Thursday 7/28/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPOT PLAYS

For Thursday


TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE


Arlington (4th) Slip Kid, 4-1
(7th) Texas Special, 3-1


Belterra Park (1st) Aliza's Dream, 3-1
(7th) Majestic Dream, 9-2


Canterbury (4th) Rarin to Go, 7-2
(10th) Corporate Chapel, 4-1


Charles Town (5th) Counter Move, 3-1
(8th) Ruby Wine, 8-1


Del Mar (1st) Curly Road, 5-1
(6th) U Go Gal, 8-1


Delaware Park (3rd) Pro Prospect, 8-1
(7th) R Rousey, 10-1


Evangeline Downs (2nd) Passing Simon, 5-1
(9th) Carolinaindamornin, 10-1


Gulfstream Park (1st) Sweet Abdication, 4-1
(8th) Acknowledge, 3-1


Indiana Grand (1st) Highly, 5-1
(8th) Mud Socks, 5-1


Louisiana Downs (1st) Ourgirlbusta, 5-1
(6th) Comiskey's Sister, 4-1


Penn National (2nd) Honorable Partner, 7-2
(3rd) Northwest Passage, 8-1


Prairie Meadows (5th) Soakinupsunshine, 7-2
(9th) Scenic Edge, 6-1


Presque Isle Downs (1st) Time to Engage, 6-1
(4th) Alfarooq, 5-1


Santa Rosa (6th) Three Strike Rule, 3-1
(8th) Monsajem Accrete, 4-1


Saratoga (2nd) Croke Park, 8-1
(9th) Crackerjack Jones, 6-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

July Pitchers Report
By Marc Lawrence

Fireworks and the MLB All-Star game go hand-in-hand during the month of July. It also denotes the start of the 2nd half of the MLB campaign. And as we’ve come to learn the key to each and every team’s fortune lies on the pitching staff.

Can they sustain or will they unravel like Jose Canseco going back on a fly ball? Stay tuned. What we do know is that certain pitchers love hurling this time of the season while others tend to get lit up like a roman candle on the 4thof July.

Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a two-to-one or better success ratio in team-starts over the course of the last three seasons during the month of July.

On the flip side, we've also listed pitchers that struggle in July, winning 33% percent or less of their team-start efforts. To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at least one start each July over the last three years.

And for your convenience alongside each record we break down each pitcher’s greatest success or greatest failure rate either home (H) or away (A) within his good or bad month.

Note: * designates a categorical repeat appearance by this pitcher, maintaining status quo from last season’s July list.

GOOD MONTH PITCHERS:

*Chen, Wei-Yin - 9-4 (5-1 H)

The Miami left-hander has not been terribly effective with an ERA hovering around 5. If Chen can develop more command, he's shown again this year he's tough when in challenging situations, allowing .186 batting average and .271 on-base percentage with runners in scoring position.

Garza, Matt - 9-3 (5-1 H)

Since coming back from spring training injury on June 14th, the Milwaukee right-hander has been a mix of good and bad, but come through when it counted. Opposing hitters are batting over .300 against Garza, but he's held those runners in check and induced a heavy dose of ground balls that have led to outs. If he continues, this Brewers starter might be effective.

Greinke, Zack - 11-4 (6-2 H)

Though Arizona is falling short of preseason expectations, the Diamondbacks ace is not and, other than Clayton Kershaw, has arguably been as effective as any pitcher since the end of April with batters hitting around .200 against him. Once again his array of pitches are finding the right spots and fastball is cooking!

Kazmir, Scott - 10-5 (6-2 H)

When Kazmir misses on location for fastball, the other team's lineup begins to look for off-speed stuff, which has caused his inconsistency this season. When he's working the corners on the knees early in the count, this sets up secondary pitches. In the past he's done so in July, let's see what he comes up with this time.

*Kershaw, Clayton - 12-3 (8-0 A)

When either Kershaw loses or has a less than stellar performance, which is infrequent, it is home page news on most sports websites. With opponents batting just .185 against him, baseball's best pitcher has close to as many home runs surrendered (6) as walks (9) to start the month over 121 innings. It’s no wonder his name is whispered in the same company as Sandy Koufax.

Kluber, Corey - 13-4 (9-2 H)

Since winning the Cy Young award in 2014, Kluber has not been able to match that magical season, but is part of a very good Cleveland rotation. Looking ahead, if the Indians righty can do a better job than permitting .281 batting averages with runners in scoring position, all his numbers will drop and his victories will go up. Note: Kluber’s numbers above also reflect his career team mark during July.

*Liriano, Francisco - 12-2 (7-0 H)

After several fine seasons with Pittsburgh, Liriano has not been effective in 2016. Walks and home runs have done him in and in order to reflect past results of July, he's going to have to stop leaving pitches in the heart of the plate.

Peralta, Wily - 8-4 (5-1 H)

Peralta has been thoroughly ineffective all season (6.68 ERA) and was sent to minors after June 11th start. His return this month or this season depends on his Triple-A results. Note: Peralta’s numbers above also reflect his career team mark during July.

Price, David - 11-5 (7-1 A)

To date, the Boston lefty could be described as a mild disappointment, with an ERA north of 4.5 most of the season. No longer owning an upper 90's heater, Price does not blow away as many hitters as before and the fastball lacks some of the previous movement of the past. The slider has not had the usual bite from start to start. Red Sox need this ace to be one.

Ross, Tyson - 10-4 (4-1 H)

Ross has not pitched since he hit the DL with right shoulder inflammation after first start in April. San Diego Union reports a return even this month appears optimistic.
Note: Ross’ numbers above also reflect his career team mark during July.

Santana, Ervin - 11-4 (8-1 H)

Like his teammates, Santana is not having a good year, as opposing hitters are clocking him for nearly .300 average, compared to .256 over his 11-year career. Little reason to believe this month will match the past even if he improves with this Twins club.

*Volquez, Edinson - 10-5 (6-1 A)

Never a frontline hurler, Volquez numbers this campaign have matched the Royals, being very ordinary to date. The Dominican Republic native has done the job against right-handed batters, who have been knocking him around for nearly .300 average.

BAD MONTH PITCHERS:

Wood, Alex - 4-8 (0-6 A)

Wood – the only pitcher to appear on the July Bad Month list this season - was initially expected to be shut down for four weeks after landing on the 15-day disabled list at the end of May with a posterior impingement in his throwing elbow. Currently, the timetable is for mid-July return, but the oft-injured pitcher can hardly be counted on as record shows. Note: Wood’’s numbers above reflect his career team mark during July.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB roundup: Strasburg (14-1) shuts down Indians
By The Sports Xchange

CLEVELAND -- Stephen Strasburg pitched seven scoreless innings for his 14th win, Trea Turner had three RBIs and Daniel Murphy homered as the Washington Nationals beat the Cleveland Indians 4-1 Wednesday.
Strasburg (14-1) bounced back from his only loss of the season to hold the American League Central-leading Indians to three hits. The right-hander also had seven strikeouts and two walks in the victory.
Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco (7-4) surrendered three runs on as many hits in six innings to take the loss.

Marlins 11, Phillies 1
MIAMI -- Giancarlo Stanton drilled a two-run homer and Don Kelly hit two triples to lead Miami over Philadelphia.
The Marlins took two out of three games from the Phillies and retained their position as the second and final wild-card team in the National League playoff race.
Stanton's homer, his 22nd of the season, was part of a three-run first inning for Miami. The blast to left field gave Stanton 525 career RBIs, moving him past former Marlins star Miguel Cabrera for third place on the franchise list.

Padres 8, Blue Jays 4
TORONTO -- Adam Rosales, Brett Wallace and Alex Dickerson hit home runs as San Diego defeated Toronto to avoid a sweep in the three-game series.
The Padres have homered in 25 consecutive games, a club record, and Dickerson extended his personal homer streak to four games when he hit his sixth of the season in the eighth inning against left-hander Franklin Morales. The 2002 Texas Rangers set the major league record with homers in 27 straight games.
Luis Perdomo (5-4) allowed five hits, two walks and four runs in 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander struck out four.

Tigers 4, Red Sox 3
BOSTON -- Miguel Cabrera hit a tiebreaking home run in the ninth inning as Detroit completed a three-game series at Fenway Park. Boston had been the only team in the majors yet to suffer a sweep this season.
Detroit, which went 5-2 on its road trip, squandered a 3-1 lead. However, with two outs in the top of the ninth, Cabrera hit Brad Ziegler's 1-0 offering for a homer and a 4-3 lead. Ziegler (0-1) had not allowed a run in his first six innings for Boston since he was acquired from Arizona in a trade July 9.
Victor Martinez went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and James McCann hit a home run for the Tigers, who left 10 men on base.

Rays 3, Dodgers 1
LOS ANGELES -- Evan Longoria homered and Tampa Bay snapped its four-game slide. The Rays won for first time in five all-time games at Dodger Stadium and halted the Dodgers' three-game winning streak.
Rays lefty Matt Moore allowed a run on four hits with five strikeouts and four walks in 6 2/3 innings. Moore (7-7) worked at least six innings for a 10th consecutive start. Closer Alex Colome earned his 22nd save in 23 opportunities with a perfect ninth.
Dodgers starter Brandon McCarthy (2-1) lasted four innings, giving up three runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. McCarthy was 5-0 in eight previous starts in a Dodger uniform.

Reds 2, Giants 1
SAN FRANCISCO -- Jay Bruce belted a solo home run off Madison Bumgarner to snap a tie in the seventh inning to lift Cincinnati to the win.
Dan Straily limited the Giants to three hits in 7 2/3 innings in his AT&T Park debut, helping Cincinnati record its fourth consecutive series win since the All-Star break.
Bruce smacked the first pitch of the seventh inning well over the right field wall for his fourth homer of the series and sixth in five games.

Rockies 3, Orioles 1
BALTIMORE -- Nick Hundley and David Dahl both homered in the sixth inning, and Jon Gray gave Colorado seven solid innings in a win over Baltimore.
The Rockies finished with only five hits, but two of them were homers that gave them their three runs. Gray (7-4) allowed one run on five hits with three strikeouts and two walks.
Orioles starter Dylan Bundy (3-3) began well in his third major league start. He retired the first 16 Rockies before giving up a walk and the two homers in the sixth, blasts that put Colorado on top for good.

Pirates 10, Mariners 1
PITTSBURGH -- Gerrit Cole pitched a three-hitter and singled and scored as Pittsburgh beat Seattle and gain a split of a two-game series.
Jung Ho Kang hit a bases-clearing double in a four-run seventh inning, and Andrew McCutchen hit a three-run homer in the eighth after the Pirates built a 3-0 lead in the third.
Cole (6-6) finished with six strikeouts and no walks in his first career complete game. He had not won since May 20.

Cardinals 5, Mets 4
NEW YORK -- Kolten Wong's go-ahead RBI double in the top of the ninth inning capped a two-run rally by St. Louis, which edged New York.
Jedd Gyorko began the comeback by drawing a one-out walk against Jeurys Familia (2-2). Yadier Molina followed with a game-tying RBI single to score pinch runner Randal Grichuk. Molina was thrown out at third on a comebacker by pinch hitter Jeremy Hazelbaker, who stole second and trotted home on a double down the third base line by Wong.
The blown save ended a streak of 52 straight regular-season saves by Familia dating back to last Aug. 1. He did blow three saves in the World Series.

Astros 4, Yankees 1
HOUSTON -- Lance McCullers posted his fourth double-digit strikeout start on the season, and Colby Rasmus snapped a prolonged slump with a home run as Houston averted a sweep with a win over New York.
McCullers (6-4) allowed one earned run for a fifth time in six starts. He surrendered five hits and walked two batters while recording 10 strikeouts for the third time in five starts this month. McCullers faced 25 batters, and of his 91 pitches, just 29 were balls.
Rasmus snapped an 0-for-29 skid with his 12th home run in the third inning off Masahiro Tanaka (7-3). The blast gave the slumping Rasmus just his second multi-RBI game of the month.

Cubs 8, White Sox 1
CHICAGO -- Javier Baez snapped a tie with a two-run, seventh-inning homer, and Addison Russell slugged his first career grand slam in the eighth to lead the Chicago Cubs to a victory over the Chicago White Sox.
Baez's home run spoiled a strong first start by Anthony Ranaudo, who tossed five no-hit innings before giving up home runs in the sixth and seventh.
The Cubs snapped a two-game losing streak, while the White Sox saw their four-game winning streak end.

A's 6, Rangers 4
ARLINGTON, Texas �- A pair of two-run homers in the eighth inning lifted Oakland past Texas in the series finale.
The A's took two of three from the American League West leaders to extend their series win streak to four. That is the longest run for Oakland since 2014.
Coco Crisp and Kris Davis both went deep to right in the eighth off Texas reliever Matt Bush, turning a 3-2 deficit into a three-run advantage. Davis, who also homered in the first, leads the team with 25 long balls.

Diamondbacks 8, Brewers 1
MILWAUKEE -- Yasmany Tomas hit two home runs and Archie Bradley struck out six to lead Arizona to a victory over Milwaukee.
Tomas drove in five runs and was one of four Diamondbacks batters to finish with two hits.
Bradley (4-6) held Milwaukee to one run and four hits with three walks in seven innings. He didn't allow a run until Hernan Perez's sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Braves 9, Twins 7
MINNEAPOLIS -- Freddie Freeman had four hits and reached base five times, leading Atlanta over Minnesota at Target Field.
Freeman finished a triple short of the cycle and with five RBIs, tying his career high.
Jeff Francoeur also homered as the Braves took both games of a two-game series.

Royals 7, Angels 5
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Raul Mondesi's first two big league hits led to four runs thanks to a pair of throwing errors, and Kansas City topped Los Angeles.
The Royals scored four runs in the seventh inning, Mondesi's bunt single starting the key play. Angels pitcher Matt Shoemaker committed a throwing error on the bunt, scoring Alex Gordon and Paulo Orlando, who each had three hits.
Jarrod Dyson tripled home Mondesi and scored on an Alcides Escobar sacrifice fly.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Rangers add RHP Harrell in trade with Braves
By The Sports Xchange

Adding reinforcements for an injury-plagued rotation, the Texas Rangers acquired right-hander Lucas Harrell in a three-player trade with the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.
Harrell and left-handed reliever Dario Alvarez are headed to Texas in exchange for minor league infield prospect Travis Demeritte.
"You look at both pitchers we acquired, they can help our ballclub, fill a role and add depth," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "With Lucas, he is a guy who is throwing the ball well. He has been around a little bit, had some experience and he has been on a little bit of a roll."
In five starts for Atlanta this month since he was called up from the minors, Harrell pitched effectively. He is 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA, and he threw six shutout innings in a 2-0 win at Minnesota on Tuesday.
"He was in trouble a lot but made the pitches," Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said after the game. "He just kept battling. He never gives in. Just a really solid outing. He doesn't get caught up in the moment, he stays calm, been there done that. He just continues to pitch. He's got a knack for getting out of trouble."
Harrell, 31, previously pitched for the Chicago White Sox (2010-11) and the Houston Astros (2011-14). In 93 major league games (67 starts), he is 20-35 with a 4.74 ERA.
He will join a Texas rotation that has starting pitchers Derek Holland and Colby Lewis on the 60-day disabled list. Another Rangers starter, Yu Darvish, has spent two stretches on the DL.
According to the Dallas Morning News, Harrell likely will make his first start for Texas on Sunday, replacing Nick Martinez in the rotation.
Alvarez, 27, was effective in limited action out of the Atlanta bullpen this year. He was 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 16 appearances.
Demeritte, 21, is viewed as a potential slugger. He had 25 homers and 59 RBIs in 88 games for high Class A High Desert this season. Demeritte was hitting .272 with a .352 on-base percentage and a .583 slugging percentage.
He was a first-round pick out of a Georgia high school in 2013.
"We're fired up about it," Braves general manager John Coppolella told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "We have talked about trading pitching for hitting, and it's a trade that does that.
"Obviously, (Demeritte) is not here right now, but he's a kid who's moved pretty quickly. He's 21 years old, he's from (Georgia), he's played very well -- he actually started at second base opposite Dansby Swanson in the Futures Game. Twenty-five home runs: I don't think anybody that's in the Braves minor league system right now is anywhere close to that..

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockies (49-52) at Mets (53-47)

Game: 1
Venue: Citi Field
Date: July 28, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The Colorado Rockies are beginning to believe they are moving toward the cusp of playoff contention. The New York Mets are starting to run out of time to prove they are a legitimate threat to defend their National League pennant.

Two teams at the opposite ends of the emotional spectrum will meet Thursday afternoon when the Mets host the Rockies in the opener of a four-game series at Citi Field.

The Rockies posted their sixth win in seven games on Wednesday, when Nick Hundley and David Dahl hit a two-run homer and a solo shot, respectively, in the sixth inning of a 3-1 victory over the American League East-leading Baltimore Orioles.

The Rockies outscored the Orioles 11-6 during the three-game series. Colorado's starting pitchers recorded a 1.86 ERA against Baltimore, which ranks fifth in the American League with 478 runs scored.

"You look at the series overall, it's one of our best series of the year," Rockies manager Walt Weiss aid. "It's got to be up there. We got real good starting pitching this series and we had some really clutch hits. That's what it takes."

With nine wins in 13 games since the All-Star break, the Rockies have improved to 49-52 and moved within six games of the Miami Marlins for the second wild card spot in the National League.

That's the type of winning consistency the Mets would like to establish. But they've been unable to establish any sort of consistency: New York has alternated wins with losses in each of its 12 games after the All-Star break.

The Mets appeared ready to finally win a second straight game Wednesday, but closer Jeurys Familia blew a regular-season save opportunity for the first time in almost a year by allowing two runs in the ninth inning of a 5-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field.

Familia had converted 52 straight saves dating to Aug. 1, 2015, though he did blow three saves in the World Series.

"It's baseball and until the 27th out, you don't know any results," said Mets left fielder Yoenis Cespedes, who gave New York a 4-3 lead with a long two-run homer in the seventh inning. "We have a lot of faith in Familia. But things unfortunately didn't work out."

The loss dropped the Mets (53-47) 1 1/2 games behind the Marlins and 5 1/2 games behind the NL East-leading Washington Nationals.

"This is something we haven't had happen in quite some time, Jeurys Familia not saving the game," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "But you've got to come back early. You've got an early day (Thursday) and we've got to get ready to play."

The Rockies will also be working on short rest after traveling overnight from Baltimore.

"It's basically like we have a split doubleheader," Weiss said. "That's how I'm looking at it."

Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom is scheduled to oppose Rockies left-hander Tyler Anderson. DeGrom took the loss in his most recent start last Saturday when he gave up five runs in 3 2/3 innings as the Mets fell to the Marlins 7-2. Anderson posted his third straight win on Saturday when he gave up three runs in six innings as the Rockies beat the Atlanta Braves 8-4.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (42-59) at Brewers (43-56)

Game: 4
Venue: Miller Park
Date: July 28, 2016 2:10 PM EDT

MILWAUKEE -- Zach Davies' run of success may be surprising to most baseball observers, but Craig Counsell isn't among that group.

"He showed us this last year," the Milwaukee Brewers manager said about Davies. "He's certainly shown that he's had this in him. What you love to see is just the consistency, a guy who you know you've got a good shot to win when he's taking the mound for you. That's what he's becoming."

Davies takes the mound Thursday afternoon against the Arizona Diamondbacks in search of his team-leading eighth victory of the season. He has been marvelous for Milwaukee in 2016, going 7-4 with a 3.64 ERA.

Those numbers would be even more impressive were it not for rough start. The 23-year-old right-hander took losses in each of his first three outings of the year, allowing 13 earned runs in 13 1/3 innings.

Ever since then, he has been fantastic, going 7-1 with a 2.84 ERA while holding opponents to a .217 batting average.

"I think I know what I'm capable of," Davies said. "I know that if I'm doing the right things and executing my pitches, good things are going to happen."

Over his past three starts, he has allowed just three earned runs in 20 innings. He threw seven scoreless innings against the Reds in Cincinnati on July 17, then held the Chicago Cubs to one run in 6 1/3 innings on Saturday.

"His first (three) starts since the break have been absolutely outstanding," Counsell said. "He's been really good. Again, it's off of four pitches. Him and (catcher Jonathan Lucroy) are really in sync, and they've really kind of got hitters on the defense and not knowing what to look for. He's doing a nice job making pitches."

Davies will go up against a Diamondbacks offense has sputtered all season yet broke out Wednesday night, riding two home runs from Yasmany Tomas to an 8-1 victory over the Brewers.

Left-hander Robbie Ray will get the start for Arizona. He is 1-4 with a 4.72 ERA in his past six starts. While he did strike out a career-best 10 batters his last time out, he allowed three unearned runs in the first inning and a three-run home run to Jay Bruce in the third as Arizona went on to lose 6-1 at Cincinnati on Saturday.

"It was just my fastball command," Ray said afterward. "It's something that's always been really good for me. I worked both sides of the plate with it tonight. I was able to keep them off balance with my curveball and my slider."

Counsell wouldn't say whether or not Brewers shortstop Jonathan Villar would be back in the starting lineup Thursday. Villar is enjoying a great season at the plate, batting .297 on the year, but while he is tied for the major league lead with 36 stolen bases, he also has made some horribly-timed mistakes on the base paths. On Wednesday, he was caught trying to swipe third after a leadoff double.

That gaffe, along with a pair of first-inning errors, led Counsell to pull Villar midgame.

"I think we've given him freedom," Counsell said. "Base-stealers have to have freedom. Then there are some rules we put into place. We have to follow those rules."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Phillies (46-57) at Braves (35-66)

Game: 1
Venue: Turner Field
Date: July 28, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

ATLANTA -- Two highly regarded second-year pitchers will try to turn around seasons that have started to go the wrong way when the Philadelphia Phillies play the Atlanta Braves on Thursday.

The Phillies will send Aaron Nola (5-9, 4.75 ERA) against Atlanta's Matt Wisler (4-10, 4.92) in the opener of a four-game series at Turner Field.

The Braves (35-66) won the final two games of a three-city, 10-day road trip that saw them go 3-6. The Phillies (46-57) are on the third leg of a 10-day road trip that saw them go 1-2 in both Pittsburgh and Miami.

Nola was expected to be the ace of the Philadelphia staff, while the Braves anticipated Wisler becoming the No. 2 man in the rotation.

Nola went 6-2 with a 3.59 ERA in 13 starts at a rookie last year, then opened the season by going 5-4 with a 2.65 ERA in his first 12 starts. Since then, it has been a tough road for the right-hander, who is 0-5 with a 10.61 ERA over his past seven starts.

"When he's at his best, he has control of all of his pitches," Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin said. "He's lost his control, and he needs to find a way to get it back."

Nola's last win came on June 5, when he threw six shutout innings against the Milwaukee Brewers. He recorded six scoreless innings against the Miami Marlins on July 18 but was roughed up by the Pirates for six runs in six innings on Saturday.

"I thought I did OK until the fifth inning," Nola said after his last start. "I left a couple balls up and over the plate, and they made me pay with some big hits."

Nola is 0-1 with a 2.57 in his only start against the Braves this season. He is 2-1 with a 1.73 ERA in four career starts against Atlanta.

Wisler has had a similar flight pattern.

He went 8-8 with a 4.71 ERA in 20 appearances in 2015 and was 2-3 with a 2.98 after his first eight starts this year. Wisler then began a stretch in which he appeared to lose his aggressiveness. Lately, he has been plagued by one bad inning per outing.

Over his past seven starts, Wisler is 2-3 with a 5.98 ERA. He has allowed a combined 18 runs (17 earned) in his past three starts, a stretch of 15 1/3 innings.

"As far as the adjustments he's having to make a battle his way through, I like what I've seen," Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. "This guy doesn't have a lot of major leagues starts under his belt yet. He's still learning and working through things. I think he's doing a really good job at it."

Wisler is 1-1 with a 2.45 in two starts against the Phillies this season. He is 1-2 with a 5.12 in three career starts against Philadelphia.

Atlanta will make two roster additions prior to Thursday's game. The Braves traded right-hander Lucas Harrell and left-hander Dario Alvarez to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Travis Demeritte, a versatile prospect with power who can play multiple positions.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (54-47) at Marlins (55-46)

Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: July 28, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

MIAMI -- With Jose Fernandez on the mound, Dee Gordon returning from suspension, Ichiro Suzuki continuing to chase 3,000 hits and two teams battling for wild-card playoff spots, there will be no shortage of story lines on Thursday when the Miami Marlins play host to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Fernandez is nearly unbeatable at Marlins Park. The way he has pitched at home -- 26-1 with a 1.47 ERA -- he can pretty much throw his glove on this mound and win.

Overall, he is 12-4 with a 2.54 ERA. The 12 wins match a career high for the two-time All-Star. And don't sleep on Fernandez offensively, either. He has six RBIs this season.

The Cardinals will counter with Michael Wacha (5-7, 4.37 ERA), who was a bit shaky in his most recent start, allowing 10 hits but just two runs. Overall, though, Wacha has held opponents to three or fewer runs in eight straight starts.

Wacha vs. Fernandez should be a good matchup. Wacha, the 19th overall pick in the 2012 draft, is only 25, but he is already an All-Star (2015) and a National League Championship Series MVP (2013).

In that same year when Wacha was MVP, Fernandez was the NL Rookie of the Year. Fernandez is only 23 years old, but he already ranks as one of the game's best.

As for Gordon, he is due back after an 80-game ban for using performance-enhancing suspension.

His return should inject some life in a lineup that earlier this week went 24 innings without scoring before breaking out on Wednesday with an 11-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Gordon led the NL in steals and batting average last year, and he will also be an upgrade defensively at second base.

Suzuki, who is three hits from 3,000, is a reserve outfielder, and it is unknown when he will get his next start. His most recent start came Tuesday, when he went 1-for-5.

"We'll play what we think is our best lineup and move forward," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "It's a little uncomfortable when you get that close with 'Ich' because you don't want to put him out there just to (get to 3,000).

"We have been playing in the concept of the team the whole year. You'd like 'Ich' to get (No. 3,000) at home, but I don't want to force it.

"If it's a good matchup or if a guy needs a day off and it's a good thing for our team, we'll do it."

As for the pennant race, the Marlins (55-46) lead the Cardinals (54-47) by one game and the New York Mets (53-47) by 1 1/2 games for the second wild-card spot.

The Cardinals scored twice in the ninth inning off Mets closer Jeurys Familia on Wednesday night, rallying to win 5-4.

St. Louis won two of three in the important series, and the Cardinals also earned the distinction of ending Familia's streak of 52 consecutive saves.

So there you have it -- a confident Cardinals team travels on little rest to visit a confident Marlins team with a lot on the line in a hot playoff race.

And, oh yes, Fernandez takes on Wacha, Gordon returns from suspension and Suzuki chases 3,000.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Orioles (58-42) at Twins (37-63)

Game: 1
Venue: Target Field
Date: July 28, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

MINNEAPOLIS -- After playing 12 consecutive games out of the All-Star break, the Baltimore Orioles were originally due for a day off Thursday before beginning a quick three-game road trip in Toronto.

That off day will have to wait until Monday.

Before beginning a crucial series against the Blue Jays, the Orioles first must make up a rain postponed game against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Thursday night.

"It's this time of year where there's a decent amount of wear and tear," Orioles outfielder Mark Trumbo said. "You just have to gut it out. That's what you have to do every year. You feel fortunate to have the ability to play every game, but this is kind of the grind that they talk about."

On May 9, inclement weather cancelled what was to be the first of a three-game series between the Orioles and the Twins. Instead of playing a doubleheader later in the week, both teams agreed it might be easier to make up the game near the end of July.

The game doesn't mean much to Minnesota, which has the worst record in the American League and is coming off a two-game sweep at the hands of baseball's worst team, the Atlanta Braves.

The Twins fell behind by seven runs early in the Wednesday game but battled back late, advancing the tying run to second base with two outs in the eighth inning. However, Minnesota couldn't find one more clutch hit, and it dropped its third consecutive game.

"We pecked away at them, got back into the game, but they added on a couple, which ended up being the difference in the game," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "We had chances right down to the end, but coming back from down seven is a tough task."

The stakes this weekend are large for the Orioles. Baltimore heads into Thursday two games ahead of Toronto for first place in the American League East, 2 1/2 games in front of the Boston Red Sox. The Orioles aim to avoid falling to Minnesota, which won the final two meetings at Target Field back in May.

The Orioles hope right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez (5-9, 7.38 ERA) can get his season on track against an opponent he has had plenty of success against in his career. Jimenez was yanked from the rotation after allowing five runs in just 1 1/3 innings against the Los Angeles Angels on July 8, and he hasn't pitched since.

Jimenez, just off the paternity list after the birth of his first daughter, recently made a mechanical adjustment designed to allow him to better repeat his delivery.

"I'm hoping it's a positive for him, because anything that's a little different look that you haven't normally done when you're struggling sometime can work positively," Orioles manager Buck Showalter told the Baltimore Sun. "We had some -- not a whole lot of options -- but I think he might surprise us. Not me, but some people. You try to pick a place where he feels comfortable and has been successful. That would be the best place for him."

Jimenez is 5-3 in 10 appearances against the Twins in his career, including a 4-1 mark with a 1.82 ERA in six starts at Target Field.

Minnesota will counter with Kyle Gibson, coming off perhaps the best outing of his career on Friday against the Red Sox. Gibson (3-6, 4.67 ERA) allowed just two hits and one run over eight innings in the victory, not surrendering a hit after the first inning.

In four career starts against Baltimore, Gibson is 1-1 with a 3.74 ERA. He lost to the Orioles in his first start this year, yielding four runs in five innings on April 6 at Camden Yards.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (49-51) at Rangers (58-44)

Game: 1
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: July 28, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals are both looking to steady the ship going into a four-game series that opens Thursday night at Globe Life Park.

The American League West-leading Rangers (58-44) have seen what was once a 10-game division lead dwindle to 2 1/2 games thanks to a 7-17 stretch.

The defending World Series champion Royals (49-51) are in fourth place in the AL Central.

The pitching matchup in the opener is a repeat of last Saturday's duel in Kansas City, which the Rangers won 7-4. Texas would love to get a repeat performance out of ace Cole Hamels, who picked up the win after allowing one run (none earned) and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.

The 32-year-old lefty, 11-2 with a 2.87 ERA, is among the league leaders in several major categories, including wins, ERA and strikeouts.

Hamels is facing Yordano Ventura (6-8, 4.99 ERA) again. The right-hander set down the first nine hitters he faced before a walk and a two-run homer by Jurickson Profar started the fourth. Ventura took the loss after being charged with three runs and three hits in five innings with four walks and five strikeouts.

Hamels owns the last three and five of the last six wins by a Texas starting pitcher. That's why the Rangers made the first of what could be several trades to upgrade the pitching staff with Wednesday's deal to land starter Lucas Harrell and reliever Dario Alvarez from Atlanta.

"You look at both pitchers we acquired, they can help our ballclub, fill a role and add depth," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. "With Lucas, he is a guy who is throwing the ball well. He has been around a little bit, had some experience and he has been on a little bit of a roll."

Harrell, 31, fills an immediate need in the rotation, with his turn coming up Sunday against the Royals. Harrell has gone 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA in five starts for the Braves this season.

"He has the capability of keeping us in the ballgame," manager Jeff Banister said.

Alvarez is a hard-throwing lefty with 3.00 ERA with 28 strikeouts and five walks in 15 innings. He has held opponents to a .200 batting average.

The Rangers did give up highly-regarded power prospect Travis Demeritte. The 21-year-old infielder was hitting .272 with 25 home runs in 88 games for High-Class A High Desert.

Daniels added the Rangers aren't necessarily done with the trade deadline looming Monday. While the search for arms tops the list, upgrading other facets of the club could be on the table.

"I wouldn't rule anything out," Daniels said, "but pitching is our priority."

Texas took the last two of three last weekend in Kansas City and it 6-4 against the Royals since the start of 2015. The teams split four games in Arlington in 2015, but the Rangers are just 5-7 against Kansas City at Globe Life Park since start of 2012.

Royals manager Ned Yost held a team meeting before Wednesday's 7-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels to try to ease concerns for a club that's fading in the standings and is inundated with trade rumors.

The get-together was quick -- Yost said about two minutes -- and to the point.

"We know what we have ahead of us, we've known the trials that we've been through in the past and we've known that we've had our backs against the wall before," he told MLB.com. "You know that you always come out of it. Just go out, enjoy your teammates and play the game like you did when you were 12 years old. That's what we do so well when we're successful, is we just go out and play hard and have fun doing it. So sometimes you just take a step back and relax a little bit and inch your way out."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (50-51) at Cubs (60-40)

Game: 4
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: July 28, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- Robin Ventura doesn't expect any more hoopla or controversy as Chicago White Sox left-hander Chris Sale returns to the lineup Thursday.

Whether the White Sox manager is just looking at a best case scenario remains to be seen. But Ventura says there shouldn't be any issues from Sale's teammates.

"I think it's going to be fine," said Ventura on Wednesday, prior to the start of the two-game Wrigley Field leg of the White Sox-Cubs inter league crosstown clash.

"Players always have their teammates' backs and that's no different with our clubhouse," Ventura said. "I think it's going to be fairly normal when he comes in as fair as he's going to be prepared to pitch and our guys are going to get prepared to play and it's going to go from there."

Sale (14-3) was the first big league pitcher to 14 wins this season but hasn't pitched since July 18. He was yanked from his last start on July 23 and suspended for five games following a clubhouse incident where he reportedly damaged 1976 throwback jerseys intended to be worn that night.

"(The uniforms were) uncomfortable and unorthodox," Sale said in an interview this week with MLB.com. "I didn't want to go out there and not be at the top of my game in every aspect that I need to be in."

In the same interview, Sale also apologized to fans who had come out that night to see him pitch against the Detroit Tigers.

Ventura said Sale is not required to say anything to his teammates about the incident, but expects there will be some discussion.

"They're going to talk on their own I'm sure," Ventura said. "Over the course of the year they've had meetings amongst themselves -- clubhouse meeting son their own. Some of that's going to happen but it's not going to be a full team meeting."

Sale will make only his second start in three weeks while facing the Cubs for the first time.

"He might have a little more on it than in the past because he's probably going to come out a little strong," Ventura said. 'He's had these situations before he's had a long layoff and he's always been pretty good when he's had a long layoff."

Sale goes against Cubs right-hander John Lackey (7-7) on Thursday. Lackey is 0-4 in his last six starts and 3-7 lifetime against the White Sox.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon said he felt more upbeat heading into the showdown with Sale after his offense woke up in Wednesday's 8-1 victory.

"In a game like tomorrow we have to pitch well to beat them because you really anticipate they're going to pitch well, he's going to pitch well," Maddon said. "To go into tomorrow's game with a defeat and not swinging the bats well would have been much more difficult."

The Cubs are 7-5 since the All-Star break and wins in three straight series. But as they regain health and sharpness, Maddon said they could return to a similar for that saw 25 wins in their first 31 games.

"I believe we have another really good run in us," Maddon said.

The Cubs stick with mostly American League opposition after the White Sox leave Wrigley Field. Seattle comes in for three games starting Friday and the Cubs travel to Oakland for three games starting Aug. 5. The Angels visit Chicago for a pair on Aug. 9-10.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Sox (55-44) at Angels (45-56)

Game: 1
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: July 28, 2016 10:05 PM EDT

ANAHEIM, Calif. - The Boston Red Sox are paying left-handed pitcher David Price $30 million this season, the first of a seven-year, $217 million contract. So one can imagine the angst Price's performance has caused so far this season.

Price will get the start for Boston on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, still searching for ways to regain the form that enticed the Red Sox into spending so much on the 30-year-old.

Twenty-one starts into the season, Price's 4.51 ERA is a bit concerning, considering it's a full run higher than any ERA he has had in the big leagues since his first season in 2009 with Tampa Bay.

He has managed to win nine games, but much of that is thanks to a Red Sox offense that leads the majors in runs scored. He hasn't faced the Angels yet this year and is a mediocre 5-5 with a 3.59 ERA in 12 career starts against them.

Coming off a poor performance in his last start -- he allowed five runs and 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings against the Minnesota Twins -- he simply needs to make better pitches to turn things around.

"Honestly, I feel good, I feel healthy," Price told MLB.com. "I feel good out there on the mound. I feel confident. I'm just not making good pitches. That's what it boils down to. You can feel bad out there and still go out there and execute pitches and get good results. It doesn't matter how good you feel if you don't go out there and execute."

With the Red Sox in the middle of a race for the American League East title, Price can still be a force down the stretch and into the playoffs should the club get there.

"I'm still confident in myself, absolutely," Price said. "I'd go out there and pitch tomorrow if they'd let me. My confidence is not altered. I don't listen to the outside noise. I know my teammates and the coaching staff have a lot of confidence in me. I haven't really given them reason to have a lot of confidence in me this year. I just have to pitch better."

Price will face Angels right-hander Jered Weaver, who has had issues of his own. Weaver has shown he can pitch well with diminished fastball velocity, but if he misses spots, he's in trouble.

Weaver is 8-8 with a 5.32 ERA in 19 starts this season. He has been really good or really bad. He has had eight starts in which he has allowed two earned runs or fewer, including a three-hit shutout of the A's on June 19.

But he has had six starts in which he has given up five earned runs or more. He is 4-6 with a 4.16 ERA in 16 career starts against Boston.

Weaver's biggest problem has been the home run ball. He has given up 23 homers this season, fifth most among American League pitchers. With the weather hot in Anaheim lately, the air will be light on Thursday night.

"It's no secret that I need a big park to pitch my game," Weaver told MLB.com. "It's been the story of my career, really."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nationals (59-42) at Giants (59-42)

Game: 1
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: July 28, 2016 10:15 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO -- Two teams that would be National League first-round playoff opponents square off Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series that will feature neither team's staff ace.

The Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants will take identical 59-42 records onto the field for the first of seven games they will play coast to coast over the next 11 days.

The Nationals, who lead the NL East by four games over the Miami Marlins, rode ace Stephen Strasburg's strong seven-inning outing to a 4-1 win over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday before boarding a flight to San Francisco.

The Giants, meanwhile, retained a 2 1/2-game lead in the NL West despite a 2-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds, a game in which ace Madison Bumgarner lost despite allowing only two runs (one earned) in eight innings.

By virtue of both having pitched Wednesday, neither Strasburg nor Bumgarner is scheduled to start again until next week.

Interestingly, both are tentatively slated to pitch a week from Sunday, when the Giants and Nationals wrap up a three-game series in Washington.

Thursday's first 2016 meeting of the division leaders will pit Giants center Denard Span against his former team for the first time since he left as a free agent over the winter.

Washington might finally have found an adequate replacement atop the batting order in Trea Turner, the offensive star the Wednesday win with three hits and three RBIs.

He is batting .297 in eight games as the Nationals' leadoff hitter after the earlier Span replacements struggled at a .214 clip.

"He's fun to watch," Strasburg said of Turner after Wednesday's game. "I was just excited the other day to finally watch him hit a triple. I was waiting for that for such a long time, just to see him run."

The Nationals will be catching Span in his hottest stretch of the season. The Giants leadoff man has recorded two more hits in nine of his past 16 games, raising his average to .256.

The Nationals will begin the San Francisco portion of the seven-game sequence by sending right-hander Tanner Roark to the mound.

Roark has been roughed up on a regular basis over his past nine starts, allowing four or more runs on four different occasions, including in his last outing against the San Diego Padres.

Roark gave up a pair of home runs among four hits in five innings against the Padres, allowing all San Diego's scoring in 5-3 Washington loss last Friday.

Home runs were plentiful in the Giants' just-completed series with the Cincinnati Reds, during which San Francisco pitchers allowed eight long balls in three games.

That was the most home runs allowed by the Giants in a three-game series in AT&T Park history.

The homers led directly to a pair of Reds wins, which dropped San Francisco's record since the All-Star break to 2-9.

"We've been through this plenty of times, and we know what it's about," Bumgarner said of the Giants' struggles of late. "Things will turn around for us."

Right-hander Johnny Cueto (13-2) gets the call for the Giants on Thursday. In his most recent outing, he allowed one run, which was unearned, in six innings Saturday during a no-decision against the Yankees at New York. San Francisco won 2-1 in 12 innings.

Outside of the pitching matchups, second base will be a position of focus in the weekend series.

Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy smacked his 20th home run of the season in the series finale against Cleveland. He will take the field Thursday with the NL's best batting average (.354).

The Giants, meanwhile, have gone 23 games without their star second baseman, Joe Panik, who is recovering from a concussion. San Francisco has gone just 10-13 during that stretch.

Panik began a rehab stint at Triple-A Sacramento earlier this week, and Giants manager Bruce Bochy hopes to have his 2015 All-Star, a .300 hitter in each of the previous two seasons, back in the lineup by the weekend.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Thursday's Diamond Notes
By Kevin Rogers

Hottest team: Cardinals (7-3 last 10)

St. Louis and New York went back and forth on Wednesday, but the Cardinals got the last laugh by scoring two runs in the ninth inning to edge the Mets, 5-4. The Redbirds grabbed two of three at Citi Field to win their fifth straight game in the favorite role, as St. Louis travels to Miami on Thursday to begin a four-game series. The Cardinals will be flipped to a heavy underdog against Marlins’ ace Jose Fernandez, who is nearly unbeatable at home. St. Louis dropped two of three at home to Miami two weeks ago, but the Cardinals have won six of their past nine games away from Busch Stadium.

Coldest team: Red Sox (1-5 last six)

Boston began its first homestand following the All-Star break with some success by sweeping a two-game series from San Francisco. However, the Red Sox split a four-game series with the last-place Twins, followed by getting swept in a three-game set by Detroit. The final two losses came by one run apiece, as the Sox were swept for the first time this season on Wednesday. The Red Sox venture west to southern California to begin a four-game set with the Angels as David Price is winless in four of his past five starts.

Hottest pitcher: Cole Hamels, Rangers (11-2, 2.87 ERA)

Texas can’t wait for July to end as the AL West leaders own a 7-15 record this month. Three of those victories came when Hamels took the mound as the former World Series MVP has allowed two runs (both unearned) in his last two starts. Hamels has given up one earned run or less in six of his last eight starts with both poor outings coming coincidentally against the Twins (10 earned runs in 8.1 innings). The southpaw faces the Royals for the second time in six days as Hamels tossed 5.1 innings of five-hit ball in a 7-4 triumph at Kansas City last Saturday.

Coldest pitcher: Matt Wisler, Braves (4-10, 4.92 ERA)

Atlanta finished off a tough road trip on a good note with consecutive victories at Minnesota. The Braves return home for a four-game series with the Phillies, as Atlanta was swept the last time it faced Philadelphia earlier this month. Wisler has been knocked around recently, allowing six runs in each of his past three starts, while Atlanta has compiled a 1-4 record in his last five outings. Somehow, Wisler’s only win in this stretch came as a +250 road underdog against the White Sox, but pitching at home hasn’t been profitable as Atlanta is 2-9 in the right-hander’s 11 starts at Turner Field.

Biggest UNDER run: Orioles (15-0 last 15)

Sooner or later, Baltimore has to cash an ‘over.’ But this incredible ‘under’ streak by the Orioles continued in Wednesday’s 3-1 defeat to the Rockies on a 9 total. The oddsmakers keep putting up high totals on Baltimore in spite of this long ‘under’ streak with seven straight games listed at 9 or higher. The Orioles are put in a tough scheduling spot on Thursday by having to travel to Minnesota for a make-up game before a crucial series at Toronto this weekend. The last time the Orioles finished ‘over’ the total came on July 9 against the Angels, as Ubaldo Jimenez started for Baltimore in that 9-5 defeat. Jimenez heads back to the mound on Thursday as eight of his previous nine starts have sailed ‘over’ the total.

Biggest OVER run: Angels (6-2-1 last nine)

Los Angeles returns home following a 2-4 road trip, as the last two games at Kansas City saw a combined 13 and 12 runs scored. The Angels don’t have many pitchers to rely on at this point as Jered Weaver takes his 5.32 ERA to the mound against the Red Sox. Los Angeles has played well at home of late by winning six straight games, while scoring at least seven runs five times on that homestand. The Angels and Red Sox are playing their second series this month as two of the three meetings at Fenway Park finished ‘over’ the total, including L.A. posting a 21-spot in the middle contest of that set.

Matchup to watch: Nationals vs. Giants

These two division leaders are meeting up for the first time this season as they begin a crucial four-game series at AT&T Park. The home team won all seven meetings in 2015, including San Francisco pulling off a four-game sweep of Washington last August. The Giants ended the first half of this season by owning the best record in baseball, but San Francisco has stumbled to a 2-9 record, including dropping two of three at home to Cincinnati. Johnny Cueto is in the mix for the Cy Young award in the National League, as the Giants own a 7-2 record in his nine home starts as he takes the mound on Thursday.

Washington squandered a late lead in Tuesday’s loss at Cleveland, but the Nationals rebounded with a 4-1 victory on Wednesday. The Nationals won the first two games after the break against the Pirates, but Washington has dropped six of its past nine contests. Tanner Roark allowed five earned runs in five innings of a 5-3 setback as a -240 home favorite against the Padres in his last outing. The Washington right-hander has pitched well this season as the Nationals have compiled a 7-2 record in past nine starts.

Betcha didn’t know: Chris Sale heads to the hill for the first time since cutting up throwback jerseys prior to his start last Saturday. Sale served a five-day suspension for that stunt as he looks for his 15th win of the season when the White Sox and Cubs wrap up the “Crosstown Cup” at Wrigley Field. The White Sox ace shut down the Cubs in two starts last season, striking out 25 batters in 14 innings and allowing only seven hits and one earned run.

Biggest public favorite: Red Sox (-175) at Angels

Biggest public underdog: White Sox (+120) at Cubs

Biggest line move: Orioles (+110 to +100) at Twins

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Thursday, July 28, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

The Miami Marlins are expected to make a trade ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline to add a starting pitcher, but their lineup will get an in-house boost on Thursday with the return of second baseman Dee Gordon from an 80-game PED suspension. But that's the thing, which Gordon is Miami getting? The All-Star from 2015 who led the National League in batting and stolen bases (while perhaps getting some illegal drug support)? Or the guy who was hitting .266 with an awful .289 on-base percentage and six steals in 21 games this year? Derek Dietrich had largely been playing better than Gordon in his spot but has slumped lately so I don't think there will be any type of platoon, although Marlins manager Don Mattingly says Gordon might not play every day until he's back in shape. One thing to consider, however, if the Marlins make the playoffs: that suspension makes Gordon ineligible. As it should.


Rockies at Mets (-200, 7.5)

MLB Network national telecast with a 1:10 p.m. ET first pitch and should have live betting at sportsbooks. New York was swept three games in Colorado earlier this season. The Mets start Jacob deGrom (6-5, 2.73). He comes off one of his worst starts, allowing five runs and a season-high 10 hits over 3.2 innings -- the second-shortest outing of his career -- in a loss in Miami. DeGrom took a no-decision in Denver on May 15, allowing three runs and four hits over 6.1 innings. Nolan Arenado is 1-for-9 off him with a double. Carlos Gonzalez is 2-for-4 with a homer. It's lefty Tyler Anderson (3-3, 3.56) for the Rockies. They may have found something in the 26-year-old rookie as he has held opponents to three runs or fewer in seven of his eight starts. And six of those were in Coors Field. He hasn't faced the Mets.

Key trend: The Rockies are 4-1 in their past five in Game 1 of a series. The Mets are 6-2 in their past eight vs. a lefty. The "over/under" has gone under in three of Anderson's past five. The under is 7-2 in deGrom's past nine.

Early lean: Mets and under.

Cardinals at Marlins (-200, 7)

This could be a wild-card game preview. And if the Marlins were in that game, they surely would be starting ace Jose Fernandez -- unless he was needed on the final day or two of the season -- as they will here. Fernandez (12-4, 2.54) is picking up Cy Young steam. Last time out, he beat the Mets, allowing two runs and seven hits over seven innings with seven strikeouts. He's second in the NL in whiffs. Believe it or not, 12 wins already ties a career high. Fernandez hasn't faced the Cardinals this year. Jedd Gyorko is 2-for-8 career off him with two homers and six RBIs. Matt Holliday is 1-for-5 with a homer. It's Michael Wacha (5-7, 4.37) for the Redbirds. He has three straight no-decisions. One of those was on July 17 vs. Miami, allowing three runs and seven hits in four innings. Martin Prado is 3-for-8 off him with a double. Giancarlo Stanton is 1-for-2 with a double. Ichiro, who is nearing 3,000 hits, is 1-for-4.

Key trend: The Cardinals are 3-7 in Wacha's past 10 road starts vs. teams with a winning record. The Marlins are 5-0 in Fernandez's past five vs. the NL Central. The under is 8-2 in his past 10 at home.

Early lean: Marlins and under.

Royals at Rangers (-170, 9)

Also televised nationally on the MLB Network. Kansas City starts Yordano Ventura, and the Royals have dropped his past five. He lasted five innings and allowed three runs and three hits to these Rangers on Saturday. He left after taking a grounder off his ribs but apparently is fine. Adrian Beltre, who hit that grounder, is 5-for-12 career off him with two doubles and three RBIs. Rookie Nomar Mazara is 2-for-3 off him with a double and homer. Just-promoted Joey Gallo is 1-for-2 against Ventura. The Rangers go with lefty Cole Hamels (11-2, 2.87), who is in the AL Cy Young conversation. He was opposite Ventura on Saturday in Kansas City and got the win, allowing one run and five hits over 5.1 innings. Alex Gordon is 2-for-5 career off him with a double. Kendrys Morales is 3-for-6 with a double and homer.

Key trend: The Royals are 0-7 in Ventura's past seven road starts vs. teams with a winning record. The Rangers are 13-3 in Hamels' past 16 at home. The under is 5-2-1 in his past eight in a series opener.

Early lean: Rangers and under.

White Sox at Cubs (+112, TBA)

Now this will be interesting! Think the Cubs fans will have a bit of fun in this game with Chris Sale's antics in cutting up those throwback jerseys he didn't want to wear last Saturday? Sale returns from suspension for this series finale. I absolutely can't wait to see some of the cleverness in the stands to make fun of Sale, who did act like a spoiled little brat. Might this be his final start with the White Sox? I highly doubt he's traded ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline, but the Sox are at least listening. Sale (14-3, 3.18), who did apologize to the fans and his teammates this week, still is probably the Cy Young favorite and he comes off a dominant start in Seattle when he threw eight innings of one-hit ball but took a no-decision because his bullpen gave up four runs in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Cubs' Anthony Rizzo is 2-for-5 career off him. Ben Zobrist is 6-for-11. Kris Bryant is 0-for-6 with six strikeouts but did homer against Sale in the All-Star Game. The Cubs go with John Lackey (7-7, 3.79). He hasn't won since June 8. Melky Cabrera is 11-for-36 career off him with three doubles and a homer. Todd Frazier is 3-for-20 with six strikeouts and a dinger. The Pale Hose lose the DH here.

Key trend: The Sox are 8-1 in Sale's past nine interleague starts. The Cubs are 1-6 in Lackey's past seven. The under is 8-2 in Sale's past 10 on Thursday.

Early lean: Cubs (call it a hunch that Sale might be distracted).

Nationals at Giants (-151, 7)

Quite possibly a playoff preview as if form held, these would be the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the National League behind the Cubs and would play in the NLDS. Both the Nats and Giants are likely to make a move ahead of the deadline as well. Washington starts Tanner Roark (9-6, 3.05). He suffered his first loss since June 21 on Friday against San Diego, allowing five runs and two homers our five innings. The Giants' Brandon Crawford is 1-for-5 against him with a triple and two RBIs. Buster Posey is 3-for-6 with an RBI. It's Johnny Cueto (13-2, 2.53) for San Francisco. He dominated the Yankees last time out, allowing one unearned run and striking out nine in six innings but took a no-decision. Washington's Bryce Harper is 2-for-7 career off him with three walks. Jayson Werth is 7-for-23 with an RBI. Recently activated Ryan Zimmerman is 4-for-14 with a homer.

Key trend: The Nats are 1-5 in their past six in Game 1 of a series. The Giants are 6-1 in Cueto's past seven at home. The under is 5-2 in his past seven there. The Nats have dropped five in a row in San Francisco.

Early lean: Giants and under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Royals struggling'

Kansas City Royals at Texas Rangers July 28, 8:05 EST

Royals have collapsed of late with 14 losses in 19 games heading into Wednesday action. No reason to think they'll turn things around in Texas facing Cole Hamels. The lefthander is 18-4 since joining Texas last August over thirty-four starts (26-8 TSR) including 9-1 at Globe Life Park with Rangers 13-3 in those sixteen home starts.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'There’s No Place Like Home'

St. Louis Cardinals at Miami Marlins July 28, 7:10 EST

When a series of baseball betting trends point in one direction, the baseball handicapping industry takes notice. And, that's the case Thursday night when Miami Marlins host St. Louis Cardinals in game one of a four game set.

To say Jose Fernandez (12-4, 2.54 ERA) has been dominant at home would be an understatement. That dominance is reflected by the fact the righthander is 9-1 at his home park this season allowing two or fewer runs in nine of the eleven starts. Such success has not been limited to this season, in Fernandez's 37 starts at Marlins Park, he's 26-1 with Miami 32-5 in those games.

Within those staggering numbers, Marlins have emerged triumphant in 15 of his last 16 home series openers, are 24-4 as home chalk with Fernandez, 18-2 when he faces a team with a winning record.

No surprise to see the Marlins pegged -$1.80 moneyline home favorite.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Thursday’s games

National League

Rockies @ Mets

Anderson is 3-0, 4.42 in his last three starts (under 6-2). He is 0-2, 3.86 in two road starts.

deGrom is 3-1, 2.92 in his last four starts; under is 7-2 in his last nine. New York is 7-2 in his home starts.

Colorado won six of its last seven games; under is 9-2-1 in their last 12 games. Rockies are 9-8 in road series openers. Mets lost five of last six home games; under is 7-2 in last nine games at Citi Field. New York is 12-4 in home series openers.

Diamondbacks @ Brewers
Ray is 1-4, 5.40 in his last six starts (under 4-1-1). Arizona is 2-7 in his home starts.

Davies is 2-0, 1.35 in his last three starts; five of his last seven stayed under. Milwaukee is 6-1 in his last seven home starts.

Arizona lost 19 of its last 25 games; six of their last eight road games stayed under. Brewers won three of last five games; under is 8-3-1 in last 12 games at Miller Park.

Phillies @ Braves
Nola is 0-5, 11.57 in his last seven starts; over is 6-1-1 in his last eight. Phillies split his ten road starts.

Wisler is 1-3, 8.86 in his last four starts; over is 9-3 in his last 12. Braves are 3-5 in his road starts.

Phillies lost four of last five games, are 7-10 in road series openers. Under is 9-4 in their last 13 games. Atlanta is 4-8 in last 12 games but won last two; they’re 6-10 in home series openers. Six of last nine games at Turner Field went over.

Cardinals @ Marlins
Wacha is 0-0, 4.32 in his last three starts; over is 11-3 in his last 14 starts. Cardinals are 4-5 in his road starts.

Fernandez is 2-0, 2.21 in his last three starts; under is 8-5 in his last 13. Miami is 9-2 when he starts at home.

Cardinals won four of last five road games, are 6-9 in road series openers. Under is 4-1-1 in their last six road games. Miami won eight of last 11 home games; they’re 8-9 in home series openers. Six of last nine Marlin home games stayed under.

Nationals @ Giants
Roark is 3-1, 2.91 in his last five starts; five of his last six stayed under. Nationals won five of his last six road starts.

Cueto is 4-1, 3.47 in his last seven starts (over 5-2). Giants are 7-2 in his home starts.

Nationals lost six of last nine games; they’re 8-8 in road series openers. Four of last five Washington road games stayed under. San Francisco lost nine of last 11 games, is 8-8 in home series openers. Four of last five Giant home games stayed under the total.


American League

Royals @ Rangers
Ventura is 0-4, 6.33 in his last five starts; over is 10-4 in his last 14. Royals are 3-7 in his road starts.

Hamels is 2-0, 1.35 in his last two starts; over is 4-1-1 in his last six. Rangers won seven of his nine home starts.

Kansas City lost six of last eight games, is 4-12 in road series openers. Under is 11-3-1 in their last 15 road games. Texas lost five of last eight home games, is 9-6 in home series openers. Over is 9-2 in last 11 Texas home games.

Red Sox @ Angels
Price is 1-3, 4.01 in his last five starts; under is 3-1-1 in his last five. Boston is 5-4 in his road starts.

Weaver is 2-2, 5.64 in his last four starts; over is 7-1-1 in his last nine. Angels are 4-6 in his home starts.

Red Sox lost five of last six games, are 9-5 in road series openers. Last four Boston road games stayed under total. Angels won their last six home games, are 7-9 in home series openers. Over is 13-4 in Halos’ last 17 home games.

Orioles @ Twins
Jimenez is 0-2, 17.47 in his last two starts; over is 10-1 in his last 11. Orioles lost six of his seven road starts.

Gibson is 3-1, 3.58 in his last five starts (under 7-5). Minnesota is 3-4 in his home starts.

Orioles won five of last seven games, but lost last two; they’re 8-8 in road series openers. Minnesota lost four of last five home games; they’re 6-11 in home series openers.


Interleague

White Sox @ Cubs
Sale is 1-1, 5.85 in his last three starts; he missed his last start after being suspended by the team. White Sox are 5-5 in his last 10 starts, after winning his first nine- four of his last six stayed under.

Lackey is 0-4, 6.63 in his last six starts; under is 9-5 in his last 14. Cubs lost his last thee home starts.

Cubs lost three of last five games, under is 9-1-2 in Cubs’ last 12 games. White Sox won four of last five games; under is 7-3-3 in their last 13 games.


Teams won-lost records when this pitcher starts:

Col-NY– Anderson 4-4; deGrom 9-8
Az-Mil– Ray 6-14; Davies 9-8
Phil-Atl– Nola 7-12 (0-7 last 7); Wisler 5-14
StL-Mia– Wacha 10-10; Fernandez 14-5
Wsh-SF– Roark 11-9 (8-2 last 10); Cueto 17-3

KC-Tex– Ventura 9-10 (0-5 last 5); Hamels 15-5
Bos-LAA– Price 11-10; Weaver 8-11
Balt-Min– Jimenez 8-9; Gibson 5-7

CWS-Cubs– Sale 14-5; Lackey 10-10


Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning:

Col-NY– Anderson 2-8; deGrom 2-17
Az-Mil– Ray 4-20; Davies 4-17
Phil-Atl– Nola 9-19; Wisler 9-19
StL-Mia– Wacha 5-20; Fernandez 5-19
Wsh-SF– Roark 4-20; Cueto 6-20

KC-Tex– Ventura 5-19; Hamels 4-20
Bos-LAA– Price 8-21; Weaver 7-19
Balt-Min– Jimenez 8-17 (4 of last 5); Gibson 5-7

CWS-Cubs– Sale 6-19; Lackey 6-20

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Thursday’s six-pack

Odds on teams to win the Stanley Cup next spring……

— Chicago Blackhawks 6-1

— Washington/Pittsburgh, both 8-1

— Tampa Bay Lightning 10-1

— Dallas, Anaheim, both 12-1

— Los Angeles, San Jose, both 14-1

— Montreal Canadiens 16-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

#1 Sports

Thursday's Free Selection: St Louis Cardinals + 175