Thursday 9/22/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Sox (88-64) at Orioles (82-70)

Game: 4
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: September 22, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

BALTIMORE -- The Boston Red Sox are in control of the American League East race thanks to their recent hot stretch.

They are riding a seven-game winning streak and hold a five-game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays and a six-game advantage over Baltimore heading into the finale of a four-game series with the Orioles on Thursday.

The Red Sox, who won the first three of the series, have just 10 games left in the season. Left-hander David Price (16-8, 3.91 ERA) will pitch for Boston in the series finale, coming in with his own seven-game winning streak, the third longest of his career.

Right-hander Chris Tillman (16-6, 3.72 ERA) will start for Baltimore, which holds the second AL wild-card spot. Toronto is a game ahead of the Orioles in the top wild-card position, and Baltimore is a game ahead of both the Detroit Tigers and the Houston Astros.

Price is 2-1 this year against the Orioles. He gave up two runs on two hits in eight innings during a 12-2 rout of Baltimore on Sept. 12 at Fenway Park.

Hanley Ramirez sat out the Wednesday night game due to a sore shoulder, but Red Sox manager John Farrell said the first baseman also is dealing with some other aches and pains.

Boston is trying to keep focused on the task at hand, winning the division, and trying to not look forward until it is all over.

"We have a young club with a couple of veterans on it," right-hander Clay Buchholz said after he threw seven innings and got the win Wednesday as Boston topped Baltimore 5-1. "For them to get to point where we are lucky enough to win the division, I think that's when everything will set in. We still have a couple weeks left of games."

Tillman has been the team's stopper all season long -- except for his short stint on the disabled list -- and the Orioles need him to come through once more due to their poor play this far in the series.

Tillman is coming off of a pretty good start in a 5-2 loss against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. He gave up three runs on four hits in 5 2/3 innings.

His 16 victories tie a career high that he reached three years ago.

Baltimore manager Buck Showalter confirmed the first two starters for this weekend's interleague series with the Arizona Diamondbacks at Camden Yards -- Yovani Gallardo on Friday and Wade Miley going on Saturday. The starter for the Sunday series finale had yet to be announced.

The Arizona series will be the last three home games for Baltimore this season. The Orioles play their last six on the road -- three each at Toronto and at New York against the Yankees.

The Orioles' inconsistent offense is on a downturn trend in the Boston series. Baltimore has just five runs in the first three games.

"Our guys are really pushing," Showalter said. "They're pushing. Sometimes you can really want something too much, and you can't take that away from them. The want-to is always there for our guys, and it can be a deterrent."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Braves (61-91) at Marlins (76-76)

Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: September 22, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

MIAMI -- It is getting to be too late for the Miami Marlins.

The Marlins lost to the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night, and Miami's chances of making the National League playoffs as a wild-card team decreased.

Mind you, projections entering the week gave Miami a 0.7 percent chance at making the postseason. So it was already bleak for the Marlins. Now it's worse.

With 10 games to play, Miami (76-76) sits four games behind the three teams that share the two NL wild-card positions, the Cardinals, Giants and Mets. St. Louis, San Francisco and New York are all 80-72.

The good news for the Marlins -- seemingly at least -- is that the Atlanta Braves (61-91) arrive on Thursday to start a four-game series.

And while it is true that the Braves have been awful overall this season, Atlanta just swept the Mets in three games at New York. And, before that, the Braves took a series from the Nationals.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly, though, said to can forget what just happened or what happened earlier in the season.

"That (Braves) series (with New York) is over," Mattingly said Wednesday. "They have to come here and play. We have to play tomorrow night. It's going to be who plays better tomorrow.

"Momentum at this point is really just that day and your pitcher that night. What they've been doing or what we've been doing, and we've been playing well, doesn't really matter.

"It's going to be Jose (Urena) tomorrow going out and keeping us in the game early and seeing if we can put some runs on the board and win a game."

Still, Atlanta has given Miami fits all year. The Braves swept the Marlins at Miami in April and took two out of three from the Marlins in May.

The teams split two- and four-game series in June and July. Miami finally got the better of the Braves, winning two of three at Atlanta earlier this month. However, Miami has yet to take a 2016 series from the Braves at Marlins Park.

To accomplish the feat, the Marlins would love a solid start from Urena, who has been wildly inconsistent this season.

Urena (4-7, 5.59 ERA) gave up seven runs in two innings in his most recent start, Saturday at Philadelphia. However, in his previous start, he went 8 2/3 innings and did not allow a run against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Perhaps Urena, 25, is tired since -- counting his minor league work -- he is at 124 innings this season. He finished at 131 innings last year.,

Atlanta will start right-hander Josh Collmenter, who was acquired from the Chicago Cubs' organization on Sept. 14. Collmenter (2-0, 4.61 ERA) beat the Washington Nationals in his Braves debut on Saturday, allowing two runs in five innings. Atlanta won the game 7-3.

He began the season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, going 1-0 with a 4.84 ERA in 15 relief appearances before he was released in August.

Collmenter-Urena is far from a marquee matchup, but it still should be an interesting battle because the Marlins are hanging on by their fingernails in the wild-card race while the Braves are improving.

Atlanta is coming off a high point -- both literally and figuratively. Braves center fielder Ender Inciarte leaped at the wall to rob the Mets' Yoenis Cespedes of a two-out, three-run walk-off homer in the ninth inning Wednesday, preserving a 4-3 win.

"I think this is the best feeling I've had in a baseball game," Inciarte said. "Robbing a home run in that situation, it's really special. Really special feeling."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Phillies (69-83) at Mets (80-72)

Game: 1
Venue: Citi Field
Date: September 22, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- New York Mets manager Terry Collins knew the pursuit of a National League wild card would not be easy.

The Philadelphia Phillies can follow in the footsteps of another NL East rival Thursday and make it even tougher for the Mets.

The suddenly skidding Mets will host the Phillies on Thursday night in the first game of a four-game series at Citi Field. It is the final home series of the regular season for the Mets, whose chances of reaching the wild card game took a hit when the NL East cellar-dwelling Atlanta Braves completed a three-game sweep Wednesday with a 4-3 win.

Despite the loss, the Mets (80-72) remain in a three-way tie for the two wild cards thanks to losses by the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals. Still, it was a disappointing series for New York, which has the easiest remaining schedule of the three wild-card contenders and began Monday with a one-game lead on the Giants for the first wild card and a two-game lead on the Cardinals for the second wild card.

"The perception from the outside is that it's easy, you guys have got the easiest schedule when you look at wins and losses," Collins said of the Mets, who are 20-10 since Aug. 20 and whose final three opponents -- the Braves, Phillies and Miami Marlins -- are a combined 44 games under .500. "But don't tell the guys on the other side of the field."

Like the Braves, the Phillies (69-83) aren't acting like a team playing out the string. Philadelphia has won four of its past five games, and it knocked around American League Cy Young Award contender Chris Sale in an 8-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday to complete a two-game sweep at Citizens Bank Park.

"You beat a guy like Sale today and maybe he wasn't at his best, but it doesn't matter to me, we beat him," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "So going into New York to play them, they're going to be tough, they've been playing pretty well, and they're still playing for something. So it would be nice to be a spoiler."

The Mets will look to an unlikely stopper Thursday when rookie right-hander Seth Lugo (4-2, 2.35 ERA) will oppose second-year Phillies left-hander Adam Morgan (2-10, 5.57).

Lugo, who didn't factor into the decision in his most recent start last Saturday after giving up one run over five innings against the Minnesota Twins, is 4-1 with a 2.21 ERA in six starts since replacing injured southpaw Steven Matz in the rotation.

New York has won each of Lugo's last five starts. He has never faced the Phillies.

Morgan didn't factor into the decision in his most recent start last Friday, when he gave up two runs (one earned) over 4 1/3 innings against the Miami Marlins. He has won just one of his past 18 games (16 starts), a stretch in which he has compiled a 5.87 ERA.

Morgan is 0-1 with an 11.42 ERA in two career starts against the Mets.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (79-72) at Rays (64-87)

Game: 3
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: September 22, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Led by red-hot rookie catcher Gary Sanchez, the Yankees find themselves only 2 1/2 games back in the American League wild-card chase with 11 games to play, and they'll lean on a young pitcher as they try to finish a three-game sweep of the Rays on Thursday night.

"We're going to keep fighting. That's what this club does," manager Joe Girardi said. "We went through some really difficult times in Boston (in four-game sweep before Rays series) ... they've bounced back extremely well. You get the big hit from Gary and it carried over to tonight and we need to carry that over to tomorrow."

To keep their momentum going, the Yankees will hand the ball to rookie right-hander Luis Cessa, who is 4-2 with a 4.44 ERA. New York won his first four starts after he moved in from the bullpen, but has lost the last two.

His turn keeps coming against the Rays -- he's only faced two other teams twice, but Thursday will be his fourth appearance against Tampa Bay, with modest results -- a 7.11 ERA, with 13 hits and 10 runs in 12 2/3 innings, including a loss on Sept. 11.

What Cessa has given the Yankees is consistent, reliable innings -- his six starts have all been between five and six innings. That hasn't been the case of late for Rays rookie lefty Blake Snell, who has lasted five innings just once in his last five starts.

The last time Snell faced the Yankees, he managed to throw 88 pitches in just 2 2/3 innings on Sept. 9 -- despite that, he's 1-1 this season with a 4.15 ERA against the Yankees, making his fourth appearance against the pinstripes.

Snell has hit something of a rookie wall, though, going 1-3 with a 6.41 ERA in his last five outings, dropping to his current 5-8 record with a 3.87 ERA. His ERA is increasing month by month, with a 4.82 in August and what is now a 5.54 in September.

He won't have to last long to trump the 1 1/3 innings that Alex Cobb threw Wednesday, giving up nine hits and seven runs in a bad stumble in his return from Tommy John surgery.

"The game got away from us early on," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "They were hitting balls hard and it seemed like everything he was throwing was resulting into a hit of some sort."

Any Rays success will have to start with containing Sanchez, who has three home runs in two games in this series and is making a late case for Rookie of the Year, despite his late call-up.

"(Logan Morrison) and I were talking on the bench. We were trying to think if we've ever seen anybody come up and do something like this," Cash said. "Was that his 19th home run today? 18th? Both? What a talented player, offensively, defensively."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (77-75) at Indians (88-63)

Game: 3
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: September 22, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians will attempt to complete a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals Thursday night, when the two teams meet for the final game of their three-game series.

The first two games have both been one-run games. The Indians won Tuesday 2-1, and won 4-3 on Wednesday. Thursday's pitching matchup will be rookie right-hander Mike Clevinger (2-2, 4.76) for the Indians and Royals left-hander Jason Vargas (0-0, 3.00).

It will be Clevinger's ninth start and 15th appearance this year. Clevinger had been working out of the bullpen, but with the injuries to starters Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar, Clevinger is being moved back in the rotation, and could be a candidate to start in the postseason.

This will be Clevinger's first career appearance vs. the Royals. In seven appearances, four of them starts, at Progressive Field this year, Clevinger is 2-1 with a 3.52 ERA.

Vargas will be making his second start since his return from Tommy John surgery. In his first start Sept 17 against the White Sox, he pitched three innings and gave up one run on two hits with a walk and one strikeout. That start was his first since July 21, 2015. In 12 career starts against the Indians, Vargas is 6-3 with a 4.70 ERA.

As the 2016 regular season winds down, the two teams are headed in opposite directions. The reigning World Series champion Royals were eliminated from the AL Central Division race on Wednesday. Kansas City is still alive, barely, in the wild-card race.

The Indians, meanwhile, are counting down to their first Central Division championship since 2007. Their win Wednesday reduced their magic number for clinching the division title to five.

"These are the kind of games you work in the offseason and in spring training to be able to play," said Indians pitcher Corey Kluber, who pitched into the seventh inning to win his 18th game on Wednesday.

The Indians are in first place in the Central Division, leading second-place Detroit by 7 1/2 games with 11 games to play.

"We know we're in a good spot, but there is still work to do. We're just going to take it one game at a time," Kluber said.

The Indians overall seem invigorated by their quest to win the division for the first time in nine years, but one Indians player who could clearly use a break is shortstop Francisco Lindor.

Lindor played in his team-leading 150th game Wednesday night. Lindor also leads the Indians in plate appearances and at-bats. All that playing may be taking its toll. In his last 11 games, Lindor, who is in an 0-17 hitless streak, is hitting .077 (3-for-39), which has caused his season average to drop from .322 to .306. "This is his first full season, and he's learning from it," manager Terry Francona said. "You can tell he's a little tired, but he's still playing the heck out of shortstop."

The Royals' season has been hampered by numerous injuries to key players, and their late-game magic that was a big part of their success last year has not always been there this year.

Wednesday night, for example, speedster Terrance Gore was inserted into the game as a pinch runner at first base, with the Royals trailing 4-3 in the ninth inning. Gore was 9-for-9 in stolen base attempts this year and 17-for-17 in his career, but he was thrown out at second for the first time in his career, by Cleveland catcher Roberto Perez.

"They had perfect execution. That's the only way you're going to get Gore, and they pulled it off," said Royals manager Ned Yost. "(Pitcher Cody) Allen was quick to the plate and Perez flew out and made a perfect throw. Gore can steal a base when everyone in the park knows he's going, but they just had perfect execution."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pirates (76-75) at Brewers (68-84)

Game: 3
Venue: Miller Park
Date: September 22, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

MILWAUKEE -- September had gotten off to a good start for the Milwaukee Brewers, who opened the month by taking two of three from the Cubs, split a series in St. Louis, swept the Pirates in Pittsburgh, then took another series from the Cubs, this time at Wrigley Field and delaying Chicago's division-clinching celebration in the process.

But, back home, that run seems to have ground to a screeching halt after the Brewers dropped two straight games to the Pirates, in underwhelming fashion.

"We haven't swung the bats well these first two games," Counsell said Wednesday after a 4-1 loss to Pittsburgh. "We've got a couple of guys certainly who are struggling a little and not at their peak right now. You'll have stretches like that, nights like that. Hopefully we turn it around tomorrow."

Right-hander Chase Anderson will lead that effort, taking the mound for the 29th time this season. Anderson has looked good as of late, posting a 4-1 record and a 2.39 ERA over his last 10 starts and took no decision his last time out, holding the Cubs to two runs over six innings in a 5-4, 10-inning loss.

Anderson has faced the Pirates four times this season, going 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA but he'll need to find a way to slow down outfielder Andrew McCutchen, who has been on a tear since the start of September.

McCutchen had two hits, including his 24th homer of the season Wednesday, extending his hitting streak to nine games.

McCutchen is batting .385 (15-for-39) during the streak and .299 (23-for-77) since the start of September, with six home runs and 20 RBIs.

"It definitely helps when things are going your way, going the way you want them to go," McCutchen said. "That helps it, but sometimes it can be tough when things were going the way you wanted it to go to be having fun. You got to find the fun. Things are going in the right direction, so of course fun comes along with it."

As McCutchen has heated up, so, too have the Pirates, who have won six of their last seven games, seven of their last nine and have also won six in a row at Miller Park for the first time since 2002.

"I think you get to a place where you stop to fight and you start playing," manager Clint Hurdle said of his team's recent surge. "You go back to the thing where you were six years old and playing in the backyard. You have to have some fun when you do this. When it turns into a fight and everything is just grinding, I don't know if that's the best way to play the game.

"The teams I've played on that have played well late went through some things but were still having a blast. We went through a period where that happiness kind of eluded us. And it is hard, because when you are not winning and you are not performing well, you get a little stoic. We try to remind them to still go out there and play. They say play ball. They don't say go grind ball, they don't say go try as hard as you can. They are playing and having fun. Everybody is throwing something in."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (66-86) at Astros (81-71)

Game: 1
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: September 22, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

HOUSTON -- What appeared on paper to be a forgiving closing schedule is playing out that way for the Houston Astros, who concluded a successful road trip Wednesday while also continuing to get help from their wild-card competition.

The Astros (81-71) capped a three-game sweep of the Athletics with a 6-5, white-knuckle win, closing a six-game swing through Seattle and Oakland with just one loss. Houston has won six of seven games to climb back to 10 games over .500, its high point on the season, catching fire at the right time with the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles slumping just enough to enable the Astros to close the gap in the American League wild-card standings.

Houston will enter a four-game series against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday tied with the Detroit Tigers (80-70) one game behind the Orioles (82-70) for the second wild-card slot and just two games in back of Toronto (83-69) for the first.

After closing a rugged 13-game stretch against first-place teams 5-8, the Astros appeared to be on life support. However, with the Angels and the Mariners, against whom the Astros are a combined 21-7 in 2016, upcoming on the final homestand, hope springs eternal.

"It's starts with a winning road trip, which would have been 4-2, obviously," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "We were one game short of perfect, and we're really taking this one game at a time, which is the worst cliche you can use this time of year, but it's the reality of how we show up every day in trying to win today's game.

"We try to focus on ourselves and not on what's going on around us. We know if we win, good things will happen to us. We still need some help, but we start from that premise that we're going to try to win today's game, and the day can only get better."

Houston will send right-hander Mike Fiers to the mound against the Angels (66-86) on Thursday night. Fiers (11-7, 4.46 ERA) took the Astros' lone loss in the season series, allowing seven earned runs over 3 2/3 innings on May 27. He won his second start against the Angels and is 1-1 with a 5.92 ERA against them in four career appearances.

The Angels will counter with right-hander Ricky Nolasco (6-14, 4.78 ERA overall, 2-6 with a 4.03 ERA for Los Angeles).

Nolasco, 5-1 with a 4.38 ERA against the Astros over eight career games (seven starts), recorded scoreless outings in his two wins with the Angels, twirling a shutout against the Cincinnati Reds and working six scoreless innings against the Blue Jays on Sept. 17 in his most recent start.

Even with the Angels playing out the string tied for last place in the AL West, center fielder Mike Trout remains an overwhelming force and a potential obstacle on the Astros' road to the postseason. Trout cranked a three-run home run in the Angels' 5-4 win at Texas on Wednesday night, his 28th, and his statistical profile befits that of an AL MVP candidate despite the team's overall struggles.

"Mike is making a big case for MVP," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said, according to MLB.com. "He's done everything you could ever ask a player to do, and unfortunately, we haven't had the depth around him to take advantage of some of the things he's done."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (80-72) at Padres (64-88)

Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: September 22, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

SAN DIEGO -- When the San Francisco Giants arrive at Petco Park to open a four-game set on Thursday, the San Diego Padres figure to fling out a welcome mat after clubs' last meeting.

The Giants are still scratching their heads over getting swept by the visiting Padres from Sept. 12-14.

With a perfect opportunity to gain ground, or keep pace, with first-place Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco was blanked.

"We're at that time, you got to grind it out and find a way to get through this," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said after the Padres held his offense to five runs in three games. "We got to recover, this team has done a good job at that. They know what's at stake. It's a tough group. They've played under pressure like no other team."

The pressure is increased after the Giants dropped two of three to the Dodgers the past three days. Los Angeles (86-66) all but sealed the National League West title, grabbing a six-game lead with 10 to play.

San Francisco, meanwhile, slipped into a three-way tie for the NL's two wild-card spots. The Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and New York Mets are all 80-72.

The Padres (64-88) are concluding their sixth consecutive losing season, and they are tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for last place in the NL West. San Diego took two of three games between the teams this week, though Arizona won the series finale 3-2 Wednesday.

Bochy and the Giants turns to right-hander Jeff Samardzija (11-10, 3.97 ERA) in the series opener against the Padres. San Diego will counter with southpaw Christian Friedrich (5-10, 4.78 ERA).

The Padres figure to field a new-look team after calling up four of their top position prospects on Wednesday: outfielders Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe, catcher Austin Hedges and infielder Carlos Asuaje.

"Everyone is going to play and everyone is going to get an opportunity," manager Andy Green said.

Asuaje, who led the Pacific Coast League with 172 hits, is ready.

"For all us to be called at the same time is great for me and for the organization as a whole," he said.

The quartet's call-up was delayed as they remain in the minors to win Pacific Coast League title with Triple-A El Paso.

"I think it adds so much value for us and gave us so much experience of building a winning culture here in San Diego, and that is what we want to do," Asuaje said.

Through a translator, Margot said he is thrilled to be a big-leaguer. He was a key piece in the November 2015 trade that sent closer Craig Kimbrel to the Boston Red Sox.

"We talked about getting here at the same time," he said of arriving with Asuaje, Renfroe and Hedges. "We are all very happy to be here."

Those four join two of their former El Paso teammates, infielder Ryan Schimpf and outfielder Alex Dickerson.

"I think we learned how to win together, and that was when Dickerson and Schimpf were there," Hedges said.

They will be here and there in the season's final weeks, sprinkled in various spots. Green said only first baseman Wil Myers will continue to play on a regular basis.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockies (73-79) at Dodgers (86-66)

Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: September 22, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers are hoping the return of a pair of left-handed starters will provide a boost to their injury-beleaguered rotation.

Brett Anderson (0-2, 24.75 ERA) and Scott Kazmir will make their first starts in more than a month. Anderson will take the hill Thursday when the Dodgers (86-66) host the Colorado Rockies (73-79) for a four-game series.

Anderson, who has been on the disabled list with a blister on his left index finger, hasn't pitched since Aug. 20 when the Cincinnati Reds tagged him for six runs in three innings. That was only the second start for Anderson, who has missed the majority of the season after undergoing surgery for a herniated disk in March before returning in August. Anderson has surrendered 11 runs in four innings this season.

He hasn't faced the Rockies since Sept. 26, 2015 at Coors Field, where he served up six runs on 10 hits in four innings. Although Anderson didn't factor into the decision, the Dodgers fell 8-6.

In his career against Colorado, Anderson is 1-0 with a 4.43 ERA in four starts.

Kazmir (neck inflammation) will start Friday's contest. Kazmir has been on the disabled list since Aug. 23. He threw a simulated game on Sunday.

"I think with Kaz, he's been dealing with injuries the second-half of the season, so in talking to (pitching coach Rick Honeycutt) and Scott and myself he feels good and he's in a good place, and we have to see what we have in him," manager Dave Roberts said. "He's a guy that we have high expectations for, and we have all season, but it's been a tough year for him."

The Dodgers will re-evaluate both starters after their outings and determine their roles as the club heads into the final week of the regular season and beyond. One of the two could emerge as a No. 4 starter in the postseason although Kazmir appears to be the frontrunner if that turns out to be the case.

Roberts said it was too early to come to any conclusions.

"We're trying to sift through decisions and see how guys perform," he said.

The Rockies performed on a high level in an 11-1 rout of the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, allowing them to avoid a three-game sweep. Nolan Arenado's grand slam sparked Colorado.

"I feel like we've played overall very good offense all year," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said, according to MLB.com. "Situationally, you're talking about a chance to have a big inning. Nolan gave us that with one swing. He turned it into a big inning. I feel like offensively, we've handled those innings well."

Tyler Chatwood (11-9, 4.13) will start Thursday's contest for the Rockies. Chatwood is 7-1 with a 1.77 ERA in 11 road starts this season. He will be facing the Dodgers for the fourth time this season. Chatwood is 1-2 with a 4.00 ERA in three previous outings.

Overall, Chatwoood has a 4-6 mark with 3.56 ERA in 10 career starts. At Dodger Stadium, he is 3-2 with a 1.36 ERA in six starts all-time.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Ailing Tigers, Twins set for Thursday doubleheader
By Tyler Mason, The Sports Xchange

MINNEAPOLIS -- If there is any silver lining to the rainout Wednesday, it is an extra day for both the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins to get healthy.
The Wednesday game at Target Field was postponed due to heavy rain in the bottom of the third inning before either team scored a run. The Twins and Tigers will play a split day-night doubleheader Thursday to close out the three-game series.
The first game of the doubleheader begins at 1:10 p.m. CDT, with the night game starting at its originally scheduled time of 7:10.
Detroit right-hander Anibal Sanchez (7-13, 5.90 ERA) will start the first game against Minnesota left-hander Pat Dean (1-6, 6.71 ERA). The Tigers' Justin Verlander (14-8, 3.22 ERA) and the Twins' Ervin Santana (7-10, 3.38 ERA), both originally scheduled to pitch Thursday, will remain the starters for the night game.
When Detroit and Minnesota take the field again Thursday, both clubs hope they will do so with a bit healthier roster.
Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler was not in the lineup Wednesday due to concussion-like symptoms three days after he was hit in the head by a pitch.
"It doesn't matter if he's symptomatic or not," manager Brad Ausmus said. "He has to have one extra day after he's done being symptomatic. So he was symptomatic yesterday, so he couldn't play today. He has to be asymptomatic, then he has to do baseball activities, and then I think he's OK."
Detroit designated hitter Victor Martinez, who was also hit by a pitch Sunday, was held out again Wednesday due to a knee injury.
Minnesota's Miguel Sano hasn't played a game since Sept. 12 due to a back injury. Twins manager Paul Molitor was optimistic before Wednesday's game that Sano would have been available to pinch-hit if needed, and Molitor reiterated after the rainout that Sano might be in the lineup Thursday as the designated hitter.
Twins first baseman Joe Mauer was back Wednesday after missing two games with a sore quad but returned only as the designated hitter. Molitor said Mauer most likely would return to first base Thursday in at least one of the games. Kennys Vargas was the Twins' first baseman in Wednesday's postponed game.
"We don't have a ton of players considering where we're at," Molitor said. "So it'd be nice if we could spread the workload out tomorrow."
Wednesday's rainout marked the 13th weather-related incident at Target Field this year. It was the third postponement of the season at the Twins' home ballpark. Minnesota also has had 10 rain delays in 2016.
Neither team managed much in three innings Wednesday before the skies opened up. Twins rookie pitcher Jose Berrios got into jams in both the first and second innings, allowing runners to reach third base both times. However, he wriggled out of both situations and pitched a 1-2-3 third inning -- only to have his start cut short minutes later by the rain.
"It happens. It's rain. It's one of God's gifts," Berrios said through a translator. "I felt good out there. I know the numbers aren't going to count tomorrow, but for me to be able to do that, I feel better out there. It's a confidence-booster for me."
These games down the stretch ultimately won't mean much for the Twins, who are a major-league-worst 55-96 with 11 games to play. The Tigers, however, are still in pursuit of a playoff berth. Detroit (80-70) sits only one game out of the second American League wild-card spot after the Baltimore Orioles lost Wednesday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Thursday, September 22, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

I'll admit that I'm a Cubs fans so I'm a little biased here, but it sure seems like the National League is totally opening up for them. Washington's Stephen Strasburg is hurt. The Mets can barely cobble together a healthy rotation. The Dodgers also are missing a few pitchers (one returns Thursday). And now comes news that San Francisco's Johnny Cueto was to have an MRI on Wednesday. He left Tuesday's start against the Dodgers in the sixth inning with a groin strain. The team doesn't think it's anything major, but you can't mess around with those types of things -- especially as a pitcher. In addition, excellent shortstop Brandon Crawford left with a dislocated left pinky suffered while sliding headfirst into third base. It's great news for the Giants it's only a dislocation and not a break and also that it's on his glove hand. So Crawford is likely to only miss a game or two.


Red Sox at Orioles (+128, 8.5)

Should have live betting with it televised on the MLB Network. Presumably the Orioles will do something to honor David Ortiz as this will be his final regular-season game at Camden Yards, a place he has always hit well. It's possible the Red Sox and Orioles could face off in the playoffs. Boston throws lefty David Price (16-8, 3.91). His streak of seven straight winning decisions ended Saturday vs. the Yankees as Price had his worst start in a while by allowing five runs and nine hits in six innings, but Boston would win the game. Price is 2-1 with a 3.67 ERA in four starts vs. the Orioles this year with a complete game. Chris Davis is 9-for-31 off him with two homers and 15 strikeouts. Adam Jones hits .254 off Price in 59 at-bats without a homer and 17 strikeouts. Baltimore's Chris Tillman (16-6, 3.72) was beaten by the Rays on Saturday in allowing three runs in 5.2 innings. He has faced Boston once this year and won at Fenway on June 14 with one run given up over seven. Ortiz is 7-for-36 against him with a homer.

Key trends: The Red Sox are 4-0 in Price's past four on the road. The Orioles are 13-3 in Tillman's past 16 vs. the AL East. The Orioles are 7-1 in Tillman's past eight at home vs. Boston. The "over/under" has gone under in 10 of his past 14 vs. the Sox.

Early lean: Red Sox and under.

Royals at Indians (-155, 9)

It's Kansas City's final game in Cleveland this year. The Royals are close to being eliminated and turning their attention to next year, and one guy in their rotation plans for 2017 is lefty Jason Vargas. He made his first start in about 14 months off Tommy John surgery on Saturday and went three innings and allowed a run and two hits. He was on a pitch count and will be here. Cleveland's Mike Napoli is 12-for-32 off him with four homers and six RBIs. Jason Kipnis hits .333 against Vargas in 21 at-bats. Cleveland rookie Mike Clevinger (2-2, 4.76) is suddenly pretty important as he will be a part of the postseason rotation in some form due to injuries. But he hasn't gone more than 5.2 innings this year and has yet to face Kansas City.

Key trends: The Indians are 2-5 in Clevinger's past seven. The under is 4-0 in his past four. The over is 5-2 in Vargas' past seven vs. Cleveland.

Early lean: Royals and over.

Tigers at Twins (+133, 8.5)

Pretty much one of those must-win games for the wild-card chasing Tigers as they finish up their season series with the sorry Twins and have ace Justin Verlander (14-8, 3.22) on the mound. He hasn't won in four starts even though three of them have been quality. He threw seven shutout innings with one hit allowed Saturday in Cleveland but the Tigers lost 1-0. Verlander is 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA in two starts this year vs. the Twins. Joe Mauer hits .333 off him in 75 at-bats with four homers. Brian Dozier is 4-for-21 against Verlander. Minnesota's Ervin Santana (7-10, 3.38) has been one of the better pitchers in the AL since the All-Star break with a 2.82 ERA. He also comes off a start of seven shutout innings, at the Mets, but also got a no-decision in a game his team lost. Santana is 0-0 with a 1.50 ERA in two starts against the Tigers. Victor Martinez is 11-for-35 off him with two homers. Miguel Cabrera is 7-for-27 with a homer.

Key trends: The Tigers are 6-2 in Verlander's past eight in Minnesota. The under is 5-1 in his past six on the road overall. The under is 6-2 in Santana's past eight vs. teams with a winning record.

Early lean: Tigers and under.

Angels at Astros (-171, 8.5)

Houston isn't dead in the wild-card chase yet as it opens a four-game series against the terrible Halos. The Astros need a sweep in the worst way, though. They go with Mike Fiers (11-7, 4.46) on Thursday. Fiers comes off six shutout innings in Seattle, throwing first-pitch strikes to 16 of 21 batters. He is 1-1 with an 8.44 ERA in two starts against Los Angeles. Mike Trout is 3-for-10 against him with a homer and two doubles. Albert Pujols is 1-for-10 with a dinger. The Angels' Ricky Nolasco (6-14, 4.78) certainly proved me wrong last week when he beat Toronto with six scoreless innings, striking out seven. His ERA with the Angels is 4.03 compared to 5.13 with the Twins before the trade. Nolasco hasn't faced Houston this year. Jose Altuve is 0-for-2 career against him.

Key trends: The Astros are 11-3 in Fiers' past 14 at home. The over is 3-0-1 in his past four vs. Los Angeles.

Early lean: Astros and over.

Rockies at Dodgers (-175, 8)

The Dodgers could wrap up the NL West Division this weekend depending on what San Francisco does. This four-game series closes out L.A.'s regular-season home slate. The Dodgers go with lefty Brett Anderson (0-2, 24.75) here. He has been hurt basically all year, starting the season on the DL following back surgery and then dealing with a blister. Anderson has pitched only four-big league innings and not since Aug. 20 in Cincinnati. The Rockies' Nolan Arenado is 5-for-10 career off him with a homer. Carlos Gonzalez is 1-for-10. Colorado's Tyler Chatwood (11-9, 4.13) was shelled last Friday at home by San Diego, allowing seven runs in five innings but avoided the loss. Chatwood has given up at least six runs in three of his last four outings. He is 1-2 with a 4.00 ERA in three starts against the Dodgers. Corey Seager is 2-for-8 off him with a homer. Justin Turner is 2-for-10 with two doubles.

Key trends: The Rockies are 10-2 in Chatwood's past 12 on the road. The under is 9-2-1 in his past 12 vs. teams with a winning record. The under is 4-0 in his past four vs. the Dodgers.

Early lean: Rockies (Chatwood has been excellent on the road this year) and under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

#1 Sports

Thursday's Free Selection: San Francisco Giants - 150

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Totals4U

Thursday's Free Selection: San Francisco/San Diego over 8

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mike Wynn

Bonus Play: MLB Milwaukee w/Anderson Pk Over Pittsburgh

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Razor Sharp

FREE PICK FOR THURSDAY: Take BOSTON (Price) -140 over Baltimore

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Golden Dragon Sports

Free Pick Miami Urena -155

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Platinum Plays

Free Pick: MLB Detroit Tigers w/Verlander -140 over Minnesota

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Atlantic Sports

Thursday's Free Selection from Atlantic Sports: Cleveland - 160

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Hawkeye Sports

Thursday's Free Pick: Philadelphia Phillies + 195

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

The Vegas Steam Line

Your free winner for Thursday: Take SAN FRANCISCO (Samardjiza) -150 over San Diego