Sunday 9/18/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tigers (78-70) at Indians (86-62)

Game: 3
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: September 18, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians, who may have already delivered the knockout punch to the Detroit Tigers in the AL Central Division race, go for the series sweep on Sunday as the two teams meet in the final game of their three game series.

Cleveland won the first game Friday 11-4, and prevailed Saturday in a tense 1-0 victory in 10 innings. It was a somewhat bizarre win in that Indians starter Carlos Carrasco was knocked out of the game after two pitches after he was hit by a line drive and suffered a season-ending broken hand.

Carrasco's quick exit meant a heavy work day for the Cleveland bullpen, and the relievers responded. Eight Indians relievers combined to pitch 10 scoreless innings on three hits.

It was a bittersweet win for the Indians, however, because of the loss of Carrasco. Cleveland was already down one starter as Danny Salazar is out for the remainder of the year because of a strained right forearm. So Cleveland's once-vaunted rotation is down to Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, and three question marks.

"It hurts," said Manager Terry Francona of the loss of Carrasco. "It will make this more challenging, but when we do it, it will feel that much better when we do. We'll figure it out."

Nothing has been finalized yet, but the loss of Salazar and Carrasco probably means that Josh Tomlin and rookie Mike Clevinger return to the rotation. Tomlin started the season in the rotation but pitched so poorly in August that he was moved to the bullpen. Clevinger was 11-1 as a starter at Triple-A Columbus prior to his mid-season recall, but has pitched mostly in the bullpen.

"We'll look at things and see how we can piece it together," Francona said. "The good news is we think we can."

The bad news for the Tigers is they have to play the Indians again Sunday. Detroit is 1-13 versus Cleveland this season, a big reason why they trail the Indians by eight games in the Central.

"We have to find a way to score, obviously," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "We only got one guy past second base in the whole game (Saturday). I felt like we could have been a little better, but it wasn't from a lack of effort."

Sunday's pitching matchup will be Bauer (11-7, 4.06 ERA) for the Indians and Daniel Norris (2-2, 3.81) for the Tigers.

Bauer has made two appearances against the Tigers this year, once as a starter and once as a reliever. He is 2-0 with a 5.00 ERA. In nine career appearances (eight starts) against Detroit, he is 4-2 with a 6.55 ERA.

Norris has started one game against Cleveland this year, pitching two innings and giving up two runs on three hits. In two career appearances versus the Indians, Norris has no record and a 3.60 ERA.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Twins (55-94) at Mets (79-69)

Game: 3
Venue: Citi Field
Date: September 18, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The Minnesota Twins have been playing out the string for weeks.

But even though the New York Mets are leading the National League wild card race, they'll be the ones sending an unknown to the mound and potentially fielding a piecemeal lineup Sunday afternoon.

The Mets look to pad their wild-card lead behind a rookie pitcher making his first career start and a yet-to-be determined lineup Sunday when New York goes for a series sweep of the Twins at Citi Field.

Curtis Granderson hit two extra-inning homers -- one to tie the game in the 11th and one to win it in the 12th -- on Saturday night as the Mets beat the Twins 3-2.

The win, coupled with the St. Louis Cardinals' 3-2 victory over the San Francisco Giants, vaulted New York (79-69) into a tie for first place with the Giants in the wild card race, two games ahead of the Cardinals.

If the Mets and Giants tie for the first wild card, the Mets host by virtue of going 4-3 against the Giants during the regular season.

If the Mets are to beat the Twins again, they'll have to do it with what a so-called "bullpen game." Right-hander Jacob deGrom, who was scheduled to make his first start Sunday since Sept. 1, was scratched because of an ulnar nerve injury in his right arm and will likely miss the rest of the season.

Rookie right-hander Gabriel Ynoa, who has a 15.19 ERA in six major league relief appearances, will start, though he is not expected to pitch long. Ynoa hasn't pitched more than two innings since his final start for Triple-A Las Vegas on Aug. 27.

"Probably (will) use a plethora of people (Sunday)," Mets manager Terry Collins said Saturday afternoon.

The Mets used eight pitchers Saturday, but long relievers Sean Gilmartin and Logan Verrett and former starter Rafael Montero -- who initially filled in for deGrom but lost his rotation spot after issuing 14 walks in three starts -- did not pitch and should be available to back up Ynoa.

With a 1:10 p.m. start following a game that ended at 11:26 p.m., Collins may also write out a lineup filled with backups. Left fielder Yoenis Cespedes (quad) and shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera (left leg) are each battling nagging injuries, but played all 12 innings Saturday.

"I don't know what the lineup's going to look like tomorrow, we've got a lot of guys tired and banged up," Collins said.

Right-hander Kyle Gibson draws the start for the Twins (55-94). It will be Gibson's 23rd start of the season, which ranks third on the team. In addition, five of Minnesota's starters Saturday have played in at least 90 games this season while a sixth, Bryon Buxton, has long been touted as the organization's top prospect.

With so many regulars on the field, manager Paul Molitor doesn't worry about motivation being a factor for the Twins, who must go at least 8-5 the rest of the way to avoid 100 losses -- a mark the organization has not reached since 1982.

"Kind of challenge circumstances here as we head down the last couple weeks," Molitor said. "But whatever's out there, I think the guys will be ready."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Marlins (73-75) at Phillies (67-82)

Game: 3
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: September 18, 2016 1:35 PM EDT

The Miami Marlins are not playing like a team trying to keep their faint National League wild-card hopes alive as they visit the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday in the finale of a three-game series.

Miami (73-75), which is 6-9 in September, dropped the first two games of the series to fall six games behind the New York Mets and San Francisco (79-65) with St. Louis (77-71) and Pittsburgh (74-74) also in pursuit.

Philadelphia (67-82) exploded for an 8-0 victory Saturday -- their highest run total since a 10-6 win over Colorado on Aug. 12.

Center fielder Odubel Herrera is one of a handful of young players giving the Phillies hope for the future as he is 10-for-20 in his last five games after going 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored Saturday, raising his average to .283.

"We were hoping that he would turn it around," Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin, who moved Herrera into the No. 3 spot in the order, told reporters. "He just kind of lost focus for some reason, started coming out of his comfort zone and started swinging at too many pitches, expanding the strike zone. But he looks much better right now. Hopefully he'll finish strong and be confident going into next year."

Another Phillie to watch down the stretch is first baseman Tommy Joseph, who belted his 20th home run Saturday to become the first Philadelphia rookie since Ryan Howard in 2005 to reach that number.

Only Willie Montanez (30 in 1971), Dick Allen (29, 1964), Howard (22) and Scott Rolen (21, 1997) hit more home runs in their rookie seasons with the Phillies.

"It's cool," Joseph said. "This time last year, a lot of people had given up on my future. To be sitting here a year later with 20 homers in the show, it's a pretty special feeling."

Sunday's pitching matchup pits the Marlins' Andrew Cashner (5-11, 5.22 ERA) against the Phillies' Alec Asher (1-0, 1.46).

Cashner is 3-1 with a 2.11 ERA in 11 games (five starts) versus Philadelphia after a 6-0 victory Sept. 7 when he matched a season high with nine strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. It was his first victory in nine games (eight starts) with Miami after losing his first four decisions since arriving via trade from San Diego in July.

The 30-year-old right-hander struggles with A.J. Ellis (7-for-18), who delivered a three-run double Saturday.

Asher, a late-season call-up in each of his two major league seasons, received a no-decision after allowing two runs in 6 1/3 innings of the Phillies' 5-3 loss to Pittsburgh on Tuesday. He recorded his only major league victory by allowing two hits in six shutout innings of a 4-1 victory in Washington on Sept. 8.

The 24-year-old right-hander made two of his seven starts last season against the Marlins, losing both after allowing four runs in a combined nine innings.

Miami can win its first season series against Philadelphia since 2008 with a victory Sunday. The series is tied 9-9.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nationals (88-60) at Braves (57-91)

Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: September 18, 2016 1:35 PM EDT

ATLANTA -- The Washington Nationals don't have much time to get Joe Ross, who hasn't pitched since July 2 because of shoulder inflammation, ready for the postseason.

The first step will take place on Sunday, when Ross will come off the 60-day disabled list and start against the Atlanta Braves in the Nationals' last game at Turner Field.

Ross made three minor league rehab starts and then threw a simulated game of about 60 pitches last Sunday.

"It's just important to us he gets on a mound in a game," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said.

The Nationals aren't expecting the right-hander to go more than about three innings against the Braves.

"Let's see how his arm feels," Baker said. "Then we'll increase the workload if we can, or maybe see how he does out of the pen."

Ross, 23, was 7-4 with a 3.49 ERA in 16 starts before going on the disabled list and the Nationals would like nothing better than to have him built back up enough to be a starter in the playoffs.

"We're trying to get him into game shape, game-ready, to help us not only down the stretch but in the playoffs," Baker said. "You can simulate all you want, you can go to minor league games, but there's no substitute for big league time and big league games."

Stephen Strasburg is questionable for the postseason and the Nationals need help behind Max Scherzer and Tanner Roark, with Gio Gonzalez at No. 3 in the rotation right now despite showing his inconsistency again on Saturday against the Braves.

The Nationals are seeing encouraging signs from Strasburg, who was diagnosed with a strained flexor mass in his elbow after leaving a start against the Braves in Washington on Sept. 10.

Strasburg, who is 15-4 with a 3.60 ERA, played light catch for about five minutes Saturday morning at Turner Field in what was a small but important first step in his attempt to return at some point this year.

"They told me (Friday) that he was beginning exercises and he was coming along fine, as far as I know," Baker said.

Braves right-hander Matt Wisler will try to bounce back from a rough start in his return from the disabled list as he faces the Nationals on Sunday.

Wisler (6-12, 5.00 ERA) allowed six runs on 10 hits over three innings on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins after being sidelined since Aug. 31 with a left oblique strain.

Wisler, 24, was demoted to Triple-A Gwinnett after midseason struggles, but turned in three strong starts before going on the disabled list.

"I think just a little bit of rust, but I've got some stuff to fix," Wisler said after the loss to the Marlins. "I still shouldn't have had an outing like that.

"I can't keep having outings like this if I want to pitch up here for a long time. I've got three outings to kind of prove I can still pitch up here and have confidence going into next year."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB roundup: Red Sox win third straight over Yankees
By The Sports Xchange

BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox bailed David Price out of a shaky start and pulled out a 6-5 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday.
Mookie Betts scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by Adam Warren (3-2) with two outs in the seventh inning as the American League East leaders picked up their third straight win in the series -- two of them from behind -- and moved to a season-high 20 games over .500. The Yankees are losers of four straight and seven of their last eight.
Price, looking to win his eighth straight start, gave up five runs on nine hits in six innings -- two of the runs coming on a long home run by rookie Gary Sanchez, his 15th homer in 152 big-league at-bats.
The Red Sox were down 5-2 before chasing starter Bryan Mitchell on a two-run homer by Xander Bogaerts (No. 20) with two outs in the fifth. Bogaerts led off the seventh with his third extra-base hit and second double of the game.

Braves 7, Nationals 3
ATLANTA -- Trea Turner hit two home runs for Washington, but Atlanta's leadoff hitter had a highly productive day as well.
Ender Inciarte was 3-for-4 with a double and a walk, scoring three times, as the Braves got to Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez for the victory. It was just the third win of the season for the Braves over the National League East-leading Nationals in 18 games.
Josh Collmenter, picked up from the Chicago Cubs organization after he was released by Arizona earlier in the season, went five innings to get a win in his Atlanta debut.

Pirates 10, Reds 4 (Game 1)
CINCINNATI -- Sean Rodriguez and Josh Bell helped lift Pittsburgh over Cincinnati in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.
Rodriguez homered and Bell went 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI. The game made up a rainout on May 10.
Jameson Taillon (4-4) allowed three runs on eight hits in five innings to help the Pirates win their third straight game.

Pirates 7, Reds 3 (Game 2)
CINCINNATI -- Sean Rodriguez homered in the fourth inning and Andrew McCutchen had a two-run single during a four-run second inning, lifting Pittsburgh to a victory and a doubleheader sweep of Cincinnati at Great American Ball Park.
The Pirates won the first game of the day-night doubleheader 10-4, to make up a May 10 rainout. They've now won four straight and five of six to keep their fading postseason hopes alive.
Right-hander Juan Nicasio (10-6) pitched two scoreless innings to earn the win. Tony Watson earned his 14th save.

Indians 1, Tigers 0 (10 innings)
CLEVELAND -- Jose Ramirez's bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 10th inning gave Cleveland a win over Detroit at Progressive Field.
Nine Cleveland pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout. Andrew Miller (8-1), the last of them, pitched two scoreless innings to get the win.
The American League Central-leading Indians increased their lead over the second-place Tigers to eight games. Cleveland is 13-1 against Detroit this year, outscoring the Tigers 91-40.

Brewers 11, Cubs 3
CHICAGO -- After clinching the National League Central, Chicago continued to rest many of their regulars. And Milwaukee took advantage.
Ryan Braun hit two home runs, Chris Carter crushed a grand slam and Domingo Santana added a solo shot as the Brewers routed the Cubs.
Braun smacked a pair of two-run shots and hit an RBI single against a Cubs team that played mostly reserves after capturing the division title on Thursday.

Royals 3, White Sox 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Ned Yost posted his 1,000th career victory as manager and Kansas City topped Chicago.
Yost picked up the win in his sixth attempt as the Royals ended a five-game losing streak with him stuck on 999. Yost has a 543-542 record as manager of the Royals.
Catcher Salvador Perez doused Yost with Gatorade during his on-the-field postgame interview.

Phillies 8, Marlins 0
PHILADELPHIA -- Behind a seven-run onslaught in the first two innings, Philadelphia cruised past Miami. It's the most runs the Phillies have scored since winning 10-6 over Colorado on Aug. 12.
The Phillies reeled off seven hits through two frames. A.J. Ellis delivered the biggest blow with his three-RBI double to cap a five-run first inning. In the second, Tommy Joseph launched a two-run homer just a few feet away from the 409-foot sign in center field.
Jeremy Hellickson (12-9) calmly put forth his most dominant start this season. The righty went the distance, fanning five and allowing just three base runners, none of which by walks. His previous high was eight innings on July 20, coincidentally, coming against Miami.

Cardinals 3, Giants 2
SAN FRANCISCO -- Kolten Wong's sacrifice fly capped a two-run rally in the top of the ninth inning as St. Louis overtook San Francisco for a victory.
Trailing 2-1 and two outs away from a third consecutive loss in the series, the Cardinals now will go for a split when a pair of rookie right-handers, St. Louis' Alex Reyes and the Giants' Albert Suarez, square off Sunday afternoon.
The loss dropped the Giants five games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West and into a tie with the New York Mets in the NL wild-card race.

Angels 6, Blue Jays 1
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Ricky Nolasco pitched six shutout innings to lead Los Angeles to a victory over Toronto at Angel Stadium.
Nolasco (6-14) earned his second victory since July 9. The right-hander amassed seven strikeouts, scattered five hits, issued two walks and hit one batter.
Albert Pujols hit his 30th home run this season and the 590th of his career. Mike Trout added two hits, stole his 26th base, scored one run and drove in another as the Angels used four unearned runs to break a five-game losing streak.

Astros 2, Mariners 1
SEATTLE -- Houston's Mike Fiers bounced back from his worst outing of the season to throw six scoreless innings, and Yuli Gurriel delivered a two-run single in the sixth inning as the Astros beat Seattle to move further into the crowded American League wild-card race.
Houston moved into a tie with the Mariners in the American League wild-card standings, three games behind Baltimore.
Seattle has lost two in a row after entering the series on an eight-game losing streak.

Mets 3, Twins 2 (12 innings)
NEW YORK -- Curtis Granderson's second extra-inning homer of the game, a solo shot with two outs in the 12th inning, lifted New York to a win over Minnesota at Citi Field.
The Twins took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 11th on a leadoff homer by Bryon Buxton, but Granderson homered leading off the bottom of the inning. The Mets loaded the bases with two outs before Jose Reyes struck out.
In the bottom of the 12th, Michael Tonkin got the first two outs before left-hander Ryan O'Rourke (0-1) entered to face the lefty-hitting Granderson, who homered on a 3-2 pitch to set off a wild celebration.

Dodgers 6, Diamondbacks 2
PHOENIX -- Brock Stewart saw his opportunity and seized it. Los Angeles' rookie pitcher, replacing Bud Norris as the starting pitcher, threw five solid innings and got a boost from a two-run homer by Joc Pederson as the Dodgers rolled to a win over Arizona.
Stewart has had a meteoric rise in the Dodgers' ranks this season, starting at Class A Ranch Cucamonga. In fact, he is the first Dodger since Hideo Nomo in 1995 to start in Class A and start an MLB game in the same season.

Athletics 11, Rangers 2
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Joey Wendle opened the game against Texas with his first career homer, which helped pave the way for the first career win for right-hander Raul Alcantara as Oakland blasted the Rangers.
Texas was able to drop its number at clinching the American League West at to five thanks to Houston's 2-1 win over Seattle. The Athletics have now won five of their last six.
Wendle's homer started a night in which the A's tagged Texas starter Yu Darvish (5-5) for a career high seven earned runs as the Athletics homered three times and had 12 hits.

Rays 5, Orioles 2
BALTIMORE -- Tampa Bay started this road trip with three losses to the Yankees in New York, but played much better since.
Richie Shaffer hit a tie-breaking double in the sixth inning, Mikie Mahtook added a two-run single and Evan Longoria homered for the third time in three nights as the Rays defeated Baltimore.
The loss dropped the Orioles three games behind Boston in the American League East as the Red Sox beat the Yankees 6-5 earlier in the day. Baltimore, though, is tied for first with Toronto in the wild-card race -- three games clear of Detroit, Houston and Seattle.

Rockies 8, Padres 0
DENVER -- Jon Gray rediscovered his slider and punctuated his first career complete game by striking out a franchise-record 16 in Colorado's romp over San Diego.
Gray's strikeouts -- four more than his previous high -- were the most ever at Coors Field. Arizona's Randy Johnson had 14 strikeouts on April 13, 2001. The previous franchise record of 14 was set by Darryl Kile in Montreal on Aug. 20, 1998.
Gray, who gave up four singles, didn't issue a walk or allow a runner to reach second base as he pitched more than 7 1/3 innings for the first time in his career. He threw 113 pitches, including 78 strikes.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rays (64-84) at Orioles (81-67)

Game: 4
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: September 18, 2016 1:35 PM EDT

BALTIMORE -- The song remains the same for the Baltimore Orioles heading into the final contest of a four-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.

Simply put, the Orioles need to keep winning as they're in the midst of a battle for the American League East title and/or a wild-card berth. Even though Tampa Bay is out of the playoff picture, the Rays have not been making things easy for the Orioles or any of the other contenders they've faced.

The Orioles have lost two of the first three in this series, and the spotlight and pressure remains on Baltimore. The Orioles are three games behind the Red Sox in the East after Saturday's 5-2 loss and are tied with Toronto at the top of the wild-card race, three games clear of Detroit, Houston and Seattle.

"At this point in time of the year you need every W you can get," Baltimore center fielder Adam Jones said. "I think we have 14 left and at this point you can't give games away."

Wade Miley starts for the Orioles on Sunday, and he's struggled since the team acquired him from Seattle at the trade deadline. The left-hander is 1-5 with an 8.41 ERA in eight starts since coming to Baltimore, and the Orioles need more from him.

Tampa Bay sends right-hander Jake Odorizzi (9-6, 3.81) to the mound. He's been solid in the second half, going 6-1 with a 2.78 ERA since the All-Star Game, and is the kind of pitcher that gives Baltimore trouble at times.

Baltimore's been battling a number of injury problems lately. Mark Trumbo missed the first two games because of back spasms but the Orioles are hoping he'll be back Sunday, and set-up man Darren O'Day could return from the disabled list by Monday when the Orioles start a big four-game series with Boston.

The Rays (64-84) are a very young team that's already been eliminated from the playoffs and will finish with a losing record.

Still, they've got a number of games against good teams late in the season. They have played 29 consecutive games against teams better than .500 and within four games of a playoff spot and posted a 14-15 record.

Even though they're out of it, Evan Longoria still sees playing games like this late in the season as a learning tool for the young Rays.

"I think whether you're the team that needs to win to get to the playoffs or you're the team that's just playing the team that needs to win, everybody feels the same sort of anxiety and especially when the games are close," Longoria said. "We can definitely use that as a growing moment."

Said manager Kevin Cash: "They've played really good baseball in the environments we anticipated that we were going to be coming into. Couldn't be more pleased with them."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Brewers (67-82) at Cubs (94-54)

Game: 4
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: September 18, 2016 2:20 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- Kyle Hendricks' National League Cy Young campaign continues Sunday afternoon at Wrigley Field.

Hendricks makes his first start since nearly throwing a no-hitter for the Chicago Cubs in his last turn. The NL Central champions are trying to split their four-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers, who hit four home runs in an 11-3 victory Saturday.

The St. Louis Cardinals' Jeremy Hazelbaker hit a leadoff home run in the ninth to end Hendricks' no-hit bid Monday. The 26-year-old right-hander struck out seven, walked two and leads the majors with a 2.03 ERA.

"It's got to catapult him in the minds of people voting (for the Cy Young) right now," manager Joe Maddon told reporters after the game.

Hendricks (15-7) is 8-1 with a 1.33 ERA in 11 starts since the All-Star break and 9-1 with a 1.21 ERA at Wrigley this season. In nine career starts against the Brewers, he is 5-2 with a 2.01 ERA -- and 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA against them at home.

"He prepares himself better than anybody I've caught in my career," catcher Miguel Montero told the Chicago Tribune. "And he's got a pretty good idea on the mound."

Behind Hendricks, his teammate Jon Lester is second in the majors in ERA at 2.40. The Mets' Noah Syndergaard is third at 2.43.

The Cubs are expected to start several of their regulars Sunday after playing mostly reserves the last two games after they clinched the division Thursday.

"I was going to give them two days. (Third baseman Kris Bryant) definitely wanted back in (Saturday), so I put him back in there. The other guys were fine with it," Maddon said. "You're going to see a pretty normal lineup out there (Sunday)."

After becoming the first team in the majors to win a division this season, the Cubs (94-54) are also gunning for the best record in the majors. The Washington Nationals own the next-best record at 88-60.

"We want to have the best record in baseball and we want to have home-field advantage throughout (the playoffs)," Maddon said. "Does it matter at the end of the day? We'll find out. Competitively, who you are as an athlete, what you do, you want to be the best."

Right-hander Wily Peralta (6-10, 5.42 ERA) starts Sunday for the Brewers. He is 4-7 with a 4.15 ERA in 12 career starts against the Cubs. In his last outing, he allowed three runs Monday against the Cincinnati Reds for his sixth quality start. Peralta is 2-3 with a 3.50 ERA in seven starts since rejoining the rotation Aug. 9 for the injured Junior Guerra.

Milwaukee (67-82) added outfielder Michael Reed from Triple-A Colorado Springs on Saturday after losing outfielders Keon Broxton (fractured right wrist) and Kirk Nieuwenhuis (abdominal strain) on Friday. Nieuwenhuis is expected to be evaluated Monday.

"(Reed has) been more of a corner outfielder type, but he can play center field," manager Craig Counsell said. "So, we need outfielders, really, and we need bodies."

The Brewers are 7-11 against the Cubs this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jays (81-67) at Angels (64-84)

Game: 4
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: September 18, 2016 3:35 PM EDT

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Two young right-handers only a year apart but at radically different stages of their careers will face each other when the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Angels finish their four-game series on Sunday at Angel Stadium.

The Blue Jays' Marcus Stroman, 25, has become a key member of the rotation in his first full season. The Angels' Alex Meyer, 26, is trying to establish a foothold after shoulder injuries nearly short-circuited his career.

Their respective teams also face extremely different fates. While the Angels are threatening to lose 90 games for the first time since 1999, the Blue Jays seek their second consecutive playoff spot. The American League East's defending champions and the Baltimore Orioles hold the two wild-card spots while trailing the first-place Boston Red Sox by three games.

Stroman has played a valuable role. The native of Medford, N.Y., leads the Blue Jays with 155 strikeouts and 184 innings pitched, both career highs. Stroman's 47 walks are the fewest among Toronto's starters.

Yet the right-hander lost his previous three starts entering Sunday's game. In his last four starts, Stroman has allowed 13 earned runs and 25 hits in 23 innings, with opponents batting .272 against him.

In his last appearance Tuesday night, Stroman walked four batters in a game for the first time since June 26. Stroman gave up four runs on six hits, including a three-run home run to Alexei Ramirez, while striking out four in a 6-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

"My stuff feels great," Stroman told MLB.com afterward. "But we're at the point in September where we need to be getting wins, so it's frustrating."

Yet Stroman has faced far worse. Last year, he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during spring training, but aggressive rehabilitation enabled the right-hander to return to the mound in mid-September and win all four of his regular-season starts, then add a victory over the Kansas City Royals in the American League Championship Series.

This year, Stroman lost four of six decisions during a nine-game stretch from May 17 to June 26. He allowed 38 earned runs and 67 hits in 45 1/3 innings while opponents batted .353. But from July 1 through Aug. 21, the right-hander compiled a 3.02 ERA.

"I definitely dealt with a rough stretch," Stroman told the Toronto Star. "But that just showed me how strong I am to get through that on my own, and be able to change my mechanics mid-season and have success. I feel like September is my best month so I feel like I'm really gong to turn it on."

Meyer, acquired from the Minnesota Twins at the trading deadline, has thrown just 40 innings covering 12 games at four different levels, from the Arizona Rookie League to the American League. In 10 major-league games over the past two seasons, the former first-round draft choice has yet to register a victory.

In his last start Tuesday night, Meyer permitted four runs and five hits while throwing 76 pitches in just five innings of an 8-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

"I've just got to do a better job of mixing in off-speed pitches earlier," Meyer told MLB.com. "I tried to do too much fastball, especially when I was behind. Obvious they were jumping all over that and I wasn't able to throw it by anybody tonight."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (72-76) at Royals (75-73)

Game: 3
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: September 18, 2016 2:15 PM EDT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Manager Ned Yost's wait is over -- finally.

After being stuck on 999 victories since Sunday, Yost picked up his 1,000th managerial victory as the Kansas City Royals defeated the Chicago White 3-2 on Saturday night.

"I'm glad it's over now," Yost said. "When I started this, I don't know why, I had just two goals. One was to help a team win a world championship (the Royals won the 2015 World Series) and the other was a thousand wins."

Yost said his next goal is to "win 1,001 games."

He can achieve that goal Sunday as the four-game series with the White Sox continues at Kauffman Stadium.

Yost's first managerial victory was April 8, 2003 with Milwaukee. The Brewers lost their first six games that season before defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-3. The winning pitcher was left-hander Glendon Rusch, a former Royal, while Mike DeJean picked up a save. Rusch allowed just one hit over seven innings. Scott Podsednik, another former Royal, drove in two Milwaukee runs. Ironically, Jason Kendall, who is a special assignment coach on Yost's staff, hit a three-run homer for the Pirates.

In Yost's 1,000th victory, Dillon Gee earned the 'W' in relief, while Wade Davis collected his 25th save in 28 chances. Jarrod Dyson had two singles, extending his hitting streak to 10 games, and swiped his 28th base in Yost's milestone victory.

Of the 62 managers with at least 1,000 wins, Yost is one of 13 with a sub-.500 record. He is 543-542 with the Royals and was 457-502 with the Brewers.

Left-hander Jose Quintana will draw his fourth starting assignment this season on Sunday against the Royals. While Quintana is 0-2 with a 3.32 ERA, allowing eight earned runs in 21 1/3 innings, in the first three starts, the White Sox offense has provided him with scant support. They have scored a total of two runs while he was on the mound, 0.83 runs support average. He has received one or no run support in those starts.

Quintana limited the Royals to one run over 7 1/3 innings in a no-decision on Aug. 10 that the White Sox lost 3-2 in 14 innings.

Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer is just 10-for-59, a .169 average, against Quintana, but has two home runs and 10 RBIs. Catcher Salvador Perez is hitting .351, 19-for-54, with two home runs and eight RBIs off Quintana.

The Royals will counter with left-hander Danny Duffy, who is 6-0 at Kauffman Stadium this season and has not lost at home since Sept. 5, 2015, a 6-1 setback against the White Sox. He is one of three major league pitchers unbeaten at home this season with at least six victories.

Duffy is 11-2 with a 3.13 ERA, but is winless since Aug. 21. He has three no-decisions and an Aug. 27 lost at Boston since his last victory. Duffy is averaging 9.57 strikeouts per nine innings. The franchise record is Zack Greinke, 9.50 in 2009.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Padres (62-86) at Rockies (71-77)

Game: 3
Venue: Coors Field
Date: September 18, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

DENVER -- After getting overpowered by Jon Gray on Saturday night, the San Diego Padres will try to avoid getting swept Sunday in their series with the Colorado Rockies.

Gray set a franchise record with 16 strikeouts, the most ever in a game at Coors Field. The Padres, meanwhile, are dealing with weightier matters than trying to win a ballgame.

After Saturday's 8-0 loss, Padres manager Andy Green announced that Padres third baseman Yangervis Solarte's wife passed away earlier in the day, before game time, due to complications from cancer. Yuliette Solarte was 31.

Yangervis Solarte was scratched from the lineup Friday and left the team to be with his wife and their three daughters in Florida. Solarte has played in 101 games this season, hitting .284 with a career-high 15 home runs. He was sidelined for six weeks in April and May with a hamstring strain missed four games in July to be with his wife.

Solarte has told the Padres he would like to return before the season ends and bring his daughters to the San Diego Padres.

The Padres might have to summon a catcher in the wake of Derek Norris' injury Saturday night. He left the game in the fifth after getting hit with a foul tip and suffering a sprained left middle finger.

Hector Sanchez, who replaced Norris and is expected to start Sunday, is the Padres' only catcher. Green said X-rays were negative on Norris, whose status for coming off the bench remains to be seen. The Padres could recall catcher Austin Hedges from Triple-A El Paso, which clinched the Pacific Coast League title Saturday and will play a Triple-A championship game Tuesday in Memphis.

Jarred Cosart, who missed his last start after suffering a strained right hamstring and groin, which forced him to leave a Sept. 7 outing, will return to the mound for the Padres.

It will be his 12th start overall and eighth for the Padres. Norris, who was acquired from Miami on July 29, is 0-3 with a 5.16 ERA in his 11 games. Cosart has never pitched against the Rockies.

"We're going to stick with what we initially planned and hoped would happen," Green said. "He felt good coming through his throwing sessions. His leg's fine, so we feel good about starting him and we're going to proceed with the rotation as we've layed out after that."

Chad Bettis, who is 12-7 with a 4.78 ERA, will start for the Rockies.

He's 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA in six career starts against the Padres and 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA against them in two starts at Coors Field. This season, Bettis is 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA against the Padres in three starts.

Bettis will be making his second straight start against the Padres. Last Sunday, he gave up four hits and two runs in seven innings but wasn't involved in the decision as the Rockies won 3-2 in 10 innings.

In his past three starts, a stretch that includes a complete-game two-hit shutout against San Francisco on Sept. 5, Bettis is 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA (23 innings, four earned runs) and two walks and 18 strikeouts.

Rockies outfielder David Dahl returned to the lineup Saturday night for the first time in five games and was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.

Rockies manager Walt Weiss said he told Dahl during the last road trip that some signs of fatigue were showing. Dahl was also dealing with left elbow soreness.

"So those are the reasons I gave him a little bit of a break," Weiss said. "He's going to be in there a lot the rest of the way."

Dahl, 22, began the season at Double-A Hartford, moved up to Triple-A Albuquerque and made his major league debut July 27. Dahl's pinch-hit single during the Rockies' game-winning rally in the ninth inning Friday night broke an 0-for-14 slide. His two-hit game Saturday was Dahl's 14th multi-hit game out of the 49 he has played in his career.

He's hitting .316 (56-for-177) with nine doubles, three triples, six homers, 20 RBIs and 37 runs scored. Dahl has a .363 on-base percentage and a .503 slugging percentage.

"He gives you a good at-bat, period, whether it's coming off the bat or in the starting lineup," Weiss said. "We've seen that from the get-go. He's very much under control in the batter's box. He's looked that way the entire time he's been up here."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (77-71) at Giants (79-69)

Game: 4
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: September 18, 2016 4:05 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO -- Both teams will begin with question marks and end with uncertainties when the St. Louis Cardinals and San Francisco Giants meet in the finale of a four-game series on Sunday afternoon.

The game is a big one for both teams, but especially for the Cardinals, who trail the Giants and New York Mets by two games in the race for two wild-card playoff spots in the National League.

A win Sunday not only would allow the Cardinals to close the gap on the Giants, but also would secure a 4-3 win in the season series, which would give them the home-field advantage should the two teams finish in a tie for a wild-card spot.

There are only 14 games remaining in the season.

"I can feel it, and I know the guys can feel it," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said of the pressure of the playoff race. "We know where everybody stands."

But neither manager can even pretend to know what he's going to get from Sunday's starting pitcher.

Each will be going with a rookie who has never faced the other team -- the Cardinals' Alex Reyes and Giants' Albert Suarez.

Reyes has made only two previous major league starts, and didn't win either. He pitched well, giving up just three runs in 10 2/3 innings, but those games were against two of the worst teams in baseball, the Oakland Athletics and Cincinnati Reds.

Suarez, meanwhile, has more of a track record, having gone 3-3 in 20 appearances, including 10 starts.

He appeared to be in good shape to win a fourth game in his last start Tuesday, but the Giants' bullpen blew a 4-1 lead in the ninth inning and the club dropped a 6-4 decision to the San Diego Padres.

The Giants' bullpen hasn't gotten any better since then. Three relievers combined to give up two hits, a walk and two runs in the Cardinals' ninth-inning rally Saturday night that might have saved their season.

It surely didn't save closer Santiago Casilla's job. After Giants manager Bruce Bochy didn't have the confidence in him to start the ninth inning with a 2-1 lead, Castilla wound up blowing the save anyway after entering the game with one on and one out.

Bochy was booed when he went to the mound to bring Casilla into the game, and booed louder when he had to go back and pull him two batters later.

"I understand in this game, everybody likes it when you do good. But then they forget what you do," Casilla said after the loss. "I never have that moment (boos) before. So when we lose the game, it's not so easy. So I feel bad."

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny, meanwhile, used his best reliever, Seung Hwan Oh, two innings Saturday night, which makes him unlikely to be available in the series finale.

Matheny also has former closer Trevor Rosenthal at his disposal. But Rosenthal said he felt sore after pitching one inning Friday night in his return from the disabled list, so he also might not be ready for work Sunday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics (65-83) at Rangers (88-61)

Game: 3
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: September 18, 2016 3:05 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas right-hander Colby Lewis isn't exactly where he wants to be with his pitching as he tries to get ready for the postseason.

He's getting close though.

Lewis (6-2), who missed two months with a strained right lat, makes his second start since coming off the disabled list Sunday when the Rangers close the series against Oakland and left-hander Ross Detwiler.

Texas is closing in on the American League West title with a magic number of five despite their 11-2 loss to Oakland on Saturday. They'll need a solid Lewis if they're to have any success in the postseason.

Lewis, the likely No. 3 starter in the playoffs, went 5 1/3 innings in a 3-2 loss to Los Angeles last week. Lewis allowed three runs on seven hits and threw 86 pitches. Getting built back up as far as his pitch count is Lewis' priority now.

"I feel like there's still a little bit left that I need to tighten up, making sure it's really just getting my pitch count back and not really worrying about my innings," Lewis said. "I still think they're going to be leery about me going out there and throwing a bunch of them. They want to make sure I stay nice and healthy and be ready for postseason. I think it's that way with all the starters now. They're not going to let guys throw 120 pitches before they go out there for the playoffs."

Lewis was on track for an All-Star caliber season before he got hurt as he opened the season 6-1 before the injury. Lewis said he can't think about what was lost for him because of the injury, and is instead looking forward to helping a club that's aiming for its fifth playoff trip since 2010.

Since nothing has been sewn up yet though, Lewis isn't looking at his starts as tuneups for the postseason.

"I've got to go out and make pitches and keep it tight," he said. "It is what it is. I can't go out there and view myself as these are rehab starts. We're trying to win ballgames. We're trying to tie this thing up so we kind of relax a little bit, get the guys who need rest the rest needed before the postseason and move forward."

For Lewis to be successful Sunday, he's going to have to do something few pitchers have been able to do recently -- stop Oakland third baseman Ryon Healy.

The rookie went 1-for-4 on Saturday to extend his hitting streak to eight games. In those eight games, Healy is 16-for-33 with three home runs, four doubles, nine RBIs and 10 runs scored.

"He's faced tough pitching," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "He's been around to where he's had to make adjustments now, and this is a guy going into spring training was probably behind some of the guys you've seen come up in September. He's a very confident guy, and he wants to be there every day. He will have nothing to do with not starting a game. I can continually talk to him about his workload, and he doesn't even want to hear about it."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Astros (78-70) at Mariners (78-70)

Game: 3
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: September 18, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

SEATTLE -- By winning the first two games of a three-game series, the Houston Astros successfully pulled even with the Seattle Mariners in the American League wild-card standings. The next step is to make a push for the Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays.

Houston's 2-1 win over Seattle on Saturday night not only moved the Astros (78-70) up in the wild-card standings, it moved them within three games of the co-leaders in the race. Baltimore and Toronto, the teams that currently hold the top spots in the two-berth wild-card race, lost Saturday to give Houston renewed hope.

"Every series is huge now," Astros designated hitter Tyler White said. "We go out every day, try to take care of the task at hand and we'll see where we stand at the end."

The Mariners (78-70) have managed to score just one run in the first two games of the series and, despite being in an identical position as the Astros, are feeling like the air is seeping out of their balloon. Seattle carried an eight-game winning streak into the Houston series, but enters Sunday's series finale without that momentum.

"We're going to turn it around here, start getting some hits and start winning games again," said Saturday starter James Paxton, who opened the game with five perfect innings before suffering the tough-luck loss after allowing two runs in the sixth.

Mariners manager Scott Servais said the biggest problem this series has been his team's inability to work the count. Seattle has been unable to "hold the line of scrimmage," as he said, and has suffered for its over-aggressiveness at the plate.

"The last couple of nights we've been a little anxious at the plate and they've feasted on it," Servais said Saturday night.

Seattle might need another strong start from rookie Ariel Miranda on Sunday. Miranda (4-1, 4.10 ERA) is beginning to validate Seattle's decision to give up on the two Wades. The Mariners traded veteran Wade Miley for Miranda at the trade deadline, then they DFA's veteran Wade LeBlanc in order to keep Miranda in the rotation a few weeks ago.

By winning each of his past three starts, including six shutout innings his last time out, Miranda has rewarded the team's faith.

Houston will counter with veteran Doug Fister, an ex-Mariner who has struggled in recent starts. Fister (12-11, 4.17 ERA) has gone 0-3 with a 9.35 ERA in his past four starts, and the Astros are going to need him down the stretch as their hobbled rotation tries to keep Houston in the postseason race.

"We've got a great starting rotation," fellow starter Mike Fiers said after picking up the win with six scoreless innings. "Maybe things haven't gone the way we want it to, but we're still trying to go out and do our job."

The Astros and Mariners will play three more games in Houston later this month, but neither team can wait that long to get hot. The Astros will be looking to carry the momentum of two wins into Sunday, and Seattle is getting desperate for a win.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Red Sox go for sweep

NEW YORK YANKEES (77-71) at BOSTON RED SOX (84-64)

First pitch: Sunday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: Red Sox -180, Yankees +160, Total 9.5

Thursday: Red Sox 7 Yankees 5
Friday: Red Sox 7 Yankees 4
Saturday: Red Sox 6 Yankees 5

The historic rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox hits the national stage when the teams meet in Boston for Sunday Night Baseball.

Both the Yankees and Red Sox are desperate for victories right now, as New York is currently battling for one of the two AL Wild Card spots and Boston is currently fighting for the top spot in the AL East. This is the final contest of a four-game set between these teams, so there should be plenty of emotion when the players hit the field for this one.

The matchup on the hill should be a fun one to watch, as it’ll feature a pair of solid southpaws. LHP C.C. Sabathia (8-12, 4.10 ERA, 137 K) is the guy that’ll be starting for the Yankees and he’ll be hoping to outduel LHP Drew Pomeranz (10-12, 3.25 ERA, 177 K) in this one. Sabathia is on fire for the Yankees coming into this contest, so New York will be feeling confident about its chances on Sunday. Pomeranz, however, is the more talented pitcher and that means he is capable of giving the Red Sox a major boost in this one.

Sabathia is going to toe the rubber for New York on Sunday and the Yankees have to be excited about that. In his last start (Sep. 13), Sabathia pitched 6.1 innings of shutout ball against a very good Dodgers team. He struck out seven batters in that one and walked only one. Sabathia has now allowed three or fewer earned runs in five straight games for New York and the team will be hoping that he can just keep this thing close against a dangerous Red Sox lineup.

Offensively, OF Jacoby Ellsbury and DH Billy Butler are guys to watch out for in this one. Ellsbury doesn’t always play against lefties, but he is 3-for-7 with two doubles against Pomeranz in his career and it’d be foolish for the Yankees to leave him on the bench in this one. Butler, meanwhile, crushes lefties and that is the reason the Yankees brought him in so late in the season. He should provide a spark for the team on Sunday.

Drew Pomeranz will be on the mound for the Red Sox on Sunday and he’ll be hoping that this outing goes a lot better than his last. Pomeranz faced Baltimore on Sep. 13 and he allowed five earned runs in just two innings of work. He walked two batters in that game and also allowed two homers. He’ll need to make sure he avoids making mistakes like that against the Yankees in this one.

Offensively, DH David Ortiz, 2B Dustin Pedroia and OF Mookie Betts are three guys that will need to be watched in this one. Ortiz and Pedroia have a ton of experience against Sabathia, combining for six doubles, two homers and 10 RBI against the lefty in their careers. Betts, meanwhile, is 4-for-8 with two RBI against the pitcher. All three are capable of driving in runs in this one and they’ll need to do so in order to help Pomeranz out.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Red Sox go for sweep

NEW YORK YANKEES (77-71) at BOSTON RED SOX (84-64)

First pitch: Sunday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: Red Sox -180, Yankees +160, Total 9.5

Thursday: Red Sox 7 Yankees 5
Friday: Red Sox 7 Yankees 4
Saturday: Red Sox 6 Yankees 5

The historic rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox hits the national stage when the teams meet in Boston for Sunday Night Baseball.

Both the Yankees and Red Sox are desperate for victories right now, as New York is currently battling for one of the two AL Wild Card spots and Boston is currently fighting for the top spot in the AL East. This is the final contest of a four-game set between these teams, so there should be plenty of emotion when the players hit the field for this one.

The matchup on the hill should be a fun one to watch, as it’ll feature a pair of solid southpaws. LHP C.C. Sabathia (8-12, 4.10 ERA, 137 K) is the guy that’ll be starting for the Yankees and he’ll be hoping to outduel LHP Drew Pomeranz (10-12, 3.25 ERA, 177 K) in this one. Sabathia is on fire for the Yankees coming into this contest, so New York will be feeling confident about its chances on Sunday. Pomeranz, however, is the more talented pitcher and that means he is capable of giving the Red Sox a major boost in this one.

Sabathia is going to toe the rubber for New York on Sunday and the Yankees have to be excited about that. In his last start (Sep. 13), Sabathia pitched 6.1 innings of shutout ball against a very good Dodgers team. He struck out seven batters in that one and walked only one. Sabathia has now allowed three or fewer earned runs in five straight games for New York and the team will be hoping that he can just keep this thing close against a dangerous Red Sox lineup.

Offensively, OF Jacoby Ellsbury and DH Billy Butler are guys to watch out for in this one. Ellsbury doesn’t always play against lefties, but he is 3-for-7 with two doubles against Pomeranz in his career and it’d be foolish for the Yankees to leave him on the bench in this one. Butler, meanwhile, crushes lefties and that is the reason the Yankees brought him in so late in the season. He should provide a spark for the team on Sunday.

Drew Pomeranz will be on the mound for the Red Sox on Sunday and he’ll be hoping that this outing goes a lot better than his last. Pomeranz faced Baltimore on Sep. 13 and he allowed five earned runs in just two innings of work. He walked two batters in that game and also allowed two homers. He’ll need to make sure he avoids making mistakes like that against the Yankees in this one.

Offensively, DH David Ortiz, 2B Dustin Pedroia and OF Mookie Betts are three guys that will need to be watched in this one. Ortiz and Pedroia have a ton of experience against Sabathia, combining for six doubles, two homers and 10 RBI against the lefty in their careers. Betts, meanwhile, is 4-for-8 with two RBI against the pitcher. All three are capable of driving in runs in this one and they’ll need to do so in order to help Pomeranz out.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Dodgers (84-64) at Diamondbacks (62-86)

Game: 4
Venue: Chase Field
Date: September 18, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

PHOENIX -- The Los Angeles Dodgers close out their season's longest road trip, 10 games, Sunday against NL West rival Arizona.

As always, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will be mixing and matching, calculating who is healthy enough to play and who has the best chance to be effective. The Dodgers have placed 28 players on the disabled list this year, most in MLB history.

How has he done it?

Roberts fumbled for an answer Saturday. "I think it's just a matter of not trying to, uh, I don't know. It's a good question."

Then, after thinking the matter through, he said, "I think a lot of it is the players just understanding that there are certain circumstances we're presented with and we've got to find a way to make it work.

"So I think it's not ideal or traditional some of the things that's we've done. But we've had to make it work."

Saturday's 6-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks was a great example.

In addition to such high-profile youngsters as Corey Seager and Joc Pederson, Roberts started a pitcher, Brock Stewart, who began the season at Class A Rancho Cucamonga.

Stewart proceeded to outpitch the D-backs' Shelby Miller, giving the Dodgers five solid innings in his fifth MLB start.

Then there was another rookie, Andrew Toles, who made a perfect throw from left field to home to save a run and choke off a Diamondbacks' rally.

"A huge play," Roberts said.

Next rookie up for the Dodgers is right-hander Jose De Leon (2-0), who will make just the third start of his major league career. In 11 innings pitched for Los Angeles, he has given up six runs (five earned) on eight hits, including three home runs. He has 12 strikeouts and two walks in his first two starts.

It will be the 65th game started by a rookie this year for the Dodgers.

Roberts was asked to reflect back to spring training, and if he would have been scared to see some of these names in the lineup in a pennant chase.

Probably so, he replied.

"There were some games where, you look at the lineups we've run out there in September, it kind of looks like a split-squad (spring training) game. But these are major league players playing on a playoff-contending team."

"You look at our roster and you project. This is not the way obviously we would have seen it playing out."

Roberts praised the Dodgers' scouts and player-development staff.

"The common factor with these young players is the pulse and the head. They don't scare off. They're really unshaken."

The Diamondbacks will counter with Robbie Ray, who is 8-13 with a 4.55 ERA this season. He became one of just four pitchers in franchise history to record a 200-strikeout season when he beat the Rockies on Tuesday, allowing four runs over five innings with seven strikeouts.

Ray is 3-3 in seven career starts against the Dodgers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sunday’s six-pack

Six most popular selections for Week 2 in the NFL Super Contest at the Westgate Casino in Las Vegas:

6) Carolina Panthers, -13.5 (397)

5) Cincinnati Bengals, +3.5 (401)

4) Kansas City Chiefs, +3 (419)

3) Jacksonville Jaguars, +3 (426)

2) Green Bay Packers, -2.5 (507)

1) Seattle Seahawks, -4.5 (541)

Top 6 season record: 3-3

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sunday’s six-pack

Six most popular selections for Week 2 in the NFL Super Contest at the Westgate Casino in Las Vegas:

6) Carolina Panthers, -13.5 (397)

5) Cincinnati Bengals, +3.5 (401)

4) Kansas City Chiefs, +3 (419)

3) Jacksonville Jaguars, +3 (426)

2) Green Bay Packers, -2.5 (507)

1) Seattle Seahawks, -4.5 (541)

Top 6 season record: 3-3

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (77-71) at Red Sox (84-64)

Game: 4
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: September 18, 2016 8:08 PM EDT

BOSTON -- CC Sabathia is just 12-13 with a 4.54 ERA against the Boston Red Sox in his career. But you wouldn't know it from the stats posted by the current Boston players as the left-hander heads into Sunday night's start for the New York Yankees at Fenway Park.

Sabathia will try to help his team avoid a sweep of the four-game series that has essentially ended its postseason hopes.

The current Red Sox are hitting a combined .232 with five homers and 20 RBIs against Sabathia, who brings a 5-5 record and 5.15 Fenway ERA into the rain-threatened game.

Hanley Ramirez comes in 0-for-10 against Sabathia, and David Ortiz is at .219 with two homers in 73 at-bats, Aaron Hill is 4-for-31, Xander Bogaerts is 2-for-15 and Jackie Bradley Jr. is 3-for-14 with seven strikeouts.

"Obviously, with CC on the mound, we'll see some different guys on the field just based on the left-right situation," Red Sox manager John Farrell said before Saturday's game, noting Ortiz, who is 16-for-73 against Sabathia, might get the night off.

Sabathia, who faces fellow left-hander Drew Pomeranz in the final Fenway game of the season between the rivals, has been pitching well, with four quality starts in his last five outings. He has faced the Red Sox just once this season, yielding nine hits and five runs (four earned) in a July 16 loss at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees came to Boston in the middle of the American League wild-card picture and four games out of first place in the AL East. They were set to make it even closer when they blew the opener in a Red Sox ninth-inning rally. Boston also won Friday and then rallied to win Saturday.

"We know we're making it tough on ourselves and don't expect this group to give up until we're eliminated," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "So I don't think anybody here thinks we're completely out of it now. But we know it's going to be tough, so we know we're going to have to win almost every game just to try to get back in this thing."

Pomeranz, acquired by the Red Sox from the San Diego Padres in exchange for pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza in what has become a controversial deal (Padres general manager A.J. Prella suspended for 30 days for withholding medical information), is 2-5 with a 4.60 ERA in 11 starts with the Red Sox and 10-12 with a 3.25 ERA overall.

He has pitched twice against the Yankees this season, allowing two runs in 12 1/3 innings but posting a 0-0 record.

Current Yankee hitters are batting a combined .211 with two homers against Pomeranz. Starlin Castro is 0-for-7, Mark Teixeira 1-for-9 with four strikeouts and Chase Headley 2-for-12 with five Ks. Jacoby Ellsbury is 3-for-7 and Brett Gardner 3-for-9 with a home run. Didi Gregorius has the other home run.

Pomeranz, who has allowed two or fewer runs in six of his last eight starts, said he had no knowledge of what his former team was up to with his medical records.

"I've been asked about this before," he told WEEI.com on Friday. "I don't really know anything about that. That part's above my head. I'm just the guy who got traded. I don't know any of this stuff that's going on, any of the back and forth. I don't really know how the whole thing went down at all."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Sunday’s games

National League

Brewers @ Cubs
Peralta is 1-2, 3.98 in his last five starts; three of his last four stayed under. Milwaukee is 2-6 in his road starts.

Hendricks is 4-0, 1.33 in his last four starts; four of his last six went over. Cubs are 9-3 in his home starts.

Milwaukee is 11-6 in its last 17 games; under is 5-3-1 in their last nine games. Cubs are 11-3 in last 14 home games; under is 6-3-1 in their last ten games. Chicago has already clinched their division.

Marlins @ Phillies
Cashner is 1-2, 6.87 in his last four starts; five of his last six stayed under. Miami is 0-4 in his road starts.

Asher is 1-0, 1.46 in two starts this year (under 1-0-1).

Miami is 3-9 in its last 12 road games; over is 5-1-1 in their last seven road games. Phillies lost nine of last 13 home games; under is 8-2-4 in their last 14 home games.

Pirates @ Reds
Nova is 3-0, 1.75 in his last five starts; under is 5-2-1 in his Pirate starts. Pittsburgh is 4-0 in his road starts.

Straily is 2-1, 2.89 in his last three starts; over is 7-2 in his last nine. Reds won his last seven home starts.

Pirates won five of last six games; their last four games went over. Cincy lost their last four games; four of their last five went over.

Nationals @ Braves
Ross is making his first start since July 2; he is 2-0, 5.45 in his last six starts before going on DL. Washington is 6-3 in his road starts.

Wisler is 2-4, 7.22 in his last six starts; six of his last seven starts went over. Atlanta is 3-11 in his home starts.

Nationals won nine of last 12 games; five of last eight Washington games stayed under. Atlanta lost eight of last 11 games; over is 15-1 in Atlanta’s last 16 home games.

Padres @ Rockies
Cosart is 0-2, 5.23 in seven starts for San Diego (over 6-1).

Bettis is 2-0, 1.57 in his last three starts; his last five starts stayed under. Colorado won his last eight home starts.

Padres are 4-7 in last 11 road games; under is 9-6 in their last 15 games. Colorado won four of last five home games; six of last nine Colorado games went over.

Dodgers @ Diamondbacks
DeLeon is 2-0, 4.91 in his first two MLB starts; LA scored 15 runs in the two games (over 2-0).

Ray is 1-2, 6.64 in his last four starts; four of his last five home starts went over. Arizona is 6-8 in his home starts.
Dodgers are 10-4 in their last 14 games; nine of their last 11 games stayed under the total. Arizona won four of last six games; over is 20-6 in their last 26 home games.

Cardinals @ Giants
Reyes is 0-0, 2.53 in two starts this year (under 2-0).

Suarez is 0-2, 4.19 in his last four starts (under 3-1). Giants are 0-4 in his home starts.

St Louis lost seven of its last 11 games; six of its last eight games stayed under. San Francisco lost four of last six games; under is 8-4 in their last 12 home games.


American League

Rays @ Orioles
Odorizzi is 0-1, 6.35 in his last three starts; three of his last four stayed under. Tampa Bay is 8-5 in his road starts.

Miley is 0-3, 8.78 in his last three starts; four of his last went over the total. Baltimore is 0-4 in his home starts.

Tampa Bay won five of its last seven games; under is 5-1-2 in their last eight. Orioles won five of their last eight games; under is 10-1-1 in their last 12 home games.

New York @ Boston
Sabathia is 2-2, 2.70 in his last five starts (under 4-1). New York is 8-5 in his road starts.

Pomeranz is is 0-3, 5.31 in his last four starts; under is 9-1 in his last ten. Boston lost his last four home starts.

New York lost six of last seven games; their last three games went over. Boston won eight of last 11 games; over is 9-3-1 in their last 13 home games.

Tigers @ Indians
Norris is 1-0, 3.80 in his last four starts (over 3-1).

Bauer is 1-1, 9.58 in his last two starts; his last three starts went over. Cleveland won his last five home starts.

Tigers lost eight of last 11 games; over is 8-4 in their last 12 road games. Cleveland won 11 of last 13 home games; three of their last four games stayed under.

A’s @ Rangers
Detwiler is 0-3, 6.48 in his last five starts (under 5-1).

Lewis is 0-2, 7.84 in his last two starts; three of his last four starts stayed under. Texas is 5-3 in his home starts.

A’s won five of last six games (over 5-0-1). Texas is 12-3 in last 15 home games; last eight Ranger home games went over the total.

White Sox @ Royals
Quintana is 3-1, 4.19 in his last five starts; his last four went over. White Sox lost four of his last five road starts.

Duffy is 0-1, 6.38 in his last four starts (over 4-0). Royals are 10-3 in his home starts.

White Sox won seven of last 11 games; over is 10-4 in their last 14 road games. Kansas City lost six of last seven home games; over is 9-2-1 in their last 12 home games.

Blue Jays @ Angels
Stroman is 0-3, 4.76 in his last three starts; four of his last five road starts stayed under the total. Toronto is 1-7 in his last eight road starts.

Meyer is 0-2, 6.14 in his two starts (over 1-1) for the Angels.

Toronto lost 10 of last 15 games; under is 6-2-2 in their last ten games. Angels lost nine of last 11 games; under is 8-1-2 in their last eleven home games.

Astros @ Mariners
Fister is 0-3, 10.91 in his last four starts; five of his last seven went over. Houston is 8-5 in his road starts.

Miranda is 3-0, 3.50 in his last three starts; over is 5-0-1 in his last six.

Astros won their last three games; under is 6-2 in their last eight games. Seattle won eight of last ten games; under is 4-0-2 in their last six games.


Interleague

Twins @ Mets
Gibson is 1-2, 5.70 in his last five starts; over is 8-0-1 in his last nine. Minnesota won five of his last six road starts.

Montero is 0-1, 7.36 in three starts this year (under 2-1).

Twins are 2-14 in last 15 road games; under is 6-1-1 in their last eight games. Mets won ten of last 13 games; under is 8-2 in New York’s last ten home games.


Teams’ record when this pitcher starts:

Mil-Chi– Peralta 7-13; Hendricks 17-10
Mia-Phil– Cashner 2-6/7-9; Asher 1-1
Pitt-Cin– Nova 7-1/7-8; Straily 17-11
Wsh-Atl– Ross 10-6; Wisler 7-16
SD-Col– Cosart 2-5/1-3; Bettis 19-10
LA-Az– DeLeon 2-0; Ray 10-19
StL-SF– Reyes 0-2; Suarez 3-7

TB-Balt– Odorizzi 15-15; Miley 2-6/10-9
NY-Bos– Sabathia 14-13; Pomeranz 4-7/9-8
Det-Clev– Norris 6-4; Bauer 14-11
A’s-Tex– Detwiler 2-4; Lewis 10-6
Chi-KC– Quintana 16-13; Duffy 16-7 (0-4 last 4)
Tor-LAA– Stroman 13-16; Meyer 0-2
Hst-Sea– Fister 16-13; Miranda 3-4

Min-NYM– Gibson 11-11; Montero 2-1


# of time pitcher allows 1+ runs in first inning:

Mil-Chi– Peralta 9-20; Hendricks 6-27
Mia-Phil– Cashner 9-23; Asher 0-2
Pitt-Cin– Nova 1-8; Straily 8-28
Wsh-Atl– Ross 6-16; Wisler 10-23
SD-Col– Cosart 5-11; Bettis 12-29
LA-Az– DeLeon 0-2; Ray 8-29
StL-SF– Reyes 0-2; Suarez 3-10

TB-Balt– Odorizzi 5-30; Miley 11-27
NY-Bos– Sabathia 6-27; Pomeranz 5-28
Det-Clev– Norris 1-10; Bauer 9-25
A’s-Tex– Detwiler 2-6; Lewis 8-16
Chi-KC– Quintana 7-29; Duffy 6-23
Tor-LAA– Stroman 7-29; Meyer 1-2
Hst-Sea– Fister 4-29; Miranda 3-7

Min-NYM– Gibson 12-22; Montero 1-3


Teams’ records in first five innings:

Team (road-home-total)- thru 9/17

Arizona 24-36-11…..32-39-6…….56-74
Atlanta 27-36-11…..25-35-13……52-71
Cubs 39-25-10……44-21-10…….83-46
Reds 20-42-9……34-38-5…….54-80
Colo 27-34-13…..34-34-4……..61-68
LA 31-32-11……46-21-8…….76-53
Miami 32-33-10…..32-24-16…….64-57
Milw 24-42-10……40-24-10…..64-66
Mets 32-44-10……34-27-11……66-61
Philly 24-32-18…..27-34-14……51-64
Pitt 23-39-13…..42-26-6……65-64
St. Louis 33-34-7……28-33-13…….61-67
SD 24-48-5…..32-34-6……..56-82
SF 33-35-7…….38-21-14……71-56
Wash 37-23-14….30-22-22……67-45

Orioles 30-37-9…….37-29-8…….67-66
Boston 30-30-11……45-22-9…….75-52
White Sox 31-32-10…….39-31-6……..70-63
Cleveland 38-27-10……36-29-7……..74-56
Detroit 30-33-10…….31-36-5……..61-69
Astros 30-33-12…..34-29-8……..64-62
KC 28-37-11……30-28-14……58-65
Angels 30-37-7…….26-35-13…….56-72
Twins 29-36-13…….25-38-13…..54-74
NYY 25-39-8……34-31-13……..59-70
A’s 27-39-8……26-35-14……53-73
Seattle 35-29-11……33-26-13……68-55
Tampa Bay 27-32-13……32-33-12……59-65
Texas 28-39-11…….35-26-9……63-65
Toronto 44-25-5……..40-30-5……84-55