Wednesday 8/17/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nationals (70-48) at Rockies (57-63)

Game: 3
Venue: Coors Field
Date: August 17, 2016 3:10 PM EDT

DENVER -- Jon Gray and Stephen Strasburg both will be trying to rebound from two poor starts when they oppose each other Wednesday in the rubber game of a three-game series between the Colorado Rockies and Washington Nationals.

Gray, who is 8-6 with a 4.55 ERA in 21 starts for the Rockies, will be facing the Nationals for the first time in his career.

While losing his past two starts against the Miami Marlins and at Philadelphia, the right-hander pitched a total of eight innings while allowing 16 hits and 15 runs, 14 earned, with five walks and nine strikeouts.

Gray's slider has been a vaunted pitch for him this season, one he has relied heavily on to get many of his 129 strikeouts in 122 2/3 innings. However, that pitch was highly ineffective in his most recent starts. Miami right fielder Giancarlo Stanton walloped a poor slider for a two-run homer on Aug. 7.

"Against the Marlins, the action (on the slider) was so bad, really bad," Gray said. "It was really flat. It didn't have an effect at all. It was an easy, hittable pitch. The one (Stanton) hit was a terrible slider. I don't think I threw any good ones that day. Zero."

Strasburg is 15-3 with a 3.07 ERA in 22 starts with 108 hits allowed in 143 2/3 innings, 41 walks and 176 strikeouts. While losing his past two starts to the San Francisco Giants and the Atlanta Braves, both at home, Strasburg has allowed 15 hits and 10 runs in 10 innings.

The Washington right-hander is 4-3 with a 2.35 ERA in seven career starts against the Rockies. He is 1-2 with a 3.44 ERA in three starts at Coors Field, where he has not allowed a home run in 18 1/3 innings.

Strasburg hopes to lift the Nationals to a series win after they scored a 5-4 win Monday before Colorado rebounded for a 6-2 victory Tuesday.

Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper went 3-for-3 with two doubles, one RBI and two walks in the series opener. He drove in a run with a groundout Tuesday while going 0-for-3 with a walk, giving him a major-league-leading 86 walks.

Harper is the reigning Most Valuable Player in the National League, an award he won unanimously after his memorable 2015 season. He hit .330 last year with 42 home runs, 99 RBIs, a .460 on-base percentage and a .649 slugging percentage.

This season, Harper is hitting .238 with 20 homers, 60 RBIs, a .381 on-base percentage and a .447 slugging percentage.

Dusty Baker is in his first season as the Nationals' manager, so he didn't witness Harper's 2015 feats on a daily basis. Nonetheless, Baker said he has been impressed by Harper's team-first attitude all season.

"What struck me is he wants to win," Baker said. "Very rarely have I heard any talk about any personal accomplishments or anything like that. I know in his heart and his mind it's hard to go from MVP to not having a good year. But I think these last six weeks, he'll rise to the top because he has a lot of pride and a lot of game.

"After a game, you can't tell if he got five hits or zero hits. And that's what I admire about him. A lot of guys, you can tell if the team won and they got hits, and if the team lost, they'd be kind of happy if they got their hits."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Nationals (70-48) at Rockies (57-63)

Game: 3
Venue: Coors Field
Date: August 17, 2016 3:10 PM EDT

DENVER -- Jon Gray and Stephen Strasburg both will be trying to rebound from two poor starts when they oppose each other Wednesday in the rubber game of a three-game series between the Colorado Rockies and Washington Nationals.
Gray, who is 8-6 with a 4.55 ERA in 21 starts for the Rockies, will be facing the Nationals for the first time in his career.
While losing his past two starts against the Miami Marlins and at Philadelphia, the right-hander pitched a total of eight innings while allowing 16 hits and 15 runs, 14 earned, with five walks and nine strikeouts.
Gray's slider has been a vaunted pitch for him this season, one he has relied heavily on to get many of his 129 strikeouts in 122 2/3 innings. However, that pitch was highly ineffective in his most recent starts. Miami right fielder Giancarlo Stanton walloped a poor slider for a two-run homer on Aug. 7.
"Against the Marlins, the action (on the slider) was so bad, really bad," Gray said. "It was really flat. It didn't have an effect at all. It was an easy, hittable pitch. The one (Stanton) hit was a terrible slider. I don't think I threw any good ones that day. Zero."
Strasburg is 15-3 with a 3.07 ERA in 22 starts with 108 hits allowed in 143 2/3 innings, 41 walks and 176 strikeouts. While losing his past two starts to the San Francisco Giants and the Atlanta Braves, both at home, Strasburg has allowed 15 hits and 10 runs in 10 innings.
The Washington right-hander is 4-3 with a 2.35 ERA in seven career starts against the Rockies. He is 1-2 with a 3.44 ERA in three starts at Coors Field, where he has not allowed a home run in 18 1/3 innings.
Strasburg hopes to lift the Nationals to a series win after they scored a 5-4 win Monday before Colorado rebounded for a 6-2 victory Tuesday.
Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper went 3-for-3 with two doubles, one RBI and two walks in the series opener. He drove in a run with a groundout Tuesday while going 0-for-3 with a walk, giving him a major-league-leading 86 walks.
Harper is the reigning Most Valuable Player in the National League, an award he won unanimously after his memorable 2015 season. He hit .330 last year with 42 home runs, 99 RBIs, a .460 on-base percentage and a .649 slugging percentage.
This season, Harper is hitting .238 with 20 homers, 60 RBIs, a .381 on-base percentage and a .447 slugging percentage.
Dusty Baker is in his first season as the Nationals' manager, so he didn't witness Harper's 2015 feats on a daily basis. Nonetheless, Baker said he has been impressed by Harper's team-first attitude all season.
"What struck me is he wants to win," Baker said. "Very rarely have I heard any talk about any personal accomplishments or anything like that. I know in his heart and his mind it's hard to go from MVP to not having a good year. But I think these last six weeks, he'll rise to the top because he has a lot of pride and a lot of game.
"After a game, you can't tell if he got five hits or zero hits. And that's what I admire about him. A lot of guys, you can tell if the team won and they got hits, and if the team lost, they'd be kind of happy if they got their hits.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Dodgers (66-52) at Phillies (56-64)

Game: 2
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: August 17, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

PHILADELPHIA -- Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Chase Utley enjoyed a fairytale return to Philadelphia on Tuesday night.

On Wednesday, the Dodgers return to the everyday realities of the National League West race.

Utley, a six-time All-Star while playing most of his first 13 seasons with the Phillies, was accorded a standing ovation in his first game in Citizens Bank Park since he was traded for two minor leaguers last Aug. 19.

He later hit a solo homer off Philadelphia starter Vince Velasquez, then added a grand slam off reliever Michael Mariot, as the Dodgers rolled to a 15-5 victory. After each homer he acknowledged a curtain call.

"No doubt a little extra adrenaline is flowing," Utley said. "Adrenaline can be your friend at times. There was a lot of adrenaline flowing tonight."

On Wednesday the Dodgers, jousting with the San Francisco Giants for the divisional lead, will send left-hander Scott Kazmir (9-6, 4.44) to the mound against rookie right-hander Jake Thompson (1-1, 8.68).

The 32-year-old Kazmir pitched well against the Phillies in Los Angeles last week, allowing two runs on four hits over six innings while striking out six and walking three. He was nonetheless tagged with a 6-2 loss, running his career record against Philadelphia to 1-2 with a 5.91 ERA.

"I was able to make pitches when I needed to and had the changeup today," Kazmir said, according to Major League Baseball's official web site. "That's a tough one. We wanted to pull this one out and have a good off-day, but (we) let this one slip away."

Thompson negotiated five innings against Colorado to earn his first major league victory his last time out, in his first home start. Thompson allowed three runs on two hits while striking out six and walking three.

"It's kind of nice to get the first one out of the way, and hopefully I'll gain a lot more confidence and comfort on the mound and keep it rolling," said Thompson, who had been shelled by the San Diego Padres in his major league debut.

Manager Pete Mackanin said Thompson, who threw 87 pitches (just 49 strikes), was "a little erratic" with his command.

"Tall order for Thompson to face this team," Mackanin added. "This is a darn good hitting team. ... He did a pretty good job. ... He battled through it.

Thompson equaled a 114-year-old club record when he struck out four batters in the second inning, the first of which, David Dahl, reached on a wild pitch. Doc White is the only other Philadelphia pitcher to fan four in an inning, having done so on July 21, 1902 against the Brooklyn Dodgers. He has never faced the Dodgers.

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard hit a two-run homer Tuesday, his 18th of the season and the 375th of his career. That moved him past Rocky Colavito and into sole possession of 76th place on the all-time list, but was an afterthought given Utley's return, as well as the outcome."

As players we just try to play the game as it's supposed to be played, but I think it was something bigger tonight," Howard said. "Then for Chase to come back and do what he did tonight, hopefully he's done doing that, but that's just the kind of player he is, and just the kind of guy he is."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Sox (66-52) at Orioles (66-52)

Game: 2
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: August 17, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Orioles enjoy playing at home, and they're hoping for more success at Camden Yards when they take on the Boston Red Sox in the finale of their two-game series on Wednesday.

Both teams come into the game deadlocked at 66-52, tied for second in the American League East, one game behind Toronto (68-52).

The Orioles will play 24 of their final 44 games at home -- where they have a 39-18 record after Tuesday's 5-3 loss to Boston. Third baseman Manny Machado said the Orioles -- who just came off of a 10-game road trip to Chicago, Oakland and San Francisco -- are glad to be back home.

"We're just trying to take it day-by-day," Machado said. "We have the greatest fans in the world. We feed off of that. That takes us to another level."

Chris Tillman was supposed to start for Baltimore, but after Tuesday's game, manager Buck Showalter said the Orioles are going to push him back to at least Saturday due to some shoulder issues.

"A lot of things most starting pitchers go through, especially in August," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "But that's why I had pushed everybody back a day, (to) give everybody some time."

Instead, rookie right-hander Dylan Bundy (6-3, 2.93) will make his seventh start. He's been spectacular in five of his six starts, and the hard-hitting Red Sox could give him a test.

David Price (10-8, 4.29) is set to start for the Red Sox. Price gave up three runs on 10 hits in a 9-4 victory over Arizona last Friday. That ended a stretch of five starts without a victory for the veteran left-hander.

The Red Sox have just started a long 11-game road trip, but even manager John Farrell said Oriole Park is a good place to play.

"This is a great ballpark, Farrell said of Camden Yards. "When the weather is warm, it's a very good hitters' ballpark."

The Red Sox are hoping for some better luck with injuries Wednesday as two members of Tuesday's starting lineup were hurt.

Third baseman Aaron Hill (right forearm tightness) was in the original starting lineup but Brock Holt replaced him before the game. Starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez left after four no-hit innings -- plus two pitches in the fifth -- due to left hamstring tightness.

Farrell said they think they caught Rodriguez's problems early, and if everything works out all right, the left-hander might not have to miss a start. But the skipper said they'll have a better idea about things on Wednesday.

Boston also was again missing Hanley Ramirez, who's been on the bereavement list since Monday. Farrell said he will re-join the Red Sox on Thursday in Detroit.

The Red Sox need to get used to the road games since they'll be playing 28 of their final 44 games on the road. Farrell said his team knows what the situation is in the tight three-team race in the American League East.

"We all are well aware of what is at stake, where we are in the standings and who is around us," Farrell said. "We had guys step up in key moments (on Tuesday)."

They'll be hoping for more of the same Wednesday versus one of the best home teams in baseball.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Marlins (62-57) at Reds (49-69)

Game: 3
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: August 17, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

CINCINNATI -- The Miami Marlins are hanging around the National League wild-card race despite a rash of injuries.

On Wednesday, Don Mattingly's club will proceed with life after Giancarlo Stanton and five others who currently are on the disabled list when they play the third of four games against the Cincinnati Reds.

"Teams are getting banged up. It's that time of year," Mattingly said. "We want to go out and play our best baseball whatever we have. We've been fairly healthy. Just had to saddle our share lately."

Marlins right-hander Andrew Cashner will start Wednesday's game, looking to fare better against the Reds. On June 6, 2015, Cashner, then a member of the Padres, gave up seven earned runs and walked five over 5 2/3 innings.

Cincinnati's starter on Wednesday will be right-hander Homer Bailey, who is making his fourth start since coming off the disabled list.

It will be Bailey's first appearance on the mound at Great American Ball Park since Aug. 7, 2014 against the Cleveland Indians.

It's been a long road back for Bailey, who owns two career no-hitters but missed the better part of two seasons due to injuries.

Bailey has pitched well in two of his three outings since rejoining the club. He'll enter Wednesday's game on a six-inning scoreless streak. Aside from a rough three-inning stint against the Pirates, he's allowed two earned runs and seven hits in 11 2/3 innings.

Bailey who signed a six-year, $105 million contract in February 2014, has since undergone right forearm surgery and Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

He's fared well in seven career starts against the Marlins, going 2-1 with a 2.47 ERA and one complete game.

Cincinnati is hoping to have a few of its key components back on Wednesday.

Second baseman Brandon Phillips missed the past two games with a bruised knee.

Center fielder and leadoff batter Billy Hamilton did not start Tuesday after twice running into the wall in pursuit of fly balls during Monday's game.

"The wall is undefeated," quipped Hamilton. "It's my whole right side. It's nothing bad. It's just the impact of hitting the wall. It's my knee more than anything. I'll get some treatment. The next couple of days could be better."

Left fielder Adam Duvall also was out Tuesday after fouling a ball off his foot.

Despite the injuries, Cincinnati evened the series with a 6-3 victory behind a five-run first inning highlighted by catcher Tucker Barnhart's grand slam and six strong innings from Anthony DeSclafani, who rolled his ankle in the fourth inning but remained in the game.

Ichiro Suzuki enters Wednesday's game needing three hits to tie Al Kaline for 28th place on baseball's all-time list. On Tuesday night, Ichiro achieved another career milestone with a leadoff triple in the ninth inning for his first-ever hit in Cincinnati, making Great American Ball Park the 30th and final current major league park in which he's recorded a hit.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (56-62) at Indians (68-49)

Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: August 17, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox, two teams at opposite ends of the American League Central Division spectrum, will meet Wednesday night in the second game of their three-game series.

The Indians are in first place in the division with a record of 68-49. The White Sox are in fourth place, 12 1/2 games behind Cleveland, with a record of 56-62.

Cleveland won the first game of the series Tuesday night, a 3-1 decision, in which Cleveland had outstanding pitching, timely hitting, and outstanding defense.

The White Sox had outstanding starting pitching from Jose Quintana, but that was about it. The difference between the two teams is significant. Just ask White Sox manager Robin Ventura.

"You're looking at a team that can pitch, obviously," Ventura said. "Offensively they can do a lot of different things. They are athletic. They have some switch hitters. They are really tough, and they can match up against lefties or righties."

The White Sox will recall Anthony Ranaudo from Triple-A Charlotte to start Wednesday night's game. In 16 starts at Charlotte, Ranaudo was 6-5 with a 3.35 ERA. He has made one start for the White Sox this year. That came on July 27, an 8-1 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. In that start Ranaudo pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on two hits, with three strikeouts and four walks. He also hit a home run in that game, but obviously won't get to hit against the Indians.

Cleveland will send Carlos Carrasco (8-6, 3.21) to the mound. It will be Carrasco's 15th career start vs. the White Sox, his 16th appearance against the Sox overall. His career record against Chicago is 3-8 with a 5.45 ERA. He has made one start against the White Sox this year. In a 3-2 Cleveland win on June 19 at Progressive Field, Carrasco pitched 7 1/3 innings and allowed two runs on five hits with six strikeouts and four walks, but did not figure in the decision.

The Indians right now are hitting on all cylinders. Wednesday's game will be the seventh in an 11-game homestand, the team's longest homestand of the year. In the first six games of the homestand, the Indians are 5-1. They've increased their lead in the division over second-place Detroit to six games. One of the keys has been their revamped bullpen.

The addition of left-hander Andrew Miller in a trade deadline deal with the Yankees has paid immediate dividends. In the Indians' 3-1 win over the White Sox on Tuesday, Miller pitched the seventh and eighth innings and retired all six batters he faced, on five groundouts and one strikeout. He threw just 16 pitches, 12 of them strikes.

In seven appearances since being acquired in that trade with the Yankees, Miller has held opposing batters to a .103 batting average (3-for-29). "It's one thing to have his stuff, which is really good," said manager Terry Francona. "But he doesn't mess around. He just keeps firing strikes."

In a combined 51 appearances with the Indians and Yankees, Miller is 6-1 with a 1.50 ERA.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (59-60) at Tigers (63-56)

Game: 3
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: August 17, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

DETROIT -- Injuries have forced Detroit Tigers manager Brad Ausmus to use a makeshift lineup in recent weeks. Ausmus took solace that his franchise player's ailment turned out to be minor.

First baseman Miguel Cabrera did not play Tuesday after he left Monday's game against Kansas City with a left biceps strain. Cabrera could return as early as Wednesday in the series finale.

Cabrera initially injured his arm a few weeks earlier, and he aggravated it while reaching for an errant throw. Cabrera felt good enough to play on Tuesday but his boss nixed the idea.

"We're going to be a little cautious," Ausmus said. "We're going to need him the next month and a half. I'm certainly not concerned long-term about Miggy."

Following the Tigers' 6-1 loss to the Royals on Tuesday, Cabrera pronounced himself ready to play.

"I'm good. I always want to play," he said. "Sometimes, you've got to step back and get a day off and go tomorrow."

Cabrera has dealt with assorted injuries in recent seasons but missed just his second game this season. He's not putting up the monster numbers he had during his prime but he's not that far off. He ranks among the American League's Top 10 in batting average (.310), home runs (27) and RBIs (77).

With third baseman Nick Castellanos, shortstop Jose Iglesias and center fielder Cameron Maybin on the 15-day disabled list, the Tigers can't afford to lose Cabrera's bat in the heart of the lineup.

"If this was the last week of the season, I promise you Miggy would be playing and he'd want to be in there," Ausmus said. "He's proven that in the past."

If starting pitchers Jordan Zimmermann and Mike Pelfrey were not also on the DL, right-hander Anibal Sanchez (6-12) would probably be in the bullpen.

Sanchez lost his rotation spot due to ineffectiveness, then regained it when those injuries struck. He appeared to turn the corner with back-to-back quality starts earlier this month but got hammered in his last outing, allowing eight runs on eight hits in four innings to Texas.

Sanchez has a good track record against the Royals, going 6-4 with a 2.79 ERA. Among active starting pitchers with at least 10 starts against Kansas City, Sanchez has the third-lowest ERA.

The Tigers brought in some reinforcements on Tuesday, acquiring shortstop Erick Aybar from the Atlanta Braves and recalling outfielder Steven Moya from Triple-A Toledo. Aybar is expected to join the Tigers in time for Wednesday's game.

Sanchez's counterpart, right-hander Yordano Ventura, has enjoyed great success against the Tigers. He is 6-0 with a 3.18 ERA in nine career outings against Detroit, including two victories this season.

Ventura (8-9) has found a level of consistency in his last seven starts, never allowing more than three runs.

"He's staying within himself better," Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. "At times, he's got such good stuff, he tends to overthrow. When he overthrows, he loses location.

"When he stays within himself, his stuff is actually better. The velocity on his fastball is better. The action on his curveball and changeups are better. When he overthrows, he flies open and leaves everything flat, so he's been doing a really good job the last six weeks of trying to stay within himself and execute pitches."

Ventura earned a road victory at Minnesota on Friday and will try to win consecutive road starts for the first time this season. He has a 3.68 ERA in his last six road outings.

"It's experience more than anything else," Yost said. "You figure out that if you're going to get your head beat in doing it the other way, it's not fun. So you're going to have to make adjustments. He's working really hard on doing that."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Twins (48-71) at Braves (44-75)

Game: 2
Venue: Turner Field
Date: August 17, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

ATLANTA -- Braves fans having been anxiously waiting for their first look at shortstop Dansby Swanson, Atlanta's top prospect. They will get that on Wednesday night against the Minnesota Twins.

The Braves announced Tuesday that they will promote the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft from Double-A Mississippi and have him in the lineup for the finale of a two-game interleague series against the Twins.

"We don't expect him to come up here and be the savior, but we feel like this is an opportunity for us to take a good look and get him some experience up here in the big leagues," Braves president of baseball operations John Hart said. "He has a lot of intangibles that I think will translate and we don't think he's going to be overwhelmed when he comes up."

Swanson, 22, played just 127 minor league games and had a modest .261 batting average with Mississippi after an early-season promotion from Class A Advanced Carolina, where he hit .333.

The native of Marietta, Ga., had a combined .362 on-base percentage with 39 extra-base hits and 55 RBIs in 105 total games with Mississippi and Carolina.

"This is a very smart kid, and he's a good player," Hart said. "However he performs up here, I think it's going to do nothing but be beneficial for him and for us as we go to make a decision as to what we do with the shortstop position next year."

The Braves opened a spot for the former Vanderbilt All-American by trading shortstop Erick Aybar to Detroit on Tuesday for utility player Mike Aviles and catching prospect Kade Scivicque.

The 32-year-old Aybar was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels last winter as part of the Andrelton Simmons to give the Braves a stopgap shortstop until Swanson was ready.

Aybar, who got off to a slow start, hit .360 in his final 19 contests with the Braves to get his average up to .242 in 97 games.

An MRI taken of Miguel Sano's sore right elbow revealed no structural damage, which was good news for the Twins.

The bad news, though, is that the Twins can't use a designated hitter against the Braves and Sano arm is questionable for third base.

"He's got to show he's ready to make throws," manager Paul Molitor said. "When he's ready, he'll get a chance to play some defense."

Sano wasn't used as a pinch-hitting option as the Twins won 4-2 in the opener of the two-game set and could also sit out the series finale, although Molitor didn't rule out a return to the lineup.

Right-hander Mike Folytnewicz (6-5, 4.50 ERA) will start for the Braves against Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson (4-6, 4.86 ERA).

Folynewicz got credit for credit for the Braves' 9-7 victory at Minnesota on July 27 that completed a two-game sweep.

Gibson hasn't pitched against the Braves in his career, but has struggled in interleague games, going 2-7 with a 6.10 ERA in 11 games against the National League.

Sano has hit well despite being limited to DH duties for a while, batting .304 with four homers and seven RBIs over his last six games before having the MRI on Monday, a day off for the Twins.

"We were hoping that would be the case," Molitor said of the good MRI results. "There is no repercussion from surgery (in 2014). It's just a matter that he had a little bit of a sore elbow."

After not throwing much for more than a week, Sano took ground balls and made throws to first base before the first game against the Braves.

Sano, 23, has a .250/.342/.491 slash line with 20 homers, 16 doubles and 50 RBIs in 84 games this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Brewers (52-66) at Cubs (75-43)

Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: August 17, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- Right-hander Jimmy Nelson is searching for a breakthrough and hopes it finally comes in Wednesday's game against the Chicago Cubs.

The Milwaukee Brewers right-hander (6-12, 4.07 ERA) could use a positive outing and outcome.

Nelson is 1-9 in his last 13 starts including five straight losses as he faces the first-place Cubs and left-hander Jon Lester (12-4, 2.93 ERA).

"I'm definitely feeling every negative emotion you can think of," Nelson told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel earlier this month. "I don't take losing great. I hate that. I hate it. I'll just try to keep getting better and string together a couple good starts and consistently carry it over the next couple months so I can finish this thing off good."

He wouldn't mind a return to early season form. Nelson went 5-3 with a 2.88 ERA over his first 11 appearances through May 29.

Back then, the Brewers were 23-27 and in fourth place 12 games behind the Cubs. Two-and-one-half months later Milwaukee (52-66) remains in fourth but is now 23 games out of first.

Nelson has had strong outings this season even in losing efforts. He's had 11 quality starts, but none in his last five.

But Chicago historically has had Nelson's number. He's 0-5 with a 2.91 ERA in 10 career games (eight starts) and is 0-2 this season with a 1.53 EA in three starts.

One player who's done well against the Cubs is outfielder Ryan Braun. He sat out Monday's first game but was in the lineup batting third for game two. Braun was a career .352 batter with nine homers and 49 RBI at Wrigley Field in 60 games.

Braun left Tuesday's second game with a knee injury after crashing into a wall along the left field line. Manager Craig Counsell said Braun wasn't as seriously hurt as feared but would be day-to-day.

Lester has had better outcomes against the Brewers but has faced them fewer times. He's 2-2 with a 3.06 ERA in five starts against Milwaukee, including one this season. He gave up four runs on four hits while walking five over four innings on July 24 at Miller Park. He had no decision in that Cubs' 6-5 victory.

Lester also had good things to say this week about ex-Washington Nationals' reliever Jonathan Papelbon as a possible help to a struggling Cubs bullpen. But Cubs manager Joe told reporters on Tuesday that there's no talk about bringing Papelbon aboard.

"I'm not saying it can't happen," Maddon said. "Don't get me wrong. But for right now, there is nothing happening."

The Cubs and Brewers close this series on Thursday then meet again between Sept. 5-7 at Miller Park, plus a four-game series back at Wrigley Field between Sept. 15-18.

Chicago opens a 10-day, nine-game road trip on Friday that includes stops in Colorado, San Diego and at the Los Angeles Dodgers. Milwaukee has a three-game weekend series at Seattle before returning to Miller Park to face Colorado on Aug. 22.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Athletics (52-68) at Rangers (71-50)

Game: 3
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: August 17, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

ARLINGTON, Texas -- If you just looked at the names of the starting pitchers for Wednesday's series finale between Texas and Oakland, it would seem like a no-contest on paper.

The Rangers will go with one of their aces in right-hander Yu Darvish (3-3) as they look to complete a three-game sweep of the A's. Oakland will counter with rookie left-hander Sean Manaea (4-7). That would seem to give the first-place Rangers a clear advantage when you just look at the names and resumes.

The numbers say otherwise though.

As good as Darvish had been in his career overall, he's been dreadful against the A's. Darvish has made 11 career starts against Oakland and has just one win. He's 1-8 with a 4.76 ERA and has lost eight straight decisions. The last time Darvish beat Oakland was in 2012.

There are signs that Darvish should be able to turn things around this year. For one, he's fresh.

"I don't think I've pitched 10 games this season so I don't think I'm that tired yet," said Darvish, who turned 30 Tuesday and will make his 10th start of the season against the A's.

In addition to being fresh, Darvish also comes into the start on a roll. He's logged five straight quality starts despite going just 1-3 since he returned from the disabled list July 16. He got his first win since coming off the DL for right shoulder discomfort Friday against Detroit and has been among the American League leaders in several pitching categories over the last month. That includes strikeouts, as Darvish has struck out 48 in the six starts. That's second only to Detroit's Justin Verlander in the AL (50) in that timeframe.

Darvish, who threw a season-high 107 pitches against the Tigers, isn't thinking about strikeouts when he's out there.

"I threw a lot of pitches in the first two innings of my start and in my mind I was just trying to get quick outs so I was trying to throw in the strike zone and they were hitting early in the counts and I think that helped," said Darvish, who pitched 6 2/3 innings in that game. "That's me just trying to go deep into the game."

Like Darvish, Manaea knows a thing of two about strikeouts. He's second among AL rookies in strikeouts with 87 despite missing two weeks in June with a left pronator strain.

Seventeen of those strikeouts have come against the Rangers, as Manaea has faced Texas three times this year and has as many career wins against Texas in that time as Darvish does against Oakland. Manaea is 1-0 against Texas with a 3.06 ERA in his three starts.

Oakland manager Bob Melvin didn't want to divulge what's made Manaea so tough against the Rangers, but he did stress how mature the 24-year-old is.

"He's just pitching better against everybody right now," Melvin said. "Early on he had some more difficult outings. He's just getting comfortable in the big leagues. When he sees teams a second time, he knows a little bit more so how to pitch guys. I think he's just getting better and better and more comfortable in the big leagues, not just against a particular team."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mets (60-59) at Diamondbacks (49-70)

Game: 9
Venue: Chase Field
Date: August 17, 2016 9:40 PM EDT

PHOENIX -- Jonathon Niese, acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates at the trade deadline, will make his first start for the Mets this season and first start overall since July 10. Niese (8-6, 5.20 ERA) spent the first eight years of his career in New York, posting a 61-61 record before he was traded to Pittsburgh for Neil Walker.

Niese has been working through some discomfort in his left knee since having his knee drained back in Pittsburgh but Mets manager Terry Collins said the move to the rotation might help.

"We just think that if we start him he won't have to deal with the wear-and-tear of getting up and down," Collins said Saturday when announcing Niese's return to the rotation, "In between starts that knee will have a chance to recover."

Niese is taking the turn previously held down by Logan Verrett, who was optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas after consecutive rough outings.

Similarly, Arizona starter Zach Godley is returning to the Diamondbacks rotation to take the place of struggling left-hander Patrick Corbin.

Godley (3-2, 5.24) made five starts in July and August before moving to the bullpen. During his last three relief outings, he has held hitters to a .174 average (4 for 23) and struck out four.

"We don't want them to take their lumps to the point where we're out of a game," Arizona manager Chip Hale said of his young staff. "But you have to let them learn and try to make adjustments."

The Mets offense made an appearance Tuesday night, knocking out 12 hits, including a pair of home runs and six extra-base hits as New York split the first two games of their current seven-game road trip.

"Every time I look up they (the Diamondbacks) hit a double," Collins said. "It's nice that we hit some doubles for a change. The offense came around tonight."

T.J. Rivera, who earned the start when Neil Walker was scratched with back tightness, went 4-for-4 to double his career hit total.

"One of the things they told me is he barrels the ball," Collins said. "He gets the barrel on it."

The Diamondbacks got an immediate boost from outfielder Mitch Haniger, who doubled, tripled and drove in three runs in his major league debut Tuesday. Haniger steps into an outfield that has struggled both with injuries and ineffectiveness outside the 23 home runs of Yasmany Tomas.

"Every swing he took was right on it," Hale said of Haniger, who has 24 homers in 119 games at Double- and Triple-A this season. "He was just exactly as advertised by (Triple-A Reno manager) Phil Nevin and everybody in the minor leagues. He really knows how to play the game. I'm excited to see him play."

Arizona also has flourished on the bases against the Mets. The Diamondbacks stole four bases on Tuesday and have 19 steals against New York this season, one shy of matching the franchise record for most stolen bases against an opponent in a single season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mariners (63-55) at Angels (50-69)

Game: 3
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: August 17, 2016 10:05 PM EDT

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Despite going in opposite directions this year, the Seattle Mariners and the Los Angeles Angels share one thing in common: injuries that wreak havoc with both teams' rotations.

Four of the Angels' projected starters from spring training are out for the season. Two, Andrew Heaney and Nick Tropeano, have undergone Tommy John surgery and will miss all of next year. A third, C.J. Wilson, has not pitched since July 2015 because of elbow and shoulder surgery. As a result, Los Angeles had to fill the rotation with reclamation projects, and is heading for its worst season in Mike Scioscia's 17-year tenure as manager.

The Mariners face a similar problem as they prepare to meet the Angels on Wednesday night in the third installment of their four-game series.

Left-hander James Paxton, scratched from his start Tuesday night, went on the disabled list with a bruised left elbow. Paxton was hit in the elbow by a line drive in his last start Aug. 7. With right-hander Nathan Karns also on the disabled list because of a strained lower back and right-hander Taijuan Walker pitching at Triple-A Tacoma after fighting tendinitis in his right foot all season, manager Scott Servais must scramble for replacements.

"It's challenging," Servais told the Seattle Times. "Teams have done it before. You are trying to plug guys in there to keep you in games and suck up innings. Fortunately for us, our bullpen has been very good lately. So if we can get to those guys in the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth inning, we are in pretty good shape."

Right-hander Cody Martin, recalled Tuesday from Tacoma, will start Wednesday night after left-hander Ariel Miranda made his second start of the season Tuesday night as Paxton's replacement. Martin will the 13th starting pitcher that the Mariners have used this year.

Meanwhile, left-hander Tyler Skaggs seeks to recover from his worst start in more than two years when he takes the mound for the Angels. Skaggs gave up seven runs and 10 hits in five innings Friday night during the Cleveland Indians' 13-3 rout, which included seven stolen bases while Skaggs was on the mound and eight for the game.

On May 4, 2014, Skaggs allowed six runs and eight hits in just 2 2/3 innings of a 14-3 loss to the Texas Rangers.

After Friday night's game, Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez told reporters through a translator that his teammates could use Skaggs' delivery to decipher his pickoff move easily. When a reporter asked outfielder Rajai Davis whether Skaggs was tipping his move, Davis winked. Davis and Ramirez each had three steals.

"Hopefully, this will be a bump in the road 10 years from now, when he's hopefully still pitching," Angels manager Mike Scioscia told the Los Angeles Times. "Tyler's stuff is there. He's competing well and his confidence has grown."

That start was Skaggs' fourth since returning from Tommy John surgery, which caused him to miss a season and a half. The left-hander had compiled a streak of 18 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings between his final start of 2014 and his Aug. 6 appearance against the Mariners.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Wednesday's Diamond Notes
By Tony Mejia

Hottest team: Cubs (13-2 last 15)
The Cubs held the Brewers scoreless over the first 17 innings of Tuesday’s day-night doubleheader scoring before a sloppy Travis Wood came in and surrendered a Hernan Perez home run and Milwaukee brought the go-ahead run to the plate. Aroldis Chapman closed out both wins in the twinbill, so we’ll see if he’s available here, but considering how great the team’s starting pitching has been since the All-Star break, not having their closer on call may not matter. Even spot starter Trevor Cahill pitched five scoreless frames in Game 1 yesterday, while the typical rotation of Jake Arrieta, Jason Hammel, Kyle Hendricks, John Lackey and Jon Lester is a combined 9-0 in August with a 1.08 ERA, giving up 12 runs in 91.2 innings. The Cubs haven’t lost any of the five games Lester (12-4, 2.93 ERA) has taken the ball in since the All-Star break, but his worst start came against these Brewers, who chased him out after four innings on July 24, scoring four runs and making him throw 100 pitches while issuing a season-high five walks. Chicago bailed him out by rallying to win that game with a five-run seventh inning and is 7-3 against Milwaukee this season. The teams will play eight more games against one another after this one. Jimmy Nelson (6-12, 4.07) has pitched great against the Cubs this season but is 0-2 despite a 1.53 ERA over three starts in which his offense got him a total of six runs. He’s 0-5 in his career against Chicago (-260), which is Wednesday's biggest 'chalk' and has opened up a five-game lead on Washington for baseball's best record.

Coldest team: Padres (0-4 last four, 2-7 last nine)
Since the Angels rallied past Seattle to snap their 11-game losing streak late Tuesday, we'll give them a break from this spot where they have deservingly taken up residence over the past week. The Padres are wrapping up a taxing nine-game road trip that has seen them go 2-6 against the Pirates, Mets and Rays. San Diego looks weary and ready to head back West, but will look to avoid being swept by a sizzling Tampa Bay offense that has scored 35 runs over its last three games, its highest total within that stretch in franchise history. Christian Friedrich (4-8, 4.84) will look to cool off the Rays, but hasn't won a decision since June 23 and has allowed at least three runs in nine of his last 10 starts. Despite its awful record, San Diego has only been swept twice since June began, and one of those was a two-game series. Tampa is heavily favored (-200) despite riding MLB loss leader Chris Archer (6-16, 4.39), who has won just two of his last 11 decisions.

Hottest pitcher: J.A. Happ (16-3, 2.96 ERA)
There are a few other deserving candidates, but no one has a better case for the AL’s Cy Young Award than the 33-year-old Happ, who came into the season with a 62-61 career record that obviously looks a lot better now. Toronto has lost only one of his last 14 starts, a span in which he’s gone 11-1. He’s allowed two or fewer runs in 10 of those outings, allowing a total of six earned runs over his last 43.1 innings. Happ is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA against the Yankees, so after erasing a 6-1 deficit with an impressive comeback, you can understand why the Blue Jays (-155) are a sizeable road favorite in the Bronx as they aim to win a series outright for the sixth time in seven tries. The UNDER is 12-4 in Toronto’s last 16 games and 4-1-1 over Happ’s last six outings. New York counters with fellow lefty CC Sabathia (7-9, 4.20), who is 0-2 against the Jays despite a 1.38 ERA over 13 innings. He got a single run of support in each of his May starts against Toronto.

Coldest pitcher: Anibal Sanchez (6-12, 6.31 ERA)
Detroit’s veteran Venezuelan starter opened August by surrendering a single run in his first two starts, but slipped up again last time out at Texas in statistically his worst outing of the season, surrendering eight runs on eight hits, four of them homers, over four innings of an 8-5 loss in Arlington. Sanchez has already lost his spot in the rotation once, so he might be pitching for the right to stay here. The Tigers have won in only one of his 12 starts this season. It doesn’t help matters that Kansas City has limited Detroit to a single run in each of the first two games of this series, which means the Tigers have now scored two or fewer runs in six of their last nine, going 2-7 in those contests and falling 3.5 games off the AL wild card pace. Royals starter Yordano Ventura (8-9, 4.60) is 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA this month and 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA over 18.1 innings against the Tigers this season, improving to 6-0 lifetime against his team’s division rival. Despite those numbers, Detroit (-120) is slightly favored to avoid a series sweep.

Biggest UNDER run: Orioles (28-7 last 35)
After breaking through for seven runs in the final three innings of Sunday's riveting 8-7 comeback win at San Francisco, Baltimore was back home for its first home game since Aug. 4 looking to continue to build positive momentum after a lengthy rough road stretch. Instead of enjoying the comforts of home, the Orioles had to watch as Mookie Betts became first visiting player in MLB history to hit as many as seven home runs in Baltimore in a single season, a streak that dates back to 1954. Betts hit two homers, driving in all five runs in a 5-3 win that drew the Red Sox even with the Orioles for the two AL wild card spots, one game behind Toronto in the AL East. Despite Betts' fireworks, the Birds still haven't seen an OVER come in at Camden Yards since July 8, a run that includes the weekend prior to the All-Star break and spans 12 games following Tuesday's result. Dylan Bundy (6-3, 2.93) has seen the UNDER prevail in five of his last six starts, but David Price (10-8, 4.29) may snap that run since the OVER is 4-1 in his last five. Boston's key offseason acquisition is looking for wins in consecutive starts for the first time since May 24. Tonight's total is expected to hover around 9.

Biggest OVER run: Phillies (10-0 last 10, 12-1 last 13)
The Phillies had their four-game winning streak snapped, but fans still got their cheers in as they gave Chase Utley standing ovations following his two home runs, the second a grand slam, in the Dodgers’ 15-5 win on Tuesday. The Phillies have still seen only one UNDER come in this entire month. Only one of Philadelphia’s last eight games at Citizens Bank Park has gone UNDER the posted total, a run that dates back to July 21. The OVER also went 6-for-6 on their West Coast stops in San Diego and L.A., with games against the Dodgers producing an average of 13.3 combined runs through the first four meetings. The Dodgers have seen the OVER hit in seven of their last eight games. Lefty Scott Kazmir (9-6, 4.44) has lost his last three starts after having won seven straight decisions, a run that existed since mid-May until it was snapped on July 30. The OVER is 5-1 in his last six starts and 2-0 in rookie Jake Thompson’s (1-1, 8.68) outings. Oddsmakers have set tonight’s total at 9.

Matchup to watch: A's at Rangers
Rougned Odor had a brutal game last night before delivering the game-winning RBI by getting hit by a pitch in the Rangers’ 5-4 win. Odor contributed to Sam Dyson’s blown save with poor defense as the A’s rallied in the ninth, then went ahead 4-2 against Keone Kela in the 10th. It was the type of meltdown that can haunt a team, especially one that had just been blanked twice at home this past weekend and got four of its five runs on Monday in a single inning. Texas managed just two runs entering the ninth, but was going to escape with a win before things went downhill for the second baseman. Odor wound up laughing last after getting plunked, and the Rangers found a way out of a loss that could’ve festered. Carlos Beltran went 4-for-5 and delivered the game-tying hit in extras. Yu Darvish (3-3, 2.77) has pitched great of late and will look to secure a winning homestand with a sweep of Oakland before hitting the road for series against last-place Tampa Bay and Cincinnati. Darvish, who turned 30 on Tuesday, has struggled throughout his career against the A's, coming in 1-8 with a 4.76 ERA. Texas is the only team in the AL atop the 70-win mark. Only the Cubs are a heavier favorite on Wednesday than the Rangers (-210), who run up against A’s rookie lefty Sean Manaea (4-7, 4.57). The under has prevailed in Texas’ last four games and is 13-3-1 over the last 17.

Betcha didn’t know: James Paxton landing on the disabled list will lead to Seattle riding with another arm set to make their first start for its team on Wednesday. Cody Martin (1-2, 2.70), a 26-year-old who was a First Team All-American at Gonzaga, will become the 13th pitcher to start a game for the Mariners and is part of a team-record 29-man contingent to throw for Seattle already this season. Martin made two starts with the A's last year, giving up 11 earned runs over six innings in taking two losses and being demoted to bullpen duty. Martin has made five relief appearances for the M's but has made 18 starts at Triple-A Tacoma, where he’s gone 9-7 with a 3.93 ERA. Arquimedes Caminero blew a one-run lead in the bottom of the eighth in Anaheim Tuesday to end a three-game winning streak, but the Mariners have survived all the attrition in their rotation enough to have won 11 of 14. Seattle has lost consecutive games only twice since the All-Star break, a run that dates back to July 7. The Angels have only won back-to-back games once since July 26 but will be favored behind lefty Tyler Skaggs (1-1, 4.37).

Biggest public favorite: Dodgers (-165) at Phillies

Biggest public underdog: Royals (+110) at Tigers

Biggest line move: Astros (-110 to -120) vs. Cardinals

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Wednesday, August 17, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

If the Texas Rangers are going to hang on to their AL West lead and repeat in the division, they will do so sans outfielder/DH Shin-Soo Choo. He suffered a fractured forearm after being hit by a pitch Monday night in Oakland and is probably out for the rest of the regular season. The guy used to be a good player but is now really brittle as this will be his fourth DL stint of the season. He's hitting .247 with seven homers and 17 RBIs in 166 at-bats. Choo was hitting leadoff when healthy -- he took a .362 leadoff on-base percentage into the game, which ranked third among AL leadoff hitters -- and now that likely will be split between Jurickson Profar and Delino DeShields. "The professional at-bats, the ability to get on base, the power threat from the leadoff spot, it all changes the structure of our lineup somewhat," Manager Jeff Banister said. "We'll need to find someone who can solidify the leadoff spot for us."


Blue Jays at Yankees (+150, 8.5)

Earliest start of the day with a 1:05 p.m. ET first pitch. I don't think there's any question that Toronto veteran lefty J.A. Happ is the AL Cy Young favorite now. Happ (16-3, 2.96) won his 10th straight decision last Wednesday against Tampa Bay, shutting out the Rays on four hits over six innings. Happ also usually gets plenty of run support as the Jays are averaging 6.09 runs in his starts, tops in the AL. Happ is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in three starts against the Yankees this season. They are hitting just .206 off him. Starlin Castro fares well off him, going 6-for-20 with two doubles and a homer. Mark Teixeira doesn't, going 2-for-14. The Yankees start lefty and former AL Cy Young winner CC Sabathia, although those days are long gone. Sabathia (7-9, 4.20) also faced the Rays in his last start and got the win, allowing three runs and four hits over six innings. He is 0-2 against Toronto this year in two starts despite a 1.38 ERA. Melvin Upton is a career .268 hitter off him with three homers and eight RBIs in 57 at-bats. Michael Saunders is 1-for-17 against him.

Key trends: The Jays are 5-0 in Happ's past five vs. the AL East. The Yankees are 1-4 in Sabathia's past five at home. The "over/under" has one under in six of Happ's past eight vs. New York, which is 0-4 in Sabathia's past four vs. Toronto.

Early lean: Jays and under.

Nationals at Rockies (+142, 10.5)

Game starts at 3:10 p.m. ET in Denver. The thin air of the Mile High City is probably not what Strasburg (15-3, 3.07) wants to see right now as he's scuffling at the moment and could be losing his lead for the NL Cy Young. Although his last three poor starts were all in D.C. so maybe the road will be what he needs. Last time out, Strasburg was tagged for six runs and seven hits in 5.1 innings in a loss to the Braves. He hasn't faced the Rockies this season. Nolan Arenado is 2-for-11 career off him with a homer and five strikeouts. Carlos Gonzalez is 2-for-14 with seven punchouts. Colorado's Jon Gray (8-6, 4.55) has had back-to-back terrible starts. He was lit up for seven runs over 4.1 innings in his last start in Philadelphia. This is his first look at Washington in his career. Daniel Murphy has faced him, going 1-for-5 with an RBI.

Key trends: The Nats are 7-1 in Strasburg's past eight vs. teams with a losing record. The Rockies are 1-5 in Gray's past six vs. the NL East. The under is 7-2 in Strasburg's past nine road starts vs. teams with a losing record.

Early lean: Rockies and under.

Pirates at Giants (-120, 8)

A 3:45 p.m. ET first pitch and should have live betting at sportsbooks as it's nationally televised by the MLB Network. San Francisco goes with Matt Cain (4-7, 5.47). He had thrown back-to-back starts of five shutout innings but reverted to previous form on Friday against Baltimore in allowing five runs and 10 hits over four innings in a loss. Cain hasn't faced Pittsburgh this season. Andrew McCutchen is 4-for-18 career off him with a double. Jordy Mercer is 1-for-3 with a solo homer. The Bucs go with trade addition Ivan Nova (9-6, 4.68). The National League has so far agreed with him as Nova is 2-0. He allowed a run and nine hits over 5.1 innings last time out at the Dodgers. He did face the Giants in his penultimate start with the Yankees and allowed one run and six hits in seven innings. Brandon Belt is 3-for-6 off him with a double. Buster Posey is 0-for-7.

Key trends: The Giants are 4-12 in Cain's past 16 vs. the NL Central. They are 6-2 in his past eight vs. Pittsburgh. The over is 20-3-3 in Cain's past 26 in Game 3 of a series.

Early lean: Pirates and over.

Red Sox at Orioles (-105, 8.5)

ESPN national TV game. On Monday, Boston's David Ortiz passed Honus Wagner for 22nd on the all-time RBI list as Big Papi now has 1,733. He's not going to get any higher on that list unless he decides not to retire this offseason. Assuming Alex Rodriguez is retired, Albert Pujols is the active leader at No. 21 with 1,787 entering Tuesday. The Sox go with lefty David Price (10-8, 4.29). He won for the first time since June 10 on Friday in allowing three runs and 10 hits over eight innings against Arizona. Price is 0-1 with a 5.54 ERA in two starts this year vs. Baltimore. Manny Machado is 7-for-25 off him career with two homers. Mark Trumbo is a .360 hitter off Price with two homers in 25 at-bats. Baltimore goes with Cy Young contender Chris Tillman (15-4, 3.46). He beat Oakland last time out, giving up two runs over seven innings. He won in Boston on June 14, giving up a run and five hits over seven. Ortiz hits just .194 career against him.

Key trends: The Red Sox are 0-5 in Price's past five on the road. The Orioles are 7-1 in Tillman's past eight at home vs. Boston. The under is 10-4 in his past 14 vs. the Red Sox.

Early lean: Orioles and under.

Royals at Tigers (-136, 9)

Monitor the status of Tigers star Miguel Cabrera here. He left Monday's game against Kansas City with a left biceps strain and is being called day-to-day. He has been red hot this month and is one RBI from his 1,000th career with the Tigers. He has a ways to go to catch franchise leader Ty Cobb, who has 1,805. Cobb also played nearly 1,500 more games in a Tigers uniform than Cabrera has. The Royals go with Yordano Ventura (8-9, 4.60), who has won his past three. He pitched in Minnesota on Friday and gave up three runs and four hits over seven. Ventura is 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA in three starts vs. Detroit this season. Cabrera, if he's in the lineup, is 5-for-16 off him with three RBIs. Ian Kinsler is a career .348 hitter against him in 23 at-bats. Detroit goes with Anibal Sanchez (6-12, 6.31), maybe the AL's worst starter right now. He was trashed at Texas on Friday, allowing eight runs and eight hits (four homers) over four innings. Sanchez has pitched 2.1 innings this year vs. K.C. and allowed four hits and a run. Eric Hosmer is 10-for-34 against him with three doubles and a homer.

Key trends: The Royals are 4-1 in Ventura's past five vs. Detroit. The over is 6-2 in his past eight against the Tigers. The under is 8-3 in Sanchez's past 11 vs. Detroit.

Early lean: Royals and over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'HAPP-Y DAYS'

A series finale at Yankee Stadium Wednesday afternoon between New York and Toronto features a battle of southpaws on respective mounds. According to opening odds sportsbooks have have visiting Blue Jays -$1.65 road favorites with the total set at 9 runs.

Southpaw C.C. Sabathia gets the call for the Yankees, bringing a 7-9 record, 4.20 ERA to the hill. Sabathia is certainly looking for a better results against Toronto. The lefty lost both games vs Toronto this season hooked up against Happ and has been on the wrong end of four straight decisions facing Toronto.

Toronto's lefty J.A. Happ carrying a 16-3 record, 2.96 ERA to the mound spun six shutout innings against the Rays his last time out has won ten of his last eleven starts with Jays a perfect 11-0 over the span.

Bet against J.A. Happ at your peril. The Jays have won five straight and eight of his last eleven vs a division rival, seven consecutive and thirteen of his last sixteen day games and have won five of his last six vs New York dating back to his first stint with Toronto.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Wednesday’s games

National League

Brewers @ Cubs
Nelson is 0-5, 10.96 in his last five starts; his last three went over. Brewers lost six of his last seven road starts.

Lester is 3-0, 2.64 in his last five starts; six of his last eight went over. Cubs won his last six home starts.

Milwaukee is 8-22 in its last 30 road games; four of last six Brewer games went over total. Cubs won 13 of last 15 games; under is 7-4 in last 11 games at Wrigley Field.

Marlins @ Reds
Cashner is 0-2, 7.31 in three starts for Miami (over 2-1).

Bailey is 2-1, 4.30 in three starts this season (under 2-1).

Marlins are 5-9 in last 14 games; six of last seven Miami road games went over. Cincinnati is 16-11 in its last 27 games; over is 7-1-1 in their last nine games.

Dodgers @ Phillies
Kazmir is 0-3, 5.00 in his last three starts; over is 4-1-1 in his last six.

Thompson is 1-1, 8.68 in his first two MLB starts (over 2-0).

Dodgers are 5-7 in last 12 road games; over is 6-1-1 in last seven Dodger games. Phillies won four of last five games; seven of last eight Philly home games went over.

Nationals @ Rockies
Strasburg is 2-3, 5.28 in his last five starts (over 3-1-1). Washington is 8-1 in his home starts.

Gray is 0-2, 16.88 in his last two starts; six of his last eight stayed under. Colorado is 5-4 in his home starts.

Nationals are 9-4 in last 13 games; four of last six Washington games went over the total. Colorado lost 10 of last 13 games; over is 6-4-1 in last 11 Colorado games.

Mets @ Diamondbacks
Niese was 1-4, 8.49 in his last six starts for Pittsburgh- this is his first start this year for his original team, the Mets. Four of his last five starts stayed under.

Godley is 1-2, 6.35 in his last four starts; five of his six starts went over.

New York lost 13 of last 20 games; under is 22-9 in their last 31 road games. Arizona lost seven of last ten home games; over is 16-3-1 in their last 20 home games.

Pirates @ Giants
Nova is 2-0, 2.92 in two starts for Pirates (under 2-0).

Cain is 3-1, 4.19 in his last four starts; under is 2-0-1 in his last three. Giants are 4-5 in his home starts.

Pirates are 6-9 in last 15 road games; under is 10-5 in their last 15 road games. Giants are 9-20 since All-Star break; under is 7-3 in their last ten home games.


American League

Red Sox @ Orioles
Price is 1-2, 4.81 in his last six starts; four of his last five went over. Boston lost his last five road starts.

Tillman is 1-2, 4.94 in his last four starts; under is 6-1-2 in his last nine. Baltimore is 12-1 when he starts at home.

Red Sox won their last five games, scoring 39 runs; under is 14-3 in last 17 Boston road games. Baltimore is 5-7 in its last 12 games; under is 11-0-1 in their last 12 home games.

Blue Jays @ New York
Happ is 10-0, 2.41 in his last 11 starts; under is 4-1-1 in his last six. Toronto is 7-4 in his road starts.

Sabathia is 2-3, 5.50 in his last six starts; three of his last four starts went over. New York lost four of his last five home starts.

Blue Jays are 9-5 in last 14 games; eight of last nine Toronto road games stayed under. New York won five of last seven games; five of last seven New York games went over the total.

Royals @ Tigers
Ventura is 2-0, 2.89 in his last three starts; under is 5-2 in his last seven. Royals are 5-8 in his road starts.

Sanchez is 1-1, 5.25 in his last four starts; under is 4-2-1 in his last seven. Detroit lost five of his last six home starts.

Royals won eight of last ten games; under is 14-4 in their last 18. Detroit lost last three home games; seven of last nine Detroit games stayed under.

White Sox @ Indians
Ranaudo allowed three runs in 6.2 IP (107 PT) at Wrigley in his first ’16 start.

Carrasco is 1-3, 6.46 in his last four starts; over is 5-3 in his last eight. Indians are 6-3 in his home starts.

White Sox are 6-12 in last 18 games; over is 9-6 in their last 15 games. Cleveland won six of last seven home games; Indians’ last four games stayed under the total.

A’s @ Rangers
Manaea is 1-2, 5.09 in his last three starts; three of his last four went over. Oakland is 1-5 in his road starts.

Darvish is 1-1, 3.12 in his last four starts (under 5-3-1).

A’s lost five of last six games; eight of last ten A’s games stayed under. Texas is 8-3 in its last 11 home games; under is 13-2-2 in their last seventeen games.

Mariners @ Angels
Martin started two games for Oakland LY; he is 1-2, 2.70 in five relief stints this year (10 IP), and is 9-7, 3.93 in 18 AAA starts this season.

Skaggs is 0-1, 9.58 in his last two starts; three of his four starts went over.

Mariners are 11-3 in last 14 games; seven of last ten Seattle road games went over. Angels lost 11 of last 12 games; six of last nine Angel games stayed under total.


Interleague

Twins @ Braves
Gibson is 1-1, 8.59 in his last three starts (over 3-0); Minnesota won four of his last five road starts.

Foltynewicz is 3-2, 6.43 in his last five starts; his last four went over. Atlanta is 2-4 in his home starts.

Twins lost five of last seven games; nine of last ten Minnesota road games went over. Atlanta lost five of last six games; four of last five Brave games went over the total.

Padres @ Rays
Friedrich is 0-6, 6.80 in his last eight starts (over 10-5). San Diego lost four of his last five road starts.

Archer is 1-3, 4.10 in his last four starts; under is 9-2 in his home starts. Tampa Bay lost seven of his last eight home starts.

Padres lost seven of last nine games; over is 8-4 in last 12 San Diego games. Tampa Bay won five of last seven home games; ten of Rays’ last 11 games went over total.

Cardinals @ Astros
Martinez is 0-1, 7.00 in his last three starts; under is 8-2-1 in his last 11. St Louis won five of his last seven road starts.

Fister is 1-0, 2.84 in his last three starts; three of his last four home starts stayed under.

Cardinals are 7-9 in last 16 games; over is 7-2-1 in last ten Cardinal games. Houston lost six of last seven home games; under is 7-1-1 in last nine games at Minute Maid Park.


Teams’ record when this pitcher starts:

Mil-Chi– Nelson 9-15 (0-5 last 5); Lester 17-6
LA-Phil– Kazmir 12-11 (0-3 last 3); Thompson 1-1
Mia-Cin– Cashner 1-2/7-9; Bailey 2-1
Wsh-Colo– Strasburg 18-4; Gray 9-12
NY-Az– Niese 0-0/9-9; Godley 3-3
Pitt-SF– Nova 2-0/7-8; Cain 7-9

Bos-Balt– Price 12-13 (1-5 last 6); Tillman 20-5
Tor-NY– Happ 18-5; Sabathia 11-10
KC-Det– Ventura 12-11 (3-0 last 3); Sanchez 4-14
Chi-Clev– Ranaudo 0-1; Carrasco 12-6
A’s-Tex– Manaea 8-9; Darvish 4-5
Sea-LA– Martin 0-0; Skaggs 1-3

Min-Atl– Gibson 8-8; Foltynewicz 7-8
SD-TB– Friedrich 7-9; Archer 7-18
StL-Hst– Martinez 10-12; Fister 15-8


# of time pitcher allows 1+ runs in first inning:

Mil-Chi– Nelson 7-24; Lester 7-23
LA-Phil– Kazmir 12-23; Thompson 1-2
Mia-Cin– Cashner 7-18; Bailey 2-3
Wsh-Colo– Strasburg 8-22; Gray 8-21
NY-Az– Niese 4-18; Godley 2-6
Pitt-SF– Nova 4-17; Cain 2-16

Bos-Balt– Price 9-25; Tillman 8-25
Tor-NY– Happ 5-23; Sabathia 5-21
KC-Det– Ventura 5-23; Sanchez 7-18
Chi-Clev– Ranaudo 0-1; Carrasco 5-18
A’s-Tex– Manaea 1-17; Darvish 3-9
Sea-LA– Martin 0-0; Skaggs 3-4

Min-Atl– Gibson 9-16; Foltynewicz 3-15
SD-TB– Friedrich 6-16; Archer 11-25
StL-Hst– Martinez 3-22; Fister 3-23


Umpires

Mil-Chi– Five of last six Davis games stayed under.
LA-Phil– Four of last five Conroy games stayed under.
Mia-Cin– Last three Vanover games went over the total.
Wsh-Colo– Under is 5-3 in last eight Fagan games.
NY-Az– Underdogs won four of last five Fairchild games.
Pitt-SF– Over is 8-5-1 in last fourteen Eddings games.

Bos-Balt– Over is 9-5 in last fourteen Hamari games.
Tor-NY– Under is 6-1-1 in last eight TGibson games.
KC-Det– Underdogs won nine of last 11 LBarrett games.
Chi-Clev– Five of last seven Wolf games went over.
A’s-Tex– Nine of last ten Danley games stayed under.
Sea-LA– Over is 4-0-1 in last five O’Nora games.

Min-Atl– Three of last four Demuth games stayed under.
SD-TB– Underdogs won four of last five Culbreth games.
StL-Hst– Road team won six of last eight Miller games.

 

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StatFox Super Situations

MLB*|*MILWAUKEE*at*CHICAGO CUBS
Play Against - Home teams (CHICAGO CUBS) starting a pitcher who gave up <=2 earned runs in his last 2 outings against opponent with a cold starting pitcher- ERA >= 7.00 over his last 5 starts
319-357*since 1997.**(*47.2%*|*125.1 units*)
8-17*this year.**(*32.0%*|*-5.5 units*)


StatFox Situational Power Trends

MLB*|*MINNESOTA*at*ATLANTA
MINNESOTA is 28-19 (+21.7 Units) against the money line in Road games vs. teams whose hitters strike out 7 or more times/game in the second half of the season*over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was: MINNESOTA (5.5) , OPPONENT (5.0)

 

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Wednesday’s 6-pack

— Broncos’ coach Gary Kubiak is 23-11-3 vs spread in preseason games.

— Jason Garrett is 7-15 vs spread; under is 14-8-1 in last 23 Dallas preseason games. Under is 10-3 in Jaguar games under Gus Bradley.

— Six NFL teams don’t have a backup QB who has started an NFL game, seven if Case Keenum starts for the Rams

— Andy Reid is 29-39-1 vs spread in preseason games; over is 37-26-6.

— Mike Zimmer used to work for Bill Parcells; he is 8-2 in preseason games.

— Pete Carroll is 25-14-3 vs spread in preseason games.

 

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#1 Sports

Wednesday's Free Selection: Los Angeles Dodgers - 165

 

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Mike Wynn

Bonus Play: MLB Kansas City w/Ventura +115 Over Detroit