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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NL Value Starters
By Joe Nelson

There are several months to go but it is easy to be excited about the National League playoffs given how stacked the league is with power arms and elite starting pitching.

The American League All Star team will have an unenviable task next month as Terry Collins will be able to trot out a truly elite starter in every inning if he wants to.

As the separation grows between the contenders and the rest of the league the cost to support the elite starters on quality teams will continue to grow.

Ultimately identifying quality starters at lower price points will be the key to having success in the National League given how steep the prices will be on the starters for the Cubs, Nationals, Giants, and Mets, as well obviously Clayton Kershaw.

There are several National League starters that project a few tiers down that still can offer some promising potential on many nights while falling in line at costs that are much easier to stomach in most matchups.

Here are a handful of possible value starters in the NL for the coming weeks.

Jerad Eickhoff (Philadelphia Phillies): Aaron Nola was the dominant starter for the Phillies in the first two months of the season and remains the highest priced starter in that rotation. It was Eickhoff that wowed in eight starts last season however and after some ups-and-downs in April he is starting to put it together again in 2016. Eickhoff is almost 26 and he won’t be on a sharp innings watch like Nola or Vincent Velasquez in the Phillies rotation and he has allowed three or fewer runs in seven of his last eight starts. Eickhoff owns a better than 3:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and despite his 4-8 record he has picked up a win in three of his last five starts after starting the season 1-6. His ERA is just 3.40 with a FIP that is only slightly higher and his walks and home runs allowed have been kept in check of late. With a limited offense the Phillies are sometimes tough to support but the team has still won 30 games with similar home and road results and Eickhoff might be the best pitcher to support for the Phillies with the ‘under’ also looking playable in many of his upcoming starts.

Michael Wacha (St. Louis Cardinals): Wacha looked like he was on the superstar fast track starring for the Cardinals late in the 2013 season and in the playoffs. Injuries derailed him in 2014 but he had a fine 2015 season for the 100-win Cardinals. Wacha has already taken as many losses as he did last season at 2-7 but his FIP is 3.51, significantly lower than his season FIP was in 2015 when he wound up 17-7 with a 3.38 ERA. The Cardinals had a slow start to the season but the team is rounding back into form and while catching the Cubs might be a challenge in the NL Central this certainly looks like a team poised to claim a wild card spot. Wacha’s marginal numbers will lead to reasonable pricing to support him even though he is still capable of a dominant outing. The schedule has worked against Wacha as since mid-May his starts have come against the Rockies, Cubs, Nationals, Giants, Pirates, and Rangers, taking on some of baseball’s best offensive teams. Even so he has a quality start in three of his last four outings and he offers great promise the rest of the season at discounted pricing compared to the lines he drew last season.

Bartolo Colon (New York Mets): Backing Noah Syndergaard or Steven Matz is certainly more comforting but Colon’s prices are sharply discounted on the following nights for the Mets. The 43-year old is occasionally the butt of jokes but there is nothing funny about the success he is having against NL hitters. Colon has delivered five consecutive starts with two or fewer runs allowed and his ERA is down to just 3.01. He owns a better than 4:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and while he gives up a lot of hits, he usually escapes with limited damage and he has only allowed two home runs over his last six starts. The Mets are 8-4 in his last 12 starts and with New York possessing an unreliable offense Colon can be supported at a much more reasonable price than the rest of the rotation, avoiding the risk of laying -200 or greater behind an offense that is often sweating out one-run games.

Jake Peavy (San Francisco Giants): While it seems like Jake Peavy has been around forever he is only freshly 35 and could have a few solid years remaining in his career. Peavy is 3-6 with a 5.83 ERA but after a rocky start to the season he has been pretty reliable in recent weeks. His season FIP is a much more respectable 4.16 and his ERA is only 1.82 over his last four starts. Peavy is still getting nearly seven strikeouts per nine innings and after allowing six home runs in his first six starts of the season he has allowed just two in his last seven starts. Everyone would prefer to support Madison Bumgarner or Johnny Cueto but Peavy might be the value option to support a Giants squad that scores nearly 4.5 runs per game despite playing in a pitching-friendly ballpark, while also playing strong defense and generally looking like one of the best teams in baseball.

Zach Davies (Milwaukee Brewers): Davies hasn’t been considered a high ceiling prospect and with his small frame he was only a 26th round draft pick by the Orioles in 2011. Davies is only 23 however and after a shaky April he has emerged as a reliable option in the Milwaukee rotation. Davies has a K/9 of 8.3 over the last month while turning in four straight quality starts. Davies has actually allowed six or fewer hits in 10 consecutive starts and while he has been a little fortunate with a low .262 BABIP on the season his command has been strong with a low walk rate. Davies seems to have solved Miller Park which typically is a tough venue for pitchers as he owns a 2.88 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP in eight home starts with the Brewers winning five of those games. While Milwaukee isn’t likely to be a playoff contender the Brewers have a winning home record and Milwaukee has played above .500 ball since the calendar turned to May as this has been a competitive team that is still frequently getting solid underdog pricing.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB roundup: White Sox's Sale becomes first 12-game winner
By The Sports Xchange

BOSTON -- Chris Sale mowed down baseball's most lethal lineup and in return became the majors' first 12-game winner as the Chicago White Sox quieted the Boston Red Sox 3-1 on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.
Sale (12-2) struck out nine, tying a season high, and allowed one run on four hits and a walk over seven innings as Chicago (35-36) won its fifth game in six tries in Boston.
Todd Frazier hit his 20th home run of the season, Tim Anderson slugged his first career homer and Melky Cabrera drove in a run for the White Sox.
Mookie Betts drove in the lone run for Boston (39-31), which has dropped six of nine.
Clay Buchholz's return to the Red Sox's rotation was listless as he served up a pair of homers and gave up three runs total on four hits and a walk with five strikeouts in five innings. Buchholz (3-7) lost his starting job May 26 after giving up six runs in an 8-2 loss against Colorado and had made five relief appearances since.

Dodgers 3, Nationals 2
LOS ANGELES -- Yasmani Grandal hit a towering three-run homer in the eighth inning as Los Angeles came from behind to defeat Washington.
Tanner Roark (6-5), who had been masterful all night behind a 2-0 lead, put the first two batters on in the eighth inning and Grandal drove a 2-1 fastball over the center field fence. It was the catcher's sixth home run of the season.
One day after becoming the Dodgers' all-time saves leader, Kenley Jansen earned his 21st of the season with a perfect inning of relief.
Louis Coleman (1-1) recorded the winner with one scoreless inning.

Giants 15, Pirates 4
PITTSBURGH -- Angel Pagan hit a grand slam and Johnny Cueto picked up his 11th win as San Francisco walloped Pittsburgh.
Conor Gillaspie added a two-run homer and finished with four hits and four RBIs for the Giants, who had 22 hits. They have won nine of their past 10 games.
Cueto (11-1) allowed one run on four hits with six strikeouts and one walk over 6 2/3 innings. He left in the seventh after the Pirates broke up his shutout when Jacob Stallings got his first major-league hit, a double to the left-field wall, and RBI.
Pittsburgh has lost six of its past seven games and 11 of its last 13.

Astros 3, Angels 2
HOUSTON -- Carlos Correa hit a two-run, walk-off single in the ninth inning to lift Houston.
Correa, whose leadoff homer in the fifth inning served as the lone run scored against Angels left-hander Hector Santiago, lined a 3-2 pitch from Angels closer Huston Street (2-1) into the right-center field gap to score George Springer and Marwin Gonzalez, both of whom had walked.
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve followed Gonzalez with a grounder off the glove of third baseman Yunel Escobar to load the bases for Correa. The Astros (36-36) pulled to .500 for the first time since April 6. Astros right-hander Luke Gregerson (1-1) earned the victory in relief.

Cardinals 4, Cubs 3
CHICAGO -- St. Louis' Adam Wainwright was hit for three early runs then shut down Chicago for his first win in more than three weeks.
The victory was the second straight for the Cardinals (37-33) over thre Cubs in a series that wraps up Wednesday. Chicago (47-22) saw its still formidable National League Central lead over St. Louis slip to 10 1/2 games.
Wainwright (6-4) was hit for single runs in the first, third and fourth innings but held the Cubs scoreless through the balance of his 6 2/3 inning outing.
Chicago starter Jason Hammel (7-3) suffered his second loss of June after giving up four runs on six hits, walking one and striking out three.

Indians 6, Rays 0
CLEVELAND -- Corey Kluber pitched a three-hit, complete-game shutout and Jose Ramirez and Juan Uribe homered to lead streaking Cleveland.
Kluber (7-7) struck out nine and walked two in pitching his third career shutout. The only hits allowed by Kluber were singles, by Corey Dickerson in the second inning and by Brad Miller and Evan Longoria in the ninth.
The victory extends the AL Central-leading Indians' winning streak to five in a row. They have also won 10 straight home games. Tampa Bay, last in the AL East, has lost six in a row.

Mets 2, Royals 1
NEW YORK -- Five New York pitchers combined for 8 2/3 innings of one-run relief after right-hander Bartolo Colon departed with a thumb injury, and Asdrubal Cabrera and Yoenis Cespedes each hit solo homers as the Mets edged Kansas City in a rematch of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field.
The piecemeal win stopped a three-game losing streak for New York (37-32). The Royals (38-32) had a three-game winning streak snapped.
Hansel Robles, who entered after Colon was hit on the right thumb by a line drive off the bat of Kansas City leadoff batter Whit Merrifield, earned the win after allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out six over a career-high 3 2/3 innings.
X-rays on Colon's thumb were negative. The 43-year-old, who had never recorded fewer than two outs in his first 481 big league starts dating back to 1997, is day-to-day.

Reds 8, Rangers 2
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Jay Bruce and Zack Cozart provided the muscle, backing Anthony DeSclafani's arm in Cincinnati's victory over streaking Texas.
Bruce and Cozart each went deep, combining to drive in seven runs in the opener of a two-game interleague series. That was plenty of support for DeSclafani, who picked up his first win of the season.
The Rangers (46-26) not only lost for the first time in eight games, but Colby Lewis suffered his first setback in seven decisions. Texas also had its string of series victories snapped at 10 in a row.

Tigers 4, Mariners 2
DETROIT -- Mike Aviles' nubbed single 40 feet down the first base line with one out and the bases loaded in the eighth inning scored pinch-runner Andrew Romine with the tie-breaking run to lead Detroit over Seattle.
Bruce Rondon (1-0) pitched a scoreless eighth to earn the win in his second appearance since being recalled from the minors. Francisco Rodriguez gave up a pair of two-out singles before finishing his 20th save of the season.
Justin Verlander went the first seven innings for the Tigers, striking out five and allowing six hits. Verlander stranded a Mariners runner at third with one out in the third, getting two straight strikeouts after a double plus a sacrifice. He also got three outs in a row following Cano's leadoff double in the fourth.

Padres 10, Orioles 7
BALTIMORE -- Matt Kemp finished with four hits, and Derek Norris homered and drew a key bases-loaded walk as San Diego Padres rallied.
Baltimore held a 6-3 lead heading into the seventh when its bullpen and defense faltered. Three walks, a wild pitch and an error helped the Padres score four runs and take a 7-6 lead.
San Diego has won three straight and its bullpen helped slam the door on the Orioles after starter Luis Perdomo allowed six runs in five innings.
Mychal Givens (5-1) faced five batters and didn't record an out, allowing four runs on three hits with two walks. Baltimore starter Tyler Wilson left after six innings with that three-run lead but Givens struggled.

Rockies 8, Yankees 4
NEW YORK -- Charlie Blackmon homered twice and Nolan Arenado hit a two-run homer as Colorado defeated New York.
Arenado hit his 21st home run with one out in the sixth when he drove a 1-0 pitch from reliever Nick Goody inside the foul pole and over the left field wall.
Before the third baseman hit his latest home run, Blackmon recorded his fourth career multi-homer game with solo shots in the first and fourth off Ivan Nova (5-5).
Mark Reynolds drove in two runs, Carlos Gonzalez had an RBI single and Arenado added a sacrifice fly as the Rockies (34-36) won for the 10th time in 15 games.

Diamondbacks 4, Blue Jays 2
TORONTO -- Yasmany Tomas and Peter O'Brien hit home runs, Patrick Corbin pitched into the seventh inning and Arizona defeated Toronto.
Corbin (4-6) allowed eight hits, three walks and two runs in 6 1/3 innings. The left-hander struck out three as the Diamondbacks (34-39) extended their winning streak to five games as the Blue Jays (39-34) lost their third in a row.
Blue Jays starter Marco Estrada (5-3) allowed two hits, including a home run, three walks and three runs while striking out eight in six innings before Jesse Chavez replaced him. It was the 11th straight start in which Estrada had allowed five or fewer hits while going six or more innings.

Braves 4, Marlins 2 (10 innings)
MIAMI -- Jace Peterson tied the score with a two-run homer in the eighth and knocked in the winning run with a single in the 10th as Atlanta continued its mastery of Miami.
The Braves (24-46), who have the worst record in the National League, have taken six of seven games from the Marlins (37-34) this season.
Atlanta, which is riding a season-high six-game winning streak, is 29-12 at Marlins Park since it opened in 2012.

Twins 14, Phillies 10
MINNEAPOLIS -- Kurt Suzuki had four hits and knocked in a career high six runs as Minnesota outslugged Philadelphia.
Suzuki roped a liner into the left-field corner in his final at-bat, but settled for his second two-run double instead of trying for what would have been his first career cycle.
Both pitching staffs were ineffective and each offense took advantage early and often. The Phillies pounded out 14 hits, including four home runs while the Twins also managed 14 hits in winning their second consecutive game.
Philadelphia lost its eighth straight contest despite scoring more than two runs for the first time in a week.

Athletics 5, Brewers 3
OAKLAND -- Marcus Semien went 3-for-4 with a triple and drove in three runs as Oakland rallied past Milwaukee.
The Brewers, who swept a two-game series from the Athletics at Miller Park on June 7-8, lost their fourth straight game and fell to 1-7 on their nine-game road trip, which ends Wednesday against Oakland. The A's ended their two-game losing streak and improved to 3-5 on their nine-game homestand.
Oakland's Sonny Gray gave up two runs (one earned) on seven hits over six innings and got a no-decision. Gray hasn't won since April 22 at Toronto.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Braves (24-46) at Marlins (37-34)

Game: 2
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: June 22, 2016 12:10 PM EDT

MIAMI -- The secret to success for small-budget teams such as the Miami Marlins and the Atlanta Braves -- who wrap up their abbreviated two-game series on Wednesday afternoon -- is often in the scouting department.

The Braves beat the Marlins 3-2 in 10 innings Tuesday and have won six of seven in the matchup between the teams this season. The Braves are also on a season-high six-game win streak.

But that's the small picture for a Braves franchise that is 24-46 and way out of playoff contention. Here is the larger view for both teams:

In Tuesday's editions of the Miami Herald, staff writer Clark Spencer -- through anonymous sources -- reported that the Marlins in 2012 had a choice between three Toronto Blue Jays prospects as part of the massive Jose Reyes trade.

The Marlins could have had Noah "Thor" Syndergaard, who is now the ace of the New York Mets staff with a 7-2 record and a 1.91 ERA; or Aaron Sanchez, who is 7-1 with a 3.35 ERA for Toronto.

Instead, Miami asked for and received Justin Nicolino, who on Sunday was sent down to the minors and is looking more and more like a bust with a 2-4 record and a 5.17 ERA.

Syndergaard, who lights up radar guns at 100 mph and beyond, would have seemed to be the obvious choice. But Nicolino was the lone left-hander of the trio and was seen as very "polished" at the time.

Baseball America had Nicolino ranked as Toronto's fifth-best prospect at the time. Sanchez was ranked sixth, and Syndergaard was seventh.

How this is relevant now is simple: The Marlins and Braves can't afford to miss on too many of their player evaluations.

They play in an NL East division that includes the front-running Washington Nationals and the defending National League champion Mets.

Catching them won't be easy.

The Phillies are also in the division, of course, and while Philadelphia is down at the moment, the franchise is loading up on prospects and has traditionally spent big when the time is right.

Atlanta long ago surrendered this season. They are hoping that the prospects they have acquired in a flurry of recent trades as well as the players they have drafted and signed internationally all come together soon to form a winning nucleus.

It's a long shot, frankly, but the Braves are banking on their scouts being right.

The situation is brighter in Miami, where the Marlins are in contention for one of the two wild-card berths. But the farm system is barren at the moment, ranked dead last in the majors.

Miami is thin on depth with few options in the minors. We saw that play out on Monday, when the Marlins, after having sent down Nicolino, could do no better than 28-year-old retread Paul Clemens, who gave up three homers to Colorado in his Miami debut.

For a team with as little margin for error such as the Marlins, they simply have to find a better solution.

And, for the moment at least, that solution would have to be in a trade. But with few quality prospects to exchange, even that could prove to be difficult.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockies (34-36) at Yankees (34-36)

Game: 2
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: June 22, 2016 1:05 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The debate about being buyers or sellers at the non-waiver trade deadline is something rarely associated with the New York Yankees.

More games like Tuesday's 8-4 loss could swing the discussion toward sell mode for the first time since the early 1990s.

The Yankees have yet to beat the Colorado Rockies and will get one more attempt at doing so Wednesday afternoon in the finale of a two-game series at Yankee Stadium.

Their inability to win these games and stay over .500 has started some of the debate about what the Yankees should do at the trading deadline and Monday principal owner Hal Steinbrenner said he believed the Yankees would be in contention by the end of July and GM Brian Cashman would be buying.

"I hope this team declares itself in such a way one way or the other that is pretty (darn) obvious," Cashman said.

A day later, manager Joe Girardi and Cashman seemed to be in agreement with Steinbrenner but Cashman's comments came with a disclaimer when he said if the Yankees actually were out of contention by then he wouldn't hesitate to urge the team to go into selling mode.

"We're not going to be a seller unless ownership green lights it," Cashman said. "I don't have a number in my head. I'll have a dialogue with ownership every step of the way like I always do. If we feel at a date in the future that's a necessity, trust me I'll recommend it and they'll make a decision.

"I'm always a brutally honest person and if I see things I'll always communicate honestly with ownership," Cashman. "We're in June so right now that's not the conversation we're having."

The Yankees have begun play with a winning record only five times this season and have lost six of nine since getting to 31-30 on June 10, meaning results are more significant than a belief.

"Hal has belief in this club, but you have to go out and do it," manager Joe Girardi said. "Belief is not enough."

So far, the Yankees are a pedestrian 3-4 in their so-called soft schedule. They have lost three games to Colorado by a combined 27-17 margin and have a 9.36 ERA in those games.

"I think we're being inconsistent, that's all," Yankees right fielder Carlos Beltran said. "We have been able to have good stretches, and when we feel were about to continue to play well, all of a sudden we fall back.

Meanwhile the Rockies have the same record as the Yankees at 34-36 and have won two straight and 10 of their last 15 games.

"I don't think we're on a run by any means," Colorado manager Walt Weiss said. "But we're holding our ground."

Charlie Blackmon hit two home runs off Ivan Nova in the first four innings. Nolan Arrenado hit a two-run home run and had his eighth game with at least three hits while increasing his major league leading homer run total to 21 and his RBI count to 60.

"He just clicks along," Colorado manager Weiss said. "You look up and he's got 60 RBIs. He's a model of consistency."

In theory, the Yankees would seem to have the right pitcher on the mound in left-hander CC Sabathia.

Sabathia takes a 2.20 ERA into Wednesday, the lowest it has been through at least 10 starts in any season for him. Since May 4, he has a 0.82 ERA in his last seven starts and is the first Yankee to allow four earned runs or less in a span of seven outings since Phil Niekro did it in 1984 as a 45-year-old.

The left-hander last pitched Thursday in Minnesota. Although he had a 15-inning scoreless streak stopped, Sabathia allowed one run and six hits in six innings in a game when his stuff was not as sharp since the Twins stranded nine in five innings.

Colorado's Jon Gray has a 4.55 ERA but has won four of his last seven starts. Grey held a 5.56 ERA at the end of May but this month, he is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in three starts.

The right-hander last pitched Saturday in Miami when he allowed two runs and six hits in six innings. He will be making his second career start in a New York ballpark. Last year, Gray made his first career road start against the Mets at Citi Field on Aug. 10 and allowed one run and one hit in six innings while getting a no-decision in a 4-2 loss.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (38-32) at Mets (37-32)

Game: 2
Venue: Citi Field
Date: June 22, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The New York Mets pushed right-hander Noah Syndergaard back a day in the rotation in hopes of giving him some extra rest following the longest outing of his career last week. But the Mets might need to push Syndergaard again Wednesday in the finale of a two-game series against the Kansas City Royals at Citi Field.

The Mets won the opener of the 2015 World Series rematch 2-1 on Tuesday, when they needed five relievers to throw the final 8 2/3 innings after right-hander Bartolo Colon was hit on the thumb by a line drive off the bat of Royals leadoff hitter Whit Merrifield.

"We might have been out of pitchers (Wednesday) if we got much deeper," Mets manager Terry Collins said afterward.

The Mets are likely to be without right-handers Hansel Robles and Erik Goeddel, who threw 3 2/3 innings and two innings, respectively, as the first two pitchers out of the bullpen Tuesday. Left-hander Sean Gilmartin, who was promoted from Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday afternoon, may also be unavailable since he threw 100 pitches in a start for Las Vegas on Sunday.

Fortunately for the Mets, Syndergaard has developed into a workhorse in his first full major league season. The long-haired 23-year-old has pitched into the seventh inning in eight of his 13 starts.

Syndergaard threw a career-high 8 1/3 innings in his most recent start June 14, when he allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits and no walks while striking out 11. He threw 115 pitches, one shy of his career high.

The Mets originally had Syndergaard scheduled to start the series opener Tuesday but decided to push him back in order to get him some rest and to set him up to pitch the opener of a series against the National League East-leading Washington Nationals next Monday.

Had Syndergaard pitched Tuesday, he would have pitched again Sunday against the NL-worst Atlanta Braves.

"Thought we'd give him some extra time," Collins said before Tuesday's game. "We can move Noah back a day, give him an extra day with all the pitchers he threw. That will allow him to pitch in Washington also."

The Royals on Wednesday counter with left-hander Danny Duffy, who will be making his seventh start since joining the rotation May 15. Duffy is 2-1 with a 3.25 ERA since replacing right-hander Kris Medlen, who was 1-3 with a 7.77 ERA before suffering a strained rotator cuff.

"Danny's come in and helped fill that hole," Royals manager Ned Yost said Tuesday. "He's done a great job."

The matinee Wednesday will be the last of the four games this year between the Royals and Mets, who split a season-opening two-game series in Kansas City in April. This is the 11th time since interleague play began in 1997 that the previous season's World Series teams have played in the regular season the following year.

It is also the third time a reigning champion has played in the stadium in which it won the title the previous year. The New York Yankees traveled to face the Mets in 2001 after winning the decisive fifth game of the 2000 World Series while the Boston Red Sox visited the St. Louis Cardinals in 2005 after completing a four-game sweep of the 2004 World Series at Busch Stadium.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (31-40) at Astros (36-36)

Game: 3
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: June 22, 2016 2:10 PM EDT

HOUSTON -- Even in advance of the Houston Astros' 3-2, walk-off victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night, Houston manager A.J. Hinch had been repeatedly fielding questions over the pending significance of his club reaching .500 following a miserable opening month of the season.

When the Astros (36-36) hit that plateau in the second game of their series with the Angels (31-40), Hinch did his best to downplay the minor achievement.

"Well it's one game better than when we started today," Hinch said. "Obviously I understand the place marker that happens given how our season started. If you would have told me we'd be .500 on this date at the beginning of the season we would have said we should be better. So I want to keep it in proper perspective. Yes I'm happy with how we've continued to grind, continued to play. We've showed some personality.

"We've done everything we can to inch back to relevance but this isn't going to accomplish anything. It's a good milestone because of how the season started. We've got a tough game tomorrow that we need to focus on and be better."

The Astros will pursue a series sweep and a 5-1 homestand with right-hander Lance McCullers (3-2, 4.24 ERA) on the mound. McCullers will make his first start of the season against the Angels, against whom he went 1-1 with a 2.52 ERA during his rookie season. McCullers has struck out at least six batters in six consecutive games and will seek the continue the momentum established by fellow rotation right-handers Doug Fister and Collin McHugh, who have allowed a combined four earned runs in 14 innings in the first two games of this three-game set.

For the Angels, suffering a sweep would drop them five games behind the Astros in the loss column. With the streaking Rangers attempting to run away with the American League West title, another division loss would only further undermine the Angels' chances at working their way back into contention.

Right-hander Matt Shoemaker should give them a solid shot against the Astros. Shoemaker (3-7, 4.50 ERA) has pitched to a 2.19 ERA across his last seven starts, posting 60 strikeouts against only four walks.

In his previous outing against the Astros Shoemaker dominated, allowing two runs on seven hits with 11 strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings. He was responsible for the Angels' lone win of their first series against the Astros, and Shoemaker is 2-1 with a 4.55 ERA in six games against Houston.

Facing the specter of falling 10 games below .500, the Angels need Shoemaker to give them what left-hander Hector Santiago produced on Tuesday night: a strong start. Santiago allowed just one run while pitching into the seventh inning, and while closer Huston Street proved unable to protect the one-run lead he was handed in the ninth inning, the Angels got the sort of pitching they desired to remain competitive.

"Obviously, the final outcome isn't what we wanted, but Cam (Bedrosian) did a great job to go in there and get what we wanted," Santiago said. "(Fernando) Salas did a great job. We did a great job defensively."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (37-33) at Cubs (47-22)

Game: 3
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: June 22, 2016 2:20 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- Who's batting first?

With leadoff batter Dexter Fowler on the disabled list for at least the next two weeks, the Chicago Cubs look to utilize two different players at the top of the order.

Newly reacquired outfielder Chris Coghlan led off Tuesday in the middle contest of a three-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Second baseman Ben Zobrist topped the order Monday and went 3-for-5 with a run scored. Coghlan, who rejoined the Cubs as part of a June 10 trade with the Oakland Athletics, led off with a double and went on to reach twice more on walks.

"You'll probably see a lot of Chris against the righty, Zo (Zobrist) against the lefty," said Cubs manager Joe Maddon.

Whoever sits atop the order in Wednesday's series finale won't be finalized until morning -- if the game even is played. Early forecasts call for rain much of the day and the potential for severe conditions.

If the game is played, the Cubs will feature right-hander Jake Arrieta (11-1) going against Cardinals right-hander Michael Wacha (2-7, 4.56). Arrieta is 1-0 this season against St. Louis.

Both teams open road series Thursday so the chance for a makeup -- if necessary -- won't come until at least mid-August when St. Louis returns for a four-game series or late September when both teams have a mutual open date before a final Wrigley Field series.

The shuffle at the top of the Cubs lineup began with a strained right hamstring Fowler suffered in the first inning of last Saturday's 4-3 victory over the Pirates.

Until then, Fowler had led off in 61 games and was batting .290 with 35 walks, 19 doubles and 115 total bases. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday, retroactive to Sunday, and is scheduled to come off July 4.

Maddon's tinkering at the top reflects a broader strategy also affecting lower spots, especially around cleanup batter Anthony RIzzo.

"I do (also) like the idea of Zo (Zobrist) hitting behind Rizzo," he said. "Last night I was very comfortable with (Willson) Contreras hitting behind RIzzo with the lefty. So those are the kind of thoughts that I have. I'm into protectionism and I do believe when you leave certain guys exposed, you're not going to benefit from their abilities on that specific night."

The Cubs also made a flurry of roster moves prior to Tuesday's game that could temporarily create a six-man rotation in the run up to next month's All-Star break.

They selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Gerardo Concepcion -- who made his major league debut in Tuesday's game -- and recalled right-handed pitcher Spencer Patton from Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs also placed left-handed pitcher Clayton Richard on the 15-day disabled list with a blister on his left middle finger while right-hander Adam Warren was optioned to Triple-A Iowa.

For the Cardinals, meanwhile, it was just another game Tuesday.

St. Louis made no roster news and the lineup from leadoff to No. 8 was identical to the one employed in Monday's 3-2 victory over the Cubs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Brewers-Athletics preview
By Eric Gilmore, The Sports Xchange

OAKLAND, Calif. -- When the season began, right-hander Daniel Mengden was pitching for Double-A Midland and hoping he might get called up to the Oakland A's in late September.
Little did he know he'd be on the fast track to the big leagues.
Mengden went 2-0 with a 0.78 ERA in four starts for Midland and then 3-1 with a 1.39 ERA in seven starts for Triple-A Nashville.
Mengden, who didn't play a game above Class A in his first two professional seasons, made his major league debut for the A's on June 11 and will make his third career start on Wednesday afternoon against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oakland Coliseum.
Mengden is 0-2 but has a 2.25 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 12 innings.
"I pitched really well in Midland and got promoted to Triple-A," Mengden said. "A couple of injuries over here and it gave me a chance to get up here. I've been so grateful to have a chance. Trying to run with it as much as I can."
Mengden is only 23, but he has an old-school handlebar mustache, reminiscent of A's Hall of Fame pitcher Rollie Fingers, and a throwback windup, which includes a double-pump over his head and a couple pauses.
"I don't think that's something you could emulate or try to copy, but it works for him and it's been fun to watch so far," A's reliever Sean Doolittle said of Mengden's delivery. "For him, it's all about getting into that rhythm and keeping that rhythm throughout his delivery.
"I think it might kind of overshadow his stuff because he has really good stuff. All people talk about is the mustache and the delivery, but sometimes you forget that a big part of the reason why he's had success so far is because he's really good."
The A's acquired Mengden and highly touted catching prospect Jacob Nottingham from Houston in exchange for left-hander Scott Kazmir on July 23. Mengden finished last season at Class A Stockton, going 4-2 with a 4.25 ERA in eight starts.
Some 10 months after that trade, Mengden took the mound at Great American Ball Park against the Cincinnati Reds. He held the Reds to two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings but got as much attention for his windup and mustache, both of which he has had since his days at Texas A&M, as he did for his pitching line.
"If they're talking about me, it's a good thing," Mengden said. "If they want to talk about the mustache -- some people don't like it. Some people think it's stupid. In a way, it's a tough look to root for."
Mengden will face Brewers rookie right-hander Junior Guerra, who is 31 and took a much longer and slower route to the major leagues.
Guerra was signed as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela in 2001. He made his major league debut last year with the White Sox, appearing in three games, then was claimed off waivers by Milwaukee on Oct. 7.
"He's kind of been around the block a few times," Brewers catcher Jonathan Lecroy said of Guerra. "He's definitely a rookie up here, but I guess in life he's kind of a veteran. He's been around and played in a lot of different countries and experienced a lot of things.
"He's a good guy to have in the clubhouse, great guy, fun to catch. He gets after it, competes really hard, gets after it. He's a guy you know you're going to get everything he has whenever he goes out there."
Guerra is 3-1 with a 3.81 ERA in nine starts this year for the Brewers.
"He's had a good opportunity to come up and prove himself," Lucroy said. "So far, he gives us a chance to win every time we go out to play. That's all you can ask of a guy.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (34-39) at Blue Jays (39-34)

Game: 2
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: June 22, 2016 4:07 PM EDT

TORONTO -- The Arizona Diamondbacks try to complete a two-game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday afternoon in their first visit to Rogers Centre in 12 years.

Actually, the 2004 visit was the only other time that the Diamondbacks have played in Toronto.

The Diamondbacks started out the short set Tuesday with a 4-2 victory Tuesday that gives them a 7-6 edge over the Blue Jays in the few times the teams have played each other in interleague play over the years.

The series finale Wednesday will be a duel of left-handed starters. Robbie Ray tries to extend Arizona's winning streak to six games while J.A. Happ tries to stop Toronto's skid at three games.

The Diamondbacks won Tuesday with more runs (four) than hits (three). Luckily for them, two of the three hits left the park.

"It's amazing," Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said. "You don't really remember many of those but we'll take it. I didn't realize it till I looked up in the seventh and it was only three hits. I had to check my card."

Now Ray will be going for his third successive winning start and Hale said tthis is an indication of the rotation coming around.

"That's what we built this team around," Hale said. "That's what we hung our hat on was that our starters every night, whether it's (Zack) Greinke at one or Robbie (Ray) in the five-hole, are going to give us six, seven innings every time and we're starting to get it going."

The Diamondbacks were able to close out the game Tuesday without closer Brad Ziegler, who has converted a club-record 43 consecutive save attempts, including 15 this season. Jake Barrett got the inning-ending double play in the seventh, Tyler Clippard handled the eighth and Daniel Hudson the ninth for his first save of the season.

"(Ziegler) was down tonight, it was three in a row so we felt good with the eighth being Clip and the ninth being Hudson and he did a great job for us," Hale said. "And, of course, the biggest pitch of the game was Barrett getting the ground ball to turn two."

That means he should be ready for Wednesday.

Happ also is trying to win his third straight start for the Blue Jays. While Ray has not faced Toronto before, Happ has had some success in his career against Arizona, going 2-1 with a 1.73 ERA in five games (four starts).

The Blue Jays grounded into a pair of double plays Tuesday to bring their season total to 70 -- most in the majors.

"It's always frustrating," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "They used our game. We usually hit some home runs. We had some chances. We had some guys on base, we couldn't cash anything in. That was our nemesis early in the year, but we've been on a pretty good roll."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (45-27) at Pirates (34-37)

Game: 3
Venue: PNC Park
Date: June 22, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH -- It was creative, sure. It was also born of an unflattering necessity.

There was Erik Kratz, Pittsburgh's third-string catcher, pressed into pitching the ninth inning Tuesday against San Francisco.

The fact that Kratz had a 1-2-3 inning against the Giants and even struck out Brandon Belt was a nice footnote, but it was also beside the point.

Pittsburgh is reeling, and its pitching is a glaring problem.

The Pirates' 15-4 loss Tuesday made Monday's 1-0 win in the series seem like an anomaly, particularly since Pittsburgh has lost six of its past seven and 11 of 13.

Pittsburgh's team ERA was 4.53, 23rd in the majors and 11th in the National League, before San Francisco feasted on its pitching.

Tuesday, after spot starter Wilfredo Boscan got lit up for seven runs in the fourth, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle couldn't find much in the way of suitable alternatives for the balance of the game. Four actual relievers -- Arquimedes Caminero, A.J. Schugel, Jorge Rondon and Jared Hughes -- combined to allow eight runs on 14 hits over five innings before Kratz made his cameo.

"We put those guys out there and tried to give them an opportunity to pitch," Hurdle said. "We're just trying to patch games up when we get underneath like this. Unfortunately, we've had a few we've had to deal with."

This game came a night after Hurdle stuck up for his team, saying people could judge whether their true identity is the team that played well the first several weeks of the season or the one that has been struggling, the Pirates reverted to the latter form.

Tuesday's game might have induced some to wonder if it's the latter. It was lopsided in every way.

Of course, there is still half of the four-game series left against San Francisco to make their case.

Pittsburgh got a somewhat unlikely strong start Monday out of Jeff Locke and will be looking for the same Wednesday from Francisco Liriano.

Liriano (4-7, 5.03 ERA) has lost his past four starts, winless since May 24.

Just as the Pirates are hoping for better from Liriano, he could be hoping for more from his teammates, who have not scored while he was in the game during his past two appearances.

Liriano is scheduled to face Jeff Samardzija (8-4, 3.14 ERA), who isn't the match of the first two starters in the series, Madison Bumgerner and Johnny Cueto, but who is coming off of his eighth career complete game, allowing one run on four hits Friday in San Francisco's 5-1 victory over Tampa.

The Giants' hitters looked vulnerable Monday, but that didn't last. They knocked out 22 hits, including two homers, Tuesday.

"I'd like to think we're a pretty good hitting team," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "We're not getting shut down too often like last night. We're going to break out of it, and they did it in a big way.

"You always have to move forward in this game. You have no choice. You hate to lose such a good outing by (Madison) Bumgarner, how we lost it. Those are always tough. It's good to bounce back. This game is all about being resilient. They bounced back in a big way."

For the Pirates, bouncing back would likely include no scenarios in which a position player finds himself doing mop-up duty on the mound.

"It's something that it happens in games that are unfortunate," Kratz said. "You don't want to come in and have to pitch because it's probably not real good for the team. Hopefully, it saved somebody's arm in the bullpen, and that can help us down the road."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Padres (30-42) at Orioles (40-30)

Game: 2
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: June 22, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

BALTIMORE-- The Baltimore Orioles waited until the last minute before announcing that Ubaldo Jimenez will be the starter for Wednesday's game against the San Diego Padres, the finale of this brief two-game series.

Baltimore apparently was thinking about a number of options for this start after sending Mike Wright down to Triple-A following a poor start in last Friday's 13-3 loss to Toronto. Manager Buck Showalter talked about several scenarios before Tuesday's game and confirmed afterward that the ball goes to Jimenez.

Jimenez had recently been pulled out of the starting rotation and will come into Wednesday's game with a 3-7 record and a 7.34 ERA. He made 13 starts and pitched once in the bullpen since losing his starting role and struggled in the relief appearance also.

The Orioles will need some help Wednesday since they are at the end of a tough three-day stretch. After playing at home on Sunday, they had to fly to Texas for a one-game make-up on Monday before turning around and returning home.

They didn't get in to Baltimore until around 4 a.m. and were tired, but Showalter said he would not use that an excuse for some shaky work in Tuesday's 10-7 loss to San Diego.

"You know what? People really don't want to hear it," Showalter said. "They really don't. It'd be very easy to complain about it, but we do this for seven, eight months for seven days a week and we are all lucky to do it, and no one really wants to hear about it."

For the Padres, Erik Johnson will make his third start since joining the team. He is 0-4 overall with a 7.66 ERA, including two starts with the White Sox.

Johnson is 0-2 with an 8.44 ERA with the Padres. He has allowed 10 earned runs in 10 2/3 innings with San Diego -- including five homers.

The two teams are going to meet again in a two-game series in San Diego next Tuesday and Wednesday that starts Baltimore's nine-game Western road swing where the Orioles also play the Mariners and Dodgers.

Baltimore, playing with just 24 players as Manny Machado will serve the final day of his three-game suspension Wednesday, could be making a move for pitching as left-hander Brian Duensing's elbow is bothering him and was examined Monday. He could be headed to the disabled list.

The Orioles have a one-game lead in the American League East over Boston and are up 2 1/2 games on Toronto.

San Diego also will get a better look at how Jon Jay's injured forearm is on Wednesday. Manager Andy Green said Tuesday he will see how Jay feels after Monday's off-day and sitting out the first game of the Baltimore series.

Green didn't want to address whether Jay, one of the team's top offensive players with a .296 average, would be headed to the disabled list, saying the team wants to see how Jay does Wednesday.

"I think it's a little early on for that," Green said. "We'll wait and see how he responds tomorrow."

The Padres have been getting plenty of offense lately. They banged out 15 hits in the 10-7 victory over Baltimore Tuesday night. Matt Kemp went 4-for-6 with two RBIs to lead the way as San Diego won its third straight game.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (35-36) at Red Sox (39-31)

Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: June 22, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

BOSTON -- Stuck at two once again, the Chicago White Sox seek to capture an elusive three-game winning streak when they face the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night at Fenway Park.

Chicago (35-36) took the first two of its four-game set in Boston, but it hasn't won more than two consecutive games since a four-game winning streak from May 6-9.

"I think the way it's heading, we're playing well," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "You play good defense. You pitch well. Get the hits when you need it, and you just play hard."

Since that streak ended, the White Sox are 11-26 and have fallen well out of first place in the American League Central despite their scorching start to the year.

"We're not in a terrible position, we're not in a great position," Chicago ace southpaw Chris Sale said after holding Boston to one run on four hits and striking out nine in Tuesday's 3-1 victory.

"We're right in the middle of the season -- we're a hot streak away from being in first place."

Boston, meanwhile, could use its own hot streak after losing six of its last nine games.

Despite boasting the majors' most lethal offense, the Red Sox (39-31) have been held to two or fewer runs in four straight games.

"It's definitely frustrating," Boston right fielder Mookie Betts said. "We're not scoring five or six like we usually do, but honestly I feel like we've been hitting the ball well."

Wednesday night's pitching matchup features White Sox left-handed Jose Quintana (1-2, 6.97 ERA) and Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (1-2, 6.97 ERA).

Quintana has pitched well against the Red Sox throughout his career, but he will need more support from his offense to keep that trend going.

Although he is 3-0 with a 1.94 ERA in six starts against Boston, the White Sox have scored one run or fewer -- and just five total -- in the veteran left-hander's last seven starts.

Quintana earned his 54th no-decision since 2012 in his last start Friday at Cleveland, giving up just two runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out six in a 3-2 defeat.

He's faced the Red Sox once already this season, holding them to a run on four hits with five strikeouts in Chicago's 4-1 win on May 3 at U.S. Cellular Field.

Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr. are the only Boston batters with at least three hits off of Quintana.

David Ortiz is batting just .133 (2-for-15) with five strikeouts against him while Dustin Pedroia and Hanley Ramirez are both 2-for-12 with three punch outs against Quintana.

Ramirez, however, has a solo homer off Quintana -- the only Red Sox batter to take him deep.

Rodriguez hasn't been able to regain the form he started his big league career with last year in four starts since making his season debut.

The 23-year-old southpaw has allowed four or more earned runs in each his last three starts, lasting fewer than 5 2/3 innings in each outing.

He tossed a season-high six innings in his return from a 51-game disabled-list stint with a right patella subluxation on May 31 at Baltimore, giving up two runs on six hits with three strikeouts in a 6-2 win.

Rodriguez also faced the O's in his last start, surrendering five runs on eight hits and a pair of walks while fanning five in a 5-1 loss this past Thursday.

He hasn't thrown more than 100 pitches in a start in 2016, topping out at 99.

Rodriguez has never faced the White Sox, but Dioner Navarro has two plate appearances against him, going 0-for-1 with a walk.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rays (31-38) at Indians (40-30)

Game: 3
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: June 22, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

CLEVELAND -- In the final game of their three-game series with Tampa Bay on Wednesday night, the Cleveland Indians will attempt to complete a sweep -- not just of the series, but of the homestand.

The streaking Indians will also be attempting to complete a 6-0 homestand. The Indians began the homestand by sweeping a three-game series with the Chicago White Sox.

The Indians won five games in a row and they have won 10 home games in a row. That's the longest home winning streak in the majors this season. The Indians are 22-12 at Progressive Field this year. Their last loss at home was a 7-3 loss to Texas on May 31. The Indians are currently 10 games over .500 (40-30) for the first time since the end of the 2013 season, when they qualified for the playoffs as a wildcard with a record of 92-70.

"We're playing good baseball now. It's nothing earth shattering," said Corey Kluber, who pitched a three-hit 6-0 shutout over the Rays on Tuesday. "In all aspects of the game we're playing pretty well. Pitching, hitting and defense. The key to winning is putting together complete games."

In the final game of the homestand Wednesday night the Indians will send Trevor Bauer (4-2, 3.46) vs. Tampa Bay's Chris Archer (4-9, 4.60).

The Rays right now are the polar opposite of the Indians. Cleveland is in first place in the AL Central and has won five games in a row and 10 home games in a row. The Rays are in last place in the AL East and have lost six in a row.

Tampa Bay is not only having trouble winning games, the Rays are having trouble staying healthy. Prior to Tuesday's game they put two more players on the disabled list, outfielder Mikie Mahtook and utility man Steve Pearce. Both players suffered injuries in Monday's game. Mahtook has a broken left hand, after getting hit by a pitch and Pearce has a strained right hamstring.

Mahtook becomes the fourth Rays outfielder on the DL, joining Brandon Guyer, Steven Souza Jr. and Kevin Kiermaier. To replace Mahtook on the roster the Rays recalled from Triple-A Durham OF/INF Nick Franklin and RHP Ryan Garton.

All the injuries are taking a toll on the Tampa Bay offense. In their six-game losing streak the Rays have scored a total of just 14 runs. In Tuesday night's game the Rays only had two players in their starting lineup hitting over .238. The bottom five in the order were hitting a combined .197.

On the bright side, rookie Blake Snell produced a quality start Tuesday, despite losing 6-0 to Cleveland. In only his third major league start Snell pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up three runs, two earned.

"Blake really threw well. The way he attacked hitters was very impressive. He's going to be a big part of our future," Rays manager Kevin Cash said.

In Wednesday's pitching matchup, Bauer will try to extend his streak of good starts for the Indians. In his last four starts Bauer is 1-0 with a 2.12 ERA while holding opposing batters to a .204 batting average.

Archer was originally drafted by the Indians in the fifth round of the 2006 draft. In four career starts vs. Cleveland, Archer is 0-4 with a 4.91 ERA, although the Rays have been shutout in three of those four games. In his last six starts this year Archer is 1-5 with a 4.91 ERA.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mariners (36-35) at Tigers (36-35)

Game: 3
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: June 22, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

DETROIT -- The Seattle Mariners and their lefty-laden lineup get their first look Wednesday night at red-hot right-handed rookie Michael Fulmer of the Detroit Tigers.

Fulmer, obtained from the New York Mets at the trade deadline last July, is 7-2 with a 2.43 ERA in 10 starts.

He had a 33 1/3 scoreless innings streak stopped in his last start when he hung a slider and Kansas City's Salvador Perez hit it for a home run. It was the second-longest scoreless innings streak by a rookie starting pitcher since 1971.

The Royals handed him his second loss although he only gave up the one run in 5 2/3 innings.

Fulmer is not expected to pitch again until June 29 as manager Brad Ausmus revampeds his rotation.

Left-hander Daniel Norris is being called up Thursday to pitch against Seattle with Jordan Zimmermann working Friday against Cleveland. Anibal Sanchez returns to the rotation for at least one start Saturday, and Justin Verlander takes his regular turn Sunday.

Detroit is off Monday and Mike Pelfrey, given a couple extra days rest, pitches Tuesday. Fulmer may return to the rotation against Miami the following day.

What the Mariners will see in Fulmer is an unusually poised pitcher who picks up things quickly.

Fulmer had some wobbles in his first four starts but in his fifth fanned 11 Tampa Bay Rays by heavily incorporating his changeup into his pitching mix. Things kind of took off from there for a pitcher who had previously been primarily a fastball/slider pitcher.

His fastball touches 97-98 mph but Fulmer learned from there that less can be more on the pitching mound. Pitching to spots and inducing contact early in the count have cut his pitch count down.

Fulmer relies on first-pitch strikes and Kansas City was ambushing his first offering. It wasn't long before the rookie went to sliders and changeups on his first pitch.

Verlander has taken on the task of mentoring the rookie, starting in spring training when the youngster came to him for advice after outings.

"I'd say 'Ver' has a little more fire," manager Brad Ausmus of Detroit said, "whereas Fulmer is more calm. Fulmer doesn't throw a curveball but his other three pitches are similar."

Seattle counters with right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma (6-5, 4.18 ERA) as manager Scott Servais tries to help his team get through a period when starters are injured.

"The guys know we're going through a tough stretch," Servais said. "But the guys still want to be the guy to steps up and gets the big hit.

"It's been a long road trip and I'm going to mix in some days (off) for some guys at the end of the trip."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Reds (28-43) at Rangers (46-26)

Game: 2
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: June 22, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Cincinnati Reds opened a two-game series by handling the Texas Rangers like few teams have done lately.

Now the Reds head into Wednesday night at Globe Life Park looking for a sweep.

Cincinnati's 8-2 win in Tuesday's opener snapped the Rangers' seven-game winning streak. It was only Texas' fifth loss in June, and the eight runs were the second most scored by an opponent since May 28.

The Reds got home runs from Jay Bruce and Zack Cozart, and improved to 11-8 this month. Cincy also evened its record at 4-4 on a three-city, nine-game road trip with right-hander Dan Straily (4-3, 3.66 ERA) going in the finale against Texas.

The Reds' bullpen should get a boost with Michael Lorenzen expected to come off the disabled list Wednesday. The right-hander has been out since March with a sprained right elbow before contracting mononucleosis in April.

Lorenzen, 24, made 21 starts as a rookie last season, but has been in the bullpen during his rehab starts. He is ready to get back on the mound.

"I have visualized this since the offseason," Lorenzen told MLB.com. "I'm ready. I've been here before, multiple times. I've been visualizing it. I'm ready.

"There are no jitters. It's more of a freedom than anything. I'm finally free. I've put the work in. Now it's time to go out there and express myself the way I best know how to."

The Rangers (46-26) continue to lead the American League West by 9 1/2 games over Seattle despite Tuesday's setback. Texas, owners of the second-best record in the majors to the Chicago Cubs, is also 25-11 at home and 5-2 this season against the National League.

The Rangers are playing their last in a stretch of 20 consecutive games. Manager Jeff Banister has already said that he doesn't plan to skip the fifth starter Friday, electing instead to give his rotation an extra day of rest.

The skipper wants Ian Desmond to have Wednesday off and play Ryan Rua in center. Banister could also use an easy night for his bullpen.

Relievers have racked up 17 innings in the last four games. Sending ace Cole Hamels (7-1, 2.88 ERA) to the hill is the possible first step to getting some much-needed rest.

"Having Cole going (Wednesday) and an off day afterwards," Banister said. "Look for a solid start from Cole. It's not how you want to draw it up at all. Those guys have been really throwing the ball very well and getting the outs."

Hamels, 32, has gone 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA over four starts this month, and has completed at least seven innings in each outing.

The Reds were without Joey Votto due to illness Tuesday, but he is expected back in the lineup for the series finale. Reds manager Bryan Price will celebrate his 54th birthday Wednesday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Phillies (30-42) at Twins (22-48)

Game: 2
Venue: Target Field
Date: June 22, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins will go for their third straight victory Wednesday night when they continue their three-game interleague series with the Philadelphia Phillies at Target Field.

Right-hander Kyle Gibson takes the mound for Minnesota, still looking for his first victory of the season. Gibson comes into the game 0-5 with a 6.06 ERA in six starts this season and is 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in two starts since returning from the disabled list June 11.

He was effective his last time out, holding the Yankees to three runs on six hits and a pair of walks while striking out four over 6 1/3 innings of work -- his second-longest outing of the season -- and faced the minimum 15 batters through his first five innings of work in a 4-1 Twins loss.

"I felt more like myself a little bit. More like last year and 2014 when I was throwing a little bit better," Gibson said following that outing. "Hopefully I can keep it going."

Philadelphia starter Adam Morgan hasn't fared much better this season. He comes into his 11th start of the year with a 1-6 record and 6.49 ERA. Since allowing just one run over seven innings on May 10, Morgan has gone 0-6 while allowing 34 runs -- 31 earned -- on 52 hits in 36 2/3 innings of work.

"I feel like I am battling out there and I am going through a rough patch right now but that there's a light at the end of the tunnel and I'm going to get there," Morgan told the Wilmington (Del.) News-Journal after his last outing, a 10-2 loss to Arizona.

He couldn't make it out of the fifth in that outing, surrendering seven runs -- four earned -- on 10 hits but struck out 10 and didn't walk a batter. With Vince Velasquez getting closer to returning from the disabled list, Morgan's days in the rotation could be numbered.

"Nobody's name is carved in stone, nothing's in ink," Philadelphia manager Pete Mackinin told the News Journal. "We're looking for guys that are going to give us consistent at-bats, consistent pitching performances and solid defenders. If you want to win the World Series, you've got to have good players. Not mediocre players."

Minnesota's 14-10 victory Tuesday night improved the Twins to 5-6 in interleague play this season and 9-7 all-time against Philadelphia, including 6-3 in their last nine meetings dating back to June 19, 2010.

Joe Mauer has hits in 12 of his 13 career games against the Phillies, and is a career .341 hitter (15-for-44) with two doubles, two home runs and 10 RBIs against Philadelphia.

The Phillies, meanwhile, have lost eight games in a row and 11 of their last 12 overall to fall to a season-high 11 games under .500. Since improving to 24-17 on May 18, they have posted the worst winning percentage in baseball (.200) and went from a half-game behind the NL East-leading Nationals to 13 games back.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Nationals-Dodgers preview
By Abbey Mastracco, The Sports Xchange

Game: 3
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: June 22, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- While the consensus seems to be that teenage phenom Julio Urias is ready for the big leagues, the Los Angeles Dodgers want to make sure he remains ready for years to come.
The Dodgers haven't quite decided what to do with the left-hander through the remainder of the season, but the club did decide to buy some time while they mull the decision by giving him at least two more starts at the major league level.
The first of those will come Wednesday in the series finale against the Washington Nationals.
"He's going to keep going," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "I think he's earned the right to keep going and we're looking forward to that start tomorrow and we'll make the next one after that."
The Dodgers have made no secret of the fact that they are keeping Urias' innings count low this season. He's currently at 63 combined minor and major league innings and has been on a strict 70-pitch count in his five big league outings.
The Dodgers have not made public an exact number as far as innings this season for Urias, but the organization has hinted that they won't allow a future ace to work more than 100.
Urias comes into Wednesday's game with an 0-2 record and a 4.15 ERA. He has steadily improved in each outing, tossing five scoreless innings in the Dodgers' 3-2 extra-inning win over the Milwaukee Brewers in his last start. Urias allowed five hits and struck out a career-high eight batters against just one walk on 85 pitches.
The weekend rotation has yet to be set. RHP Mike Bolsinger was demoted and the Dodgers might look to add a pitcher to the rotation or could use an off day to keep the four starters on normal rest.
"That's a variable as well," Roberts said. "And so you're looking at the depth we have, but there are guys going down, so this is as an important part of the season as any."
Urias will oppose a pitcher who is used to being the youngest one on the field. Joe Ross will take the mound for the Nationals on Wednesday as they try and salvage the series.
A former first-round pick with the San Diego Padres with a 6-4 record and a 3.13 ERA this year, the lanky right-hander is having a breakout season.
At only 23 years old, Ross himself has had to answer many of the same questions as Urias. Ross' innings and pitches have also been counted by the organization, but Ross hasn't lost in a month, coming as a pleasant "surprise" to his manager.
"We have to really watch Joe," Nationals manager Dusty Baker told the Washington Post last week. "His innings are building up, as you can notice, he has the least amount of innings of our starters. We want to take him all the way through September, and hopefully into October."
The National League East-leading Nationals are trying to end their season-long skid after dropping their fourth straight game on Tuesday. Washington stranded 13 and had seven extra-base hits but was unable to capitalize on runners in scoring position.
"We didn't hit with runners in scoring position," Baker said. "We had runners in scoring position in the first four innings and we just couldn't get a hit. We hit a couple bars hard ... But we've just got to get better at picking up the runners.
"I know the guys are trying, it's not because of lack of effort, but we've just got to keep fighting this tough stretch.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Wednesday, June 22, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

No major American sport seems to have more of a love affair with statistics. Just about every day, you hear some random stat that has never happened before in MLB. That was the case on Monday night when the Colorado Rockies won 5-3 in Miami. All eight runs in the game were from solo homers. That's an MLB record for most runs in a game via a solo dinger. The previous mark was five, completed seven times. I did not know that. It also tied an NL record for most solo homers in a game. But the MLB record is a whopping 10 set by the Tigers and White Sox on May 28, 1995. Finally, the eight homers were the most ever hit in a game at Marlins Park, which has been around since 2012. So there you go!


Braves at Marlins (-163, 8.5)

First pitch of the day at 12:10 p.m. ET. About the last thing the offensively-challenged Braves could afford was an injury to an every-day player, not that they really care about winning this season, but outfielder Mallex Smith is expected to miss at least six weeks with a broken thumb. He was hit by a pitch Sunday. Smith, one of the Braves' top position player prospects, is hitting .241 with three homers, 21 RBIs and 14 steals. Atlanta starts Matt Wisler (3-7, 4.23) on the mound for this game. He ended a four-start losing streak last Thursday against Cincinnati, allowing two runs in 6.2 innings. Wisler has thrown one scoreless inning this year against the Marlins. Christian Yelich is 3-for-4 career off him with a double and RBI. The Marlins counter with lefty Adam Conley (3-4, 3.94), who is looking for his first win since May 16. He took a no-decision in Atlanta on May 27, allowing two runs and eight hits in 4.1 innings.

Key trends: The Braves are 0-7 in Wisler's past seven starts on five days of rest. The Marlins are 4-1 in Conley's past five at home vs. teams with a losing record. The "over/under" is 8-3 in Wisler's past 11 on the road.

Early lean: Marlins and over.

Cardinals at Cubs (-270, TBA)

First pitch at 2:20 p.m. ET from Wrigley. Chicago has placed center fielder and leadoff hitter Dexter Fowler on the 15-day disabled list. He's dealing with a hamstring injury. Fowler is having a good year, hitting .290 with seven homers, 28 RBIs and a .398 on-base percentage. He also might be voted a starter for the All-Star Game. The Cardinals start Michael Wacha (2-7, 4.56). It seems like he's finally on the right track with back-to-back quality outings. Wacha gave up a run and six hits over 7.2 innings last time out vs. Texas but took the loss. He hasn't won since April 23. Wacha lost to the Cubs on May 24, allowing a season-high eight runs in just four innings. Anthony Rizzo is 11-for-25 career off Wacha with two homers. It's Cubs ace Jake Arrieta (11-1, 1.74). He improved to 11-0 with a 1.20 ERA in his past 13 starts vs. NL Central teams by throwing six shutout innings against the Pirates on Friday. Arrieta's worst start of the year was May 25 in St. Louis, allowing four runs in five innings. He still won. Matt Adams is 6-for-18 off him with four RBIs. Matt Holliday is only 1-for-18.

Key trends: The Cardinals are 1-7 in Wacha's past eight road starts vs. teams with a winning record. The Cubs are 4-0 in Arrieta's past four at home in the series. The under is 4-1 in his past five at home overall.

Early lean: Cubs and under regardless of number unless there's a major wind blowing out.

Giants at Pirates (+107, 8)

San Francisco had to put third baseman Matt Duffy on the DL Monday after an MRI showed an Achilles strain. So a day after he inherited the longest consecutive games played streak in the majors, Duffy passed that title along to someone else. Duffy is hitting .253 with 21 RBIs, not close to the level he played as a rookie in 2015. The Giants go with Jeff Samardzija (8-4, 3.14). He comes off one of his best starts as a Giant, throwing a complete game against Tampa Bay and giving up one run. The former Cub has a 2.25 ERA in 21 career games (10 starts) against Pittsburgh. Andrew McCutchen is a .406 hitter off him in 32 at-bats. It's lefty Francisco Liriano (4-7, 5.03) for the Bucs. He has lost four straight outings and allowed at least four runs in each of them. Liriano leads the majors with 46 walks. Buster Posey is 5-for-12 career off him. Brandon Crawford is 0-for-10.

Key trends: The Giants are 4-1 in Samardzija's past five vs. teams with a losing record. The Pirates are 0-4 in Liriano's past four against teams with a winning record. The over is 9-4-1 in his past 14 at home.

Early lean: Giants and over.

Rays at Indians (-124, 8)

Monday wasn't a good day for the Rays as outfielder Mikie Mahtook was hit by a pitch on his left hand and diagnosed with a fracture. First baseman/second baseman Steve Pearce, the team's leading hitter, might go to the DL with a hamstring injury suffered Monday. You hear talk the decimated Rays might bring Carl Crawford back to Tampa now that he's cleared waivers. The Rays start Chris Archer (4-9, 4.60) here. He has allowed three earned runs in each of his past three starts, going 1-2 in them. Archer lost at home to Cleveland on April 14, giving up three runs in 5.1 innings. Mike Napoli can't hit the guy, going 1-for-16 with 10 strikeouts. The Tribe go with Trevor Bauer (4-2, 3.46). He took a no-decision in his last start, allowing a run in seven innings vs. the White Sox. Bauer threw a scoreless inning of relief vs. Tampa on April 14.

Key trends: The Rays are 1-10 in Archer's past 11 on Wednesday. The Indians are 5-2 in Bauer's past seven on the day. The under is 8-2 in Bauer's past 10 on four days of rest.

Early lean: Indians and under.

Nationals at Dodgers (-128, 7.5)

ESPN game and will have live betting at sportsbooks. What a bummer that Stephen Strasburg was scratched from his scheduled mega-start against fellow Cy Young contender Clayton Kershaw on Monday. Strasburg (back) thinks he will be able to make his next scheduled outing, which would be Sunday. The Nats start Joe Ross (6-4, 3.13) in this one. He hasn't lost since May 21. Only a few Dodgers have seen him. Yasiel Puig, activated off the DL on Tuesday, is 2-for-3 with a homer and five RBIs off Ross. L.A. goes with lefty Julio Urias (0-2, 4.50), the franchise's top pitching prospect and by some accounts the best in MLB. His last start was his fifth career and his best, shutting out the Brewers on five hits over five innings. This could be his final start of the year in the majors as the team wants to limit his innings.

Key trends: The Nats are 6-2 in Ross' past eight on the road. The under is 5-1-1 in his past seven vs. teams with a winning record.

Early lean: Nationals and under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Halos in good hands '

Los Angeles Angels at Houston Astros June 22, 2:10 EST

When Los Angeles Angels hand the ball to Matt Shoemaker in the finale vs Astros many in the sports gaming community will tend to overlook the righthander. That's because he has authored just three wins in thirteen starts with a 4.50 ERA. However, those digging deeper into performance will be quick to note, the past six on the mound Shoemaker has posted a impressive 1.83 ERA over 44 1/3 innings with an eye-opening 55-2 strike-walk-ratio. They'll also have noted, Shoemaker handcuffed Astros earlier tossing 8 1/3 innings fo 2 run ball in a win.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Giants on a roll'

San Francisco Giants at Pittsburgh Pirates June 22, 7:05 EST

San Francisco and Pittsburgh play the third of a four-game series at PNC Park with both teams having notched one victory. Giants have Jeff Samardzija starting, carrying a 8-4 record, 3.14 ERA to the hill. In his last start, Samardzija allowed one run on four hits while striking out four to earn the win. Samardzija facing Pirates for the first time wearing a Giant uniform may not bring about much confidence among bettors, the righthander heads to the mound sporting a 0-7 team start record vs Pirates tossing for Cubbies/Pale Hose.

Pirates send out southpaw Francisco Liriano, who gave up six hits, four earned runs, five walks in a loss to the Cubs in his last outing. Nothing seems to be going right for the southpaw, he's lost four straight, six of his last seven starts overall bringing the mark to 4-7 with a 5.03 ERA on the campaign. He'll try to stop the bleeding vs a team he has had success against winning three of four chucking for Bucs.

The visiting Giants are listed as -$1.80 favorites.

Taking a road favorite can be a perilous road in baseball betting, but there appears to be enough in Giants favor to counteract such concerns. The Giants are hot, winning 9 of they're last 10 and 12 of 17 in June. The Pirates are not, losing 11 of the past 13 and 15 of 20 in the month of June. Additionally, Giants facing a lefthanded starter is good news, they're on a solid 9-2 stretch swinging away at a southpaw.