Saturday 9/5/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Twins (69-65) at Astros (74-61)

Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: September 05, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

After managing little against Ervin Santana last weekend, the Houston Astros didn't have to wait long for another shot at the Minnesota Twins right-hander.

Hoping for a better performance this time, the Astros will try to add to Santana's recent road struggles Saturday night.

Following a six-start stretch in which he went 0-4 with a 9.20 ERA, Santana (3-4, 5.40 ERA) gave up six hits, struck out a season-high 10 and didn't issue a walk in seven scoreless innings of Sunday's 7-5 victory over Houston (74-61).

"I've been smiling, but don't get it wrong, I've been frustrated," Santana said. "I knew I could pitch better than (those previous starts)."

His teammates hope that his effort against the Astros is the beginning of good things to come for the veteran.

"Hopefully it'll be a confidence booster for the next time he goes out," said Twins catcher Chris Hermann.

Making his first career appearance at Minute Maid Park, Santana now must improve his work on the road, where he's gone 0-3 with a 9.64 ERA in his last four starts. He went 2-0 with an 0.76 ERA in the first three.

Lance McCullers (5-5, 3.21), meanwhile, tries to improve on a 4-0 record and 1.65 ERA in eight home starts this season. The right-hander also gets another chance at Santana after he walked four and gave up three runs in six innings last Sunday.

McCullers looks to help the Astros build on Friday's 8-0 rout of Minnesota (69-65). Collin McHugh threw 7 2-3 strong innings and Hank Conger hit his second grand slam this season as Houston avoided a third consecutive home defeat.

With his career-high 10th homer, Conger is the 10th Astros player with at least that many this season - breaking the franchise record of nine set in 2000. With one more home run by Marwin Gonzalez, Houston would tie Detroit's major league mark of 11 from 2004.

"When you got guys down in the order hitting double-digit home runs that are part-time players, that's a pretty unique roster to have," Astros manager A.J. Hinch told MLB's official website. "You know clearly we've got power throughout and we've had guys come up through the minor leagues and hit for power, and it's a good achievement."

Batting leadoff, George Springer went 1 for 4 in his first game since landing on the disabled list with a broken wrist July 2.

"I don't have any hesitation putting him back in the lineup, at the top," Hinch said about Springer, who had 13 homers and 29 RBIs in 75 games before the injury. "The offense functioned very well with him at the top. He's a dynamic player. I'd like to get his energy kick-started from the very beginning."

Hitting in the middle of Houston's order, Jed Lowrie is 8 for 14 with four doubles in four games since going 0 for 26 in his previous eight. He's 2 for 10 against Santana, but both hits were doubles.

Joe Mauer had two of the seven hits Friday by Minnesota, which has dropped two in a row after winning 10 of 12. Mauer's hitting .370 in seven games at Minute Maid Park.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (63-70) at Royals (82-52)

Game: 2
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: September 05, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

After enjoying a massive outburst at the plate in their previous two games, the Kansas City Royals were quieted by a familiar nemesis with the Chicago White Sox.

Now they should feel confident about bouncing back in a matchup that they've dominated.

With Jose Quintana looking to beat them for the first time in his career, the Royals will try to avoid their first series loss at Kauffman Stadium since mid-June on Saturday night.

Kansas City (82-52) rolled into its series with Chicago (63-70), totaling 27 runs and 34 hits in back-to-back victories over Detroit in the first series of this nine-game homestand.

The AL-best Royals, however, couldn't overcome their struggles against John Danks in Friday's 12-1 defeat. Danks improved to 10-2 with a 2.57 ERA in 21 career meetings after his complete-game effort dealt the club only its eighth loss in the past 32 home games.

Kendrys Morales had been batting .441 with four homers in his previous nine games before going 0 for 3 and Lorenzo Cain had his 11-game hitting streak come to an end.

'If you figure it out, let me know, because I have not figured it out,' manager Ned Yost said. 'I mean seriously I haven't. Certain players have certain teams that they do really well against."

Yost's club might be able to get back on track against another left-hander. Quintana has a 5.63 ERA in four starts against the Royals in 2015 and is 0-6 with a 4.68 mark in 16 career matchups.

Quintana (7-10, 3.75 ERA) had gone at least six innings in 21 of his prior 23 starts before allowing four runs and nine hits over 4 1-3 in Sunday's 6-5 home win over Seattle.

"You would like to see Q better than that. He grinded through it," manager Robin Ventura told MLB's official website. "We know he's better than this. He knows he's better than this."

Quintana will try to rebound with a career-high fourth straight road win. He's 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA in his last four for the White Sox, who seek their third straight win.

Cain is hitting .375 in 40 at-bats versus Quintana, while Salvador Perez is batting .366 with two home runs in 41 at-bats. Paulo Orlando is 4 for 8 with two doubles off him this season, though Omar Infante has gone 0 for 11 with five strikeouts.

Danny Duffy is 5-2 with a 3.08 ERA in his last 11 starts, but he'd like to be a little more efficient after failing to reach the seventh inning in the past five. He yielded two runs over five Sunday before leaving without a decision in a 3-2 loss at Tampa Bay.

The left-hander is 3-0 with a 2.43 ERA in his last six starts at Kauffman Stadium, but has an 8.64 mark in two home meetings with Chicago. He's 1-0 with an 0.68 ERA in his two on the road.

Slugger Jose Abreu is 5 for 15 with a home run against Duffy (7-6, 4.11), but Adam Eaton and Tyler Flowers are a combined 4 for 29 with 10 strikeouts.

Abreu and Flowers each homered Friday to help the White Sox snap a seven-game losing streak in Kansas City. Eaton and Alexei Ramirez both matched career highs with four hits.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (69-66) at Rockies (56-78)

Game: 3
Venue: Coors Field
Date: September 05, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The San Francisco Giants are free-falling from playoff contention with inconsistent offense, and Jake Peavy hasn't been putting up numbers capable of making modest production hold up.

A series loss to the last-place Colorado Rockies might be the latest sign that a World Series repeat isn't happening, and that could come Saturday night at Coors Field with a pair of Colorado sluggers threatening club records.

After Friday's 2-1 loss, the Giants (69-66) have dropped at least seven straight for the third time this season. They're in danger of losing eight in a row on the road for the first time since 2000.

Should San Francisco miss the playoffs, it might look back on a rough season against the Rockies as part of the reason why. Colorado (56-78) has taken nine of 14 to account for the worst part of the Giants' 18-22 record against the bottom three teams in the NL West.

During the recent struggles, the Giants have been held to a run or less in four of seven to fall 7 1/2 games back of Los Angeles.

"It's a tough stretch, no doubt about it," Buster Posey said. "Be lying if you said it wasn't. We've got to find a way to turn it around though. It's all you really can do. You can't feel sorry for yourself, you can't pout. You just have to come ready to play and hope tomorrow is the day that we get back on track."

Colorado has won three straight, thanks in large part to Carlos Gonzalez's five home runs and 12 RBIs. In his last 28 games at Coors, he's batting .376 with 17 home runs, 38 RBIs and a 1.338 OPS. Gonzalez is 0 for 3 against Peavy (4-6, 4.38 ERA), but teammate Nolan Arenado is 3 for 6.

The third baseman is batting .591 while homering in five straight games, matching Dante Bichette (1995) and Larry Walker (1999) as the only Rockies to do it. All 15 games came at Coors, though the previous streaks predated the installation of the stadium humidor in 2002. Since, the top home run total is 37 by Jeromy Burnitz in 2004. Gonzalez (36) and Arenado (35) should pass that.

"We're starting to hit the ball a lot better," Arenado said. "We were pumped up and it was a lot of fun. It was cool to do that."

The Giants won four of Peavy's starts in a row through Aug. 4, but he's since gone 2-2 with a 5.34 ERA in five with the club dropping three. The right-hander surrendered four runs in 5 2-3 innings of Monday's 5-4 loss in 14 at Dodger Stadium.

He's faced the Rockies three times since leaving the NL West in 2009, and the two starts in Colorado remained consistent with his struggles while with San Diego. Peavy has allowed at least three runs in five straight starts at Coors with a 1-2 record and 7.22 ERA.

Peavy is up against Chad Bettis (6-4, 4.78), whose return from over a month on the disabled list with elbow inflammation has resulted in a win and 4.09 ERA in two starts. The latest was less encouraging with the right-hander giving up four runs and 11 hits in six innings Monday before the lineup bailed him out with four runs in the ninth of a 5-4 home win over Arizona.

Bettis has won both of his starts against the Giants this season with a 3.14 ERA. He's got Gregor Blanco (0 for 8) and Brandon Crawford (1 for 10) figured out, but Brandon Belt is 7 for 12.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Dodgers (76-58) at Padres (65-70)

Game: 3
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: September 05, 2015 8:40 PM EDT

A pair of rookies are adding pop to a Los Angeles Dodgers lineup that has been all over San Diego pitching this week.

Corey Seager and Scott Schebler have fit into a suddenly hot Los Angeles offense through the first two games of a four-game series against the Padres, which continues Saturday night at Petco Park.

The Dodgers (76-58) combined for 19 hits and 15 runs in the opening two games compared to the 27 hits and nine runs they totaled in their previous four.

The 21-year-old Seager, baseball's No. 2 prospect according to MLB, had two hits and two RBIs in his debut, a 10-7 loss Thursday night, and two more hits and an RBI in Friday's 8-4 victory.

Schebler also had two hits and belted his first home run in the second game, helping Los Angeles move 7 1/2 ahead of slumping San Francisco in the NL West. Four other Dodgers went deep, giving the team an NL-high 162 homers.

'We kind of said we weren't a home run hitting club and we continue to hit them,' manager Don Mattingly said.

The Dodgers pushed back their entire rotation this week, meaning Alex Wood (9-9, 3.67 ERA) will pitch on six days' rest.

Wood has been better in his last two starts than his first four since coming over in a trade from Atlanta on July 30, giving up three runs in 11 2-3 innings compared to 13 runs through 23 1-3.

The left-hander fell on the wrong side of Jake Arrieta's no-hitter in a 2-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday, getting lost in the storyline despite allowing two runs in six innings while striking out seven. Wood retired 10 of the final 11 hitters he faced.

He made one start against the Padres with Atlanta, a 5-2 loss July 25, 2014, in which they pounded him for 12 hits and five runs in five innings.

Tyson Ross, meanwhile, has made seven starts against the Dodgers the last three years.

Ross (10-9, 3.27) has a 2.53 ERA against Los Angeles, but he has nothing to show for it with an 0-4 record.

The right-hander faced the Dodgers once this year but didn't factor into the decision of a 7-3 win April 7. He held Los Angeles to two runs in six innings.

The Padres (65-70) have built a 6-1 record with Ross on the mound since July 29. Ross is 4-1 with a 2.76 ERA in that span and will look to build on one of his most complete starts of the year.

During a 7-0 win Monday, he held Texas to three hits in seven innings. Ross added an RBI single and is hitting .400 in his last seven starts.

The rest of the San Diego lineup has backed Ross in that time, supplying him with a run support average of 8.29, tied for third best in the NL and more than double his 4.11 mark through his first 21 starts.

'Support is always key,' Ross said. 'I was just going out there trying to put up zeroes, and when we score like that it kind of takes a little bit of pressure off me.'

Carl Crawford, who homered Friday, is 8 for 15 against Ross with three doubles and four walks.

Mattingly said Friday it might be tough for Yasiel Puig to return from his strained right hamstring by the end of the regular season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mariners (64-71) at Athletics (58-77)

Game: 2
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: September 05, 2015 9:05 PM EDT

Rested and relaxed, Felix Hernandez has a chance to beat the Oakland Athletics for the second time in as many starts.

Whether Nelson Cruz will be on the field with him remains to be seen.

As Hernandez takes the ball for the first time since beating the A's more than a week ago, it's uncertain if the ailing Cruz will be available to help the Seattle Mariners try for a fourth straight win Saturday night.

After giving up 14 runs and 21 hits over 8 1-3 innings in his previous two outings, Hernandez (15-8, 3.66 ERA) allowed homers to Billy Burns and Brett Lawrie along with one other hit in eight innings of an 8-2 home win over Oakland on Aug. 26.

"I found some things with my mechanics and I felt way better," the right-hander said.

With his ace in position to log at least 200 innings for an eighth consecutive season, Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon opted to have Hernandez skip his next scheduled start.

"I did the same thing last year to freshen my pitchers up and Felix had (one of the best Septembers of his career)," McClendon told MLB's official website. "Everybody thought I was nuts when I did, and I'll do it again because it's the right thing to do."

Hernandez, who went 2-1 with a 1.66 ERA in six September starts in 2014, has a 2.45 ERA while winning two of his last three against Oakland (58-77) this year.

Cruz has hit five of his 39 home runs off A's pitching, but a quad strain forced him to sit out Friday's 11-8 victory. While the injury doesn't appear serious, the slugger is taking a wait-and-see approach.

"(On Saturday) I'll probably hit (in batting practice)," said Cruz, who is 4 for 29 without a homer in the seven he's played on Seattle's 10-game trip.

"I'll just go out there and see how it feels."

Cruz might want to get back in the lineup considering he's 6 for 13 with a double and three home runs against Jesse Chavez (5-5, 2.85). The right-hander is 0-3 with a 7.13 ERA as a starter against the Mariners this season, but he's allowed three runs on two homers over 15 innings to win his last two home starts.

He yielded an earned run over five innings and a homer in his seventh straight start during Sunday's 7-4, 11-inning victory at Arizona.

Winners in seven of 10, the Mariners (64-71) have gone deep 21 times while doing so in 12 straight contests.

"I've said that all along, that they were going to hit," McClendon said.

Kyle Seager is 3 for 17 with a home run against Chavez, but 15 for 30 with four homers and 10 RBIs in the last seven games.

Lawrie is batting .414 in the last seven home contests.

"He's getting some really good swings," said manager Bob Melvin, whose A's have dropped three straight and five of seven in Oakland.

Lawrie went 3 for 26 in his first seven games against the Mariners this season but is batting .520 in his last seven. He's a career .368 hitter against Hernandez.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (70-63) at Angels (68-66)

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

Because things haven't gone his way the past two seasons, a finally healthy Derek Holland is embracing an opportunity to help the Texas Rangers reach the postseason.

Jered Weaver should be grateful for another chance to pitch at home against the Rangers.

While Holland hopes to build on a stellar effort, Weaver will try to continue his home dominance in the series as the Los Angeles Angels look to move up in the playoff chase Saturday night.

Holland (2-1, 2.82 ERA) had high hopes after missing most of 2014 following left knee surgery, but he lasted just nine pitches in the home opener April 10 because of a torn labrum.

After missing more than four months, the left-hander shook off the rust by going 1-0 with a 4.38 ERA in his first two starts back last month. He then looked fully recovered Sunday when he threw a three-hitter with 11 strikeouts and no walks in a 6-0 home win over Baltimore.

Holland retired the final 14 batters en route to his eighth career shutout and first since 2013.

"It was kind of sad and disappointing that he has been hurt the last couple years and not able to pitch," third baseman Adrian Beltre told MLB's official website. "We all know how much he loves to be out there. It's nice to have him back healthy and doing what he did."

The Rangers have a 1 1/2-game lead in the race for the AL's second wild card and are within three of West-leading Houston. However, they're looking to avoid losing back-to-back games for only the second time since a three-game skid from Aug. 9-12 after Friday's 5-2 defeat.

Holland will try to win his third straight decision in his first road appearance since last September. He's 3-4 with a 5.90 ERA in nine career starts in Anaheim, but hasn't pitched there since 2013.

Erick Aybar is batting .348 with eight doubles in 46 at-bats in the matchup, and Mike Trout is hitting .346 with two home runs in 26 at-bats. Trout also has a .426 average with four homers while the Angels (68-66) have taken nine of 13 in the season series.

C.J. Cron fell a homer short of the cycle and had five RBIs on Friday as Los Angeles won its third straight to get within 2 1/2 games of Texas. Cron is hitting .460 with 17 RBIs in his 12 meetings this season.

'This is a good opportunity (against the Rangers),' he said. 'If we can cut (their lead) down a little bit this weekend, that's what we want to do.'

Weaver will take the mound looking to improve on his 3-1 record and 2.14 ERA over his last seven starts at Angel Stadium. Facing the Rangers (70-63) for the first time this season, Weaver is 10-0 with a 2.30 ERA in 16 career home meetings.

The right-hander, though, has struggled mightily in his past two starts, going 1-1 with a 10.80 ERA. He allowed a season-high eight runs and nine hits over six innings in Sunday's 9-2 loss at Cleveland.

Shin-soo Choo is batting .378 in 37 at-bats versus Weaver (6-10, 4.94), but Adrian Beltre has had a tougher time with a .228 average and one homer in 79 at-bats.

Former Angel Josh Hamilton is limited to pinch-hit duty due to a sore left knee, while Los Angeles will be without Johnny Giavotella indefinitely due to fourth cranial nerve palsy.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Jeffress shines in Brewers' bullpen
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

MILWAUKEE -- The last thing Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell wanted to do Thursday night was call on right-hander Jeremy Jeffress.

However, after left-hander Will Smith turned a comfortable three-run cushion into a one-run lead in the seventh inning, Counsell made the call for Jeffress, who threw two innings and earned the victory a night earlier.

The move worked out as Jeffress made quick work of the Pirates in the eighth. Closer Francisco Rodriguez pitched a perfect ninth, and Milwaukee finished off a three-game sweep with a 5-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"J.J. (went) two last night, so you're hoping to stay away from him," Counsell said. "But you're going for the win right there, and he was so efficient last night that we went to him again."

Jeffress has been a bright spot in an otherwise forgettable Milwaukee season, going 4-0 with a 2.63 ERA and 51 strikeouts in 54 1/3 innings. He hasn't allowed a run in his past 13 outings, spanning 12 1/3 innings.

He also is incredibly durable. Jeffress ranks second on the team with 60 appearances this season, good for 15th in the National League. That is an impressive body of work for a 27-year-old in his first full major league season.

Jeffress was Milwaukee's first-round pick in the 2006 draft, No. 16 overall. A hard thrower who reached triple-digit velocity, Jeffress battled substance-abuse issues and was ultimately sent to Kansas City in December 2010, part of a package that brought right-hander Zack Greinke to Milwaukee.

He appeared in 27 games for the Royals over the next two seasons, then was dealt to Toronto, where he posted a 0.87 ERA in 10 games in 2013 but struggled a year later, posting a 10.83 ERA in three appearances before he was released.

Jeffress signed a minor league deal with Milwaukee in 2014 and worked his way to the major leagues, finishing the year 1-1 with a 1.88 ERA in 29 appearances down the stretch, good enough to earn a spot in the bullpen for 2015.

"He was a tremendous find for us," Counsell said. "What's great about this year is he's gotten better. He's a guy we've counted on."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Cardinals activate OF Jay
The Sports Xchange

The St. Louis Cardinals activated outfielder Jon Jay from the 15-day disabled list Friday.

Jay, 30, who was placed on the DL for a second time this season on July 1, most recently missed 57 games due to a left wrist stress reaction. The left-handed hitting Jay was sent to Triple-A Memphis last Sunday on an injury rehabilitation assignment. In four games with the Redbirds, he batted .385 (5-for-13) with one home run and two stolen bases.

In 57 games prior to being placed on the DL, Jay batted .223 with one home run and 11 RBIs for St. Louis. Jay, who had wrist surgery last offseason, spent time on the DL earlier in the year (May 11-29) with left wrist tendinitis.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB notebook: Yankees place Teixeira on DL
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

The New York Yankees placed first baseman Mark Teixeira on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a right shin bone bruise.

The move is retroactive to Aug. 27. Teixeira underwent tests Tuesday that showed his sore right shin does not have a broken bone but rather a serious bruise. He hit a foul ball off the shin about two weeks ago and started just one game since then.

Teixeira, who landed a spot on the American League All-Star team this summer, is batting .255 with 31 home runs and 79 RBIs in 117 games.

The Yankees also recalled right-handed relief pitcher Nick Rumbelow from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

---Houston Astros outfielder George Springer was activated from the disabled list after missing two months with a broken wrist.

The addition of Springer should help the Astros in their stretch run, as they try to protect the two-game lead they held in the American League West heading into Friday's action.

Springer was in the starting lineup and batting leadoff in Friday's game against the Minnesota Twins.

Last year, in 78 games, Springer hit .231 with 20 homers, 39 walks and five steals. In 75 games this season, Springer is hitting .264 with 13 homers, 42 walks and 14 stolen bases.

---The St. Louis Cardinals activated outfielder Jon Jay from the 15-day disabled list.

Jay, 30, who was placed on the DL for a second time this season on July 1, most recently missed 57 games due to a left wrist stress reaction. The left-handed hitting Jay was sent to Triple-A Memphis last Sunday on an injury rehabilitation assignment. In four games with the Redbirds, he batted .385 (5-for-13) with one home run and two stolen bases.

In 57 games prior to being placed on the DL, Jay batted .223 with one home run and 11 RBIs for St. Louis.

---The Cleveland Indians recalled infielder Michael Martinez and left-hander Giovanni Soto from Triple-A Columbus.

They also transferred left-hander TJ House from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day list and designated outfielder Carlos Moncrief for assignment.

---Baltimore Orioles right-hander Miguel Gonzalez (right shoulder tendinitis) went on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Monday.

The Orioles also recalled outfielder Junior Lake and right-hander Jorge Rondon from Triple-A Norfolk.

Right-hander Mike Wright (left calf strain) was reinstated from the disabled list.

---The Washington Nationals called up right-hander Tanner Roark from Double-A Harrisburg to make the start Friday night against the Atlanta Braves.

Roark, who won 15 games as a starter last year, had made two minor league starts in order to build up his pitch count after spending most of the season in the bullpen for the Nationals.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Moore's starts have led to losses for Rays
Stephen Campbell

The Tampa Bay Rays are a paltry 1-8 in Matt Moore's last nine outings.

Tampa is scheduled to send Moore to the bump once again Saturday opposite Nathan Eovaldi and the New York Yankees.

The Yanks are presently in the -165 ballpark at sportsbooks. At the time of writing, the total was off the board.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

National League

Diamondbacks @ Cubs
Ray is 0-5, 6.00 in his last six starts (under 5-1).

Arrieta is 6-0, 0.85 in his last three starts (over 3-1 in last four).

Arizona lost eight of last 11 games; three of their last five went under the total. Chicago lost six of their last nine (over 3-1 in last four). D'backs won seven of last nine games with the Cubs; over is 6-3-1 in last ten series games.

Braves @ Nationals
Miller is 0-3, 4.50 in his last three starts (under 4-1 in last five).

Ross is 2-0, 2.87 in his last three starts (under 3-1-1 in last five).

Braves were outscored 87-23 in losing their last ten games (over 8-3-2 last 13); they're 2-10 in last 12 games with Washington-- under is 5-2-1 in last eight in series. Nationals are 9-4 in last 13 games (over 4-1-1 last six).

Mets @ Marlins
Colon is 2-0, 0.00 (15 IP) in his last two starts (over 5-2 in last seven).

Hand is 2-2, 5.11 in his last four starts (over 3-1).

Mets won three of last five games with Miami; over is 6-2 in last eight series games. NY won seven of last 11 games (over 9-2); they've got a 5-game lead in NL East with 28 games left. Marlins won last four gams; three of their last five home games stayed under.

Brewers @ Reds
Peralta is 3-1, 4.57 in his last four starts. Garza is 0-2, 9.30 in his last four starts (over 3-1-1 in his last five).

Lamb is 0-3, 5.24 in his four starts (over 2-2). Sampson is 0-1, 12.27 in his last three starts (over 3-1 in last four).

Milwaukee won six of last seven games with Cincinnati; three of last four in series stayed under. Brewers won four of last five games (over 7-2-1 in last ten). Reds lost six of their last nine games- they lost last six times they scored less than seven runs.

Pirates @ Cardinals
Morton is 0-2, 7.94 in his last two starts (under 3-0 last three).

Garcia is 4-0, 2.38 in his last five starts (under 6-3-1 in last ten).

Pittsburgh won seven of last ten games with St Louis (over 5-1-1 last seven); Bucs lost four of last five games (over 4-0 in last four) overall. Cardinals won eight of last 11 games (over 5-1-1 in last seven)

Giants @ Rockies
Peavy is 2-2, 5.34 in his last five starts.

Bettis is 2-0, 4.30 in his last four starts.

Rockies are 7-4 in last 11 games; six of last eight went under. Giants are 4-12 in last 16 games overall; under is 4-2-1 in their last seven road games. SF lost five of last seven games with Colorado; seven of last nine series games went over total.

Dodgers @ Padres
Wood is 1-2, 3.12 in his last three starts (under 3-0).

Ross is 2-0, 2.33 in his last three starts (over 4-2-1 in last seven).

Dodgers won eight of last ten games; under is 8-4-1 in their last 13. LA is 8-4 in last 12 games with San Diego (under 5-4 in last nine). Padres lost six of last nine games (over 5-0-1 in last six).


American League

Indians @ Tigers
Salazar is 4-1, 2.48 in his last six starts (under 5-2 last seven).

Simon is 1-3, 6.94 in his last four starts; four of his last six went over.

Cleveland won seven of last nine games; three of last four stayed under the total. Tigers lost ten of last 12 games, allowing 64 runs in last six (over 6-0). Indians lost six of last nine games with Detroit; over is 9-2 in last eleven.

Rays @ Bronx
Moore is 0-3, 10.66 in his last three starts (over 3-0-3 in last six).

Eovaldi is 3-0, 3.69 in his last five starts; his last five at home stayed under.

Tampa Bay lost three of last four games with Bronx; under is 8-2-1 in last 11 in series. Rays won three of last five games (over 8-3 in last 11). NY won six of last seven; over is 5-4 in their last nine games.

Orioles @ Blue Jays
Wright is making first start since June 19; he is 0-3, 12.20 in last three starts- three of his last four went over the total.

Price is 4-1, 2.28 in his last six starts (under 6-3 in last ten).

Orioles lost eight of last 11 games; last four went over. Blue Jays won eight of last 11 games (under is 5-3 in last eight). Baltimore won four of last five games with Toronto.

White Sox @ Royals
Quintana is 1-1, 5.28 in his last five starts (over 7-0 in last 7).

Duffy is 3-1, 3.66 in his last six starts (under 9-1 in last ten).

White Sox lost five of last six games with Kansas City; under is 6-4-1 in last 11 series games. Chicago lost four of last seven games; five of its last six went over the total. Royals won five of last eight games (over 5-1 last six).

Twins @ Astros
Santana is 1-2, 7.71 in his last five starts (over 4-1).

McCullers is 0-2, 7.43 in his last three starts (over 4-1-1 in last six).

Minnesota won three of last five games with Houston (under 3-1-1); Twins are 7-4 in last 11 games (over 6-3-1 in last ten). Astros lost three of their last five games (over 4-0-1).

Rangers @ Angels
Holland is 2-1, 2.53 in his last four starts (under 3-1-1 in last five).

Weaver is 1-1, 10.80 in his last two starts (over 3-1 in last four at home).

Rangers lost eight of last 11 games with Angels; six of last eight in series went over total. Texas won six of last eight games (over 2-1-1 in last four). Halos lost four of last seven games (over 4-1-1 in last six).

Mariners @ A's
Hernandez is 1-2, 8.22 in his last three starts (over 6-1 in last seven).

Chavez is 1-2, 5.70 in his last four starts (over 6-3 in last nine).

Seattle won eight of last 11 games with Oakland, scoring 25 runs in last three; last four series games got over total. Mariners won seven of last ten games (over 9-2 in last 11). A's lost six of last nine games; over is 9-1-1 in last eleven.


Interleague

Phillies @ Red Sox
Asher allowed four runs in 5.2 IP (93 PT) in his first MLB start.

Miley is 0-1, 6.39 in his last two starts (over 4-1 in last five).

Philly lost seven of last ten games with Boston; four of last five series games went over. Phils lost eight of last 11 games (over 8-2-1). Red Sox lost three of last five games (over 7-4 in last eleven)


Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Az-Chi-- Ray 4-13 (0-6 last 6); Arrieta 14-12
Atl-Wsh-- Miller 10-17 (3-15 lst 18); Ross 5-7
NY-Mia-- Colon 13-13 (3-0 last 3); Hand 4-5
Mil-Cin-- Garza 8-16 (1-6 last 7) Peralta 7-9; Sampson 3-2 Lamb 0-4
Pitt-StL-- Morton 12-6; Garcia 9-5 (6-0 last 6)
SF-Col-- Peavy 6-7; Bettis 10-5
LA-SD-- Wood 10-17/2-4; Ross 16-12 (4-0 last 4)

Cle-Det-- Salazar 15-9; Simon 14-11
TB-NY-- Moore 1-5; Eovaldi 18-8 (11-2 last 13)
Balt-Tor-- Wright 2-4; Price 19-8/4-2
Chi-KC-- Quintana 12-15 (3-0 last 3); Duffy 13-8
Min-Hst-- Santana 5-6; McCullers 8-8
Tex-LAA-- Holland 2-2; Weaver 9-11
Sea-A's-- Hernandez 17-9; Chavez 8-16

Phil-Bos-- Asher 0-1; Miley 12-15 (2-8 last 10)


Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Az-Chi-- Ray 3-17; Arrieta 7-27
Atl-Wsh-- Miller 5-27; Ross 0-12
NY-Mia-- Colon 8-26; Hand 4-9
Mil-Cin-- Garza 8-16 (1-6 last 7) Peralta 6-16; Sampson 3-2 Lamb 3-4
Pitt-StL-- Morton 8-18; Garcia 3-14
SF-Col-- Peavy 4-13 (4 of last 5); Bettis 3-15
LA-SD-- Wood 9-27; Ross 8-28

Cle-Det-- Salazar 7-24; Simon 5-25
TB-NY-- Moore 3-6; Eovaldi 8-26
Balt-Tor-- Wright 3-6; Price 6-27
Chi-KC-- Quintana 15-27; Duffy 6-21
Min-Hst-- Santana 1-11; McCullers 5-16 (4 of last 5)
Tex-LAA-- Holland 1-4; Weaver 6-20
Sea-A's-- Hernandez 8-26; Chavez 6-24

Phil-Bos-- Asher 1-1; Miley 7-27


Umpires
Az-Chi-- Favorites won five of last six BWelke games.
Pitt-StL-- Last five Cederstrom games went over total.
NY-Mia-- Six of last eight Diaz games went over.
Atl-Wsh-- Home side won 16 of last 19 Meals games.
SF-Col-- Four of last five Danley games went over.
LA-SD-- Five of last seven Conroy games stayed under.

TB-NY-- Four of last five Reyburn games stayed under.
Balt-Tor-- Favorite won eight of last ten Timmons games.
Cle-Det-- Under is 6-3-2 in last eleven Wendelstedt games.
Min-Hst-- Seven of last ten Schrieber games went over.
Chi-KC-- Six of last nine Carapazza games went over total.
Sea-A's-- Six of last eight Holbrook games went over total.
Tex-LA-- Underdogs won four of last seven Foster games.

Phil-Bos-- Under is 9-4 in last thirteen Bucknor games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Saturday, September 5, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

Not a San Francisco Giants fan in the least, but it sure fun watching Tim "the Freak" Lincecum pitch for them when he was in his prime. As expected, his season is over because of hip surgery. Needless to say, you need your hips to be fairly flexible and be a good pitcher in the big leagues -- especially someone like Lincecum who is a little guy and uses his legs/hips as his point of power. He was arguably the best pitcher in the National League in about a four-year stretch and won two Cy Young Awards (2008 & '09) and led the NL in strikeouts both those years and in 2010. Doctors say Lincecum should make a full recovery, but one would think at a minimum his Giants career is over. He really hasn't been effective all that much since 2011.


Rays at Yankees (-168, 8.5)

This game will have live betting at sportsbooks as it's televised nationally on Fox Sports 1. It's also the earliest-starting game of the day at 1:05 p.m. ET. I mentioned early this week that Yankees first baseman Mark Teixiera would at least miss the Boston series and he did. But it's much worse than that. He has a major bone bruise and could miss the rest of the regular season. It's another reason why I think the Yankees are going to cough up their wild-card spot. The Rays go with lefty Matt Moore (1-3, 8.78) here, and as you can see he has struggled in a return from Tommy John surgery, although he has made only six starts. But Moore has allowed at least four runs in all but one. He hasn't faced the Yanks this season. Moore was sent down to Triple-A for a month, and this is his first start back. New York's Nathan Eovaldi is a crazy 14-2 despite a 4.17 ERA. He gave up five runs in five innings last time out in Atlanta yet still won. One of Eovaldi's losses was May 12 at Tampa Bay, allowing four runs over 7.1 innings.

Key trends: The Rays are 0-5 in Moore's past five on the road. The Yanks are 5-0 in Eovaldi's past five vs. teams with a losing record. The "over/under" is 10-1 in the Rays' past 11 in Game 2 of a series. The over is 4-1 in Eovaldi's past four vs. teams with a losing record.

Early lean: Yankees and over.


Diamondbacks at Cubs (-212, TBA)

Arizona is expecting back NL MVP candidate Paul Goldschmidt from paternity leave for this game. The Cubs, however, are expected to be without stud rookie Kyle Schwarber likely the rest of the weekend with a rib injury. Cy Young candidate Jake Arrieta goes for Chicago. Arrieta (17-6, 2.11) was the NL Pitcher of the Month in August, when he was 6-0 with a 0.43 ERA, becoming the first pitcher since Jim Kaat in 1974 to win six of six starts with an ERA below 0.75 in one calendar month. He pitched at Arizona on May 23 and allowed three earned in six innings in a no-decision. Goldschmidt is 0-for-4 with two strikeouts against him. Lefty Robbie Ray (3-10, 3.72) goes for Arizona. The Snakes have lost his past six, scoring two runs or fewer in five of them. He has never faced the Cubs.

Key trends: The Snakes are 0-5 in Ray's past five vs. teams with a winning record. The Cubs are 5-1 in Arrieta's past six vs. teams with a losing record. The under is 6-0-1 in Ray's past seven on the road. The under is 5-1 in Arrieta's past six at home vs. teams with a losing record.

Early lean: Cubs on runline.


Twins at Astros (-169, 8.5)

This feels like a broken record, but Twins closer Glen Perkins is out again. He's dealing with back spasms. Kevin Jepsen takes over the role, and he has been about as good. The Twins start Ervin Santana (3-4, 5.40) here. He comes off his best start of the season, also against the Astros, shutting them out over seven innings on six hits and striking out a season-high 10. Before that, he had given up 31 earned runs in his previous 30.1 innings. Astros rookie Lance McCullers (5-5, 3.21) also faced the Twins last time out, allowing three runs over six innings. That was his second start since being sent down for a few weeks to conserve innings.

Key trends: The Twins are 2-5 in Santana's past seven. Houston is 6-0 in McCullers' past six at home. The over is 4-1 in Santana's past five. The over is 5-1-2 in McCullers' past eight.

Early lean: Astros and over.


Rangers at Angels (-115, 8)

There have been some terrible contracts in baseball history. And the Angels are on the hook for two of the five worst: to Josh Hamilton and Albert Pujols, although the latter is having a huge season. Hamilton was traded by the Halos back to Texas earlier this season, with Los Angeles so eager to dump him that it ate about $80 million. Hamilton has been largely a bust with Texas too because his body his breaking down. Now the team is saying he likely will be limited to pinch-hitting the rest of the season because he can't really run due to knee issues. You have to love guaranteed contracts. How do NFL players not have them? I digress. It's Jered Weaver for the Halos here, who could make things really interesting in the wild-card race with a sweep of this series. And the way the pitching is lined up, they might. Weaver (6-10, 4.94) has been bombed in his past two, however, allowing 14 runs and 16 hits over 11.2 innings. He hasn't faced Texas this year. Mike Napoli hits .344 off him with three homers. It's lefty Derek Holland (2-1, 2.82) for Texas. He has made just four starts this year and had one of the best of his career last time out, throwing a complete-game three-hitter vs. Baltimore. Mike Trout is 9-for-26 with two homers off him and Pujols 6-for-18 with two dingers.

Key trends: The Rangers are 1-4 in Holland's past five on the road. The over is 4-0 in Holland's past four vs. the Angels. The Angels are 7-2 in Weaver's past nine vs. Texas.

Early lean: Angels and over.


Braves at Nationals (-200, 7.5)

Best batting line ever for Washington's Bryce Harper on Thursday (he wasn't even a sure thing to play). He was 0-for-0 against the Braves with four walks, four runs scored and an RBI. No player had posted that line since 1914. And Harper joined Larry Doby, Joe Morgan and Rickey Henderson as the only players in history to score four runs with zero at-bats in a game. Harper will face Shelby Miller (5-12, 2.56) here. I love previewing Miller's games at this point. He hasn't won in 19 straight starts despite allowing two earned runs or fewer 12 times in that stretch. Miller also has gotten only two runs or fewer of run support 14 times in that run. Unluckiest pitcher this century? He is 0-1 with a 3.75 ERA in two starts vs. Washington this season. Ian Desmond is just 1-for-17 off him. Harper 3-for-14 with two RBIs. Nationals lefty Gio Gonzalez (9-7, 4.13) hasn't won since Aug. 10. He has faced the Braves once this season, allowing two runs over seven innings in a win back in early May.

Key trends: The Braves are 0-6 in Miller's past six vs. teams with a winning record. The Nats have won four straight in Game 3 of a series. The under is 5-0 in Miller's past five on the road.

Early lean: Nats and under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Saturday's six-pack

-- In his last nine games, Andrew McCutchen is 7-7 with two walks in first inning.

-- Mack Brown is very good on TV; need more former coaches in the booth; he was on Baylor-SMU last night and did very well. .

-- You look at the backstop in Marlins Park, to either side of home plate; there are aquariums inbedded in there. Why?

-- Giants cut punter Steve Weatherford, traded for Brad Wing from the Steelers and saved $2.5M on their salary cap.

-- Pirates are 22-32 vs NL Central teams, 58-21 vs everyone else.

-- It still amazes me that there is a professional fishing tour. Is there a minor league of fishing where guys who don't catch anything get sent down to?

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Jeff Saad of Las Vegas Sports Services

Saturday 9/05/2015 Bonus Play:

A tough spot for the Akron defense, opening the season on the road at a Big 12 powerhouse. Akron is on a 1-7 ATS run, 0-4 ATS on the road. Oklahoma has plenty of offensive punch behind running back Samaje Perine. Oklahoma is also unveiling its Air Raid offense with only Sterling Shepard (970 yards) as a proven gamebreaker at receiver, along with Durron Neal and newcomer WR Dede Westbrook. Westbrook caught 76 passes for 1,487 yards and 13 touchdowns in just eight games at Blinn (Texas) Community College last season. The Sooners feel they have the talent and depth to make new offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley's system work. The Sooners are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 non-conference games, 5-0 ATS in September.

Play Oklahoma

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dave Cokin

Bonus Play Saturday

PIRATES (Morton) at CARDINALS (Garcia) 4:05 PM

Take: CARDINALS -148 (Southpoint)

I’m a believer in metrics and use those figures extensively to try and gain an edge. But today’s play is based on the circa 20th century approach, where much of my focus was on situational pitcher stats. There’s still nothing wrong with factoring this data into the mix, but I use it more as add-on material than the impetus for a play. But this is one time where those numbers are strong enough to produce an opinion.

I have no idea why Charlie Morton cannot pitch a lick in day games. Fact is, I doubt Charlie does, either. But the numbers are what the numbers are. Morton has managed to go 2-2 in day games this year, but the ERA is sky high again. Career day game stats for Morton now read, 7-25 with a 5.72 ERA. Play as I like to with the metrics, and I can’t find much to balance off those digits. The guy just sucks under the sun way more often than not.

Morton has also had a miserable time with the Redbirds throughout his career, with only two wins in 12 decisions. He’s had a bad time at Busch, and if you want a little current stuff tossed in, Morton has not been good in his last two starts.

Jaime Garcia will throw for St. Louis, and the oft-injured lefty is yet again showing that when he’s fit enough to take the mound, he usually wins. Garcia has stifled the Pirates in his dealings with them and by the way, the Cardinals have now won each of Garcia’s last six starts. The star southpaw wasn’t especially sharp last time out against the Giants, but he has been dominating for the most part this year.

Here’s a for what it’s worth little stat for support. When playing with exactly two straight losses this season, the Redbirds are 9-3 in the next game. I wouldn’t put a great deal of stock into such a small sample stat, but it does indicate that this team rarely goes into slumps, and that’s a big part of why St. Louis has the best record in baseball.

The Pirates pummeled the Cardinals on Friday night. But the aforementioned numbers point to St. Louis rebounding today and even at a price a bit higher than I normally like, I’ll have to side with the Redbirds this time.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Jim Feist

Jim Feist's Bonus Play for Saturday, Sept. 5 7:05 PM EST

(909) ATLANTA BRAVES VS (910) WASHINGTON NATIONALS

Take: UNDER THE TOTAL

Reason: Your Bonus Play Saturday, September 5th, 2015 is in the MLB contest between the Braves and the Nationals from Washington. Washington is a huge park and a terrible Atlanta offense is in town, last in baseball in runs scored. The Under is 11-5 in the Braves last 16 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. Washington isn't tearing it up offensively, either, but at least they have Gio Gonzalez going, a good arm with excellent control. Atlanta has Shelby Miller going, with a 2.56 ERA. Miller (5-12) took his 11th consecutive loss on Monday, yielding six hits and one earned run over seven innings in a 4-0 defeat to the Marlins. He struck out four. The Braves have provided Miller an average of 2.56 runs per start, ranking his offensive support 89th among qualifying starters. And when these teams meet the Under is 5-2 in the last seven meetings. Play the Braves/Nationals under the total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Arthur Ralph Sports

Bonus Play SAT Kentucky -17

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Ross Benjamin

Virginia vs UCLA 3:30 PM ET

Bonus Play UCLA -19

Mike London enters his sixth season as the head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers football program. There’s a very good chance that this may be his last if he’s unable to get things turned around. During his first five seasons in charge, the Cavaliers have gone a combined 23-38, and were able to reach a bowl game just once. I’m of the opinion that they’ll be destined for mediocrity at best in 2015.

It’s hard to describe a team as a sleeper that enters 2015 ranked #13 in the Associated Press preseason poll. However, UCLA rarely if ever have been mentioned by the so called college football experts as being a serious national title contender. Granted they lost their three year starting quarterback Brett Hundley who’s now a Green Bay Packer. Beyond that, the cupboard is hardly bare. The Bruins return the other ten starters on offense from a season ago, and also eight on the defensive side of the ball from a team that went 10-3. Speaking of quarterback, UCLA will start a true freshmen for the first time in school history. Josh Rosen will be thrown right into the fire, and he enters his collegiate career with extremely high acclaim. Rosen was ranked as the #1 quarterback nationally of this incoming 2015 freshmen class.

UCLA is just too good for a Virginia team that will be hard pressed to stay competitive in this contest. Play on UCLA minus the sizable number.

 

[BRUTUS]

The Rainman please..thanks

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CAPPERS ACCESS

Northwestern
Auburn
Notre Dame
Wisconsin