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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

September Pitchers Report
By Marc Lawrence

Much like our waistlines after a tasty Labor Day barbeque, MLB rosters have expanded to accommodate September, the final month of the season. And as College Football and the NFL crash onto the scene, MLB pitchers take the final spotlight in hopes of leading their teams on to the playoff trail.

The question is which ones can we count on and which ones figure to be candidates for offseason Weight Watchers meetings?

Check it out.

Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a two-to-one or better success ratio in team starts the last three seasons during the month of September. On the flip side, we’ve also listed pitchers that struggle in September team starts, winning 33% percent or less of their efforts.

To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at least one start each September over the last three years.

Note: * designates a categorical repeat appearance by this pitcher, maintaining status quo from last season’s September’s list.

Enjoy the games.

GOOD MONTH PITCHERS:

Arrieta, Jake - 12-2 (8-1 H)

For nearly two full seasons, Arrieta has been as good as it gets in baseball as a starting pitcher. While strikeouts have been down a bit and walks are up of late, at this time it hard to find fault with a hurler who has opposing batters hitting below .200 against him and has a 2.84 ERA to start the month.

Cole, Gerrit - 14-3 (6-0 H)

The Pittsburgh ace has frankly had a mediocre injury-plagued season and on August 27th had an MRI on his elbow, which revealed no damage. If Pirates the are going to snare a third consecutive Wild Card bid, they will need the Cole of the past two years. Note: Cole’s record also represents his MLB career team start mark during the month of September.

*Grenike, Zack - 13-3 (7-1 H)

Greinke's ERA is higher than past year's but pitching in thinner air of Arizona has contributed to this. While the Diamondbacks have little too play for, expect Grienke to be tough as nails like usual.

Hamels, Cole - 12-5 (6-2 H)

Need a big game pitched in September? It’s hard to go wrong with Hamels, whose ERA of 2.91 is well below career mark of 3.26. Still owns lively fastball and changeup is knee-buckling. A true professional.

*Jimenez, Ubaldo - 12-1 (6-0 H)

Still toeing the rubber every five days or for Baltimore in spite of mid-sixes ERA. Baltimore has few options and Jimenez is not trustworthy in the bullpen either. Orioles need big month from their big man to reach the playoffs and this is his best month.

*Kershaw, Clayton - 12-3 (6-1 A)

Kershaw threw in simulated game on August 30 and later said "feeling really good" and if all goes well, the Dodgers hope Kershaw can pitch in September and beyond in some role, which only makes the Dodgers a bigger threat. Best pitcher in baseball.

Kluber, Corey - 10-3 (5-1 A)

Has been back to Cy Young form since the All-Star break with an ERA under 2.00 and Cleveland has won his last six outings. When he commands both sides of dish with fastball, for whatever reason, his curveball has more break. A true established ace for the Tribe trying to win the division.

Koehler, Tom - 10-5 (5-1 A)

Been very effective in a quiet way nationally, but has been extremely dependable for two months leading to this month for Miami, supplying six to seven solid innings per start. If he's throwing strikes inside to batters, he’s tough to hit. Note: Koehler’s record also represents his MLB career team start mark during the month of September.

Peavy, Jake - 11-3 (5-1 H)

Went on DL in late August with lower back strain. Had been working out of bullpen most of August and future status with San Francisco is as cloudy as the weather in the Bay.

*Price, David - 12-5 (7-2 H)

After a largely below season in Boston, Price has been much sharper in latter stages of August, which is what the Red Sox need. What has changed is Price became more effective in keeping the ball lower and is getting more fly ball outs as a power pitcher, which are genuinely more routine.

*Scherzer, Max - 11-4 (6-3 H)

After a somewhat slow start, Scherzer has been getting better and better and base hits allowed are well below innings pitched (128 vs. 190), yet walking few batters (45), especially compared to strikeouts (238). Back to pacing around mound like the king of the jungle.

*Shields, James - 13-4 (8-0 A)

It has been a wild ride for Shields this season, with numerous hideous outings blended in with several sharp ones. At this stage, hard to think the 34-year righty can duplicate the past seasons.

Strasburg, Stephen- 9-4 (5-1 A)

Starts the month on the DL after some very ugly starts last month. If Washington is to do anything in the postseason, Strasburg needs to regain early season form, which features moving fastball and big breaking curve.

*Zimmermann, Jordan - 11-4 (6-2 A)

If rehab assignments go well, September 10th is target date for return. Zimmermann has not been very effective for quite some time and easy to forget he had ERA of 2.45 in mid-May, compared to current 4.44.

BAD MONTH PITCHERS:

*Hellickson, Jeremy - 2-10 (1-5 H)

All things considered, Hellickson has not had a bad year in Philadelphia. However, upon closer inspection, most of his numbers are now near career norms and if that ends being the same this month, real bet against potential.

Leake, Mike - 5-10 (1-7 A)

The Cardinals right-hander has been a lot like his teams, when Leake has been good, he and St. Louis have generally won, when not they have too often lost badly. Cards are hoping not to see a repeat performance from the veteran.

Ross, Tyson - 3-11 (1-6 A)

Started on Opening Day and has not been seen since for San Diego with bum shoulder. Still trying to work way bad through rehab. Probably best to forget 2016.

*Sale, Chris - 2-12 (0-8 A)

It is almost unimaginable Sale could have a record like this in September, yet he does. Part of it is the White Sox offense is too unreliable and Sale's miscues end up being quite costly. Let's see what the final month brings for the big lefty.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mets (73-66) at Reds (57-80)

Game: 3
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: September 07, 2016 12:35 PM EDT

CINCINNATI -- The New York Mets clubhouse was crowded Tuesday afternoon after they added seven players to the roster, including Tuesday's starter Rafael Montero.

Manager Terry Collins didn't mind have some extra options off the bench, but finding them time in batting practice etc. can be a chore, especially in the midst of a postseason race when the regular guys take priority.

"You just do it," Collins said. "Probably at home, we'll bring some of the extra guys out early so batting practice doesn't take so long. The main thing is our main guys, you've got to make sure they're ready because they're going to be in the lineup most of the time. We're used to September by now."

With a couple of their top prospects nursing injury, the Cincinnati Reds only made a handful of additions after the rosters expanded on Sept. 1.

Reds manager Bryan Price said he has mixed emotions about September call-ups.

"As a manager ... you never have to worry about extra innings or using your backup catcher or blowing up your bullpen," Price said. "Managing against it is not fun. The Mets called up six guys today and we called up three. The reconnaissance factor becomes a problem."

So, like it or not, the Reds and Mets will have plenty of options to choose from during Wednesday's finale of a three-game series at Great American Ball Park.

Wednesday's starter for the Mets -- right-hander Noah Syndergaard -- is 2-0 with a 2.42 ERA in three starts against Cincinnati. He last faced the Reds in a 12-5 Mets' victory on September 25, 2015. He has struck out 25 with no walks in three career starts against the Reds whom the Mets have never lost to when he pitches.

In his last start, Syndergaard took the loss in a 4-1 defeat against the Washington Nationals, despite allowing just two runs over seven innings. It was the fifth time this season he's allowed two or fewer runs and not earned a victory.

Syndergaard has pitched well recently, allowing two earned runs or fewer in each of his last three starts. He also has a 2.63 ERA away from Citi Field.

Cincinnati right-hander Anthony DeSclafani will make his 17th start this season since beginning the season on the disabled list with an oblique injury suffered late in Spring Training.

It will be his fourth career appearance and third start vs the Mets who've hit him hard. He's 0-2 with a 12.27 ERA in three starts against New York, two of which came while a member of the Miami Marlins. In 11 innings against the Mets, DeSclafani has given up 15 earned runs.

Tuesday night's 5-3 win extended the Mets' winning streak over the Reds to 13 games, dating to Sept. 7, 2014. It's the second-longest winning streak in franchise history behind a 15-game streak against the Pirates in 1986-87.

New York is getting hot at the right time.

"I said it back in New York, the way the team is playing lately reminds me of last year," said Yoenis Cespedes.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Orioles (76-62) at Rays (58-79)

Game: 3
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: September 07, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter came into this series with the Tampa Bay Rays showing a real urgency, challenging his team to push for every win possible as they chase the Blue Jays and Red Sox in the American League East.

Baltimore has responded in a big way, getting two easy wins over the Rays to pull within one game of Toronto for the division lead, with a chance to sweep Tampa Bay as they close out the series Wednesday afternoon.

"This is a tough place to play," said Showalter, whose team is now 11-3 against the Rays this season. "You've got to be a self-starter and get yourself ready to play, because next thing you know, you can get ambushed. They're capable of good baseball."

The Rays are in danger of taking their first series sweep since the All-Star break as a team that had a 3-24 stretch going into the break has consistently avoided losing streaks like that in the past two months.

But on the very day they fired hitting coach Derek Shelton, the Rays went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position Tuesday, getting a home run from the first batter of the game, then just one unearned run the rest of the way.

"I know it's been ugly the last couple of days," manager Kevin Cash said after Tuesday's loss, his team's third straight. "When you have some big innings like we've had go against us, it appears worse than it is at times. We want to win, and we're not playing to our abilities, but we have played better baseball as of late."

Wednesday's Orioles starter, Dylan Bundy, has come a long way since making his first start of the season at the Trop against the Rays. Transitioning out of the bullpen, he lasted only 3 1/3 innings, giving up four runs in a 5-2 loss.

But since then he's gone 6-3, becoming a steady part of the rotation. In his last outing, he threw 5 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball, holding the Yankees to two hits in a win on Friday.

Rays starter Drew Smyly has had success against Baltimore in his career, going 4-1 with a 3.22 ERA in nine appearances. That wasn't the case in his last outing, however, as he gave up eight earned runs, matching a career high, in five innings in a loss on June 26 that included a grand slam to Chris Davis and home runs to Mark Trumbo and Jonathan Schoop.

The Rays had lessened the sting of their late-season irrelevance by playing much improved baseball in the last two months, but three straight losses have taken away some of that momentum.

"The best we can do is bounce back tomorrow and play a good ballgame," said Cash, who will face the same Orioles team four more times next weekend in Baltimore.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (62-76) at Athletics (59-79)

Game: 3
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: September 07, 2016 3:35 PM EDT

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Two pitchers hoping to make the most of an otherwise meaningless September clash of fourth- and fifth-place teams will go head-to-head when the Los Angeles Angels and Oakland Athletics wrap up a three-game series Wednesday.

Angels right-hander Alex Meyer will be making his second major league start and A's righty Jharel Cotton his first in the afternoon affair.

Meyer has two advantages of Cotton in the matchup.

First off, he'll be facing an A's team that's been no-hit into the eighth and sixth innings in two of their last three games.

Also, Meyer has four games of big-league experience under his belt, even if those outings didn't go well.

Pitching at the time for the Minnesota Twins, Meyer made two relief appearances in 2015 and one earlier this season, pitching a total of 3 2/3 innings. He allowed seven runs on seven hits in those outings.

Given a shot to start at Houston on May 1, the 26-year-old didn't fare much better, giving up three runs on three hits in 2 2/3 innings. He was charged with the loss in the 6-4 loss.

The 6-foot-9 former first-round pick of the Washington Nationals will bring a 14.21 career ERA, fifth highest among all pitchers who have made four or more appearances the last two seasons, into the contest.

Meyer will be making his Angels debut. He was acquired on Aug. 1 along with Tuesday's starting pitcher, Ricky Nolasco, from the Minnesota Twins for left-hander Hector Santiago and minor league right-hander Alan Busenitz.

"This pitcher absolutely has as much upside as any pitcher in the game today," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Meyer following his acquisition. "He just has to realize some of that potential, turn it into performance."

Cotton was one of three pitchers acquired by the A's when they dealt right fielder Josh Reddick and left-hander Rich Hill to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline.

He will be making his major league debut after going 3-1 with a 2.82 ERA in six starts for Nashville, the A's Triple-A affiliate.

Cotton will be the seventh Oakland pitcher to make his major league debut this season, and second in three days.

Right-hander Raul Alcantara's turn in the spotlight turned quickly into a complete disaster in the series opener Monday. He hit three of the first eight batters he faced and lasted only three innings, allowing five runs on five hits in a 10-7 loss.

Cotton attended Tuesday's 3-2, come-from-behind win over the Angels even though he technically hadn't been placed on the active roster.

"This is awesome. I'm glad I'm here," he told reporters before the game. "I'm excited. Just have to go out there and pitch and have a good time with my teammates."

Cotton can only hope his big day turns out to be as special as fellow rookie Joey Wendle's was Tuesday.

Wendle recorded his first game-winning RBI, capping a three-run rally that produced the 3-2 win.

Wendle recorded his first major league hit, first major league RBI and first major league game-winning hit all within the first six days of the month.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Tigers (75-63) at White Sox (66-72)

Game: 3
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: September 07, 2016 2:10 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- Anibal Sanchez's start for the Detroit Tigers in their series finale against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday afternoon could be pivotal in two ways.

The Tigers are thick in the wild-card race. And Sanchez could be pitching to keep his spot in the rotation.

After falling 2-0 to the White Sox on Tuesday night, Detroit trails the Cleveland Indians by 4 1/2 games for the American League Central lead and the Baltimore Orioles by a game for the second wild card. The Tigers (75-63) will try for a series victory against the White Sox (66-72) on Wednesday.

The Tigers activated right-hander Jordan Zimmermann from the 15-day disabled list on Tuesday, and manager Brad Ausmus refrained from saying who will exit the rotation when Zimmermann returns. Zimmermann is expected to start Saturday against Baltimore. He was on the DL since Aug. 5 for an aggravation of his previous neck injury. He is 9-5 with a 4.44 ERA in 16 starts this season.

Meanwhile, Sanchez has struggled. The right-hander is 7-13 with a 5.70 ERA this season. Another possibility to leave the rotation and move to the bullpen is Matt Boyd (5-3, 3.89 ERA), who allowed two runs in seven innings Tuesday against the White Sox.

"Nobody is out for now," Ausmus said before Tuesday's game.

In his last start, Sanchez allowed three unearned runs in five innings Friday against Kansas City. He has one victory in his last six starts, allowing 17 earned runs in 36 2/3 innings. He is 3-6 with a 4.96 ERA in 12 career games against the White Sox.

The Tigers won the series opener 5-3 in 11 innings on Monday before they were shut out for the 10th time this season Tuesday.

Detroit second baseman Ian Kinsler will likely remain out of the starting lineup until Friday when the Tigers face the Orioles in their series opener. He injured his right ring finger fielding a hard groundball Sunday in Kansas City. The injury mainly affects Kinsler's throwing, Ausmus said. Kinsler is available to pinch run.

"He's still got a little bleeding under the fingernail," Ausmus said. "We'll see how he is (Wednesday). We'll give him that off day (Thursday), too."

Left-hander Jose Quintana (11-10, 3.05 ERA) is scheduled to start for the White Sox on Wednesday. In his last start Thursday against Minnesota, Quintana allowed seven runs and seven hits -- including two home runs -- in five innings. It was the first time he gave up seven or more runs for the first time since April 19.

"It was a bad night for me," Quintana told reporters. "I'll turn the page, and that's it. I'll try to just keep going with the next one."

Quintana is 5-4 with a 3.99 ERA in 16 career starts against the Tigers. He is trying to add to his career-high victory total of 11. Quintana's ERA of 3.05 ranks second in the American League, just ahead of his teammate Chris Sale (3.07) and behind Toronto's Aaron Sanchez (2.92).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Braves (54-85) at Nationals (81-57)

Game: 3
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: September 07, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- Several times over the past few years, TBA in the press notes of the Washington Nationals stood for Stephen James Strasburg.

That was the case again Tuesday, as the probable pitcher for the first-place Nationals on Wednesday was listed as TBA.

That turns out to be Strasburg, whom manager Dusty Baker confirmed after Tuesday's game will start against the Atlanta Braves in the third and last game of the series at Nationals Park on Wednesday.

"Hopefully Stras can give us some quality innings," said Baker, whose team clinched a .500 season with a 9-7 win on Tuesday.

Strasburg has been on the disabled list since Aug. 22, retroactive to Aug. 21, with right elbow soreness. He is 15-4 with a 3.59 ERA in 23 starts this year for the Nationals.

Strasburg threw from the flat ground in the outfield before Tuesday's game. He gives the first-place Nationals a formidable rotation, for a possible playoff appearance, with Max Scherzer and Tanner Roark.

"He is one of our big three," Baker said of Strasburg. "He was having a great year. He still has the opportunity to finish a great year."

Baker said Strasburg has come out of recent side sessions with no soreness, though it can be tough to ascertain that. "He is a tough read," Baker said of the quiet Strasburg.

While the Braves were officially eliminated from the playoffs Monday, interim manager Brian Snitker has been pleased with his team's approach.

"Our guys grind out at-bats and grind out games," he said after Tuesday' loss. "They don't give up many at-bats."

Another Washington starter who has been on the disabled list this year is Joe Ross, another right-hander.

A California native like Strasburg, Ross pitched three innings in a minor league rehab appearance for Triple-A Syracuse on Monday. "We would like to get him stretched out," Baker said of Ross.

The manager said it is possible Ross, who made his big league debut in June 2015, could pitch in a simulated game at some point.

The Atlanta pitcher on Wednesday with be Mike Foltynewicz, who is 8-5 with a 4.31 ERA this season. The right-hander has faced Washington once, going 5 2/3 innings at Nationals Park on Aug. 12, 2016.

He will have to deal with Trea Turner, who continues to be a revelation at the top of the order for Baker.

Turner had three hits Monday and on Tuesday he had two more hits, including a two-run single in the eighth.

"My job is to get on base and put pressure on the other team," Turner said.

He is now hitting .344 and has seen time at second base and center field.

Baker said he won't use closer Mark Melancon after he pitched for the second day in row Tuesday.

"We wonder about (workload) on everybody," Baker said. "This is the time of year when you worry about workload. You weigh workload with the necessity to win the games. We'll probably -- not probably -- we'll stay away from Melancon tomorrow. We really didn't want to use him today because he hasn't been as sharp the last couple days. But these guys, everybody has a nemesis, and these guys have been his nemesis since he's been here. So like I said, we will stay away from him tomorrow."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jays (77-61) at Yankees (72-65)

Game: 3
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: September 07, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The Toronto Blue Jays are squandering opportunities in their series at Yankee Stadium.

Every time the Blue Jays miss a chance to add runs, the New York Yankees exhale.

After two dramatic games, the American League East rivals conclude their three-game series Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, when New York will be looking for complete a sweep.

The Blue Jays (77-61) have dropped four of five and are tied with the Boston Red Sox for first place in the division. The Blue Jays have held at least a share of the lead every day since Aug. 16, and this is the fifth time they have been tied.

The Yankees (72-65) have won three straight and nine of 13 to stay 3 1/2 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for the second AL wild card. New York also is within 4 1/2 games of the division lead -- its smallest deficit since April 28.

"We have been playing good baseball," Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner said. "I'm sure teams in front of us have taken notice."

This series has featured two close games with late-inning dramatics.

On Monday, Toronto cut a four-run deficit in half on Edwin Encarnacion's bases-loaded, seventh-inning single. However, Russell Martin lined out to end the inning, and the Yankees held on to win 5-3.

On Tuesday, Kevin Pilar's two-run double gave the Jays a short-lived, 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth. The Yankees responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning, and Chase Headley's two-run homer gave New York a 7-4 lead.

After Toronto scored twice in the ninth off Dellin Betances to climb within 7-6, and the bases were loaded when Blake Parker replaced the New York closer with two outs. Pillar struck out Justin Smoak was robbed of a go-ahead extra-base hit by Gardner's leaping catch in front of the left field wall.

"A lot of lost opportunities along the way, no doubt about that," Toronto manager John Gibbons said.

Betances is unlikely to be available Wednesday after pitching for the third consecutive game. Normally he would have been unavailable Tuesday, but September circumstances are different, especially in the situation the Yankees are in.

As for the starting-pitching matchup for the series finale, Toronto right-hander Marcus Stroman (9-6, 4.58 ERA) gets the call, while the Yankees may employ Bryan Mitchell. Before Tuesday's game, the Yankees were leaning toward using the 25-year-old right-hander, but after the game, their starting pitcher was listed as "TBA."

Stroman will pitch nearly a year after returning from an ACL injury and throwing five innings in Toronto's 10-7 victory Sept. 12, 2015, at New York. He allowed two runs and three hits in eight innings April 14 against the Yankees in Toronto.

Stroman has pitched eight innings five times this season but has not done so since July 20 in Arizona. He has a 3.65 ERA in his past seven starts, and he allowed four runs and five hits in six innings Friday during an 8-3 loss at Tampa Bay.

"My stuff feels as sharp as it's been all year," Stroman said. "It's just frustrating not getting the results I want to get."

Whoever starts for the Yankees will be taking the place of Chad Green, who is out for the season with an elbow injury.

Mitchell would be making his season debut after missing most of the year due to a toe injury sustained in the final week of spring training.

Mitchell made six rehab starts, including two with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre. In two starts for the Yankees' top farm club, he threw a total of nine innings and allowed two runs (one earned) while striking out 14. He threw 91 pitches on Friday.

"It's crazy," Mitchell said. "It feels weird to be coming back at this point, but it's exciting. I'm ready, I'm excited."

So are the Yankees, who are still in a playoff race a month after deciding to rebuild and jettison veterans following four months of maddening inconsistency following a 9-17 start.

"Bottom line is that we hadn't played up to our capability," general manager Brian Cashman said. "When you don't do that and underperform, it can bite you in the (rear), so we had to dig ourselves out of a deep hole, but in the last month, we've given ourselves a chance. Hopefully we can take advantage of it. Our guys are having fun competing on a daily basis, and the hope is that we can keep that up."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (73-64) at Pirates (67-69)

Game: 3
Venue: PNC Park
Date: September 07, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH -- Digesting the first two games of a series between the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals going into the finale Wednesday at PNC Park has it challenges for the two clubs.

The Pirates are hanging onto anything they can, while the Cardinals might have to guard against doing cartwheels out of joy.

Pittsburgh has lost the first two games of the series, with Tuesday's game a real heartbreaker. The Pirates fell behind by five runs, rallied for a one-run lead, then gave up three homers in the ninth to fall 9-7.

It was Pittsburgh's eighth loss in a row, leaving it two games under .500 at 67-70 and 5 1/2 games behind St. Louis in the chase for a National League wild-card spot, a spot that could very well be slipping away.

A sweep by the Cardinals (73-64) could spell doom.

Yet Pirates manager Clint Hurdle put on a double-thick pair of rose-colored glasses.

"I don't think we'll get any questions about fight and battle," he said. "That's what we do.

"We're going to fight. We're going to keep showing up. A lot of things went well (Tuesday) to get us back in the game to get us on top."

St. Louis, by virtue of its comeback Tuesday, had similar feelings, but with the relief of a win -- its third in a row and one that kept it just a half-game behind San Francisco, which sits in the top National League wild-card spot.

The Cardinals seem to be brimming with confidence.

"We've got a team that I think the best way to describe it is a dangerous team," said Matt Carpenter, who hit a game-tying home run Tuesday with two outs and two strikes in the ninth.

"We've got a team that I don't think anybody wants to match up with, especially in a postseason scenario. It's a fun team to play on. We never quit, and (Tuesday) was a good example of it."

St. Louis has been feasting on home runs. Carpenter's homer came as a pinch-hitter, the Cardinals' major league record 15th pinch-hit homer this season. The team also has a franchise-record streak of 25 games with at least one home run, which also ties the National League record set by San Diego earlier this year.

"What did we have? Five?" manager Mike Matheny said after Tuesday's game. Yes, it was five.

"That's impressive. It shows the talent level we have, taking good at-bats and not stopping."

Right-hander Mike Leake (9-9, 4.56 ERA) will return from the DL after having shingles to start Wednesday for St. Louis. It will be his first start since Aug. 21 when he threw seven scoreless innings with a walk and eight strikeouts in a 9-0 win at Philadelphia.

Against Pittsburgh this season, Leake is 1-2 with a 5.71 ERA.

The Pirates will counter with rookie Jameson Taillon (3-4, 3.25 ERA), who will be making his 15th start.

Pittsburgh's losing streak is hardly Taillon's fault. Friday against Milwaukee, he allowed one run in six innings but got no run support in a 1-0 loss.

He has allowed 19 earned runs in his past 10 starts, has pitched at least six innings in nine of his past 10 starts, and has given up one or no walks in 11 of his 14 starts.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Phillies (62-76) at Marlins (68-71)

Game: 3
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: September 07, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

MIAMI -- The Miami Marlins bench -- if nothing else -- is looking formidable.

On Tuesday night, the slumping Marlins lost 4-3 to the Philadelphia Phillies. It was the Marlins' fifth loss in a row and their 10th in 11 games, a slide that has knocked Miami (68-71) -- at least for the moment -- out of serious contention for an NL wild-card playoff consideration.

Earlier Tuesday, the Marlins activated right fielder Giancarlo Stanton (groin) and first baseman Justin Bour (ankle) from the disabled list.

Initially, they will be used as pinch hitters, giving the Marlins a super strong bench.

Asked about Stanton, Marlins manager Don Mattingly said he wasn't sure what to expect.

"Are we going to see him in the field playing nine innings or are we going to have him coming off the bench for an at-bat?" Mattingly said. "Hopefully, he makes it all the way back to where we do see him on the field."

In addition to Stanton and Bour, a third middle-of-the-order Marlins slugger, center fielder Marcell Ozuna, could be back by Wednesday's series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Since rosters can expand to up to 40 players after Sept. 1, Mattingly could have those three plus speedy pinch runner Yefri Perez on his bench. Others on his bench on Tuesday included Ichiro Suzuki and Derek Dietrich joining Bour on the left side, and switch-hitter Tomas Telis.

From the right side, Ozuna would join Chris Johnson, Robert Andino and Jeff Mathis.

"It sure makes my (lineup) card look better," Mattingly said.

That bench played a role in a Marlins comeback Tuesday night that ultimately fell short but was still dangerous. Trailing 4-0, the Marlins scored one in the fifth, two in the eighth and had two runners on in the ninth.

Phillies manager said the expanded rosters make September baseball difficult on him.

"It's tough," Mackanin said. "I don't like it. It's really not a normal game. ... When you have so many players, there are so many possible moves you can make. ... You can't match up."

Bench play aside, the Marlins need their starters to do their jobs. That would include Wednesday's scheduled starting pitcher Andrew Cashner, who is 4-11 with a 5.00 ERA this season.

Cashner, acquired by the Marlins on July 28 in what so far has been a disaster of a trade with the San Diego Padres, cost Miami three players, including their top hitting prospect and a potential future closer.

In return, the Marlins have received a pitcher who has been 0-4 with a 5.57 ERA since joining Miami.

Cashner recently told media members that he "hates" Miami's no-beard policy. He is a free agent after this season, and he actually said that will be a factor in him possibly leaving Miami.

For his part, Mattingly admitted that the policy doesn't "make us better or more disciplined, but it's just who we want to be as an organization."

Yet, while beards are banned, tattoos, for example are tolerated. The Marlins have no problems drafting or signing a player with a tattoo, but beards for reasons they can't logically explain are not part of what the organizational concept.

The irony of all this is that the way Cashner has pitched, the Marlins may not want him back -- beard or not.

On the other side Wednesday night, the Phillies will start right-hander Jeremy Hellickson. He is 2-0 with a 2.13 ERA in four starts against Miami this season.

Overall this season, he is 10-8 with a 3.88 ERA. He is on pace to record his lowest ERA since 2012, when he was at 3.10. He is also on pace for 32 starts, which will be one more than his previous career high, set in 2012 and 2013 with the Tampa Bay Rays.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals (72-66) at Twins (51-88)

Game: 3
Venue: Target Field
Date: September 07, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

MINNEAPOLIS -- Danny Duffy will try and get back on track after two straight rough outings when the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins play the final game of a three-game series on Wednesday night at Target Field.

In the midst of a career season, Duffy has struggled each of his past two turns on the mound, allowing a total of 11 runs in 10 2/3 innings of work against the Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers. Prior to that, the left-hander had allowed just nine runs in his previous seven starts.

Included in that run was 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball against the Twins at Kauffman Stadium on Aug. 21, when he scattered eight hits and walked two but earned his 11th win.

The game has major postseason implications for the defending world champions, who have won the first two games of the series and are playing the third game of a 14-game stretch against teams under .500. If Kansas City is to get back into playoff positioning, this could be their final opportunity to go on a sustained run.

In that vein, the Royals were able to avoid using the back end of their bullpen once again, thanks to a seven-run ninth inning on Tuesday in a 10-3 win.

"We were trying to keep (closer) Wade (Davis) out of the game," said Royals manager Ned Yost. "We've really pounded our back-end relievers the last two weeks. Every opportunity to give them an extra day is always huge."

Minnesota got another home run from second baseman Brian Dozier on Tuesday, whose incredible August has carried right into September.

It was the fifth straight game with at least one home run for Dozier, tying the franchise record shared by Harmon Killebrew and Marty Cordova. It was his 25th blast since the All-Star break and seventh this month.

"It's kind of like a video game," said Twins manager Paul Molitor. "Just impressive to watch."

The Twins will send right-hander Kyle Gibson to the bump looking to build on Ervin Santana's solid outing on Tuesday. Santana allowed three runs over six-plus innings of work, giving the Twins a rare quality start over the last month. Minnesota pitchers have allowed at least eight runs in 12 of its last 19 games and 15 times in the last 26.

Gibson has been a big part of that, allowing at least five runs in four of his last seven starts since the beginning of August and giving up fewer than three just once during that stretch; that start lasted just five innings, however.

The right-hander allowed six runs, five of them earned, on 10 hits and two walks in a loss to the Royals at Target Field on Aug. 12 but has historically fared well against Kansas City, posting a 5-4 record with a 3.10 ERA in nine career starts against them.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Astros (74-64) at Indians (79-58)

Game: 3
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: September 07, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

CLEVELAND -- Sometimes you've just got to make it up as you go along, and that's exactly what the Houston Astros are doing.

"Day-to-day is a good description for us right now in September," manager A.J. Hinch said. "We've got guys here who didn't expect to be starting or even in the big leagues right now, so we're just trying to get through this series."

An injury to ace Dallas Keuchel has caused a shakeup in the Astros' starting rotation. Tuesday they recalled Brad Peacock from Triple-A Fresno so he could start Tuesday's game against the Indians. That start was supposed to go to Keuchel, but he was scratched and is out indefinitely with left shoulder inflammation.

Joe Musgrove was supposed to start Thursday's series finale in Cleveland, but David Paulino was also recalled from Fresno on Tuesday and he will make his major league debut Thursday. Musgrove's start has been pushed back to Friday.

Despite all the maneuvering, the Astros have pitched well in the first two games of the series, winning them both and outscoring Cleveland 10-5.

The Astros have won three in a row overall and will try to make it four in a row Wednesday when they send Doug Fister (12-10, 3.91) to the mound against Cleveland's Carlos Carrasco (10-7, 3.06).

Fister has struggled of late. In his last five starts he is 2-3 with a 6.23 ERA. In one start against the Indians this year he pitched seven innings and gave up two runs and six hits. In 15 career starts versus Cleveland he is 5-3 with a 2.72 ERA.

Carrasco has been pitching well lately. In his last three starts he is 2-1 with a 1.40 ERA, with 28 strikeouts and two walks in 19 innings. He has not faced the Astros this year. In five career appearances -- four starts -- against Houston he is 2-1 with a 2.05 ERA.

The Indians need a good start from Carrasco because their offense has been spinning its wheels in the first two games against the Astros. In the first inning Tuesday night the Indians had runners at second and third and no outs, with the middle of the order coming up, but failed to score.

"That was a big turn of events. We have runners at second and third and no outs and don't score, and then they come back with three (in the top of the second)," manager Terry Francona said.

Indians cleanup hitter Mike Napoli was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts in the game. Napoli leads the Indians in home runs with 30, but he has hit only one since Aug. 11. The Indians could use some more production from their cleanup hitter.

Francona, however, is familiar with Napoli's player profile and the manager is willing to wait for the big bang he knows is coming.

"He's getting his hits. He just isn't hitting them out of the park," Francona said. "His home runs tend to come in bunches. We know, with his swing, there are some strikeouts in there, but we're willing to wait for the good because we know it far outweighs the not so good."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cubs (89-49) at Brewers (61-77)

Game: 3
Venue: Miller Park
Date: September 07, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

MILWAUKEE -- As his team closes in on its first NL Central crown since 2008, Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon plans to give many of his every day plays as much time off as necessary to gear up what many hope to be a lengthy postseason run.

But with a comfortable lead in the division -- even after a 12-5 drubbing Tuesday night -- at the hands of the rebuilding Milwaukee Brewers -- is expecting the same kind of focus and mindset that put the Cubs in this position to begin with.

"I don't care what our record is. I expect our guys to play the game right," Maddon said. "Our guys, from Spring Training right to now, man, I've been really pleased and impressed with our ability to come ready to play every night."

Mike Montgomery will try to get Chicago back on track Wednesday when the Cubs wrap-up a three-game series in Milwaukee. It'll be the fourth start for Montgomery since he was acquired from the Mariners on July 23.

He's yet to earn a decision as a starter, allowing eight runs (seven earned) in 13 1/3 innings in those contests. Overall, Montgomery is 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA in 10 appearances with the Cubs.

"We think he can be very, very helpful to us," Maddon said of Montgomery's role down the stretch. "It's an easy delivery. He's pitching with confidence. I can see him settling in. And he knows he belongs here and can do this and be good."

Matt Garza takes the mound for his 16th start of the season hoping to carry over the momentum from his last outing, when he pitched a seven-inning gem against the Cardinals in Milwaukee.

Garza held St. Louis to a run on three hits and walked a pair while striking out eight over seven innings of work.

"He's got a little string going right now that he's really making pitches," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "He's doing a good job moving the ball in and out and really using his curveball in good spots. His slider has been good and he's been getting some strikeouts with his slider."

Not normally a strikeout pitcher, Garza has fanned 17 over his last two outings, spanning 12 1/2 innings.

"I've just been trying to get back to normal where I'm comfortable being," Garza said. "I've said it time and time again, it's just progression. I finally feel back to where I should be. I'm not fighting my body anymore, I'm not fighting my pitches. I'm actually getting to be able to play pain-free and it's exciting for me.

"It's been three, four years since I have been like this. It's been exciting. I found my slider, my breaking stuff, I'm just going to run with it now. I'm just going to keep the same mentality and keep running with it. Just embrace the moment and go out there and have some fun."

Garza has made one start against the Cubs this season, allowing three runs in five innings of a 4-0 loss in the first game of an Aug. 16 double-header at Wrigley Field.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (74-64) at Rockies (66-72)

Game: 3
Venue: Coors Field
Date: September 07, 2016 8:40 PM EDT

DENVER -- In all likelihood, left-hander Jorge De La Rosa is in his final month with the Colorado Rockies.

He is 35 and can be a free agent after the season. The Rockies are well-stocked with young starting pitchers with a few more prospects close to the majors. De La Rosa is concluding a two-year, $25 million contract, so the Rockies can free up money by cutting ties with him.

De La Rosa will start Wednesday against the San Francisco Giants in the rubber game of a three-game series.

The Rockies acquired De La Rosa from the Kansas City Royals for cash considerations on April 30, 2008. He was all about potential then rather than results but became a successful pitcher with the Rockies.

Indeed, De La Rosa, who is 8-7 with a 4.88 ERA this season, is Colorado's all-time leader with 86 wins. He has more wins than any other pitcher at Coors Field, where he is 53-19 (.736) with a 4.18 ERA in 106 games, 98 starts.

This will be his fourth appearance and third start against the Giants this season. De La Rosa is 1-1 with a 3.95 ERA in his two starts against San Francisco -- four hits and four runs, three earned, allowed in 6 2/3 innings on April 14 at Coors Field; seven hits and three runs allowed July 6 at San Francisco.

In his career against the Giants, De La Rosa is 11-7 with a 3.85 ERA overall, 8-1 with a 3.22 ERA at Coors Field.

Asked whether his time with the Rockies might be winding down, the soft-spoken De La Rosa said, "Yeah, maybe. I know they got a lot of good pitching. I don't know if they need me or not. I'm going to keep pitching, finish strong. That's what I need to do."

Opposing De La Rosa will be Albert Suarez, who will make his ninth career start. He is 3-3 with a 4.29 ERA in 18 appearances, eight starts. In his last outing, Friday at Wrigley Field, he took the loss when the Chicago Cubs won 2-1. Suarez, a 26-year-old rookie, gave up two runs on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts in five innings.

Suarez has pitched twice in relief against the Rockies this season, allowing three runs in six innings. He worked five innings on May 27 at Coors Field after starter Matt Cain left in the second with an injury, and he gave up five hits and three runs while throwing 65 pitches.

The Giants beat the Rockies 3-2 Tuesday, tying the game with an RBI groundout in the eighth and winning it with an unearned run in the ninth.

The victory left the Giants 17-31 since the All-Star break and 8-18 in that stretch on the road. San Francisco's offense Tuesday consisted of seven singles and Eduardo Nunez's third homer since the Giants acquired him July 28 from the Minnesota Twins.

That was far from an offensive turnaround, but it was positively robust production compared to the recent dismal history the Giants made. Prior to Tuesday, San Francisco collected four or fewer hits in five consecutive games, tying the longest such streak in one season by any team in the modern major league era that dates from 1900.

In those five games, the Giants had batted .099 (16-for-161). The only other team in the modern era with an average below .100 in any five-game span was the 2012 Minnesota Twins, who batted .096 (14-for-146) from May 1-6 that year.

The Giants held a hitters-only meeting before their win Tuesday. Before his team took the field and eked out its 26th one-run win of the season, San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy sympathized with his hitters' plight.

"Let me tell you, hitting is one of the toughest things, if not the toughest thing, in all of sports," Bochy said. "It can be one of the toughest things as far as getting back on track. You get in a funk, and I do think it can be somewhat contagious.

"Part of it is guys start pressing a little bit, a little self-doubt may creep in there. It's such a hard thing to do. You can do a lot of drills in the cage, the soft toss, the tee, but still, when you're seeing live pitching, you have to have that confidence and ability to carry into the game what you've been working on. But when you get into the game speed, sometimes you have a tendency to go back to what you were doing. If you get in a bad habit, that's a hard thing to break when you got something over 90 miles an hour coming at you."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Red Sox (77-61) at Padres (57-81)

Game: 3
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: September 07, 2016 9:10 PM EDT

SAN DIEGO -- The Boston Red Sox play tourist for one more game, facing the Padres in San Diego on Wednesday

That means one more outing without David Ortiz in the starting lineup with no designated hitter in play.

That's big for Boston, having to go without Big Papi.

But Red Sox manager John Farrell shrugs about the dilemma as Boston goes for the series win on Wednesday. It's not like this Interleague series snuck up on anybody.

"The schedule is with it is," Farrell said. "We knew that this trip out here was going to be taking place last winter. The fact is you got 15 teams in each league so Interleague is going to be played (almost) every night."

They go against a club looking forward to the offseason. The Padres are steamrolling toward their sixth straight losing season.

The Red Sox have their sights set on the playoffs. Wednesday will be another critical game as they keep pace with the Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto is where the Red Sox head next, as they'll get their passports stamped and their Big Papi -- he's in the AL top 10 in numerous categories -- back in the order.

Ortiz is making his final swing through Southern California as he'll retire at the end of the season. But his last tour has him in a pinch-hitter's role as the only glove Ortiz is wearing in the series is a batting glove.

He had a grand opportunity in the series opener on Monday. With the tying run in scoring position, Ortiz lifted a harmless fly ball to end the game.

So Ortiz will again be a key card for Farrell to play on Wednesday, as lefty David Price (14-8, 3.92) squares off against right-hander Jarred Cosart (0-2, 5.14).

Would Farrell like to have Ortiz and his production in his lineup? Yep, but he'll have to settle for Ortiz being a one-trick pony for another game.

"I think any time we don't have David Ortiz in the lineup ... sure that would negatively affect any club," Farrell said.

The Padres added a player and he could play on Wednesday. Outfielder Jon Jay was activated from the 60-day disabled list on Tuesday, as he's been out since June 20. He was a catalyst as the leadoff man, batting .296 with 24 doubles, two home runs, 23 RBIs and 35 runs scored. His .345 on-base percentage fit in well, too.

Jay has always been cozy in center field. But with the rebuilding Padres doing auditions for next season at nearly every position, Jay will be on the move.

"You are going to see Jay start in all three spots," Padres manager Andy Green said.

Although Jay hasn't been on the field, he's still had an impact.

"Even during his injury absence, he was a clubhouse leader," Green said.

The same could be said for Ortiz, although he's idle for a different reason. But his impact is felt, with Green wondering when Farrell is going to send his slugger to the plate.

When Ortiz strolls to the dish, the Red Sox get an emotional boost as fans -- Boston's backers are packing Petco Park -- underscore the significance of his at-bats.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (83-56) at Mariners (70-68)

Game: 3
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: September 07, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

SEATTLE -- At about 10:15 p.m. Pacific time Tuesday, the retractable roof at Safeco Field made its methodical closure while the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers played the eighth inning of another high-scoring baseball game.

It seemed like the only way to contain the Rangers' unlimited offense.

Texas and its loaded lineup will try to provide some more fireworks against the Mariners on Wednesday night, when struggling Seattle rookie Ariel Miranda (2-1, 5.76 ERA) takes the mound to face the Rangers' A.J. Griffin (7-3, 4.41 ERA).

Texas (83-56) has scored six or more runs in eight consecutive games and is averaging 7.5 runs per game over its past 13 games.

"Their offense is obviously really good; it's rolling right now," Seattle manager Scott Servais said after Texas pounded out 15 hits and hit two home runs to beat the Mariners 10-7 on Tuesday night. "We're having trouble slowing it down."

The Mariners (70-68) aren't alone in that respect. Texas already had a pretty good offense before adding Lucroy and Carlos Beltran in deadline deals, and now the Rangers are nothing short of loaded.

"It's a pretty special batting order," Lucroy said after hitting his ninth home run in 28 games as a Ranger on Tuesday night. "Any guy in the lineup can hurt you."

The Rangers, who have some question marks in their pitching rotation, have largely ridden their bats to a huge lead in the American League West. Tuesday's win kept Texas 11 1/2 games ahead of second-place Houston, and the Rangers' magic number sits at 16.

Griffin has won two consecutive starts heading into his scheduled outing Wednesday night in Seattle. He threw six shutout innings against Cleveland on Aug. 27, then Griffin had a shakier start the last time out, walking three while allowing two home runs over 5 2/3 innings in an 8-6 win over Houston.

The Texas offense gives any starter room for error, and the Rangers should feel good about their chances against Seattle starter Miranda on Wednesday. Although Texas has yet to face the rookie left-hander, the 27-year-old Miranda has struggled in recent outings as he tries to prove himself as a long-term option in the Mariners' rotation.

He's one of many Seattle starters who are in a funk heading down the stretch. Veterans Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma are losing some of their command, while youngsters James Paxton and Taijuan Walker have been unable to sustain any kind of consistency.

Walker, who is scheduled to start Thursday's series finale, has been particularly bad as of late. He only got two outs in his last start, so it wouldn't be a big surprised to the Texas offense continue to rip through its final two games in Seattle.

Texas has virtually wrapped up the division but is still trying to hold off Cleveland and whatever team wins the AL East for homefield advantage. The Rangers currently have the best record in the American League heading into Wednesday night's game in Seattle.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Wednesday, September 7, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

What on earth has gotten into Twins second baseman Brian Dozier? He hit three homers on Monday against Kansas City and now has 38 on the season, second in the majors. He's just the sixth Twin ever with a three-homer game and has joined Hall of Famer Harmon Killebrew as the only players in Twins history with 36 or more homers in a single season. The all-time record by a second baseman is 42 homers by Davey Johnson in 1973, while the American League record is Alfonso Soriano's 39 in 2002. Dozier has 24 homers since the All-Star break, or one more than reigning NL MVP Bryce Harper has all year. I'm not saying something is fishy here, but Dozier hit 16 homers in four total minor-league seasons. If I'm the lousy Twins, I'm shopping this guy in the offseason because they aren't winning anything in 2017 regardless. Dozier has two years and only $15 million left on his contract after this season.


Mets at Reds (+140, 8)

A 12:35 p.m. ET start. You won't see Reds outfielder and leadoff man Billy Hamilton again in this one He suffered an oblique injury on Sunday, and those usually take a while to heal; he won't even be re-evaluated for at least five days. Hamilton leads the major leagues with 58 stolen bases. That's one less worry for New York's Noah Syndergaard (12-8, 2.56), who is third in the National League in ERA. He had a three-start winning streak snapped last time out, allowing two runs and three hits over seven innings against Washington. Syndergaard took a no-decision on April 25 vs. the Reds, giving up three runs and seven hits over 6.2 innings with nine strikeouts. Adam Duvall is 0-for-6 career against him with four strikeouts, Joey Votto is 0-for-9 with four whiffs. Cincinnati's Anthony DeSclafani (8-2, 2.93) comes off a no-decision on Friday against the Cardinals in allowing two runs over seven innings. He has gone at least seven innings in each of his past three starts, posting a 2.35 ERA. He didn't face the Mets earlier in the season. Kelly Johnson is 2-for-5 off him with a homer. Yoenis Cespedes is 3-for-5.

Key trends: The Mets are 8-1 in Syndergaard's past nine vs. the NL Central. The Reds are 6-1 in DeSclafani's past seven at home. The "over/under" has gone under in eight of DeSclafani's past 14 overall.

Early lean: Mets and under.

Angels at A's (-122, 9)

First pitch of 3:35 p.m. ET and should have live betting with it televised by the MLB Network. This will be the first start in an Angels uniform for Alex Meyer (0-1, 12.27), a first-round pick by the Nationals in 2011. He came over from Minnesota with Ricky Nolasco for Hector Santiago at the Aug. 1 trade deadline. Meyer pitched in two games for the Twins early in the season and lasted only 2.2 innings in his lone start on May 3 in Houston. He has never faced Oakland. The A's counter with rookie Jharel Cotton in his big-league debut. He was the key prospect acquired in the deal with the Dodgers at the deadline in which Oakland sent outfielder Josh Reddick and pitcher Rich Hill to Los Angeles. Cotton had a 2.82 ERA for Oakland's Triple-A affiliate in Nashville in six starts since the trade.

Key trends: The Angels are 5-0 in their past five in Game 3 of a series. The under is 8-0 in their past eight in a Game 3. The under is 4-0 in Oakland's past four on Wednesday.

Early lean: Angels and under.

Cardinals at Pirates (-126, 8)

ESPN game. St. Louis will activate pitcher Mike Leake off the DL for this one; he had been dealing with a bout of shingles. Leake (9-9, 4.56) last pitched Aug. 21 in Philadelphia and shut out the Phillies on seven hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings, his third straight quality start. Leake is 1-2 with a 5.71 ERA in three starts this year against Pittsburgh. Andrew McCutchen is a career .257 hitter off him with two homers and 16 strikeouts in 74 at-bats. David Freese is 13-for-25 off him with three doubles and a homer. Pittsburgh rookie Jameson Taillon (3-4, 3.25) lost to the Brewers on Friday despite only allowing a run and three hits over six innings. It's his first look at the Cardinals.

Key trends: The Cards are 4-1 in Leake's past five on the road. The Bucs are 5-2 in Taillon's past seven at home. The over is 6-1 in Leake's past seven starts.

Early lean: Pirates and over.

Braves at Nationals (-235, 8)

If you have money on the Nationals to win the pennant or World Series, you will want to watch this game closely to see if Stephen Strasburg (15-4, 3.59) is healthy. He had three straight poor outings, costing himself the Cy Young Award, before being placed on the DL with elbow soreness. Needless to say, if he feels anything in that elbow the team is going to yank him immediately, and he'll probably be shut down for the season. Strasburg is 2-1 with a 4.26 ERA in three starts this year vs. Atlanta. Freddie Freeman is 14-for-34 career off him with four homers and 13 RBIs. Matt Kemp is 3-for-12 with two doubles. Atlanta's Mike Foltynewicz (8-5, 4.31) beat the Padres last Thursday, giving up three runs and four hits over six innings. He won in Washington on Aug. 12, allowing four runs and five hits over 5.2 innings. Daniel Murphy is 3-for-4 off him with two doubles. Ben Revere is 3-for-5 with two doubles and a triple.

Key trends: The Braves are 6-1 in Foltynewicz's past seven vs. teams with a winning record. The over is 7-1 in his past eight overall.

Early lean: Nationals and under.

Rangers at Mariners (-101, 8.5)

The ESPN nightcap. Texas' A.J. Griffin (7-3, 4.41) beat Houston on Friday, giving up three runs over 5.2 innings. He is 3-2 with a 3.44 ERA in six career starts against the Mariners. Robinson Cano is 4-for-10 off him with a homer. Nelson Cruz has gone yard once in 14 at-bats off Griffin. Seattle lefty Ariel Miranda (2-1, 5.76) beat the Angels on Friday, allowing four runs and five hits over six innings, tying his season-high in innings pitched. Miranda is a rookie who actually has faced Seattle (he was traded from Baltimore) but not Texas. The Mariners are completely fading from the AL wild-card chase. They have the longest playoff drought in MLB, last making it in 2001 back when Ichiro Suzuki was a rookie with the Mariners. Now with the Marlins, Ichiro has more than 3,000 career hits.

Key trends: The Rangers are 5-1 in Griffin's past six vs. teams with a winning record. The Mariners are 1-4 in Miranda's past five. The over is 4-1 in Griffin's past five vs. the AL West. The over is 4-0 in Miranda's past four.

Early lean: Rangers and over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (58-80) at Dodgers (78-60)

Game: 3
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: September 07, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- A three-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday could go a long way for the Los Angeles Dodgers as they get ready to embark on a 10-game road swing.

After an off-day Thursday, Los Angeles opens a three-game set against former manager Don Mattingly and the Miami Marlins, who posted a four-game sweep at Dodger Stadium earlier this season. The Dodgers follow that by visiting the New York Yankees for three games (Sept. 12-14) before capping their trip with a four-game series in Phoenix against the Diamondbacks (Sept. 15-18).

The Dodgers will play 17 straight games before getting another day off.

Manager Dave Roberts acknowledged how taxing the run of contests can be on his starting rotation and his bullpen. However, Roberts is confident his club, which currently leads the San Francisco Giants by four games in the National League West, can weather whatever the baseball Gods can throw at them.

"It helps to have a bunch of arms out there," said Roberts, referring to the September call-ups that allowed him to expand his pitching staff to 18. "The start that Kenta (Maeda) gave us (Monday) was certainly big. But now it's a lot easier to mix and match guys and kind of be really mindful of their usage. We're in a good place but after that we've got (17) straight games. But we've got some numbers."

Rookie pitcher Brock Stewart (0-2, 7.94 ERA) will start Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks. Stewart will continue a Dodgers trend of using their young arms to start games in large part due to injuries.

"(Wednesday) we have another rookie that we're going to have to look at on film and figure out a way to beat him. We've got to get one game in this series," Arizona manager Chip Hale said.

The Dodgers are starting four consecutive rookies for the second week in a row. Jose De Leon performed Sunday, Maeda worked Monday and Ross Stripling did the honors Tuesday. All three won.

From Aug. 27-31, Los Angeles started Julio Urias, Stewart, Maeda and Stripling.

It was the first time the club started first-year pitchers in four straight games since Sept. 8-10, 1952, when the club went with Ken Lehman, Bill Loes, Ray Moore and Johnny Rutherford.

Stewart, who will be facing the Diamondbacks for the first time, will oppose Arizona's Robbie Ray (7-12, 4.36 ERA).

Stewart made his last start for the Dodgers on Aug. 28, when he limited the Chicago Cubs to two hits with a career-high eight strikeouts in five scoreless innings but did not factor into the decision in a 1-0 Los Angeles win.

Ray also received a non-decision in his last outing on Sept. 2, when the Colorado Rockies tagged him for six runs (five earned) on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Ray is 3-2 with a 1.95 ERA in six career starts against the Dodgers. Ray beat the Dodgers the last time he faced them on July 17, striking out seven on a four-hitter in seven shutout innings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

Wednesday’s games

National League

Phillies @ Marlins
Hellickson is 4-1, 4.72 in his last six starts; under is 9-3-1 in his last 13. Phillies won four of his last five road starts.

Cashner is 0-4, 5.91 in six starts for Miami; three of his last four starts stayed under the total.

Phillies lost 10 of last 14 games but won last two; over is 8-4-1 in their last 13 road games. Miami lost 10 of last 11 games; under is 10-3 in their last 13 home games.

Mets @ Reds
Syndergaard is 3-1, 3.20 in his last four starts; three of his last four road starts stayed under. Mets are 8-3 in his road starts this year.

DeSclafani is 2-1, 2.48 in his last four starts; under is 5-2 in his last seven. Cincinnati is 6-1 in his home starts.

Mets are 13-4 in last 17 games; under is 8-2 in their last ten games. Cincinnati lost nine of last 12 games; six of Reds’ last seven games stayed under.

Cubs @ Brewers
Montgomery is 0-0, 5.40 in three starts for Cubs, who later won all three games (over 3-0).

Garza is 1-2, 6.43 in his last four starts (under 3-1). Milwaukee is 5-1 in his home starts.

Cubs won six of last eight games; over is 5-2 in their last seven road games. Milwaukee won five of last six games; their last four games went over.

Cardinals @ Pirates
Leake is 1-0, 2.84 in his last three starts; over is 5-1-1 in his last seven. Cardinals are 8-4 in his road starts.

Taillon is 0-2, 4.30 in his last four starts; six of his last seven stayed under. Pirates are 5-3 in his home starts.

Cardinals are 11-4 in last 15 road games; three of last four St Louis games went over. Pittsburgh lost its last eight games; five of last six Pirate home games went over.

Braves @ Nationals
Foltynewicz is 4-0, 3.72 in his last six starts; seven of his last eight went over. Braves won four of his last five road starts.

Strasburg was 0-3, 14.66 in his last three starts before going on DL. over is 4-1-1 in his last six starts. Washington lost his last three home starts.

Braves won six of last eight games; over is 12-4 in their last 16 road games. Washington won six of last eight games; seven of last nine National games stayed under.

Giants @ Rockies
Suarez is 0-2, 5.79 in his last four starts; under is 3-1-1 in his last five. Giants are 3-2 in his road starts.

De la Rosa is 1-0, 4.63 in his last six starts; his last three went over. Colorado is 3-5 in his home starts.

Giants lost six of last nine road games; their last five games stayed under. Colorado lost four of last five games; four of their last six games went over.

Diamondbacks @ Dodgers
Ray is 2-1, 3.49 in his last five starts; under is 5-2 in his last seven road starts. Arizona is 2-5 in his last seven road starts.

Stewart is 0-2, 9.00 in three starts (under 2-1).

Arizona lost four of its last six games; over is 4-1 in their last five road games. Dodgers won six of last seven home games; under is 9-4 in their last 13 games.


American League

Blue Jays @ New York
Stroman is 0-1, 4.66 in his last three starts; three of his last four went over. Toronto is 1-7 in his last eight road starts.

Mitchell is making his first ’16 start, after breaking his toe this spring; he is 0-3, 5.31 in 23 MLB games (3 starts) and is 0-1, 4.29 in six minor league rehab starts this year.

Blue Jays lost four of last four games (over 4-1). New York is 9-4 in its last 13 games; over is 8-3 in last eleven games in the Bronx.

Orioles @ Rays
Bundy is 5-2, 3.49 in his last seven starts (under 7-2-1).

Smyly is 4-0, 3.62 in his last seven starts (over 6-1). Rays won his last three home starts.

Orioles are 6-3 in their last nine games (under 7-2). Tampa Bay is 4-7 in its last 11 games; over is 14-4 in their last 18 home games.

Royals @ Twins
Duffy is 0-1, 9.28 in his last two starts; under is 5-2 in his last seven. Royals are 6-3 in his road starts.

Gibson is 0-2, 7.88 in his last three starts; his last seven starts went over. Twins are 4-7 in his home starts.

Royals are 10-2 in their last 12 road games; nine of KC’s last ten games went over. Minnesota is 2-17 in its last 19 games; over is 16-2 in last 18 games at Target Field.

Angels @ A’s
Meyer allowed three runs in 2.2 IP (64 PT) in his first MLB start (for the Twins) on May 3, in Houston.

Cotton was acquired in Rich Hill trade, is making his MLB debut; he was 3-1, 2.82 in six AAA starts for Nashville after the trade.

Angels are 10-3 in last 13 games; three of their last five games went over. Oakland lost six of its last eight games; under is 15-5 in their last 20 games.

Tigers @ White Sox
Sanchez is 1-1, 5.60 in his last three starts; over is 9-6-1 in his last 16. Detroit is 3-8 in his road starts.

Quintana is 3-2, 3.04 in his last eight starts; under is 7-4-1 in his last 12. Pale Hose won his last four home starts.

Tigers won eight of last ten road games; over is 6-2 in their last eight road games. Chicago lost six of last nine games; six of last eight White Sox games went over.

Rangers @ Mariners
Griffin is 2-0, 2.31 in his last two starts; over is 9-6-2 in his last 17. Texas is 7-3 in his road starts.

Miranda is 1-1, 5.06 in his first five MLB starts (over 4-1).

Rangers won eight of last ten games; last eight Texas games went over the total. Seattle lost 11 of last 14 games; over is 14-5 in their last 19 games.

Astros @ Indians
Fister is 1-3, 7.58 in his last four starts; four of his last five starts went over. Astros are 7-2 in his last nine road starts.

Carrasco is 3-1, 4.09 in his last five starts, with last three staying under. Indians are 2-4 in his last six home starts.

Astros are 13-4 in last 17 games; four of Astros’ last six road games went over. Cleveland won seven of its last nine home games; under is 7-3 in their last ten games.


Interleague

Red Sox @ Padres
Price is 5-0, 2.06 in his last five starts; over is 6-0-1 in his last seven. Boston is 8-7 in his road starts.

Cosart is 0-1, 4.91 in six starts for San Diego (over 5-1).

Red Sox are 6-4 in their last ten games; their last three games stayed under. San Diego lost 10 of last 14 games; over is 9-4 in last 13 games at Petco Park.


Teams’ record when this pitcher starts:

Phil-Mia– Hellickson 15-12; Cashner 1-5/7-9
NY-Cin– Syndergaard 16-10; DeSclafani 10-6
Chi-Mil– Montgomery 3-0; Garza 7-8
StL-Pitt– Leake 12-13; Taillon 9-5
Atl-Wsh– Foltynewicz 9-10; Strasburg 18-5
SF-Col– Suarez 3-5; De la Rosa 10-11 (3-0 last 3)
Az-LA– Ray 9-18; Stewart 1-2

Tor-NY– Stroman 13-14; Mitchell 0-0
Balt-TB– Bundy 6-4; Smyly 11-15
KC-Min– Duffy 16-5; Gibson 9-11
LA-A’s– Meyer 0-0; Cotton 0-0
Det-Chi– Sanchez 6-16; Quintana 14-13
Tex-Sea– Griffin 13-6; Miranda 1-4
Hst-Clev– Fister 16-11; Carrasco 14-8

Bos-SD– Price 16-13 (5-0 last 5); Cosart 2-4/1-3


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

Phil-Mia– Hellickson 9-27; Cashner 8-22
NY-Cin– Syndergaard 6-26; DeSclafani 8-16
Chi-Mil– Montgomery 1-3; Garza 4-15
StL-Pitt– Leake 8-25; Taillon 5-14
Atl-Wsh– Foltynewicz 4-19; Strasburg 8-23
SF-Col– Suarez 2-8; De la Rosa 8-21
Az-LA– Ray 6-27; Stewart 1-3

Tor-NY– Stroman 7-27; Mitchell 0-0
Balt-TB– Bundy 3-10; Smyly 9-26
KC-Min– Duffy 5-21; Gibson 11-20
LA-A’s– Meyer 0-0; Cotton 0-0
Det-Chi– Sanchez 7-22; Quintana 7-27
Tex-Sea– Griffin 4-19; Miranda 3-5
Hst-Clev– Fister 3-27; Carrasco 6-22

Bos-SD– Price 8-29; Cosart 5-10


Umpires

Phil-Mia– Four of last five Hoberg games went over.
NY-Cin– Over is 9-3 in last twelve Ripperger games.
Chi-Mil– Last three Whitson games went over total.
StL-Pitt– Under is 7-2-1 in last ten Conroy games.
Atl-Wsh– Four of last five Drake games went over.
SF-Col– Under is 8-4-1 in last 13 Guccione games.
Az-LA– Last four Scheurwater games went over.

Tor-NY– Over is 13-4-2 in last 19 Wolcott games.
Balt-TB– Under is 9-6 in last fifteen Culbreth games.
KC-Min– Underdogs are 6-4 in last 10 Barksdale games.
LA-A’s– Four of last five Reyburn games went over.
Det-Chi– Underdogs are 8-4 in last 12 Bellino games.
Tex-Sea– Five of last six Muchlinski games went over.
Hst-Clev– Five of last seven Hudson games stayed under.

Bos-SD– Under is 11-1-1 in last thirteen Danley games.


Teams’ records in first five innings:

Team (road-home-total)- thru 9/6

Arizona 24-35-11…..27-36-5…….51-71
Atlanta 27-36-10…..21-31-13……48-67
Cubs 35-23-9……43-21-8…….78-44
Reds 18-41-8……31-34-5…….49-75
Colo 25-30-12…..33-33-4…….58-63
LA 27-29-9……45-21-8…….72-50
Miami 30-30-10….29-23-16……59-53
Milw 20-38-8……39-24-10…..59-62
Mets 28-42-9……33-26-11…….61-58
Philly 23-30-16…..24-32-13……47-60
Pitt 20-36-12…..40-24-5……60-59
St. Louis 33-30-7……27-28-12……60-58
SD 22-46-4…..30-31-6……..52-77
SF 31-33-7…….34-20-13…….65-53
Wash 36-22-14….28-20-18……64-42

Orioles 26-35-8…….36-27-8……..62-62
Boston 28-28-11……43-18-9…….71-46
White Sox 31-31-9……36-29-3………67-60
Cleveland 35-26-7……33-29-6……..68-55
Detroit 30-32-8…….30-31-4……..60-63
Astros 29-31-11…..32-26-7……..61-57
KC 26-35-11……28-25-13……54-60
Angels 30-36-7…….24-30-11……54-66
Twins 25-35-12…….25-35-12…..50-70
NYY 23-38-8……31-29-10……54-67
A’s 22-38-8……25-33-13…….47-70
Seattle 31-29-9……31-25-12…….62-54
Tampa Bay 22-29-11……32-33-11……54-62
Texas 26-35-9…….35-24-9……61-59
Toronto 42-23-5……..38-27-4……80-50

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Wednesday’s six-pack

— Penn State is 0-8 vs spread on the road under James Franklin.

— Since Eagles traded Sam Bradford, they went from -7.5 to -4 this weekend against the Browns. Total dropped from 45 to 41.5.

— Detroit’s Justin Upton has 8 homers in his last fifteen games.

— Astros’ Marwin Gonzalez has 36 career HRs; 32 have come with the bases empty.

— Giants were 57-33 at the All-Star break; they’re 17-31 since.

— As a Rams fan, when I see them cut players who immediately get picked up by other teams, I smile. Our talent base has improved.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Razor Sharp

FREE PICK FOR WEDNESDAY: Take CLEVELAND (Carrasco) -155 over Houston