Wednesday 4/13/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Padres (3-4) at Phillies (2-5)

Game: 3
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: April 13, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

Jerad Eickhoff overcame some early struggles last week to finish with an encouraging season debut, considering it was his third start since breaking the thumb on his pitching hand.

The Philadelphia Phillies right-hander will try to keep the positivity going while providing his team with at least another solid performance from a member of its rotation Wednesday night against the San Diego Padres.

Eickhoff (0-1, 3.60 ERA) needed 50 pitches to make it through the first two innings of a 7-2 road loss to the New York Mets on Friday. He finished with a respectable three runs allowed - two earned - in five-plus innings.

Eickhoff was limited to two spring training starts after getting injured before camp opened.

"I threw a bullpen (session earlier this week) in Cincinnati. There were some pitches there where it was like, 'OK, that's it, that's where I need to be.' I think I threw some out there today. It's just I couldn't find it more than I'd like to, so it was kind of frustrating," he told MLB's official website. "But I'm happy to get through it and be healthy on the backside."

Eickhoff's performance is part of a 2.87 ERA for the Phillies' rotation and Charlie Morton went 6 2-3 innings in a 3-0 win over the Padres on Tuesday. Jeanmar Gomez registered his third save in as many chances, bringing stability to a bullpen that had a 12.66 ERA during the team's 0-4 start.

Those efforts also helped Philadelphia (3-5) bounce back from a 4-3 loss in Monday's opener to the four-game series against San Diego.

"I'm really excited for the organization as a whole," Morton said. "I think the future is bright for the Phillies, but also for this team this year."

The Padres (3-5) were shut out for the fourth time and 29 of their 36 runs came in back-to-back wins in Colorado last weekend.

"A loss is a loss. Shutouts aren't fun when you're on the wrong side of them. We've got to take advantage of the opportunities that we have on the field, and we didn't do that offensively," manager Andy Green said. "We can do better."

Colin Rea didn't pitch long enough to benefit from the Padres' bevy of runs in a 13-6 win against the Rockies on Friday, throwing 90 pitches in 3 1-3 innings and allowing five runs.

Rea (0-0, 12.46) was a 4-3 loser in his only matchup against Philadelphia and his fourth MLB start Aug. 29, giving up four runs in five-plus innings.

San Diego's Jon Jay has a hit in each of his first eight games with his new team, going 10 for 33 with three doubles and five RBIs. The longest hit streak by a Padres player to open his tenure with the team is 10, shared by Justin Upton, Tony Fernandez, Wally Joyner and Keith Moreland.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (3-2) at Blue Jays (3-4)

Game: 2
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: April 13, 2016 7:07 PM EDT

The New York Yankees won't have their hottest hitter Wednesday night, although that may not be a break for Toronto Blue Jays starter J.A. Happ.

The visiting Yankees have won their last four games with Brian McCann starting at catcher, but he'll be replaced in the lineup by Austin Romine.

McCann has hit safely in his five games, going 9 for 18. He has four straight multihit efforts with the Yankees (4-2) winning all of those contests after he went 2 for 3 with his second homer in Tuesday's 3-2 victory in the opener of this three-game series.

The problem is he was diagnosed with a bruised toe after being hit by the ball, and Romine replaced him late in the game. New York has lost the only game Romine - a career .198 hitter - has started.

"You're kind of anxious, wondering what is going on," manager Joe Girardi said. "Is it just a bruised toe, bruised big toe or is it more than that? So hopefully we know here pretty quick."

McCann was only 3 for 19 against Happ, who has given other Yankees issues as well. Chase Headley is 4 for 15 in this matchup, Jacoby Ellsbury is 3 for 13 and Alex Rodriguez 0 for 8.

Happ is 3-2 with a 4.85 ERA in nine starts against New York. The left-hander gave up two runs over six-plus innings before Tampa Bay scored three times in the eighth to pull out a 5-3 win last Wednesday.

The Yankees will counter with Michael Pineda, who will try to be more effective after he gave up six runs with three homers in five innings to get credit for last Wednesday's 16-6 rout of Houston.

The only other times Pineda has allowed three homers have been two starts versus Toronto. He went 1-0 with a 2.79 ERA in three against the Blue Jays last season, with AL MVP Josh Donaldson going 0 for 10.

The right-hander has also stymied Jose Bautista, who is 3 for 19 in this matchup, and Kevin Pillar, who is 1 for 10.

"The Blue Jays are a pretty good team, everybody knows that," Pineda told MLB's official website. "I like competing and love the game and will have fun."

New York's bullpen lowered its major league-leading ERA to 0.84 on Tuesday after four relievers combined for four hitless innings.

"(Johnny) Barbato, (Chasen) Shreve, Dellin (Betances) and (Andrew) Miller, outstanding job tonight," Girardi said. "It was neat to see Johnny Barbato get his first win, that's always fun too. Each one got us some big outs so I was impressed."

Toronto (3-5) saw its bullpen fail to match New York when Brett Cecil gave up Ellsbury's go-ahead RBI single in the seventh inning. Cecil has blown two saves and has a 10.13 ERA over four games.

'He's off right now,' manager John Gibbons said. 'There's no secret about that.'

Bautista doubled in two runs for Toronto, which had three hits and fell to 0-3 in one-run games after going 15-28 a year ago for baseball's worst mark.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tigers (4-2) at Pirates (5-3)

Game: 3
Venue: PNC Park
Date: April 13, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

Shane Greene began his tenure with the Detroit Tigers in impressive fashion, then showed only brief glimpses of that stretch for the remainder of last season before landing on the disabled list.

His hard work in spring training kept him in the conversation for the fifth starter's slot before ultimately losing out on the job, but an injury has given Greene another chance in the rotation and put him nearly back to square one - trying to impress his manager with a solid outing on the road against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.

Detroit (4-2) acquired Greene from the New York Yankees in a three-team deal last offseason and he promptly won his first three starts with a 0.39 ERA. He went 1-8 with a 9.20 ERA in his last 13 starts, though, and was sent to the bullpen before an artery issue in his in right hand ended his major league season in early August.

Greene vowed to recapture his early season form during the spring, but Daniel Norris beat him out for the last spot in the rotation. Norris, though, is on the DL with a back injury, giving Greene an audition.

The right-hander earned his first big league save in the Tigers' 8-7, 11-inning victory at Miami on April 5 in his first appearance. He was supposed to start Monday, but Sunday's contest against the New York Yankees was postponed and he was pushed back two days.

"It's almost like he doesn't see anything else going on around him," manager Brad Ausmus told MLB's official website. "I don't mean that in a negative way. He sees the catcher, gets the sign, throws the pitch. His whole world is 60 feet, six inches.

"If he pitches well, he'll stay (in the rotation)."

Another stellar performance against the Pirates (5-3) should earn him at least another start. Greene pitched perhaps the best game of his career April 14 at Pittsburgh, allowing three hits in eight innings of a 2-0 victory in his second start as a Tiger.

He'll be back on the PNC Park mound nearly a year to the day later following the Tigers' 8-2 victory in Detroit on Tuesday to earn a split. Justin Upton went 4 for 5 with his first home run as a Tiger, and he, Victor Martinez and J.D. Martinez (career high-tying four hits) had two RBIs apiece.

Upton has three doubles but has struck out 11 times in 28 at-bats against Ryan Vogelsong, who gets the ball in place of Francisco Liriano. A clubhouse spokesperson said after Tuesday's game that Liriano is dealing with hamstring discomfort and is considered day to day.

Vogelsong picked up a 6-5 victory in relief Friday against Cincinnati despite giving up two runs - one earned - and walking two in two innings. Starling Marte bailed out Liriano and Vogelsong with a grand slam in the eighth.

The right-hander, who went 8-10 with a 4.50 ERA in 22 starts last season, hasn't faced the Tigers since 2011. The Pirates hope to provide him with more support after registering only five hits Tuesday.

"As much as we were grinding, we just couldn't do anything," said Matt Joyce, who went 0 for 2 with two walks.

The Pirates have dropped three of their last four, scoring two runs or fewer in each defeat. Marte accounted for their only scoring Tuesday with a homer in the sixth.

Marte has 11 hits over the last six after a pair of 0-for-4 games to start the season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Orioles (6-0) at Red Sox (3-3)

Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: April 13, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

Extended winning streaks aren't something the Baltimore Orioles have done a whole lot of over the past few years.

With the offense they've displayed this season, they could become much more commonplace.

The Orioles aim to remain the only unbeaten team in the majors Wednesday night when they close a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

It's not totally unexpected that Baltimore (7-0) is hitting home runs and producing at a high level offensively, but being perfect after the first week is very surprising for a club that was .500 in 2015.

The Orioles scored nine runs for the second consecutive game against Boston on Tuesday, erasing a 4-2 deficit with seven combined in the sixth and seventh innings en route to a 9-5 victory. J.J. Hardy hit a pair of homers around the Pesky Pole and drove in five, while Mark Trumbo continued his onslaught with a homer, double and single.

Matt Wieters added a pair of RBIs for Baltimore, off to the franchise's best start since opening 9-0 as the St. Louis Browns in 1944.

The Orioles have won seven straight for the first time since an eight-game run in 2005, and are winners of 12 in a row dating to September. They've totaled 40 runs and 13 homers in seven games while batting .309 with runners in scoring position.

'It's just every night,' Hardy said. 'You watch the guys when you're sitting in the dugout and watch everybody's at-bats. It's fun because everybody 1 through 9 can do it.'

Trumbo has homered in both games of this series and is 13 for 28 this season. He has five home runs and 17 RBIs in 12 games at Fenway.

The potent offense has masked the inability of Orioles' starters to pitch deep into games, with only Ubaldo Jimenez completing more than five innings.

That came in a 4-2 win over Minnesota on Thursday, when he allowed one earned run in seven innings with nine strikeouts and no walks.

'I'm not one of those pitchers that's going to have pinpoint command,' said Jimenez, who retired 12 of the final 14 batters he faced. 'Definitely every time I have a game like that without a walk it makes me feel good because I know I'm in a good place with my mechanics and everything.'

Jimenez went 1-1 with a 2.87 ERA in three starts at Boston last season after he posted a 9.45 ERA in three previous outings there.

This seems like an opportune time for Pablo Sandoval to make his second start of the season for the Red Sox. He has a .359 (14 for 39) average and two homers against Jimenez.

David Ortiz is 2 for 19 in this matchup but is 9 for 20 with two home runs and eight RBIs in his last five games against Baltimore.

Tuesday marked the third straight loss for the Red Sox (3-4), who received another poor outing from a starting pitcher. Clay Buchholz gave up five runs in five innings as the ERA for Boston's starters jumped to 7.32.

Joe Kelly contributed to that ugly number in his first start Friday at Toronto, yielding seven runs and seven hits - including a grand slam to Josh Donaldson - before he was lifted with nobody out in the fourth inning. Kelly escaped with a no-decision when the Red Sox rallied for an 8-7 win.

The right-hander was roughed up to a 7.71 ERA in three starts against the Orioles last season, failing to make it past the fourth inning in the last two.

Chris Davis is 4 for 7 against Kelly and Hardy is 3 for 6.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Indians (2-2) at Rays (2-4)

Game: 5
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: April 13, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

Carlos Carrasco nearly made history the last time he pitched at Tropicana Field. Following a rough season debut, he'll simply settle for a solid outing in his return.

Back to the site of his near no-hitter, the right-hander tries to help the Cleveland Indians even their three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night.

Carrasco was one strike away from recording Cleveland's first no-hitter in 34 years when Joey Butler delivered an RBI single in the Indians' 8-1 victory July 1.

"It was great," Carrasco said after that game. "I almost made it."

Carrasco, who struck out 13 and walked two over 8 2-3 innings, won't have to worry about Butler ruining his night this time. In an interesting twist, the Indians claimed Butler off waivers in December then sent him down to Triple-A Columbus last month.

Carrasco is 2-3 as a starter against Tampa Bay (3-4) but has a 2.91 ERA and 34 strikeouts while walking eight. In the four starts against the Rays prior to falling short of history, Carrasco received four total runs of support.

"When he's on, his stuff is overpowering," Rays third baseman Evan Longoria told MLB's official website. "I remember getting a couple of pitches to hit (in July), and I fouled them back. And then he didn't give anything else."

Carrasco has given up three home runs over his five starts against Tampa Bay, but he served up that many for all four runs he surrendered along with seven hits in five-plus innings while not receiving a decision in a 7-6 win over Boston last Wednesday.

Tampa Bay's 10 homers have been responsible for 15 of its 23 runs. The Rays have homered in a team-record 21 straight games dating to Sept. 20.

Longoria and Logan Forsythe each belted two-run homers in the eighth in Tuesday's 5-1 victory. Tampa Bay has trailed in each of its victories.

'That's why we play nine (innings),' outfielder Kevin Kiermaier said.

Longoria has hit both of his home runs over the last three games and is 6 for 16 in the past four. He's 2 for 16 with a home run and five strikeouts against Carrasco, while Forsythe is 3 for 9 in the matchup.

Tampa Bay's Drew Smyly also gave up three homers in his 2016 debut, allowing five runs over 6 2-3 innings of a 5-3 defeat to Toronto on April 4. The southpaw was extremely disappointed that two of those home runs came against left-handed hitters.

"I'm not going to make excuses," he said. "I take pride in getting those guys out. I'm usually pretty effective against them."

Smyly yielded a homer to Yan Gomes while going 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA in three starts against the Indians (2-3). All came with Detroit and none since July 20, 2014.

"It'll be a tough test," he said. "Just looking forward to going out there and giving the team a 'W.'"

Gomes is 4 for 8 with two homers and a double against him.

Francisco Lindor, who has never faced Smyly, is batting .368 with a homer that came Tuesday.

Teammate Jason Kipnis went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in the series opener and has fanned five times in the last three games. He's 1 for 13 with six strikeouts against Smyly.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Reds (5-2) at Cubs (6-1)

Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: April 13, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

The optimistic numbers John Lackey posted over the past two seasons to earn him a two-year deal with the Chicago Cubs came almost entirely because of success at Busch Stadium, and the reason he didn't get another start there last postseason was in part because he struggled at Wrigley Field in the NLDS.

Answers as to whether that home advantage travels north with him to Chicago will start to come Wednesday night against the Cincinnati Reds as the right-hander makes his home debut with his new club.

After being traded from Boston to St. Louis at the 2014 trade deadline, Lackey went 18-13 with a 3.13 ERA in 47 starts with the Cardinals, including four playoff assignments. At Busch, he was 13-4 with a 1.91 ERA, .241 opponent batting average, 1.80 walks and 0.58 home runs per nine innings. Away - including three starts at Wrigley - he was 5-9 with a 4.69 ERA, .279 OBA, 2.58 walks and 1.36 homers.

The last of those was a Game 4 no-decision in a 6-4 loss at Wrigley on Oct. 13 that sent the Cubs to the NLCS with the now-37-year-old giving up four runs and four hits in three innings.

The trend held true in his first start with the Cubs as Lackey gave up six runs and eight hits in six innings of Thursday's 14-6 win in Arizona. Lackey settled down for three clean innings after giving up six in the first three and escaped with the win.

"I kept giving the lead back in the first couple innings, which wasn't ideal," Lackey told MLB's official website. "Then I started mixing things up and got in a little groove later on in the game. You definitely know with our offense, you don't have to be perfect, but I'd like to be better than that."

He has been against the Reds, going 3-2 with a 2.75 ERA in nine career starts with Devin Mesoraco (1 for 10), Brandon Phillips (5 for 27) and Jay Bruce (5 for 23) struggling.

Manager Joe Maddon has a theory that has nothing to do with the mound he throws from or the uniform he wears. Lackey didn't pitch in 2012 after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and 2015 marked possibly his best season ever with a career-best 2.77 ERA in 218 innings.

"I'm really seeing a renaissance," Maddon said. "I think this is the third year (since the surgery), and watching him the last couple years, I was really impressed with the arm stroke and command of his pitches. I watched him closely this spring and I liked everything about the way he threw the baseball."

A renaissance is exactly what Alfredo Simon needs after a one-year stint in Detroit resulted in his worst season. He's back in Cincinnati where he thrived from 2012-14, and he opened the year with a no-decision in Friday's 6-5 home loss to Pittsburgh. The right-hander surrendered two runs - one earned - and five hits in five innings.

He's 3-0 with a 1.10 ERA in five starts against the Cubs and has held 2016 Chicago addition Jason Heyward to 1 for 8.

The Cubs (6-1) are out to win their third series to start the season after opening their home schedule with Monday's 5-3 win. Chicago had just three hits but Addison Russell connected on a three-run homer in the eighth inning to push the Cubs ahead.

Reds starter Brandon Finnegan had a no-hitter going for 6 2-3 innings, but the bullpen recorded three runs, two hits, two walks and a hit batter in 1 1-3. Cincinnati (5-2) can hang both of its losses on the bullpen.

"We really struggled with the first batter for each pitcher, a walk, a two-strike hit and a three-run homer for the first batters that our bullpens faced," manager Bryan Price said. "They'll be better."

Chicago has won four straight against the Reds and 17 of 23 dating to the last series of 2014.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (4-2) at Astros (3-4)

Game: 3
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: April 13, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

A little more than a week into the season, the Kansas City Royals have already shown a knack for winning the close games.

Looking to build on another nail-biting victory, the visiting Royals continue their four-game series with the Houston Astros on Wednesday night.

Lorenzo Cain hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Kansas City (5-2) shut down the Astros after they scored twice in the bottom half in Tuesday's 3-2 victory. The Royals improved to 4-0 in games decided by a run and regrouped nicely after Monday's 8-2 defeat to the Astros (3-5), who have dropped both of their one-run contests.

"We got runs early and our pitching did an outstanding job," Cain said.

The Royals' success in tight games shouldn't be a surprise considering they went 23-17 to boast the AL's second-highest winning percentage (.575) in one-run games a year ago.

Kansas City's vaunted bullpen has already endured some rough moments this season, including Monday when it gave up two runs and five hits in 3 1-3 innings. However, they overcame three walks to strike out seven over four innings, including two by Wade Davis as he stranded two runners in the ninth for his third save.

"He always finds a way,' Royals manager Ned Yost said of Davis, who has walked four in four innings but has yet to give up a run.

'He'll bend a little bit but I've never seen him break. ... His stuff is so good he can get through an inning throwing more balls than strikes with a one-run lead.'

Cain is 5 for 25 with nine strikeouts but two of those hits left the park. He's 7 for 13 against Scott Feldman, who looks to bounce back after he allowed four runs, two homers and three walks in four innings of Friday's 6-4 loss at Milwaukee.

The right-hander, who did not pitch last postseason, gave up a run in 7 2-3 innings of a 2-1, 10-inning loss at Kansas City on July 25.

The Royals counter with Yordano Ventura, who allowed a run in seven innings of a 5-1 victory over the Astros on July 26, then went 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA over two postseason starts against them.

Ventura overcame six walks by striking out six and giving up two hits with two runs in five-plus innings to earn a no-decision in Friday's 4-3 victory over Minnesota.

"Six walks â?¦ that's not me," the right-hander told the Royals' official website. "But I did feel good."

Batting .355, Houston's Carlos Correa is 4 for 5 with two doubles and a home run overall against Ventura. Including playoffs, Colby Rasmus is 2 for 8 against Ventura but is batting .423 with nine RBIs in his last eight games against Kansas City.

Houston rookie Tyler White had a run-scoring single Tuesday, giving him 10 RBIs while going 13 for 25 to begin his major league career.

After opening the season on the disabled list following sports hernia surgery, teammate Evan Gattis went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in his 2016 debut on Tuesday.

'He had a tough night getting back in the swing of things,' manager A.J. Hinch said of Gattis, who set career highs with 27 homers and 88 RBIs in 2015. 'He's going to need a few at-bats to get comfortable.'

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (5-2) at Twins (0-7)

Game: 2
Venue: Target Field
Date: April 13, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

Though they entered the season with playoff aspirations, the Minnesota Twins will have to make history to recover from their worst start in more than a century.

As Carlos Rodon tries to lead the Chicago White Sox to a third straight win, Phil Hughes looks to continue his success at Target Field on Wednesday night with the Twins mired in their longest losing streak to begin a season since 1904.

Minnesota is hoping to build on its surprising emergence last year, when it finished three games out of a playoff spot. The club, however, has totaled 13 runs while going an MLB-worst 5 for 55 (.091) with runners in scoring position in opening 0-7.

It's the franchise's worst start since the Washington Senators lost their first 13 games 112 years ago. No team has ever made the playoffs after dropping its first seven contests.

"The unexpected can happen, and it can be cruel," manager Paul Molitor told the league's official website. "We haven't had many breaks, but we haven't created any."

Eduardo Escobar had two of the team's six hits Monday when the Twins went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position in a 4-1 loss in their home opener. Joe Mauer (.375) and Escobar (.370) have gotten off to strong starts, but Brian Dozier (.192), Byron Buxton (.182), Trevor Plouffe (.174), Eddie Rosario (.174), Byung Ho Park (.143) and Miguel Sano (.136) are among those scuffling.

"We have to find a way to get the offense jumpstarted," Molitor added.

Minnesota will try to do so against Rodon, who was outpitched in his season debut by Oakland's Sonny Gray in a 2-1 road defeat last Wednesday. The left-hander surrendered two runs and struck out six over seven innings.

Rodon has allowed two runs over nine innings in two career games against the Twins. His success usually depends on whether he's able to establish his slider.

"It's a swing-and-miss slider, it kind of disappears on you," catcher Alex Avila said.

Hughes was in line to win his first start Thursday before Trevor May allowed two inherited runners to score in a 4-2 loss at Baltimore. The veteran right-hander was charged with three runs over his six innings.

Hughes would seem to be the right pitcher to get the Twins on track as he's 13-3 with a 3.38 ERA in his last 20 starts at Target Field. He allowed one run over eight innings of a 6-1 home win in his last meeting with Chicago (5-2) on June 24.

"You know they're going to win their first one at some point," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "You focus on what you're doing. This is a good, young team, and no matter what their record is, they can make you have a miserable day."

Avila went 2 for 3 with a homer off Hughes in 2015, while Austin Jackson was 3 for 7 with a home run. Jose Abreu is 7 for 21 with three doubles lifetime in the matchup.

Jackson broke Monday's game open with a two-run single in the fourth inning.

The White Sox have averaged 5.2 runs while batting .306 with runners in scoring position in wins, but totaled two runs with a .158 average in losses.

Adam Eaton is 10 for 24 overall while Melky Cabrera has gone 6 for 15 over his last four games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Brewers (3-4) at Cardinals (4-3)

Game: 2
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: April 13, 2016 8:15 PM EDT

The results at the plate for the St. Louis Cardinals have changed so dramatically that they've gone from facing their first 0-4 start in 19 years to the verge of a positive the franchise hasn't experienced since the 19th century.

With a club runs record on the horizon, the Cardinals seek their fifth straight win in Wednesday night's middle game against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers.

St. Louis (4-3) scored seven runs and struck out 37 times during a season-opening sweep in Pittsburgh and entered a three-game set in Atlanta at risk of losing its first four for the first time since opening 0-6 in 1997.

Instead, the Cardinals scored 31 runs to sweep the Braves, including 12 in each of the final two games. They then opened their Busch Stadium slate by hanging 19 hits on Milwaukee (3-4) in Monday's 10-1 victory - their 10th in the last 13 meetings.

The outburst marks the sixth time St. Louis has put up three straight 10-run games and first since 1980. The club has never done it in four straight contests, though the St. Louis Browns did log four streaks of four and two of five from 1886-94.

Atlanta and Boston were the last MLB teams with four-game streaks in 2007.

"We started a little slow, but obviously, it's a long season," Randal Grichuk told the team's official website. "Hits are contagious. When you have guys going up there and taking great at-bats, you feed off it with another good at-bat."

There were plenty in the opener. Jeremy Hazelbaker had a double, triple and two singles, and Aledmys Diaz and Yadier Molina each had three hits. The Cards' eight doubles were their most since July 21, 2012, and their hits the most in a home opener.

Hazelbaker and Diaz were teammates at Double-A Springfield last season but have garnered opportunities after injuries to shortstop Ruben Tejada and outfielder Tommy Pham. Hazelbaker is 10 for 19 with hits in his last six games and RBIs in his last five, while Diaz is 8 for 15 with hits in each of his five games and RBIs in the last four.

They will try to help Mike Leake earn his first win with the Cardinals. The right-hander signed a five-year, $80 million contract in December but lasted only 4 1-3 innings in last Wednesday's 5-1 loss in Pittsburgh.

The seven-year veteran labored through a 42-pitch first inning and surrendered four runs and seven hits while walking three and striking out one. He has a 5.48 ERA in his last four starts against the Brewers, who have hit .367 in that span.

Milwaukee catcher Jonathan Lucroy has 12 hits in 29 at-bats against Leake with a double, home run and four RBIs. Scooter Gennett is 7 of 16 with two doubles in the matchup, while Ryan Braun is 3 of 16 with a homer.

The Brewers, who have lost two of three, will counter with Chase Anderson, who experienced a far different debut with his club. The right-hander threw five four-hit innings in Friday's 6-4 win over Houston, striking out five without a walk.

Anderson will try to help the Brewers rebound from Monday's miserable start from Taylor Jungmann, who gave up more extra-base hits (seven) than he recorded outs (six). He surrendered eight runs and eight hits in his two innings.

"They were definitely all over him," Lucroy told the team's official website. "They did not miss any mistakes he made."

Anderson scattered 10 hits against the Cardinals while with Arizona on May 25, holding them to two runs in six innings of a 3-2 loss.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (5-2) at Rockies (3-3)

Game: 2
Venue: Coors Field
Date: April 13, 2016 8:40 PM EDT

Buster Posey's replacement proved more than adequate - at least for one game - but the San Francisco Giants are hopeful their hot-hitting catcher can make a quick return.

Expected to be back Wednesday night, Posey will try to lead the Giants to their best start in six seasons and another win over the Colorado Rockies.

With Posey dealing with a bruised right foot, Trevor Brown got the chance to hit a pair of two-run homers in his 16th major league game Tuesday, a 7-2 victory in Denver. He hit his first MLB longball, a tying two-run shot that ended a no-hit bid, in a 3-2 victory in 10 innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

"We all know what we have in Buster, but to have another guy doing what he's doing, we're really excited for him," said pitcher Jeff Samardzija, who won his first game with the Giants.

Posey was hurt when the Dodgers' Chase Utley fouled a pitch off his instep and would have been available to pinch hit if needed.

"He bruised it pretty good, and it's pretty sore, so he needs a break," manager Bruce Bochy told MLB's official website. "He even said, 'How about if I test it and play today?' I said, 'You know what, let's just wait until (Wednesday).' We're all thinking he'll be good to go (Wednesday)."

The Giants (6-2) still produced 13 hits without him in the lineup with Angel Pagan collecting three and Hunter Pence going 2 for 5 with three RBIs. San Francisco's pitchers also prevented Rockies shortstop Trevor Story from adding to his seven homers in his seventh game.

Story went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts.

"If I told you I expected to hit seven home runs, I would be lying to you," he said. "I really can't say that I thought it would be like this."

Posey's .391 average remains tops among San Francisco's regulars, and he's 7 for 14 in his last four games. He's a career .369 hitter against the Rockies (3-4) and has batted .396 lifetime at Coors Field, the best average among active players at that park and his second-highest at any NL stadium. He's hit .407 at Atlanta's Turner Field.

Posey has batted .420 with two homers, seven doubles and 12 RBIs in his last 13 games in Denver.

He'll try to add to those numbers while boosting the Giants to 7-2 for the first time since 2010. Jake Peavy will also try to do his part with an improved performance over his season debut.

The veteran right-hander gave up four runs and 10 hits in five innings against the Dodgers on Thursday. Peavy avoided the loss when San Francisco rallied for a 12-6 win.

Peavy went 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA in two starts against Colorado last season, giving up three runs in 5 2-3 innings in his lone one at Coors, a 7-3 victory Sept. 5.

Rockies right-hander Jordan Lyles lasted 3 1-3 innings against San Diego on Friday, allowing five runs in a 13-6 loss. He has yielded a combined 12 runs in 10 1-3 innings in his last two starts against San Francisco.

Posey is 2 for 9 lifetime against Lyles while Pence is 4 for 12 with a home run. Nolan Arenado is 5 for 11 with a home run and two doubles versus Peavy.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (2-5) at Dodgers (4-3)

Game: 2
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: April 13, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

Rubby De La Rosa felt dejected after a disastrous season debut when Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez called with an observation - he needed to be more aggressive.

The right-hander used that pointer in a perfect relief outing and plans to heed the advice of his longtime friend again when he faces the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday night at Chavez Ravine.

The two have been close since their time in the Dominican Republic after De La Rosa's grandmother was Martinez's nanny growing up. They were also in the Boston organization together when Martinez was a special adviser and the Dodgers traded De La Rosa to the Red Sox as part of the blockbuster deal that sent Adrian Gonzalez to Los Angeles.

After De La Rosa allowed seven runs and walked three in 3 1-3 innings of Thursday's 14-6 loss to the Chicago Cubs, Martinez reached out. De La Rosa has a 7.66 ERA while pitching fewer than six innings in each of his last six starts.

"He said, 'Be aggressive to home plate, throw the fastball,'" De La Rosa said. "He said, 'Believe me, they're not going to catch it. It's not easy for people to catch 95 mph, so be aggressive.'"

De La Rosa (0-1, 12.46 ERA) listened and struck out two while leaving the eighth unscathed against the Cubs on Saturday. Manager Chip Hale said the move of using De La Rosa in relief was two-fold - give the bullpen a break and have him work his throwing session in an actual game situation.

"It was a positive experience for him out there," Hale said. "His tempo was better and he just threw his pitches with conviction."

Hale hopes that carries over to his next outing. De La Rosa went 0-3 with an 11.21 ERA in four starts against the Dodgers (4-4) last season and gave up six runs in two-plus innings in the last one Sept. 12.

Howie Kendrick is 10 for 18 with a homer and a double against De La Rosa and went 1 for 4 in his season debut Tuesday, when Paul Goldschmidt hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth and added an RBI in the ninth to lift the Diamondbacks (3-5) to a 4-2 win. Los Angeles has dropped four of five.

Goldschmidt has homered in five of his last six at Dodger Stadium, a stretch during which he's batting .462 with eight RBIs.

'It was a nice come-from-behind win, especially against these guys,' Goldschmidt said. 'Hopefully, we'll be battling them the whole year with the rest of the division."

Goldschmidt is 4 for 9 with two homers and a pair of walks against Alex Wood, who is looking to overcome a rough finish to his first start.

Wood allowed five runs in five-plus innings of Thursday's 12-6 loss to San Francisco after giving up three hits in his first four innings. The three runs he allowed in the fifth snapped the Dodgers' 31-inning scoreless streak to begin the season, one shy of tying St. Louis' record set in 1963.

'We were moving right along,' Wood said. 'It didn't change my mindset. It's fine and dandy that I'm part of the streak, but we lost. That's all that really matters.'

The left-hander was much better the last time he faced the Diamondbacks, allowing two runs and three hits in 6 1-3 innings of an 8-0 loss Sept. 22.

Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal, who came off the disabled list Tuesday and had an RBI groundout pinch-hitting in the ninth, is expected to start.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB betting cheat sheet: An "O's" so good start to the season
By JESSE SCHULE

What an opening week of the MLB season. With plenty of intriguing story lines (pun intended), Jesse Schule breaks down the best betting angles in our early week MLB betting cheat sheet.

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

O's So Good

The Orioles shocked the Red Sox on Monday, winning Game 1 of this series in Boston as a +180 underdog. They head into Game 2 still undefeated at 6-0, and they've been an underdog in half of those wins and just a short favorite in the other half. The bookmakers don't appear to be overly impressed, as Boston is again a heavy favorite in Game 2 at Fenway. The price seems particularly strange when you consider that Boston has lost 15 of it's last 21 at home when Clay Buchholz starts.

Never Ending Story

Last week I noted: "Rookie shortstop Trevor Story is the first player in history to hit home runs in each of his first three major league games. Since he plays for the Rockies, some might assume that Coors Field has aided his prolific start. In fact the Rockies started the season on the road at Arizona, and all four of his home runs so far came at Chase Field. The Rockies open a home series versus the Padres Friday, and he should have a chance to continue to produce against a struggling San Diego pitching staff." He has since added three more during a home series versus San Diego.

Just Win Baby

Baseball fans in Minnesota are still waiting for their Twins to win a game this season, but they might not have to wait too much longer with the Twins playing their next seven games at home. Atlanta fans could be waiting a while, as the Braves will be on the road until next week, playing three more games in Washington before a weekend series in Miami. Expect Atlanta to be a big underdog in all six of those games.

Hitting notes

*Daniel Murphy is on a tear with his new team, leading the Nationals batting .471 with a pair of home runs and seven RBIs in just five games. He should be able to continue producing this week, as he's facing a weak Atlanta pitching staff. He'll face Jhoulys Chacin Tuesday, and he's hitting .333 lifetime versus the right-hander.

*The Miami Marlins are batting a major league best .299 so far, but still have just two wins in five games. Both Dee Gordon and Martin Prado are hitting .400 so far, but they are in for a tough test Tuesday going up against Noah Syndergaard at Citi Field.

Pitching notes

*Jose Fernandez had won 17 straight starts in Miami, but his perfect career home record came to an end this week in a loss to Detroit. He gave up five runs on five hits, but also struck out 13 batters over 5 2/3 innings. His next start will come on the road tonight at New York opposite Noah Syndergaard.

*Felix Hernandez is still looking for his first win of the season, despite a minuscule 0.69 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 13 innings in his first two starts. His next start comes on the road at Yankee Stadium, opposite C.C. Sabathia on Saturday.

Totals trend

The Colorado Rockies went over in two of three games in a home series versus San Diego, and they've gone over the number in four of six games overall. Coors Field is well known as the most hitter friendly park in the majors, and even though the bookmakers make adjustments with higher totals, the Rockies still seem to trend over at home consistently. They play Game 1 of a home series versus the Giants tonight, and eight of the last 11 in this series have gone over. The over is 32-15-4 in Rockies last 51 during game 1 of a series.

Injury notes

*Tigers catcher James McCann left Monday's game with a sprained ankle, and he's landed on the 15 day DL. This forced Detroit to call up veteran catcher Bobby Wilson from Triple-A Toledo.

*Miami's Wei-Yin Chen is dealing with an elbow injury that could cause him to miss his next scheduled start.

Tuesday's ump stat of the day

The under is 7-1-1 in Alfonso Marquez's last nine games when he is calling balls and strikes when the Oakland Athletics are involved in the game. The total for tonight's Angels-A's game is set at 7.5.

Tuesday's weather report

* There will be a moderate hitters wind in Detroit this afternoon, when the Tigers host the Pirates. The wind will be gusting at 8-10 miles per hour out to center field. O/U is set at 8.5.

* The weather should clear up at National's Park for first pitch when Washington hosts Atlanta. There will be a moderate hitters wind gusting in from left field at 8-10 miles per hour. O/U is set at 7.5.

* There is a similar forecast in Philadelphia when the Phillies host the Padres, with early showers clearing up as first pitch approaches and a 10-12 mile per hour hitters wind gusting in from left. The total is set at 7.5.

* It could be a messy day in Seattle when the Mariners host the Rangers. There is a 67 percent chance of rain and a strong 15-17 mile per hour hitters wind gusting out to center field. O/U is set at 7.5.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Wednesday, April 13, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

I used to be a newspaper guy, so I have an affinity for newspapers even though I barely read them any longer. I always wanted to work at one of those New York tabloids just for a week or something so I could have fun with some of those crazy headlines they write. You might think it's easy to come up with that stuff, but it's really not. I bring this up because the tabloids are already in full panic mode over the early struggles of the New York Mets. As Aaron Rodgers would say, "R-E-L-A-X!" They aren't going to hit below the Mendoza Line all season, and that pitching will start to even out. The Mets will be fine.

Marlins at Mets (-128, 8)

It's a getaway day matinee (1:10 p.m. ET) in the series finale and televised by the MLB Network. Mets ace Jacob deGrom has left the team for Florida to be with his wife for the birth of the couple's first child. He was going to miss his scheduled start Wednesday regardless with some right lat tightness suffered on Friday. So it's Logan Verrett here for New York. He has pitched one inning of relief this season, allowing a run against the Phillies. He made four spot starts last year and pitched 47.2 innings overall, going 1-2 with a 3.59 ERA. He threw five scoreless innings in his lone appearance against Miami. It's lefty Adam Conley for Miami. He pitched just one inning in a start last week in Washington and allowed three runs. He didn't go any longer because of a long rain delay. Because this is the first lefty of the season the Mets have faced, you will see Juan Lagares and Wilmer Flores in the starting lineup. Lagares' presence likely will shift Yoenis Cespedes from center to left field and relegate Michael Conforto to the bench. Flores will either play short or second.

Key trends: The Marlins are 5-1 in Conley's past six vs. the NL East. The "over/under" has gone under in seven of Miami's past nine in Game 3 of a series. The under is 18-7-3 in New York's past 28 at home vs. a lefty.

Early lean: Mets and under.

Orioles at Red Sox (-136, 9)

ESPN2 game. I presume the Birds will have All-Star center fielder Adam Jones back here if not on Tuesday. Entering Monday, he hadn't played since April 6 due to soreness in his ribcage but did play in the ninth inning Monday as a defensive replacement. Not sure if that means he can swing a bat, however. Ubaldo Jimenez takes the mound for Baltimore. He looked great in his first start, albeit against the punchless Twins. Jimenez allowed one earned run over seven innings, striking out nine and walking none. But in 11 career starts against the Red Sox, he has a 7.26 ERA. You may see Pablo Sandoval get a start as he's 14-for-39 with two homers and seven RBIs off Jimenez. It's Joe Kelly for Boston. He was shelled in Toronto on Friday, allowing seven runs and seven hits in just three innings. In 17 career starts at Fenway, Kelly is 7-5 with a 4.90 ERA. Chris Davis is 4-for-8 off him with a double.

Key trends: The Orioles are 6-1 in Jimenez's past seven starts. The Sox are 9-1 in Kelly's past 10. The over is 8-0 in his past eight at home.

Early lean: Red Sox and over.

Tigers at Pirates (-151, 7.5)

This is your lone interleague matchup and these two finished a two-game set in Detroit on Tuesday. So the Tigers will lose DH Victor Martinez here, but he hit pinch-hit homers in both games in Miami last week when there was no DH. Shane Greene is on the mound for the Tigers, who have lost catcher James McCann for 2-4 weeks with an ankle injury. Greene, the team's No. 5 starter, has pitched one inning of scoreless relief this season. He pitched in Pittsburgh almost exactly a year to the day last year and was great, shutting out the Pirates on three hits over eight innings. Pittsburgh goes with lefty Francisco Liriano. He dominated the Cardinals on Opening Day but wasn't quite as sharp Friday in Cincinnati, allowing three runs over five innings. Miguel Cabrera is 9-for-36 off him with two homers and 10 walks.

Key trends: The Tigers are 0-7 in Greene's past seven starts. They are 2-6 in their past eight road starts vs. a lefty. The Pirates are 13-3 in Liriano's past 16 at home. The over is 5-1 in Greene's past six. The over is 7-1-1 in Liriano's past nine.

Early lean: Pirates and over.

Reds at Cubs (-210, TBA)

These teams come off a rare Tuesday off day. Chicago improved to 6-1 with a 5-3 comeback win in its home opener vs. the Reds on Monday. The Cubs were no-hit for 6.2 innings. Addison Russell hit the game-winning three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth. Reds shortstop Zack Cosart left the game with tightness in his quad so he might miss some time. Cosart is hitting .412 on the young season. This will be the Wrigley Field Cubs debut of John Lackey. He struggled in his first start, allowing six runs and eight hits, two homers, in Arizona but his offense bailed him out. Lackey was 1-2 with a 2.91 ERA in five starts last year vs. the Reds while with St. Louis. Joey Votto is 3-for-12 with two homers off him. Cincinnati goes with Alfredo Simon. He allowed two runs and five hits over five innings in his first start vs. Pittsburgh. He didn't face the Cubs in 2015. Anthony Rizzo is 5-for-15 with two homers off him. Jason Heyward is 1-for-8.

Key trends: The Reds are 1-6 in Simon's past seven on the road. The over is 6-1 in those seven. The under is 5-0 in Simon's past five vs. the Cubs.

Early lean: Cubs. Total of course depends on the wind.

White Sox at Twins (-105, 8)

These two are also off an unusual Tuesday off. Minnesota is the only winless team in the American League at 0-7 (the previous 10 teams in the majors to start 0-7 all finished with losing records), which is surprising because this team has some impressive young talent. One of those guys, Byron Buxton, is hitting just .182 with 11 strikeouts in 22 at-bats. The other potential future star, Miguel Sano, is hitting .136 with 13 strikeouts and no extra-base hits. The Twins are easily last in baseball with just 13 runs scored. They face White Sox lefty Carlos Rodon here. He was good in his debut despite losing, allowing two runs and seven hits over seven innings in Oakland. Rodon was 0-1 with a 2.00 ERA in two starts vs. Minnesota in 2015. Sano is 1-for-2 with a homer off him. Minnesota's Phil Hughes lost in Baltimore in his debut, allowing three runs and six hits over six. Hughes was 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA in three starts against the Pale Hose last year. Jose Abreu is 7-for-21 with three doubles off him. Austin Jackson is 10-for-30 with two homers.

Key trends: The Sox are 5-2 in Rodon's past seven. The Twins are 7-1 in Hughes' past eight at home. The under is 3-1-1 in Hughes' past five vs. Chicago.

Early lean: Twins and under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Wednesday's games

National League games

Diamondbacks @ Dodgers
de la Rosa is 2-4, 9.12 in his last six starts (over 5-1).

Wood is 1-3, 6.46 in his last four starts (over 4-0).

Arizona lost four of its last six games. Dodgers lost four of last five games. LA won 13 of its last 20 games gainst the Diamondbacks.

Padres @ Phillies
Rea is 0-2, 5.92 in his last five starts; five of his last seven starts went over. .

Eickhoff is 2-1, 1.64 in his last five starts.

Phillies won three of their last four games. San Diego won three of last five games. Padres lost six of last eight games against the Phillies.

Braves @ Nationals
Wisler is 3-0, 2.15 in his last four starts; four of his last six starts stayed under.

Strasburg is 4-0, 1.03 in his last five stats (under 4-1).

Atlanta is 0-7 so far, outscored 46-22- four of their last four games went over total. Washington won five of its first six games. Nationals won 18 of their last 23 games against the Braves.

Brewers @ Cardinals
Anderson is 1-0, 1.10 in his last three starts (under 3-1 last four)..

Leake is 1-3, 4.43 in his last four starts; under is 7-3 in his last ten starts.

St Louis won its last four games, scoring 41 runs- five of its last six games went over the total. Brewers are 18-40 in their last 58 games against the Redbirds. Milwaukee won three of its last five games overall.

Reds @ Cubs
Simon is 0-3, 5.68 in his last four starts; over is 5-3-1 in his last nine starts.

Lackey is 2-0, 5.51 in his last three starts. .

Cubs won six of their first seven games, Cincy five of first seven. Cubs are 14-6 in their last 20 games against the Reds.

Marlins @ Mets
Conley is 0-0, 3.79 in his last four starts; over is 4-2-1 in his last seven on road. .

Verrett is making first '16 start; he was 1-1, 3.63 in four starts LY.

Marlins won three of their last four games. New York is 2-5 in its first seven games- they scored nine runs in five losses. Mets are 11-10 in their last 21 against Miami.

Giants @ Rockies
Peavy is 4-0, 2.59 in his last seven starts; four of his last six starts went over.

Lyles is 0-3, 9.82 in his last four starts; four of his last six starts stayed under.

Giants won six of their first eight games. Colorado is 2-4 in its last six games. Rockies are 11-9 in their last 20 games against the Giants.


American League games

Bronx @ Blue Jays
Pineda is 1-2, 10.43 in his last three starts; five of his last seven starts went over.

Happ is 2-0, 1.93 in his last four starts; his last five starts stayed under.

Bronx won four of its last five games; four of its last six went over. Toronto lost five of its last six games. Blue Jays are 13-7 in their last 20 games against New York.

Indians @ Rays
Carrasco is 1-2, 4.91 in his last four starts; over is 5-1-1 in his last seven starts.

Smyly is 3-1, 4.01 in his last four starts; over is 4-2-2 in his last eight starts.

Cleveland lost five of its last seven games (under 4-0-1 in last five). Tampa Bay won six of its last eight games (over 3-1-1 in last five). Tribe won five of their last eight games against Tampa Bay.

Orioles @ Red Sox
Jimenez is 2-1, 2.77 in his last four starts, all of which stayed under.

Kelly is 0-0, 18.56 in his last two starts; seven of his last eight starts went over.

Baltimore is 7-0, allowing 22 runs in seven games. Boston is 3-4; six of its seven games went over the total. Orioles are 13-8 in their last 21 games against the Red Sox.

Royals @ Astros
Ventura is 0-2, 5.88 in his last six starts; six of his last nine starts stayed under.

Feldman is 0-1, 3.74 in his last four starts; over is 3-1 in his last four home starts.

Royals won five of their first seven games (under 6-1). Astros lost five of their last seven games (over 5-2 last seven). Houston is 7-6 in last 13 games vs Kansas City.

Angels @ A's
Shoemaker is 2-4, 7.62 in his last six starts (over 4-1-1). .

Surkamp allowed two runs in 4.1 IP in his first '16 start, his first MLB start since '13.

Angels won last three games, allowing six runs (under 5-2 last seven). Oakland is 1-5 at home this season. (under 6-1 in last seven games overall). A's are 8-13 in their last 21 games against the Angels.

Rangers @ Mariners
Griffin is 5-1, 3.86 in his last seven starts; six of his last eight starts went over.

Walker is 3-1, 4.41 in his last six starts; three of his last four starts went over.

Texas won four of its last five games. Seattle lost its last five games, scoring total of seven runs. Mariners are 14-10 in last 24 games aganst Texas.

White Sox @ Twins
Rodon is 3-1, 1.95 in his last four starts; under is 4-1-1 in his last six starts.

Hughes is 1-3, 6.35 in his last five starts; under was 3-1-1 in those five games.

White Sox won five of first seven games. Minnesota is 0-7 for first time in franchise history- they scored 13 runs in seven games (under 76-0). Chicago is 7-13 in its last 20 games against the Twins.


Interleague

Tigers @ Pirates
Greene is 0-6, 12.39 in his last seven starts; over is 5-1 in last six starts.

Vogelsong is 0-3, 12.27 in his last three starts; under is 3-1-1 in his last five.

Pirates lost three of their last four games (over 3-2 on road). Detroit won four of its first six games.


Umpires

-- Mia-NY-- Five of last seven Everitt games went over the total.
-- Atl-Wsh-- Nine of last 12 Davidson games went over total. .
-- SD-Phil-- Five of last seven Barksdale games stayed under.
-- Cin-Cubs-- Four of last six Kellogg games stayed under.
-- Mil-StL-- Under is 6-1-1 in last eight Carapazza games.
-- SF-Col-- Over is 5-3 in last eight Drake games.
-- Az-LA-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Gorman games.

-- LA-A's-- Seven of last nine Guccione games went over.
-- Tex-Sea-- Over is 7-2-1 in last ten Diaz games.
-- NY-Tor-- Six of last seven Fairchild games went over.
-- Balt-Bos-- Under is 8-3-1 in last twelve Reynolds games.
-- Clev-TB-- Underdogs are 9-7 in last 16 Muchlinski games.
-- KC-Hst-- Seven of last nine Cooper games went over total.
-- Chi-Min-- Over is 5-0-1 in last six Fletcher games.

-- Pitt-Det-- Three of last four Nauert games stayed under total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

#1 Sports

Wednesday's Free Selection: Pittsburgh Pirates - 150

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mike Wynn

Bonus Play: MLB Minnesota w/Hughes Pk Over Chicago Wsox

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Razor Sharp

FREE PICK FOR WEDNESDAY:Take SACRAMENTO/HOUSTON UNDER the total of 221

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Totals4U

Wednesday's Free Selection: Kansas City Royals/Houston Astros under 8 1/2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Platinum Plays

Free Pick: the NY Yankees w/Pineda +110 over Toronto

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Teyas Sports

4/13/2016 FREE PICK CELTICS OVER 207 1/2