Tuesday 9/8/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mets (76-61) at Nationals (71-66)

Game: 2
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: September 08, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

With the firestorm over his innings count beginning to subside, both Matt Harvey and the New York Mets can shift their focus back towards making the playoffs.

Harvey has a chance to bring the visiting Mets another step closer to the postseason and put a significant dent in the Washington Nationals' playoff aspirations when he takes the mound at the site of his last loss Tuesday night.

An already high-profile three-game series between the NL East's top two teams has received additional attention after Harvey and his agent, Scott Boras, implied that the standout pitcher would be shut down after reaching a 180-inning limit imposed by Dr. James Andrews, who performed the Tommy John procedure that sidelined Harvey for all of 2014. The 2013 All-Star enters Tuesday's outing at 166 1-3 innings.

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said Monday that the team plans on Harvey pitching if it reaches the playoffs, though to what extent has yet to be determined.

'How he's used in the postseason is really going to be a function of how he's gotten through the six months of the regular season,' Alderson said. 'I can't sit here and say he's going to be available throughout the entire playoffs, because we don't know how he will feel and what all of the considerations are at that time.'

Alderson suggested that Harvey would be held out until New York's season-ending series with the Nationals from Oct. 2-4 if the division had still not been decided. Harvey also denied speculation that he would skip the postseason in a column he penned for The Players' Tribune website.

'There has never been a doubt in my mind: I will pitch in the playoffs. I will be healthy, active and ready to go,' he wrote.

A different sort of panic may be setting in with Washington (71-66), which fell five games behind New York (76-61) after allowing five unanswered runs in Monday's 8-5 loss. The Mets hit three homers off Max Scherzer while reaching the Nationals ace for five runs in six innings and halting Washington's five-game win streak.

"We had some opportunities to score some runs, but the Mets have a shutdown bullpen," right fielder Bryce Harper told MLB's official website. " ... We just have to find a way and come back tomorrow."

The Nationals now draw another tough task against Harvey (12-7, 2.60), who's 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA in seven starts since yielding five runs - two earned - over seven innings of a 7-2 loss July 20 at Nationals Park. The flashy right-hander allowed one run or less in five consecutive outings before surrendering four over 6 1-3 innings in Wednesday's 9-4 win over Philadelphia.

Harvey has held Washington hitters to a .182 average while compiling an 0.98 ERA in four season meetings, with Harper 0 for 17 with seven strikeouts lifetime against him.

Ryan Zimmerman is 1 for 9 off Harvey this season but batting .435 with six homers and 18 RBIs over an 11-game hitting streak.

Washington counters Harvey with a surging pitcher of its own in Jordan Zimmermann (12-8, 3.38), who's won four straight starts and been superb his past two. After allowing one run over seven innings in a 5-1 home win over Miami on Aug. 29, he limited Atlanta to a run and two hits through six in Thursday's 15-1 rout at Nationals Park.

Zimmermann was hit hard when he faced the Mets on Aug. 2 at Citi Field, surrendering five runs on homers by Curtis Granderson, Daniel Murphy and Lucas Duda in six innings of a 5-2 defeat.

Murphy has hit .339 with four homers in 59 at-bats against Zimmermann, who's 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA in three 2015 matchups with New York.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rays (67-70) at Tigers (63-74)

Game: 2
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: September 08, 2015 7:08 PM EDT

The Tampa Bay Rays' playoff hopes continue to dwindle, and they could be gone altogether soon if their starting pitching can't turn things around.

Tampa Bay turns to Erasmo Ramirez to stop the rotation's slump Tuesday night against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.

Last in the AL with 3.8 runs per game, the Rays (67-70) have remained in contention for a wild-card spot on the strength of their starting pitching, which ranks third in the league with a 3.66 ERA. The rotation is slipping at the wrong time, though, posting a 6.41 mark as the club has dropped four of five.

Drew Smyly was the latest to turn in a lackluster performance, giving up four runs over five innings against his former team in Monday's 5-4 loss to Detroit.

"This is a very young team and these are really tough losses for them," manager Kevin Cash said. "In the long run, it is a great learning experience, because we've played so many close games that every pitch of every at-bat matters. You learn how to play hard every out."

Ramirez (10-5, 3.84 ERA) has posted a 5.87 ERA in his last three starts. He totaled only 8 1-3 innings in the past two after completing at least six in five of his previous six outings.

The right-hander has also won once in his previous six road starts, posting a 5.96 ERA in the past four while surrendering five homers in 22 2-3 innings.

Ramirez threw a scoreless inning of relief for Seattle in his only appearance against Detroit on April 25, 2012.

Evan Longoria stayed hot for Tampa Bay on Tuesday, going 3 for 4 with his fifth home run in seven games. He owns a 1.375 OPS in that span.

Rajai Davis led the Tigers (63-74) to their fourth win in 17 contests Monday with two home runs, his first multihomer game since 2012. Davis, who has disappointed with a .244 average after hitting .282 in 2014, had batted .155 over his previous 21 with four home runs all season.

Aside from his first career win against Kansas City on Aug. 5, Detroit's Matt Boyd (1-5, 8.36) has been mostly dismal in seven other starts. The most recent was a 15-7 loss to the Royals on Thursday in which the left-hander was tagged for six runs before getting pulled after facing four batters in the second inning.

"I just couldn't throw stuff where I wanted to," said Boyd, who also walked two.

Tampa Bay ranks near the top of the majors with 46 home runs against lefties. Logan Forsythe's seven-game hitting streak was snapped Monday but he owns a 1.008 OPS against left-handers. Longoria is hitting .365 off lefties compared to .243 against right-handers.

J.D. Martinez, tops on the Tigers with 89 RBIs, was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts to bring his average to .156 over his last nine games. Victor Martinez, who sat out due to an illness, is also hitting .156 in his last 12, but .344 with 24 RBIs in his past 26 against Tampa Bay.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Orioles (65-72) at Yankees (77-59)

Game: 2
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: September 08, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

The New York Yankees' offense has been good enough to allow them to overcome less-than-dominant pitching and move back to the verge of the AL East lead.

Whether that formula will be enough to bring them the division title remains to be seen, but it's certainly been working very well against a run of lesser opponents over the past two weeks.

Looking to regain the top spot, the Yankees go for a sixth straight win over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night.

New York (77-59) moved within a half-game of Toronto by virtue of its 8-6 victory over the Orioles on Monday and the Blue Jays' 11-4 loss in Boston. The Yankees haven't been in first since being tied with Toronto on Aug. 24 and have not held the top spot alone since Aug. 22.

'It's nice to see them lose games,' manager Joe Girardi said of the Blue Jays, winners of 28 of 36.

New York has gone 8-2 in its last 10 - which have come against Atlanta, Boston, Tampa Bay and Baltimore - by scoring 78 runs. That's enabled it to overcome a pitching staff that hasn't been bad but has failed to provide the lineup with many easy days.

Michael Pineda struggled through six innings of four-run ball and the bullpen allowed two runs Monday, but Greg Bird hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the seventh inning and Alex Rodriguez and John Ryan Murphy also went deep for the Yankees, who trailed 4-1 after two.

Continuing to spell the injured Mark Teixeira, Bird has batted .353 with three home runs and seven RBIs in the past five games.

'For me, it's just about simplicity,' Bird said. 'I'm just trying to hit the ball hard. The rest is out of my hands.'

The Yankees are 42-11 when they hit at least two home runs.

Masahiro Tanaka (11-6, 3.73 ERA) has personified the bend-don't-break results of the staff recently, going 2-1 with a 4.66 ERA in his past three starts. He threw 6 1-3 innings and gave up four runs at Boston on Wednesday, but benefited from another offensive outburst to win 13-8.

The Yankees have scored 28 runs in Tanaka's last two starts - both victories.

The right-hander's 17 home runs allowed in 13 starts since June 21 are tied for second-most in the majors. He beat Baltimore 9-3 at home July 23, pitching 7 2-3 innings and allowing three solo homers, and is 1-1 with a 3.74 ERA in three career starts against the Orioles - all at Yankee Stadium.

Chris Davis is 3 for 9 with a home run and a double against Tanaka, but has also struck out four times.

Baltimore's slide continued Monday as the Orioles (65-72) dropped into a last-place tie with the Red Sox in the division with their third straight loss and 15th in 18 games.

'We are not taking advantage of the counts when we do get them in our favor,' manager Buck Showalter said. 'We just can't correct it.'

Kevin Gausman (2-6, 4.59) lasted a career-low 2 1-3 innings and gave up four runs and eight hits in Wednesday's 7-6, 11-inning home victory over Tampa Bay.

The right-hander, 0-4 with a 5.45 ERA and eight home runs allowed in his past six starts, is 1-1 with a 2.74 ERA in four career starts against New York. He pitched six innings and allowed four runs in a 4-3 home loss to the Yankees on July 22.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Brewers (61-76) at Marlins (57-81)

Game: 2
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: September 08, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Milwaukee Brewers are on pace for their wost record in more than a decade, though they're trying to end the season in positive fashion behind a red-hot offense.

They seek an eighth win in nine games Tuesday night when they visit the Miami Marlins.

Milwaukee (61-76) owns a .445 winning percentage, a mark it hasn't seen over a full season since finishing 67-94 (.416) in 2004. The Brewers have lately looked like a force to be reckoned with offensively, though, winning 9-1 in Monday's series opener behind 15 hits, including seven for extra bases.

They've averaged 6.8 runs while hitting a major league-leading .335 in the last nine games, with Adam Lind, Jonathan Lucroy and Ryan Braun leading the way. Lind is batting .480 with 12 RBIs in his last nine, Lucroy is at .411 in his last 14 and Braun is hitting .391 in his last 12. Braun also extended his hitting streak at Miami to 18 games by going 2 for 4.

Miami (57-81) has lost 15 of its last 22, and Monday marked the 12th time it had scored two runs or fewer in that span. Manager Dan Jennings was ejected in the seventh inning for arguing balls and strikes.

"Just a little bit of a liberal strike zone for me," Jennings said. "I felt like it was expanded down below and we had a difference of opinion and I expressed it and he did what he had to do and ran me."

Both clubs will start rookie pitchers, with Milwaukee's Taylor Jungmann (9-5, 2.42 ERA) having allowed one run or fewer over at least six innings in three of his last four starts. Jungmann defeated Pittsburgh for the third time Thursday, limiting the Pirates to one run and three hits over six innings in a 5-3 victory.

If Jungmann can improve or preserve his ERA, he'd become the fourth rookie since 1976 with an ERA of 2.42 or lower in at least 16 starts, joining Jose Fernandez, Francisco Liriano and Mark Fidrych.

This is his first start against Miami.

The Marlins counter with Adam Conley (3-1, 5.02), who looks to redeem himself after struggling in the club's 9-6 win at Milwaukee on Aug. 18. He gave up four runs and a season-high nine hits over 3 2-3 innings. He's posted a 3.94 ERA in three starts since, winning the last two at Washington and Atlanta.

Conley is seeking his first win at Marlins Park since a 14-3 victory against Cincinnati on July 11.

Milwaukee is one of baseball's worst teams against left-handed pitching, batting .235, though Braun is hitting .405 off lefties since July 12. Braun and Jean Segura were a combined 4 for 5 against Conley last month.

Both pitchers have swung the bat well - Jungmann's .321 average is the highest in the majors among pitchers with 20 or more plate appearances, and Conley is 3 for 10.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pirates (81-55) at Reds (57-79)

Game: 2
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: September 08, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

While manager Clint Hurdle refused to blame a quick turnaround on his team's sloppy play, he's hoping Francisco Liriano can end struggles of a much longer length Tuesday night when the Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series versus the Cincinnati Reds.

Pittsburgh had its lead for the NL's first wild card reduced to two games following its 3-1 loss Monday and the Chicago Cubs' 9-0 rout of St. Louis. The Pirates - still 5 1/2 games out of first in the NL Central - looked sluggish early after beating the Cardinals on Sunday night, committing two of their season high-tying four errors during Cincinnati's three-run second.

'We were able to get them the lineup last night, so those who were in knew they were in, and they're minds could be fresh,' Hurdle said, paying no mind to his team's 2 a.m. arrival to its Cincinnati hotel. 'If we defend the ball better, who knows what might've happened."

Liriano (9-7, 3.40 ERA) may feel beating the Reds for the first time is something he's "gotta do" considering he's 0-5 with a 3.96 ERA in 10 lifetime starts against them since joining Pittsburgh (81-55) in 2013. The left-hander did not register a decision April 6 in his only start versus Cincinnati this season after yielding two runs in seven innings of a 5-2 loss.

Liriano has never found a comfort zone at Great American Ball Park, going 0-4 with a 4.86 ERA in six starts, and the Pirates have provided him only nine runs in those outings. Though he lost his last road start, Liriano is still 5-3 with a 2.67 ERA in 11 outings outside Pittsburgh.

Jay Bruce has only a solo homer in 18 lifetime at-bats versus Liriano, but the slugger enters this game with the spark of his milestone 1,000th hit - a single that capped a 13-pitch at-bat. He's hitting .267 against the Pirates this year, but is 5 for 14 in the last four contests.

'I've been fortunate to be around long enough to get 1,000 hits,' said Bruce, who became the sixth player in club history with 1,000 hits and 200 homers. 'I'm fortunate to be able to do it with the Reds. It's humbling to be mentioned with that group.'

Cincinnati (57-79) is seeking its first three-game win streak since July 28-30 and first three-game run at home since a season-high six in a row from June 7-19. The Reds may get a boost from the return of speedy outfielder Billy Hamilton, who completed a minor league rehab assignment and is expected to rejoin the team.

Despite being sidelined since Aug. 19 with a sprained right shoulder, Hamilton still leads the majors with 54 stolen bases. He's swiped 16 in 17 attempts in 13 games against Pittsburgh this year and is a .214 hitter in 14 at-bats versus Liriano.

Reds rookie Raisel Iglesias (3-6, 3.81) is trying to end a run of tough luck that has left him 0-2 in his last four starts despite a 1.93 ERA. The Cuban right-hander was in line for a win Wednesday at Wrigley Field after holding Chicago to two runs in seven innings, but the bullpen squandered the lead before Cincinnati eventually won 7-4.

Iglesias' lone start versus the Pirates was a 4-3 win Aug. 1 in which he lasted 6 2-3 innings and gave up two runs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jays (78-59) at Red Sox (65-72)

Game: 2
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: September 08, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

It's been two months since R.A. Dickey lost a start, though he hasn't faced the Boston Red Sox during that stretch.

Dickey's unbeaten streak figures to be put to the test by the hot-hitting Red Sox on Tuesday night.

A four-hit complete game in Wednesday's 5-1 win over Cleveland moved Dickey to 7-0 with a 2.78 ERA in 10 post All-Star break starts, becoming the first Blue Jays pitcher since Roger Clemens in 1998 to begin the second half with seven straight victories. The knuckleballer has won his last three and hasn't lost since a 2-0 defeat to the Chicago White Sox on July 9.

"I'll tell you what's worked, the bats have exploded when I pitch," Dickey (10-10, 4.09 ERA) told MLB's official site. "It's such a gift to come and watch these guys play, it really is."

Toronto (78-59) has totaled 55 runs in winning Dickey's past eight starts and won 12 of 16 overall, but had its AL East lead trimmed to a half-game following Monday's 11-4 loss to the Red Sox and the New York Yankees' win over Baltimore.

Boston (65-72) collected 17 hits and has scored 33 runs while batting .358 over a four-game win streak.

The Red Sox have been troublesome as well for Dickey, who's posted a 5.76 ERA in losing all three season meetings. He had no such problems while going 4-0 with a 2.23 ERA in five starts versus Boston in 2014.

Mookie Betts is 4 for 11 with two triples against Dickey this season and extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a 3-for-5 effort Monday. He's batting .396 over that stretch, while Jackie Bradley Jr. is hitting .577 with 11 RBIs over an eight-game streak lengthened by going 4 for 4 with a homer and four RBIs in the opener.

'I think that there is a general overall confidence that he is showing right now,' Red Sox interim manager Torey Lovullo said of Bradley. 'He can walk up to the plate and hit at any count and any pitch at any part of the at-bat, and that is from a lot of hard work behind the scenes that he has put in.'

David Ortiz, three homers shy of 500, doubled twice one day after leaving a game against Philadelphia with right calf tightness. He's hitting .321 with three homers in 28 at-bats against Dickey and Pablo Sandoval 4 for 12 with a homer and two doubles off him this season.

Sandoval was back in Monday's lineup after missing the Philadelphia series with back tightness, and Dustin Pedroia could join him Tuesday if cleared to return from a hamstring injury that's sidelined him since July 22.

Boston's potent offense couldn't overcome a rough outing from Henry Owens (2-2, 5.87) on Wednesday, when the rookie left-hander was reached for seven runs in only 1 2-3 innings of a 13-8 home loss to the Yankees.

Owens has an 8.62 ERA while surrendering six homers in 15 2-3 innings in three home assignments, and faces for the first time a Toronto lineup that's homered an MLB-leading once every 23.56 at-bats versus southpaws.

The 23-year-old did hold Kansas City to one earned run in eight innings at Fenway Park on Aug. 21 to earn his second career win.

Josh Donaldson, hitting .347 off lefties this season, went 3 for 4 with a solo homer Monday. Jose Bautista knocked in two runs and is 6 for 11 with two homers and seven RBIs over the last three games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Indians (67-69) at White Sox (65-71)

Game: 2
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: September 08, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The five-start span Carlos Carrasco was on prior to landing on the disabled list was one of the best of his career, bettered only by a similar run this time last year.

After resting his pitching arm, the right-hander returns Tuesday night in Chicago against a White Sox team that handed him his last poor outing.

In his last start before heading to the DL with shoulder inflammation, Carrasco (12-9, 3.53 ERA) limited the New York Yankees to a run and five hits with 11 strikeouts in 6 2-3 innings of a 7-3 victory on Aug. 21. It improved him to 2-1 with a 1.36 ERA and .134 opponents' batting average with 40 strikeouts and six walks in his last 39 2-3 innings.

He also has a 1.17 ERA in his last six road outings and is 8-3 with a 2.41 ERA and both of his complete games in 13 away outings.

"I didn't like it when I went to the DL," Carrasco told MLB's official website. "... But, it's part of baseball, so I went to the DL. I'm going to come off on Tuesday. I'm ready to go pitch."

He enjoyed similar dominance in six starts from Aug. 10-Sept. 7, 2014, going 4-0 with a 0.70 ERA. The last of them came against the White Sox, but this season has been a different story in the series.

He is 1-2 with a 9.00 ERA and .928 opponent OPS in three starts to drop him to 3-6 with a 5.75 mark in 11 career starts against Chicago. Melky Cabrera (7 for 15 with a home run) and Adam Eaton (5 for 12) have enjoyed the most success, but Avisail Garcia is 0 for 9.

Carrasco is up against Carlos Rodon, whose own strong stretch hasn't been interrupted by injury, and the left-hander has had more success in the season series.

Rodon (6-6, 4.10 ERA) gave up two runs and five hits in six-plus innings of Wednesday's 3-0 loss in Minnesota, but he's 2-2 with a 1.85 ERA in his last five starts. It's come with a 2.38 run-support average.

"He's got good stuff, and he's been doing well," manager Robin Ventura said. "We have to put something on the board to help him out."

The 22-year-old rookie is 1-0 with a 0.71 ERA in two starts against Cleveland while limiting top hitters Michael Brantley (1 for 7 with three strikeouts) and Jason Kipnis (0 for 6).

That lefty-hitting duo was out of the lineup as the Indians (67-69) began the series by overcoming Chicago ace Chris Sale in Monday's 3-2 win to end the White Sox's four-game winning streak.

Ryan Raburn moved into the cleanup spot and homered in both of his at-bats, and the outfielder is 10 for 20 with three homers and three doubles in his last nine games. He's batting .321 with a 1.000 OPS against left-handed pitching this season and is 2 for 6 against Rodon, so Terry Francona could again find room for him in the lineup. Four of his eight multihomer games have come against Chicago (65-71), and he's hitting .340 with 11 home runs and a 1.037 OPS in his last 43 games at U.S. Cellular Field.

"I think everybody's got those places where they do well in," Raburn said. "Fortunately, for me, this is one of them because we play them so much. Hopefully, it continues tomorrow."

Cleveland has gone 22-15 dating to July 29 - the day before Carrasco's run started - and it can get within a game of .500 for the first time since being 27-28 on June 6. It's also won four straight at U.S. Cellular.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Twins (71-66) at Royals (82-55)

Game: 2
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: September 08, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

It'll take something much worse than the Kansas City Royals' current stretch to threaten their sizable lead atop the AL Central, but a cavalier attitude regarding their struggles likely won't help with the playoffs approaching.

Kansas City looks to avoid a season-high fifth straight loss as it sends inconsistent Edinson Volquez to the hill Tuesday night against the visiting Minnesota Twins.

The Royals (82-55) hold the biggest division lead in the majors with an 11-game edge over the second-place Twins (71-66) despite being outscored 31-9 during a four-game skid.

Their only runs in Monday's 6-2 loss to the Twins came on Kendrys Morales' RBI groundout and a sacrifice fly from Salvador Perez. Lorenzo Cain, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas had two hits apiece for Kansas City, which scored 27 runs in the two games prior to its skid.

The Royals have the majors' best bullpen ERA at 2.46, but relievers have allowed 11 runs in 15 innings during the losing streak. Starters have an 8.57 ERA in that stretch.

"We haven't played up to our standard," manager Ned Yost said. "I think our starting pitching hasn't been exceptionally sharp through this run, and offensively, we've faced some tough pitching."

Volquez (12-7, 3.53 ERA) didn't show much concern after giving up six runs and eight hits in three innings Thursday against Detroit before the Royals rallied for a 15-7 win.

"It's just part of the game," Volquez said. "Just a bad day."

The problem is that Volquez is having those types of days regularly of late. He's allowed six runs in three of his last five starts in an up-and-down stretch during which he's allowed one earned run in the other two.

Volquez has had some of his best days against Minnesota, going 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA while tossing at least seven innings in all three starts this season. Trevor Plouffe is one of the few Twins batters who has given him trouble, going 4 for 9.

Eduardo Escobar went 3 for 3 and drove in three runs Monday, improving his average to .394 over his last 18 for Minnesota, which sits 1 1/2 games behind Texas for the AL's second wild card.

The Twins had the fewest road wins in the AL on Aug. 19 before winning eight of their next 11 away from home.

"It's not about making any kinds of statements," manager Paul Molitor said. "We're trying to hang on and make the playoffs next month, and the only way to do that is to beat teams along the way, like Kansas City."

Kyle Gibson (9-9, 3.84) has struggled lately on the road, going 0-2 with a 9.30 ERA in his last four outside of Minnesota. One of his best starts of the season came in Kansas City, though, when he gave up four hits in eight innings of a 2-0 win July 2 to improve to 2-1 with a 1.35 ERA in three career outings at Kauffman Stadium.

This will be the third time in five starts against the Royals in 2015 that the right-hander has opposed Volquez. Gibson, who has a 2.60 ERA over his last three outings overall, has gone 2-2 with a 2.81 ERA in the other four.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cubs (79-57) at Cardinals (87-50)

Game: 2
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: September 08, 2015 8:15 PM EDT

Baseball's best record and a comfortable NL Central lead give the St. Louis Cardinals the luxury of skipping their most consistent starter in preparation for the postseason.

The surging Chicago Cubs weren't intimidated in the series opener and now face Michael Wacha on 10 days' rest as they seek a fifth straight win Tuesday night in St. Louis.

Wacha (15-4, 2.69 ERA) was scratched Wednesday against Washington to limit his innings over the regular season's final month. He's thrown 50 1-3 more than in 2014, when he missed nearly three months with a stress reaction in his right shoulder.

The right-hander is 4-0 with a 0.92 ERA in his last six starts but hasn't pitched since allowing four unearned runs in six innings of a 5-4 loss Aug. 28 at San Francisco.

The Cardinals (87-50) lead the Central by 5 1/2 games over Pittsburgh and will reach the playoffs for a fifth consecutive year barring an epic collapse. A priority for manager Mike Matheny is to have Wacha fresh for October.

"There are reasons we need to take a little pause whenever we get an opportunity," Matheny told MLB's official website. "I explained that to him as well, because he's not overly excited about it."

Wacha beat the Cubs on June 27, but he allowed five runs in six innings against them July 8 before the Cardinals rallied for a 6-5 win. Starlin Castro (8 for 17 with a homer and two doubles) and Anthony Rizzo (7 for 17 with a home run) have hit Wacha well throughout their careers.

Castro had two hits and Rizzo drove in a run Monday as the Cubs (79-57) dealt the Cardinals a fourth defeat in five games with a 9-0 victory. Dexter Fowler led off the game with a homer and added a two-run double, and rookie Addison Russell hit a three-run shot.

Chicago pulled within two games of the wild card-leading Pirates and increased its edge to 8 1/2 over Washington for the NL's last playoff spot. The Cubs also won for just the second time in their last 10 at Busch Stadium.

"We've got to beat them here. That's really important regarding our development," said manager Joe Maddon, whose club has outscored opponents 31-9 during a four-game win streak. "It's a nice first step, but let's have another one-game winning streak tomorrow."

The Cubs extending their run could hinge on Jason Hammel (7-6, 3.55 ERA) ending his slump. The right-hander has gone 1-1 with a 6.52 ERA over his last four outings and gave up a run in the first inning for the third time in five starts during the Cubs' 7-4 loss to Cincinnati on Wednesday.

"The real thing I want to get out of is the first inning," Hammel said. "I have to set a better tone to the game."

Hammel opposed Wacha on July 8 but left after the first inning with a hamstring injury. He allowed four runs in four-plus innings of a 4-1 loss June 28 in St. Louis and has struggled against Jason Heyward (9 for 16), Yadier Molina (5 for 11 with three doubles) and Jhonny Peralta (9 for 23 with two homers and two doubles) in his career.

Heyward went 0 for 10 over his previous three and Molina 0 for 13 in his previous four before both went 2 for 2 on Monday. Second baseman Kolten Wong wasn't in the starting lineup because of calf tightness and it's unclear if he'll start this contest.

Maddon said rookie Kyle Schwarber, who has missed the last five with rib and oblique issues, could return at some point this series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (71-67) at Diamondbacks (66-72)

Game: 2
Venue: Chase Field
Date: September 08, 2015 9:40 PM EDT

The San Francisco Giants have won the World Series in even-numbered years since 2010, but they've also missed out on the postseason in the two in between.

Given their fade from contention, that's a trend likely to hold form.

While they hope it's not too late to turn things around, the visiting Giants look to avoid a ninth loss in 11 games Tuesday night when they take on the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Following championship seasons, San Francisco (71-67) finished eight games back in the NL West in 2011 and 16 out in 2013 despite posting winning records in both Septembers.

The defending champs were 2 1/2 games out of first place in the NL West and 3 1/2 back of a wild-card spot Aug. 16, but they've since dropped eight of 10 to fall well behind division-leading Los Angeles and nine back of the second wild-card spot.

"You got to keep competing and hopefully we can pull some out," said Mike Leake, Monday's losing pitcher.

Much of the blame could be pinned on a lineup that has totaled 16 runs over the last eight defeats. After totaling 14 runs and 29 hits in back-to-back wins at Colorado, the Giants went 2 for 11 with runners in scoring position in Monday's 6-1 loss at Chase Field.

Brandon Crawford went 0 for 4, leaving him with an .098 average in his last 10 games.

'We had our chances but we got to get some guys come through and deliver," manager Bruce Bochy said.

Bochy's club will try to begin a late surge against Chase Anderson (6-5, 4.26 ERA). The right-hander is hoping to show enough to earn a spot in Arizona's 2016 rotation.

Following an eight-start stretch in which he went 2-4 with a 7.65 ERA, Anderson was sent to Triple-A Reno for about 24 hours before Jeremy Hellickson's glute injury led to his return.

The demotion may have scared him straight since he has a 2.55 ERA over his last three starts. He gave up three runs over five innings Wednesday but did not factor in a 9-4 loss at Colorado.

After allowing one hit over seven innings in a 1-0 win at San Francisco on June 12, Anderson was touched for seven runs and 10 hits over 3 2-3 in an 8-4 home loss to the Giants on July 18.

Buster Posey is 3 for 6 in the matchup and the 2012 NL MVP has been a bright spot, batting .543 with a home run and three triples over a nine-game hitting streak.

Tim Hudson (6-8, 4.69) will try to lead San Francisco to only its fifth win in 20 road games. He made a pair of appearances in the bullpen after posting a 5.63 ERA over a six-start stretch.

Ryan Vogelsong was initially scheduled to start before working two innings in the opener.

Hudson is 9-2 with a 2.36 ERA in 14 starts against Arizona. However, he lost 5-1 on April 19 after allowing five runs over five innings in his only meeting this season.

Paul Goldschmidt homered off the right-hander in that game, but the MVP candidate is hitting .179 with two home runs over his last 10.

A.J. Pollock and Phil Gosselin homered Monday as Arizona (66-72) ended a four-game skid. The club now seeks its first series win since sweeping four at Cincinnati from Aug. 20-23.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Dodgers (79-58) at Angels (69-68)

Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: September 08, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

With his early-season struggles well behind him, red-hot Clayton Kershaw is playing a major role in helping the Los Angeles Dodgers pull away in the NL West.

As the ace tries to win his eighth straight decision, the Dodgers seek a 13th victory in 15 games Tuesday night when their series resumes against the Los Angeles Angels.

Since dropping three straight starts in June, Kershaw is 7-0 with a MLB-best 0.93 ERA over his last 11 outings. He leads the big leagues with 251 strikeouts after fanning 111 over 87 innings in that span.

The three-time NL Cy Young winner tossed a six-hitter and matched a career high with 15 strikeouts in Wednesday's 2-1 home win over San Francisco. Now he'll try to help the Dodgers (79-58) add to their 8 1/2-game division lead following Monday's 7-5 win.

With 29 strikeouts in his last two outings, Kershaw (12-6, 2.18 ERA) needs 13 to pass Sandy Koufax (1959) for the franchise's most in a three-start span since 1914. After fanning 39 over his past three, he'll pass Hideo Nomo's four-game mark ('95) with 12.

"When he puts up numbers like this, striking out 14, 15, it's what you expect him to do," catcher Yasmani Grandal told MLB's official website.

Kershaw has struck out seven in both his starts against the Angels since 2011. In his only meeting this season, he gave up two hits in eight scoreless of a 3-1 home win Aug. 1.

Albert Pujols has had success versus Kershaw with a .435 average in 23 career at-bats. Pujols went 3 for 5 with an RBI on Monday, while Kole Calhoun and C.J. Cron homered.

The Angels, though, have hit .193 and totaled 17 runs while dropping seven straight in the Freeway Series. Mike Trout his 3 for 25 with nine strikeouts in his last six meetings.

The Angels are 5 1/2 behind AL West-leading Houston and 3 1/2 out of a playoff spot.

They'll try to push some runs across for Andrew Heaney, who has worked his way into the AL Rookie of the Year discussion by allowing two runs or less in 10 of his 13 starts.

After giving up a career-high eight runs over 3 1-3 innings in a 15-3 home loss to Toronto on Aug. 22, Heaney (6-2, 3.18) has gone 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in his last two.

"I went ahead and looked at some of the stats of the other (Rookie of the Year candidates)," he said. "I don't put up amazing numbers, I don't punch out a lot of people, so I don't know."

The left-hander was traded from Miami to the Dodgers in December before getting dealt to the Angels (69-68) for Howie Kendrick just five hours later. In his only other start in the rivalry, he yielded two runs over 5 1-3 innings while opposing Kershaw last month.

Kendrick has been out the past month with a hamstring injury. Grandal is likely to be sidelined a few games with a sore left shoulder, while Jimmy Rollins is out because of a jammed finger.

Scott Van Slyke stepped up Monday with a career-high four hits and drove in four runs, while Joc Pederson matched a season high with three hits. Van Slyke had been hitting .167 over his previous 14 games and Pederson .111 in his prior 31.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockies (57-80) at Padres (65-73)

Game: 2
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: September 08, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Tracking down the San Diego Padres for fourth place in the NL West is unlikely for the Colorado Rockies, but they probably won't have to continue trying without a key slugger after an injury scare.

Nolan Arenado was removed from the series opener with a chest contusion, though the third baseman is confident he'll be back in the lineup for Tuesday night's follow-up at Petco Park.

After Colorado's 3-2 win Monday, the teams have six games remaining and San Diego (65-73) holds a 7 1/2-game advantage with nine wins in 13 meetings this season. It was the Rockies' second win in 10 tries at Petco, and it nearly came at a cost.

Arenado, who is tied with teammate Carlos Gonzalez with an NL-leading 36 home runs, was removed in the eighth inning after landing in the crowd when trying to make a play on a foul ball.

"I will be OK," he said. "I got an X-ray and everything looked good. I expect to be in the lineup tomorrow."

Gonzalez and Arenado are each one home run shy of matching Jeromy Burnitz's 2004 total for the highest since the Coors Field humidor was installed in 2002. Prior to that, at least one Colorado player hit 40 or more home runs in six of the club's first nine seasons.

In addition to climbing a game closer to San Diego, Colorado (57-80) can get a step closer to its first series win against a division opponent since taking two of three at home from Arizona from June 23-25. The Rockies haven't won a road series in the West since sweeping San Francisco in three April 13-15.

Jon Gray is six starts into his career and still seeking his first decision. Gray (0-0, 6.15 ERA) was impressive through his first three with a 2.40 ERA, but he's since posted an 11.12 mark with a .472 opponent batting average while lasting 11 1-3 innings.

He gave up four runs and a season-high 10 hits in 5 1-3 innings of Wednesday's 9-4 home win over Arizona, though he's still taking positives.

"It's been three weeks of straight battling," Gray told MLB's official website. "I think it's easier every time to deal with that, so I think mental toughness is really what you're getting out of those type of games."

The right-hander will at least get a break from Coors Field, where he's posted a 7.88 ERA and .391 OBA in four starts as opposed to 3.48 and .211 marks in two on the road. His one respectable home start came in a 7-5 loss to San Diego on Aug. 15 while allowing a run and four hits in five innings.

Similar numbers against fellow rookie Colin Rea (2-2, 5.47) could finally get him in the win column. Rea won his first two starts and is 0-2 in three since, but his numbers have stayed more level than Gray's.

The right-hander is yet to make it through six innings, but he was removed after giving up two runs in five of Thursday's 10-7 home win over Los Angeles because he took a liner off his pitching shoulder.

"I thought he was very poised for a start against the Dodgers," interim manager Pat Murphy said. "I think he showed me something. In all his outings this was his best one in my opinion."

Getting Rea another win could require a return to that level of offense. Since that game, the Padres have lost four straight with nine runs and a .190 average.

Matt Kemp has driven in four of those runs and has 31 RBIs in his last 22 games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (72-64) at Mariners (66-72)

Game: 2
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: September 08, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Cole Hamels' 13 postseason starts and 2008 World Series MVP are proof that he has big-game experience, and the Texas Rangers have benefited from it during their playoff push.

The club's current rotation would cause Hamels to miss crucial series against contenders down the stretch, but as far as manager Jeff Banister is concerned, no game is more important than any other at this stage.

Hamels looks to stay hot when the visiting Rangers face the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.

Texas (72-64) has gone 25-12 since July 29, two days before it acquired Hamels (2-1, 3.89 ERA) from Philadelphia. The surge has put the Rangers 1 1/2 games ahead of Minnesota for the AL's second wild card and helped trim their deficit behind Houston in the West from eight to two.

Hamels has gone 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA over his last four starts after he struck out eight in seven innings of Texas' 4-3, 10-inning win at San Diego on Wednesday. His only loss in six starts with Texas came Aug. 7 against Seattle, when he surrendered homers to Nelson Cruz, Robinson Cano and Mark Trumbo in a 4-3 loss.

The left-hander began his unbeaten stretch 10 days later by going seven innings in the Rangers' 4-3 win over the Mariners. As it currently stands, Hamels wouldn't pitch in a four-game home series against the Astros that begins Monday, nor would he be slated to start at Houston from Sept. 25-27.

Banister said he doesn't have plans to alter the rotation in order to get Hamels a start in either of those series.

"Obviously, we have looked at some options, but right now, we're looking at the rotation that gives us the best options with the games right in front of us," Banister told MLB's official website. "We have to win the games in front of us."

The Rangers have done that more often that not lately and beat the Mariners 3-0 in Monday's opener of this four-game set. Adrian Beltre had a two-run single in the sixth before Rougned Odor scored on a wild pitch in the seventh.

Seattle (66-72) had a season-high five-game winning streak snapped while getting shut out for the first time since July 4 at Oakland. Cano had two hits and is batting .417 during a nine-game hitting streak at home.

The Mariners struggled for the first time without Cruz, who missed his fifth straight game with a strained right quad. They scored 30 runs in the previous four and averaged 7.4 during their winning streak.

There's a chance Cruz returns to the lineup as the designated hitter in this contest.

Taijuan Walker (10-7, 4.51) has gone 3-0 with a 3.26 ERA over his last seven starts, a stretch that began with a one-hitter against Minnesota on July 31. He pitched 6 2/3 innings of Wednesday's 8-3 win over Houston and didn't appear to have any issues after leaving his previous outing Aug. 28 in the seventh inning with a cramp in his right hip.

The right-hander gave up an unearned run in seven innings of a 3-1 win over Texas on April 27, but allowed three runs in Seattle's loss Aug. 17 when he opposed Hamels.

Walker likely won't have to face Delino DeShields, who suffered a mild left knee sprain Monday and is expected to sit out at least this contest.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB roundup: Yankees win, Blue Jays lose
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

NEW YORK -- Rookie Greg Bird hit a tiebreaking three-run homer with nobody out in the bottom of the seventh inning, lifting the New York Yankees to an 8-6 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday.

The Yankees won for the eighth time in 10 games. They began Monday 1 1/2 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays and when Bird homered off Brian Matusz, the Red Sox held an 8-2 lead over Toronto.

The Red Sox went on to win, and the Yankees are now a half-game back of the Blue Jays in the American League East.

The Yankees opened the seventh with a walk and a base hit off Jorge Rondon (0-1) and three pitches later, Bird blasted a 0-2 slider over the right-center field fence for his fifth home run.

Red Sox 11, Blue Jays 4

BOSTON -- Jackie Bradley Jr. continued his incredible hitting and right-hander Rick Porcello added another step toward resurrecting what had been a lost season at Fenway Park.

Bradley, who has been baseball's best hitter since Aug. 9, had four more hits, including a home run, and drove in four runs, and Porcello pitched 7 1/3 strong innings to power Boston to its fourth straight win -- an 11-4 pounding of first-place Toronto.

The Red Sox pulled into a tie with the Baltimore Orioles for fourth place in the AL East, two games behind the third-place Tampa Bay Rays.

Mets 8, Nationals 5

WASHINGTON -- Yoenis Cespedes had two doubles, a homer, two runs and two RBIs as New York beat Washington to extend its lead to five games in the National League East.

Cespedes had a two-out RBI double off Matt Thornton to highlight a three-run seventh as the Mets took an 8-5 lead. David Wright had an RBI single and Daniel Murphy drove in a run with a sacrifice fly before Cespedes came through with his third hit in a row.

The Mets improved to 8-6 against the Nationals this year while Washington saw its five-game winning streak come to an end at an inopportune time.

Brewers 9, Marlins 1

MIAMI -- Right-hander Zach Davies recorded his first major league victory, leading Milwaukee over Miami.

The Brewers pounded Marlins pitching for 15 hits. Three Brewers players had multiple hits, including Hernan Perez, who had three hits and three RBIs. Jonathan Lucroy also had three hits, including two doubles, and Khris Davis slugged his 18th homer of the season.

Davies (1-0), who made his second big-league start, pitched seven innings, allowing four hits, no walks and one run.

Tigers 5, Rays 4

DETROIT -- Rajai Davis homered twice for the second time in his career, including a go-ahead solo blast in the seventh, and Detroit topped Tampa Bay.

Davis, who came into the game with four home runs, also hit a two-run shot in the third. Davis' only other multi-homer game came on May 18, 2012, against the New York Mets while playing for Toronto.

Al Alburquerque (4-1) pitched an inning of scoreless relief to collect the victory for the Tigers, who had lost 13 of their previous 16 games.

Reds 3, Pirates 1

CINCINNATI -- Anthony DeSclafani pitched six shutout innings and Cincinnati took advantage of a season-high four Pittsburgh errors.

The last-place Reds improved to 10-4 against the National League wild-card-leading Pirates.

DeSclafani (8-10) finished with one run allowed in 7 1/3 innings with no walks and six strikeouts.

Indians 3, White Sox 2

CHICAGO -- Trevor Bauer turned a rough start into a strong outing and Ryan Raburn did what he usually does to Chicago in Cleveland's win.

After walking five hitters in the first two innings, including four in Chicago's two-run second, Bauer relocated his command. He allowed just two hits in seven innings and struck out six to earn the win in spite of his early bout of wildness.

Right-handers Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen each threw an inning of scoreless relief, with Allen pitching the ninth for his 29th save.

Cubs 9, Cardinals 0

ST. LOUIS -- Dexter Fowler lined a leadoff homer to start the game, then added a two-run double an inning later as Chicago routed St. Louis at sold-out Busch Stadium.

The Cubs (79-57) knocked Cardinals starter Lance Lynn (11-9) out of the box before the third inning was over, raking him for seven hits and six runs in 2 1/3 innings. Lynn walked two and fanned two in his first start since an ankle injury Aug. 29 in San Francisco.

Shortstop Addison Russell capped a five-run third inning with a three-run homer to left-center off reliever Seth Maness, giving Chicago an 8-0 lead.

Dan Haren (9-9) sailed through seven scoreless innings to get the win.

Diamonbacks 6, Giants 1

PHOENIX -- Arizona second baseman Phil Gosselin hit a three-run homer and left-hander Patrick Corbin pitched six scoreless innings in the Diamondbacks' victory over the slumping Giants.

Gosselin's second homer of the season gave Arizona a 3-0 lead in the second inning, and center fielder A.J. Pollock hit a bases-empty homer the sixth, both off Giants right-hander Mike Leake.

Corbin (5-3) gave up six hits and struck out five. He did not walk a batter.

First baseman Buster Posey had three hits and center fielder Angel Pagan had two for the Giants (71-67), who have lost eight of their last 10 games.

Rockies 6, Padres 4

SAN DIEGO -- Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu each had two hits and scored two runs and right-handed starter Kyle Kendrick hit his first major-league homer while picking up the victory to help snap the Rockies' three-game losing streak.

Blackmon and LeMahieu were the catalyst as the Rockies scored twice in the first and three times in the third. The three-run rally in the third was aided by a two-run error when Padres right fielder Matt Kemp dropped a fly ball.

Kendrick allowed three runs (two earned) over five innings to improve to 5-12. Right-handed closer John Axford picked up his 20th save.

A's 10, Astros 9

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Josh Phegley and Mark Canha hit home runs, powering Oakland to a victory over Houston.

The A's scored six runs in the sixth inning for an 8-2 lead, then barely held on. Sean Doolittle pitched a perfect ninth inning for his first save of the season.

Houston got home runs from Jonathan Villar, Carlos Correa and Jake Marisnick while scoring a combined seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings.

Braves 7, Phillies 2

PHILADELPHIA -- Williams Perez pitched seven strong innings, and rookie Hector Olivera homered and drove in four runs as Atlanta beat Philadelphia to snap a 12-game losing streak. The Phillies dropped their fifth straight.

Freddie Freeman added a two-run homer for the Braves, who ended their longest skid since a 17-gamer in 1977. They also halted a 13-game road losing streak, their longest since a 15-gamer in 1935.

Perez (5-6) put an end to a personal six-game losing streak.

Rangers 3, Mariners 0

SEATTLE -- Yovani Gallardo threw 5 1/3 shutout innings, and Texas continued to push its way toward the top of the American League West standings. The Rangers moved to within two games of the division-leading Astros.

Gallardo handed a shutout over to the Texas bullpen in the sixth, after Adrian Beltre drove in the first two runs of the game in the top of the inning.

A pair of wild pitches by Seattle reliever Rob Rasmussen in the seventh allowed Rougned Odor to move to third base and then score for a 3-0 lead.

Twins 6, Royals 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Aaron Hicks opened the game with a home run, and Tommy Milone picked up a rare road victory as Minnesota topped Kansas City.

The Royals lost their fourth straight, equaling their worst losing streak of the season. It is the third time this season the club lost four in a row.

Milone (8-4) recorded just his second road victory. The left-hander stymied the Royals on six hits and two runs over seven innings. He walked one and struck out four.

Dodgers 7, Angels 5

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Zack Greinke gave up three runs on seven hits in six innings, leading the Dodgers to a win over their local rival. Greinke (16-3) struck out five and didn't issue a walk.

The Dodgers moved 8 1/2 games ahead of the Giants in the National League West, their biggest lead of the season.

Scott Van Slyke had four hits and four RBIs, and Joc Pederson had three hits to lead the Dodgers' offense.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB notebook: Giants' Panik returns
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

It may be too late to save the sinking San Francisco Giants, but Giants second baseman Joe Panik was activated Monday after missing more than a month with a back injury.

Panik, 24, was named to the All-Star squad this year, and is hitting .309 with seven homers as well as playing excellent defense.

Panik's last game before going on the disabled list was Aug. 1, at which point the Giants were 57-46 and 1 1/2 games out of first place in the National League West. In Panik's absence the Giants went 14-20 and entered Monday's action 7 1/2 games out of first.

Rookie Kelby Tomlinson was the primary replacement at second base in Panik's absence and he hit .306 in the 30 games he played.

--New York Mets right-hander Matt Harvey (12-7, 2.60 ERA), the subject of much discussion on a possible innings limit, will face Washington RHP Jordan Zimmermann (12-8, 3.38 ERA) in the second game of the series Tuesday.

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said Monday that Harvey may skip multiple turns over the rest of the season.

Alderson suggested Harvey may make just two more starts before the postseason begins, although he said there was no definite resolution of how Harvey will be used.

He has pitched 166 1/3 innings so far.

--The Mets activated first baseman Lucas Duda off the 15-day disabled list after he missed two weeks with a back injury.

Duda, 29, was available for a pinch-hitting role in Monday's series opener against the Washington Nationals, according to reports.

--The New York Yankees purchased the contract of left-hander Chris Capuano from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Capuano has pitched in 18 games for the Yankees this season, posting a 7.71 ERA in 35 innings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Overs cashing when Nola gets the ball
Stephen Campbell

Over bettors have been loving Aaron Nola of the Philadelphia Phillies due to his penchant of participating in a lot of high-scoring affairs.

In Nola's last eight outings, the Over has gone 6-1-1. The 22-year-old is slated to get the ball Monday against the Atlanta Braves.

The line and total for the NL East contest had not yet hit the board at sportsbooks at the time of writing.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Gausman, Orioles tend to struggle as underdogs
Stephen Campbell

Bettors who have backed the Baltimore Orioles at plus money when Kevin Gausman has gotten the ball haven't been getting any results lately.

The O's are winless in Gausman's last five starts when tabbed as underdogs. Sportsbooks are presently offering Baltimore in the +152 ballpark for Monday's tilt with the New York Yankees.

The Bronx Bombers are slated to counter with ace Masahiro Tanaka.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Jays rebound'

Taking a road favorite can be a perilous road in baseball betting, but today’s MLB pick appears to have enough in its favor to counteract such concerns, as the Toronto Blue Jays play the second of a three game road series against the Boxton Red Sox. Despite coming off a battering by the BOSOX on Monday, the Blue Jays are -$1.45 road favorites.

R.A. Dickey will take the mound for the Blue Birds, sporting a 10-10 record, 4.09 ERA. In his last nine efforts, Dickey has compiled a 7-0 mark with Toronto winning each game and Jays have also won 12 of 14 as a favorite handing the ball to the knucler. Additionally, John Gibbons' crew has shown they can bounce back from a loss. In the last eight situations the club is 7-1 outscoring opponents 43-18. A few additional telling baseball betting stats that lean towards Toronto. The Blue Jays are 8-3 last eleven away vs a division rival, 19-9 as chalk of -$1.30 to -$1.60 including 4-1 in enemy territory. Finally, Dickey's pitching rival will be lefthander Henry Owens, who has a 2-2 record and 5.87 ERA entering the contest. The fact that Owens is a portsider is another nod towards Toronto as Blue Jays have won 4 of the past 5 vs a southpaw starter.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Tuesday, September 8, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

I get that agent Scott Boras is just looking out for his client. But he has no right, at least in my opinion, to tell the New York Mets how to use their ace pitcher Matt Harvey. Of course, Harvey missed all of last season due to Tommy John surgery and the Mets are keeping him on an innings limit. A few years ago, Washington did the same with Stephen Strasburg, and in my mind that wrecked the Nats' best chance to win the World Series. There was some talk that Boras didn't want his client pitching in the playoffs if the Mets made it because Harvey's season innings are capped at 180. Are you kidding me? Are guys not playing baseball to win? Harvey himself did say on Sunday that he will pitch if New York does make the playoffs. Harvey currently sits at 166 1/3 innings. The Mets had planned to utilize a six-man rotation the remainder of the regular season and skip Harvey at least once more. But he's scheduled to go Tuesday in Washington what Manager Terry Collins called the biggest start of Harvey's career.


Mets at Nationals (-105, 7)

Mets GM Sandy Alderson did say that Harvey could be skipped multiple times this month to save those innings. In fact, he might not go again until the last series of the regular season against Washington and only if that actually matters. Alderson did add that Harvey's usage may be partly dictated by the standings in the NL East. Alderson ruled out using Harvey in the bullpen to conserve innings. Harvey (12-7, 2.60) is 2-1 against the Nationals this season with a 0.98 ERA in four starts. Bryce Harper can't figure him out, going 0-for-17 with seven strikeouts. It's Jordan Zimmermann (12-8, 3.38) for Washington. He has won four straight starts and allowed just one earned in each of his past two. Zimmermann is 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA in three starts this year against the Mets. Lucas Duda, who was activated off the DL on Monday, is 9-for-38 with a homer against him. Daniel Murphy is a .339 hitter off him with four homers.

Key trends: The Mets are 1-4 in Harvey's past five road starts vs. teams with a winning record. The "over/under" is 4-1 in his past five overall. The Nats are 7-1 in Zimmermann's past eight vs. New York.

Early lean: Nationals and under.


Blue Jays at Red Sox (+130, 9.5)

Boston is likely to get back second baseman Dustin Pedroia on Tuesday. He has been out since July 23 with a right hamstring injury. Pedroia was hitting .306 at the time of his injury on June 24. He returned for six games in July, but went 1-for-22 before shutting it back down. He likely won't play every single day at first. Pedroia will face Blue Jays starter R.A. Dickey (10-10, 4.09). The Jays have won the knuckleballer's past nine outings. Dickey is 0-3 with a 5.76 ERA in four starts this season vs. Boston. David Ortiz is 9-for-28 career off him with three homers and eight RBIs. Red Sox rookie lefty Henry Owens (2-2, 5.87) comes off the worst start of his young career, allowing seven runs in 1.2 innings against the Yankees. He hasn't faced Toronto.

Key trends: The Jays are 6-0 in Dickey's past six vs. teams with a losing record. The over is 6-0 in Owens' past six. The under is 3-1-1 in Dickey's past five at Boston.

Early lean: Red Sox, a Big Papi homer, and over.


Dodgers at Angels (+176, 6.5)

Nothing beats watching Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw face off against the Angels' Mike Trout. Fair to call those two the best pitcher and position player in baseball. Kershaw (12-6, 2.18) threw a complete game against the Giants last time out, allowing one run and six hits while striking out 15 -- his third straight game with at least 10 whiffs. Since June 22, Kershaw has allowed more than one run only once in 12 starts and he has struck out 39 batters over his last three starts. Trout is 2-for-6 with a double and two strikeouts off him. Albert Pujols hits Kershaw well, going 10-for-23 with four doubles. It's fellow southpaw Andrew Heaney (6-2, 3.18) for the Halos. He faced the Dodgers on Aug. 1, allowing two runs and four hits in 5.1 innings. Keep in mind that the Dodgers add the designated hitter here.

Key trends: The Dodgers are 4-0 in their past four against a lefty. They are 2-5 in Kershaw's past seven on the road. The Angels are 0-4 in their past four interleague home games vs. lefties. The under is 11-2 in Kershaw's past 13.

Early lean: Dodgers and under.


Orioles at Yankees (-168, 8)

It's probably too late for the Orioles' playoff chances, but they will get back shortstop J.J. Hardy on Tuesday. He hasn't played since Aug. 23 due to a groin injury. The team may or may not get back catcher Matt Wieters. He hasn't played since Friday due to a wrist injury. Baltimore entered Monday's game 6.5 games out of the second wild-card spot. It's not happening. Kevin Gausman (2-6, 4.59) goes here for the O's. He hasn't won since Aug. 1 and lasted only 2.1 innings last time out against Tampa Bay. Gausman pitched in the Bronx on July 22 and allowed four runs over six innings in a loss. Brett Gardner is 4-for-13 off him with a homer. Alex Rodriguez is 2-for-5 with a dinger. The Yankees' Masahiro Tanaka (11-6, 3.73) beat the Orioles on July 23, allowing three runs over 7.2 innings. Jonathan Schoop is 2-for-9 with two homers and five RBIs off him.

Key trends: The Orioles are 0-7 in Gausman's past seven vs. teams with a winning record. The Yanks are 7-1 in Tanaka's past eight vs. the AL East. The over is 4-0 in his past four against teams with a losing record.

Early lean: Yankees and over.


Rangers at Mariners (+116, 7)

It's lefty Cole Hamels (8-8, 3.70) here for Texas. This will be his third start against Seattle since being acquired from the Phillies at the July 31 deadline. He is 0-1 with a 4.85 ERA vs. the Mariners this season. Logan Morrison is 10-for-25 with three doubles career off him. Robinson Cano is 2-for-12 with a solo homer. Seattle's Taijuan Walker (10-7, 4.51) hasn't lost since July 12. He is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in two starts this season vs. the Rangers. Adrian Beltre is 4-for-6 with two doubles off him.

Key trends: The Mariners are 5-1 in Walker's past six at home. The over is 6-0 in his past six at home.

Early lean: Rangers and under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dave Cokin

Bonus Play Tuesday

RANGERS (Hamels) @ MARINERS (Walker) 10:10 PM

Take: RANGERS -131

Taijuan Walker has had his share of ups and downs this season for Seattle. But this guy has a chance to be a very good big league pitcher and he’s already at the point where trying to beat him is not the most comfortable endeavor around. Nevertheless, I’ll be looking to do exactly that this evening as Walker battles the Rangers and Cole Hamels.

Texas has surprised me all season. I didn’t think this team had a payer of contending prior to the start of the season. There have been multiple occasions where I’ve started to see what I deemed as expected regression, only to see them gather themselves and get hot again. Now it’s pretty clear that this is simply a pretty good baseball team and it’s no longer going to be a shock to the system if they’re still playing come October.

Hamels is settling in nicely with his new teammates. The Rangers have won each of his last four starts, and one has to think Hamels is liking the idea of pitching in meaningful games again. But Walker has been a cash cow for Seattle. The Mariners have won 13 of his last 16 starts. So while I’ll give Hamels the advantage here, it’s not slam dunk material, particularly with Seattle having won five in a row until getting blanked by Texas on Monday.

Where there’s more of an edge is in one of the simplest ledgers that come into play tonight. The Rangers have been a very good road team all season, while the Mariners have been largely awful at home. As much of a disappointment as this campaign has been for the Mariners, you’d never know it if you looked at their road record. Seattle is 37-35 away from Safeco. Glance at that record and the first thought would have to be that they’re likely having a nice season. But that hasn’t been the case, and the clear as day reason is that this team is terrible at home.

Sure enough, the Mariners just rolled back to Seattle after yet another good road trip where they swept Oakland, won a series at Houston and forged a split with the White Sox. First game back home? A shutout loss. The Mariners might well qualify as a team that has a bit of a home field disadvantage at this point. And that’s where a bit of value might show. If this game were being played in Texas, the Rangers would be much higher priced. But because it’s at Seattle, it’s much cheaper. Factor in the actual records of these teams both home and away, and laying something in the -130 neighborhood is not such a terrible thing. I’ll be looking for the Rangers to notch another win tonight.