Sunday 4/10/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Raptors (53-26) at Knicks (32-48)

Date: April 10, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Should they have to deal with an injury or choose to keep resting their regulars before the postseason, the Toronto Raptors might remain in good hands if their latest game was any indication.

Still holding a faint chance at the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed, the Raptors will try to keep those hopes alive while breaking their single-season mark for road victories Sunday night against the New York Knicks.

Toronto (53-26) showed the strength of its roster while three usual starters and DeMarre Carroll sat out Friday against playoff-hopeful Indiana. The Raptors were led by Norman Powell, Delon Wright and Cory Joseph in a 111-98 victory.

"It just shows how deep we are when guys like Kyle (Lowry) and DeMar (DeRozan) and (Luis) Scola can take a game off and we have a big team win like that," said Powell, who scored a career-high 27 points. "It just shows how good and talented we are when we all play together and lock in."

It's unclear what lineup coach Dwane Casey will use Sunday with Toronto locked into one of the top two seeds in the East but still in contention for the top spot. The Raptors' chances were kept alive Saturday with Cleveland's 105-102 loss in Chicago.

They trail the Cavaliers by 2 1/2 games and hold the tiebreaker by going 2-1 in the season series.

The Raptors can remain in contention for at least another day by surpassing their 22 road wins from each of the past two seasons. They have come up short in their last two attempts to break that mark, falling to San Antonio and Atlanta.

Toronto, which has set a single-season mark for overall victories, won 122-95 in its only other trip to New York this season Feb. 22 and has taken two of three overall matchups.

It's unclear if the Raptors will have to face Knicks star rookie forward Kristaps Porzingis in this one. He's missed the past five games because of an ailing right shoulder.

Jose Calderon (quad) and Lance Thomas (knee) have also been out.

Although the Knicks have nothing to play for, Porzingis is hoping to return in one of the final two games and New York (32-48) will play its home finale Sunday.

"I want to come back, but it's not really in my hands," he said. "If I can recover and be 100 percent before the season is over, then I'll play."

Carmelo Anthony was dealing with a stomach illness during the Knicks' visit to Philadelphia on Friday and sat out the final 17-plus minutes. He still chipped in 20 points in a 109-102 victory while Robin Lopez had 24 points and 15 rebounds.

"I believed in my teammates that they were going to pull it out," Anthony said. "It felt good to sit in the fourth."

Lowry is averaging 24.1 points on 51.2 percent shooting and has connected at 47.7 percent from 3-point range in his last eight games against the Knicks.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Western Showdown'

With the top two teams in the NBA locking horns Sunday the eyes of most basketball fans, as well as those focused on basketball betting will be on the showdown between host San Antonio Spurs (65-14, 43-36 ATS) and visiting Golden State Warriors (70-9, 43-34-2 ATS).

Home-court advantage is certainly something San Antonio can tap into. Spurs looking to become the first undefeated home team in league history have been tough nuts to crack on AT&T Center hardwood. This year, they've won 39 consecutive games (23-16 ATS) in front of the friendly crowd defeating opponents by 14.7 points/game and 48 straight regular season games (31-17 ATS) dating back to last season. Additionally, Spurs have also shown a habit of handling Warriors in Alamo City during regular season winning 18 of the past 19 matchups with a profitable 13-6 mark against the betting line.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPOT PLAYS

For Sunday


TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE


Aqueduct (4th) Lead Along, 6-1
(6th) Brimstone, 4-1


Emerald Downs (1st) Secret Mark, 3-1
(9th) Kaabraaj, 5-1


Golden Gate Fields (3rd) Desert Smoke, 7-2
(7th) Foxtrot Romeo, 3-1


Gulfstream Park (5th) Morea, 3-1
(8th) Missworldvenezuela, 6-1


Keeneland (1st) Money Flows, 7-2
(6th) Town Classic, 5-1


Laurel (1st) Goldies Tale, 5-1
(7th) Gin Makes Ya Sin, 8-1


Lone Star Park (4th) Mare of Shiloh, 6-1
(9th) Laudy, 7-2


Oaklawn Park (1st) Conquest Caliente, 8-1
(10th) Mr Ark, 6-1


Parx Racing (6th) Bluegrass Chat, 3-1
(7th) Park Avenue Appeal, 8-1


Santa Anita (1st) Lori's Attitude, 7-2
(10th) Boompa, 4-1


Sunland Park (6th) Punkin Roll, 7-2
(8th) Chasing Our Dreams, 8-1


Tampa Bay Downs (1st) Summit County, 9-2
(8th) Lino Rose, 7-2


Turf Paradise (7th) Amariah Grace, 3-1
(9th) A P Pepper, 7-2


Woodbine (2nd) Dublin Diva, 8-1
(8th) Galina Point, 5-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB notebook: Yankees' Girardi concerned about slide rules
By The Sports Xchange

New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi is concerned about the new rules concerning second base slides.
Girardi called Major League Baseball executive vice president Joe Torre after watching another game decided by a call on a runner sliding into second on Friday night.
"I'm not sure they (middle infielders) aren't in more danger now," Girardi said. "Because now they have to stay on the bag."

---The San Francisco Giants made first baseman Brandon Belt's contract extension official Saturday.
Belt got his 2016 deal, originally set for $6.2 million, torn up as part of the new contract, which runs through the 2021 season.

---The Los Angeles Dodgers placed left fielder Carl Crawford (sore back) on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Friday.
Crawford became the 11th Dodger to go on the DL this season.

---Chicago White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton missed Saturday's game against the Cleveland Indians to be with his wife for the birth of the couple's first child.
Eaton also might miss Sunday's series finale.
"I let him know that he can stay and see this through -- and that Robin is a good name," Chicago manager Robin Ventura deadpanned. "It works either way, boy or girl."

---Indians third baseman Lonnie Chisenhall's minor-league rehabilitation assignment has been delayed by three postponed games at Triple-A Columbus.
Chisenhall is on the 15-day disabled list because of a left wrist injury.

---Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson started as the designated hitter for the second straight game Saturday.
Donaldson has a strained right calf muscle but said it feels better and he could return to the field soon. Donaldson hit the first grand slam by a Blue Jays player in a home opener on Friday.

---Baltimore Orioles left-hander Brian Matusz (back) did not have any setbacks in his rehab assignments at Double-A Bowie, allowing one run with three strikeouts over two innings.
Matusz was eligible to come off the disabled list on Sunday, but manager Buck Showalter wants him to throw in at least one more minor league game before activating him.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB betting cheat sheet: Rewriting hi-Story
By JESSE SCHULE

With baseball back in full swing, we bring back our betting cheat sheet to help you 'cap the boys of summer. Jesse Schule gives you a comprehensive look at betting notes for this weekend's major-league schedule.

Houston... we have a problem

The Astros were out-scored 27-16 while losing two of three to the Yankees in the Bronx, and they will open a new series in Milwaukee on Friday. Their bullpen was a strength in 2015, but so far the Astros relievers have surrendered 14 runs over 12 2/3 innings in the first three games of 2016. If this trend continues it might be worth keeping an eye on the totals, and particularly in this series with the Brewers. Nine of Houston's last 10 games at Miller Park have gone over.

Cardinals grounded

The St. Louis Cardinals are off to their worst start in nine years, opening the season with three straight losses in Pittsburgh. Their big bats couldn't get anything done against the Pirates pitching, with Matt Carpenter going 1-for-11 in the series, and Matt Holliday and Randal Grichuk each going 1-for-10. They head to Atlanta to start a new series versus the Braves on Friday, and they may continue to struggle here. Atlanta has won the last four games in this series, and nine of the last 11 at Turner Field.

Rewriting hi-Story

Rookie shortstop Trevor Story is the first player in history to hit home runs in each of his first three major league games. Since he plays for the Rockies, so some might assume that Coors Field has aided his prolific start. In fact the Rockies started the season on the road at Arizona, and all four of his home runs so far came at Chase Field. The Rockies open a home series versus the Padres Friday, and he should have a chance to continue to produce against a struggling San Diego pitching staff.

Hitting Notes

*The Padres ranked dead last in the majors with a .243 batting average last season, and after losing three straight at home to the Dodgers, they have yet to score a run in 2016. They head into Colorado batting just .120 so far, and they haven't had a lot of success in Colorado in recent seasons. The Padres are 10-21 in their last 31 at Coors Field.

*Starlin Castro is off to a flying start in New York. The 26 year old shortstop homered twice, going 7-for-12 in a three game series versus Houston. The Yankees are in Detroit this weekend, and Castro is 3-for-9 at Comerica Park over the last three seasons.

Pitching Notes

*Jose Fernandez had won 17 straight starts in Miami, but his perfect career home record came to an end this week in a loss to Detroit. He gave up five runs on five hits, but also struck out 13 battters over 5 2/3 innings. His next start will come on the road at New York opposite Noah Syndergaard.

*Jacob deGrom will make his season debut at home versus Philadelphia Friday. He was 6-4 with a 1.99 ERA in 15 starts in New York last season, and he's 2-0 with a 3.34 ERA in five starts against Philly lifetime. He's coming off a fantastic Spring Training, going 1-0 with a 1.62 ERA, striking out 15 batters in 16 innings.

Injury Notes

*The Indians will be short-handed in their weekend series in Chicago, as both Lonnie Chisenhall and Michael Brantley have been placed on the 15 day disabled list.

*Veteran catcher Buster Posey will sit out Friday's game against the Dodgers, just to get him a day off to rest.

Total Trend

Three teams, the Yankees, Astros and Marlins have began the season hitting the over in their first three games. Meanwhile the Orioles and Twins have hit the under in all three of their opening games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Sox (3-1) at Blue Jays (2-4)

Game: 3
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: April 10, 2016 1:07 PM EDT

Marco Estrada came to the AL East and immediately turned in the best season of his career. That effectiveness just didn't carry over into matchups with the Boston Red Sox.

The right-hander makes his season debut Sunday in Toronto hoping for better against the division foe as the Blue Jays try to avoid a three-game sweep.

Estrada missed the first week of the season with lower-back soreness, which limited him to two starts and 5 2-3 innings this spring with the big league club with his last work coming March 25. But the Blue Jays have plenty of confidence in the 32-year-old after he went 13-8 with a 3.13 ERA in 28 starts and six relief efforts last season. His 1.04 WHIP trailed only Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel in the AL.

That included 181 innings after never going beyond 150 2-3 in his time with Milwaukee or Washington, and it earned him a two-year, $26 million deal in the offseason.

The club deemed him ready to go after throwing five innings in an intrasquad contest Monday, allowing a run and three hits on 88 pitches.

"We just wanted to give him one more (outing since) he had a late start," manager John Gibbons told MLB's official website.

Estrada went 2-1 in three games against the Red Sox last year but had a 6.10 ERA, allowing 10 hits and nine walks in 10 1-3 innings. David Ortiz homered twice off him, but Xander Bogaerts and Brock Holt fell to 0 for 8 lifetime.

The Blue Jays (2-4) need Estrada in a big way considering David Price is now in the other dugout and they're already in danger of matching their season-worst five-game losing streak from last year, despite Jose Bautista hitting two homers in Saturday's 8-4 loss.

Boston (3-1) out-did Toronto with its fourth straight game of at least six runs and 10 hits. The Blue Jays are yet to reach that hit total and batting .220 a season after finishing second in baseball at .269.

Hanley Ramirez had a two-run triple and is 7 for 18 as he adjusts to playing first base, while Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 5 with two RBIs and is 6 for 15 since going hitless on opening day. Pedroia has reached base safely in 41 straight games against AL East opponents and 23 straight versus the Blue Jays.

Pablo Sandoval was the only Red Sox starter who didn't record a hit in his first start of the season. Manager John Farrell said lineup consistency has led to a sense of trust.

"No one feels like they've got to be the guy in a given inning," said Farrell, whose team is seeking its first sweep of the Blue Jays since June 10-12, 2011, in Toronto. "They pass the baton, get on base and I think that's one of the primary reasons we're scoring the number of runs that we are."

If there's one aspect for Boston to correct from its first four games, it's starting pitching. The rotation has an 8.53 ERA and has lasted just 19 innings while sticking the bullpen with 16, though the last 10 have been scoreless.

The Red Sox send Steven Wright (5-4, 4.09 ERA) to the mound for his season debut. The knuckleballer earned the No. 5 spot in the rotation with a 2.77 ERA in six spring outings.

His final three starts last year resulted in a 2-0 record and 2.25 ERA, but his season was cut short in August after being struck in the head by a batting-practice line drive.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Phillies (0-4) at Mets (2-1)

Game: 3
Venue: Citi Field
Date: April 10, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

Though New York Mets fans were surely happy he could just take the mound last weekend, Matt Harvey was not pleased.

It stands to reason he should be this time.

Harvey gets to face what has been one of the majors' worst offenses, just as it was last season, when the Mets host the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.

For a brief time, Harvey pitching in the season opener - and beyond - was in doubt after he was scratched from his final spring outing due to a blood clot in his bladder. The health scare was over once he passed it, allowing the ace to start last Sunday in Kansas City, but he gave up four runs and eight hits in 5 2-3 innings of a 4-3 loss.

"There were times that I felt fine, and other times it was just hard finding a rhythm and getting my release point," Harvey told MLB's official website. "I made some pitches when I had to, and wasn't able to when I really needed to. So that's a disappointment, and pretty frustrating."

This will be his first appearance at Citi Field since the deciding Game 5 of the World Series, won 7-2 by the Royals in 12 innings. He has a 1.55 ERA in his last 14 games at Citi, including the postseason.

Harvey is the only New York starter this year who failed to complete six innings and allowed more than one run. Even 42-year-old Bartolo Colon pitched well Saturday, though Philadelphia won 1-0 to avoid its worst start since 1934.

Yet, it was the fourth time the Phillies (1-4) failed to score more than two runs. They're batting .218 after finishing last year at .249 to rank 24th while scoring the majors' fourth-fewest runs.

Harvey is 6-1 with a 2.44 ERA in eight starts against the Phillies despite not exactly dominating them last season, allowing 10 runs and 20 hits in 18 1-3 innings.

Ryan Howard is 3 for 16 with eight strikeouts against Harvey but homered off him last year and hit his second in three games Saturday. It was the first homer off New York pitching this season and Howard's 45th against the Mets, tops among active players.

Keeping Howard at first base has forced power-hitting Darin Ruf to come off the bench. But with the Phillies' struggles offensively, manager Pete Mackanin is considering playing Ruf in the outfield. Starting outfielders Odubel Herrera, Cedric Hunter and Peter Bourjos are all batting under .160.

"In the next few days, if I don't see improvement," Mackanin said, "I'm going to be forced to do it."

Newcomer Neil Walker has the only home run for the Mets (2-2), who are batting .192.

Yoenis Cespedes homered 17 times in 57 games for New York last season but drew boos Saturday following his third strikeout. He's 2 for 16 with no RBIs and seven strikeouts.

David Wright should play after being rested during a cold and damp Saturday night - a precaution due to the spinal stenosis that kept him out most of last season.

"As much as he's a grinder, he's realistic to know that ... he's got to monitor this," manager Terry Collins said.

Wright is 2 for 2 with a walk against Jeremy Hellickson, who gets his second start for Philadelphia. His Phillies debut in the season opener was outstanding despite a no-decision, yielding one unearned run and three hits with no walks in six innings of Monday's 6-2 loss at Cincinnati.

One of Hellickson's nine wins in 27 starts with Arizona last season came against the Mets, giving up two runs in six innings.

He's never pitched at Citi, where the Phillies had lost 10 of 11 before Saturday's victory.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pirates (4-1) at Reds (4-1)

Game: 3
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: April 10, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

The Pittsburgh Pirates suffered their first setback against a team tied with them at the top of the NL Central - just not one expected to be there when all is said and done.

One day after handing the visiting Pirates their first loss - repaying the favor from a day earlier - the Cincinnati Reds will go for their best start in five years with a series victory on Sunday.

A 6-5 comeback win in Friday's opener gave Pittsburgh its first 4-0 start since 2003, and the Pirates trotted out ace Gerrit Cole on Saturday for his first outing after dealing with a sore ribcage.

Cincinnati, though, knocked Cole out in the fifth inning en route to a 5-1 win, just the Reds' second victory in the last seven games of this series.

A season-opening sweep of lowly Philadelphia wasn't much to blink at, but Cincinnati can open the season 5-1 for the first time since 2011 with a second straight series victory. While the Pirates made their third straight postseason appearance in 2015, the Reds finished 64-98 and just a half-game better than the MLB-worst Phillies.

Still, Cincinnati found success against Cole and Pirates' Sunday starter Jeff Locke. While Pittsburgh lost all four Cole starts against the Reds a year ago, Locke's four were split as the left-hander finished with a 4.29 ERA.

Cincinnati's lineup hit .287 against him with three home runs, scoring 10 earned runs on 25 hits in 21 innings.

However, the Reds' lineup looks much different this season, and Locke will feature a new-look windup. He made some tweaks after posting a 4.49 ERA and 1.42 WHIP while finishing 8-11 in 30 2015 starts.

"It's a challenge, but it's stuff that goes on a lot behind the scenes," Locke said after a March 7 spring training start. "Just trying to be as comfortable as possible, but yet giving us the best chance to win, best chance to throw strikes and best chance to put guys away."

Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips have each struggled to .217 batting averages in their careers against Locke, but Joey Votto (.333) and Billy Hamilton (.429) have seen success in the matchup.

The Pirates were held to fewer than four runs for the first time on Saturday as Raisel Iglesias picked up his first win after getting thrust into the Reds' No. 1 starter spot. Four of their starters have landed on the disabled list, a series of events that leads to Tim Melville making his big-league debut on Sunday.

A 2008 fourth-round draft choice by Kansas City signed a minor league deal with the Reds in November after going 7-10 with a 4.63 ERA in 27 starts with Detroit's Triple-A affiliate last year.

The right-hander is the second Cincinnati starter to make his debut already, following Robert Stephenson's Thursday outing against Philadelphia.

Eugenio Suarez is a Cincinnati position player getting a strong look, moving from shortstop to third base to fill the void left by Todd Frazier's departure.

Suarez, acquired from Detroit in the 2014 trade for Alfredo Simon, has homered in three of the last four games. He has seven hits in 19 at-bats with eight RBIs and eight runs scored already. He had 13 home runs in 97 games last year.

'I think he's already special, not just because of what he's doing offensively, but the way he transitioned from being an everyday shortstop to playing third base,' manager Bryan Price said. 'He's looking good. I think he's a dynamic defender.'

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Marlins (1-2) at Nationals (2-1)

Game: 3
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: April 10, 2016 1:35 PM EDT

When Joe Ross was called up in June and July, Washington was in first place both times and hoping to bridge a gap until Stephen Strasburg was healthy. Anything the 22-year-old gave the Nationals was a bonus, and he gave them plenty even though their season tanked.

This year, Strasburg is healthy but Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister are gone. Beginning Sunday against the Miami Marlins, Ross' role comes with higher expectations as he attempts to move beyond a trying spring, but he had very little trouble last season at Nationals Park.

That fill-in work resulted in a 5-5 record and 3.64 ERA in 13 starts and three relief efforts, including 4-2 with a 2.44 ERA and a 37-to-7 strikeout-to-walk ratio in nine home appearances.

Ross had a 2.79 ERA in four March outings before missing 12 days with a bruised heel after being hit by a line drive. The right-hander then gave up eight runs and 12 hits - two home runs - in five innings April 2 in his final tune-up and ended the spring with a 6.75 ERA and .394 opponent batting average.

"Big innings," Ross said. "I feel like I've got to work a little bit on getting out of those jams with runners on and less than two outs."

He's up against Tom Koehler, whose 378 2-3 innings over the past two seasons for the Marlins are 169 1-3 more than next-best and since-departed Henderson Alvarez.

The right-hander's 4.05 spring ERA was right in line with his 4.08 last season with an 11-14 record in 31 starts and one relief effort, and Miami is hoping for more stability in a rotation that's had its share of injuries in recent seasons.

"I feel good, strong, healthy, that's the most important thing," Koehler told MLB's official website. "I like where my stuff is right now. I feel like if I go into those games with a good mix, and a good plan, we should be successful."

It's rarely worked out in Washington, where Koehler is 1-4 with a 6.21 ERA - his worst in any park where he's made more than two starts. He at least won't have to deal with Ben Revere, who is 10 for 22 in their matchups but landed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with a right oblique strain. Bryce Harper, however, is 7 for 24 against Koehler with five home runs.

Another Sunday would be Harper's 100th overall at 23 years, 177 days old, making him the eighth youngest to reach the mark and put him ahead of Albert Pujols, Hank Aaron and Ken Griffey Jr.

He got No. 99 as Miami (1-2) opened the series with Thursday's 6-4 victory to deny Nationals manager Dusty Baker a win in his home debut and give Don Mattingly his first in charge of the Marlins.

Friday was a scheduled off day and Saturday's game was postponed because of cold weather. It has been rescheduled as part of a split doubleheader May 14.

Adeiny Hechavarria is 4 for 7 with three doubles in the last two games, while Miami has at least 10 hits in all three.

"I thought we swung the bats good all day," Mattingly said Thursday. "We've actually swung the bats pretty good all year, other than we haven't gotten out of the gate. So we got out of the gate and kind of let them back in."

Washington (2-1) got two hits and three RBIs from Daniel Murphy, who is 4 for 11 with a home run, triple, double and five RBIs in his first three games with his new team.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (1-3) at Braves (0-3)

Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: April 10, 2016 1:35 PM EDT

Adam Wainwright is doing all he can to regain his rhythm on the mound.

Looking to improve on his opening performance, Wainwright hopes to help the visiting St. Louis Cardinals to a series sweep Sunday by sending the Atlanta Braves to their first 0-5 start in almost three decades.

Making his first start in nearly a year, the right-hander allowed three runs, six hits and walked three over six innings of a 4-1 loss at Pittsburgh last Sunday.

'I certainly got better as I went along,' Wainwright said. 'But I'm still a little off timing or something, there's something that has not clicked yet. I feel it at times and I know I'm very close to it.

"I'm going to be a lot better than that going forward."

Agitated by the quality of that outing, the two-time 20-game winner made the most of his week off between starts. He had plenty of time to rest, and used video and a mirror to correct some mechanical flaws he discovered from last weekend.

"I was 3/8 an inch off here, two inches off here, which causes the very end of the pitch to be a much different result than you want it to be," Wainwright, who was limited to four starts and seven appearances in 2015 because of an Achilles injury, told MLB's official website.

"There were some things I was doing wrong that were inexcusable. There was some crazy stuff going on with my delivery that was a first for me."

Wainwright, who pitched two scoreless innings in a pair of relief appearances against the Braves in October, last faced them as a starter in May 2014.

St. Louis (2-3) scored seven runs and had 17 hits while being swept by the Pirates, but has totaled 19 and 25 in the first two of this set. In addition to giving up two runs in six innings, starter Carlos Martinez had two RBIs and Kolten Wong recorded three hits in Saturday's 12-2 rout.

'We know that we can hit,' Wong said. 'It's all about us kind of getting together. Hitting is contagious. Once a couple guys start getting hot, it usually ends up with the whole team hitting. That's good for us.'

After going 0 for 3 in the season opener, Wong is 6 for 15. He's batting .378 with eight runs scored in his last 10 games against the Braves.

The only winless team in the NL, the Braves last dropped their first five in going 0-10 in 1988.

While Atlanta has an 8.00 ERA in this series, it's batted .167 while totaling 10 runs and 21 hits and striking out 35 times in four games. Freddie Freeman and Nick Markakis each had a hit with an RBI on Saturday, but are a combined 5 for 27.

'We're not looking real pretty right now in all aspects of the game,' manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

In his first appearance against the Cardinals, Williams Perez makes his season debut looking to pick up where he left off from going 3-0 with a 2.35 ERA in his final five 2015 starts. The right-hander finished his rookie year 7-6 with a 4.61 ERA in 20 starts.

He allowed one run in 11 2-3 innings to win his last two at Turner Field.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rays (2-3) at Orioles (4-0)

Game: 2
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: April 10, 2016 1:35 PM EDT

During an unexpected day off, the Baltimore Orioles became the only undefeated team in the majors.

They'll look to stay that way by matching the best start in franchise history as they host the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.

Baltimore is 4-0 for the second time in 20 seasons following Friday's 6-1 series-opening victory. As Saturday's game was postponed due to bad weather, the only other teams which had been unbeaten - Detroit and Pittsburgh - both lost.

The only time Baltimore has been 5-0 was in 1970, though the franchise had the same record in 1944 when it was known as the St. Louis Browns. The Orioles should have the chance to equal that mark Sunday with no rain in the forecast and temperatures expected to surpass 50 degrees.

Adam Jones and J.J. Hardy may return after getting an extra day to rest. Jones has missed two games with sore ribs, and Hardy sat out Friday with calf tightness.

Manager Buck Showalter wouldn't say for certain if either player would return, but the cold and rain factored into why they weren't in the lineup Saturday.

"I'll never say never on it," Showalter told MLB's official website. " ... If it's 70 degrees, I'll probably lean toward playing them. We'll see how we do tomorrow."

Jones surely would like to return to face Jake Odorizzi, having gone 8 for 20 with a homer against him.

Odorizzi has been tagged for seven homers in his last two outings at Camden Yards, where he's 1-2 with a 7.20 ERA.

The right-hander took a no-decision in his season debut Tuesday despite a solid outing in a 3-2 win over Toronto. He struck out 10 and gave up four hits in 5 2-3 innings, and one of the two runs he allowed was unearned because of his own throwing error.

Baltimore took Tampa Bay ace Chris Archer deep a career-worst four times Friday. Manny Machado homered for the second consecutive night, and Chris Davis connected on his second of the season. Both of them homered off Odorizzi last year.

Rookie Joey Rickard and offseason acquisition Mark Trumbo are off to 7-for-15 starts after each went 2 for 4 on Friday.

Davis, batting .326 with seven homers in his last 14 meetings with Tampa Bay, has 10 home runs in his last 19 contests at Camden Yards, where the Orioles have won nine straight.

Evan Longoria hit his first home run Friday for Tampa Bay (2-3), which has scored 10 of its 15 runs off homers. Longoria's long ball extended the team's record to 19 consecutive games with at least one, the majors' longest streak since Seattle's 23 in 2013.

The Rays' four other hits were all singles, and they've been limited to only nine walks with a .276 on-base percentage.

They'll be facing Vance Worley in his Orioles debut. A week ago, he wasn't sure if he'd be a starter or a reliever or even make the team.

"I'm just showing that I can do all the roles, so hopefully they see that," Worley said after his final spring outing.

Apparently he showed them enough to be named the No. 5 starter, having allowed one run in 7 1-3 innings over his last four spring appearances.

Since having a regular spot in Philadelphia's rotation in 2012, Worley has bounced back and forth between the majors and minors. His 2015 season included six weeks in Triple-A and 23 games with Pittsburgh, going 4-6 with a 4.02 ERA.

His only previous season in the AL was the worst of his career, going 1-5 with a 7.21 ERA in 10 starts with Minnesota in 2013. He's never faced Tampa Bay.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Indians (2-2) at White Sox (4-2)

Game: 3
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: April 10, 2016 2:10 PM EDT

Jose Quintana's brilliant end to 2015 carried over into his first start for the Chicago White Sox. His dominance on the mound figures to continue against the Cleveland Indians.

Quintana has had his most success when facing Cleveland, and he'll look to pitch Chicago to a series win Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field.

The left-hander went 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in five September starts and opened 2016 by allowing two runs and striking out seven with no walks in 5 2-3 innings before Jimmy Rollins hit a tiebreaking homer in the ninth to give the White Sox a 5-4 win at Oakland on Tuesday.

Quintana left with a two-run lead but was handed his 53rd no-decision, the most in the majors since he began his career in 2012.

"The most important thing here is taking the W," Quintana said. "That's part of the game. It happens sometimes. We won the game, that's most important."

Half of Quintana's 12 starts against Cleveland have resulted in no-decisions, though he's 5-1 with a 2.80 ERA in those outings for his most wins against any opponent.

Quintana went 2-1 with a 0.82 ERA in three matchups last season, including his only career complete game in a 6-0 win at Cleveland on July 24. The Indians hitter to have the most success against him is Michael Brantley - 13 for 27 with five extra-base hits - but he's out with a shoulder problem.

The Cleveland lineup Quintana will be facing this time was cooled off Saturday. After scoring seven runs in winning each of their previous two games, including Friday's series opener, the Indians lost 7-3.

They were done in by a five-run seventh inning that included a three-run homer by Avisail Garcia. Jose Abreu went 2 for 2 with a solo home run and two walks as the White Sox improved to 4-2 after opening 0-4 last season and finishing with 86 losses.

"Just shows the attitude, the difference, whatever it is, we've got it," winning pitcher Chris Sale said.

Josh Tomlin will make his season debut for the Indians (2-2) after going 7-2 with a 3.02 ERA and two complete games in 10 starts last season. He didn't make his first appearance until mid-August following shoulder surgery.

A pair of postponements in Cleveland's opening series against Boston delayed Tomlin's debut. His last outing came in spring training March 29, giving him 11 days between starts.

"I don't know if I'm better equipped than anybody else, but I've done it before," Tomlin told MLB's official website. "So it's not anything new to me. I feel like I can handle it. For me, it's not about losing my stuff. It's about staying sharp. It's staying on the edges of the plate and being able to throw pitches for strikes."

The right-hander was 0-2 with a 4.24 ERA in his first four starts against the White Sox before beating them twice in September behind a 2.38 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 11 1-3 innings.

He's had trouble with Chicago center fielder Austin Jackson, who is 7 for 16 with a homer, three doubles and a triple in their matchups, and Abreu has gone 3 for 5 with a home run and a double.

Tomlin has held Adam Eaton to one hit in nine at-bats, but he won't have the luxury of facing him after Eaton left the White Sox on Saturday for the birth of his first child.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Astros (2-3) at Brewers (2-3)

Game: 3
Venue: Miller Park
Date: April 10, 2016 2:10 PM EDT

After braving some chilly temperatures for a successful opening day start, Dallas Keuchel can take advantage of the controlled climate of Miller Park to continue his winning ways.

The left-hander looks to build on a solid 2016 debut and help the visiting Houston Astros take Sunday's decisive series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Following up his 20-win AL Cy Young Award-winning season, Keuchel braved the frigid air of the Bronx to yield a two-run double, two other hits and overcome four walks in seven innings of Tuesday's 5-3 win over the New York Yankees.

"He finds ways to get his outs," manager A.J. Hinch told the Astros' official website. "I think even the pitch that he gave up the two-run double was a good pitch, it just hit the line. Very much a Dallas Keuchel start with the exception of a few walks."

Including the postseason, Keuchel has a 1.55 ERA while winning his last six starts. With rain and high-40 degree temperatures forecast for Sunday, the roof at Miller Park will be closed, so he won't need to worry about the elements.

Keuchel hasn't faced the Brewers (2-3) since going 0-2 with an 11.68 ERA in three starts against them during his 2012 rookie season when the Astros were still in the National League.

He'll get the chance to help the Astros (2-3) take this three-game set after they snapped a three-game slide with Saturday's 6-4 victory. Colby Rasmus homered twice and had four RBIs, and rookie Tyler White continued his sizzling start with a solo shot.

'It felt good to get us flowing good and to get up on those guys and get us a `W' here," Rasmus said. "We needed to win that game."

White is 10 for 15 with nine RBIs, and Friday broke Ken Caminiti's club record for the most hits in his first four career games. One night later, he homered for a third straight contest to become the first Astro with three home runs in his first five games.

"It's impressive," Hinch said. "The quality of at-bats are becoming customary. We're expecting it. It's fun to see him. I'm glad he's getting off to this kind of start. He's earned every bit of this exposure."

Milwaukee's Scooter Gennett homered six times in 114 games last season but has half that many through five already. He went deep for the second time in as many contests Saturday, and is 7 for 17 with all three RBIs coming off those long balls.

Teammate Jimmy Nelson takes the mound after he gave up a solo homer and one other run in 7 1-3 innings of a 2-1 defeat to San Francisco on Tuesday. Though Nelson took a hard-luck loss, it was a solid opening performance after he posted a 9.75 ERA to lose his final three starts of 2015.

The right-hander failed to reach the eighth inning in his final 15 starts last season.

'He was good all night. It's great to see,' Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.

This will be Nelson's first appearance against the Astros.

Milwaukee star Ryan Braun hit safely in the first four games before going 0 for 4 with two strikeouts Saturday. He went 3 for 6 against Keuchel in 2012.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Twins (0-5) at Royals (3-1)

Game: 3
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: April 10, 2016 2:15 PM EDT

Coming off a positive 2016 debut, Edinson Volquez now tries to extend the Minnesota Twins' historically miserable start.

The Kansas City Royals right-hander attempts to deal the scuffling Twins a sixth consecutive loss to begin the season when the AL Central foes conclude a three-game series Sunday.

Elevated to a de facto ace on a staff that lost Johnny Cueto to free agency following the Royals' championship run, Volquez pitched like one in last Sunday's opener against the New York Mets. He yielded two hits over six scoreless innings to lead Kansas City to a 4-3 victory in the World Series rematch.

The Royals' revamped rotation hasn't suffered from Cueto's departure to San Francisco. The starters have allowed four runs over 22 2-3 innings to help Kansas City win three of its first four games.

Newcomer Ian Kennedy delivered the latest gem, striking out seven over 6 2-3 innings in Saturday's 7-0 win that gave Minnesota its first 0-5 start since the franchise relocated from Washington for the 1961 season.

Kennedy, signed to a five-year, $70 million contract in January questioned by many insiders, dominated a Twins offense that's scored nine runs on this season-opening trip. Kennedy posted a 6.30 ERA in six spring training starts.

'This is the pitcher we signed,' manager Ned Yost said. 'We don't even look at spring training numbers. He was on top of his game.'

Minnesota is batting .210 with 58 strikeouts and is 3 for 38 with runners in scoring position, including a 1 for 12 effort in Friday's 4-3 defeat.

There were mistakes in the pitching and fielding departments as well in the latest loss. Minnesota served up home runs to Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain and Kendrys Morales and shortstop Eduardo Escobar committed two errors that led to two fifth-inning runs.

"The first four were competitive and (Saturday) everything kind of went the way it did," manager Paul Molitor said. "We were having trouble getting going offensively again and we made some mistakes defensively to open the floodgates. So it's disappointing we didn't play in a more competitive game."

Minnesota, 19-40 against Kansas City since the start of 2013, sends Ricky Nolasco to the mound for the free-agent disappointment's first outing this season. The right-hander is 11-14 with a 5.56 ERA in 35 starts since signing a four-year, $49 million deal in December 2013.

Nolasco went 5-2 with a 6.75 ERA while making just eight starts and one relief appearance last season, missing four months due to ankle surgery. He allowed five runs over 2 2-3 innings in a 6-1 loss to the Royals in his first start back from the injury Oct. 4.

Though Cain is 1 for 8 with four strikeouts against Nolasco, Eric Hosmer is 5 for 11 in the matchup and Alcides Escobar 7 for 19.

Volquez went 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA in four 2015 starts against Minnesota, pitching seven or more innings in each. He allowed three runs over 14 innings in winning both Kauffman Stadium meetings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Dodgers (4-2) at Giants (4-2)

Game: 4
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: April 10, 2016 4:05 PM EDT

Johnny Cueto and Scott Kazmir will get their first taste of the rivalry between the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday after shining in their first starts with their new clubs.

Cueto looks to help the Giants take three of four from the Dodgers in his home debut, one day after the matchup between Madison Bumgarner and Clayton Kershaw resulted in a second straight extra-inning affair in the series.

San Francisco (4-2) signed Cueto, the NL Cy Young Award runner-up to Kershaw in 2014, to a six-year contract worth $130 million after he helped Kansas City win the World Series last year.

He proved his worth in his first start Tuesday, allowing one run over seven innings of a 2-1 win at Milwaukee.

'I felt very comfortable since Day 1. I'm going to be here for a long time based on the contract that I signed,' Cueto said. 'It's good that I had a good outing, especially the first one.'

The same can be said for Kazmir, who signed a three-year deal for $48 million to replace Zack Greinke as the Dodgers' No. 2 starter. Kazmir gave up one hit over six innings in a 3-0 victory at San Diego on Tuesday.

'I just wanted to get out there and have a good start to the season, get some outs early and just get in the dugout as quick as possible,' Kazmir said. 'I've got a defense behind me that gives me a great deal of confidence to make pitches even behind in the count. Overall it was a good day.'

This series began with the Giants winning 12-6 on Thursday before a wild game Friday. Los Angeles' Ross Stripling was pulled despite not allowing a hit in 7 1-3 innings during his major league debut, and San Francisco went on to win 3-2 on Brandon Crawford's solo homer in the 10th.

On Saturday, Bumgarner homered off Kershaw for the second straight season, but the Dodgers (4-2) scored once in the ninth to tie it and won 3-2 in 10.

'We're going against the best pitcher in baseball, we had the lead with the closer out there. That's all you can ask for,' Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. 'This was one that got away from us today.'

Cueto went 2-5 in eight starts against Los Angeles while pitching for Cincinnati despite posting a 2.79 ERA. Chase Utley has the most success among the Dodgers when facing the right-hander, going 9 for 21 with a homer.

Kazmir, who made his first NL start Tuesday, has faced the Giants twice - both in San Francisco. The left-hander pitched seven scoreless innings in a 6-1 win while with Oakland in July 2014 and lost 3-1 on Aug. 11 after allowing two earned runs over 5 2-3 for Houston.

Brandon Belt homered twice off Kazmir last season, and he agreed to a $72.8 million, five-year contract Saturday that starts in 2017.

The Dodgers will be without outfielder Carl Crawford after he was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to a lingering lower-back injury. His replacement Saturday, Scott Van Slyke, left in the third inning with lower-back tightness.

"I just wanted to make sure it didn't get any worse," Van Slyke told MLB's official website. "I felt like I was good enough to go and finish the game, some guys are banged-up, but I took that swing and felt it was time to come in and get treatment."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Padres (2-3) at Rockies (2-3)

Game: 3
Venue: Coors Field
Date: April 10, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

Following an unprecedented scoreless streak, San Diego Padres hitters have looked quite comfortable in Colorado.

The Padres will seek another decisive win and their first three-game road sweep of the Rockies in five years Sunday with James Shields starting in place of an ailing Tyson Ross.

San Diego (2-3) set an unwanted major league record by getting shut out in each of its first three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers but has scored 29 in Denver - a franchise record for runs in back-to-back games - after a 16-3 victory Saturday.

Matt Kemp hit a pair of homers and matched a career high with six RBIs, giving him 10 in the series. Cory Spangenberg also went deep while driving in a career-best four runs after having two hits and two RBIs on Friday.

"I guess it's kind of feast or famine right now," manager Andy Green said. "But we'll get to normal baseball here at some point."

Rockies shortstop Trevor Story couldn't add to his record six homers from his first four MLB games, registering one single in five at-bats.

"He'd probably like to hit a homer every game, but it was a heck of a run," manager Walt Weiss said.

San Diego now looks to record its first sweep in 13 series at Coors Field since Sept. 19-21, 2011.

Shields will start on the usual four days' rest even with being moved up a day. The switch was needed because the Padres put Ross on the 15-day disabled list for inflammation in his right shoulder. Ross was tagged for eight runs in 5 1-3 innings in Monday's season opener.

Shields pitched better the next day, allowing three runs with a walk and six strikeouts in six innings of a 3-0 loss to the Dodgers.

Getting enough support hasn't been an issue in his recent matchups with Colorado (2-3).

The right-hander has gotten a combined 40 runs while going 6-0 with a 4.29 ERA in his last seven starts against the Rockies. The Padres gave him 19 runs in his final two matchups with them last season.

Rockies right-hander Chad Bettis is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in three lifetime starts against San Diego but didn't have the best outing to open this season. He was charged with five runs in 5 1-3 innings but did not get the loss in an 11-6 defeat in Arizona on Tuesday.

"When it comes down to it, you've got to make your pitches, and that's not what happened," Bettis told MLB's official website.

Bettis likely won't have to face Yangervis Solarte in this start. The Padres third baseman left in the fourth inning of Saturday's victory after straining his right hamstring while running to first base.

Solarte, 6 for 16 with three doubles to start this season, was 2 for 5 with a double against Bettis in 2015.

Nolan Arenado is 10 for 20 with three homers versus Shields, his best performance against any pitcher he has faced at least 14 times. Arenado had two of those longballs in 2015 but is 3 for 19 with one homer this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics (3-3) at Mariners (2-3)

Game: 3
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: April 10, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

While Felix Hernandez is determined to bounce back from the first opening day loss of his stellar career, it won't matter unless his Seattle Mariners' teammates can finally produce at the plate in this series.

As the right-hander looks for a fifth straight winning decision at home against Oakland, he'll try to keep the Athletics from sweeping the Mariners for the first time in four seasons Sunday.

Hernandez (0-1, 1.50 ERA) allowed one hit in six innings at Texas on Monday, but surrendered three of his five walks and was victimized by some poor defense during a three-run fifth in the 3-2 defeat.

'That's not me,' said Hernandez, who was charged with one earned run. 'I was missing a lot of pitches."

The defeat dropped the Seattle ace to 6-1 in nine opening day starts, and left him more focused to be better this time.

"I just have to find myself, my mechanics, and just get back out there," he told the Mariners' official website. "It's definitely correctable. I'm just getting ready for the next one."

Hernandez should be eager to face the A's (3-3), against whom his 22 wins are the most opposite any opponent. He is 4-0 with a 2.43 ERA in five home starts in the series since the beginning of the 2014 season.

The Mariners (2-3) also scored eight runs in each of Hernandez's final two starts against Oakland last year as he won both.

However, the A's have held Seattle to three runs and nine hits in the first two games of this series after it recorded 19 and 25 hits to win the final two at Texas. Chris Iannetta homered in the second inning but also had two of the Mariners' 12 strikeouts in Saturday's 6-1 loss. A's starter Rich Hill was responsible for 10.

"This was a big game for him and for us with the rotation," said Oakland manager Bob Melvin, whose team will try to sweep Seattle for the first time since 2012. "We really needed someone to get deep into the game for us.'

Seattle hopes to avoid that from happening again as it faces Chris Bassitt (0-0, 6.75), who went 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA in three starts against the Mariners last year.

The right-hander pitched four scoreless innings then allowed four runs - highlighted by a three-run homer in the fifth - over his final 1 1-3 of Tuesday's 5-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

After Chris Coghlan's solo homer in the ninth led to a 3-2 win Friday, the A's enjoyed their highest scoring game this week while pounding out 11 hits. Stephen Vogt had three hits and Josh Reddick and Jed Lowrie each had two RBIs.

Reddick is 3 for 6 with two homers and three RBIs in the series after going 2 for 13 without driving in a run through the first four contests. He's batting .345 with seven RBIs in his last eight games at Seattle, but is 7 for 50 with 11 strikeouts against Hernandez.

Mariners slugger Nelson Cruz had a hit Saturday, but is 4 for 19 with a homer.

Teammate Robinson Cano has safely in 21 straight games dating to Sept. 16. He's batting .324 in his last eight at home against Oakland.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (3-2) at Tigers (3-1)

Game: 3
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: April 10, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

Masahiro Tanaka is still in the process of giving credence to his catcher's downplaying of spring training results. Justin Verlander has already been mentioned in the same sentence as "no-hitter" this year, though the two are coming off similar opening day no-decisions.

They square off for the first time Sunday night as the New York Yankees conclude a three-game series in Detroit with the Tigers hoping to recover from their first loss.

New York's 8-4 win Saturday followed Friday's 4-0 Detroit victory, so both teams are in position to open the season with consecutive series wins, something the Yankees (3-2) haven't done since 2011.

The Yankees got home runs from Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran to bounce back from a three-hit effort in the series opener, while Brian McCann scored three times and is 7 for 15 to start the season after a third straight two-hit game. Starlin Castro also had two hits and is 9 for 20 to start his first season with the Yankees.

The temperature at game time was 31 degrees, the coldest in Comerica Park history, and the weather calls for 30s again with rain and snow on Sunday.

"It's not great weather conditions to pitch," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi, whose four starters since Tanaka have posted a combined 7.29 ERA.

Even so, the Tigers (3-1) had their bats quieted some with seven hits after managing at least 12 in their first three games, but they're still hitting .300 as a team. Jose Iglesias (7 for 16), Ian Kinsler (8 for 19) and J.D. Martinez (5 for 16) have hit safely in each game, which they'll try to keep up against an impressive arm.

Tanaka's spring ended with a 7.36 ERA after October surgery on his pitching elbow to remove a bone spur. The right-hander surrendered two runs and four hits in 5 2-3 innings of Tuesday's 5-3 home loss to Houston and drew praise from McCann, who added that he doesn't pay attention to spring numbers.

"I thought he threw the ball really well," McCann told MLB's official website. "He really had his sinker going today. Some really good movement, kept them off balance, pitched to both sides. I thought he threw the ball really well."

Tanaka, who was removed after 87 pitches, was slightly more critical.

"As we got deeper into the game, I felt like I lost the strike zone a little bit, so that's probably why I had to leave the game," he said through an interpreter.

Tanaka is 0-1 with a 4.76 ERA in two career starts against Detroit. J.D. Martinez is 4 for 6 with two home runs and two doubles in their matchups, and Victor Martinez is 2 for 5 with a homer.

In Tuesday's 8-7, 11-inning win in Miami, Verlander had a no-hitter going until a three-run sixth inning highlighted by a two-run Giancarlo Stanton home run. The right-hander gave up three runs and three hits with two walks and five strikeouts in six innings, but didn't earn the win after the Tigers blew a 5-0 lead.

His last four starts against the Yankees have resulted in a 0-3 record and 4.82 ERA with eight home runs allowed. Rodriguez has five home runs in 32 at-bats against Verlander, while Mark Teixeira (3 for 36 with 11 strikeouts) and Beltran (1 for 13 with four strikeouts) have struggled.

As for the weather, going from Florida to still-frozen Michigan isn't ideal, but Verlander might be used to it after some prep work Thursday.

"There was freezing rain during my bullpen," he tweeted.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Roz Wins

Roz's Sunday, April 10, 2016, Free NBA Pick: Utah at Denver. The Over is 34-16-1 in the Nuggets last 51 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.

Play Utah/Denver over the total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sharp Bettor

Sharp Bettor's Free Pick for Sunday, April 10, 2016, NBA. Toronto has nothing to play forand heads to New York. The Underdog is 21-8 ATS in the last 29 meetings and the Raptors are 2-7 ATS in the last 9 meetings.

Play the NY Knicks.