Tuesday 8/18/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mets (63-55) at Orioles (61-56)

Game: 1
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: August 18, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

While Terry Collins is finding solace in the New York Mets' position atop the NL East, the Baltimore Orioles are in a much tighter race for an AL wild-card spot.

Jacob deGrom looks to help extend the Mets' division lead with another sterling performance Tuesday night against the Orioles.

New York (63-55) is starting a nine-game road trip after falling 8-1 to Pittsburgh on Sunday to mark a six-game season sweep against a potential postseason opponent.

Thanks to second-place Washington's six-game slide, however, the Mets have maintained a 4 1/2-game lead in the East.

"I believe it in my heart, as I'm sitting here, if any of you guys in this room would've told me on May 15th that with 44 games left in the season, we'd have a 4 1/2 game lead, I'd take it," Collins said.

DeGrom's last six starts have ended in New York wins, and the right-hander (11-6, 2.03 ERA) is 3-0 with a 1.32 ERA and 10.98 strikeouts per nine innings in that span. He struck out 10 and yielded two hits in seven innings of Wednesday's 3-0 win over Colorado.

In his start against Baltimore (61-56) on May 6, deGrom allowed one run with nine strikeouts in seven innings of a 5-1 home win to help New York sweep that two-game set.

DeGrom enters this one with a 5-1 record and 1.42 ERA in his past seven road outings after losing his first three behind a 6.75 ERA.

The Mets are expected to have Lucas Duda back in the lineup for the first time in seven games after he missed time with a lumbar strain. The first baseman is batting .197 with three homers and 14 RBIs on the road compared to .295 with 18 and 41 at home. He was 1 for 8 against the Orioles in May.

New York is riding an eight-game winning streak in the all-time series, including a three-game sweep from June 11-13, 2010, during its previous visit to Camden Yards.

The Orioles own a slight lead on Texas and the Los Angeles Angels in the race for the AL's second wild-card spot.

They opened this 10-game homestand by taking four straight against Oakland after Steve Clevenger's three-run homer in the fourth was the difference in Monday's 4-2 victory.

Clevenger, recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on Friday, has five hits and four RBIs over the last two games.

"It feels great, especially this time of year," Clevenger said. "Right now, we're in the playoff race. Anything I can do to help the team. We're on a good streak right now."

Jonathan Schoop and Manny Machado are also hot. Schoop went 5 for 10 in the last two games, while Machado is 4 for 8 with two doubles and three RBIs. Machado's .378 average over the past 10 has followed a .216 mark over the previous 12. Schoop is hitting .400 in the last 15 contests, upping his season average 54 points to .310.

Machado had a solo homer among his three hits against the Mets in May and went 2 for 3 versus deGrom.

Kevin Gausman (2-4, 4.48) is 1-0 while yielding two runs in 21 innings over three home starts compared to 0-4 with a 7.24 ERA in five on the road.

The right-hander allowed three runs with a career-high eight strikeouts at Seattle on Wednesday, but that came opposite Hisashi Iwakuma's no-hitter in a 3-0 loss.

He struck out Duda and Michael Cuddyer in a perfect inning of relief in his only meeting with the Mets on May 6.

Gausman has struggled against Yoenis Cespedes, who is 3 for 9 with a homer off him.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Indians (55-62) at Red Sox (52-66)

Game: 2
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: August 18, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Before Terry Francona shifts his focus back to the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night, he's expected to support a good friend during the day.

Francona plans to spend time with ailing Boston manager John Farrell, then see if his Indians can secure a series victory over the visiting Boston Red Sox.

When Francona found out Farrell would begin chemotherapy treatment for lymphoma Tuesday, the Cleveland manager said he would be there with his old friend.

'We all don't know exactly how to handle this, but I do know how to be a friend and I care a lot," Francona said.

Farrell, a member of Francona's staff in Boston from 2007-10, announced Friday that he would miss the rest of the season while undergoing cancer treatment. The Red Sox (52-66) are 2-2 with bench coach Torey Lovullo in charge, and prior to Monday's 8-2 loss to the Indians totaled 45 runs, 27 extra-base hits and hit .441 in three against Seattle.

Cleveland (55-62), meanwhile, broke out Monday with 10 hits to match its total while scoring two runs in losing the previous two at Minnesota. Lonnie Chisenhall had a homer with three RBIs and was one of four Indians with two hits.

Chisenhall is batting .462 with seven RBIs in his last eight games.

The Indians also could get a boost if All-Star Jason Kipnis returns from a stint on the disabled list due to shoulder inflammation. He's batting a career-high .326 and is a lifetime .355 hitter in 16 games at Fenway Park.

Boston pitchers have posted an 8.23 ERA and allowed 65 hits, including 12 home runs, in the last five contests.

The Red Sox have won four straight home starts by rookie Eduardo Rodriguez (6-5, 4.83 ERA), who is 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in those contests. However, the left-hander must rebound after giving up eight runs in five-plus innings of a 14-6 defeat at Miami on Wednesday.

He'll be opposed by Trevor Bauer (9-9, 4.35), who is 1-4 with a 6.11 ERA and has yielded 11 of his 23 home runs in six starts since the All-Star break. Two of those homers resulted in four of the six runs he allowed in 3 1-3 innings of Thursday's 8-6 home loss to the New York Yankees.

Those continued struggles also seemed to elevate the right-hander's frustration level, especially with the media.

"I'll figure it out at some point, but right now, I don't know, so it doesn't make any sense to keep asking me about it,' Bauer said. 'Don't ask me about giving up home runs and personal stuff when it doesn't matter."

Bauer went 4-1 with a 1.10 ERA in his first six road starts but is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in the last four.

'I think the one thing that stands out is when he doesn't execute his pitch he has been leaving it in the wrong place,' Francona said. 'A lot of times pitchers, you have to know there is a place to bail out. If you miss can it be a single and with Trevor, that is an ongoing process with him.'

Making his first appearance against Boston, Bauer will try to contain rookie Travis Shaw, who is 8 for 20 with three home runs and six RBIs in the last four games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (71-46) at Reds (51-65)

Game: 1
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: August 18, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Kansas City Royals are sending a former Cincinnati Reds right-hander to the mound at Great American Ball Park on Tuesday night, though it won't be Johnny Cueto.

The Royals are 4-0 in interleague starts by Edinson Volquez, who will pitch as a visitor to Cincinnati for the second time in his career in the opener of a two-game set.

Kansas City (71-46) and Cincinnati (51-65) completed one of the most notable deals before the trade deadline when the Reds sent Cueto to the Royals on July 26 for pitchers Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed. Cueto will not pitch in this series and neither will Lamb, who made his big-league debut Friday.

Reds fans will instead get a chance to see Volquez (11-7, 3.27 ERA), whose career with the club from 2008-11 was plagued by injuries and a suspension. His lone start in Cincinnati as a visitor came with San Diego on July 30, 2012, as he allowed five runs in five innings to gain credit for an 11-5 victory.

Volquez is 3-0 with a 2.96 ERA in four interleague outings. He went 0-2 with a 5.82 ERA in three 2014 starts versus the Reds with Pittsburgh.

Jay Bruce is 7 for 14 against him while Joey Votto is 1 for 7 with four walks. Votto is 11 for 23 with two homers and seven RBIs over a six-game hitting streak.

Volquez turned in an odd outing Wednesday in a 7-4 loss to Detroit. He was charged with a season-high six runs in seven-plus innings, although he did retire 13 straight hitters in one stretch.

The Royals capped an 8-2 homestand with Sunday's 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Kendrys Morales' RBI single in the 10th inning. Morales was 5 for 15 in the four-game set.

'He's really, really smart and he knows what he needs to do to try to get the job done,' manager Ned Yost said.

Eric Hosmer is batting .367 with 11 RBIs during an eight-game hitting streak while Lorenzo Cain's eight-game run, in which he batted .455, ended Sunday as he went 0 for 5.

Yost said that Omar Infante will return after being out of the lineup the last two games. The second baseman is hitless in 26 at-bats and batting just .216.

Cincinnati second baseman Brandon Phillips is batting .418 during a 12-game hitting streak at home. His club begins a 10-game homestand after capping a 3-7 trip with a third straight defeat, 2-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.

This will be Cincinnati's 19th straight game with a rookie starter - which will match the longest such streak since St. Louis did it in September 1997.

Tuesday's rookie is Raisel Iglesias (3-4, 4.70), who is 2-0 with a 3.77 ERA in five home starts. He earned his first road victory Wednesday by limiting San Diego to three runs in six innings in a 7-3 victory, retiring his final 16 hitters.

The Cuban right-hander is 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA in three starts this month, limiting batters to a .156 average. He has never faced the Royals or their hitters.

The Royals outscored the Reds 10-1 in a two-game sweep May 19-20. They lead the series 11-8 and are visiting Cincinnati for the first time since 2010.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mariners (55-64) at Rangers (60-57)

Game: 2
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: August 18, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

Seattle Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon warned shortly after Hisashi Iwakuma returned from injury last month that the right-hander was getting near the top of his game.

Everyone is listening now.

Six days after pitching an unlikely no-hitter, Iwakuma takes the mound looking to help prevent the Texas Rangers from winning a ninth straight home game Tuesday night.

Iwakuma (4-2, 3.86 ERA) went on the disabled list at the end of April with a right lat strain, then gave up five runs in a loss to Detroit when he returned July 6.

He's gone 4-1 with a 2.47 ERA in seven starts since that outing after holding Baltimore hitless in a 3-0 win Wednesday. It broke a streak of 12 straight no-hitters by NL pitchers and was the first in the AL since teammate Felix Hernandez threw a perfect game against Tampa Bay on Aug. 15, 2012.

Iwakuma became the 17th pitcher since 1914 to throw his first career complete game in a no-hitter and the first since Philip Humber tossed a perfect game against the Mariners on April 21, 2012.

"It's nice to see because I think this is probably the longest stretch I've had him where he's been truly healthy and the ball is coming out and the velocity is back," McClendon said. "He can work down in the zone, he can elevate the fastball. That's what makes him special."

The Mariners (55-64) have lost three of four since Iwakuma's gem, though. Fernando Rodney walked Adrian Beltre with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to give the Rangers a 4-3 victory Monday.

Beltre, batting .478 during a six-game hitting streak, doubled twice and drove in three runs against his former club. Texas (60-57) is on the verge of winning nine consecutive home games for the first time since July 4-23, 2011.

The Rangers also are seeking a sixth straight win overall that would push them four games over .500 for the first time since they were 37-33 after beating the Chicago White Sox on June 21. They trail Baltimore by one game in a tight race for the AL's second wild card.

"We know (Iwakuma) is really hot," manager Jeff Banister told MLB's official website. "We are going to prepare for him and use that game as part of the preparation. You look at the whole body of work, but the last couple starts are most important because that is the way he is trending. We know he is tough and we'll prepare accordingly."

Chi Chi Gonzalez might have to overcome his recent struggles in order for Texas to stay hot. Gonzalez (2-4, 4.22) went 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA over his first four starts, but he's 0-3 with a 9.47 ERA over his last four. He was sent to the minors after giving up six runs in 1 2-3 innings against Los Angeles on July 3.

He returned Thursday in place of the then-injured Cole Hamels and allowed five runs before the Rangers began their winning streak with a 6-5 comeback victory over Minnesota. The rookie right-hander could be making his final start in the rotation after Derek Holland was activated from the disabled list to start Wednesday's series finale.

Texas is just 3-7 against the Mariners this season despite Monday's win. Former Ranger Nelson Cruz is batting .450 with at least one hit in each meeting and has reached base in 28 straight overall, the longest streak in the AL this season.

It's unclear if Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton will play after sitting out two straight and four of the last six with a sore left knee.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tigers (56-61) at Cubs (67-49)

Game: 1
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: August 18, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

Much has changed for the Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers over the past year. That's certainly been the case since they last met two months ago.

The teams, who begin a two-game set Tuesday night at Wrigley Field, have gone in vastly different directions since splitting two meetings in Detroit on June 9 and 10. The Cubs are 36-23 following that series, while the Tigers have gone 25-32 to fall back in the AL wild-card race and become unexpected sellers at the trade deadline.

Both are in unfamiliar territory for mid-August. Chicago (67-49) is in excellent position to make the playoffs for the first time since 2008 while Detroit (56-61) faces an uphill climb to extend its playoff streak to five seasons.

Chicago's rise to the NL's second wild-card spot has been fueled by a 15-2 stretch, highlighted by a nine-game win streak halted with Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

The Cubs were averaging 5.8 runs during their win streak before managing three hits and striking out 18 times - 15 to Chris Sale - on Sunday.

"You're not going to win them all, man. That doesn't happen," Cubs manager Joe Maddon told MLB's official website. "We've been playing really well. We continue to play really well. We just ran into a good pitcher and that was the difference in the game."

Kris Bryant went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts to have a 12-game hit streak end. He's hitting .319 in August while fellow rookie Kyle Schwarber has four home runs and 14 RBI over his last 11 games.

A matchup with Anibal Sanchez (10-10, 4.95 ERA) could have the Cubs back to their slugging ways. After going 7-0 over an eight-start stretch, the right-hander is 0-3 with a 6.94 ERA in his last four.

Sanchez allowed five runs on three homers in last Tuesday's 6-1 loss at Kansas City to continue a troubling season-long trend. His 28 homers surrendered are tied for the most in the majors and he's served up 15 over his last 10 starts.

However, that wasn't an issue when Sanchez threw 7 2-3 scoreless innings to defeat the Cubs on June 9. He tossed a two-hit shutout against Cincinnati six days later in his most recent interleague assignment.

Sanchez has also handled several of Chicago's key hitters. Anthony Rizzo is 2 for 9 off him, Dexter Fowler 2 for 10 with six strikeouts and Miguel Montero 3 for 20 with one home run.

With eight straight wins at Wrigley, the Cubs are in the midst of their longest home winning streak since reeling off 14 in a row in 2008. They turn to Jason Hammel (6-5, 3.10), who is 0-2 despite a 3.19 ERA in nine home starts since notching his lone win at Wrigley on April 27.

Hammel was in line for a win Wednesday after holding Milwaukee to a run in 5 2-3 innings of an eventual 3-2, 10-inning victory.

The right-hander is 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA over his last three starts but owns a 7.66 ERA in five against the Tigers, though hasn't faced them since 2013.

Miguel Cabrera is 4 for 11 against Hammel and went 2 for 3 with a homer and three RBI in Sunday's 6-5 loss at Houston. The All-Star first baseman is 4 for 7 in two games after going hitless Friday in his return from a calf injury that sidelined him six weeks.

'He looks good,' Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. 'I think his timing's still off every now and then but he certainly took some good swings the last two days.'

Detroit is 2-4 on a challenging eight-game trip but has fared well at Wrigley Field, winning seven of eight there and taking two of three in their last visit in 2012. The Tigers have won 10 of 12 overall from the Cubs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Marlins (48-70) at Brewers (51-69)

Game: 2
Venue: Miller Park
Date: August 18, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

With his thumb no longer bothering him, Dee Gordon is gaining ground in the race for the NL batting title.

Gordon looks to continue his hot hitting and help the Miami Marlins to another win over the last-place Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.

Gordon was hitting .222 with six RBIs in 11 games after missing the same amount while on the disabled list with a dislocated left thumb.

The All-Star second baseman has shown no signs of it remaining an issue, hitting .406 with six RBIs, six runs and three stolen bases in his last seven games.

Gordon's career-best .331 average leaves him three points back of Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt for the highest in the majors.

His recent offensive surge has coincided with Miami (48-70) winning five of seven games after dropping 13 of the previous 15.

Gordon is a .172 career hitter against the Brewers (51-69), but he had a two-run single before doubling and scoring in Monday's 6-2 win in the opener of this three-game set at Miller Park.

Adeiny Hechavarria added three hits, giving him a .381 average during an 11-game hitting streak that matches his career high set as a rookie from July 1-12, 2013.

The shortstop is batting .452 in eight career games at Milwaukee and his .367 average in 14 overall matchups is his highest against any opponent.

Hechavarria and Gordon will try to continue making things difficult on Tyler Cravy (0-4, 5.92 ERA), who gets another chance to audition for a spot in next year's rotation.

The rookie right-hander has surrendered 10 runs and 12 hits - including three homers - in 9 1-3 innings while losing two starts since being recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs to replace an ineffective Kyle Lohse in the rotation.

Manager Craig Counsell is entertaining the idea of replacing Cravy with Zach Davies, one of the Brewers' top pitching prospects.

"I think we're kind of just going start by start right now," Counsell told MLB's official website. "Davies is a guy we traded for. He could be a possibility. But I think for now we're going with Cravy and letting him show us what he can do."

The Marlins will counter with a rookie of their own in Adam Conley (1-0, 5.00), who gets another turn with Jose Urena on the disabled list due to a bruised left knee.

The rookie left-hander allowed four runs and eight hits in 4 2-3 innings of a 14-6 win over Boston on Wednesday in just his second career start.

Each of Conley's three previous appearances came in relief. He yielded four runs in 7 1-3 innings after being recalled from Triple-A New Orleans for the third time this year.

He'll try to slow Ryan Braun, who is hitting .409 with two homers and eight RBIs in the past six games. He had two hits and one RBI in the opener, giving him a .381 average in the last six matchups.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rays (59-59) at Astros (64-55)

Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: August 18, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Despite a rough start to a 10-game road trip, the Tampa Bay Rays appear poised to continue their success in Houston.

They can do so by handing the AL West-leading Astros back-to-back home defeats for the first time in almost two months Tuesday night.

Tim Beckham hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Asdrubal Cabrera also drove in three runs as Tampa Bay (59-59) beat the Astros 9-2 on Monday. The Rays scored one fewer run than they did while being swept in a three-game series at Texas over the weekend.

Trying to keep pace in the wild-card race, Tampa Bay has averaged 6.9 runs while winning 11 of 13 at Minute Maid Park.

'It's very beneficial for us, took three tough losses in Arlington and just needed a big win (Monday),' said the light-hitting Beckham, 2 for 16 in seven games this month. "When I'm in there I just want to be productive and just want to produce any way I can and it was a big win for us.'

The Astros (64-55) are among the best home teams in baseball at 40-20, but they've dropped two of three there after winning 15 of the previous 17. Houston last lost consecutive games at Minute Maid Park on June 26 and 27 to the New York Yankees.

Though Tampa Bay's Jake Odorizzi (6-6, 3.09 ERA) has yielded three hits and struck out 15 over 13 scoreless innings to win his two starts against the Astros that came over the past two seasons, he'll face them for the first time at Houston.

The right-hander went 1-0 with a 2.66 ERA in four starts prior to Wednesday, when he matched season highs with six runs and nine hits allowed in six-plus innings in a 9-6 win over Atlanta. He didn't get the decision.

"To be honest, terrible,' Odorizzi told MLB's official website.

"Funny how that works, but that's baseball. I've had one-run losses, and (Wednesday) I gave up a season-high in runs, and we got a win."

Jose Altuve, 1 for 5 against Odorizzi, has batted .393 in six home games this month.

Scott Feldman (5-5, 4.17) has posted a 2.16 ERA in his last four starts, giving up four hits in six innings of a 2-0 victory at San Francisco on Wednesday.

"I had a pretty good command of all four pitches and that was kind of helpful," he said.

The right-hander is 3-2 with a 2.41 ERA in six starts against the Rays, last facing them in 2013.

Cabrera, 4 for 7 against Feldman, is batting .477 with 10 RBIs in 17 games since coming off the disabled list July 28. Recent Rays acquisition Daniel Nava, who had three hits Monday, is 5 for 10 with a home run when facing Feldman.

Carlos Gomez is 1 for 17 through the first four of Houston's 10-game homestand, and the same in his last four against the Rays.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (64-54) at Cardinals (76-42)

Game: 2
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: August 18, 2015 8:15 PM EDT

Lance Lynn is trying to rebound from the shortest start of his career, and he's still seeking his first victory over the San Francisco Giants.

Lynn faces the Giants for the first time since last year's NL Championship Series as the major league-leading St. Louis Cardinals go for a 10th win in 13 tries Tuesday night.

Lynn (9-7, 2.95 ERA) was pulled with two outs in the first inning and was tagged for seven runs - three earned - and six hits while hitting a batter in Thursday's 10-5 loss to Pittsburgh.

"It's not something we normally see from Lance," manager Mike Matheny said. "Those happen from time to time. You've just got to let them go."

Lynn is 0-4 with a 6.18 ERA in six career starts against San Francisco, losing all three in the regular season with a 7.98 ERA.

The right-hander, though, was effective in a 5-4 home win over the Giants in Game 2 of the 2014 NLCS. He allowed two runs in 5 2-3 innings of St. Louis' only victory in the series.

In the first matchup since, the Cardinals (76-42) beat San Francisco 2-1 on Monday after rookie Stephen Piscotty tripled and scored on Mark Reynolds' groundout in the eighth.

Piscotty has six hits over the last three games, including two doubles and a homer. He's batting .341 in 25 games since being called up from Triple-A Memphis, including a .407 average in 17 home contests.

"It feels good to contribute," Piscotty said. "It's just so much fun."

Piscotty played the majority of his first month in the majors in left field, but started in right on Monday after fellow rookie Randal Grichuk went on the disabled list with an elbow injury. Jason Heyward shifted from right to Grichuk's regular spot in center, but only lasted two innings there in the opener before leaving with tightness in his left hamstring.

"We made the proactive move of just getting him out," Matheny said of Heyward, who will have another round of tests Tuesday. "We're not going to go any further."

The Giants (64-54), three games back of the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers, are dealing with a key injury of their own. They opted not to activate Mike Leake (hamstring) from the disabled list to make his scheduled start.

Instead, Ryan Vogelsong (8-8, 4.15) gets the nod in his place for a third time. The right-hander served up a homer on his first pitch Thursday, but that was the only run he allowed while equaling his career high with eight strikeouts in five innings of a 3-1 win over Washington.

"I guess I had deception on my fastball and a little extra zip," Vogelsong told MLB's official website.

Vogelsong is 3-2 with a 3.40 ERA in eight starts - three in the postseason - against the Cardinals with San Francisco, but he allowed four runs in just three innings in Game 4 of the NLCS before the Giants rallied for a 6-4 win.

He's struggled with Matt Carpenter, who is 6 for 13 with a triple, a double and four walks off him. The third baseman's .509 average in 18 career regular-season matchups with the Giants is his highest against any opponent.

Carpenter is hitting .368 with eight homers and 15 RBIs in the last 18 games overall.

San Francisco's Brandon Crawford is aiming for a career-high 12-game hitting streak, but he's 3 for 12 with six strikeouts against Lynn.

Buster Posey is 4 for 6 with a homer against Lynn in the regular season. He flied out to the wall as a pinch hitter to end the opener, but he's batting .436 in 11 non-playoff games at Busch Stadium.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nationals (58-59) at Rockies (48-68)

Game: 1
Venue: Coors Field
Date: August 18, 2015 8:40 PM EDT

Washington Nationals manager Matt Williams insists his team will bounce back from a losing streak that has matched its longest of the year.

The Nationals likely can't afford stumbling against last-place opposition, though have already lost a series to the Colorado Rockies.

They'll send Jordan Zimmermann and his 5-0 career mark against the Rockies to the mound in Tuesday night's three-game series opener in Denver.

Washington (58-59) has matched a six-game slide from April 22-27 as its worst of the year. The Nationals haven't dropped seven straight since losing eight in a row from Aug. 28-Sept. 5, 2009.

Williams' club has been outscored 36-12 in this skid after Sunday's 5-0 defeat at San Francisco. He said he wouldn't have the team do anything on Monday's off day.

Washington is below .500 for the first time since being 14-15 on May 7. It trails the New York Mets by 4 1/2 games in the NL East.

'It will be good to give the guys a day off, get away from the game,' Williams said. 'You have to look at where we are, look at the big picture. If we win some games we jump right back into this.'

Bryce Harper is 4 for 18 over Washington's last six games, Anthony Rendon is 3 for 22, Ryan Zimmerman is 1 for 19 with 10 strikeouts and Yunel Escobar is 4 for 24.

The Nationals began this 10-game trip after losing two of three to Colorado (48-68) at home from Aug. 7-9. Carlos Gonzalez was 4 for 12 with three homers and six RBIs for the Rockies and Nolan Arenado was 5 for 12 with a homer and three runs.

Zimmermann (8-8, 3.34 ERA) started the opener of that series and allowed one run in 6 2-3 innings as the bullpen blew a three-run lead in the eighth of a 5-4 defeat. He is 5-0 with a 2.10 ERA in eight starts against Colorado, including 2-0 with a 3.74 ERA in four on the road.

The Nationals have lost the last four starts by the right-hander, who is 0-3 with a 3.68 ERA in six since the All-Star break. He gave up one run and two hits in seven innings in Wednesday's 3-0 loss to Los Angeles Dodgers.

Colorado ended a six-game slide with Sunday's 5-0 victory over San Diego as Chris Rusin pitched a five-hitter for his first career shutout.

'You don't get to see that very often, a complete-game shutout here,' manager Walt Weiss said.

DJ LeMahieu's seven-game hitting streak in which he batted .391 ended as he went 0 for 2 with a walk. LeMahieu is 5 for 11 versus Zimmermann and Arenado is 4 for 9 with a homer.

The Rockies will activate right-hander David Hale (3-4, 5.69) and give him his first start since July 4. Hale, who was out with a groin strain, will replace the demoted Eddie Butler in the rotation.

Hale made three appearances with one start against the Nationals last year with Atlanta, totaling 6 1-3 scoreless innings.

Colorado shortstop Jose Reyes has one hit in seven straight games and has hit safely in all six at home with the club.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (55-61) at Angels (61-57)

Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: August 18, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

Despite their poor play over the last three-plus weeks, the Los Angeles Angels remain confident they can get on a roll.

They'll try to get going in the right direction with a seventh consecutive home victory over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday night.

Los Angeles (61-57) has won only seven times in its last 24 games, making Monday's 2-1 victory over Chicago extremely significant following a 1-6 trip that began with a three-game sweep at the hands of the White Sox.

"We needed this win. There was really no other way around that," said first baseman C.J. Cron.

Although the Angels were held to two or fewer runs for the fifth time in their last eight contests, their belief has not wavered while sitting 2 1/2 games behind first-place Houston in the AL West and one-half game out of the final wild-card spot.

"As a team, when we execute and all do what we're capable of doing, we're going to win a lot of games, because we're really good," closer Huston Street told MLB's official website.

Cron and Albert Pujols each homered and Street recorded his 28th save after blowing one in Sunday's 4-3, 10-inning loss at Kansas City.

"You have to turn the page," Street said. "They pay everybody else to remember, and they pay me to forget."

Cron, who recorded half of the club's four hits in the opener, is batting .419 with three home runs and eight RBIs in his last 11 games. He homered in the seventh to break a 1-all tie.

"I put a good swing on it, and fortunately it went out," he said.

Cron's only hit in six career at-bats against John Danks (6-9, 4.58 ERA) came Wednesday when the left-hander allowed one run in 7 1-3 innings of a 3-2, 13-inning win over Los Angeles.

Danks, however, is 0-3 with a 7.71 ERA in his last four on the road, where the White Sox have dropped five in a row after winning 11 of the previous 12. They've dropped 12 of the last 15 at Anaheim.

Trying to remain relevant in the wild-card race, Chicago (55-61) has lost 11 of its last 17 overall.

"We've gotta win. That's just the way it is," Danks said. "It doesn't do us any good to look ahead. We need to win the game at hand. We've done that."

Avisail Garcia had two hits for Chicago, which stranded eight runners and went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position. Jose Abreu was hit by a pair of pitches, but remained in the game. He's 1 for 14 with eight strikeouts in four games at Los Angeles.

Garrett Richards (11-9, 3.55) allowed a first-inning, three-run homer to Abreu and no other runs over the next seven innings of a 9-4 victory last season in his only career start against the White Sox. The right-hander has yielded three runs over six innings in each of his last two starts overall.

Teammate Mike Trout is 0 for 9 in the last three games and 0 for 6 with four strikeouts and a walk in a seven plate appearances against Danks.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Dodgers (67-51) at Athletics (51-69)

Game: 1
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: August 18, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

Clayton Kershaw set such high standards for himself that he had trouble shaking off what he deemed a poor start at the beginning of the season.

It's safe to say that issue is well behind him.

After another scoreless outing, Kershaw looks to help the Los Angeles Dodgers stay hot when he faces the slumping Oakland Athletics on the road Tuesday night.

Kershaw (10-6, 2.39 ERA) had an ERA of 4.32 in his first nine starts after losing to San Francisco on May 21, the latest it stood above 4.00 since 2009.

The reigning NL MVP and Cy Young winner has been a force since, posting a 1.30 ERA in his last 14 starts. Kershaw beat Washington 3-0 on Wednesday by pitching at least eight scoreless innings for the fifth time in six outings, a stretch during which he's gone 5-0 with a 0.75 ERA.

The left-hander's latest stellar effort came after he gave up a homer to the first batter he faced in the Dodgers' 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh on Aug. 7, one of four runs he allowed that snapped his 37-inning scoreless streak.

'I like consistency,' Kershaw said. 'When you start looking around at the Mark Buehrle streaks, the Dan Harens, the guys that don't go on the DL, the guys that are around for a long time, I have a lot of respect for those guys. Hopefully in 10 years or so, I'll be in that category.'

It's taken far less time for him to be considered one of the best pitchers in baseball. Kershaw matched Sandy Koufax's franchise record and became the third pitcher in NL history to record six straight 200-strikeout seasons by racking up eight Wednesday.

The NL West-leading Dodgers (67-51) again have the luxury of pitching Kershaw after Zack Greinke, who won his fourth straight start and hit the tiebreaking homer in the fifth inning of Sunday's 2-1 win over Cincinnati.

Los Angeles, winner of five of six, improved to 113-54 since Greinke signed with the club for the 2013 season when he or Kershaw starts. It is 140-135 in all other contests.

Greinke's home run was the Dodgers' NL-high 146th, which is 12 more than they had all of last season. Adrian Gonzalez homered in Los Angeles' two previous games, and he's homered in both career at-bats against Felix Doubront, who looks to help last-place Oakland (51-69) avoid an eighth straight defeat.

Doubront (1-1, 4.59) has allowed five runs in 10 2-3 innings over two relief appearances since being acquired from Toronto at the trade deadline. He most recently pitched Wednesday against his former team, and he posted a 4.76 ERA in four starts and one relief effort for the Blue Jays.

The left-hander might have to work without much offensive support as the A's were outscored 52-20 on a winless seven-game road trip. Mark Canha and Danny Valencia homered in Monday's 4-2 loss to Baltimore.

Sonny Gray, originally slated to oppose Kershaw before being pushed up after missing Thursday's start with back spasms, allowed three unearned runs as Oakland committed three of its MLB-high 99 errors.

The A's haven't lost eight in a row since a nine-game skid May 22-June 1, 2012.

'When you have your ace on the mound, you want to play clean defensively,' manager Bob Melvin said. 'When you are not scoring many runs, you want to give yourself a chance because you know ... runs are going to be tough to come by.'

The A's missed Kershaw and Greinke when they split two games with the Dodgers on July 28 and 29 at Chavez Ravine.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Braves (53-65) at Padres (57-62)

Game: 2
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: August 18, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

The San Diego Padres had big plans to contend in 2015 and made a plethora of bold offseason moves, one being the signing of James Shields to long-term contract.

San Diego's stance made Matt Wisler expendable before he was moved in one of two blockbuster trades with the Atlanta Braves.

Wisler faces the Padres for the first time when he opposes Shields on Tuesday night at Petco Park.

San Diego (57-62) traded away six of its top 10 prospects in an attempt for an immediate rebuild after missing the playoffs for the eighth straight year in 2014. General manager A.J. Preller hooked up with Atlanta twice in his flurry of deals, first acquiring Justin Upton for prospects Max Fried, Jace Peterson, Dustin Peterson and Mallex Smith in December.

One day before the season started, Preller dealt Wisler - then the club's No. 1 prospect - along with Cameron Maybin, Carlos Quentin and prospect Jordan Paroubeck to Atlanta for closer Craig Kimbrel and Melvin Upton on April 5.

Kimbrel allowed a run but earned his 34th save - third-most in the majors - against his former team Monday as the Padres (57-62) won 5-3 for their fifth victory in seven tries. Justin Upton, Matt Kemp, Yonder Alonso and Will Venable had two hits apiece.

Kemp also homered and is batting .385 during a 10-game hitting streak, but San Diego is 10 1/2 games behind NL West-leading Los Angeles as Preller's plan has fallen flat.

Maybin homered for the second straight game and is batting .440 with five extra-base hits during a six-game hitting streak. He's batting .350 in five games against the Padres this season.

"Now, he's doing what he is capable of doing," Jace Peterson told MLB's official website. "It's been a lot of fun to watch."

The rebuilding Braves (53-65) have dropped 16 of 18 on the road and six of eight overall as Wisler (5-2, 4.74 ERA) takes the mound looking to make San Diego feel some regret for trading him.

The right-hander allowed 12 runs in 10 innings over his previous two starts before giving up two in five innings Wednesday, but the bullpen fell apart in a 9-6 loss to Tampa Bay.

Wisler has allowed two runs in three of his last four road starts as he prepares to oppose Shields (8-5, 3.89), who is coming off a rough outing.

The right-hander tied his season high with four walks and gave up five runs in 6 1-3 innings of a 7-3 loss to Cincinnati on Wednesday. He also balked in a run in the third.

Shields surrendered three homers in his previous start, a 4-3 defeat to Philadelphia on Aug. 7, and the Padres have lost his last five outings.

"I have to do my job and go as deep as I can in the game and try to keep the team in the game," Shields said. "Unfortunately it didn't work out."

He gave up five runs in 5 1-3 innings of a 6-5 loss to the Braves on June 9. Nick Markakis had two hits and Andrelton Simmons drove in three runs off Shields in that contest.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB Betting Cheat Sheet: Capital punishment
By JESSE SCHULE

Here's a comprehensive look at betting notes for the mid-week major-league schedule:

Capital Punishment

The Washington Nationals have completely fallen apart since the All Star break, and after being shutout in San Francisco on Sunday they've lost six straight.

They are batting a major league worst .222 in the second half, and their star studded pitching staff has been underwhelming. Max Scherzer has been tagged for 10 runs on 15 hits over nine innings in his last two starts, and he surrendered five home runs in those two games.

They will be in Colorado for a three game series versus the Rockies this week, and you might want to think twice before backing the Nats as a road favorite.

Look Out For The Tigers

Miguel Cabrera is back, and he's already making his presence felt for the Tigers.

Cabrera was 4-for-10 with a home run in three games at Houston since his return. The Tigers will play two games at Wrigley on Tuesday and Wednesday night, and Cabrera has a history of punishing Cubs pitchers.

He will face Jon Lester on Wednesday, and he's 14-for-25 (.560) with a home run and four RBIs lifetime versus the southpaw.

Hitting Notes

* Buster Posey is tearing up the National League, hitting .366 since the All Star break. He's now third in the league batting .327, and his 78 RBIs are just eight fewer than Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado who are tied for first. He's facing Lance Lynn on Tuesday, and he's 4-for-6 with a home run and four RBIs lifetime versus Lynn.

* Chris Davis has really turned it on, he's hitting .336 since the All Star break. Davis was 7-for-15 with three home runs and six RBIs in a three game series at home versus Oakland over the weekend, and he'll look to stay hot at Camden Yards with the Orioles hosting the Mets on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Pitching Notes

* Madison Bumgarner is starting to look like the World Series MVP that he was last year. He tossed a complete game (one-hit) shutout, striking out 14 in a win over the Nats on Sunday. That wasn't all, he was 2-for-3 with a double and a home run in the victory. His next start comes on Friday in Pittsburgh.

* Dallas Keuchel allowed just one run on six hits, striking out eight in seven innings in a home win over Detroit his last time out. He's been unbeatable at home, boasting a flawless record of 11-0, with a 1.26 ERA in 13 starts at Minute Maid Park so far. His next start comes at home against Tampa on Wednesday.

Totals Streak

* The Seattle Mariners are coming off a three game series in Boston, and the scores in those games looked more like what you would expect in football games. Seattle did it's fair share of scoring, but lost two of three getting outscored 45-21. The Mariners have seen the total go over in six straight road games, and that trend could continue here in Texas this week.

Injury Notes

*Phil Hughes was placed on the 15 day disabled list with lower back inflammation on August 13. It's a big blow for the Twins, who are just 1.5 back in the American League Wild Card race.

*Randal Grichuck left Sunday's game against Miami with a sore elbow, and he will undergo an MRI on Monday. The Cardinals LF is having a fine season batting .284 with 15 home runs and 44 RBIs.

Weather Notes

* There is as much as a 56 percent chance of thunderstorms when the Pirates host the Arizona Diamondbacks in Pittsburgh Tuesday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Blue Jays demote RHP Hutchison
The Sports Xchange

Despite a 12-2 record for the Toronto Blue Jays, starter Drew Hutchison was demoted to Triple-A Buffalo on Monday.

The right-hander was sent down one day after pitching 6 2/3 innings in a 3-1 win over the New York Yankees.

Hutchison, the Blue Jays' Opening Day starter, has the best winning percentage (.857) in the league -- thanks to the best run support in the majors (6.71 per game). But he has a 5.06 ERA, and opponents are hitting .287.

Toronto called up infielder Matt Hague from Buffalo to replace reliever Aaron Loup, who was sent down Sunday. Hague leads the International League with a .348 batting average and 83 RBIs.

The Jays said they will fill Hutchison's roster spot Tuesday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Cardinals place OF Grichuk on DL
The Sports Xchange

The St. Louis Cardinals placed outfielder Randal Grichuk on the 15-day disabled list Monday and recalled outfielder Tommy Pham from Triple-A Memphis.

Grichuk, who has been playing with a sore foot, suffered a right elbow strain Sunday in a 6-4 loss to the Miami Marlins. He left the game after seven innings and had the elbow examined Monday.

Grichuk, 24, is hitting .284 with 44 RBIs and 15 home runs in 85 games. His 43 extra-base hits rank first among all rookies, and he is third in homers and sixth in RBIs.

Pham, 27, is in his second stint with the Cardinals. He played in 13 games, starting 10, in July and hit his first major-league home run on July 5 vs. San Diego. He hit .182 with four doubles and three RBIs. He is hitting .327 at Memphis, including .354 with 17 RBIs over his last 23 games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Cubs seeking to make it nine in a row at Wrigley
Stephen Campbell

The iconic Wrigley Field has been friendly to the hometown Chicago Cubs as of late.

Heading into Tuesday's meeting with the Detroit Tigers in the Windy City, the Cubbies have won eight-straight ball games in front of their hometown fans.

Joe Maddon's squad are currently -165.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Under sizzling when Bauer hits the road
Stephen Campbell

The Under has been the hot bet in recent road outings by Trevor Bauer.

In the Cleveland Indians righty's last 11 starts away from home, the Under has gone 9-1-1. Eduardo Rodriguez is slated to start opposite Bauer for the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on Tuesday.

The total for the game is presently off the board at sportsbooks.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Pirates have been worth the chalk in Liriano's starts
Stephen Campbell

Pittsburgh Pirates backers are laughing all the way to the bank when the Buccos have been pegged as favorites in Francisco Liriano's starts recently.

The Pirates are a sizzling 11-1 in their last 12 contests as chalk behind Liriano. Andrew McCutchen and company are presently in the -196 ballpark at sportsbooks for Tuesday's clash with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The total had not hit the board yet at the time of writing.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Blue Jays' starting pitching on a record-setting run
Stephen Campbell

The Toronto Blue Jays have long been known as an offensive powerhouse, but one past weakness that's since become a major strength for the team is its starting pitching.

Toronto starters have allowed three earned runs or less in 20 consecutive starts, a mark good enough to set a team record. The Bluebirds begin a brief two-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday and are scheduled to send knuckleballer R.A. Dickey to the bump.

The Jays are 5-0 in Dickey's last five outings, with the 40-year-old allowing just six runs during that span.

At the time of writing, the line and total for the interleague clash were off the board.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Nats slumping'

The Washington Nationals have hit the skids and after being blanked in San Francisco Sunday have lost six straight and 20 of 30 since the mid-summer classic. Heading into Colorado Tuesday, the Nats pegged as -$1.55 road favorites will count on Jordan Zimmermann to stop the bleeding.

You bet Washington at some risk. The Nationals have lost Zimmermann's last four starts and five of his last seven away games. Nationals have also struggle away from the Capital recently going 4-17 in road games and enter the contest 6-14 on the campaign opening a road series. One final betting nuggets, Nats have struggled following a game in which they were blanked going 2-6 on the year which includes 1-4 on the road.