Wednesday 7/20/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Twins (34-59) at Tigers (49-45)

Game: 3
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: July 20, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

DETROIT -- Justin Upton has established a reputation for being a streaky hitter. He's still waiting for one of those big hot streaks to come along in a Detroit Tigers uniform.

Upton, who signed a six-year, $132 million contract as a free agent during the offseason, has endured arguably the toughest offensive year of his career. He has shown signs recently of breaking out, including a home run against Minnesota on Monday that turned out to be a game-winner in a 1-0 shutout.

He nearly had another Tuesday, but his 415-foot shot was caught at the center field wall. Upton did have a single, nudging his season average to .237.

Upton has 10 homers in 88 games. He has averaged 27.3 homers in the last three seasons, so a power binge during the second half could be on the horizon.

"History says it's a possibility," Upton said. "When those things happen, you never know they're coming, so I don't anticipate it or search for it. I go out every day and compete. That's all I can do."

He'll get another shot on Wednesday, when the Tigers play the finale of the three-game against Minnesota. The Twins collected a 6-2 victory on Tuesday.

If the pressure of living up to a big contract has weighed down Upton, he hasn't felt it.

"Coming in here and going into spring training, I went about my business the way I've always done," he said. "Things haven't worked out. It's a new league and I'm trying to find my way. I feel like day in and day out I've tried to do things to help the ballclub. At the end of the day, I can hang my hat on that."

Justin Verlander, Detroit's starter for Wednesday's matinee, has been hanging up some impressive stats lately. He has won seven of his last nine decisions, including his first start after the All-Star break when he struck out 10 Kansas City batters.

He'll be opposed by another veteran, Ervin Santana. He's pitched well of late, going 2-1 with a 2.18 ERA in his last five starts. The loss came in his last outing, when he gave up three earned runs in 5 1/3 innings to Cleveland and was struck in the left arm by a line drive.

Santana said Tuesday he's fine while pointing toward the bruised area.

"I have a lot of positive things from the last few outings," said Santana, who is 3-8 with a 4.12 ERA. "I threw a lot of strikes and kept the ball down for the most part."

He has been sharp historically against Detroit, going 9-3 with a 3.27 ERA in 16 career starts.

"I know they're a very aggressive team," he said. "I just try to keep the ball down because if you miss, you know where it's going to go. You have to be careful from the leadoff (man) to the ninth."

Manager Paul Molitor is trying to be more aggressive to spark his team's often punchless offense. The Twins scored eight runs in their first four games after the break before Tuesday's six-run outburst.

"You look for it, but you don't want to force it," Molitor said. "I'm trying to put people in motion. We still have some guys who can steal bases, but you have to have the right customers. I'd like to jump-start it if I can."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Indians (55-38) at Royals (47-46)

Game: 3
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: July 20, 2016 2:15 PM EDT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians lineups may have some different faces Wednesday.

Not only is it an afternoon game after a night game, but the temperature is forecasted to reach 97 degrees with a heat index of close to 110 and a humidity of 60 percent.

An extreme hot and humid day will likely force managers Ned Yost of the Royals and Terry Francona of the Indians to rest some usual starters.

"You almost have to because the heat is stifling and the heat index is going to be even worse," Yost said. "At least when the sun goes down, it's bearable out here.

"But you can see you have to be prepared. You saw what happened to (Corey) Kluber last (Monday) night. He just got dehydrated and started suffering cramps."

Kluber left after some warmup pitches in the eighth inning with his right calf cramping.

"We're going to have to look and see who needs a break, probably Salvy for sure," Yost said.

Salvador Perez not only started the All-Star Game, but has caught the first five games after it. Expect Drew Butera to be behind the plate for the first pitch Wednesday.

In addition, left-fielder Alex Gordon could use a break. He is 2-for-17 since the All-Star break, dropping his average to .200. He has struck out four times in seven at-bats against the Indians, bringing his strikeout total to an alarming 72 in 215 at-bats.

Plus, Gordon is a .154 hitter, 4-for-26, off Indians right-hander Carlos Carrasco, who starts Wednesday. However, two of Gordon's hits off Carrasco are home runs.

Rookie Brett Eibner, who has sat out the past four games after playing Friday, will almost certainly start Wednesday somewhere in the outfield. Christian Colon will likely start somewhere in the infield.

Outfielder Michael Brantley not only will not be in the Indians lineup Wednesday, but could be out for the remainder of the season after another setback on his shoulder while rehabbing with Double-A Akron.

"We're not to that point, yet," Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said. "We want to try to first understand what's going on. What is causing this to continue to happen? What is the root of the soreness he is experiencing now? And, how do we help him through that?"

Brantley, who has been limited to 11 games this season because of the shoulder issues, will have an MRI Wednesday. He hit .327 with 20 home runs and 97 RBIs in 2014 and .310 with 15 home runs and 84 RBIs in 137 games last season, but had shoulder surgery in November.

"There has been a couple times where he's come up to me and apologized," Francona said. "His effort has been incredible. All the reasons we want him back, and the admiration we have for him, doesn't go away when his shoulder hurts."

Eric Hosmer has a .333 average, 7-for-21, off Carrasco, which is the best of any of the Royals' hitters with at least 14 at-bats. Rookie Whit Merrifield went 2-for-3 with a home run earlier this season in his only time seeing Carrasco.

The Royals will start right-hander Ian Kennedy, who will be facing the Tribe for the fourth time this season. He is 2-1 with a 4.12 ERA in his first three starts. He is 3-3 with a 4.02 ERA in eight starts against American League Central clubs this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Padres (41-52) at Cardinals (48-44)

Game: 2
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: July 20, 2016 8:15 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS -- Once a heavy thunderstorm finally reached Busch Stadium, Tuesday night's scheduled game between the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals didn't stand a chance.
Delayed before the start, the game was finally called after a wait of an hour and 32 minutes due to rain, and it was rescheduled as the day portion of a day-night doubleheader Wednesday.
Carlos Martinez (8-6, 2.85 ERA) is expected to work the opener for St. Louis against Colin Rea (5-3, 4.95). In the nightcap, the Cardinals will pitch left-hander Jaime Garcia (6-6, 4.11) against Paul Clemens (1-0, 4.73).
The Cardinals (48-44) opted not to start the game as planned Tuesday when the storm was detected less than 30 minutes before the scheduled first pitch. Neither Martinez or Rea even started his warmups, and the field was covered shortly after the national anthem.
The first raindrop didn't fall until around 8:45 p.m. CDT, but before it did, the fans scurried for cover as they were encouraged to leave the seating area. The storm featured frequent claps of thunder, lightning and sheets of rain blowing from left to right.
With this being San Diego's only trip into St. Louis this year, a day-night doubleheader was the only option to make it up. The teams have no mutual off days for the season's remainder, and they already played their series in San Diego.
Martinez will be pitching on 11 days of rest, his last outing coming on July 9 in an 8-1 win at Milwaukee that saw him match a career high by fanning 11 in five innings. He is 0-1 with a 5.51 ERA in five career games against the Padres, two of them starts.
Rea will be facing the Cardinals for the third time in his short major league career, but the first time in St. Louis. Rea absorbed a 10-3 loss to them last August and got a no-decision on April 24 in an 8-5 loss. He hasn't pitched since a no-decision July 6 in Arizona, when he was hooked one out shy of a win in San Diego's 13-6 victory.
In the nightcap, Garcia will make his first start against the Padres since Sept. 10, 2012, when he ate an 11-3 loss. He wasn't involved in the decision Friday night in a 7-6 loss against the Miami Marlins, pitching 6 1/3 innings and allowing four runs.
Clemens will replace Wednesday night's scheduled starter, Andrew Cashner, who will be pushed back to Thursday night's series finale. Clemens, who was picked up off waivers from Miami on June 28, has no record and no ERA in three relief appearances with San Diego.
Had the game been played Tuesday, the Padres' lineup would not have included shortstop Alexei Ramirez. Manager Andy Green planned to give Ramirez a rest, and he intends to do the same with all of his regulars in upcoming games.
"It's going to be 100 degrees the next couple days here, 100 degrees and over every day in Washington, (10-day) road trip right after the All-Star break," Green said, according to MLB.com. "It's probably wise to try to find everybody a day down during that stretch to make sure we're not running everybody into the ground early in the second half."
The Cardinals will head into the doubleheader without third baseman Jhonny Peralta, who went on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, retroactive to Monday, due to a strained ligament in his left thumb. Peralta left Sunday's game in the fifth inning after injuring himself while hitting.
"We were trying to be patient through this," St. Louis general manager John Mozeliak said. "We were hoping giving it a couple days when we were back in Milwaukee, this would be something he could play through. He was just not feeling right, so ultimately we put him on the DL."
Peralta was replaced on the roster by outfielder Jeremy Hazelbaker, who was recalled from Triple-A Memphis.
In other roster moves, the Cardinals recalled right-hander Miguel Socolovich from Memphis while designating catcher Michael McKenry for assignment.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mets (50-43) at Cubs (56-37)

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

CHICAGO -- A player sidelined for the season and rehabbing a wrecked knee is nonetheless drawing a surprising amount of interest as the major league trading deadline approaches.

Kyle Schwarber, the Chicago Cubs' 23-year-old slugger, is the subject of trade rumors and conjecture even though he has not stepped up to home plate and swung a bat since April 7.

One rumor with traction on social media has the New York Yankees offering relievers Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman, who unleashed a 105 mph fastball on Monday, in exchange for Schwarber, who had 16 homers in 69 regular-season and playoff games in 2015.

One former general manager suggested the Cubs swap Schwarber for Texas Rangers ace Cole Hamels, who beat the Cubs in a 4-1 decision on Sunday.

Chicago, which concludes a three-game series with the New York Mets on Wednesday at Wrigley Field, may indeed need some relief or starting pitching help down the stretch.

But there's no current evidence that Schwarber is part of any trade talks and Cubs officials reportedly have no desire to part with their versatile young catcher/outfielder.

In fact, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said he has had no conversations with any players about potential trades.

"It's always tough -- the rumor mill," Maddon said this week. "If I feel it's really getting hot with one guy, we'll say something to him. But I'll only say something to him to him if I know exactly what I'm saying.

"No conversations yet."

Schwarber suffered the a season-ending injury in early April in an outfield collision with teammate Dexter Fowler. Schwarber had a torn ACL and an LCL in his left knee plus a left ankle sprain.

The Cubs have made a point to keep Schwarber around and involved as he rehabs. He takes part in meetings, is in the dugout and got a big hand when he snared a foul ball in the dugout this week.

"I like the fact that he comes out, he's staying involved," Maddon said. "He's in the greeting line every time we win. It's very important to have him stay connected like that for next year and the guys love having him around."

Schwarber was the subject of a humorous video on the Wrigley Field board as the Cubs uncovered a 2015 video of Schwarber performing in a high school choir.

Several current teammates donned gray suits, purple shirts and pink ties -- similar to what Schwarber wore -- and were spliced into the video and danced along with the high school Schwarber.

The Cubs send RHP Kyle Hendricks (8-6, 2.41 ERA) against Mets right-hander Bartolo Colon (8-4, 3.11) in Wednesday's series finale.

Hendricks is 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA in two career regular-season starts against the Mets, both at Citi Field. He started Game 3 of the NLCS last season at Wrigley Field, allowing two runs and five hits in four innings.

Colon beat the Cubs for his seventh victory of the season on July 3, throwing six innings while allowing two runs and four hits. He struck out five and walked three.

Michael Conforto, called up Monday from Triple-A Las Vegas, was in the starting lineup on Tuesday in left field, but Mets manager Terry Collins said this week that he'll likely see time in center as Yoenis Cespedes moves over to left field after playing 61 games in the middle this season.

"We're taxing his body pretty heavily by putting him in center field," Collins told reporters. "I just think if he's in left field where he's comfortable, and there's not so much emphasis on the defensive side, that he'll go back and do what we hope he can do -- and that's be a big production guy."

Conforto played 56 games in left during an earlier stint with the Mets before being sent down to Triple-A Las Vegas.

Wednesday afternoon's game concludes the seven-game regular-season series between the teams. The Cubs swept all seven meetings last year. The Mets took four straight in New York in the first 2016 meetings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rays (36-57) at Rockies (43-50)

Game: 3
Venue: Coors Field
Date: July 20, 2016 3:10 PM EDT

DENVER -- Jorge De La Rosa will try to continue his successful run since he returned to the Colorado Rockies' rotation, and Tampa Bay Rays starter Chris Archer will look to break a losing streak when the pitchers oppose each other in the rubber game of a three-game series Wednesday.

De La Rosa is 4-2 with 2.68 ERA in his past six starts since rejoining the rotation June 14 after working in relief for three games.

"I mix my pitches more, much better now," said De La Rosa, who is 6-6 with a 5.50 ERA overall in 15 games, 12 starts.

He began the season 1-4 with an 11.41 ERA in six starts, the last on May 24 after a month-long stay on the disabled list due to a left groin strain. De La Rosa was moved to the bullpen after that May 24 start in Boston, where he gave up seven runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings.

In the bullpen, he worked extensively with bullpen coach Darren Holmes. De La Rosa used to have a pause in his delivery but scrapped that in his work with Holmes and pitching coach Steve Foster during the two weeks he spent as a reliever.

"Throwing more quality strikes than the beginning of the year," De La Rosa said. "My tempo is better. I think that was the key. I think I feel like more loose with this windup. They changed my mechanics, and it helped me to get better rhythm and throw the ball wherever I want to throw it.

"At the beginning (of the year), I just was fastball-changeup. That's why I'm pitching much better now. I started throwing my curveball more and I'm using my cutter more, too."

Archer (4-13, 4.68 ERA) has dropped his past six decisions since June 11, one shy of Drew Smyly's current losing streak for the longest by a Rays pitcher this season. Archer is one shy of matching his career-high, seven-game losing streak from Sept. 9, 2015-April 20, 2016. He has lost nine of his past 10 decisions, and his loss total leads the major leagues.

"You look at my numbers and the ERA is higher, but the swing-and-miss rates and the strikeout rates and a bunch of other things are (moving) in the right direction, especially if you remove the first month when I had a 6.70 ERA," Archer said. "I'm not saying that I'm pitching to my capability by any means."

Archer said he lacked his normal command early in the season but feels much better lately. He has 136 strikeouts and 49 walks in 117 1/3 innings and has yielded 20 home runs.

"I've been giving up a few extra runs than I'd like, but if you look at the overall numbers since probably the middle of May, they're better," Archer said. "Not great by any means ... but I feel a lot better than I did the first six weeks of the season, for sure."

While Archer will be facing the Rockies for the first time in his career, De La Rosa will oppose the Rays for the third time. He lost to Tampa Bay in a 2007 start and beat the Rays in a 2009 start, allowing a total of nine runs on 13 hits in eight innings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Astros (50-44) at Athletics (42-52)

Game: 3
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: July 20, 2016 3:35 PM EDT

OAKLAND, Calif. -- There should be few secrets when Houston Astros right-hander Doug Fister is on the mound Wednesday afternoon, pitching against the Oakland A's in the finale of a three-game series at the Oakland Coliseum.

Fister (9-6, 3.64 ERA) will start against Oakland for the fourth time this season, all in a span of 80 days.

"I don't think it really changes anything," said Fister, who will try to prevent the A's from sweeping the three-game series. "This game's really a game of chess anyway, but no matter what you do prior, it all comes down to execution. I can throw the same pitch three different times, and three different times I get three different results.

"I'm still going to attack with the same game plan, and obviously there's minute changes that happen, but for the most part, everything's going to stay the same. I'm just going to attack and let the defense work."

Based on Fister's numbers this year against the A's, there is no reason for him to make drastic alterations. He is 2-1 with a 1.31 ERA vs. Oakland He allowed one run over 6 2/3 innings in a 2-1 victory on May 1 at the Coliseum and no runs over six innings in a 12-2 win on June 3 in Houston. In his third start against the A's, Fister gave up two runs over eight innings in a 3-1 loss on July 7 at Houston.

The latter game was Fister's third consecutive defeat, but he snapped his skid Friday at Seattle, allowing three runs over five innings in a 9-6 victory.

"I've felt pretty good for a while now," Fister said. "I've had a couple hiccups, but at the same time, those guys are pretty good. I've got to come back and execute every fifth day, and that's the road we're trying to get back on."

A's rookie right-hander Daniel Mengden (1-4, 5.54 ERA) will make his eighth career start and try to get back on track after three straight rough starts. Mengden gave up a combined eight earned runs over his first four starts but allowed 16 earned runs in his past three.

Mengden yielded six earned runs in 4 2/3 innings and got a no-decision in a 10-9 loss to the Astros on July 8 at Houston. Then in his first start after the All-Star break, he allowed six earned runs in 3 1/3 innings and got a no-decision in an 8-7 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday at the Coliseum.

"Last start, my control might have been a little off," Mengden said. "I think my arm slot was a little different. Trying to find it a little bit."

Mengden acknowledged that he has never experienced such a rough stretch of games in his career.

"But I'm in the big leagues now, and it's not as easy as in the minors," Mengden said. "Just in a little funk. I'm not too worried about it. The past is the past. I'm trying to stay looking forward, and I'm looking forward to pitching against the Astros again on Wednesday."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (46-47) at Mariners (47-47)

Game: 3
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: July 20, 2016 3:40 PM EDT

SEATTLE -- He's never pitched in a postseason game, and 30-year-old Felix Hernandez has lost some of the zip on his fastball, but the Seattle Mariners' ace was a huge part of his team's improbable ascent to the top of the American League West over the first two months of the 2016 season.

How huge? The Mariners' once-promising season went up in smoke when Hernandez went down.

When Hernandez took the mound for a May 27 game against the Minnesota Twins, Seattle was 28-18 and sitting atop the AL West standings. He went on the disabled list three days later, and the Mariners have gone 19-28 over their past 47 games.

On Wednesday, Hernandez is scheduled to be back on the mound for the first time in 7 1/2 weeks, and the big question is whether he can lead Seattle back into the postseason hunt.

Hernandez (4-4) is expected to make his first start since May 27, when he struggled against the Twins and eventually landed on the disabled list with a strained calf muscle, when the Mariners host the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday afternoon.

"I want to get back out there and help my team win," Hernandez told reporters after making his final rehab start in Tacoma last Friday night. "That's all I want to do."

Mariners manager Scott Servais couldn't hide his excitement Tuesday afternoon.

"I'm looking forward to it," he told reporters. "I'm sure (Hernandez is) looking forward to it too."

The White Sox (46-47) go into the game with a little momentum after snapping a five-game losing streak with a 6-1 win at Safeco Field on Tuesday night. Chicago scored more runs in that game than the White Sox had scored during the entirety of their five-game losing streak.

Manager Robin Ventura was most impressed with the three runs Chicago scored in the top of the ninth to put the game away.

"To put some on late and separate is the best thing we did," he said after watching his team manage just four total runs over the previous five games. "It shows some fight."

White Sox starter Jose Quintana turned in Chicago's second consecutive solid start with six innings that saw him give up just one run off six hits. Over the first two games of the series, Seattle (47-47) has scored just one run off seven hits over 14 innings against White Sox starters.

"We needed this game," Quintana said after Chicago snapped its five-game losing streak. "(Monday) we'll come back and try to win the series."

The Mariners still need to make a roster move before Wednesday's game to clear a spot for Hernandez on the roster. Left-handed reliever David Rollins seems most likely to be sent to Triple-A, but veteran reliever Joaquin Benoit has also been struggling lately. Benoit, who turns 39 next week, has a 5.40 ERA and has allowed seven earned runs over his past 5 2/3 innings dating back to late June. Benoit served up a two-run homer to Chicago slugger Todd Frazier in Tuesday's ninth inning.

"He made a mistake," Servais said, "and that's what happens when you make a mistake to the guy who's leading the league in home runs."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jays (53-42) at Diamondbacks (40-54)

Game: 2
Venue: Chase Field
Date: July 20, 2016 3:40 PM EDT

PHOENIX -- Toronto first baseman Edwin Encarnacion has made a living out of driving baseballs out of Chase Field in the few opportunities interleague play has provided, and he will have one more chance Wednesday.

His potent bat and the strong arm of Aaron Sanchez halted the Diamondbacks and their two-game winning streak in a 5-1 victory Tuesday, but Arizona will retaliate with left-hander Patrick Corbin in an attempt to get a split in the short two-game set. Corbin beat the Jays in Toronto on June 21.

Encarnacion, who leads the major leagues with 84 RBIs, has nine homers in 66 plate appearances in 16 career games at Chase Field. His three-run homer in the third inning Tuesday gave Sanchez a 3-1 lead that he never lost.

He hit five homers in a three-game series here in 2010, including three in one game, and had two homers in a three-game series in 2013, the last times Toronto has been in Arizona. He has 16 RBIs in 16 games at Chase Field.

"I see the ball real well and I feel confident in this ball park, so it works out," Encarnacion said. "Maybe it's the hitter's eye, I don't know."

Encarnacion will be a free agent when his four-year, $37 million contract expires this winter, and Chase Field might provide a welcome home, except for the fact that four-time All Star Paul Goldschmidt is a fixture at first.

"If they had average Joe, they might sign (Encarnacion)," Toronto manager Jon Gibbons said. "I don't know what it is, but he likes hitting here."

Hitters on both sides often have talked about the good visibility provided by the 40-foot green fence in dead center field.

Toronto right-hander Marcus Stroman will oppose Corbin on Wednesday as the Jays look to win for the 11th time in 15 games. Stroman is 7-4 with a 5.15 ERA in his first full season in the rotation. He missed most of last season with a knee injury suffered in spring training.

The series matches Encarnacion and Arizona third baseman Jake Lamb, two of the hottest hitters in the majors. Since June 10, Encarnacion is hitting .333 with nine doubles, 13 homers, 37 RBIs and a .765 slugging percentage. Only Lamb has a higher slugging percentage (.844) in the same span. Lamb, the reigning NL player of the week, was 0-for-4 Tuesday.

Sanchez commanded both sides of the plate with his fastball and made his best pitchers when it was most appropriate, although that is not unusual for him this season. The D-backs were 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position, scoring their lone run on a groundout.

Opponents are hitting .189 against him with runners in scoring position, best on a stingy staff. Opponents are hitting .198 against both R.A. Dickey and J.A. Happ.

Sanchez has thrown 125 1/3 innings this season, eight short of his career high at several levels in 2014, and it seems to only a matter of time until the Jays move him to the bullpen in an attempt to save his innings.

"It's something I can't control," Sanchez said. "I'm going to go out there and take the ball every five days until they tell me not to. That's all I'm worried about really. When the time comes, then we'll have to worry about it. For now, just continue to do what I have been doing."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Brewers (39-52) at Pirates (48-45)

Game: 2
Venue: PNC Park
Date: July 20, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Pirates, once again in the running for the National League wild-card playoff game they've played host to the last three seasons, still haven't solidified a starting rotation 93 games into the 2016 season.

Left-hander Jeff Locke (8-5) tries to add a bit of clarification on Wednesday night as he takes on another struggling starter, right-hander Chase Anderson (4-10), in the second game of a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Pirates come in with two straight wins and 11 in their 15 games. The Brewers have dropped five of six.

Locke's record looks OK - he is 3-0 in his last four starts and 7-2 in his last 10 -- but he has a 5.26 ERA and yielded a troubling 27 earned runs in 31 1/3 innings. And despite being a left-hander who has shown he can win consistently in the majors, he hears rumors nearly every time he starts that he's on the trading block.

The Pirates haven't done much to quiet the talk, as they hold in-season auditions for their rotation that, of late, added right-hander Jameson Taillon from Triple-A and auditioned right-hander Chad Kuhl -- who pitched six innings of one-hit shutout ball on Sunday in Washington -- and right-hander Tyler Glasnow, who is expected to return from Triple-A Indianapolis to start Saturday against the Dodgers. Taillon held the Brewers to one run in six innings on Tuesday night.

In all, eight Pirates made their major league debuts in the first half of the season, prompting manager Clint Hurdle to say Tuesday, "The scenario (for that) had to be crazy, and it was."

More young pitching could be on the way, too, making this start even more important for Locke as the trading deadline approaches.

What the Pirates want is more offense. They've been held to six runs in 44 innings in their last four games, one lasting 18 innings, and were held to five hits in their 3-2, last at-bat win over the Brewers on Tuesday night.

Josh Harrison hustled his way to a triple on a ball hit high off the wall in right-center field to start the bottom of the ninth, then scored on the play when second baseman Scooter Gennett's throw skipped past Harrison.

"This offense is just battling, playing through every day," Harrison said after the Pirates' second successive win. "Hitting is contagious, not hitting is contagious, regardless of what people say. ... That's the name of the game -- just keep plugging away. Just try to push across as many runs as possible."

Locke gave up plenty -- eight earned runs and 11 hits in nine innings in his last two starts -- while going only four innings against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 6 and five innings against the Oakland Athletics on July 1, but the Pirates combined for 14 runs while winning both games.

Anderson will start against Pittsburgh for the first time this season after going 0-4 with a 9.61 ERA in his last five starts, walking a career-high five in each of his last two outings. His last one was an 8-1 loss to St. Louis on July 9.

And not only is Anderson not winning, the Brewers aren't winning consistently when he goes to the mound, either. With opponents batting .266 with 18 home runs against Anderson, the Brewers are 5-12 in his 17 starts.

Anderson is 0-1 with a 5.65 ERA in three career starts against the Pirates, who are 3-1 against the Brewers this season -- with 15 games remaining.

The Brewers lost in the final inning in each of their last two games, including a 1-0 loss on Sunday in Cincinnati. Reliever Tyler Thornburg (3-4) took the loss in each.

"It's not fun when get walked off on, but for the most part we're playing good baseball," Gennett said. "We're in these games, and we've got to keep grinding and eventually we'll run into some win streaks."

The Brewers haven't won more than three straight since winning four in a row May 24-27.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Marlins (51-42) at Phillies (43-52)

Game: 3
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: July 20, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

PHILADELPHIA -- Jeremy Hellickson pitches against the Miami Marlins on Wednesday night.

The Philadelphia Phillies right-hander might very well be pitching for the Marlins in the near future.

Hellickson (6-7, 4.03 ERA) continues to be the subject of trade speculation, with the Aug. 1 non-waiver deadline approaching. MLB.com Marlins writer Joe Frisaro tweeted Monday that Miami is one of the teams that has expressed an interest in the veteran righty, who faces left-hander Wei-Yin Chen (5-3, 4.90) on Wednesday.

Hellickson, 29, has been hearing the scuttlebutt for a while now.

"Yeah, it's on my mind," he admitted after losing to the Mets last Friday, "just when I see it on Twitter and talk to you (media) guys about it. Other than that, I'm focused every day on doing what I have to do for the next start. Like I've said all along, I love it here and would love to be here the rest of the year, but obviously I've been through it before and know that side of the game. My focus is here and on my next start right now."

Hellickson, who gave up four runs over six innings in that loss to New York, was 2-0 with 1.50 ERA in his three previous starts. He is 1-1 with a 3.97 ERA in six career outings against Miami.

The Marlins, 51-42 and owners of a one-game lead in the race for the National League's second wild-card berth, are looking to solidify their rotation behind All-Star right-hander Jose Fernandez.

Chen, who went 46-32 in four years with the Baltimore Orioles, has had his ups and downs after signing with the Marlins as a free agent in January.

He took a no-decision in his last start, at St. Louis, allowing four runs on six hits in six innings, and he has yielded at least four earned runs in five of his last seven outings. Chen is 2-1 in that stretch despite a 6.00 ERA.

He is 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA in three career starts against Philadelphia.

The Marlins have won seven of their past eight games, taking each of the first two games in this four-game series against the Phillies in extra innings. Christian Yelich drove in the winning run Tuesday in a 2-1 victory with a 10th-inning single off reliever Daniel Stumpf.

"To be a good team, you have to win those close ones, games like tonight and last night," Yelich said Tuesday. "We know we're going to have to continue to do that in the second half if we want to go where we think we're headed. It's a good start. You just have to build on it."

Tommy Joseph hit his second homer in as many nights for Philadelphia, which lost for the fourth time in five games.

The Phillies managed just five hits Tuesday, and over their past three games (all losses), they have generated three runs and 10 hits while striking out 34 times. They fanned 11 times against five Marlins pitchers Tuesday.

"We're in that hitting funk again," manager Pete Mackanin said. "We're just not swinging the bats. Too many bad at-bats. We're not grinding out at-bats, and we need to do that. ... Too many called third strikes with men in scoring position. That's a pet peeve of mine, and we're going to address that."

He plans to do that in a team meeting.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Dodgers (53-42) at Nationals (56-38)

Game: 2
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: July 20, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- It is July and so roster moves are common and attrition takes its toll on the pitching staffs of major league teams.

That is certainly the case for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals, who continue their three-game series on Wednesday at Nationals Park.

Bud Norris will make the start for the Dodgers, who had originally listed Hyun-Jin Ryu as the starter for the second game of the series.

But the South Korean native went on the 15-day disabled list before Tuesday's game, retroactive to July 9, with elbow tendinitis.

And there was more bad news Tuesday. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Clayton Kershaw, who is on the disabled list, suffered a setback and it is not certain when he will pitch again.

"After he threw that live session, the next day, Sunday, (he) didn't feel great," Roberts told reporters. "I think at that point in time it let us know we had to be a little more on the cautious side. So right now with Clayton, I don't know if it's a step back, but we're going to let this back pain subside and see where we go. As far as his return -- uncertain."

Norris is 2-3 in six career starts against the Nationals and has also made three outings out of the bullpen, with a 5.58 ERA.

"We have Bud going tomorrow," Roberts said Tuesday. "We will try to win a ballgame."

Washington's Wilson Ramos, who was off Tuesday, is hitting .474 in 19 at-bats with one homer against Norris.

Daniel Murphy is batting .333 with homers in 18 at-bats against Norris, who pitched earlier this season for the Atlanta Braves.

Stephen Drew has one homer in 25 at-bats against Norris, with a .360 average. Jayson Werth is hitting .143 against Norris in 21 at-bats.

The Nationals are slated to start veteran left-hander and former Oakland pitcher Gio Gonzalez, who had pitched better of late after a bad patch in June. He has a 1.73 ERA in four career starts against the Dodgers.

Gonzalez will try to right the ship after rookie Reynaldo Lopez was hit hard in his big league debut on Tuesday against the Dodgers.

The Nationals are without starter Joe Ross, who has been on the disabled list since July 3 with right shoulder inflammation. Ross did throw before Tuesday's game and could make a minor league rehab appearance later this week.

"He looked very good today. He threw 35 consecutive pitches today. He had good velocity, good slider. Barring setbacks, he may go out and pitch somewhere this weekend," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said Tuesday.

Gonzalez last pitched July 10 in New York against the Mets and picked up the win in a 3-2 game.

Chase Utley is hitting .150 in 20 at-bats against Gonzalez and Justin Turner is batting .154 in 13 trips to the plate against the Miami-area native.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Orioles (53-39) at Yankees (47-46)

Game: 3
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: July 20, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- One of the biggest indications of how inconsistent the New York Yankees have been is their inability get more than one game over .500.

Since May 22, the Yankees have gone one game over .500 on two occasions only to slide back into wandering around and below the break-even mark.

The Yankees will get their next chance at going two games over .500 Wednesday night when they continue a four-game series with the Baltimore Orioles.

The Yankees (47-46) have won seven of their last 11 games and are 3-2 on a crucial homestand that many believe will determine their plans at the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline.

After getting to .500 with Monday's 2-1 win, New York went one game over for the first time since June 24 with Tuesday's 7-1 win. Starlin Castro homered for the first time in 22 games and drove in four runs while Nathan Eovaldi allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings and Anthony Swarzak highlighted 2 2/3 perfect innings by getting out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth.

The performances by Castro and Swarzak helped ensure New York's late-inning trio of hard-throwers Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman will be available for the final two games of the series.

Since starting to hover around .500 in mid-May, the Yankees went one game at 31-30 following a 4-0 win over Detroit on June 10. New York then dropped four straight and did not get over .500 again until a 2-1 win over Minnesota left them at 37-36 on June 24.

New York then lost seven of its next 11 before closing the All-Star break with three wins in Cleveland.

"It's been frustrating this year because we've been here so many times and we haven't been able to break through for a number of different reasons," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "Sometimes it's been offense, sometimes it's been pitching. It hasn't just been one reason but it's been frustrating because I feel like if we can get over that mark, we can build on it."

The last three wins have shaved Baltimore's lead over the fourth-place Yankees to 6 1/2 games. It is the first time the Yankees trail by less than seven games since June 24.

Baltimore has lost three straight for the second time this month. The Orioles also lost their first four games of July as part of a five-game losing streak.

The Orioles offense is batting .268. During their first five games, the Orioles are batting .193 (31-for-161).

"We don't say, well this is just que sera, something that comes about," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "You can't live in that world. We're better than that. I know our guys are frustrated but you also got to tip your hat to their pitching."

Since the break, Adam Jones is 3-for-20, Manny Machado is 2-for-17 and Mark Trumbo is 4-for-19. The Orioles have played the last two games without first baseman Chris Davis (stomach virus) and also played Tuesday without Matt Wieters (sore right foot).

Both might play Wednesday but losing while shorthanded is not an excuse for the Orioles.

"We've been without people all year just like the Yankees have and just like everybody has," Showalter said. "It's part of the gig. You don't stomach it and find an excuse. We don't live in those worlds."

After getting effective outings from Masahiro Tanaka, Ivan Nova and Nathan Eovaldi, the Yankees will send Michael Pineda (3-9, 5.56) to the mound. The Yankees will hope Pineda has better fastball command this time around after allowing three home runs in 5 2/3 innings to the Boston Red Sox in Friday's 5-3 loss.

"They've all done a good job and it needs to start over with Michael tomorrow," Girardi said. "That's how you put long streaks together."

Pineda is winless in his last six starts and Friday's loss dropped him to 0-3 with a 4.46 ERA in those outings.

The right-hander has defined inconsistency by allowing two earned runs or less in eight starts and five runs or more in seven other outings.

Pineda has not faced the Orioles this season and is 3-2 with a 4.10 ERA in nine outings against Baltimore. In New York, he is 2-0 with a 1.98 ERA in four matchups against the Orioles, including a career-high 16 strikeout game May 10, 2015.

Yovani Gallardo will get the start for Baltimore and will make his seventh start since returning from missing two months due to a right shoulder injury. Since returning June 18, Gallardo is 2-0 with a 6.04 ERA and, in those starts, the Orioles have averaged 5.6 runs per game.

Gallardo is 1-1 with a 5.60 ERA in three starts against the Yankees. He last played New York at Yankee Stadium May 24, 2015 for the Texas Rangers when he allowed two runs and four hits over six innings during a 5-2 win.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (57-37) at Red Sox (52-39)

Game: 2
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: July 20, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

BOSTON -- Drew Pomeranz insists he's ready for whatever the Boston Red Sox ask him to do, but the task at hand is one that's relatively new to the 27-year-old southpaw.

The assignment? A shutdown pitcher for a big-market team in a hitter-friendly ballpark.

"I've done literally everything there is to do on a baseball field as a pitcher," he said after being traded to Boston from San Diego last Thursday. "You could shove me out there in any situation, I've done it."

He's started games, he's closed them -- and everything in between.

One thing Pomeranz hasn't done yet is pitch in a Red Sox uniform, but he'll get the chance in Wednesday's series finale against the San Francisco Giants at Fenway Park.

"Pretty excited to go to Boston," Pomeranz said. "It's a great city, great team. They've been doing well all year. They're right there in the race.

"They want to win here, and I want to win, too."

Pomeranz (8-7, 2.47 ERA) faces a familiar foe in his Red Sox debut, a Giants team he's already faced three times this season and was scheduled to start against last Sunday before the trade.

Boston (52-39) earned a 4-0 victory over the league-leading Giants (57-37), which has never won in four tries at Fenway Park since moving to San Francisco in 1958.

The Giants suffered a three-game sweep at Fenway in 2007.

Pomeranz, a first-time All-Star, is 0-2 with a 2.60 ERA in three starts against San Francisco this season and 1-4 with a 4.54 ERA over nine appearances (seven starts) lifetime.

Buster Posey is 6-for-13 (.462) with two homers and three RBIs against Pomeranz. The only Giants player who has hit Pomeranz harder is Hunter Pence (4-for-14, four homers, eight RBIs).

Pence, however, won't be a factor, as he was held out of a rehab game with Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday for precautionary reasons. He's been out since June 1 with a right hamstring strain.

Second baseman Joe Panik (concussion) rehabbed with Sacramento on Tuesday as he recovers from being hit in the head by a pitch June 18 at Tampa Bay.

Pomeranz's debut with the Red Sox is poised to overshadow the return of San Francisco's Matt Cain (1-5, 5.34 ERA), who will be making his first start since returning from the disabled list.

Cain hasn't pitched since June 13, when he sustained a right hamstring strain. He was 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA over three minor-league rehab starts, allowing 13 runs and 14 hits in 13 innings.

"He's ready to go," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. "He's got no issues with the hamstring. We just hope he's sharp and gives his team a chance to win."

The three-time All-Star has faced Boston once, giving up a run on three hits with three strikeouts over seven innings during the Giants' only prior trip to Fenway in June 2007.

Hanley Ramirez, who spent three seasons in the National League West with the Los Angeles Dodgers, has hit Cain well, going 13-for-47 with two homers and five RBIs.

Aaron Hill, a utility infielder the Red Sox also recently acquired, is 9-for-32 (.281) with two triples, a homer and three RBIs against Cain.

Boston may be without another late-inning reliever, as Koji Uehara departed Tuesday's appearance after throwing just seven pitches in the ninth inning.

He was diagnosed with a pectoral strain.

The Red Sox are already without Junichi Tazawa (right shoulder impingement), but he threw all of his pitchers in Tuesday's simulated game and is likely to return Friday.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (55-39) at Angels (41-52)

Game: 3
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: July 20, 2016 10:05 PM EDT

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Hector Santiago says he doesn't want to be traded, but if he keeps pitching like he is, he could draw plenty of interest from teams looking to make a playoff push.
The non-waiver trading deadline is less than two weeks away, meaning Santiago's start for the Los Angeles Angels Wednesday against the Texas Rangers could be his last if the club decides to deal him.
Santiago has a lot going for him -- he's left-handed, he has experience out of the bullpen, and most notably, he's on a roll.
Santiago has thrown 22 consecutive innings without giving up an earned run. He's lost just once over his last nine starts, the club going 7-2 in those games. However, he hasn't been very good against the Rangers, going 0-2 with a 7.07 ERA in three starts this season.
The Rangers, though figure to see a different Santiago than the one they saw earlier this season.
"It's a combination of really good stuff with command," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Santiago's impressive stretch. "Not only is he getting the ball in the zone, he's getting it into good spots. He's pitching in well, changing speeds, getting the ball to the outside corner, he has some great life on his stuff."
Trading Santiago, though, might not make financial sense to the Angels. Santiago is making $5 million this year and is eligible for arbitration in 2017. He isn't eligible for free agency until 2018.
Left-hander Martin Perez will start for Texas.
The Rangers figure to be involved in trade talks as well in the coming days, as infielder Jurickson Profar seems to be drawing plenty of interest. He didn't start Tuesday's game against the Angels, but he has started games this season at four different positions -- first base, second base, shortstop and third base -- as well as designated hitter.
And now, Profar is taking fly balls in the outfield, expanding manager Jeff Banister's options to get him in the lineup more often. Profar leads the team in hitting with a .316 average.
"We are trying to expand his skill set," Banister told MLB.com. "This is something we talked about. Look, he has been here long enough and we have challenged him to do a number of things and he has answered all the challenges. We like the professional at-bats he gives us. Expanding his versatility helps him out and helps us out. Players force you to either play them or take them out. He continues to play well."
Profar said he has no problem moving around the field this year, but wants to be a starting shortstop next year, even if that means a trade.
"I have no problem with that if it's going to make the team better," Profar told MLB.com. "That means I'm playing very good. That makes me happy."
Profar's versatility, though, would seem to make him a more valuable tool for the Rangers' playoff push.
One Ranger who isn't going anywhere is third baseman Adrian Beltre, who loves playing at Angel Stadium. He has more homers (19) and RBIs (67) in Anaheim than any other road ballpark.
And those 19 homers are the fifth most by any visiting player in Anaheim, trailing Alex Rodriguez (38), Jose Canseco (24), Juan Gonzalez (24), and Rafael Palmeiro (24). All five, by the way, played part of their careers with the Rangers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Wednesday, July 20, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

The Aug. 1 trade deadline �" it was moved off July 31 this year because that's a Sunday �" is rapidly approaching and a new, interesting name has apparently been made available: Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig. The Cuban has superstar potential but apparently is a bit of a diva and isn't having a great season, batting .257 with seven homers and 31 RBIs entering Tuesday. His performance has declined since his 2013 rookie year. He's also only 25 and owed just $14 million combined over the next two seasons. The Dodgers have had a ton of outfielders get injured so it's curious they would trade one. But apparently they'd like an OF back that has a bit more power. Perhaps Puig to Cincinnati for Jay Bruce? That kind of deal might help both clubs.


Mets at Cubs (-171, TBA)

This is a 2 p.m. ET first pitch, will be televised by ESPN and have live betting at sportsbooks. If these teams play again in 2016, it most likely will be in the NLDS. The Cubs are going to win the NL Central and I think finish with the best record in the NL. Thus they would then get the wild-card winner in the division series and there's a solid chance the Mets get to that game. New York starts All-Star Bartolo Colon here. Colon (8-4, 3.11) was perfect thought 4.1 innings Friday at Philadelphia but ended up allowing three runs (none earned) in 5.2 innings in the victory. He also beat the Cubs on July 2, allowing two runs and four hits over six innings. Jason Heyward is a career .350 hitter off him with a homer and four RBIs in 20 at-bats. Ben Zobrist is 8-for-16 off him with four homers. The Cubs go with Kyle Hendricks (8-6, 2.41). He came out of the break with a win over Texas on Friday, shutting out the Rangers over six innings on three hits. He didn't face the Mets earlier this year. Hendricks is 6-1 with a 1.50 ERA in 10 home games in 2016.

Key trends: The Mets are 1-10 in Colon's past 11 on Wednesday. The Cubs are 4-0 in Hendricks' past four at home vs. teams with a winning record. The "over/under" has gone under in seven of his past nine at home vs. teams with a winning record.

Early lean: Cubs and under (total likely 8 if wind not blowing out).

White Sox at Mariners (-180, 8)

A 3:40 p.m. ET start. Perhaps Seattle can get back into the wild-card/AL West race now that ace Felix Hernandez (4-4, 2.86) is set to return from a long DL stint on Wednesday. He hasn't started since May 27 due to a strained right calf. It was the longest DL stint of the normally durable Hernandez's career. King Felix says he's 100 percent and will have no restrictions. He’s 4-6 with a 3.80 ERA in 16 career starts vs. the White Sox. Newly activated Justin Morneau can't hit him, going 5-for-37 with 10 strikeouts. Brett Lawrie is 8-for-22 against him with a homer. The sliding White Sox go with No. 5 starter Miguel Gonzalez (2-5, 4.40). He lost Friday at the Angels, allowing four runs and five hits over six innings. He hasn't faced Seattle in 2016. Nelson Cruz is 4-for-11 off him with a homer.

Key trends: The Mariners are 6-1 in Hernandez's past seven on Wednesday. The under is 4-1 in Gonzalez's past five. The under is 4-1-2 in Hernandez's past seven at home.

Early lean: Mariners and under.

Giants at Red Sox (-170, 10)

This is an ESPN game and also will have live betting. It's the Boston debut of former Padres All-Star lefty Drew Pomeranz (8-7, 2.47), acquired last week for one of the Red Sox's top pitching prospects. It's the fourth time in Pomeranz's career he has been traded. He hasn't lost since June 14 and shut out the Dodgers on two hits over seven innings in his most recent start back on July 7. Pomeranz has made only three appearances (all in relief) at Fenway Park in his career. He is 0-2 with a 2.60 ERA in three starts against the Giants, who add the DH, this year. Buster Posey is 6-for-13 off him with two homers career off him. Brandon Belt is 0-for-6. The Giants will activate Matt Cain (1-5, 5.34) off the DL. He hasn't pitched since June 13 with an injured right hamstring. The Red Sox's Hanley Ramirez is 13-for-47 off him with two homers and 10 strikeouts. David Ortiz is 0-for-2.

Key trends: The Giants are 1-6 in Cain's past seven on the road. The over is 7-2-1 in his past 10 away from home.

Early lean: Red Sox and over.

Orioles at Yankees (-140, 9.5)

Baltimore will be holding its breath on X-ray results on the right foot of catcher Matt Wieters. He had them Monday night following the Orioles' loss to the Yankees and the results haven't been released as of this writing. Wieters was hit by a pitch in the first inning but did play the entire game so that's encouraging. Wieters, who played in his fourth career All-Star Game last week, is hitting .250 with nine homers and 38 RBIs. The Birds start Yovani Gallardo (3-1, 5.77) on the mound. He took a no-decision on Friday at Tampa Bay, allowing three runs in five innings. Gallardo hasn't faced the Yankees this year. Starlin Castro is a career .390 hitter off him in 41 at-bats. Chase Headley is 9-for-25 against Gallardo with a homer. The Yanks go with Michael Pineda (3-9, 5.56). He was roughed up Friday by Boston, allowing five runs and five hits (three homers) in five innings. Pineda hasn't faced Baltimore this year. J.J. Hardy is 7-for-15 career against him with three homers.

Key trends: The Orioles are 5-1 in Gallardo's past six. The Yankees are 1-8 in Pineda's past nine vs. the AL East. The over is 4-0-1 in Pineda's past five against Baltimore.

Early lean: Orioles and over.

Marlins at Phillies (+110, 8)

If Jeremy Hellickson (6-7, 4.03) pitches well here for the Phillies, there's a pretty good chance it will be his last in their uniform as there's little doubt he's going to be traded by Aug. 1. And one team you often hear after him is the club he faces here: Miami. Hellickson had a streak of four straight quality starts end Friday vs. the Mets, allowing four runs in six innings. He is 1-0 with a 3.97 ERA in two starts this year against the Marlins. Marcell Ozuna is 4-for-9 off him with a homer. Giancarlo Stanton is 1-for-10 with a homer. Marlins lefty Wei-Yin Chen (5-3, 4.90) comes off a no-decision on Friday in St. Louis, allowing four runs and six hits over six innings. He is 0-1 with a 4.91 ERA in two starts against the Phillies this year. Peter Bourjos is 3-for-6 off him with three RBIs. Tommy Joseph is 3-for-3 with a homer.

Key trends: The Marlins are 5-1 in Chens' past six. The Phillies are 2-5 in Hellickson's past seven at home. The over is 5-1 in Chen's past six on the road.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Indians have conditions on their side'

Cleveland Indians at Kansas City Royals July 20, 2:15 EST

When a series of baseball betting trends point in one direction, the baseball handicapping industry takes notice. And, that's the case Wednesday afternoon when Indians and Royals close out their three-game set. Tribe have won 6 of the last 7 Carrasco starts at Kaufman Stadium, 6 of the hurler's last 8 road starts, 6 of his last 7 vs a division opponent.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'Halos sweep'

Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Angels July 20, 10:05 EST

The closing matchup of a three-game series between Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers features two teams and starters coming at it from opposite ends of the spectrum.

As a team, Halos are on a solid stretch winning 9 of their last 11, the Rangers hitting a rough patch are 2-8 the past ten, 4-13 the past seventeen.

Halos hand starting duties to Hector Santiago. The southpaw carrying a 7-4 record, 4.27 ERA is 3-0 his last three allowing just a single run with a sparling 20-8 KW ratio. Halos have won four of the last five games that Santiago has started in front of the home audience and nine of the past twelve dating back to last season including 2-0 vs Rangers. Halos have won each of Santiago's last six at home facing a division opponent and have a 9-3 stretch in his last twelve July starts.

Rangers count on lefty Martin Perez who is 7-6 with a 4.05 ERA on the campaign and 0-2 his last three with a whopping 7.56 ERA getting smacked for 19 runs over 16 2/3 innings. Perez has not been a peg to hand your hopes on when taking the hill in an opposing park. Perez is 1-11 past 18 in unfriendly territory with Rangers 7-11 over the span including 0-2 in Halos backyard.

The numbers above illustrate Halos are primed to sweep the series.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Wednesday's games

National League

Marlins @ Phillies
Chen is 1-1, 3.91 in his last four starts; over is 7-3 in his last ten. Marlins are 5-4 in his road starts.

Hellickson is 2-1, 3.38 in his last four starts; under is 10-3 in his last 13. Phllies are 5-6 in his home starts.

Marlins won seven of last eight games; under is 7-3 in their last ten games. Philly lost four of last five games, under is 11-2-1 in its last 14 at home.

Brewers @ Pirates
Anderson is 0-4, 11.04 in his last four starts; over is 4-0-1 in his last five. Milwaukee is 2-6 in his road starts.

Locke is 3-0, 3.57 in his last four starts; over is 13-3 in his last 16. Pittsburgh won his last four home starts.

Brewers lost five of their last six games; under is 6-2-2 in their last ten games. Pittsburgh won 11 of its last 15 games; five of last six Pirate home games went over the total.

Dodgers @ Nationals
Norris is 2-0, 3.94 in three starts for the Dodgers (over 2-1).

Gonzalez is 2-3, 7.27 in his last five starts; over is 8-4-1 in his last 13. Nationals lost four of his last five home starts.

Dodgers are 7-9 in last 16 road games, six of LA's last eight road games went over total. Washington won five of its last seven games; six of last seven National games stayed under. .

Braves @ Reds
Harrell is 1-1, 4.67 in his three starts (over 2-1).

DeSclafani is 4-0, 2.67 in his last five starts; under is 3-0-1 in his last four.

Atlanta won four of last six road games; under is 11-4-1 in last 15 road games. Cincinnati lost nine of last 13 home games, over is 15-7-2 in Reds' last 24 games.

Mets @ Cubs
Colon is 4-1, 3.62 in his last seven starts; under is 3-1-1 in his last five. Mets are 6-3 when he starts on foreign soil.

Hendricks is 4-0, 2.48 in his last five starts (over 4-1). Cubs are 7-2 in his home starts.

Mets lost nine of last 14 road games; under is 16-4 in New York's last 20 road games. Cubs won four of last six games; last seven games at Wrigley Field stayed under.

Padres @ Cardinals
Rea is 2-0, 4.91 in his last four starts; nine of his last 11 went over. San Diego won five of his six road starts. Clemens was 1-0, 6.30 in two starts for Miami this year (over 1-1).

Martinez is 4-1, 1.49 in his last eight starts; under is 5-0-1 in his last six. Cardinals lost six of his last seven home starts. Garcia is 2-0, 4.55 in his last five starts; over is 3-0-1 in his last four. St Louis is 3-7 in his home starts.

Padres won three of last four games; their last three games went over. St Louis lost five of last eight home games; three of their last four games went over.


American League

Orioles @ New York
Gausman is 0-2, 4.58 in his last three starts; under is 9-2 in his last 11 starts. Baltimore lost six of his last seven road starts.

Pineda is 0-3, 4.72 in his last six starts (under 5-1). New York is 5-5 in his home starts.

Orioles are 4-8 in their last 12 road games, their last seven games stayed under. New York won five of its last seven games, their last five games stayed under.

Twins @ Tigers
Santana is 1-1, 2.45 in his last four starts (under 4-0). Minnesota lost six of his seven road starts.

Verlander is 2-0, 2.75 in his last three starts; under is 8-2 in his last 10 starts. Detroit won four of his last five home starts.

Minnesota is 9-5 in its last 14 games; six of Twins' last eight road games went over total. Detroit won five of last seven home games, 11 of its last 14 games stayed under the total.

Indians @ Royals
Carrasco is 4-1, 2.48 in his last six starts; six of his last eight stayed under. Cleveland is 5-2 in his last eight starts.

Kennedy is 1-1, 2.70 in his last four starts; his last five stayed under. Kansas City won five of his six home starts.

Indians won 11 of last 15 road games; over is 8-2-1 in Tribe's last 11 games. Kansas City lost nine of last 13 games; last three KC home games went over the total. Cleveland lost five of its last six games in Kansas City.

Astros @ A's
Fister is 1-3, 5.18 in his last four starts; three of his last four road starts stayed under. Astros are 7-3 in his road starts.

Mengden is 0-1, 11.48 in his last three starts; his last four went over the total.

Astros lost three of last four games; four of their last six road games went over. Oakland won four of its last five games; over is 4-1-1 in their last six home games.

Rangers @ Angels
Perez is 0-2, 15.83 in his last two starts; three of his last four stayed under. Texas is 4-6 in his road starts.

Santiago is 4-0, 2.11 in his last six starts; over is 10-4 in his last 14. Angels are 6-3 when he starts at home.

Texas lost 13 of last 17 games; over is 10-3-1 in their last 14 games. Angels won nine of last 11 games, their last three games all went over the total.

White Sox @ Mariners
Gonzalez is 1-2, 3.15 in his last three starts; six of his last eight stayed under. White Sox are 4-4 in his road starts.

Hernandez makes his first start since May 27; he is 2-2, 3.76 in his last four starts. Under is 7-2-1 in his starts this year.

White Sox lost four of last five games, four of their last five games stayed under. Seattle lost eight of last 11 games; four of their last six home games went over.


Interleague

Giants @ Red Sox
Cain was 1-1, 2.39 in his last five starts; over is 5-3 in his last eight. Giants lost three of his four road starts.

Pomeranz makes first Boston start; he was 3-0, 1.33 in his last four starts for San Diego. Under is 11-2 in his last thirteen starts.

Giants lost their last four games; over is 5-2-1 in their last eight road games. Boston won nine of last 11 games; last six Boston games stayed under the total.

Rays @ Rockies
Archer is 0-6, 4.80 in his last seven starts (under 5-2). Rays are 4-7 in his road starts.

De la Rosa is 4-2, 2.68 in his last six starts (over 8-4). Colorado won three of his last four home starts.

Tampa Bay lost 11 of last 12 road games; Rays' last seven games stayed under the total. Colorado is 10-7 in last 17 home games, four of its last five home games stayed under.

Blue Jays @ Diamondbacks
Stroman is 1-2, 6.75 in his last five starts; three of his last four stayed under. Toronto lost four of its last five road starts.

Corbin is 0-2, 11.09 in his last four starts (over 4-0). Arizona is 1-8 in his home starts.

Toronto is 5-7 in its last 12 road games, under is 6-2-1 in their last nine games. Arizona lost 14 of last 18 games; over is 8-2-1 in their last eleven home games.


Teams won-lost records when this pitcher starts:

Mia-Phil-- Chen 11-7; Hellickson 9-10
Mil-Pitt-- Anderson 5-12; Locke 9-8 (8-2 last 10)
LA-Wsh-- Norris 2-1/5-5; Gonzalez 7-11
Atl-Cin-- Harrell 2-1; DeSclafani 5-2
NY-Chi-- Colon 12-6 (7-1 last 8); Hendricks 10-7 (5-0 last 5)
SD-StL-- Rea 10-6 Clemens 0-0/1-1; Martinez 8-9 Garcia 9-9

Balt-NY-- Gausman 6-10; Pineda 8-10
Min-Det-- Santana 3-14; Verlander 11-8
Cle-KC-- Carrasco 10-3; Kennedy 9-9 (2-6 last 8)
Hst-A's-- Fister 12-6; Mengden 2-5
Tex-LAA-- Perez 10-9; Santiago 13-6
Chi-Sea-- Gonzalez 6-7; Hernandez 5-5

SF-Bos-- Cain 4-7; Pomeranz 0-0/9-8
TB-Colo-- Archer 5-15; De la Rosa 6-6
Tor-Az-- Stroman 9-10; Corbin 7-12


Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning:

Mia-Phil-- Chen 2-18; Hellickson 6-19
Mil-Pitt-- Anderson 7-17; Locke 5-17
LA-Wsh-- Norris 2-13; Gonzalez 5-18 (4 of last 5)
Atl-Cin-- Harrell 1-3; DeSclafani 3-7
NY-Chi-- Colon 6-17; Hendricks 4-7
SD-StL-- Rea 10-6 Clemens 0-2; Martinez 8-9 Garcia 6-18

Balt-NY-- Gausman 6-10; Pineda 7-18
Min-Det-- Santana 5-17; Verlander 7-19
Cle-KC-- Carrasco 3-13; Kennedy 6-18
Hst-A's-- Fister 3-18; Mengden 0-7
Tex-LAA-- Perez 6-19; Santiago 8-19 (0 of last 6)
Chi-Sea-- Gonzalez 6-13; Hernandez 0-10

SF-Bos-- Cain 2-11; Pomeranz 4-17
TB-Colo-- Archer 9-20; De la Rosa 5-12
Tor-Az-- Stroman 5-19; Corbin 8-19


Umpires

Mia-Phil-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Diaz games.
Atl-Cin-- Last three Hernandez games stayed under.
NY-Chi-- Seven of last ten Wolf games stayed under.
Mil-Pitt-- Five of last six Holbrook games stayed under.
LA-Wsh-- Over is 10-0-2 in last twelve Wolcott games.
SD-StL-- Over is 6-3-2 in last eleven Vanover games. Four of last five Guccione games went under the total.

Balt-NY-- Over is 10-1-1 in last twelve Knight games.
Min-Det-- Five of last seven Barry games stayed under.
Cle--KC-- Eight of last ten Blakney games stayed under.
Hst-A's-- 10 of last 13 O'Nora games stayed under.
Tex-LA-- Underdogs won seven of last 11 Muchlinski games.
Chi-Sea-- Over is 8-4 in last twelve Fletcher games.

TB-Colo-- Under is 6-2-1 in last nine Emmel games.
Tor-Az-- Home side won nine of last eleven Demuth games.
SF-Bos-- Last three Scheurwater games went over total.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Wednesday's six-pack

Favorites in each NFL division this coming season......

-- NFC East: Washington Redskins 3.75-1

-- NFC North: Green Baay Packers 5-9

-- NFC South: Carolina 4-11

-- NFC West: Seattle Seahawks 5-7

-- AFC East: New England Patriots 4-11

-- AFC North Pittsburgh Steelers, even

-- AFC South: Indianapolis Colts 7-5

-- AFC West: Kansas City Chiefs 8-5

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

#1 Sports

Wednesday's Free Selection: Boston Red Sox - 185