Sunday 6/28/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Reds (34-38) at Mets (38-37)
Game: 3
Venue: Citi Field
Date: June 28, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

The six-man rotation is back for the New York Mets, but this time it'll include prized prospect Steven Matz.

Before the left-hander makes his major league debut in the finale of this three-game series, the Mets and Cincinnati Reds have some unfinished business Sunday.

Heavy rain led umpires to suspended Saturday's matchup between New York (38-37) and Cincinnati (34-38) with the score tied 1-all after six innings. They'll pick up where they left off, but the weather forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms at the time of the resumption.

That could further delay Matz's debut, which comes about 50 miles from his hometown of Stony Brook. He estimates he could have close to 100 family members and friends in attendance.

"Not sure what's going to go through my mind until it actually happens," said Matz, a second-round pick in 2009 who underwent Tommy John surgery a year later. "I'm really excited to be here."

He isn't the only one, as anticipation of his debut has grown due to his 7-4 record, 2.19 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 90 1-3 innings in 15 games with Triple-A Las Vegas in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League this year.

That's enough for the Mets to return to a six-man rotation after a brief experiment ended earlier this month with Dillon Gee being designated for assignment. It's unclear how long the setup will last.

"He knows he's got good stuff," manager Terry Collins said of Matz, who grew up a Mets fan. "I think he's got great confidence right now - and he should. I mean, as I've said before, to do what he did in probably the best hitters' league in all of the minor leagues, he should be able to have success here. But he's going to have - like everybody else - he's going to have a tough night, and we'll help him get through those."

Matz may have a chance to help New York to a fourth straight win after dropping a season-high seven games in a row. However, the Mets are batting .174 with 14 runs over the last 10 games, including Saturday's suspended contest.

Curtis Granderson, however, is 11 for 24 with five solo homers over the past seven games. He had five homers over the previous 38 games, but has hit one out in each of the first two of this series while adding a double Saturday.

'He's swinging great. If we didn't have him, we'd have a tough time scoring,' manager Terry Collins said. 'I just hope he stays hot for a while because we've got to get the other guys going.'

Granderson is 9 for 26 with five homers, two doubles and 10 RBIs in his last seven meetings with the Reds.

After attempting to win for the seventh time in 10 games, Cincinnati turns to Josh Smith after he struggled greatly in his major league debut Tuesday. The right-hander gave up four runs with six walks in three-plus innings before escaping without a decision in a 7-6 loss at Pittsburgh. He walked 13 over 74 innings in 13 starts in the minors before being called up earlier in the day.

"We were in a spot there where we're breaking in a new kid and Josh struggled a little bit with his command," manager Bryan Price told MLB's official website. "That will certainly get better the more experience he gets, because he's a strike-thrower."

Joey Votto and Todd Frazier are a combined 1 for 14 in this series. Votto is 1 for 26 in his last seven games against the Mets, while Frazier is 10 for 29 with two homers in the past eight.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Reds at Mets
Fri, Jun 26 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Reds at Mets
Sat, Jun 27 - 1 TO 1 TOP 7 RAIN OUT
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Reds at Mets
Sun, Jun 28 - 2:10PM EDT

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Sox (33-43) at Rays (42-34)
Game: 3
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: June 28, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

Chris Archer has a chance to match his career-high win total before June ends. With the season he's having, there's a strong possibility the Tampa Bay right-hander will have some more prestigious personal accomplishments headed his way.

The Rays try to avoid a second consecutive series loss Sunday when Archer puts his personal six-game win streak on the line against the Boston Red Sox.

With Matt Moore, Alex Cobb, Drew Smyly and Jake Odorizzi on the disabled list, Tampa Bay (42-34) desperately needs Archer to lead its patchwork rotation. After showing flashes of brilliance in his first two full seasons, Archer (9-4, 2.01 ERA) has picked an opportune time to break out as one of baseball's best pitchers.

He leads the league in ERA and ranks among the leaders in strikeouts (123), innings (103) and opponent batting average (.198). Archer has gone 6-0 with a 1.61 ERA in nine starts since his last loss on May 7. He's walked 10 and struck out 73 in that span.

The first-place Rays have won eight of those nine games. He allowed one earned run or fewer for the 10th time in 16 starts Tuesday, limiting Toronto to three hits over eight innings in a 4-3 victory.

He drew high praise from Blue Jays starter R.A. Dickey after that game.

'Chris is going to be good for a very long time. He's one of the best pitchers, not just in the American League, but the whole league,' Dickey said.

The Red Sox (33-43) are one of the few teams that have been a problem for Archer, who is 1-5 with a 5.18 ERA in eight meetings. He did, however, hold Boston to an unearned run over 5 2-3 innings while striking out nine in a 1-0 loss on April 21.

Tampa Bay received yet another strong outing from a starting pitcher Saturday, as rookie Matt Andriese and three relievers combined on a three-hitter in a 4-1 victory. Evan Longoria, Jake Elmore and Rene Rivera all homered to help the Rays avoid their first three-game skid this month.

The three home runs matched the team's total from the previous six games.

Tampa Bay's rotation leads the AL with a 3.05 ERA, posting a 1.84 mark over the past 10 games.

Boston, which owns a league-worst 4.45 ERA, has received quality starts in the first two games of this series, but getting another could be difficult with Justin Masterson on the mound after he spent six weeks on the disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis.

Masterson (2-2, 6.37) hasn't pitched since allowing six runs over 2 1-3 innings in a 9-2 loss at Oakland on May 12. He hasn't won since April 20 and is 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA in his past two outings.

The right-hander dropped to 2-7 with a 7.16 ERA in 11 starts against the Rays after he was reached for four runs, seven hits and six walks while failing to escape the fifth in a 5-3 loss on May 6.

Longoria hit one of his two homers off Masterson in that game and is 8 for 25 lifetime in this matchup. He's batting .393 with three home runs and four doubles in his last seven against Boston.

David Ortiz, Pablo Sandoval and Mike Napoli are a combined 14 for 84 (.167) with two RBIs this season against the Rays.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Red Sox at Rays
Fri, Jun 26 Final 4 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Red Sox at Rays
Sat, Jun 27 Final 1 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Red Sox at Rays
Sun, Jun 28 - 1:10PM EDT

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Indians (33-39) at Orioles (39-34)
Game: 3
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: June 28, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

Chris Tillman is cashing in on a run-support binge. Now set to pitch with two extra days of rest, the fortunate right-hander will start the second game of a split-admission doubleheader against the visiting Cleveland Indians on Sunday after Saturday's game was postponed due to rain.

Tillman (5-7, 6.22 ERA) is 3-0 with a 6.98 ERA in his last four starts. The only game he didn't win in that span was the one in which he didn't last long enough, allowing six runs in 1 1-3 innings of Sunday's 13-9 win at Toronto.

The brevity of the outing resulted in his first start without a walk this season, but he's issued at least three in five of his previous six starts.

"I'm falling behind - and even the guys I get ahead (of), it's right back in their favor almost immediately," Tillman told MLB's official website. "I've got to do a better job of keeping me on the offensive, instead of defending against their swings."

Tillman, who has been worse at home with a 2-4 record and 6.81 ERA that's among the worst in baseball, has a season run-support average of 6.5. It's spiked significantly in the June unbeaten streak at 14.9 per game.

More good news is four of his worst starts have come against one opponent - Toronto - and the best start in the recent inconsistent span came in Cleveland. Tillman gave up two runs in 6 1-3 innings of a 5-2 win June 5 to give him a 3-2 mark and 4.73 ERA in six starts against the Indians.

Jason Kipnis is 3 for 8 with a home run off Tillman while Ryan Raburn (0 for 8) and Brandon Moss (1 for 12) have struggled in the matchup.

Kipnis is batting .400 during a career-best 20-game hitting streak and .373 in a 16-gamer against Baltimore. Raburn, Moss and Carlos Santana homered in Friday's 4-3 loss as the Indians (33-39) allowed Baltimore (39-34) to reach five games over .500 for the first time this year.

The Orioles were six games under entering play June 4 but have gone an MLB-best 16-5 since to get within 1 1/2 games of first-place Tampa Bay.

Jimmy Paredes has batted .396 in his last 12 games, Manny Machado is at .429 in eight and J.J. Hardy has hit .341 in 10 after spending his first 34 at .217 or worse. The recent success has come with Adam Jones (sore right shoulder) missing the last five games and eight of 10, which could result in a stint on the DL.

The Orioles have taken three of four in the season series while limiting the Indians to 2.5 runs per game.

Ubaldo Jimenez (6-3, 3.40) is slated to start the opener for Baltimore. The right-hander gave up three runs in five innings of a 6-4 victory over Boston on Tuesday to win his third straight start.

The former Indian, however, has lasted only five innings in three of his last four outings. The first of those came June 6 against Cleveland, when he gave up one run and walked six in a 2-1 road defeat. He had allowed 11 runs in 8 1-3 innings of his first two matchups with them - both losses.

Trevor Bauer (6-4, 3.86) will oppose Jimenez. The right-hander has sandwiched two awful starts around one strong one in his past three, giving up 13 runs in 6 2-3 innings of losses to Seattle on June 10 and Detroit on Monday.

In between, Bauer threw seven innings and gave up four hits in a 6-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on June 16.

'At some point balls that are bloops are going to fall and they all just seemed to fall tonight,' he said after the 8-5 loss to the Tigers. 'I think of the nine hits off me, two were hit hard. Makes it tough against a lineup like that when the weak-contact stuff falls and you've got to keep trying to pitch around having guys all over the bases.'

Bauer, though, has contributed to his problems with 19 walks in his past five outings. He's issuing 4.4 per nine innings - second in the majors.

Cleveland will call up Toru Murata to make his major league debut in the second game. The right-hander, 30, was 5-3 with a 2.79 ERA in 14 games - 13 starts - at Columbus, and he'll count as the Indians' 26th man.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Indians at Orioles
Fri, Jun 26 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Indians at Orioles
Sat, Jun 27 - RAIN OUT.....DH SUNDAY
Recaps

GAME 3
Indians at Orioles
Sun, Jun 28 - 7:05PM EDT

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Twins (40-34) at Brewers (28-48)
Game: 3
Venue: Miller Park
Date: June 28, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

Torii Hunter's numbers suggested he enjoyed playing at Milwaukee throughout his first tenure with the Twins. Not much has changed eight years later.

Hunter looks to build on an impressive power display and lead the Minnesota Twins to a series victory Sunday against the Brewers.

Spending the first 11 years of his career with the Twins, Hunter had plenty of experience against the Brewers given the teams' annual interleague clashes. Stints with the Los Angeles Angels and Detroit kept him from playing in Milwaukee for eight years, though.

He was 0 for 4 in Friday's 10-4 loss, his first game there since May 20, 2007, then homered twice and doubled in a 5-2 victory Saturday. Hunter, who had been hitting .163 in his previous 14 games, is a career .318 hitter with 10 homers in 23 games at Miller Park.

"(Friday), I felt good," the 39-year-old Hunter said after his 1,300th game as a Twin. "I was 0 for 4, but I swung the bat pretty well. I took the positive from that and just carried it over to today. I got lucky. I just happened to hit the ball where nobody was at which was out of the park."

The two homers pushed him past Gary Gaetti for seventh on the Twins' all-time list with 202. Kirby Puckett ranks sixth with 207.

Eduardo Escobar also hit a three-run shot for the Twins (40-34), who had dropped four of six primarily due to bad pitching. Kyle Gibson limited Milwaukee to two runs over 6 2-3 innings, though, while Glen Perkins threw a perfect ninth for his 24th save in as many chances.

The Brewers (28-48) have scored four runs or fewer 11 times during a 4-10 stretch, though Adam Lind is 11 for 24 over his last seven games.

Limiting walks figures to be crucial for Milwaukee's Mike Fiers (3-7, 4.39 ERA). He's 1-4 with a 7.11 ERA in five starts when walking three or more, and 2-3 with a 3.13 mark in 10 outings otherwise - and he was backed with a total of three runs of support in the losses.

He yielded two walks along with two runs and four hits over six innings Tuesday against the Mets, not recording a decision.

The Twins are one of the AL's worst teams in terms of drawing walks with one every 15.3 plate appearances, though they had four Saturday.

Milwaukee would like to see Fiers, who threw 103 pitches Tuesday, be more efficient so he can go deeper into games. He has completed more than 6 1-3 innings only once after pitching at least seven innings five times in 10 starts last year.

Fiers gave up two runs over 4 1-3 innings in a 2-0 loss at Minnesota on June 7, raising his ERA against the Twins to 1.88 in three career matchups.

Hunter is 1 for 2 off the right-hander.

Tommy Milone (4-1, 3.59) is 2-0 with a 2.52 ERA in four starts since being called back up from Triple-A Rochester, though he allowed a season-high 10 hits over six innings of a 13-2 win over the White Sox on Monday.

The left-hander won his only previous start against the Brewers, limiting them to two runs over seven innings of a 10-2 road victory for Oakland on June 3, 2013.

The Brewers are hitting a major league-worst .219 versus lefties.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Twins at Brewers
Fri, Jun 26 Final 4 to 10
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Twins at Brewers
Sat, Jun 27 Final 5 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Twins at Brewers
Sun, Jun 28 - 2:10PM EDT

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Braves (35-40) at Pirates (42-32)
Game: 3
Venue: PNC Park
Date: June 28, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

Andrew McCutchen's latest hit-by-pitch struck a nerve with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

That's bad news for the Atlanta Braves, whose current losing streak is their longest of the season.

Seeking their sixth home sweep, the Pirates may be without the former MVP Sunday afternoon as they try to send the Braves to a sixth straight defeat.

McCutchen exited Saturday's contest in the first inning after taking a pitch off the left elbow. Pittsburgh responded with five runs immediately after McCutchen's injury en route to an 8-4 win in which Pedro Alvarez, Francisco Cervelli and Jordy Mercer each had a pair of RBIs.

But even after the Pirates' 15th home win in their last 19 games, McCutchen didn't hide his feelings about being plunked for the eighth time this season and second in as many days.

Pittsburgh batters have been hit a major league-high 40 times after leading baseball in that category the last two seasons.

'I'm not the only one ticked off,' McCutchen said. 'We're all ticked off. It's not just me. It's anyone that gets hit and comes out of the game. That's something we don't like.'

X-rays were negative but McCutchen is questionable for the series finale. Manager Clint Hurdle certainly hopes he can keep that bat in the lineup, as McCutchen has reached safely in six straight while touting a .438 average with a homer and four doubles.

"It is (frustrating), there's no doubt," Hurdle said. "It gets everybody a little bowed up."

Even without McCutchen the Pirates' outfield still has Starling Marte, who continued his mastery of the Braves (35-40) with three hits and three runs on Saturday. Marte is 13 for 31 (.419) with nine RBIs in his last eight meetings with Atlanta.

The Braves now turn to Alex Wood (4-5, 3.44 ERA), who has lost his last three decisions starting with a 3-0 defeat against Pittsburgh (42-32) on June 7 in which he allowed three runs over five innings. The left-hander has a 1.18 WHIP in three career starts against the Pirates, but has received only four total runs of support while going 0-2.

The Braves have been producing offensively at a similar clip over their last six games, scoring nine total runs. They're 3-10 on the road this month.

Jace Peterson's slump had been the most notable of Atlanta's individual struggles, as the second baseman had gone 0 for 17 over his previous four games before breaking out with two hits and three RBIs Saturday.

"This game is about confidence. Believe it or not, these guys live from at-bat to at-bat," manager Fredi Gonzalez told MLB's official website. "Here's a young guy that doesn't let anything else affect him. ... Hopefully this will catapult him into a nice streak."

Peterson could get his first look at Jeff Locke (4-3, 4.73), who allowed four runs in 6 1-3 innings of a 5-4 Atlanta win on June 6. That lowered his ERA in five career starts against the Braves to 6.08.

The left-hander lasted only four innings Tuesday against Cincinnati, allowing 11 baserunners and four runs - two earned - before the Pirates rallied to win 7-6. Locke has been at his best at home, though, posting a 3.17 ERA that's in stark contrast to his 7.28 mark on the road.

Chris Johnson is 5 for 12 with two homers and two doubles against Locke in his career, and his .388 average off lefties since 2013 is by far the best in the majors.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Braves at Pirates
Fri, Jun 26 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Braves at Pirates
Sat, Jun 27 Final 4 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Braves at Pirates
Sun, Jun 28 - 1:35PM EDT

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (41-34) at Astros (43-34)
Game: 4
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: June 28, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

The Houston Astros are gaining confidence in Collin McHugh. The New York Yankees would love to restore their faith in Michael Pineda.

With McHugh looking to build on one of his best performances of the season, Pineda will try to bounce back from the worst of his career and help the Yankees cap this four-game series with a third straight win Sunday.

Houston (43-34) is atop the AL West but has lost six of nine, and turning to the pitcher with the highest ERA among the starting staff may not seem to be an ideal way to recover - especially considering that McHugh (8-3, 4.80 ERA) has a 6.82 ERA at home.

McHugh, however, has won his last two starts on the road behind a 3.21 ERA. He yielded two runs and scattered nine hits Tuesday while going a season-high eight innings of a 13-3 win in Anaheim.

"We have a lot of confidence in him," manager A.J. Hinch told MLB's official website. "We want to see him be more aggressive and he's been more aggressive. He pitched with a lead and he should come out of this with a lot of confidence having gone eight innings, and I think his highest pitch total of the season (114).

"We maintain a pretty good balance around here with our guys and our guys respond favorably."

While McHugh is picking it up lately, Pineda (8-4, 4.25) has been awful in two of his last three starts sandwiched around 6 2-3 innings of one-hit ball against Miami. He gave up six runs in 4 1-3 innings at Baltimore on June 12, then was hammered for career highs of eight runs and 11 hits in 3 1-3 of Monday's 11-8 loss to major league-worst Philadelphia.

The right-hander had a 2.72 ERA after seven starts for the Yankees (41-34), but is 3-4 with a 6.10 ERA in his seven since throwing a season-high 111 pitches at Baltimore on May 10 - fueling speculation that he's fatigued.

"It's hard to tell. His last time out, he was as good as he was probably at any time," pitching coach Larry Rothschild said. "I don't know that we can have the answer to that. I don't think that's the case, but there's no way to know if it is or isn't."

New York's six-run lead in the second inning Saturday was erased before the Yankees emerged with a 9-6 victory.

"It was one of those old-fashioned slugfests," said Mark Teixeira, who had a go-ahead, two-run double in the eighth. "Whoever was going to get the big hit at the end of the game was going to win, and we did."

Chris Young is 17 for 37 (.459) with 10 RBIs and 11 runs over the past 10 games. He has six hits in this series and has homered in each of the last two games to plate five runs.

Young is a .407 career hitter in Houston and .336 overall versus the Astros, his highest average against any opponent with at least 60 at_bats.

Brian McCann has a .324 average with 19 RBIs in 20 career games at Minute Maid Park after collecting two hits Saturday, including a grand slam. He's 10 for 27 with three homers and nine RBIs in the past seven contests.

The Astros' Carlos Correa is 8 for 24 with two homers and three doubles while driving in eight runs in his last five games. The rookie shortstop came a triple shy of the cycle Saturday.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Yankees at Astros
Thu, Jun 25 Final 0 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Yankees at Astros
Fri, Jun 26 Final 3 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Yankees at Astros
Sat, Jun 27 Final 9 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Yankees at Astros
Sun, Jun 28 - 2:10PM EDT

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mariners (34-40) at Angels (37-37)
Game: 3
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: June 28, 2015 3:35 PM EDT

Considering how things have gone in June, Felix Hernandez should be in for a solid performance during his final start of an inconsistent month.

Facing the Los Angeles Angels could also help.

Hoping to have the Seattle Mariners star second baseman behind him, the right-hander can bounce back from another rough outing by continuing his success against the host Angels on Sunday.

Hernandez (10-4, 3.24 ERA) went 8-1 with a 1.91 ERA in 10 starts through April and May, but is 2-3 with a 6.75 ERA in June. While alternating losses and wins, he's allowed a run and six hits in 15 innings of both victories but 19 runs and 20 hits over 11 2-3 innings of those defeats.

Hernandez followed a four-hit, eight-inning effort during a 2-0 win over San Francisco on June 17 by yielding four runs and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings of a 4-1 loss to Kansas City on Monday.

"I didn't have my best stuff," Hernandez told MLB's official website. "I made good pitches and they'd get a base hit. Sometimes that happens."

Hernandez was flat out dismal in his only road start this month on June 12, allowing eight runs, five hits and two walks in two-thirds of an inning during a 10-0 loss at Houston.

However, Seattle (34-41) has won Hernandez's last eight starts versus Los Angeles and he's posted an 0.64 ERA to go 4-0 in his last six meetings. In winning both against Los Angeles (38-37) this year, Hernandez has yielded a solo homer and lasted seven innings in each, and totaled 18 strikeouts with two walks.

'He's had our number lately,' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Robinson Cano could be available for Seattle after he was hit in the head by a stray ball while sitting in the dugout before the seventh inning of Saturday's 4-2 defeat. Cano felt dizzy and was taken to the clubhouse but no signs of a concussion were found.

"The Angels doctors checked him out and our staff checked him out," manager Lloyd McClendon said of Cano, who had a sizable welt on his head. "From what we've been told, he should be ready to go (Sunday)."

Though Cano is 1 for 7 in the series, a Mariners club that's totaled 17 runs and hit .216 while losing four of six likely can't afford to be without him for too long.

Los Angeles' Mike Trout is 4 for 7 in the series, and is batting .364 with three homers, three doubles and two triples versus Hernandez.

Teammate Hector Santiago (4-4, 2.68) is 0-1 with a 4.57 ERA in four starts this month, but gave up a homer and one other hit in six innings of a 4-3 win over Houston on Monday.

"Hector's shown a lot of resiliency," Scioscia said of one of the team's biggest surprises. "He's got great deception. He's got really good life on his pitches. He's really having, quietly, a tremendous year for us."

The left-hander's only two starts against the Mariners came last season when he posted a 7.71 ERA in a pair of losses.

Batting .360 versus Seattle this season, Erick Aybar could be in the Angels lineup after he was relegated to a pinch-hitting role Saturday because of hamstring tightness.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mariners at Angels
Fri, Jun 26 Final 3 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mariners at Angels
Sat, Jun 27 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Mariners at Angels
Sun, Jun 28 - 3:35PM EDT

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (43-28) at Athletics (34-43)
Game: 3
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: June 28, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

A surge of strong play away from home has vaulted the Kansas City Royals to the top of the American League.

They will look to complete their third road sweep this month Sunday against the last-place Oakland Athletics.

Kansas City (43-28) continued its outstanding play away from home with Saturday's 3-2 victory, its ninth in the last 12 road games. It was also the Royals' 43rd win overall, tying them for the league lead with a Houston team that has played six more games.

Kendrys Morales knocked in two runs to support Chris Young's six strong innings, while Kansas City's bullpen lowered its ERA to 1.17 over the last five games.

The win pushed the Royals 15 games over .500 for the first time before the All-Star break since they were 47-32 on July 5, 1980.

'I was sitting there thinking about that in the ninth inning, this would be a chance to get our high-water mark to 15 over,' manager Ned Yost said. 'If I would say I'm not excited about being 15 over, I'd be lying. It's great, but we want to continue to keep going, keep going, keep going.'

Now Yost's team will try to record is first sweep in Oakland since 2008 behind Jeremy Guthrie (5-5, 5.90 ERA), who accounted for one of Kansas City's rare recent road losses. He matched a season high with six runs allowed and nine hits over five innings of a 7-0 defeat in Seattle on Tuesday.

Opponents are hitting .308 against the right-hander this season with an .854 OPS, both of which rank among the worst in the majors.

Guthrie, who is two strikeouts shy of 1,000, is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in his last two starts against Oakland (34-43). He surrendered three home runs - two to Steven Vogt - over six-plus innings before leaving without a decision in a 6-4 win over the A's on April 17.

Vogt is 5 for 8 lifetime in this matchup.

The A's enjoyed a hot stretch of their own prior to dropping the last two, winning five straight and nine of 11. Vogt paced the offense over that stretch with a .447 average and 13 RBIs, while Brett Lawrie and Ben Zobrist combined to drive in 21.

Those three have combined to go 2 for 20 this series, and the A's have only four hits in each game, tied for their second-lowest total of the year.

"We've been playing great baseball the past couple weeks," said Scott Kazmir. "To fall two straight like this to a team like that is tough."

Sam Fuld has been one of the team's few bright spots with two doubles during the series and a stolen base Saturday that led to Oakland's first run of the game.

"We're not panicking as a group offensively," Fuld said. "We realize against a staff like this it's tough getting runs."

Jesse Chavez (4-6, 2.90) will go for Oakland hoping to rebound following his worst start of the year. The right-hander allowed five runs and eight hits over five innings Tuesday at Texas but was credited with an 8-6 victory.

He is 2-1 with a 4.88 ERA in his last four starts after going 2-5 with a 2.38 ERA in his first eight.

Chavez has pitched 10 2-3 scoreless innings over five relief appearances against the Royals.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Royals at Athletics
Fri, Jun 26 Final 5 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Royals at Athletics
Sat, Jun 27 Final 3 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Royals at Athletics
Sun, Jun 28 - 4:05PM EDT

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockies (33-41) at Giants (41-35)
Game: 3
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: June 28, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

Madison Bumgarner was nearly perfect the last time he faced the Colorado Rockies. He's been awfully good lately, too.

The San Francisco Giants hope he can replicate last year's dominant outing - and his recent success - in Sunday's series finale with the visiting Rockies.

Bumgarner (7-4, 3.04 ERA) struck out 13 and allowed one hit in a 3-0 home victory versus Colorado on Aug. 26. The left-hander retired the first 21 batters he faced before Justin Morneau's eighth-inning double.

He improved to 9-3 in his last 15 starts against the Rockies and 5-1 with a 2.11 ERA in nine career matchups at AT&T Park.

Bumgarner has had some tough luck of late, though, losing twice in three starts despite a 1.93 ERA and 30 strikeouts over 23 1-3 innings. He received no run support in back-to-back outings and got two against San Diego on Tuesday, when he struck out a career-high 14 and gave up two runs over 7 1-3 in the Giants' 11-inning loss.

"That's a tough one to lose," manager Bruce Bochy said. "Bum threw so well again. That's what makes it tough, to get that kind of pitching and can't come away with a win."

The Rockies (33-41) have wreaked havoc on opposing pitchers lately, hitting .319 while averaging 7.7 runs over the last six games - including a 17-hit effort in Friday's 8-6 victory. They scored three first-inning runs Saturday before losing 7-5.

Nolan Arenado doubled to extend his hitting streak to 14 games, during which he's 20 for 54 with 13 extra-base hits and 18 RBIs. He also matched a franchise record by tallying a hit and scoring a run for the 11th straight game. Troy Tulowitzki and Charlie Blackmon are both 16 for 44 during 11-game hitting streaks.

Carlos Gonzalez is 14 for 40 with five homers and three doubles off Bumgarner, while Tulowitzki is 10 for 26 with two of each.

San Francisco (41-35) went ahead Saturday on Andrew Susac's three-run double in the seventh inning while Buster Posey was 2 for 3 with two RBIs, upping his total to nine over his last four games. Matt Duffy finished a triple shy of the cycle and is hitting .356 with 10 RBIs in his last 11 games.

Kyle Kendrick (3-9, 5.96) has struggled in his last three starts against the Giants, going 0-2 with an 8.68 ERA. He gave up four runs and walked three in 6 1-3 innings of an 11-8 loss May 22 in Denver.

Kendrick has allowed a major league-high 21 home runs. Baseball's highest total last season was 29 by Marco Estrada.

He was the winner in Tuesday's 10-5 victory over Arizona despite giving up three homers and four runs in six innings. He has just two quality starts in his last seven outings.

"They hit a few longballs on him, but he hung in there," manager Walt Weiss told MLB's official website.

Casey McGehee, Brandon Belt and Justin Maxwell all have homered against Kendrick, while Posey is 6 for 12 off the right-hander.

San Francisco may have to adjust its rotation moving forward after Tim Lincecum left in the second inning Saturday when he took D.J. LeMahieu's liner off his right elbow.

"He got hit pretty good," Bochy said. "He might need a break."


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rockies at Giants
Fri, Jun 26 Final 8 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rockies at Giants
Sat, Jun 27 Final 5 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Rockies at Giants
Sun, Jun 28 - 4:05PM EDT

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cubs (39-33) at Cardinals (49-24)
Game: 3
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: June 28, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

While manager Joe Maddon believes the Chicago Cubs can compete with the best in baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals continue to show just how far the gap between these rivals might be.

They can complete a series sweep of the struggling Cubs by winning nine straight at home for the first time in six seasons Sunday night.

Though Chicago (39-34) has led in four of the six games it's lost to St. Louis, Saturday's 8-1 defeat marked the fourth time the North Siders fell by at least three runs in those meetings. Rookie Xavier Scruggs went 3 for 4 with three RBIs and Kolten Wong drove in a pair of runs as the Cardinals (50-24) improved to 6-2 against the third-place Cubs, who are 10 1/2 games behind the major league leaders in the NL Central.

The Cardinals have batted .278, averaged 5.1 runs and posted a 0.71 ERA bullpen ERA versus Chicago in 2015.

"We have to get over the hump, and it's more a mental hump than a physical hump," Maddon told MLB's official website. "I believe in our guys, I believe our guys can play with these guys. I know their record is better than ours. There's a long way to go and we're going to get it done here."

The Cubs might be talented enough to remain a serious wild-card contender, but they don't appear on par with the Cardinals. Then again, neither does the rest of baseball.

St. Louis' five-game winning streak is its fifth of at least that many this season. The Cardinals have won 23 of 31 and are a major league-best 28-7 at home, where they've outscored their opponents 32-13 in the last eight. They last won nine straight there in April 2009.

Perhaps most impressively, they're the first team to win 50 games before playing 75 since the 2005 White Sox - who won the World Series.

'We're not completely oblivious to (the record), but we're not spending a lot of time on it,' manager Mike Matheny said. 'It's nice watching the bulk of these guys have success.'

Chicago has been outscored 20-5 while matching a season-high four-game slide, and is 3 for 23 with runners in scoring position over the last three.

Cubs starters have a 6.05 ERA during a skid that began one day after Jason Hammel (5-2, 2.65 ERA) allowed two hits over 7 2-3 innings of Tuesday's 1-0, 10-inning defeat over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He's 2-0 with a 2.01 ERA in June and hasn't factored in the decision of three consecutive outings.

However, the right-hander needs to improve after going 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA in two starts against the Cardinals in 2014.

Jason Heyward is 8 for 14 against Hammel and batting .419 versus Chicago this season. Wong is hitting .385 with 10 RBIs during a 14-game home hitting streak against the Cubs.

Though Carlos Martinez (8-3, 2.89) gave up seven runs, nine hits and walked four in 3 2-3 innings of a 10-9 home win over Chicago on May 4, he's 5-2 with a 1.55 ERA in his last eight starts. The right-hander allowed three runs over the first two innings Tuesday, but lasted seven and struck out nine in a 4-3 victory at Miami.

This will be Martinez's first appearance since May 31 at Busch Stadium, where he's yielded six hits over 14 scoreless innings to go 1-0 in his last two starts.

Miguel Montero and Chris Denorfia are a combined 5 for 7 versus Martinez.

Rookie Kris Bryant went 1 for 1 with two walks against Martinez but is 4 for 30 with 12 strikeouts in the last nine games.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cubs at Cardinals
Fri, Jun 26 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Cubs at Cardinals
Sat, Jun 27 Final 1 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Cubs at Cardinals
Sun, Jun 28 - 8:05PM EDT

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sparks (0-6) at Liberty (4-4)

Date: June 28, 2015 3:00 PM EDT

With Tina Charles in a funk, the New York Liberty are struggling to generate points at the same level as their promising start to this season.

Charles and the Liberty would appear to have a chance to get back on track Sunday when they face the WNBA's lone winless team, the depleted Los Angeles Sparks.

New York started 3-1 for the first time since 2007 and earned all of those wins on its own floor. The Liberty have since lost three of four, including back-to-back home defeats, and fell 71-62 at Tulsa on Friday.

The Liberty have averaged 64.3 points in the last four games, 10.2 fewer than in their first four, and Sugar Rogers was the only player in double figures against the Shock with 12 points.

Charles was held to nine points on 4-of-14 shooting and is averaging 8.5 on 23.4 percent shooting (15 of 64) in the last four games. She averaged 18.8 points while connecting at 49.2 percent in the first four.

In her first season with the Liberty, Charles scored a combined 51 points as New York (4-4) split its two 2014 games with the Sparks (0-6). She had 31 points - one shy of tying a career high - and 15 rebounds in a 66-64 win in Los Angeles on July 23.

New York has dropped the past two home games against the Sparks but will face a much different team in this matchup. Los Angeles is without two-time MVP Candace Parker (rest), Alana Beard (foot) and Erin Phillips (knee).

Kristi Toliver has yet to play this season because she was with the Slovakian women's team at the European championships but is expected to return soon.

Enduring their worst start in franchise history, the short-handed Sparks fell 80-76 in overtime at Connecticut on Friday. Jantel Lavender attempted to lift her team with 22 points, three shy of matching a career high.

Lavender, the Sparks leading scorer (15.2 ppg) and one of the league's top rebounders (10.8 per game), also pulled down 12 rebounds for her fourth double-double. Andrea Hoover had 17 points in 40 minutes in her first WNBA start after totaling 18 in her first five games.

Nneka Ogwumike had 14 points in her second game back from an ankle injury. She totaled 38 points in the two games against the Liberty last season.

WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 23, 2014 Score ATS Results
NEW « 66 Cover: 9.5
LOS 64 Under: 130
Tools: Recaps

Jul 11, 2014 Score ATS Results
LOS « 68 Cover: 10
NEW 54 Under: 122
Tools: Recaps

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sky (5-3) at Mystics (5-3)

Date: June 28, 2015 4:00 PM EDT

The Chicago Sky didn't need to rely on a high-scoring effort from Elena Delle Donne to keep their win streak going because Cappie Pondexter has started to contribute a little more.

Pondexter and Delle Donne will try to lead the Sky to a fourth consecutive victory when they visit the Washington Mystics on Sunday.

Delle Donne was held to a season-low 14 points but had a career-high 14 rebounds in an 83-77 win at Indiana on Friday. The WNBA's leading scorer at 29.4 points per game was coming off a 45-point performance in a 100-96 overtime victory over Atlanta on Wednesday.

The Sky (5-3) got 23 points from Pondexter against the Fever and the veteran guard has averaged 22.0 points in her last three games. She put up 15.2 in her first five with her hometown team, which is averaging a league-best 87.8 points.

The Sky will look for their fourth win in five road games when they face the Mystics (5-3). Washington, which has split its four home contests, fell 72-69 at Atlanta on Friday.

The Mystics couldn't recover after getting outscored 30-9 in the first 12:46 of the second half. Ivory Latta scored 18 points and is averaging 18.3 while shooting 50.0 percent in her last three games after averaging 10.8 and 27.1 in her first five.

Latta shot 23.4 percent while averaging 10.0 points in the four games against Chicago last year. The Mystics won the first two with Delle Donne out due to a recurrence of Lyme disease, which limited her to 16 games.

She had 39 points in 39 minutes as a reserve in Chicago's two wins in the season series and has averaged 21.3 in her last four matchups.

"I think we'll have to have some rules about how we play against (Delle Donne)," Washington coach Mike Thibault told the team's official website. "Sometimes people say, 'Oh we'll let her get hers and we'll shut everybody else down,' but it's not that easy because she could get a whole bunch by herself ... We're going to have our hands full on Sunday."

The Sky have won in each of their last three visits to Washington in which Delle Donne has played.


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 13, 2014 Score ATS Results
CHI « 72 Under: 141
WAS 69 Cover: 0
Tools: Recaps

Aug 3, 2014 Score ATS Results
WAS 65 Under: 141
CHI « 76 Cover: 6.5
Tools: Recaps

Jul 9, 2014 Score ATS Results
WAS « 72 Cover: 10.5
CHI 65 Under: 137
Tools: Recaps

Jun 13, 2014 Score ATS Results
CHI 68 Under: 147
WAS « 79 Cover: 4
Tools: Recaps

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Storm (2-5) at Shock (7-1)

Date: June 28, 2015 7:00 PM EDT

The Tulsa Shock and the Seattle Storm missed the playoffs last year, but one of them seems on their way to avoiding such a fate again.

The Shock go for their longest winning streak in a dozen years Sunday night when they try to extend the Storm's slide in the opener of this home-and home set.

After failing to reach the playoffs for five straight years following its relocation from Detroit, Tulsa (7-1) is unexpectedly atop the Western Conference and tied with Connecticut for the league's best record.

The Shock started 2015 with an 83-75 loss at Minnesota before reeling off seven straight wins for the first time since doing it twice in 2007.

They haven't won eight in a row since June 5-27, 2003, when they last opened a season 8-1.

Tulsa's current run already includes a win over the Storm (2-6), beating them 68-45 at home on June 9. The Shock held Seattle to 23.8 percent from the field, and its starters to 16 points on 6-of-33 shooting.

A potent offense has been the biggest key to the Shock's success. They rank second in the league with 81.0 points per game while sinking a league-leading 39.6 percent from 3-point range.

Tulsa won for the fourth time in as many home games with Friday's 71-62 victory over New York, hitting 10 of 24 from long range and forcing 26 turnovers.

Skylar Diggins was held to a season-low nine points on 2-of-9 shooting after she had a season-high 36 on 9 of 15 from the floor in an 86-78 win at Minnesota five days earlier.

With the Shock showing postseason potential, the Storm are in need of a turnaround if they're going to avoid missing the playoffs for a second straight year after qualifying for 11 straight.

Their last two losses during a four-game skid have been especially disheartening. Seattle blew an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter Saturday in a 73-71 defeat at San Antonio, two days after squandering an 18-point advantage in a 76-73 loss to Minnesota.

At least the offense has been improved, with the Storm averaging 72.0 points over the last three games after scoring 58.3 over the previous four.

Crystal Langhorne matched season highs with 18 points and nine rebounds against the Stars. The forward, though, had a tough time dealing with Tulsa's Courtney Paris on June 9, getting outrebounded 11-5 while going 2 for 7 from the floor and scoring five points.

Sue Bird only managed six points in that meeting, but she's totaled 30 with 12 assists and nine rebounds in the past two games.

These teams will meet in Seattle on Tuesday.


WNBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 9, 2015 Score ATS Results
SEA 45 Under: 116
TUL « 71 Cover: 20
Tools: Recaps

Aug 10, 2014 Score ATS Results
TUL 68 Under: 142
SEA « 74 Cover: 2.5
Tools: Recaps

Jul 29, 2014 Score ATS Results
SEA 74 Over: 154
TUL « 80 Cover: 1.5
Tools: Recaps

Jun 15, 2014 Score ATS Results
SEA 79 Cover: 0.5
TUL « 85 Over: 164
Tools: Recaps

Jun 1, 2014 Score ATS Results
TUL 60 Cover: 1.5
SEA « 62 Under: 122
Tools: Recaps

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (35-38) at Padres (36-40)
Game: 3
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: June 28, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

The San Diego Padres haven't come close to fulfilling expectations with a sub-.500 record, but completing their first sweep in nearly two months would certainly be a step in the right direction.

They'll go for just that Sunday afternoon against the Arizona Diamondbacks, who continue to be hampered by poor pitching.

San Diego (37-40) has taken the first two of this series with Arizona (35-39), stifling the Diamondbacks in a 4-2 win on Friday before riding an impressive offensive showing to a 7-2 victory Saturday.

Justin Upton hit a two-run homer in the most recent win, Matt Kemp drove in his 40th run and Derek Norris knocked in his 42nd. Those three, who were all acquired in the offseason, have combined for four runs and six RBIs this series for an offense previously ranked 15th in the majors with 4.16 runs per game.

'The two-run homer by Justin really hurt us,' Arizona manager Chip Hale said. 'You have certain guys on teams you try to make sure don't beat you, and he's the guy on this club.'

Will Venable had his 10th multi-hit effort this month and is batting .423 against Arizona this season.

The opening two victories mark the Padres' first consecutive wins since a season-best four-game run June 2-6, and they'll seek their first sweep since opening May with three straight wins against Colorado.

The Diamondbacks have posted a 5.80 ERA during a 2-5 stretch after compiling a 2.32 mark while winning five of the previous seven.

Chase Anderson (3-2, 3.54 ERA) will look to be the stopper for Arizona, although he is coming off the worst outing of his career. The right-hander allowed eight runs and three homers in 4 2-3 innings of a 10-5 loss at Colorado on Tuesday, failing to carry the momentum from a three-start stretch in which he owned a 1.45 ERA.

"I've just go to keep the ball down," Anderson told MLB's official website. "That's the only thing I can really take from this. Baseball you have those days, and you learn from them."

He's 1-0 with a 2.50 ERA in his past three starts versus the Padres. Kemp is 4 for 11 with a homer and double against him.

The Diamondbacks have lost three straight and would match a season worst with a defeat Sunday, though they had plenty of success against San Diego's Odrisamer Despaigne in their last meeting with the Padres right-hander.

Despaigne (3-5, 4.83) allowed eight runs and 10 hits over five innings in an 11-0 loss at Chase Field on May 7. Paul Goldschmidt homered off Despaigne in that game for his only hit in seven career at_bats.

Despaigne has been up and down in recent showings, allowing two runs in five innings of a 3-2 win in San Francisco on Tuesday, but preceded that outing with six runs allowed in a 16-2 loss in Oakland.

He's found most of his success at Petco Park, where he has a 2.21 ERA in his last three starts, compared to a 6.35 mark in his past three on the road.

Goldschmidt had one hit Saturday for the eighth straight game, but was held without an RBI for only the second time in six contests. He's reached base in 68 of 74 games this season and 26 of his last 27 against San Diego.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Padres
Fri, Jun 26 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Padres
Sat, Jun 27 Final 2 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Padres
Sun, Jun 28 - 4:10PM EDT

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

TOP TRENDS


WNBA(601) LOS ANGELES @ (602) NEW YORK | 06/28/2015 - 3:05 PM

Play AGAINSTLOS ANGELES using the money line in All games in May, June, or July games
The record is 22 Wins and 27 Losses for the last three seasons (-40.00 units)

WNBA(603) CHICAGO @ (604) WASHINGTON | 06/28/2015 - 4:05 PM

Play UNDER CHICAGO on the total in Road games after scoring 75 points or more
The record is 2 Overs and 15 Unders for the last two seasons (+12.80 units)

MLB(965) TEXAS @ (966) TORONTO | 06/28/2015 - 1:05 PM

Play ON TEXAS using the money line in All games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 19 Wins and 8 Losses this season (+18.97 units)

WNBA(603) CHICAGO @ (604) WASHINGTON | 06/28/2015 - 4:05 PM

Play UNDER CHICAGO on the total in Road games after scoring 75 points or more
The record is 5 Overs and 23 Unders for the last three seasons (+17.50 units)

WNBA(601) LOS ANGELES @ (602) NEW YORK | 06/28/2015 - 3:05 PM

Play AGAINSTLOS ANGELES using the money line in All games in June games
The record is 7 Wins and 17 Losses for the last three seasons (-20.50 units)

MLB(965) TEXAS @ (966) TORONTO | 06/28/2015 - 1:05 PM

Play ONTEXAS using the money line in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 13 Wins and 5 Losses this season (+15.32 units)

MLB(979) MINNESOTA @ (980) MILWAUKEE | 06/28/2015 - 2:10 PM

Play ON MINNESOTA using the money line in All games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 28 Wins and 14 Losses this season (+19.55 units)

MLB(959) CHICAGO CUBS @ (960) ST LOUIS | 06/28/2015 - 2:15 PM

Play ON ST LOUIS using the money line in Home games against right-handed starters
The record is 24 Wins and 4 Losses this season (+18.25 units)

WNBA(603) CHICAGO @ (604) WASHINGTON | 06/28/2015 - 4:05 PM

Play UNDER WASHINGTON on the first half total in Home games on Sunday games
The record is 16 Overs and 48 Unders since 1997 (+30.40 units)

WNBA(605) SEATTLE @ (606) TULSA | 06/28/2015 - 7:05 PM

Play ON TULSA using the money line in All games in June games
The record is 7 Wins and 1 Losses this season (+8.50 units

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

TOP POWERLINES

MLB(965) TEXAS @ (966) TORONTO | 6/28/2015 1:05:00 PM
Line: TEXAS +161 StatFox PowerLine: TEXAS +113
Edge On: TEXAS (48)

MLB(971) CLEVELAND @ (972) BALTIMORE | 6/28/2015 1:35:00 PM
Line: BALTIMORE -125 StatFox PowerLine: BALTIMORE -157
Edge On: BALTIMORE (32)

MLB(979) MINNESOTA @ (980) MILWAUKEE | 6/28/2015 2:10:00 PM
Line: MINNESOTA +135 StatFox PowerLine: MINNESOTA +108
Edge On: MINNESOTA (27)

MLB(951) LA DODGERS @ (952) MIAMI | 6/28/2015 1:10:00 PM
Line: LA DODGERS -200 StatFox PowerLine: LA DODGERS -225
Edge On: LA DODGERS (25)

MLB(977) KANSAS CITY @ (978) OAKLAND | 6/28/2015 4:05:00 PM
Line: KANSAS CITY +135 StatFox PowerLine: KANSAS CITY +139
Edge On: KANSAS CITY (21)

MLB(969) BOSTON @ (970) TAMPA BAY | 6/28/2015 1:10:00 PM
Line: TAMPA BAY -190 StatFox PowerLine: TAMPA BAY -208
Edge On: TAMPA BAY (18)

MLB(961) COLORADO @ (962) SAN FRANCISCO | 6/28/2015 4:05:00 PM
Line: COLORADO +195 StatFox PowerLine: COLORADO +224
Edge On: COLORADO (11)

MLB(955) ATLANTA @ (956) PITTSBURGH | 6/28/2015 1:35:00 PM
Line: ATLANTA +105 StatFox PowerLine: ATLANTA -105
Edge On: ATLANTA (10)

MLB(957) WASHINGTON @ (958) PHILADELPHIA | 6/28/2015 1:35:00 PM
Line: WASHINGTON -180 StatFox PowerLine: WASHINGTON -188
Edge On: WASHINGTON (8)

MLB(967) CHI WHITE SOX @ (968) DETROIT | 6/28/2015 1:05:00 PM
Line: DETROIT -180 StatFox PowerLine: DETROIT -187
Edge On: DETROIT (7)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nationals at Phillies

GAME: Washington Nationals (41-33) at Philadelphia Phillies (26-49)
DATE/TIME: Sunday, June 28 - 1:05 PM EST
WHERE: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
LINE: -175, 161 TOTAL: 8

The Washington Nationals have a chance to extend their winning streak from seven to nine games Sunday as they visit the Philadelphia Phillies for a traditional doubleheader. The National League East rivals played 1 1/2 innings on Saturday before the middle contest of their three-game series was delayed by rain for 1 hour, 27 minutes before being postponed.

Washington has allowed a total of seven runs during its seven-game streak, yielding more than one only twice. Max Scherzer continued his dominating run on the mound and Michael Taylor ripped a double among his two hits and scored twice as the Nationals breezed to a 5-2 triumph in Friday's series opener. Taylor is 11-for-27 with six runs scored during his seven-game hitting streak for division-leading Washington. Philadelphia obviously is singing a different tune, having dropped 16 of its last 21 games to sit comfortably in the cellar.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MASN (Washington), CSN Philadelphia

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Stephen Strasburg (4-5, 5.90 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Kevin Correia (0-1, 4.30)

Strasburg came back strong from a trapezius injury that kept him out of action for over three weeks, scattering four hits over five scoreless innings against Atlanta on Tuesday to record the win. The 26-year-old exited his start at Cincinnati on May 29 after walking the leadoff hitter in the second frame with a stiff neck, throwing a total of 16 pitches. Strasburg is 5-2 with a 2.48 ERA and his only career shutout in 13 outings versus Philadelphia.

Correia remains in search of his first victory as he makes his fourth start for the Phillies. The 34-year-old tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings in his debut with the club but has surrendered 11 runs - seven earned - over nine frames in his last two outings. Correia has posted a 3-4 record and 3.32 ERA in 15 career games (seven starts) against Washington.

WALK-OFFS

1. Nationals OF Bryce Harper has missed the last two games with tightness in his right hamstring.

2. Philadelphia rookie 3B Maikel Franco is hitless in his last eight at-bats after going 13-for-21 with three home runs and 11 RBIs during a five-game stretch.

3. Washington 3B Yunel Escobar is day-to-day with swelling in his hand after being hit by a pitch in the series opener.

PREDICTION: Nationals 7, Phillies 3

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers at Blue Jays

GAME: Texas Rangers (38-37) at Toronto Blue Jays (40-36)
DATE/TIME: Sunday, June 28 - 1:07 PM EST
WHERE: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario
LINE: 179, -195 TOTAL: 9

The Toronto Blue Jays look to rebound after being shut out for only the second time this season and record their fifth straight series victory over the visiting Texas Rangers on Sunday. The Blue Jays, who lead the majors in runs scored, posted 12 on Friday before right-hander Yovani Gallardo blanked them over 8 1/3 innings in Saturday’s 4-0 triumph by the Rangers.

With the victory, Texas ended a season-high, six-game losing streak in which it allowed 40 runs, and Prince Fielder continued his hot hitting with a fourth consecutive two-hit contest. Fielder has hit safely in six straight while going 10-for-21 and Toronto starter Drew Hutchison will attempt to cool him off. Chi Chi Gonzalez began his major-league career with two dazzling performances and tries to find that form after going winless in the last three outings for Texas. Slugger Edwin Encarnacion boasts three homers in his last four games for the Blue Jays and teammate Jose Bautista is 0-for-13 in the same span.

TV: 1:07 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest (Texas), SNET (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Chi Chi Gonzalez (2-2, 2.27 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH Drew Hutchison (7-1, 5.33)

Gonzalez comes in off the worst of his five major league starts when he yielded six runs and eight hits over 5 2/3 innings in a loss to Oakland. The Oral Roberts product gave up three runs in his previous two starts over 15 1/3 innings combined after pitching scoreless ball in 14 2/3 frames his first two outings. Gonzalez, who has surrendered one run in 16 road innings, faces Toronto for the first time.

Hutchsion has won four straight decisions and allowed one or no runs three times during a six-game unbeaten string, following a victory at Tampa Bay last time out. The 24-year-old boasts a 2.38 ERA in seven starts at home with an 8.92 mark on the road over eight turns. Fielder is 0-for-3 with two strikeouts against Hutchison, who is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two career starts versus the Rangers.

WALK-OFFS

1. Texas 1B Mitch Moreland is 8-for-20 with a pair of homers, including one Saturday, during a five-game hitting streak.

2. Toronto CF Kevin Pillar has hit safely in 11 consecutive games and is 3-for-7 in the series.

3. The Rangers are 11-5 against American League East opponents – 8-4 on the road.

PREDICTION: Blue Jays 6, Rangers 4

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox at Tigers

GAME: Chicago White Sox (32-41) at Detroit Tigers (38-36)
DATE/TIME: Sunday, June 28 - 1:08 PM EST
WHERE: Comerica Park, Detroit, Michigan
LINE: 155, -168 TOTAL: 7.5

Before Saturday’s game against the visiting Detroit Tigers was postponed due to rain, Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu was slated to hit second for the first time in his career. Manager Robin Ventura indicated that Abreu could remain in the second spot for Sunday’s series finale as the White Sox look to reverse their struggles against left-handed starters.

Abreu has hit third or fourth throughout his career, but Ventura believes he could spark the offense from the second spot against Tigers lefty David Price, who has held the White Sox to a total of two runs in two starts covering 17 innings this season. “It doesn’t matter what spot in the lineup that I am,” Abreu told reporters. “The only difference now being in the second spot is that I’m probably going to get one more at-bat and I’m going to see more pitches.” The White Sox will send Jeff Samardzija to the mound in hopes of slowing down the Tigers and outfielder J.D. Martinez, who has homered in three straight games and has six blasts in his last five games. Miguel Cabrera is 10-for-20 with four runs scored during his five-game hitting streak for the Tigers, who have won four of their last six.

TV: 1:08 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), FSN Detroit

PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Jeff Samardzija (5-4, 4.53 ERA) vs. Tigers LH David Price (7-2, 2.42)

Samardzija earned his first win since May 22 last Tuesday, when he held Minnesota to two runs and struck out seven while pitching seven innings for the third consecutive start. The Indiana native is 1-1 with a 3.63 ERA with 19 strikeouts and two walks in three starts against Detroit this season. Yoenis Cespedes is 4-for-10 with two home runs against Samardzija, who yielded six runs on 10 hits over 7 1/3 innings in a 6-4 loss to the Tigers on June 7.

Abreu is 1-for-14 with four strikeouts against Price, who allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings in the Tigers’ 7-3 win over Cleveland last Tuesday. Price, who spent last Wednesday supporting alma mater Vanderbilt in the College World Series, owns a 5-5 mark and 3.12 ERA in 12 career starts against the White Sox. The 2012 Cy Young award winner is 5-1 with a 1.86 ERA on the road this season while going 2-1 with a 3.29 ERA in six home starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Saturday’s rainout has been rescheduled for Sept. 21 as part of a day-night double header in Detroit.

2. Saturday’s scheduled starters for the Tigers (Kyle Ryan) and White Sox (John Danks) will each have their spot in the rotation skipped.

3. The White Sox are 3-10 in their last 13 road games and need a win to avoid their fifth straight road series loss.

PREDICTION: Tigers 6, White Sox 3

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Sox at Rays

GAME: Boston Red Sox (33-43) at Tampa Bay Rays (42-34)
DATE/TIME: Sunday, June 28 - 1:10 PM EST
WHERE: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
LINE: 168, -183 TOTAL: 6.5

The Boston Red Sox just can’t seem to sustain any momentum. The last-place Red Sox will try to turn things around once again and earn a rare series win against a division opponent when they visit the Tampa Bay Rays in the rubber match of a three-game series on Sunday.

Boston took the series opener 4-3 in 10 innings but managed only one hit in six innings off rookie Matt Andriese on Saturday while going quietly in a 4-1 setback. The Red Sox dropped to 12-24 against American League East opponents and have not won a series over a division foe since taking two of three from Toronto from April 27-29. The Rays improved to 2-3 on their 10-game homestand and have a good shot at evening that mark with ace Chris Archer heading to the mound Sunday. Boston will counter with Justin Masterson, who is making his first start since May 12.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, NESN (Boston), Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox RH Justin Masterson (2-2, 6.37 ERA) vs. Rays RH Chris Archer (9-4, 2.01)

Masterson missed five weeks with shoulder tendinitis and was initially brought back to the bullpen but will take over the rotation spot vacated when Joe Kelly was demoted earlier this week. Masterson struggled with reduced velocity over his first seven starts and was rocked for six runs on as many hits in 2 1/3 innings on May 12 at Oakland before hitting the disabled list. The sinkerball specialist could not find the zone against Tampa Bay on May 6 and issued six walks while being charged with four runs in 4 1/3 frames.

Archer might be the best starter in the AL at the moment and held the Blue Jays to two runs (one earned) on three hits and a walk in eight innings to pick up a win Tuesday. The 26-year-old has not lost since May 7 and allowed three or fewer runs in each of his last nine stats. Archer struck out nine and did not allow an earned run in 5 2/3 innings against Boston on April 21 but still suffered the loss and dropped to 1-5 in eight career starts versus the Red Sox.

WALK-OFFS

1. Red Sox LF Hanley Ramirez (wrist) sat out his third straight game on Saturday but is close to a return.

2. Tampa Bay 3B Evan Longoria is 4-for-9 with a homer and two runs scored in the series.

3. Boston CF Mookie Betts went 0-for-4 on Saturday to snap a 13-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Rays 7, Red Sox 1