Wednesday 5/4/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tigers (14-10) at Indians (10-12)

Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: May 04, 2016 6:10 PM EDT

The last time Corey Kluber and Anibal Sanchez opposed each other, the Cleveland Indians clobbered the Detroit Tigers - partially because Kluber finally solved Miguel Cabrera.

The two-time AL MVP hopes to get back to his usual dominance of the league's former Cy Young Award winner Wednesday night to help the visiting Tigers finally figure out the Indians.

Cleveland (11-12) rolled to its fourth straight victory over its AL Central rival with Tuesday's 7-3 win. It was the Indians' ninth win in the last 11 matchups and fourth in the past five at Progressive Field.

Francisco Lindor fell a triple shy of the cycle, hitting a three-run homer and scoring three times. The shortstop also stole a hit away from Justin Upton in the second inning, making a diving stop in the hole.

'Whether you do it with the bat, the glove or your legs, that's part of the reason he has a chance to be so good because he can impact a game in so many different ways,' manager Terry Francona said.

Nick Castellanos went 2 for 4 for the Tigers, extending his hitting streak to six games and raising his AL-leading batting average to .368.

While the Indians snapped a three-game skid, Detroit (14-11) saw its five-game run end. The Tigers had won six of seven since getting swept at home by the Indians April 22-24.

Kluber (1-3, 4.24 ERA) earned the victory opposite Sanchez (3-2, 6.08) in Cleveland's 10-1 win in the middle game of that series, allowing one run and two hits while striking out 10 in eight innings.

The right-hander is 3-6 with a 4.03 ERA in 13 starts against the Tigers, middling numbers due largely to poor ones against the heart of Detroit's order.

The 2014 Cy Young winner held Cabrera, the 2012 and 2013 MVP, to two groundouts and a lineout last month, a rarity in their matchups. The slugger is batting .526 (20 for 38) with five home runs and two doubles against him. Victor Martinez has gone deep three times off Kluber, batting .321 in 28 at-bats.

Kluber followed his latest outing against Detroit with another solid showing Friday, holding Philadelphia to three runs and five hits in seven innings of a 4-3, 11-inning loss.

Sanchez hasn't made it through six innings yet, but he regrouped from two ugly outings in Thursday's 7-3 win over Oakland. Despite walking seven, the second-most in his career, the right-hander limited the A's to two runs and three hits while striking out nine over 5 2/3 innings.

"At times he looked like the guy that struck out (17 against) Atlanta a few years ago, before I was here," manager Brad Ausmus told MLB's official website. "And at times, he had trouble with his command. But overall, he did a good job and gave us a chance to win."

One of the previous rough outings for the 11-year pro came against Kluber and the Indians, who pounded him for seven runs and nine hits in 2 1/3 innings.

The Indians have tagged Sanchez for 11 runs in their last two matchups, but he holds a 2.39 ERA at Progressive Field.

Yan Gomes is 6 for 11 with a pair of homers against Sanchez, and Michael Brantley is 7 for 22 with a triple.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (8-15) at Orioles (14-10)

Game: 2
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: May 04, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

The last time the Baltimore Orioles won seven straight games against the New York Yankees, they went wire to wire to win the AL East.

That can't happen this season, but they would gladly settle for pushing their reeling rivals deeper into the cellar.

Baltimore has an opportunity to send the Yankees to their first seven-game losing streak in nearly a decade Wednesday night.

Many of the issues that have plagued the Yankees this season were evident again in Tuesday's series-opening 4-1 loss. The offense was virtually non-existent, scoring two runs or fewer for the 13th time and going 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position to drop their season average to .201.

'When it comes down to it, the name of the game is scoring runs and we only did that one time,' outfielder Brett Gardner said. 'That's not good enough.'

New York has been outscored 37-13 during its skid, and a loss Wednesday would leave it with its first seven-game slide since April 20-27, 2007. The Yankees (8-16) are off to their worst 24-game start since 1991.

'Unfortunately, I've been on teams that are down, and you want to take care of business,' Baltimore's Chris Tillman said. 'You want to rack up the wins when you can. If a team is scuffling, you want to be at your best to capitalize on those opportunities.'

Tuesday's defeat was also their sixth in a row to the Orioles, who haven't had a longer run of success in the series since taking the last meeting in 1996 and the first six in 1997. They went on to win the division that season, finishing two games ahead of the defending World Series champion Yankees.

Mark Trumbo provided the bulk of the offense in the opener with a pair of homers and three RBIs to back a stellar performance from Tillman. Baltimore (15-10) bounced back from consecutive losses to improve to 10-3 at home.

Camden Yards hasn't been kind lately to CC Sabathia, who is 0-5 with a 5.64 ERA in his past eight starts there. The left-hander went 16-2 with a 2.74 ERA in his first 22 starts against the Orioles, but is 2-5 with a 5.06 ERA in the last 11.

Sabathia (1-2, 5.06 ERA) notched his second quality start last Wednesday at Texas, allowing three runs over six innings in a 3-2 loss. That was a step forward after he failed to complete five innings in his two previous starts.

Adam Jones is batting .311 with four homers and four doubles in 61 at-bats against Sabathia, while Nolan Reimold (.375), Trumbo (.313) and Manny Machado (.300) also have fared well.

Machado went 1 for 3 with a double Tuesday and is batting .453 with five homers and 13 RBIs in 13 home games.

Tyler Wilson (1-0, 3.06) makes his third start of the season for Baltimore after three relief appearances. The rookie right-hander fell short of his second victory Thursday against the Chicago White Sox, yielding two runs and four hits in 4 2/3 innings of a 10-2 win.

Wilson tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings in relief in his only appearance against the Yankees on June 14.

Yankees designated hitter Alex Rodriguez tweaked his right hamstring running out a grounder Tuesday and was removed for a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning.

'It wasn't a big pop,' Rodriguez said. 'I've done that before in my career. I'm hopeful for the best. See how I wake up in the morning. Hopefully the good news is that I wasn't running very fast. We'll see what happens.'

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (15-11) at Blue Jays (12-15)

Game: 3
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: May 04, 2016 7:07 PM EDT

Toronto has had its way with Colby Lewis throughout his career with the Texas Rangers. The right-hander's next matchup comes after the Blue Jays rallied late for what they hope is the beginning of a turnaround - especially at home.

After finally putting some runs on the board at Rogers Centre, Toronto looks to beat up on Lewis again in the third of a four-game series Wednesday night.

The Blue Jays (13-15) were three outs away from being shut out and losing their fifth straight at home for the first time since Sept. 1-13, 2013, before Justin Smoak's leadoff home run in the ninth inning tied Tuesday's game and ended a 14-inning scoreless streak for the team.

Smoak then hit a two-run homer in the 10th to give Toronto, which had scored seven runs - five in one game - during the home skid, a 3-1 victory. Smoak entered with no home runs after hitting 18 last season.

"We were due," manager John Gibbons said. "How many innings did we go without scoring one run there then Smoaky put us on the board. It was a battle."

Lewis (2-0, 3.19 ERA) can win his first three decisions for the first time since 2012, but he's gone 3-6 with a 7.13 ERA in 10 starts against Toronto.

Lewis also faced the Blue Jays in Game 4 of last year's American League division series and allowed one run in three innings of relief.

Including that playoff matchup, Smoak (7 for 16 with two home runs and a pair of doubles), Jose Bautista (4 for 13 with two homers and nine walks) and Kevin Pillar (4 for 5 with a home run) have done the most damage when facing Lewis.

Bautista is 0 for 12 with six strikeouts while leaving 11 on base over the last three games, but Pillar is batting .393 over his past eight.

Texas (15-12) had won five of six before Shawn Tolleson blew his second save in 11 chances. The right-hander blew two saves in 37 opportunities last season.

"I'll probably think about it for a couple more hours then I'll put it behind me," he said.

Aaron Sanchez (2-1, 2.59) is coming off his best start of the season for Toronto, and he's been dominant in four of his five outings. The right-hander bounced back from allowing career worsts of six runs and 10 hits over 4 1/3 innings of an 8-5 loss to Oakland on April 22 by pitching seven scoreless innings to beat Tampa Bay 6-1 on Friday.

He gave up two of the six hits against him to the first two batters he faced before settling down.

"I knew they were going to be aggressive," Sanchez told MLB's official website. "But when I have the ball on the ground like that, that's something you just have to tell yourself, 'Hey, stick with it, stick with it, stick with it.'

"That's kind of what I did all night."

Sanchez made six relief appearances against Texas last season - five in the ALDS - and went 1-0 without allowing an earned run over 5 2/3 innings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (12-15) at Marlins (12-12)

Game: 2
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: May 04, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

Even a return to Miami couldn't slow down the red-hot Marlins.

Now Miami will try to do something it hasn't done all season: win two in a row at Marlins Park as it continues this three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Miami just concluded a 7-3 road trip, but had dropped seven of nine at home before Ichiro Suzuki's two-run pinch-hit single highlighted a four-run sixth inning Tuesday and propelled the Marlins to a 7-4 comeback win.

Marcell Ozuna and Christian Yelich both homered for the Marlins (13-12), who kicked off a nine-game homestand by winning for the eighth time in nine games.

"I don't hit too many of them at home, so you've got to enjoy the ones you do," Ozuna said.

The Marlins are just 3-7 at home, but winning there has never been a problem for Jose Fernandez (2-2, 4.08 ERA). The right-hander carries an amazing 18-1 mark in South Beach into Wednesday's start.

Fernandez, whose lone home loss came in his season debut against Detroit, has a 3.13 ERA in his other four outings but once again ran into early trouble Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both of the runs he allowed came in the first, continuing a troubling trend for the 23-year-old.

Five of the 13 runs he's allowed this season have come in the first Still, he is racking up big strikeout numbers despite not yet throwing a pitch past the sixth inning, fanning 40 batters over 28 2/3.

Fernandez has a 3.14 ERA in two starts against the Diamondbacks (12-16), both in Arizona.

The Diamondbacks will hand the ball to Rubby De La Rosa (3-3, 4.18), who is coming off his most impressive effort of the season. The right-hander scattered two hits and struck out a career-high 10 over seven scoreless innings Thursday in a 3-0 win over St. Louis.

De La Rosa has allowed just one run on five hits with 16 strikeouts in his last two starts. He also became the first Diamondbacks pitcher to throw seven or more scoreless innings while striking out at least 10 batters since Ian Kennedy in 2011.

"We were on the same page pretty much every pitch. Everything worked today,' De La Rosa said of his connection with catcher Chris Herrmann, who has been behind the plate for his last two starts. "I feel under control. Pretty much everything was down in the zone. Worked fast, gave a chance for my team to get back to the dugout."

De La Rosa's run could continue against Miami. He posted a 1.69 ERA in two starts against the Marlins last season.

Miami has won three straight from Arizona after losing the previous five.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Dodgers (13-13) at Rays (11-13)

Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: May 04, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

For the Los Angeles Dodgers, there's no place like anywhere but home.

They hope their offense continues to look more comfortable on the road Wednesday night as they close a two-game set with the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.

Los Angeles (14-13) dropped the first six of a seven-game homestand before Sunday's 1-0 victory against San Diego. It still marked the Dodgers' seventh straight contest with fewer than four runs, however.

While they're averaging just 2.7 runs per game at Chavez Ravine, they're averaging 5.8 elsewhere with a 9-5 record following Tuesday's 10-5 victory over the Rays.

No Dodger is more emblematic of that contrast than Adrian Gonzalez, who was 2 for 5 after going hitless in 20 at-bats in the last seven games. He's hit safely in all but one road game while batting .429, and 13 of his 15 RBIs have come away from home.

The change of scenery seemed to help Howie Kendrick as well. He was 1 for 16 on the homestand before a 4-for-5 performance Tuesday with his first two RBIs of the season. Kendrick improved to 20 for 52 (.385) in interleague play as a member of the Dodgers.

Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig and Trayce Thompson all homered, marking just the third time Los Angeles hit multiple home runs in its last 16 games.

Kendrick and Gonzalez are the lone Dodgers with multiple at-bats against Tampa Bay starter Drew Smyly. Kendrick is 3 for 9 with a home run and a double off the left-hander.

Smyly (1-3, 2.60 ERA) has been much better than his record indicates, however. He owns a 1.61 ERA with 36 strikeouts over 28 innings in four starts since his season debut April 4 when he allowed five runs over 6 2-3 innings in a 5-3 loss to Toronto. His 41 strikeouts for the month tied David Price's April club record set two years ago.

"He's gone out and given us a chance to win, and certain games he's been borderline dominating," manager Kevin Cash told MLB's official website.

The Rays (11-14) scored two more runs Tuesday than their total from the previous three losses, but still struck out 10 times and were 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position. They're 5 for 41 in those situations over the last six contests.

Smyly is all too familiar with his teammates' ineptitude at the plate, receiving zero runs of support in three of five outings.

"It's frustrating when you're losing tight ballgames," he said. "But the offense is out of my control. I try to keep it as close as possible."

Los Angeles counters with fellow southpaw Alex Wood (1-2, 4.82). Unlike the Dodgers' offense, Wood has been abysmal in three road starts, posting an 0-2 record and 8.36 ERA with eight walks over 14 innings. He dominated at home in Friday's 5-1 loss to San Diego, fanning nine while limiting the Padres to one run in seven innings.

"He was just throwing every pitch with conviction," catcher Yasmani Grandal said. "He wasn't thinking too much, just pitching his game."

The Rays are one of six teams Wood hasn't faced.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Twins (8-18) at Astros (8-18)

Game: 3
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: May 04, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

Almost a month into their season, the Houston Astros are still looking to win back-to-back games.

Perhaps it will finally happen Wednesday night in the decisive series finale against the visiting Minnesota Twins.

It seems hard to believe that a Houston club saddled with lofty expectations is the only one in the majors yet to win two games in a row. Then again, the Astros (9-18) rank near the bottom of baseball with a .225 batting average and a 4.82 ERA.

They have won just one series, taking two of three from Detroit at home April 15-17.

Houston, though, overcame an early two-run hole by scoring three times each in the third and fourth innings of Tuesday's 6-4 victory. George Springer hit his sixth home run and Carlos Gomez doubled twice for the Astros, who scored two more runs than from their previous three combined.

'We've been able to not quit and at least stay in games and come back in some,' Springer said. 'That's a good sign. Obviously, stuff hasn't been ideal for us, but it's a long year. Slow grind.'

Springer, who homered both Monday and Tuesday, is batting .362 with four home runs and eight RBIs in 12 home games this season.

Teammate Mike Fiers (2-1, 4.97 ERA) looks to build on his longest outing of the young season after allowing a two-run homer in the second of seven innings he lasted in Oakland on Friday while not earning a decision in the 7-4 loss.

"It was big for me," Fiers told MLB's official website of the effort.

Pitching for Milwaukee and Houston, the right-hander went 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in three starts against the Twins in 2015.

Danny Santana went 0 for 3 with a walk against Fiers last season, but homered for one of his two hits as the Twins (8-19) fell to 2-11 on the road Tuesday.

'We got off to a good start, but we didn't capitalize in that first inning and only got one,' manager Paul Molitor said. 'We did some good things but missed some chances. We couldn't get back in the game.'

Teammate Brian Dozier is 5 for 8 in the series after going 0 for 16 in the previous four contests. Molitor credits some recent work Dozier put in with hitting coach and former Twins star Tom Brunansky for the turn around.

"He's done a few things with Bruno the last couple days to create more consistent contact," Molitor said. "He's more confident about it. He's one of those rare guys who can turn around the best fastballs in the game."

After opening the season with four consecutive quality starts, Phil Hughes (1-4, 4.45) gave up four runs - three in the first inning - and seven hits over five in Friday's 9-2 loss to Detroit.

The right-hander last faced Houston in 2014.

Springer's one hit in three at-bats against Hughes left the park. Colby Rasmus also homered for his only hit in 14 at-bats against him.

After missing the previous three games with a rib injury, Gomez returned Tuesday. The ex-Twin is batting .365 with eight doubles in his last 13 games against his former team.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Sox (15-10) at White Sox (18-8)

Game: 6
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: May 04, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

Clay Buchholz hasn't been much for April pitching for three straight seasons now. In the first, things never came around. They did last year, and he seems confident that'll be the trajectory of the coming months.

The Boston Red Sox starter begins May on Wednesday night in Chicago, where the White Sox will try to get to 12 games over .500 in 28 games or less for the seventh time in franchise history.

Buchholz (0-3, 6.51 ERA) gave up five runs and eight hits with four walks in Thursday's 5-3 home loss to Atlanta. He's given up five earned runs in four of his five starts after giving up five or more twice in 18 last season.

"I wouldn't ever go on a bad streak if I knew what I had to do not to go on them," Buchholz told MLB's official website. "I think it just happens sometimes. Team is going good and everybody is throwing the ball well, and it's falling on me right now. I haven't been throwing the ball as well as the other guys. It usually stops and turns and goes the other way at some point, too."

It's the third straight season Buchholz has struggled enormously through April. Last year, he was 1-3 with a 5.76 ERA. In 2014, the right-hander went 1-2 with a 6.66 mark. He's 14-16 with a 4.91 ERA - his worst of any month - in 39 April starts.

This season, it's in part been a control thing with 4.23 walks per nine innings, which is a major regression after posting a career-best 1.83 mark in 2015.

Against the White Sox, Buchholz is 2-3 with a 4.25 ERA in eight starts. Facing Brett Lawrie could potentially bring those numbers down with the Chicago newcomer going 3 for 28 against him, while Jose Abreu and Adam Eaton are both 0 for 6.

Carlos Rodon (1-3, 4.33) has had a couple rough starts of his own recently. The left-hander gave up six runs - four earned - and eight hits in seven innings of Friday's 6-3 loss in Baltimore, dropping him to 0-2 with a 7.07 ERA in his last three.

Nevertheless, manager Robin Ventura was happy with how he threw, and Rodon said it was a matter of making a seventh-inning mistake to Nolan Reimold that ended up as a three-run homer.

"I felt fine," Rodon said. "I thought I threw well but sometimes things don't go your way, and you make a mistake like that late in the game, and you're going to pay for it against these big league hitters."

The White Sox (19-8) opened the series with Tuesday's 4-1 win. It was their third straight and gives them a shot at getting to 12 games over this fast for the first time since 2006 - the first 28 games after their World Series win.

"They bring it every day, which is great," Ventura said.

Abreu had his fifth straight two-hit game and is batting .448 with eight RBIs on a seven-game hitting streak.

Boston (15-11) saw its three-game winning streak come to an end, though the Red Sox are 9-4 since last losing consecutive games. Their four-hit effort Tuesday was their worst of that span.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Phillies (15-11) at Cardinals (13-13)

Game: 3
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: May 04, 2016 8:15 PM EDT

Even though the results haven't shown it, Mike Leake remains optimistic about the progress he's making in his first season with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The right-hander hopes to earn his first victory as the hosts try to avoid their sixth loss in seven games Wednesday night against the surging Philadelphia Phillies.

St. Louis (13-14) signed Leake (0-3, 5.83 ERA) to a five-year deal in December with the thinking that he could help fill the hole left by John Lackey, who left for the rival Chicago Cubs.

Leake, however, hasn't been sharp while allowing at least four runs in each of his five outings. He suffered another loss Friday, giving up five runs - including two homers - over seven innings in a 5-4 home defeat to Washington.

"I hate to say I'm almost there. I should be there," Leake, who has allowed four homers in his last three starts, told MLB's official website. "But I am pretty positive with the direction I'm going. One month won't kill you. There are still five more months to go. Unfortunately, this month went the way it did. We have to move on."

Leake might be able to break through in the win column after the Phillies (16-11) dealt St. Louis its sixth loss in eight home games, 1-0 on Tuesday. He's 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA and 20 strikeouts in his last three meetings.

Maikel Franco, though, has gotten the best of Leake with four hits in six at-bats.

Ryan Howard, whose sixth home run proved large Tuesday, is 7 for 21 with two homers in their matchups. The slugging first baseman, who grew up in St. Louis, is batting .331 with 12 homers and 40 RBIs over 36 games at Busch Stadium.

'This is home, this is where it all began for me,' said Howard, who broke an 0-for-12 skid with the homer. "I guess, being at home, I do feel I see the ball a lot better.'

The Phillies, who won for only the fourth time in 14 visits, haven't scored more than four runs in their last eight but own a 2.11 ERA in their 10 victories over the past 12.

"The key to a good team is bouncing back," manager Pete Mackanin said. "We bounced back from an 0-4 start and it was important for us as a team to bounce back from getting beat pretty bad (10-3 in Monday's series opener)."

Adam Morgan makes his second start since replacing the injured Charlie Morton in the third of this four-game set. He allowed three runs over five innings in Friday's 4-3, 11-inning home win over Cleveland.

The second-year pro pitched well in his only start against St. Louis in June, giving up one run and striking out six over 5 2/3 innings in a 9-2 victory in Philadelphia.

Jhonny Peralta homered off him in that contest, while Jedd Gyorko is 1 for 6 in the matchup dating to his time with San Diego. Stephen Piscotty had one of the Cardinals' three hits Tuesday and is batting .352 with eight RBIs over his last 13 games.

St. Louis has totaled six runs while hitting .186 in the losses during this 1-5 stretch. It was averaging 6.5 runs and batting .283 before the slump.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Wednesday, May 4, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

It's not often you would say a team is likely better off with someone making $17 million a year being lost for the season, but I'm guessing the Boston Red Sox aren't all that upset that fat man and distraction Pablo Sandoval will need season-ending shoulder surgery. What an utter bust he has been, and Boston doesn't have insurance on the five-year, $95 million free-agent deal it gave Sandoval in November 2014. Sandoval lost the third-base job this spring to Travis Shaw and hilariously snapped his belt on a big swing in his only start of the season April 9 in Toronto. The Sox were somehow hoping to trade him and eat another bad contract coming back, but no one would touch Sandoval now. How do I get one of those guaranteed contracts?


Giants at Reds (+121, 9)

A 12:35 p.m. ET start here. Cincinnati has lost catcher Devin Mesoraco to a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He's on the 15-day DL but hasn't decided whether to undergo season-ending surgery or try to play through it. Last year, Mesoraco tried to play through a hip injury that ultimately required surgery. Mesoraco had a huge 2014 season, but injuries have wrecked him since and he hasn't been very good when healthy. The Reds start Dan Straily (0-1 3.38) on the mound. He had a quality start last time out against the Pirates, allowing two runs over six innings but took the loss. Not many Giants have faced him. Hunter Pence and Buster Posey are each 0-for-3. It's Jake Peavy (1-2, 8.61) for the Reds, and as you can see he has been terrible. Peavy was shelled for six runs in two innings last time out at the Mets, walking five. He is 3-0 with a 3.16 ERA in five career starts in Cincinnati. The Reds' Brandon Phillips is 5-for-24 with three doubles off him. Joey Votto is 2-for-7 with a double.

Key trends: The Giants are 12-3 in Peavy's past 15 vs. teams with a losing record. They are 1-6 in his past seven on the road. The "over/under" is 4-1 in Peavy's past five road starts.

Early lean: Reds and over.

Cubs at Pirates (+124, 7.5)

Game on the MLB Network (out-of-market only). I'm thinking you won't see Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward here plus maybe a regular or two on each side with the 12:35 p.m. ET start. But I mention Heyward in particular because he's not just slumping but also dealing with a sore right wrist that had him on the bench Monday. That Cubs also lost outfielder Matt Szczur to a hamstring injury in Monday's game. The Cubbies go with lefty Jon Lester (2-1, 1.83) here, and that means the Pirates will be attempting as many steals as possible with Lester's shaky pickoff move. Lester has allowed exactly one earned run in four of five starts this year. He was 2-1 with a 1.57 ERA in three starts last year vs. Pittsburgh. Andrew McCutchen is 1-for-13 off him. Matt Joyce is 4-for-11 with two homers and six RBIs. Pittsburgh's Juan Nicasio (3-2, 3.33) threw seven shutout innings against Cincinnati in his last start, allowing three hits and striking out eight. The Pirates seem to always find these reclamation projects and turn them into good pitchers. Heyward, if he plays, is 6-for-16 off him with two doubles. Javier Baez is 1-for-1 with a homer and two RBIs.

Key trends: The Cubs are 11-5 in Lester's past 16 vs. the NL Central. The Bucs are 0-4 in their past four home games vs. a lefty. The under is 8-2-2 in Lester's past 12 on the road.

Early lean: Cubs and under.

Mariners at A's (+131, 7)

A 3:35 p.m. ET start here. Potentially good pitching matchup, too. It's Felix Hernandez (2-2, 1.38) for Seattle. He was dominant Friday against Kansas City, shutting out the Royals on five hits over 7.2 innings. Seattle once again gave him practically no run support, but the Mariners' one run and one hit was good enough that night. King Felix faced Oakland on April 10 and threw seven shutout innings, striking out season-high 10. Opposing batters are 1-for-31 with runners in scoring position (.032) against Hernandez this season. Oakland's Stephen Vogt is 11-for-24 career off him with three-extra base hits. Josh Reddick is 7-for-52 with 12 strikeouts. A's lefty and top pitching prospect Sean Manaea made his big-league debut on Friday vs. Houston and allowed four runs and five hits in five innings. He walked four and struck out three.

Key trends: The Mariners are 0-4 in Hernandez's past four vs. the AL West. The A's are 4-10 in their past 14 Wednesday games. The under is 10-4 in Hernandez's past 14 road starts vs. teams with a losing record.

Early lean: Mariners and under.

Yankees at Orioles (-120, 8.5)

I told you on Monday that Baltimore was concerned about the foot of shortstop J.J. Hardy after he fouled a ball of it Sunday. Those fears were justified later Monday when a hairline fracture was revealed and Hardy will likely miss six weeks. The Orioles have infield depth, so they won't make a trade to replace him. The O's face Yankees lefty CC Sabathia (1-2, 5.06). He's consistent at least, having allowed exactly three earned runs in all four starts. It's just that none have gone more than six innings and two just 4.2 innings. Sabathia was 0-1 with a 4.86 ERA in three 2015 starts vs. Baltimore. Adam Jones is a career .311 hitter off him in 61 at-bats with four homers and 14 RBIs. Chris Davis is 6-for-25 with 15 strikeouts. Baltimore's Tyler Wilson (1-0, 3.06) was limited to 4.2 innings in his last start, allowing two runs vs. the White Sox. He threw 3.1 scoreless innings last year vs. the Yankees.

Key trends: The Yankees are 1-5 in their past six Wednesday games. The Orioles are 8-1 in their past nine in Game 2 of a series. The under is 4-0 in Baltimore's past four on Wednesday.

Early lean: Orioles and over.

Red Sox at White Sox (+103, 8.5)

ESPN game so it should have live betting at sportsbooks. I'm assuming the White Sox will honor David Ortiz at some point in this series as it's Boston's only visit of the season. The Red Sox start Clay Buchholz (0-3, 6.51). He has been pretty terrible, allowing exactly five earned runs in four of his five starts. In his career at U.S. Cellular Field, Buchholz is 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA. Melky Cabrera is 7-for-31 off him with a homer. Brett Lawrie is 3-for-28. The Pale Hose go with lefty John Danks (0-4, 7.25). The White Sox's top four pitchers have been great, so they really need to do something with Danks. He was shelled for six runs and nine hits in Baltimore in his last start. Danks can't even hit 90 mph these days. Ortiz is 7-for-25 off him with three homers and seven RBIs. Xander Bogaerts is 4-for-9 with three RBIs.

Key trends: The Red Sox are 0-6 in Buchholz's past six starts. The White Sox are 0-7 in Danks' past seven. The over is 6-2-1 in Danks' past nine. It is 5-0-1 in his past six vs. Boston.

Early lean: Red Sox and over.

 

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MLB

Wednesday's games

National League games

Cubs @ Pirates
Lester is 1-1, 1.27 in his last three starts (under 3-2).

Nicasio is 2-1, 2.50 in his last three starts (under 3-2).

Cubs won eight of last ten games; over is 6-0-1 in their last seven road games. Pirates lost their last three games; over is 17-5 in their last 22 games.

Diamondbacks @ Marlins
De la Rosa is 2-0, 0.69 in his last two starts; his last three stayed under.

Fernandez is 2-1, 3.13 in his last four starts (over 3-2).

Arizona lost six of its last seven game; four of its last five games stayed under total. Marlins won seven of last eight games; over is 8-2-2 in its last 12 games.

Giants @ Reds
Peavy is 1-2, 8.61 in five starts this year (over 5-0).

Straily is 0-1, 3.45 in three starts this year (under 2-1).

Giants on eight of their last 11 games; ten of their last 12 overall went over the total. Reds lost ten of their last 12 games; over is 5-1-1 in their last seven home games.

Braves @ Mets
Chacin is 1-1, 3.68 in four starts this year (over 2-2).

Matz is 3-0, 0.93 in his last three starts (over 3-1).

Mets won nine of last 11 games; over is 11-6 in their last 17 games. Atlanta is 3-10 in its last 13 games; four of its last five games stayed under.

Phillies @ Cardinals
Morgan allowed three runs in five IP (97 PT) in his first '16 start.

Leake is 0-3, 6.75 in five starts this year; three of his last four starts went over.

Phillies won ten of last 12 games; six of their last seven games stayed under the total. Cardinals lost five of last six games (over 7-1-2 in last ten).

Rockies @ Padres
Chatwood is 2-1, 1.56 in his last three starts (under 5-0). .

Vargas is 0-1, 0.87 in two starts this year (under 1-1).

Colorado is 8-6 on the road this year; nine of its last 12 road games stayed under. San Diego won four of its last five games; five of their last seven games stayed under.


American League games

Tigers @ Indians
Sanchez is 1-2, 9.69 in his last three starts (over 4-0-1).

Kluber is 1-0, 2.40 in his last two starts; three of his last four starts stayed under.

Detroit won five of last six games; eight of its last ten games went over. Cleveland lost five of last seven games; oer is 6-3 in its home games.

Bronx @ Orioles
Sabathia is 1-2, 5.28 in his last three starts (over 2-2).

Wilson is 1-0, 4.66 in two starts this year (over 2-0).

New York lost 14 of last 18 games; six of its last eight road games stayed under the total. Orioles won five of last seven home games; four of their last five home games went over the total.

Rangers @ Blue Jays
Lewis is 2-0, 2.88 in his last four starts (over 3-2). .

Sanchez is 2-1, 2.87 in five starts this year (under 4-1).

Texas won five of its last seven games, but they've lost five of last six on road; nine of its 12 road games stayed under. Toronto is 5-8 in its last 13 games; its last six games all stayed under the total.

Red Sox @ White Sox
Buchholz is 0-3, 6.59 in five starts this year (over 3-2).

Rodon is 0-2, 8.36 in his last three starts (under 4-1). .

Boston won nine of its last 11 games; four of their last five games stayed under. the total. Chicago won 11 of last 14 games; their last eight games at home stayed under.

Twins @ Astros
Hughes is 1-4, 4.75 in five starts this month (under 3-1-1). .

Fiers is 2-0, 4.00 in his last three starts (over 3-1-1).

Twins are 2-11 on road; they lost five of last six games overall. Over is 9-3-1 in their last 13 games overall. Houston lost ten of last 14 games; over is 6-3-1 in its last ten

Mariners @ A's
Hernandez is 2-2, 1.93 in five starts this year (under 5-0).

Manaea allowed four runs in five IP (87 PT) in his MLB debut.

Mariners won ten of last 13 games; under is 7-3 in their last ten road games. A's lost eight of last 11 games; under is 9-4 in their last 13 home games.


Interleague

Dodgers @ Rays
Wood is 0-2, 10.29 in three road starts- they all went over total.

Smyly is 1-1, 1.29 in his last three starts; three of his last four starts stayed under. .

Dodgers lost six of last eight games; over is 5-2-1 in their last eight road tilts. Tampa Bay lost four of its last five games; 12 of its last 15 home games stayed under.

Angels @ Brewers
Santiago is 2-1, 2.89 in his last three starts (under 4-1).

Davies is 0-3, 9.45 in three starts this year (over 1-1-1).

Angels lost nine of last 12 road games; under is 6-3-1 in their last ten road games. Milwaukee won its last three games; over is 6-0-1 in their last seven at home.

Nationals @ Royals
Strasburg is 4-0, 2.25 in five starts this year (over 3-0-1 last four).

Medlen is 0-2, 5.87 in his last three starts (under 3-1).

Washington won six of its last eight road games; under is 6-2-2 in their last ten games on foreign soil. Royals lost six of their last eight games; under is 10-3 in their last thirteen games.


Teams won-lost records when this pitcher starts:

Chi-Pitt-- Lester 4-1; Nicasio 3-2
Az-Mia-- De la Rosa 2-2; Fernandez 3-2
SF-Cin-- Peavy 2-3; Straily 1-2
Atl-NY-- Chacin 2-2; Matz 3-1
Phil-StL-- Morgan 1-0; Leake 1-4
Col-SD-- Chatwood 3-2; Vargas 1-1

Det-Clev-- Sanchez 3-2; Kluber 1-4
NY-Balt-- Sabathia 2-2; Wilson 2-0
Tex-Tor-- Lewis 3-2; Sanchez 2-3
Bos-Chi-- Buchholz 0-5; Rodon 2-3
Minn-Hst-- Hughes 1-4; Fiers 2-3
Sea-A's-- Hernandez 2-3; Manaea 1-0

LA-TB-- Wood 2-3; Smyly 2-3
LAA-Mil-- Santiago 4-1; Davies 0-3
Wsh-KC-- Strasburg 5-0; Medlen 1-3


Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning:

Chi-Pitt-- Lester 1-5; Nicasio 1-5
Az-Mia-- De la Rosa 0-4; Fernandez 3-5
SF-Cin-- Peavy 2-5; Straily 0-3
Atl-NY-- Chacin 2-4; Matz 0-4
Phil-StL-- Morgan 0-1; Leake 3-5
Col-SD-- Chatwood 1-5; Vargas 0-2

Det-Clev-- Sanchez 2-3; Kluber 1-5
NY-Balt-- Sabathia 0-4; Wilson 0-2
Tex-Tor-- Lewis 3-5; Sanchez 1-5
Bos-Chi-- Buchholz 1-5; Rodon 2-5
Minn-Hst-- Hughes 3-5; Fiers 2-5
Sea-A's-- Hernandez 0-5; Manaea 0-1

LA-TB-- Wood 1-4; Smyly 0-5
LAA-Mil-- Santiago 2-5; Davies 1-3
Wsh-KC-- Strasburg 1-5; Medlen 0-4


Umpires

Chi-Pitt-- Over is 3-1-1 in Nelson games this season.
SF-Cin-- Four of five Joyce games stayed under total.
Atl-NY-- Over is 8-2-2 in last twelve Wolf games.
Az-Mia-- Five of last seven Gibson games went over.
Phil-StL-- Five of last seven Wolcott games stayed under.
Col-SD-- Underdogs are 9-7 in last sixteen Knight games.

Det-Clev-- Eight of last eleven Morales games went over.
NY-Balt-- Three of four Guccione games stayed under total.
Tex-Tor-- Underdogs are 9-7 in last sixteen Drake games.
Min-Hst-- Three of last four Barry games stayed under.
Bos-Chi-- Under is 8-4 in last twelve Timmons games.
Sea-A's-- Six of last nine Hamari games went over total.

LAA-Mil-- Nine of last twelve Reyburn games stayed under.
LA-TB-- Under is 6-1-1 in last eight LBarrett games.
Wsh-KC-- Home side won six of last eight Bucknor games.

 

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Wednesday's six-pack

-- MLB may move may 30-31 Pirates-Marlins series out of Puerto Rico due to the concerns over the Zika virus.

-- PG Spike Albrecht transfers from Michigan to Purdue, second year in row one of the Wolverines transferred to a Big 14 rival.

-- Texas led 1-0 in 9th inning at Toronto, but Justin Smoak homered in 9th inning, then won game with walk-off homer in 10th-- that doesn't happen very much.

-- Blue Jays were fifth bullpen in last 100 years to start a season 0-9; they got their first win last night.

-- Brooks Robinson holds MLB record, with 10 RBIs in games that ended 1-0. Ted Williams had nine.

-- NFL players are being warned about consuming meat produced in China, Mexico that potentially contains clenbuterol, which is banned under NFL's performance-enhancing substance policy.

 

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#1 Sports

Wednesday's Free Selection: Los Angeles Dodgers + 150

 

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Mike Wynn

Bonus Play: MLB Miami w/Fernandez -170 Over Arizona

 

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Razor Sharp

FREE PICK FOR WEDNESDAY:Take LA ANGELS (Santiago) -135 over Milwaukee

 

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Totals4U

Wednesday's Free Selection: Los Angeles Dodgers/Tampa Bay Rays under 7 1/2

 

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Platinum Plays

Free Pick: Seattle Mariners w/Hernandez -135 over Oakland

 

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Golden Dragon Sports

Free Pick Washington Strassburg -135

 

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Huddle Up Sports

Bonus Play: Cleveland Kluber -154

 

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Hawkeye Sports

Wednesday's Free Selection: Washington Capitols + 105

 

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The Vegas Steam Line

Your free winner for Wednesday: Take HOUSTON (Fiers) -140 over Minnesota