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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

July Pitchers Report
By Marc Lawrence

Fireworks and the MLB All-Star game go hand-in-hand during the month of July. It also denotes the start of the 2nd half of the MLB campaign. And as we’ve come to learn the key to each and every team’s fortune lies on the pitching staff.

Can they sustain or will they unravel like Jose Canseco going back on a fly ball? Stay tuned. What we do know is that certain pitchers love hurling this time of the season while others tend to get lit up like a roman candle on the 4thof July.

Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a two-to-one or better success ratio in team-starts over the course of the last three seasons during the month of July.

On the flip side, we've also listed pitchers that struggle in July, winning 33% percent or less of their team-start efforts. To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at least one start each July over the last three years.

And for your convenience alongside each record we break down each pitcher’s greatest success or greatest failure rate either home (H) or away (A) within his good or bad month.

Note: * designates a categorical repeat appearance by this pitcher, maintaining status quo from last season’s July list.

GOOD MONTH PITCHERS:

*Chen, Wei-Yin - 9-4 (5-1 H)

The Miami left-hander has not been terribly effective with an ERA hovering around 5. If Chen can develop more command, he's shown again this year he's tough when in challenging situations, allowing .186 batting average and .271 on-base percentage with runners in scoring position.

Garza, Matt - 9-3 (5-1 H)

Since coming back from spring training injury on June 14th, the Milwaukee right-hander has been a mix of good and bad, but come through when it counted. Opposing hitters are batting over .300 against Garza, but he's held those runners in check and induced a heavy dose of ground balls that have led to outs. If he continues, this Brewers starter might be effective.

Greinke, Zack - 11-4 (6-2 H)

Though Arizona is falling short of preseason expectations, the Diamondbacks ace is not and, other than Clayton Kershaw, has arguably been as effective as any pitcher since the end of April with batters hitting around .200 against him. Once again his array of pitches are finding the right spots and fastball is cooking!

Kazmir, Scott - 10-5 (6-2 H)

When Kazmir misses on location for fastball, the other team's lineup begins to look for off-speed stuff, which has caused his inconsistency this season. When he's working the corners on the knees early in the count, this sets up secondary pitches. In the past he's done so in July, let's see what he comes up with this time.

*Kershaw, Clayton - 12-3 (8-0 A)

When either Kershaw loses or has a less than stellar performance, which is infrequent, it is home page news on most sports websites. With opponents batting just .185 against him, baseball's best pitcher has close to as many home runs surrendered (6) as walks (9) to start the month over 121 innings. It’s no wonder his name is whispered in the same company as Sandy Koufax.

Kluber, Corey - 13-4 (9-2 H)

Since winning the Cy Young award in 2014, Kluber has not been able to match that magical season, but is part of a very good Cleveland rotation. Looking ahead, if the Indians righty can do a better job than permitting .281 batting averages with runners in scoring position, all his numbers will drop and his victories will go up. Note: Kluber’s numbers above also reflect his career team mark during July.

*Liriano, Francisco - 12-2 (7-0 H)

After several fine seasons with Pittsburgh, Liriano has not been effective in 2016. Walks and home runs have done him in and in order to reflect past results of July, he's going to have to stop leaving pitches in the heart of the plate.

Peralta, Wily - 8-4 (5-1 H)

Peralta has been thoroughly ineffective all season (6.68 ERA) and was sent to minors after June 11th start. His return this month or this season depends on his Triple-A results. Note: Peralta’s numbers above also reflect his career team mark during July.

Price, David - 11-5 (7-1 A)

To date, the Boston lefty could be described as a mild disappointment, with an ERA north of 4.5 most of the season. No longer owning an upper 90's heater, Price does not blow away as many hitters as before and the fastball lacks some of the previous movement of the past. The slider has not had the usual bite from start to start. Red Sox need this ace to be one.

Ross, Tyson - 10-4 (4-1 H)

Ross has not pitched since he hit the DL with right shoulder inflammation after first start in April. San Diego Union reports a return even this month appears optimistic.
Note: Ross’ numbers above also reflect his career team mark during July.

Santana, Ervin - 11-4 (8-1 H)

Like his teammates, Santana is not having a good year, as opposing hitters are clocking him for nearly .300 average, compared to .256 over his 11-year career. Little reason to believe this month will match the past even if he improves with this Twins club.

*Volquez, Edinson - 10-5 (6-1 A)

Never a frontline hurler, Volquez numbers this campaign have matched the Royals, being very ordinary to date. The Dominican Republic native has done the job against right-handed batters, who have been knocking him around for nearly .300 average.

BAD MONTH PITCHERS:

Wood, Alex - 4-8 (0-6 A)

Wood – the only pitcher to appear on the July Bad Month list this season - was initially expected to be shut down for four weeks after landing on the 15-day disabled list at the end of May with a posterior impingement in his throwing elbow. Currently, the timetable is for mid-July return, but the oft-injured pitcher can hardly be counted on as record shows. Note: Wood’’s numbers above reflect his career team mark during July.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Win Total Update - July

Three months of the 2016 pro baseball season are in the books and bettors investing in “Win Total” wagers can start to get a clearer picture on their investments.

Listed below are each team’s win totals and their records through June 30.

National League Win Totals

Team Win Total - 2016 Record - 5/2/16 Record - 6/1/16 Record - 7/1/16

Arizona 82 12-15 23-32 36-45
Atlanta 67 ½ 6-18 16-36 27-52
Chicago Cubs 93 ½ 17-6 36-15 51-27
Cincinnati 70 10-15 18-35 29-51
Colorado 71 ½ 12-12 24-28 37-41
L.A. Dodgers 89 ½ 13-13 28-26 44-37
Miami 79 ½ 12-12 28-25 41-38
Milwaukee 70 9-15 24-29 35-43
N.Y. Mets 89 ½ 15-8 29-23 41-37
Philadelphia 65 ½ 15-10 26-27 35-45
Pittsburgh 85 ½ 15-10 29-23 38-41
San Diego 73 ½ 9-16 21-33 33-46
San Francisco 88 ½ 13-13 33-22 50-31
St. Louis 86 ½ 12-13 28-26 40-38
Washington 89 ½ 17-7 33-21 48-32


AmericanLeague Win Totals

Team Win Total - 2016 Record - 5/2/16 Record - 6/1/16 Record - 7/1/16

Baltimore 78 14-10 29-22 47-31
Boston 87 ½ 15-10 32-21 42-36
Chicago White Sox 81 18-8 29-25 40-39
Cleveland 86 ½ 10-12 27-24 48-30
Detroit 81 14-10 25-27 41-38
Houston 88 8-17 25-29 42-37
Kansas City 85 13-11 30-22 42-36
L.A. Angels 80 ½ 12-13 24-29 32-47
Minnesota 79 7-18 15-37 25-53
N.Y. Yankees 86 8-15 24-28 39-39
Oakland 76 ½ 13-13 25-29 35-44
Seattle 82 ½ 13-11 30-22 40-39
Tampa Bay 82 11-13 22-29 33-45
Texas 83 ½ 14-11 31-22 51-29
Toronto 86 ½ 12-14 29-26 43-38

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

How run differential can be the key to cashing MLB runline bets
By JOE FORTENBAUGH

Behind yet another incendiary performance from a member of their starting rotation, the white-hot Cleveland Indians matched a franchise record in Thursday night’s 4-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays by winning their 13th consecutive game.

The Tribe’s current winning streak is the longest by any team in Major League Baseball this season as well as the longest run of success the club has strung together since winning 13 straight in 1951.

Thursday’s accolades belonged to 29-year-old righty Carlos Carrasco, who is now 1-0 with a 1.14 ERA, 27 strikeouts and just seven walks in three starts during Cleveland’s 13-game rampage through professional baseball. A rampage, mind you, that has featured the Indians outscoring the opposition 80-26 (+54 run differential), which is good for a winning margin of 4.15 runs per game.

Predictably, gambling twitter immediately responded with some variation of the following data: If you had bet to win $100 on every game Cleveland was listed as a favorite during the team’s current 13-game winning streak and risked $100 on Cleveland when the Indians assumed the underdog position during said streak, you would currently be up $1,337.

That’s a respectable chunk of change for less than two week’s worth of work. But with Cleveland’s moneyline prices beginning to surge due to the team’s recent onslaught against all comers, could you have found a way to turn a similar profit without assuming as much risk?

The answer, of course, is yes. And all you would have had to do was replace your moneyline bets with run line wagers.

For the uninitiated, a run line bet is essentially Major League Baseball’s version of the NFL point spread, with one team listed as a 1.5-run favorite, the other listed as a 1.5-run underdog and corresponding odds attached to both spreads. For example, the Indians were listed as -120 favorites for Thursday night’s game against the Blue Jays (+110) on the moneyline, but were posted at the more appealing price of +130 if you were willing to lay 1.5 runs against Toronto (-150). The benefit is the opportunity to back the better team with less financial risk, while the downside is the fact that Cleveland had to win by two or more runs to cash the run line bet as opposed to simply winning the game by any margin to cash the moneyline ticket.

Since the Indians launched their 13-game tirade against the rest of Major League Baseball back on June 17 in Cleveland against the White Sox, the Tribe have been listed as a moneyline favorite 11 times and run line favorite four times. And if you were to bet to win $100 every time Cleveland was a favorite and risk $100 in each instance the Indians were listed as an underdog, here’s how your portfolio would break down:

13 moneyline bets: 13-0 record, $1,884 risked, $1,337 won

13 run line bets: 11-2 record, $1,468 risked, $1,129 won

By simply substituting run line bets for moneyline bets during Cleveland’s 13-game winning streak, your profits would have dropped by 15.5 percent, but your overall risk assumed would have plummeted by 22.1 percent. That’s not a bad tradeoff when you need to win by two or more runs with a pitching staff that has limited the opposition to just 2.0 runs per game during its 13-game stretch of nothing but victory celebrations.

But here’s the tricky part: It’s easy to come swooping in after a team has won 13 straight matchups and exclaim, “Hey, you should have been betting the run line instead of the moneyline!” After all, hindsight is 20/20. What we need to identify is a way of determining which teams offer the best chance for success when betting the run line.

Thankfully, we have those rankings for you, as well as something else you should be taking into consideration.

Below you will find Major League Baseball’s 30 member organizations ranked by run line winning percentage entering Thursday night’s slate of action. In addition, you’ll notice a number in parenthesis next to each team’s record. That number represents the run differential ranking for each club entering Thursday night as well. For example, when you see a (6) next to the Texas Rangers, you’ll know that Texas ranks sixth in MLB in run differential.

1. Texas Rangers: 52-28 (6)
2. Baltimore Orioles: 46-31 (7)
3. San Diego Padres: 46-33 (25)
4. Detroit Tigers: 45-34 (15)
5. Chicago Cubs: 44-34 (1)
6. Kansas City Royals: 44-34 (18)
7. Cleveland Indians: 43-35 (2)
8. Colorado Rockies: 42-36 (16)
9. Oakland A’s: 42-36 (23)
10. St. Louis Cardinals: 41-37 (4)
11. Washington Nationals: 42-38 (3)
12. Milwaukee Brewers: 40-38 (26)
13. Toronto Blue Jays: 41-40 (11)
14. Boston Red Sox: 39-39 (5)
15. Miami Marlins: 39-39 (14)
16. San Francisco Giants: 39-41 (8)
17. Philadelphia Phillies: 39-41 (27)
18. Cincinnati Reds: 39-41 (30)
19. Chicago White Sox: 38-41 (17)
20. Seattle Mariners: 37-41 (10)
21. Houston Astros: 37-42 (12)
22. Los Angeles Dodgers: 37-44 (9)
23. Arizona Diamondbacks: 37-44 (21)
24. Pittsburgh Pirates: 36-43 (19)
25. Minnesota Twins: 35-43 (29)
26. Atlanta Braves: 34-44 (28)
27. New York Yankees: 34-44 (20)
28. Tampa Bay Rays: 32-46 (22)
29. Los Angels Angels: 32-47 (24)
30. New York Mets: 30-48 (13)

The first question you may be asking yourself is, “Why run differential?” That’s an excellent inquiry. Essentially, we want to look at each team’s run differential to give us an idea of which squads have the firepower to consistently cover 1.5 runs while also examining which clubs get blown out on a regular basis. As you’ll notice in the rankings above, five of the top ten run line clubs (Rangers, Orioles, Cubs, Indians and Cardinals) also rank within the top ten in run differential, while five of the bottom ten run line clubs (Angels, Rays, Braves, Twins and Diamondbacks) also rank within the bottom ten in run differential. So based on this simple correlation alone, we’ve discovered that a third of the league’s run line record matches up with its run differential ranking.

One team to keep an eye on moving forward in regards to run line wagering is the Philadelphia Phillies, who have lost 28 of their last 39 games after commencing the season with a 24-17 record. What’s intriguing about Philadelphia is that despite winning just 43.8 percent of their contests this season, the 2008 World Champions are a shocking 18-9 (.666) in one-run games in 2016. That type of performance in one-run affairs is extremely difficult to sustain over the course of a 162-game season, so don’t be surprised if the Phillies exhibit a regression in that department in the very near future.

As for the Indians, who knows when Cleveland’s starting rotation will hit a rough patch and regress to the mean. After all, this club hasn’t lost since the Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB roundup: Blue Jays halt Indians' 14-game winning streak
By The Sports Xchange

TORONTO -- Josh Donaldson tied the game with a home run in the seventh, then singled home the go-ahead run in the three-run eighth as the Toronto Blue Jays ended the Cleveland Indians' winning streak at 14 with a 9-6 victory on Saturday.
Rajai Davis became the eighth Cleveland player to hit for the cycle but it was not enough to continue the club's record winning streak. Davis completed the cycle with a single in the ninth inning against Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna.
Edwin Encarnacion hit a three-run homer and Troy Tulowitzki hit a two-run shot in addition to Donaldson's solo shot for Toronto. Carlos Santana also homered for Cleveland.

Angels 21, Red Sox 2
BOSTON -- C.J. Cron had six hits, including two home runs, to lead a 22-hit attack as last-place Los Angeles walloped Boston.
Carlos Perez had five hits and drove in six runs, Cron drove in five and Albert Pujols hit his 575th career homer and drove in five for the Angels, who scored 11 runs in the seventh inning. It was the sixth time in franchise history the Angels scored 20 runs in a game -- the first time since Aug. 25, 2004.
Pujols became the eighth player ever to reach both 575 home runs and 1,750 RBIs. He has 15 homers and 55 RBIs this season, while Cron became the third Angel with six hits in a game
Mookie Betts had two doubles and his 17th homer for the Red Sox.

White Sox 7, Astros 6
HOUSTON -- Dioner Navarro had four RBIs on a two-run triple and a two-run single as Chicago edged Houston.
Navarro's two-run, two-out single to right field in the fifth inning chased Astros right-hander Doug Fister and provided the White Sox a 5-4 lead they never relinquished.
Second baseman Jose Altuve hit his 14th homer for the Astros, who lost to Chris Sale (14-2), the winningest pitcher in the majors. Sale allowed five runs (four earned), six hits and one walk with nine strikeouts in seven innings.

Twins 17, Rangers 5
MINNEAPOLIS -- Max Kepler hit a pair of three-run homers and had seven RBIs as Minnesota rolled over Texas.
Kepler's seven RBIs set a new franchise rookie record. Teammate Miguel Sano, Oswaldo Arcia and legendary Tony Oliva all had six RBIs as rookies with the Twins.
The 17 runs scored was a season high for Minnesota, which has the worst record in baseball (26-54). Eduardo Nunez had four hits, including a pair of doubles, and Sano had a two-run homer and knocked in three.

Mets 4, Cubs 3
NEW YORK - New York defeated Chicago for the third straight time in a rematch of 2015 National League Championship Series participants and also feasted on Cubs starter Jake Arrieta.
Arrieta (12-3) suffered a rough outing, and was knocked out of the game in the sixth inning after giving up back-to-back singles with one out. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner gave up four runs, eight hits and two walks and struck out four as he surrendered four earned runs or more for the second straight game.
Mets starter Bartolo Colon allowed two runs and four hits in six innings, striking out five and walking three.

Cardinals 3, Brewers 0
ST. LOUIS -- Adam Wainwright scattered seven hits in seven scoreless innings, walking two and striking out five as he posted his 13th career win against Milwaukee, tying his most against any opponent.
Wainwright overcame allowing leadoff singles in four straight innings. He induced double-play balls to wipe out hits in the fourth, fifth and sixth. Center fielder Tommy Pham followed the third double play by racing to the warning track for an over-the-shoulder grab of Chris Carter's liner.
Kolten Wong had a two-run single in the fourth inning and scored on Greg Garcia's bunt single.

Braves 9, Marlins 1
ATLANTA -- Freddie Freeman and Jace Peterson hit homers as Atlanta rocked Miami ace Jose Fernandez.
Freeman hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Peterson added a three-run shot in the sixth after that inning was prolonged by an error. A seven-run sixth inning knocked out Fernandez (10-4), who gave up eight hits and was charged with all nine runs (six earned).
Atlanta (28-53) claimed its eighth victory in 11 games against the Marlins (42-39) this season. The Braves have a winning record against no other team.

Tigers 3, Rays 2
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Justin Verlander struck out eight and Ian Kinsler hit his 15th home run of the season as Detroit slipped past Tampa Bay.
Verlander allowed one earned run, four hits and one walk and lowered his ERA to 4.11 en route to his eighth win. Kinsler's homer broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth inning.
Rays starter Blake Snell struggled to find his control during his fifth career start, which resulted in four walks and a handful of sticky situations. The 23-year-old walked two Tigers in the second inning, a costly move when the next hitter, Jose Iglesias, hit a two-out single up the middle to send in Detroit's first run.

Royals 6, Phillies 2
PHILADELPHIA -- Kendrys Morales had two home runs and four RBIs and Danny Duffy pitched 8 2/3 stellar innings while doing some damage at the plate as Kansas City topped Philadelphia.
Morales drilled a three-run homer, his 13th home run of the season, off the scoreboard in right field to cap a five-run outburst for Kansas City in the second inning. Three batters before, Duffy had his first major-league hit and RBI when his bunt went over the head of Phillies starter Aaron Nola and into no man's land, where no play could be made by a Phillies infielder.
Duffy was dominant, striking out eight and giving up seven hits in the longest outing of his six-year career.

Reds 9, Nationals 4, 10 innings
WASHINGTON -- Tucker Barnhart had an RBI single -- his third hit of the game -- to break a tie in the top of the 10th inning as Cincinnati scored five times in the extra frame to beat Washington, ending a six-game winning streak for the National League East leaders.
The last-place Reds halted a five-game losing streak. Zack Cozart also had three hits for the Reds and Adam Duvall and Brandon Phillips had two apiece.
Trailing 4-1, Washington's Danny Espinosa had a two-run homer in the eighth and Bryce Harper tied the game later in the frame with an RBI single off reliever Blake Wood.

Padres 2, Yankees 1
SAN DIEGO -- Melvin Upton Jr. homered on the first pitch of the ninth inning thrown by left-hander Andrew Miller to give San Diego a walk-off win over New York at Petco Park.
It was Upton's third walk-off homer of the season.
Brad Hand (2-2) pitched a scoreless ninth to get the win. Miller suffered his first loss to fall to 5-1.

Diamondbacks 6, Giants 5
PHOENIX -- Welington Castillo hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the eighth inning and drove in four runs as Arizona snapped a six-game losing streak with a victory over San Francisco at Chase Field.
Michael Bourn doubled off Giants starter Jeff Samardzija to open the eighth inning before left-hander Josh Osich entered and walked the only batter he faced, Jake Lamb.
Castillo hit a 2-1 pitch from Hunter Strickland (3-1) for his 10th homer of the season. Castillo hit his second homer in as many nights after not hitting one at home since April 24.

Mariners 12, Orioles 6
SEATTLE -- Seattle belted five home runs to beat Baltimore for the third consecutive night.
Mike Zunino, playing in his first game of the season, homered twice, while teammates Nelson Cruz, Seth Smith and Adam Lind also went deep for Seattle. Home runs by Zunino, Cruz and Smith opened up an 8-1 Seattle lead over the first four innings.
Baltimore lost its third game in a row despite 12 hits, one short of the Orioles' cumulative total in the first two games of the series. First baseman Chris Davis hit his 21st home run of the season and drove in three runs.

Pirates 4, Athletics 2, 10 innings
OAKLAND, Calif. -- David Freese and Gregory Polanco hit RBI singles in the top of the 10th inning, and Pittsburgh held on for a victory against Oakland at the Oakland Coliseum.
Erik Kratz lined a leadoff single in the 10th off A's left-hander Daniel Coulombe and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Freese drove him in with a single to left. After Coulombe intentionally walked Andrew McCutchen, Adam Frazier singled to left, but Coco Crisp threw out Freese at the plate. Polanco followed with an RBI single to center, driving in McCutchen.
Right-hander Mark Melancon pitched a scoreless ninth for his 19th straight save and 23rd overall, but it didn't come easily. Josh Reddick singled with one out and went to third on Khris Davis' two-out single. But Melancon struck out Stephen Vogt to end the game.

Dodgers 6, Rockies 1
LOS ANGELES -- Left-hander Scott Kazmir pitched six shutout innings to lead Los Angeles to a win over Colorado in front of 46,608 at Dodger Stadium.
Kazmir (7-3), who has not lost since May 9, posted his fifth consecutive victory. The left-hander retired 13 of 14 batters between the first and fifth innings and finished with 10 strikeouts while scattering three hits and a hit batsman in his six innings.
Justin Turner got three of the Dodgers' 10 hits. Adrian Gonzalez and Trayce Thompson each drove in two runs as Los Angeles used its fifth win in six games to move within five games of the first-place San Francisco Giants in the National League West.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Indians (49-31) at Blue Jays (44-39)

Game: 4
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: July 03, 2016 1:07 PM EDT

TORONTO -- The Cleveland Indians found out that they did not like to lose on Saturday when the Toronto Blue Jays beat them 9-6.

It has been a long time since they experienced the losing feeling. It was June 15 when they lost 9-4 to the Kansas City Royals.

Between losses they won 14 games, the longest winning streak in club history.

"Losing is hard, I don't care," Indians manager Terry Francona said after the game Saturday.

The loss was only the seventh by the Indians in their last 30 games. Before the Blue Jays used a three-run eighth to beat them on Saturday, they had won eight in a row on the road as well.

The Indians were down to the Blue Jays 3-1 and 5-3 and came back to gain a 6-5 lead.

"We showed a lot of what we're about," catcher Chris Gimenez said. "We got down a few times early in the game and were able to claw back. Especially after last night (a 2-1 win in 19 innings), I think it could have been easy for a lot of guys to just kind of throw in the towel and say, 'Hey, we'll get them tomorrow.'

"I think it shows a lot of what this team is about. We've got something special going on here."

Blue Jays manager John Gibbons was impressed by the way both team played after the marathon on Friday.

"It was a big game, you could feel it," Gibbons said. "Everybody was tired. Both teams were exhausted. A number of guys on both teams were down, things like that.

"But both teams put on a pretty good show. A good entertaining game. We needed that win more than they did."

Gibbons and Edwin Encarnacion missed nearly all of the game Friday after being ejected because they argued balls and strikes in the first inning.

"Myself and Eeddie were the most rested guys on either team," Gibbons said.

Encarnacion made his presence felt in the first inning Saturday with a three-run homer.

The Indians will try to start a new winning streak Sunday when they send out right-hander Corey Kluber (8-7. 3.50 ERA) against Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ (10-3, 3.70 ERA).

Both pitchers were 4-1 in June. The difference is how they did it. Kluber had a 2.19 ERA in five starts, holding opponents to a .154 batting average and a .194 on-base percentage.

Happ had a 5.28 ERA in June.

Kluber is 1-2 with a 4.82 ERA in three career starts against the Blue Jays.

While the Indians have been surging, the Blue Jays have been hanging on. The win Saturday was only their fifth in the last 13 games,

The Blue Jays will try to salvage a split of the series Sunday, and get two wins in a row.

Josh Donaldson, who tied the game Saturday with a home run and singled in the go-ahead runs, is not fussy. He will take the wins where they come.

"Any win is important, no matter if you've won 14 in a row or lost 14 in a row," Donaldson said. "It's major-league baseball, and it's going to come down to the wire. We'll take every win."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cubs (51-29) at Mets (43-37)

Game: 4
Venue: Citi Field
Date: July 03, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- When the New York Mets stumbled home Wednesday after losing three straight games to the Washington Nationals, there seemed to be a better chance the Mets would be worried about falling below .500 by the end of a four-game series against the Chicago Cubs than talking about a potential sweep of the presumptive World Series favorites.

Yet the Mets have a chance to break out the brooms Sunday afternoon in the finale of a National League Championship Series rematch at Citi Field. New York posted its third straight win with a 4-3 victory over the Cubs on Saturday night.

The Mets have outscored the Cubs, who have the lowest ERA in the majors at 2.97, by a margin of 18-8. Not bad for a team that scored 17 runs in the six games preceding the Cubs' arrival.

"You've got to believe you can compete," Mets manager Terry Collins said Saturday night. "But then when you go out and do it, it means a lot. The confidence that it sends throughout the clubhouse -- there's no other way to do it except to go out there and beat one of the real, real good teams three times."

The three straight losses to the Mets (43-37) have continued a monthlong skid of sorts for the Cubs (51-29), who have gone 12-14 since June 5. Chicago is 2-11 against teams with a winning record -- the Mets, Washington Nationals, Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals -- during that stretch.

"Every team we're playing is gunning for us," Cubs utilityman Ben Zobrist told reporters Saturday afternoon. "They know we've got the best record in the league. And they're showing up to play against us. They're not showing up like this to play against other teams."

The Cubs will try to avoid the sweep behind left-hander Jon Lester, who will oppose Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard in a matchup of aces and potential All-Star Game starters.

Lester was named the National League's Pitcher of the Month for June on Saturday after a stretch in which he went 4-0 with a 1.41 ERA. Overall this season, Lester has a 2.03 ERA, second best in the NL behind injured Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw.

"We want to finish it off (Sunday)," Collins said. "Lester's pitching great, but we certainly are right now playing pretty good. So we need to hopefully go out and get some pitches to hit and do some damage with them."

Syndergaard absorbed his most damage of the season in his most recent start last Tuesday, when he gave up five runs in three innings and took the loss as the Mets fell 11-4 to the Washington Nationals. The next day, multiple media outlets reported Syndergaard is pitching with a bone spur in his right elbow, accounts corroborated by Syndergaard on Thursday.

Lester is 2-0 with a 2.50 ERA in three career regular-season starts against the Mets. He took the loss in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series last Oct. 17, when he gave up four runs in 6 2/3 innings in the Cubs' 4-2 loss at Citi Field.

Syndergaard lost his lone regular-season start against the Cubs in his major league debut on May 12, 2015, when he gave up three runs in 5 1/3 innings as the Mets fell 6-1. He picked up the win in Game 2 of the NLCS last Oct. 18, when he allowed one run in 5 2/3 innings in the Mets' 4-1 victory.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tigers (43-38) at Rays (33-47)

Game: 4
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: July 03, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- With the All-Star Game fast approaching next week, it's natural for teams to evaluate their progress at the unofficial halfway point of the season. That Detroit won its third straight against host Tampa Bay on Saturday marked what the Tigers hoped to be a turning point in a thus-far mediocre season.

Detroit has pounded out 23 runs on so far this series, which concludes on Sunday. Second baseman Ian Kinsler made note of the good feeling the team shares lately, but added the pitching staff has just as much to do with the team's success as its bats.

"Our bullpen is shaping up nicely, our rotation is shaping up, too," Kinsler said. "(Francisco Rodriguez) has done an unbelievable job. Justin Wilson and Shane Greene have done an unbelievable job, and then we obviously have guys who can be steady down there in Alex Wilson and Kyle Ryan, guys that can provide you innings.

"As long as we can stay healthy, like we have been saying since spring training, we should be OK."

Verlander took home honors Saturday after collecting eight strikeouts in seven innings. On Sunday, Mike Pelfrey will get the ball as the Tigers attempt to secure a road series sweep versus Tampa Bay.

Pelfrey won his last start, against Miami, despite allowing 12 hits over 5 1/3 innings. He seeks his first win since June 4, but is 0-5 on the road this season with a 4.19 ERA.

Saturday marked the exact midpoint in the Tigers season. Detroit has posted a 43-38 record so far, a number that's encouraging considering the team endured 11 losses in 12 games to kick off May.

But manager Brad Ausmus would still like improvement in the second half.

"Overall, the first half hasn't been bad, but we'd like it to be better," he said. "Pitching is the key in baseball, period."

Saturday's loss for the Rays marked the 15th in their last 17 games as Tampa Bay still seeks to round the corner before it's too late.

Perhaps one of the Rays' biggest problems so far is a rash of untimely injuries that have decimated their roster, especially in the outfield. Entering Sunday's series finale with Detroit, Tampa Bay has 28 roster moves in 32 days. Nine players have been put on the DL in the past 50 days including four outfielders -- Kevin Kiermaier, Mikie Mahtook, Brandon Guyer and Steven Souza Jr.

With all of the walking wounded and a sometimes cobbled-together roster, it's no wonder the Rays are still just short of jelling as a team.

"Any mistake or something that works against us seems to turn into a run against us right now," Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. "I think the best way we overcome that is come out and do what we did against Boston and kind of create the runs ourselves. Gives the guys some breathing room."

The Rays (33-47) reach the midpoint of their season on Sunday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Reds (30-52) at Nationals (49-33)

Game: 4
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: July 03, 2016 1:35 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- The Washington Nationals had a decision to make before hosting the Cincinnati Reds in the series finale on Sunday at Nationals Park.

And the Nationals were in the situation of having to choose between using unbeaten pitcher Stephen Strasburg (10-0, 2.90) or top pitching prospect Lucas Giolito (0-0, 0.00) to start against the last-place Reds.

That is a choice that many teams wish they had to make.

"It's not up to me, it's up to how Strasburg feels," manager Dusty Baker before Saturday's game. "Right now he's feeling pretty good, but the decision will probably be made tomorrow. It might be a gametime decision."

After the game, Baker said: "We're getting one of our main men Stras back tomorrow. He can put us back in sync for the remainder of the first half."

Strasburg, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 draft, went on the disabled list June 26, retroactive to June 16, with an upper back strain. If he comes off the DL to pitch Sunday, the Nationals will have to make a roster move.

His place in the rotation was filled on Tuesday by Giolito, another former first-round pick who went four innings and allowed just one hit against the New York Mets in a rain-shortened outing.

It was the first big league appearance for Giolito, considered the top pitching prospect in the minors this year.

The big right-hander from Los Angeles had never pitched above Double-A Harrisburg before he was called up to start against the Mets. One scenario would be for the Nationals to send Giolito to Triple-A Syracuse, then call him back up later in the year.

"On any given night, he has three well-above-average pitches working for him," Mark Scialabba, the director of player development for the Nationals, said of Giolito. "Along with his fastball and curve, which are well documented, his changeup has become a weapon he can use against both left- and right-handed hitters. He's a tremendous student of the game and is striving to become a complete pitcher with the ability to field his position and hold runners well."

The Nationals and general manager Mike Rizzo are not hesitant to dip into their minor league system to aid the 25-man roster.

Last June, right-hander Joe Ross -- who started against the Reds on Saturday night -- was summoned from Double-A Harrisburg to join the rotation. He was later sent back to Triple-A Syracuse, then was called back up to Washington to end the season.

The Reds will send lefty John Lamb (1-4, 4.60) to the mound on Sunday. He has never faced the Nationals.

Cincinnati has begun an 11-day, 10-game road trip in rough fashion after a 13-4 loss Thursday and then a 4-3 loss in 14 innings on Friday. They came through with a 9-4 win in 10 innings late Saturday. It was the first extra-inning loss at home for Washington after nine such wins over the past two years.

The Reds were 7-2 against the Nationals over the last two series before the four-game series began here Thursday.

Manager Bryan Price had to juggle his lineup on Saturday.

He dropped second baseman Brandon Phillips to the No. 6 spot in the order against Washington.

"It's just trying to get him back to where he is really feeling comfortable at the plate," Price said of Phillips.

Joey Votto was a late scratch from the lineup just before the game with a sore right shoulder. Price said he is day-to-day. The injury came in Friday's game when Votto dove into second on a double.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (33-48) at Red Sox (43-37)

Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: July 03, 2016 1:35 PM EDT

BOSTON -- Matt Shoemaker is due for some good fortune.

The Angels right-hander is coming off a strong June that saw him run up a 2.14 ERA in six starts, good enough to place him in the running for mention for things like Pitcher of the Month.

One problem -- he didn't win a game, as his team suffered through an 8-19 month that sent it spiraling into last place in the American league West.

"Matt is on an incredible run," manager Mike Scioscia said after his pitcher's last outing.

Incredible run. No results -- something Shoemaker hopes to turn around when he faces the Red Sox in Sunday's series finale at Fenway Park.

He can only hope his teammates, who scored 21 runs to even the three-game series on Saturday night, saved some for him on Sunday.

Shoemaker will face a former Angel, journeyman right-hander Sean O'Sullivan, who will come up from Triple-A Pawtucket for the spot start.

"It's not that frustrating because it's a long season and it's the game of baseball," Shoemaker, who has allowed four earned runs and struck out 20 in 19 1/3 innings over his last three starts, said after the bullpen failed to hold his win last week -- in his second straight strong start against the Houston Astros.

"My job is to try to go out and put up zeros as much as I can. For the bullpen, it's the same thing. Sometimes things don't go our way."

Shoemaker, 7-10 last year after a 16-4 run in 2014, is 3-8 with a 4.12 ERA this season. In June, he was 0-3 as his ERA dropped from 5.85 to 4.12. He joined Pedro Martinez (New York Mets, 2006) as the only pitchers ever to go winless in a month with an ERA under 3.00 and with at least 45 strikeouts.

He hasn't won since May 27.

Shoemaker has been brilliant in two career games, one start, against the Red Sox, going 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 10 2/3 innings against Boston.

Current Red Sox hitters are a combined 1-for-24 against Shoemaker, with both Xander Bogaerts and Dustin Pedroia coming in at 0-for-4.

O'Sullivan was 1-0 with a 7.94 ERA in three games, two starts, with the Red Sox earlier this season. One of nine starters used by the club in 2016, he comes up on a Triple-A run that saw him go 4-0 with a 2.61 ERA in six starts.

He got the nod over right-hander Aaron Wilkerson, the former Independent League pitcher who is 4-1 with a 2.20 ERA with Pawtucket -- as the Red Sox hit the official midway point with their 81st game.

"That was the recommendation (of the minor league people)," manager John Farrell said Friday. "Wilkerson, we recognize, has been throwing the ball well there. The recommendation was for Sean to come back up here and pitch on Sunday."

O'Sullivan, out of options, was designated for assignment by the Red Sox on May 16, but he returned to Pawtucket after clearing waivers.

Overall at Pawtucket, he is 6-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 11 starts this season.

He was 5-2 with the Angels in 2009 and 2010.

Now, he has to try to turn around what happened to his team, losers of seven of their last 11, on Saturday night.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (43-37) at Phillies (36-46)

Game: 3
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: July 03, 2016 1:35 PM EDT

PHILADELPHIA -- With the recent struggles of Aaron Nola and the inconsistent performances from the likes of Jeremy Hellickson and Zach Eflin in recent weeks, one can make a legitimate argument that the Phillies' starting pitching is currently in a state of flux as Jerad Eickhoff has been the only steady performer in the rotation.

The hope is Vince Velasquez's return can help bring some more stability.

When the Phillies (36-46) host the Kansas City Royals (43-37) on Sunday afternoon in the rubber match of the teams' three-game set, the powerful right-hander will make his first start at home since leaving after throwing just two pitches in a game against the Chicago Cubs on June 8.

Velasquez was diagnosed with a right biceps strain and missed almost three weeks of action before he returned to the hill Monday in Arizona. In his return, Velasquez, who was acquired in December from the Houston Astros in a package in return for closer Ken Giles, silenced the Diamondbacks by giving up just five hits and striking out seven over five shutout innings in an 8-0 Philadelphia victory.

Replicating that success on Sunday will be no easy task against the defending World Series champion Royals and red-hot slugger Kendrys Morales.

After mashing two homers in Saturday night's 6-2 win over the Phillies, Morales is 26-for-46 with five doubles, seven home runs and 21 RBIs over his last 12 games. That's good for a .565 average during that span.

"I feel really good at the plate and the key is I'm making hard contact when I'm swinging the bat," Morales said through the Royals' team interpreter after Saturday night's victory. "Pitch selection is key for me. When I see a pitch I can drive, I'm going to swing at it. Things are going good right now."

Morales typically is a designated hitter. But with the groove Morales is in these days, Royals manager Ned Yost found it difficult to take Morales out of his lineup this week as Kansas City visited St. Louis and Philadelphia, both National League cities.

So on this road trip, Yost has elected to play Morales in the outfield, where he hadn't played since 2008 when the Cuban slugger was with the Los Angeles Angels.

"It's worked out really good," Yost said. "The first couple of days it was like, 'OK, I'm really interested to see this happen.' But now, this has worked out really, really well for us. ... He hasn't hurt us. It's been a real pleasant surprise."

With his recent surge, Morales now has his average up to .264 on the season.

There are a couple of streaks to keep an eye on Sunday.

Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar enters Sunday riding a 13-game hitting streak, the longest of his career during a single season. He had an 18-game streak that stretched from the end of 2014 into 2015.

Phillies outfielder Peter Bourjos is riding an 11-game hit streak of his own. It ties the longest streak for a Phillie this season. Odubel Herrera did it in April. A hit on Sunday would tie the longest hitting streak of Bourjos' career.

Philadelphia is looking to get back on the winning side of the ledger after having its four-game win streak snapped on Saturday night.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (41-40) at Astros (43-38)

Game: 3
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: July 03, 2016 2:10 PM EDT

Two starting pitchers who haven't had much success lately will try to get back on track Sunday when the Chicago White Sox and Houston Astros conclude their three-game series at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

Left-hander Jose Quintana (5-8, 3.18 ERA), who will start for Chicago, is looking to halt a nine-start streak without a win. He's 0-7 during those nine starts with a 4.58 ERA. His last victory was May 8 against the Minnesota Twins, when he gave up just one run on six hits.

Houston right-hander Collin McHugh (5-5, 4.58 ERA), meanwhile, is looking for his first win since May 30. He has suffered one loss and four no-decisions in his past five starts.

On Tuesday, Quintana lasted seven innings, giving up four runs, six hits and one walk while striking out eight in a 4-0 loss to the Twins.

One of the problems for Quintana is that he's suddenly giving up home runs. Twins second baseman Brian Dozier hit two against him on Tuesday -- the fifth and sixth homers he has allowed in the past four games. Before that, Quintana was touched for only two homers in his first 12 starts.

But Quintana's record against the Astros could bode well for him Sunday. He is 2-1 with a 2.78 ERA in six career starts against Houston.

McHugh is going through a similar dry spell with only one win in his last nine starts. But McHugh's numbers indicate that he hasn't pitched that badly despite the lack of wins.

The 29-year-old gave up two runs in six innings against the Los Angeles Angels in his last start and has allowed only five runs in his previous three trips to the mound.

McHugh has an 0-2 career record against the White Sox but gave up only two runs in seven innings when he faced them on May 19.

The Astros will be trying to rebound after the White Sox ended Houston's four-game winning streak with a 7-6 victory on Saturday in the middle game of the series. It was only the second loss in the past 13 games for the Astros.

Houston also brings into the rubber match a streak of five consecutive series victories.

Center fielder J.B. Shuck and designated hitter Dioner Navarro played key roles for the White Sox as ace Chris Sale posted his major league-leading 14th victory. Shuck had a home run and triple and Navarro produced a triple and four RBIs.

Second baseman Jose Altuve, named the American League Player of the Month for June, was a key contributor for the Astros with a home run and three RBIs. Shortstop Carlos Correa also has been hot for the Astros, driving in nine runs in the past five games.

The White Sox may get left fielder Melky Cabrera back after he missed the last four games with a sprained right wrist. Before his injury, he was hitting .423 with two doubles, two home runs, six RBIs and four runs scored in his six previous games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (52-30) at Twins (26-54)

Game: 3
Venue: Target Field
Date: July 03, 2016 2:10 PM EDT

Minnesota bounced back from a three-game losing streak in a big way Saturday afternoon, and now the Twins are seeking their biggest series victory of the season in Sunday's finale against the Texas Rangers.

The Twins (26-54) had a historic performance from Max Kepler, who drove in a club rookie record seven runs, blasting a pair of home runs -- including a three-run shot -- as Minnesota cruised to a 17-5 victory at Target Field.

"I think when you have a big day like today and you hit a couple over the fence, it bodes well mentally," Twins manager Paul Molitor said of Kepler.

It was the Twins' biggest offensive output since a 20-run outburst against Detroit on Aug. 22, 2014, and it left them with a chance to take a three-game set against the American League-leading Rangers (52-30).

"We set the tone in the first inning with our sloppy play," said Rangers manager Jeff Banister, whose team surrendered four runs in the frame. "We couldn't get out of the first."

Texas won the opener Friday, using an Ian Desmond solo homer in the 10th inning to claim a 3-2 victory.

The Rangers now turn to staff ace Cole Hamels (9-1, 2.60 ERA) to stop the bleeding and stave off a fourth loss in the last five contests.

The left-hander has been on a roll lately, going 4-0 with a 0.65 ERA in his last four starts. On Tuesday, Hamels tossed seven scoreless innings and struck out seven to silence the New York Yankees in a 7-1 victory.

Unfortunately for Minnesota, home-field advantage likely won't have much of an impact on Hamels, who has won a Rangers' record nine consecutive decisions in road starts. He is 6-0 with a 1.44 ERA on the road this year.

Hamels is 1-0 with a 5.21 ERA in three career starts against Minnesota. Brian Dozier is the only Twins hitter with more than one hit off Hamels, going 2-for-5 with a double.

Dozier extended his on-base streak to a major-league-leading 24 games with a second-inning walk Saturday.

The news wasn't all good for Minnesota on Saturday, as it lost shortstop Eduardo Escobar to a left hamstring strain in the second inning after he sustained the injury when sliding into home an inning earlier.

Twins manager Paul Molitor said Escobar would be re-evaluated Sunday.

Kyle Gibson (1-5, 5.12 ERA) will be tasked with completing the Twins' series victory, making his fourth career start against Texas.

The right-hander is 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA against the Rangers, and he's looking to build on an encouraging outing his last time out.

Gibson pitched seven scoreless innings Tuesday in a 4-0 road win against the Chicago White Sox, allowing just five hits and a walk while fanning a season-high seven.

He hadn't tossed a scoreless outing since last Sept. 30, a nine-strikeout performance over six innings at Cleveland.

Elvis Andrus is 3-for-10 with a home run and two RBIs against Gibson. Robinson Chirinos (4-for-5) has also taken Gibson deep. Prince Fielder and Adrian Beltre also have two hits apiece against Gibson.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Brewers (35-45) at Cardinals (42-38)

Game: 3
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: July 03, 2016 2:15 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS -- While the St. Louis Cardinals continued their recent trend of solid to outstanding work from their starting pitchers on Saturday, the Milwaukee Brewers kept moving the needle in the wrong direction.

Adam Wainwright's seven shutout innings gave St. Louis a 3-0 win and deepened Milwaukee's recent skid offensively. In losing three straight games, the Brewers have managed just two runs.

Weather permitting, Milwaukee will try to figure things out against the Cardinals in Sunday's series finale at Busch Stadium.

"We're in a little bit of a funk offensively," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "We're just in one of those couple-day stretches of struggling to get things going and create opportunities."

St. Louis (42-38) has tended to do that to Milwaukee (35-45) in recent years. It owns a 6-2 advantage in this year's season series, outscoring it by 48-14, and is 45-20 against the Brewers, dating to the start of the 2013 season.

But a 90 percent chance of rain might present Milwaukee with a temporary reprieve. While the teams played through showers for most of Saturday's game, some forecasts are calling for as many as 2-3 inches of rain Sunday.

Nothing could dampen the Cardinals' mood after perhaps their best defensive game of the season. They turned four double plays, used a nifty deke at second base to steal an eighth-inning out and denied at least two hits with outstanding plays to turn hard-hit balls into outs.

It was a stark contrast from their previous three games, in which they made eight errors and other mental mistakes.

"Just good plays all the way around," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "Being able to trust your defense is one of those confidence-boosters for your pitching staff. They don't have to be perfect."

Michael Wacha (4-7, 4.42 ERA) gets the call for the Cardinals on Sunday. He has pitched well in his last four starts, all of them quality, and has won two straight outings, including an 8-4 verdict on Tuesday night in Kansas City.

Wacha, who lost seven straight decisions from April 23 to June 22, has displayed much better command lately. He has hit the lower parts of the strike zone with his fastball, enabling him to use his changeup as a wipeout pitch.

Wacha, who's 3-0 with a 4.22 ERA in five career outings against the Brewers, will be opposed by right-hander Chase Anderson (4-8, 5.45). He's coming off a 6-5 loss on Tuesday night to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who rocked him for eight hits and six runs (five earned) in four innings.

That outing actually qualifies as an improvement of sorts for Anderson, who has been hit so hard in his last three starts that his ERA during that span dropped to 12.71 after Tuesday night. But he has enjoyed good outings in his two career starts against St. Louis, allowing only two earned runs in 12 innings.

Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina is expected to make his 73rd start in 81 games and is looking to build on his 1,500th career hit that he accomplished in the fourth inning Saturday.

"He's been one of the greatest Cardinals ever," Wainwright said of his longtime battery mate. "We were excited for him."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pirates (40-41) at Athletics (35-46)

Game: 3
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: July 03, 2016 4:05 PM EDT

OAKLAND, Calif. -- It's been 40 days since Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Francisco Liriano won a game. He'll try to end that drought Sunday afternoon against the Oakland A's and impressive rookie pitcher Daniel Mengden.

Liriano had ERAs of 3.38 or lower in each of his past three seasons with Pittsburg and went a combined 35-25. This year, he's 4-8 with a 5.33 ERA, more than a full run higher than his career mark of 4.05.

A mysterious lack of command has been a key to Liariano's struggles. In his previous start, he walked five and lasted only 4 1/3 innings in a 5-4 loss to the Dodgers on Monday. He gave up four hits and five runs (four earned).

Over his past six starts, Liriano is 0-5 with a 7.12 ERA with 24 walks in 30 1/3 innings. He's allowed five home runs and 36 hits during that stretch. He hasn't won a game since May 24 against Arizona.

"I've been here before," Liriano said after his loss to the Dodgers. "I've just got to stay positive and keep working."

Liriano went 6-12 with a 5.34 ERA in 2012, pitching for the Twins and White Sox, before signing with the Pirates as a free agent on Feb. 8, 2013. In his first season with Pittsburgh, he went 16-8 with a 3.02 ERA. He walked 63 and struck out 163 in 161 innings.

"I would never have called him a pinpoint pitcher his whole career," Pirates catcher Chris Stewart said Saturday before the Pirates' 4-2, 10-inning victory. "I think this year is a little more out of the zone with certain things, falling behind a lot of hitters and putting guys on base, and it seems like guys are getting big hits against him when they're on base.

"It's just a matter of him going out, trusting his stuff, attacking the strike zone, establishing the fastball command early, and that way he'll get the chases on the other stuff."

Mengden is 1-3 in four starts, but he has a 2.81 ERA and is coming off his first career major league victory. He allowed two hits and four runs over a career-high 7 2/3 innings in an 8-3 victory Monday against the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park.

Mengden started the season with Double-A Midland, was promoted to Triple-A Nashville then was called up to the A's on June 11. He has 26 strikeouts and nine walks over 25 2/3 innings. With each major league start, his confidence has grown.

"Every time you step on the rubber and get out there you gain experience and confidence and trust in yourself, as well," said Mengden, who will try to prevent the Pirates from sweeping the three-game series. "Getting used to the atmosphere, the type of hitters you're facing. The more and more you do it, the easier it gets, and I guess the more confidence you'll get. And I've been throwing well, so that always helps with the confidence and trusting my stuff. It's a lot of fun."

Mengden scouted the Pirates hitters on Monday in the series opener and again on Tuesday. He knows what to expect when he takes the mound in the series finale.

"They have a lot of balance to their whole lineup," Mengden said. "Speed, power. They're a good team. ... It's always nice seeing a few guys face a team before you face them."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (51-32) at Diamondbacks (37-46)

Game: 3
Venue: Chase Field
Date: July 03, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

PHOENIX -- The Diamondbacks understand what they are up against entering the second half of the season, and their comeback victory against San Francisco on Saturday was a step in the right direction.

Welington Castillo's three-run homer in the eighth inning put the finishing touches on a four-run comeback for an exhilarating 6-5 victory, snapping a six-game losing streak.

As for something to build on as the teams prepare for the final game of a three-game homestand, time will tell.

"I hope so," said Arizona first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who made a lunging stop with a runner on first base to preserve reliever Jake Barrett's first major league victory and Brad Ziegler's 17th save for the final out Saturday.

"You'd like to say yes, but who knows if you can. You show up tomorrow and it is zero-zero and it doesn't really matter that much. We need the win, just because we know how far back we are from San Fran and even in the wild card, so any win is going to be big. Hopefully the momentum carries over, but I know they are not going to be fazed by it.

"They are fine coming off losses, and it is not like if we would have lost we would have showed up and been hanging our heads tomorrow. Hopefully we can win the series."

The D-backs (37-46) will send left-hander Robbie Ray against Giants right-hander Albert Suarez in the finale of the three-game series at Chase Field on Sunday.

Arizona's victory Saturday was the first by the home team in the first 10 games of the season series. The Diamondbacks swept a four-game series at AT&T Park on April 18-21 before the Giants swept a four-gamer series at Chase Field on May 12-15. The Giants won the opener of this series Friday, coming back from two three-run deficits in a 5-4 victory.

"That is one we let get away," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said Saturday.

Castillo has homered in two consecutive games and has hit four of his 10 homers against the Giants this season. He had seven in his first 21 games before going 28 games without one, connecting again June 17.

Asked if his homers come in bunches, Castillo drew chuckles when he said, "That's what it looks like. I've been feeling good lately. I know I went through a tough moment. I don't worry about my hitting. I know I can hit a little bit. Just time, and it's going to come."

Arizona third baseman Jake Lamb had two hits and a walk Saturday and is close to becoming the fourth player (five occurrences) in franchise history to have 20 doubles and 20 homers before the All-Star break. Lamb hit his 19th double Saturday and has 18 homers after hitting one in each of the three previous games. Only Paul Goldschmidt (twice), Matt Williams and Jay Bell have done it.

Ray (4-7) threw six shutout innings for his first victory of the season at San Francisco on April 19, and he is 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA in two career starts against the Giants. He averages 10.42 strikeouts per nine innings, seventh highest among NL starters and third highest among left-handers.

Suarez (3-1) will make his sixth start Sunday and also has made six relief appearances. He took Matt Cain's spot in the starting rotation when Cain went out with a right hamstring strain. He has a 4.39 ERA in five starts and will gave the Diamondbacks for the first time.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Rockies-Dodgers preview
By Joseph D'Hippolito, The Sports Xchange

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Dodgers' beleaguered starting rotation will receive some help for the final game of their three-game series against the Colorado Rockies.
Right-hander Brandon McCarthy will be activated from the disabled list and make his first start in 15 months when he takes the mound Sunday at Dodger Stadium. McCarthy, whom the Dodgers signed as a free agent in December 2014, underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2015.
Before that operation, McCarthy made only four starts for the Dodgers. In his last appearance, the 10-year veteran allowed six runs, six hits and three home runs in five innings yet got the victory in an 11-8 decision over the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on April 25, 2015. McCarthy had surgery five days later.
Ironically, in McCarthy's last game at Dodger Stadium, he faced the Rockies. The right-hander conceded just three hits and two walks in six shutout innings while collecting six strikeouts during a 7-0 win. McCarthy finished the season 3-0 with a 5.87 earned-run average.
McCarthy's return leaves four starters on the disabled list -- including ace Clayton Kershaw, who leads the major leagues with a 1.79 ERA. A herniated disc put the left-handed Kershaw on the disabled list Thursday and forced the Dodgers to acquire righty Bud Norris from the Atlanta Braves at the last minute in a five-player trade.
"He's full go," manager Dave Roberts told MLB.com regarding McCarthy. "We kind of sped it up a bit because of the circumstances. But Brandon's excited about getting back. We expect him to pitch well on Sunday."
McCarthy's return moves Julio Urias' start to Monday night against the Baltimore Orioles.
Opposing McCarthy will be right-hander Jon Gray, one of the Rockies' brightest pitching hopes. Selected with the third overall pick in the June 2013 draft, Gray leads Colorado with 83 strikeouts while holding opposing batters to a .232 average, the best among the Rockies' starters.
"He's got lot more confidence now when he takes the mound," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "His slider has become a wipeout weapon for him. He's a prototypical power pitcher who's gaining more and more confidence."
The Rockies hope Gray can be as stifling as the Dodgers' pitchers. In the series' first two games, the hosts have held Colorado to just one run on nine hits while amassing 26 strikeouts.
Los Angeles' pitching has sabotaged the Rockies' most potent veteran hitters: Nolan Arenado, Carlos Gonzalez and Mark Reynolds. The trio have managed only one hit while striking out 13 times in 21 combined at-bats.
But rookie shortstop Trevor Story has yet to play in the series. Story, who leads all major league rookies with 19 home runs and 50 RBIs, missed four of the past five games because of a bruised right finger.
"Offense is very cyclical in this game," Weiss said. "We haven't performed well the last couple of nights offensively. But we will. We're a good offensive club. We'll get it going.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Orioles (47-33) at Mariners (42-39)

Game: 4
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: July 03, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

SEATTLE -- Baltimore Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez was on the ropes two weeks ago, when another short outing in a 13-3 loss to Toronto left him with a 7.34 ERA and a shaky future. Jimenez's spot in the rotation was in jeopardy, and it was going to take a solid start or two for the Orioles to keep relying on him.

Jimenez delivered with solid outings in back-to-back outings, so he'll be on the mound again when the Orioles close out the Seattle series on Sunday afternoon.

"Ubaldo's had two good outings in a row," manager Buck Showalter said, "so we hope that continues."

Baltimore's rotation could get a facelift around the All-Star break, and Jimenez isn't the only Orioles starter on thin ice. Right-hander Tyler Wilson endured the worst start of his young career Saturday night, when he got tagged for eight runs off nine hits, three of which were homers, over three innings in a 12-6 loss to Seattle.

The Orioles, who came into the Seattle series on the high of a seven-game winning streak, have fallen on hard times to the tune of three losses in a row. The good news was that Baltimore's offense started to show signs of life after the fourth inning Saturday night.

Showalter was more concerned with his over-taxed pitching staff, which had to use four pitchers to get through the win after Wilson only got nine outs.

"We've just not been able to get deep in games with our starters," Showalter said.

Seattle is hoping veteran starter Hisashi Iwakuma (7-6, 4.34 ERA) can continue Baltimore's offensive struggles. Iwakuma has history with the Orioles, having thrown his only no-hitter against Baltimore last August.

"It was a significant game in my career," Iwakuma told The News Tribune of Tacoma (Wash.) through an interpreter on Saturday. "But that's in the past, and (Sunday) is a different ball game."

Iwakuma has given up 10 home runs over his past six starts, so there is reason for the Orioles to believe that their late offensive awakening Saturday might continue into the series finale.

Baltimore (47-33) has only been swept once all season, and that came in a three-game series at Houston in late May. The last time the Orioles lost every game of a four-game series came last August, when the Minnesota Twins swept them in Baltimore.

Seattle's three-game winning streak has given the Mariners renewed hope after a rough June. Saturday's win pulled Seattle (42-39) within 9 1/2 games of Texas in the AL West and 1 1/2 back in the wild-card standings.

"This is a time we need to win some games and finish the first half on a good note," said Mariners left fielder Seth Smith, who has homered in each of the first three games of the series.

Seattle has won three in a row for the first time since May 19-22. A win Sunday would match the Mariners' longest winning streak of the season, at four games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (39-41) at Padres (35-46)

Game: 3
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: July 03, 2016 4:40 PM EDT

SAN DIEGO -- With CC Sabathia being pushed back a day, the Yankees have recalled right-hander Chad Green from Triple-A Scranton-Wilkes-Barre of the International League to start Sunday's series finale against the Padres at Petco Park.

This will be the 25-year-old Green's third trip to the major league this season. The first visit didn't go so well.

And the pressure will be on. The Yankees need a win Sunday afternoon to avoid being swept by the Padres. But history is on the Yankees side.

The Padres are 6-20 in day games this season, including a 2-8 record in day games at Petco Park. They are also 3-23 in the last games of a series and 2-10 on Sundays.

As for Green, he made his major league debut on May 14 in a spot start at Arizona and allowed six runs (four earned) on eight hits in four innings. Two of the hits were homers.

"I think Green will be less nervous than in his last start," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Saturday while discussing the matchup of Green (0-1, 7.20 earned run average) against Padres right-hander Andrew Cashner (3-5, 4.75 ERA), who is coming off the 15-day disabled list due to a neck strain.

"I hope so," Girardi continued in his discussion of Green. "I think that any time guys get called up at an early age, the first time they are nervous. The second time they are less nervous. That is just the way it goes."

Girardi said Green has pitched well at Triple-A. In fact, Green earlier this week was named to the International League team for the Triple-A All-Star Game. He is 6-6 in 14 starts for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with a 1.54 ERA. He leads the IL in ERA.

Cashner, meanwhile, will be making his first appearance since June 10, when he left after facing one hitter at Coors Field in Denver. He went on the disabled list the following day for the second time this season. Cashner was also out from May 9 to May 24 with a left hamstring strain suffered when he unsuccessfully tried to score from first on a double.

"This has been a strange year," said Cashner, who has allowed one earned run over nine innings in two previous games (one start) against the Yankees.

Cashner missed 22 days with his neck strain. He has missed a total of six starts this season.

In four starts between his two trips to the disabled list -- each for issues unrelated to his right arm -- Casher was 1-2 with a 4.42 ERA. His ERA is currently as low as it has been since April 22.

"I thought Cash was throwing a lot better before his neck became an issue," Padres manager Andy Green said recently. "His stuff was sharper and his command was better. He looked sharp in his rehab start earlier this week (with Class A Lake Elsinore) so we're hopeful he's ready to move forward."

There are indications that Cashner's neck soreness could have been an issue weeks before the sprain forced him to the sideline.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Marlins (42-39) at Braves (28-53)

Game: 4
Venue: Fort Bragg Ballpark
Date: July 03, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

ATLANTA -- Having to make an extra trip to play a midseason game at a neutral site would normally by cause for grumbling.

That's not the case, however, with the historic game Sunday night at Fort Bragg, N.C., between the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins.

"Everybody looking at it as an honor," Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said. "It will be an honor to go play for them, give them a little something back. See those guys. Have lunch with them."

The game, announced in March, will be the first major professional sporting event at an active United States military base, and a 12,500-seat temporary stadium was constructed for the event.

All tickets will go to military personal and their dependents. Others will have to watch on ESPN at 8:05 p.m. ET.

"It won't be a big stadium but it will be a big game, on ESPN and everything," Braves starter Matt Wisler said. "It should be a pretty exciting night."

The teams were to stay Saturday night in Fayetteville, N.C., after flying in from Atlanta, then spend a full day on the massive Army base Sunday before heading out for their next games.

The Braves (28-53) play in Philadelphia on July 4, while the Marlins (42-39) will head on to New York to play the Mets.

Atlanta has won two of the first three games in the series against Miami and is 8-3 this year against the Marlins.

Miami reliever Mike Dunn was part of a group of major leaguers who spent a few days embedded with the troops at Fort Bragg in 2014.

"I've always appreciated our service men and women, but going there and spending time with them one-on-one really gave me a different outlook on it," Dunn said.

"To visit there was unforgettable, and I think this game will be unforgettable, too."

Said Marlins manager Don Mattingly: "It really is an honor to be able to go. I'm excited about it. From our standpoint, it should be an appreciation.

"It seems like not only baseball but all sports and the nation itself have been a lot better lately about honoring our military and respecting what they do for us."

It is the finale of a four-game series between the Braves and Marlins that began Thursday at Turner Field, and figures to be the most memorable of the 19 the teams play this season.

"These military guys that we're going to be around are the real heroes who give us an opportunity to do what we do every day," Braves catcher A.J. Pierzynski said.

Left-hander Adam Conley (4-5, 3.90 ERA) will start for the Marlins and try to stay unbeaten against Braves. He is 1-0 with a 1.46 ERA in two starts this year and 2-0 with a 3.54 ERA in four career outings.

Right-hander Wisler (3-7, 4.14 ERA) has pitched only twice against the Marlins, getting a save in his only relief appearance this season.

The attention won't be on the starting pitchers, though. They will be far secondary to the event itself.

"I feel like the energy is going to be great," Mattingly said.

Added left fielder Christian Yelish of the Marlins: "For me personally, it's going to be awesome, who has a brother in the Marines. "As soon as we found out about it in spring training, I've been waiting for it to come along."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sunday's Diamond Notes
By Tony Mejia

Hottest team: Indians (14-1 last last 15)
For the first time since June 15, we’ll see how the Tribe responds after a loss. For perspective as to how long ago that was, the Cavs were still down 3-2 in the NBA Finals at that point. Cleveland had just been swept in Kansas City, but bounced back to set a franchise record with 14 consecutive wins before falling 9-6 on Saturday afternoon, surrendering the game’s final four runs. The Indians bullpen is a concern after Friday’s 19-inning win and a host of close games they’ve been involved with, but the team’s starting pitching and offense has been the best in baseball for over two weeks. In all, Terry Francona’s team outscored opponents 82-27 during their winning streak and will look to bounce back with rotation mainstay Corey Kluber (8-7, 3.50 ERA) after being forced to give Zach McAllister a spot start yesterday. The 2014 Cy Young Award winner went 4-1 with a 2.19 ERA in June but lost his only start against the Blue Jays last year. Lefty J.A. Happ (10-3, 3.70) will pitch for Toronto, looking to claim his fifth straight decision, extending his team lead in wins.

Coldest team: Rays (0-3 last 3, 2-15 last 17)
Tampa Bay hoped it had finally snapped out of its funk earlier this week when Matt Moore outdueled good buddy and former teammate David Price to help take two of three games from visiting Boston, but the Tigers came into town with other ideas. After scoring 10 runs in each of the first two games, winning the series opener with eight in the ninth, Detroit held off the Rays 3-2 on Saturday, riding Justin Verlander. Banged up and getting limited crowd support, Tampa Bay will turn to Chris Archer (4-11, 4.76) as it tries to avoid being swept in this four-game set, but has just won once in his last eight starts, scoring more than three runs only twice. The Rays do have the good fortune of running into Mike Pelfrey (2-7, 5.02), Detroit’s most vulnerable starter.

Hottest pitcher: Jon Lester (9-3, 2.03 ERA)
After losing another Jake Arrieta start, Chicago looks to avoid a four-game sweep at the hands of the Mets by turning to Lester, their ERA leader and lone lefty starter. The Cubs have lost only once in Lester’s last seven outings and watched him go 4-0 with a 1.41 ERA in June to move into second behind L.A.’s Clayton Kershaw among MLB’s ERA leaders. Lester lost a 4-2 decision to New York and Matt Harvey in Game 1 of last year’s NLCS and will look to stop a seven-game losing streak at the hands of the Mets that started last postseason. He’ll face Noah Syndergaard (8-3, 2.49), who outdueled Arrieta in NLCS Game 2 and has been New York’s best pitcher this year. Syndergaard is coming off surrendering five runs in just three innings to snap a personal six-game winning streak in an 11-4 loss at Washington on June 27. Although there have been rumors he’s been dealing with elbow pain, his velocity was normal and he reported feeling good. This is by far Sunday’s top pitching matchup.

Coldest pitcher: Francisco Liriano (4-8, 5.33 ERA)
The Pirates have won the first two games in their series at Oakland after splitting in Seattle, so their West Coast trip is going extremely well, delivering them to within a game of .500 as they look for a sweep of the A’s. They’ll need to overcome Liriano’s slumping ways to get the job done since he’s pitched in a single victory over his last nine starts. The Dominican lefty has gotten through six innings only twice in his last seven and has surrendered at least four runs in five of six. Liriano has been even worse on the road, giving up 11 home runs in just 38.2 innings and is 1-4 with a 6.98 ERA outside of Pittsburgh. He’s had a pretty solid run with the Pirates, but the manner in which he’s coming apart is similar to how the bottom fell out for him in Minnesota. Oakland slugger Khris Davis is 4-for-12 against him with two homers.

Biggest UNDER run: Cardinals (4-0 last 4)
Brewers starter Chase Anderson (4-8, 5.45) may threaten this St. Louis run since he’s been flammable in his last three starts, all Milwaukee losses. Anderson has surrendered 17 runs in his last 11.1 innings and will be seeing the Cardinals for the first time this season. He’s 1-5 with a 6.30 ERA on the road, but did get through six innings of two-run ball in his only Busch Stadium appearance. The Cardinals have pitched extremely well on their current homestand, giving up a single run in this series and losing tight games against Kansas City due to their bats betraying them. The Pirates come in next for a key four-game set, but St. Louis has its eyes set on a sweep of the Brewers as they send Michael Wacha (4-7, 4.42) to the mound. He’s had the ‘over’ prevail in seven of his last eight starts despite giving up more than three runs only once in his five June starts. This total has been set at 8.5.

Biggest OVER run: Twins (18-5-2 last 25)
Minnesota exploded for a season-high 17 runs against the Rangers on Saturday, riding a breakout 2-home run, 7-RBI game from rookie Max Kepler. Despite the worst record in baseball, the Twins have been involved in an astounding amount of high-scoring games since May 23. In a 37-game stretch, either Minnesota or its opponent has scored at least five runs in 31 of them, leading to the ‘over’ going 27-8-2. The Twins and Rangers are in the midst of seeing one another seven times between now and the All-Star break, which could lead to plenty of fireworks since Texas has scored at least five runs in eight of its last 10 games. Kyle Gibson (1-5, 5.12) shut out the White Sox over seven innings in his last start, but had been involved in games that climbed ‘over’ the posted total in three of his previous four outings. Rangers ace Cole Hamels (9-1, 2.60) might squash any hope of another big day at the plate for Minnesota, however, since he’s given up two earned runs or less in each of his last five starts, all wins. This total has been set at 8.5.

Matchup to watch: Marlins vs. Braves
Where they’re playing is more important than who is playing in this one. Fort Bragg Stadium, as its being referred to, is a temporary structure on the largest military base in the world that Major League Baseball funded solely for this event in North Carolina. It will be converted into a multi-purpose facility post-game, having been built on land that used to be a golf course. The facility will host the first regular-season MLB game ever played on a military instillation in celebration of July 4th weekend. The 12,500-seat stadium will welcome in mostly soldiers and U.S. Department of Defense personnel in a game that will feature Atlanta as the home team. Both the Braves and Marlins arrived late after playing a 9-1 game at Turner Field that Atlanta surprisingly won as a +235 underdog against Miami ace Jose Fernandez in the biggest shocker of an upset-filled Saturday. The Braves have won only 28 games this season, but are 8-3 against the Marlins, keeping their NL East rival from a firm grip on a Wild Card spot. Lefty Adam Conley (4-5, 3.90) and Matt Wisler (3-7, 4.14) will take the mound on the Sunday night stage for their respective teams. The total has been set at 8.5.

Betcha didn’t know: Brandon McCarthy is undefeated as a member of the Dodgers despite a 5.87 ERA. L.A., notorious for its lack of run support last season, averaged 7.75 runs per game in McCarthy's starts last April before he tore the UCL in his elbow and underwent Tommy John Surgery. McCarthy, who missed the entire 2010 season due to a shoulder surgery, will be pitching in the bigs for the first time in over 14 months following a rehab stint at Class A Rancho Cucamonga that begin on June 12. McCarthy went 0-1 with a 4.61 ERA in Class-A, striking out 11 and walking three. Colorado, who McCarthy shut out 7-0 in his best Dodgers start, will counter with Jon Gray (5-3, 4.83) to try and avoid a sweep. The Rockies have scored a single run in the first two games of the series.

Biggest public favorite: Rangers (-160) at Twins

Biggest public underdog: Rockies (+115) at Dodgers

Biggest line move: Rays (-140 to -155) vs. Tigers