Thursday 6/25/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Rangers recall OF Choice, demote LHP Claudio
The Sports Xchange

The Texas Rangers recalled outfielder Michael Choice from Triple-A Round Rock on Wednesday and demoted left-hander Alex Claudio.

Choice was hitting .242 for Round Rock, although he was batting .400 with 10 RBIs in his last 11 games.

Claudio is 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA in 18 appearances for the Rangers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Giants lose Aoki for six weeks with broken leg
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

SAN FRANCISCO -- Left fielder Nori Aoki was all set to start Tuesday night against the San Diego Padres despite some pain in his lower right leg.

He convinced San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy to allow him to return to the top of the lineup after he was held out of the club's previous game.

Then came the bad news: X-rays taken during the day revealed a fractured leg, prompting Aoki's removal from the lineup and, on Wednesday, his placement on the disabled list.

The Giants expect Aoki to miss at least six weeks.

No doubt, the .317 hitter will be missed. But that wasn't the case for one night anyway.

Aoki's replacement will be supersub Gregor Blanco, who moved atop the lineup Tuesday and got on base four times, twice via hits and twice on walks. He scored one of the Giants' runs in a 3-2, 11-inning loss to the Padres.

With right fielder Hunter Pence also out of action, the Giants almost surely will dip into their farm system for an outfielder when they create a roster spot by putting Aoki on the DL.

They left the field Tuesday with only three healthy outfielders on their active roster. One of them is Justin Maxwell, whose 0-for-5 night Tuesday dropped his season average to .219.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Cubs in bounce back mode'

Chicago Cubs suffering a set back yesterday in this four-game set against Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field look to end the series on a high note. Taking the hill for the Cubs this afternoon will be lefty Jon Lester, who is off back-2-back no-decisions allowing a combined two runs in a pair of Cubbie victories. Los Angeles meanwhile, will turn to righty Carlos Frias tagged with consecutive losses giving up 10 runs over 10 2/3 innings of work. The Dodgers as a team have certainly followed in that same vein lately when in enemy territory facing a team with a winning record. Don Mattingly's squad has compiled a 2-9 record the past eleven in the situation. The fact that Lester is a portsider is also bad news for Los Angeles, since the Dodgers are on a 2-8 road skid facing a left-handed starter. Cubbies 5-1 with Lester following a team loss the previous effort, 3-1 in day games with the hurler the lean is Chicago. The Cubs are -$1.25 to -$1.40 home favorites depending on locale.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Thursday's six-pack

-- Why can people vote 35 times for All-Star Game? How about everyone gets one vote and thats that.

-- NHL awards show was in Las Vegas, its draft is in Florida; sound choices.

-- Chucky Brown/Tony Massenberg hold the all-time NBA record; they played for 14 teams each, the most of any NBA player ever.

-- Why don't pitchers wear single digit uniform numbers?

-- Colorado Rockies lead MLB with 13 rain delays, 12 of which were at home.

-- Virginia 4, Vanderbilt 2-- Cavaliers win first College World Series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dave Cokin

Bonus Play Thursday

DIAMONDBACKS (de la Rosa) @ ROCKIES (de la Rosa) 3:10 PM

Take: DIAMONDBACKS +120

Here it is, de la Rosa vs. de la Rosa as the Diamondbacks and Rockies close out their series at Coors. Rubby will be throwing for the road team, while Jorge gets the call for Colorado.

This is a great debate type of game from a handicapping vantage point. Data vs. trends is very much in play here and this is one game where the number crunchers will be firing on one side while the trend players will be going the other way.

The trends are crystal clear as Jorge de la Rosa has some of the most dominant ledgers one will ever see at Coors, in terms of the team wins and losses when he pitches. It’s really kind of amazing to note that the Rockies are 51-13 when JDLR takes the mound at Coors, and that includes 10-1 against the Diamondbacks.

But the flip side here is the current data, both for the Diamondbacks and for their de la Rosa. RDLR is putting together some pretty impressive under the radar numbers, and it’s really starting to look like the Red Sox mad a big mistake deeming him excess baggage.

The present team stats also indicate the Diamondbacks to be the side here. I won’t get into the specifics as to how I come up with my lines for each game. But my methodology produced a line of Rockies -106 for this game. Compare that with the line that was showing as I posted this piece and you’ll see there’s value to be had on the visitors.

Believe me, there’s no such thing as comfortable when it comes to going against Jorge de la Rosa at Coors. But for me this comes down to my being more of a believer in data than trends, even when said trends are mighty daunting. Barring lineup absences of note for the road team, I’ll be looking to take the price with the Diamondbacks here.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Arthur Ralph Sports

Bonus Play AFTERNOON Red Sox w/ Rodriguez-120

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Gamblers Data

Thursday

Atlanta -Washington under 7.5

Astros -150

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Thursday, June 25

Trend Report

1:08 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. DETROIT
Chi White Sox are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Detroit
Chi White Sox are 1-8 SU in their last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games
Detroit is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games at home

1:35 PM
BALTIMORE vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Baltimore's last 6 games when playing on the road against Boston
Baltimore is 12-4 SU in its last 16 games
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
Boston is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home

2:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. TEXAS
Oakland is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Texas
Oakland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Texas is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Texas's last 10 games when playing Oakland

2:10 PM
NY METS vs. MILWAUKEE
NY Mets are 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of NY Mets's last 17 games when playing Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Milwaukee's last 17 games when playing NY Mets

2:20 PM
LA DODGERS vs. CHI CUBS
LA Dodgers are 14-6 SU in their last 20 games when playing Chi Cubs
LA Dodgers are 8-3 SU in their last 11 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
Chi Cubs are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games at home

3:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. COLORADO
Arizona is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
Arizona is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Colorado is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Colorado's last 7 games at home

3:45 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. SAN FRANCISCO
San Diego is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of San Francisco's last 12 games
San Francisco is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against San Diego

4:05 PM
ATLANTA vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Atlanta's last 7 games when playing on the road against Washington
Atlanta is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 8 games when playing Atlanta

7:05 PM
CINCINNATI vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Cincinnati is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Pittsburgh is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Pittsburgh's last 16 games

7:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. MIAMI
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Miami's last 13 games at home
Miami is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games at home

8:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone OVER in 8 of NY Yankees's last 12 games on the road
NY Yankees are 14-5 SU in their last 19 games when playing Houston
Houston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Houston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

WNBA
Long Sheet

Thursday, June 25

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOENIX (3 - 3) at SAN ANTONIO (0 - 6) - 6/25/2015, 8:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SAN ANTONIO is 8-1 ATS (+6.9 Units) on Thursday over the last 3 seasons.
PHOENIX is 29-18 ATS (+9.2 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 22-9 ATS (+12.1 Units) in May, June, or July games over the last 2 seasons.
PHOENIX is 19-10 ATS (+8.0 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 4-12 ATS (-9.2 Units) in home games in May, June, or July games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN ANTONIO is 2-10 ATS (-9.0 Units) in home games after scoring 75 points or more over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
SAN ANTONIO is 5-4 against the spread versus PHOENIX over the last 3 seasons
PHOENIX is 7-3 straight up against SAN ANTONIO over the last 3 seasons
6 of 10 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MINNESOTA (5 - 2) at SEATTLE (2 - 4) - 6/25/2015, 10:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 105-74 ATS (+23.6 Units) in home games vs. division opponents since 1997.
MINNESOTA is 51-35 ATS (+12.5 Units) in all games over the last 3 seasons.
MINNESOTA is 47-29 ATS (+15.1 Units) as a favorite over the last 3 seasons.
SEATTLE is 14-25 ATS (-13.5 Units) in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 10-19 ATS (-10.9 Units) as an underdog over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 11-23 ATS (-14.3 Units) in May, June, or July games over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 7-16 ATS (-10.6 Units) revenging a loss versus opponent over the last 2 seasons.
SEATTLE is 5-15 ATS (-11.5 Units) after allowing 75 points or more over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MINNESOTA is 7-4 against the spread versus SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
MINNESOTA is 9-2 straight up against SEATTLE over the last 3 seasons
7 of 11 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

WNBA

Thursday, June 25

Trend Report

8:00 PM
PHOENIX vs. SAN ANTONIO
Phoenix is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Phoenix's last 6 games when playing San Antonio
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 6 games when playing Phoenix
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Antonio's last 7 games when playing at home against Phoenix

10:00 PM
MINNESOTA vs. SEATTLE
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 6 games on the road
Minnesota is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Seattle's last 9 games when playing Minnesota
Seattle is 2-10 SU in its last 12 games when playing Minnesota

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

JOE WIZ

Thursday... Over 7 Pittsburgh and Cincinnati

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

BIG AL

Our complimentary selection for Thursday, June 25 is:

Atlanta (Wisler) and Washington (Fister) 'over' 7.5 runs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (31-40) at Tigers (37-35)
Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: June 25, 2015 1:08 PM EDT

The Chicago White Sox's Carlos Rodon has mostly pitched as expected in his first two months in the majors, though he's yet to face a potent Detroit Tigers lineup.

That includes a rested Miguel Cabrera, who looks to lead the Tigers to a win over the highly regarded rookie in Thursday's opener to a four-game series at Comerica Park.

Rodon (3-1, 3.75 ERA) has allowed two or fewer earned runs while throwing at least six innings in six of his first eight starts. He rebounded well from a rough outing with a 3-2 win over Texas on Saturday, yielding two runs in six innings.

The left-hander gave up seven runs in 3 2-3 innings of an 11-0 loss at Pittsburgh on June 15.

"The funny and scary thing is he can get a lot better," catcher Tyler Flowers said. "His stuff is that good that he's able to get by with missing some spots here and there. If he can hone in the command, which has gotten better, we might have two (Chris) Sales."

Rodon hasn't pitched in any of the six games against Detroit (37-35) since his April 20 call-up. The Tigers are among the major league leaders with a .272 average and .333 on-base percentage, scoring 4.3 runs per game.

Detroit scored 27 runs in a three-game win streak that was snapped with an 8-2 loss at Cleveland on Wednesday. The Tigers managed five hits with Cabrera sitting out for the second time this season.

"He'll probably end up playing 158 to 160 (games)," manager Brad Ausmus said. 'I just thought it was a good time to give him a day off. If guys get off days, get mental breaks, it refreshes them. If you're in the playoff hunt, they understand. You give them their breathers the first four months of the season."

Cabrera has batted .489 with 14 RBIs in his past 13 games but is hitting .226 in nine contests against the White Sox (31-40) this season. That's his second-worst average versus an opponent in 2015 behind a .217 mark against Kansas City.

Cabrera, though, has batted .387 in his last 37 home matchups with Chicago and has a .462 average with five homers and 19 RBIs in his last 18 overall contests at home.

Detroit's Alfredo Simon (7-4, 3.29) looks to bounce back from one of his worst outings after the right-hander matched a career high by giving up seven runs in 2 2-3 innings of a 14-3 loss to the New York Yankees on Saturday.

Simon has gone 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in his two starts against the White Sox this season. He gave up four runs - one earned - in eight innings of the most recent matchup June 7 at Chicago, a 6-4 victory in which he earned the decision.

The White Sox won three in a row following that defeat but have dropped 10 of 13, including a 6-1 defeat at Minnesota on Wednesday. They had seven hits in that game after totaling 38 in their previous three.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
White Sox at Tigers
Thu, Jun 25 - 1:08PM EDT

GAME 2
White Sox at Tigers
Fri, Jun 26 - 7:08PM EDT

GAME 3
White Sox at Tigers
Sat, Jun 27 - 4:08PM EDT

GAME 4
White Sox at Tigers
Sun, Jun 28 - 1:08PM EDT

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Orioles (37-33) at Red Sox (31-41)
Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: June 25, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

The Boston Red Sox have underachieved even with Dustin Pedroia and Hanley Ramirez in the lineup. There's no telling how much worse things can get with them injured at the same time.

Though the severity of those injuries is uncertain, there's a good chance both will miss Thursday's finale against the visiting Baltimore Orioles.

The same night Boston (32-41) snapped a six-game skid to Baltimore with Wednesday's 5-1 victory, Ramirez bruised his left hand after being hit with a batted ball while running the bases in the fifth. An inning later, Pedroia exited with tightness in his hamstring after delivering a tiebreaking two-run single.

'It's always good to win, but when you lose two guys that are in the middle of the lineup, that's a big hit,' winning pitcher Clay Buchholz said. 'Hopefully it's just a little thing and we can get them back out there. It's two key players, everybody knows that.'

Losing both for any significant amount of time would be a huge blow for the Red Sox, who have hit .322 and averaged 6.1 runs while winning five of eight. Pedroia is batting .406 with 11 RBIs during a 17-game home hitting streak, while Ramirez is hitting .341 with 15 RBIs in his last 24 overall.

'We're still in the process of gathering all the information,' said manager John Farrell, whose club has the second-worst record in the AL.

David Ortiz is healthy and has homered twice in three games.

He's 3 for 6 with a home run this season versus Miguel Gonzalez (5-4, 3.33 ERA), who takes the ball for the first time since landing on the disabled list June 11 with a groin strain. The right-hander suffered the injury two days earlier while lasting 4 1-3 innings of a 1-0 victory over the Red Sox.

Despite a 4.11 ERA, Gonzalez is 1-0 in three starts versus Boston this season. The victory came April 19 on the road, where he's dropped a career-high three straight starts and is 2-4 with a 4.64 ERA in six. Gonzalez is 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA in six home outings.

Baltimore (37-34) averaged 6.8 runs in the previous six games against the Red Sox, but went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position while losing for just the fifth time in 19 overall.

With two more hits, Jimmy Paredes is batting .400 (14 for 35) in his last nine games and .439 in as many against the Red Sox this season.

He didn't face Eduardo Rodriguez (3-1, 3.13) when the left-hander allowed three hits and struck out seven in six scoreless innings while opposing Gonzalez on June 9.

Rodriguez needs a better outing at Fenway Park than June 14, when he allowed nine runs, eight hits and three walks in 4 2-3 innings of a 13-5 loss to Toronto. He was able to rebound in his fifth career start Friday by yielding a run in 6 1-3 innings of a 7-3 victory at Kansas City.

"A (bounce-back) start for him, there's no doubt,' Farrell said. "There's fluidity, concentration and quality execution."

He likely won't face Adam Jones, who has missed six of the last eight with a sore shoulder and isn't expected to return until Friday.

'Improvement (Wednesday),' manager Buck Showalter said. 'We're getting there.'


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Orioles at Red Sox
Tue, Jun 23 Final 6 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Orioles at Red Sox
Wed, Jun 24 Final 1 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Orioles at Red Sox
Thu, Jun 25 - 1:35PM EDT

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics (32-41) at Rangers (37-34)
Game: 3
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: June 25, 2015 2:05 PM EDT

Sonny Gray allowed more earned runs in his last start than he had over his previous five, but even that wasn't enough to boost his ERA above 2.00.

Considering how he's pitched against Texas this season, it seems unlikely that mark is coming Thursday when Oakland and the Rangers complete a three-game series with the visiting Athletics seeking a season-high fifth straight win.

After Wednesday's 8-2 victory, the lineup has led the A's (33-41) to wins in eight of 10 with seven runs per game and a .308 average. They've also gone 19-11 since entering play on May 23 with an MLB-worst 14-30 record - the AL's second-best mark in that time behind Toronto.

Billy Burns is batting .375 on a career-best 14-game hitting streak, Stephen Vogt is 14 for 29 with 13 RBIs in eight games and Josh Phegley homered for the second straight game and fourth time in seven.

"It's just fun to watch those guys hit," starter Kendall Graveman said.

The A's have won four in a row against the Rangers (37-35) and haven't lost a series in Texas in over two years, going 14-4 since with 5.9 runs per game.

Texas is in danger of a season-high fifth straight loss, and the lineup is producing 2.3 runs per game with a .201 average in the last six.

Gray (8-3, 1.95 ERA), the AL's ERA leader, surrendered six runs in six innings of Friday's 12-7 home loss to the Los Angeles Angels but wasn't stuck with the decision.

"I've got to be a little better and attack the zone, and make them beat us instead of just kind of giving it away to them," said Gray, who's gone 20 2-3 innings without allowing an earned run on the road.

The A's probably don't have many doubts about him being able to do that, particularly against Texas. The right-hander had allowed four earned runs over his previous five outings, and his ERA hasn't been above 2.00 since April 17.

He's 6-3 with a 1.68 ERA in nine career starts versus the Rangers, with the last three coming this season while allowing two runs in 20 2-3 innings. At Globe Life Park, he's won all four of his starts with a 0.29 ERA, including both of his career shutouts.

Ryan Rua (4 for 9) and Shin-soo Choo (5 for 16) have had success against the A's top starter, but those 25 at_bats amount to little compared to the sub-.200 averages of Robinson Chirinos (1 for 16), Adrian Beltre (2 for 22), Mitch Moreland (1 for 11), Rougned Odor (2 for 17), Prince Fielder (2 for 14), Leonys Martin (4 for 27) and Elvis Andrus (5 for 27).

Colby Lewis has arrived at a similar season record often through different means with a 7.13 run-support average, though he was certainly deserving of his latest victory. The right-hander allowed a run and nine hits in eight innings of Friday's 2-1 victory at the Chicago White Sox.

Lewis (7-3, 4.08) was rocked for nine earned runs over 2 2-3 innings in Cleveland on May 27, but he's 3-0 with nine runs allowed over 29 in his last four starts.

"The ball was coming out of his hand very well and he was pretty much in total control of what he wanted to do," manager Jeff Banister told MLB's official website.

Lewis has allowed two earned runs in 19 innings of his last three starts against the A's, and he's 7-1 with a 2.66 ERA in his last 13. Vogt and Marcus Semien are a combined 0 for 18.

His success at Globe Life doesn't quite rival Gray's, but Lewis is 4-0 with a 2.87 ERA in eight home starts dating to September.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Athletics at Rangers
Tue, Jun 23 Final 8 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Athletics at Rangers
Wed, Jun 24 Final 8 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Athletics at Rangers
Thu, Jun 25 - 2:05PM EDT

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mets (36-36) at Brewers (26-46)
Game: 3
Venue: Miller Park
Date: June 25, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

Mets manager Terry Collins lamented New York's scoring woes before and after wasting another quality outing from Jacob deGrom late last week.

The Mets still haven't found an offensive groove ahead of deGrom's return to the hill Thursday and are looking to avoid their worst road trip in nearly 24 years in the series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers.

New York (36-37) has been outscored 31-9 during a season-worst seven-game losing streak and failed to back deGrom (7-5, 2.34 ERA) on Friday when he allowed two runs in 7 1-3 innings of a 2-1 loss to Atlanta on his 27th birthday.

The Mets lost 5-3 to the Braves in deGrom's previous start June 13 after he gave up one run in seven innings. The right-hander has more than done his part over his last seven outings, going 4-1 with a 1.42 ERA while limiting opponents to a .162 average and striking out 56 with six walks in 50 2-3 innings.

"I think I was just locating all of my pitches again," said deGrom, who suffered his first defeat since May 11. "Mixing it up and being able to locate whenever I needed to. It's frustrating (to lose)."

New York's offense stepped up when deGrom began his hot stretch May 16 against Milwaukee by allowing one run in six innings of a 14-1 victory. He's 2-1 with a 2.00 ERA in three starts against the Brewers (27-46), who won Tuesday's series opener 3-2 before winning 4-1 on Wednesday.

The Mets, who dropped below .500 for the first time since being 2-3 on April 11, finished with just three hits - including Curtis Granderson's fourth-inning homer - and are batting .159 on the trip.

Collins held a closed-door meeting following Wednesday's loss, which put New York in danger of going winless on a road swing of at least eight games for the first time since losing all 10 from August 9-18, 1991.

"I don't blame anybody. I've never done that. I never will," Collins said. "I write the lineup. It falls on my shoulders. These are the guys that are here. They're major league players. We've got to play better."

New York should see a steady diet of fastballs with hard-throwing Taylor Jungmann taking the mound for Milwaukee.

Jungmann (2-1, 3.50) made his major league debut with a win over Pittsburgh on June 9 and gave up three runs in 12 innings over his first two outings. He allowed three runs in the fourth and another in the sixth before being removed in Friday's 9-5 win at Colorado.

The right-hander is most known for his mid-90s fastball, which he threw 31 straight times to open his last outing.

"He has a Jered Weaver-type delivery, and he (throws across his body)," catcher Jonathan Lucroy said. "His fastball cuts and sinks and moves all over the place, so we really didn't have to go to anything else throughout the first time through the lineup."

Lucroy, Ryan Braun and Adam Lind each had two hits and Scooter Gennett homered Wednesday to help the Brewers get a shot at their first series sweep of the season.

Gennett is just 10 for 38 since being recalled from the minors June 11, but those hits include two homers, a triple and three doubles.

Milwaukee has held the Mets to three runs or fewer in seven straight meetings at Miller Park, winning four.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mets at Brewers
Tue, Jun 23 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mets at Brewers
Wed, Jun 24 Final 1 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Mets at Brewers
Thu, Jun 25 - 2:10PM EDT

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Dodgers (39-33) at Cubs (39-30)
Game: 4
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: June 25, 2015 2:20 PM EDT

The Chicago Cubs reportedly are in the market for another high-end starting pitcher to complement Jon Lester, whose last two efforts have been exactly what the club expected when he signed a $155 million deal in the offseason.

In Lester's opinion, he could've given much more in his latest outing.

He'll take the mound Thursday looking to help the Cubs win three of four against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field.

Chicago's rebuilding project under Theo Epstein was fast-tracked by the signing of Lester and hiring of manager Joe Maddon. The Cubs (39-31) are contending for a postseason spot and are rumored to be pursuing a starting pitcher before the July 31 trade deadline.

Lester (4-5, 3.80 ERA) has had his rocky moments, but he's pitched well lately. After giving up 11 runs in 9 1-3 innings while dropping his previous two starts, he allowed one run in seven innings of a 2-1 win over Cincinnati on June 14 before giving up one run and three hits in 6 1-3 of Saturday's 4-1, 10-inning victory over Minnesota.

The left-hander was surprised Maddon didn't allow him to finish the seventh after retiring the first batter.

"That's just kind of the way I've always been," Lester said. "I don't want to leave games. You feel like you always have more. But that's why you have managers and pitching coaches, to make those decisions for you. I may not be happy at the time, but I'll never second-guess a manager and what they're trying to do."

Lester went deeper in his only career start against the Dodgers on Aug. 24, 2013, giving up one run and three hits in 7 1-3 innings of a 4-2 victory while with Boston.

He'll look to help the Cubs bounce back after their four-game win streak ended with Wednesday's 5-2 loss. Center fielder Dexter Fowler didn't start for the second straight game after spraining his left ankle in Monday's opener, but has pinch-hit in both since.

Adrian Gonzalez homered in the second and Justin Turner hit a three-run shot the following inning for the NL West-leading Dodgers (40-33), who had dropped seven of nine.

Turner has homered in four of the last five games he's started.

"Justin's been that guy that I've been able to put in all different spots in the order, play in a number of spots in the field, use him in different ways," manager Don Mattingly said. "So he's a valuable piece for us, that's for sure."

Los Angeles played without Yasiel Puig, who was a late scratch because of an open callous on his left hand. It's unclear if Puig, hitting .486 with two homers, a triple and three doubles in nine career games at Wrigley, will be in the lineup for this matchup.

The Dodgers look to earn a series split as they hand the ball to Carlos Frias, who is coming off back-to-back rough outings.

Frias (4-5, 4.68) allowed four runs in 5 1-3 innings of a 4-1 loss to Texas on June 15 before giving up six runs in 5 1-3 innings of Saturday's 6-2 loss to San Francisco.

The right-hander gave up three homers in his previous nine starts but surrendered two against the Giants.

"(Those were) two big mistakes in the game, two changeups," Frias said. "You have to figure out how to make less mistakes."

Frias made a few the last time he faced the Cubs while giving up three runs and walking two in three innings of relief during the Dodgers' 8-5 win Sept. 21. He's never started against Chicago.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Cubs
Mon, Jun 22 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Dodgers at Cubs
Tue, Jun 23 Final 0 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Dodgers at Cubs
Wed, Jun 24 Final 5 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Dodgers at Cubs
Thu, Jun 25 - 2:20PM EDT

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Padres (35-38) at Giants (38-34)
Game: 3
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: June 25, 2015 3:45 PM EDT

James Shields didn't fare well against the San Francisco Giants in October, but he's been extremely tough when facing them in the regular season.

The right-hander looks to bounce back from his first losing decision with the San Diego Padres by improving to 3-0 against the Giants during the regular season Thursday at AT&T Park.

Shields (7-1, 3.75 ERA) tossed a four-hitter in a 5-0 victory Aug. 9 in his first appearance versus San Francisco with Kansas City. However, he posted a 7.00 ERA while going 0-2 in the World Series against the Giants.

Sporting a new uniform, Shields again shined while striking out seven in seven innings and yielding just a home run to Joaquin Arias and two other hits in a 10-2 home victory over San Francisco (39-34) on April 11.

'It's a new team,' Shields said. "My job is to beat whoever I'm opposing."

Arizona became the first opponent this season to hand Shields a loss Friday, when he allowed four runs, eight hits and walked a season-high four in six innings of a 4-2 defeat.

"I think he'd like to take back a few pitches here and there," manager Pat Murphy told MLB's official website. "It wasn't his best outing but he's a fighter."

Buster Posey is 0 for 7 in the regular season versus Shields, but his grand slam helped San Francisco even this series with Wednesday's 6-0 victory. It's the only hit in 12 at_bats over the last four games for the veteran catcher, who started at first base and could spend more time there to take pressure off his body and benefit his offense.

"Anybody who's seen this team for a while knows we're willing to change the roles if it does help the team win," Posey said.

Trying to win a 10th home series in the last 11 versus San Diego (35-39), the Giants hand the ball to Chris Heston (7-5, 3.83).

The right-hander has yielded three runs and seven hits each and hasn't completed six innings while splitting his two starts since no-hitting the New York Mets on June 9. He lasted 5 2-3 innings in a 9-5 win at Dodger Stadium on Friday.

Though Heston has been far from dominant in those two outings, his teammate continue to believe in him and manager Bruce Bochy might have enough faith to keep the rookie in the rotation when Jake Peavy and Matt Cain return next month.

'He's stepped in and pitched some big games for us," Posey said. "Every time he takes the ball, I think he expects to have a good outing.'

The result wasn't what Heston hope for May 6, when he allowed five runs and matched a career high with 11 hits in five innings of a 9-1 home loss against the Padres. He's allowed 22 baserunners over nine innings in two career starts versus San Diego.

Cory Spangenberg and Alexi Amarista are a combined 7 for 10 versus Heston but are 1 for 6 in this series. Justin Upton walked three times against Heston in May, and had two of the Padres' five hits as they were shut out for a major league-high 11th time Wednesday.

"You're pressing a little bit," said Murphy, who is 3-5 since replacing the fired Bud Black. "We've got to drop that tension and play with that freedom. At the same time, they feel that urgency."


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Padres at Giants
Tue, Jun 23 Final 3 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Padres at Giants
Wed, Jun 24 - Final 0 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Padres at Giants
Thu, Jun 25 - 3:45PM EDT

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Braves (35-36) at Nationals (38-33)
Game: 3
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: June 25, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

Matt Wisler made an encouraging first impression in his major league debut, and the Atlanta Braves' top pitching prospect likely will need another solid effort for a club that's struggling at the plate.

That's good news for Doug Fister, whose return to the mound for the Washington Nationals didn't go as well as he hoped.

Washington hasn't lost since Fister's last start, and he'll oppose Wisler as the Nationals look to win a sixth straight game in Thursday's series finale.

Wisler was excellent Friday when he allowed one run in eight innings of a 2-1 victory over the New York Mets. He replaced fellow rookie Mike Foltynewicz in the rotation after the struggling right-hander was sent back to the minors.

Regarded as one of baseball's top pitching prospects, the 22-year-old Wisler came over in the April 5 trade that sent closer Craig Kimbrel and outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. to San Diego.

"The debut went about as well as it could have gone," Wisler told MLB's official website. "Since then, I have just kind of taken it all in while sitting in the dugout watching games and taking in the stadiums. It still hasn't quite hit me that I'm up here."

The right-hander said he felt comfortable on the mound, and he'll have to be just as poised against the first-place Nationals (39-33), who have won a pair of low-scoring games in this series.

Anthony Rendon went 4 for 4 in Tuesday's 3-1 victory over Atlanta (35-37) before adding two more hits the next day in a 2-1 win. Ian Desmond hit a sacrifice fly in the 11th inning Wednesday that scored Bryce Harper, who led off the inning with a double.

Harper came up limping on the play but remained in the game after being checked by the training staff.

Desmond's winning RBI came on a night when he went hitless, dropping him to 4 for 37 over his last 10. Manager Matt Williams had Desmond in the starting lineup after benching him for the previous two games.

"He works and works and works," Williams said. "He's told you guys and he's told everybody that he will be OK, and he's going to work out of it.'

The Nationals have been on a roll since losing to Tampa Bay 5-3 last Thursday, when Fister gave up five runs in 5 1-3 innings.

Fister (2-3, 4.80 ERA) allowed seven runs and eight hits in two innings of an 8-3 loss to San Diego on May 14 before going on the disabled list with right forearm tightness. He pitched fewer than six innings once while posting a 2.87 ERA in his first six outings.

"It's a work in progress," Fister said. "I know I keep saying that, but that's what it is. I got back some of my base and my roots. I have to get back to what I do best, and that is go with contact. You really have to build up to it. Any time you change mechanics or change your approach, you really do have to take a little bit of time and rebuild back up to midseason strengths."

The right-hander won his first three starts with a 1.23 ERA against the Braves but is 0-1 while allowing eight runs in 12 1-3 innings over two starts this season.

Atlanta has scored one run in three straight, though, and hasn't plated more than two in five of its last six. It loaded the bases with nobody out in the ninth Wednesday and got only Kelly Johnson's sacrifice fly that sent the game to extras.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Braves at Nationals
Tue, Jun 23 Final 1 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Braves at Nationals
Wed, Jun 24 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Braves at Nationals
Thu, Jun 25 - 4:05PM EDT

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (46-24) at Marlins (30-42)
Game: 3
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: June 25, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Lance Lynn has been itching to get back on the mound for the St. Louis Cardinals.

The right-hander gets his chance Thursday when he comes off the disabled list looking to help the visiting Cardinals sweep the Miami Marlins.

St. Louis manager Mike Matheny and the front office never seemed too concerned when Lynn (4-4, 3.07 ERA) landed on the DL on June 12 with a forearm strain that's plagued him since his second start. He declared himself fit to return after a successful bullpen session last weekend.

"I'm just looking forward to competing again," Lynn, who last pitched June 7 at Dodger Stadium, told MLB's official website. "I've been out for two weeks and you never want to not be able to compete. So I'm just looking forward to getting back out there."

Lynn, who's had at least 15 wins in three straight seasons and logged 200-plus innings in each of the last two, went 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA in the three starts before the injury.

"He's one of our new leaders - a guy that's taken that next step in his career," Matheny said. "He wants to be one of the horses - a guy that goes out there and soaks up innings and a guy that can come in and stop a bad streak. He has the ability to do that.

"So we're excited to have him back and excited to have him feeling better."

Despite a 4.34 ERA, Lynn is 3-0 as a starter versus Miami (30-43), which has been outscored 31-16 while losing six of seven. Jaime Garcia tossed seven solid innings before leaving with a cramp and Jason Heyward homered for a third straight game Wednesday to help the Cardinals (47-24) win 6-1 - their 20th victory in 28 games.

Heyward, who has never homered in four consecutive contests, is batting .464 with four of his nine home runs and nine RBIs in the last seven.

He's 1 for 8 versus Dan Haren (6-4, 3.19), who went 2-0 with a 1.45 ERA in his first five home starts but has a 4.63 ERA while splitting the last two. The right-hander returns home after a 5-0 loss at Cincinnati on Friday in which he gave up two runs in 6 1-3 innings but didn't get a run of support for the second consecutive outing.

Haren, who began his career with the Cardinals in 2003, has a 5.59 ERA while losing both starts over the past two seasons against them.

Teammate Giancarlo Stanton clubbed his major league-leading 27th homer for one of his three hits Wednesday.

"At the end of the day, we're still getting seven to 10 hits," Stanton said. "It's a matter of how important they are."

Stanton has homered in both games of the series but is 1 for 10 with a home run and six strikeouts versus Lynn.

The Marlins will activate Jarred Cosart from the DL on Thursday and send him to the bullpen. Cosart, 1-3 with a 4.08 ERA in seven starts, hasn't been on a major league mound since May 13 because of vertigo. All of his 47 appearances have come as a starter.

"Right now, it looks like he will start out in the bullpen and ease back into it," manager Dan Jennings said.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cardinals at Marlins
Tue, Jun 23 Final 4 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Cardinals at Marlins
Wed, Jun 24 Final 6 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Cardinals at Marlins
Thu, Jun 25 - 7:10PM EDT