Wednesday 7/27/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockies (48-52) at Orioles (58-41)

Game: 3
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: July 27, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

BALTIMORE -- The resurgent Colorado Rockies will look to take the three-game series with the first-place Baltimore Orioles in the finale on Wednesday.

After dropping the opener on a throwing error by right-hander Jordan Lyles in the 10th inning, the Rockies bounced back with a solid 6-3 victory on Tuesday night at Camden Yards. Colorado has won five of its past six games and is playing with confidence.

"I think we've come out of the break pretty well," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "I've been telling the club all year that we're going to get better and better as the year goes on.

"That had not been our history over the past few years. We've kind of faded the deeper we got into the season. I feel like this is a different group and we're built to sustain success better than we have over the past few years."

Baltimore is also playing well, but its five-game winning streak ended Tuesday. The Orioles have the best home record in the major leagues at 37-15, and will look to quickly put the latest setback behind them.

Right-hander Dylan Bundy (3-2, 3.30 ERA) is trying to make his case to remain in the rotation for the rest of the season. In his last start, Bundy picked up his first major league win as a starter in the Orioles' 5-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Bundy went five innings and threw 87 pitches, which were both career highs.

"It's great to give the team five innings and go out there and give the team a chance to win," Bundy said. "That's the starter's goal in the game is to give the team a chance to win."

Bundy was the fourth overall pick in the 2011 draft but underwent Tommy John surgery two years later. Orioles manager Buck Showalter is confident that Bundy could remain a starter for the rest of the season, as opposed to working out of the bullpen, without jeopardizing his health.

"I've talked to a lot of people about it medically, trainers and pitching coaches, and everyone's in agreement," Showalter said. "All this stuff about increment jumps and all that, it's very convenient to say all those things, but there's nothing to back it up. It's all individual."

The Rockies will counter with 24-year-old right-hander Jon Gray (6-4, 4.12 ERA). In his last start, Gray was dominant and allowed just one run and struck out eight in seven innings in a 4-3 victory over the Atlanta Braves. He leads the team with 12 quality starts.

On Monday, the Rockies promoted top outfield prospect David Dahl and he started the past two games in left field. He has gone 2-for-8.

The influx of young talent, along with several talented veterans, has provided Weiss with a wide array of choices with his lineup.

"I do like the mix," Weiss said. "Ideally, there has to be a mix. You can't be exclusively young or exclusively old. You're in trouble either way. I like the combination of youth and veterans that we have."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (53-47) at Mets (53-46)

Game: 3
Venue: Citi Field
Date: July 27, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The St. Louis Cardinals were disappointed that a long day did not result in them shaking hands twice following wins.

They hope Adam Wainwright gives them a reason for handshakes.

After getting a split of Tuesday's doubleheader, Wainwright will be on the mound when the Cardinals conclude their three-game series with the New York Mets.

St. Louis had decent enough pitching Tuesday as Carlos Martinez and Jaime Garcia each allowed two earned runs in five innings. Other than Jedd Gyorko their offense went cold, especially in the second game when the Cardinals struck out 12 times and had four hits off Bartolo Colon and two relievers in a 3-1 loss in the nightcap.

"I don't think of it as a split, I think of it as a lost game right there," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "We already shook hands on the one earlier, it's a whole new game. We don't like losing any game, ever."

Wainwright will be entrusted with helping the Cardinals win the first series of their 10-game road trip.

Wainwright leads the majors with a 0.93 ERA this month, allowing three runs in 29 innings. He also has not a home run in his last 60 2/3 innings, going back to when Ryan Zimmerman homered off him May 28.

If Wainwright can pitch seven more innings without allowing a home run, it will surpass the longest streak of his career. From Sept. 7, 2014-April 3, he had 67 innings without doing so.

Wainwright last pitched in Thursday's 6-5 win over San Diego and did not get a decision after allowing two runs and seven hits in six innings as his teammates rallied from a 5-1 deficit. Although he did not get a decision, the Cardinals are 13-3 in his last 16 starts.

Besides Wainwright's success this month, he is 51-28 with a 3.01 ERA after the All-Star break. His .646 winning percentage is third among active pitchers behind Clayton Kershaw and David Price while his ERA ranks behind Kershaw and Cole Hamels.

The right-hander has actually struggled against the Mets, although he struck out Carlos Beltran to send the Cardinals to the 2006 World Series. Wainwright is 3-4 with a 5.13 ERA in nine appearances (seven starts) against New York and his ERA is the third-highest amongst active pitchers against the Mets behind Vance Worley and Chris Capuano.

He last faced the Mets April 22, 2014 in New York when he allowed four hits in seven innings during a 3-0 win.

Wainwright will be hoping to get some support from the home run. The Cardinals have 138 home runs and have homered in 17 straight games, two shy of the 2006 club record.

"Up and down the lineup you got guys who can on any given night go out and hit the ball over the fence," Gyorko said. "That's a luxury to have, that any guy in the lineup can change a game."

The Mets have won 10 of their last 15 home games and trail Washington by 4 1/2 games in the NL East and Miami by a half-game in the wild card race.

"This is crunch time," New York manager Terry Collins said. Say whatever you want, this is the time where we gotta win games, string them together, win eight out of 10, I don't care what you say, we gotta win games. This is when the good teams win them."

Logan Verrett will make his first career start against the Cardinals. He is 3-6 with a 4.14 ERA and 1-4 with a 4.97 ERA as a starting pitcher.

He is in the rotation due to Matt Harvey's absence and has lost his last six decisions. He last pitched Friday in a 5-3 victory at Miami and allowed two runs and four hits in 5 1/3 innings of a no-decision.

The Mets will be without third baseman Jose Reyes for the next few days. He sustained a Grade 1 intercostal strain on his final swing of the 3-2 loss in the opener.

Wilmer Flores, who had three hits in the nightcap, will start at third base until Reyes returns. Flores is batting .340 (17-for-50) in 17 games this month.

"He's done a great job," Collins said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics (46-55) at Rangers (58-43)

Game: 3
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: July 27, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Oakland Athletics are in position to win another series due to a simple formula.

"Our pitching's been better, and our lineup's doing things we really haven't done in the past," Josh Reddick said after Tuesday night's 6-3 at Texas. "We're just stringing hits together, and we used the long ball effectively tonight.

"It's just about getting our lineup going one through nine and not relying on our 3-4-5 guys every night. We've got guys who can pick up this team at any given moment."

The three-game set at Texas is tied 1-1 going into the finale Wednesday night at Globe Life Park. The A's (46-55) are 8-4 since the All-Star break.

The latest victory was especially gratifying for manager Bob Melvin after Oakland lost the series opener in walk-off fashion. The bullpen finished out Tuesday's game with three shutout innings.

"That was a really good win for us coming back from a difficult game last night," he said. "There were a lot of ingredients tonight. Guys getting big outs they normally don't have to get in those situations. Good stuff tonight."

Standing in the way of an Oakland series win is Yu Darvish. The Texas right-hander is 2-2 with a 3.12 ERA in five starts, but is winless in two starts since returning from the disabled list on July 16.

The A's counter with lefty Sean Manaea (3-5, 4.61), who has not allowed a run in three of his four starts since being reinstated from the DL on June 29.

The American League West-leading Rangers (58-43) lost for the first time in four games, but they did receive a boost from call-up Joey Gallo. The power-hitting Gallo crushed a 448-foot home run in his first start at first base.

"I feel like I can help this team, bring some power to the team," said Gallo, who needed a police-escort to make it to the stadium on time after driving into town from Triple-A Round Rock in central Texas. "I want to stay here and I don't want to go back."

Gallo's appearance is significant on several levels. Not only does he add a much-needed power bat with Prince Fielder sidelined for the season and Shin-Soo Choo on the disabled, Gallo can be showcased on the Major League level.

With the trade deadline fast approaching, other clubs can take a closer look at the top prospect in the Texas system. Banister has made it clear that Gallo would be in the lineup.

"He's coming to play," Banister said.

Gallo, 22, has spent the majority of the year at Triple-A, compiling a batting line of .246/.381/.557/.939 (60-244) with 19 home runs and 47 RBI. He ranks fourth in the Pacific Coast League in home runs. Gallo's .939 OPS figure is seventh among all Triple-A qualifiers.

He has struck out 91 times, while walking 53 times in 70 games.

"There's still the strikeout numbers there, but home run hitters strike out," Banister said. "He's got walks. Guys with power, there's some give-and-take there. We still want guys with power potential to be aggressive in nature, too. It's the ability in those underneath-count situations to still mount a fight within the at-bat. He's shown improvement in that."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (50-50) at Cubs (59-40)

Game: 3
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: July 27, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs have featured one of the best lineups in baseball this season.

Lately, however, the Cubs have sputtered at the plate. The team has lost three of its past four games against right-handed starters Zach Davies, Junior Guerra, Miguel Gonzalez and James Shields.

Cubs manager Joe Maddon wants to see the slump come to a stop when his players welcome the Chicago White Sox to Wrigley Field on Wednesday night. The Cubs dropped the first two games of the annual crosstown battle Monday and Tuesday on the South Side before the series shifted north.

"I think they're taking advantage of our youth," Maddon said of opposing pitchers after Tuesday's 3-0 loss to the White Sox. "Primarily, we have to not expand the strike zone. We've been expanding a little bit against these guys. We've got to keep them in the zone, and obviously when they make a mistake, it's got to be hit hard and kept fair. We have not done that. We fought back a couple games ... but overall, the starting pitching the last four games has forced us out of our game plan."

Despite a recent blip, the Cubs (59-40) possess the best record in the National League. A star-studded roster became even deeper this week as the team acquired left-handed closer Aroldis Chapman from the New York Yankees. Chapman joined the Cubs on Tuesday and could make his team debut at Wrigley Field.

Meanwhile, the White Sox (50-50) have climbed back to .500 thanks to a four-game winning streak that included three straight walk-off victories against the Detroit Tigers and Cubs. The White Sox won two of three games at Wrigley Field last season and are 27-25 all-time at the Friendly Confines.

Cubs right-hander Jason Hammel (9-5, 3.35 ERA) will look to win his third straight outing when he takes the mound against the White Sox. The 6-foot-6, 225-pound hurler is 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA in two starts since the All-Star break. He is 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA in eight starts this season at Wrigley Field.

Hammel, 33, has not faced the White Sox as a member of the Cubs. He is 1-2 with a 4.01 ERA in nine games (four starts) against the South Siders, whom he last faced in 2013 with the Baltimore Orioles.

Right-hander Anthony Ranaudo (1-0, 17.18 ERA) is set to make his team debut with the White Sox. The 26-year-old opened the season with the Texas Rangers before he was traded to Chicago on May 12 for right-handed pitching prospect Matt Ball. The White Sox recalled him from Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday to fill the roster spot created by Chris Sale's five-day suspension for destroying team equipment.

Although Ranaudo always has tantalized scouts -- then-Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein selected him in the supplemental first round (39th overall) in 2010 -- he has yet to excel in the majors. Ranaudo is 5-4 with a 6.33 ERA in 13 career games (nine starts). In two relief appearances with Texas earlier this season, he allowed seven runs in 3 2/3 innings. He walked eight and struck out two.

At the plate, White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu has started to heat up after a slow start to the season. Abreu has reached base in 43 of his past 46 games. He is hitting .276 with 11 home runs and 56 RBIs, but he has gone a career-high 26 consecutive games without going deep.

Abreu clubbed 36 home runs in 2014 and 30 home runs last season. This season, he is on pace to hit 17.

"You can see that there is probably some frustration with the homers and the expectations he puts on himself," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "Right now, I think he's a lot better off at the plate just mechanically, mentally, all that stuff that goes into it. He's just a better hitter right now. You go through periods where you don't swing it very well, but right now he's in a pretty good spot."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (41-59) at Brewers (43-55)

Game: 3
Venue: Miller Park
Date: July 27, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

MILWAUKEE -- The Milwaukee Brewers will try to win a series for the first time in three weeks when they face the Arizona Diamondbacks Wednesday night in the third game of a four-game set at Miller Park.

The Brewers took two of three from the Nationals July 4-6 in Washington, but have four straight since then. But they've won two in a row for the first time since the Nationals series.

A victory Wednesday would mark their first series victory against the Diamondbacks, who have taken five of the last six series and 14 of the last 25 games.

To accomplish that task, the Brewers will hand the ball to their de facto ace, right-hander Jimmy Nelson.

Nelson is still working to get over a midseason hiccup; he opened the year 5-3 with a 2.88 ERA in his first 11 starts but has gone 1-5 with a 4.21 ERA over his last nine.

He showed signs of improvement in his first start after the All-Star break, spinning seven scoreless frames in a 9-1 victory at Cincinnati on July 16 but Nelson was his own worst enemy his last time out.

He allowed a leadoff home run to Dexter Fowler and was charged with his third throwing error of the season in a 5-2 loss to the Cubs.

Only two of Nelson's four runs were earned; they came on four hits and three walks over five innings of work.

"Defensively, he kind of made a couple of mistakes that hurt him," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "But I thought his stuff was good. A leadoff homer to Fowler, but I think you make a couple more plays and you don't give up two runs."

Nelson had thrown only 80 pitches when he gave way for a pinch-hitter.

"In a different circumstance, he certainly stays in that game and keeps going," Counsell said. "I felt like just all game we had to take shots to score when we could."

It will be his first career appearance against the Diamondbacks, who will send right-hander Archie Bradley to the mound for his 24th start of the season and is on an upswing of late, going 1-2 with a 3.18 ERA in his last three starts.

Bradley allowed three runs in his last outing, a 6-2 loss to the Reds last Friday in Cincinnati. All three runs came in the first inning and Bradley scattered two hits and three walks -- one intentional -- over his final four innings of work.

"I think there's only one inning out of my last three starts where I went the whole inning out of the windup," Bradley said. "That's a lot of stress, a lot of high-pressure situations.

"It's the walks. They say if you're going to play with fire, you're eventually going to get burned. Tonight I did. Time after time, I keep putting myself in bad situations."

Bradley has never faced the Brewers in his career.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Yankees (52-48) at Astros (54-46)

Game: 3
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: July 27, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

HOUSTON -- In winning eight of 10 games, the Yankees have discovered the quality starting pitching that might keep their playoff aspirations afloat even with the specter of the looming trade deadline.

With left-hander CC Sabathia snapping his six-start winless streak on Tuesday night in a 6-3 victory over the Astros, the Yankees will enter the series finale with their third consecutive series win in hand and a sweep in reach.

Of those eight victories since July 17, starters have recorded seven wins. Left-handed reliever Andrew Miller blew the save yet picked up the victory on July 22 against the Giants, a 3-2 win where right-hander Masahiro Tanaka delivered to the Yankees six scoreless innings.

"I just think they've gotten on a roll," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of Sabathia, Tanaka, Michael Pineda, Ivan Nova and Nathan Eovaldi. "Similar to hitting you get on a roll and the competition between each other -- we've always felt they were better than the stretches when they were struggling. The talent's there; it's execution.

"I've seen them do it before. Yeah they might have a bad start here and there but I think they're in a pretty good spot now. The guys feel pretty good about themselves. I just think they can do it."

Tanaka, who leads the majors with a 1.50 ERA on the road, will get the start for New York (52-48) in the series finale.

Against the Giants, Tanaka (7-2, 3.00 ERA) produced his fourth scoreless start of the season, all of which lasted at least six innings, the most by a Yankees pitcher since Hiroki Kuroda had eight in 2013.

Tanaka did not factor into the decision in a 5-3 loss to the Astros on April 5 after allowing two runs on four hits and one walk with four strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. While that marked his first regular-season appearance against Houston, Tanaka suffered the loss in the 2015 wild-card game to the Astros, surrendering two runs on four hits and three walks in a 3-0 setback at Yankee Stadium.

The Astros (54-46) will try to avoid being swept at home for the first time since May 20-22 behind right-hander Lance McCullers (5-4, 3.33 ERA), who struck out 10 batters while working a season-high eight innings in his previous start, a victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

McCullers will be making his first career appearance against the Yankees, having missed the season-opening series in the Bronx while on the disabled list with right shoulder soreness.

It was the Astros who entered the series with the best pitching in the majors since May 1 with a 3.36 ERA. But behind Pineda and Sabathia the Yankees have excelled, with Sabathia reversing course from his recent struggles and exerting a surprising level of command over Houston.

"All we're looking for right now is to get the win," said Astros infielder Marwin Gonzalez, who homered twice on Tuesday, including in the first inning off Sabathia. "He (Sabathia) wasn't missing that many pitches. It was a good day for him."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Braves (34-66) at Twins (37-62)

Game: 2
Venue: Target Field
Date: July 27, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Atlanta Braves will try to cap a nine-game road trip on a positive note on Wednesday when they play the second of a two-game Interleague series against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.

After losing six of their first seven games on the trip, the Braves emerged from Tuesday's series opener with a 2-0 victory behind six shutout innings from starting pitcher Lucas Harrell.

"It'd be great (to finish the trip with a win)," said Braves interim manager Brian Snitker. "It's been a rough road trip. The one game we won in Cincinnati was hard fought and it wasn't good in Colorado. It was good, after the off day (Monday), guys came out and played a really good ball game."

In addition to a solid outing from Harrell, the Braves got a solo homer from third baseman Adonis Garcia, who ran his on-base streak to 16 games and his hitting streak to a career-best eight games.

During the hitting streak, Garcia is hitting at a .394 clip.

"He's been really good," Snitker said.

The Twins, who went 4-3 on a recent road trip to Detroit and Boston, also had a day off Monday but were unable to awaken the bats against Harrell. Minnesota, which has been one of the hottest offensive teams in baseball over the last month, stranded seven runners and went 0-for-11 at the plate with runners in scoring position in Tuesday's loss.

"We just squandered opportunities early," said Twins manager Paul Molitor. "We were within striking distance. The bats weren't particularly good for the most part. It felt a little sluggish."

Both teams will look for another strong outing from their starters, with Atlanta sending right-hander Mike Foltynewicz to the bump. One of the Braves' most consistent starters this season, Foltynewicz boasts a 3.79 ERA over 11 starts but took the loss his last time out, allowing three runs on four hits and a season-high five walks in a 7-3 loss to the Rockies last Thursday.

Tyler Duffey will look to rebound for the Twins. He allowed six runs on nine hits and a walk in just 2 1/3 innings on Thursday in a blowout loss to the Red Sox at Fenway Park. The outing was the shortest since he went just two innings in his major league debut last August.

Since Minnesota beat Atlanta in the 1991 World Series, the Braves have dominated the Interleague series between the clubs; their victory on Tuesday improved the Braves record to 3-1 at Target Field and Atlanta has won its last six overall against Minnesota.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (45-55) at Royals (48-51)

Game: 3
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: July 27, 2016 8:15 PM EDT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Raul Mondesi celebrates his 21st birthday Wednesday and almost certainly will be in the Kansas City Royals lineup for the season series finale against the Los Angeles Angels.

The 2015 World Series champion Royals should also celebrate that they won't have to play the Angels again this year after Wednesday. They are 0-5 against the Anaheim club. The Royals won five of six last year from the Angels and swept the Angels in the 2014 ALDS, but this is a different club.

The Royals want to take an extended look at Mondesi, who was their top prospect in the minors, the rest of the season.

"Time to bring him up," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "We've been getting spotty offensive production out of that second base spot. You know he's a tremendously rangy kid. He has tremendous range, strong arm, good athletic instincts."

Entering the game Tuesday, the Royals had started three different players at second base -- Omar Infante, 38 games, Whit Merrifield, 38, and Christian Colon, 22. They had combined for a .629 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, which ranked last in the majors. They hit .247 with 20 doubles, two triples and two home runs with 29 RBIs in the first 98 games. They owned a .298 on-base percentage and a .331 slugging percentage.

If the Royals had not acquired Ben Zobrist at the trading deadline last July, they probably would not have won the World Series. Zobrist, however, bolted for the Chicago Cubs after the season.

While Mondesi played mostly shortstop in the minors, he will play primarily second base the remainder of the season with Alcides Escobar remaining at shortstop.

"He's a guy that's going to be part of our organization for years and years to come," Yost said. "He's just beginning his tenure. We feel like he's ready and we want him to come up and get some valuable experience."

The Royals will start left-hander Danny Duffy for the series finale Wednesday. Duffy has been the Royals most dependable starter lately, winning his past five decisions after starting the year in the bullpen.

In his past 36 innings, he has struck out 34 and walked only four. His 8.50 strikeouts-to-walks ratio since June 27 ranks the best in the American League.

The Angels will counter with right-hander Matt Shoemaker, who is 5-10 with a 3.99 ERA. He has made seven starts this season when he has allowed two runs or less without getting a win. That includes his prior start, yielding two runs on five hits and one walk with five strikeouts in a 6-2 loss at Houston.

Left-hander Tyler Skaggs was impressive in his first big league start since July 31, 2014, and undergoing Tommy John surgery. He threw seven scoreless innings and allowed three singles as the Angels routed the Royals 13-0. Skaggs threw only 88 pitches, 63 for strikes.

"He had seven strong innings and (was) very pitch-efficient," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

The Angels can only imagine what a healthy Skaggs would have meant to their rotation for the past 18 months.

"It was a long one, to say the least," Skaggs said of the rehabilitation process. "There were a lot of trials and tribulations. I think it's made me stronger mentally. I'm looking forward to the rest of the season."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Wednesday, July 27, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

Another day, another trade. The San Diego Padres' fire sale continued as they traded outfielder Melvin Upton Jr., who used to have one of the worst contracts in baseball but is having a solid bounce-back season, to the Toronto Blue Jays for a prospect. It's just a salary dump for San Diego, while Toronto should use Upton (.256, 16 HRs, 45 RBIs, 20 SBs) on a mostly every-day basis and could allow Jose Bautista, who just came off the disabled list, to move to DH and Edwin Encarnacion to first base -- which means Justin Smoak is out of luck. Or the Jays could try Upton in center in place of Kevin Pillar, but that would weaken the defense. Not a bad trade, but I'm surprised the Jays also didn't get one of San Diego's arms in the deal as they do need pitching. Meanwhile, the Indians and Orioles will have to continue looking for outfield help as they were also in on Upton.


Nationals at Indians (+101, 7.5)

A 12:10 p.m. ET first pitch. Washington adds the DH for this one. Potential World Series preview? Could be as both clubs have solid leads in their respective divisions. Good pitching matchup here. Washington's Stephen Strasburg apparently won't go undefeated this year and will be a no-brainer choice for the NL Cy Young Award. Strasburg (13-1, 2.83) lost to the Dodgers on Thursday in his worst start of the season, allowing six runs and seven hits (two homers) over six innings. He did strike out 10, his eighth double-digit Ks game of the year, behind only Clayton Kershaw's nine. It was the first time Strasburg allowed six-plus runs in a game since May 12, 2015. Cleveland's Juan Uribe is 2-for-10 career off him with three strikeouts. Mike Napoli is 1-for-3. The Tribe go with Carlos Carrasco (7-3, 2.31). He comes off one of his best starts of the year, shutting out the Royals on one hit over six innings. Carrasco a 1.56 ERA in his last eight starts. He has never faced Washington.

Key trends: The Nationals are 9-1 in Strasburg's past 10 on the road. The Indians are 5-1 in Carrasco's past six at home. The "over/under" is 4-1 in Strasburg's past five on the road. The over is 16-4-1 in Carrasco's past 21 at home.

Early lean: Nationals and under.

Tigers at Red Sox (-112, 10.5)

MLB Network televising this matinee (1:35 p.m. ET) from Fenway and should have live betting at sportsbooks. The Tigers start one of the AL Rookie of the Year favorites in Michael Fulmer (9-2, 2.41). Could he be hitting that rookie wall? Fulmer comes off a rare non-quality start, allowing five runs and six hits over five innings at the White Sox in a no-decision. This will be his first career look at Boston. The Red Sox go with second-year lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (2-4, 6.70). He lost to the Twins on Friday, allowing two runs and six hits over 5.1 innings but with a season-high eight strikeouts. In two starts since returning from his brief demotion to Triple-A, he has given up three runs and 10 hits in 12 1/3 innings. Rodriguez won his only start against the Tigers last season, holding them to a run over seven innings. Nick Castellanos is 1-for-3 off him with a solo homer.

Key trends: The Tigers are 8-1 in Fulmer's past nine on the road. The Red Sox are 0-4 in Rodriguez's past four at home. The over is 4-0 in Fulmer's past four on the road.

Early lean: Tigers and over.

Reds at Giants (-225, 7)

A 3:45 p.m. ET first pitch and probably the final game in a Reds uniform for starting pitcher Dan Straily (5-6, 4.01). He's as good as gone by the Aug. 1 deadline but won't bring a whole lot back. Still, Straily is working on a string of four straight quality starts. Last time out, he beat the Diamondbacks, allowing two runs and five hits in six innings. His first win of the year was May 4 vs. the Giants, allowing three runs and six hits over 6.1 innings. Buster Posey is 0-for-3 off him. Brandon Belt is 1-for-4 with a homer. It's ace lefty Madison Bumgarner (10-5, 2.14) for the Giants. He took a no-decision in his last start at the Yankees, allowing two runs in seven innings. Bumgarner has now pitched at least six innings in 18 consecutive starts. He hasn't faced the Reds this year. Joey Votto is 5-for-14 off him with a homer. Jay Bruce is 2-for-15 with three RBIs.

Key trends: The Reds are 2-5 in Straily's past seven vs. teams with a winning record. The Giants are 7-2 in Bumgarner's past nine at home. The under is 6-2 in his past eight vs. teams with a losing record.

Early lean : Giants and under.

White Sox at Cubs (-220, TBA)

This game is nationally televised on ESPN as this four-game interleague series shifts for the final two games to Wrigley Field, meaning the White Sox lose the designated hitter. The White Sox were to start former Cub Jacob Turner (0-1, 14.73), but he has been terrible in his two big-league starts. So the team will call up Anthony Ranaudo (1-0, 17.18). He made two starts in early May for Texas, and ironically his last one was against the White Sox when he allowed five runs and walked five with no hits allowed in 1.1 innings on May 10. Two days later, he was traded to Chicago and sent to Triple-A. Ranaudo hasn't faced the Cubs before. Ben Zobrist has seen him, going 1-for-7. It's Jason Hammel (9-5, 3.35) for the Cubs. He beat the Brewers last time out, allowing two runs and four hits over five innings. He has not faced the White Sox since 2013, and is 1-2 with a 4.01 ERA against them in nine games (four of them starts). Justin Morneau is 7-for-14 off him with five doubles and three RBIs. Melky Cabrera is 5-for-16 with two homers and five RBIs.

Key trends: The White Sox are 1-5 in their past six on the road. The Cubs are 2-6 in Hammel's past eight. The over is 4-1 in his past five on Wednesday.

Early lean: Cubs and over whatever number unless wind is blowing in.

Diamondbacks at Brewers (-141, 9)

Monitor the status of Arizona third baseman Jake Lamb as he is dealing with a bruised hand and could miss a few days. Lamb's having a great year, batting .284 with 21 homers and 65 RBIs. The Snakes start Archie Bradley (3-6, 4.44) on the mound. He hasn't won since June 19. Last time out, Bradley allowed three runs over five innings with five walks against the Reds. Bradley has never faced the Brewers. They go with Jimmy Nelson (6-8, 3.40). There's been some trade talk around him, but he looks like a pretty good pitcher and is only 27 so I'm sure that Milwaukee would have to be bowled over in any deal. Nelson lost to the Cubs last time out, allowing four runs in five innings. Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt is 2-for-4 off him with two doubles. Welington Castillo is 2-for-3 with a homer.

Key trends: The Diamondbacks are 1-4 in Bradley's past five. The Brewers are 2-7 in Nelson's past nine. The over is 14-5-1 in Bradley's past 20 overall.

Early lean: Brewers and over.

 

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'Red Sox avoid sweep'

Boston and Detroit conclude a three-game series Wednesday afternoon at Fenway Park with with Red Sox looking to avoid being swept. According to the opening betting odds , the Red Sox enter this contest as -$1.30 home favorites, with a run total of 10.5 across all shops.

Southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez carrying a 2-4 record, 6.70 ERA toes the rubber for Boston. Rodgriguez is 1-1 since returning from Triple-A Pawtucket spinning 12 1/3 innings of 3-run ball. Fenway has not been kind to the portsider, he's 0-3 in four starts in front of the home audience with Red Sox dropping all four contests.

Rodriguez trades pitches with Tigers' righthander Michael Fulmer off a rough outing giving up 5 runs over 5.0 innings tagged with a no-decision in Tigers 7-5 win at White Sox. Fulmer who has never faced Boston carries a 7-2 record, 2.80 ERA in an opposing park with Tigers 9-2 in his eleven starts.

The contrasting records of the two hurlers, Tigers would appear to be an easy choice. However, no team likes the embarrassment of their opponent sweeping them and Red Sox are one of the best in the situation, since they're 4-0 when avoiding a three game series sweep. Matching that, Red Sox have thrived recently in daylight hours at Fenway Park posting a sparkling 8-0 record.

 

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#1 Sports

Wednesday's Free Selection: Texas Rangers - 165

 

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Mike Wynn

Bonus Play: MLB Kansas City /Duffy -125 Over LA Angels

 

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Totals4U

Wednesday's Free Selection: Seattle Mariners/Pittsburgh Pirates over 8

 

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Razor Sharp

FREE PICK FOR WEDNESDAY: Take KANSAS CITY (Duffy) -130 over the Angels

 

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Atlantic Sports

Wednesday's Free Selection from Atlantic Sports: Pittsburgh - 150

 

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Platinum Plays

Free Pick: Baltimore Orioles w/Bundy -140 over Colorado

 

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Golden Dragon Sports

Free Pick Boston Rodriguez -114

 

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Huddle Up Sports

Bonus Play: Baltimore Bundy -138

 

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Hawkeye Sports

Wednesday's Free Selection: Chicago Cubs - 235

 

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The Vegas Steam Line

Your free winner for Wednesday: Take MIAMI (Conley) -155 over Philadelphia