Thursday 6/30/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cubs (51-26) at Mets (40-37)

Game: 1
Venue: Citi Field
Date: June 30, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- A sweep of the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series last fall sent the New York Mets to the World Series for the first time in 15 seasons. But the Cubs are the team that looks ready to return to the NLCS -- and perhaps end a far longer drought -- as the two teams prepare for a four-game series that begins Thursday night at Citi Field.

The Cubs arrived in New York fresh off a 9-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds that capped a three-game sweep at Great American Ball Park. The sweep snapped the longest skid of the season for Chicago, which lost six of seven prior to facing the Reds.

"This was a good series for us," said Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who hit a three-run inside-the-park homer Wednesday.

The Cubs have had a lot of good series this year. Chicago, which is looking to reach the World Series for the first time since 1945 and win it all for the first time since 1908, is now a baseball-best 51-26, with a mammoth run differential -- plus-170 -- that suggests ot should have five or six more wins.

The Mets, meanwhile, continued to spiral downward Wednesday with a 4-2 loss to the Washington Nationals. The loss capped a three-game sweep at the hands of the Nationals, who extended their lead over the Mets from three to six games.

The loss ended a 2-5 road trip for the Mets, who were outscored 35-20 by the Nationals and Atlanta Braves. New York, which blew an early 4-0 lead in Monday's opener against the Nationals, went 23 straight innings without scoring until James Loney hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning Wednesday.

"We're just not giving ourselves chances," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "We just can't give our pitchers any room to work."

At 40-37, New York is the closest it has been to .500 since April 24, though it is still only a half-game behind the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals in the race for the NL's second wild card.

"They're struggling lately and they're banged up," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "It is different (than last year) for both teams."

The series opener Thursday begins an 11-game homestand for the Mets that could dictate the direction the rest of their season takes. After the Cubs exit Sunday, the Mets host the Marlins for three games and the Nationals for four games.

"We've still got 11 before the All-Star Break," Collins said. "We've just got to go play them."

Mets left-hander Steven Matz is scheduled to start Thursday against Cubs right-hander John Lackey. Matz is pitching through a bone chip in his right elbow and got an extra day of rest after struggling last Friday, when he was staked to an eight-run lead but allowed six runs over 4 1/3 innings and was lifted before he could qualify for the win in the Mets' 8-6 victory over the Braves.

Lackey will be looking to bounce back from his worst start of the season. He took the loss last Saturday, when he gave up seven runs over 4 1/3 innings as the Cubs fell to the Marlins, 9-6.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Marlins (41-37) at Braves (26-52)

Game: 1
Venue: Turner Field
Date: June 30, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

ATLANTA -- A team coming off a two-game sweep in which it was outscored 17-6 would normally love to be facing an opponent next with the worst record in the National League.

The Miami Marlins, though, are the one team the Atlanta Braves have a winning record against this season.

Atlanta (26-52) started the season 4-17 and three of those victories were against the Marlins, who would eventually lose two more games to the Braves before winning two of the past three.

That is almost as bad as the Marlins (41-37) have done against the Tigers, who won 10-3 Wednesday in Detroit to finish the interleague matchup 0-4. The Tigers also swept a two-game series in Miami to open the season.

At least Miami won't have to face Braves ace Julio Teheran on Thursday night in the opener of the four-game series that will move from Turner Field to Fort Bragg in North Carolina for Sunday's patriotic finale.

Teheran, who has a streak of 23 consecutive scoreless innings, will get an extra day of rest before facing the Marlins on Friday.

"We've been extending him pretty good, so it's good to give him an extra day any time we can," Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said.

Teheran pitched a one-hit shutout in New York, then followed that up with eight scoreless innings in a no-decision against the same Mets in Atlanta last Saturday.

The right-hander is just 3-7, but has a 2.46 ERA.

Mike Foltynewicz will cut short his minor league rehab with Triple-A Gwinnett after one outing and start the series opener against the Marlins.

"He's healthy and feeling good," Snitker said.

The right-hander has been on the disabled list June 4 because of what was later diagnosed as bone spurs in his pitching elbow.

Foltynewicz allowed just one hit, walked none and struck out five over five scoreless innings Saturday against Charlotte, throwing 65 pitches.

"It felt better than I thought it would," Foltynewicz said of his elbow. "All the doctors say it is no structural damage in there. That puts me at ease of mind."

Foltynewicz has made six major league starts this season, going 2-2 with a 3.51 ERA.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly juggled his rotation Wednesday in Detroit and it didn't pay off.

Right-hander Tom Kohler started instead of left-hander Wei-Yin Chen against the Tigers, but gave up four runs in a 46-pitch first inning and was gone after the third inning.

"It's really a chance to give (Chen) a little bit of a breather, but Atlanta is just stacked with lefties and these guys (the Tigers) are stacked with righties," Mattingly had told reporters in explaining the switch.

Chen was the Marlins' Opening Day starter at home against Detroit, but has struggled to live up to expectations after getting a five-year deal worth $80 million as a free agent.

Chen, who is 4-2 with a 5.00 ERA, couldn't get out of the third inning two starts ago against Colorado, but bounced back with seven innings against the Chicago Cubs in his most recent outing.

The native of Taiwan will be making his third start of the season against the Braves after posting a 2.38 ERA in a pair of no-decisions in games the Marlins lost.

Chen faced the Braves once in interleague play while with Baltimore, pitching seven scoreless innings in a victory.

Miami outfielder Ichiro Suzuki comes into the series 12 hits short of 3,000 in the majors after getting two singles in each of the games at Detroit. The 42-year-old former star in Japan is batting .342.

The Marlins lost by seven runs Wednesday despite getting 14 hits. Third baseman Martin Prado had four of them to lift his average to .316.

"I'm disappointed," Mattingly told reporters after the sweep in Detroit. "But there is no time for that. We have to go play. That's basically how we have to look at it, get moving."

Atlanta swept in a three-game interleague series by Cleveland, which ran its winning streak to 12 games Wednesday night. The Braves are 11-32 at home this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tigers (40-38) at Rays (33-44)

Game: 1
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: June 30, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays, three days removed from an 11-game losing streak, bounced back by taking two of three games from the Boston Red Sox, but, starting Thursday, they will face another surging team in a four-game series against the Detroit Tigers, who open an 11-game road trip that goes right up to the All-Star break.

"Especially against teams that we're familiar with, we should go in with a lot of confidence," Tigers outfielder Cameron Maybin said after Wednesday's 10-3 win over the Marlins. "The biggest thing is, going into the break, we want to bring as much energy and effort as we can, not take any day too lightly and make sure we finish strong going into the break."

Detroit (40-38) is coming off a 6-3 homestand, one that included a three-game sweep at the hands of the Indians, but they will get another shot at them immediately after the Rays series. The Tigers had 15 hits in Wednesday's win, and home runs from Miguel Cabrera, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and 24-year-old Steven Moya, who has four home runs in his last six games.

Moya, huge at 6-foot-7 and 260 pounds, has always had power potential -- he has 10 extra-base hits in 63 at-bats this season -- but manager Brad Ausmus said his key is lowering the swing-and-miss factor and keeping control of his at-bats.

Detroit took two of three games from the Rays in May, and Thursday's starter is Jordan Zimmermann, who won one of those games, holding the Rays to two runs in 5 2/3 innings. He is now 9-4 with a 3.81 ERA, and will face the Rays' Jake Odorizzi, who has a comparable ERA at 3.93 ERA but a hard-luck 3-3 record.

Odorizzi has pitched well in his career against the Tigers, with a 2-1 record and 1.93 career ERA. He hopes to build off a strong start Wednesday by Tampa Bay's Matt Moore, who threw seven shutout innings and took a no-hitter into the sixth. It's the kind of starting pitching the Rays expected going into 2016, but haven't seen much of in a disappointing first half of the season. Moore outpitched former Rays ace David Price to pick up the win against Boston.

"I think everybody in this building has admiration for David Price and what he means to the organization," Rays manager Kevin Cash said Wednesday. "Any time you get to compete against him, it is special. Matt Moore was a young pitcher when he was here. They follow him, they listen to him and to go toe-to-toe with that guy has to be special for Matt. He was outstanding."

While Detroit has a week and a half on the road, the Rays are in the middle of an 11-game homestand, needing more consistent success at Tropicana Field as they try to scrap their way back to .500.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (41-36) at Cardinals (40-37)

Game: 4
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: June 30, 2016 7:15 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS -- Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost is willing to do whatever it takes to keep the scalding-hot bat of Kendrys Morales in the starting lineup.

Proof of that came Wednesday night in St. Louis, when Morales started in right field, the first time in eight years he opened a game as an outfielder. Usually a designated hitter, Morales handled four chances flawlessly, including a catch of Matt Carpenter's fourth-inning drive on which he banged into the wall.

That, coupled with three more hits that upped Morales' average to .650 (13-for-20) in the past five games, leaves little doubt that Morales will roam right field again Thursday night when Kansas City ends its four-game interleague series with the Cardinals.

"I felt like he would be able to handle it, and his play tonight verifies it," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He did a nice job. His play going back to the wall was fantastic."

With third baseman Mike Moustakas gone for the year and center fielder Lorenzo Cain out for at least a couple of weeks, Kansas City (41-36) needs every bat it can get in the lineup as it tries to stay within sight of streaking the Cleveland Indians in the American League Central.

The presence of Morales, who can tie a major league high this year if he collects multiple hits in a sixth straight game Thursday, should help the Royals as they try to capture three of four from their enigmatic in-state rivals.

Owners of one of baseball's best road records at 25-15, St. Louis has been mop water at home. A 3-2, 12-inning defeat to Kansas City on Wednesday night was the Cardinals' sixth consecutive setback at Busch Stadium, dropping them to 15-22 at home for the year.

By contrast, the Cardinals were a major-league-best 55-26 last year, when they were baseball's first 100-win team since 2011.

"I didn't know until just now what the record was," Cardinals right fielder Stephen Piscotty said after the Wednesday game of the team's home struggles. "It's game-to-game for myself and a lot of guys on the team."

To break the home losing streak, St. Louis (40-37) turns to right-hander Mike Leake, who is making his first career start against Kansas City. Leake (5-5, 4.25 ERA) is coming off a 5-4 loss Saturday night at Seattle, where he lasted only 3 1/3 innings and gave up all five runs.

The Cardinals will need a long start from Leake after using eight pitchers Wednesday night. New closer Seung Hwan Oh, Kevin Siegrist and Jonathan Broxton could be unavailable after working the past two games.

The Royals trot out veteran right-hander Chris Young, who has been pummeled most of the year. A 13-5 loss to the Houston Astros on Saturday night saw Young last only 2 1/3 innings. He allowed seven hits and seven runs with four walks and two strikeouts in his shortest start since Sept. 1, 2014.

Young (2-7, 6.54) is just 1-4 with a 3.74 ERA in seven career starts against St. Louis, and he has permitted a homer in his first 11 starts this year.

Young might not have to worry about Piscotty, who injured his ankle in the 12th inning diving for Alcides Escobar's game-winning double and had to ice the joint after the game. Piscotty, who cracked a game-tying homer in the 10th, has played in all but four games this year.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (49-31) at Athletics (35-43)

Game: 4
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: June 30, 2016 10:05 PM EDT

OAKLAND, Calif. -- In an effort to avoid a four-game sweep at the hands of their Bay Area rivals, the San Francisco Giants will buck 40 years of baseball tradition.

Giants ace left-hander Madison Bumgarner will start Thursday against the Oakland A's at the Oakland Coliseum, and he will bat in place of a designated hitter.

Bumgarner will become the first starting pitcher to bat intentionally in place of a designated hitter since Ken Brett did so twice for the Chicago White Sox in 1976. Since the DH rule was adopted by the AL in 1973, the only other pitchers knowingly penciled into the batting order in games at AL parks were the Rangers' Ferguson Jenkins in 1974 and the Athletics' Ken Holtzman in 1975, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

The Tampa Bay Rays were forced to use pitcher Andy Sonnanstine instead of a DH in a 2009 game, but that was due to a lineup-card mistake.

Bumgarner, who is hitting .175 (7-for-40) with two homers and five RBIs this year, will get to bat against A's rookie left-hander Dillon Overton due largely to the Giants' lack of right-handed-hitting options. Though he pitches left-handed, Bumgarner bats right-handed.

Overton, coming off a win in his major league debut Saturday in Anaheim, is excited to face off with Bumgarner the pitcher.

"He's one of the best pitchers in baseball, and I've watched him for numerous years on TV, and I've taken some pointers from him," Overton said. "It will definitely be special to be able to throw against him. It will be fun."

Overton had 28 family members from Oklahoma and Texas cheering him on Saturday due a 7-3 victory against the Los Angeles Angels.

It was a thrilling start to his career, even though he allowed solo home runs to Mike Trout, Kole Calhoun and Albert Pujols. Those were the only runs Overton allowed in 5 2/3 innings. Now he gets to make his home debut on a day the A's will attempt to complete a sweep of the Giants.

"Being a home-grown guy in this organization, it will definitely be special to throw here finally in front of our home crowd," Overton said Wednesday.

After beating the Giants two times at AT&T Park, the A's defeated them 7-1 on Wednesday night at the Coliseum. Beating Bumgarner to cap the sweep won't be easy for Oakland, as he is 8-4 with a 1.99 ERA in his career against the Athletics.

"He's been awesome," Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford said of Bumgarner. "All of his pitches have been sharp. He's using the cutter and fastball like always, but he's really been mixing in that curveball and been throwing that really well this year, and I think that's probably the biggest difference."

Bumgarner had gone 7-0 with a 1.27 ERA over 10 starts before hitting what for him was a rough patch. He has lost back-to-back starts despite allowing a total of just four runs to the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies in that stretch.

After watching his team commit three errors and lose yet another infielder to an injury Wednesday night, Giants manager Bruce Bochy took little solace in the fact that Bumgarner would be on the mound for the series finale.

"We just have to clean it up," Bochy said. "That's the one thing we were doing very well is catching the ball. You deal with the streaks where you have trouble scoring runs, but the one thing we should be consistent at is catching the ball. We're a pretty good team defensively, and that's gotten away from us."

Giants starting second baseman Joe Panik (concussion) went on the seven-day disabled list Wednesday, joining starting third baseman Matt Duffy (left Achilles strain) and backup infielders Kelby Tomlinson (left thumb sprain) and Ehire Adrianza (fractured left foot).

Now infielder Ramiro Pena, who started in Panik's place Wednesday, could be headed to the DL. He sprained his left ankle in the third inning in a collision with right fielder Mac Williamson as they pursued a pop fly. Pena, who was charged with an error, stayed in the game until being replaced by a pinch hitter in the fifth.

"He's pretty sore," Bochy said. "X-rays were negative. We'll get an MRI tomorrow. He's looking at (missing) five to seven days. I think it's pretty evident we're going to have to get somebody to help out here."

Overton's personal rooting section will be decidedly smaller Thursday than it was Saturday, but he still will have six to eight family members at the game.

"My wife's going to be here, my grandparents will be here and my cousin and uncle will be here," Overton said. "And I just found out today my mother-in-law and my wife's grandpa will be here."

They should see a much more relaxed pitcher on the mound.

"Since I've already had one outing, I think it will be a little easier to not be so star-struck when I go out there this time," said Overton, a second-round pick in 2013 out of the University of Oklahoma. "Just easier to stay focused and be ready to do what I need to do. I think it will be fun, and I'm looking forward to it."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Orioles (47-30) at Mariners (39-39)

Game: 1
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: June 30, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

SEATTLE -- The Baltimore Orioles come sweeping into Safeco Field with a seven-game winning streak and a powerful sense of momentum.

The Orioles (47-30) have already hit 55 home runs this month, matching the major league record for June. Mark Trumbo matched the record when he hit his league-leading 23rd homer of the season in Wednesday's 12-6 win over San Diego. That victory opened up a 5 1/2-game lead over Boston atop the American League East standings.

No team in the AL has as much power as the Orioles, but the Seattle Mariners, who host Baltimore on Thursday, are one of the few teams that are close. Seattle's 113 home runs this season rank third in the AL, 11 behind the league-leading Orioles.

The primary home-run hitter for each team is familiar to the other. Baltimore's Trumbo finished last season with the Mariners before being dealt for backup catcher Steve Clevenger in an offseason deal designed to get rid of Trumbo's salary.

Leading the Mariners with 20 home runs is former Oriole Nelson Cruz, who signed a free-agent deal with Seattle before the 2015 season and has been everything the Mariners could have hoped he'd be. Cruz matched his 2014 total of 40 home runs in his first season with the Mariners and is on pace to get there again this season.

Unlike last season, when the Mariners fell out of the playoff race early with a horrific start to a year that began with promise, this campaign has seen the offense come alive as Seattle started strong before injuries to the starting rotation derailed things. Cruz is one of six different Seattle players who have already hit 10 homers, and yet the Mariners (39-39) are more than just a power-hitting team.

"We have a good team," Cruz said after hitting his 20th home run of the season Tuesday night. "We can do a lot of things, not just the long ball."

The Orioles are also much more than just a home-run hitting team, but it's hard to ignore the numbers they've been putting up in that category. Trumbo leads four players who have hit at least 16 home runs, and it's not out of the question that all four will have 20 bombs by the All-Star break.

It all adds up to a league-best 124 home runs, with 55 of them coming in June. The Orioles will close out the month with a shot at breaking the June record on Thursday.

"Obviously, it's a special thing, but it's not something that anyone is going to gloat about or spend too much time thinking about," Trumbo told MLB.com after Wednesday's win over Detroit. "It just goes to show that we are on a nice little run."

The Orioles will start right-hander Chris Tillman, who is 10-1 this season and has dominated the franchise that included him in a big trade for Erik Bedard a few years ago. Tillman is 7-0 with a 2.96 ERA in his career against the Mariners.

Seattle will start right-hander Taijuan Walker, a former top prospect who has battled nagging injuries this season. Walker skipped his last start due to a sore foot and was limited to five innings the last time he was able to pitch.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Thursday's Diamond Notes
By Joe Williams

Hottest team: Orioles (7-0 past 7)

The Baltimore Orioles powered their way past the San Diego Padres in interleague play, and now set their sights on the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. The O's have scored at least 11 runs in each of their past three games, and five or more runs in eight straight outings. A big part of their success has been the long ball, as they enter Thursday's game with 55 homers in the month of June. If they can hit one home run they will break the all-time record for homers hit in June. The Orioles have won four straight against right-handed pitchers, and they're 5-2 in Chris Tillman's past seven road starts.

Coldest team: Rays (2-12 past 14)

The Tampa Bay Rays blanked the Boston Red Sox and old friend David Price in Wednesday's game, taking two of three from their division rivals. But they still have a long way to go before bettors stop fading them and start to take them seriously. They haven't been able to beat a right-handed pitcher in quite some time, going 0-11 vs. RHP overall, including 0-4 in their past four tries at home against righties. They're also a dismal 1-4 in Jake Odorizzi's past five home outings. The Tigers have won five of the past seven meetings in this series, too.

Hottest pitcher: Madison Bumgarner, Giants (8-4, 1.99 ERA)

MadBum enters his start Thursday in Oakland with a sub-2.00 ERA and 122 strikeouts over 108 1/3 innings in 16 starts. He wasn't terribly impressive last time out, so that doesn't bode well for the A's in this one. Manager Bruce Bochy is so confident in Bumgarner that he is letting him hit, too, in an American League park. It has been 40 years since a major league manager intentionally forfeited the designated hitter in an American League ballpark. It isn't that Bumgarner is lighting it up offensively, but the team is short on right-handed hitters against LHP Dillon Overton, and he does have 11 homers over the past 183 at-bats.

Coldest pitcher: R.A. Dickey, Blue Jays (5-8, 4.23 ERA)

The knuckleballer Dickey has the unenviable task of trying to shut down the streaking Cleveland Indians, who enter on a 12-game overall win streak, including six in a row on the road. To make matters worse for Dickey, the Blue Jays are 0-8 in his past eight starts at Rogers Centre, and 4-11 in his past 15 starts overall. Toronto has won eight of their past 11 games at home, and they're 18-8 in their past 26 vs. RHP. The Indians have managed just two wins in their past seven trips north of the border.

Biggest UNDER run: Mets (7-3 past 10)

The Mets offense has been struggling lately, averaging just 1.8 runs per game over their past five outings. It's no surprise that they have lost four of those games, and the under has also gone 4-1 during the span. They'll be trying to take down Cubs RHP John Lackey. The under is 7-2 in Lackey's past nine outings, and the under is 5-1-1 in Chicago's past seven against left-handed pitching. The under is 9-2 in New York's past 11 vs. RHP, including 4-0 in their past four home games against righties. In this series the under is 8-3-2 in the past 13 meetings, and 5-1-1 in the past seven tilts at Citi Field.

Biggest OVER run: Yankees (8-2-1 past 11)

The other New York team is having an under run, but the Yankees are on an over kick. They'll wrap up their four-game set against Texas Thursday afternoon, with the over going 2-0-1 in the first three outings. The Rangers are also on an over run, going 5-1-2 over their past eight, and 4-1 in A.J. Griffin's past five outings. The over has cashed in six of the past eight for the Yankees vs. RHP, and 5-2-1 in their past eight home games. New York pitching has allowed six or more runs in four straight, and eight of the past 10 outings.

Matchup to watch: Braves vs. Marlins

The Miami Marlins head up Interstate 75 to Atlanta looking to add to the misery of the Braves. Atlanta has won just 11 of their 43 games at Turner Field this season, and they are coming off a sweep at the hands of the red-hot Cleveland Indians. The Marlins have been strong on the road, winning 20 of their 38 games away from South Florida. The Marlins will also have the luxury of facing RHP Mike Foltynewicz, who is fresh off the 15-day disabled list and could potentially show a little rust after a long layoff.

Betcha didn’t know: The Reds and Nationals square off in D.C. with two ice-cold pitchers on the bump. The Reds are just 2-11 in Brandon Finnegan's past 13 starts overall, and 1-5 in his past six road outings. The Nationals are 0-7 in Gio Gonzalez's past seven outings, and 1-4 in his past five home outings. So something's gotta give. The Nats are also 0-4 in their past four against southpaws. So something's gotta give. Looking at past history in this series, the Reds have dominated. Cincinnati is 7-2 in the past nine matchups, and 5-2 in their past seven trips to our nation's capital.

Biggest public favorite: Nationals (-200) vs. Reds

Biggest public underdog: Rangers (+135) at Yankees

Biggest line move: Athletics (+160 to +145) vs. Giants

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Thursday, June 30, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

A lost season for the Arizona Diamondbacks might have officially ended on Tuesday night when ace pitcher Zack Greinke left his start after only two innings with tightness in his oblique. Sure, it might be nothing. But oblique injuries also can take several weeks to heal -- especially for a pitcher. Greinke said he thought he hurt himself while driving in a run with a sacrifice fly in the second inning of Arizona's 4-3 loss to the Phillies. Arizona basically has to play out of its mind the rest of the season just to get into the wild-card chase, so any lengthy absence to Greinke pretty much forces the team to look toward 2017 and maybe even sell a piece or two ahead of this year's trade deadline. It's shame because Greinke was just starting to really pitch well, going 4-0 with a 1.47 ERA in his past five starts prior to Tuesday. Greinke (10-3, 3.62) was saddled with the loss vs. Philly, his first defeat since May 12.


Rangers at Yankees (-139, 9)

Earliest game on the board with a 1:05 p.m. ET first pitch as the teams wrap up their series. The Rangers start A.J. Griffin (3-0, 3.08). He returned from about a six-week DL absence -- Griffin's promising early career has been derailed by injuries -- on Saturday against the Red Sox and allowed two runs in 4.1 innings. Griffin has made seven starts this year, and his best was April 26 vs. the Yankees, going a season-high eight innings and allowing a run and four hits. You might not see Alex Rodriguez in the lineup for New York as Joe Girardi has started benching A-Rod against righties. Rodriguez is 2-for-6 career off Griffin with three strikeouts. Jacoby Ellsbury is 1-for-13. New York's Michael Pineda (3-7, 5.51) comes off a quality start vs. Minnesota, giving up one run and two hits over six innings. He didn't face Texas earlier in the season. Mitch Moreland is 4-for-9 career off him with two homers. Prince Fielder is 1-for-3 with a homer.

Key trends: The Rangers are 5-0 in Griffin's past five. The Yankees are 4-0 in Pineda's past four on Thursday. The "over/under" has gone under in three of Pineda's past four at home.

Early lean: Yankees and under.

Cubs at Mets (-101, 7.5)

This will have live betting with the game nationally televised by the MLB Network. Clearly the series of the weekend in a rematch of last year's NLCS, a sweep by the Mets (who were series underdogs). The Cubs' last game at Citi Field was Game 2 of that series, a 4-1 Mets win behind Noah Syndergaard. One guy who wasn't on the Cubs last year was John Lackey (7-4, 3.29), and he gets the call in this one. He has been great this season but not last time out, allowing seven runs and seven hits in 4.1 innings of a loss in Miami. Lackey is 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA in four career starts against the Mets. Curtis Granderson is a career .244 hitter off him with 11 strikeouts in 41 at-bats. New York was to go with Jacob deGrom, but he has been pushed back to Friday. That's because lefty Steven Matz (7-3, 3.29) has been pushed back to here. I told you it wasn't 100 percent that Matz pitched Wednesday vs. the Nationals due to a bone spur in his elbow. Getting one extra day of rest won't solve that but might help make Matz more comfortable so he goes here. He has never faced the Cubs in a regular-season game but allowed one run over 4.2 innings against them in a Game 4 start of the NLCS.

Key trends: The Cubs are 4-1 in Lackey's past five vs. the NL East. The Mets are 1-4 in Matz's past five. The under is 7-2 in Lackey's past nine.

Early lean: Cubs and under.

Marlins at Braves (TBA)

The best pitcher in baseball, at least right at this moment with Clayton Kershaw actually looking mortal and losing his last start, is probably Atlanta's Julio Teheran, who continues to raise his trade stock. Teheran (3-7, 2.46) is working on a career-long 23-inning scoreless streak. He allowed three runs in the first inning of a start against Cincinnati on June 14 and then none in the next six. He has faced the Mets his past two outings and allowed just six hits over 17 innings with 14 strikeouts and no walks. In his last 22 starts dating to 2015, Teheran has held opponents to a .195 batting average and registered a 2.23 ERA. Teheran is 0-4 at home this year despite a 2.80 ERA. No one gets worse run support. He lost at home to Miami on May 29, allowing three runs in 5.1 innings. Christian Yelich is a career .321 hitter of him in 28 at-bats. Marcell Ozuna hits .367 off him in 30 at-bats. Miami goes with lefty Wei-Yin Chen (4-2, 5.00) on an extra day of rest. He took a no-decision last time out vs. the Cubs, allowing two runs in seven innings. Chen is 0-0 in two starts vs. Atlanta this year with a 2.38 ERA.

Key trends: The Marlins are 1-4 in Chen's past five vs. the NL East. The Braves are 0-9 in Teheran's past nine at home. The under is 5-1-1 in his past seven at home.

Early lean: Teheran finally wins at home -- this is TBA because there was some talk that Atlanta might push him back to Friday, but that's not likely now. But there won't be a line until official.

Giants at A's (+161, 7)

The Giants add the DH in this one and go with ace lefty Madison Bumgarner (8-4, 1.99) in the series finale. He has lost two straight starts despite allowing four runs and 10 hits over 14.1 innings in them. The Giants just aren't scoring for him. Bumgarner has thrown at least 100 pitches in 12 straight starts, the longest current active streak in the majors. Bumgarner might pitch angry here because he loves to bat. Oakland's Josh Reddick is 2-for-3 career off him with a homer. Oakland goes with lefty Dillon Overton, a 2013 second-round pick who already has had Tommy John surgery. Overton made his big-league debut Saturday at the Angels and allowed three runs (all solo homers) and seven hits over 5.2 innings. He became the first A's pitcher to start and win his debut since Bobby Cramer on Sept. 13, 2010. Obviously he hasn't faced the Giants. Overton is more of a finesse pitcher and projected as a back-end guy.

Key trends: The Giants are 17-5 in Bumgarner's past 22 road starts vs. teams with a losing record. The under is 5-0 in his past five.

Early lean: Giants and over (because of Overton, not MadBum).

Orioles at Mariners (-114, 8)

Thursday is obviously the final day of June, and the Orioles might be able to set a big-league record in this one. That would be most homers in June, which is 55 set by the 1996 Oakland A's. The most for any month is 58, set by the 1987 Orioles and 1999 Seattle Mariners. Baltimore had 54 homers in June entering Wednesday. The Orioles will face Seattle starter Taijuan Walker (3-6, 3.45). He last pitched June 19 in Boston, throwing five shutout innings. Walker was diagnosed with tendinitis in his foot after that but felt good after a recent bullpen session. He lost in Baltimore on May 18, allowing four runs (two homers) in five innings. Matt Wieters is 3-for-4 with a homer against him. Adam Jones is 1-for-9 with two strikeouts. The O's start ace Chris Tillman (10-1, 3.52). That loss came way back on April 14. Tillman deserved to lose last time out in allowing six runs and 10 hits over five innings vs. the Rays, but his offense bailed him out. Tillman won vs. Seattle on May 18, giving up two runs in 6.1 innings. Robinson Cano is a career .412 hitter off him with two homers and eight RBIs in 34 at-bats.

Key trends: The Orioles are 11-3 in their past 14 on Thursday. The Mariners are 1-7 in Walker's past seven. The over is 7-3 in his past 10 at home vs. teams with a winning record.

Early lean: Orioles and over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Red Hot Indians and Blue Jays meet in Toronto'

Cleveland Indians at Toronto Blue Jays June 30, 7:05 EST

Cleveland playing some of their best baseball travel to Toronto for a four games series against the Blue Jays. Indians one of the hottest teams in the majors have reeled off a 21-6 record in June including a sparkling 12-0 streak heading into Friday action. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays, thanks to a relief staff getting spanked for 36 hits, 23 runs the past ten carry a mini 4-6 funk into the series.

Righthander Carlos Carrasco will toe the rubber for Cleveland, bringing a 3-2 record to the hill with a 2.73 ERA. In his last outing Carrasco tossed a complete-game, four-hit shutout of the Tigers for his three straight quality starts. Carrasco has a 2-1 team start record vs Toronto.

Carrasco will be trading pitches with R.A. Dickey, who has a 5-8 record, 4.23 ERA on the campaign. The knuckleballer tagged for four yard-ball his last start has a 2-2 team start record vs Cleveland since joining Toronto.

Carrasco in great form allowing 4 runs, with 21 K's his last three start, Tribe on a 7-2 stretch with the hurler, Blue Jays ridding an 0-7 skid on home field with Dickey, the lean is Cleveland.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Thursday's games

National League games

Dodgers @ Brewers
Maeda is 1-2, 3.47 in his last four starts; four of his last five stayed under.

Davies is 4-0, 2.79 in his last six starts; under is 3-1-1 in his last five

Dodgers lost four of last six games; under is 6-3-1 in last ten Dodger games. Milwaukee is 5-2 in last seven home games; three of its last five games went over.

Reds @ Nationals
Finnegan is 2-4, 3.18 in his last seven starts; Reds were shut out in three of those four losses. His last four starts stayed under the total. .

Gonzalez is 0-6, 8.68 in his last seven starts; over is 7-2-1 in his last ten.

Washington won its last four games; eight of Nationals' last 12 home games went over. Cincinnati lost nine of last 11 games; seven of Reds' last nine games went over. Seven of Reds' last nine games went over. Under is 6-3 in last nine Washington games.

Cubs @ Mets
Lackey is 0-2, 6.61 in his last three starts; six of his last nine stayed under.

Matz is 0-2, 6.00 in his last five starts; six of his last eight stayed under.

Cubs won their last three games, are 8-5 in road series openers; last five Chicago games went over. Mets lost last four games, are 9-3 in home series openers. Under is 9-2-1 in last dozen New York games.

Marlins @ Braves
Chen is 1-0, 7.40 in his last five starts; five of his last seven went over.

Foltynewicz was 2-1, 2.73 in his last five starts before going on DL (under 3-2-1).

Marlins lost five of last seven road games, are 8-4 in road series openers. Over is 11-2 in last 13 Marlin road games. Atlanta lost five of last six games; they're 5-9 in home series openers. Under is 9-3 in Braves' last twelve games.


American League games

Rangers @ Bronx
Griffin is 0-0, 4.15 in his last three starts; four of his last five went over.

Pineda is 1-2, 4.54 in his last six starts; over is 4-2-1 in his last seven.

Rangers won 12 of last 15 games; over is 12-4-1 in their last 17 road games. New York is 4-6 in its last ten home games, four of its last six games stayed under.

Twins @ White Sox
Milone is 0-2, 6.84 in five starts this year (under 3-2).

Rodon is 0-2, 3.41 in his last five starts, last three of which stayed under.

Twins lost eight of last 11 road games. Chicago is 6-3 in its last nine games; four of last six White Sox games stayed under, as have four of last five Minnesota games.

Indians @ Blue Jays
Carrasco is 1-1, 1.61 in his last three starts; his last four starts stayed under.

Dickey is 1-2, 5.60 in his last three starts; under is 5-1-1 in his last seven.

Indians won their last 12 games, are 8-6 in road series openers. Five of their last seven road games went over. Toronto is 10-4 in last 14 home games, but just 3-9 in home series openers. Under is 8-4 in their last twelve home games.

Tigers @ Rays
Zimmerman is 1-2, 8.10 in his last four starts; over is 5-1-1 in his last seven.

Odorizzi is 0-1, 5.94 in his last three starts; three of his last four went over.

Tigers won six of last nine games, are 4-9 in road series openers. Five of their last seven road games went over. Tampa Bay lost 12 of last 14 games, is 5-8 in openers of a home series. Four of Rays' last five games went over the total.

Orioles @ Mariners
Tillman is 9-0, 3.29 in his last 12 starts; four of his last six starts went over.

Walker is 1-0, 2.20 in his last three starts (under 9-5).

Orioles won their last six games, are 7-5 in road series openers. Last three Baltimore games went over the total. Seattle lost eight of last 11 games, is 7-6 in home series openers. Three of last four Mariner games went over the total.


Interleague

Royals @ Cardinals
Young is 0-3, 9.15 in his last five starts; three of his last four stayed under.

Leake is 1-1, 6.75 in his last four starts; his last five starts went over.

Kansas City won three of last four games, their last five road games stayed under total. Cardinals lost six in row at home for first time since 1997 (under 5-1).

Giants @ A's
Bumgarner is 2-2, 1.71 in his last six starts; seven of his last eight stayed under.

Overton allowed three runs in 5.2 IP (108 PT) in his MLB debut. .

A's won six of last seven games, six of which went over the total. San Francisco lost four of last five games- six of their last nine games went over the total.


Teams won-lost records when this pitcher starts:

LA-Mil-- Maeda 8-7; Davies 7-6
Cin-Wsh-- Finnegan 4-12; Gonzalez 5-10
Chi-NY-- Lackey 9-6; Matz 8-5
Mia-Atl-- Chen 9-6; Foltynewicz 2-4

Tex-NY-- Griffin 6-1; Pineda 7-8
Min-Chi-- Milone 2-3; Rodon 4-10
Cle-Tor-- Carrasco 7-2; Dickey 5-11
Det-TB-- Zimmerman 9-5; Odorizzi 8-8
Blt-Sea-- Tillman 14-2; Walker 5-9

KC-StL-- Young 4-7; Leake 7-8
SF-A's-- Bumgarner 11-5; Overton 1-0


Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning:

LA-Mil-- Maeda 3-15; Davies 4-13
Cin-Wsh-- Finnegan 4-16; Gonzalez 3-15
Chi-NY-- Lackey 4-15; Matz 2-13
Mia-Atl-- Chen 6-15; Foltynewicz 2-6

Tex-NY-- Griffin 1-7; Pineda 6-15
Min-Chi-- Milone 0-5; Rodon 5-14
Cle-Tor-- Carrasco 2-9; Dickey 6-16
Det-TB-- Zimmerman 3-14; Odorizzi 2-16
Blt-Sea-- Tillman 4-16; Walker 2-14

KC-StL-- Young 5-11; Leake 5-15
SF-A's-- Bumgarner 2-16; Overton 1-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Thursday's six-pack

-- Andrew Luck signed a six-year, $140M contract extension with the Colts.

-- Vernon Adams transferred from a I-AA school to play at Oregon LY to help his chances of playing in NFL, but now he is a backup for the Montreal Alouettes.

-- Edmonton Oilers traded Taylor Hall to New Jersey for Adam Larsson, in an attempt to bolster their defense. Trade was widely criticized on social media.

-- Some NBA teams instruct their players to call officials by their first name, not just call them "ref".

-- ESPN.com has Shaquille O'Neal's son Shareef ranked #60 in Class of 2018.

-- National championship college baseball game was rained out last night, game will be played at 1:00 this afternoon. Thats Arizona vs Coastal Carolina

 

[iwmore]

Excutive?
TIA

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers at Yankees

GAME: Texas Rangers (51-28) at New York Yankees (38-39)
DATE/TIME: Thursday, June 30 - 1:05 PM EST
WHERE: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

The Texas Rangers were on their way to clinching a series win before the New York Yankees finally decided to put together a late rally on Wednesday. That ninth-inning push left the Yankees with the possibility of a four-game split when they host the Rangers in the series finale on Thursday.

New York was well on its way to a fourth consecutive setback when it went into the bottom of the ninth down 7-3 on Wednesday, but the cozy dimensions of right field in the home stadium contributed to a pair of home runs in the decisive frame, including Didi Gregorius’ walk-off blast. The encouraging thing besides the outburst on offense was that the Yankees managed to record a win without Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller or Aroldis Chapman taking the mound. Texas, which earned its own ninth-inning rally in Monday’s series opener, had a four-game winning streak come to an end but remain tied for the major-league lead in wins with 51. The Rangers offense put up at least six runs in each of the last seven games.

TV: 1:05 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Southwest (Texas), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH A.J. Griffin (3-0, 3.08 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Michael Pineda (3-7, 5.51)

Griffin missed six weeks with shoulder stiffness but returned on Saturday and allowed two runs and four hits while striking out six over 4 1/3 innings against Boston. The California native has yet to allow more than three earned runs in an outing this season and owns 34 strikeouts in 38 total innings. Griffin has never lost to New York, posting a 3-0 record with a 2.49 ERA in four starts.

Pineda is closing out a strong month and allowed one run – a solo homer – and two hits over six innings against Minnesota last time out. The Dominican Republic native boasts a 3.00 ERA and 37 strikeouts over 30 innings in June after posting a 6.33 ERA in April and a 7.52 mark in May. Pineda is still searching for his first win over the Rangers and is 0-3 with a 5.04 ERA in four chances.

WALK-OFFS

1. Yankees C Brian McCann homered twice on Wednesday for his second multi-home run game in his last seven contests.

2. Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre is 9-for-22 with nine RBIS and eight runs scored in the last five games.

3. New York RF Carlos Beltran (hamstring) sat out Wednesday and is not expected to play on Thursday.

PREDICTION: Rangers 5, Yankees 3

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Twins at White Sox

GAME: Minnesota Twins (25-52) at Chicago White Sox (39-39)
DATE/TIME: Thursday, June 30 - 2:10 PM EST
WHERE: U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago, Illinois
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

The Chicago White Sox haven't won a series against an American League Central rival since a three-game sweep against the Minnesota Twins from May 6-8. The White Sox have a chance to end that drought and post their third straight series victory when they host the Twins on Thursday afternoon in the rubber match of a three-game set.

Chicago had dropped 16 of 19 against division foes before rolling to a 9-6 victory on Wednesday night, getting solo homers from Todd Frazier, Brett Lawrie and Tyler Paladino. Lawrie is 12-for-29 with four homers over his last seven games while rookie shortstop Tim Anderson had his third straight two-hit game to extend his hitting streak to six contests. Second baseman Brian Dozier set a franchise record in Wednesday's loss for the Twins with his 10th consecutive game with an extra-base hit. Minnesota sends Tommy Milone to the mound against Chicago's Carlos Rodon on Thursday in a matchup of left-handers.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FSN North (Minnesota), WGN (Chicago)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Twins LH Tommy Milone (0-2, 5.33 ERA) vs. White Sox LH Carlos Rodon (2-6, 4.09)

Milone's return to the majors was less than inspiring, as he lasted only 3 2/3 innings and was reached for four runs (one earned) and six hits in a loss to the Yankees. Milone had earned another chance to earn a spot in the rotation after going 4-0 with a 1.66 ERA in seven starts at Triple-A Rochester. Milone has a stellar track record against the White Sox, sporting a 4-1 record and 2.02 ERA in eight starts.

Rodon has yielded two earned runs in six of his last seven starts, but he remains winless since May 22 following consecutive no-decisions against Toronto and Cleveland. One of Rodon's two victories came in his second start of the season at Minnesota, when he blanked the Twins on three hits over six innings. The 23-year-old Miami native owns a 1-1 mark and 1.20 ERA in three starts against the Twins.

WALK-OFFS

1. Anderson is the first White Sox player since 1949 with multiple hits in nine of his first 18 career games.

2. Twins SS Eduardo Nunez is 6-for-14 with two homers and three runs scored in his last three games.

3. White Sox LF Melky Cabrera was diagnosed with a right wrist sprain that is expected to sideline him for three-to-four days.

PREDICTION: White Sox 6, Twins 3

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Dodgers at Brewers

GAME: Los Angeles Dodgers (43-37) at Milwaukee Brewers (35-42)
DATE/TIME: Thursday, June 30 - 2:10 PM EST
WHERE: Miller Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Ryan Braun has driven in six runs in the series and aims to stretch his hitting streak to 11 games when the Milwaukee Brewers conclude their three-game set against the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday afternoon. Braun, who homered and recorded four RBIs in Wednesday's 7-0 shellacking, is batting .415 during his current tear.

Braun added a two-run double for his sixth multi-hit performance during the 10-game run and Kirk Nieuwenhuis slugged a three-run homer as the Brewers won for the fourth time in six games. The Dodgers have lost four of their last six contests and registered only two hits on Wednesday as Junior Guerra (eight innings) and Michael Blazek combined on the shutout. Los Angeles center fielder Joc Pederson (shoulder) sat out one night after barreling into the fence while making a spectacular catch, and he could end up on the disabled list. "With the All-Star break looming, to get him to full health is important," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters. "We're still holding out hope, but where we're at on the bench and if he can't help us win games with 11 days left to the break, the DL is a possibility."

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers RH Kenta Maeda (6-5, 2.91 ERA) vs. Brewers RH Zach Davies (5-3, 3.74)

Maeda lost to Pittsburgh in his last outing as he served up two homers among his four hits allowed while yielding four runs in five innings. The suspect showing came after he went 3-1 with a 1.52 ERA during a five-start stretch. The no-decision during that span came against the Brewers on June 19, when Maeda gave up one run and six hits in 6 1/3 frames.

Davies pitched superbly against the Dodgers on June 17, when he gave up one run and five hits - including a solo homer by Justin Turner - in a seven-inning stint. The 23-year-old has gone 5-0 in his last 10 outings after losing each of his first three. Davies is 4-2 with a 3.11 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in nine home starts this season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Dodgers SS Corey Seager recorded one of the team's two hits on Wednesday to extend his hitting streak to 12 games.

2. Milwaukee 3B Aaron Hill notched two hits on Wednesday and is 11-for-28 during his seven-game hitting streak.

3. Los Angeles LHP Clayton Kershaw (back) didn't do his customary between-starts bullpen session on Wednesday, but manager Dave Roberts said the club is hopeful he will make his scheduled start Friday versus Colorado.

PREDICTION: Brewers 4, Dodgers 3

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Reds at Nationals

GAME: Cincinnati Reds (29-50) at Washington Nationals (47-32)
DATE/TIME: Thursday, June 30 - 7:05 PM EST
WHERE: Nationals Park, Washington, District of Columbia
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

The Washington Nationals seized control of the National League East and have a chance to fatten their division lead with a soft upcoming schedule. Winners of four in a row following a seven-game skid, Washington continues its 10-game homestand on Thursday night with the first of four against the reeling Cincinnati Reds.

The Nationals completed a three-game sweep of the New York Mets on Thursday night to extend their lead to 5 1/2 games over Miami atop the NL East. Second baseman Daniel Murphy clubbed a pair of home runs against his former team to tie his career high of 14 and drop the Mets into third place. The Reds have dropped nine of 11 after a three-game sweep by the majors-best Chicago Cubs capped an ugly 1-6 homestand. Pitching continues to be a disaster for Cincinnati, which has been shredded for 67 runs in its last nine losses.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSN Ohio (Cincinnati), MASN (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Reds LH Brandon Finnegan (3-6, 3.83 ERA) vs. Nationals LH Gio González (3-7, 4.73)

Finnegan suffered his second straight loss, despite his fourth quality start in five outings, when he struck out eight and allowed three runs over 6 2/3 innings versus San Diego. The 23-year-old Finnegan is 2-4 over his last seven starts, a stretch in which Cincinnati has been shut out on three occasions. He beat the Nationals at home on June 3, giving up one run on five hits over 6 1/3 innings.

Gonzalez's spectacular freefall is showing no signs of abating after he lasted a season-low three-plus innings and was tagged for six runs and six hits in a loss at Milwaukee. The latest clunker dropped Gonzalez to 0-6 over his last seven turns, a span in which he has allowed 35 earned runs after owning a major league-best 1.86 ERA on May 18. He gave up five runs in a loss to Finnegan and the Reds earlier this month.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Nationals signed RHP Mat Latos, who started 4-0 with an 0.74 ERA with the White Sox before a tailspin led to his release.

2. Reds CF Billy Hamilton suffered a facial contusion and was being checked for a concussion after diving for a ball that hit his cheek.

3. Nationals RHP Jonathan Papelbon (strained right intercostal) will begin a rehab stint with Double-A Harrisburg on Friday.

PREDICTION: Nationals 4, Reds 3

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Indians at Blue Jays

GAME: Cleveland Indians (47-30) at Toronto Blue Jays (43-37)
DATE/TIME: Thursday, June 30 - 7:07 PM EST
WHERE: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

The Toronto Blue Jays salvaged a 3-3 road trip with back-to-back wins at Colorado and seem to be pulling out of their funk just in time to face the hottest team in baseball. The Cleveland Indians will be looking for their 13th consecutive victory when they visit the Blue Jays in the opener of a four-game series on Thursday.

Toronto is just 4-6 over its last 10 games and will get a chance to test itself at home with an 11-game homestand against the top three teams in the American League Central leading into the All-Star break. The Blue Jays look good when the pitching can keep pace with the offense, and Aaron Sanchez’s solid start in a 5-3 win on Wednesday was a step forward for a staff that surrendered a total of 31 runs in the previous four contests. The Indians improved to 6-0 on their 10-game road trip with a 3-0 win at Atlanta on Wednesday and are outscoring opponents 76-25 during a winning streak that marks the franchise’s longest since a 13-game run in 1951. Lonnie Chisenhall is leading the offense of late and is 9-for-17 with three home runs and seven RBIs in the last four games

TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, SportsTime Ohio (Cleveland), Sportsnet (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Indians RH Carlos Carrasco (3-2, 2.73 ERA) vs. Blue Jays RH R.A. Dickey (5-8, 4.23)

Carrasco is coming in hot after tossing a four-hit shutout at Detroit on Saturday. The Venezuela native posted a quality start in each of his last three turns and has 21 strikeouts and six walks in that span. Carrasco owns an 8.62 ERA in four games – three starts – against Toronto in his career but has dominated on the road with a 1.95 ERA this season.

Dickey suffered a pair of losses despite quality starts on June 13 and 18, but his offense made up for the lack of support in those efforts by bailing him out on Saturday. The veteran knuckleballer allowed four earned runs on six hits – four home runs – in 5 1/3 innings at the Chicago White Sox last Saturday before coming away with a win in the 10-8 triumph. Dickey started at home against Cleveland on Sept. 2 last season and allowed one run in a complete-game win.

WALK-OFFS

1. Blue Jays 3B Josh Donaldson is 14-for-31 during an eight-game hitting streak.

2. Cleveland is 21-6 in June and can tie the franchise record for wins in a calendar month (22-7 in June 1965) with a victory on Thursday.

3. Toronto DH Edwin Encarnacion is 8-for-17 with two home runs, eight runs scored and eight RBIs in the last five contests.

PREDICTION: Indians 6, Blue Jays 4

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tigers at Rays

GAME: Detroit Tigers (40-38) at Tampa Bay Rays (33-44)
DATE/TIME: Thursday, June 30 - 7:10 PM EST
WHERE: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Miguel Cabrera is heating up again, and the slugger looks to continue his power surge as the Detroit Tigers spend the final 11 games before the All-Star break on the road. The two-time American League MVP homered in each of his last two games and the Tigers will try to extend their winning streak to three Thursday, when they visit the Tampa Bay Rays for the first of four contests.

Cabrera knocked in six runs as Detroit swept a two-game interleague series against Miami to start the week, capping it with a 10-3 victory on Wednesday. Cabrera went 6-for-11 with three blasts as the Tigers took two of three from the Rays last month and is 2-for-4 lifetime against Tampa Bay’s scheduled starter Jake Odorizzi. The Rays hope to keep turning things around after taking two of three from Boston following a season-high 11-game losing streak. Brandon Guyer came off the disabled list Wednesday and went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs in Tampa Bay’s 4-0 victory.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Detroit, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Tigers RH Jordan Zimmermann (9-4, 3.81 ERA) vs. Rays RH Jake Odorizzi (3-3, 3.93)

Zimmermann is coming off his shortest outing of the season as he allowed seven runs and nine hits over 3 2/3 innings Friday in a 7-5 loss to Cleveland. The 30-year-old owned a 2.52 ERA after limiting the Rays to two runs over 5 2/3 frames in a win on May 22 but has posted a 6.52 ERA in five starts since. Logan Morrison is just 4-for-20 against Zimmermann, but three of those hits are home runs.

Odorizzi was not involved in the decision in his last three starts, permitting five runs in two of those outings. The 26-year-old had yielded two or fewer runs in seven of his previous nine turns while going only 3-2 and has recorded 83 strikeouts over 89 1/3 innings in 2016. Odorizzi, who is 2-1 lifetime with a 1.93 ERA against the Tigers, has kept Nick Castellanos (1-for-8) and Victor Martinez (1-for-5) under control.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tampa Bay 2B Logan Forsythe is 9-for-21 with a homer and three RBIs during his five-game hitting streak.

2. Detroit CF Cameron Maybin, who has hit safely in five straight contests, is 7-for-11 versus Tampa Bay this season.

3. Rays SS Brad Miller is 9-for-17 during his four-game hitting streak and 3B Evan Longoria is 7-for-17 in the same span.

PREDICTION: Tigers 4, Rays 3

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Marlins at Braves

GAME: Miami Marlins (41-37) at Atlanta Braves (26-52)
DATE/TIME: Thursday, June 30 - 7:10 PM EST
WHERE: Turner Field, Atlanta, Georgia
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

The Atlanta Braves own the worst record in the National League but they have had their way against the Miami Marlins this season. The Braves have won six of the eight matchups between the NL East rivals as they prepare to host the Marlins in a four-game series beginning Thursday night.

Miami opened its nine-game road trip with a pair of losses in Detroit, wasting a combined 32 hits in the series and stranding 12 runners in each setback. Ichiro Suzuki was 4-for-9 in the series and needs 12 hits to become the 30th major league player to reach 3,000 for his career. Atlanta is coming off a three-game sweep against the white-hot Cleveland Indians to fall to 2-5 on its 11-game homestand. Braves second baseman Jace Peterson had a pair of doubles Thursday to extend his hitting streak to a career-best 10 games.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Miami), FSN Southeast (Atlanta)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins LH Wei-Yin Chen (4-2, 5.00 ERA) vs. Braves RH Mike Foltynewicz (2-2, 3.51)

Chen rebounded from his worst outing with one of his best, striking out seven and limiting the Chicago Cubs to two runs on five hits over seven innings in a no-decision. He lasted only 2 1/3 innings versus Colorado in his previous turn and was shelled for six runs on seven hits. He's 1-0 over his last seven starts despite giving up at least four runs four times, but is 1-0 with a 1.47 ERA in three starts versus Atlanta.

Because of an injury to John Gant, Foltynewicz is expected to be activated off the 15-day disabled list to make his first start since May 30 when he held San Francisco to one run and three hits over six innings. Rehabbing from an elbow spur, Foltynewicz tossed five scoreless innings of one-hit ball at Triple-A Gwinnett on Saturday. He made six starts for Atlanta in May, allowing two runs or fewer in four of the last five.

WALK-OFFS

1. Miami RF Giancarlo Stanton is 2-for-18 versus the Braves this season, dropping his career average to .212 against them.

2. Atlanta is the lowest-scoring team in the majors, but they have put up 35 runs in eight meetings versus Miami.

3. Marlins LF Christian Yelich is 7-for-17 during a four-game hitting streak.

PREDICTION: Marlins 5, Braves 3

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cubs at Mets

GAME: Chicago Cubs (51-26) at New York Mets (40-37)
DATE/TIME: Thursday, June 30 - 7:10 PM EST
WHERE: Citi Field, New York City, New York
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A


A rematch of last year’s National League Championship Series is on tap starting Thursday, as the New York Mets host the Chicago Cubs for a four-game set. The first-place Cubs are coming off a three-game road sweep of Cincinnati, while the Mets have dropped four straight to fall six games back of Washington in the National League East.



New York’s hopes of getting back to the World Series – or even the postseason – are pinned to a talented starting rotation that shut down the Cubs last October, but injuries have wracked both the lineup and the pitching staff. Mets left-hander Steven Matz, who has been bothered by a bone spur in his pitching elbow but hopes to pitch through the pain and avoid surgery, will start the series opener, while right-hander Noah Syndergaard – Sunday’s scheduled starter – also is battling a bone spur in his pitching elbow. The Cubs have battled their share of injuries, but a steady stream of talented prospects continues to plug the holes. Javier Baez had three hits and another sparkling defensive play in Wednesday’s 9-2 win over the Reds, while Albert Almora Jr. belted his first career home run and fellow rookie Willson Contreras knocked in another run and has hit safely in 10 of the 11 games in which he has had a plate appearance.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, CSN Chicago, SNY (New York)



PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH John Lackey (7-4, 3.29 ERA) vs. Mets LH Steven Matz (7-3, 3.29)

Lackey is coming off his worst outing of the year, a clunker in which he allowed seven runs and seven hits over 4 1/3 innings of a loss at Miami. The 37-year-old has lost two straight starts and has just one win in his last six road outings. Lackey is 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA in four starts against the Mets and allowed only two runs over 14 innings in two meetings last year.

Matz won seven straight starts across April and May but is winless in his last five outings. The 25-year-old endured his roughest outing since his season debut Friday at Atlanta, allowing six runs and nine hits over 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision. Matz will face the Cubs for the first time in the regular season, though he started Game 4 of last year’s NLCS and limited Chicago to one run over 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision.



WALK-OFFS

1. Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo is 16-for-36 with four homers during a 10-game hitting streak.

2. Mets 1B James Loney hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning of Wednesday’s 4-2 loss at Washington, snapping New York’s 23-inning scoreless streak.

3. Chicago is 47-4 when scoring four or more runs, while the Mets are 29-7 when putting up at least four.



PREDICTION: Cubs 4, Mets 3