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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB roundup: Dodgers stun Giants with walk-off win
By The Sports Xchange

LOS ANGELES -- Adrian Gonzalez hit a walk-off double in the ninth inning and the Los Angeles Dodgers stunned the San Francisco Giants 2-1 on Monday night at Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers (85-65) padded their lead in the National League West to six games over the Giants (79-71), who dropped their third in a row. Los Angeles reduced its magic number to seven for the division title.
Giants relievers Will Smith and Derek Law combined to work a scoreless eighth before the Giants self-destructed in the final inning. Law served up a lead-off single to pinch-hitter Andrew Toles before Corey Seager followed with a single off Javier Lopez (1-3), allowing Toles to take third with no outs.
Turner's RBI single off reliever Hunter Strickland scored Toles to knot the score at 1. Gonzalez then delivered his game-winner.
Joe Blanton (6-2) pitched a scoreless ninth for the win.

Rangers 3, Angels 2
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Ian Desmond drove in Elvis Andrus in the ninth and Texas added to its mammoth comeback win total by besting Los Angeles at Globe Life Park.
While their latest rally wasn't overly dramatic, the Rangers added to their baseball-best total of comeback victories (46) after taking the opener of the three-game series with their AL West rivals.
Texas reduced its magic number to clinch the division to at least four, pending the outcome of Seattle's late start against Toronto. The Rangers also snapped a two-game skid.

Braves 7, Mets 3
NEW YORK -- Freddie Freeman continued his road mastery of New York, when the Atlanta first baseman collected four hits -- including a homer -- and three RBIs to lead the Braves to a win at Citi Field.
Rookie right-hander Aaron Blair earned his first major league victory with six solid innings for the Braves, who have won three straight to improve to 9-8 this month. Atlanta, which has not had a winning month all season, needs to win at least four of the final 12 games to avoid the franchise's first 100-loss campaign since 1988.
The Mets had a three-game winning streak snapped. New York, which is 20-8 since Aug. 20, entered Monday one game ahead of the San Francisco Giants in the race for the NL's top wild card and two games ahead of the third-place St. Louis Cardinals.

Marlins 4, Nationals 3
MIAMI -- Washington rookie center fielder Trea Turner misplayed two fly balls, leading to three runs, and Miami used those mistakes to rally past the Nationals at Marlins Park.
A.J. Ramos pitched the ninth, recording his 38th save of the season. He retired Daniel Murphy on a long fly ball to end the game. That drive to the edge of the warning track in right also ended Murphy's 14-game hit streak, which tied his career high.
Washington lost its third game in a row. The first-place Nationals started the day with an eight-game lead over the New York Mets in the NL East.

Red Sox 5, Orioles 2
BALTIMORE -- For just the second time this season and first since July 29, Rick Porcello went nine innings and he did it against one of the most feared lineups in baseball in hitter-friendly Camden Yards.
Porcello pitched a complete game, and Mookie Betts and David Ortiz hit two-run homers as Boston beat Baltimore.
The first-place Red Sox improved to 20-9 within the American League East since July 1.

Royals 8, White Sox 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City isn't known for its power, ranking last in the American League with 137 home runs.
But the Royals flexed their muscles Monday.
Kendrys Morales, Paulo Orlando and Alcides Escobar homered as the Royals topped Chicago.
Morales' three-run homer in a four-run fifth gave the Royals a six-run cushion and sent White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon to the showers.

Cubs 5, Reds 2
CHICAGO -- Dexter Fowler's seventh-inning RBI single provided the go-ahead run while Jason Heyward added a two-run insurance homer in the eighth as Chicago rallied to a victory over Cincinnati.
Fowler's two-out base hit drove in Chris Coghlan from second to break at 2-2 tie as the Cubs snapped a two-game losing streak in the opener of a three-game Wrigley Field series.
Heyward's seventh home run, his first since Aug. 22, landed in the center field seats and brought home Addison Russell. The home run was the 242nd allowed this season by the Reds, breaking the major league record set in 1996 by the Detroit Tigers.

Cardinals 5, Rockies 3
DENVER -- St. Louis starter Carlos Martinez, bothered more by the altitude than the Colorado batters, fought his way through five innings and contributed a key hit in the Cardinals' win over the Rockies.
Martinez gave up two runs and f
ive hits and three walks with six strikeouts. However, needed 102 pitches to last long enough to qualify for the win.
In the fourth, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny and a trainer went to the mound to check on Martinez (15-8), and a batboy then came out and gave the pitcher a cup of water.

Blue Jays 3, Mariners 2
SEATTLE -- Toronto starter Marco Estrada flirted with a no-hitter, and teammate Edwin Encarnacion belted his 41st home run of the year, as the Blue Jays held off Seattle to move back into a tie atop the American League wild-card standings.
Estrada threw six innings of no-hit ball before Seattle's Robinson Cano led off the seventh with a single. Encarnacion's two-run homer in the third inning stood up as the game-winner as the Blue Jays pulled into a tie with the Orioles, three games ahead of the Mariners in the wild-card race.
Estrada (9-9) allowed one hit over seven scoreless innings. He walked the first batter he faced in the eighth inning and came out after 97 pitches. The Mariners ended up walking the bases loaded with two outs in that inning before Toronto turned to closer Roberto Osuna, who got Cano to fly out to deep right field to end that threat.

Padres 3, Diamondbacks 2
SAN DIEGO -- Left-hander Clayton Richard and two relievers held Arizona to two runs on six hits and Wil Myers triggered a three-run fourth with his 26th homer of the season as San Diego defeated the Padres at Petco Park.
Richard improved to 3-2 as a Padres starter. Brandon Maurer picked up his 11th save in 13 chances.
The victory in the opener of a three-game series allowed the Padres to move back into a tie with Arizona for fourth in the National League West. Both teams are 63-87.

Astros 4, Athletics 2
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Marwin Gonzalez hit a tiebreaking, two-run single with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth inning, and Houston held on for a victory over Oakland at the Oakland Coliseum.
The Astros won for the fourth time in their past five games and remained three games back in the race for the American League's second wild-card berth.
Evan Gattis hit his 28th home run of the season for the Astros, a solo shot in the second inning.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (77-72) at Rays (64-85)

Game: 1
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: September 20, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Rays' role in the final month of the season has been the Official Spoiler of American League Hopefuls, and that continues Tuesday as the Yankees come to Tropicana Field for a three-game series.

The Yankees are still in postseason contention, four games back in the wild-card chase with 13 games to play, this despite a horrendous four-game sweep at Boston over the weekend. In all, they've lost seven of eight games, a slump that started against the Rays last week, when they were just one game out of the wild card.

"We could have won all four of the games here," manager Joe Girardi said of the sweep at Boston. "But we're still playing the teams in front of us, some of them. We have to start over Tuesday."

The Rays (64-85) have long been out of any contention and firmly in last in the AL East, but they've managed to wreak havoc on the division -- they went 5-6 on their recent road trip, the longest of the season, but in doing so, took two of three from Toronto and split a four-game series with Baltimore, putting the brakes on both teams' postseason chases.

"We're playing well," manager Kevin Cash said after Sunday's loss. "We're giving teams a good game all the way to the end. We've won some of them and we've lost a couple tough ones."

For the Yankees to make up four games in the final two weeks of the regular season in a deep logjam of potential wild cards, they'll need sweeps against teams like the Rays.

And while Tuesday's starters might look similar in their stats -- Rays LHP Drew Smyly is 7-11 with a 4.98 ERA and Yankees RHP Michael Pineda is 6-11 with a 4.94 -- their success against their current opponent is a much different matter.

Pineda is 0-3 against the Rays this season with a 9.31 ERA, his highest for any opponent in 2016. He's given up 31 hits in 19 1/3 innings, including eight home runs, though four of those came in an 8-1 loss on April 24. The Rays are hitting .356 against him this season, and he hasn't even made it through five innings in his last three starts, including a two-run effort against the Rays.

Smyly, on the other hand, is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA against the Yankees this season -- that same April 24 game that was a low mark for Pineda saw Smyly hold the Yankees to one run in seven innings. He's given up two runs in 13 innings this season against New York, and he's improved overall since the All-Star break, though his season has been marked too often by no-decisions and losses.

The Rays wrap up their home schedule in the next week with three against the Yankees and three against the Red Sox, their last chance to make an impact on a division race they aren't directly involved in.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (77-73) at Indians (86-63)

Game: 1
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: September 20, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

CLEVELAND -- After their last off day of the regular season Monday, the Cleveland Indians are ready for the sprint to the finish.

The Indians will play 13 games in 13 days to finish the season, all of them against American League Central rivals: the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers.

It starts Tuesday at Progressive Field with the first game of a three-game series against Kansas City. Cleveland is fresh off winning two of three games at home against Detroit, giving the AL Central Division-leading Indians a seven-game lead over the second-place Tigers.

The biggest concern for the Indians is the composition of their rotation after Carlos Carrasco sustained a season-ending broken right hand when he was hit by a line drive in his Saturday start.

Carrasco's injury came just days after Danny Salazar was shut down, probably for the rest of the year, with a strained muscle in his right forearm. So with the start of the postseason two weeks away, Cleveland's rotation is Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer and three question marks.

Josh Tomlin (12-8, 4.75 ERA) will start Tuesday night against the Royals. Barring injury, Tomlin, who was taken out of the rotation for two turns after a horrendous August in which he went 0-5 with an 11.48 ERA, likely will be the No. 3 starter in the postseason.

The No. 4 spot probably will go to rookie Mike Clevinger, who will pitch Thursday against the Royals. Cody Anderson is another candidate. He will pitch Saturday in the No. 5 spot in the rotation.

At this point, however, nothing is certain except manager Terry Francona's confidence that the rotation isn't in as dire straits as it might appear.

"(Losing Carrasco and Salazar) makes it more challenging, but that doesn't mean we can't get it done," Francona said.

The manager described the Carrasco injury as "a kick in the stomach," but he quickly added that the Indians are prepared to handle whatever is thrown at them the rest of the way.

"If you look ahead too far, it seems daunting, but we're looking at it in smaller terms," Francona said. "We just need to be one run better than the team we're playing that day."

On Tuesday, that team is Kansas City. The Royals are out of picture in the AL Central race, and they are longshots, at best, in the wild-card race. However, they are still the defending World Series champions. They sit five games behind the two teams tied for the two AL wild cards, the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles.

The Royals are coming off a 3-4 homestand that began with them getting swept by the Oakland A's in a four-game series. Kansas City then swept a three-game series from the White Sox, including an 8-3 win Monday.

"It ended strong," Royals manager Ned Yost told MLB.com. "It is what it is. Coming off a real good series in Chicago last week, I felt like we had some momentum, and Oakland just stomped on that momentum. But we gathered back up."

The Royals are 5-8 against Cleveland this year and have been outscored 65-46.

Edinson Volquez (10-11, 5.40 ERA) will start for the Royals on Tuesday night. In four starts against Cleveland this year, he is 1-2 with a 4.38 ERA. In 11 career starts against the Indians, he is 3-6 with a 6.38 ERA.

Tomlin has started three times against the Royals this year, going 2-0 with a 2.79 ERA. In 19 career appearances, 15 of them starts, against Kansas City, he is 8-4 with a 4.66 ERA.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Braves (59-91) at Mets (80-70)

Game: 2
Venue: Citi Field
Date: September 20, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- Atlanta Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said his last-place club is approaching the final few weeks of the season as if it were fighting for a wild-card berth.

The Braves look as though they might be ready to do some damage to the New York Mets' actual National League wild-card run.

Atlanta will aim for a second consecutive win over the Mets on Tuesday night, when the NL East rivals meet at Citi Field in the middle game of a three-game series.

The Braves (59-91) earned an unlikely 7-3 victory Monday. Rookie right-hander Aaron Blair -- who entered 0-6 with an 8.23 ERA in 12 major league starts -- notched his first big league win with six solid innings. Meanwhile, Mets All-Star right-hander Noah Syndergaard was chased after giving up five runs in 3 2/3 innings.

"It's like we're kind of fighting for (a) wild card, too," Snitker said of the Braves, who need to win at least four of their final 12 games to avoid the franchise's first 100-loss season since 1988. "We're not playing the games any less hard because we're not playing for (a playoff spot). We're playing to win and putting it out there and leaving it out there every day."

Despite the loss, the Mets (80-70) remain a game ahead of the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals in the race for the first NL wild card. The Giants blew a ninth-inning lead and lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1, while the Cardinals moved into a tie for the second wild card by beating the Colorado Rockies 5-3.

"You're going to go into the playoffs looking at Noah Syndergaard as the guy that (has) got to pitch a big game," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "Just very surprising tonight (that) that's what happened.

"But if there's any game that we've played in a long time that demonstrates that there's no guarantees and no sure things in baseball, tonight's the game."

On Tuesday, the Braves should be the team with the pitching advantage as ace right-hander Julio Teheran (5-10, 3.18 ERA) opposes Mets rookie right-hander Robert Gsellman (2-1, 3.08 ERA). While Gsellman will be making just his fifth career start, Teheran is a two-time All-Star with three career shutouts under his belt, including a one-hit masterpiece against the Mets on June 19.

"We go out to win the game, you know what I mean?" Snitker said. "We'll come out tomorrow and expect to win that game. We've got Julio going, he's been pitching pretty good."

The Mets hope Gsellman can be the one to flip the script on Tuesday. The long-haired 23-year-old, who had just nine starts at Triple-A Las Vegas prior to being recalled Aug. 23, has fared surprisingly since replacing injured left-hander Jonathon Niese in the rotation. Gsellman is 1-1 with a 3.57 ERA in four starts and has pitched into the sixth inning three times.

On Sept. 9 at Atlanta, Gsellman allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings during a no-decision. That was his lone career appearance against the Braves.

Teheran is 1-0 with a 0.78 ERA in three starts against the Mets this year, 6-3 with a 2.44 ERA in 14 career games (13 starts) vs. New York

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Reds (63-87) at Cubs (95-55)

Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: September 20, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- Josh Smith may not have much experience as a starting pitcher but at least the right-hander has been called on frequently between stints with Triple-A Louisville and the Cincinnati Reds.

Reds manager Bryan Price figures previous work will help when Smith makes his 30th appearance and first start of the season on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs.

Price could have considered some others for a starting slot -- including candidates called up earlier this month from Triple-A Iowa.

"(But) we're so far removed from the Triple-A season," he said. "It ended on September 5. It is hard to ask guys to pitch when they haven't had activity for two weeks."

Smith (3-1, 4.97 ERA) will become the Reds' 15th different starting pitcher this season and he faces Cubs left-hander Jon Lester (17-4, 2.40 ERA) in the second in a three-game series at Wrigley Field.

Smith has had seven career starts -- all in 2005 -- as he went 0-4 with three no-decisions and a 6.82 ERA. He's 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA in three career appearances against Chicago.

As Smith is set to step in, the Reds could be poised to shut down a mainstay for the rest of the season.

Right-hander Homer Bailey reportedly continues to deal with a sore right biceps and skipped a scheduled bullpen late last week. He has struggled through parts of six starts since returning from Tommy John surgery.

"We have the right to shut him down, we have not made that decision yet," Price told reporters. "Until we do, you can anticipate that perhaps he may pitch again this year."

Reds right-hander Robert Stephenson (2-1, 4.97 ERA) works the series finale on Wednesday against Cubs right-hander John Lackey (9-8, 3.42 ERA).

Lester makes his 30th start of the season, hitting that milestone for the ninth straight season. In his last start on Sept. 14 at St. Louis, he worked eight scoreless innings in a 7-0 Cubs triumph while extending his winning streak to eight games.

He's 2-0 with a 3.02 ERA in seven career starts against Cincinnati and is 1-0 in three starts against the Reds this season.

"Jonny is on a good roll," Maddon told reporters earlier this month. "I've seen him like this in Boston. Right now as a Cub, this is the best I've seen his stuff consistently."

While the Reds are winding down and looking to 2017, the Cubs are concentrating on some unfinished business and the upcoming National League playoffs.

"We have a unique opportunity right now for the next two weeks," Maddon said on Monday. "The biggest thing we have left to do is to clinch the best record and that would ensure home field and hopefully secure 100 wins at some point.

Clinching the division crown so early has also given the Cubs some options to rest starters and the opportunity to meet and leisurely ponder their postseason roster.

Maddon said those discussions are starting this week.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (65-85) at Rangers (89-62)

Game: 2
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: September 20, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Deficits and close ballgames just don't seem to bother the Texas Rangers.

Texas won in walk-off fashion again Monday night, coming back to beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-2. The American League West rivals continue the three-game series with the middle installment Tuesday night at Globe Life Park.

The Rangers own eight walk-off wins this season, including two on the current homestand. Texas has 20 last at-bat victories. The club's 46 come-from-behind wins are second most in club history (50 in 2013) and lead Major League Baseball.

And when it comes to one-run games, no team is better. Texas has won 12 of last 14 decided by a single run, improving to 35-10 overall.

"That's how we play," said Elvis Andrus, who scored the deciding run in the series' opener. "That's been our DNA this year. We don't give up to the last out, the last pitch. It's contagious. I think everybody is feeling the same way. Everybody keeps pushing. We don't count ourselves out until the last out.

"I'm really happy with the way we're playing baseball right now. We're going to come back tomorrow and try to win the series."

The Rangers are sending A.J. Griffin (7-4, 4.78 ERA) to the hill to try to clinch the series. The right-hander hasn't been particularly sharp lately, but the club has won three of his last four starts and seven of 10.

Griffin owns a 5.96 ERA over his last eight starts. He hasn't pitched since Sept. 13 as Texas manager Jeff Banister lines up his staff for the playoffs.

Banister announced that lefty Derek Holland would start Wednesday in the series finale, pushing back Cole Hamels from his normal turn to the series opener Friday at Oakland. Yu Darvish would follow Saturday, mirroring the playoff rotation.

Hamels and Darvish would also start the following Friday and Saturday to set them up for the first two games of the ALDS, which starts Oct. 6.

"It's the appropriate time for both of them to get extra rest," Banister told reporters.

Hamels and Darvish have struggled recently. Getting the two aces rest isn't as important as getting them on track.

"It would be nice for them to go out, throw the ball well and have some success," Banister added. "There would be a lot of 'feel good.' What's necessary is for all our guys to get on that roll."

The Angels are countering with Daniel Wright (0-3, 7.04) in the second game of the series. The rookie is making his third appearance for Angels and fifth start of the season.

Claimed off waivers from Cincinnati earlier this month, Wright made his Angels' debut on Sept. 10 against Texas. He didn't factor in the decision after tossing five innings and allowing four earned runs on six hits.

The Angels have gotten solid starting pitching lately.

"It's encouraging, because we've seen guys that were looking forward to seeing where they're going to be next year because they have a chance to help us," manager Mike Scioscia said. "The heartbeat of the club is your rotation. We need to get a little more consistent, a little deeper there, and hopefully we start to see it."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nationals (88-62) at Marlins (75-75)

Game: 2
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: September 20, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

MIAMI -- Manager Don Mattingly painted a grim picture.

If his Miami Marlins team were a patient in a hospital, they would be on "life support," Mattingly said.

It's a sad image for a team that had high hopes earlier this summer.

The Marlins trail the New York Mets, San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals in the NL wild-card chase. Only two of those three teams listed above can make the playoffs the way the race looks right now.

"All we can do," Mattingly said, "is try to win every day and force the other teams to have to win games."

That quest begins anew on Tuesday night, when ace right-hander Jose Fernandez takes the mound against the Washington Nationals.

Fernandez, an All-Star this year for the second time in his brief career, is 15-8 with a 2.99 ERA. But he is even better at home, going 28-2 with a 1.53 ERA at Marlins Park since breaking into the majors.

There should be a great pitching matchup on Tuesday as Washington will send right-hander Tanner Roark to the mound. Roark is also 15-8, and he has a 2.75 ERA.

"Tanner has been very valuable to us," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said. "It is tough to even imagine our team without his contribution."

Marlins fans should enjoy Fernandez's contributions right now because this could be the last week of his season.

Fernandez, who has pitched 174 1/3 innings this season, will likely pitch just two more games this year -- Tuesday against the Nationals and Sunday against the Atlanta Braves.

The Marlins don't want to extend him too much past 180 innings in his first full year after elbow surgery.

Meanwhile, the Nationals, who have lost three games in a row, are looking to get back in the win column. There is no need for Nationals fans to panic -- their team is eight games ahead of the New York Mets in the NL East, after all.

Still, Baker wants his team entering the playoffs riding a wave of momentum instead of a string of losses.

The Nationals got pitcher Joe Ross back from the disabled list on Sunday. Another member of the rotation, Stephen Strasburg, has begun to toss the ball lightly.

Getting Strasburg back in time for the playoffs would be huge.

The Nationals want to get their offense untracked. Reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper has just one hit in his past 18 at-bats and is hitting just .242.

No Strasburg and an ice-cold Harper -- that's not how the Nationals drew this thing up when considering their two biggest stars.

In addition, while rookie Trea Turner has been a revelation offensively -- he is hitting .350 and has been igniting the offense as their leadoff man -- his defense has been shaky. He misplayed two fly balls on Monday that cost the Nationals three runs in a 4-3 loss to the Marlins.

So yes, it's safe to say the Nationals are a playoff team. But will they be hot once they get there?

That's what the next couple of weeks will determine, and -- from Washington's perspective -- it would be great to beat Fernandez on Tuesday at Marlins Park where he has been a god-like figure.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pirates (74-75) at Brewers (68-82)

Game: 1
Venue: Miller Park
Date: September 20, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

MILWAUKEE -- Three weeks ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates boarded their team charter in Milwaukee feeling good.

They'd completed a four-game sweep of the Brewers at Miller Park for the first time since 2004 and moved to within a half-game of the Cardinals for the second National League wild-card spot.

But since then, it's gone all downhill for the Pirates, who dropped their next eight contests -- including back-to-back sweeps by the Cubs and Brewers -- and 13 of their next 16 before finally rebounding with a four-game winning streak against the Phillies and Reds.

Now, they return to Milwaukee, practically out of the playoff chase. The Pirates arrived here Monday 74-75 and five games back of the Giants for the second slot, with St. Louis and Miami standing in between.

"There comes a point in time where the trying hard and the grinding part needs to be let go, and you need to be 6 and get in the backyard and play Whiffle Ball," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "It's a game. Go play. In challenging times like these, you've got to find the fun. You have to get out there and not be concerned about your results and just stay focused in the moment. We're trying to revisit that in a meaningful way."

After playing a doubleheader Saturday, Hurdle had yet to announce his starting rotation. But Milwaukee will hand the ball to Matt Garza, who has been bit by bad luck over the last month.

He's allowed 12 runs in his last four outings, but just three of them have been earned, leading to a 1.16 ERA during that stretch.

Garza went five innings his last time out, but a pair of errors led to five unearned runs in a 6-4 loss at Cincinnati.

"We just made it way too hard on Matt," Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. "We're asking him to get five outs. Going through Joey Votto, that's a tall task."

Garza, the veteran member of Milwaukee's rotation, took the miscues in stride.

"You just keep pitching," he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "Some days the ball finds the gloves, and some days it doesn't. You just keep making your pitches and keep going. We have a young team. That's kind of where it's at.

"I've learned from the past you can't really come down on the guys. You can't go and harp and wear them out right now. It's September, and a lot of them it's their first September playing baseball.

"So you've just got to kind of wear it and just keep going."

Milwaukee's starting pitching has stepped things up a notch over the last few weeks, with the rotation posting an NL-leading 2.85 ERA (49 earned runs, 148 2/3 innings pitched) over the last 27 games while the bullpen has combined for a league-leading 2.65 ERA over its last 28.

As a result, the Brewers have been on a hot streak, winning 11 of 17 since the Pirates' sweep in Milwaukee, with two series victories over the NL Central Champion Chicago Cubs.

"Our guys just keep doing it," Counsell said. "So, as much as anything, it just speaks to them finishing the season and finishing it strong. 1/8They're 3/8 continuing to play well and at a high level. Obviously, we're playing good teams. These are really good teams."

Since the start of the 2007 season, the Brewers are 103-60 against the Pirates including a 64-21 mark at Miller Park.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tigers (79-70) at Twins (55-95)

Game: 1
Venue: Target Field
Date: September 20, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

When a season of high expectations started for Minnesota, a mid-September series at Target Field between the Twins and the visiting Detroit Tigers was expected to be a fight for postseason position.

Playoffs are still in the picture for Detroit. But the optimism created by the Twins' 83-79 record in 2015 ended quickly and has led to another long summer as Minnesota begins its final homestand of the season.

The Twins send left-hander Hector Santiago (12-8, 4.65 ERA) to the mound to start a three-game series against Detroit on Tuesday. The Tigers counter with left-hander Matt Boyd (5-4, 4.43).

While Minnesota (55-95) tries to avoid 100 losses for the first time since losing 102 games in 1982, Detroit is challenging for a playoff spot.

The Tigers (79-70) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 9-5 win at Cleveland on Sunday. They sit 2 1/2 games behind Toronto and Baltimore for the final wild-card spot in the American League.

"We had to win," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said after Sunday's win. "We feel like we've got to win every single day the rest of the way. If we do, we'll be in great shape. If we don't, we're going to need some help."

Playing the Twins has been quite a help.

The teams split the four-game series in Detroit last week -- Minnesota's only two wins on a seven-game road trip -- but the Tigers have owned the season series with 12 wins in 16 games.

Boyd lost one of those games to the Twins last week, giving up seven runs and eight hits in just 3 2/3 innings. Boyd told MLB.com he's made some adjustments before Tuesday's start.

"Not a whole lot of tweaking, more just refining," Boyd told MLB.com. "Sometimes there's just one or two little things that can take you out of your delivery. That being said, you have to be better in the moment to figure out a way to get it done with that."

The Twins' offense, in particular second baseman Brian Dozier, is still giving fans reason to watch as another frustrating season concludes. Minnesota is one loss shy of the 96 it finished with in 2012 and 2013. In 2011, the team lost 99 games.

Dozier is doing things not seen in Minnesota since the days of Hall of Fame slugger Harmon Killebrew, though. Dozier has a 22-game hitting streak and would set the AL record for home runs by a second baseman with his next homer while playing the position.

Dozier has 41 home runs -- the only Twins player besides Killebrew to reach the mark -- and 39 of the homers have come while playing second base.

"(Dozier has) put together a phenomenal run here in the last 3 1/2 months," Minnesota manager Paul Molitor told MLB.com. "And he's putting up historical numbers at his position. The hitting streak speaks to a little bit more of the consistency of his at-bats. He's doing his job. He's a catalyst for our offense. At the end of the year, you're going to look at the body of his work and it's going to be pretty impressive."

Dozier was 7-for-15 with two homers and five RBIs during the series in Detroit last week and had two hits in two at-bats against Boyd.

But the losses have worn on Dozier, even as his personal achievements have piled up.

"It doesn't really sit very well, I can tell you that," Dozier told MLB.com of his hitting streak. "It is what it is. I couldn't care less, to be honest with you. We didn't get enough of them today. So that's pretty much it."

Detroit, which is 6-0 at Target Field this season, isn't sure if it will have its second baseman. Ian Kinsler was hit in the head by a pitch from Cleveland's Trevor Bauer on Sunday and was showing symptoms of a concussion following the game.

Santiago has settled in after some initial struggles when he was acquired by Minnesota from the Los Angeles Angels at the trade deadline. Santiago has allowed five runs total over his last four starts. He beat Detroit with 5 2/3 innings with one run allowed last week.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (79-71) at Rockies (72-78)

Game: 2
Venue: Coors Field
Date: September 20, 2016 8:40 PM EDT

DENVER -- Jorge De La Rosa will make his final start of the season Tuesday and most likely his last one for the Colorado Rockies, when he opposes the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Rockies have been using a six-man rotation. Dropping De La Rosa from the rotation will enable German Marquez, a 21-year-old prospect, to make three starts, the last on the final day of the season.

Marquez has made three relief appearances since being recalled earlier this month, and will make his first major league start Wednesday in the series finale against St. Louis.

In lieu of De La Rosa, the Rockies will end the season with a rotation that includes Jon Gray, 24, Tyler Anderson, 26, Chad Bettis, 26, Tyler Chatwood, 26, and Marquez and might be the Rockies' rotation when they begin the 2017 season.

De La Rosa, 35, is making $12.5 million in the second season of his two-year, $25 million contract and can be a free agent after the season. His start Tuesday will be De La Rosa's 200th with the Rockies.

They acquired De La Rosa from Kansas City on April 30, 2008 for a player to be named or cash. At that point, De La Rosa was more about potential and stuff than consistency and results, but he became not just a reliable starter with the Rockies but a historically good one.

He ranks first in franchise history with 86 wins, first in winning percentage (.589 with an 86-60 record), second in innings (1136 2/3), first in strikeouts (977), second in starts (199) and second in quality starts (102).

De La Rosa also excelled at Coors Field, where he has won more games than any pitcher and has a record of 53-19 (.736).

This season, De La Rosa is 8-8 with a 5.22 ERA. He lost his last outing Sept. 13 at Arizona, where he allowed six runs, five earned, in 3 1/3 innings. De La Rosa has yielded at least five runs in each of his past three outings.

He's 7-3 with a 4.18 ERA in 12 career starts against the Cardinals and 4-0 with a 4.01 ERA in four starts against them at Coors Field.

Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu took over the lead Monday in the National League batting race with a .349 average, one point better than Washington's Daniel Murphy.

LeMahieu struck out 97 times in 2014 and a career-high 107 times when he hit a career-high .301 last year. This season, LeMahieu has a career-high 65 walks and 77 strikeouts, helping him compile a .420 on-base percentage.

"I've been really impressed how he's cut down on his strikeouts," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "That was a conversation we had at the end of the year last year. For the type of hitter he was, he was striking out too much. We didn't have to tell him that. He's a great self-evaluator. He's the one that said it.

"The fact that he's cut his strikeouts way back just confirms that he's got great feel (for the game). He's very adaptable. I think he's a superstar. He doesn't get a lot of play nationally, but I think he's a superstar."

Adam Wainwright, who is 11-9 with a 4.51 ERA, will start Tuesday for the Cardinals. He lost his last start Thursday at San Francisco, allowing nine hits and four runs in 5 2/3 innings as the Cardinals fell 6-2.

Wainwright is 8-1 with a 1.31 ERA in 13 games, nine starts, against the Rockies and 2-0 with a 1.85 ERA in four games, three starts, at Coors Field.

The Cardinals won their third straight game Monday, beating Colorado 5-3 to pull even with San Francisco in the race for the second wild-card spot. The New York Mets lead the Cardinals and Giants by one game for the first wild-card position.

The Cardinals are in the midst of an 11-day, 10-game trip that began with four games against wild-card rival San Francisco and will conclude with three games against the arch rival Chicago Cubs.

Before Monday's game, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny quickly dismissed the notion that the three-game set with the Rockies might be a trap series.

"Not to us," Matheney said. "They all mean everything. I wouldn't say for a second that we put any more focus on San Francisco or any other series. Every game is the biggest game of the year, and that's just going to continue all the way through."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (79-71) at Dodgers (85-65)

Game: 2
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: September 20, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- Bruce Bochy realizes his club is facing an enormous challenge. However, the San Francisco manager remains confident the Giants can reverse their fortunes and play their way into the postseason.

"These guys have been through it," Bochy said. "I don't know what's going to happen, but I know this is a battle-tested group and they'll go out there and play their normal game as hard as they can. They're going to handle it. There's no worry there."

Giants All-Star right-hander Johnny Cueto (16-5, 2.86 ERA) will try to help his team recover from a Monday night debacle when he faces off against Los Angeles Dodgers lefty Rich Hill (12-4, 2.06 ERA) in the second game of a three-game series Tuesday at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers (85-65) increased their lead in the National League West to six games Monday by rallying for two runs in the ninth inning off the San Francisco bullpen, producing a 2-1 victory. Adrian Gonzalez's double gave Los Angeles the walk-off win.

The Giants (79-71) blew a franchise single-season-record ninth game when leading after eight innings. San Francisco slipped into a tie for the second NL wild card with the St. Louis Cardinals (79-71). Both teams are a game behind the team holding the top wild-card spot, the New York Mets (80-70).

San Francisco desperately needs Cueto to remain their stopper. The right-hander has five complete games in 30 starts this season, including one in his last outing on Thursday against the Cardinals. Cueto allowed two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts and a walk in a 6-2 win at AT&T Park.

Cueto is 3-2 with a 2.43 ERA in his past six starts. Against the Dodgers, he is 4-6 with a 2.93 ERA in 12 career starts.

Hill is 3-1 with a 1.48 ERA since the Dodgers acquired him from the Oakland Athletics in a trade-deadline deal. His only defeat occurred during his last outing on Thursday, when he gave up four runs on four hits in 5 1/3 innings to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Hill struck out eight and walked one in a 7-3 defeat.

Hill is 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA in six career starts against the Giants, limiting them to a .219 batting average. He last faced them on Aug. 24 in his first start as a member of the Dodgers, allowing five hits in six scoreless innings and picking up the victory in the Dodgers' 1-0 win. Hill struck out three and did not issue a walk in an 81-pitch outing.

Manager Dave Roberts believes Hill will deliver a quality performance and help the Dodgers continue their march to a fourth straight division title.

"Obviously, we understand what's at stake, and we just want to play good baseball," Roberts said.

The teams meet four more times after Tuesday's contest. They play one more game at Dodger Stadium and conclude a three-game set on the final weekend of the regular season in San Francisco.

In addition to its bullpen struggles, San Francisco must shake its second-half funk at the plate.

The Giants are hitting .225 with runners in scoring position in the second half, the fourth-lowest average in the majors. San Francisco has produced three hits or fewer with runners in scoring position in 47 of 59 games since the break.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jays (82-68) at Mariners (79-71)

Game: 2
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: September 20, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

SEATTLE -- The Toronto Blue Jays got another huge crowd cheering for them at Safeco Field on Monday night, and they rewarded the Canadian fans with a 3-2 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Toronto already turned the Mariners' home field into Canada South, and now the Blue Jays want to inflict further damage by knocking Seattle further back in the American League wild-card hunt.

The Blue Jays (82-68) are currently tied with Baltimore atop the wild-card standings, with Seattle trailing by three games. A win Tuesday could really put the Mariners (79-71) in a bad spot with just 11 games left on the schedule.

"We've got to keep playing; that's what our schedule says," Seattle manager Scott Servais said after Monday's loss. "And we play the same team (Tuesday), and they're the team ahead of us."

The Blue Jays were celebrating after winning the first game of the series, and they gave the fans who traveled south a lot of the credit.

"It's incredible," center fielder Kevin Pillar said of the pro-Blue Jays atmosphere that comes from thousands of Canadians from British Columbia heading south for the annual series. "The best way to describe it is overwhelming. It's emotional. ... Not to knock our fans at home, but when it's the only three games our Canadian fans are going to see all year, it's just a different energy."

Starter Marco Estrada, who flirted with a no-hitter before giving up a leadoff single in the seventh inning, echoed those sentiments.

"We felt like we were the home team," he said after a one-hit performance over seven innings. "And it's something we can build off of."

One-time Mariner (and three-time Blue Jay) J.A. Happ is scheduled to be on the mound for Toronto. Happ began last season with Seattle but was traded to Pittsburgh midway through the year. He re-signed with the Blue Jays in the offseason and is having a career year at the age of 33. Happ (19-4) goes into Tuesday seeking the first 20-win season of his career.

Seattle will counter with dependable veteran Hisashi Iwakuma, who leads the team with 16 wins -- also a career high. Iwakuma was the Mariners' best starter for the first four months of the season but stumbled down the stretch in August. The 35-year-old right-hander has rebounded to win each of his past two starts.

Iwakuma might be pitching at home, but he'll be in a somewhat unfamiliar environment. The thousands of Canadian fans have made sure the Blue Jays feel right at home in Seattle's stadium.

The hometown feel gave the Blue Jays a lift Monday night, and now the AL wild-card leaders are hoping to build off that win and keep rewarding the visiting fans.

"We really needed this," Estrada said after the Blue Jays snapped their two-game losing streak Monday night. "We just have to build off this and keep it going."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Astros (79-71) at Athletics (66-84)

Game: 2
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: September 20, 2016 10:05 PM EDT

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Houston Astros are no strangers to nerve-wracking wild-card playoff races.

Last year, they didn't clinch the American League's second wild-card berth until the final day of the regular season, finishing one game ahead of the Los Angeles Angels.

This year, the Astros are in what shapes up to be an even tougher wild-card race.

The Astros are three games behind the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles, who are tied atop the wild-card standings. Detroit trails by 2 1/2 games, and Seattle is tied with Houston.

Houston needed a come-from-behind, 4-2 victory against the Oakland A's on Monday night to prevent losing ground. The Astros will face the A's again Tuesday night at the Oakland Coliseum.

"I think our guys are comfortable playing in important game," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "We played an entire month in September last year and into October where it was very similar to this year, where every game was magnified, every detail within the game is magnified.

"Most of these guys are very comfortable in their own skin to play in these type of games. I think it has to help. It certainly doesn't hurt. We've been there before. We've seen the schedule have to play out all the way to the last game before we clinched last year, and we'll have to play even better down the stretch this season to factor in."

The Astros are facing a young A's team that has been eliminated from playoff contention but showed how dangerous it can be by going 6-1 on its recent road trip against Kansas City and Texas. The A's batted .318 and scored 65 runs, sweeping four games from the Royals and going 2-1 against the Rangers.

Rookies such as third baseman Ryon Healy, second baseman Joey Wendle and catcher Bruce Maxwell have helped energize the A's. Healy and Maxwell each hit a solo home run Monday.

"Anytime you're winning the vibe's going to be upbeat," Wendle said. "That's the goal every game, to come out and win and compete. It's been really fun for me to be part of this, kind of joining some of my teammates from (Triple-A) Nashville and then the guys that have been here for a while. Some of the veterans have just been great. They're really leading the younger guys and kind of showing us the ropes. It's been fun."

Hinch said the A's are playing "loose," which makes them dangerous.

"This time of the year when you play a team that's out of contention, that's got some new blood in their lineup, it can be a little bit of a challenge, because they don't have a ton of anxiety around them," Hinch said.

"They've got some guys that are trying to make a case to make their team next season or become interesting over the offseason, and there are a lot of new names. It doesn't surprise me that (A's manager) Bob (Melvin) keeps it loose and keeps them playing hard. They're hungry to do some things. If you're not going to be in it, you want to beat the teams that are."

A's left-hander Sean Manaea will face Astros right-hander Joe Musgrove in a battle of rookies.

Musgrove (3-4, 4.71) pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings in a 6-0 victory against Manaea (6-9, 4.23) and the A's on Aug. 29. Manaea left the game after 3 1/3 innings because of a strained upper back, but returned to action Wednesday and pitched five scoreless innings in an 8-0 victory at Kansas City.

Musgrove will make his 10th career major league appearance and ninth career start since being recalled from Triple-A Fresno. In his last start on Wednesday, he allowed three runs over 6 1/3 innings in an 8-4 victory against Texas. He struck out seven and walked two.

"I've had moments up here of joy and happiness and I've had some real tough ones as well," Musgrove said. "Adapting and learning and making the little adjustments that are necessary."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (63-87) at Padres (63-87)

Game: 2
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: September 20, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

SAN DIEGO -- Archie Bradley could be safe Tuesday night.

There doesn't seem to be any animosity between the Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks in their battle for last place in the National League West.

That certainly wasn't the case for Bradley in his most recent start against the division-leading Dodgers last Thursday at Chase Field in Phoenix.

Bradley came hard inside when pitching rival Rich Hill was trying to put down a sacrifice bunt and the Dodger claimed the pitch hit his left index finger as well as the bat.

Words were exchanged and benches cleared in the latest dust-up between the Dodgers and Diamondbacks dating back to 2013.

"It's just two guys playing the game hard, nothing more than that," Bradley said after the Dodgers game. "I was going in before he squared to bunt. Maybe the pitch was more in than it should have been. It's the game so, sorry."

There should be no such problems Tuesday night at Petco Park as the right-handed Bradley (7-9, 5.07 earned run average) squares off against Padres right-hander Paul Clemens, who is 2-5 with a 4.84 ERA in 13 appearances (nine starts) as a Padre.

Bradley, who was Arizona's first-round pick (seventh overall) in the 2011 draft, is 3-1 with three quality starts and a 5.19 ERA over his last five starts.

"Archie has had his best stuff the last couple times out," said Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale. "Mechanically, he is much better. His fastball velocity has been up, his breaking ball has been good and his changeup has been working for him."

Bradley will be making his fourth start against the Padres. He is 1-1 with a 6.00 ERA (12 earned runs in 18 innings) against the Padres.

Clemens, meanwhile, is coming off his best start as a Padre. On Sept. 12 in San Francisco, Clemens shut out the Giants on three hits and a walk over five innings while battling the flu.

"It was quite an effort," said Padres manager Andy Green. "He didn't feel well at all."

The performance still left some questions.

Clemens has yet to go beyond 5 1/3 innings in any of his nine starts. And his velocity has fallen off in the fourth innings of most of his outings.

"We can judge anything off how he pitched in San Francisco," said Green. "But to be a major league starter, you need to be able to pitch into the sixth and the seventh and carry your stuff and velocity."

Because of the flu, Clemens was given an extra two days off before facing the Diamondbacks for the third time this season and the second time as a starter. On Aug. 18, Clemens gave up three runs to the Diamondbacks on eight hits and three walks in just five innings.

"I still don't think I've shown what I can really do," said Clemens. "I'm getting closer, but I'm not where I want to be yet."

The Padres and Diamondbacks enter Tuesday night's game in a deadheat for fourth -- or last -- in the National League West. Both teams have 63-87 records.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'There’s No Place Like Home'

Washington Nationals at Miami Marlins September 20, 7:10 EST

Miami and Washington get set to duel again after Marlins' walked off with a 4-3 victory yesterday. According to current odds the Marlins are -$1.55 home favorites with the total set at 7.0 runs across all shops.

Jose Fernandez will take the mound for Marlins, carrying a 15-8 record, 2.99 ERA in 28 assignments with Marlins 17-11 in those games. Fernandez trades pitches with Tanner Roark heading to the mound with a 15-8 record, 2.75 ERA.

It's not difficult making a case for Miami as the presence of Jose Fernandez on the mound bodes well for Marlins' chances. History shows Jose Fernandez loves pitching in front of the friendly crowd at Marlins Park. In the righthanders 41 starts at the venue he is 28-2 with Miami 34-7 in those games. Additionally, as a team, the Marlins have thrived against Nationals' with Fernandez posting a 7-2 record in his nine career starts including 6-1 in front of the home audience. One final telling baseball betting stats that leaps out favoring Marlins. Fernandez's counterpart on the evening, Roark, has not been so lucky with regard to helping Nationals when facing Marlins. In his last seven starts the Nats are 1-6 including 0-2 hooked up against Fernandez.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'There’s No Place Like Home'

Washington Nationals at Miami Marlins September 20, 7:10 EST

Miami and Washington get set to duel again after Marlins' walked off with a 4-3 victory yesterday. According to current odds the Marlins are -$1.55 home favorites with the total set at 7.0 runs across all shops.

Jose Fernandez will take the mound for Marlins, carrying a 15-8 record, 2.99 ERA in 28 assignments with Marlins 17-11 in those games. Fernandez trades pitches with Tanner Roark heading to the mound with a 15-8 record, 2.75 ERA.

It's not difficult making a case for Miami as the presence of Jose Fernandez on the mound bodes well for Marlins' chances. History shows Jose Fernandez loves pitching in front of the friendly crowd at Marlins Park. In the righthanders 41 starts at the venue he is 28-2 with Miami 34-7 in those games. Additionally, as a team, the Marlins have thrived against Nationals' with Fernandez posting a 7-2 record in his nine career starts including 6-1 in front of the home audience. One final telling baseball betting stats that leaps out favoring Marlins. Fernandez's counterpart on the evening, Roark, has not been so lucky with regard to helping Nationals when facing Marlins. In his last seven starts the Nats are 1-6 including 0-2 hooked up against Fernandez.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Tuesday’s games

National League

Nationals @ Marlins
Roark is 2-1, 1.08 in his last four starts (under 3-0-1). Washington is 7-2 in his last nine starts.

Fernandez is 3-1, 3.03 in his last five starts; under is 8-3 in his last 11 home starts. Miami is 11-4 in his home starts.

Washington lost five of last six road games; under is 9-2 in their last 11 road games. Marlins won four of last five home games; under is 12-1 in Miami’s last 13 home games.

Braves @ Mets
Teheran is 2-1, 3.33 in his last four starts; six of his last seven starts went over. Atlanta is 5-5 in his road starts.

Gsellman is 1-0, 2.70 in his last three starts (under 3-1).

Atlanta is 5-8 in its last 13 games; seven of Braves’ last eight road games went over. Mets won five of last six home games; six of last seven games at Citi Field stayed under the total.

Reds @ Cubs
Smith is making his first ’16 start; he was 0-4, 6.89 in seven MLB starts LY, was 4-4, 3.80 in nine AAA starts this year. He’s made 29 relief appearances (50 IP) for the Reds this year.

Lester is 5-0, 0.63 in his last six starts; his last seven stayed under. Cubs won his last seven home starts.

Reds lost five of last six games; four of last five Cincinnati games went over. Chicago lost four of last seven games; three of last four Cub home games stayed under the total. Cubs have already clinched their division.

Pirates @ Brewers
Brault is 0-3, 5.20 in six starts this year (under 4-2).

Garza is 1-2, 4.63 in his last four starts (under 3-1). Brewers won six of his seven home starts.

Pirates won four of last five games, are 15-10 in road series openers. Last five Pittsburgh games went over. Milwaukee won four of last five games, is 10-14 in home series openers. Under is 7-4 in last eleven games at Miller Park.

Cardinals @ Rockies
Wainwright is 2-1, 3.51 in his last four starts; over is 8-3 in his last 11. Cardianls are 11-5 in hios road starts.

De la Rosa is 0-1, 8.85 in his last four starts; four of his last five went over the total. Colorado is 4-5 in his home starts.

Cardinals won their last three games; under is 8-2 in their last ten games. Colorado won five of last seven home games; six of last seven games at Coors Field stayed under.

Diamondbacks @ Padres
Bradley is 3-1, 5.14 in his last four starts; eight of his last nine went over. Arizona is 6-5 in his road starts.

Clemens is 1-3, 6.23 in his last four starts; five of his last seven starts went over. San Diego is 2-3 in his home starts.

Arizona lost three of last four games; three of their last four games stayed under. Padres lost three of last four games; six of their last eight games stayed under.

Giants @ Dodgers
Cueto is 2-0, 1.96 in his last three starts; Giants are 12-4 in his road starts. Over is 7-2 in his last nine starts.

Hill is 3-1, 1.48 in four starts for the Dodgers (under 3-1).

Giants lost six of last eight games; under is 11-6 in their last 17 games. Dodgers won their last six home games; under is 10-3 in their last 13 games.


American League

Red Sox @ Orioles
Rodriguez is 0-2, 4.98 in his last four starts; under is 9-2 in his last 11. Boston is 5-4 in his road starts.

Gausman is 5-0, 1.82 in his last six starts; his last five stayed under. Orioles won his last six home starts.

Boston won its last five games; over is 8-4 in their last 12 games. Orioles won six of last ten games; under is 13-1-1 in last 15 games at Camden Yards.

New York @ Rays
Pineda is 0-1, 4.11 in his last seven starts; over is 6-3 in his last nine. NY is 5-8 in his road starts.

Smyly is 1-0, 6.64 in his last four starts; six of his last seven went over. Rays won his last four home starts.

New York lost seven of last eight games, is 10-14 in road series openers. Three of last four NY games stayed under. Tampa Bay won four of last six games, is 9-15 in home series openers. Rays’ last six home games went over total.

Royals @ Indians
Volquez is 0-1, 10.31 in his last four starts; over is 8-1-1 in his last ten. Royals won his last three road starts.

Tomlin is 1-5, 10.23 in his last seven starts; under is 3-1-1 in his last five. Indians are 8-4 in his home starts.

Royals won their last three games, are 6-1 in last seven road series openers. Over is 19-3-1 in KC’s last 23 games. Cleveland won four of last five home games, is 17-8 in home series openers. Four of Indians’ last five home games went over.

Angels @ Rangers
Wright is 0-1, 6.30 in two starts for the Angels (over 2-0).

Griffin is 2-3, 5.66 in his last six starts; over is 6-2 in his home starts. Texas is 6-2 in his home starts.

Angels lost 10 of last 13 games; under is 7-0-2 in their last nine games. Rangers lost three of last five games; over is 8-2 in their last ten home games. Texas is 35-10 in one-run games.

Tigers @ Twins
Boyd is 0-2, 6.75 in his last three starts; under is 4-1-1 in his last six. Detroit is 3-5 in his road starts.

Santiago is 2-0, 1.80 in his last four starts (under 3-1).

Detroit is 4-8 in its last 12 games, 10-14 in road series openers. Over is 9-3 in their last 12 road games. Twins lost six of last eight games, are 9-15 in home series openers. Under is 7-1-1 in their last nine games.

Astros @ A’s
Musgrove is 2-3, 5.19 in his last five starts (under 4-3-1).

Manaea is 2-1, 1.76 in his last three starts; under is 6-3 in his last nine home starts. Oakland won six of his last seven home starts.

Astros won four of last five games; under is 7-3 in their last ten games. Oakland won six of last eight games; over is 6-3-1 in A’s last ten games.

Blue Jays @ Mariners
Happ is 2-0, 3.00 in his last two starts; under is 3-1-1 in his last five. Toronto is 7-1 in his last eight road starts.

Iwakuma is 2-0, 2.07 in his last two starts; under is 7-2 in his last nine. Seattle is 8-5 in his home starts, but lost last two.

Blue Jays are 6-11 in last 17 games; under is 5-0-1 in their last six road games. Seattle won nine of last 12 games; three of their last four games stayed under.


Interleague
White Sox @ Phillies
Shields is 0-3, 6.39 in his last six starts (under 4-2). Chicago is 1-6 in his road starts.

Thompson is 1-2, 2.49 in his last four starts (under 3-0-1).

White Sox lost their last three games, are 4-13 in last 17 road series openers. Over is 7-1 in Chicago’s last eight road games. Phillies are 4-3 in last seven games, 7-17 in home series openers. Under is 9-4-3 in their last 16 home games.


Teams’ record when this pitcher starts:

Wsh-Mia– Roark 19-11; Fernandez 17-11
Atl-NY– Teheran 7-20; Gsellman 2-2
Cin-Chi– Smith 0-0; Lester 22-7
Pitt-Mil– Brault 1-5; Garza 8-9
StL-Col– Wainwright 19-11; De la Rosa 11-12
Az-SD– Bradley 11-12; Clemens 4-5/1-1
SF-LA– Cueto 21-9; Hill 3-1/9-5

Bos-Balt– Rodriguez 6-11; Gausman 13-14
NY-TB– Pineda 14-15; Smyly 13-15
KC-Clev– Volquez 16-15; Tomlin 18-8
LA-Tex– Wright 0-2; Griffin 14-7
Det-Min– Boyd 9-7; Santiago 3-5/16-6
Hst-A’s– Musgrove 3-5; Manaea 10-11
Tor-Sea– Happ 22-7; Iwakuma 17-13

CWS-Phil– Shields 6-13/2-9; Thompson 2-6


# of time pitcher allows 1+ runs in first inning:

Wsh-Mia– Roark 5-30; Fernandez 7-28
Atl-NY– Teheran 6-27; Gsellman 1-4
Cin-Chi– Smith 0-0; Lester 7-29
Pitt-Mil– Brault 2-6; Garza 5-17
StL-Col– Wainwright 11-30; De la Rosa 10-23
Az-SD– Bradley 10-23; Clemens 3-11
SF-LA– Cueto 6-30; Hill 4-17

Bos-Balt– Rodriguez 4-17; Gausman 8-27
NY-TB– Pineda 10-29; Smyly 9-28
KC-Clev– Volquez 8-31; Tomlin 12-26
LA-Tex– Wright 1-2; Griffin 5-21
Det-Min– Boyd 3-16; Santiago 14-30
Hst-A’s– Musgrove 2-8; Manaea 1-21
Tor-Sea– Happ 6-29; Iwakuma 7-30

CWS-Phil– Shields 12-30; Thompson 3-8


Umpires

Wsh-Mia– Over is 7-3 in last ten Cuzzi games.
Atl-NY– Under is 7-3-1 in last 11 Randazzo games.
Cin-Chi– Underdogs are 7-5 in last 12 Hickox games.
StL-Col– Three of last four Joyce games went over.
Az-SD– Five of last six Rackley games stayed under.
SF-LA– Favorites won five of last six Culbreth games.

Bos-Balt– Under is 14-2 in last sixteen Everitt games.
LA-Tex– Under is 13-7 in last 20 Hoberg games.
Hst-A’s– Under is 7-2 in last nine Foster games.
Tor-Sea– Seven of last eight Nauert games went over.


Teams’ records in first five innings:

Team (road-home-total)- thru 9/19

Arizona 24-37-11…..33-39-6…….57-75
Atlanta 28-36-11…..26-35-13……54-71
Cubs 39-25-10……44-23-10…….83-48
Reds 21-42-9……35-38-5…….56-80
Colo 27-34-13…..35-35-4……..62-69
LA 31-33-11……46-22-8…….76-55
Miami 32-34-10…..32-25-16…….64-59
Milw 25-42-10……40-24-10…..65-66
Mets 32-44-10……35-28-11……67-62
Philly 24-32-18…..28-34-14……52-64
Pitt 23-40-13…..42-26-6……65-65
St. Louis 35-34-7……28-33-13…….63-67
SD 24-49-5…..33-34-6……..57-83
SF 34-35-7…….38-22-14……72-57
Wash 38-24-14….30-22-22……68-46

Orioles 30-37-9…….37-31-8…….67-68
Boston 31-30-11……45-23-9…….76-53
White Sox 31-34-10…….39-31-6……..70-65
Cleveland 38-27-10……36-30-7……..74-57
Detroit 31-33-10…….31-36-5……..62-69
Astros 30-35-12…..34-29-8……..64-64
KC 28-37-11……32-28-14……60-65
Angels 30-38-7…….27-35-13…….57-73
Twins 29-37-13…….25-38-13…..54-75
NYY 26-39-8……34-31-13……..60-70
A’s 27-40-8……27-35-14……54-74
Seattle 35-29-11……34-27-13……69-56
Tampa Bay 28-32-13……32-33-12……60-65
Texas 28-39-11…….37-26-9……65-65
Toronto 45-26-5……..40-30-5……85-56

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tuesday's Diamond Notes
By Joe Williams

Hottest team: Mariners (9-3 past 12)

The Mariners have won nine of their past 12 to get right back into the thick of the wild-card race in the American League. In Monday's series opener they ran into a buzzsaw known as Marco Estrada, as he carried as a no-hitter into the seventh inning. The Mariners battled back with two in the bottom of the ninth to shave the Jays' lead to 3-2 with two outs, but Seattle just couldn't get over the hump. In Tuesday's game they'll try to deny J.A. Happ his 20th victory. The Jays are 22-6 in Happ's past 28 starts, but they're just 2-5 in their past seven games against a team with a winning record. The Mariners have won eight of the past 10 home starts by Hisashi Iwakuma, and 16 of his past 22 overall.

Coldest team Yankees (0-5 past five, 1-7 past eight)

The Yankees had chemotherapy in early August, having a cancer removed by the name of Alex Rodriguez. Once the team went into remission, they flourished with a group of young, hungry ball players. A seven-game winning streak from Sept. 4-10, moving within three games of the lead in the American League East. They have tumbled down the standings with their recent cold streak, as those said young players have shown their inexperience with the pressure mounting. The Yankees head into Tuesday's play 8 1/2 games behind the AL East leaders. New York has dropped four in a row on the road, and they're also 0-4 in their past four vs. left-handed starting pitcher.

Hottest pitcher: Jon Lester, Cubs (17-4, 2.40 ERA)

Lester entered the season with question marks after it was discovered he had some floating bone chips in his elbow which could potentially affect him at any time. He has rolled to 17 wins in 21 decisions with a 2.40 ERA and 1.02 WHIP over 184 innings, and he has been even better lately. He is 3-0 with a 0.38 ERA with a 0.67 WHIP over his past three outings while striking out 19 and walking just three in the past 24 innings. The Cubs are 18-3 in his past 21 starts against teams with a losing overall record, and they're 4-0 in his past four outings against divisional foes.

Coldest pitcher: Edinson Volquez, Royals (10-11, 5.40 ERA)

Volquez works in Cleveland against the AL Central-leading Indians. He is 4-7 with a 5.82 ERA in 13 road outings with a .290 opponent batting average, and he is 1-2 with a 4.38 ERA in four outings against the Indians with 15 walks over 24 2/3 innings. Volquez was 8-8 with a 4.85 ERA in 19 starts before the All-Star break, but it's been all downhill from there. Since the break Volquez has won just two of his 12 starts with a 6.36 ERA and the opposition is hitting .327. Last time out he was hammered for eight earned runs, four walks and seven hits in just 3 1/3 innings against the Athletics Sept. 15.

Biggest UNDER run: Mariners (6-1-1 past eight)

The Mariners have been on quite the 'under' kick lately, partly due to an offensive drought. They have averaged just 2.4 runs per game over the past five outings, scoring two or fewer runs in four of the past five. They face Happ in Tuesday's contest. The under is 5-2 in his past seven starts against teams with a winning overall record, and 3-1-1 in his past five against American League West division battles. The under is 5-0 in Iwakuma's passt five home outings, and 4-1 in his past five starts overall.

Biggest OVER run: Royals (19-3 past 22, 7-1 past eight road games)

The Royals have been involved in quite a few 'over' results lately, as their offense has come alive and their pitching has struggled at times during the span. Volquez's struggles are documented above. The 'over' is 7-1 in their past eight road games, and 9-2 in their past 11 against divisional foes. In addition, the 'over' is 4-0 in Volquez's past four outings, 6-0-1 in his past seven against divisional foes and 4-1 in his past five road starts. The over is also 6-1 in Kansas City's past seven against right-handed starting pitchers.

Matchup to watch: Orioles vs. Red Sox

Tuesday's battle between the O's and BoSox should have a postseason feel, as both clubs have been on fire lately. The Red Sox look to build on their 6-2 mark in their past eight trips to Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Boston is 5-0 in their past five games against divisional foes, and 5-0 in their past five road games vs. RHP. They're also 5-1 in their past six road games, and 8-3 in their past 11 road outings against a team with a winning record. The difference in this one might be Eduardo Rodriguez. The BoSox are just 4-10 in E-Rod's past 14 outings, and 3-7 in his past 10 against teams with a winning record. The O's have won each of Kevin Gausman's past seven home starts, and 5-1 in his past six overall.

Betcha didn’t know: The battle between the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres is one of just three games featuring both teams under .500 on the season. In fact, both teams have identical records of 63-87. San Diego's record likely would be a lot better if they faced Arizona more frequently, as the Padres are 5-1 in their past six against the Diamondbacks, and 4-1 in their past five at home against the Snakes.

Biggest public favorite: Rangers (-170) vs. Angels

Biggest public underdog: Giants (+155) at Dodgers

Biggest line move: Orioles (-115 to -130) vs. Red Sox

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Tuesday, September 20, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

It was not a good weekend for the World Series chances of the Cleveland Indians and New York Mets. The Tribe, who recently lost All-Star right-hander Danny Salazar likely for the rest of the season with a forearm strain, did say goodbye for 2016 to another very good righty, Carlos Carrasco. He broke his right pinkie finger on Saturday when Carrasco was hit by a line drive off the bat of Detroit's Ian Kinsler. Carrasco (11-8, 3.32) missed six weeks earlier this season with a strained left hamstring. So now it's Corey Kluber and a bunch of question marks in that rotation. Meanwhile, the Mets have said right-hander Jacob deGrom is done for the season as he will need elbow surgery. The good news is that it's not a second Tommy John surgery. The 2014 NL Rookie of the Year is 7-8 with a 3.04 ERA this year. So now that New York rotation is Noah Syndergaard and a bunch of questions.


Red Sox at Orioles (-127, 9)

Nationally televised by the MLB Network and should have live betting. Obviously a huge series this week. The Sox go with lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (2-7, 4.98) in Game 2. He lasted only 2.1 innings Thursday vs. the Yankees and allowed four runs and eight hits but avoided the loss as Boston won 7-5. Rodriguez had been pitching well before that. He is 1-1 with a 4.40 ERA against Baltimore, his first big-league organization. He was dealt to Boston in the Andrew Miller trade in July 2014. Adam Jones is 4-for-13 off him with a homer and five RBIs. Chris Davis is just 2-for-14 with six strikeouts. Baltimore's Kevin Gausman (8-10, 3.43) was brilliant in Boston last Wednesday, throwing eight shutout innings and allowing four hits, beating likely Cy Young favorite Rick Porcello. Gausman did throw a career-high 120 pitches, so keep an eye on his stamina here. Boston's Mookie Betts is 6-for-17 off him with two homers. David Ortiz is 8-for-21 with two homers.

Key trends: The Red Sox are 3-7 in Rodriguez's past 10 vs. teams with a winning record. The Orioles are 7-0 in Gausman's past seven at home. The "over/under" has gone under in four of his past six vs. Boston. The under is 4-0 in Rodriguez's past four vs. Baltimore.

Early lean: Orioles and under.

White Sox at Phillies (-127, 9.5)

This game means nothing in the grand scheme of things, but it's one of the worst pitching matchups of the season -- which means I naturally have to go under the total because it will probably end 1-0. That's baseball for you. The White Sox's James Shields (5-17, 5.84) still has a shot at a rare 20-loss season but should avoid it if he can simply get a no-decision here as Shields probably only has two starts left. Chicago's five-game losing streak in Shields starts ended Thursday against Cleveland as Shields allowed one run and three hits in a no-decision. He hasn't won personally since July 26. Shields faced the Phillies on Aug. 24 and allowed four runs over six innings in a loss. Tommy Joseph is 2-for-3 off him with a solo homer. Ryan Howard is 2-for-15 off him with a homer and four strikeouts. Philadelphia had lost five straight starts by rookie Jake Thompson (2-5, 5.64), but he beat Pittsburgh on Wednesday in giving up two runs over six innings. The worst start of his eight was Aug. 23 at the White Sox when Thompson allowed seven runs and eight hits in five innings. Jose Abreu is 2-for-2 off him with a homer and three RBIs.

Key trends: The White Sox are 1-6 in Shields' past seven on the road. The Phillies are 1-5 in Thompson's past six. The under is 4-1 in Shields' past five vs. teams with a losing record. The under is 3-0-1 in Thompson's past four.

Early lean: White Sox and under.

Nationals at Marlins (-150, 6.5)

This could be not just Jose Fernandez's final start of the season but perhaps in a Marlins uniform as there will be some teams like the Dodgers and Yankees making huge offers for him this offseason. The Marlins aren't going to let Fernandez (15-8, 2.99) make his next start if they are out of the wild-card chase. He comes off a win in Atlanta, allowing four runs and six hits over seven innings. Fernandez's three strikeouts were a season low. He is 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA in three starts this year against Washington. Bryce Harper is 4-for-16 off him with six strikeouts. Jayson Werth is 1-for-16 with seven whiffs. The Nationals' Tanner Roark (15-8, 2.75) has to be the team's No. 2 pitcher in the playoffs with Stephen Strasburg hurt. Roark beat the Mets last time out with seven shutout innings. Roark has a 1.08 ERA over his past four. He is 1-3 with a 6.23 ERA in four starts vs. Miami this year, however. Martin Prado is 10-for-21 off him with a homer and five RBIs. Giancarlo Stanton is 5-for-23 with two dingers.

Key trends: The Nationals are 5-1 in Roark's past six on the road. The Marlins are 20-4 in Fernandez's past 24 at home vs. teams with a winning record. The under is 5-2 in Roark's past seven at home. The under is 10-4 in Fernandez's past 14 at home.

Early lean: Marlins and under.

Giants at Dodgers (-153, 7)

ESPN2 national TV game and a spectacular pitching matchup. San Francisco's Johnny Cueto (16-5, 2.86) beat the Cardinals in an important game on Thursday, throwing a complete game and allowing two runs and five hits. He now leads the NL with five complete games, and it wasn't too taxing as Cueto finished it in 105 pitches. Cueto is 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA in four starts this year against the Dodgers. Chase Utley is a career .323 hitter off him in 31 at-bats. Corey Seager is 3-for-14 with four strikeouts. Dodgers lefty Rich Hill (12-4, 2.06) had his worst start of the season on Thursday in Arizona, allowing four runs over 5.1 innings in his first loss with Los Angeles. Hill was hit on the left index finger while attempting a bunt in the fifth inning -- then for some reason barked at Arizona pitcher Archie Bradley, causing the benches to briefly empty -- but he was OK and there was no brawl. Hill's first start as a Dodger was six shutout innings against the Giants on Aug. 24. Buster Posey is 2-for-3 off him. Hunter Pence is 3-for-10.

Key trends: The Giants are 12-4 in Cueto's past 16 on the road. The under is 5-1 in his past six road starts vs. teams with a winning record.

Early lean: Giants and under.

Blue Jays at Mariners (+108, 7.5)

When J.A. Happ pitched for Seattle the first half of the 2015 season, he was still a journeyman lefty who was 4-6 with a 4.64 ERA that year with the M's. He was dealt around the 2015 deadline to Pittsburgh, something clicked and Happ has been great since. Happ (19-4, 3.27) can become the second 20-game winner in the majors in 2016 as he pitches in Seattle for the first time since the deal. Happ comes off a win at the Angels on Thursday, allowing one earned and three hits over six innings. Happ did face the Mariners in Toronto on July 24 and threw six shutout innings. Nelson Cruz is 8-for-17 career off him with two RBIs. Kyle Seager is 4-for-11 with two homers. Seattle's Hisashi Iwakuma (16-11, 3.87) has gotten a decision in 22 straight starts, which is pretty amazing these days. He is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA in three starts this month. Iwakuma won in Toronto on July 23, allowing two runs over six. Josh Donaldson is 3-for-21 against him with five strikeouts. Edwin Encarnacion is 4-for-12 with a homer.

Key trends: The Jays are 7-1 in Happ's past eight on the road. The Mariners are 8-2 in Iwakuma's past 10 at home. The over is 6-2-1 in Happ's past nine on the road. The over is 7-0 in Seattle's past seven vs. a lefty.

Early lean: Mariners and over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Tuesday’s games

National League

Nationals @ Marlins
Roark is 2-1, 1.08 in his last four starts (under 3-0-1). Washington is 7-2 in his last nine starts.

Fernandez is 3-1, 3.03 in his last five starts; under is 8-3 in his last 11 home starts. Miami is 11-4 in his home starts.

Washington lost five of last six road games; under is 9-2 in their last 11 road games. Marlins won four of last five home games; under is 12-1 in Miami’s last 13 home games.

Braves @ Mets
Teheran is 2-1, 3.33 in his last four starts; six of his last seven starts went over. Atlanta is 5-5 in his road starts.

Gsellman is 1-0, 2.70 in his last three starts (under 3-1).

Atlanta is 5-8 in its last 13 games; seven of Braves’ last eight road games went over. Mets won five of last six home games; six of last seven games at Citi Field stayed under the total.

Reds @ Cubs
Smith is making his first ’16 start; he was 0-4, 6.89 in seven MLB starts LY, was 4-4, 3.80 in nine AAA starts this year. He’s made 29 relief appearances (50 IP) for the Reds this year.

Lester is 5-0, 0.63 in his last six starts; his last seven stayed under. Cubs won his last seven home starts.

Reds lost five of last six games; four of last five Cincinnati games went over. Chicago lost four of last seven games; three of last four Cub home games stayed under the total. Cubs have already clinched their division.

Pirates @ Brewers
Brault is 0-3, 5.20 in six starts this year (under 4-2).

Garza is 1-2, 4.63 in his last four starts (under 3-1). Brewers won six of his seven home starts.

Pirates won four of last five games, are 15-10 in road series openers. Last five Pittsburgh games went over. Milwaukee won four of last five games, is 10-14 in home series openers. Under is 7-4 in last eleven games at Miller Park.

Cardinals @ Rockies
Wainwright is 2-1, 3.51 in his last four starts; over is 8-3 in his last 11. Cardianls are 11-5 in hios road starts.

De la Rosa is 0-1, 8.85 in his last four starts; four of his last five went over the total. Colorado is 4-5 in his home starts.

Cardinals won their last three games; under is 8-2 in their last ten games. Colorado won five of last seven home games; six of last seven games at Coors Field stayed under.

Diamondbacks @ Padres
Bradley is 3-1, 5.14 in his last four starts; eight of his last nine went over. Arizona is 6-5 in his road starts.

Clemens is 1-3, 6.23 in his last four starts; five of his last seven starts went over. San Diego is 2-3 in his home starts.

Arizona lost three of last four games; three of their last four games stayed under. Padres lost three of last four games; six of their last eight games stayed under.

Giants @ Dodgers
Cueto is 2-0, 1.96 in his last three starts; Giants are 12-4 in his road starts. Over is 7-2 in his last nine starts.

Hill is 3-1, 1.48 in four starts for the Dodgers (under 3-1).

Giants lost six of last eight games; under is 11-6 in their last 17 games. Dodgers won their last six home games; under is 10-3 in their last 13 games.


American League

Red Sox @ Orioles
Rodriguez is 0-2, 4.98 in his last four starts; under is 9-2 in his last 11. Boston is 5-4 in his road starts.

Gausman is 5-0, 1.82 in his last six starts; his last five stayed under. Orioles won his last six home starts.

Boston won its last five games; over is 8-4 in their last 12 games. Orioles won six of last ten games; under is 13-1-1 in last 15 games at Camden Yards.

New York @ Rays
Pineda is 0-1, 4.11 in his last seven starts; over is 6-3 in his last nine. NY is 5-8 in his road starts.

Smyly is 1-0, 6.64 in his last four starts; six of his last seven went over. Rays won his last four home starts.

New York lost seven of last eight games, is 10-14 in road series openers. Three of last four NY games stayed under. Tampa Bay won four of last six games, is 9-15 in home series openers. Rays’ last six home games went over total.

Royals @ Indians
Volquez is 0-1, 10.31 in his last four starts; over is 8-1-1 in his last ten. Royals won his last three road starts.

Tomlin is 1-5, 10.23 in his last seven starts; under is 3-1-1 in his last five. Indians are 8-4 in his home starts.

Royals won their last three games, are 6-1 in last seven road series openers. Over is 19-3-1 in KC’s last 23 games. Cleveland won four of last five home games, is 17-8 in home series openers. Four of Indians’ last five home games went over.

Angels @ Rangers
Wright is 0-1, 6.30 in two starts for the Angels (over 2-0).

Griffin is 2-3, 5.66 in his last six starts; over is 6-2 in his home starts. Texas is 6-2 in his home starts.

Angels lost 10 of last 13 games; under is 7-0-2 in their last nine games. Rangers lost three of last five games; over is 8-2 in their last ten home games. Texas is 35-10 in one-run games.

Tigers @ Twins
Boyd is 0-2, 6.75 in his last three starts; under is 4-1-1 in his last six. Detroit is 3-5 in his road starts.

Santiago is 2-0, 1.80 in his last four starts (under 3-1).

Detroit is 4-8 in its last 12 games, 10-14 in road series openers. Over is 9-3 in their last 12 road games. Twins lost six of last eight games, are 9-15 in home series openers. Under is 7-1-1 in their last nine games.

Astros @ A’s
Musgrove is 2-3, 5.19 in his last five starts (under 4-3-1).

Manaea is 2-1, 1.76 in his last three starts; under is 6-3 in his last nine home starts. Oakland won six of his last seven home starts.

Astros won four of last five games; under is 7-3 in their last ten games. Oakland won six of last eight games; over is 6-3-1 in A’s last ten games.

Blue Jays @ Mariners
Happ is 2-0, 3.00 in his last two starts; under is 3-1-1 in his last five. Toronto is 7-1 in his last eight road starts.

Iwakuma is 2-0, 2.07 in his last two starts; under is 7-2 in his last nine. Seattle is 8-5 in his home starts, but lost last two.

Blue Jays are 6-11 in last 17 games; under is 5-0-1 in their last six road games. Seattle won nine of last 12 games; three of their last four games stayed under.


Interleague
White Sox @ Phillies
Shields is 0-3, 6.39 in his last six starts (under 4-2). Chicago is 1-6 in his road starts.

Thompson is 1-2, 2.49 in his last four starts (under 3-0-1).

White Sox lost their last three games, are 4-13 in last 17 road series openers. Over is 7-1 in Chicago’s last eight road games. Phillies are 4-3 in last seven games, 7-17 in home series openers. Under is 9-4-3 in their last 16 home games.


Teams’ record when this pitcher starts:

Wsh-Mia– Roark 19-11; Fernandez 17-11
Atl-NY– Teheran 7-20; Gsellman 2-2
Cin-Chi– Smith 0-0; Lester 22-7
Pitt-Mil– Brault 1-5; Garza 8-9
StL-Col– Wainwright 19-11; De la Rosa 11-12
Az-SD– Bradley 11-12; Clemens 4-5/1-1
SF-LA– Cueto 21-9; Hill 3-1/9-5

Bos-Balt– Rodriguez 6-11; Gausman 13-14
NY-TB– Pineda 14-15; Smyly 13-15
KC-Clev– Volquez 16-15; Tomlin 18-8
LA-Tex– Wright 0-2; Griffin 14-7
Det-Min– Boyd 9-7; Santiago 3-5/16-6
Hst-A’s– Musgrove 3-5; Manaea 10-11
Tor-Sea– Happ 22-7; Iwakuma 17-13

CWS-Phil– Shields 6-13/2-9; Thompson 2-6


# of time pitcher allows 1+ runs in first inning:

Wsh-Mia– Roark 5-30; Fernandez 7-28
Atl-NY– Teheran 6-27; Gsellman 1-4
Cin-Chi– Smith 0-0; Lester 7-29
Pitt-Mil– Brault 2-6; Garza 5-17
StL-Col– Wainwright 11-30; De la Rosa 10-23
Az-SD– Bradley 10-23; Clemens 3-11
SF-LA– Cueto 6-30; Hill 4-17

Bos-Balt– Rodriguez 4-17; Gausman 8-27
NY-TB– Pineda 10-29; Smyly 9-28
KC-Clev– Volquez 8-31; Tomlin 12-26
LA-Tex– Wright 1-2; Griffin 5-21
Det-Min– Boyd 3-16; Santiago 14-30
Hst-A’s– Musgrove 2-8; Manaea 1-21
Tor-Sea– Happ 6-29; Iwakuma 7-30

CWS-Phil– Shields 12-30; Thompson 3-8


Umpires

Wsh-Mia– Over is 7-3 in last ten Cuzzi games.
Atl-NY– Under is 7-3-1 in last 11 Randazzo games.
Cin-Chi– Underdogs are 7-5 in last 12 Hickox games.
StL-Col– Three of last four Joyce games went over.
Az-SD– Five of last six Rackley games stayed under.
SF-LA– Favorites won five of last six Culbreth games.

Bos-Balt– Under is 14-2 in last sixteen Everitt games.
LA-Tex– Under is 13-7 in last 20 Hoberg games.
Hst-A’s– Under is 7-2 in last nine Foster games.
Tor-Sea– Seven of last eight Nauert games went over.


Teams’ records in first five innings:

Team (road-home-total)- thru 9/19

Arizona 24-37-11…..33-39-6…….57-75
Atlanta 28-36-11…..26-35-13……54-71
Cubs 39-25-10……44-23-10…….83-48
Reds 21-42-9……35-38-5…….56-80
Colo 27-34-13…..35-35-4……..62-69
LA 31-33-11……46-22-8…….76-55
Miami 32-34-10…..32-25-16…….64-59
Milw 25-42-10……40-24-10…..65-66
Mets 32-44-10……35-28-11……67-62
Philly 24-32-18…..28-34-14……52-64
Pitt 23-40-13…..42-26-6……65-65
St. Louis 35-34-7……28-33-13…….63-67
SD 24-49-5…..33-34-6……..57-83
SF 34-35-7…….38-22-14……72-57
Wash 38-24-14….30-22-22……68-46

Orioles 30-37-9…….37-31-8…….67-68
Boston 31-30-11……45-23-9…….76-53
White Sox 31-34-10…….39-31-6……..70-65
Cleveland 38-27-10……36-30-7……..74-57
Detroit 31-33-10…….31-36-5……..62-69
Astros 30-35-12…..34-29-8……..64-64
KC 28-37-11……32-28-14……60-65
Angels 30-38-7…….27-35-13…….57-73
Twins 29-37-13…….25-38-13…..54-75
NYY 26-39-8……34-31-13……..60-70
A’s 27-40-8……27-35-14……54-74
Seattle 35-29-11……34-27-13……69-56
Tampa Bay 28-32-13……32-33-12……60-65
Texas 28-39-11…….37-26-9……65-65
Toronto 45-26-5……..40-30-5……85-56