Tuesday 9/22/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Orioles (73-76) at Nationals (78-71)

Game: 2
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: September 22, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

After reaching the playoffs last season, the Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles both seem highly unlikely to get there again.

After Monday's scheduled opener was postponed by rain, the Beltway rivals begin a three-game series Tuesday night in desperation mode, with the Nationals well behind in the NL East and the Orioles also facing a big deficit in the wild-card race.

Baltimore (73-76) had its already slim chances further reduced with a difficult loss at Tampa Bay on Sunday, with the Rays scoring three runs in the last two innings to rally for a 7-6 victory.

Closer Zach Britton allowed two runs in the ninth on a homer, triple, single and walk. The Orioles fell to 60-2 when leading after eight innings.

"Gloom and doom, we don't do that," manager Buck Showalter said. "We're going to try and win the rest of our games and make it tough on everybody."

Showalter's club dropped six games behind the second wild card after Houston's 6-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Monday.

Washington (78-71) may have had its fate sealed by a five-game skid from Sept. 7-12 that included three home losses to the first-place New York Mets, who own a 6 1/2-game lead in the division. The Nationals have since won seven of eight, however, recording 13 hits in Sunday's 13-3 rout of Miami.

"Obviously, (the deficit) is there," Yunel Escobar, who had four hits with four RBIs, said through an interpreter. "But the less we think about it as a team, the better we have a chance of catching up to (the Mets)."

Tyler Moore added a three-run homer and Bryce Harper went 3 for 4 to raise his MLB-leading average to .343.

Harper is 14 for 27 with five homers and 10 RBIs during a seven-game hitting streak. His 41 homers lead the NL, while Baltimore's Chris Davis hit his MLB-leading 43rd in Sunday's loss and is batting .377 with eight homers and 17 RBIs in September.

Davis is just 1 for 12 with five strikeouts against Gio Gonzalez (11-7, 3.83 ERA), who has done his part to keep Washington in the race by going 2-0 with a 1.47 ERA in three starts this month. The last was one of his best, as the left-hander matched a career high with 12 strikeouts over seven innings in Wednesday's 12-2 win at Philadelphia.

Gonzalez held Baltimore to a run in six innings while exiting with a lead in a 3-2 loss at Camden Yards on July 10. He lost his previous four starts against the Orioles and is winless in seven since a win with Oakland on Aug. 10, 2009.

Matt Wieters is 10 for 17 with a homer against Gonzalez but is hitting .154 with 22 strikeouts in 63 at-bats since Aug. 21.

Harper has never faced Ubaldo Jimenez (11-9, 4.31), who is 5-1 with a 2.61 ERA in seven starts against Washington and 3-0 with a 1.59 ERA in four at Nationals Park. He hasn't opposed them since July 2011 with Colorado, however.

Jimenez yielded four earned runs over 12 2-3 innings in consecutive road wins over Toronto and the New York Yankees before permitting four in five innings without receiving a decision against Boston on Tuesday.

Escobar, hitting .431 with 13 runs scored over his last 12 games, is 8 for 21 with a homer against Jimenez.

Orioles center fielder Adam Jones was out of Monday's starting lineup because of back spasms, but may be able to play this game.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Braves (60-91) at Mets (85-65)

Game: 2
Venue: Citi Field
Date: September 22, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

All the talk about limiting the innings of his young starters has become fairly aggravating for New York Mets manager Terry Collins.

Another strong performance by fill-in Logan Verrett might further ease his tension after a win Monday did.

The Mets haven't missed a beat when Verrett has stepped in for Matt Harvey, and he'll start in place of Jacob deGrom on Tuesday night against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field.

Collins pushed back deGrom to give some rest to the struggling NL Rookie of the Year, who is at 181 innings. Whereas deGrom doesn't have an innings limit, Harvey's was 180 according to agent Scott Boras because his client is pitching his first season following Tommy John surgery. Collins admitted to being "disturbed" about having to remove Harvey after five innings Sunday, when the ace reached 176 2-3 despite being skipped twice in recent weeks.

Verrett (1-0, 1.91 ERA) admirably replaced him both times in his only major league starts. He had eight strikeouts in eight innings of one-run ball to beat Colorado on Aug. 23, then allowed a run and three hits in five innings of a 4-3 win over Miami on Sept. 14. The 25-year-old rookie walked one batter each time.

"I have all the faith in the world that if we need to spot start again, he's the guy because he throws strikes," Collins said.

The right-hander was pulled after 63 pitches - only 16 of which were balls - but should be allowed to go deeper Tuesday. He's also made 11 relief appearances for New York (85-65).

"I'm just going to go out there whenever they tell me to take the hill, get outs and put up zeros," he told MLB's official website.

Verrett could put up plenty against the Braves (60-91). Atlanta lost 4-0 in Monday's series opener after managing three hits in six innings against Jonathon Niese, who had an 8.77 ERA in his previous five starts. The Braves have 10 runs over their last seven games without a homer as they remain stuck on 88, 23 fewer than any other team.

New York has 61 homers since Aug. 12 - second-most in baseball - with Yoenis Cespedes hitting 17. He's gone six games without one but has broken an 0-for-19 slump with three doubles and a single in his last five at-bats.

Rookie Michael Conforto hit his fifth homer in his last 54 at-bats with a first-inning solo shot Monday, shortly after receiving the Mets' minor league player of the year award. Daniel Murphy had two hits, including a two-run double, and has a 1.038 OPS with eight RBIs in his last eight games.

The win provided relief for Collins amid the innings controversy and after New York had lost four of five, including two straight to the Yankees.

"We needed this one bad," Collins said.

Matt Wisler (5-8, 5.63) hasn't won since July 26, going 0-7 with an 8.08 ERA in his last nine starts and losing the past six. The 23-year-old rookie has been dreadful on the road all year with a 7.78 ERA in nine starts, getting shelled for 14 runs in 4 1-3 innings over the last two.

However, his last two games were six-inning outings at home that encouraged manager Fredi Gonzalez.

"In his past couple starts, he's been aggressive," Gonzalez said after Wisler held high-powered Toronto to four runs Thursday.

His prior start was a good one against the Mets, as he held them to two runs even though Cespedes and Conforto each went 2 for 3. Wisler's other start against New York was his victorious major league debut June 19, when he yielded one run in eight innings.

Both games, though, came at home. Atlanta is 4-28 on the road since July 8 and 1-6 at Citi Field this year.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Phillies (56-94) at Marlins (64-86)

Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: September 22, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Philadelphia Phillies' pitching staff has been one of the worst in baseball this year, though they've thrived against the weak-hitting Miami Marlins.

They hope that trend continues in this three-game series beginning Tuesday night at Marlins Park.

Philadelphia (56-94) is on pace for its worst finish since the 1945 team went 46-108. The club has dropped 20 of its last 26 and six in a row, marking its fifth losing streak of at least six games. The longest was a nine-game slide June 8-17.

Despite being eight games behind Miami (64-86), the Phillies own an 8-5 advantage in the season series, winning seven of the last eight. Philadelphia has posted a 3.55 ERA versus the Marlins, who are last in the NL with an average of 3.7 runs, compared to a 4.99 mark against every other team.

The problem for the Phillies in being swept this past weekend in Atlanta was offense, however, as they lost each game 2-1.

"We've been concerned about our starting pitcher the whole season," interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "Now we get three outstanding performances and we can't score a run."

Miami came up short in clutch situations in dropping the last three of its four-game series at Washington, going 1 for 24 with runners in scoring position.

Philadelphia hasn't officially named a starter yet, though Aaron Harang (5-15, 5.04 ERA) seems likely. He's in the midst of a terrible season, but fared well in his lone start against the Marlins, allowing two runs and two hits over seven innings in a 4-2 win on Aug. 22.

The veteran right-hander hasn't pitched since allowing three runs in five innings of a 7-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 13. He was 0-1 with an 8.04 ERA over his previous three starts.

Harang's opponent OPS of .802 is the second worst in the NL and his fielding-independent pitching of 4.74 is third worst. He has not won on the road since May 4, and has an 8.29 ERA in his last six away from Philadelphia.

Miami's Tom Koehler (10-13, 3.90) has held his last three opponents to 14 hits while posting a 2.25 ERA. He's walked 11 batters over 20 innings in that span but has bottled up hitters with runners in scoring position, holding opponents to a .154 average in those situations compared to .316 previously this season.

The right-hander has a 4.09 ERA in two starts against the Phillies this season, yielding three runs over six innings in a 3-1 road loss on July 18.

While Harang has struggled on the road, Koehler is 5-4 with a 2.97 ERA in 12 home starts.

Dee Gordon is batting .433 during a seven-game hitting streak and .389 in the season series, while Martin Prado has 14 RBIs and is batting .392 with 13 RBIs in his last 14 contests overall. He's expected to return after missing three games due to a wrist injury.

However, Gordon is 2 for 11 lifetime against Harang while Prado is batting .160 in 25 at-bats against him.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rays (72-78) at Red Sox (72-77)

Game: 2
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: September 22, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Matt Moore finally turned in the kind of start Tampa Bay was growing used to before his elbow injury. The next order of business is getting his ERA under seven for the first time this season.

The left-hander will try for a follow-up effort Tuesday night in Boston, where the now last-place Rays will attempt to avoid dropping the first two of a four-game series with the Red Sox.

Moore (1-4, 7.06 ERA) limited Baltimore to two hits in seven scoreless innings of Thursday's 4-3 loss and struck out a season-high nine without a walk for the first time this year. It was also his first time going beyond five innings in a major league start since his first of two in 2014 before undergoing elbow surgery.

"I think it's absolutely something I can build on and kind of continue to look forward. Let's build on those seven scoreless," Moore told MLB's official website. "And just being able to execute a little better, especially when I was ahead in the count, and be able to make a good pitch. Those are the kinds of things I'm looking for out of myself."

Prior to that, the 26-year-old surrendered a season-high eight runs - six earned - and nine hits in five innings of a 10-4 home loss to Boston on Sept. 12, dropping him to 2-4 with a 6.11 ERA in six starts in the series. He gave up four home runs in the latest meeting with David Ortiz hitting two to improve to 8 for 18 with three homers and two doubles against Moore.

Moore will oppose Henry Owens, who was nearly as strong in his last start, which came the day before Moore's and also against the Orioles. Owens (3-2, 4.33) pitched 7 2-3 scoreless in a 10-1 win in Baltimore for his first win in his last four.

The left-hander didn't issue a walk for the first time in eight big league starts, which probably comes as a relief after posting 4.25 walks per nine innings in his first seven.

"He was dialing up pitches left and right," interim manager Torey Lovullo said. "Some of the comments (catcher) Blake (Swihart) was saying as he was coming in from the inning is that he was not missing a spot. You started to hear little things like that and he was just in cruise control and you know that it's going to be a special night for him."

He's struggled at Fenway Park, posting a 6.86 ERA in four starts.

Boston (72-77) opened the series with Monday's 8-7 win for its third straight overall and against Tampa Bay (72-78). The Red Sox haven't been less than five games under .500 since July 11. Since dipping to a season-worst 14 games under .500 on Aug. 12, Boston is 22-13 with 6.1 runs per game and an MLB-best .301 average.

Xander Bogaerts provided most of the offense with a grand slam and an RBI double. The shortstop is batting .391 on a 10-game hitting streak, his .323 average is higher than it's been since April 19, and he's within 14 points of Miguel Cabrera for the AL batting lead.

"You know that power's in there," Lovullo said. "We're seeing it of late. He's getting that backswing and the ball's jumping off his bat. I think the upside is unlimited."

The loss dropped Tampa Bay a half game back of Boston, and the Rays are alone in last place this late in the season for the first time since ending 2007 at 66-96.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Brewers (63-87) at Cubs (88-62)

Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: September 22, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

Jake Arrieta's first 3 1/2 years in the majors included Tommy John surgery and plenty of disappointment before the Chicago Cubs presented him with an opportunity to turn around his career.

Now he's helping the North Siders make a push for the playoffs while posting one of the best seasons by a pitcher in the franchise's history.

The Brewers have given Arrieta some trouble this season, though, and he'll face them again Tuesday night at Wrigley Field as the Cubs seek a ninth straight victory over Milwaukee.

Arrieta (19-6, 1.96 ERA) came up with Baltimore in 2010 before undergoing right elbow surgery in August of the following year. He was the Opening Day starter for the Orioles in 2012, but by the time he was traded to the Cubs on July 2, 2013, he had posted a 5.46 ERA in 63 starts and six relief efforts.

Just over two years since the trade, Arrieta has developed into one of baseball's best pitchers and a legitimate candidate for the NL Cy Young Award, which no Cub has won since Greg Maddux in 1992.

The Cubs (88-62), who have a firm hold on the second wild card and trail Pittsburgh by two games for the top spot, have won Arrieta's last 10 starts, including his no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 30.

He missed becoming the Cubs' first 20-game winner since Jon Lieber in 2001 after allowing two runs - one earned - in eight innings of a 3-2, 12-inning victory over Pittsburgh on Wednesday. However, It marked the right-hander's 17th straight quality start, making him the first Cub to do that since Lon Warneke in 1933.

Arrieta is 13-1 with a 1.01 ERA in that stretch.

"Look at his numbers," manager Joe Maddon said. "I guess it's Bob Gibson-esque from what I'm hearing, and that's strong company."

Arrieta is bidding to become the first Cub with an ERA under 2.00 since Pete Alexander in 1920, but he hasn't been at his best against the Brewers (63-87).

Milwaukee scored two of the six earned runs Arrieta has allowed over his last 10 outings July 30, and they also touched him up for a season high-tying four earned to beat him 6-1 at Wrigley on May 2.

Ryan Braun homered off Arrieta in that first contest, but there's a chance Braun won't play again this season after confirming Monday he'll need to have minor back surgery at season's end.

The Brewers have lost eight straight to the Cubs after Monday's 9-5 defeat. They're in full rebuilding mode and introduced 30-year-old David Stearns as the new general manager prior to the game.

"I think it's a big deal for the organization," manager Craig Counsell, who took over in May and will be retained, told MLB's official website. "There's been quite a bit of change this year. I think it's a big piece that's in place."

Milwaukee will send Tyler Cravy (0-7, 6.42) to the mound for his first start since Aug. 18 after making five appearances out of the bullpen. The right-hander started against the Cubs on Aug. 13 and allowed four runs - including a two-run homer to Dexter Fowler and a solo shot to Kyle Schwarber - in 4 1-3 innings of a 9-2 defeat at Wrigley.

Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant had three hits apiece Monday for the Cubs, who have won six of seven. Rizzo is batting .500 during a seven-game hitting streak and Bryant has a .478 average over his last six.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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

Game: 1
Venue: Target Field
Date: September 22, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

While the Minnesota Twins try to remain in the wild-card race, the Cleveland Indians are doing their best to become part of it.

The AL Central rivals begin a pivotal three-game series Tuesday night at Target Field, where the Indians look to continue their late playoff push and the Twins attempt to show they've put their recent struggles behind them.

Minnesota (76-73) has lost ground by going 2-5 thus far on a 10-game homestand but enters the final leg with momentum after halting a five-game losing streak with Sunday's 8-1 win over Los Angeles, one of several teams chasing New York and Houston in the wild-card standings along with the Twins and Cleveland (74-74).

'I still feel good,' Twins manager Paul Molitor said. 'I think with 13 games to go, I think we have a good chance to win our fair share and, hopefully, a little bit more than that going down the stretch. You know you just can't control if it's going to be enough when you're chasing.'

The Indians are further back in the race but making a hard charge, having gone an AL-best 16-8 since Aug. 25. They're hitting .296 and averaging 5.45 runs over a 7-4 stretch and collected 12 hits in Sunday's 6-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

'Because of how we played earlier, we have to make up ground,' manager Terry Francona said. 'We've played well enough where these games are so meaningful.'

Cleveland will pit its surging offense up against a Minnesota staff that produced a 5.47 ERA during the five-game skid. Rookie Tyler Duffey provided a boost with seven scoreless innings Sunday, however, and Ervin Santana (5-4, 4.55 ERA) enters on his best run of the season.

Santana has a 1.55 ERA over his last four starts and won the first three before holding Detroit to two runs in seven innings of Wednesday's 7-4, 12-inning loss. He's worked at least seven innings in each of those games.

The veteran was rocked for eight runs and 10 hits in 2 1-3 innings of a 17-4 loss at Cleveland on Aug. 8, though, and is 3-10 with a 4.69 ERA in 18 starts against the Indians - easily Santana's worst winning percentage versus an opponent.

Conversely, Danny Salazar (13-8, 3.48) has been dominant in two prior season meetings with Minnesota. After fanning 10 and allowing two runs across six innings in a 4-2 win at Target Field on April 18, he struck out 11 while yielding only Brian Dozier's solo homer through seven innings of an 8-2 home victory May 10.

Salazar earned his 13th win by holding Kansas City to a run and four hits over seven innings Wednesday in a strong bounce-back effort. He had gone 1-2 with a 6.23 ERA and surrendered four homers in his previous four starts.

Dozier is 8 for 15 with two home runs against Salazar, but he's homered once in his last 93 at-bats while hitting .194.

Minnesota owns a 7-5 edge in the season series and has won four of six meetings at Target Field. The teams play a four-game set in Cleveland from Sept. 28-Oct. 2.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (76-74) at Astros (80-71)

Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: September 22, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Hector Santiago's 2015 began as an All-Star and an early-season Cy Young contender. Over the last two months, he's more often been a hindrance.

If he can't get it together Tuesday night in Houston, the Los Angeles Angels figure to fall farther behind the wild card-leading Astros while squandering what's likely their most important remaining series.

The Astros (80-71) won 6-3 Monday in the first of the three-game series, extending their lead for the second wild card to 3 1/2 games over the Angels (76-74) and three over idle Minnesota. Texas was also off so the Astros' three-game winning streak has them within a game of the AL West lead following a five-game skid.

Another win would put to rest a painful streak of six straight losing seasons, though their goals are set a little higher than that. Offensively, they've come around with 5.2 runs per game a .280 average over their last 25 games, and their .247 season average is tied for their high-water mark.

Los Angeles, which completes a span of 10 of 13 games coming against Houston and Minnesota on Wednesday, has still won five of eight against those key teams though Monday's defeat was its sixth straight at Minute Maid Park. The Angels need more from Albert Pujols, who's batting .146 over his last 22 games and .157 at Houston in 22 games since the start of 2013.

Santiago (8-9, 3.47 ERA) is coming off his worst start of the season, though it resulted in Thursday's 11-8 win in Minnesota. The left-hander gave up five runs and five hits in 2-3 of an inning and is 1-5 with a 5.98 ERA in his last 11 starts.

"It just piled on," said Santiago, who went 7-4 with a 2.30 ERA in his first 18 starts. "I fell behind in some counts and I wasn't right on."

The shift has probably had more to do with control than anything. Through that span of success that extended into his first start after the All-Star break, Santiago issued 2.78 walks per nine innings with a .286 opponent on-base percentage. Since, those numbers are up to 4.78 and .343.

He's given up five earned runs in his last three road starts and is 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA in six away outings since the All-Star break, though he has dominated the Astros this year with a 1.40 ERA and .123 opponent batting average in three starts without a decision.

Jed Lowrie (0 for 15), Colby Rasmus (0 for 6), Luis Valbuena (0 for 5) and George Springer (1 for 8) have highlighted those struggles.

The Astros counter with Lance McCullers, who hasn't had an offense bailing him out like Santiago's last start. Houston has dropped his last four starts, though McCullers (5-6, 3.18) is 0-2 with a 3.38 ERA, .213 opponent batting average and 1.50 run-support average in them.

The right-hander gave up three runs and five hits in six innings of an 8-2 loss in Texas on Thursday. If there's any knock on the 21-year-old's recent form, it's that he's walked 4.13 batters per nine innings after entering that span with a 3.01 mark.

"I feel like I put my best foot forward," McCullers said. "I feel like I threw the ball pretty well, some jams I wish I would have been able to avoid, especially early."

The rookie is 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA in three starts against the Angels.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mariners (73-77) at Royals (87-62)

Game: 1
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: September 22, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The Kansas City Royals are ready to give Jeremy Guthrie another chance to join their postseason rotation.

He'll make his first start in just over a month Tuesday night and will face a tough opponent in Seattle Mariners starter Hisashi Iwakuma in the opener of a three-game home series.

Kansas City (87-62) can clinch a tie for the AL Central crown by winning Tuesday along with a loss by second-place Minnesota at home to Cleveland. The Royals are closing in on their first division title since 1985.

Edinson Volquez, Yordano Ventura and Johnny Cueto are seemingly entrenched as the top three postseason starters for the Royals, though none have pitched particularly well this month. Kansas City opted to demote Danny Duffy to the bullpen after he went 0-2 with a 5.59 ERA in his last four starts.

Manager Ned Yost said the demotion was related solely toward gearing up for the postseason.

"We're getting to the end of the year, and we only need four starters for the playoffs," Yost told MLB's official website. "If this was in the middle of the season, we probably wouldn't be talking about this."

Guthrie (8-7, 5.55 ERA) is the beneficiary after he went 1-2 with a 6.48 ERA in his first six starts after the All-Star break to lose his spot in the rotation. The right-hander has posted a 4.70 ERA in five relief appearances since.

"I feel I'm a more effective asset to the team as a starter," Guthrie said. "But the team needs to win. If we were winning, there probably wouldn't be the opportunity for me again to start."

Guthrie is 2-8 with a 5.72 ERA in 14 starts against Seattle (73-77), which scored six runs in five innings against him in a 7-0 victory June 23. Nelson Cruz, vying for the major league lead with 42 homers, is 6 for 27 without going deep versus Guthrie.

The Royals are losers of 11 of 16 as they try to solve Iwakuma (8-4, 3.90), who is 2-0 with a 2.14 ERA in three career starts against them. Eric Hosmer and Ben Zobrist each have gone 4 for 9 in this matchup while Alex Rios bats .200 off Iwakuma.

The right-hander is an MLB-best 19-6 on the road over the last three years among pitchers with a minimum of 10 decisions, posting a 3.10 ERA. The Mariners have won his last six road outings, with Iwakuma going 4-0 with a 2.23 ERA with three straight wins.

He left after six innings with back tightness after he gave up one run and struck out a season-high nine in Wednesday's 3-1 home win over the Los Angeles Angels.

"It's nothing major, it's minor," Iwakuma said through an interpreter. "I've been battling this situation for a while now and it got tight."

Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar sat out the last two games with an elbow contusion, with Christian Colon replacing him.

His Mariners counterpart, Ketel Marte, is batting .375 in an eight-game hitting streak. Seattle opened a nine-game trip by taking two of three from Texas over the weekend.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Reds (63-86) at Cardinals (94-56)

Game: 2
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: September 22, 2015 8:15 PM EDT

St. Louis' offense was tardy to the series opener against Cincinnati. John Lackey hopes it was just saving up for him.

The Cardinals look to make Lackey's effectiveness against the Reds transfer to the win column as they go for a series victory over their NL Central rivals Tuesday night at Busch Stadium.

Cincinnati (63-86) hasn't won much in the second half of the season but is 6-5 against baseball's best team since the All-Star break. The Reds were in position to win Monday before St. Louis (94-56) rallied for two eighth-inning runs and a 2-1 victory, keeping its Central lead at four games over Pittsburgh.

The low offensive output is a trend for St. Louis, which ranks toward the bottom of MLB with 3.53 runs per game in September. The Cardinals have hit .120 with runners in scoring position over the past 11 games, though they hope Jhonny Peralta's RBI single and Stephen Piscotty's go-ahead double in the eighth can be a spark.

"It was tough to get that first run, and as soon as we did I think all of us were able to take a breather and relax," Piscotty said.

Closer Trevor Rosenthal worked around two one-out singles in the ninth to match a franchise record with 47 saves, also achieved by Lee Smith (1991) and Jason Isringhausen (2004). Rosenthal recorded his fifth save in five chances against Cincinnati this year, having thrown eight scoreless innings in seven appearances.

St. Louis has lost all four of Lackey's outings versus the Reds in 2015. Lackey (12-9, 2.79 ERA) has a 2.57 ERA against them in three starts since the Midsummer Classic, but he is 0-2 while receiving four runs of support.

He's 11-1 in 17 starts when getting at least three. The right-hander is 3-4 since July 29 despite a 2.62 ERA, largely due to a 3.80 run support average.

Lackey has 15 quality starts in as many home games and has one in five straight outings overall, posting a 1.83 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 34 1-3 innings. The 36-year-old reached 200 innings for the first time since 2010 by throwing seven scoreless to beat Milwaukee in Thursday's 6-3 win.

"Two hundred innings is a big number, sure," Lackey said. "I'm proud of myself for going out there and giving the team a chance to win."

St. Louis draws a chance to snap its offensive slump against struggling right-hander Keyvius Sampson, who returns to make his 10th start for the Reds after tending to a family matter over the weekend.

Sampson (2-5, 7.09) is 0-4 in his last six starts with a 10.07 ERA, failing to reach the fifth inning five times. Opponents are hitting .392 against him during the losing streak, and he's walked 14 in 22 1-3 innings.

Sampson lasted just three innings in a 5-3 loss at San Francisco last Monday, allowing four runs - three earned. It was his first outing without a strikeout and fourth start in the last five weeks failing to reach the fourth inning.

"This game has a way of not only showcasing your strengths but pinpointing your weaknesses," manager Bryan Price said.

Jay Bruce is 3 for 9 with two home runs against Sampson, who has never faced the Cardinals.

Cincinnati general manager Walt Jocketty announced after Monday's game that Billy Hamilton will undergo season-ending arthroscopic shoulder surgery on Friday. Hamilton led the majors with 57 stolen bases, but will end his season batting .226.

Matt Holliday struck out in the seventh inning while pinch hitting for St. Louis on Monday. Holliday has played just 14 games since injuring his right quadriceps on June 8, pinch-hitting three times since his activation from the disabled list last Monday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pirates (90-60) at Rockies (63-87)

Game: 2
Venue: Coors Field
Date: September 22, 2015 8:40 PM EDT

Clinching a third straight playoff appearance would be quite an accomplishment for a club that couldn't even crack the .500 mark in the previous 20 years.

The Pittsburgh Pirates still are looking for more than just another wild-card berth, but time is running out.

They can secure a postseason spot Tuesday night with a win over the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field and some help.

Pittsburgh (90-60) hadn't been to the playoffs since winning the last of three straight division titles in 1992 before hosting the first of two straight wild-card games in 2013.

If the Pirates beat the Rockies (63-87) in this contest, Washington falls to Baltimore and San Francisco loses at San Diego later Tuesday, they would be assured of reaching the playoffs once again. However, overcoming the four-game NL Central deficit to St. Louis with 12 to play and avoiding the one-game playoff would be ideal.

Pittsburgh has won three of four to begin a 10-game road trip after beating Colorado 9-3 on Monday. Starling Marte went 4 for 5 while homering for the second straight game, and Aramis Ramirez also went deep.

The Pirates remained two games ahead of the Chicago Cubs for home-field advantage in a potential wild-card matchup.

'It's an organizational win,' manager Clint Hurdle said of Pittsburgh reaching 90 for the second time in three years.

Acquiring J.A. Happ (5-2, 1.96 ERA) has proved to be one of the best under-the-radar moves at the trade deadline. Happ's five-start winning streak came to an end last Tuesday even though he held the Cubs to two runs in 5 2-3 innings of a 2-1 loss.

The left-hander has struck out 26 in 18 2-3 innings over his last three outings and has a 1.30 ERA over his last seven.

"A few pitches caught too much plate and they hit a couple doubles," Happ said after his last outing. "Just tried to zone back in and execute your pitch and be able to mix it up a little bit. For the most part, we were able to do that."

Happ was effective against the Rockies on Aug. 29, giving up one run in 5 2-3 of a 4-3 victory. He beat Chris Rusin (5-8, 5.11), and they'll face each other again in this contest.

Rusin gave up three runs in six innings in the last matchup and had that same line in Colorado's 5-4, 16-inning win over the Los Angeles Dodgers last Tuesday.

The left-hander has a 9.00 ERA in five starts since shutting out San Diego on Aug. 16. Ramirez (4 for 11 with two homers), Pedro Alvarez (4 for 11) and Andrew McCutchen (4 for 12 with a homer and a double) all have had success against Rusin.

Colorado has dropped back-to-back games after losing for the third time in four meetings with Pittsburgh. Former Pirate Justin Morneau went 3 for 4 and is batting .476 with two triples and two doubles over his last six.

Nolan Arenado is hitless in nine at-bats over his last two after going 8 for 18 over his previous four. Carlos Gonzalez is batting .095 over his last six.

Charlie Blackmon's two stolen bases Monday gave him 40, making him the first Colorado player to reach that mark since Willy Taveras in 2008.

'He's always run pretty well but he's done a nice job of preparing every night to steal bases," manager Walt Weiss said. 'Forty stolen bases is a lot in this day and age.'

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (80-69) at Athletics (64-86)

Game: 1
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: September 22, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

The AL West-leading Texas Rangers thankfully don't have to face Felix Hernandez anymore. The last-place club in the division, however, might not make things any easier on them.

The Rangers have dropped 10 of 16 matchups with the Oakland Athletics, though left-hander Martin Perez could give them an edge in Tuesday night's opener of a three-game series.

Texas (80-69) is trying to hold off Houston and Los Angeles in the West. The Rangers lost two of three at home in their final series with Seattle over the weekend, dropping to 0-5 against Hernandez with Sunday's 9-2 defeat.

Manager Jeff Banister wanted his team to use its final off day to get away from the game before this six-game trip.

"Give yourself an opportunity to have a mental break, not an exhale moment but a mental break," Banister said. "An opportunity to clear the head and reset the trap if you will and be ready to go on Tuesday."

The weekend series did nothing to diminish the confidence of the Rangers, who went 7-3 on a homestand that included a four-game sweep of the second-place Astros.

'It was a good homestand for us. We've played good baseball, we're in a great position,' slugger Mitch Moreland said. 'We're right where we want to be, feeding off of each other, and just going to continue to try to do that, and make the road trip go like the homestand was.'

The homestand began with Texas taking two of three from Oakland (64-86) for the Rangers' first series victory of the season over the Athletics after losing the previous five meetings.

Perez (3-5, 4.96 ERA) can add to the woes of a team that's an AL-worst 14-28 against left-handed starters in his first 2015 start versus Oakland. He is 3-4 with a 5.59 ERA in seven career starts against the Athletics, but 2-1 with a 2.25 ERA in three on the road with a three-hit shutout in his last one April 23, 2014.

Perez gave up one run in seven innings Wednesday to earn a 14-3 win over Houston.

Oakland slugger Josh Reddick is a .220 hitter against left-handers and 3 for 14 against Perez.

The Rangers will also face a lefty in Sean Nolin (1-1, 3.24), who earned his first big-league win over them Sept. 12 by allowing one run in 5 2-3 innings of a 5-3 victory. Elvis Andrus doubled twice in three at-bats against Nolin in that contest and Mike Napoli homered.

Texas fell to 25-28 against lefty starters with that defeat before winning four of its next five such matchups.

Who catches Nolin is in question. Josh Phegley has a concussion and Stephen Vogt returned from a two-week absence due to a groin injury as the designated hitter in Sunday's 5-1 loss at Houston. Carson Blair caught the last three games and Bryan Anderson has been recalled from the minors and could make his season debut.

Texas' Prince Fielder is hitting a team-best .350 in the season series while Shin-Soo Choo is at .327.

Reddick is batting .442 with three homers and 15 RBIs against Texas in 2015 while Vogt is at .441 with three homers and 11 RBIs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (72-78) at Dodgers (85-64)

Game: 2
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: September 22, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Alex Wood's job is to steady the wavering Los Angeles Dodgers so All-Stars Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw have a chance to essentially lock up an NL West title.

With the Dodgers slumping, Wood takes the ball Tuesday night looking to reignite his team's dominance over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Dodgers (85-64) were breezing toward a division title before dropping two straight to Pittsburgh ahead of Monday's series-opening 8-4 loss. Their seven-game division lead brings a bit of an uneasy feeling with a four-game set looming at second-place San Francisco from Sept. 28-Oct. 1.

Los Angeles had won 11 of its previous 13 games against Arizona (72-78), though Wood was hit hard in one of the losses. The left-hander was pulled after just 1 2-3 innings in a 12-4 loss on Sept. 11, surrendering eight hits and eight runs - six earned - after 62 pitches.

Wood (11-10, 3.63 ERA) needed just 78 pitches to last eight innings in a rebound effort on Wednesday, though, his best start since coming to the Dodgers via a trade with Atlanta on July 30. He allowed one hit while striking out five in a 2-0 win over Colorado.

Wood retired 19 in a row but was pulled early despite his low pitch count.

"I wasn't going to fight too hard, especially after the previous outing," he told MLB's official website.

Wood - 4-4 with a 3.83 ERA in nine starts with Los Angeles - allowed one run in eight innings in an 8-1 win over Arizona while with Atlanta in June, and he is 1-2 with a 4.86 ERA in three starts against the Diamondbacks in his career.

Paul Goldschmidt hit his 29th home run in the opener and is 4 for 7 with two homers lifetime against Wood.

'The Dodgers are probably going to win the division, and they definitely deserve it because they've been playing all year,' Goldschmidt said. 'But I think our guys take a lot of pride when we go out there, so I don't think tonight was anything different.'

Robbie Ray (4-12, 3.72) benefited from one of Goldschmidt's home runs against Wood earlier this month to pick up his first victory since July 7. The left-hander pitched two-hit ball over five scoreless innings.

Arizona's offense supplied Ray double-digit runs for the first time all season in his last win over Wood after averaging just 2.92 in his first 18 starts.

"A weight is lifted off your shoulders," Ray told MLB's official website. "You know you can make the pitches that you need to make and that you know you can do in a 0-0 game, but it's just easier to do when you get that kind of run support."

Ray allowed six runs in 12 2-3 innings in two losses to Los Angeles earlier this season. He is 1-8 with a 4.99 ERA over his last 12 starts, with his only win during that span coming against the Dodgers.

Jimmy Rollins was out of Los Angeles' starting lineup Monday and popped out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning. It was Rollins' 13th straight game out of the lineup due to a sprained right index finger, though he has appeared as a pinch-hitter and a pinch-runner three times each.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (78-71) at Padres (70-80)

Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: September 22, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

As they embark on their final road trip of the season, the San Francisco Giants hope they'll still have something to play for when they return home.

The defending World Series champions begin a six-game trek Tuesday night against the San Diego Padres faced with the possibility of being eliminated from postseason contention prior to next week's series with NL West-leading Los Angeles. San Francisco (78-71) hosts its archrival next Monday after three games against the Padres and three in Oakland.

"Right now we're in a situation that every single game counts," outfielder Angel Pagan said.

Tim Hudson's six scoreless innings and Buster Posey's three-run homer enabled the Giants to gain ground on the Dodgers with Sunday's 5-1 win over Arizona. Posey's shot capped a four-run sixth and ended a string of 24 consecutive scoreless innings for San Francisco.

"It was good to see us break out," manager Bruce Bochy said.

The Giants had little trouble producing offense when they last faced San Diego (70-80), scoring 27 runs during a three-game home sweep Sept. 11-13. They've won five straight and seven of the past eight meetings.

San Francisco did not face Tyson Ross (10-10, 3.18 ERA) in that series, however. The Padres' most consistent pitcher this season has been very good of late, posting a 1.73 ERA over a four-start stretch.

Ross has gone 1-3 in seven home starts since the All-Star break despite a 2.78 ERA, getting 15 runs of support in that stretch. He exited with a lead in the Padres' 6-4 loss at Arizona last Tuesday, yielding a run and four hits with nine strikeouts in six innings.

The right-hander had won three straight starts against San Francisco prior to a 2-0 road loss May 4 in which he gave up two runs in seven innings. Ross struck out eight Giants and allowed three runs across six innings in a 6-4 win at Petco Park on April 12.

San Diego's 3-6 trip ended on a positive note with Sunday's 10-4 win over Colorado. Matt Kemp broke out of a 2-for-25 slump with three hits and had one of his team's four home runs as the Padres scored in each of the first six innings.

'We were driving the ball and hit a few balls out of the park early,' said left fielder Justin Upton, who had three hits and three RBIs. 'We just kept adding on runs.'

Cory Spangenberg also homered and is 4 for 7 against the struggling Chris Heston (11-10, 3.61), who's 0-5 with a 5.12 ERA in eight starts since beating Milwaukee on July 27 for his last win.

San Francisco has lost Heston's last seven outings, the most recent a 9-8 defeat to Cincinnati last Tuesday in which the rookie struck out eight and surrendered three runs in five innings. He didn't get the decision.

Heston was brilliant in his lone Petco Park start, giving up only an Upton single and two walks over 7 1-3 innings of a 9-3 victory July 21. He's 2-1 with a 3.26 ERA in three starts against the Padres this year.

The Giants lead the season series 10-6 but have lost four of seven in San Diego.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB roundup: Price, Jays dump Yankees
By The Sports Xchange

TORONTO -- David Price pitched seven scoreless innings to win his fourth consecutive start, and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the New York Yankees 4-2 Monday night.
By winning the opener of the three-game series, the Blue Jays increased their lead over the second-place Yankees in the American League East to 3 1/2 games.
Price (17-5) allowed two hits, walked one and struck out six to improve his record to 8-1 in his 10th start since joining Toronto in a trade with the Detroit Tigers on July 30.
Roberto Osuna pitched the ninth inning to earn his 17th save of the season despite allowing a two-out home run to Greg Bird, his ninth of the season.

Mets 4, Braves 0
NEW YORK -- Jonathon Niese combined with three relievers on a five-hitter, and New York edged closer to the National League East title by beating Atlanta Braves.
The Mets increased their division lead over the Washington Nationals to 6 1/2 games and reduced their magic number to seven. The Nationals' game against the Baltimore Orioles was rained out.
Michael Conforto hit a solo homer in the second, and second baseman Daniel Murphy (2-for-4) delivered a two-run double in the seventh. Curtis Granderson scored two runs, and Yoenis Cespedes had three hits.

Cardinals 2, Reds 1
ST. LOUIS -- Rookie Stephen Piscotty ripped a one-out RBI double off the left-center-field wall in the bottom of the eighth inning, capping a two-run rally that lifted St. Louis to a win over Cincinnati.
Piscotty's double scored pinch runner Peter Bourjos, who entered the game after Jhonny Peralta tied the score with a single that plated Tommy Pham. The uprising began with Pham's triple off J.J. Hoover (8-2).
Jonathan Broxton (3-5) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win, and Trevor Rosenthal bagged his 47th save to tie the team's single-season mark. Lee Smith established the record in 1991, and Jason Isringhausen tied it in 2004.

White Sox 2-3, Tigers 0-2
DETROIT -- Erik Johnson tied his career high with nine strikeouts, and Gordon Beckham homered as Chicago completed a doubleheader sweep of Detroit.
Johnson (3-0) won for the third time in four starts since his Sept. 1 call-up. He gave up two runs on five hits in six innings. Johnson also struck out nine against the Boston Red Sox on April 15, 2014.
In the opener, Jeff Samardzija tossed his first career one-hitter. Samardzija, who struck out six, limited the Tigers to Victor Martinez's bloop single in the fifth. Carlos Sanchez hit a solo home run and scored both of the game's runs.

Astros 6, Angels 3
HOUSTON -- Dallas Keuchel pitched splendidly into the eighth inning and was buoyed by a balanced attack as Houston beat Los Angeles.
Keuchel (18-8) allowed one run on six hits and one walk with six strikeouts over 7 2/3 innings. With 203 strikeouts on the season, he matched Mike Cuellar for the club record for strikeouts by a left-hander.
Jose Altuve (3-for-4) finished a home run shy of the cycle, while Carlos Correa added three RBIs.

Cubs 9, Brewers 5
CHICAGO -- Anthony Rizzo went 3-for-3 and scored three runs, and pinch hitter Jorge Soler smacked a three-run home run as Cubs beat Milwaukee.
Soler's seventh-inning homer, his ninth of the season, was his first career pinch-hit shot.
Jason Hammel (9-6) gave up four runs (three earned) in five innings but still earned his second September victory. Milwaukee's Wily Peralta (5-10) allowed six runs in 4 2/3 innings while taking his second consecutive loss.

Red Sox 8, Rays 7
BOSTON -- Xander Bogaerts hit a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning, and Boston escaped the American League East cellar with a wild win over Tampa Bay.
Bogaerts, who doubled home a run in the seventh, connected on a 2-2 pitch from Brandon Gomes (2-6) for his first career grand slam, capping his career-high, five-RBI night.
Right-hander Jean Machi (1-0) got the win after retiring the only two batters he faced. Left-hander Robbie Ross Jr. recorded his third save in as many days, his fifth of the season, despite allowing a ninth-inning homer to Richie Shaffer.

Pirates 9, Rockies 3
DENVER -- Pittsburgh crept closer to clinching a spot in the National League playoffs Monday night by beating Colorado.
The Pirates' magic number for making the playoffs is two. They could assure themselves of playing in the postseason by beating the Rockies on Tuesday night and having the San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals both lose.
Starling Marte tied his career high with four hits, and he drove in two runs with a first-inning homer and sixth-inning double. Aramis Ramirez also homered in the first off Jon Gray (0-2). Jordy Mercer also matched his career high with four hits, including two run-scoring doubles.

Diamondbacks 8, Dodgers 4
LOS ANGELES -- Yasmany Tomas, Aaron Hill and Paul Goldschmidt each homered, and Arizona ended a nine-game losing streak at Dodger Stadium with a victory over Los Angeles.
Goldschmidt added his 29th this year in the eighth inning as the Diamondbacks held off a late rally by the Dodgers to prevail. Yasmani Grandal hit a two-run homer, his 16th of this season, in the eighth to pull the Dodgers within two runs, but they got no closer. The Dodgers' magic number to clinch the National League West remained at seven.
Arizona's Jhoulys Chacin (1-1), who spent the first three months of the season with the Cleveland Indians before being signed by the Diamondbacks in June, allowed two runs on six hits with four walks and three strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Yankees face must-win games in Blue Jays series
By Larry Millson, The Sports Xchange

TORONTO -- The Yankees know the importance of their next two games.
After losing the opener of a three-game series against the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 on Monday, they know the final two games of the series at Rogers Centre are vital.
"You've got to keep it close," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.
The Yankees dropped to 3 1/2 games behind the first-place Blue Jays and have 13 games to play.
"I think we're three back in the loss column now," Girardi said. "You're hoping that you could win (Monday) and get it down to one and we didn't. These are really important games.
"I think they're as important as any games we've played all year when you talk about trying to win the division."
The Yankees still are likely to win an AL wild-card spot but that would mean playing a one-game playoff with the other wild-card team to determine which teams would advance to the ALDS.
"The only thing on our mind is coming back out here (Tuesday) and getting a win," catcher Brian McCann said. "We're right in the middle of this thing."
The Yankees used to be right on top, not long ago. They were first or shared first in the division for 41 days July 3-Aug. 12. They led the AL East by as many as seven games July 27-28.
The Blue Jays were fourth, eight games out of first, on July 28.
The Yankees, who lost three of four games to the Blue Jays at home Sept. 11-13, have a 5-12 record against Toronto this season.
The Yankees know what they are up against

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'A.L. East Showdown'

The eyes of baseball fans as well as those with a penchant for sports gaming will be on the second game of the A.L. showdown between Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees. Toronto taking the first game look to put more distance between themselves and New York handing the ball to Marco Estrada carrying a 13-8 record, 3.14 ERA to the hill. Estrada coming off eight scoreless frames last effort has allowed 2 or less runs in eight of his last ten starts. Estrada matches pitches with Yankees rookie Luis Severino heading to the hill with a 4-3 record, 3.12 ERA. The righthander facing Jays for the third time this season has a tall tasks ahead. In 8 1/3 innings vs Toronto the hurler was spanked for 11 hits, 3 yard-ball, 9 runs in recording two losses. Stick with Toronto, as Jays are 7-3 L10 vs the division w/Estrada, 10-3 in Estrada's last 13 starts vs. a team with a winning record, 4-1 L5 as home fave with the hurler. Offshores have Jays -$1.40 favorite with the total set at 9 runs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

GAMBLERS DATA

Pirates -130

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mike Lundin

Leicester vs West Ham United

6* Free Pick Over

Premier League sides Leicester City and West Ham United are coming into this Captial One Cup clash high on confidence. The Foxes are sitting fourth in the standings, still undefeated in the domestic league with a 13-9 goal differential over their first six games with the over being favored 4-2. Riyiad Mahrez is tied for leading goalscorer in the English top flight with his five goals and James Vardy has found the net four times. We find the Hammers one spot ahead of Leicester in third with a 4-0-2 record and a 13-7 goal differential. The over 4-2 over their six league games and Dimitri Payet has impressed with three goals over his first six games for the club. This being a cup game I expect a wide open contest and I think we'll see this one fly over the set total by quite some margin.

Note that:
- All but one of the last six meetings have seen three goals or more.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dave Cokin

Bonus Play Tuesday

ANGELS (Santiago) @ ASTROS (McCullers) 8:10 PM

Take: ASTROS -160

I believe this will be the biggest chalk piece I’ve placed in this space all season. I’m not a big fan of laying heavy lumber in baseball, and I generally will just pass games in this price range from April through August. But heading toward the regular season finish line, it’s sometimes necessary to loosen the threshold leash and that’s the case tonight.

The Astros have been pretty bad on the road, but this is an entirely different team when playing at home. Sure enough, Houston returned home Monday from a miserable trip that saw them lose their grip on the AL West top spot, and they immediately got themselves back on track.

The Angels are in desperation mode right now. Their playoff pulse has weakened to the point where they’re in a virtual must-win scenario every day. Unfortunately for the Halos, they just aren’t all that good. The pitching isn’t great and neither is the offense. These are not the best of times for the Angels. The farm system is not strong and both the Rangers and Astros are in better shape not just for right now, but for the foreseeable future as well.

Hector Santiago will try to be a stopper tonight. But the veteran southpaw has been really bad on the road lately, and couldn’t even get out of the first inning in his most recent start. Let’s just say Santiago would not fall into the go-with category currently.

Rookie Lance McCullers continues to deliver quality starts for Houston. He certainly has not appeared rattled at having to pitch in some huge games and I like his chances of success against this opponent tonight.

The tough deal here is having to spot 8/5 with the home team. But with what should be an advantage on the mound and factoring in that sensational home ledger, I don’t find this impost to be particularly inflated. There aren’t many bargains to be had on chalk this late in the season, so I’ll bite the bullet and will live with the tariff on the Astros side tonight.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

JOE WIZ

Over 7 San Fran and San Diego