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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB roundup: Giants' Bumgarner wins battle of aces
By The Sports Xchange

CHICAGO -- Madison Bumgarner emerged victorious in a late-season meeting of ace pitchers in a playoff atmosphere Saturday at Wrigley Field.
Bumgarner (14-8) struck out 10 and allowed two runs in six innings as the San Francisco Giants held off the Chicago Cubs 3-2.
Bumgarner got the better of Jake Arrieta and the Cubs, who own the best record in baseball. The Cubs fell to 50-20 at home and saw their five-game winning streak snapped after they won the first two games of the four-game series against the Giants.
Since the All-Star break, the Giants are just 16-29.
The Cubs' Anthony Rizzo drew a walk against Will Smith to begin the bottom of the ninth. After closer Santiago Casilla replaced Smith, Dexter Fowler's sacrifice bunt moved Rizzo to second, but Rizzo overran second and was tagged out for a double play.
Kris Bryant lined out to conclude the game. Casilla earned his 30th save.
Reigning Cy Young Award winner Arrieta (16-6) gave up three runs -- two earned -- and four hits in six innings. He struck out seven, walked two and threw two wild pitches, including one that allowed a run to score.

Rays 7, Blue Jays 5
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- For the second night in a row, the Rays broke open a close game to beat the first-place Blue Jays, striking for six hits in a five-run sixth inning and hanging on for a win.
Down 1-0 and held to two hits in the first five innings, the Rays got to Toronto starter Marco Estrada (8-7) in the sixth, with the first six batters reaching base in the inning. The big blow was a three-run double for Rays shortstop Chris Duffy, chasing Estrada from the game.
Tampa Bay got a gem from rookie left-hander Blake Snell, who held the Blue Jays to one run on two hits in six innings, striking out seven batters.
Toronto scored four runs in the ninth, but closer Alex Colome got out of the jam.

Twins 11, White Sox 3
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Twins bashed four home runs and scored eight runs in the third inning to get the win.
Minnesota got to White Sox starter James Shields for five runs, hitting three homers off the beleaguered right-hander in less than three innings of work.
Brian Dozier, Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano and Trevor Plouffe all went deep before nine outs had been recorded as the Twins won for just the second time in 17 games.
Minnesota starter Hector Santiago pitched six quality innings, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks to earn his first victory since being acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 1.

Royals 5, Tigers 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Royals starter Yordano Ventura allowed six walks, matching his career high, and six hits, but held the Tigers to one run over six innings to get the win.
Ventura (10-9) has won his past four decisions, matching the second longest winning streak of his career.
Tigers right-hander Michael Fulmer, who began his rookie season 9-1, has lost three straight decisions. Fulmer (10-6) permitted three runs on seven hits, including a two-run homer to Eric Hosmer, while walking one and striking out four.

Mets 3, Nationals 1
NEW YORK - Mets rookie right-hander Robert Gsellman earned his first win as a starter by throwing six solid innings.
The Mets ended a two-game losing streak and have won 10 of their last 14 to close within a game of the St. Louis Cardinals in the wild-card race. New York trailed the Cardinals by 5 1/2 games on Aug. 19. The Nationals had their four-game winning streak snapped, but are 9 1/2 games ahead of the Mets.
Gsellman, making his second big league start and third appearance, allowed the one run on six hits and three walks while striking out four.

Orioles 2, Yankees 0
BALTIMORE-- Adam Jones homered and Kevin Gausman threw six shutout innings as Baltimore posted its second shutout of the Yankees in two days.
The Orioles pulled within two games of first-place Toronto and Boston in the American League East.
In addition to the Jones homer, a solo shot in the fifth, Baltimore scored an unearned run in the fourth on right fielder Aaron Judge's error after a Chris Davis single.
Gausman now has won four consecutive starts after beginning the season at 3-10.

Indians 8, Marlins 3
CLEVELAND -- Trevor Bauer pitched into the ninth inning and Francisco Lindor had a career-high four hits in Cleveland's fifth straight win.
Bauer (10-6) gave up three runs on three hits in the first inning, then held Miami hitless and scoreless over the next seven innings, facing the minimum 21 batters in that span.
Lindor had two doubles and two singles to lead an impressive offensive outburst by the Indians, who roughed up Marlins starter Jose Fernandez (13-8). Fernandez pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up seven runs and a career-high 12 hits.
Coco Crisp, in his debut with the Indians after being acquired in a trade with Oakland on Aug. 31, had three hits.

Rangers 12, Astros 4
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Rangers pounded out 16 hits and got home runs from Adrian Beltre and Nomar Mazara as they cruised past Houston.
Every Texas starter had at least one hit and five players had two RBIs.
The game was tied at 1 after three innings before Texas took charge against Joe Musgrove (2-3) with two runs apiece in the fourth and fifth innings. Mitch Moreland's two-run single in the fourth put Texas up and Mazara slammed a two-run homer to center to put the Rangers up 5-1.

Cardinals 9, Reds 1
CINCINNATI -- Pinch-hitter Ramon Cabrera's two-run single in the seventh inning and Tucker Barnhart's two-run double in the eighth helped the Reds send St. Louis to its third straight loss.
There were a combined 17 walks during the game, including one by Jerome Williams to Joey Votto with the bases loaded in the eighth that forced home Cincinnati's fifth run.
Jedd Gyorko hit his 25th homer for St. Louis.

Braves 6, Phillies 4 (10 innings)
PHILADELPHIA -- Adonis Garcia hit two homers for the Braves, who used weak ground balls by Tyler Flowers and Jace Peterson to drive in runs in the top of the 10th inning.
The Braves have won five in a row, their second-longest of the season, one short of the six-game stretch they put together from June 15-21.
The Phillies received a career-high four-hit performance from Maikel Franco and a pair of RBIs from catcher Cameron Rupp, but suffered their fifth straight loss and seventh in eight games.

Brewers 7, Pirates 4
PITTSBURGH -- Chris Carter had a two-run homer and drive in three runs, and the Brewers scored four runs in the eighth inning to help them win their third straight game.
The Pirates have lost five in a row and remained 2 1/2 games out of a National League wild-card spot.
Milwaukee's Jimmy Nelson allowed one run and four hits in 5 1/3 innings. Pittsburgh's Ivan Nova gave up two runs and five hits in six innings. Neither got a decision.
Milwaukee used seven pitchers for the second night in a row.

Diamondbacks 9, Rockies 4
DENVER -- Arizona rookie Braden Shipley more than held his own at Coors Field in his debut at that hitters' paradise.
Making his eighth career start, Shipley pitched into the sixth inning as the Diamondbacks built an early six-run lead and posted a victory over Colorado.
Welington Castillo hit a three-run double in the third and Jake Lamb, the fifth straight batter to reach base, followed with a two-run homer as the Diamondbacks ruined the return of Tyler Chatwood (10-9) and took a 6-0 lead.

Dodgers 5, Padres 1
LOS ANGELES -- Left-hander Rich Hill pitched 5 2/3 no-hit innings to lead Los Angeles to a win over San Diego in front of 47,590 at Dodger Stadium.
Hill (2-0) retired 14 successive batters between the first and fifth innings, amassed eight strikeouts in his six shutout innings and issued two walks during his second start since coming from the Oakland Athletics in a five-player trade on Aug. 1.
Alexei Ramirez ended the no-hitter by lining a single past Hill and into center field with two outs in the sixth.

Angels 10, Mariners 3
SEATTLE -- Albert Pujols and Kole Calhoun each had two of the Angels' five home runs as Los Angeles piled up 15 hits to hammer Seattle.
The Angels (60-75) scored six runs in the top of the first inning and never trailed on the way to their sixth win in seven games. Seattle (69-65) lost for the eighth time in 10 games to fall further back in the American League wild-card standings.
Pujols hit his 27th and 28th home runs of the season and now has 588 career homers -- good for ninth on the all-time list. Teammate Mike Trout added a solo homer during a first inning that saw the Angels hit three consecutive home runs on the way to chasing Seattle starter Taijuan Walker (4-10) from the game.

Red Sox 11, Athletics 2
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Right-hander Rick Porcello pitched seven strong innings for his major league-leading 19th victory and David Ortiz went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs as Boston defeated Oakland at Oakland Coliseum.
The Red Sox (76-59) moved into a tie for first place in the American League East with Toronto, which lost 7-5 to Tampa Bay.
Porcello (19-3) allowed two runs and four hits, struck out two and walked none. He had a perfect game until Jake Smolinski lined a double to left with one out in the sixth inning.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Braves (51-83) at Phillies (60-73)

Game: 3
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: September 04, 2016 1:35 PM EDT

The Atlanta Braves have spent virtually the entire season in the basement of the National League East but at times have managed to put together a few hot streaks.

Atlanta is 30 games under .500 but is on its second hot streak of the season.

The Braves can match a season high with a sixth straight victory Sunday afternoon in the finale of a three-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Ballpark.

The Braves won six straight June 15-21 to get its record to 24-46. From June 22 through Aug. 20, Atlanta dropped 33 of 53 games but starting with a 7-6 10-inning win over Washington on Aug. 21, the Braves are 8-4.

Atlanta began its winning streak with a three-game sweep of San Diego and has continued it with two late-inning wins over the Phillies. The Braves scored four times in the ninth inning Friday, scored the tying run in the eighth inning Saturday and picked up a 6-4 win when Adonis Garcia scored the winning run on a groundout by Tyler Flowers in the 10th.

"When it's not going good, you line out or hit into a double play," Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. "We've had plenty of those stretches where it wasn't going our way. Like I keep saying, if you handle that and deal with it there's usually something good on the other end of it."

Garcia homered twice Saturday and drove in three runs to raise his average to .274. He is 10-for-22 in his last five games.

"The team is clicking and I'm feeding off of that," Garcia said. "I honesty do feel good being in the two spot. I feel like I'm getting better pitches to see and a lot more fastballs due to the fact of the guys hitting behind me."

Garcia is not the only hot hitter for the Braves, who have scored 38 runs and are hitting .328 (57-for-174) during their last five games.

Endier Inciarte is batting .426 (26-for-61) during a 14-game hitting streak, Freddie Freeman is batting .316 (12-for-38) during a 10-game hitting streak and Matt Kemp is 8-for-19 over his last four games.

While the Braves are trending slightly upwards thanks to a productive offense, the Phillies are faltering. The Phillies have lost five straight and 12 of 16 since sweeping a three-game series at home from Colorado Aug. 12-13.

Philadelphia still remains 7 1/2 games ahead of Atlanta fourth but was unable to snap its skid despite four hits from Maikel Franco. While Franco was 4-for-5, the rest of the lineup was 2-for-32 with 13 strikeouts.

During its losing streak, Philadelphia has scored 11 runs and batted .154 average (24-for-156), which prompted a brief meeting with manager Pete Mackanin before Saturday's game.

"I just want them to pay more attention," Mackanin told MLB.com. "It's the little things. Take batting practice the same way you were going to hit in the game, instead of taking it nonchalantly to get loose. I want them to bear down."

Before getting four this Saturday, Franco had one hit in his last 16 at-bats but others have continued struggling.

Leadoff hitter Cesar Hernandez has one hit in his last 17 at-bats as does Aaron Altherr. Cameron Rupp has one hit in his last 19 at-bats and Odubel Herrera is hitless in his last 11 at-bats.

Julio Tehran threw a one-hitter during Atlanta's first six-game winning streak and began this streak by allowing two runs in seven innings in Tuesday's 7-3 win over San Diego. Tehran is 4-9 with a 3.12 ERA as the Braves have scored three runs or less in 15 of his starts but in his last four, Atlanta has scored 27 times.

Tehran is 6-4 with a 2.47 ERA in 13 career starts against the Phillies. He took a loss to them July 30 when he allowed three runs and five hits in five innings of a 9-5 setback July 30 in Atlanta.

Philadelphia received seven solid innings from Vince Velasquez Saturday and then announced he was being shut down for the rest of the season. Another one of the Phillies young starters takes the mound Sunday when Jake Thompson makes his sixth career start.

Thompson is 1-4 with a 7.86 ERA but comes off his best outing to date. During Tuesday's 4-0 loss to Washington, he allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jays (76-57) at Rays (56-76)

Game: 3
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: September 04, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The American League East standings still show the Toronto Blue Jays in first place and the Tampa Bay Rays in last, but the Rays have found a way to solve their division rivals again this season, as seen in Saturday's 7-5 win at Tropicana Field.

The Rays enter Sunday's series finale hoping for their second three-game sweep of the Jays this season -- they're 9-6 against Toronto and with one more win, can clinch the season series for the eighth time in nine years.

Tampa Bay has outhomered the Jays 24-20 in their meetings this season, outscoring them by an 80-60 margin, a confounding problem for Toronto manager John Gibbons.

"We're not getting a lot of hits, that's for sure," he said after his team was held to three singles entering the ninth inning Saturday. "We didn't have too many last night and we didn't get too many tonight. You're not going to score many runs if you're not getting hits."

Absent that, the Jays will try to win with lefty J.A. Happ, who's been dominant this season with a 17-4 record and a 3.23 ERA.

The Jays lost their first three Happ starts against the Rays, including a May 16 outing in which he lasted only two innings and gave up eight earned runs. He bounced back nicely on Aug. 10, throwing six shutout innings of four-hit ball in a 7-0 Jays win in Toronto. For his career, Happ is 3-3 with a 4.87 ERA against the Rays.

Rays starter Chris Archer has fared well against the Jays in his career, with a 6-4 record and 3.25 ERA in 18 starts, including a 1-1 record and 3.18 ERA this season. He's given up two earned runs or less in his last four outings against Toronto, going back to last season.

The Rays' recent spark has come from their bats, which came alive again in a five-run sixth inning where they struck for six hits Saturday night.

"We had one big inning that we put it together," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "We have not had much success against Marco Estrada ... they're so dangerous and they wear down pitchers."

Tampa Bay got its biggest and smallest hits of the night from Kevin Kiermaier, who loaded the bases in the sixth with a well-placed bunt and enough speed to pressure Estrada to throw wide. He would score in that inning, and up 5-1 in the seventh, came through with a two-run home run that would eventually provide the winning margin.

Up six runs in the ninth, the Rays had another wobbly night from their bullpen -- Enny Romero faced six batters and four of them scored, with three walks that forced the Rays to use closer Alex Colome in a save situation, the game ending with the tying run on base.

"Ideally you're not going into that inning thinking you have to get your closer up," Cash said. "Enny just had a rough patch. They got the hits they needed, found a couple holes."

For Toronto to avoid a sweep Sunday, they'll need to find those hits much earlier than the ninth inning.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Brewers (57-76) at Pirates (67-64)

Game: 3
Venue: PNC Park
Date: September 04, 2016 1:35 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH -- Chase Anderson doesn't have to think back very far to know what it's like to face the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Milwaukee right-hander was done in by two grooved pitches that the Pirates hit out of Miller Park in the sixth inning last Sunday in a 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh.

"That lineup and their starting pitching is pretty good," Anderson said after that game. "It's tough to face those guys."

Anderson (7-11, 4.29 ERA) gets another crack at Pittsburgh a week later when the teams close out a weekend series Sunday at PNC Park.

Anderson might want to note that the Pirates offense has cooled this weekend. In losing the first two games of this series, Pittsburgh has slapped together 16 hits, but they have not translated into the kind of run production manager Clint Hurdle is looking for.

The Pirates were shut out 1-0 Friday and lost 7-4 Saturday, but stranded 17 runners combined in the two games. Two of their runs Saturday came on solo home runs -- a good thing, but not indicative of sustained rallies.

"We have to find ways to score runs," Hurdle said after Saturday's loss. "It was similar to the situation (Friday) night: a lot of baserunners. (Brewers starter Jimmy Nelson) had six walks while he was out there. We're getting opportunities to score runs. We need to find a way to have that at-bat we need, pass the baton.

"The pitcher is the one in trouble. Get that good at-bat, hit the ball hard where it's pitched, keep it simple and go on. The last two nights in particular, we haven't taken advantage of the opportunities that we've had."

Despite the loss last weekend, Anderson's numbers have been pretty good lately, although he has not gotten out of the sixth in 11 of his past 12 starts. He is 3-1 with a 3.06 ERA over his past seven starts.

Pittsburgh is scheduled to counter with left-handed rookie Steve Brault (0-1, 3.86 ERA), who has been filling in pretty nicely through four starts. He's in the rotation for now because Gerrit Cole and Tyler Glasnow are hurt.

Brault's one decision came in Milwaukee July 29. He allowed three runs in six innings in a 3-1 loss in his second career start.

Last weekend, Pittsburgh swept its four-game series at Miller Park, where they had struggled for several years and had lost their previous nine.

The Brewers are a win away from returning the favor, although this series is just three games and ends Sunday.

While some of the Milwaukee players might be eyeing payback -- second baseman Scooter Gennett said as much after Friday's win -- outfielder Keon Broxton claims to have no extra motivation against the Pirates.

Broxton made his big league debut with Pittsburgh as a September call-up. He was used primarily as a pinch-runner, going 0-for-2 with a stolen base and three runs scored. The Pirates traded him to the Brewers in December.

"I don't have any hard feelings," Broxton said Saturday after going 3-for-4 with an RBI, a walk and his 20th stolen base.

"They're the ones that got my big-league career started last year. I can't hold a grudge against them but it does feel good to come in with my new team and let them know what they are missing, show that I can do some things to help my new team win some games."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (63-70) at Twins (50-84)

Game: 4
Venue: Target Field
Date: September 04, 2016 2:10 PM EDT

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins will go for the series win on Sunday afternoon when it plays the final game of a four-game series with the Chicago White Sox at Target Field.

Minnesota hammered Chicago on Saturday night, scoring 11 runs in three innings, including an eight-run third in an 11-3 victory. The Twins won 8-5 on Thursday in the opener and the White Sox responded with an 11-4 win on Friday night.

Brian Dozier, Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano and Trevor Plouffe all homered for Minnesota in the victory on Saturday.

"We did take advantage of some mistakes, and we were able to pile up some pretty good offensive nights from a handful of guys," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "It was good to see Byron have another good night. Kepler had a good night. Dozier hits another homer. Plouffe had a homer. Sano took advantage of the 3-0 pitch. We put some runs up."

Buxton also looks like he's starting to come around at the plate. He has six hits, including two homers in three games since being recalled from Triple-A Rochester before Thursday.

"His swing looks a little bit better in terms of quickness and reacting to pitches and recognizing pitches," Molitor said. "There's some good signs there. A handful of at-bats, you want to be careful getting too far ahead. (But) he's doing well."

The eight-run third was assisted by six unearned runs scored after a two-out throwing error on White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier kept the inning alive.

"It kept going," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "When you have two outs and you just couldn't get (the final one). A rough night for us."

Twins left-hander Andrew Albers will be making his second start with the Twins this season and is hoping for better luck this time around. He was blasted for four runs, six hits and three walks in two innings against the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday at Progressive Field.

Right-hander Anthony Ranaudo will get the start for Chicago, his fifth with the White Sox since being acquired in July in a trade with Texas Rangers.

Ranaudo hasn't been effective in August, posting an 8.79 ERA in three starts. He allowed three runs, five hits and three walks in five innings in a no-decision against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday. Chicago lost the game 8-4.

After starting the season series against the Twins with six straight victories, the White Sox are 4-5 in their last nine meetings. A Minnesota win on Sunday would mark its second consecutive series win over a division rival.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (69-63) at Orioles (72-61)

Game: 3
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: September 04, 2016 1:35 PM EDT

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles keep finding ways to remain in the playoff chase.

They recorded shutout victories in the first two contests of this weekend series with the New York Yankees and will try to complete a sweep when the American League East rivals meet on Sunday.

The Orioles (74-61) posted an 8-0 and 2-0 victory over the Yankees (69-65) and moved back to within two games of first-place Toronto and Boston.

But the Blue Jays have dropped the first two games of their series with Tampa Bay, which let the Orioles pull closer. They're also now one game ahead of Detroit in the wild-card race as the Tigers fell on Saturday and three up on Houston, who also lost.

Even though the Orioles have experience problems with consistency on offense and pitching, they've been able to put things together enough times to remain close. They just keep fighting.

"Very quietly these guys have grinded out the things that they're good at," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "That's why we've got a chance here in September."

In this series, Dylan Bundy started and threw 5 2/3 shutout innings Friday while Kevin Gausman blanked New York for six frames the following day. The Orioles haven't allowed a run yet in this series.

They'll try to keep rolling on Sunday.

Wade Miley (8-11, 5.43 ERA) makes the start for the Orioles. He's struggled since coming over from the Mariners on July 31 but pitched better in his last few starts, losing 5-1 to the Blue Jays last Monday.

Michael Pineda (6-11, 5.12) will go for the Yankees, and he's also run into troubles this season. The right-hander is winless in his last four starts, going 0-1 with a 4.84 ERA.

The Yankees will get more news in a few days on right-hander Chad Green, who started but left Friday's game with elbow pain. They said he's dealing with a sprained right UCL, a strained flexor tendon and is going to see a doctor Monday.

Manager Joe Girardi said Green probably won't be pitching for a while, and the Yankees will have to decide what to do when his spot comes up Wednesday.

"The next couple of days he'll just undergo treatment," Girardi said. "There could be a number of different scenarios we use Wednesday."

Sunday's game also is going to be the final one for first baseman Mark Teixeira, who comes from nearby Annapolis, Md., and played his high school baseball about 20 minutes from Camden Yards. He's retiring after this season.

Teixeira still gets regularly booed at the stadium but said it does not worry him.

"You know, honestly, when you play a long time, it really doesn't bother you at all," Teixeira said. "I mean, the fact that they still understand that I'm on the field is pretty good considering the season I've had."

Also on Saturday, rookie phenom Gary Sanchez won American League Rookie and Player of the Month honors for August, something no catcher had ever done before.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tigers (72-61) at Royals (69-64)

Game: 3
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: September 04, 2016 2:15 PM EDT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Royals lineup that won the World Series will look decidedly different than the team that starts the series finale Sunday against the Detroit Tigers.

Alex Gordon left after eight innings in the 5-2 victory over the Tigers on Saturday night with tightness in his right Achilles. Manager Ned Yost said Gordon would be given Sunday off with rookie Whit Merrifield starting in left. Yost said Gordon's injury is not serious.

Lorenzo Cain has not played since Tuesday because of a sore left wrist that the Royals are trying to calm down the inflammation. Yost said Cain received a shot on Tuesday.

"He's feeling better," Yost said. "He was re-aggravating it three and four times a night (swinging). It just got to the point, where he's trying to battle through it and could. But let's just try to see if we can knockout some of that inflammation and make it easier on him.

"It's just taking a little bit of time. Hopefully, we'll look at tomorrow and see where we're at. He's made really good progress every day. So he's better today than yesterday and he's better yesterday than he was the day before.

"We're just trying to get it back to where it's playable. Well, you're not going to knock it out, but you want to get it to where it's playable. It's going to take a month after the season before it's totally fine."

Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas has been out since May and had season-ending knee surgery.

After three straight one-run defeats, the Royals needed a victory Saturday to remain on the fringe of playoff contention.

"It was a huge bounce back," said Eric Hosmer, who hit a two-run homer Saturday. "Tomorrow is even bigger, hopefully we get out of here with a series win and hit the road and see what we can do."

The Royals open a six-game trip Monday to Minnesota and Chicago.

The Tigers remain ahead of the Royals and behind the Cleveland Indians in the American League Central. Both are wild-card contenders.

"Every loss is equally as frustrating," Tigers catcher James McCann said. "You want to win every game, regardless of time of year, but we definitely had the opportunities. We can't say we didn't have the opportunities. Unfortunately, we couldn't come up with the big hit."

Royals right-hander Edinson Volquez, who starts Sunday, is 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA in two starts against Detroit this season. Lifetime, he is 3-4 with a 5.47 ERA in nine starts against the Tigers.

Volquez is coming off one of his worst starts of the season, giving up four runs on nine hits over 3 1/3 innings Tuesday against the Yankees.

The Tigers will start left-hander Daniel Norris in the series finale. He is 0-1 with a 3.09 ERA in two career starts against the Royals. He dropped a decision on Aug. 15 to the Royals, allowing two runs, one unearned, on six hits with four walks and one strikeout.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (72-62) at Cubs (87-47)

Game: 4
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: September 04, 2016 2:20 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- The San Francisco Giants likely need a better performance from right-hander Johnny Cueto than they got in his last outing if they're going to split a four-game series with the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.

Cueto, a two-time All-Star, allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings on Tuesday in a loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in his shortest outing of the season for theGiants. He is 14-5 with a 2.98 ERA this year and 9-8 with a 3.34 ERA in 23 career starts against Chicago.

"I think the pitches caught up with him," Giants manager Bruce Bochy told reporters after that game. "His command was a little off, he started missing his spots. It just got away from him."

The Cubs (87-48), who lead the National League Central and own the best record in the majors, won the first two games of the series, 5-4 on Thursday and 2-1 on Friday. The Giants held off the Cubs 3-2 on Saturday behind Madison Bumgarner's 10-strikeout performance.

The victory in a playoff-like atmosphere in front of 41,250 fans boosted the Giants' spirits. They're just 16-29 since the All-Star break.

"It's a tough group," Bochy said. "Despite what happens, I really like the way they're coming out and staying focused. They've had their backs to the wall and been through difficult times. But they're going to keep fighting. Sure, we've had some issues in the second half, but it's all about going out there every day with the same effort."

The Giants (73-62) lead the National League wild-card standings but have won just five of their last 13.

"It was one we definitely wanted and needed," Giants catcher Buster Posey said about Saturday's win. "It was good to score some runs off (Jake) Arrieta and then for our bullpen to hold the lead the last three innings."

On Sunday, Cubs right-hander John Lackey (9-7, 3.41 ERA) is expected to make his first start since he went on the disabled list Aug. 15 with a right shoulder strain. He allowed an unearned run in 6 2/3 innings on Aug. 14 against the St. Louis Cardinals before he exited with the injury in his last start. He is 6-4 with a 2.47 ERA in 13 home starts.

Lackey is 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA in two regular-season career games against the Giants.

Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo and right fielder Jason Heyward were out of the starting lineup Saturday against left-hander Bumgarner but are expected back Sunday against Cueto.

Veteran reliever Joe Nathan could soon make his first appearance for the Giants, who drafted him in 1995 and purchased his contract fromDouble-A Richmond on Saturday. The Giants signed the 41-year-old as a free agent on Aug. 16 after the Cubs released him on Aug. 8. Nathan previously pitched for the Giants from 1999 to 2003 before he and left-hander Francisco Liriano were traded to the Minnesota Twins for catcher A.J. Pierzynski and cash in 2003.

"It made everything a lot more comfortable, a lot easier to come back here, a little less to have to kind of prove myself," Nathan said of returning to the Giants.

Nathan went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in three games with the Cubs.

"At that time, we just couldn't fit everybody in," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "He had one really good game up in Milwaukee where we got a couple guys on and he struck out the side. His pitches got up to the low 90s (mph) with some really good break."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Astros (71-62) at Rangers (80-54)

Game: 3
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: September 04, 2016 3:05 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas -- All Yu Darvish has done in every one of his starts over the past two months is give the Texas Rangers a chance to win.

A quality-start streak that is now at eight outings isn't enough for the right-hander, though.

"I'll be satisfied when I put all zeros on the scoreboard," said Darvish, whose streak is tied for the third longest in the American League this season. "Until then, I've still got work to do."

Darvish (5-3, 3.01 ERA) will look to put in that work Sunday when the Rangers host the Houston Astros in the finale of a three-game series.

He will oppose Collin McHugh (9-10, 4.80 ERA), who will attempt to keep the Astros within hailing distance of the Rangers in the American League West and keep them from getting swept out of Arlington. The Rangers lead the Astros by 10 1/2 games following a 12-4 win Saturday.

To salvage one game in the series, the Astros must figure out a way to beat Darvish.

He hasn't won either of his two starts against Houston this year, but he has only allowed one run in 12 innings. He is 4-3 lifetime against the Astros with a 3.08 ERA.

Darvish has been around long enough to know that what he has done in the past against Houston won't matter Sunday.

"I'm just trying to take it as any other game," he said. "Every game is important at this point. I know it's important, but I'm just trying to go as deep as I can for the team to win."

As well as Darvish has been pitching recently, he knows he has room for improvement. He has struggled with his command on his slider, which is one of his best weapons.

"I think it's coming from changing my arm slot," said Darvish, who beat the Seattle Mariners on Monday, when he allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings. "I'm throwing more over the top, and that makes it hard to flip a slider. If I feel like I need to make an adjustment for the slider, I will. But at this point, I feel confident with what I've got. I'm not worried about sliders."

McHugh has had success against the Rangers, too. He was rocked in his lone start against the Rangers this year, giving up four runs and lasting just 3 2/3 innings. however, that was the only time he lost to Texas, as he is 4-1 for his career in six starts.

McHugh is also coming off a solid outing, as he beat the Oakland A's after allowing just four hits over six scoreless innings Tuesday.

Manager A.J. Hinch has confidence McHugh can rise to the big-game occasion Sunday. The 29-year-old right-hander just needs to get ahead of an aggressive Texas lineup.

"His breaking ball is usually a catalyst for him to be good, especially against this team that doesn't come off the fastball very easily," Hinch said. "There is some chase to this team. He's got a chase breaking ball, but that all starts with throwing early strikes so he gets into a place where he can use his breaking ball."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Padres (55-78) at Dodgers (74-59)

Game: 3
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: September 04, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- Chaos enveloping the Los Angeles Dodgers' pitching staff this season has forced manager Dave Roberts to rely on a heretofore unknown member who has become not only ubiquitous, but essential.

He's an unusual character, this T.B. Dee. He has never pitched anywhere in the Dodgers' organization, whether in Class A Ogden surrounded by the Wasatch Mountains or on the flat plain of Triple-A Oklahoma City. He never pitched in college, high school or even in Little League.

He never threw a fastball in anger, let alone at 100 mph. He has never known the exhilaration of striking out the side on nine pitches, nor the exasperation of giving up a game-winning homer in the bottom of the ninth.

He is neither right-handed nor left-handed. In fact, he usually gets pulled within hours of his next start. Yet he has emerged as a legend in his own right.

T.B. Dee, otherwise known as TBD or To Be Determined, has served as a vital placeholder in Roberts' attempts to manage a staff ravaged by numerous injuries. Fourteen pitchers, eight of them starters, have combined for 19 injuries that sent them to the disabled list this year. Three have visited the disabled list twice. Nine remain among the ranks of the disabled.

But as the Dodgers prepare for Sunday's game against the San Diego Padres, T.B. Dee once again will relinquish his spot as a projected starter, this time to Jose De Leon, who will make his major league debut after being recalled Saturday from Triple-A Oklahoma City. The 24-year-old Puerto Rican, ranked by Baseball America and MLB.com as the Dodgers' second-best prospect at midseason, will be the 15th different starting pitcher used by Los Angeles.

At Oklahoma City, De Leon amassed 111 strikeouts in only 86 1/3 innings, forged a 7-1 record with a 2.61 earned-run average in 16 starts and held opposing batters to a .194 average. The right-hander has not conceded a run in his last 18 innings.

De Leon's fastball averages between 92-94 mph and can reach 96 mph. A vastly improved change-up complements the fastball and serves as De Leon's second-best pitch.

De Leon succeeded despite pitching only once before June. The right-hander sprained an ankle in spring training, then experienced a sore shoulder after his season debut with Oklahoma City on May 3.

"He's had a fantastic second half of the season and earned the right to get up here," Roberts told the Orange County Register.

The Padres will counter with left-hander Christian Friedrich, who will make his first start since Aug. 23. Friedrich pitched in relief for the first time this year Tuesday night and issued one walk in a no-hit inning against the Atlanta Braves.

Eight successive losses as a starter, combined with career highs of 99 2/3 innings and 18 starts, necessitated Friedrich's temporary move to the bullpen.

"With the two off-days, it gives him a little extra rest," San Diego manager Andy Green told MLB.com when the Padres were in Miami last weekend. "We'll kind of minimize his work load with the intention of getting him back into the rotation for another start."

Friedrich's next victory not only would be his first since June 23. It would be his fifth of the season, tying his career best. The left-hander won four games in 2012 as a starter with the Colorado Rockies.

Meanwhile, T.B. Dee will have to wait. And wait. And wait.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Sox (74-59) at Athletics (57-76)

Game: 3
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: September 04, 2016 4:05 PM EDT

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Boston Red Sox have had their way with the Oakland A's this season. They're a perfect 5-0 and have outscored the A's 67-19.

The Red Sox will go for the season series sweep on Sunday afternoon at Oakland Coliseum, but right-hander Kendall Graveman, the A's best pitcher this year, will make his 27th start and try to salvage one win for Oakland in the series.

Graveman (10-9) is 9-3 with a 3.36 ERA in his past 17 starts after beginning the season 1-6 with a 5.36 ERA.

"We've played a lot of playoff contention teams in this little stretch I've had," Graveman said. "Pitched against Baltimore, pitched against Cleveland twice. It's fun to go out and compete. Every lineup's different, and they have a good one. You really have to study and pay attention to their hitters."

Graveman is 0-0 with a 2.57 ERA in two career appearances against the Red Sox, including one start, but he hasn't face them this year.

"You can't make mistakes to these guys, and it's one after the other," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "There's just no pause for even a breath against this lineup. They're just relentless, and I think we've seen them at their best, too."

One night after pounding out 17 hits in a 16-2 victory in the series opener, the Red Sox had 17 more hits in an 11-2 victory on Saturday, scoring in double figures for the fifth straight time against Oakland this season.

David Ortiz went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs. Rookie third baseman Yoan Moncada made his first career major league start and had his first two big league hits and first RBI. Hanley Ramirez hit his 20th home run of the season, a solo shot in the third. Dustin Pedroia, Xander Bogaerts, Sandy Leon and Jackie Bradley Jr. each had two hits.

"It's been awesome," right-hander Rick Porcello said of the Red Sox offense after winning his major-league high 19th game on Saturday. "From top to bottom, there's no weakness. Everyone's been swinging the bat well. We got to continue it on both sides, pitching and offense and defense. This is a big road trip for us and obviously this entire month is huge. Hopefully, we're peaking at the right time."

The Red Sox (76-59) moved into a tie for first place in the American League East with Toronto, which lost 7-5 to Tampa Bay.

Red Sox left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez (2-6) will make his 15th start in what has been an up-and-down, injury-plagued season. He missed the first 51 games of the season with a knee injury. Then two starts ago on Aug. 16 he had a no-hitter through four innings with seven strikeouts against Baltimore but left the game with a tight hamstring. He didn't start again until Aug. 28 and gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings in a loss to Kansas City.

Rodiquez was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket on June 28 but recalled July 15. In his first seven starts after being recalled, he went 1-2 with a 2.52 ERA.

"There's no physical restrictions here," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "He's had a couple of start-and-stops this year and it's limited how long of a run he could get on. The most recent time that he came back to us, he strung together probably six or seven very good starts for us, and then the hamstring, unfortunately, caused us to push the pause button a little bit.

"What's transpired with Eddie is that the second half of the season he's come up with a more defined slider as a primary out pitch for him. But this is a guy that's blessed with very good stuff and three distinct pitches."

Last season, Rodriguez went 10-6 with a 3.85 ERA as a rookie.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (56-77) at Rockies (64-69)

Game: 3
Venue: Coors Field
Date: September 04, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

DENVER -- Chad Bettis has been pitching ahead of Jon Gray in the Colorado Rockies' rotation and could have started against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

But the Rockies made a change. They will have Gray start the rubber game of the series and send Bettis to the mound Monday against the San Francisco Giants.

"Bettis has pitched a lot against Arizona this year. Gray hasn't, so that was the biggest reason," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said Saturday in his pregame media session.

Understandably, Weiss left unsaid what Bettis' results have been against the Diamondbacks. In four starts against them this season, Bettis 1-0 with a 7.54 ERA (19 earned runs, 22 2/3 innings). He has allowed 37 hits in those outings.

Enter Gray, whose only career start against the Diamondbacks was in September 2015.

In his first full season in the majors, Gray is 9-6 with a 4.41 ERA in 138 2/3 innings with 150 strikeouts, a franchise record for a rookie pitcher. Gray worked six scoreless innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers while winning his last start Monday and is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his past two outings with six walks and 18 strikeouts in 12 innings.

"My arm's feeling pretty fresh," Gray said. "I feel like it's the beginning. I think I'm doing a better job of resting, not throwing so much during the week. I think it's saving a lot of bullets."

Gray's slider can be a wipe-out pitch and the one he relies upon to get strikeouts. But against the Dodgers, he got strikeouts with his curveball and changeup and said his four pitches in that game were as good as they have ever been together.

"It's kind of a good thing that I didn't get a chance to really go to my slider whenever I needed it," Gray said. "I was able to work with other pitches and get outs and I think that's going to help me in the long run. I think that helped me the last outing, I used all my pitches to get strikeouts. The more unpredictable I can be with not going to my slider every time I get two strikes, (the better)."

Archie Bradley will oppose Gray and start for the Diamondbacks. Bradley is 5-8 with a 4.95 ERA. In his last outing last Sunday against Cincinnati, Bradley picked up the win as he allowed two runs and five hits in six innings with no walks and three strikeouts in Arizona's 11-2 victory.

In three career starts against the Rockies, Bradley is 1-0 with a 4.38 ERA. His two career starts at Coors Field have come this year, and Bradley is 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA in those outings. He gave up four runs in six innings there May 9 and was the winning pitcher in Arizona's 10-5 win and wasn't involved in the decision June 24 when he allowed one run in five innings and the Diamondbacks won 10-9.

The Diamondbacks have been buoyed by the return of center fielder A.J. Pollock, who broke his right elbow shortly before start of the regular season and was reinstated from the 60-day disabled list on Aug. 26. After going 0-for-8 in his first two games, Pollock is 9-for-20 (.450) in his past five games with one homer, three RBIs, seven runs scored and four walks.

"I wanted to come back and be with the guys and contribute to the team in games," Pollock said after going 2-for-5 and scoring twice Saturday in the Diamondbacks' 9-4 victory. "I feel like I've been able to impact the game in little ways."

Pollock was an All-Star for the first time and won his first Gold Glove last year when he set career highs in average (.315), doubles (39), home runs (20), RBI (76), runs (111), hits (192), OPS (.865) and stolen bases (39).

He played 12 rehab games at three levels and got 40 at-bats before making his 2016 debut with the Diamondbacks. After those two hitless games, Pollock has quickly settled back in and is again producing from his No. 2 spot in the lineup.

"I think there's adjustment being in the big leagues," he said. "The stadiums are pretty loud. For your eyes -- you've got to get adjusted to that. Obviously, you've got to make sure you calm yourself down a little bit. I think that was the biggest thing. And slowing the game down, that takes a little bit of time."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (59-74) at Mariners (68-65)

Game: 3
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: September 04, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

SEATTLE -- While the return of Felix Hernandez has been aligned with the Seattle Mariners' battle back into playoff contention, it was the consistency of fellow starter Hisashi Iwakuma that had a more direct effect on Seattle's August boon.

That the Mariners have fallen back in the wild-card race at a time when Iwakuma is struggling is more than simple coincidence.

Iwakuma (14-10) heads into his scheduled Sunday appearance on a three-start losing streak. He's 0-3 with a 5.63 ERA over his past three starts, dating back to Aug. 18. Over that period of just over two weeks, the Mariners (69-66) have gone 5-11. The starting rotation, once a strength of the team, has become a liability. Saturday starter Taijuan Walker was the latest to struggle, allowing six runs without making it out of the first inning in a 10-3 loss to the Angels.

"I did not expect that tonight," manager Scott Servais said.

It's become more the norm than an outlier for the Seattle starter to struggle recently. Not even Iwakuma and Hernandez have been able to avoid getting hit hard as the Mariners sink in the wild-card standings.

It hasn't been a good series for the starting pitchers on either side. The Angels' Tyler Skaggs turned in the best performance of any starter Saturday, but he served up a two-run homer in the first inning. The two teams have combined to score 13 runs in the first inning over the first two games of the series.

"You can't take any inning for granted," Angels star Albert Pujols said after hitting two home runs Saturday night and moving ahead of Frank Robinson into ninth place on the all-time list.

Angels starter Matt Shoemaker may bring better results if he keeps on the pace he's put up in recent starts. Shoemaker (9-13) has added some semblance of stabilization to a starting rotation that's been in shambles for most of the season. He has won each of his past three starts as the struggling Angels (60-75) have begun showing some signs of life. They've won six of seven.

One of Shoemaker's recent wins came over a Seattle team that beat him twice earlier in the season. He'll face the Mariners for the third time this year when the Angels finish their series in Seattle on Sunday afternoon.

Shoemaker has been one of the few bright spots for a Los Angeles rotation that's already used 13 different starters. The Angels have tried to resurrect the career of former Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum and have rolled the dice on struggling veterans like Ricky Nolasco, Jhoulys Chacin and Brett Oberholtzer -- with mixed results.

The game will mark the first of back-to-back afternoon games for the Mariners during the holiday weekend. Seattle hosts a three-game series with the AL West-leading Rangers beginning Monday afternoon. Texas has really had the Mariners' number this season, winning the past five meetings while going 11-4 in the head-to-head matchup.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Marlins (68-66) at Indians (76-56)

Game: 3
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: September 04, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

CLEVELAND -- The Miami Marlins are reeling and the Cleveland Indians are dealing. On Sunday afternoon at Progressive Field, they will meet for the final game of their three-game series.

In winning the first two games of the series, the Indians have outscored the Marlins 14-5. Cleveland's two starting pitchers -- Carlos Carrasco and Trevor Bauer -- combined for a 1.72 ERA in the two games.

In Cleveland's 8-3 win on Saturday, Bauer gave up three runs and three hits in the first inning and no runs and no hits in the next seven innings, facing the minimum 21 batters.

"That was really impressive," Indians manager Terry Francona said of Bauer. "You look up in the first inning and think we might be into our bullpen early, and then he (Bauer) pitches into the ninth."

It's September, the Indians are in first place, and they are hot. They've won five games in a row, and the win Saturday pushed them to a season-high 22 games above .500 (78-56). In the American League Central race, the Indians' lead over second-place Detroit is up to 5 1/2 games.

The Marlins, meanwhile, are going in the opposite direction. They've lost seven of their last eight games and are 1-5 in the first six games of this seven-game trip to New York, where they played the Mets and Cleveland.

The Marlins are trying to stay in the hunt for a wild-card berth in the National League, but the losses are starting to pile up.

Saturday's loss dropped the Marlins' record to 68-68. It's the first time they have been at .500 since they were 12-12 on May 1. They have lost 12 of their last 18 road games, dating to Aug. 1, and the Marlins have been held to three or fewer runs in 10 of their last 13 games. Their record in those 10 games is 2-8.

"I'm not concerned with the guys' mindset, but I am concerned with the results," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "We're at the point where we have to win every game. The guys are playing hard. They have all year. But we've got to get it going again."

The Marlins will try to get it turned around Sunday. The pitching matchup will be Cleveland's Danny Salazar (11-6, 3.88 ERA) against Miami's Tom Koehler (9-10, 4.02).

Salazar, who was selected to the American League All-Star team, was glad to see the end of August. In four starts in August, he was 0-3 with a 12.41 ERA. However, his last start in August was a good one, even though he was the losing pitcher in a 2-1 loss to Texas. In that game, Salazar pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and five hits with 10 strikeouts and two walks. This will be his first career appearance against the Marlins.

Koehler's last win came Aug. 9. In four starts since then, he is 0-2 with a 5.09 ERA. This will be Koehler's first career appearance against the Indians.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nationals (78-55) at Mets (69-65)

Game: 3
Venue: Citi Field
Date: September 04, 2016 8:08 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- A rookie starting pitcher has won each of the first two games of the three-game series between the New York Mets and Washington Nationals. Both teams hope that remains the case in Sunday's series finale.

A pair of first-year hurlers will take the mound Sunday night, when the Mets are scheduled to host the Nationals at Citi Field. New York earned a 3-1 win Saturday night, when rookie Robert Gsellman collected his second career victory after allowing one run over six solid innings.

With the win, the Mets (70-66) moved within one game of the St. Louis Cardinals in the race for the National League's second wild-card spot. New York has gained 4 1/2 games on the Cardinals in the last 15 days.

"I thought tonight was a big game for us to have to win," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "Obviously, we weren't supposed to win it because we had a rookie pitching.

"But that's why it's a great game. You just never know."

Of course, the Nationals could have said the same thing Friday night, when rookie A.J. Cole also gave up one run over six innings in a 4-1 victory. It was the first major league win for Cole.

Two rookies will start Sunday, when Mets right-hander Seth Lugo opposes Nationals right-hander Reynaldo Lopez, who will be promoted from Triple-A Syracuse prior to the game.

Washington was originally scheduled to start ace right-hander Max Scherzer, but he was pushed back to Monday in order to get him an extra day of rest as the Nationals (79-56), who lead the Mets by 9 1/2 games in the NL East, prepare for the playoffs.

Scherzer is second in the National League in both starts (28) and innings pitched (190). He threw eight innings in each of his last two starts and three times in six starts in August overall.

"If I can give a guy an extra day, then we'll give him an extra day," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "You would love for Max to pitch against the Mets. But (they) felt the extra day was more important than Max pitching here."

Lopez will be making his sixth career start while Lugo will be making his fourth big league start.

Lopez hasn't pitched for the Nationals since Aug. 23, when he gave up six runs (four earned) on seven hits and three walks while striking out two over a career-low 2 2/3 innings in an 8-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. He is 2-2 with a 5.33 ERA for Washington this season.

Lugo, who moved into the rotation when another rookie, left-hander Steven Matz, suffered a shoulder injury, earned his second straight win on Tuesday, when he allowed two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out four over six innings as the Mets beat the Miami Marlins, 7-4. He is 2-1 with a 2.55 ERA in three starts since joining the rotation and 2-2 with a 2.60 ERA in 12 appearances overall.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Sunday’s games

National League

Giants @ Cubs
Cueto is 1-2, 4.30 in his last five starts; five of his last six went over. Giants are 11-3 in his road starts (2-3 in last five).

Lackey is 2-0, 1.95 in his last four starts; four of his last six stayed under. Cubs are 7-6 in his home starts.

Giants are 5-8 in their last 13 games; seven of Giants’ last nine road games stayed under the total. Chicago is 21-4 in last 25 home games; six of its last eight games stayed under.

Brewers @ Pirates
Anderson is 3-1, 3.34 in his last seven starts (under 6-1). Brewers are 3-8 in his road starts.

Brault is 0-1, 5.14 in three starts this year (under 2-1).

Brewers lost six of last nine games; under is 7-3 in their last ten games. Pittsburgh lost seven of last eight home games; under is 9-5 in their last 14 games.

Braves @ Phillies
Teheran is 1-1, 5.48 in his last four starts (over 4-0). Braves are 4-5 in his road starts.

Thompson is 1-4, 7.86 in his first five starts (over 3-1-1).

Braves are 9-4 in last 13 games; last six Atlanta games went over the total. Philly is 3-10 in last 13 games; under is 5-2-1 in last eight Philly home games.

Nationals @ Mets
Lopez is 2-2, 6.40 in five starts this year (over 3-2).

Lugo is 2-1, 2.55 in three starts this year (over 3-0).

Washington won six of last nine games; last six Nationals games stayed under. Mets won seven of last ten games. Over is 13-6 in New York’s last 19 games.

Cardinals @ Reds
Martinez is 2-0, 1.29 in his last three starts; five of his last six went over. Cardinals are 9-3 in his road starts.

Adleman is 2-2, 4.08 in seven starts this year; three of his last four went over.

Cardinals lost their last three games; under is 5-2-1 in their last eight road games. Cincinnati won three of last four at home; over is 8-4 in Reds’ last 12 home games.

Diamondbacks @ Rockies
Bradley is 1-2, 8.38 in his last six starts (over 5-1). Arizona lost four of his last five road starts.

Gray is 1-0, 1.50 in his last two starts; four of his last five went over. Colorado is 7-4 in his home starts this season.

Arizona lost eight of last 11 road games; over is 12-6 in D’backs’ last 18 road games. Rockies won five of last seven games; over is 13-8 in their last 21 games.

Padres @ Dodgers
Friedrich is 0-4, 5.40 in his last four starts (over 12-6). San Diego lost five of his last six road starts.

DeLeon makes his MLB debut here; he was 7-1, 2.61 in 16 AAA starts this year.

Padres lost four of last five games; over is 12-7 in their last 19 games. Los Angeles won three of last four home games; under is 8-2 in their last ten games.


American League

New York @ Orioles
Pineda is 0-1, 4.84 in his last four starts; five of his last six went over. New York lost four of his last four road starts.

Miley is 1-3, 7.45 in six starts for Baltimore; three of his last four went over.

New York lost four of last six games; under is 9-5 in their last 14 road games. Baltimore won three of last four games; last six Oriole games stayed under total.

Blue Jays @ Rays
Happ is 1-1, 5.30 in his last three starts; four of his last five games stayed under. Blue Jays won five of his last six road starts.

Archer is 2-1, 2.33 in his last three starts; under is 9-6 in his last 15 starts. Tampa Bay is 2-8 in his last ten home starts.

Toronto lost three of last four games; over is 6-4 in their last ten games. Rays won their last four home games; over is 20-6-1 in Tampa’s last 27 games.

Astros @ Rangers
McHugh is 2-0, 2.45 in his last two starts; four of his last six stayed under. Astros are 5-3 in his last eight road starts.

Darvish is 3-0, 3.78 in his last five starts; three of his last four went over. Texas is 5-2 in his home starts.

Astros won 10 of last 14 games but lost last two; over is 10-5 in their last 15 road games. Texas won 11 of last 12 home games; over is 10-3-1 in their last 14 games.

White Sox @ Twins
Ranaudo is 0-1, 7.29 in four starts this year (over 3-0-1).

Albers allowed four runs in two IP (58 PT) in his only ’16 start.

White Sox lost six of last seven road games; over is 8-3 in their last 11 road games. Minnesota lost 14 of last 16 games; over is 11-1 in last 12 games at Target Field.

Tigers @ Royals
Norris is 1-2, 4.15 in his last four starts (over 4-4).

Volquez is 2-0, 6.75 in his last four starts; over is 5-1-1 in his last seven. Royals lost three of his last four home starts.

Tigers are 9-3 in last 12 games; six of their last eight games stayed under. Royals lost four of last six games; six of last seven KC games went over the total.

Red Sox @ A’s
Rodriguez is 0-3, 3.58 in his last seven starts; seven of his last eight stayed under. Boston is 5-2 in his road starts.

Graveman is 3-2, 2.27 in his last five starts; seven of his last eight stayed under. A’s won six of his last seven home starts.

Red Sox won four of last five games; six of their last seven games went over total. Oakland lost its last five games; three of their last four home games went over.

Angels @ Mariners
Shoemaker is 3-0, 1.80 in his last three starts; over is 5-2 in his last seven. Angels are 4-9 in his road starts.

Iwakuma is 0-3, 6.19 in his last three starts; four of his last six stayed under. Mariners won eight of his last nine home starts.

Angels won six of last seven games; under is 10-4 in Halos’ last 14 games. Seattle lost nine of last 11 games; over is 12-4 in Mariners’ last 16 games.


Interleague

Marlins @ Indians
Koehler is 0-2, 5.48 in his last four starts (over 3-1). Marlins are 2-5 in his last seven road starts.

Salazar is 0-3, 11.57 in his last five starts; six of his last seven starts went over. Cleveland is 7-3 in his home starts.

Marlins lost six of last seven games; under is 10-3 in their last 13 games. Cleveland is 13-3 in last 16 home games; five of Tribe’s last six games stayed under.


Teams’ record when this pitcher starts:

SF-Chi: Cueto 19-8 (2-5 last 7); Lackey 13-11
Mil-Pitt: Anderson 10-15; Brault 1-2
Atl-Phil: Teheran 6-18; Thompson 1-4
Wsh-NY: Lopez 2-3; Lugo 2-1
StL-Cin: Martinez 13-12; Adleman 3-4
Az-Col: Bradley 9-11; Gray 11-13
SD-LA: Friedrich 7-11; DeLeon 0-0

NY-Balt: Pineda 12-14; Miley 2-4/10-9
Tor-TB: Happ 19-7; Archer 9-19
Hst-Tex: McHugh 16-11; Darvish 7-5
Chi-Min: Ranaudo 2-2; Albers 0-1
Det-KC: Norris 4-4; Volquez 15-13
Bos-A’s: Rodriguez 5-9; Graveman 13-13
LA-Sea: Shoemaker 9-17; Iwakuma 15-12

Mia-Clev: Koehler 12-15; Salazar 14-9


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

SF-Chi: Cueto 6-27; Lackey 9-24
Mil-Pitt: Anderson 7-24; Brault 2-3
Atl-Phil: Teheran 6-24; Thompson 3-5
Wsh-NY: Lopez 3-5; Lugo 1-3
StL-Cin: Martinez 3-25; Adleman 1-7
Az-Col: Bradley 9-20; Gray 8-24
SD-LA: Friedrich 7-18; DeLeon 0-0

NY-Balt: Pineda 9-26; Miley 9-25
Tor-TB: Happ 5-26; Archer 12-28
Hst-Tex: McHugh 11-27; Darvish 4-12
Chi-Min: Ranaudo 1-4; Albers 1-1
Det-KC: Norris 1-8; Volquez 8-28
Bos-A’s: Rodriguez 3-14; Graveman 4-26
LA-Sea: Shoemaker 7-26; Iwakuma 6-27

Mia-Clev: Koehler 9-27; Salazar 5-23


Umpires

SF-Chi: Six of last eight Cuzzi games went over total.
Mil-Pitt: Four of last six Fagan games stayed under.
Atl-Phil: Over is 11-3 in last 14 Everitt games.
Wsh-NY: Over is 6-0-1 in last seven Wolf games.
StL-Cin: Favorites won seven of last eight Hernandez games.
Az-Col: Under is 8-2-2 in last twelve Blaser games.
SD-LA: Under is 8-3-1 in last twelve Guccione games.

NY-Balt: Seven of last eight Davis games stayed under.
Tor-TB: Three of last four Hoberg games went over total.
Hst-Tex: Road team won last five Layne games.
Chi-Min: Last five Basner games stayed under the total.
Det-KC: Under is 7-1-1 in last nine Conroy games.
Bos-A’s: Over is 11-4-1 in last sixteen Knight games.
LA-Sea: Last seven DeJesus games stayed under.

Mia-Clev: Eight of last ten West games stayed under.


Teams’ records in first five innings:

Team (road-home-total)- thru 9/3

Arizona 24-32-11…..27-36-5…….51-68
Atlanta 26-35-9……21-31-13……47-66
Cubs 35-21-9……43-20-8……..78-41
Reds 18-41-8……30-32-5…….48-73
Colo 25-30-12…..30-33-4……55-63
LA 27-29-9……42-21-8…….69-50
Miami 29-30-10….29-21-16…..58-51
Milw 19-38-8……37-24-10…..56-62
Mets 27-41-9……32-26-11…….59-57
Philly 21-30-16….24-31-13…….45-59
Pitt 20-36-12…..39-22-5……59-57
St. Louis 31-29-7……27-28-12……58-57
SD 22-45-4…..28-30-6…….50-75
SF 30-31-7……34-20-13……64-51
Wash 36-21-14…..27-20-17…..63-41

Orioles 24-35-8…….36-26-8……..60-61
Boston 27-27-10……43-18-9…….70-45
White Sox 31-30-9……35-28-3……..66-58
Cleveland 35-26-7……33-26-6……..68-52
Detroit 28-31-8…….30-31-4……..58-62
Astros 26-31-11…..32-26-7……..58-57
KC 25-34-11……28-24-13……53-58
Angels 27-36-7…….24-30-11……51-66
Twins 25-35-12…….23-34-12…..48-69
NYY 22-38-8……30-28-10……52-66
A’s 22-38-8……25-31-12……47-68
Seattle 31-29-9……30-23-12……61-52
Tampa Bay 22-29-11……30-31-11…..52-60
Texas 25-34-9…….35-23-9……60-57
Toronto 41-21-5……..38-27-4…….79-48

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Jays avoid sweep'

Toronto Blue Jays at Tampa Bay Rays September 4, 1:00 EST

Taking the first two games of this three game set at Tropicana Field the Rays' try for the sweep sending out right-hander Chris Archer carrying an 8-17 record, 4.10 ERA to the hill. Archer doesn't engender a lot of confidence at the Trop due to inconsistent performance. In fourteen starts before the home audience the Rays have won just four games and are currently saddled with a 2-8 skid at home with the righty.

Archers's pitching rival will be J.A. Happ. The Jays left-hander enters 17-4 on the campaign with a 3.23 ERA. Jays are 8-5 with the hurler in an opposing park and have won five of his last six in enemy territory.

For whatever reason these basement dwelling Rays continue to be a source of misery for the Blue Jays. In fifteen meetings this season the Rays have compiled an 9-6 record. However, the view from here, no team likes the embarrassment of their opponent sweeping them, so the lean is Toronto who sport a 4-2 record this season avoiding a three-game sweep including a perfect 2-0 in an opposing park.

Additionally, the Jays are 6-1 in Happ's last seven vs a division opponent, the Rays have flailed away recently vs an A.L. East foe with Archer losing six straight games. One final betting nugget favoring Toronto. The Jays have a 5-1 stretch going with Happ following a team loss the previous effort. According to current odds the Jays are -$1.20 road favorites.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

StatFox Super Situations

MLB*|*WASHINGTON*at*NY METS
Play On - All favorites with a money line of -175 to -250 (WASHINGTON) with a starting pitcher with good control (less than 1.75 BB's/start) against opponent with a starting pitcher whose ERA is 3.00 or better on the season (NL)
80-20*since 1997.**(*80.0%*|*41.3 units*)
6-4*this year.**(*60.0%*|*-2.0 units*)


StatFox Situational Power Trends

MLB*|*HOUSTON*at*TEXAS
TEXAS is 171-131 (+62.4 Units) against the money line in all games*over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was: TEXAS (4.7) , OPPONENT (4.6)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Sunday’s games

National League

Giants @ Cubs
Cueto is 1-2, 4.30 in his last five starts; five of his last six went over. Giants are 11-3 in his road starts (2-3 in last five).

Lackey is 2-0, 1.95 in his last four starts; four of his last six stayed under. Cubs are 7-6 in his home starts.

Giants are 5-8 in their last 13 games; seven of Giants’ last nine road games stayed under the total. Chicago is 21-4 in last 25 home games; six of its last eight games stayed under.

Brewers @ Pirates
Anderson is 3-1, 3.34 in his last seven starts (under 6-1). Brewers are 3-8 in his road starts.

Brault is 0-1, 5.14 in three starts this year (under 2-1).

Brewers lost six of last nine games; under is 7-3 in their last ten games. Pittsburgh lost seven of last eight home games; under is 9-5 in their last 14 games.

Braves @ Phillies
Teheran is 1-1, 5.48 in his last four starts (over 4-0). Braves are 4-5 in his road starts.

Thompson is 1-4, 7.86 in his first five starts (over 3-1-1).

Braves are 9-4 in last 13 games; last six Atlanta games went over the total. Philly is 3-10 in last 13 games; under is 5-2-1 in last eight Philly home games.

Nationals @ Mets
Lopez is 2-2, 6.40 in five starts this year (over 3-2).

Lugo is 2-1, 2.55 in three starts this year (over 3-0).

Washington won six of last nine games; last six Nationals games stayed under. Mets won seven of last ten games. Over is 13-6 in New York’s last 19 games.

Cardinals @ Reds
Martinez is 2-0, 1.29 in his last three starts; five of his last six went over. Cardinals are 9-3 in his road starts.

Adleman is 2-2, 4.08 in seven starts this year; three of his last four went over.

Cardinals lost their last three games; under is 5-2-1 in their last eight road games. Cincinnati won three of last four at home; over is 8-4 in Reds’ last 12 home games.

Diamondbacks @ Rockies
Bradley is 1-2, 8.38 in his last six starts (over 5-1). Arizona lost four of his last five road starts.

Gray is 1-0, 1.50 in his last two starts; four of his last five went over. Colorado is 7-4 in his home starts this season.

Arizona lost eight of last 11 road games; over is 12-6 in D’backs’ last 18 road games. Rockies won five of last seven games; over is 13-8 in their last 21 games.

Padres @ Dodgers
Friedrich is 0-4, 5.40 in his last four starts (over 12-6). San Diego lost five of his last six road starts.

DeLeon makes his MLB debut here; he was 7-1, 2.61 in 16 AAA starts this year.

Padres lost four of last five games; over is 12-7 in their last 19 games. Los Angeles won three of last four home games; under is 8-2 in their last ten games.


American League

New York @ Orioles
Pineda is 0-1, 4.84 in his last four starts; five of his last six went over. New York lost four of his last four road starts.

Miley is 1-3, 7.45 in six starts for Baltimore; three of his last four went over.

New York lost four of last six games; under is 9-5 in their last 14 road games. Baltimore won three of last four games; last six Oriole games stayed under total.

Blue Jays @ Rays
Happ is 1-1, 5.30 in his last three starts; four of his last five games stayed under. Blue Jays won five of his last six road starts.

Archer is 2-1, 2.33 in his last three starts; under is 9-6 in his last 15 starts. Tampa Bay is 2-8 in his last ten home starts.

Toronto lost three of last four games; over is 6-4 in their last ten games. Rays won their last four home games; over is 20-6-1 in Tampa’s last 27 games.

Astros @ Rangers
McHugh is 2-0, 2.45 in his last two starts; four of his last six stayed under. Astros are 5-3 in his last eight road starts.

Darvish is 3-0, 3.78 in his last five starts; three of his last four went over. Texas is 5-2 in his home starts.

Astros won 10 of last 14 games but lost last two; over is 10-5 in their last 15 road games. Texas won 11 of last 12 home games; over is 10-3-1 in their last 14 games.

White Sox @ Twins
Ranaudo is 0-1, 7.29 in four starts this year (over 3-0-1).

Albers allowed four runs in two IP (58 PT) in his only ’16 start.

White Sox lost six of last seven road games; over is 8-3 in their last 11 road games. Minnesota lost 14 of last 16 games; over is 11-1 in last 12 games at Target Field.

Tigers @ Royals
Norris is 1-2, 4.15 in his last four starts (over 4-4).

Volquez is 2-0, 6.75 in his last four starts; over is 5-1-1 in his last seven. Royals lost three of his last four home starts.

Tigers are 9-3 in last 12 games; six of their last eight games stayed under. Royals lost four of last six games; six of last seven KC games went over the total.

Red Sox @ A’s
Rodriguez is 0-3, 3.58 in his last seven starts; seven of his last eight stayed under. Boston is 5-2 in his road starts.

Graveman is 3-2, 2.27 in his last five starts; seven of his last eight stayed under. A’s won six of his last seven home starts.

Red Sox won four of last five games; six of their last seven games went over total. Oakland lost its last five games; three of their last four home games went over.

Angels @ Mariners
Shoemaker is 3-0, 1.80 in his last three starts; over is 5-2 in his last seven. Angels are 4-9 in his road starts.

Iwakuma is 0-3, 6.19 in his last three starts; four of his last six stayed under. Mariners won eight of his last nine home starts.

Angels won six of last seven games; under is 10-4 in Halos’ last 14 games. Seattle lost nine of last 11 games; over is 12-4 in Mariners’ last 16 games.


Interleague

Marlins @ Indians
Koehler is 0-2, 5.48 in his last four starts (over 3-1). Marlins are 2-5 in his last seven road starts.

Salazar is 0-3, 11.57 in his last five starts; six of his last seven starts went over. Cleveland is 7-3 in his home starts.

Marlins lost six of last seven games; under is 10-3 in their last 13 games. Cleveland is 13-3 in last 16 home games; five of Tribe’s last six games stayed under.


Teams’ record when this pitcher starts:

SF-Chi: Cueto 19-8 (2-5 last 7); Lackey 13-11
Mil-Pitt: Anderson 10-15; Brault 1-2
Atl-Phil: Teheran 6-18; Thompson 1-4
Wsh-NY: Lopez 2-3; Lugo 2-1
StL-Cin: Martinez 13-12; Adleman 3-4
Az-Col: Bradley 9-11; Gray 11-13
SD-LA: Friedrich 7-11; DeLeon 0-0

NY-Balt: Pineda 12-14; Miley 2-4/10-9
Tor-TB: Happ 19-7; Archer 9-19
Hst-Tex: McHugh 16-11; Darvish 7-5
Chi-Min: Ranaudo 2-2; Albers 0-1
Det-KC: Norris 4-4; Volquez 15-13
Bos-A’s: Rodriguez 5-9; Graveman 13-13
LA-Sea: Shoemaker 9-17; Iwakuma 15-12

Mia-Clev: Koehler 12-15; Salazar 14-9


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

SF-Chi: Cueto 6-27; Lackey 9-24
Mil-Pitt: Anderson 7-24; Brault 2-3
Atl-Phil: Teheran 6-24; Thompson 3-5
Wsh-NY: Lopez 3-5; Lugo 1-3
StL-Cin: Martinez 3-25; Adleman 1-7
Az-Col: Bradley 9-20; Gray 8-24
SD-LA: Friedrich 7-18; DeLeon 0-0

NY-Balt: Pineda 9-26; Miley 9-25
Tor-TB: Happ 5-26; Archer 12-28
Hst-Tex: McHugh 11-27; Darvish 4-12
Chi-Min: Ranaudo 1-4; Albers 1-1
Det-KC: Norris 1-8; Volquez 8-28
Bos-A’s: Rodriguez 3-14; Graveman 4-26
LA-Sea: Shoemaker 7-26; Iwakuma 6-27

Mia-Clev: Koehler 9-27; Salazar 5-23


Umpires

SF-Chi: Six of last eight Cuzzi games went over total.
Mil-Pitt: Four of last six Fagan games stayed under.
Atl-Phil: Over is 11-3 in last 14 Everitt games.
Wsh-NY: Over is 6-0-1 in last seven Wolf games.
StL-Cin: Favorites won seven of last eight Hernandez games.
Az-Col: Under is 8-2-2 in last twelve Blaser games.
SD-LA: Under is 8-3-1 in last twelve Guccione games.

NY-Balt: Seven of last eight Davis games stayed under.
Tor-TB: Three of last four Hoberg games went over total.
Hst-Tex: Road team won last five Layne games.
Chi-Min: Last five Basner games stayed under the total.
Det-KC: Under is 7-1-1 in last nine Conroy games.
Bos-A’s: Over is 11-4-1 in last sixteen Knight games.
LA-Sea: Last seven DeJesus games stayed under.

Mia-Clev: Eight of last ten West games stayed under.


Teams’ records in first five innings:

Team (road-home-total)- thru 9/3

Arizona 24-32-11…..27-36-5…….51-68
Atlanta 26-35-9……21-31-13……47-66
Cubs 35-21-9……43-20-8……..78-41
Reds 18-41-8……30-32-5…….48-73
Colo 25-30-12…..30-33-4……55-63
LA 27-29-9……42-21-8…….69-50
Miami 29-30-10….29-21-16…..58-51
Milw 19-38-8……37-24-10…..56-62
Mets 27-41-9……32-26-11…….59-57
Philly 21-30-16….24-31-13…….45-59
Pitt 20-36-12…..39-22-5……59-57
St. Louis 31-29-7……27-28-12……58-57
SD 22-45-4…..28-30-6…….50-75
SF 30-31-7……34-20-13……64-51
Wash 36-21-14…..27-20-17…..63-41

Orioles 24-35-8…….36-26-8……..60-61
Boston 27-27-10……43-18-9…….70-45
White Sox 31-30-9……35-28-3……..66-58
Cleveland 35-26-7……33-26-6……..68-52
Detroit 28-31-8…….30-31-4……..58-62
Astros 26-31-11…..32-26-7……..58-57
KC 25-34-11……28-24-13……53-58
Angels 27-36-7…….24-30-11……51-66
Twins 25-35-12…….23-34-12…..48-69
NYY 22-38-8……30-28-10……52-66
A’s 22-38-8……25-31-12……47-68
Seattle 31-29-9……30-23-12……61-52
Tampa Bay 22-29-11……30-31-11…..52-60
Texas 25-34-9…….35-23-9……60-57
Toronto 41-21-5……..38-27-4…….79-48

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Sunday’s six-pack

Thoughts on the Bradford-to-Minnesota trade

— Eagles get a 1st and 4th-round pick; if Minnesota makes NFC title game, it becomes 3rd-round pick, if they win Super Bowl, a 2nd-rounder.

— Norv Turner is Bradford’s 6th offensive coordinator in seven years.

— Vikings TE coach Pat Shurmur was with Bradford in Philly LY and for two years in St Louis as the offensive coordinator.

— Bradford’s career won-loss record: 25-37-1; he was a college teammate of Adrian Peterson at Oklahoma. Not sure he is worth a 1st-round pick.

— Rookie QB Carson Wentz will start for the Eagles next week if his ribs have healed. Otherwise Chase Daniel (two starts in six years) will start.

— If Vikings traded a 1st-round pick, there has to be serious concern about Teddy Bridgewater’s leg ever recovering enough for him to play well again. Hopefully he can come back but apparently it was a terrible injury.