Tuesday 7/5/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Marlins (43-40) at Mets (45-37)

Game: 2
Venue: Citi Field
Date: July 05, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- As Jose Reyes jogged off the Citi Field diamond for the final time in 2011, he hoped it would not be the last time he would do so as a member of the New York Mets.

He could not have imagined the circumstances that would surround his next appearance with the Mets.

Reyes is expected to make his equally anticipated and controversial return to the Mets on Tuesday night in the second game of a three-game series against the Miami Marlins -- the team with whom Reyes signed a six-year contract following the 2011 season and the team that traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays after just one season in southern Florida.

That Reyes is reuniting with the Mets against the Marlins will barely qualify as a subplot Tuesday. Reyes, who signed with the Mets as a 16-year-old in 1999 and made four All-Star teams while winning three National League stolen base crowns and one batting title during nine campaigns in New York, was suspended for the first 51 games of this season following an arrest on domestic violence charges in Hawaii last Halloween.

Reyes' wife, Katherine, accused Reyes of grabbing her by the throat before shoving her into a sliding glass door. Charges were dropped after she didn't cooperate with authorities.

The Colorado Rockies, who acquired Reyes from the Blue Jays last July 28, designated him for assignment June 15 and released him 10 days later. The Mets, in need of a spark plug atop the lineup and a third baseman after David Wright underwent neck surgery, signed him to a minor league deal almost immediately.

"From a motivational standpoint, I don't think we would be able to find a player who is more determined, more highly motivated, to perform than Jose is today," Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said during a conference call June 25. "Part of that is 'coming home.' Part of that's looking for vindication. Part of that is probably hoping to get past all the problems he's faced since the offseason -- problems he deserved to face."

While Reyes will certainly be motivated, the Mets have no idea what kind of reception he'll get, or what kind of production he'll provide. He stole 24 bases last season but batted just .274 with a .310 on-base percentage and a .378 slugging percentage -- his lowest figures in each category since 2005.

In addition, Reyes -- who will be making his major league debut at third base -- batted just .176 with no homers, two RBIs and one stolen base in nine games for Double-A Binghamton. The Mets are banking on Reyes kicking into another gear once he's under the brighter lights.

"What he brings to the baseball field is something that could really be a kind of pick me up for this team and the fans," Wright said last week. "The fans get into it, it kind of rubs off on the team."

Mets left-hander Steven Matz is scheduled to take the mound against Marlins left-hander Wei-Yin Chen. Matz is 0-1 with an 11.57 ERA in two career starts against the Marlins while Chen is facing the Mets for the first time.

The Mets came back from an early six-run deficit to win Monday's series opener, 8-6. New York (45-37) is 1 1/2 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the race for the first NL wild card spot and four games behind the Washington Nationals in the NL East.

Miami (43-40) is in fourth place in the wild card race, 2 1/2 games behind the Mets.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tigers (44-39) at Indians (50-32)

Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: July 05, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

CLEVELAND -- The Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians, both laboring with fractured pitching staffs, will meet for the middle game of a three-game series Tuesday night at Progressive Field.

The AL Central-leading Indians made four roster moves Monday involving four pitchers, all of it a direct result of their 19-inning game in Toronto on Friday in which manager Terry Francona was forced to use nine pitchers.

"We don't want to overdo it with our 'pen, and unfortunately it costs guys jobs sometimes," Francona said.

On Monday, it cost relievers Joba Chamberlain and Tom Gorzelanny their jobs, as the Indians designated both pitchers for assignment.

To replace the duo, Cleveland recalled right-hander Mike Clevinger and left-hander TJ House from Triple-A Columbus.

Clevinger, one of the organization's top pitching prospects, was 8-0 with a 2.70 ERA as a starter at Columbus, but he will be used out of the bullpen temporarily for the Indians. Francona said Clevinger would be returned to Columbus after this week to resume starting.

Meanwhile, the Tigers' pitching staff took a double hit on Monday. Prior to the game, Detroit placed Jordan Zimmermann on the disabled list due to a strained neck, and during the game, the Tigers lost starter Daniel Norris, who could be headed to the disabled list.

Norris was forced out of Monday's game in the third inning due to a strained oblique muscle.

"He reached for a grounder and pulled something," manager Brad Ausmus said of Norris, who will undergo an MRI exam Tuesday.

Zimmermann was the scheduled starter for the Tuesday game. In his absence, Anibal Sanchez will come out of the bullpen to face Cleveland.

It will be Sanchez's fourth start against the Indians this season, and he was roughed up in the first three, going 0-3 with an 8.79 ERA. His career record vs. Cleveland is 4-6 with a 3.97 ERA. In 20 appearances overall this year, 12 of them starts, Sanchez is 5-8 with a 6.05 ERA.

The Tigers' staff is in such a delicate state that 31-year-old right-hander Dustin Molleken, who was recalled from Triple-A Toledo on Monday to replace Zimmermann, made his major league debut in the third inning in relief of the injured Norris. Molleken pitched two innings and gave up one run and three hits with two strikeouts and one walk.

"He did OK," Ausmus said. "He seemed very composed."

Sanchez's mound opponent in Tuesday's game will be Carlos Carrasco. In his last start, Thursday in Toronto, the right-hander allowed one run and three hits while striking out 14 in 7 1/3 innings.

Carrasco (4-2, 2.56 ERA) has struggled against the Tigers in his career, compiling a 4-6 record and a 5.74 ERA in 12 career appearances.

The Tuesday game will give the Tigers another opportunity to halt the domination Cleveland has held over them this year. The teams have played 10 games this season, and the Indians have won them all.

Cleveland has outscored Detroit 65-23 in the season series, although Ausmus liked his team's spunk in the series-opening loss.

"Our guys battled," he said. "We hit some balls hard, and the guys were into the game right down to the last out."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (33-50) at Rays (34-48)

Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: July 05, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays haven't won often in the last three weeks, but they've had a surprisingly good chance when Matt Moore is pitching.

Moore (5-5) held the Los Angeles Angels to two runs in 6 2/3 innings, helping the Rays to a 4-2 win Monday afternoon at Tropicana Field. In the last 22 games, Moore is 3-1, and the rest of the Rays are 3-15.

Tampa Bay (34-48) won for just the third time in 19 games, while the Angels (33-50) have now lost 12 of 14 games. The Rays bullpen, which had allowed runs in 17 of the last 18 games, got the final seven outs. Reliever Ryan Garton struck out Mike Trout and got C.J. Cron to pop out foul in the ninth, stranding two runners for his first career save.

The Rays jumped ahead in the sixth off reliever Fernando Salas, with Brad Miller getting a single and scoring from second on an RBI single by Logan Morrison. Up 3-2, Morrison scored on an RBI double down the left-field line from Steven Souza for a 4-2 lead.

Moore got himself into and out of several jams -- in the third, he gave up a two-out double to Yunel Escobar and a single to Mike Trout, but got Albert Pujols to pop out to center to strand two. In the fourth, after tying the game at 1-1, the Angels had runners at second and third with two outs, and Shane Robinson popped out to center. In the fifth, runners at first and third and Johnny Giavotella popped out to right.

Moore left after 6 2/3 innings with his second straight quality start -- he held Boston to three hits in seven shutout innings in earning a win Wednesday. In his last five starts, he has three wins and a 2.43 ERA.

Jefry Marte's solo home run in the sixth tied the game at 2-2, but the Angels had a chance to take the lead, with Jett Bandy getting a double and advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt. Robinson hit a hard grounder to third, where Evan Longoria threw home, getting Robinson caught in a 5-2-5-1 rundown. Moore got a comebacker from Escobar to end the inning and strand Robinson at second.

The Rays took early leads on a pair of solo home runs -- Miller hit his 12th in the third inning for a 1-0 lead, only to see Los Angeles tie the game in the fourth on an RBI double by Andrelton Simmons. Morrison hit his ninth home run for a 2-1 lead in the fourth off Angels starter Nick Tropeano, called up before the game to start. Tropeano held the Rays to the two runs on four hits in his five innings, striking out four.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (52-32) at Red Sox (45-37)

Game: 2
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: July 05, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

BOSTON -- David Price and his manager had a disagreement after Price's last start.

The left-hander, who basically makes $1 million per start in the first year of his $217 contract, criticized himself for his stuff after allowing four runs and nine hits at Tampa Bay -- his record falling to 8-5 and his ERA rising to 4.74.

"Changeup, that's probably the worst changeup I've had in probably a month," Price said. "Curveball was awful. Can't get my cutter or my slider where I want to. I'm just bad right now."

Meanwhile, manager John Farrell thought the stuff was good.

Very good.

"On a day when I thought overall he probably had his best stuff of the season in terms of velocity and in terms of the shape of his secondary pitches, they bunched a couple of hits together, particularly the third inning for the three runs," Farrell said after the game.

Price gets another chance to be good when he faces the Texas Rangers in the second game of a three-game series at Fenway Park on Tuesday night.

Before losing at Tampa Bay, Price gave up 12 hits and six runs in just 2 1-3 innings in a no-decision at Texas, adding to his career struggles in Arlington.

Lifetime against the Rangers, he is 3-4 with a 5.78 ERA in the regular season, 1-3 with a 5.52 ERA in the playoffs. In the regular season, Elvis Andrus is 12-for-27 (.444), Shin-Soo Choo 8-for-21 (.381) and Adrian Beltre 11-for-35 (.314) against Price, while Prince Fielder is just 2-for-14.

Right-hander A.J. Griffin (3-0) pitches for the Rangers, and faces the task of slowing down a Boston offense that has recorded 22 runs on 37 hits in the last two games -- and 61 hits in four games on its current homestand. The Red Sox hammered the Rangers 12-5 on Monday.

Griffin, he of the 66-67 mph effective breaking ball, is coming off a strong no-decision against the Yankees in New York, where he pitched six innings and allowed a run on two hits.

He is 3-0 with a 2.93 ERA for the season (24-11 in his career) and is making his ninth start of the season, his third since coming off the disabled list. He has held opponents to a .192 average, .200 with runners in scoring position -- and is 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA lifetime against Boston.

Griffin missed the last two seasons after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April, 2014. The former Oakland prospect won 14 games for the Athletics in 2013 -- signing as a minor league free agent with the Rangers over this past winter.

An injury shortened outing at Detroit on May 7 ended a streak of 33 straight starts with at least five innings by Griffin -- tied for the third-longest streak in the majors at the time.

The Rangers are 6-2 in his eight starts this season and he is 12-7 lifetime on the road.

Boston's Hanley Ramirez is 1-for-2 with a home run while David Ortiz is 3-for-10 with a homer -- Dustin Pedroia 2-for-12 against Griffin, whose career winning percentage of .686 is second only to Miami's Jose Fernandez among active players.

His job Tuesday night is simple -- pitch better than Nick Martinez did on Monday.

"Look, 13 extra-base hits today that our pitchers gave up, very challenging day. We got to be better than that," manager Jeff Banister said after Monday's loss.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pirates (42-41) at Cardinals (43-39)

Game: 2
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: July 05, 2016 8:09 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS -- Steven Brault has been compared by some to Mark Buehrle, and if he has anywhere near the major league career Buehrle enjoyed, the Pittsburgh Pirates will be better for it.

With Tuesday night's probable starter, Jameson Taillon (right shoulder fatigue), hitting the 15-day disabled list after Pittsburgh's 4-2 win Monday over the St. Louis Cardinals, Brault is expected to be called up from Triple-A Indianapolis to make his first big league start when the teams continue their four-game series.

Described as a "pitch to contact guy" by one scouting report, Brault is 2-3 with a 3.00 earned run average over nine minor league starts this year, eight at Indianapolis. Although his fastball tops out at 91 mph, Brault has fanned 49 hitters in 39 innings.

Brault fits the profile of the kind of pitcher that has given St. Louis fits at times the last three-plus years -- a crafty left-hander who changes speeds and spins, keeping the opposition off-balance.

Jonathon Niese certainly did that Monday, limiting the Cardinals (43-39) to seven hits and a run in 5 2/3 innings as he earned the win. It was the third time on St. Louis' nine-game homestand that a starting pitcher with an ERA over 5.00 had limited the club to a run or less while on the bump.

"I don't know what to make of that," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "Any guy in this league has the potential to put something together. I think we treat them all with the same respect."

As Taillon, who was 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA in his first five MLB starts, goes on the shelf, the Pirates (42-41) might be on the verge of welcoming their top starting pitcher back to the fold.

Right-hander Gerrit Cole (5-4, 2.77), who went on the 15-day DL June 14 with a right triceps strain, is scheduled to make his first rehab start Tuesday night for Indianapolis. Cole is expected to throw three innings or 50 pitches, according to manager Clint Hurdle.

What's more, Pittsburgh right-hander Ryan Vogelsong (facial fractures), who is on the 60-day DL after being beaned May 23, will pitch a simulated game Tuesday. His battery mate will be none other than catcher Francisco Cervelli (broken left hamate bone), who's been on the 15-day DL since June 11.

Even with all the injuries, the Pirates have won five straight and are over .500 for the first time since June 15. One major reason has been the bullpen, which worked an MLB-best 34 straight scoreless innings before giving up a run in the ninth inning Monday.

"The roll they're on now is kind of crazy," Hurdle said. "But these guys have had success before. They're in a good place right now. They're going to continue to work and feed off one another."

Pittsburgh faces a historically tough matchup Tuesday night when St. Louis sends Mike Leake (5-6, 4.13) to the bump. Leake, who's coming off a 4-2 loss Thursday night against Kansas City, is 9-4 with a 3.13 ERA in 26 career starts against the Pirates, winning eight of his last nine decisions against them.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mariners (43-40) at Astros (44-39)

Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: July 05, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

HOUSTON -- Seattle Mariners right-hander Taijuan Walker has enjoyed a brief history of dominance over the Houston Astros, but his lingering health concerns might cloud his start against them on Tuesday night.

Walker (4-6, 3.29 ERA) has been battling right posterior tibial tendinitis for weeks, a condition that grew so severe in June that he departed starts at Tampa Bay on June 14 and at Boston five days later (despite tossing five scoreless innings) early due to discomfort.

He had his turn skipped in the rotation before returning last Thursday against Baltimore, against which he allowed one run on four hits with five strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings.

Walker will make his 11th career start against the Astros, roughly one-fifth of his total number of starts. He is 5-2 with a 3.98 ERA against Houston, with 58 strikeouts in 52 innings. He has allowed two runs or less in six of his previous starts against the Astros and three runs or less in three others.

How effectively he pitches Tuesday night might have more to do with how Walker feels physically than anything the Astros can muster with a game plan.

"We'll see," Mariners manager Scott Servais said of Walker and his condition. "It has crept up in every start, sometimes later in the starts, sometimes earlier. He has been able to manage it. He threw the ball very well the last time out. We're looking for the same thing (Tuesday)."

The Astros (44-39) will counter with ace left-hander Dallas Keuchel (5-9, 5.13 ERA), whose up-and-down season has included two starts against the Mariners (43-40) with a 0-1 record and 4.85 ERA.

Keuchel is 4-5 with a 3.09 ERA in 11 career appearances (10 starts) against Seattle. Given the Mariners' left-handed-leaning lineup (including regulars Seth Smith, Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager and Adam Lind), Keuchel would seem perfectly positioned to enjoy a rebound.

Keuchel is 2-0 with a 3.65 ERA over his last two starts, outings that followed a solid performance against Cincinnati when he allowed two runs on five hits with six strikeouts over seven innings while getting a no-decision.

With six starts of at least seven innings on his ledger, Keuchel would serve Houston well to pitch efficiently. The Astros bullpen worked two scoreless innings on Monday in support of right-hander Lance McCullers and entered the Mariners series with the best ERA (2.54) in the American League since May 1.

Right-handers Luke Gregerson and Will Harris combined for two strikeouts while retiring the six batters they faced. If Keuchel hands the bullpen a lead late on Tuesday, the Astros will like their chances to win.

"This is what they do," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "I had (right-hander Ken) Giles up in the seventh, Lance didn't need it as he got out of it. And then Gregerson's settled into the eighth-inning role. I feel confident that Luke could close any game and he probably will soon if Will needs a day off. Will continues to come in (and pitch well)."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics (36-47) at Twins (27-55)

Game: 2
Venue: Target Field
Date: July 05, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

Fans in Oakland will have to wait a few more months before Kevin Durant gets a win over a Minnesota team.

In the meantime, they will look to enjoy another victory by the Oakland Athletics victory over the Minnesota Twins.

Oakland will try to remain unbeaten against Minnesota Tuesday night when the teams continue a three-game series at Target Field.

The Athletics have won all four meetings this season and the latest victory occurred Monday afternoon while the news of Durant signing as a free agent with the Golden State Warriors took center stage.

In Monday's 3-1 victory, the A's did not get anyone past first base for six innings and then scored three in the seventh. Stephen Vogt delivered an RBI single and Coco Crisp added a two-run single that extended his hitting streak to 11 games.

Crisp is batting .370 (17-for-46) during this streak and has eight walks, 12 runs scored, two homers and 14 RBIs.

If Oakland has a close lead late Tuesday, there's a good chance Ryan Dull would be entrusted with protecting it.

After Oakland scored its runs Monday, Dull stranded a pair of runners in the bottom of the seventh and has stranded 36 inherited runners this season, the longest streak to being a season since 1961.

"(It's) extremely significant," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "I don't know that there is (a stat) more significant. Guys are coming in the games to pick up someone else's base runners, that's the most significant stat. I know in our clubhouse, there's a lot of respect for what he's doing, certainly the pitchers."

"He's my favorite player on the team," Oakland third baseman Danny Valencia said. "He just shows up every day and does his job."

Similar to the last time they played the Athletics, the Twins were unable to follow up a successful weekend against a winning team. Minnesota followed up a three-game sweep in Seattle by scoring seven runs in three losses at Oakland May 30-June 1.

On Monday, Minnesota was even less productive. The Twins were held to four hits, went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and were held to three runs or less for the 35th time.

"It's just one of those days where one little hiccup was enough to change the outcome of the game," Twins manager Paul Molitor said.

After getting 6 2/3 effective innings from Kendall Graveman, the Athletics will turn to Sean Manaea, who will make his second start since being activated from the disabled list Wednesday. Manaea returned from his two-week absence and allowed six hits in 5 2/3 innings of a 7-1 win over the San Francisco Giants.

The left-hander began his career by going 0-1 with an 11.37 ERA and .382 opposing average in his first three starts. Since then, he is 3-3 with a 3.61 ERA in his last seven outings.

One of Manaea's three career wins was June 1 against Minnesota, when he allowed one run and five hits in six innings of a 5-1 win.

Tommy Milone will make his seventh start and third since returning from Triple-A Rochester June 18. Milone took a loss in New York June 18 and last week allowed five runs and nine hits over 3 1/3 innings during a no-decision at Chicago.

Milone's lone start against Oakland was July 19, 2015, when he allowed seven runs (five earned) in 2 2/3 innings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees-White Sox
By Tom Musick, The Sports Xchange

CHICAGO -- A roller-coaster season has hit an upswing once again for the Chicago White Sox.
After an 8-2 win Monday against the New York Yankees, the White Sox (43-40) have won three games in a row and 10 of the past 14. They have a chance to secure their fifth consecutive series win Tuesday night with a victory against the Yankees (40-42).
White Sox manager Robin Ventura described his team as resilient after battling through a 10-26 stretch.
"They have been through a mess," said Ventura, whose team has hit 23 home runs in the past 13 games. "I think they have turned it around to the point now where we're playing pretty good baseball and beating some pretty good teams, as well, as far as winning series and continuing to build some stepping stones to make you feel a little bit better about where you're headed."
Yankees right-hander Masahiro Tanaka (5-2, 3.35 ERA) will start on an extra day's rest against Chicago. Tanaka is 16-7 with a 2.84 ERA in his career when he pitches on five days' rest.
Against the White Sox, Tanaka is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in two career starts. He surrendered four runs on eight hits in five innings on May 15 when the White Sox visited Yankee Stadium.
Tanaka has won his past two decisions and struck out seven hitters in each of his past two outings. The 27-year-old Japanese pitcher has logged least six innings in eight consecutive starts.
White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon (2-6, 4.24 ERA) will oppose the Yankees for the first time this season. The 23-year-old faced the Yankees twice as a rookie in 2015. He was shellacked for eight runs in three innings in his first appearance, but he limited New York to two runs in six innings in his second start. Combined, he is 1-1 with a 10.00 ERA against the Yankees.
Rodon is seeking his first victory in seven starts since May 22. He gave up four runs in 5 2/3 innings against the Minnesota Twins his last time out but escaped with a no decision.
As the White Sox have surged as of late, the Yankees have struggled. New York has lost three of its past four games and six of the past nine.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he needed a better effort from his starting pitchers.
"You put together streaks with your rotation," Girardi said. "They have been struggling in the last nine games. We need to turn it around."
On defense, Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorious will try to bounce back from his worst performance in the majors. Gregorious committed a career-high three errors Sunday. Before that, he never had committed more than one error in 423 career games.
"It looked like some balls came up on him," Girardi said. "I thought one came up on their shortstop, and he was able to recover. It was just unusual to see that from Didi. I'm not too worried about that."
Jose Abreu and Brett Lawrie each carry seven-game hitting streaks into Tuesday's game.
Brian McCann is riding a six-game hitting streak for the Yankees. He has hit .318 (7-for-22) during that stretch.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Padres (36-47) at Diamondbacks (37-48)

Game: 2
Venue: Chase Field
Date: July 05, 2016 9:40 PM EDT

PHOENIX -- Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Zack Godley will ride the Reno shuttle back to Chase Field to start the second game of a three-game series against the San Diego Padres on Tuesday.

Godley, taking the rotation spot normally held by right-hander Zack Greinke, will face struggling left-hander Christian Friedrich as the Diamondbacks try and end a slide that has seen them lose eight of their past nine games.

Greinke was placed on the 15-day disabled list Sunday, retroactive to June 29, with a left oblique strain.

Godley (1-0, 4.35 ERA) will be marking his second tour with the Diamondbacks. He was called up to start June 11 against the Marlins and allowed two runs on four hits in six innings, then was shifted to the bullpen for four appearances before being shipped back to Triple-A Reno.

Godley is one of three rookies currently in the Diamondbacks rotation, and all are struggling through the same growing pains.

"It is sort of a theme for a lot of our guys right now," Arizona manager Chip Hale said. "Their stuff is good. They are having some really impressive innings, but they have to give us six or seven of those."

In his only career start against the Padres, Godley threw three scoreless innings on Sept. 27, 2015. Twelve days earlier, he gave up a run in 1 1/3 innings in his only other career appearance against San Diego.

After dropping the series opener 8-3 to the Padres on Monday, the Diamondbacks have lost eight of their past nine at Chase Field -- matching their overall skid.

"We are just not playing winning baseball right now," Hale said. "That's what it boils down to."

Friedrich (4-3, 3.96) began the year well for the Padres, surrendering only eight earned runs in his first six starts. However, over his past three outings, Friedrich has given up 14 earned runs on 20 hits over 16 innings with 12 strikeouts and eight walks.

Padres manager Andy Green said Friedrich, much like the Diamondbacks' young pitches, is finding his way as he pitches in and out of trouble.

"He's not far off from being great," said Green, whose team has won three of four. "It's a couple of pitches here and there and a couple of big innings that got away from him."

San Diego is 5-4 in Friedrich's starts this season.

"I love the way he's wired," Green said. "He's going to pitch well. He just needs to come to the realization of what's not going well a little quicker."

Friedrich pitched well in his lone career start against the Padres, on June 12 at Coors Field. He yielded one run, which was unearned, on two hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out nine in a no-decision.

The Padres may be without catcher Derek Norris, who was struck near the left elbow on a Brandon Drury swing follow-through and left Monday's game. Postgame X-rays were taken, but the results were not immediately available.

Padres third baseman Yangervis Solarte, who hit his third homer in four games at Chase Field this season, enters Tuesday batting .408 (20-for-49) in his last 14 games.

Diamondbacks second baseman Jean Segura is riding an eight-game hitting streak and is batting .363 in his past 23 games with six doubles and seven RBIs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Orioles (47-35) at Dodgers (48-37)

Game: 2
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: July 05, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- One potential All-Star seeks to recover from his worst performance of the season while another looks to continue his recent offensive success when the Baltimore Orioles meet the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium.

Right-hander Chris Tillman, who permitted four runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings Thursday night in the Orioles' 5-3 loss to the Seattle Mariners, hopes to return to the form that enabled him to win nine successive decisions before that defeat.

Tillman (10-2, 3.72 ERA) shares third place in the American League in wins, and he is on pace to exceed his career-high victory total. The 28-year-old from nearby Orange County earned 16 wins in 2013, when he made the American League All-Star team for the first time in his first full season with the Orioles.

After going 29-13 in 2013 and 2014, Tillman fell to 11-11 in 2015. Last winter, Tillman tinkered with his delivery and produced an effective change-up that complements his fastball.

"I experimented with some new stuff," Tillman said. "Last year, I wasn't able to throw my off-speed pitches for strikes. The hitters were a little more comfortable when they were aware of just one pitch. In the offseason, we did some mechanical stuff, just some minor stuff that helped in a big way."

Tillman will be facing the Dodgers for the first time in his eight-year major league career.

As he tries to stop the Orioles' five-game losing streak by ending the Dodgers' five-game winning streak, Tillman will have to defuse one of the National League's most potent young threats.

Los Angeles shortstop Corey Seager enters Tuesday night's contest with a 17-game hitting streak, a career high and the National League's longest this year. During his streak, Seager is batting .414 (29-for-70) with eight doubles, two triples, two home runs and five RBIs.

For the season, Seager leads the Dodgers with 17 homers, 20 doubles, 100 hits, 57 runs, a .305 batting average and a .540 slugging percentage. The 22-year-old rookie also has 41 RBIs to share the team lead with Justin Turner.

"There's really nothing he can't do on a baseball field, and he's really continued to get better," Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said of Seager. "It's scary to think how much he's grown and become a very, very good major league player at this stage of his career, and he's only 22."

Even with the presence of left-hander Clayton Kershaw, arguably baseball's best pitcher, Roberts paid Seager perhaps the ultimate compliment.

"Not to take away from anybody else on the club," Roberts said, "but with what he does on the offensive and defensive side, yeah, he's our best player."

Seager and his offensive teammates will look for help Tuesday from right-hander Kenta Maeda, who will face Baltimore for the first time in his rookie season.

Maeda (7-5, 2.82 ERA) has not allowed more than four runs in any of his 16 starts for Los Angeles. In his past seven starts, the a 28-year-old from Japan is 4-2 with a 2.21 ERA. His last time out, Maeda held the Brewers to one run on three hits in six innings during an 8-1 win Thursday.

Dodger Stadium hasn't been as kind to Maeda as road venues, as he is just 2-4 with a 3.00 ERA over eight outings in Los Angeles.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockies (37-45) at Giants (53-32)

Game: 2
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: July 05, 2016 10:15 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO -- Madison Bumgarner is expected to be named to the National League All-Star team when the rosters for next week's annual midseason classic are announced Tuesday.

Bumgarner is a strong candidate to make the team. He will take a 9-4 record and 2.20 ERA into Tuesday's matchup with the Colorado Rockies.

Then later in the day, San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy is expected to announce why his ace left-hander won't be playing next Tuesday in San Diego.

Bochy hasn't disclosed his pitching plans for the club's three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday through Sunday that will take the Giants into the All-Star break.

One thing's for sure: Right-hander Albert Suarez won't be in the rotation.

Suarez, who has been serving as Matt Cain's injury replacement in the rotation, was demoted to Triple-A Sacramento on Monday, an indication that either Cain will return from his strained right hamstring this week or the Giants will go with a four-man rotation through the weekend.

Cain's return isn't likely. Bochy has indicated he'd like to see the veteran take his regular spot in the rotation following the All-Star break.

Being that the Giants have a day off Thursday, a four-man rotation would put Bumgarner in line to pitch Sunday. That would make him ineligible to pitch in the All-Star Game.

Bochy said many factors -- but not whether he makes the All-Star team -- will go into deciding if Bumgarner is called upon to start Sunday.

"Your priority is here," the veteran manager insisted. "You want these guys to have a chance to pitch in the (All-Star Game). But you're here to win and maybe win a championship.

"You can't change your rotation around so they can pitch in it."

The Rockies will counter with an All-Star candidate of their own Tuesday, right-hander Tyler Chatwood. He will be reinstated from the 15-day disabled list in order to make the start.

Chatwood is 8-4 with a 3.15 ERA. Ten National Leaguers began play Monday with more wins, including Bumgarner and Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, who is injured.

Interestingly, Chatwood also is scheduled to pitch Sunday when the Rockies, who have seven games this week, conclude the first half at home against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Colorado manager Walt Weiss has not announced what he would do if Chatwood were to get selected to the NL squad.

Weiss has other more immediate concerns. His club recorded only six hits against six Giants pitchers in a 3-1 loss Monday after having been held to a total of two runs in three straight defeats to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a series that ended Sunday.

"I thought our approach was better," Weiss said of his offense in Monday's opener in San Francisco. "We swung the bats better, but not well enough to put together a big inning."

The Rockies welcomed shortstop Trevor Story back into the starting lineup Monday, but it didn't help.

The rookie standout went 0-for-3, walking once and striking out for the 106th time this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Tribe 10-0 vs Tigers'

Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Indians July 5, 7:10 EST

When a series of baseball betting trends point in one direction, the baseball handicapping industry takes notice. And, that's the case Tuesday night when the Cleveland Indians host the Detroit Tigers. Cleveland hits the field in the midst of a sparkling 12-0 streak in front of the home audience, 14-3 stretch overall vs the division including 8-0 on home field. Matching that, the Tribe own a sparkling 10-0 streak vs Tigers, 4-0 record vs Detroit with Carrasco doing their bidding.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Tuesday, July 5, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

After being swept four games over the weekend at the New York Mets, are the Chicago Cubs still the best team in baseball? Once healthy, I would say yes, although they clearly need bullpen help. Apparently the Cubs won't be trading for the Yankees' Andrew Miller as the Bombers have told Miller they are keeping him. They didn't say the same thing to closer Aroldis Chapman. Chicago also needs to get center fielder and leadoff hitter Dexter Fowler back off the DL. They are 5-9 entering Monday since he landed on the DL. Sportsbooks still have the Cubs as the World Series favorites at +340. The Giants are next at +650.


Reds at Cubs (-250, TBA)

Chicago has dominated Cincinnati this year, going 9-1 entering Monday's series opener. It's an unusual Tuesday matinee (2:20 p.m. ET) from Wrigley. I don't think anyone could argue that the Cubs' Joe Maddon is one of the best managers in baseball. But he does sometimes take his starting pitchers out a bit early. Tuesday's Cubs starter, John Lackey (7-4, 3.27), was clearly PO'd when he was pulled after 6.1 innings and 101 pitches in Thursday's game vs. New York. The move ended up backfiring as the bullpen blew Lackey's lead and the Cubs lost. Lackey has now held 11 of its past 12 opponents to three runs or fewer, but the Cubs have dropped his past three. He is 1-1 with a 5.84 ERA this year vs. the Reds. Eugenio Suarez is a career .368 hitter off him with a homer in 19 at-bats. Billy Hamilton is a career .333 hitter off Lackey in 21 at-bats. The Reds go with lefty Brandon Finnegan (3-7, 4.48). He has lost three in a row and was bombed for eight runs in 2.1 innings in Washington on Thursday. Finnegan is 0-1 with a 5.91 ERA in two starts vs. the Cubs. Kris Bryant and Ben Zobrist both have homers off him.

Key trends: The Reds are 1-6 in Finnegan's past seven on the road. The Cubs are 4-1 in Lackey's past five in Game 2 of a series. The "over/under" is 5-2-2 in Finnegan's past nine vs. teams with a winning record. The under is 4-0 in Lackey's past four at home.

Early lean: Cubs and over.

Tigers at Indians (-157, 8)

Entering Monday's series opener, Detroit was 0-9 against Cleveland this season. The Indians had outscored the Tigers a whopping 60-20 in those games. Detroit starts Jordan Zimmermann (9-4, 3.95) in this one. He has not been good his past two outings, raising his ERA from 3.24. He lost to Cleveland on June 24, allowing a season-high-tying seven earned runs and nine hits in a season-low 3.2 innings. That was his fourth non-quality start in the past five. The Tribe's Jason Kipnis is 4-for-5 career off him with two triples and four RBIs. Carlos Santana is 2-for-6 with a homer. Cleveland's Carlos Carrasco (4-2, 2.56) has a 29.1 percent strikeout rate that is the highest in the American League. He whiffed 14 (one shy of career high) over 7.1 innings and allowed one run and three hits in a win in Toronto on Thursday. Last time Carrasco faced Detroit was June 25 in Motown and threw a complete-game four-hitter with seven strikeouts. Miguel Cabrera his .357 career off him with a homer. J.D. Martinez is 7-for-19 with two homers and seven RBIs.

Key trends: The Tigers are 1-5 in Zimmermann's past six vs. teams with a winning record. The Indians are 9-3 in Carrasco's past 12 vs. teams with a winning record. The over is 4-1 in his past five at home vs. Detroit.

Early lean: Indians and over.

Pirates at Cardinals (-147, 8)

ESPN game so will have live betting at sportsbooks. Pittsburgh goes with stud youngster Jameson Taillon (2-1, 3.86). I predicted he would win in Seattle last Wednesday, and Taillon did, allowing one run and six hits over six innings with a career-best six strikeouts. This will be his first career start against the Cardinals. They go with Mike Leake (5-6, 4.13). He threw a quality start Thursday against Kansas City in allowing two earned and five hits over seven innings but was on the wrong end of a 4-2 decision. The Cards have dropped his past three, and Leake's last win was June 12 in Pittsburgh, allowing two earned and six hits in seven innings. Andrew McCutchen is a career .239 hitter off him with 16 strikeouts in 71 at-bats. David Freese, meanwhile, is 11-for-22 off Leake with two doubles, a homer and five RBIs. Freese doesn't play every single day but with those numbers I'm sure he will be in there.

Key trends: The Cardinals are 2-5 in Leake's past seven at home. The over is 4-1-1 in his past six.

Early lean: Pirates and over.

Orioles at Dodgers (TBA)

Baltimore loses the DH for this interleague game. What will the Orioles do for an encore in July after setting the June MLB record with 56 homers? They face one of the few Dodgers starting pitchers not currently injured in Kenta Maeda (7-5, 2.82). Where would this team be without him this year with that rotation so decimated? Maeda won in Milwaukee last time out, allowing one run and three hits over six innings. This will be his first look at the Orioles. They go with ace Chris Tillman (10-2, 3.71). He has not been ace like in allowing at least four runs and not lasting more than five innings in each of his past three starts, although the Orioles have won two of them. This will be Tillman's first chance to bat this year as it's his first interleague start of 2016. He's from the L.A. area as well. A few Dodgers have faced him. Howie Kendrick is 3-for-8 with a double. Adrian Gonzalez is 1-for-4 with an RBI. Chase Utley is 0-for-3.

Key trends: The Orioles are 8-0 in Tillman's past eight interleague starts. The over is 9-2-2 in his past 13 interleague outings.

Early lean: Honestly not sure why this is TBA as from what I can tell Tillman and Maeda are locked into start. Go Orioles.

Rockies at Giants (-205, 6.5)

When I previewed San Francisco's game in Oakland last week, I wrote that Giants ace Madison Bumgarner might be pitching angry because he wasn't able to hit since the Giants added the DH. Except that the team voluntarily dropped that so Bumgarner could hit. San Francisco became the first team to opt against it since Sept. 23, 1976, when the White Sox allowed starter Ken Brett, brother of Royals Hall of Fame third baseman George Brett, to hit for himself. Ken Brett was 0-for-3 that day. Bumgarner is a good hitter for a pitcher, but that's not a real smart move in taking a better bat out of the lineup just to make your ace happy. I wish the Giants had lost by a run or something and it would cost them a playoff spot this fall. But San Francisco won 12-6 with Bumgarner allowing four runs in 6.1 innings and going 1-for-4 with a double and run scored. He is 1-0 with a 2.03 ERA this season against the Rockies. Carlos Gonzalez is a career .321 hitter off him with five homers and 10 RBIs in 53 at-bats. Colorado goes with ace Tyler Chatwood (8-4), who will be activated off the DL. He hasn't pitched since June 18 when he lasted 1.2 innings in Miami because of a back injury. Chatwood has otherwise been stellar on the road this season at 5-0 with a 1.25 ERA. He's 1-1 this year with a 3.46 ERA in two starts vs. the Giants. Buster Posey is 2-for-14 career off Chatwood.

Key trends: The Rockies are 7-1 in Chatwood's past eight road starts. The Giants are 6-1 in Bumgarner's past seven at home. The Giants are 7-1 in Bumgarner's past eight at home vs. Colorado. The under is 5-1 in his past six overall.

Early lean: Giants and under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Tuesday's games

National League games

Brewers @ Nationals
Davies is 0-1, 5.51 in his last three starts; Brewers won three of his four road starts, with three of the four going over the total.

Gonzalez is 1-6, 8.31 in his last eight starts; seven of his last nine went over. Nationals are 4-4 in his home starts.

Brewers lost 11 of last 14 road games; under is 3-1-1 in their last five road games. Washington won seven of last nine games; 10 of Nats' last 16 home games went over.

Pirates @ Cardinals
Brault makes his MLB debut here; he was 2-3, 2.57 in eight AAA starts this year.

Leake is 0-2, 6.06 in his last three starts; five of his last six went over. St Louis is 2-5 in home starts.

Pirates won their last five games; five of their last eight games went over. St Louis won three of last four games, under is 8-2-1 in their last 11 home games.

Reds @ Cubs
Finnegan is 0-3, 9.64 in his last three starts; four of his last five stayed under. Cincinnati is 2-7 in his road starts.

Lackey is 0-2, 5.56 in his last four starts; seven of his last ten stayed under the total. Chicago is 4-3 in his home starts. .

Reds lost 11 of last 13 games, over is 16-5 in their last 21 road games. Chicago lost four of last five games; over is 9-1-1 in Cubs' last eleven games.

Braves @ Phillies
Foltynewicz is 2-2, 3.96 in seven starts this year; three of his last four went over.

Eflin is 0-1, 3.57 in his last three starts; three of his four starts went over.

Braves lost eight of last 11 games, seven of last eight Atlanta road games stayed under. Philly won six of its last seven games; under is 4-2-1 in last seven Philly home games.

Rockies @ Giants
Chatwood is 2-0, 3.86 in his last three starts (under 12-2); Colorado won six of his seven road outings. .

Bumgarner is 3-2, 2.61 in his last seven starts; seven of his last nine went over. Giants are 6-3 in his home starts.

Colorado lost eight of last ten road games, under is 12-4 in Rockies' last 16 road games. Giants won four of their last five games; over is 6-2-1 in their last nine games.

Marlins @ Mets
Chen is 1-1, 7.27 in his last five starts, four of which went over the total. Miami is 4-3 in his road starts.

Matz is 0-2, 5.85 in his last six starts; four of his last five stayed under. Mets are 4-3 in his home starts.

Marlins lost six of last eight road games, over is 15-2 in Marlins' last 17 road games. New York won its last seven games, under is 11-5-1 in their last 17 games.

Padres @ Diamondbacks
Friedrich is 1-2, 9.00 in his last three starts; seven of his last eight went over.

Godley allowed two runs in six IP (84 PT) in his first '16 start.

Padres are 9-5 in last 14 games, over is 12-4-1 in their last 17 games. Arizona lost eight of last nine home games; over is 8-2-1 in last eleven Diamondback games.


American League games

Angels @ Rays
Lincecum is 1-2, 6.75 in three starts for the Angels (under 2-1).

Odorizzi is 0-1, 5.40 in his last four starts; four of his last five went over. Tampa Bay is 3-6 in his home starts. .

Angels lost 12 of last 14 games, seven of their last 11 games went over. Tampa Bay lost 16 of its last 19 games; last three Tampa Bay games stayed under the total.

Rangers @ Red Sox
Griffin is 3-0, 3.14 in eight starts this year (over 5-3).

Price is 1-4, 4.31 in his last six starts; six of his last seven stayed under. Boston is 5-4 in his home starts.

Rangers lost five of their last six games; over is 6-2-1 in last nine Texas road games. Boston won four of its last five home games; five of last six Boston home games went over the total.

Mariners @ Astros
Walker is 2-0, 2.01 in his last four starts, three of which stayed under. Mariners lost his last five road starts.

Keuchel is 2-0, 4.19 in his last three starts (over 3-0). Houston lost four of his six starts at home this season.

Mariners won seven of last ten games, but lost seven in row on road; six of last seven Seattle road games stayed under. Houston won 14 of its last 18 games; under is 8-3 in Astros' last eleven home tilts.

A's @ Twins
Manaea is 2-1, 3.13 in his last four starts, eight of his ten starts were at home. Under is 5-1-1 in his last seven starts.

Former Athletic Milone is 0-2, 7.67 in six starts this year (over 3-3).

Oakland lost four of last five games, seven of their last eight road games went over the total. Minnesota won five of its last eight home games; over is 19-5 in Twins' last 24 home games.

Bronx @ White Sox
Tanaka is 2-0, 4.50 in his last three starts; six of his last eight stayed under. Bronx ix 4-3 in his road starts.

Rodon is 0-2, 4.25 in his last five starts; three of his last four stayed under. White Sox are 3-4 in his home starts.

New York is 5-11 in its last 16 road games, six of last seven Bronx road games went over total. White Sox are 10-4 in last 14 games, their last three home gaes all went over.

Royals @ Blue Jays
Young is 0-4, 6.95 in his last eight starts; four of his last five stayed under. Kansas City is 1-5 in his road starts. .

Dickey is 1-3, 5.11 in his last four starts; under is 6-1-1 in his last eight. Toronto is 0-8 in his home starts this season (0-6, 6.06).

Royals are 5-14 in last 19 road games, under is 8-1-1 in last 10 KC road games. Toronto is 13-6 in last 19 home games, five of Blue Jays' last seven home games stayed under.

Tigers @ Indians
Zimmerman is 1-1, 6.93 in his last four starts; over is 6-1-1 in his last eight starts. Tigers are 5-2 in his road starts this season.

Carrasco is 2-0, 1.14 in his last three starts; his last five stayed under. Cleveland is 4-0 in his home starts.

Tigers won six of last seven games, five of last eight Detroit games went over the total. Cleveland won 15 of its last 17 games; under is 7-2-1 in Cleveland's last 10 home games.


Interleague

Tillman is 1-1, 8.59 in his last three starts (under 11-6). Baltimore is 3-3 in his road starts this season. .

Maeda is 2-2, 3.07 in his last five starts; four of his last six stayed under.

Orioles lost last five games, allowing 37 runs; six of last eight Baltimore games went over. Los Angeles won its last ten home games; seven of last eight games at Dodger Stadium stayed under the total.


Teams won-lost records when this pitcher starts:

Mil-Wsh-- Davies 7-7; Gonzalez 6-10
Pitt-StL-- Brault 0-0; Leake 7-9
Cin-Chi-- Finnegan 4-13; Lackey 9-7
Atl-Phil-- Foltynewicz 3-4; Eflin 1-3
Col-SF-- Chatwood 9-5; Bumgarner 12-5
Mia-NY-- Chen 9-7; Matz 9-5
SD-Az-- Friedrich 5-4; Godley 1-0

LA-TB-- Lincecum 1-2; Odorizzi 8-9 (0-3 last 3)
Tex-Bos-- Griffin 6-2; Price 10-7
Sea-Hst-- Walker 6-9; Keuchel 7-10
A's-Min-- Manaea 5-5; Milone 2-4
NY-Chi-- Tanaka 11-5; Rodon 5-10
KC-Tor-- Young 5-7; Dickey 5-12
Det-Clev-- Zimmerman 10-5; Carrasco 8-2

Blt-LA-- Tillman 14-3; Maeda 9-7


Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning:

Mil-Wsh-- Davies 4-14; Gonzalez 4-16 (4 of last 5)
Pitt-StL-- Brault 0-0; Leake 6-16 (3 of last 3)
Cin-Chi-- Finnegan 5-17; Lackey 4-16
Atl-Phil-- Foltynewicz 2-7; Eflin 3-4
Col-SF-- Chatwood 5-14; Bumgarner 3-17
Mia-NY-- Chen 6-16; Matz 3-14
SD-Az-- Friedrich 3-9; Godley 1-1

LA-TB-- Lincecum 1-3; Odorizzi 2-17
Tex-Bos-- Griffin 1-8; Price 6-17
Sea-Hst-- Walker 2-15; Keuchel 4-17
A's-Min-- Manaea 1-10; Milone 0-6
NY-Chi-- Tanaka 2-16; Rodon 5-15
KC-Tor-- Young 5-12; Dickey 6-17
Det-Clev-- Zimmerman 4-15; Carrasco 2-10

Blt-LA-- Tillman 4-17; Maeda 4-16 (4 of last 6)


Umpires

Mil-Wsh-- Four of last six Nelson games went over total.
Pitt-StL-- Five of last six Davidson games went over.
Cin-Chi-- Over is 12-3-1 in Meals games this season.
Atl-Phil-- Under is 8-4 in last twelve Joyce games.
Col-SF-- Last four Torres games went over the total.
Mia-NY-- Last five Cuzzi games stayed under the total.
SD-Az-- Ten of last thirteen Morales games stayed under.

LA-TB-- Underdogs won six of last ten Hickox games.
Tex-Bos-- Last five West games went over the total.
Sea-Hst-- Last eight Miller games went over the total.
A's-Min-- Underdogs won five of last nine Bucknor games.
NY-Chi-- Home side won six of last seven Hudson games.
KC-Tor-- Seven of last nine Rackley games went over.
Det-Clev-- Six of last eight Baker games stayed under total.

Blt-LA-- Last eight Dimuro games went over the total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tuesday's six-pack

-- Kevin Durant banks $54M for two years from the Warriors; Durant can opt out after next season. $1.6M day for his agent, at 3%.

-- Mark Cuban was one of two owners to vote against the NBA stealing the Sonics from Seattle and moving them to Oklahoma City.

-- Rajon Rondo got $28M for two years from Chicago, Pau Gasol $30M from the Spurs for two years, Harrison Barnes $94M for four years from Dallas.

-- In non-NBA financial news, I found 83 cents under the cushions in my couch.

-- Milwaukee Brewers won 1-0 in Washington, but also batted out of order.

-- Joey Chestnut downed 70 weiners to win the Nathan's hot dog eating contest in Brooklyn yesterday. They need to bring Kobiyashi back for some competition.

 

[iwmore]

Insider sports report?
Tia