Saturday 9/3/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (72-62) at Cubs (87-47)

Game: 3
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: September 03, 2016 2:20 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- At first glance, it will be ace vs. ace on Saturday as the Chicago Cubs and San Francisco Giants send their best to the mound.

But Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta (16-5, 2.84 ERA) and Giants left-hander Madison Bumgarner (13-8, 2.49 ERA) have had some struggles of late.

Arrieta, the reigning Cy Young Award winner, was knocked around in last Tuesday's start, allowing a season-high tying six runs in 6 1/3 innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Cubs eventually pulled out an 8-7 win in 13 innings but Arrieta had no decision.

"The only thing that's been amiss is command issues on occasion," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said recently. "Otherwise, his stuff is the same. His numbers are fabulous."

Arrieta might not quite be matching the stunning pace set last year when he went 11-0 in his final 13 regular season starts.

But even a slightly less effective Arrieta remains tough to beat. His 16 victories and opponents batting average (.185) both lead the National League. His ERA is sixth and 161 strikeouts are eighth.

Bumgarner has a 6.35 ERA in his last three starts, while opponents are hitting .303 in that span.

"You're going to have days, a couple of starts, when you're not going to be quite as sharp, but you find a way to win," Giants manager Bruce Bochy told reporters this week. "That's what he did. He's healthy. He's fine."

Bumgarner will come in rested for his NL-leading 29th start of the season. He collected his 13th win of the year in a seven-inning outing against Atlanta last Sunday and gave up three runs on five hits over seven innings in a 13-4 Giants win.

Bumgarner is second in the league in ERA (2.49) behind Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks (2.09), is tops in games started (28), complete games (four) and third in strikeouts (207). His .212 opponents batting average is fourth in the league.

Bumgarner is 7-2 with a 2.19 ERA in 11 career starts against the Cubs. He's 4-0 in his last five starts against Chicago.

Arrieta is 4-1 with a 1.60 ERA in five career starts -- four at AT&T Park -- against the Giants. His only previous start against San Francisco at Wrigley Field came on Aug. 9, 2015, when he allowed four hits in 7 2/3 scoreless innings in a 2-0 Cubs win.

He earned a win at AT&T Park on May 20, allowing one run on four hits in seven innings of an 8-1 Chicago win.

The Giants will send Johnny Cueto (14-5, 2.98 ERA) against a Cubs starter to be determined in Sunday's series finale. The Cubs starter could well be right-hander John Lackey (9-7, 3.41 ERA), coming off the disabled list (right shoulder strain) after missing the last 18 games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Astros (71-62) at Rangers (80-54)

Game: 2
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: September 03, 2016 4:05 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas -- It has taken two starts for Texas left-hander Derek Holland to show he's back to pitching like the Texas Rangers hoped he would when the season started.

Holland (6-6), who missed two months of the season with left shoulder inflammation, wants to continue that trend Saturday when he starts a pivotal game against Houston. Unlike the Rangers, who have been set with their rotation, the Astros didn't announce their starter for Saturday until Friday afternoon.

Houston's decision to push left-hander Dallas Keuchel back out of the series because of fatigue means rookie right-hander Joe Musgrove (2-2) will get the start opposite Holland.

The Astros would love for Musgrove to have a Holland-like impact as Friday night's 10-8 loss to the Rangers dropped Houston 9 1/2 games behind Texas. In his two stars since returning from the disabled list, Holland has been consistently good. In each start, he has pitched six innings and allowed one run.

About the only person not making too much about his recent starts is Holland.

"I'm just going to stay focused on who I am," Holland said. "I'm not going to let two starts dictate anything. It's definitely great to see, and I've been working my butt off for this, but at the same time I want to continue to focus on what's ahead."

What's ahead could be another start in which Holland throws his fastball in the low 90s, which is down from where he was a couple of years ago. But Holland is learning to pitch with what he has, which is something he picked up from Hall of Famer Greg Maddux.

Maddux was a special assistant with the Rangers last year and won more than 300 games without overpowering hitters.

"That's one thing he (Maddux) used to talk about," said Holland, who is 4-2 with a 4.31 ERA in 11 career starts vs. the Astros. "It's not necessarily how hard you throw, but how you locate. Everything is working outstanding. Nothing is taking the same path, including my off-speed. We throw the same exact curveball the next pitch and it does not go the same route the other one did."

Musgrove is capable of matching Holland. His first big-league start came against the Rangers and he dazzled, allowing one run in seven innings and striking out six. He's coming off another solid outing in his last start, as he picked up his second win on Monday. He didn't allow a run in 5 1/3 innings against Oakland and struck out seven.

With Houston clinging to faint American League West hopes against first-place Texas and the rotation in flux because of Keuchel, that puts a lot of pressure on Musgrove to perform.

Manager A.J. Hinch has confidence that his young rotation is up to the challenge and knows they can't rely on Keuchel to carry the load.

"I've got four other guys we have to prepare to pitch and having this anxiousness or this curiosity everyday as to whether Keuchel was going to get back into the rotation doesn't do these guys any favors," Hinch said. "They need to be ready to pitch and map out their bullpen schedules and their routines."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB roundup: Key AL win for Orioles over Yankees
By The Sports Xchange

BALTIMORE � Dylan Bundy pitched 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball as the Baltimore Orioles, with three homers in the second inning, beat the New York Yankees 8-0 Friday in the first of a crucial three-game series for both teams.
Baltimore (73-61) won for just the third time in eight games while the Yankees (69-64) lost for only the third time in nine outings. The win gave Orioles manager Buck Showalter 1,413 career victories, putting him in a tie for 25th place with former Yankees manager Miller Huggins (1918-29).
The Orioles hit three doubles and four home runs, giving them a MLB-best 213 this year. Mark Trumbo had two hits, including a homer, and Pedro Alvarez, Chris Davis and Manny Machado had two-run homers.

Rays 8, Blue Jays 3
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Alex Cobb pitched for the first time in nearly two years, and Tampa Bay beat Toronto at its own game, slugging three home runs off the Blue Jays' bullpen to pull away at Tropicana Field.
Cobb, making a promising return from Tommy John surgery, held the Blue Jays to two runs in five innings, and an inning after he left, the Rays broke open a 2-2 game. Logan Morrison hit a two-run home run in the sixth for the lead, and Luke Maile and Brad Miller added home runs in the seventh to pull away.
Toronto came into the night with a two-game lead atop the American League East, but dropped to 6-8 against the last-place Rays this season. Starter Marcus Stroman (9-6) gave up the lead in the sixth on Morrison's 12th home run of the season, while Danny Farquhar (1-0) picked up the win after a scoreless inning of relief.

Indians 6, Marlins 2
CLEVELAND -- Carlos Carrasco pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings and struck out 11 to lead Cleveland to a victory over Miami at Progressive Field.
Abraham Almonte had two doubles and two RBIs for the Indians, who have won four games in a row.
Carrasco (10-7) allowed six hits and one walk in his first career appearance against Miami and did not allow a runner past second base.

Brewers 1, Pirates 0
PITTSBURGH -- Seven Milwaukee pitchers combined to shut out Pittsburgh, holding the Pirates to seven hits in a shutout victory at PNC Park.
Junior Guerra, Jacob Barnes, Blaine Boyer (2-3), Jhan Marinez, Carlos Torres, Corey Knebel and Tyler Thornburg led Milwaukee to its second win in a row following a six-game losing streak.
Pittsburgh has lost four in a row and was shut out for the second time in three games.

Reds 3, Cardinals 2
CINCINNATI -- Eugenio Suarez singled home Zack Cozart with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting Cincinnati to a victory over St. Louis in the opener of a three-game series Friday night at Great American Ball Park.
After failing to cash in on bases-loaded situations in the seventh and eighth innings, the Reds had them loaded again with one out in the ninth against Seung Hwan Oh.
Suarez singled through a drawn-in infield for the game-winner.

Nationals 4, Mets 1
NEW YORK -- A.J. Cole earned his first major league win by throwing six solid innings Friday night as Washington beat New York at Citi Field.
Bryce Harper went 2-for-3 with one RBI and two runs scored and factored into each run scoring inning for the Nationals, who have won four straight to extend their National League East lead to a season-high 10 1/2 games over the Mets.
Wilson Ramos had an RBI single among his two hits while Anthony Rendon had a two-run single in the ninth. Trea Turner had two hits and two stolen bases.

Cubs 2, Giants 1
CHICAGO -- A bid for a second career no-hitter fell short but the victory by left-hander Jon Lester and the Chicago Cubs was just as sweet.
Lester pitched 6 2/3 no-hit innings and allowed only three hits in a complete game as the Cubs beat San Francisco.
Lester (15-4) didn't give up a hit until Hunter Pence's solo home run with two out in the seventh inning. He threw 102 pitches, struck out four and walked two as the Cubs won their fifth straight.

Braves 8, Phillies 4
PHILADELPHIA -- Left fielder Matt Kemp showed a flair for the dramatic, hitting a game-tying home run in the fifth inning and picking up his fourth RBI of the night in a four-run ninth inning, leading Atlanta to a win over Philadelphia in front of a sparse crowd of 17,175 at Citizens Bank Park.
Ender Inciarte added three hits to extend his hit streak to 13 games for the Braves, who have the National League's worst record but have now won five straight.
The Phillies, who have now lost four in a row and six of their last seven, jumped out to a 4-0 lead on a three-run homer by catcher A.J. Ellis, but saw the Braves tie it in the fifth and break it open in the ninth when reliever Jeanmar Gomez allowed two runs on four hits and was removed without retiring a batter. Gomez was charged with all four runs by the Braves.

White Sox 11, Twins 4
MINNEAPOLIS -- Jose Abreu and Melky Cabrera each had three hits and knocked in three runs and Todd Frazier homered for the second straight night to lead Chicago to a win over Minnesota at Target Field.
Frazier's two-run shot in the fourth inning tied the score at 3 and came moments after Brian Dozier connected on a three-run blast that gave Minnesota the lead.
After the clubs traded single runs in the fifth, Chicago took the lead for good on an RBI double by Carlos Sanchez in the top of the sixth. The White Sox tacked on three more runs in both the eighth and ninth, snapping a four-game losing streak.

Rockies 14, Diamondbacks 7
DENVER -- Colorado erupted for seven runs with two outs in the eighth inning, an uprising that carried them to a win over Arizona.
Nick Hundley hit his first career grand slam in the rally that brought the Rockies their fourth win in five games. They twice had to overcome Arizona leads. Colorado trailed 5-0 in the fourth when two errors enabled the Diamondbacks to score five unearned runs. And the Rockies fell behind 7-6 in the sixth when A.J. Pollock hit a two-run homer.
But David Dahl, who has hit safely in 33 of his first 36 games in the majors, tied the game in the bottom of that inning with a single, and the Rockies blew the game open with their bountiful eighth.

Tigers 7, Royals 6
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Wade Davis blew a save in his return to Kansas City, while Miguel Cabrera homered and drove in four runs in Detroit's victory.
Paulo Orlando's two-run with two out in the eighth gave the Royals a 6-5 lead and Davis, who was just activated off the disabled list, was summoned to protect it.
Instead, he hit Ian Kinsler with his first pitch and Jose Iglesias doubled. Cabrera drove them both in with a single, his third hit. Cabrera's four RBIs matched a season high and brought his season total to 85. He had only five RBIs in his previous 18 games.

Rangers 10, Astros 8
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Carlos Beltran, Rougned Odor and Jonathan Lucroy homered during a seven-run fourth inning as Texas hung on for a win over Houston.
The win assured the first-place Rangers a .500 season with their 81st win and increased their American League West lead over the Astros to 9 1/2 games.
The seven-run fourth gave Texas a 9-2 lead that it extended to 10-3 after six innings. The Rangers then had to hang on as the Astros rallied late and had the tying run at the plate in the eighth inning.

Padres 4, Dodgers 2
LOS ANGELES -- Yangervis Solarte hit a go-ahead solo home run in the eighth inning and San Diego edged Los Angeles.
Despite the loss, the Dodgers (74-60) remained two games ahead of the San Francisco Giants, who lost to the Chicago Cubs earlier in the day, atop of the National League West. The Padres (56-78) ended a three-game skid.
Dodgers rookie Julio Urias was charged with two runs on three hits with six strikeouts and a walk in 5 1/3 innings. Joc Pederson hit his 19th home run and drove in the other run Los Angeles.

Red Sox 16, Athletics 2
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Travis Shaw went 3-for-6 with a three-run homer, two doubles and a career-high tying five RBIs, powering Boston to a rout of Oakland.
The Red Sox (75-59) moved to within one game of first-place Toronto, which lost 8-3 to Tampa Bay, in the American League East. Boston remained two games ahead of Baltimore for the AL's top wild-card spot.
David Ortiz went 2-for-2, drove in three runs and scored once for the Red Sox, who pounded out 17 hits and tied their season high for runs.
A's right-hander Andrew Triggs made his sixth start of the season but came out after just one inning because of tightness in his back.

Mariners 11, Angels 8
SEATTLE -- Ketel Marte drove in three runs and Nelson Cruz hit his 33rd home run and Seattle snapped a five-game losing streak by holding off Los Angeles.
Marte had a two-run single during Seattle's nine-run second inning.
Mike Trout and Jefry Marte homered for the Angels, who had a five-game winning streak snapped.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (70-62) at Reds (55-77)

Game: 2
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: September 03, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

CINCINNATI -- When asked if Jaime Garcia's start on Saturday was an important one for the playoff-contending St. Louis Cardinals, manager Mike Matheny said they all are.

"At this point, every starter is key for us," he said. "Jaime's going to get an opportunity every fifth day to go out and be the kind of pitcher he can be, which is impressive when he's right".

Garcia, who will face the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday at Great American Ball Park, suffered his 10th loss in his last start on Aug. 28 against the Oakland A's. He has given up five or more earned runs in three straight starts for the first time in his career.

One thing in Garcia's favor on Saturday in hitter-friendly Great American is that he's one of the top ground-ball pitchers in baseball.

Garcia leads the National League with a 58.5 percent ground-ball percentage. He also ranks fourth in the NL in double plays.

He's also dominated Cincinnati, going 11-4 with a 3.65 ERA in 19 career starts against the Reds. His 11 wins are tied for his most against any opponent. He also has 11 wins against the Milwaukee Brewers

Slowly but surely, the NL wild-card chasing Cardinals are getting healthy.

First baseman Matt Adams was reinstated from the disabled list on Friday. With the lineup producing top to bottom, Adams will be used mostly off the bench. Adams is 10-for-27 with two homers and five RBIs this season as a pinch-hitter.

"Object isn't to get guys at-bats, object is to win," said Matheny.

Right-hander Mike Leake could rejoin the team in Cincinnati and throw a bullpen this weekend. Leake is on the disabled list after a bout with shingles which has subsided.

Cincinnati will start right-hander Dan Straily, who has been among their most dependable starters.

Straily will make his 29th appearance and 26th start of the season on Saturday. He's limiting opponents to a .222 average, good for 10th best in the league.

In his first eight starts after the All-Star break, Straily went 6-0 with a 1.98 ERA and didn't allow more than two runs any of those games. His career-high six-game winning streak was snapped in Monday's 9-2 loss at Anaheim.

First baseman Joey Votto's torrid stretch at the plate was paused on Friday when he was out of the lineup due to a stiff neck. Votto, who batted .394 in August after hitting .419 in July, could return on Saturday.

The rebuilding Reds could have an impact on the playoff race with upcoming series against the Cardinals, Mets and Pirates.

St. Louis has lost two straight, including the series opener in Cincinnati on Eugenio Suarez's walk-off single Friday night. The Cardinals still lead the New York Mets by two games for the second wild-card spot in the NL.

But, Reds manager Bryan Price said he's not content with playing spoiler.

"I've been thinking about this .... I knew this question was coming. It comes up every year you're not in it," Price said. "The only thing that matters to us is we're out there winning games. We need to make it about our team. We can't worry about contenders. They need to go through Cincinnati to get there."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jays (76-57) at Rays (56-76)

Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: September 03, 2016 6:10 PM EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Strangely enough, the last-place Tampa Bay Rays have gone 8-6 this season against the first-place Toronto Blue Jays, and many wins came like Friday's as Tampa Bay did its best to impersonate Toronto's prolific lineup at the plate.

The Rays had three home runs in Friday's 8-3 win, giving them 179 for the season, keeping them on pace to reset the club record for home runs -- they're on course for 218 and the current record is 199, set in 2009.

"We've been hitting some home runs lately, and it's been nice to see that it led us to a win," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "We got down 2-0, but came back to tie it up and then we got some big home runs."

The Blue Jays held just a two-game lead on Boston entering the night, and getting wins against a last-place Rays lineup, some 18.5 games out of first, is a must as Toronto treads a close line between winning a division and missing the postseason entirely.

"We got beat," Jays manager John Gibbons said of a game in which his team was tied 2-2 in the sixth. "We got two runs up on the board in the first and then didn't scratch one across until too late. We had some chances."

Both lineups face tough pitchers on Saturday as the Rays throw rookie left-hander Blake Snell (4-7, 3.56 ERA) and the Jays answer with righty Marco Estrada (8-6, 3.37 ERA). Opponents are hitting just .200 against Estrada, the lowest average of any Jays starter, though the Rays got to him three weeks ago in a 9-2 win in Toronto.

Snell had really hit a rhythm deep in his rookie season, going nine straight starts allowing two earned runs or less, though that streak ended in his last start when he gave up four against Houston on Saturday. He knows the Blue Jays all too well, having lasted only 1 2/3 innings in his only start against them, an Aug. 10 outing in which he gave up five runs with four walks, the biggest damage coming on a three-run home run by Troy Tulowitzki.

Tampa Bay is long out of contention for anything other than picking up positive momentum to head into 2017. After Friday's win, they are 15-7 in their last 22 home games, and they continue to be a particular nemesis to the Blue Jays.

The Rays get three more games against Toronto on the road on Sept. 12-14, and they continue to play the role of spoiler in the American League East. Chasing Toronto for the division lead are Boston and Baltimore, and the Rays have seven games against the Orioles in the next two weeks, then have their final home series of the season against the Red Sox, giving them a chance to impact an AL East pennant race they aren't otherwise a part of.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Brewers (57-76) at Pirates (67-64)

Game: 2
Venue: PNC Park
Date: September 03, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH - It's probably a little late for the Milwaukee Brewers to be scouring the standings every day. After all, a 1-0 win Friday against Pittsburgh when all the teams ahead of them in the National League wild card standings lost only pushed them to within 12 1/2 games of the wild-card cutoff.

That doesn't mean the Brewers lack incentive, especially against the Pirates, who poured a little salt on Milwaukee?s season last weekend with a four-game sweep at Miller Park.

"Maybe we can return the favor. That would be nice," Scooter Gennett said after driving in the only run Friday at PNC Park.

Gennett recognizes the reality of Milwaukee?s situation heading into the second game of the three-game series on Saturday.

"That's the goal this last month, just to continue to get better and play hard and have maybe our best turnaround collectively and see what we can do the last month," he said.

"It's just nice to see going into the offseason and into next year that fundamentally and tools-wise we play good baseball."

If the Brewers, who have won two games in a row following a six-game losing streak, can help play spoilers for Pittsburgh, so be it. But the Pirates are certainly still in the hunt.

Pittsburgh is two games behind St. Louis, which holds the second wild-card spot; a half-game behind the Mets; and a half-game ahead of Miami.

So the Pirates are still maneuvering in September-like ways. Such as Friday, when rookie right-hander Jameson Taillon was pulled after just six innings despite throwing just 76 pitches and having given up just one run on three hits.

"If I can help contribute in any way, that's great," said Taillon, who willingly accepted the move. "I'm aware of the standings. I'm aware of where we're at. I'm aware what's at stake."

The Pirates are scheduled to send one of their newer weapons to the mound.

The move to Pittsburgh at the trade deadline has been a boon for right-hander Ivan Nova (11-6, 4.41 ERA), who is scheduled to start Saturday.

In five starts with the Pirates, he is 4-0 with a 2.87 ERA. Sunday in Milwaukee, he gave up one run in six innings and got the win in Pittsburgh's 3-1 victory.

"They brought me here for a reason, to help them win games," Nova told MLB.com after Sunday's win. "You have to make sure that's your main focus on the mound. The days I have had 1/8in Pittsburgh 3/8 have been great so far."

Meanwhile, it's been a tale of two seasons for right-hander Jimmy Nelson (7-13, 4.45 ERA), who is scheduled to make his 28th start Saturday for the Brewers.

Over his first 11 starts, he was 5-3 with a 2.88 ERA. Since then, he is 2-10 with a 5.87 ERA in 16 starts.

Milwaukee is 10-17 when he starts.

Nelson has had some success against the Pirates. He is 5-2 with a 3.33 ERA in eight career starts, and this season his is 1-0 with a 6.52 ERA in two starts. Last Saturday, though, he got a no-decision against Pittsburgh, allowing five earned runs on seven hits over 3 2/3 innings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Braves (51-83) at Phillies (60-73)

Game: 2
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: September 03, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

The Philadelphia Phillies must try to find a way to slow down an Atlanta Braves offense that has suddenly come to life.

The Braves, who have the worst record in the National League, have been unstoppable on offense for the past week. After Friday's 8-4 over Philadelphia, Atlanta has won five of their last six games and has scored seven or more runs in each of its last four games.

The teams meet in the second contest of a three-game series on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. Atlanta sends right-hander John Gant (1-3, 4.59 ERA) against Philadelphia right-hander Vince Velasquez (8-6, 4.21).

Atlanta manager Brian Snitker watched his team bounce back from a 4-0 deficit Friday. "I never feel like we're out of a ball game,' Snitker said. "We're kind of doing our thing inning after inning and if it happens, that's great, and if it doesn't, we'll come back out and do it tomorrow. They've got a great sense about them. The confidence is really good."

Atlanta banged out 13 hits Friday, three by left fielder Matt Kemp including a three-run homer, and three by center fielder Ender Inciarte, who raised his average to .291. Freddie Freeman had two hits, who extended his on-base streak to 25 games.

Velasquez will see if his luck can change against the Braves. In two starts against Atlanta this season, the rookie is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA. He lost a 2-1 decision to the Braves on July 29 despite allowing only two runs over six innings.

Velasquez struggled for three consecutive starts in August, allowing 19 runs over 16 1/3 innings in a trio of losses. He bounced back in his last start Sunday against the Mets and received no-decision when he allowed one run on five hits in five innings.

"I guess it's just a step in the right direction," Velasquez said after his last start. "I had another high pitch count, another long first inning, but I battled my way through it and made my pitches."

The Phillies may shut Velasquez down after one or two more starts. They want to limit him to 150 innings -- he's thrown 124 innings this year.

Gant is trying to improve his chances of making the Atlanta rotation for 2017. The rookie right-hander with the funky motion makes his first appearance against the Phillies. Gant, acquired last year in a midseason trade from the Mets, is making his first since returning from a left oblique strain that kept him on the disabled list for 58 days.

The Braves got some good news Friday when they learned rookie outfielder Mallex Smith might be available before the end of the year. He broke his left thumb on June 18 and was batting .237 in 58 games at the time of his injury. His presence could cloud what has been a settled outfield since the team acquired Kemp from San Diego.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nationals (78-55) at Mets (69-65)

Game: 2
Venue: Citi Field
Date: September 03, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The New York Mets lost the only game this weekend in which they appeared to have the advantage at starting pitcher. Now, in order to keep pace in the National League wild card race, the Mets will need one of their increasing number of rookie starters to outperform a Washington Nationals veteran.

The Mets will host the Nationals in the second game of a three-game series Saturday night at Citi Field. Washington won the opener, when its own rookie starter, A.J. Cole, earned his first career win by tossing six solid innings in a 4-1 victory over New York and All-Star right-hander Noah Syndergaard.

The Mets (69-66), who remained two games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the race for the second NL wild card by virtue of the Cardinals' 3-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, are scheduled to send rookie right-hander Robert Gsellman to the mound Saturday night.

Gsellman, who lost his first major league start last Sunday after he gave up four runs in six-plus innings in a 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, has a simple yet imposing task in his second start: Be as good or better than Nationals right-hander Tanner Roark, who ranks seventh in the NL in ERA with a 2.87 mark.

Roark earned the win in his most recent start last Monday, when he tossed seven scoreless innings in a 4-0 victory over the Phillies. He has given up one run or fewer in five of his nine starts since the All-Star Break.

Right behind Roark on the NL ERA leaderboard is teammate Max Scherzer (2.89 ERA), who is scheduled to start Sunday night's series finale against another Mets rookie right-hander, Seth Lugo.

But Gsellman and Lugo have combined to go 3-2 with a 2.96 ERA in their last five appearances (four starts) dating back to Aug. 19, which has Mets manager Terry Collins confident they are up to the task of keeping New York in the race.

"They're not afraid, they're not intimidated by the situation," Collins said Wednesday. "The only way you're going to learn how to get through this is to be in it, and we plan on being in it for a long time. So it's nice to have guys with that experience."

The Nationals (79-55), who are cruising to October with a season-high 10 1/2-game lead over the Mets in the NL East, are developing pitchers in a pennant race too. Cole was assisted Friday night by fellow rookie right-hander Koda Glover, who preserved what was then a 2-1 lead by striking out Jose Reyes to strand two runners on in the seventh before retiring both batters he faced in the eighth.

"We've got a ways to go and the pressure cooker's about to mount," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "So we'll see. You keep doing the job and we'll keep putting you out there."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (69-63) at Orioles (72-61)

Game: 2
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: September 03, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

BALTIMORE -- Veteran left-hander CC Sabathia has had a distinguished career since signing with to the New York Yankees in 2009.

Several members of the Baltimore Orioles have enjoyed success against Sabathia in many American League East battles.

And Baltimore's veterans have a large sample size against Sabathia, who enters Saturday's start at Camden Yards with a record of 8-11 and a 4.31 ERA this season.

Third baseman Manny Machado has 40 at-bats against Sabathia and is hitting .325.

Shortstop J.J. Hardy has an average of .343 in 35 at-bats against the New York lefty while center fielder Adam Jones, who has missed several games with a hamstring issue, has an average of .235 with two homers in 34 at-bats against Sabathia over the past five years.

Chris Davis is batting .188 with one homer in 32 at-bats against Sabathia. Steve Pearce, acquired recently from the Tampa Bay Rays, is hitting .333 in 18 at-bats while Nolan Reimold, another right-handed batter, is hitting .286 in 21 at-bats against Sabathia and homered off him in the sixth inning Sunday in New York.

The New York starter is 19-9 with a 3.35 ERA in his career against the Orioles, with a mark of 11-6, 3.51 at Baltimore. He is 14-9 with the Yankees against the Birds in his career. He is one of 10 pitchers in the modern era to make 200 starts with two different clubs and he is the active MLB leader in strikeouts (2,699) and complete games (38).

Sabathia allowed three runs and six hits in 6 2/3 innings against the Orioles on Sunday in New York but was saddled with the 5-0 loss. He fanned eight in that game and exited with a 1-0 lead before Adam Warren allowed a two-run single to Pearce in the seventh.

The Yankees will need some innings from the Sabathia Chad Green left after 1 2/3 innings due to right elbow pain in Friday's 8-0 loss.

"It was just something I didn't feel was right so I thought I should say something. Hopefully it's nothing too serious, but we'll see tomorrow," Green said. "I don't know when it actually happened, but at some point in the inning I just couldn't...breaking ball didn't feel right coming out of my hand. Fastball didn't feel right."

Green gave up four runs in 1 2/3 innings as the Yankees had getting just two hits off Dylan Bundy and two relievers.

"Tomorrow's game is really important," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said

Added Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner: "Tomorrow's obviously a very important game. It's a very important series this weekend against the Orioles and today obviously didn't go our way."

The Yankees are 3 1/2 games out of the second wild card spot and have gone scoreless in their last 18 innings against the Orioles after scoring 27 times in the first two games last weekend at Yankee Stadium.

Are the Yankees in danger of falling out of the post-season hunt?

Kevin Gausman is responsible for keeping the Yankees off the scoreboard and starts Saturday. He improved to 6-10 with a 3.73 ERA when he pitched seven effective innings in Baltimore's 5-0 win in New York.

"That was probably as good as I've seen him," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said.

Jacoby Ellsbury is hitting .160 in 25 at-bats against Gausman. Gardner is hitting .318 in 22 at-bats against the right-hander while Brian McCann is hitting .182 in 22 at-bats while Chase Headley is at .273 in 11 trips to the plate.

Lost in the four homers hit by the Orioles on Friday and the shutout pitching of starter Dylan Bundy and the bullpen was the infield defense.

?? Manny Machado made a fine diving catch and a nice throw to retire a runner as first baseman Chris Davis made a nice pick in the dirt.

Second baseman Jonathan Schoop went up the middle to rob Starlin Castro of a hit in the second with a strong throw to Davis.

"Jonathan made a great play up the middle," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Chris Davis had a short hop."

If Gausman can let his fielders do the work Saturday and the Orioles continue to hit homers at historic levels the Yankees could be hard pressed to stay in the playoff hunt even with veteran Sabathia on the mound.

The Orioles are three games games back of the first-place Blue Jays and are now 3 1/2 games ahead of the fourth-place Yankees.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Marlins (68-66) at Indians (76-56)

Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: September 03, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians and Miami Marlins will play game two of their three-game series at Progressive Field Saturday night, and it will be interesting to see how the umpiring crew reacts to some pointed post-game remarks by Marlins manager Don Mattingly, following Cleveland's 6-2 win Friday night.

Mattingly was livid with the umpires, following a first inning incident that appeared to be a strike'em-out-throw-'em-out double play in the Marlins' favor. Instead, it was ruled ball four, not strike three.

With Carlos Santana at first, Jason Kipnis the batter, and a 3-2 count, Kipnis attempted to check his swing on a pitch from Andrew Cashner. Santana was running on the pitch. It appeared to be strike three, and the throw to second by catcher J.T. Realmuto was in time to complete what appeared to be a double play.

But after some confusion, home plate umpire Nic Lentz ruled that Kipnis had checked his swing, and it was ball four. So instead of two outs and nobody on base the Indians had runners at first and second and nobody out. That led to a three-run rally, and an unhappy Marlins manager.

"It made me sick to my stomach," Mattingly said. "Kipnis is walking back to the dugout. It was sickening. How can you miss that call? I don't know that it was miss-able. He (Lentz) obviously wasn't watching. We're a young team trying to win every game in a pennant race, but I guess these games matter only to us. They don't matter to them. It's sickening. That call changed the whole game."

If nothing else, the home-plate meeting with the umpires prior to Saturday's game should be interesting.

Saturday's pitching matchup will be Cleveland's Trevor Bauer (9-6, 3.73) vs. Miami's Jose Fernandez (13-7, 2.79 ERA). Fernandez comes into the game having not allowed a run over his last 14 innings. He will be making his second career start vs. Cleveland. His first one came as a rookie in 2013, and was memorable.

In a 10-0 victory over the Indians on Aug. 2, 2013, Fernandez pitched eight scoreless innings on three hits with 14 strikeouts and one walk.

Bauer will be making his 23rd start of the season. In his last start, Bauer pitched six scoreless innings against Minnesota but didn't factor into the decision in a 1-0 Indians win in 10 innings. Bauer will be making his first career start against the Marlins.

Outfielder Coco Crisp, the newest Indian, could make his debut Saturday night. Crisp was acquired from Oakland in a trade on Thursday. He originally broke into the big leagues with the Indians in 2002. Now, at age 36, he's back.

"He played here when he first came to the majors, and I was his manager for three years in Boston. I think this should be an easy transition for him," manager Terry Francona said.

"I thought it was going to be a little weird since this is the first time I've been involved in a midseason trade, but coming back here brings back old memories, good memories. I'm excited," Crisp said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (63-70) at Twins (50-84)

Game: 3
Venue: Target Field
Date: September 03, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

MINNEAPOLIS -- James Shields will try to build on an encouraging outing his last time out when he takes the mound for the Chicago White Sox against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday night at Target Field.

Shields allowed two runs on six hits and three walks in six innings of work against the Detroit Tigers on Monday but did not figure into the decision. Chicago eventually lost the game 4-3.

It was a marked improvement from his previous five starts in August when the right-hander went 0-4 with a 13.95 ERA, allowing 31 earned runs in just 20 innings of work.

Shields' time with the White Sox has been inconsistent: He allowed 21 earned runs in his first three trips to the mound after his trade in early June from San Diego, then had a 2.11 ERA in his next seven starts before his troubles in August.

The White Sox are hoping Monday's outing is the beginning of another uptick.

"As the game went on, I got a little more comfortable and made some pitches when I needed to," Shields told the Chicago Tribune after his last start. "I was really happy with the way I was throwing (my curveball) for strikes, getting ahead of hitters right away, throwing it early in the count for strikes."

Minnesota will send former White Sox starter Hector Santiago to the mound. Santiago will also be trying to follow up a quality start, his first with the Twins since being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels in a trade on Aug. 1.

Santiago shutout the Cleveland Indians over 6 1/3 innings on Monday but did not get a win after Cleveland won 1-0 in extra innings. The left-hander walked four men but gave up just three hits.

"I think I pitched smart (on Monday) in a sense that I didn't give in to certain guys and made pitches when I needed to in big situations," Santiago told MLB.com. "This is what I want to do and what I know I can do. It's been rough the last couple weeks, but hopefully we're on the right road now."

Santiago had lost all four of his previous starts with the Twins, rolling up a 10.89 ERA in 19 innings pitched.

He went 8-10 with a 3.41 ERA over parts of three seasons with the White Sox from 2011-2013, the club that drafted him in the 30th round of the 2006 draft.

Santiago has been effective in limited action against his former club, going 2-1 with a 1.40 ERA in three career starts against them when with the Angels.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tigers (72-61) at Royals (69-64)

Game: 2
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: September 03, 2016 7:15 PM EDT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Time is running out on the Kansas City Royals.

After winning 18 of 22 games to get back into the thick of the playoff race, the Royals have dropped three straight one-run games -- two in extra innings to the New York Yankees, and on Friday night they lost the lead in the ninth inning to the Detroit Tigers.

The Tigers moved four games in front of the Royals in the American League wild-card race, and both teams trail the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central. The Tigers and Royals meet again Saturday night, the middle game of a three-game series.

"I think when you get into September, there's a little more energy," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said.

Francisco Rodriguez blew a save when he yielded a two-run, two-out, eighth-inning single to Paulo Orlando, but picked up the victory when Miguel Cabrera drove in two runs in the ninth with a single as the Tigers won 7-6.

"Every single game we're going to play now is going to be like this one," Rodriguez said. "A lot of pressure, going to be a close game. At the end of the day, whoever is going to play the best baseball this month is going to clinch the crown. We've got to continue to take day by day and have the same energy tomorrow and hopefully we can win."

While Royals left-hander Danny Duffy got a no-decision, he allowed four runs, five hits and two walks the first three innings before settling down.

"This was a tough loss," Duffy said. "We'll go back out there and try to continue to battle. There's nothing but fight in this team, so we're going to try to continue to do what we do."

Yordano Ventura will draw the starting assignment Saturday for the Royals, who are in almost a must-win situation. Ventura is 2-0 with an 1.82 ERA in four starts this year against the Tigers. He has never lost to Detroit, with a 6-0 record with a 2.98 ERA in 10 appearances.

Ventura is 5-3 with a 4.34 ERA in 10 Kauffman Stadium starts but has not pitched at home since Aug. 7, getting a 7-1 decision over the Toronto Blue Jays that began his current three-game winning streak. The Royals are 15-11 in Ventura's starts this season.

Ventura usually pitches better the second half, with a 19-8 record with a 2.98 ERA in 40 career starts after the All-Star break, compared with 17-20 with a 4.30 ERA before it.

The Tigers will start right-hander Michael Fulmer, who is a leading candidate for AL rookie of the year. Fulmer, who will be making his 22nd start, lost to the Los Angeles Angels in his previous start, giving up three runs, five hits and a walk with four strikeouts in five innings.

Fulmer is 0-1 with a 1.98 ERA in two starts this season against the Royals, allowing three earned runs in 13 2/3 innings while striking out 10. In his only start at Kansas City, Fulmer absorbed the loss, although he gave up just one run and five hits in 5 2/3 innings, but he walked four.

Fulmer is 10-5 with a 2.69 ERA this season, allowing 105 hits in 130 2/3 innings with 34 walks and 108 strikeouts.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (56-77) at Rockies (64-69)

Game: 2
Venue: Coors Field
Date: September 03, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

DENVER -- Tyler Chatwood returns to the Colorado Rockies' rotation on Saturday, confident the back problems that twice forced him to the disabled list this season will not plague him in the final month of the season.

Chatwood, who is 10-8 with a 3.75 ERA, was reinstated from the disabled list (mid-back strain) before Friday's game. He last started for the Rockies on Aug. 14 at Philadelphia and allowed six runs (four earned) in four innings.

After the game, Chatwood said his back strain limited him to throwing to his arm side -- inside to a right-handed hitter and away to a lefty.

"My ball was flat," Chatwood said before Friday's game. "Everything was up, not being able to extend and get through my pitches. So everything was flat and (I was) missing up."

Chatwood made a rehab start for Double-A Hartford on Monday and threw 73 pitches in 4 1/3 innings while allowing two unearned runs.

"I feel like I have (downward) angle, and I'm able to throw like I want to," Chatwood said.

Chatwood's first trip to the disabled list came after a June 18 start at Miami where he lasted 1 2/3 innings before being forced out by back soreness. He was reinstated from the disabled list on July 5.

Chatwood said his goal in the final month of the season is to "just pitch like I was at the beginning before I got hurt, try to find that again. I think I created bad habits by my back (being strained). So just try to work through those, stay on target, help us win games."

Chatwood has thrown 127 1/3 innings in 22 starts this season. He underwent his second Tommy John surgery in July 2014 after pitching 24 innings for the Rockies that year and didn't pitch for them last season.

Hence, the Rockies were going to monitor Chatwood's innings this season, and his time on the disabled list essentially accomplished that objective. But Chatwood wasn't expecting to miss time because of back soreness.

"In the grand scheme of things, I don't know if they were going to let me throw a lot more innings than I'm going to end up throwing anyway," Chatwood said. "So I think it'll work out the same. But it's just frustrating going through what I did and having to be on the (disabled list) for a back issue."

In seven career appearances (six starts) against the Diamondbacks, Chatwood is 4-1 with a 3.75 ERA. Three of those starts came at Coors Field, and Chatwood is 2-1 with a 5.93 ERA in those games.

Chatwood is 2-1 with a 3.38 ERA in there starts this season against Arizona. He lost the last one on May 9 at Coors Field, allowing six runs and seven hits in six innings in Arizona's 10-5 win. Chatwood is 4-7 with a 5.83 ERA in 12 home starts this season and 6-1 with a 1.82 ERA in 10 starts on the road.

Rookie Braden Shipley will oppose Chatwood. He's 2-3 with a 4.75 ERA in seven starts. The last was Aug. 26 against Cincinnati, a no-decision in which Shipley gave up four hits and one run in seven innings with four walks and one strikeout in a game the Diamondbacks won 4-3 in 11 innings.

Shipley made his major league debut on July 25 and has never faced the Rockies.

Outfielder Socrates Brito is expected to start Saturday for the Diamondbacks. They recalled him from Trople-A Reno on Friday to take the roster spot of outfielder Michael Bourn, who was traded Wednesday to Baltimore for a minor league outfielder.

Brito, who began his fourth stint with the Diamondbacks this season, hit .294 in 73 games at Reno with 10 doubles, eight triples, six homers and 39 RBIs. He suffered a fractured right big toe when he fouled a ball off his foot on June 23 during Arizona's last visit to Coors Field but appeared in six games from Aug. 9 to Aug. 14 with the Diamondbacks before rejoining them Friday. In 19 games with them this season, Brito is hitting .185 (10-for-54) with two homers and five RBIs.

"We're excited," Arizona manager Chip Hale said before Friday's game. "He has gotten really hot down in Reno, so we'll get him in the game hopefully tomorrow and start him, get him going and keep him hot. In this (spacious) ballpark, he'll be an integral part of the defense.

"Is he going to play every day here? Probably not. When the Triple-A season ends (Monday), we'll probaby get (Mitch) Hanigar back and Pete O'Brien. There's going to be a lot of at-bats to divide up in the outfield."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Sox (74-59) at Athletics (57-76)

Game: 2
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: September 03, 2016 9:05 PM EDT

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Yoan Moncada thought he was headed straight to the major leagues when he signed a multimillion dollar deal with the Boston Red Sox on March 12 last year as an international free agent from Cuba.

Not so fast.

"Soon I realized that it's not that easy, so you have to go through the minors," Moncada said Friday. "I just stayed focused and did what I had to do and stayed the course."

After playing 187 minor league games, Moncada was selected from Double-A Portland on Friday and made his major league debut, coming off the bench to play third base in the seventh inning of a 16-2 rout of the Oakland A's.

Moncada, 21, will make his first major league start Saturday at third base against the A's, Red Sox manager John Farrell said.

"He's an extremely athletic, exciting young player," Farrell said. "Has hit better from the left side of the plate. Has moved over to third base and handled the position well.

"I think a lot has been made of (only) eight or 10 games played at third base at Portland, but he's played a number of games at Cuba at third base before coming to the states. Now granted, this is a quicker pace, quicker level, but he wouldn't be here if we didn't feel he could step in and contribute."

In the seventh inning, Moncada made a nice backhand stop of a ground ball and strong throw to gun down A's second baseman Chad Pinder. At the plate, he walked in the eighth and scored from first on a double, showing his speed. He struck out in his final plate appearance.

"In a three-inning look, you see some exciting skills," Farrell said. "The fist play he gets is deep at third base and he makes a good, strong throw across the diamond. Scores on a double to right-center field where he ... runs through a stop sign, but you see the straight-away speed is outstanding. It was a glimpse, but he had a chance to show off two of the tools."

Moncada hit a combined .294 with six triples, 15 home runs and 62 RBIs and 45 stolen bases in 106 games for Class A Salem and Portland this year.

"I'm just looking to not to do too much, just play the same baseball that I've played in the time that's remaining," Moncada said. "I'm really just sticking to what I've done to get me to this point."

While Moncada makes his first major league start, Red Sox left-hander Rick Porcello will make his 236th career start and attempt to pick up his 19th win of the season. Porcello (18-3) leads the American League in victories. His previous career high for wins was 15 in 2014 with Detroit. He went 14-9 as a rookie for the Tigers in 2009 but was 9-15 with a 4.92 ERA last season, his first with Boston.

"Porcello's one of the best pitchers in the league this year," said Dave Dombrowski, Boston's president of baseball operations. "He's gone out there and given it to us on a consistent basis. ... This guy won 14 games as a 20-year-old, so he's always been a good pitcher.

"He's become a much better overall pitcher in the sense that he'll mix in his four-seamer when he needs to, mixes in the curveball a little bit more than he used to. So he's really got a good knack for pitching out there. He's very confident at this point and he's really pitched well for us."

The A's will counter with rookie right-hander Daniel Mengden, who will be recalled from Triple-A Nashville and make his 10th major league start. He's 1-5 with a 5.73 ERA for the A's. After being optioned to Nashville on July 26, Mengden went 5-1 with a 2.01 ERA in six starts for the Sounds.

"Good to get him back," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "He really got our attention early on. We felt like when we sent him down he was just a little bit tired, and they cut down on his workload. He's been pitching great since. It will be nice to have him back."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Padres (55-78) at Dodgers (74-59)

Game: 2
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: September 03, 2016 9:10 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- Manager Dave Roberts believes right-fielder Yasiel Puig makes the Dodgers a better baseball club.

Going forward, Roberts also hopes Puig can help the Dodgers solve in their inability to hit left-handed pitching.

Puig went 2-for-4 in his return to the Dodgers on Friday in a 4-2 setback to the San Diego Padres. Although Los Angeles has had trouble recording hits against southpaws, it registered nine against Padres starter Clayton Richard. However, Richard allowed just a run in five innings and the Padres bullpen kept the Dodgers hitters -- a Joc Pederson solo home run being the only blemish -- quiet the rest of the way.

The Dodgers are hitting a major league-worst .218 against left-handed pitching. They were almost no-hit by San Francisco Giants lefty Matt Moore last week before Los Angeles shortstop Corey Seager blooped a single with two outs in the ninth to avoid it.

Puig might be the answer.

"That's certainly a component," said Roberts, who hasn't decided if Puig, who was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City, is his everyday right-fielder again or whether he will platoon with recently-acquired Josh Reddick from the Oakland Athletics. "It's about winning baseball games and the numbers don't lie. We haven't hit left-handed pitching, so with Yasiel's track record throughout his career, he's shown he can hit left-handed pitching and also play plus-defense. I think we're a better team for it."

Rich Hill (1-0, 2.09 ERA) is expected to feel better and make his anticipated return for the Dodgers in Saturday's game against the Padres. Hill has made just one start -- an impressive one though -- in the past month since the Dodgers obtained him from the Oakland Athletics.

Hill's second scheduled start as a Dodger was scratched after a rain delay Tuesday left him with some tenderness on a blister on his pitching finger that delayed his debut in Los Angles. However, he threw six scoreless innings on five hits in a victory over the Giants on Aug. 24.

"Every player feels they can get through it. But I don't think a blister can be willed to stay healthy, no matter how much will he has," Roberts said, according to the Los Angeles Times, regarding the team's decision to push back Hill's start."

The Dodgers will try their luck against Padres right-hander Luis Perdomo (7-7, 5.84 ERA). In his last outing, Perdomo threw a complete game, allowing a run on six hits in a victory over the Miami Marlins.

Perdomo forced the Marlins to ground into six double plays, which is a club record for the Padres, during the win. He owns a 60 percent ground-ball rate, which is the best in the National League among pitcher with at least 100 innings.

"It was a solid game all around," Padres manager Andy Green told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "I couldn't ask for more. His stuff plays. Everybody knows it plays. You've got some of the best hitters in the game beating it into the ground. You couldn't ask for him to take a bigger step forward at this point in time."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Saturday, September 3, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

One thing I like about the September call-ups is that it gives you a potential heads-up from a betting perspective on the following season's Rookie of the Year props. Here's the official designation of what makes a rookie in MLB: "A player shall be considered a rookie unless, during a previous season or seasons, he has (a) exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues; or (b) accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a Major League club or clubs during the period of 25-player limit." One guy who will be an AL Rookie of the Year favorite next season is Red Sox infielder Yoan Moncada, who was to be called up Friday. The Cuban Moncada hit .298 with 15 home runs, 61 RBIs, 45 stolen bases and 94 runs scored in 105 games this season in the minors. He generally played second base, but the Sox are set there with Dustin Pedroia so they moved Moncada to third recently, and that's where he should see action the rest of the 2016 season as well as a pinch-runner with his speed. A late-season call-up of a hyped prospect worked well for Boston in 2013 with Xander Bogaerts as he helped to lead the team to the World Series and is now one of the best players in the game.


Giants at Cubs (-148, TBA)

Starts at 2:20 p.m. ET at Wrigley on the MLB Network, and it's a spectacular pitching matchup that could help shape who wins the Cy Young Award this year -- and one we could see again come October. San Francisco starts lefty Madison Bumgarner (13-8, 2.49), who is first in the NL in complete games (four), second in innings (187.2) and ERA and third in strikeouts (207). He had been a bit off in back-to-back starts but beat the Braves on Sunday, allowing three runs and five hits over seven innings. On May 22, Bumgarner dominated the Cubs in throwing three-hit shutout ball over 7.2 innings. Shoot, he even had the RBI double in the 1-0 victory. Anthony Rizzo might get a rare day off as he's 3-for-16 with seven strikeouts off Bumgarner. Ben Zobrist, meanwhile, is 6-for-9 off him with two extra-base hits. Chicago's Jake Arrieta (16-5, 2.84) frankly is only the third-best pitcher on his own team right now. But he's among the leaders in most NL categories. Arrieta wasn't sharp last time out in allowing six runs over 6.1 innings vs. the Pirates but avoided a loss. He beat the Giants on May 20 in allowing one run and four hits over seven innings.

Key trends: The Giants are 0-5 in Bumgarner's past five on the road. The Cubs are 14-5 in Arrieta's past 19 at home. The "over/under" is under in Bumgarner's past four vs. the NL Central. The under is 6-1 in the Cubs' past seven vs. a lefty.

Early lean: Assuming no crazy wind, this should have a total of 6.5. Go Cubs and under.

Astros at Rangers (+100, 9.5)

First pitch of 4:05 p.m. ET and shown on Fox Sports 1 so should have live betting at sportsbooks. Houston entered the weekend 8.5 games back of Texas, so if the Rangers take two of three then the division race is surely over. Houston probably is starting reigning Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel here. I say "probably" because he was supposed to pitch in Friday's opener but is dealing with some fatigue. So on Friday, Houston manager A.J. Hinch will decide if Keuchel (9-12, 4.55) is OK to go here or will move back to Sunday and rookie Joe Musgrove (2-2, 4.36) will pitch Saturday. It looks to be Keuchel, who is 1-3 with a 5.40 ERA against the Rangers this year. The Rangers were hoping to activate Colby Lewis off the 60-day DL for this game, but he's not quite ready. So instead it's lefty Derek Holland (6-6, 4.68). He has made two starts since a long DL stint of his own and has allowed one run and four hits over six innings in both. Holland beat Houston back on April 19, allowing two runs in five innings. Carlos Correa is 5-for-8 off him with two homers.

Key trends: The Rangers are 6-1 in Holland's past seven at home vs. Houston. The over is 9-2 in his past 11 vs. Houston. The over is 7-1 in Keuchel's past eight in Texas.

Early lean: Rangers and over.

Marlins at Indians (+110, 7)

Miami adds the DH for this interleague matchup -- it's the final AL series of the year for the Marlins. They could use an extra bat as the offense has gone into a funk of late with the Marlins falling back in the wild-card race. And outfielder Marcell Ozuna is battling a wrist injury, so he may or may not play. Miami starts ace Jose Fernandez (13-7, 2.79). He had a rough outing on Aug. 18 in Cincinnati, then got a bit of extra rest and in his past two starts Fernandez has not allowed a run over 13 innings while striking out 15 and giving up nine hits. He doesn't have much history with the Indians. Jason Kipnis and Carlos Santana are both 0-for-3 against Fernandez. Cleveland's Trevor Bauer (9-6, 3.73) threw six shutout innings vs. the Twins in his last outing. Bauer has been rather up-and-down since the All-Star break. He has never faced the Marlins. Ichiro is 1-for-5 off him. Martin Prado is 2-for-2.

Key trends: The Marlins are 1-5 in Fernandez's past six on the road. The Indians are 4-1 in Bauer's past five at home. The over is 13-5 in Fernandez's past 18 on four days of rest. The under is 6-1-1 in Bauer's past eight at home.

Early lean: Indians (Fernandez just isn't the same guy on the road) and under.

Nationals at Mets (+128, 8)

With the Mets' rotation somewhat of a mess at the moment with injuries and skipping occasional starts for guys, New York turns again to rookie Robert Gsellman (1-1, 3.72) for his second start and third appearance. He pitched OK on Sunday in a loss vs. Philadelphia on Sunday, allowing four runs and seven hits over six innings. Gsellman was 4-9 with a 3.99 ERA as a starter this year in the minors. It's his first look at Washington. Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg get all the accolades in the Nationals rotation, but Tanner Roark (14-7, 2.87) has thrown seven or more scoreless innings eight times this season, more often than anyone in baseball. He comes off seven shutout innings vs. the Phillies. Roark is 0-1 with a 0.96 ERA in two appearances (one start) this year vs. New York. Yoenis Cespedes -- monitor his status as Cespedes is again battling a quad problem -- is 1-for-9 off Roark.

Key trends: The Nationals are 5-0 in Roark's past five on the road. The under is 8-1-1 in his past 10 vs. teams with a winning record.

Early lean: Nationals and over.

Tigers at Royals (+102, 8)

This follows Astros-Rangers on Fox Sports 1. I think it's fair to say that Tigers AL Rookie of the Year candidate Michael Fulmer (10-5, 2.69) is hitting a wall. He has lost back-to-back starts for the first time and allowed nine runs and 15 hits over 10.2 innings in them. He will be on six days rest here. Fulmer is 0-1 with a 1.98 ERA in two starts this year against the Royals. Kendrys Morales is 3-for-5 off him with two walks. Salvador Perez is 1-for-7. Kansas City's Yordano Ventura (9-9, 4.33) hasn't lost since July 28. But he wasn't sharp Sunday in Boston, allowing four runs and seven hits over 4.1 innings. He is 2-0 with a 1.82 ERA in four starts against the Tigers in 2016. Miguel Cabrera is 5-for-19 off him with three RBIs. Victor Martinez is 7-for-25 with three homers and seven RBIs.

Key trends: The Tigers are 10-2 in Fulmer's past 12 on the road. The Royals are 6-0 in Ventura's past six overall. The Royals are 4-0 in Ventura's past four at home. The over is 5-2 in his past seven at home.

Early lean: Royals and over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (59-74) at Mariners (68-65)

Game: 2
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: September 03, 2016 9:10 PM EDT

SEATTLE -- When the struggling Los Angeles Angels and life-support Seattle Mariners play again Saturday night at Safeco Field, the only given is that Mike Trout and the Angels will jump out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning.

Not that that has been a recipe for success for Los Angeles (59-75).

In three of the past four games played by the two teams at Safeco Field, Trout has hit a three-run homer to put Los Angeles ahead 3-0 before the Angels get their first out. In all three games, Seattle has come back to win.

So if Mariners starter Taijuan Walker doesn't issue an intentional walk in Trout's first plate appearance, it's understandable.

"He's a great player, but you can't keep letting him do that," Mariners manager Scott Servais said.

In reality, the Mariners (69-65) probably can't afford another early deficit. Seattle's unexpectedly quick comeback from Friday's 4-0 deficit -- the Angels' Jefry Marte added a solo homer in the top of the first -- gave a Mariners starting pitcher the win for the first time in a week. Seattle's past six games have seen the Mariners starters go 1-4 with a 7.98 ERA.

Walker had one of the more effective outings in that span, going 7 1/3 innings but taking the loss in a 4-1 defeat his last time out. He's still trying to prove himself as a consistent major league starter, having fallen on hard times since opening the season No. 2 in the Seattle rotation behind ace Felix Hernandez.

Walker's season, which has been hampered by a foot injury, hit a low when he was sent to Triple-A in early August. He has been a better pitcher since returning, but the Mariners want to see more consistency down the stretch.

After Walker's most recent outing, Servais said, "He was on top of his game, about as good as we've seen him since early in the year."

He might have to be particularly sharp early on, especially when facing Trout. The Angels star has killed the Mariners in first innings at Safeco Field, piling up nine RBIs behind three first-inning homers.

"It's just having opportunities with guys on (base) and getting pitches to hit," Trout explained, "and not missing them."

If the Angels are to get another lead this time, they'll need starter Tyler Skaggs (2-3, 4.75 ERA) to make it stand up. Seattle (69-65) has scored 32 total runs in the past four games against Los Angeles at Safeco Field, including three that the Mariners trailed 3-0 before getting a single out.

Skaggs has had a rough go lately but is coming off one of his more efficient starts. He threw six scoreless innings his last time out, ending a three-start losing streak that saw Skaggs post a 10.95 ERA.

"I do think there are some adjustments that he has to continue to move forward with," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said after Skaggs' six innings of shutout ball in a 5-0 win over Detroit.

Skaggs is one of many question marks in an ever-evolving Los Angeles rotation. The Tim Lincecum experiment already fell flat, and Friday's loss turned out to be a missed opportunity for former Astros and Phillies left-hander Brett Oberholtzer, who couldn't get a single out in the second inning.

"We'll look at a couple of things," Scioscia said when asked how his rotation might shake out in the next couple of weeks. "We've got a couple things to consider. ... We would love to look at Brett, but he didn't pitch well (Friday)."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

StatFox Super Situations

MLB*|*DETROIT*at*KANSAS CITY
Play Against - Home teams with a money line of -100 to -150 (KANSAS CITY) below average hitting team (AVG <=.265) against a good starting pitcher (ERA <=4.20) -AL, with a starting pitcher whose WHIP is 1.300 to 1.400 on the season-AL
77-50*over the last 5 seasons.**(*60.6%*|*37.8 units*)
7-8*this year.**(*46.7%*|*-0.2 units*)


StatFox Situational Power Trends

MLB*|*HOUSTON*at*TEXAS
TEXAS is 49-31 (+20.9 Units) against the money line vs. an AL team with an on base percentage .320 or worse*this season.
The average score was: TEXAS (4.8) , OPPONENT (4.5)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAF

Preview: Warriors (0-1) at Wolverines (0-0)

Date: September 03, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

No. 7 Michigan wants to win with defense and to date the Wolverines are not even sharing the identity of the most important offensive player, their quarterback.

Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh is guarding the identity of the starter like it's a national secret, and it's likely the world will find out together at noon ET Saturday when the season begins.

Harbaugh revealed on Monday that he has chosen the starter -- either sophomore Wilton Speight or junior transfer John O'Korn -- but he just isn't interested in sharing the information publicly yet.

"Yeah, we know who our starting quarterback is. Yes," Harbaugh said at a press conference. "I'll say who our starting quarterback is before Saturday."

Harbaugh said the battle for the job has been fierce but he carefully measured his words so he wouldn't tip off the identity of the starter.

"The competition at the quarterback position has been very good," Harbaugh said. "It's been improving, as well, daily and weekly. All the quarterbacks are playing at a very high level."

O'Korn, a former starter at Houston, has the edge in game experience. Speight holds the edge when it comes to production in a Michigan uniform.

Speight hasn't started a game but did guide the Wolverines to a winning touchdown against Minnesota last season when he replaced injured starter Jake Rudock.

He thinks he has an inkling which way the decision will shake out but wasn't willing to share his opinion.

"I think I've got a feel now and everyone has a feel," Speight said recently. "But it's Coach's decision and not many people know what goes on in Coach Harbaugh's mind. He's one of a kind, so just kind of wait and see what he does."

O'Korn isn't stressing over the timing of a public declaration. He said whether he is the starter or the backup will have no bearing on his preparation.

"I don't think it should change, honestly, if you're the first guy or the second guy," O'Korn said recently. "If you're the second guy you're only a snap away, so you should be preparing just as hard as the starter."

Hawaii traveled from Australia, where the Rainbow Warriors lost the opener of the college football season to Cal in Sydney.

The Rainbow Warriors expect to see a power football clinic from Harbaugh, no matter who is under center for Michigan. But unlike many Wolverines' teams, there is no clear-cut leader in the backfield.

Senior De'Veon Smith had a team-best 753 rushing yards last season but is prone to bouts of inconsistency. He maintained his starting job, partly because of other players failing to meet expectations -- like Ty Isaac -- and injury issues at the position. Isaac, now a junior, has responded differently this summer and is pushing for more time. Senior Drake Johnson is thriving despite two major knee surgeries and having his torso run over by a forklift this offseason.

Michigan and Hawaii are meeting for the third time. The Wolverines won both previous meetings -- 27-10 in 1986 when Harbaugh was the quarterback and 48-17 in 1998 when Tom Brady was at the helm.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Falcons (0-0) at Buckeyes (0-0)

Date: September 03, 2016 12:00 PM EDT

Urban Meyer will look across the field Saturday in Ohio Stadium to the other sideline and probably flash back 15 years to the place that launched his head coaching career.

Bowling Green gave Meyer his first opportunity to be in charge of a program and he took the ball and ran with it. Now, as the 2016 season kicks off in the Horseshoe, Meyer will lead sixth-ranked Ohio State against BG in the opener for both teams (Noon ET, Big Ten Network).

"I love that school," said Meyer, who begins his fifth season as Ohio State's head coach. "When I think about Bowling Green, it's one of the most tradition-rich programs in the MAC."

The new season will be one of change for the Buckeyes, who return only six starters from a team that finished 12-1 and beat Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl in January. Gone is a dazzling array of talent that made its mark in the NFL Draft this spring.

But while the turnover in personnel is significant, one thing that never changes about Ohio State football is expectations. There's plenty of talent, thanks to Meyer and his staff's tenacious recruiting, to plug newcomers into the holes that were left by the outgoing class.

Meyer sees similarities to the 2014 season when a relatively untested team stumbled early in the season and then finished with a College Football Playoff national championship. That's not to say he's predicting another national title, but he really likes the young personnel on the roster.

"I'm very excited to watch them play," Meyer said. "This is a talented team. We have good guys. This has been a good camp. Good people to work with."

Each side of the ball has one anchor to provide leadership. On offense, quarterback J.T. Barrett is everyone's pick as the preseason All-Big Ten quarterback and a potential Heisman Trophy candidate. On defense, linebacker Raekwon McMillan begins his third season as a starter and will be counted upon heavily as a rock in the middle of a young defense that at hit hard by departures.

As for Ohio State's opponent, Bowling Green is certainly no slouch. The Falcons finished 10-3 a year ago and played in the GoDaddy Bowl.

Mike Jinks is in his first year as Bowling Green's head coach after serving as Texas Tech associate head coach in 2015. He took over for Dino Babers, who left after last season for Syracuse.

The Falcons are the defending Mid-American Conference champions and have won three straight MAC East Division titles. They're favored again to win the division in 2016.

Facing a first-year head coach, particularly one who has never been a head coach at a previous college stop, presents some challenges in preparation for the Buckeyes. Meyer again recalled the 2014 season when Virginia Tech threw a foreign defensive scheme at Ohio State and pulled off an upset in Ohio Stadium.

"You have to expect the unexpected. ... On offense, they're going to do what he knows and that's Texas Tech," Meyer said.

Ohio State will be a heavy favorite to win, but Bowling Green won't be intimidated by the surroundings. Last year, the Falcons almost knocked off Tennessee on the road and beat Big Ten teams Maryland and Purdue.

"We'll be ready," Jinks said.

Ohio State leads the all-time series 4-0. The two Ohio teams last met in 2006, a 35-7 victory for the top-ranked Buckeyes. Ohio State is 32-1 against Mid-American Conference opponents and has won 40 consecutive games over in-state opponents.