Sunday 8/30/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (80-49) at Rays (63-66)

Game: 3
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: August 30, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

There are plenty of teams to hurdle in the AL wild-card race, but first the Tampa Bay Rays need to find a way to avoid their worst-ever finish against an opponent.

The surging Kansas City Royals seek a seven-game season sweep over the Rays on Sunday at Tropicana Field.

The Rays, who have never finished 0-7 or worse against any team in a single season, are falling quickly in their quest for a wild card. Five losses in six games has dropped them 4 1/2 behind Texas.

Kansas City (80-49) increased its Central lead to 14 games with Saturday's 6-3 victory, its seventh win in eight tries and 17th in 22. They've also won seven straight and 15 of 18 against Tampa Bay (63-66) since the start of the 2013 season.

The Royals have hit .323 and averaged 7.0 runs during the six-game series streak.

'Sometimes you've go to give credit to the other team,' Rays manager Kevin Cash said. 'This is (a team with) a very relentless approach, and we've seen it now for six games."

Kendrys Morales hit two-run homer in Friday's 3-2 win over the Rays and his two-out RBI single Saturday was his 90th of the season, the most by a Royal since Billy Butler had 107 in 2012.

Morales, who is hitting .375 with eight RBIs against the Rays this year, leads the majors with 47 RBIs with two outs this season, breaking the club record of 46 set by Joe Randa in 2000.

Mike Moustakas also is wielding a hot bat, hitting .519 with three homes and 14 RBIs in his last seven games. He hit his fifth and sixth doubles during that span to drive in three runs Saturday.

'You wouldn't know that we're 31 games over .500,' Moustakas said. 'We come in expecting to win every night. We come in to grind it out, play the game hard. That's what we're doing and it translates on the field.'

Danny Duffy (7-6, 4.13 ERA) will try to complete Kansas City's fourth road sweep of the season. The left-hander saw mixed results against two other AL East teams over his last two starts, surrendering six runs in 10 2-3 innings in a loss at Boston on Aug. 20 and a home win over Baltimore on Tuesday.

He allowed two runs and five hits over 5 2-3 innings in the 3-2 victory over the Orioles.

Tampa Bay hopes Nathan Karns (7-5, 3.69) can rebound from a dismal performance and provide some innings after each of its last three starters failed to complete five innings.

Karns (7-5, 3.69) has been guilty of abbreviated starts as well, finishing the sixth inning in only one of his last five outings. He's posted a 5.25 ERA in those games, giving up six home runs and 14 walks in 24 innings.

His August record, though, is 1-0 thanks to a healthy 6.38 run support average.

The right-hander matched the shortest outing of his career during an 11-7 loss to Minnesota on Tuesday. Karns was tagged for five runs and four hits in three innings, while four free passes pushed his walks per nine innings rate to 3.50, third-highest in the majors.

"One of those games you wish you didn't have starting off a series," Karns told MLB's official website.

Kansas City right fielder Alex Rios, who had an eight-game hitting streak snapped in the opener, was a late scratch Saturday due to illness.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (65-64) at Indians (62-66)

Game: 3
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: August 30, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

While the Cleveland Indians are slugging their way back into wild-card contention, the Los Angeles Angels are within a game of falling back to .500 for the first time since late June.

The Indians will attempt to continue tracking down the Angels and others Sunday as they try for a three-game home sweep.

After Saturday's 8-3 win, Cleveland (62-66) has won four straight and 13 of 20 while scoring 5.2 runs per game and batting .295 to creep back within five games of Texas for the second wild card.

Michael Brantley had three more hits and is batting an MLB-leading .432 in his last 20 games, pushing his .324 average to its highest since May 21. Teammate Francisco Lindor isn't far behind in second at .413 in 24 games over the same period, and Lonnie Chisenhall is on a career-best 10-game hitting streak.

The Angels (65-64) were last .500 at 37-37 entering play on June 27. They reached 14 games over on July 23 but have since gone an AL-worst 11-24. They've scored six runs in four games while batting .164.

Mike Trout is 1 for 11 in those games and hasn't homered in a career-long 21 contests, Kole Calhoun is batting .074 in seven, and Albert Pujols is hitting .185 over a 15-game span without a multihit effort.

"Right now, the process is to try to get some offensive continuity and re-establish our starting pitching," manager Mike Scioscia said. "There are some things that we need to hopefully reboot."

Jered Weaver was having an impressive August before giving up six runs and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings of Tuesday's 8-7 win in Detroit, though most of the damage came in a four-run third inning that followed a Trout and Calhoun miscommunication on a ball that dropped in and ended up going for a double. Weaver (6-9, 4.59 ERA) still earned the win and is 2-1 with a 3.91 ERA in four starts this month since coming off the disabled list.

The right-hander's frustration came out in the dugout after the inning.

"I hadn't really been vocal this year," Weaver told MLB's official website. "It's obviously not the way I've wanted my season to go. But we're in the midst of a playoff race, and we have to play good baseball to get to where we want to be."

Pitching on the road has been a big part of his problems, going 1-4 with a 6.75 ERA in his last five starts. In Cleveland, however, Weaver is 7-1 with a 2.24 ERA in 11 career starts. Carlos Santana (12 for 23 with two home runs) and Chisenhall (7 for 17 with two home runs) have hit him well, but Jason Kipnis (3 for 20) and Yan Gomes (1 for 10) have struggled.

Home runs have disrupted an otherwise promising return for Josh Tomlin who earned a second straight victory in Tuesday's 11-6 home win over Milwaukee. Tomlin (2-1, 3.26) yielded four runs and five hits, three of which left the yard to bump his season total to six in three mostly impressive starts.

"I'm not trying to get too satisfied, I'm trying to stay here and do what I can to help this team win," said Tomlin, who missed most of the season after undergoing shoulder surgery after being shut down during spring training. "It's definitely good to be back here and help this team win, but I try not to get too satisfied or comfortable and keep working every day and do my job again in four days."

Tomlin is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in four starts against the Angels. Calhoun (3 for 3) and Trout (2 for 3 with a home run and a double) have had success against him, but Erick Aybar is 1 for 12.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Sox (60-69) at Mets (71-58)

Game: 3
Venue: Citi Field
Date: August 30, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

After one starter with one of baseball's best home ERAs failed to end the New York Mets' woes at Citi Field, they will turn to another in that category.

Noah Syndergaard seeks to win his sixth straight home start and help the Mets avoid their first six-game slide at Citi Field in two years Sunday in the finale of a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox.

New York (71-58) fell 3-1 on Saturday despite a strong start from Jacob deGrom, who allowed two runs in six innings as his home ERA rose to 1.57 - the fourth-best mark in the majors and third-best in the NL.

Right behind deGrom among NL pitchers is Syndergaard (8-6, 3.19 ERA), who has a 1.82 ERA at Citi Field while going 7-1 in nine outings. Syndergaard has a 1.62 ERA with 41 strikeouts over 39 innings in winning his last five home starts.

The rookie right-hander will pitch one day after his 23rd birthday. He earned his first road win Tuesday by yielding four runs over five innings with nine strikeouts in a 6-5 victory over Philadelphia.

"This is a good step in the right direction," Syndergaard said. "I'm not trying to pay too much attention to that."

Syndergaard is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in three interleague starts as he faces Boston (60-69) for the first time.

The Red Sox are in position for their first road sweep after Joe Kelly won his sixth straight decision Saturday and Pablo Sandoval and Brock Holt had RBIs in a two-run sixth inning.

Interim manager Torey Lovullo is without Hanley Ramirez, who will likely sit out a third straight game with a shoulder issue.

David Ortiz was out of the lineup with a heel problem, though he had a pinch-hit double in the ninth. He will likely start Sunday.

"He knows himself very well, and when he says he needs to get off his feet, we understand that needs to happen quickly," Lovullo told MLB's official website.

Catcher Ryan Hanigan's status is not clear after he was scratched from Saturday's lineup an hour before the game with tightness in his right calf with Blake Swihart replacing him. Rusney Castillo is expected to start Sunday after he was rested and limited to a pinch-running appearance the day before.

New York captain David Wright is expected back in the lineup after going 4 for 11 in consecutive extra-inning contests before resting Saturday. The Mets are being cautious since he missed more than four months with spinal stenosis.

New York averaged 10.4 runs in a seven-game win streak before this series in which it has totaled five in 19 innings.

"We've been smashing the ball and today, the last two games, we have not," manager Terry Collins said. "Today we looked a little tired."

Yoenis Cespedes is 0 for 7 in this series. Collins indicated that he and Travis d'Arnaud may rest Sunday with Michael Cuddyer and Juan Lagares coming into the lineup.

Boston will start Wade Miley (10-10, 4.51), who is 0-1 with a 3.71 ERA in three career starts versus New York. The Red Sox have lost seven of his last nine outings, with the left-hander going 2-3 with a 4.53 ERA.

The Mets' Juan Uribe is 5 for 22 in this matchup and Cuddyer is 4 for 17.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Marlins (52-78) at Nationals (65-63)

Game: 3
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: August 30, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

The Washington Nationals have been a worse than average slugging team this season, but that's started to change in late August.

It could be bad news for the Miami Marlins' Brad Hand, who's also going up against an in-form Stephen Strasburg Sunday at Nationals Park.

Washington (65-63) posted a .392 slugging percentage and 0.99 home runs per game through Aug. 20, which respectively ranked 17th and tied for 12th in the majors. Over the last eight games, however, those numbers are up to .502 and 1.88.

In Saturday's 5-1 win over the Marlins (52-78), Ryan Zimmerman, Clint Robinson and Ian Desmond went deep for the Nationals' seventh multihomer game in their last eight. Zimmerman has three home runs and 11 RBIs in his last six, and Desmond has left the yard in consecutive contests.

"We've been hitting the ball better lately," Zimmerman told MLB's official website. "(Tom Koehler) threw well for the first five innings or so and didn't make any mistakes. He finally left some balls over the plate and we put some good swings on them."

The Nationals, who trail the New York Mets by 5 1/2 games in the NL East, have won five of seven overall and 13 of the last 20 meetings with Miami.

The Marlins, meanwhile, are batting .206 with five homers and 2.0 runs per game over a 2-7 span. In their last nine, J.T. Realmuto is batting .074 and Adeiny Hechavarria .143.

Strasburg (8-6, 4.14 ERA) has had an impressive month, going 3-1 with a 1.73 ERA and .156 opponent batting average in four starts since coming off the disabled list after missing more than a month with an oblique strain. The right-hander has been particularly tough with four hits allowed in 13 innings over his past two outings.

"Health is a big key," manager Matt Williams said after Strasburg held San Diego to two runs and two hits over six innings of Tuesday's 8-3 win. "If he feels good when he's out there then he's able to let it go. I don't know how many balls he threw that were 98 miles per hour tonight, but quite a few of them. He sat 95 to 97. That just means he feels good."

He hasn't fared as well against Miami this season, losing both of his starts with a 6.00 ERA. Marcell Ozuna is 7 for 17 against Strasburg, but Hechavarria (3 for 24) and Christian Yelich (3 for 19) have struggled.

Hand (4-3, 4.23) has also won consecutive starts, and the latest was the longest of his career. He gave up two runs and nine hits in eight innings of Tuesday's 5-2 home win over Pittsburgh.

Since re-entering the rotation on Aug. 4, the left-hander is 3-1 with a 2.90 ERA.

"He's still a young pitcher," manager Dan Jennings said. "He's filled multiple roles. He's come out of the bullpen as a lefty-lefty guy, situational. He's come out of the bullpen long. Now he's getting the opportunity to start. He's made the most of it of late."

Hand hasn't faced Washington yet this season but is 0-5 with an 8.19 ERA in seven career starts in the series. Zimmerman is 6 for 8 with four doubles, and Danny Espinosa and Anthony Rendon are both 5 for 11.

Yelich (bruised right knee) has missed three straight games, while Washington's Michael Taylor (bruised right knee) and Yunel Escobar (right hand) have been held out of the starting lineup for two.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockies (51-76) at Pirates (79-49)

Game: 3
Venue: PNC Park
Date: August 30, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

It's been 11 years since two clubs from the same division finished at least 30 games over .500, and even longer since it last happened in the NL.

The Pittsburgh Pirates might contribute to ending that streak, but no matter how well they play, they still can't reach the top of the Central.

Pittsburgh sends Charlie Morton to the mound looking to complete a three-game sweep of the visiting Colorado Rockies on Sunday.

The Pirates (79-49) are on the verge of moving 31 games over .500 for the first time since late in the 1992 season, but St. Louis possesses the majors' best record and sits atop the Central with a 3 1/2-game lead.

Not since Boston and the New York Yankees in 2004 have clubs in the same division finished 30 over .500, and it hasn't happened in the NL since Atlanta and the New York Mets in 1999.

Neither of those second-place teams, though, had to play a win-or-go-home wild-card game to qualify for the division series, which the Pirates could be facing for a third straight year under the modified postseason format. They're doing their best to avoid it, having won four straight and 14 of 17 after beating the Rockies 4-3 on Saturday.

"The goal is to win the division," manager Clint Hurdle said. "We're doing some things that have some significance I'll be mindful of later. We're in second place and we want to get to first place."

Aramis Ramirez hit a three-run homer and J.A. Happ continued his hot stretch with six solid innings Saturday. Andrew McCutchen had two hits and is batting .500 with two homers and three doubles during a seven-game hitting streak.

McCutchen is hitting .422 over his last 12 home games, raising his season average at PNC Park to .344. Morton (8-5, 4.20 ERA) also has been solid there, going 5-1 with a 2.82 ERA in eight starts.

Morton lost at Miami on Monday, though, for Pittsburgh's lone defeat over its last eight contests. The right-hander went 2-0 with a 2.93 ERA in his previous five starts - all Pirates victories.

Colorado (51-76) has lost seven straight in Pittsburgh and is 4-14 overall since Aug. 10. Nick Hundley hit a two-run homer with nobody out in the ninth Saturday, but the Rockies couldn't muster the tying run.

Hundley, Ben Paulsen and Brandon Barnes finished with two hits apiece for Colorado, which sends Jorge De La Rosa (7-6, 4.61) to the mound in this contest.

De La Rosa went 1-1 with a 2.55 ERA in his first four outings this month before giving up five runs and walking four in seven innings of Monday's 5-3 loss at Atlanta. He also allowed two homers, one more than he gave up in his previous five outings combined.

"Jorge gave us seven good innings but it wasn't his sharpest," said manager Walt Weiss. "But he pitched fine."

The left-hander entered that contest with a 3.17 ERA in 10 previous road starts. It marked the second time he'd given up more than three earned runs outside of Colorado.

De La Rosa is 3-2 with a 3.18 ERA in his last nine starts against the Pirates, a stretch that includes going 0-1 with a 3.29 ERA in his last five at PNC Park. Starling Marte has hit him well, going 4 for 6 with a homer and a triple in their matchups.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Padres (62-67) at Phillies (52-78)

Game: 3
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: August 30, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

The Philadelphia Phillies have a chance to climb out of baseball's cellar with another win against the San Diego Padres.

The Phillies look to sweep the season series from the Padres on Sunday while matching the 40-year-old franchise record for the longest home win streak in the all-time series.

Philadelphia (52-78) is tied with Miami for the worst record in the majors, a dubious status the club has owned for much of the year.

The Phillies, though, could move ahead of the Marlins by sweeping this three-game set with San Diego (62-67). They've won all five matchups this season and 11 of the past 14.

A win Sunday would give Philadelphia eight straight home wins over the Padres, matching its record in the all-time series set from 1974-75.

Rookie Adam Morgan gave the Phillies some hope for the future Saturday, allowing two unearned runs in six innings and adding his first RBI for the eventual winning run in a 4-3 victory over San Diego.

Now Philadelphia gets a look at Alec Asher, who is making his major league debut after being acquired from Texas in the Cole Hamels trade last month. The right-hander moves into the rotation spot previously occupied by Jerome Williams, who was demoted to the bullpen.

Asher, one of the Phillies' top pitching prospects, went 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA over his last three starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

"He's pitched with confidence, so we've liked what we've seen a great deal," player development director Joe Jordan told MLB's official website. "He presents himself very well. I think he'll come up here and be himself. He should be fine if he does that."

The Padres have dropped five of the last six games and three in a row, a trend that's unlikely to improve with James Shields (9-6, 3.89) taking the hill. He's 0-4 with a 5.63 ERA in eight road starts since beating the Dodgers in Los Angeles on May 24.

The right-hander struggled away from San Diego again Tuesday, surrendering four runs and eight hits with four walks while throwing a season-high 121 pitches in 5 2-3 innings of an 8-3 loss at Washington.

"I felt like my stuff was all right," said Shields, who exited after being hit in his lower body by a comebacker. "It was just a matter of, they were taking good pitches and were hitting pitches that normally you get outs on."

Shields didn't get a decision in a 4-3 home loss to the Phillies on Aug. 7, allowing three solo homers with eight strikeouts in 6 2-3 innings. He was 2-0 with a 6.35 ERA over the previous three matchups - all in Philadelphia.

Matt Kemp is hitting .333 with 19 RBIs while reaching base safely in 18 straight games. He had a single Saturday after missing two games with a sore left shoulder.

Kemp is a .375 hitter in 17 career games at Citizens Bank Park.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (71-57) at Braves (54-75)

Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: August 30, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

Nathan Eovaldi's ERA reached its highest point this season in mid-June with the New York Yankees hovering around the .500 mark and looking very little like a potential playoff team.

Eovaldi hasn't lost since, and the Yankees are heading down the stretch in control of their own playoff destiny.

The right-hander looks to keep his unbeaten streak alive by leading visiting New York to a three-game sweep over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.

Eovaldi (13-2, 4.00 ERA) had a 5.12 ERA after giving up a season-worst eight runs in less than an inning of a loss at Miami on June 16 as the Yankees fell to 34-30. He's gone 8-0 with a 2.93 ERA in 12 starts since that outing and is coming off his best performance of the season after allowing four hits in eight innings of the Yankees' 1-0 win over Houston on Monday.

"Just being able to use the (split-finger fastball), I feel like it's helped me out a lot," Eovaldi said. "At the beginning of the season, I didn't have as much confidence in it as I do now. I feel like I'm able to locate it when I'm behind in counts, which is pretty big for me."

Eovaldi has won his last six road starts for New York (71-57), which has a 4 1/2-game cushion atop the AL wild-card standings. It beat the Braves 3-1 on Saturday to remain 1 1/2 games behind Toronto in the East.

Five of the Yankees' six hits were doubles, with Brian McCann and Didi Gregorius driving in a run apiece.

Eovaldi is 2-2 with a 1.93 ERA in his last eight starts against the Braves (54-75), who are in danger of falling 22 games under .500 for the first time since finishing 65-97 in 1990.

Atlanta began a nine-game stretch at home with a 32-24 mark at Turner Field, but it has scored nine times while dropping four straight since beating Colorado on Monday to start the homestand.

That pales in comparison to the tragedy that took place there Saturday, though, when a fan died after falling from the upper deck to a lower level near where the Braves' family members sit.

Many of them were seen crying after the incident.

'That's terrible,' losing pitcher Matt Wisler said. 'You never want to hear something like that. We're all in the dugout paying more attention to that than we were the game when it first happened.'

The Braves look to salvage the series finale with Julio Teheran (9-6, 4.29) on the hill. Teheran beat the Rockies 5-3 on Monday by pitching 7 1-3 solid innings to improve to 3-0 with a 2.73 ERA in five starts this month.

The right-hander settled down after giving up a solo homer in each of the first two innings.

'I wasn't afraid,' Teheran said. 'That's part of the game, when you make a mistake that's how you pay in this league. I was concentrating. I was focused on making my pitches to the next hitter.'

Teheran is 7-1 with a 2.55 ERA in 13 home starts, and he'll face a Yankees lineup that again will be without Mark Teixeira because of a bruised right shin. Manager Joe Girardi hopes Teixeira will be back Monday when New York opens a three-game series at Boston.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Reds (53-75) at Brewers (54-75)

Game: 3
Venue: Miller Park
Date: August 30, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

Wily Peralta says he's feeling fine, but the Milwaukee Brewers are skeptical.

Peralta will try to allay any concerns and seeks a measure of improvement in the finale of this three-game set with the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.

Peralta (4-8, 4.55 ERA) leads Milwaukee with 32 wins over the past three years, but a major chunk of those victories came in 2014 when he had a career-high and team-leading 17. The right-hander also set personal bests with 198 2-3 innings and 154 strikeouts.

He's nowhere near those numbers in 2015, thanks in large part to a two-month stint on the disabled list because of a strained left oblique.

Peralta is 3-3 with a 5.52 ERA in six starts since returning, but his performances in the last two were worrisome for the Brewers (54-75). He's gone 1-1 while surrendering 10 runs in 7 2-3 innings with five walks.

His velocity was down while he turned in his shortest outing of the season Tuesday, allowing four runs - two earned - in 2 2-3 innings of an 11-6 loss at Cleveland.

"I've never had that (problem) before, but I don't really worry about it because I feel pretty good," Peralta told MLB's official website. "My arm doesn't feel tired. Sometimes it's mechanics. ... Mechanically, I was a little off, and sometimes that takes off from your velocity. But overall, I feel good."

The Brewers think there may be an issue to work through.

"My thought process is that (it is) maybe, possibly, a dead arm," pitching coach Rick Kranitz said. "You've got to throw through it. If he's fine, he's fine. You just have to pitch. You have to go back out there and go, and he needs to go back out there and pitch and be who he is. That's throwing 94-97, 98. That's the guy he needs to be."

Peralta gave up six runs and two homers in seven innings of a 6-1 home loss to the Reds on April 20. He won both matchups last year while yielding one run over 15 innings.

Peralta has struggled with Joey Votto, who is 7 for 21 against him over the past three years - including a two-run blast in April.

Votto's third and final hit Saturday was a go-ahead, two-run shot in the ninth which helped the Reds win 12-9 and end their five-game slide versus Milwaukee. He's a .362 hitter with 10 homers and 31 RBIs in his last 34 games at Miller Park.

The Reds are turning to John Lamb (0-2, 6.06), who has completed six innings in just one of his three starts - all Cincinnati losses.

The left-hander went six innings in his major league debut Aug. 14, allowing five runs with seven strikeouts in a 5-3 defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers in his only road outing.

Lamb struggled with the Dodgers again in Tuesday's 5-1 loss. He labored through 108 pitches in five innings, giving up three runs with six strikeouts and three walks while also hitting a batter.

"Without a doubt I'd like to take the club deeper into the game," Lamb said. "It's definitely a learning experience. I can learn what pitches to throw, but then I have to execute them. I'm learning to continue to make pitches and apply the pressure.

"Walks have come back to bite me in the butt."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mariners (61-69) at White Sox (60-68)

Game: 4
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: August 30, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

A hot stretch into August had the Chicago White Sox optimistic about the final two months of the season. Entering the final two days of the month, the hope is to stay out of last place in the AL Central.

The White Sox play their final game in August Sunday against the visiting Seattle Mariners, who they've seen plenty in the last two weeks.

Both clubs are seven games behind Texas for the second wild card but trailing five other teams.

Chicago (60-68) lost for the fifth time in seven games, falling 7-6 Saturday after leaving the bases loaded twice. The White Sox went 4 for 13 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base.

'We get bases loaded a few times, I'd like to get a little more out of it," manager Robin Ventura said.

Kyle Seager hit a two-run homer during a three-run first inning and Robinson Cano went 4 for 4 to lift the Mariners (61-69) to their fourth win in five tries.

The White Sox will turn to one of their few bright spots this season in Jose Quintana to get them out of a miserable month where they've posted an 11-16 record.

Quintana (7-10, 3.63 ERA) has completed at least six innings in seven consecutive starts, halfway to his career-long streak of 12 set from May 13-July 12. He's 3-1 with a 3.13 ERA in his last seven outings, the final three of which he lasted six innings and allowed three earned runs or less.

Quintana did not factor into the decision in Tuesday's 5-4 win over Boston after tossing six innings and allowing seven hits and four runs - three earned.

The left-hander has 20 starts of at least six innings and three earned runs or less this season, but his record is indicative of his run support average of 3.47, the third lowest in the AL.

Quintana is 0-1 with a 3.91 ERA in four starts against the Mariners. He has held Seager, Cano, Nelson Cruz, Mark Trumbo and Austin Jackson to a combined .197 batting average in 66 total at-bats.

Seattle's Edgar Olmos faced the White Sox on Aug. 22, throwing a perfect inning out of the bullpen in a 6-3 loss. It was one of his four scoreless relief outings since his promotion from Triple-A Tacoma on Aug. 17.

The reward for Olmos (1-0, 0.00) is his first career start Sunday.

Olmos picked up his first win in Tuesday's 6-5 victory over Oakland, tossing 3 2-3 scoreless innings.

The Mariners claimed the 25-year-old left-hander off waivers from Miami in November, but he was released and picked up by Texas in February. The move was rescinded, though, when a shoulder injury in his throwing arm surfaced during the waiver process in spring training, sending Olmos back to Seattle.

"It's amazing. Indescribable," Olmos told MLB's official website. "It's something as a little kid you want to be part of, and I'm living that dream. It's awesome."

Mariners outfielder Franklin Gutierrez, who is hitting .471 with two homers and six RBIs in five games against the White Sox this season, had some tightness in his Achilles tendon and was out of the lineup Saturday after getting hit on the knee by a pitch in the series opener.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Astros (72-58) at Twins (66-63)

Game: 3
Venue: Target Field
Date: August 30, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

Ervin Santana has fallen hard in August, but in his next start he'll try to keep the Minnesota Twins from falling any further in the wild-card race.

The slumping Santana and the Twins will go for a series win at home Sunday against the AL West-leading Houston Astros.

After Minnesota (66-63) dropped 1 1/2 games back of Texas for the AL's second wild-card spot with Saturday's 4-1 loss to the Astros, Santana (2-4, 6.05 ERA) may not be the right man to make up the ground.

The veteran right-hander holds the majors' highest ERA (9.12) among qualifying pitchers since Aug. 3, and has lost four straight decisions while Minnesota has dropped five of the last six games he's started. During his six-start swoon, Santana has failed to escape the third inning twice.

One of those came Tuesday at Tampa Bay. Santana allowed eight hits and five runs in 2 2-3 innings of an 11-7 loss - his fourth straight start surrendering at least four runs.

Santana has spent time working on his fastball command with pitching coach Neil Allen, but he enters Sunday with an 0-1 record and 9.77 ERA in three starts at home.

More concerning for Minnesota is an offense that has gone quiet in the first two games of the series. The Twins used three hits to beat Houston 3-0 on Friday before falling 4-1 on Saturday with just five.

Facing Mike Fiers on Saturday on the heels of his Aug. 21 no-hitter, Minnesota went 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position and left seven on base. The Twins scored once after loading the bases with nobody out in the fourth inning and wasted leadoff doubles from Brian Dozier in the sixth and eighth.

"Offensively, we only had a few chances," said manager Paul Molitor, whose team is 26th in the majors with an August batting average of .234. "We had the bases loaded situation where we couldn't get a big hit to get back in the game."

Meanwhile, the Astros (72-58) are going for their third straight series win and seventh victory in nine games. A win Sunday would put Houston 15 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2005 season.

To try and reach the mark, Houston will counter Santana with rookie Lance McCullers, who was recalled from Double-A Corpus Christi last weekend.

McCullers (5-4, 3.12 ERA) gave up a season-high eight hits and didn't factor into the decision in his return to the rotation Aug. 23, but he limited the Los Angeles Dodgers to two runs while walking none and striking out eight in a 3-2 win.

The 21-year-old right-hander may have earned the victory - which came on Jason Castro's walkoff homer in the 10th - if it weren't for two wild pitches that accounted for both Dodgers runs.

McCullers, who has 87 strikeouts in 83 2-3 innings, was sent to the minors to rest for the season's stretch run after a rough start in a 12-9 loss to Texas on Aug. 3. He surrendered seven hits and six runs while recording just one out.

"Little hiatus away, trying to rest up, trying to give myself a break for the run down the stretch," he told MLB's official website.

Astros rookie shortstop Carlos Correa missed his third consecutive game Saturday with a strained hamstring, while Minnesota third baseman Miguel Sano went 0 for 3 in his return from a hamstring strain that kept him out Friday.

Houston recalled catcher Max Stassi Saturday after Castro was sent to the 15-day disabled list with a strained right quadriceps. Hank Conger started behind the plate.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Orioles (63-66) at Rangers (67-61)

Game: 3
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: August 30, 2015 3:05 PM EDT

Adrian Beltre is probably very happy playing for the Texas Rangers. A move to the AL East, though, and more games against the Baltimore Orioles sure must be enticing to him.

Beltre looks to lead the Rangers to their sixth win in seven games this season against the reeling Orioles on Sunday.

Texas continued its surge with a 4-3 victory over Baltimore on Saturday for its 12th win in 16 games since Aug. 13, matching Kansas City for most in the AL during that span. The Rangers (67-61) extended their lead for the second wild card to 1 1/2 games over Minnesota.

With its 67th win, Texas equaled its total from last season and matched a season best at six games over .500.

Bobby Wilson delivered the tiebreaking double in the sixth inning.

"Bobby has gotten some really big hits for us," manager Jeff Banister said, "and none bigger than that tonight."

After going 16-28 in their first 44 home games, the Rangers have won 15 of their last 19 in Arlington. They've batted .306 and averaged 5.5 runs during that 19-game span.

Beltre has been a big contributor to that success, batting .397 with six homers and 18 RBIs in his past 17 at home. He had a pair of hits, including a two-run homer Saturday and is batting .425 with 10 home runs and 22 RBIs in his last 22 games against the Orioles.

The freefall continued for Baltimore (63-66), which has lost nine of 10 and scored three runs or fewer in each of those losses to drop to 9-50 when held to less than four. The Orioles are 4 1/2 games behind the Rangers, and another defeat in the finale would leave them four under for the first time since June 7.

"They're frustrated. Frustrated," manager Buck Showalter said. "So, there's one way to take that frustration away."

Dariel Alvarez was a bright spot, picking up his first two major league hits in his second game.

Derek Holland (1-1, 4.73) will try to pitch the Rangers to a third sweep in their last five home series. After beating Seattle in his first appearance in four months, the left-hander wasn't as sharp against Toronto on Tuesday. He allowed four runs - all on three homers - over six innings before leaving without a decision in a 6-5 loss.

Holland is 4-2 with a 3.65 ERA in six starts against the Orioles but hasn't faced them since 2013.

Matt Wieters is 2 for 15 against him but both of those hits are homers. Manny Machado is 4 for 11 in this matchup, while Chris Davis is 0 for 7 with six strikeouts.

Miguel Gonzalez (9-10, 4.78) tries again to record his elusive 10th win for Baltimore. Since winning at Tampa Bay on July 25, the right-hander is 0-4 with a 7.58 ERA in his last six starts and has failed to complete six innings in four of the past five.

He struggled again at Kansas City on Tuesday, yielding three runs, six hits and three walks over 4 1-3 innings in a 3-2 loss.

Gonzalez was roughed up for six runs and eight hits - including a career high-tying three homers - in an 8-6 loss to the Rangers on June 30.

Mitch Moreland hit one of those home runs and is 4 for 10 against him.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (83-46) at Giants (69-60)

Game: 3
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: August 30, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

The San Francisco Giants have the NL's best record against left-handed starters, though they have never fared well against Jaime Garcia.

The St. Louis Cardinals have captured five straight outings by Garcia heading into Sunday's three-game series finale at AT&T Park.

San Francisco (69-60) is 18-12 when against lefty starters and entered play Saturday with the majors' fourth-best average against southpaws at .271. Nori Aoki is batting a team-best .344 against them.

The Giants could again be challenged by Garcia (6-4, 1.77 ERA), who is 2-1 with a 2.16 ERA in six starts against them. He yielded three runs over 6 1-3 innings Aug. 19 and did not get a decision in a 4-3 victory.

Aoki is 5 for 16 in this matchup and Buster Posey is 4 for 12. San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy may want to start the seldom-used Justin Maxwell, who is 6 for 14 with a homer and three doubles off Garcia.

Garcia is 3-0 with a 1.38 ERA in five starts this month after yielding a run in six innings of Tuesday's 9-1 rout at Arizona. He is 9-3 with a 1.65 ERA in his last 13 road outings.

St. Louis starters are 6-0 with a 1.64 ERA in the last seven games after Lance Lynn pitched into the eighth inning in Saturday's 6-0 win before leaving with an ankle injury that isn't considered serious.

"Just sick when you see him go down like that because he's a tough guy. He has a high pain tolerance," manager Mike Matheny said. "I never thought he was going to be walking off the field. That was huge."

San Francisco's three-game win streak ended one day after it ended a five-game run for St. Louis. The Cardinals broke open a scoreless game with four runs in the fifth.

"The big inning killed us there. We couldn't stop them," Bochy said.

The Giants had a double and six singles.

"We just couldn't do anything offensively," Bochy said. "You look flat when you'renot hitting or scoring."

Stephen Piscotty had four hits Saturday to improve to 6 for 8 in this series. The Bay Area native is 12 for 24 with 10 RBIs during a six-game hitting streak.

Posey was out Saturday after getting hit in the left elbow the day before but expects to be back in the lineup. He is hitting .159 in his last 12 games.

The Giants will start rookie Chris Heston (11-7, 3.34), who makes his first big-league start since allowing one run over 4 2-3 innings in a 104-pitch outing against St. Louis (83-56) in a 2-1 loss Aug. 17.

The right-hander was optioned to the minors after that outing to keep him fresh for the stretch since he has thrown 145 2-3 innings. He did not pitch during his time in the minors.

Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, who homered off Heston earlier this month, is 7 for 19 with two homers and six RBIs in the season series.

Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal remains out on paternity leave.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics (56-74) at Diamondbacks (63-66)

Game: 3
Venue: Chase Field
Date: August 30, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

After breaking out of his slump in a big way, Stephen Vogt looks to lead the Oakland Athletics to back-to-back road wins for just the second time in over seven weeks Sunday when they close this three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Vogt went 3 for 3 with a two-run homer and an RBI single in Oakland's 3-2 victory Saturday. The All-Star catcher was hitting .174 over the previous 28 games and his performance came a day after he allowed two passed balls that factored in a 6-4 loss.

Redemption was on his mind.

"Not to talk about myself too much but I obviously was not in a good place (Friday)," Vogt said. "I was excited to see that I was back in the lineup and ready to go. I had a lot of steam to let off."

Despite his recent struggles, Vogt is still having a career year as he leads the team with 17 homers and 66 RBIs.

The A's (56-74), though, own the worst record in the AL and are 5-17 in their last 22 road games. They haven't won two straight as the visitor since July 11-12 at Cleveland.

Trying to match that with Jesse Chavez (7-13, 4.00 ERA) on the mound could be problematic. The right-hander is tied with Cleveland's Corey Kluber for the most losses in the AL and is one back of Matt Garza of Milwaukee and Philadelphia's Aaron Harang for the most in the majors.

Chavez is 0-4 with a 7.99 ERA in his last five road starts, completing six innings just once in that span.

He was tagged for a season high-tying six runs before being pulled with two outs in the fifth of Tuesday's 6-5 loss at Seattle.

"That's all on me," said Chavez, who served up two homers among his eight hits. "I let it snowball."

Chavez is starting against the Diamondbacks (63-66) for the first time, and he last faced them in a relief appearance with Atlanta on May 15, 2010.

Arizona is 1-5 and averaging 2.7 runs on this seven-game homestand.

The Diamondbacks recalled Alan Webster (1-1, 6.86) from Triple-A Reno for a spot start after electing to push back scheduled starter Robbie Ray to Monday's game at Colorado. Ray lost a fifth straight start Tuesday, giving up six runs with five walks in three innings of a 9-1 defeat to St. Louis.

"I think after Robbie's last outing, everybody talking from the top down, we felt like it would be good to give him an extra day," manager Chip Hale told MLB's official website.

Webster is 1-1 with a 7.11 ERA in four starts, his last coming June 29. He's surrendered five homers over nine innings in two at home.

The right-hander was 3-6 with an 8.37 ERA in 14 starts for Reno.

With their playoff hopes all but mathematically over, the Diamondbacks have agreed to deal former closer Addison Reed to the NL East-leading New York Mets in exchange for two minor leaguers.

Paul Goldschmidt may also be on his way out, although temporarily. His wife is due to have the couple's first child any day.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cubs (73-55) at Dodgers (72-56)

Game: 3
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: August 30, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

The last time a Chicago Cubs pitcher recorded 14 straight quality starts, he went on to win the Cy Young.

Jake Arrieta can join Greg Maddux at that level Sunday night in a visit to the Los Angeles Dodgers, and his recent winning streak has him in the discussion for the award.

Arrieta (16-6, 2.22 ERA) has won all five of his August starts with a 0.54 ERA and hasn't given up an earned run across 12 innings over his last two.

The right-hander, whose ERA ranks third in the majors, surrendered an unearned run and four hits with eight strikeouts in six innings of Tuesday's 8-5 win in San Francisco.

He can become the fourth Cubs pitcher with at least 14 straight quality starts and first since Maddux in 1992, as well as the first Cubs arm since Carlos Silva in 2010 to win six straight starts.

A 7.56 run-support average on the streak has certainly helped, and he's recorded the win in each of the last 10 starts in which he's been given at least three runs of support.

"Once we got the three runs, I'm feeling pretty good about my chances to win," said Arrieta, who improved to 10-1 with a 1.94 ERA in 14 away starts.

Arrieta is 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in two starts against the Dodgers, but those both came back in 2013 before he really came into his own. Carl Crawford is 5 for 11 in their matchups, but Jimmy Rollins (0 for 7) and Chase Utley (0 for 6) haven't figured him out.

Alex Wood isn't making it deep enough into games to put up streaks like Arrieta.

The left-hander did, however, earn the decision in Tuesday's 5-1 win in Cincinnati after giving up a run and four hits in 5 2-3 innings. Wood (9-8, 3.70) walked three batters for the fourth straight game, and his 4.07 walks per nine innings over his last eight starts is up from 2.53 in his first 17 this year.

The 24-year-old has won both of his starts this season at Dodger Stadium, and he has a 1.96 ERA in three starts and two relief efforts there. Against the Cubs, he's 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in a start and three relief appearances. Chris Denorfia is 4 for 5 against Wood.

Chicago could go with a righty-heavy lineup against Wood, who's holding lefties to a .116 average in his last seven starts. Anthony Rizzo, however, is hitting .321 off left-handers.

The Cubs (73-55) haven't been much of an offensive threat on a four-game losing streak with six runs scored and a .149 average, putting them in danger of matching a season-worst five-game skid from June 24-28 that started with two losses to the Dodgers (72-56). They've also scored just five runs and hit .208 on a four-game skid against Los Angeles.

Kyle Schwarber is hitting .114 in his last nine games after posting a .311 average through his first 36 in the majors.

"It's been a tough trip," manager Joe Maddon said. "The 2,000 miles and two hours have kicked our butts a little bit. But I'm really pleased with our guys. Our guys care and they're good, so we'll be fine."

After Saturday's 5-2 victory, the Dodgers have won five straight while posting a 1.00 ERA.

Offensively, Kike Hernandez was 2 for 4 to bump his average to .408 in the last 14 games.

While the Cubs fell six games behind streaking Pittsburgh for the first wild-card spot, the Dodgers extended their NL West lead to 3 1/2 games.

"We worked really hard to get to this point," manager Don Mattingly said. "This time of year it's about winning games."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sunday's six-pack

-- Alabama-Georgia-Florida may all play two QBs in their openers next week.

-- Crimson Tide lost 54% of its rushing yards, 78% of its receiving yards from LY.

-- In case you were wondering, American Pharoah weighs 1,184 pounds.

-- AD at Illinois had all summer to fire football coach Tim Beckman; why wait until a week before the season starts?

-- Jacob deGrom was the 272nd player taken in the 2010 draft; not sure if that is bad scouting by everyone else or just good scouting by the Mets?

-- Falcons signed WR Julio Jones to a 5-year deal with $47.5M of guaranteed $$$.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Arthur Ralph Sports

Bonus Play Sun Indians w/TOMLIN -150

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Jim Feist

Jim Feist's Bonus Play for Sunday, August 30 8:05 PM ET

(911) CHICAGO CUBS VS (912) LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Take: UNDER

Reason: Your Bonus Play for Sunday, August 30, 2015 is in the MLB scheduled contest between the Chicago Cubs and the LA Dodgers. The Cubs began this weekend series with the Dodgers 20 games above the .500 mark, one of their best seasons in recent memory. The Cubs still have a solid hold on the second Wild Card slot for the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Cubs, they play in the division with the Pirates and Cardinals, arguably the toughest division in perhaps all of baseball. The Cubs best pitcher is on the hill in Jake Arrieta. Arrieta hasn't been going deep into games lately, but he's been great none the less. Arrieta has allowed zero earned runs over his last 12 innings and just two earned runs over his last five starts (33 1/3 innings). The Dodgers continue to hold onto a slim lead in the NL West over San Francisco. However, both the Padres and Diamondbacks are also closing the gap. Only one team from this division will make the NL playoffs, so it will be a dog fight to the end. The Dodgers start recently acquired Alex Wood. Wood has been consistently good all season. He's also not going deep into games, but has not allowed over three earned runs in any of his last four starts. Chavez Ravine is usually a good pitcher's park and with Arrieta and Wood dueling it out, I like this contest to go UNDER the total. Your free play is on the UNDER.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dave Cokin

Bonus Play Sunday

ORIOLES (Gonzalez) at RANGERS (Holland) 3:05 PM

Take: RANGERS -125

I’m going to lose my pre-season Under wager on the Rangers win total. I’m already resigned to that inevitability. This team has been an absolute stunner to me, as with the status of their pitching staff when I made the play, which was actually before the Yu Darvish injury, I really didn’t see them winning more than perhaps 70 games. But they’ve played some really solid ball thanks to what I think have to be called unexpected contributions from a few players and Texas has a real shot to still be playing in October.

One of the numerous pitchers on the shelf for much of the season has returned to the Texas rotation, and Derek Holland will be throwing for the Rangers today. The opposition will be provided by Miguel Gonzalez, who doesn’t shape up as a stopped for a Baltimore staff that needs a really good start in the worst way.

This is all team stuff as Holland has been so-so in his first two starts back, and therefore really doesn’t own an edge over Gonzalez. But the Orioles are in a miserable funk right now, having lost all but one of their last ten outings. The Birds have not been a good road team this year, and they’re simply not hitting very well right now.

I’m a little surprised to see this betting line where it is when considering present form. I made the price here Rangers -145 so I think we’ve got a bit of a bargain here. Don’t misread that into thinking this is some kind of slam dunk as even if my price is right, that’s still less than 60% when converting to odds rather than money line. But I have to think it’s not a bad value spot and it’s good enough to warrant some action on the Rangers side.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

GAMBLERS DATA

Cubs -122

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

BIG AL

Our complimentary selection for Sunday, August 30 is:

Tampa Bay (Karns) over Kansas City (Duffy).