Saturday 9/26/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (84-69) at Astros (80-74)

Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: September 26, 2015 1:05 PM EDT

The red-hot Texas Rangers have strengthened their grip on the AL West lead by maintaining their dominance in the season series with their in-state rivals.

Now they might not have to face the Houston Astros' top hitter in the second game of this series.

With star second baseman Jose Altuve's status uncertain, the struggling Astros will try to avoid their ninth straight loss to the Rangers on Saturday at Minute Maid Park.

After sweeping last week's four-game series in Arlington to take over first place, Texas (84-69) has now extended its lead to 4 1/2 games following Friday's series-opening 6-2 victory.

The Rangers have won 13 of 17 meetings in the series, including five of seven at Houston. They've also outscored the Astros 59-30 throughout their head-to-head winning streak.

Shin-soo Choo went 3 for 5 with his 19th home run Friday as Texas lowered its magic number to clinch its first West title in four years to five.

'There's no exhale,' manager Jeff Banister said. 'We're not going to look up until it's done. This is a mission. We're looking for an accomplishment to get to where we want to go.'

Houston (80-74) might not have Altuve as it tries to even this three-game series. He exited in the seventh inning after being hurt in a collision with Carlos Correa while chasing a popup.

'I felt a little dizzy at first, but now I feel good,' said Altuve, hitting a team-high .314.

The Astros hope to avoid a season high-tying fourth straight home defeat after having their lead on the AL's second wild-card spot cut to a half-game over the Los Angeles Angels.

They're giving the ball to Collin McHugh (17-7, 3.93 ERA), who has a chance to move into a tie with teammate Dallas Keuchel and Seattle's Felix Hernandez for the league lead in wins. Hernandez is scheduled to pitch Saturday night against the Angels.

McHugh allowed five runs over 3 2-3 innings but escaped without a decision in a 6-5 loss at Texas on Sept. 15, before giving up one run over eight in Sunday's 5-1 home win over Oakland.

The right-hander has an MLB-best 16 victories in his last 21 home outings dating to last season. He's been outstanding there lately, going 7-1 with a 1.87 ERA in his last nine starts.

McHugh had a 1.89 ERA while winning his first three starts against the Rangers before last week's meeting. Prince Fielder is 6 for 8 and Adrian Beltre has gone 5 for 9 off him this season.

After going 3-0 with a 2.15 ERA in his first four starts following a four-month absence due to a right shoulder strain, Derek Holland (3-3, 4.75) is 0-2 with a 9.00 mark in his last three.

Holland did not get a decision when he opposed McHugh last week, allowing five runs and a season-high 10 hits over 5 2-3 innings. He's 3-2 with a 4.10 ERA in nine starts versus Houston.

"I feel confident that Derek will come out for his next start ready to go," Banister told MLB's official website.

Luis Valbuena accounted for all Houston's scoring Friday with his 23rd home run. The Astros went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position in their eighth loss in 11 games.

"We have to find a way to do better,' manager A.J. Hinch said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Phillies (58-96) at Nationals (78-75)

Game: 2
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: September 26, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

Although it's likely too little, too late, Stephen Strasburg is finally pitching the way the Washington Nationals hoped he would throughout the entire season.

The right-hander will try to extend his strong stretch while helping host Washington stave off elimination Saturday against the major league-worst Philadelphia Phillies.

The Nationals were the darlings of many prognostications to win the 2015 World Series, but instead they're on the verge of missing the playoffs after four consecutive defeats.

Washington's 8-2 loss in Friday's series opener left it 3-8 at Nationals Park since Sept. 7 and 8 1/2 games behind the first-place New York Mets with nine remaining.

It looked as though Strasburg had suffered another setback during this injury-plagued season Aug. 30 when he left after four innings due to discomfort in his back. He's already missed close to two months with neck tightness and then an oblique strain.

But after getting some extra rest, Strasburg has come back stronger than ever while striking out at least 10 in three consecutive starts for the first time in his career. He's posted a 1.61 ERA with 37 strikeouts and only three walks over 22 1-3 innings in those outings.

Strasburg (10-7, 3.81 ERA) won for the second straight time Sunday, allowing one earned run and fanning 10 over seven innings in a 13-3 home win over Miami.

"I don't have the innings I would hope for," he told MLB's official website. "I try to focus on the now. I can't really worry about the past or the future. I try to focus on each pitch - one at a time - and execute each one to the best of my ability."

Strasburg has gone 7-2 with a 2.27 ERA in 15 starts against the Phillies (58-96), including three wins in four outings this season. He's hoping to match his most recent meeting Sept. 15 when he yielded one hit and had a career high-tying 14 strikeouts over eight innings in a 4-0 win.

Aaron Altherr went 4 for 5 with two home runs Friday, including the majors' first inside-the-park grand slam since Tampa Bay's Randy Winn in 1999. Darin Ruf and Cody Asche also homered for Philadelphia, which seeks its first back-to-back road wins since Aug. 22 and 23.

After allowing six runs and nine hits - three home runs - over five innings in an 8-7, 11-inning home loss to the Nationals (78-75) on Sept. 14, Aaron Nola (6-2, 3.84) responded by giving up one run over seven Sunday before leaving without a decision in a 2-1 loss at Atlanta.

The rookie right-hander, who had been 5-1 with a 3.26 ERA over his first eight starts, could be making his last appearance since the Phillies are monitoring his workload.

Jayson Werth hit a grand slam and Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon added solo shots off Nola earlier this month. Werth also went 2 for 4 with a home run in the opener, leaving him 7 for 17 with five homers in his last four games against his former team.

Harper, hitless with three strikeouts Friday, is 0 for 10 during the losing streak.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (73-81) at Yankees (84-69)

Game: 3
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: September 26, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

The New York Yankees realize they'll need plenty of help to catch Toronto and win the AL East, but that will wind up being a moot point if they can't take care of their own business.

After dropping another game back in the division race, the Yankees send Adam Warren to the hill against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.

New York (84-69) had its nine-game home winning streak over the White Sox (73-81) snapped with Friday's 5-2 loss, dropping it four games behind in the East with nine to play after the Blue Jays' win over Tampa Bay.

The Yankees still hold a 4 1/2-game cushion atop the wild-card standings, but avoiding that one-game playoff remains their goal despite needing plenty to go their way down the stretch.

'I said it was going to be really difficult and my mind hasn't changed,' manager Joe Girardi said. '(The Blue Jays) have played extremely well since Aug. 1, and you look at what they've done, but we're going to try to win every game and see what happens.'

Warren (6-7, 3.46 ERA) looks to help the Yankees bounce back in his third straight start after making 25 consecutive appearances out of the bullpen. He's given up five runs in 7 1-3 innings over his last two outings after allowing three while on an 85-pitch limit in Monday's 4-2 loss at Toronto.

'I was trying to make the best pitch in the world instead of trusting my stuff,' Warren said.

The right-hander is 5-6 with a 3.80 ERA in 16 starts this season. He faced the White Sox out of the bullpen July 31 and allowed two runs in 2 1-3 innings, giving him a 7.30 ERA in one start and seven relief efforts in his career against Chicago.

Alexei Ramirez is 4 for 7 lifetime against Warren, and he had an RBI double Friday as the White Sox snapped a three-game skid.

Mike Olt and Gordon Beckham hit solo homers in the seventh inning for Chicago, which scored more than four runs for the first time in 10 games.

John Danks (7-13, 4.59) gets the ball next for the White Sox looking to improve on his 6.43 ERA in three career starts at Yankee Stadium. He's 1-2 with a 3.00 ERA over his last four outings, but he wasn't at his best Sunday against Cleveland while throwing 110 pitches in five innings and allowing three runs in a 6-3 defeat.

"I wasn't able to force them to swing,' Danks said. 'They were patient and were able to wait me out, and before you know it my pitch count is up, and I'm out of the game.'

The left-hander issued four walks against the Yankees on Aug. 1, but he also struck out eight in 5 2-3 innings of an 8-2 victory. Jacoby Ellsbury (8 for 19) has hit Danks well, but Brett Gardner (1 for 14) and Alex Rodriguez (3 for 14) have struggled.

Ellsbury flied out as a pinch-hitter Friday and is batting .175 in his last 12 against the White Sox. He'll be back in the starting lineup for this contest after being held out for rest.

Rodriguez is mired in a 2-for-23 slump and has gone 0 for 12 in his last four games against the White Sox.

Chicago second baseman Micah Johnson has missed the last four with knee discomfort, and his status for Saturday is unclear.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Orioles (76-77) at Red Sox (73-80)

Game: 2
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: September 26, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

With two series remaining against postseason contenders, a last-place team is threatening to deliver the biggest blow to the Baltimore Orioles' playoff hopes.

The Boston Red Sox will go for a series win over visiting Baltimore on Saturday as the Orioles try to improve their dwindling wild-card chances.

The Orioles (76-77) had won 11 of 15 entering Friday's opener, but a 7-0 loss kept them stuck in the middle of a crowded wild-card race. Baltimore won 11 of its first 15 against Boston this season, but the Red Sox have taken the last two.

'We can't throw in the towel now just because we lost,' said catcher Caleb Joseph after Rich Hill's two-hit shutout.

The Orioles finish an 11-game road trip with two more at Fenway Park before closing the season at home against AL East leader Toronto and wild card-leading New York.

A three-game winning streak for Baltimore and a three-game losing streak for the Red Sox ended when Mookie Betts robbed Chris Davis of a home run for the final out of the series opener.

The Orioles hope Wei-Yin Chen (10-7, 3.36 ERA) can mimic Hill's performance in the middle game.

Chen regrouped from a pair of rough outings with wins in his last two. The left-hander allowed three earned runs in 14 innings in wins over Kansas City and Tampa Bay.

He picked up his career-high 19th quality start last Saturday, holding the Rays to one run in seven innings of a 2-1 victory.

Chen's six career wins against the Red Sox are his most versus any opponent, but they have beaten him four times behind a .292 batting average.

Dustin Pedroia has crushed Chen with a .486 average, six doubles and a triple. David Ortiz (.308), Jackie Bradley Jr. (3 for 6) and Hanley Ramirez (2 for 5) have also fared well against Chen.

Ortiz had three doubles and three RBIs in the series opener, while Pedroia is hitting .386 with three home runs and eight RBIs in his last 10. Sixty two of Ortiz's 104 RBIs have come at home.

"I've been saying all year you can just book him for 30 and 100, it's a given here at Fenway Park," interim manager Torey Lovullo told MLB's official website.

As Boston (73-80) continues to change things up in its front office - the latest move hiring Frank Wren as senior vice president of baseball operations Friday - one role has also shifted on the field.

Craig Breslow (0-3, 4.53) has made 522 relief appearances in his career but gets his first start Saturday. The left-hander is expected to throw around 40 pitches in what the Red Sox are calling a "bullpen day."

Breslow has made 43 appearances this season, struggling to an 0-2 record and 8.36 ERA since Aug. 4. He has a 2.01 ERA in 38 outings against Baltimore, but it rises to 4.22 over his last seven.

He has held Davis (1 for 16), J.J. Hardy (0 for 9) and Matt Wieters (0 for 5) in check, though Manny Machado has a home run and double in six at-bats.

Baltimore's Adam Jones has missed four straight games dealing with back spasms, while Boston's Pablo Sandoval has been out the last five due to pneumonia.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (79-74) at Athletics (65-89)

Game: 2
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: September 26, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

(AP) - All Tim Hudson and Barry Zito need is Mark Mulder climbing the mound in a green and gold Athletics jersey to complete the `ol Big Three in Oakland.

"See if he can't catch our bullpen," Hudson joked.

Oh, Mulder will be there, all right - just not pitching. He wouldn't miss this. On Sunday, the three of them will throw out ceremonial first pitches together.

But first, Hudson and Zito will face off Saturday before both head into their planned retirements, and they will do it right back where their big league careers began, at the Oakland Coliseum. What a nostalgic moment it will be, even if it only lasts a few innings.

"I don't know that I could have written a better ending to the story," Hudson said Friday, sitting alongside Zito in his familiar A's No. 75 uniform. "It's very surreal. It's a storybook kind of thing.

"I feel like it's almost a celebration of both our careers."

The San Francisco Giants, who are eight games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West with nine to play, were eliminated from the wild-card race with Friday's 5-4 loss.

Zito and Hudson have each pitched on both sides of the bay, Hudson with a nine-year detour to Atlanta before he signed with San Francisco for $23 million in November 2013. Zito took last season off after completing a $126 million, seven-year deal with the Giants, then came back this year with the A's.

"It's awesome," Giants CEO Larry Baer said.

Zito pitched at Triple-A Nashville all season with a stint on the disabled list.

"Did he need to go down to Triple-A and travel through those road trips you have to go on, whether it's buses or getting up at 4 in the morning to catch a plane? No, he didn't," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "But he loves baseball. He still had it in his blood and he wanted to give it one more shot and felt like he still had the stuff to do it, and here he is in the big leagues. Good for him."

Hudson finally won a World Series ring last season with San Francisco. Zito got his two in 2010 and `12 for the Giants, playing a key role in the second championship after being left off the roster entirely for the first title run.

The 40-year-old Hudson has spent some time appreciating every moment this season, the ups and the downs. The Giants will honor him during their last homestand.

"It's been a year of a lot of reflection," Hudson said. "I've known for a while that this is going to be it. I've taken this year and really focused on things that are going to be really special to me. I'm sure after I'm done playing, I'll have a chance to reflect on my whole career."

The 37-year-old Zito won the 2002 AL Cy Young Award with Oakland and went 102-63 with a 3.53 ERA over seven seasons with the A's before joining the Giants in December 2006.

The left-hander with that nasty curveball delivered two crucial wins during San Francisco's 2012 World Series run. He earned a victory in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series against the Cardinals at Busch Stadium facing elimination, then in the opener at home of a World Series sweep against Detroit.

"It's great when you think about the game and how those two have been some pillars for the Bay Area," Giants reliever Javier Lopez said. "To see those two finish their career, it's going to be a special time for everyone involved and particularly the teammates that have been able to play with them."

By the time the A's promoted Zito on Sept. 16, he had gone home and figured his chance was over to reach the big leagues this year.

"I'm so grateful I get to end everything on a Bay Area note," said Zito, who spent his entire career with the Bay Area teams. "It's cool to have a little stake in both the teams' history. It's such a rare opportunity."

Newly promoted Giants infielder Kevin Frandsen had bought a ticket to be in the stands Saturday, but now he will have a better seat in the dugout.

"When you do what Barry Zito's done in the Bay Area and for the Oakland Athletics, I never understood that there was any question to why he wouldn't come up and throw his last pitch as an Oakland A," Giants pitcher Jake Peavy said.

Hudson and Zito have 387 career wins between them - and those combined three World Series rings. Mulder won 103 games in nine years and was done after 2008.

"It definitely was fun to watch Huddy go out, Mulder go out and do their thing," Zito said. "We all did it in different ways. Mulder was the king of the 2-hour game, Huddy would just go out there with his sinker-split, punching guys out left and right. I had the curveball and the changeup. We definitely enjoyed watching each other."

A's third base coach Ron Washington can't wait to see the special reunion.

"When we started putting things together here in Oakland in the early years when I was here in the `90s, they were the backbone of it," he said. "We knew every night we had a chance to win."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mets (87-67) at Reds (63-90)

Game: 3
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: September 26, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

Terry Collins isn't happy about managing Matt Harvey's innings for the rest of the regular season. He'll be a lot less perturbed when the New York Mets clinch the NL East.

Collins gives the ball to Harvey for another abbreviated outing as the Mets try to win their first division title in nine years Saturday against the Cincinnati Reds.

Harvey (12-7, 2.80 ERA) has thrown 176 2/3 innings and is healthy in his first season back from Tommy John surgery. However, agent Scott Boras has said doctors don't want him to surpass 180 and the ace has two scheduled starts left before the playoffs.

The situation has left Collins to either skip Harvey's turn in the rotation or pull him early - regardless of how he's performing.

That scenario played out in disastrous fashion Sunday when Harvey made his first start in 12 days. The ace allowed one hit with seven strikeouts before leaving after five scoreless innings only for the bullpen to waste it in an 11-2 loss to the Yankees.

"You don't want to know what I was thinking," Collins said. "You might want to know, but I can't tell you."

Collins, though, conceded that he's been forced to make some adjustments.

"It's hard for me to get it, because I am, at heart, the old-school guy," he said. "But I understand where it's coming from. Therefore, you adjust to it.

"Because I've said before, there's a lot of things in our game today I don't necessarily agree with. You adjust to it or get out. So I'm adjusting to it. I might get out here pretty soon, but I'm going to adjust to it right now."

While the Harvey dilemma has caused major consternation among fans, the mood will become celebratory if New York (87-67) locks up the East on Saturday.

A win over Cincinnati (63-90) or a Washington loss to Philadelphia would be enough to send the Mets to the postseason for the first time since 2006.

The magic number was cut to one after Friday's 12-5 win extended New York's road winning streak to a franchise record-tying nine games.

"It's definitely pretty special," said first baseman Lucas Duda, who had a career-high six RBIs on a pair of three-run homers. "It's a very exciting time."

Duda's big night came after he had two run-scoring doubles in a 6-4 win in the opener of this four-game series. He had one homer, eight RBIs and a .200 batting average over his previous 25 games.

"It's nice to see his swing's back," Collins said. "He's a big piece in the lineup."

Left-hander John Lamb (1-3, 4.60) gets his first start against the Mets after facing a division leader in two of his last three. He's 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA in that stretch, including 11 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts in two outings against St. Louis.

The 25-year-old rookie struck out six Cardinals in Monday's 2-1 loss, but gave up a leadoff double in the seventh and was pulled despite throwing only 84 pitches.

"A couple of years from now, maybe even next year, I'll give him that opportunity to pitch through that," manager Bryan Price told MLB's official website.

"For a young guy, I think building up confidence and building up his success and having good outings against good teams, in particular, is a very valuable stepping stone to getting those opportunities in the future."

Lamb is 1-1 with a 5.14 ERA in four home starts.

The Reds have struggled against Harvey, who's 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in three career starts against them. He allowed an unearned run in six innings of a 2-1 win June 27.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Twins (78-75) at Tigers (72-81)

Game: 2
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: September 26, 2015 7:08 PM EDT

Pitching this late in a season is new territory for Tyler Duffey, and just how much more ground Minnesota allows him hasn't been officially stated. The rookie's recent performances, however, are making it that much harder to shut him down.

Duffey will try to continue making that silent argument to remain on the mound for the rest of the season Saturday night in Detroit with the Twins trying to avoid another disappointment against the Tigers.

In Friday's 6-4 loss to the Tigers (72-81), the Twins (78-75) blew a four-run lead but remained 1 1/2 games back of Houston for the second wild card. They've dropped seven of nine, three straight to the last-place Tigers and six of seven in Detroit this season.

Joe Mauer's span of 43 games reaching base came to an end as Minnesota managed two hits, dipping its average in Detroit to .180 with 1.9 runs per game this year.

"This one hurts," manager Paul Molitor said. "We had it set up fairly well with nine outs to go, and we didn't finish it off."

Duffey (4-1, 3.15 ERA) pitched 138 innings in the minors prior to his 45 2-3 with the big league club, surpassing his previous professional high from last year by 34 innings.

"You don't want to put the kid's arm in jeopardy," Molitor told MLB's official website. "It's proving to be pretty valuable for him right now."

Well aware of that, the Twins have worked in the occasional extra day of rest, though there's still a chance this will be his final start.

Since a rough debut Aug. 5, the right-hander is 4-0 with a 2.06 ERA in seven starts. His best came Sunday in an 8-1 home win over the Los Angeles Angels. He allowed three hits with seven strikeouts in seven scoreless innings to win his second straight.

Prior to that, he held the Tigers to a run and seven hits with seven strikeouts in 6 1-3 innings of a 7-1 home win Sept. 14, adding some appeal to getting him back on the mound against the division foe.

Perhaps most importantly, Duffey feels fine.

"I've had a little more rest," he said after beating the Angels. "My fastball felt better than it has in the past few starts. I think it had a little more on it. That worked well for me."

For Alfredo Simon, though, the season can't end soon enough. Simon (13-10, 5.21) allowed eight runs and 13 hits in 4 1-3 innings of Sunday's 10-3 home loss to Kansas City.

The right-hander is 2-3 with an 8.02 ERA in his last six starts, but the struggles haven't been that contained. It's just part of a 6-7 span with a 7.35 ERA after going 7-3 with a 2.58 mark in his first 12 outings with his new club.

Simon's struggles against the Twins haven't been as pronounced with a 1-1 record and 4.96 ERA in three starts this season, though that comes with a .343 opponent batting average. Kurt Suzuki is 6 for 13 with two home runs against him.

The Tigers have won three straight, and the pitching staff has a 2.35 ERA and .152 opponent batting average over the last five.

"You still have enough pride that you go out there, regardless of where you're at in the last week of the season, and you go out to win," manager Brad Ausmus said.

Miguel Cabrera was 0 for 3 and continues to make the AL batting title more interesting by sliding back. The two-time MVP is batting .183 in his last 17 games, and his .334 average leads Boston's Xander Bogaerts by nine points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Braves (62-92) at Marlins (67-87)

Game: 2
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: September 26, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Atlanta Braves were putting together their best run in five weeks with a combination of unusually good hitting and solid pitching efforts.

Not even their strongest offensive performance in nearly five months could make up for the staff's troubles in the series opener with the Miami Marlins.

Julio Teheran looks to help the Braves get back on track as he takes the hill Saturday night at Marlins Park.

Atlanta (62-92) won five of six behind a 2.04 ERA, and the majors' lowest-scoring team scored six runs in each of the previous two.

The lineup shined again Friday with four runs in the first and a valiant comeback effort in the late innings, but it wasn't enough in a 12-11 loss. The Braves scored their most runs since tying a season high with 12 on April 28 as Freddie Freeman, who is playing through a sore right wrist, hit a two-run homer and finished 3 for 4.

Hector Olivera and Michael Bourn also had three hits for Atlanta, which lost for the first time in seven games in Miami.

'We battled,' manager Fredi Gonzalez said. 'When you score four off of (Jose) Fernandez in the first inning, you feel pretty darn good, because he doesn't (normally) give up four in three starts (combined).'

Teheran (10-7, 4.20 ERA) had one of the Braves' best pitching performances during their hot stretch, tossing six perfect innings before leaving after 8 1-3 of a 2-1 walk-off win over Philadelphia on Sunday.

The right-hander is 1-0 with a 1.67 ERA in four starts this month while holding opponents to a .196 average and .556 OPS.

'Everything was working,' Teheran said. 'I was ahead in the count most of the day, and I was attacking hitters. That was the difference."

Teheran is 5-1 with a 2.69 ERA in 11 starts against the Marlins with the Braves winning all three this season. He'll likely need another solid effort against Miami (67-87) to end its three-game winning streak.

The Marlins are 15-8 since Aug. 31, a stretch that began with a three-game sweep at Atlanta. Justin Bour had a three-run homer Friday and joined Dee Gordon, Christian Yelich and Miguel Rojas with three hits.

Martin Prado went 2 for 4 and drove in two runs after missing the previous six with a left wrist injury, and Jeff Mathis' four RBIs also helped Fernandez become the first pitcher in the modern era to win his first 17 home decisions.

Miami looks to stay hot behind Justin Nicolino (3-4, 4.50), who pitched seven scoreless innings to beat the Braves on Sept. 1. He's gone 0-2 with an 8.44 ERA in three starts since, though, and the rookie allowed a season-worst seven runs in a 13-3 loss at Washington on Sunday.

The left-hander departed after giving up a three-run homer with two outs in the sixth.

'That's when you find out who you are as a pitcher,' Nicolino said. 'That's when you find out what you have in that situation. After I made the first out, I made a few mistakes and they ended up costing me.'

Freeman went 1 for 3 off Nicolino earlier this month and is batting .327 with two homers and three doubles during a 12-game hitting streak at Marlins Park.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Indians (76-76) at Royals (89-64)

Game: 2
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: September 26, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

When Kansas City's Kris Medlen and Cleveland's Josh Tomlin faced off earlier this month, it was the former getting the win and the latter throwing a complete game. Both again did their jobs in follow-up efforts to further their impressive, albeit abbreviated seasons.

The rematch of AL Central starters enjoying comeback campaigns comes Saturday night at Kauffman Stadium with the Indians looking to get within two games of the second wild card.

Cleveland (76-76) beat the Royals 6-0 on Friday behind Carlos Carrasco's one-hitter, gaining a game on struggling Houston for the final playoff spot. The Indians have split their last 10 games, but the rotation has more than done its part with a 2.30 ERA and .205 opponent batting average.

Kansas City (89-64), meanwhile, has lost 15 of 24 and is just a game up on Toronto for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Manager Ned Yost didn't regret resting regulars in the opener.

"We accomplished the main goal we wanted to in the regular season, and now it's on to the secondary goals," Yost told MLB's official website. "We wanted to win the division. We did that. We were focused on winning the All-Star Game so we can get home-field advantage in the World Series. We did that. Now it's just about home-field advantage from here on."

Alex Rios had the Royals' only hit Friday, is batting .392 in his last 21 games, and his .270 season mark is higher than it's been since beginning June at .281.

Medlen (5-1, 3.51 ERA) allowed three unearned runs in five innings of Sunday's 10-3 win in Detroit for his second straight victory after limiting the Indians to five hits in 6 1-3 innings of a 2-0 road win Sept. 15.

The right-hander, who returned just after the All-Star break from elbow surgery, made seven relief appearances before joining the rotation Aug. 24. After struggling through his first three starts, he is 2-0 with a 1.04 ERA in his last three, though he's still working through some things.

"When he came into the dugout, I asked, 'How did you feel?'" Yost said after the start against Cleveland. "And he said, 'Man, I was fighting my mechanics all night.' And I thought, 'That's a good sign. Imagine what he'll be like with good mechanics.'"

Medlen has won both of his career starts against the Indians with 11 hits in 13 1-3 scoreless innings.

Tomlin (6-2, 2.43) might have had better stuff in the loss, giving up two runs and four hits in nine innings. The right-hander followed it up with Sunday's 6-3 home win over the Chicago White Sox, surrendering four hits in 5 2-3 scoreless innings to win for the sixth time in seven starts since dropping his season debut Aug. 15.

He is just eight starts into his return from shoulder surgery and has two complete games in four outings this month while posting a 1.84 ERA and .163 opponent batting average.

"It feels good right now to be out there and contributing to this team and being consistent, and going out every fifth day and not worrying about my arm or anything going haywire or getting a start pushed back or anything like that," Tomlin said.

Tomlin is 2-3 with a 5.77 ERA in five starts and four relief appearances against the Royals since the start of 2012. Salvador Perez (8 for 12 with a home run), Rios (6 for 14 with a homer) and Mike Moustakas (6 for 15 with two homers) have had the most success, but Ben Zobrist is 1 for 17.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Brewers (65-89) at Cardinals (97-57)

Game: 3
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: September 26, 2015 7:15 PM EDT

Jaime Garcia's return to form earlier this week was a welcome sight for St. Louis. A gem from the left-hander would mean even more after the Cardinals lost another starter.

Garcia will try to spell an exhausted bullpen and help the Cardinals bounce back Saturday night as they continue a four-game home series against the Milwaukee Brewers.

St. Louis (97-57) had its five-game winning streak snapped with a 4-3 loss Friday that was just their fifth in 17 games against the Brewers this year and second in the last 10. It also trimmed their NL Central lead over Pittsburgh to three games with eight to play.

More concerning might have been Carlos Martinez's exit with shoulder tightness after throwing only seven pitches. Martinez had leveled this season's loss of Adam Wainwright, ranking among the NL leaders in wins (14) and ERA (3.01).

He said he didn't have a lot of pain after the game, but there was some weakness. An MRI is scheduled for Saturday.

"I'm not too concerned about it," Martinez said through an interpreter. "But I'm going to wait till tomorrow and see what happens."

Garcia (9-5, 2.45 ERA) dealt with his own groin and shoulder injuries earlier this year but will be counted on to relieve a bullpen that handled the final 8 2-3 innings Friday and 15 2-3 over the last three games.

Garcia has 14 quality starts but hit a bump in back-to-back outings this month, allowing 10 runs in 10 2-3 innings between an 11-0 loss to Cincinnati and a 5-4 win over Milwaukee. He regrouped Monday, holding the Reds to one run over seven in a 2-1 victory.

The veteran stymied the Brewers over two starts earlier this year, surrendering five hits and one run in 14 innings, but he allowed four runs in 6 1-3 on Sept. 16.

Khris Davis hit the winning homer in the ninth Friday and is 1 for 6 lifetime against Garcia. Jean Segura is 6 for 18 with a double versus the St. Louis starter.

While the Cardinals hope Martinez isn't out for the stretch run, Milwaukee (65-89) has dealt with its own share of injuries. The Brewers moved pitchers Jimmy Nelson and Michael Blazek to the 60-day disabled list this week, while Ryan Braun (back), Jonathan Lucroy (concussion) and Elian Herrera (thigh) are still on the road back.

To help fill the gaps, Milwaukee called up four pitchers and two position players from Double-A Biloxi on Tuesday following its Southern League Championship Series loss Monday.

"It gets us back to, I think, a safe number of players," manager Craig Counsell told MLB's official website. "Now we've got a normal roster, plus a little extra."

One of the promotions went to Tyler Wagner, who takes the mound for his second big league start. Wagner (0-0, 12.27) made his debut May 31 against the Diamondbacks, but it didn't last long as the right-hander surrendered nine hits and five runs in 3 2-3 innings of an eventual 7-6 win for Milwaukee in 17 innings.

He will pitch against a red-hot Jhonny Peralta, who has five hits through the first two games of the series, including a home run Thursday. Peralta is hitting .333 with two homers and 10 RBIs in 16 games against the Brewers this year.

Braun lined out as a pinch-hitter Friday, while Lucroy pinch-hit and stayed in at first base, finishing 1 for 2 with an RBI.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Dodgers (87-66) at Rockies (64-90)

Game: 2
Venue: Coors Field
Date: September 26, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

It's no secret who the Los Angeles Dodgers will turn to in their first two playoff games. Brett Anderson may have a chance to officially get them there.

Anderson might be taking the mound with the opportunity to help the Dodgers clinch their third straight NL West title on Saturday night against the Colorado Rockies.

Despite falling 7-4 at Colorado on Friday, Los Angeles reduced its magic number in the West to two games with nine remaining when San Francisco lost to Oakland.

The Dodgers should take the field Saturday already knowing if clinching is possible since the Giants face Oakland earlier in the day.

"That would be nice and ideal for us, if we can take care of business now," outfielder Carl Crawford said. "But we're not looking forward to nothing."

With Los Angeles (87-66) all but guaranteed to reach the playoffs, it's also practically certain that Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke will start the first two games of the NL division series.

Anderson (9-9, 3.52 ERA) seems the most likely candidate to start the next game.

The left-hander has two scheduled starts left in what would be his first complete - and healthy - season in the majors since he was a rookie with Oakland in 2009.

Anderson, though, dismissed talk of fatigue after he was tagged for five runs and 10 hits - two homers - in 4 2-3 innings of an 8-4 loss to Arizona on Monday.

"My stuff was fine," Anderson told MLB's official website. "It was just a bad outing. I only have a couple more and I expect to pitch better."

Anderson feels he'll be better as his remaining starts come on four days' rest after getting at least five over his last three.

"I would like to be on normal rest to get back in the rhythm," said Anderson, who is 7-2 with a 3.29 ERA in 13 starts on four days' rest. "It's tough, trying to get me extra rest. I'm in uncharted territory with starts and stuff; still, I'd like to get in a normal routine. That's when I was pitching the best, every four or five days and knowing what I'm doing day in and day out."

Anderson, who pitched for Colorado last season, is 1-0 with a 2.20 ERA in three starts against the Rockies - all this year. He allowed three runs with seven strikeouts in six innings of a 5-4 loss in 16 on Sept. 15.

The Rockies (64-90) send Kyle Kendrick (6-13, 6.37) to the mound sporting the highest ERA of any pitcher with at least 100 innings. It's also the highest for any Rockies pitcher with at least 130 since Darryl Kile had a 6.61 mark in 1999. That year, Pedro Astacio and Brian Bohanon served up a team-record 22 homers at Coors Field, and Kendrick is two shy of matching them.

He's allowed a major league-high 32 home runs overall despite spending six weeks on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation.

Kendrick was roughed up for a career-high four homers and six runs in four innings of a 10-4 home loss to San Diego on Sunday.

The right-hander is 0-5 with a 5.19 ERA over his last six starts against Los Angeles. He allowed six runs and 10 hits over 5 1-3 innings in an 11-4 loss at Coors on June 1.

Kendrick hasn't allowed a homer to Adrian Gonzalez, but the Dodgers slugger is 10 for 20 with five doubles off him.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (74-80) at Padres (72-82)

Game: 2
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: September 26, 2015 8:40 PM EDT

Both starting pitchers will be seeking a little redemption when the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres continue their series at Petco Park on Saturday.

Jeremy Hellickson looks to rebound from a rocky performance against the Padres last week, while Robbie Erlin will try to move past a forgettable return to the majors.

After missing almost a month due to a strained left hamstring, Hellickson (9-10, 4.73 ERA) only recorded three outs while allowing five runs in a 10-3 home loss to San Diego on Sept. 14. The right-hander later called it the worst inning of his career.

"It wasn't the return I was looking for, that's for sure," he told MLB's official website.

Hellickson managed to bounce back when he gave up two runs and three hits over five innings in a 5-1 loss at San Francisco on Sunday. Now he'll try to build on that performance in a rematch with a San Diego team that hasn't treated him well all season.

The 28-year-old has gone 1-3 with an 8.37 ERA in five meetings. Cory Spangenberg is 4 for 7 with a triple and a double off him, while Wil Myers has gone 4 for 8 with two home runs and Justin Upton 5 for 11 with two homers.

Derek Norris and Alexi Amarista, however, are 3 for 25 lifetime in the matchup.

Myers, Amarista and Jedd Gyorko drove in the only runs Friday as San Diego (72-82) fell two games back of third-place Arizona and clinched its fifth straight losing season.

Erlin (0-1, 21.00) hoped to make a positive impression on the Padres on Saturday in his first big-league start since Sept. 28, 2014. Instead, he gave up seven runs and nine hits while lasting just three innings in a 10-2 loss at Colorado.

The left-hander, who missed most of last season with elbow soreness, is one of the club's top prospects but posted a 5.60 ERA over 24 starts at Triple-A El Paso this year.

Erlin gets another opportunity at Petco Park, where he's 4-2 with a 2.55 ERA in 11 starts. He also went 1-0 with a 2.08 mark in two 2013 outings against Arizona (74-80).

The 24-year-old will have to be careful with Diamondbacks All-Stars A.J. Pollock (.318) and Paul Goldschmidt (.318), who are tied for fifth in the NL batting race.

Goldschmidt had an RBI double in the opener to help Arizona snap a four-game skid. He's 8 for 20 with three homers in his last five. Pollock had his first career grand slam and a career-high five RBIs. He has the NL's second-best average since Aug. 10 at .353.

"He's had a great second half," manager Chip Hale said. "He's probably been our hottest hitter the last month and a half."

The Diamondbacks will try to improve to 6-3 on a 10-game road swing, though they're one defeat away from their fourth consecutive season without a winning record.

Arizona shortstop Nick Ahmed could miss his fourth straight game with a sore lower back.

San Diego third baseman Yangervis Solarte might be able to return after sitting Friday due to a right hamstring cramp. He's hitting .328 over his last 16 games versus Arizona.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mariners (74-80) at Angels (79-74)

Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: September 26, 2015 9:05 PM EDT

In order to have a chance to take the lead in the race for the AL's second wild-card spot, the Los Angeles Angels will again have to solve Felix Hernandez.

After beating Hernandez for the first time in two years last week, the Angels seek their fourth straight win Saturday against the Seattle Mariners.

Los Angeles (79-74) enters Saturday one-half game behind Houston for the league's second wild card with nine left in the regular season. That deficit will change before the Angels take the field since the Astros host Texas earlier in the day.

The Angels, who beat Seattle 8-4 on Friday, are trying for their longest winning streak since a season-high seven-game run July 12-22.

"It's right where you want to be, definitely," said Albert Pujols, whose 37th homer matched his most since 2011 - his final season with St. Louis.

"But we haven't earned anything. We're just playing baseball, and we still have a few games left. We just need to win series and do whatever it takes to come out with the 'W' every night, and then we'll see what happens at the end."

Los Angeles' attempt to continue rolling, however, may require beating Hernandez (18-9, 3.54 ERA) in back-to-back meetings for the first time since 2006.

The Angels got the better of the Mariners ace in a 4-3 win at Seattle on Sept. 15. The right-hander's only mistakes in seven innings were a three-run homer by David Murphy in the third and Mike Trout's solo shot in the sixth.

Hernandez was 6-0 with a 0.74 ERA over his previous nine starts against Los Angeles, including a 2-0 record and 0.82 ERA in five road matchups.

The six-time All-Star enters this outing tied for the most wins in the league, and another would match his career high from 2009. He has two starts left to try to become the Mariners' third 20-game winner and first since Jamie Moyer had a team-record 21 in 2003.

Hernandez earned a 9-2 win at Texas on Sunday, yielding two runs and matching his season high with five walks before leaving after 5 2-3 innings with a stiff elbow.

"It's not a big deal. ... I'll be fine," Hernandez said.

He's struggled with Trout, who is hitting .349 with four homers and 13 RBIs in 63 at-bats against him, including 4 for 14 with two homers this year.

Trout is batting .356 with six homers and 12 RBIs in the past 12 games. He went 3 for 5 with an RBI double in Friday's opener of this three-game set, giving him a .444 average with seven RBIs over his last seven meeting with Seattle (74-80).

The Angels give the ball to Andrew Heaney (6-3, 3.30), who is 1-3 with a 4.42 ERA over his last 10 starts but has been much better of late.

The rookie left-hander allowed two runs and two hits with six strikeouts in six innings of Saturday's 4-3 win in 12 at Minnesota, six days after tossing five scoreless innings and not getting a decision in a 5-3 loss to Houston.

Heaney is a candidate to start a potential wild-card game depending on the status of Garrett Richards, who could pitch the regular-season finale at Texas on Oct. 4.

"We're not gonna hold anything back to get to the part we need to," manager Mike Scioscia told MLB's official website. "Garrett's definitely stepped up and thrown the ball - with Andrew Heaney - as well as anybody we have in our rotation."

Heaney was terrific at Seattle on July 12 with seven shutout innings in a 10-3 win.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

National League

Pirates @ Cubs
Liriano is 2-0, 4.11 in his last three starts (over 8-1-1 last ten).

Hammel is 2-1, 6.57 in his last five starts (over 5-1 last six).

Pirates lost three of last four games against Chicago (under 6-3 last nine); they won last seven games overall, scoring 43 runs (under 5-2 last seven). Cubs are 7-3 in last ten games (under 4-1 last five).

Phillies @ Nationals
Nola is 3-1, 3.32 in his last six starts (over 6-3-1 last ten).

Strasburg is 2-0, 1.20 in his last five starts (over 4-1 last five).

Phillies lost eight of last 11 games with Washington; four of last five went over total. Philly lost eight of last ten games (under 5-2 last seven). Nationals lost last four games, scoring ten runs (over 6-2-1 last nine).

Braves @ Marlins
Teheran is 1-0, 1.67 in his last four starts (under 3-0-1).

Nicolino is 0-2, 8.44 in his last three starts (over 3-2 last five home).

Atlanta lost last five games with Miami (over 5-2-1 last eight); Braves won five of last seven games (under 5-3 last eight). Marlins won last three games (over 5-3 last eight).

Mets @ Reds
Harvey is 3-0, 2.47 in his last even starts (over 6-1).

Lamb is 1-0, 1.80 in his last three starts (over 3-1).

Mets won ten of last 12 games with Cincinnati; last three series games went over. New York lost six of last ten games; five of last six went over total. Reds lost their last six games (over 8-3 last eleven).

Dodgers @ Rockies
Anderson is 1-1, 5.06 in his last four starts (over 4-1 last five).

Kendrick is 2-2, 6.63 in his last five starts (under 6-3 last nine).

Rockies lost five of last six games, allowing 47 runs; six of last ten went over the total. Colorado won six of last nine games against the Dodgers. LA is 2-5 in last six games not started by Greinke/Kershaw; three of their last five games overall went over the total.

Brewers @ Cardinals
Wagner allowed five runs in 3.2 IP (79 PT) in his only '15 start, on May 31.

Garcia is 2-0, 1.57 in his last four home starts (under 3-0-1).

Milwaukee lost eight of last ten games with St Louis (over 4-1-1 in last six). Brewers lost eight of last 11 games (over 6-3-1 last ten). Cardinals won five of last six games (over 6-3-1 last ten). .

Diamondbacks @ Padres
Hellickson is 2-4, 6.59 in his last six starts (over 4-2).

Erlin allowed seven runs in three IP (55 PT) in his only '15 start.

San Diego won four of last seven games with Arizona; five of last six in series went over the total. D'backs are 5-3 in last eight games;four of last five went over total. Padres won three of last five games; six of their last seven games went over the total.


American League

White Sox @ Bronx
Danks is 1-4, 4.85 in his last six starts (over 5-1).

Warren is 0-1, 6.14 in his last two starts.

White Sox lost eight of last ten games with Bronx; four of last six series games went over the total. Chicago is 4-6 in last ten games; five of last six stayed under. New York won four of its last seven games; under is 9-3 in their last twelve games.

Rays @ Blue Jays
Archer is 0-2, 4.43 in his last four starts (over 5-1 last six).

Price is 4-0, 1.38 in his last four starts (under 5-0 last five at home).

Toronto won four of last five games with Tampa Bay (under 7-1-1 last nine); Jays are 6-3 in last nine games (under 6-2 last eight). Rays won four of last six games overall (under is 9-4 last 13 games).

Twins @ Tigers
Duffey is 2-0, 1.35 in his last three starts (over 5-1 last six).

Simon is 1-1, 8.31 in his last three starts (over 4-1-1 last six).

Twins lost last three games with Detroit (over 4-2-1 last seven); they lost seven of last ten games overall (under 4-3 last seven). Detroit won seven of last ten games (over 6-3 last nine).

Orioles @ Red Sox
Chen is 2-0, 1.93 in his last two starts (over 4-1 last five).

Reliever Breslow is starting this game, which will be pitched by Boston bullpen; doubt Breslow goes more than once thru lineup.

Baltimore won eight of last 11 games with Boston (over 5-3 last eight). Orioles won five of last eight games overall (over 5-4-1 last ten). Red Sox lost three of last four games; five of their last six stayed under the total

Indians @ Royals
Tomlin is 6-1, 2.37 in his last seven starts (over 5-1 last six).

Medlen is 2-0, 2.60 in his last three starts (over 4-2 last six).

Royals clinched first division title in 30 years Thursday; they won three of last five games; six of their last eight games went over the total. Clevelandwon four of last six games vs KC; three of last four stayed under. Indians 4-3 in last seven games; over is 4-3-1 in last eight.

Rangers @ Astros
Holland is 0-2, 9.00 in his last three starts (over 5-3-1 last nine).

McHugh is 4-0, 3.77 in his last five starts (over 4-0-1).

Rangers won their last eight games with Houston- over is 3-0-1 in last four. Texas won ten of last 12 games overall-- over is 8-1-1 in last ten. Astros are 3-8 in their last eleven games; over is 6-3-1 in their last ten.

Mariners @ Angels
Hernandez is 4-2, 1.86 in his last six starts (over 7-2-1 last ten).

Heaney is 0-0, 1.64 in his last two starts; (over 3-1-1 last five home).

Angels are 6-4 in last ten games with Seattle (over 5-2-1 last eight). Mariners are 2-4 in last six games (over 5-1). Angels won six of last eight (over four of last five).


Interleague

Giants @ A's
Hudson is 2-0, 1.10 in his last three starts (under 4-1 last five); this may be his last MLB start also, back in the place where it all started for him.

Zito is making first '15 start and probably last one ever after 419 starts in a really good 13-year career. His last MLB start was in Sept 2013; he was 8-7, 3.46 in 22 AAA starts this season

Giants won four of last six games with Oakland; under is 4-3-2 in last nine games in series. A's are 4-7 in last 11 games; five of last six Oakland games went over total. Giants lost five of their last seven games (over 3-0 last three).


Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Pitt-Chi-- Liriano 18-11 (14-1 last 15); Hammel 14-15
Phil-Wsh-- Nola 7-5; Strasburg 16-14
Atl-Mia-- Teheran 18-13; Nicolino 4-6
NY-Cin-- Harvey 16-11; Lamb 2-6
LA-Col-- Anderson 15-14; Kendrick 8-17
Mil-StL-- Wagner 1-0; Garcia 12-6 (9-1 last 10)
Az-SD-- Hellickson 11-14; Erlin 0-1

TB-Tor-- Archer 17-15; Price 23-8/8-2
Chi-NY-- Danks 13-15; Warren 9-7 (0-3 last 3)
Min-Det-- Duffey 6-2; Simon 16-13
Balt-Bos-- Chen 18-11; Breslow 0-0
Cle-KC-- Tomlin 5-2; Medlen 4-2
Tex-Hst-- Holland 4-4; McHugh 19-11
Sea-LA-- Hernandez 20-10; Heaney 9-6 (1-4 last 5)

SF-A's-- Hudson 11-9 (4-0 last 4); Zito 0-0


Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Pitt-Chi-- Liriano 7-29 (5 of last 9); Hammel 13-29 (8 of last 12)
Phil-Wsh-- Nola 6-12; Strasburg 7-30
Atl-Mia-- Teheran 10-31; Nicolino 1-10
NY-Cin-- Harvey 7-27; Lamb 3-8
LA-Col-- Anderson 9-29; Kendrick 14-25
Mil-StL-- Wagner 1-1; Garcia 4-18
Az-SD-- Hellickson 9-25; Erlin 1-1

TB-Tor-- Archer 7-32; Price 7-31
Chi-NY-- Danks 8-28; Warren 6-16
Min-Det-- Duffey 1-8; Simon 6-29
Balt-Bos-- Chen 8-29; Breslow 0-0
Cle-KC-- Tomlin 1-7; Medlen 2-6
Tex-Hst-- Holland 3-8; McHugh 9-30
Sea-LA-- Hernandez 8-30; Heaney 1-15

SF-A's-- Hudson 5-20; Zito 0-0


Umpires
Pitt-Chi-- Underdogs are 12-10 in last 22 Davis games.
Phil-Wsh-- Under is 10-4-2 in last 16 Hoye games.
NY-Cin-- Eight of last ten Conroy games stayed under.
Atl-Mia-- Four of last five Hallion games stayed under.
Mil-StL-- Four of last five HGibson games went over.
LA-Col-- Last six Reyburn games stayed under total.
Az-SD-- Over is 11-6-1 in last eighteen Meals games.

Chi-NY-- Seven of last ten Holbrook games went over.
TB-Tor-- Over is 5-0-1 in last six Gonzalez games.
Balt-Bos-- Under is 13-6-1 in last 20 Gibson games.
Min-Det-- Favorites won last 10 Reynolds games (under 7-3-1 last 11).
Cle-KC-- Eight of last eleven Estabrook games went over.
Tex-Hst-- Road team won seven of last eight Knight games.
Sea-LA-- Under is 4-1-1 in last six Wendelstedt games.

SF-A's-- Underdogs are 7-3 in last 10 Miller games (over 6-3 in last nine).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Saturday, September 26, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

Saturday afternoon's Bay Area interleague game between the Giants and A's in Oakland means nothing in terms of the playoff race. But it's by far the most interesting game on the schedule thanks to a cool move by the A's. That's because former A's teammates Tim Hudson and Barry Zito -- part of Oakland's terrific Big 3 in the early 2000s with Mark Mulder -- will square off. Hudson has been a part of the Giants' rotation all season and is retiring after this year. Zito, who left Oakland for San Francisco in 2007, hadn't pitched in the majors since 2013 until being called up from the minors on Sept. 16. He has thrown one inning of relief but will start here and throw around 50 pitches. It's presumed he will retire after the year as well. Oakland plans to honor its former Big 3 in a pregame ceremony on Sunday.


Giants at A's (+120, 8.5)

Mulder will join Hudson and Zito to throw out first pitches before Saturday's game. They all remain great friends. Zito and Hudson never pitched together on the Giants as Hudson signed on before the 2014 season and won his first World Series ring. Zito, the 2002 AL Cy Young winner, was largely a bust with the Giants but was still a very popular player with his carefree attitude. Zito said that before A's GM Billy Beane told him about this plan and being called up from Triple-A that Zito was sending "RIP" texts to friends bemoaning the end of his baseball career. Neither guy should pitch an inning again after Saturday. Perfect way to go out. Hudson (8-8, 4.20), at age 40, is going great right now at 2-0 with a 0.96 ERA since coming off the disabled list Sept. 1. But he says there's not changing his mind about retirement. He leads all active players with 222 wins. Hudson is not a Hall of Famer but wasn't too far off. From a betting perspective, keep in mind the Giants add the DH, but half their team is done for the season.

Key trends: The Giants are 1-9 in their past 10 against a lefty. The "over/under" has gone under in four of San Francisco's past five on Saturday. The under is 12-4 in Oakland's past 16 on Saturday.

Early lean: Giants and under.


Rays at Blue Jays (-180, 7.5)

It's the current Rays ace against their former one. For Tampa Bay, it's All-Star Chris Archer (12-12, 2.92), who makes only $1.2 million or so this season by the way. He's in the Top 5 of the AL in innings, strikeouts, ERA and WHIP. Archer reached the 200-innings plateau for the first time in his career Monday against the Red Sox, allowing a run over five innings. He is 3-1 with a 0.93 ERA this season against Toronto. Jose Bautista is just 3-for-29 off him. Edwin Encarnacion is only 4-for-31 but does have three homers. It's Jays lefty David Price (17-5, 2.34), who might be your AL Cy Young winner now and makes nearly $20 million. He has been largely dominant since being acquired by the Blue Jays and shut out the Yankees on two hits over seven innings last time out. Price's only start vs. Tampa this year was his last as a Tiger, allowing five runs over six innings.

Key trends: The Rays are 2-5 in Archer's past seven vs. teams with a winning record. The Jays are 4-1 in Price's past five vs. the AL East. The over is 5-1 in Archer's past six. The under is 5-0 in Price's past five at home.

Early lean: Blue Jays and under.


Mets at Reds (+150, 7.5)

Normally when you see Mets ace Matt Harvey on the mound, obviously you should back them. But Harvey (12-7, 2.80) is on a strict innings limit and this will be his final start of the regular season almost surely. He dominated the Yankees over five innings on Sunday but that's only as long as the Mets would let him go. Expect the same here. The Reds' Zack Cosart is 4-for-8 off him with two doubles. Joey Votto is 2-for-6 with a homer. Cincinnati goes with yet another of its rookie pitchers in lefty John Lamb, who came over in the Johnny Cueto deal. Lamb (1-3, 4.60) comes off his best start thus far, shutting out the Cardinals over six innings. He hasn't faced the Mets.

Key trends: The Mets are 5-1 in Harvey's past six vs. teams with a losing record. The over is 5-0 in his past five. The over is 6-1 in the Reds' past seven on Saturday.

Early lean: Mets and under.


Phillies at Nationals (-263, 7)

Two teams with nothing to play for here but nice matchup of young pitchers. The Phillies had said they were going to shut down their future ace, rookie Aaron Nola (6-2, 3.84), but here he is again. This could be his finale, however. Nola has largely been good but two starts ago wasn't against the Nationals, allowing six runs and nine hits over five innings. Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon and Jayson Werth all went yard off him. Washington's Stephen Strasburg (10-7, 3.81) has had a disappointing year but seems to be putting it together now. He has allowed only four earned runs over his past three starts and struck out 37 in that stretch, at least 10 in each. Strasburg has largely been a different guy since coming off the DL. He is 3-1 with a 2.77 ERA this season against the Phillies.

Key trends: The Nats are 7-0 in Strasburg's past seven vs. teams with a losing record. The over is 7-3-1 in Nola's past 11. The over is 4-0 in Strasburg's past four at home. The Nats are 7-2 in Strasburg's past nine vs. Philly.

Early lean: Nationals and under.


Mariners at Angels (-105, 7)

Here's something that surprised me until I read it and looked it up: Mariners ace and former Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez has never won 20 games in a season. That year he won the Cy, in 2010, he was just 13-12. King Felix (18-9, 3.54) thus has something to pitch for in his final two starts. He will be on extra rest after leaving his last start Sunday with a stiff elbow. Bit surprised the Mariners are even risking it. Hernandez is 3-1 with a 1.59 ERA in five starts against the Angels this year. Mike Trout hits .349 career off him with four homers but 20 strikeouts in 63 at-bats. Albert Pujols hits only .196 in 51 at-bats. Angels lefty Andrew Heaney (6-3, 3.30) has faced Seattle once this year and it was probably his best start, shutting out the M's on five hits over seven innings.

Key trends: The Mariners are 1-5 in Hernandez's past six with five days of rest. The Angels are 6-2 in Heaney's past eight vs. teams with a losing record. The under is 4-0 in Hernandez's past four vs. the Angels.

Early lean: Angels -- they need it more and I'm not sure Hernandez is 100 percent -- and let's complete the under sweep.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Saturday's six-pack

Some trends to consider for today's college football games.........

-- TCU beat Texas Tech 82-27 LY; Horned Frogs are 3-9 against the spread in their last 12 games as a road favorite.

-- Favorites covered last six Oklahoma State-Texas games.

-- East Carolina is 8-3-1 in its last 12 games as a home underdog.

-- Georgia Tech is 10-5-2 as a road favorite under Paul Johnson.

-- Arizona is 4-0 as a home underdog under Rich Rodriguez.

-- Army is 2-18 against the spread in its last 20 road games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Arthur Ralph Sports

Bonus Play Sat UCONN + 7 1/2

 

[Hart]

Where do we find the sports newsletters like powerswee ect

 

[mvp24]

arthur ralph?

 

[Incubus]

North Coast Sports (Phil Steele) 5*?

It's supposed to be released today, Saturday 26th.

As announced in this week's issue of Power Sweep.
Thanks in advance. :toast: