Tuesday 6/21/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPOT PLAYS

For Tuesday


TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE


Finger Lakes (5th) Millpoint Creek, 3-1
(6th) Exact Again, 8-1


Fort Erie (1st) Forest Breeze, 3-1
(5th) American Feminist, 6-1


Indiana Grand (2nd) Dear Benny, 7-2
(5th) Insist, 7-2


Mountaineer (2nd) John's Mariah, 6-1
(8th) Cardiac Rehab, 3-1


Parx Racing (1st) Sally's News, 7-2
(7th) Persuasive Girl, 7-2


Presque Isle Downs (2nd) It's All Reality, 8-1
(5th) Brezno, 8-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

June Pitchers Report
By Marc Lawrence

You know the saying, “May flowers bring June showers.”

For Major League Baseball pitchers hurling during the month of June, showers are hopefully not in their immediate plans. Instead, it’s the hope of all MLB starting pitchers to stay around long enough in their starts to avoid having to clean up and go home early.

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 June. On the flip side, we've also listed pitchers that struggle in June, 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 June 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 June list.


GOOD MONTH PITCHERS:

Arrieta, Jake - 8-4 (6-2 A)

Only Clayton Kershaw has been in Arrieta's stratosphere since 2015. The right-hander is in the right organization which has allowed his abundant talents to flourish and this season opposing batters are hitting a mere .168 against him. His effortless delivery and mid-90's fastball causes a lot of swings and misses as does his breaking pitches.

Cole, Gerrit - 10-2 (6-0 A)

Cole is now the ace of the Pittsburgh staff and expertly commands a two and four-seam fastball in the mid to upper 90's which he can sink or have riding action. After a sluggish start to season, his ERA is down to close to 2.50 and expect him to have another fine month. Note: Cole’s numbers above reflect his career team mark during June.

*Colon, Bartolo - 10-5 (7-0 H)

The 43-year old right-hander just keeps churning along on staff that is very talented and youthful. Colon knows how and where to spot his fastball, which he tosses 70 or more percent of the time and blends in a quick slider that has excellent depth. The fact is Colon understands his craft and wins.

Lackey, John - 11-5 (6-1 H)

Remember for years no pitcher in his right mind would want to pitch at Wrigley Field, now they line up for the chance. Being a talented young team helps and Lackey is the right fit, with fastball he keeps low in the zone and sinker opposing hitters cannot elevate. Through two months, the batter's Lackey has faced are at a lowly .209 batting average and his WHIP is sick 0.97.

Sanchez, Anibal - 9-4 (8-3 H)

The Detroit hurler has gotten off to a rugged start with ERA over 6 as June began. Sanchez's problems revolve around lack of pitch placement, not even having 2-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio and giving up more than a hit an inning. Of the 58 hits allowed, 11 have left the yard and if the Tigers are going to be contenders in the AL Central, Sanchez will have to throw like previous June's.

*Scherzer, Max - 11-4 (6-2 A)

If you research Mad Max's numbers, many are at or below career norm, yet he begins this month with an ERA over 4. The problem is too many pitches right down the middle, which is why he on pace to give up 45 home runs (15 thru May). If Scherzer solves this, he will have a great rest of the year.

Tillman, Chris - 11-3 (4-1 A)

After an off year in 2015, the Orioles righty has come back in a big way. When he's at his best like he has been this year, Tillman works his low 90's heater at the knees on both sides of the dish and his curve and changeup have sharp downward motion. He starts this month with hitters at .203 batting average versus his tosses.

Volquez, Edinson - 11-5 (7-1 A)

The Royals right-hander is doing what he does best, as in nine of his 11 starts for Kansas City he has induced double digit groundball outs. Volquez is still thought to be a power pitcher and gets numerous weak swings with tilted curve and deluxe changeup he will throw on any count.

*Zimmermann, Jordan - 12-5 (8-3 H)

After an unbelievable start, Zimmermann has drifted back to the previous career numbers. He pulled a groin late last month, but is expected to make start on June 3rd and continue from that point. His strengths include four pitches he trusts to throw for strikes and he has shown greater durability thus far in the AL.


BAD MONTH PITCHERS:

Miller, Shelby - 6-12 (2-6 A)

After disastrous start with Arizona, having ERA over 7, maybe a trip to the DL with bad finger on throwing hand will settle Miller down, who looks like he is trying to throw a no-hitter on every pitch and is getting hammered. The talent has always been in place, just not the execution as this record shows. Note: Miller’s numbers above reflect his career team mark during June.

Verlander, Justin - 4-10 (2-5 H)

No longer equipped with high 90's fastball, Verlander tends to give up runs in bunches these days. He can be sailing along for three to five innings and then give up three or four runs in single inning. Without the necessary secondary pitches, he's become easier to hit a third time through the lineup.

Weaver, Jered - 5-10 (1-6 A)

It is sometimes tough to watch former aces who were among the best in the game, as their stuff is in decline and they are not close to what they used to be. This is the case of Weaver, whose fastball barely reaches 85 MPH, which makes his breaking ball and assortment of change-ups less effective. It is no accident at this juncture hitters are clocking him for .311 BA.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NL Value Starters
By Joe Nelson

There are several months to go but it is easy to be excited about the National League playoffs given how stacked the league is with power arms and elite starting pitching.

The American League All Star team will have an unenviable task next month as Terry Collins will be able to trot out a truly elite starter in every inning if he wants to.

As the separation grows between the contenders and the rest of the league the cost to support the elite starters on quality teams will continue to grow.

Ultimately identifying quality starters at lower price points will be the key to having success in the National League given how steep the prices will be on the starters for the Cubs, Nationals, Giants, and Mets, as well obviously Clayton Kershaw.

There are several National League starters that project a few tiers down that still can offer some promising potential on many nights while falling in line at costs that are much easier to stomach in most matchups.

Here are a handful of possible value starters in the NL for the coming weeks.

Jerad Eickhoff (Philadelphia Phillies): Aaron Nola was the dominant starter for the Phillies in the first two months of the season and remains the highest priced starter in that rotation. It was Eickhoff that wowed in eight starts last season however and after some ups-and-downs in April he is starting to put it together again in 2016. Eickhoff is almost 26 and he won’t be on a sharp innings watch like Nola or Vincent Velasquez in the Phillies rotation and he has allowed three or fewer runs in seven of his last eight starts. Eickhoff owns a better than 3:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and despite his 4-8 record he has picked up a win in three of his last five starts after starting the season 1-6. His ERA is just 3.40 with a FIP that is only slightly higher and his walks and home runs allowed have been kept in check of late. With a limited offense the Phillies are sometimes tough to support but the team has still won 30 games with similar home and road results and Eickhoff might be the best pitcher to support for the Phillies with the ‘under’ also looking playable in many of his upcoming starts.

Michael Wacha (St. Louis Cardinals): Wacha looked like he was on the superstar fast track starring for the Cardinals late in the 2013 season and in the playoffs. Injuries derailed him in 2014 but he had a fine 2015 season for the 100-win Cardinals. Wacha has already taken as many losses as he did last season at 2-7 but his FIP is 3.51, significantly lower than his season FIP was in 2015 when he wound up 17-7 with a 3.38 ERA. The Cardinals had a slow start to the season but the team is rounding back into form and while catching the Cubs might be a challenge in the NL Central this certainly looks like a team poised to claim a wild card spot. Wacha’s marginal numbers will lead to reasonable pricing to support him even though he is still capable of a dominant outing. The schedule has worked against Wacha as since mid-May his starts have come against the Rockies, Cubs, Nationals, Giants, Pirates, and Rangers, taking on some of baseball’s best offensive teams. Even so he has a quality start in three of his last four outings and he offers great promise the rest of the season at discounted pricing compared to the lines he drew last season.

Bartolo Colon (New York Mets): Backing Noah Syndergaard or Steven Matz is certainly more comforting but Colon’s prices are sharply discounted on the following nights for the Mets. The 43-year old is occasionally the butt of jokes but there is nothing funny about the success he is having against NL hitters. Colon has delivered five consecutive starts with two or fewer runs allowed and his ERA is down to just 3.01. He owns a better than 4:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and while he gives up a lot of hits, he usually escapes with limited damage and he has only allowed two home runs over his last six starts. The Mets are 8-4 in his last 12 starts and with New York possessing an unreliable offense Colon can be supported at a much more reasonable price than the rest of the rotation, avoiding the risk of laying -200 or greater behind an offense that is often sweating out one-run games.

Jake Peavy (San Francisco Giants): While it seems like Jake Peavy has been around forever he is only freshly 35 and could have a few solid years remaining in his career. Peavy is 3-6 with a 5.83 ERA but after a rocky start to the season he has been pretty reliable in recent weeks. His season FIP is a much more respectable 4.16 and his ERA is only 1.82 over his last four starts. Peavy is still getting nearly seven strikeouts per nine innings and after allowing six home runs in his first six starts of the season he has allowed just two in his last seven starts. Everyone would prefer to support Madison Bumgarner or Johnny Cueto but Peavy might be the value option to support a Giants squad that scores nearly 4.5 runs per game despite playing in a pitching-friendly ballpark, while also playing strong defense and generally looking like one of the best teams in baseball.

Zach Davies (Milwaukee Brewers): Davies hasn’t been considered a high ceiling prospect and with his small frame he was only a 26th round draft pick by the Orioles in 2011. Davies is only 23 however and after a shaky April he has emerged as a reliable option in the Milwaukee rotation. Davies has a K/9 of 8.3 over the last month while turning in four straight quality starts. Davies has actually allowed six or fewer hits in 10 consecutive starts and while he has been a little fortunate with a low .262 BABIP on the season his command has been strong with a low walk rate. Davies seems to have solved Miller Park which typically is a tough venue for pitchers as he owns a 2.88 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP in eight home starts with the Brewers winning five of those games. While Milwaukee isn’t likely to be a playoff contender the Brewers have a winning home record and Milwaukee has played above .500 ball since the calendar turned to May as this has been a competitive team that is still frequently getting solid underdog pricing.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Nine for nine: Surprise starters cashing for MLB bettors
By JOE FORTENBAUGH

On June 8, highly-touted 24-year-old pitching prospect Jameson Taillon made his Major League debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates in what eventually hit the box scores as a 6-5 loss to the defending National League Champion New York Mets. In that defeat, the 6-5, 240-pound righty from Lakeland, Florida surrendered just three earned runs through six credible innings of work. For all his efforts, Taillon was sent back down to the minors.

That’s not to say the Pirates weren’t impressed, because they most certainly were. There just wasn’t enough space on the 25-man roster to retain their bright young pitching star. But Taillon was called up again this past week when ace Gerrit Cole went on the disabled list with a right triceps strain and this time around he dazzled to the tune of 8.0 innings of work with just two hits and zero runs surrendered in a 4-0 win over that same New York Mets club.

The point of the story here is that the Pirates aren’t the only club in Major League Baseball that will be calling up highly-regarded pitching prospects over the next few months. In fact, several clubs will want to take a good, long look at what they have in their respective farm systems. The key, however, is to identify which of these pitchers will be able to deliver the goods at a great betting price night in and night out. But before we take a look at the prospects who could make some waves in the near future, let’s analyze nine surprising pitchers who have turned a sizeable profit through the first three months of the 2016 MLB season.

Chris Tillman, RHP, Baltimore Orioles (2.87 ERA)

Decisions: 9-1, +$883
Overall: 12-2, +$1,065

Analysis: The Orioles have emerged victorious in ten of Tillman’s last 11 starts, with the eight-year veteran surrendering two or fewer earned runs eight times during that stretch. Tillman boasts a diverse four-pitch arsenal (four-seam fastball, changeup, slider, knuckle-curve) that devastated the Red Sox for seven full innings on June 14 (5 hits, 1 earned run, 7 Ks) en route to a 3-2 Orioles victory despite entering the game as +176 underdogs. Take note, however, that the 6-5, 200-pound righty has been listed as a favorite in eight of his last nine trips to the bump.


Colby Lewis, RHP, Texas Rangers (2.81 ERA)

Decisions: 6-0, +$821
Overall: 10-4, +$923

Analysis: Despite pitching for the A.L. West-leading Texas Rangers, Lewis has taken the mound as an underdog in six of his last seven starts, delivering a tremendous return on investment in the process. His latest gem came in the form of a complete game, two-hit masterpiece in Oakland on Thursday where the 36-year-old took a no-hitter into the ninth inning before surrendering a lone run in a 5-1 Texas victory. After losing back-to-back Lewis starts on May 4 and May 9, the Rangers have since rattled off seven straight wins with Lewis leading the charge, a stretch that has seen the pitcher lower his ERA from 3.20 to 2.81.

Next start: Tuesday, June 21 vs. Cincinnati Reds

Michael Fulmer, RHP, Detroit Tigers (2.52 ERA)

Decisions: 7-1, +$710
Overall: 8-1, +$860

Analysis: Since surrendering five runs on ten hits in a 9-4 loss at Cleveland on May 5, Fulmer has won six straight decisions while dropping his ERA from a lofty 6.30 to 2.52. More recently, the 23-year-old from Oklahoma City has rattled off a four-start stretch that has featured four wins, 27.1 innings pitched, nine hits and a staggering zero total earned runs. Give a large portion of the credit for that run to Fulmer’s incendiary fastball, the four-seam variety of which averages 94.4 mph with a complementary two-seamer that sits at 94.9 mph.


Josh Tomlin, RHP, Cleveland Indians (3.27 ERA)

Decisions: 8-1, +$707
Overall: 10-2, +$805

Analysis: Tomlin has allowed more than two earned runs in an outing just four times in 12 starts this season and only once over his last six trips to the hill, which has been intriguing to most observers considering the Cleveland staff features three starters in Cy Young-winner Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar who were expected to dominate the headlines in 2016. Another big plus here is the fact that despite all his early-season success, Tomlin has still been listed as an underdog in three of his last five starts, a trend we expect to see shift in the very near future.


Aaron Sanchez, RHP, Toronto Blue Jays (3.38 ERA)

Decisions: 6-1, +$486
Overall: 8-5, +$151

Analysis: Yes, Sanchez has turned a very respectable profit in his seven decisions this season, but bettors need to be advised that the 23-year-old has been the benefactor of elite run support through the first three months of the 2016 MLB campaign, with the Blue Jays scoring seven or more runs in five of Sanchez’s last six starts. Granted, the 6-4, 220-pound righty has limited the opposition to three or fewer earned runs in seven of his last nine outings, but that explosive Toronto lineup is a big reason why Sanchez has been listed as a favorite of -140 or higher in four of his last six trips to the bump.


Rich Hill, LHP, Oakland A’s (2.25 ERA)

Decisions: 8-3, +$480
Overall: 8-3, +$480

Analysis: Acquired on a one-year, $6 million free agent contract this past winter, Hill may go down as the best value signing of the offseason…and in classic Billy Beane/Oakland Athletics fashion, will likely be flipped at the trade deadline for prospects. The 36-year-old southpaw has enjoyed quite the renaissance in 2016 thanks to a devastating curveball that features more than eight inches of both horizontal and vertical movement. The downside here, however, is the fact that Hill is currently on the disabled list due to a groin injury and won’t resume throwing off a mound until next week at the earliest.

Next start: TBD

Tyler Chatwood, RHP, Colorado Rockies (2.89 ERA)

Decisions: 8-4, +$434
Overall: 9-4, +$534

Analysis: Prior to the start of the season, many industry insiders considered the Rockies to be nothing more than a 70-win team at best. Yet, here we are on June 17 and Colorado resides at just one game under .500 thanks, in part, to the efforts of Chatwood, who has surrendered a grand total of just 12 earned runs over his last seven starts, with the 26-year-old winning four of his last five decisions. Credit a nasty two-seam fastball for the five-year veteran’s success, as Chatwood currently ranks first in the National League in ground ball percentage at 58.7 percent. Like they say, if the ball is on the ground, it can’t leave the yard.


Steven Wright, RHP, Boston Red Sox (2.22 ERA)

Decisions: 8-4, +$418
Overall: 8-5, +$289

Analysis: Wright has emerged victorious in each of his last five starts while permitting two or fewer earned runs in four of those aforementioned outings. But perhaps what is more impressive is that the 31-year-old’s knuckleball has induced at least 12 ground ball outs in three of his last four trips to the hill after the four-year veteran notched just one such effort through his first nine starts of the season. Wright is coming on strong and bettors would be wise to take notice.


Christian Friedrich, LHP, San Diego Padres (2.12 ERA)

Decisions: 3-1, +$268
Overall: 4-2, +$301

Analysis: True to form, the Padres are a dumpster fire, with two of their best pitchers (Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross) on the disabled list unable to spray any additional gasoline on the fire. But almost too quietly, Friedrich joined the rotation in mid-May and has since proven to serve as a glimmer of hope, with six total starts featuring three or fewer earned runs surrendered. Not only that, but the 28-year-old lefty has allowed only one home run on 603 total pitches this season. The best part here? Friedrich has been listed as an underdog in five of six starts since joining the rotation.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB roundup: Locke, Pirates end Giants' win streak
By The Sports Xchange

PITTSBURGH -- Erik Kratz hit a home run and starter Jeff Locke led a contingent of four Pittsburgh Pirates pitchers in shutting down the high-flying San Francisco Giants 1-0 Monday.
The Pirates not only busted up a five-game losing streak, but they did it against Giants ace Madison Bumgarner and against a San Francisco team that had won eight games in a row.
Locke (6-5), who had given up a combined 18 runs over his previous two starts, both losses, pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up five hits, striking out three and walking none. He was pulled after Jarrett Parker hit a two-out double to the center-field wall in the seventh.
Against San Francisco, Locke had been 0-1 with a 9.42 ERA in three career starts.
Mark Melancon pitched the ninth for his 20th save.
Bumgarner (8-3), who entered the game with a career-best seven-game winning streak, threw a five-hit complete game in the loss.
In the fifth, with two outs, Kratz sent the first pitch from Bumgarner to left. The ball barely cleared the wall, and left fielder Angel Pagan timed it well and leaped -- only to have the ball go off of his glove. Pagan slammed the glove onto the warning track in disgust. It was Kratz's first home run since Aug. 18, 2014.

Rockies 5, Marlins 3
MIAMI -- In a game that featured eight solo home runs, Mark Reynolds hit the go-ahead homer in the sixth inning to lead the Rockies to victory.
It was Reynolds' second homer of the game and it came off reliever Brian Ellington (1-1), snapping a streak of 15 straight scoreless innings by Miami's bullpen in the past week. The Marlins' relievers allowed just two hits in that span.
The eight solo homers are the most in a major-league game this season. In addition, it also set a major-league record for most solo blasts in a game in which all the runs scored were courtesy of the homers.
Two of the blasts were hit by Miami center fielder Marcell Ozuna, who has 15 homers this season, including three in two games.

Indians 7, Rays 4
CLEVELAND -- Francisco Lindor belted a solo home run to snap a tie in the eighth inning and Juan Uribe added a two-run blast to lead the Indians' victory.
Leading off the eighth, Lindor hit the first pitch thrown by reliever Erasmo Ramirez (7-5) into the seats for his eighth home run. One out later, Carlos Santana singled and Uribe followed two batters later with a home run over the wall in center, marking the third consecutive game in which he has gone deep.
The Indians extended their winning streak to four games and Tampa Bay's losing streak to five straight.
Bryan Shaw (1-3) struck out the side in the top of the eighth to get the win. Cody Allen pitched the ninth to earn his 14th save.
Evan Longoria then belted his 18th home run over the left-field wall, giving Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead.

Diamondbacks 3, Phillies 1
PHILADELPHIA -- The Diamondbacks scored three runs before Phillies starter Jeremy Hellickson could even get an out and rode those runs all the way to a win and a four-game series sweep over the Phillies.
For the Phillies (30-41), their seventh loss in a row matches a season high and drops the club to season-worst 11 games under .500.
The damage was done on exactly 10 pitches: three for a Jean Segura double, two for a Phil Gosselin RBI single to score the second baseman and five for a Jake Lamb home run to bring home Gosselin.
Arizona starter Shelby Miller (2-6) went 6 2/3 innings in his return from a right index finger sprain that sent him to the 15-day disable list.

White Sox 3, Red Sox 1 (10 innings)
BOSTON -- Reliever Zach Duke pitched out of a bases-loaded, nobody-out situation in the ninth inning and Jose Abreu delivered a two-run double in the 10th to give the struggling Chicago White Sox a victory.
Abreu hammered a 2-2 pitch from Craig Kimbrel (0-3) to right-center field with two outs in the 10th to give the White Sox only their 11th win in 37 games after a 23-10 start. A walk to Avisail Garcia and a single by J.B. Shuck set up the winning hit.
Kimbrel had 17 straight scoreless outings at Fenway Park since the season opener and turned in 17 scoreless outings in his last 18 tries.
Duke (2-0) used two strikeouts around a force at the plate to escape the ninth and deny Red Sox starter Steven Wright his ninth victory of the season.

Rangers 4, Orioles 3
ARLINGTON, Texas - The Rangers rallied from a three-run deficit to win a battle of first-place clubs.
Texas (46-25) extended its season-high winning streak to seven after coming from behind for the 23rd time this season. That's the most in the majors, with three in the last three days.
Baltimore squandered a 3-0 lead and missed several chances to extend the lead against Rangers starter Derek Holland. The O's outhit the Rangers 15-9.
Shin-Soo Choo drove in the two go-ahead runs and Ian Desmond hit his 11th home run of the season for Texas in the opener of a six-game homestand.
Shawn Tolleson (2-2) picked up the win in relief, with Sam Dyson working the ninth for his 14th save of the year. The Texas bullpen pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings.

Cardinals 3, Cubs 2
CHICAGO -- Brandon Moss and Jhonny Peralta each homered and starter Jaime Garcia tossed seven strong innings as the visiting Cardinals claimed a victory.
The Cardinals (36-33) snapped the Cubs' three-game winning streak and trimmed their gap to 11 1/2 games behind Chicago in the NL Central race in the opener of a three-game series at Wrigley Field.
Garcia (5-6) worked 6 2/3 innings, allowed two runs on six hits, walked two and struck out six. Trevor Rosenthal permitted three baserunners in a shaky but successful ninth to claim his 13th save of the season.
Cubs starter John Lackey (7-3) lost for the first time in three starts this season against his former team and suffered his first setback since May 11 against San Diego. He worked six innings, allowed three earned runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking three.
Ben Zobrist had three hits to pace the Cubs.

Astros 10, Angels 7
HOUSTON -- Doug Fister extended his winning streak to seven games and the Astros provided him ample run support in their win.
Five Houston starters recorded multi-hit games and every member of the lineup reached base at least once, with catcher Jason Castro joining the hit parade with his sixth home run to lead off the seventh inning.
Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa also went deep in support of Fister (8-3) as the Astros (35-36) won for the 10th consecutive time in a game Fister started. Carlos Gomez and Colby Rasmus recorded three hits apiece to pace an offense in which seven different starters scored at least once.
Second baseman Gregorio Petit belted his first career grand slam - and the first for the Angels this season - off Astros left-hander Tony Sipp with one out in the ninth. Pat Neshek got the final two outs for his first save.

Tigers 8, Mariners 7 (12 innings)
DETROIT -- Justin Upton hit his second home run of the game to lead off the 12th inning as the Tigers snapped a three-game losing skid.
With Vidal Nuno (0-1) working his third inning, Upton cranked a 2-2 pitch over the fence in left-center to end the contest. It was his eighth home run of the season.
Anibal Sanchez (4-7) received the victory for working a scoreless top of the 12th and stranding a runner on third with one out.
Upton hit a two-run home run to dead center field with one out in the seventh inning to give Detroit a 7-6 lead, but Seattle tied it in the eighth on a two-out double by Ketel Marte followed by an RBI single by Leonys Martin.

Dodgers 4, Nationals 1
LOS ANGELES -- Justin Turner and Joc Pederson homered and Clayton Kershaw won his 10th consecutive start in the Dodgers' victory.
The anticipated pitching matchup between Kershaw and Stephen Strasburg of the Nationals didn't materialize after Strasburg (10-0, 2.90 ERA) was scratched with an upper back strain less than two hours before the opening pitch.
Kershaw (11-1) limited the Nationals to a run and six hits with eight strikeouts and no walks in seven innings. Kershaw beat Washington for the eighth straight time.
The Nationals (43-28) have dropped three in a row.
Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect ninth for his 20th save of the season, becoming the Dodgers' franchise leader with 162 and breaking Eric Gagne's mark. Jansen also is the first Dodger with 20 saves in five seasons.
Yusmeiro Petit replaced Strasburg. Petit (2-1) gave up three runs and five hits with five strikeouts and a walk in six innings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (44-27) at Pirates (34-36)

Game: 2
Venue: PNC Park
Date: June 21, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH -- At 2:40 a.m. Monday, the Pittsburgh Pirates landed back home after playing a Sunday night national TV game in Chicago, a 10-5 drubbing that was their fifth loss in a row and 10th in their past 11 games.

The San Francisco Giants had breezed into Pittsburgh hours earlier, traveling after their afternoon game, a 5-1 win at Tampa Bay that was their eighth victory in a row.

Pirates players were allowed a later-than-usual arrival at PNC Park on Monday afternoon, and batting practice was canceled. The Giants kept a normal routine.

That's the way things seem to go for those who are struggling and those who are prospering.

But hold on. Pittsburgh not only showed signs of life but shooed away any perception of a mismatch. The Pirates came away with a 1-0 shutout win over the Giants.

Pittsburgh did it with good starting pitching, effective relief pitching, an incredibly timely home run from third-string catcher Erik Kratz and strong defense.

That might have set a different tone for the rest of the series, which continues Tuesday, compared with what many might have expected.

But don't tell the Pirates that they needed a game like Monday's for a confidence boost. Manager Clint Hurdle said the confidence had not wavered.

"One of the things that you need to battle (for) and be cognizant of in stretches like this, you pull tighter together," Hurdle said. "The offense has got to just do the offense. The bullpen, they take care of their end. You don't look around. You just continue to hold fast together, be steadfast to what you believe in, share it with the guys.

"You want to believe the first eight weeks of the season, or do you want to believe the last three? We can't control what other people believe."

However, the good feelings don't change the fact that the Pirates are hurting in a lot of places, and they are scrambling with their rotation.

Ryan Vogelsong is out after facial surgery. He told reporters Monday that he hopes to return in six weeks or so, although that might be optimistic.

Gerrit Cole is out with a triceps injury. Juan Nicasio has been placed on the restricted list because of a family matter.

Hurdle was a bit coy about who would start Tuesday night -- officially, it was TBD -- but it is expected that Wilfredo Boscan will be recalled for that task. Boscan has the versatility to pitch long relief and handle a spot start.

Boscan and the Pirates hitters won't get a big drop-off from Madison Bumgarner, who started Monday. They will go up against Johnny Cueto, who hasn't seemed to lose anything after signing with San Francisco in the offseason. He is 10-1 with a 2.10 ERA and three complete games.

Cueto has allowed just 20 walks in 14 starts, and San Francisco is 12-2 in games he has started.

On Monday, though, the Pirates beat the Giants on the field and in the injury news department. Hurdle said catcher Chris Stewart (knee soreness) stands a good chance of being available Tuesday.

The Giants, meanwhile, got unfavorable news about third baseman Matt Duffy. He left Sunday's game at Tampa ay after aggravating an Achilles' problem -- but not before establishing the active ironman streak at 188 games in a row. That streak came crashing down Monday, and Duffy won't be playing in this series and beyond.

"Wasn't great news," manager Bruce Bochy said of MRI results on Duffy. "He's heading to the DL with an Achilles' strain. It's at least two weeks. We're going to get another opinion and just see where we're at so I can probably give you a little bit more (Tuesday) on exactly how long. But right now, it's two weeks."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockies (33-36) at Yankees (34-35)

Game: 1
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: June 21, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

The New York Yankees had climbed over .500, only to find themselves quickly going under the break-even point and forced to restart their quest for a winning record.

The Yankees hope they will have a winning record by the time they conclude a nine-game homestand.

New York resumes its quest for respectability Tuesday when it hosts the Colorado Rockies in the opener of a two-game series at Yankee Stadium.

"We haven't been able to build on it," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "But I think this is the first time that we've been close that we're going home. Hopefully we can take advantage of nine games at home."

The Yankees are under .500 through 69 games at 34-35. In its streak of 23 straight winning seasons since 1993, the only time New York has been under .500 into late-June was during the 2007 season when it reached July with a 38-40 record and hit the All-Star break at 43-43.

Getting to and over the break-even point has seemed like a series of stops and starts for the Yankees. They were 4-3 on April 13 and did not reach .500 until May 24.

Then New York followed it up by losing eight of 12 from May 25-June 5.

That slump was followed by a five-game winning streak and, following a 4-0 win over Detroit, the Yankees held a 31-30 record only to lose the next four games.

"It has been frustrating that we get to that threshold of .500 and take a step back," New York designated hitter Alex Rodriguez said.

Two of those losses were in Colorado last week. While the Yankees scored 13 runs, 20 of their 22 hits were singles.

New York followed up its disappointing trip to Colorado by getting back to .500 with three straight wins in Minnesota but once again failed to climb over with Sunday's 7-4 loss.

If the Yankees are going to get some positive momentum, the first part of their homestand would seem like a logical starting off point. The first five games are against Colorado and Minnesota before it concludes with a four-game series against the first-place Texas Rangers.

Since beating the Yankees twice last week, the Rockies have dropped three of four.

They dropped the first three in Miami but salvaged the finale with a 5-3 victory Monday, getting two solo home runs from Mark Reynolds as well as solo shots from Trevor Story, Nick Hundley and Charlie Blackmon.

"I've never seen anything like that," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said to reporters Monday of the game's eight solo homers. "It's been a weird series. But we needed to win this game and we found a way to do it with the long ball."

The power is not a rare thing for the Rockies as third baseman Nolan Arenado's 20 home runs lead the National League and are tied for the major league lead with Baltimore's Mark Trumbo, while Story's 18 home runs are the most by any rookie.

Ivan Nova will be assigned the task of facing Story and Arenado for the second straight start. In Wednesday's 6-3 loss, Nova allowed five runs and a season-high 10 hits in five innings.

Arenado had an RBI single and hit a two-run home run off Nova while Story had a double against the right-hander.

Nova is 4-3 with a 4.66 ERA in eight starts and has allowed at least three runs in five straight starts after allowing three runs through his first three outings.

Colorado's Chad Bettis will oppose Nova for the second straight start. He snapped a three-game losing streak Wednesday when he allowed three runs (two earned) and seven hits over six innings.

Bettis is making his ninth start on the road and is 3-3 with a 5.52 ERA in those outings. He had a decent outing May 17 at St. Louis but has been tagged for a combined 11 earned runs and 15 hits over 11 2/3 innings during his last two road outings.

The Yankees have won five of six meetings with the Rockies in New York. They swept a three-game series in 2004 and won the final two games of the series June 24-26, 2011.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Padres (29-42) at Orioles (40-29)

Game: 1
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: June 21, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles become the final team in the majors to start interleague play when they face the San Diego Padres in a two-game series beginning Tuesday night at Camden Yards.

Baltimore (40-29), which leads the American League East by one game, has played all of their games against American League opponents but now will see the Padres four times in nine days. The Orioles head to San Diego (29-42) for a two-game series next Tuesday and Wednesday.

Every other team in the majors has played at least two interleague games.

The Orioles will be ending a tiring three-day stretch. They finished a three-game home weekend series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday and originally were scheduled for a day off on Monday.

But a rainout in Texas earlier this season on Baltimore's lone trip in 2016 forced a makeup game on Monday night. The Orioles flew to Texas for the game -- a 4-3 loss -- and turned around to return home for the Padres after that.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter talked Sunday about how this quirk in the schedule won't be an easy task.

"I think the big one is coming back (from Texas)," Showalter said. "Once again getting to bed at six or seven o'clock in the morning. They certainly didn't do us any favors by setting a start time at basically eight. That is a challenge, one we face a lot, though. Start times are not regulated."

The Orioles will be playing their third game without Manny Machado, currently serving a four-game suspension for his part in the brawl with Kansas City pitcher Yordano Ventura earlier this month. Machado returns Friday when Baltimore starts a four-game home series with the Tampa Bay Rays, which includes a split doubleheader Saturday.

Both starting pitchers in this game, Baltimore's Tyler Wilson (3-5, 4.16 ERA) and Luis Perdomo (2-2, 8.79), are coming off victories.

Wilson turned in his best start of the season in last Thursday's win over Boston where he blanked the hard-hitting Red Sox for eight innings. He allowed only three hits in shutting down the Red Sox.

Perdomo is a Rule 5 pick who posted his first major league victory as a starter on June 15 against Miami. He gave up three runs and six hits in six innings, and the Padres are hoping for more of the same against the hard-hitting Orioles.

The Padres, who had an off-day Monday, also will wait until they get to Baltimore to see what's going on with Jon Jay, who left Sunday's game with Washington after Gio Gonzalez hit him in the arm.

MLB.com reported that Jay left the game after five innings and manager Andy Green said X-rays on the forearm were negative. The site also said that Green doesn't think Jay will go on the disabled list.

"Just bruised right now, a little sore," Green said on MLB.com. "We'll see how he rebounds in Baltimore. Just going to wait and see how he responds."

The Orioles took two of three from Boston on the road last week and did the same versus the Jays in Baltimore before the loss in Texas.

San Diego sits last in the National League West and split a four-game series with the Nationals, winning the final two and scoring 13 runs in the process. The Padres are 1-3 in interleague play this year.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (33-39) at Blue Jays (39-33)

Game: 1
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: June 21, 2016 7:07 PM EDT

TORONTO -- After sweeping the Philadelphia Phillies in a four-game series, the Arizona Diamondbacks have momentum on their side as they continue their trip with two games against the Toronto Blue Jays.

"You can get some confidence, for sure," Diamondbacks closer Brad Ziegler told the Arizona Republic. "If we can get a positive vibe going in this locker and get everybody confident and excited to come to the ballpark again, it might make a lot of difference in the product we put on the field."

The Blue Jays cooled off somewhat when they lost the final two games of their three-game series against the Orioles in Baltimore to end a four-game winning streak. They had won seven of nine games before going to Baltimore.

While the Diamondbacks (33-39) completed their sweep of the Phillies with a 3-1 victory on Monday, the Blue Jays had the day off.

"We've been playing great baseball, but it's nice to have a day off," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "We need it. The guys are tired."

The Blue Jays and Diamondbacks have been infrequent opponents through the years, splitting 12 games.

After the two-game series at Rogers Centre, the Blue Jays (39-33) also have Thursday off before visiting the Chicago White Sox for three games and the Colorado Rockies for three before returning home on June 30.

After Toronto, the Diamondbacks will visit the Rockies for four games before returning home June 27.

The Blue Jays will start Marco Estrada (5-2, 2.58 ERA), who has allowed five hits or fewer in a club record 10 straight starts, on Tuesday. He is 0-0 with a 3.48 ERA against four career outings, including one start, against the Diamondbacks.

Arizona catcher Welington Castillo has four career home runs against Estrada.

Arizona will start left-hander Patrick Corbin (3-6, 4.76), who has pitched at least 6 1/3 innings in each of his past three starts with one win to show for it. Corbin has never faced the Blue Jays. He is 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA in five interleague starts.

Both teams are dealing with injuries. Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista went on the disabled list Saturday with a sprained toe, but shortstop Troy Tulowitzki returned from a quadriceps strain and hit a two-run homer on Sunday. Tulowitzki is 4-for-12 with a double and two walks against Corbin in his career.

The Diamondbacks got right-hander Shelby Miller back from a sprained finger on Monday and he picked up the win in Philadelphia.

"All around I felt good, so it's nice to be back up here and we're winning some games," Miller said.

Outfielder Socrates Brito was called up from Triple-A Reno to provide insurance in center field while outfielder David Peralta went on the DL with a lower back sprain. Infielder/outfielder Brandon Drury was optioned to Reno.

Brito was optioned to Reno on April 18 after opening the season with Arizona.

"I've been swinging at better pitches and my swing is really on time right now," Brito said. "I don't have any issues in my swing right now. I just feel really great."

First baseman Paul Goldschmidt was not in the Diamondbacks' starting lineup on Monday for the second time this season. He will take a 13-game hitting streak into Tuesday. He is batting .396 (21-for-53) with six homers, 18 RBIs and 12 walks during that span.

Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson had his career-best 11-game hit streak and his 23-game on-base streak end on Sunday.

Second baseman Devon Travis has a seven-game hit streak for Toronto, batting .481 (13-for-27) with two homers and nine RBIs.

"We're kind of putting everything together," Estrada said. "We're hitting, we're pitching. I've said it all year, we've a very dangerous team, and when we start putting things together, we're one of the best, if not the best."

As for the Diamondbacks, they figure to be facing a tougher assignment in Toronto than in Philadelphia.

"We know we're better than we've played," said Ziegler, who posted his 15th save of the season on Monday. "(The Phillies) might feel they're better than they've played, too. They got off to a great start.

"We've got to go out and not worry about records when they start the games. As cliche as it is, we've got to play it a pitch at a time."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Braves (23-46) at Marlins (37-33)

Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: June 21, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

MIAMI -- After taking three out of four games from the Colorado Rockies, the Miami Marlins (37-33) are playing well and have Jose Fernandez on the mound on Tuesday.

Given Fernandez's 23-1 career record at Marlins Park, Miami should feel tremendously confident against the last-place Atlanta Braves.

And the Marlins are no doubt confident ... except, of course, for the fact that Braves have owned Miami this season, winning five of six games.

The Braves lead the all-time series against the Marlins 223-160, including 103-87 in South Florida. Things haven't been any better since the Marlins moved into their new stadium in 2012. The Braves are 28-12 at Marlins Park.

Furthermore, the Braves are coming off a three-game road sweep of the New York Mets. Atlanta's win streak is at five games, and the Braves are averaging 6.2 runs during their run. Two of their wins were by one run.

"I hope we can build off this," first baseman Freddie Freeman said of the Braves' longest win streak since April 2015. "We haven't done this in a while.

"If we can keep playing (well), we can scare some teams that are going to the playoffs. We've got a ways to go. But hopefully when teams see us on the schedule they won't be like, 'We can just roll out there and beat the Braves.'"

Given their history together, you can be sure the Marlins are ignoring the Braves' horrible 23-46 record this season and focusing on how well Atlanta plays against this franchise.

In addition to home field, Miami will have pitching advantages on both days of this abbreviated series, with Fernandez (9-3, 2.67 ERA) and Adam Conley (3-4, 3.94 ERA) getting the starts for the Marlins. Conley leads the majors this season with three outings in which he has had a no-hitter intact for at least five innings.

The Braves will throw right-hander Bud Norris (2-7, 4.81 ERA) on Tuesday and Matt Wisler (3-7, 4.23 ERA) on Wednesday.

Miami is in wild-card playoff position despite taking some serious setbacks during the course of the season. All-Star second baseman Dee Gordon -- the only true stolen base threat on the team and an excellent defender and leadoff man -- is out until July 29 due to a suspension for using performance-enhancing substances.

In addition, Carter Capps -- one of the top strikeout pitchers in baseball -- has missed the entire year due to elbow surgery. He won't be back until 2017.

Mike Dunn, Miami's only lefty reliever, missed the first two months of the season.

But even with all that, the Marlins are in the race.

Now if they can only beat the Braves.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mariners (36-34) at Tigers (35-35)

Game: 2
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: June 21, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

DETROIT -- Seattle and Detroit will continue a four-game series on Tuesday night with each club seeking to work out problems with their rotations.

The Tigers have a reliable starter going in Justin Verlander (7-5), who has a 2.31 ERA in his last eight outings.

Detroit has also been getting solid outings from Wednesday night's starter, rookie Michael Fulmer, along with veteran Jordan Zimmerman.

The other two slots have been a season-long problem.

Mike Pelfrey was roughed up again Monday night, giving up 12 hits and a walk in five innings, and the other spot comes up Thursday -- with manager Brad Ausmus professing not to know who will fill the slot.

Ausmus will get no tears from Mariners skipper Scott Servais, though. Seattle will have three regular starters down with injuries if it gets bad news from Taijuan Walker's MRI.

Walker, limited to 3 1/3 innings and five shutout innings in his last two outings, went back to Seattle after his Sunday start in Boston to have the tendon along the right arch in his right root examined.

The Mariners might have to bring up right-hander Zach Lee, just acquired Sunday from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Mariners starters Wade Miley and Felix Hernandez are already on the disabled list. One replacement, Adrian Sampson, will start Thursday in Detroit.

"It's tough," Servais said. "We will get Wade back pretty soon, so that helps. Felix is feeling better. He had a good report (Monday), so he's moving in the right direction.

"It's just disappointing and disheartening, especially if Taijuan is going to be down for any amount of time."

Detroit's problems also extend to its bullpen, which has been ground down by having to cover for starters not being able to get into the sixth at least twice every time through the rotation.

One of the biggest problems is that our bullpen is not getting a break," Ausmus said. "(Shane) Greene has thrown five out of eight days, I think. We've got to get him a break somehow."

The problem also is that Greene, Justin Wilson and Francisco Rodriguez are the only relievers who have regularly pitched well.

"Win three lose four, win five lose six, that simply isn't going to cut it. We gotta play better, simple as that."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (34-36) at Red Sox (39-30)

Game: 2
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: June 21, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

BOSTON -- The last time Clay Buchholz started a game for the Boston Red Sox, he allowed six runs, seven hits and three home runs in five innings against the Colorado Rockies at Fenway Park.

That was May 26.

On Tuesday, the veteran right-hander returns from his exile to pitch against the Chicago White Sox - and ace Chris Sale.

Buchholz is receiving his chance on Tuesday due to his work in relief and the struggles of others.

"It is a combination (of factors for his return) and if Clay can build on the three innings (of relief last Thursday) and the majority of the appearances coming out of the bullpen, we're moving closer to what has typically been Clay's performance level here in the big league," Red Sox manager John Farrell said before Monday night's game.

With Buchholz in the bullpen, both Eduardo Rodriguez and Roenis Elias failed as starters. Rodriguez starts Wednesday and Elias is back in the minor leagues after one dismal start.

"We need more consistency out of those two (Nos. 4-5) slots," Farrell said. "We fully believe that the talent is (there) among the two guys in Eddie and (Buchholz). We get them on track, this is a deeper rotation."

Asked what Buchholz has been working on, Farrell said, "Simplifying his attack plan. To be more aggressive. I think we're seeing that each time he's walked to the mound, particularly with his fastball. It's allowed his changeup to be more effective.

"Looking forward to seeing more of that (on Tuesday)."

There are no such uncertainties with Sale, who became the major league's first 11-game winner with a win over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday. Sale is 11-2 as he makes his 15th start of the season - and tries to give the White Sox the first two games of the series after Monday night's 3-1 victory in 10 innings.

"You like Chris no matter what," manager Robin Ventura said after Monday's win. "But we have to swing the bats and do something offensively."

Buchholz has had success against the White Sox, going 2-1 with four quality starts in his last five outings against them. He has also fared well versus their current hitters as Brett Lawrie is 3-for-29, Melky Cabrera 7-for-34, Adam Eaton 0-for-9 and Monday offensive hero Jose Abreu 1-for-9.

Ventura was happy with Monday's win, which was set up by Zach Duke relieving and pitching out of a bases loaded/nobody out situation in the ninth inning.

"For us, it's hard to win one game sometimes (they've won 11 of their last 37 after a 23-10 start)," he said.

"It took a game as odd as this one for us to do it and I think it shows something about the toughness of the guys we have in here."

Sale hasn't beaten the Red Sox as a starter, going 0-1 with a 3.04 ERA in three career starts. But he is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA in five relief appearances and has 36 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings against Boston.

Xander Bogaerts is 5-for-10, David Ortiz 5-for-13 and Mookie Betts 3-for-7 against the Chicago ace.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rays (31-37) at Indians (39-30)

Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: June 21, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians, who are playing their best baseball of the season, will send former Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber to the mound Tuesday in the second contest of their three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Tampa Bay, in turn, will send rookie Blake Snell to the hill.

Cleveland goes into the Tuesday's tilt having won four games in a row overall and nine straight at Progressive Field, including a 7-4 victory on Monday night.

Tampa Bay enters the contest with one outfielder headed for the disabled list and another a possibility, plus a key reliever who is in a major slump.

Kluber (6-7, 4.23 ERA) is coming off one of the worst starts of his career, which came on Wednesday. In a 9-4 loss at Kansas City, Kluber gave up a career-high eight runs and nine hits in five innings.

Kluber has enjoyed success versus the Rays. In six career appearances against Tampa Bay, he is 2-2 with a 2.75 ERA.

Despite that hiccup by Kluber in his last start, the Indians continue to lean heavily on their starting pitching to keep them in first place in the American League Central Division. The starting rotation of Kluber, Danny Salazar, Carlos Carrasco, Trevor Bauer and Josh Tomlin has been very consistent.

One bullpen problem that appears to have been worked out is eighth-inning set-up man Bryan Shaw, who has bounced back from a handful of ugly appearances over the last three weeks to pitch effectively. In the Indians' win on Monday, Shaw relieved Tomlin to start the eighth inning of a 4-4 game.

Shaw was facing the first three batters in the Rays' lineup, Logan Forsythe, Brad Miller and Evan Longoria and struck out all three of them. After allowing a run in four of five appearances, with at least two baserunners in each of those appearances, Shaw has retired eight of the nine batters he has faced in his last two outings, six of them on strikeouts.

"He's an important guy for us because in order of us to be good, he needs to pitch good," manager Terry Francona said.

The Rays will have at least one and possibly two new players for Tuesday's game. Tampa Bay will recall a player from the minors to replace outfielder Mikie Mahtook, who suffered a broken left hand after getting hit by a pitch from Tomlin in Monday's contest.

Steve Pearce suffered a strained hamstring late in Monday's game and manager Kevin Cash said the outfielder will be evaluated on Tuesday before a decision is made on whether he will be placed on the disabled list.

The struggling reliever is Erasmo Ramirez, who is as important to the Rays' bullpen as Shaw is to the Indians' group. With the score tied 4-4 in Monday's game Ramirez faced five batters in the eighth inning and gave up three runs on as many hits, including two home runs. In his last 16 appearances, Ramirez is 1-4 with a 6.23 ERA while opposing teams are hitting .349 against him.

"We're concerned," Cash said. "He's played a big part in a lot of our wins but now he's in a rut. We need to get him fresh."

Snell (0-1, 2.16 ERA) will be making his third major league start. In a 6-4 loss to Seattle on June 16, Snell pitched 3 1/3 innings, giving up five runs, one earned, and eight hits, with three strikeouts and one walk.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (38-31) at Mets (36-32)

Game: 1
Venue: Citi Field
Date: June 21, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The Kansas City Royals appear to be positioning themselves for a chance at defending their World Series title. The New York Mets, meanwhile, seem a lot more than 171 days removed from falling to the Royals in the World Series.

The Mets will host the Royals in a World Series rematch on Tuesday night when the reigning league champions meet in the opener of a two-game series at Citi Field.

The Royals (38-31) are just 1 1/2 games better than the Mets (36-32). But Kansas City, which ended a four-game weekend series against the Detroit Tigers with three straight wins, entered Monday's off-day a half-game behind the American League Central-leading Cleveland Indians and in second place in the wild-card standings.

"These last couple days, we've been playing really good baseball," Royals third baseman Chestor Cuthbert said after delivering the winning hit in the 13th inning of Sunday's 2-1 victory over the Tigers.

The Mets, on the other hand, were outscored 15-4 during a three-game sweep at the hands of the Atlanta Braves, who have the worst record in the National League. New York produced only one base runner in Sunday's 6-0 loss when Braves right-hander Julio Teheran came within a third-inning single by left fielder Michael Conforto of throwing a perfect game.

The Mets have lost six of their last eight, all against sub-500 clubs, to fall into third place in the NL East, six games behind the division-leading Washington Nationals and into third place in the wild-card standings, a half-game behind the front-running Miami Marlins and Los Angeles Dodgers.

After New York's loss on Sunday, manager Terry Collins hinted at impending changes for the Mets, who rank 28th in the majors with 250 runs scored.

"You don't want to panic early," Collins said. "But right now, with what's going on, we are going to shake some things up."

The Mets might get a boost Tuesday when catcher Travis d'Arnaud is scheduled to be activated from the 15-day disabled list. D'Arnaud had just one RBI in 13 games before suffering a right shoulder injury on April 25.

Royals right-hander Ian Kennedy takes the mound for Kansas City on Tuesday against Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard, who picked up New York's only win in the World Series last season by alllowing three runs in six innings in Game 3.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (36-33) at Cubs (47-21)

Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: June 21, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said the real Cardinals have yet to appear, but they might be getting close after a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Monday night.

The Cardinals are in the midst of a three-game series at Wrigley Field with a record barely above .500 and trailing by 11 1/2 games in a division they have dominated in past years.

But Matheny shrugs off questions about making up the big gap. After all, St. Louis is a perennial powerhouse that has averaged nearly 92 regular season victories a season since 2008.

"It's one game, that's how we deal with it, don't look any further past that," Matheny said on Monday. "We're competing against ourselves because we haven't really shown for a long period of time the kind of team that we can be.

"Once we take care of that, the results will be there."

The Cardinals and Cubs still have 12 head-to-head games through the balance of this season.

The next comes Tuesday as the Cardinals send right-hander Adam Wainwright (5-4, 3.93 ERA) against Cubs righty Jason Hammel (7-2, 2.26 ERA). Wainwright is 2-1 with a 2.50 ERA over his last six starts, including five quality efforts. He's 12-7 with a 3.97 ERA lifetime against the Cubs.

St. Louis had an encouraging performance on Monday as Brandon Moss and Jhonny Peralta each homered while starter Jaime Garcia held the Cubs scoreless in six of seven innings pitched.

Still, it appears the balance of power is shifting in the Central from the reigning champion Cards to their rivals in Chicago.

The presence of two ex-Cardinals has helped as John Lackey and Jason Heyward were subtracted in the offseason and moved to a new home with the Cubs.

Both were in the starting lineup on Monday as teams opened a three-game Wrigley Field series.

The pair has had varying degrees of success for the Cubs, who are 26 games over .500 and own a 21-7 record inside the division.

Lackey has had the bigger impact for the Cubs with a 7-3 record and 2.78 ERA as he made his third appearances against his old team on Monday. He is now 1-1 against the Cards.

The argument for Heyward may be less convincing, at least so far. A lifetime .266 hitter, he is batting .238 with four home runs and 24 RBIs. He went 1-for-5 Monday, but he showed signs of a revival last weekend, going 3-for-5 on Sunday against the Pirates and had three three-hit games in his last seven.

But Heyward has struggled in five games against his former team, batting .111 (3-for-27).

The Cardinals will get two more chances against the Cubs this week in this first series of the season at Wrigley Field.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Reds (27-43) at Rangers (46-25)

Game: 1
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: June 21, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The red-hot Texas Rangers open a quick two-game interleague series against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night looking to extend history.

The Rangers, winners of a season-high seven in a row, are after their 11th consecutive series win against the last-place team in the National League Central. Texas ran its club-record series win streak to 10 by rallying past Baltimore 4-3 on Monday night in a one-game set.

That's the longest run in the American League since Tampa Bay won 10 straight in 2013. Texas would need to win both games against the Reds for an 11th straight series win, something no team has done since the 2002 Oakland A's.

"It's fun," Texas center fielder Ian Desmond said. "Winning is awesome. We're clicking on all cylinders."

The Rangers (46-25) also lead Major League Baseball with 23 come-from-behind wins and are now 17-4 in one-run games, the most such wins in the majors. Each of Texas' last four victories beginning Friday have been by one run.

"Our confidence has continued to grow in what they've been able to do," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "Obviously, we know the struggles we had earlier in the year, but these guys have shored themselves up. They're doing the things that we thought they were going to be able to do coming out of spring training."

Texas is 5-1 against the National League so far this season. The Reds and Rangers haven't met since 2013. The all-time series is 6-6, with Texas holding a 4-2 edge in Arlington.

Veteran right-hander Colby Lewis (6-0, 2.81 ERA) is taking the hill for Texas. Lewis is coming off a no-hit bid at Oakland last week, giving up his first hit in the ninth. He has a 1.55 ERA in his last four starts.

The Reds (27-43) are throwing right-hander Anthony DeSclafani, who owns a 2.08 ERA in two starts since coming off the disabled list. DeSclafani, 26, is part of a youth movement that includes pitcher Cody Reed and infielder Jose Peraza.

"It's exciting because this is what we've all talked about," Cincinnati manager Bryan Price told MLB.com. "We've anticipated it would happen a little bit sooner. We didn't anticipate the health issues, and didn't think we'd come out of spring training with all the issues and injuries.

"I did anticipate we'd get to the point where these young guys would impact our ballclub and begin to learn how to play at this level and find their way to success."

There has been a turnaround on the field, too. After opening the season 17-35, the Reds are 10-8 in June.

After a three-game series at Houston ended Sunday, the Reds spent an off day in the Dallas area on Monday.

Texas is honoring the 1996 Rangers before the game. That club was the first playoff team in club history and featured AL MVP Juan Gonzalez.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (31-39) at Astros (35-36)

Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: June 21, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

HOUSTON -- After right-hander Jhoulys Chacin failed to give the Los Angeles Angels the length they craved from their starter on Monday night, their hope entering Tuesday's middle game of their three-game series with the Astros is that left-hander Hector Santiago can keep rolling against Houston.

Santiago (4-4, 5.30 ERA) went 1-0 with a 1.85 ERA in four starts against the Astros last season. After pitching a total of 5 1/3 innings in his first two starts this month, Santiago rebounded to work six solid innings while defeating the Twins in his previous start, allowing just one earned run on two hits and two walks with five strikeouts in a 10-2 win.

Chacin lasted only two innings against the Astros in the series opener, forcing Angels manager Mike Scioscia to dip into his bullpen in the third inning and use three relievers to cobble together the final six frames.

"Just unacceptable only being able to throw two innings and make the bullpen throw six innings, especially with the other guys pitching really well the last few games," Chacin said.

With veteran right-hander Jered Weaver tossing a three-hit shutout at the Athletics on Sunday, the Angels' bullpen was coming off a day of rest. But with Chacin scuffling with his command, Scioscia had no choice but to first summon Mike Moran with six outs recorded and two games left in the series.

"I think enough was enough," Scioscia said. "It's 6-0, which is not ideal but you always figure this park you've got a chance to be in the game if you can hold them. We'd like to have got more (innings)."

Conversely, the Astros (35-36) received seven innings from right-hander Doug Fister and will now hand the ball to right-hander Collin McHugh (5-5, 4.89 ERA) on Tuesday night. McHugh recorded his fifth quality start of the season in his previous outing and is 4-2 with a 2.86 ERA over seven career starts against the Angels (31-39).

Setting a series rotation featuring three right-handers -- Fister, McHugh and Lance McCullers in the series finale on Wednesday -- serves as ideal planning for Astros manager A.J. Hinch. Fister improved to 3-3 with a sub-3.00 ERA against the Angels while McCullers is 1-1 with a 2.52 ERA in four career starts against the Angels.

After winning the three-game series in Anaheim late last month, the Astros entered their second series against the Angels feeling positive about the matchup in general and the way their pitching sets up. By digging into the Angels bullpen in the opener, the Astros not only put the Angels at a small deficit heading into Tuesday, they set the tone for the Angels to need a rally against another righty who has had their number.

"It's also a team where we feel we match up well against with our three right-handed pitchers going that have all pitched very well against them," Hinch said. "We'll match up against their predominately right-handed lineup and see where it takes us."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Phillies (30-41) at Twins (21-48)

Game: 1
Venue: Target Field
Date: June 21, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

Both the Phillies and Twins have to be looking at their upcoming series against each other the same way -- a chance to get some momentum against the worst team in the opposing league.

Following a miserable homestand that ended with a seven-game losing streak, the Phillies (30-41) head out to face a Twins squad that, at 21-48, is the only team in all of baseball with fewer wins.

Right now, Philadelphia's offense is almost dormant. They haven't scored more than three runs in any of their last seven games, and managed just one apiece in each of the last three. A club that was seven games above .500 in May is now 11 games below it and falling quickly.

"I believe we can (improve offensively)," manager Pete Mackanin said after a 3-1 loss to Arizona on Monday afternoon. "A lot of these guys were here last year and we hit better earlier in the season, so I know it's in there and I'd like to bring it out of them somehow."

"(It's) not anger but frustration," said Odubel Herrera, the team's leading hitter at .302; the next-best hitter is catcher Cameron Rupp (.264). "Our level of energy is high. We want to win."

They'll have their next chance on Tuesday, with young ace Aaron Nola (5-6, 3.51 ERA) looking to bounce back from the two worst starts of his career, going only a combined 6 2/3 innings while giving up 15 hits and 12 runs (10 earned) to the Nationals and Blue Jays.

Minnesota will counter with Tyler Duffey, who started the year strong (1-2, 1.85 ERA) but has struggled since. He's given up at least four earned runs in each of his last six starts, losing his last three decisions to drop to 2-6 with a 5.56 ERA.

The Twins ended a five-game slide of their own on Sunday with a 7-4 win over the Yankees before taking Monday off.

They're not quite as offensively challenged -- their team batting average of .244 is still much better than the Phillies' 225 -- they're looking for more pop in the lineup. Lately, Minnesota has been buoyed by the emergence of right fielder Max Kepler over the last two weeks.

Kepler, a 23-year-old Berlin, Germany native, went 3-for-4 on Sunday to run his hitting streak to six games, raising his average up to .243 after it had been as low as .125 at the beginning of the month. Over his last 10 games, he's hitting .316 (12-for-38) with two home runs and seven RBIs.

"Like I was taught and it's been preached a lot, the dumb baseball players are the best baseball players," Kepler told TwinCities.com. "When you have your mind shut off and the thoughts are completely aside the game, you just react to the stuff that you need to and it's usually a good day."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Brewers (31-39) at Athletics (28-41)

Game: 1
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: June 21, 2016 10:05 PM EDT

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland A's will have payback on their minds Tuesday night when they open a two-game interleague series against the Milwaukee Brewers at the Oakland Coliseum.

The Brewers swept a two-game series against the A's on June 7-8 at Miller Park. Milwaukee won the opener 5-4 and the finale 4-0.

"I think obviously we went there and they had two good pitching performances against us," A's catcher Stephen Vogt said Sunday. "We also had (Danny) Valencia and Khris Davis out of the lineup both those games. So looking ahead to this next series, we're hoping to take two from them. Hopefully we're healthy and ready to go."

Valencia, who is batting .326 with 10 home runs and 27 RBIs, missed both games against the Brewers with an illness. Davis, a former Brewer, was out with an elbow injury. Davis, who leads the A's in home runs (16) and RBIs (45), came out after the seventh inning Saturday against the Angels with a sore calf, and he didn't play Sunday.

A's manager Bob Melvin said the injury was "minor" and is hopeful that Davis will be able to play on Tuesday after an off day Monday.

The A's acquired Davis on Feb. 12 from the Brewers in exchange for two minor leaguers, catcher Jacob Nottingham and pitcher Bubba Derby.

A's right-hander Sonny Gray (strained right trapezius) will make his fourth start since coming off the disabled list June 5. He is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA and a .257 opponents batting average in his past three starts. He went 3-5 with a 6.19 ERA and .285 opponents batting average in nine starts before going on the DL.

"Since he's come back from the injury his stuff's been really, really good,". Vogt said.

In his previous start, Gray blanked the Rangers for five innings but gave up five runs in the sixth and got a no-decision in a 7-5 loss.

"I just started leaving the ball up and they really put some good swings on it and hit it really hard," Gray said. "I've got to try and stay down in the zone and continue to make pitches throughout the game. Just try to stay locked in the whole game."

Brewers right-hander Jimmy Nelson will face Gray and try to get back on track. He has gone 0-3 with a 9.69 ERA in his past three starts, allowing 23 hit in 13 innings. In his first 11 starts, Nelson went 7-4 with a 2.88 ERA.

Nelson is coming off a nightmare start in a 10-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants at AT&T Park in San Francisco. He gave up eight runs (six earned) on eight hits over 3 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out two.

"It's very frustrating for me," Nelson said after the loss to San Francisco on Wednesday. "The last three have been completely unacceptable to me. It's just been brutal. I have to move on from that."

The A's and Brewers are both struggling. Milwaukee has lost six of its first seven games on a nine-game road trip, including a 2-1 defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.

Oakland fell to 2-5 on its nine-game home stand with a 2-0 loss Sunday to the Angels. The A's scored four runs in the three-game series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nationals (43-28) at Dodgers (39-33)

Game: 2
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: June 21, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- The Washington Nationals own the best road record in the major leagues at 23-16, but they tumbled into a three-game tailspin in the midst of their West Coast visit.

Washington right-hander Tanner Roark (6-4, 3.14 ERA) will try to right the ship as the Nationals clash with the Los Angeles Dodgers again in the second game of their three-game series on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. Roark has pitched twice in relief against the Dodgers, but this will be his first time starting against them.

The Nationals split their four-game series in San Diego against the Padres, losing the last two during the weekend before hitting LA. The 10-game road trip in 11 days concludes with an upcoming weekend series at Milwaukee. After that, the Nationals will open a 10-game homestand in Washington, beginning with the New York Mets.

Washington manager Dusty Baker isn't too concerned about the recent skid.

"We've got two days to go now on this long consecutive streak of games and then we can take a rest and get back at it again," Baker said after Monday's 4-1 loss to the Dodgers.

The opener here didn't go so well for the Nationals (43-28). It started less than two hours before the opening pitch, when Stephen Strasburg was scratched with an upper back strain. It deprived fans of watching two of the best pitchers in baseball perform.

Strasburg hurt himself Saturday during a workout.

"I've tried to get treatment the last two days, and even today I was feeling a little bit better, but I still had some signs of inflammation and tightness, so they thought it was best not to push it too much," Strasburg said.

Yusmeiro Petit replaced Strasburg, but homers by the sizzling Justin Turner and Joc Pederson sparked the Dodgers to the win.

And then the Nats had to deal with Kershaw again, who won his 10th consecutive start and again pushed around the Nationals. Kershaw limited Washington to a run and six hits with eight strikeouts and no walks in seven innings. Kershaw (11-1) beat Washington for the eighth straight time.

"He's the best in baseball," said Nationals right-fielder Bryce Harper, who struck out three times against Kershaw. "He's got everything working for him, so what you do is do the best you can and try to get him out of the game early. But when he's locked in, that's what he does. He's every special."

Los Angeles will counter Tuesday with left-hander Scott Kazmir (5-3, 4.64 ERA) on the mound. Kazmir hasn't faced the Nationals since May 11, 2014, when he was a member of the Oakland A's. He pitched seven scoreless innings and allowed four hits in a 9-1 rout by the A's.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers are expected to activate right fielder Yasiel Puig on Tuesday. The Dodgers had previously said Puig would be activated Monday, but manager Dave Roberts seemed hesistant to throw Puig immediately in the line of fire with Strasburg. That proved to be a moot point with Strasburg coming up lame.