*57.9%*|*3.5 units*)


StatFox Situational Power Trends

MLB*|*TEXAS*at*TAMPA BAY
TEXAS is 40-32 (+19.3 Units) against the money line as an underdog of +100 or higher*this season.
The average score was: TEXAS (4.6) , OPPONENT (4.5)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Saturday’s 6-pack

— Indians 3, Blue Jays 2– Tyler Naquin had the rare walk-off inside-the-park home run for Cleveland.

— Rookie Brent Suter was first Milwaukee lefty pitcher to start a game since Tom Gorzelanny on August 28, 2013.

— Orioles were first team EVER last nite to hit four homers before they made an out- they still lost, 15-8.

— NFL record that will be very hard to break; Jets’ Steve O’Neal had a 98-yard punt in Denver back in the late 60’s.

— US 82, Spain 76– Game wasn’t really that close; US was up 13 with a few minutes to go.

— US is an early 15.5-point favorite over Serbia in gold medal hoop game.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

#1 Sports

Saturday's Free Selection: Chicago Cubs - 155

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mike Wynn

Bonus Play: NFL Jacksonville -3 Over Tampa Bay

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Razor Sharp

FREE PICK FOR SATURDAY: Take NY GIANTS +2½ over Buffalo