Thursday 9/24/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mets (85-67) at Reds (63-88)

Game: 1
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: September 24, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The slumping New York Mets are aiming to wrap up their first NL East title in nine years during this four-game series against the lowly Cincinnati Reds.

Giving the ball to Steven Matz in the opener should move them closer to that goal.

Matz looks to continue the best start by a Mets rookie Thursday night when he faces the Reds for the first time since his sensational major-league debut.

New York (85-67) has lost six of its last eight after falling 6-3 to Atlanta on Wednesday. Still, the Mets remain 6 1/2 games ahead of second-place Washington in the division race with 10 to play, giving them a magic number of five to clinch.

"Ultimately, we'd like to play better and have that magic number shrink because we're winning and not have it shrink because they're losing," third baseman David Wright said.

Turning to Matz (4-0, 1.80 ERA) could be just what the Mets need. He's off to the club's best start by a rookie stemming from an historical debut. The left-hander allowed two runs in 7 2-3 innings of a 7-2 win over Cincinnati (63-88) on June 28 and also became the first pitcher with four RBIs in his first career game, going 3 for 3 with a double.

Only a torn left lat muscle was able to stop him, sidelining him for two months. However, he's 2-0 with a 2.20 ERA in three starts since returning.

Matz gave up one run and four hits while battling through 43 pitches in the first two innings Friday, but he settled down to yield three singles over the next four of a 5-1 win over the Yankees.

"He doesn't let the game get out of control," manager Terry Collins told MLB's official website. "He has a knack, even though he's not real sharp, to just battle and make a pitch he has to make."

The Mets are going to need that with the offense hitting .221 overall and .150 with runners in scoring position over the past eight games.

"We're not giving our pitchers much room for error," said Wright, who is batting .353 in his last nine games.

Curtis Granderson has a .130 average in eight games after going 0 for 5 and stranding three runners Wednesday. However, he went 6 for 13 with two homers, two doubles and four RBIs to help New York sweep a three-game set from the Reds from June 26-28.

The Mets have won nine of the last 11 meetings, including four of five on the road.

The Reds have lost four in a row overall due in large part to the staff's 5.91 ERA. Much of that damage came in a 10-2 loss to St. Louis on Wednesday that dropped them back into the NL Central basement, one-half game behind Milwaukee.

Josh Smith (0-2, 7.71) again starts opposite Matz, who went 2 for 2 with two RBIs off him June 28. The rookie right-hander gave up three runs - one earned - with four walks in five innings against the Mets to record his first career loss.

Smith is trying to prove worthy of a spot in next year's rotation in his fifth career start, but his latest outing certainly didn't inspire much confidence. He surrendered four runs and six hits in four innings while not getting a decision in Saturday's 9-7 win at Milwaukee - his first start since July 4.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Phillies (57-95) at Marlins (65-87)

Game: 3
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: September 24, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Alec Asher's struggles have coincided with those of the young Phillies, but a solution could come against one of the only teams Philadelphia has bested this season.

The rookie goes for his first big league win Thursday night when the last-place Phillies try for a series victory against the Miami Marlins.

Despite Wednesday's 4-3, 11-inning loss, Philadelphia (57-95) has won eight of 10 against Miami (65-87) since dropping four of the first five meetings this season. Four of the club's 10 wins since Aug. 21 have come against the Marlins, who are one of six teams against whom Philadelphia has a winning record.

The Phillies' true colors shone through Wednesday, though, as three errors - including one in a sloppy 10th - kept them from their fifth straight win over Miami. Philadelphia ranks toward the top of the majors with 34 errors since Aug. 15 and has 108 on the season.

"I'm thinking about spring training next year and the theme for spring training camp is going to be defense and baserunning," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. "You don't want to lose games due to bad defense."

Philadelphia's issues stretch to filling out its starting rotation for 2016, an area where Asher has failed to make an impression.

Asher (0-4, 9.78 ERA) has lost each of his first four big league starts since his Aug. 30 promotion from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The right-hander has allowed at least four runs in each outing and hasn't completed six innings.

"Failure is part of the game," Asher told MLB's official website. "It's frustrating. No one likes losing. I hate it."

The Phillies hope a 6-4 finish can help them avoid their first 100-loss season since they dropped 107 games in 1961.

Meanwhile, Wednesday's win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Marlins, who had won 12 of 16 games prior to the skid.

Justin Bour hit his 19th home run and third in seven games, while Dee Gordon had three hits, including a walkoff double. Gordon is hitting .381 since Sept. 6 and recorded his first walkoff hit and RBI since June 17, 2012, when he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"That was his first walkoff in a few years, but it couldn't have come at a better time," Marlins manager Dan Jennings said.

Jarred Cosart will take the mound in his fourth start for Miami since returning earlier this month from a bout with vertigo which forced him to miss most of the season.

Cosart (2-4, 4.43) has looked good since his return, though, with a 1-0 record and 1.72 ERA in three September outings that have each been longer than the previous. After lasting 4 2-3 innings in his first, he tossed five in the second and six in the third.

The right-hander split his first two career outings against the Phillies in late April and early May, going 1-1 with a 3.27 ERA. Philadelphia left fielder Cody Asche, who hit two homers Tuesday, had a solo shot against Cosart in Miami's 6-1 win April 22.

Cosart could have shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria behind him for the series finale. Jennings said his middle infielder made more progress Wednesday from a hamstring injury that has kept him out since Sept. 2.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rays (74-78) at Red Sox (72-79)

Game: 4
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: September 24, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

After three inconsistent seasons with Seattle, Erasmo Ramirez is making a case to remain part of the Tampa Bay Rays' long-term plans following a breakout season.

The right-hander looks for a third consecutive strong outing as the Rays try to win the season series from the Boston Red Sox for the second straight year Thursday night at Fenway Park.

After making a total of 35 starts for the Mariners from 2012-14, Ramirez (10-6, 3.70 ERA) was traded to Tampa Bay for Mike Montgomery in late March. He's been better than expected since permanently joining the rotation May 14, posting a 3.01 ERA which is the best among all Rays starters - even All-Star Chris Archer.

Ramirez seemingly showed some fatigue during a recent four-start stretch in which he had a 6.20 ERA, but he's bounced back with a pair of impressive efforts. He got within six outs of a no-hitter against the New York Yankees on Sept. 14, then allowed two runs over seven innings in Saturday's 2-1 loss to Baltimore.

"Erasmo was very good again ... even when we took him out, he had a relatively low pitch count (86)," manager Kevin Cash told MLB's official website. "He gets a lot of swings early. I think that's a credit to the way he's pitched throughout the year."

Ramirez is winless in six straight starts, getting just one run of support over the last two. However, neither of those solid performances came on the road, where he's posted a 6.18 ERA over his last five outings.

The 25-year-old has a 5.09 ERA in four career starts versus Boston. The most recent was also his only one at Fenway, giving up four runs - one earned - over six innings July 31.

The Red Sox had averaged 7.4 runs during a 6-1 stretch at home after Monday's 8-7 win in the series opener. However, they've been held to 15 hits and 3 for 18 with runners in scoring position over the last two games, losing 5-2 on Tuesday and 6-2 on Wednesday.

Mookie Betts is 7 for 12 in the series and batting .500 over a 12-game home hitting streak. Xander Bogaerts extended his hitting streak to a career-best 12 with a ninth-inning single Wednesday, but David Ortiz went hitless for a fourth straight game.

"Our offense just couldn't get any momentum," interim manager Torey Lovullo said.

Steven Souza Jr. went 4 for 5 with his 16th home run and Asdrubal Cabrera went 3 for 5 with his 13th homer for the Rays, who tied the season series at nine wins apiece.

Tampa Bay (74-78) also moved 1 1/2 games up on last-place Boston (72-79) in the AL East. The Red Sox haven't ended up in the cellar in consecutive seasons since a six-year span from 1925-30.

Wade Miley (11-10, 4.34) will try to help them salvage a split of this four-game series after going 1-0 with a 2.78 ERA in his first three September starts. He overcame five walks to yield two runs over 6 2-3 innings Saturday when he didn't get a decision in a 7-6 win at Toronto.

Miley has posted a 1.93 ERA in winning his last three starts at Fenway. The left-hander is 3-1 with a 1.85 ERA in six career meetings with Tampa Bay, including four this year.

Boston's Pablo Sandoval could miss his fourth straight game with an upper respiratory infection.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Brewers (64-88) at Cardinals (96-56)

Game: 1
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: September 24, 2015 7:15 PM EDT

Another series with the Milwaukee Brewers could go a long way toward putting the St. Louis Cardinals on the brink of another NL Central crown.

Michael Wacha will try to shake out of his funk Thursday night and capitalize on the lowly Brewers as the Cardinals try to beat them for the fourth time in just over a week.

St. Louis (96-56) capped a three-game sweep at Milwaukee (64-88) with a 6-3 victory last Thursday. The Cardinals enter this four-game set after beating Cincinnati 10-2 on Wednesday, extending their winning streak to four and reducing their magic number to clinch a third straight division crown to seven.

They lead the Central by four games over second-place Pittsburgh with 10 to play.

St. Louis has a chance to widen the gap against the Brewers, who have dropped 10 of their last 12 despite beating the Chicago Cubs 4-1 on Wednesday. The Cardinals are 11-4 against Milwaukee this year, winning four of the last five at home.

Wacha (16-6, 3.08 ERA), though, is 1-0 with a 6.10 ERA in three appearances against the Brewers, including two starts, but this is the first time he'll face them this season.

The right-hander also owns a 7.20 ERA while losing two of his last three starts after going 4-0 with a 0.92 ERA over his previous six before that stretch.

Wacha was hit hard again Saturday, giving up four runs and two homers with seven strikeouts and four walks in five innings of a 5-4 loss to the Cubs.

Matt Carpenter, who had a pair of two-run homers Wednesday, is hitting .452 with five home runs, five doubles, eight RBIs and nine runs over the last eight games. His 26 homers are 15 more than his previous carer high from two years ago.

"This is all kind of all foreign territory," said Carpenter, who also has a personal-best 81 RBIs. "I knew I could definitely do more but where it would head, I didn't know. I'm still finding out."

He's hitting .355 against the Brewers this year and half of his eight hits in 22 at-bats over the past five matchups have left the park.

Carpenter and the Cardinals will get their first look at heralded Brewers rookie Taylor Jungmann (9-6, 3.31). The right-hander, though, is 0-1 with a 9.20 ERA while serving up five homers in his last three starts. He had allowed three homers while compiling a 2.42 ERA over his first 16.

Jungmann was hammered again Saturday, surrendering six runs and two homers in five-plus innings while not factoring into the decision of a 9-7 loss to Cincinnati.

He's 0-4 with a 7.66 ERA over his last five road starts, getting pulled before the fifth in three of them.

Milwaukee could be without Ryan Braun for a sixth straight game due to tightness in his lower back after manager Craig Counsell said it "didn't progress like we wanted to."

The right fielder was hitting .373 in 16 games before getting hurt, and he's yet to face Wacha.

Adam Lind has picked up the slack with a .375 average over the past seven games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Indians (74-76) at Twins (78-73)

Game: 3
Venue: Target Field
Date: September 24, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Time may be about up for the Cleveland Indians, but the Minnesota Twins are going to stick around for a while.

Minnesota has ridden three straight victories to the doorstep of the AL's final postseason spot, and it will go for a home sweep Thursday night to deal another blow to the fading Indians.

The Twins (78-73) seemingly put their playoff hopes in jeopardy by losing five straight before responding with a spurt that has pulled them within one game of Houston for the second wild card.

"This is the time of year where every good performance is magnified," starter Phil Hughes told MLB's official website after beating the Indians in Wednesday's 4-2 victory.

Kyle Gibson looks to become the latest Twins starter to stymie the Indians (74-76), who have managed 12 hits and three runs through two games of this series while falling 4 1/2 back of the Astros.

Gibson (10-10, 3.73 ERA) has pitched well in his last five starts with a 2-1 record and 2.67 ERA. Opposing batters have hit .205 against him in that span without a home run.

He has not faced the Indians this year but was hit hard in his final two outings against them in 2014, allowing 15 hits and 12 runs in 8 1-3 innings.

Yan Gomes homered twice off Gibson last season and is 5 for 9 lifetime against him. Carlos Santana also took him deep in 2014, but that's his only hit in 10 at-bats against the right-hander. Santana snapped 0-for-12 drought with his 17th home run Wednesday.

Gibson may catch a break as Cleveland's No. 3 hitter, Michael Brantley, could be out of the lineup for a second straight game after jamming his shoulder in a 3-1 loss in the series opener. Brantley did not have an MRI and plans to take some swings in the batting cage before the series finale.

Last year at this time, Cleveland's Cody Anderson was coming off a rough 4-11 campaign at Double-A Akron in which he had a 5.44 ERA in 25 starts. A productive offseason and a promotion from the minors in June followed, and after a brief stint on the disabled list, the rookie now looks to continue thriving at the big-league level.

"It's been really almost surreal," he said. "It's been such a fun year. I can't really put it into words."

Anderson (5-3, 3.48) has beaten aces in each of his last three outings, besting Detroit's Justin Verlander in back-to-back starts before topping Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox on Friday. The right-hander is 3-0 with a 2.12 ERA since his return from the disabled list in late August.

The start that sent him there was a 10-9 loss to Minnesota on Aug. 7 in which Anderson coughed up six runs in 2 2-3 innings while straining his left oblique. Anderson was 0-2 with a 10.19 ERA in four starts before his DL stint, but he said fixing a mechanical flaw in his motion while sidelined has helped in his return.

One of his biggest concerns should be Brian Dozier, who doubled off Anderson last month and homered Wednesday for the fifth time in nine games against Cleveland.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mariners (74-78) at Royals (88-63)

Game: 3
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: September 24, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

A day after his team may have turned a corner, Johnny Cueto wants to keep showing that he has, too.

The right-hander hopes to build on a breakthrough effort as the Royals look to wrap up their first division title in 30 years Thursday night against the visiting Seattle Mariners.

Cueto's surprising struggles were one reason Kansas City starters posted a 6.00 ERA during a 5-12 stretch which had cut the club's hold on the AL's best record to 1 1/2 games. However, the Royals (88-63) could finally be headed back in the right direction following a come-from-behind, walkoff victory.

Jarrod Dyson hit a tying sacrifice fly in the ninth inning and Lorenzo Cain delivered an RBI single in the 10th to give Kansas City a 4-3 win Wednesday.

"Champagne tomorrow, that would be nice," said Cain, who had three hits after entering in a 4-for-29 slump.

The Royals could finally clinch their first division title since 1985 if they win Thursday's series finale while Minnesota loses to Cleveland.

"We definitely know," first baseman Eric Hosmer said of the magic number being down to two. "This kind of victory can give us a boost."

Cueto, acquired at the trade deadline to be the ace, hadn't helped with a 9.57 ERA during a five-start skid before allowing two runs over seven innings in Friday's 5-4, 12-inning loss at Detroit.

Earlier last week, the 29-year-old met with manager Ned Yost and pitching coach Dave Eiland to discuss how to fix what had been giving him trouble. What they discovered was that catcher Salvador Perez needed to make the adjustment, not Cueto (2-6, 5.12 ERA).

"He thought that with Salvy being so tall, he was setting up a high target," Yost told MLB's official website. "Johnny is a guy who throws to the glove. So if the target is set up high, he's going to miss high."

Now it could be Drew Butera setting up low after Perez left Wednesday's game with a bruised knee.

Cueto hasn't faced the Mariners since 2010 when he was with the Reds. Now he's taking on a Seattle team that has hit .303 and averaged 6.4 runs while going 8-2 on the road this month.

Ketel Marte went 3 for 5 with his third home run Wednesday. He's batting .415 over a 10-game hitting streak for the Mariners, who fell to 13-7 in September.

Robinson Cano singled to become the 14th player to reach 2,000 hits in his first 11 seasons.

"I feel blessed," Cano said. "Like I said, it doesn't mean too much because we were losing."

James Paxton (3-4, 3.70) will try to help Seattle (74-78) improve to 5-1 at Kansas City over the past two seasons. The left-hander is continuing to work through some wildness after missing more than three months due to a blister problem.

After yielding three walks and three runs over three innings in a 3-2 loss to Colorado on Sept. 13, he overcame four free passes to give up one run over 4 1-3 in Friday's 3-1 win at Texas.

In his only career start versus Kansas City, Paxton surrendered four hits while striking out a career-high 10 in seven innings of a 4-0 win in September 2013.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (79-72) at Padres (71-81)

Game: 3
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: September 24, 2015 9:10 PM EDT

Madison Bumgarner needs one win to set a personal record. He very nearly had a much bigger achievement last week against the San Diego Padres.

The ace left-hander attempts to become the San Francisco Giants' first 19-game winner in 18 years Thursday night against the Padres.

Bumgarner (18-8, 2.84 ERA) is 7-2 with a 1.73 ERA over his last nine starts. He's tossed three complete games over that stretch, including a one-hitter in an 8-0 win over San Diego on Sept. 12 to match his career high in wins set last year. He also came four outs shy of his first perfect game.

Another victory would make him the first Giant to reach 19 since Shawn Estes in 1997, and he may get a chance to become the club's first 20-game winner since John Burkett and Bill Swift in 1993.

Bumgarner could've used some help Friday, allowing two runs - one earned - in eight innings while the offense was two-hit in a 2-0 loss to Arizona.

"Not good enough to win," Bumgarner said.

He's clearly been good enough against the Padres, going 2-0 with a 0.76 ERA in the last three matchups. However, those all came at home. Bumgarner is 2-2 with a 5.88 ERA in his last five games at Petco Park and had his worst performance of the season there April 11, surrendering five runs and 10 hits in three innings.

San Francisco (79-72) had its six-game winning streak over the Padres (71-81) snapped after Santiago Casilla gave up a walkoff single to Jedd Gyorko in Wednesday's 5-4 loss.

The Giants fell seven games back of NL West-leading Los Angeles with 11 remaining, and they sit 9 1/2 behind the Chicago Cubs for the league's second wild-card spot.

"Look, the thoughts aren't good," said Jake Peavy, who pitched six scoreless innings Wednesday. "I'm not going to sit here and tell you I feel great about our chances. That being said, we're not eliminated and we needed them all for a while now. When you lose one like this it is tough, and staring those numbers in the face, it is harsh reality.

"It stinks to be in this position, but you have to be a professional and play as hard as you can and show up (Thursday) and figure out a way to get the big boy (Bumgarner) in the win column."

Brandon Crawford has four hits and three RBIs through the first two of this three-game set after hitting .093 over his previous 14 contests while battling an oblique injury. The shortstop is batting .435 with nine RBIs in his last six meetings with San Diego.

The Padres, losers of six of nine at home, are turning to Ian Kennedy (8-15, 4.29). The right-hander is 0-4 with a 5.52 ERA over his last five starts, and that includes being tagged for seven runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings while losing to Bumgarner on Sept. 12.

Kennedy followed that six days later by losing a third straight start, yielding four runs in six innings of a 7-4 defeat at Colorado.

Hosting the Giants may be a relief for Kennedy, who is 3-0 with a 2.14 ERA in four starts against them at Petco.

Crawford is 0 for 9 with five strikeouts against Kennedy this year, but Buster Posey has hit .429 against him since the start of 2013 while Marlon Byrd has gone 6 for 13 with two homers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

National League

Braves @ Mets
Perez is 2-0, 2.89 in his last three starts (over 6-1 last seven).

Colon is 3-1, 1.53 in his last four starts (under 3-1).

Braves lost five of last six games with the Mets (over 7-4-1 last 12); Atlanta won four of last five games, allowing nine runs- under is 5-0-1 in their last six games. Mets lost five of last seven games; five of last six stayed under.

Phillies @ Marlins
Buchanan is 0-4, 14.40 in his last four starts (over 5-1-2 last eight).

Miami is 7-1 when Conley starts (3-1, 2.96 last five; over 5-2-1).

Phillies won eight of last nine games with Miami (over 5-3-1); Phils lost six of last seven games (under 4-1-1 last six). Marlins lost last four games, allowing 29 runs (over 3-1-1 last five).

Brewers @ Cubs
Davies is 1-2, 6.00 in his four starts (over 3-1).

Hendricks is 1-1, 5.26 in his last five starts (over 4-0 last four).

Brewers lost last nine games with the Cubs (over 3-2 last five). Milwaukee lost ten of last 11 games (over 9-3 last 12). Cubs won seven of last eight games (over 8-4 last twelve).

Reds @ Cardinals
Finnegan allowed one run in five IP (75 PT) in his first MLB start.

Lynn is 0-2, 9.26 in his last three starts (over 3-0-1 last four at home).

Reds lost last three games with St Louis (under 10-2 last 12); Cincinnati is 3-6 in its last nine games (over 6-3). Cardinals won seven of their last nine games; their last three games stayed under.

Pirates @ Rockies
Morton is 1-4, 6.59 in his last five starts (under 4-2 last six).

Bergman is making first start since April 14 (four IP, no runs, 85 PT).

Pittsburgh won eight of last 11 games with Colorado (under 8-3-1 in last 12). Pirates are 8-4 in last dozen games; five of last eight stayed under. Rockies lost last three games, allowing 25 runs; five of last seven went over total.

Diamondbacks @ Dodgers
Anderson is 0-1, 6.92 in his last three starts (over 4-2 last six).

Greinke is 5-0, 1.53 in his last five starts (under 6-2 last eight).

Arizona won three of last five games with Los Angeles; seven of last nine in series went over. D'backs won four of last five games;four of their last six stayed under the total. Dodgers lost five of last seven (over 4-3).

Giants @ Padres
Former Padre Peavy is 3-0, 2.89 in his last three starts (over 3-1 last four).

Cashner is 1-3, 5.40 in his last five starts (over 5-3 in last eight).

Giants won their last six games with San Diego (over 5-1); SF won seven of last ten games overall (last four under). Padres lost eight of their last eleven games; eight of their last ten went over the total.


American League

White Sox @ Tigers
Montas is making first MLB start; he allowed one run in five relief stints (eight IP) so far this season and was 5-5, 2.97 in 23 starts in AA Southern League this year.

Verlander is 0-2, 3.74 in his last three starts (over 3-1 last four).

White Sox split last six games with Detroit (over 5-3 last eight); Chicago won three of last five games (under 8-1-1 last ten). Tigers lost three of last four games, scoring eight runs (over 7-4-1 in their last twelve games)

Bronx @ Blue Jays
Nova is 1-4, 8.74 in his last five starts (over 3-1 last four).

Stroman is 2-0, 3.00 in his two starts this year (over 1-1).

Bronx lost five of last seven games with Toronto; four of last six series games went over total. New York won six of last nine games (under 6-3). Toronto won four of its last seven games (under 6-3).

Rays @ Red Sox
Smyly is 2-0, 3.42 in his last four starts (over 3-1-1 last five).

Porcello is 2-2, 5.08 in his last four sarts (under 5-3 last eight).

Rays lost six of last nine games with Boston (over 6-3); Tampa Bay lost seven of last 11 games overall (under 6-4 last ten). Red Sox won four of last six (over is 7-5 in their last twelve games).

Indians @ Twins
Kluber is 0-2, 4.94 in his last four starts (over 5-2 last seven).

Hughes is 0-3, 10.03 in his last three starts (over 3-1-1 last five).

Indians are 4-7 in last 11 games with Minnesota; last four series games went under the total. Cleveland is 4-0 in game following its last four losses; over is 3-1-1 in its last five games overall. Twins lost five of their last seven games.

Angels @ Astros
Tropeano is 1-2, 6.86 in his last four starts (over 2-0-1 last three).

Fiers is 0-1, 4.50 in his last three starts (under 3-1-1 last five).

Angels are 4-6 in last ten games with Astros; home side won nine of last 12 series games, under is 4-1-1 in last six. Halos won four of last six games (under 6-4-2 in last 12). Houston won five of last eight home games; five of their last eight games overall went over the total.

Mariners @ Royals
Elias is 1-2, 6.11 in his last four starts (over 2-2).

Ventura is 5-1, 3.34 in his last six starts (over 3-0-1 last four).

Mariners won five of last seven games with Kansas City; under is 3-2-1 in last six in series. Seattle won five of its last seven games overall. Royals are 3-6 in their last nine games; their last five games all went over the total.

Rangers @ A's
Lewis is 2-0, 1.20 in his last two starts (under 3-0-1 last four on road).

Doubront is 1-1, 7.71 in his last three starts (over 5-1 in Oakland starts).

Texas won three of last four games with Oakland; Rangers won seven of last nine games overall-- six of last seven went over the total. A's are 3-6 in last nine games; three of last five Oakland games stayed under the total. .


Interleague

Orioles @ Nationals
Tillman is 0-4, 7.76 in his last six starts; (over 3-1 last four).

Scherzer is 1-0, 3.00 in his last four starts (over 5-2-2 last nine).

Baltimore won seven of last ten games with Washington; five of last seven in series stayed under total. Orioles split last six games (over 4-3 last seven). Washington won seven of last nine games, with four of last six going over total. .


Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Atl-NY-- Perez 7-11; Colon 15-14
Phil-Mia-- Buchanan 2-10; Conroy 7-1
Mil-Chi-- Davies 2-2; Hendricks 17-12 (8-2 last 10)
Cin-StL-- Finnegan 1-0; Lynn 15-13 (0-3 last 3)
Pitt-Col-- Morton 13-8; Bergman 1-0
Az-LA-- Anderson 10-15; Greinke 22-8 (13-2 last 15)
SF-SD-- Peavy 9-7; Cashner 11-18 (1-4 last 5)

Chi-Det-- Montas 0-0; Verlander 5-12
NY-Tor-- Nova 6-8 (1-4 last 5); Stroman 2-0
TB-Bos-- Smyly 6-4; Porcello 12-13
Cle-Min-- Kluber 11-19; Hughes 12-12 (0-3 last 3)
LA-Hst-- Tropeano 2-3; Fiers 15-13/4-3
Sea-KC-- Elias 6-11; Ventura 14-11 (7-1 last 8)
Tex-A's-- Lewis 15-15; Doubront 6-4/5-1

Balt-Wsh-- Tillman 13-15; Scherzer 16-14


Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Atl-NY-- Perez 6-18; Colon 8-29
Phil-Mia-- Buchanan 4-12; Conroy 0-8
Mil-Chi-- Davies 1-4; Hendricks 7-29
Cin-StL-- Finnegan 0-1; Lynn 10-28
Pitt-Col-- Morton 10-21; Bergman 0-1
Az-LA-- Anderson 9-25; Greinke 7-30
SF-SD-- Peavy 4-16; Cashner 13-30

Chi-Det-- Montas 0-0; Verlander 3-17
NY-Tor-- Nova 2-14; Stroman 0-2
TB-Bos-- Smyly 1-10; Porcello 5-25
Cle-Min-- Kluber 11-30; Hughes 8-24 (4 of last 4)
LA-Hst-- Tropeano 2-5; Fiers 4-28
Sea-KC-- Elias 7-17; Ventura 6-25
Tex-A's-- Lewis 6-30; Doubront 5-10 (4 of last 4)

Balt-Wsh-- Tillman 5-28; Scherzer 7-30


Umpires
Phil-Mia-- Underdogs won both Torres games this season.
Atl-NY-- Seven of last nine Schrieber games went over.
Mil-Chi-- Five of last six Nauert games went over total.
Cin-StL-- Last seven Cuzzi games went over the total.
Pitt-Col-- Under is 4-0-1 in last five Carapazza games.
Az-LA-- Five of last six Hudson games stayed under.
SF-SD-- Home side won both Scheurwater games.

NY-Tor-- Favorites won last nine Reynolds games.
Chi-Det-- Seven of last ten Woodring games went over.
TB-Bos-- Favorites won seven of last eight BWelke games.
LA-Hst-- Underdogs are 8-6 in last 14 TBarrett games.
Cle-Min-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six Bellino games.
Sea-KC-- Last four Drake games went over the total.
Tex-A's-- Underdogs are 6-5 in last eleven Baker games.

Blt-Wsh-- Six of last nine Ripperger games went over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Thursday, September 24, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

Apparently the dysfunctional Miami Marlins aren't going to wait until the offseason to decide on a manager to replace interim skipper and former general manager Dan Jennings. Reports are that the Marlins have spoken to both Manny Acta and Dusty Baker. Acta previously managed the Nationals and Indians, while Baker led the Giants, Cubs and Reds. Baker is a great regular-season manager but not in the playoffs. And I think Jennings may want to get his resume handy. Supposedly he was going to get kicked back to the front office after the season, but CBS Sports' Jon Heyman is reporting that Jennings didn't even know the team had interviewed Acta. I think that's a pretty good hint that ownership won't be bringing Jennings back. Nor should it.


Phillies at Marlins (-160, 8.5)

Philadelphia was hoping to get back rookie third baseman Maikel Franco and first baseman Ryan Howard back off the disabled list before this season ended, but that's now unlikely -- meaning Howard may have played his final game in a Philly uniform. By the way, the Phillies did name give interim manager Pete Mackanin the full-time job for 2016 on Tuesday. Philadelphia starts Alec Asher (0-4, 9.78) in this one. He has made four big-league starts and has yet to last past five innings. He hasn't faced Miami. The Marlins go with Jarred Cosart (2-4, 4.43). This is his fourth start after missing two months with vertigo and the Marlins have won the previous three. He is 1-1 with a 3.27 ERA in two starts this year vs. the Phillies.

Key trends: The Phillies are 3-14 in their past 17 Thursday games. The Marlins are 0-5 in Cosart's past five following a quality start in his last appearance. The "over/under" is 4-0 in Asher's four starts. The under is 5-1 in Cosart's past six at home.

Early lean: Marlins and under.


Mariners at Royals (-166, 8)

Kansas City's Greg Holland was arguably the best closer in baseball last year, an All-Star and won the Mariano Rivera Award as the AL's top closer. Well, he's no longer in that role. Manager Ned Yost made things official on Tuesday in demoting Holland in favor of set-up man Wade Davis. Holland has 32 saves but a high 3.83 ERA and his velocity is way down. Davis has been just about unhittable with a 0.88 ERA in 63 innings entering Wednesday. The Royals go with Johnny Cueto (9-12, 3.43) here. He had been in the worst slump of his career but turned it around last time out, allowing two runs in seven innings against the Tigers even though the Royals lost his sixth straight start. He hasn't faced Seattle this year. It's James Paxton (3-4, 3.70) for Seattle. The lefty has a 3.70 ERA in two starts since coming off a 15-week DL stint with a finger injury. He hasn't faced K.C. this year.

Key trends: The Mariners are 2-6 in Paxton's past eight on road. The Royals are 0-5 in their past five vs. a lefty. The under is 4-1 in Paxton's past five. The over is 7-0 in Cueto's past seven.

Early lean: Royals and under.


Pirates at Rockies (+125, 11)

Don't expect to see terrific Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado for this one. He left Tuesday's game after hitting his forehead on the infield dirt while making a diving attempt during the ninth innings against Pittsburgh. He did pass concussion tests, however. Arenado is a defensive magician and hitting .283 with 39 homers and 115 RBIs. Those might be NL MVP numbers in another season and if the Rockies were any good. So that's likely one fewer big bat to worry about for Pirates lefty Jeff Locke (8-11, 4.48). He was a bit shaky last time out, allowing five runs in 6.1 innings in a loss at the Dodgers. Locke hasn't faced the Rockies this year. Colorado's Chad Bettis (8-5, 4.46) is 2-1 with a 2.76 ERA this month. It's his first look at Pittsburgh.

Key trends: The Pirates are 4-9 in Locke's past 13 on the road. The Rockies are 7-3 in Bettis' past 10 at home. The over is 8-1-2 in Locke's past 11. The over is 8-2 in Bettis' past 10 vs. teams with a winning record.

Early lean: Rockies and over.


Rangers at A's (+138, 8)

Interesting decision by Texas. Originally, ace lefty Cole Hamels was set to start the opener of a big series with Houston on Friday. But instead, the team has moved Hamels up to Thursday in order to get him a total of three regular-season starts remaining instead of two. So he would be lined up to pitch the season finale against the Angels, if that's important. If the Angels game becomes irrelevant, Hamels is lined up to start a playoff opener. Hamels (10-8, 3.67) hasn't faced Oakland since coming over in a trade with the Phillies. Not many Oakland hitters have ever faced him. Billy Butler is 1-for-3 with a homer and five RBIs. Texas did catch a break here in that the A's bumped back ace Sonny Gray and will go with Chris Bassitt (1-6, 2.82). He hasn't pitched since Aug. 26 due to shoulder soreness. Bassitt has pitched one inning vs. the Rangers in 2015 and allowed two runs.

Key trends: Texas is 7-0 in Hamels' past seven starts. The A's are 2-5 in Bassitt's past seven. The under is 5-1 in his past six at home.

Early lean: Rangers and under.


Rays at Red Sox (-118, 9)

The Red Sox are likely to be without third baseman Pablo Sandoval the rest of this series with a significant upper respiratory infection. Really not a big loss as Kung Fu Panda has been a giant dud since signing a five-year, $95 million free-agent contract. He is last in the majors in wins above replacement. Lefty Wade Miley (11-10, 4.34) gets the start here for Boston. He pitched at Tampa Bay on Sept. 11, allowing three runs and seven hits in seven innings. In four starts against the Rays this season, Miley is 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA. Evan Longoria is 3-for-16 off him with a homer. It's Erasmo Ramirez (10-6, 3.70) for Tampa. The Rays have lost his past five even though his past two he has been excellent, allowing a total of two earned runs over 14 2 innings. Ramirez is 0-0 with a 1.29 ERA this year in seven innings vs. Boston. Brock Holt is 4-for-9 off him with a homer and three RBIs.

Key trends: The Rays are 2-7 in Ramirez's past nine vs. teams with a losing record. The Sox are 8-3 in Miley's past 11 at home. The over is 6-0 in Ramirez's past six on road. The over is 5-0 in Miley's past five.

Early lean: Red Sox and over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

StatFox Super Situations

MLB | TEXAS at OAKLAND
Play Against - Any team (OAKLAND) with a starting pitcher whose winning percentage is worse than 20%, starting a over rested pitcher who is working on 7 or more days rest
28-10 over the last 5 seasons. ( 73.7% | 19.3 units )


StatFox Situational Power Trends

MLB | NY METS at CINCINNATI
NY METS are 40-17 (+26.9 Units) against the money line in Road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was: NY METS (5.8) , OPPONENT (4.0)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

PGA Tour Picks: Tour Championship Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews

How absurdly good is Jason Day playing on the PGA Tour right now? The Aussie dominated at the BMW Championship, the third event of the FedEx Cup playoff, last week. He opened with a 61 and never looked back, finishing at 22-under 262 to win by six shots and rise to No. 1 in the world for the first time in his career. Day also kept alive his chances to win PGA Tour Player of the Year honors. It's going to be either him or Jordan Spieth.

Day talked about rising to the world's top spot back in late 2007 with the Australian media when he was just 20 years old and preparing his first Tour season. Some criticized that Day was too brash back then. But he's clearly the best golfer alive right now. Day followed his first-round 61 last week with a 63, setting the PGA Tour's 36-hole scoring record. He led by at least four shots after each round. Day has won four of his past six starts, including the PGA Championship and two of the first three FedEx Cup events. His average margin of victory in his past three wins is five shots. He leads the Tour with five wins this year. Day joins only four others -- Tom Watson (1980), Nick Price (1994), Vijay Singh (2004) and Tiger Woods (1999-2003, 2005-07, 2009, 2013) -- as the lone players who have won five or more times in a season since 1980.

Day also has now posted at least 20-under par in three different events this season. It's the first time someone has done that three times since Tiger in 2006. Day was the +700 favorite at Bovada for the BMW. I didn't pick him to win but did get him for a Top 10 at -135. I also hit on Dustin Johnson for a Top 10 at +150; he was my pick to win but finished T7.

So the Top 30 in the FedEx Cup points advanced to this week's season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta. Four players who weren't in the Top 30 entering the BMW played their way into the Tour Championship: Daniel Berger, Scott Piercy, Kevin Na and Harris English.

Technically, every player in the field can still win the FedEx Cup and the $10 million prize that goes with it. English is at No. 30. So he basically has to win and have a bunch of other crazy stuff, happen, including Day finishing 29th or 30th. That's not happening. The Top 5 in the points are Day, Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Henrik Stenson and Bubba Watson. If one of them wins the tournament, he wins the FedEx Cup. Stenson could win the Cup without having a single tournament victory all season. He can finish as low as T3 and still have a mathematical shot at it. Day would win the Cup with a Top 5 finish and if one of the other four guys in the Top 5 don' t win.

One guy who won't be winning the tournament or the FedEx Cup is Jim Furyk, the 2010 FedEx Cup winner. He had to withdraw from the BMW Championship after only six holes due to injury and isn't playing this week. It's not clear if he will be healthy enough to play in the Presidents Cup in a few weeks, either. Furyk was slated to play with Hideki Matsuyama in the first round. Now Matsuyama will now play as a single on Thursday.

Golf Odds: Tour Championship Favorites

To no surprise, Day is the +350 favorite as he attempts to become the first player ever to win the three playoff events in one season. If he wins here, you have to give him Player of the Year even though Spieth won the Masters and U.S. Open. Day was T4 here last year.

Rory McIlroy is +650. He was T4 last week, his best result since that ankle injury. McIlroy was T2 here last year. Spieth is +800. After back-to-back missed cuts to open the playoffs, he was T13 at the BMW. Spieth was 27th here a year ago and second in 2013.

Stenson (+1000) and Justin Rose (+1100) round out the favorites. Stenson was T10 last year and won the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup in 2013, his only other appearance at East Lake. Rose hasn't been worse than sixth at the Tour Championship the past three years.

PGA Tour Picks: Tour Championship Expert Betting Predictions

Top 4 finish odds, but I'll stick with Top 10. Go with Day (-500), Stenson (-200), Johnson (-110) and Rose (+150). Head-to-head, I like Day (-140) over McIlroy (+110), Rose (-110) over Rickie Fowler (-120), Stenson (-110) over Spieth (-120), and Matsuyama (+110) over Watson (-140).

For top American, I like Johnson (+700). Go with Rose at +225 as top European. I'll say Day wins the FedEx Cup but that Rose takes the tournament. He's 12th in points and to win the Cup would need that victory, Day to finish in a three-way tie for sixth or worse, Spieth to finish T4 or worse, Fowler to finish T3 or worse, Stenson to finish in a three-way tie for second or worse and Watson to finish T2 or worse.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Thursday Night Football'

Washington Redskins and New York Giant-Chockes kick-off week three action at MetLife Stadium Thursday night. Redskins coming off Week 1 loss avoided the dreaded 0-2 start with an impressive 24-10 victory over Rams behind an efficient, mistake-free Kirk Cousin along with 123 yards, two touchdowns on the ground from rookie Matt Jones. As for New York, you can blame Eli Manning, you can blame Tom Coughlin or you can blame the defense. Take your pick, but one thing for sure bad decisions, terrible clock management has resulted in consecutive fourth quarter collapses and an 0-2 start.

That said, Giants are being given too much respect in this one opening 4-point home favorites. You might be awful peeved backing New York Thursday night. The Giants have not responded vs a division foe off a straight up win (5-10 ATS) and sport a vig-losing 3-3-1 ATS record vs the division in September. In contrast, Redskins enter 4-2 ATS during the first month facing a division rival, 3-1 ATS as a road underdog vs a division opponent off a loss. One final tid-bit. Looking back three seasons Thursday night home favorites have not been the greatest bets going 15-18 against-the-spread.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Streaks, Tips, Notes

Cincinnati at Memphis September 24, 7:30 EST

Bearcats a money-burning 0-3 against-the-spread to open the campaign, 0-5 ATS its last five in September, 6-10 ATS L16 away from home will be hard pressed improving those numbers. Memphis torched Bearcats 41-14 last year in Cinci and this year Tigers are roaming in their own backyard. Tigers averaging a whopping 54 points/game on 570 yards/game should be able to do whatever they want offensively against visiting Bearcats. Tigers 6-1-1 ATS in September games, 16-5 ATS as host vs a team with a winning road record have been pegged 9-point faves.


Central Michigan at Michigan State September 26, 12:00 EST

Michigan State looks to remain perfect when they host Central Michigan on Saturday. Michigan State ridding a 15-1 SU stretch on home field should have little trouble against their MAC opponent. But, at 26.5 point chalk you bet Spartans at some risk. Pesky Chippewas haven't lost the cash this season and hit the field 7-3 ATS in their last 10 vs. the Big Ten. On the other side, Spartans haven't cashed a ticket yet, are a vig-losing 8-8 ATS the last 16 home games and enter 5-6 ATS laying 20 or more points, 3-8-1 ATS their last 12 games in September.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dave Cokin

Bonus Play

351 FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL @ 352 LOUISIANA TECH

Take: FIU +14

There isn’t any question that Louisiana Tech warrants the favorite’s role as they take the field on Saturday against Florida International. But I’ll make the case that the visiting Panthers are catching more than enough points to give them a great chance to at least notch a spread cover.

This is not a great scheduling spot for the Bulldogs. They’re returning home a bit wounded after absorbing two gut wrenching losses at Western Kentucky and Kansas State. I’m wondering about how much crowd support will be on hand at Ruston as well. There’s a “red out” scheduled for this game, but indications are that the ticket sales are a bit slow and that there just isn’t a great deal of enthusiasm for this matchup.

Florida International already has one road upset under its belt and narrowly missed a second. The Panthers got the outright win as double digit dogs against Central Florida, and the two-TD loss at Indiana was very misleading. FIU was driving for the tie, but they fumbled at the Indiana two yard line and the Hoosiers took it to the house to create a 14-point swing.

FIU is not especially dynamic on offense, although I do like their QB. But the Panthers are not strong on the offensive line and let’s just say Ron Turner doesn’t want his team getting into a shootout on Saturday. If the staunch Panthers defense against the run is maintained, they shouldn’t have to sweat that eventuality. That makes Kenneth Dixon the likely most important player on the field Saturday. If he gets contained, FIU figures to be right in this game. If Dixon gets rolling, the road team is in deep trouble.

The big edge for Florida International is that they have an excellent chance of being the fresher team with La Tech off two wild games. I’m sure there’s a sense of urgency with the Bulldogs as they obviously cannot afford another conference loss this early. But it’s nevertheless not the easiest thing for a team to be laying two TD’s when coming home off two excruciating defeats.

I’m a big fan of backing underdogs that excel at stopping the run. FIU fits join that category and they also would appear to have some value off my two strongest sets of power ratings. I made this Louisiana Tech -11, so I’m getting what I feel is the best of it on the number. Mix in the potential advantages previously described and there’s more than enough here to grab the two touchdowns with FIU to get me a spread winner.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Arthur Ralph Sports

FREE THURS Texas w/ Hamels -150

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CAPPERS ACCESS

(NFL) NY Giants
(CFB)Cincinnati
Cardinals(RL)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

GAMBLERS DATA

Pirates -125

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Ray Monohan

Texas Rangers vs Oakland A's

5* MLB Bonus Play Under

The Rangers and Athletics get things going early on Thursday and the Under is a solid play.

After two night games, both teams suffer a quick turnaround with a 12:10 start on the west coast. LH Cole Hamels and RH Chris Bassitt.

Hamels has turned in 2 straight quality starts going 7 innings in each allowed 3 runs then 1 run. Hamels has dominated the AL West as both of his last two starts have came against the Astros and Mariners.

As for RH Chris Bassitt, he owns a 1-6 record, but has an ERA of 2.82. Bassitt did allow 4 runs in just 4.1 innings last time out, but prior to that he had no allowed more than 3 runs in a start since June.

Both pitchers are in solid form and we should see a typical getaway day low scoring affair here.

Back the Under.

Good Luck, Razor Ray.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Jack Jones

Tampa Bay Rays vs Boston Red Sox

Jack's Free Pick Thursday: Boston Red Sox -118

I like the price we are getting with the Boston Red Sox tonight in a battle between two teams that really have nothing to play for. The Red Sox had won three straight before dropping games to the Rays each of the past two days, so they'll at least be motivated to square this series at 2-2.

The reason this is a good price is the pitching matchup. Wade Miley has really pitched well here down the stretch, going 1-0 with a 2.78 ERA and 0.882 WHIP in his last three starts. He has owned the Rays this season and throughout his career, going 3-1 with a 1.85 ERA and 1.051 WHIP in six starts against them.

Erasmo Ramirez is having a decent season overall, but his 4.37 ERA on the road in 13 starts leaves a lot to be desired. Ramirez does not enjoy facing the Red Sox, going 0-0 with a 5.09 ERA and 1.528 WHIP in four career starts against them.

Ramirez is 0-9 (-9.3 Units) against the money line in September games over the last 2 seasons. The Rays are 0-5 in Ramirez's last five starts overall. The Red Sox are 10-2 in their last 12 after allowing 5 runs or more in their previous game. Boston is 8-3 in Miley's last 11 home starts. Bet the Red Sox Thursday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

JORDAN HAIMOWITZ

Cincinnati vs. Memphis
***3 Star Offensive Explosion***
Play on the OVER 66 points.