Sunday 8/16/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Padres (56-61) at Rockies (47-68)

Game: 3
Venue: Coors Field
Date: August 16, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

Even while winning for the fourth time in five games, San Diego still suffered collateral damage.

It's been that kind of a season for the Padres.

Yonder Alonso's availability is in question for Sunday's series finale against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

Twelve games back of a wild-card spot, the Padres (56-61) have little left to play for - likely not the situation they envisioned after acquiring Justin Upton, James Shields, Will Middlebrooks and Wil Myers during a splashy offseason.

San Diego has earned itself some goodwill lately, scoring seven-plus runs with 11 or more hits three times in the last four games, highlighted by the first cycle in club history Friday courtesy of Matt Kemp.

Brett Wallace put the Padres ahead Saturday with a pinch-hit single during a three-run ninth inning in a 7-5 win. Their seven straight victories against the Rockies match their run from July 12, 1997 to July 5, 1998, as the longest winning streak by either team in the series.

Upton went 2 for 5 and doubled, but was frustrated after being tagged out in an eighth-inning rundown. Upon returning to the dugout, he threw his helmet, which bounced and struck Alonso in the head. Alonso, batting .271 in 89 games, crumpled to the ground in pain, though he showed no concussion symptoms. He'll be re-evaluated Sunday.

Upton called it a "big mistake," while interim manager Pat Murphy described the outburst as "unacceptable."

"Most of the time showing that kind of anger is not healthy in my mind at all," Murphy said.

San Diego's Ian Kennedy (7-10, 4.37 ERA) worked in and out of trouble against Cincinnati lineup Monday, limiting the Reds to one run and two hits over five innings despite walking six in a 2-1 victory. He improved to 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA over his last five outings

Kennedy is 6-4 with a 2.87 ERA in 19 starts against Colorado, winning his third straight meeting May 1 in a 14-3 victory at Petco Park.

Coors Field wouldn't seem to be the best location for Kennedy considering he's allowed at least one home run in 11 straight starts, though his 1.1 homers allowed per nine innings all-time in Denver is well below his 2.0 mark overall this season. No Padre has ever allowed a home run in 12 straight starts.

Carlos Gonzalez, who is 1 for 18 in his last five games, is hitting .125 in 32 at-bats against Kennedy with 15 strikeouts.

The Rockies (47-68) have lost six straight, their most since a season-worst 11-game skid April 28-May 13.

Chris Rusin (3-5, 4.43) held the New York Mets to a 1-for-9 clip with runners in scoring position Tuesday, finding his way out of trouble to allow only one run despite giving up eight hits over six innings in the 4-0 loss. He had posted a 7.80 ERA over his previous three starts.

Rusin has been hit well by fellow left-handers lately. They're 12 for 24 with four extra-base hits in his last four starts after batting .273 against him previously.

He tossed 6 1-3 scoreless innings in his only previous matchup with the Padres, a 3-2 road loss with the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 25, 2013.

San Diego's .231 batting average against lefties ranks 28th.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (60-56) at Royals (70-46)

Game: 4
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: August 16, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Barring a colossal collapse, the Kansas City Royals will waltz to a playoff berth.

The Los Angeles Angels looked like a playoff team in late July but have been spiraling downward ever since and are in danger of no longer being in line for a wild-card spot.

The Angels look to avoid losing grip of a postseason spot for the first time in 6 1/2 weeks in Sunday night's series finale in Kansas City.

By beating Los Angeles 9-4 on Saturday, the Royals (70-46) can move a season-best 25 games over .500 with a victory in the finale.

Another win coupled with a Minnesota loss would also give Kansas City its first division lead of 13 games since it won the 1980 AL West crown by 14. The Royals have a 100 percent chance of reaching the playoffs, according to MLB's official website.

Things are much more dicey for the Angels (60-56).

After leading the West by two games and having a seven-game cushion in the wild-card race on July 22, Los Angeles has gone a major league-worst 6-16 to fall 2 1/2 games back of first-place Houston and is one-half game clear of Baltimore for the second wild card.

A loss in the finale and a win by the Orioles would drop the Angels out of a playoff spot for the first time since July 2.

Albert Pujols ended a season-worst 14-game streak without a homer with his 31st, but Saturday's starter Matt Shoemaker was knocked around for six runs in 1 2-3 innings.

"Today," manager Mike Scioscia said, "is just a one we've got to turn the page on."

The problem with that is this has been an ongoing problem for the Angels. Their starting pitchers have a 5.16 ERA in the last 22 games after being at 3.53 on July 22, and Hector Santiago's struggles have coincided with those of the team.

The left-hander is 0-2 with a 5.91 ERA with six home runs allowed in his last four starts after posting a 0.95 ERA while not surrendering a homer in winning the prior three.

Santiago (7-6, 2.87 ERA) surrendered a solo homer to Kendrys Morales and allowed two other runs over 5 1-3 innings in a 4-2 loss to the Royals on April 10. He has a 1.53 ERA in 11 games against Kansas City - his lowest ERA against any opponent he's faced more than twice - but he'll be facing a couple of Royals who are locked in at the plate.

Eric Hosmer has two homers and five RBIs in this series and is batting .415 with 25 RBIs and a 1.154 OPS in his last 18 games.

Salvador Perez started Saturday and had a homer and a double after having the previous three games off to rest an ailing right wrist.

"I guess it's good," Perez said of his wrist.

He is hitting .367 with seven RBIs in his last eight games and is 7 for 18 with three home runs against Los Angeles this season.

Perez's batterymate Yordano Ventura (7-7, 4.97) has been hit or miss in five starts since the All-Star break, posting a 9.56 ERA in three games and an 0.69 ERA in the other two. Against Detroit on Tuesday, the right-hander allowed two hits and matched a season best with eight strikeouts but issued a career high-tying six walks in six scoreless innings of a 6-1 win.

"He wasn't crazy wild. He was just missing," manager Ned Yost told MLB's official website. "He was aggressively into the game. ... He was the old Ventura of last year."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB roundup: Cueto, Royals dominate Angels
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Salvador Perez homered and doubled in a six-run second inning and Johnny Cueto pitched eight impressive innings as the Kansas City Royals ripped the Los Angeles Angels 9-4 Saturday night.

Cueto allowed a run on five hits in the first two innings, but that was it. Cueto limited the Angels to eight hits, three by Johnny Giavotella, over eight innings.

He has given up one run on 12 hits in 17 innings in two Kauffman Stadium starts since being acquired in a July 26 trade with Cincinnati.

The Royals’ 14 hits included seven doubles and six players with multihits. Center fielder Jarrod Dyson stroked three singles and drove in three runs. Second baseman Ben Zobrist reached base four times – three walks and a RBI-double.

Dodgers 8, Reds 3

LOS ANGELES -- Enrique Hernandez, Yasiel Puig, Justin Turner and Adrian Gonzalez all homered, sparking Los Angeles past Cincinnati.

Dodgers starter Brett Anderson gave up a two-run homer to Todd Frazier in the first inning but limited the Reds to a run in the next five innings.

Anderson, who had never faced Cincinnati, struck out three and walked two on 103 pitches in six innings.

Giants 12, Nationals 6

SAN FRANCISCO -- Matt Duffy belted a three-run double in a six-run third inning as San Francisco defeated Washington.

The win was the third in a row for the Giants over the Nationals, evening the season series at 3-3 after Washington had swept a three-game home series in July.

A fifth consecutive defeat dropped the Nationals to the .500 mark for the first time since they were 15-15 on May 8.

Cubs 6, White Sox 3

CHICAGO -- It wasn't pretty, but the Cubs will gladly take the results of their win over the White Sox for their ninth straight win.

The Cubs haven't had a nine-game winning streak since the 2008 season. They lead the season series against the rival White Sox 3-2 and have a chance to win it Sunday.

Kris Bryant went 2-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 12 games and Addison Russell (2-for-3, two runs scored), Jorge Soler (2-for-5, two RBIs), Anthony Rizzo (2-for-4, RBI) and Dexter Fowler (2-for-4, RBI) all contributed for the Cubs.

Tigers 4, Astros 2, 11 innings

HOUSTON -- Victor Martinez keyed a three-run rally with an RBI double as Detroit withstood a late rally by

Houston.

Martinez lined the first pitch from Pat Neshek into the left-center field gap to score Jose Iglesias. J.D. Martinez and Tyler Collins followed with RBI singles to chase Neshek and put Detroit comfortably ahead.

Detroit's Justin Verlander continued his recent resurgence, allowing three hits and two walks while recording seven strikeouts over seven shutout innings. Excluding an Aug. 4 loss to the Royals when he allowed five earned runs, Verlander has posted a 0.62 ERA starting with a seven-inning outing at Boston on July 24.

Pirates 5, Mets 3

NEW YORK -- Chris Stewart delivered a pinch-RBI single in the top of the 14th inning and Pittsburgh went on to beat New.

It was the second straight extra-inning win for the Pirates, who remained 1 1/2 games ahead of the Chicago Cubs in the National League wild-card race.

The Mets (63-54) lost for just the sixth time in their last 20 games.

Padres 7, Rockies 5

DENVER -- San Diego took advantage of Colorado's shaky bullpen and erupted for three runs in the ninth inning for the win.

The loss was the Rockies' sixth straight and 13th in their past 17 games.

The Padres have won four of their past five. They clinched their first series win at Coors Field since June 29-July 1, 2012.

Rangers 12, Rays 4

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Adrian Beltre punctuated Texas' seven-run sixth inning with a three-run home run in a rout of Tampa Bay.

Texas, which has won three consecutive games and nine of its past 10 at home, moved within 1 1/2 games of the second wild-card spot in the American League and four games behind the Houston Astros in the AL West.

Texas' Shin-Soo Choo was 3-for-4 with a double, his 15th home run and three RBIs. Catcher Chris Gimenez had two run-scoring hits and three RBIs, including a two-run home run.

Orioles 4, A's 3

BALTIMORE -- Chris Davis hit his second homer of the game, a solo shot off switch-pitcher Pat Venditte with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, to give the Baltimore the come-from-behind victory.

Baltimore rallied from a four-run deficit to score an 8-6 victory Friday. This time, the A's took an early 3-0 lead but could not hold it as the Orioles used two homers to tie it before Davis' walk-off homer won it.

Davis lunged for a low 2-2 pitch against Venditte and sent the ball into the seats in right-center. Venditte faced two batters throwing left-handed and one right-handed – he matched up with first baseman Davis as a left-hander.

Davis hit a two-run shot earlier and now has six homers in his last six games.

Twins 4, Indians 1

MINNEAPOLIS -- Tyler Duffey allowed one hit in six innings and Minnesota got home runs from Eddie Rosario, Chris Herrmann and Brian Dozier to top the Cleveland.

Duffey's second career major league start was much smoother than his first one. In his big league debut on Aug. 5 against Toronto, Duffey was tagged for six runs on five hits in just two innings. He was recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Friday for Saturday's start against Cleveland.

Duffey cruised through five innings Saturday without allowing a hit. The right-hander notched six strikeouts during that span, five of which came via his breaking ball.

Cardinals 6, Marlins 2

ST. LOUIS -- Swinging at a 3-0 pitch with pitcher John Lackey on deck, eighth-place hitter Mark Reynolds lined a three-run homer to center field in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift St. Louis over Miami.

It was the 10th homer of the year for the Cardinals' first baseman, who collected two hits for the second straight game. His blast knocked in Yadier Molina and Stephen Piscotty, who started the inning off with singles.

Lackey went 8 1/3 innings, scattering nine hits and allowing two runs with one walk and six strikeouts in his 12th straight quality start. He came within two outs of his -- and the team's second complete game of the year.

Diamondbacks 8, Braves 4

ATLANTA -- Patrick Corbin had Atlanta's number before missing last season because of Tommy John elbow surgery and nothing has changed since.

The Arizona left-hander allowed just three hits and struck out eight over 6 2/3 scoreless innings in the eighth start of his comeback season as Diamondbacks defeated the Braves.

Corbin, who won 14 games as a rookie in 2013, has gone 16 2/3 innings against Atlanta in his career without allowing a run and the Braves are batting .134 (7-for-52) against him.

Brewers 4, Phillies 2

MILWAUKEE -- Jean Segura drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the seventh inning, and Scooter Gennett recorded a career-best four hits as Milwaukee beat Philadelphia.

Gennett opened the seventh with a bunt single and advanced to second on a wild pitch by losing pitcher Justin De Fratus. Segura followed with his liner up the middle on the next pitch.

Will Smith earned the win as he struck out Odubel Herrera to end the seventh inning with two runners on.

Yankees 4, Blue Jays 1

TORONTO -- Carlos Beltran and Mark Teixeira hit home runs, Masahiro Tanaka pitched a complete game and the New York defeated Toronto.

Beltran won the game for the Yankees on Friday with a three-run, pinch-hit homer in the eighth and as a result the Yankees will try to complete a sweep of the three-game series on Sunday. The Blue Jays swept the Yankees in New York last weekend.

The Yankees have won three games in a row to move 1 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Blue Jays in the American League East.

Red Sox 22, Mariners 10

BOSTON -- Jackie Bradley Jr. slugged a pair of two-run homers and had seven RBIs as Boston lit up Seattle ace Felix Hernandez for 10 runs in 2 1/3 innings.

The Red Sox have scored 37 runs on 47 hits -- including a season-high 26 hits on Saturday -- in their last two games after scoring 45 runs in the first 10 games of August.

Bradley hit his homers in the second and eighth innings, added an RBI-double in the sixth and a two-run double in the seventh. Bradley had five hits, while Xander Bogaerts and Blake Swihart each had four hits for the Red Sox. David Ortiz had three hits and three RBIs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

3B Sandoval leaves Red Sox game after HBP
The Sports Xchange

BOSTON -- Third baseman Pablo Sandoval of the Boston Red Sox left Saturday's game at Fenway Park against the Seattle Mariners in the fourth inning because of a right elbow contusion after being hit by a pitch an inning earlier.

Sandoval was hit by Mariners right-hander Felix Hernandez's first pitch of the third inning and immediately ran toward the Red Sox dugout, but stayed in the game for the time being.

At the start of the fourth, Boston second baseman Brock Holt moved to third base to replace Sandoval, while infielder Josh Rutledge entered the game at second.

Sandoval was 1-for-2 with a solo home run as Boston built a 10-2 lead through three innings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Marlins place Yelich on DL, recall Ozuna
The Sports Xchange

The Miami Marlins placed outfielder Christian Yelich on the 15-day disabled list Saturday because of a bruised right knee.

The team also recalled outfielder Marcell Ozuna from Triple-A New Orleans.

Yelich's move was retroactive to Aug. 10 and made before Saturday night's game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Yelich was injured last Sunday and he has been dealing with swelling in the knee.

Yelich, 23, is batting .275 with six home runs and 29 RBIs in 92 games. He was on the DL earlier this year because of a strained back.

Ozuna, 24, was demoted to the minors on July 5 after struggling in the first half of the season, batting .249 with four home runs and 26 RBIs. He hit 23 homers with 85 RBIs last year. He had a productive stint at New Orleans, appearing in 33 games and batting .317 with five homers and 11 RBIs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Jays avoid sweep'

Toronto will be looking to avoid a sweep at the hands of New York when the clubs conclude a three game set at the Rogers Centre. Drew Hutchison toes the rubber for Gibbons' crew carrying a 11-2 record, 5.26 ERA to the mound. Hutchison trades pitches with Luis Severino (0-1, 2.45 ERA) making his third start for New York. The betting odds opened with the Blue Jays as a -$1.35 home favorite. Siding with a team off back-2-back home losses is cause to ratchet up the tension for a sports bettor. However, in this case, the numbers add up well enough to suggests that this is a losing run that is not likely to continue.

Hutchison off a solid 7 innings of 2 run ball last effort brings to the table a sparkling 9-1 home record with Jays 10-2 over the twelve starts. Hutchison has also been effective with a 9-1 team start record the last ten against a divsion opponent. A few more telling baseball betting stats leap out. Jays have a 6-0 streak going with Hutchison vs a team with a winning record. In the daylight, John Gibbons' crew is also having success with Hutchison winning 6-of-8 day games including 3-0 in front of the friendly crowd.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Streaks, Tips, Notes

Arizona at Atlanta August 16, 1:35 EST

Atlanta Braves are 1-13 in Shelby Miller's last fourteen outings. It's not entirely the righthander's fault. Miller has allowed two earned run or less in nine of those starts but Braves bats are supplying Miller with just 2.1 runs of support over the 14 games. Miller and the Braves are presently being offered around +$1.05 while the D-Backs at -$1.15 are expected to counter with Rubby De La Rosa ridding a 5-0 team start streak.


Cincinnati Reds at Los Angeles Dodgers August 16, 4:10 EST

The L.A. Dodgers start Zack Greinkie when they conclude their four game set vs Cincinnati. Not the best news for the Reds. The L.A. righthander is undefeated in ten trips to the mound recording seven shutouts in those starts (8-2 TSR). Greinke is 6-1 with a miniscule 1.43 ERA in front of the friendly crowd (8-4 TSR), 5-0 in days games and sports a smart 14-3 team start record in Auguat. No surprise to see Dodgers pegged as hefty -$2.30 moneyline favorites. Note: Dodgers are 7-4 at home as -$2.20 chalk or higher costong backers -$310 at the betting window.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Sunday, August 16, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

By the time you read this or maybe by the end of the weekend, we could see two former All-Stars traded to contenders. Phillies second baseman Chase Utley has cleared waivers and thus could be dealt to any team. He's having a lousy season but has been better since returning from the DL and adds a veteran presence and decent left-handed bat. The Giants already have made an offer with Joe Panik out and the Angels and Cubs are looking at him. Utley can refuse any trade. The other is Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes, who came over in the Troy Tulowitzki deal from Toronto. He also has cleared waivers. The problem there is Reyes is owed $55 million through 2017. So to deal him the Rockies will have to eat a bunch of money. The Yankees are sniffing around and could put Reyes at second.


Pirates at Mets (-158, 7)

This game is nationally televised on TBS and thus will have live betting at sportsbooks. You already hear talk that the Mets are going to try and start limiting the innings of their young pitchers like Matt Harvey, who starts here. But how can you do that in a pennant race? I still say the Nationals made a mistake a few years ago when they shut down Stephen Strasburg in September for the season. These opportunities don't happen often. Harvey (11-7, 2.61), who has thrown 148.0 innings this season off Tommy John surgery, is rolling right now. He has a 0.40 ERA over his past three starts and hasn't allowed a run over 15 innings (just six hits) in his past two. He threw in Pittsburgh on May 23 and was shelled for seven runs over four innings in his worst start of the year. Andrew McCutchen is 2-for-4 with a homer off him. Pedro Alvarez is 3-for-5 with two doubles, a homer and two RBIs. Pittsburgh lefty Jeff Locke (6-7, 4.43) is trending the other way, having allowed 22 runs over 33 innings in his past six starts. He hasn't faced the Mets in 2015. Daniel Murphy is 2-for-6 with an RBI off him.

Key trends: The Pirates are 2-6 in Locke's past eight road starts. The Mets are 4-1 in their past five vs. a lefty. They are 6-0 in Harvey's past six at home. The "over/under" has gone under in five of Harvey's past six at home.

Early lean: Mets on runline and under.


Diamondbacks at Braves (+100, 7.5)

One of the oddest streaks in baseball right now belongs to Braves All-Star pitcher Shelby Miller (5-9, 2.48). You see that ERA, so one would presume at least a record of . 500. But amazingly, Miller is winless in his past 15, with eight straight personal losses in that stretch. His run support this year is 2.54, which is easily the lowest in baseball. The last time Atlanta scored more than three for him was June 13. That's the last time the Braves got a win in one of his starts. Miller took a no-decision in Arizona on June 2, allowing four runs over 4.1 innings, his shortest outing of the year. Paul Goldschmidt is 0-for-2 with two RBIs off him. Arizona has won five straight starts by Rubby De La Rosa (10-5, 4.55). He faced the Braves on June 3 and was rocked for seven runs and nine hits in five innings. Nick Markakis is 2-for-6 with two doubles off him.

Key trends: Arizona is 6-2 in De La Rosa's past eight vs. teams with a losing record. The Braves are 0-6 in Miller's past six vs. teams with a losing record.

Early lean: Miller's streak ends. Go under.


Cubs at White Sox (-140, 7.5)

It will be a packed house at U.S. Cellular, a rare sellout, on Sunday afternoon for the finale between these teams this season. It's Chris Sale (10-7, 3.47) for the White Sox. He had back-to-back starts where he allowed seven earned runs in each and caused some to worry about injury. But Sale was fine last time out, allowing two runs over 7.1 innings and striking out seven in a win over the Angels. He dominated the Cubs at Wrigley on July 11, allowing one run and six hits over seven innings, striking out 10. Anthony Rizzo is 2-for-3 off him. Look for Starlin Castro to start at second for the Cubs against the lefty. It's Dan Haren (8-7, 3.55) for the Cubs. He got his first win with Chicago in his second start with the team, allowing three runs over 5.1 innings vs. Milwaukee on Tuesday. He hasn't faced the White Sox this year. Melky Cabrera is 5-for-16 with two RBIs off him. Adam LaRoche is 3-for-7 with two RBIs.

Key trends: The Cubs are 5-1 in their past six vs. lefties. The Sox are 7-0 in Sale's past seven interleague starts. The under is 6-2 in his past eight home starts.

Early lean: Pale Hose and under.


Reds at Dodgers (-240, 7)

Even the best pitchers have a hiccup or two during the long season. That happened to MLB ERA leader Zack Greinke (12-2, 1.59) on Aug. 6 in Philadelphia when he was hit around for six runs in six innings yet still got the win. He was back to normal last time out, shutting out Washington on six hits over six innings. Greinke hasn't faced the Reds in 2015. Jay Bruce is just 5-for-30 with eight strikeouts off him. Joey Votto hits .417 with three homers in 24 at-bats off Greinke. Cincinnati goes with rookie Anthony DeSclafani (7-7, 3.75). He hasn't allowed more than three runs in his past four starts. He hasn't faced L.A. this year but a few current Dodgers saw him last year when DeSclafani pitched briefly with Miami. Carl Crawford is 1-for-3 with an RBI. Jimmy Rollins is 2-for-3 with a homer.

Key trends: The Reds are 0-7 in their past seven Game 4s of a series. The Dodgers are 8-3 in Greinke's past 11 on Sunday. The under is 6-2 in his past eight at home.

Early lean: Dodgers on runline and under.


Angels at Royals (-139, 7.5)

This is your ESPN Sunday night game and will also have live betting at the books. Keep an eye on Angels shortstop Erick Aybar for a few days. He injured the left side of his lower back while diving in the infield dirt against the White Sox on Wednesday. The Angels don't think it's something that will require a DL stint, but he looks to miss a few games perhaps. It's lefty All-Star Hector Santiago (7-6, 2.87) for the Angels. He has allowed at least three runs in four straight starts and not lasted more than six innings in any. Eric Hosmer is 4-for-16 with a homer off him. Alex Rios is 3-for-13 with two dingers. Kansas City's Yordano Ventura (7-7, 4.97) shut out the Tigers over six innings on just two hits last time out. He did walk six. He pitched at the Angels on April 12, allowing two runs over 5.2 innings. Mike Trout is 2-for-4 off him. Aybar is 0-for-5.

Key trends: The Angels are 3-7 in Santiago's past 10 road starts vs. teams with a winning record. The Royals are 2-6 in Ventura's past eight against teams with a winning record. The over is 5-2 in Santiago's past seven.

Early lean: Angels and over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sunday's six-pack

-- Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz is 20-30 in games decided by 4 or less points.

-- Bret Bielema lost his last 11 games decided by 7 or less points; seven at Arkansas, four when he was at Wisconsin.

-- Combining NFL/UCLA days, Jim Mora Jr is 15-9 in games decided by 4 or less.

-- Tough day for Felix Hernandez; 2.1 IP, 12 hits 10 earned runs. Not good. When you face 20 batters and half of them score, thats a tough day.

-- Good day for Jackie Bradley, who batted 9th; three doubles, two homers, five runs scored, seven RBI. Best day ever by a 9th-place hitter?

-- School started Friday in Fort Collins, CO; why start school on a Friday?

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dave Cokin

Bonus Play 9-4-15

153 CHARLOTTE @ 154 GEORGIA STATE 3:30 PM

Take: CHARLOTTE +5

It’s the first game as an FBS member for Charlotte. The 49ers are in just their third year of football existence and figure to have a tough time getting wins in CUSA. But with a good freshman class enrolled and what appears to be a very sound foundation, don’t be surprised if this program makes some nice strides forward in the next few years.

Georgia State is also very new to college football’s main division and the learning curve has been steep for the Panthers. They are 0-15 since joining the Sun Belt and while this should be their best team to date, the Panthers still look to be a program right at the bottom of the FBS overall rankings.

I think Charlotte has a legit shot to win this football game, and at the very least, they should be able to compete. First off, they would appear to be much farther along than Georgia State was when moving up from the FCS level. This is a veteran 49ers team with a slew of returning starters and while talk is cheap, I don’t think what I’m hearing and reading is strictly air.

There are also a couple of injuries of note in play here, both on the Georgia State side. The Panthers are probably strongest at receiver, so they won’t be crushed by these guys being out, but they’re still significant. Donovan Harden tripped over someone’s foot in a non-contact drill and he will miss at least two games. Tight end Joel Ruiz is down right now with an injured knee and it’s currently unknown if he’ll be available for the opener.

As noted, the Panthers have good depth at receiver. But Harden and Ruiz are each pre-season first-team SBC choices, and it’s not like this team has many of those guys. I also have not seen either player listed on any of the various website injury reports, so perhaps this information is of some value to those trying to break down this particular game.

I’ve decided to take the points here. My power ratings show the game to be a coin flip, and while I’ll admit the Charlotte ranking I’ve assigned is speculative as there’s little to go on, I don’t think there’s much difference between these teams. The Georgia State receiver hits could be damaging and my reports are that the visiting 49ers really believe they’re good enough to win this game. Taking +5 with Charlotte means they just have to hang tough.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Jim Feist

Jim Feist's Bonus Play for Sunday, August 16 1:35 pm ET

(917) SEATTLE MARINERS VS (918) BOSTON RED SOX

Take: (918) BOSTON RED SOX

Reason: Your Bonus Play for Sunday, August 16, 2015 is in the MLB scheduled contest between the Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox. What in the world has gotten into the Red Sox lately? They scored 15 runs against the Mariners on Friday and 22 runs on Saturday. That's 37 runs in two games! And, the latter came against one of the best starters in baseball, Felix Hernandez. They got to him for 10 runs over two innings. While the Sox are still in last, they have really come to life against the Mariners. Henry Ownens starts today for the Sox. Owens has just two starts and both times he went five innings. He's allowed four total runs over the 10 innings. The Mariners also will pitch a starter with just two starts in Vidal Nuno. Nuno has gone five innings and 3 2/3 in his two starts. That is bad news for the M's bullpen that is obviously been hammered the last two days and in dire need of a day off. They won't get it here though, as Nuno will be lucky to make it into the 5th inning. I'm sticking with the Red Sox here on Sunday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Scott Spreitzer

Arizona Diamondbacks vs Atlanta Braves

Bonus Play Atlanta Braves

I'm recommending a play on the Atlanta Braves on Sunday afternoon. Shelby Miller has been throwing BBs all season, but he's had trouble landing in the win column, to no fault of his own. As reported, Miller is the first pitcher to have a sub-2.50 ERA in at least 20 starts, but have a win percentage below .357 in 27 years. The Braves have lost each of his last 10 starts, giving the right-hander just 13 runs of support. Miller owns a 1.87 ERA in five day games this season. Arizona will counter with Rubby De La Rosa. The D-backs righty has a 4.55 ERA, but a 10-5 record, while Miller chimes in with a 5-9 mark. Where's the justice in that?! De La Rosa has been getting a ton of support, especially in his last three starts where his teammates have scored a combined 30 runs. I believe his team will need to score plenty of runs in this one. After all, De La Rosa enters with a road ERA north of 5.00, allowing more than two home runs per 9 IP, and he owns weak daytime numbers. The problem for Arizona...the bats are facing Shelby Miller. I'm recommending a play on Atlanta on Sunday. Thanks & GL! Scott Spreitzer.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Will Rogers

Chicago Cubs vs Chicago White Sox

1* Bonus Play Chisox..

The Chicago Cubs are on a roll, and they come into the series finale versus the White Sox as winners of nine in a row, and 15 of their last 16 overall. The White Sox opened this home stand with a three game sweep of the Angels before being cooled off by the Cubs. With a favorable match-up on the mound, I like the home team here on Sunday.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Pitching - The Cubs hand the ball to veteran right-hander Dan Haren, who has failed to impress in the second half of the season. Haren (8-7, 3.55 ERA) gave up three runs on five hits over 5.1 innings in a home win over the Brewers in his last start. He's been punished on the road lately though, and he was smoked for four runs on seven hits over five frames in a loss at Pittsburgh in his Cubs debut. The White Sox counter with ace Chris Sale, who is coming off another strong outing, and has a record of 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA against the Cubs this season.

2. Jose Abreu - Chicago's slugger was 2-for-3 with an RBI double last night, and he's 2-for-3 with a home run lifetime versus Haren.

3. X-Factor - It comes as good news that D.J. Reyburn will be calling balls and strikes tonight, as the home team is 7-0 in Reyburns last 7 interleague games behind home plate.

Selection: This is a play on the Chisox (Free)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Kyle Hunter

Los Angeles Angels vs Kansas City Royals

*2 Star MLB Free Pick* Kansas City Royals

The Kansas City Royals host the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday Night Baseball. Hector Santiago is a prime candidate for regression. He has stranded 86% of runners on base so far this year, which is outrageously high. The Royals are good at delivering timely hits, and the Royals are 41-20 at home this year. I think a little too much has been made about Yordano Ventura's struggles this year. His peripherals are still pretty good, and the Angels offense has been disappointing for much of the year. The Angels are 3-13 in their last 16 road games. They are 1-9 in their last 10 vs. Kansas City. The Royals are 12-5 in Ventura's last 17 home starts. Take Kansas City here.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Marc Lawrence

New York Yankees vs Toronto Blue Jays

Play - Toronto w/Hutchinson

Edges - Blue Jays: Drew Hutchinson 8-0 team starts versus A.L. East opponents this season, and 6-2 day team starts this season. Yankees: 3-6 last nine games in this series.

With Hutchinson 10-2 with a 2.68 ERA at home this season, as opposed to a 9.00 way ERA, we recommend a 1* play on Toronto. Thank you and good luck as always.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CAPPERS ACCESS

Colts
Blue jays
Padres

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

GAMBLERS DATA

Giants/Nats over 7

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

BIG AL

Our complimentary selection for Sunday, August 16 is:

Chicago White Sox (Sale) over Chicago Cubs (Haren).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Coach Fletcher’s Sunday Bonus Play

Sunday, August 16

The Pick San Diego Padres +100



Kennedy On Point For Rockies

At 7-10 with a 4.37 era, Ian Kennedy’s season appears disappointing. And perhaps it is considering Kennedy went 21-4 with a 2.88 era in 2011. He was a pretty hot commodity at that time, but the 30 year old has never been able to duplicate that year even closely. He’s 73-63 in his career with a 3.98 era. But Kennedy has started to improve lately. It’s also easy to argue that any pitcher whose home base is Colorado is bound to have higher numbers. Oddly, at Coors Field Rusin is 2-1 with a 3.89 era as a starter, but 1-4 with a 4.87 era on the road.

The Pitchers

Kennedy, San Diego Rusin, Rockies

· 7-10, 4.37 era, 1.28 whip 2-5, 4.82 era, 1.63 whip

· 2-6, 3.81 era road 2-1, 4.11 era home

· 1-1, 3.32 last 3 0-1, 5.62era last 3

· 3-3, 3.48 last 7 0-2, 4.63 era last 7

· 5-7, 3.56 last 15 3-5, 4.43 era last 15

· 2-2, 3.76 day 3-1, 4.37 era day

· 2-2, 3.38 July 0-2, 4.50 era July

· 1-1, 3.75 August 0-1, 3.27 era August

· 3-1, 2.90 post All-Star 0-2, 5.33 Post All-Star

· LH hit .247 against LH hit .333 against

· RH hit .267 against RH hit .306 against

· 6-4 vs Rockies, 2.95 era Rusin last start 2013

· 2014 start at Colorado 2014 – 7 inn, 1 run, 4 hits

Kennedy appears to be fairly steady with a nice uptick since the All-Star break. Rusin ia just the opposite appearing to deteriorate after the break. There is 1 big word of warning however – Kennedy has given up 25 home runs this year, 2nd in the NL. That’s not a good formula to take to Coors.

The Hitters

This is where numbers virtually have no meaning. The totals are so inflated for hitters (And most pitchers other than Rusin) that you almost have to toss them. For example, the Rockies average 5.53 runs per game at home but only 3.47 runs per game on the road. That’s a pretty serious discrepancy. Just for purposes of comparison I use both teams away numbers, which doesn’t do full justice to Colorado, but unless you use some complicated formula to convert the Coors numbers to legitimate numbers, I choose to do it this way with the understanding that the Rockie numbers will be elevated.



Padres Rockies

· 4.16 runs per game road 3.47 runs per game road (5.53 home)

· 8.59 hits per game road 7.93 hits per game road (10.56 home)

· 0.87 HR per game away 1.08 HR away (1.22 home)

· 13.46 total bases per game 13.05 total bases per game away (17.04 home)

· .245 batting average away .235 batting average away (.303 home)

· .302 on base % away .284 on base % away (.356 home)

· 4.7 runs per game vs LHP 4.7 runs per game vs RHP

· 4.7 runs per game last 7 2.4 runs per game last 7

This is an unusual contest because the away team, the Padres, perform far better on the road than they do at home. But no ones home/away numbers come close to duplicating the differences found with Colorado.

Odds and Ends

Padres Rockies

· Give up 4.4 runs per game Give up 5.3 runs per game (inflated #)

· 56-61 47-68

· 30-32 on road 25-31 at home (22-37 away)

· 6-8 August 4-10 August

· 26-23 vs division 17-31 vs division

· 14-21 day 22-19 day

· 15-11 vs LHP 42-48 vs RHP

· 26-25 vs team w/losing record 28-33 vs team w/losing record

· 14-10 vs team w/losing record 2nd half 9-9 vs team w/ losing record 2nd half

· San Diego is 9-2 vs Colorado this season

· San Diego is 4-2 at Colorado this season

Coach’s Conclusion:

Earlier this season I concluded that I should simply avoid any games played at Coors Field. However, I like what I am seeing for this contest. The Rockies are on a 6 game losing streak and the Padres are finally scoring some runs. I like the Padres here.

The Pick San Diego Padres +100

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Sunday, August 16

Trend Report

1:07 PM
NY YANKEES vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of NY Yankees's last 7 games when playing on the road against Toronto
NY Yankees are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Toronto
Toronto is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games
Toronto is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games at home

1:10 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. NY METS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Mets
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Pittsburgh's last 16 games when playing NY Mets
NY Mets are 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of NY Mets's last 16 games when playing Pittsburgh

1:35 PM
ARIZONA vs. ATLANTA
Arizona is 3-12 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Arizona's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games at home
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

1:35 PM
SEATTLE vs. BOSTON
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games when playing Boston
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Boston's last 19 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 6 games when playing Seattle

1:35 PM
OAKLAND vs. BALTIMORE
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oakland's last 6 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
Oakland is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Baltimore's last 10 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Baltimore's last 6 games when playing at home against Oakland

2:10 PM
DETROIT vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games
Houston is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games

2:10 PM
CHI CUBS vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Chi Cubs are 8-1 SU in their last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games when playing on the road against Chi White Sox
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Chi White Sox's last 18 games
Chi White Sox are 4-8 SU in their last 12 games

2:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Cleveland's last 8 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Cleveland's last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 8 games at home

2:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. MILWAUKEE
Philadelphia is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Milwaukee
Philadelphia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
Milwaukee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia

2:15 PM
MIAMI vs. ST. LOUIS
Miami is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
Miami is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of St. Louis's last 21 games
St. Louis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Miami

3:05 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. TEXAS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing Texas
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Texas
Texas is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 6 games at home

4:05 PM
WASHINGTON vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Washington is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games ,
Washington is 1-4-1 SU in its last 6 games ,when playing on the road against San Francisco
San Francisco is 2-3-1 SU in its last 6 games ,when playing Washington
San Francisco is 3-5-1 SU in its last 9 games ,

4:10 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. COLORADO
San Diego is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Diego's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 6 games when playing at home against San Diego
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing San Diego

4:10 PM
CINCINNATI vs. LA DODGERS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 6 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
LA Dodgers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 7 games at home

8:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Angels's last 5 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 14 of LA Angels's last 21 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games when playing at home against LA Angels
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games when playing LA Angels