Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

MLB Betting Info 7/6

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • MLB Betting Info 7/6

    MLB Betting: Division Underdogs

    Just about half of a team’s 162 game MLB schedule is against division rivals and these games have a lot more meaning to them as team's try to either win a division title or get into the playoffs. If you're going to bet on underdogs, it's a great idea to focus on divisional games as there is extra incentive for team's in these matchups and under the right set of circumstances can deliver big profits.

    At this point in the season, divisional home underdogs have won 53 games, lost 86 with a negative impact of -$2045 against the money line. Division road underdogs have walked off winners in 137 and at the wrong end of a decision 167 times. But, the road pooches have been a good choice, stuffing betting accounts to the tune of +$1533. Of course, you can't blindly bet on divisional road underdogs every time and expect to come out ahead in the long run, so let’s take a look at a situation where it favors you.

    Our MLB number crunching machine chips in small to medium divisional road underdogs priced between +$1.00 and +$1.50 delivered the goods. In this situation the home favorite essentially has an edge but isn't overly superior meaning the underdog in what is basically a tossup game can easily upset the odds offering good value. In 221 situations so far, division road underdogs in the +$1.00 to +$1.50 range won at a 48.4% clip (107-114) rewarding backers with +$1527 at the betting window.

    An even better ROI can be had focusing on fewer plays with less total money at risk. In this situation we want to concentrate strickly on a division road underdog that won the first game of the series and getting little respect in game-two as they won at a 55.3% clip (21-17) cashing +$788 worth of tickets.

    While there's no guarantee small to medium divisional road underdogs in the above mentioned situation will continue to perform the rest of the way, the angle is definitely worth keeping an eye-out for.

  • #2
    Re: MLB Betting Info 7/6

    July Pitchers Report
    By Marc Lawrence

    Fireworks and the MLB All-Star game go hand-in-hand during the month of July. It also denotes the start of the 2nd half of the MLB campaign. And as we’ve come to learn the key to each and every team’s fortune lies on the pitching staff.

    Can they sustain or will they unravel like Jose Canseco going back on a fly ball? Stay tuned. What we do know is that certain pitchers love hurling this time of the season while others tend to get lit up like a roman candle on the 4thof July.

    Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a two-to-one or better success ratio in team-starts over the course of the last three seasons during the month of July.

    On the flip side, we've also listed pitchers that struggle in July, winning 33% percent or less of their team-start efforts. To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at least one start each July over the last three years.

    And for your convenience alongside each record we break down each pitcher’s greatest success or greatest failure rate either home (H) or away (A) within his good or bad month.

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

    GOOD MONTH PITCHERS:

    *Chen, Wei-Yin - 9-4 (5-1 H)

    The Miami left-hander has not been terribly effective with an ERA hovering around 5. If Chen can develop more command, he's shown again this year he's tough when in challenging situations, allowing .186 batting average and .271 on-base percentage with runners in scoring position.

    Garza, Matt - 9-3 (5-1 H)

    Since coming back from spring training injury on June 14th, the Milwaukee right-hander has been a mix of good and bad, but come through when it counted. Opposing hitters are batting over .300 against Garza, but he's held those runners in check and induced a heavy dose of ground balls that have led to outs. If he continues, this Brewers starter might be effective.

    Greinke, Zack - 11-4 (6-2 H)

    Though Arizona is falling short of preseason expectations, the Diamondbacks ace is not and, other than Clayton Kershaw, has arguably been as effective as any pitcher since the end of April with batters hitting around .200 against him. Once again his array of pitches are finding the right spots and fastball is cooking!

    Kazmir, Scott - 10-5 (6-2 H)

    When Kazmir misses on location for fastball, the other team's lineup begins to look for off-speed stuff, which has caused his inconsistency this season. When he's working the corners on the knees early in the count, this sets up secondary pitches. In the past he's done so in July, let's see what he comes up with this time.

    *Kershaw, Clayton - 12-3 (8-0 A)

    When either Kershaw loses or has a less than stellar performance, which is infrequent, it is home page news on most sports websites. With opponents batting just .185 against him, baseball's best pitcher has close to as many home runs surrendered (6) as walks (9) to start the month over 121 innings. It’s no wonder his name is whispered in the same company as Sandy Koufax.

    Kluber, Corey - 13-4 (9-2 H)

    Since winning the Cy Young award in 2014, Kluber has not been able to match that magical season, but is part of a very good Cleveland rotation. Looking ahead, if the Indians righty can do a better job than permitting .281 batting averages with runners in scoring position, all his numbers will drop and his victories will go up. Note: Kluber’s numbers above also reflect his career team mark during July.

    *Liriano, Francisco - 12-2 (7-0 H)

    After several fine seasons with Pittsburgh, Liriano has not been effective in 2016. Walks and home runs have done him in and in order to reflect past results of July, he's going to have to stop leaving pitches in the heart of the plate.

    Peralta, Wily - 8-4 (5-1 H)

    Peralta has been thoroughly ineffective all season (6.68 ERA) and was sent to minors after June 11th start. His return this month or this season depends on his Triple-A results. Note: Peralta’s numbers above also reflect his career team mark during July.

    Price, David - 11-5 (7-1 A)

    To date, the Boston lefty could be described as a mild disappointment, with an ERA north of 4.5 most of the season. No longer owning an upper 90's heater, Price does not blow away as many hitters as before and the fastball lacks some of the previous movement of the past. The slider has not had the usual bite from start to start. Red Sox need this ace to be one.

    Ross, Tyson - 10-4 (4-1 H)

    Ross has not pitched since he hit the DL with right shoulder inflammation after first start in April. San Diego Union reports a return even this month appears optimistic.
    Note: Ross’ numbers above also reflect his career team mark during July.

    Santana, Ervin - 11-4 (8-1 H)

    Like his teammates, Santana is not having a good year, as opposing hitters are clocking him for nearly .300 average, compared to .256 over his 11-year career. Little reason to believe this month will match the past even if he improves with this Twins club.

    *Volquez, Edinson - 10-5 (6-1 A)

    Never a frontline hurler, Volquez numbers this campaign have matched the Royals, being very ordinary to date. The Dominican Republic native has done the job against right-handed batters, who have been knocking him around for nearly .300 average.

    BAD MONTH PITCHERS:

    Wood, Alex - 4-8 (0-6 A)

    Wood – the only pitcher to appear on the July Bad Month list this season - was initially expected to be shut down for four weeks after landing on the 15-day disabled list at the end of May with a posterior impingement in his throwing elbow. Currently, the timetable is for mid-July return, but the oft-injured pitcher can hardly be counted on as record shows. Note: Wood’’s numbers above reflect his career team mark during July

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: MLB Betting Info 7/6

      How run differential can be the key to cashing MLB runline bets
      By JOE FORTENBAUGH

      Behind yet another incendiary performance from a member of their starting rotation, the white-hot Cleveland Indians matched a franchise record in Thursday night’s 4-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays by winning their 13th consecutive game.

      The Tribe’s current winning streak is the longest by any team in Major League Baseball this season as well as the longest run of success the club has strung together since winning 13 straight in 1951.

      Thursday’s accolades belonged to 29-year-old righty Carlos Carrasco, who is now 1-0 with a 1.14 ERA, 27 strikeouts and just seven walks in three starts during Cleveland’s 13-game rampage through professional baseball. A rampage, mind you, that has featured the Indians outscoring the opposition 80-26 (+54 run differential), which is good for a winning margin of 4.15 runs per game.

      Predictably, gambling twitter immediately responded with some variation of the following data: If you had bet to win $100 on every game Cleveland was listed as a favorite during the team’s current 13-game winning streak and risked $100 on Cleveland when the Indians assumed the underdog position during said streak, you would currently be up $1,337.

      That’s a respectable chunk of change for less than two week’s worth of work. But with Cleveland’s moneyline prices beginning to surge due to the team’s recent onslaught against all comers, could you have found a way to turn a similar profit without assuming as much risk?

      The answer, of course, is yes. And all you would have had to do was replace your moneyline bets with run line wagers.

      For the uninitiated, a run line bet is essentially Major League Baseball’s version of the NFL point spread, with one team listed as a 1.5-run favorite, the other listed as a 1.5-run underdog and corresponding odds attached to both spreads. For example, the Indians were listed as -120 favorites for Thursday night’s game against the Blue Jays (+110) on the moneyline, but were posted at the more appealing price of +130 if you were willing to lay 1.5 runs against Toronto (-150). The benefit is the opportunity to back the better team with less financial risk, while the downside is the fact that Cleveland had to win by two or more runs to cash the run line bet as opposed to simply winning the game by any margin to cash the moneyline ticket.

      Since the Indians launched their 13-game tirade against the rest of Major League Baseball back on June 17 in Cleveland against the White Sox, the Tribe have been listed as a moneyline favorite 11 times and run line favorite four times. And if you were to bet to win $100 every time Cleveland was a favorite and risk $100 in each instance the Indians were listed as an underdog, here’s how your portfolio would break down:

      13 moneyline bets: 13-0 record, $1,884 risked, $1,337 won

      13 run line bets: 11-2 record, $1,468 risked, $1,129 won

      By simply substituting run line bets for moneyline bets during Cleveland’s 13-game winning streak, your profits would have dropped by 15.5 percent, but your overall risk assumed would have plummeted by 22.1 percent. That’s not a bad tradeoff when you need to win by two or more runs with a pitching staff that has limited the opposition to just 2.0 runs per game during its 13-game stretch of nothing but victory celebrations.

      But here’s the tricky part: It’s easy to come swooping in after a team has won 13 straight matchups and exclaim, “Hey, you should have been betting the run line instead of the moneyline!” After all, hindsight is 20/20. What we need to identify is a way of determining which teams offer the best chance for success when betting the run line.

      Thankfully, we have those rankings for you, as well as something else you should be taking into consideration.

      Below you will find Major League Baseball’s 30 member organizations ranked by run line winning percentage entering Thursday night’s slate of action. In addition, you’ll notice a number in parenthesis next to each team’s record. That number represents the run differential ranking for each club entering Thursday night as well. For example, when you see a (6) next to the Texas Rangers, you’ll know that Texas ranks sixth in MLB in run differential.

      1. Texas Rangers: 52-28 (6)
      2. Baltimore Orioles: 46-31 (7)
      3. San Diego Padres: 46-33 (25)
      4. Detroit Tigers: 45-34 (15)
      5. Chicago Cubs: 44-34 (1)
      6. Kansas City Royals: 44-34 (18)
      7. Cleveland Indians: 43-35 (2)
      8. Colorado Rockies: 42-36 (16)
      9. Oakland A’s: 42-36 (23)
      10. St. Louis Cardinals: 41-37 (4)
      11. Washington Nationals: 42-38 (3)
      12. Milwaukee Brewers: 40-38 (26)
      13. Toronto Blue Jays: 41-40 (11)
      14. Boston Red Sox: 39-39 (5)
      15. Miami Marlins: 39-39 (14)
      16. San Francisco Giants: 39-41 (8)
      17. Philadelphia Phillies: 39-41 (27)
      18. Cincinnati Reds: 39-41 (30)
      19. Chicago White Sox: 38-41 (17)
      20. Seattle Mariners: 37-41 (10)
      21. Houston Astros: 37-42 (12)
      22. Los Angeles Dodgers: 37-44 (9)
      23. Arizona Diamondbacks: 37-44 (21)
      24. Pittsburgh Pirates: 36-43 (19)
      25. Minnesota Twins: 35-43 (29)
      26. Atlanta Braves: 34-44 (28)
      27. New York Yankees: 34-44 (20)
      28. Tampa Bay Rays: 32-46 (22)
      29. Los Angels Angels: 32-47 (24)
      30. New York Mets: 30-48 (13)

      The first question you may be asking yourself is, “Why run differential?” That’s an excellent inquiry. Essentially, we want to look at each team’s run differential to give us an idea of which squads have the firepower to consistently cover 1.5 runs while also examining which clubs get blown out on a regular basis. As you’ll notice in the rankings above, five of the top ten run line clubs (Rangers, Orioles, Cubs, Indians and Cardinals) also rank within the top ten in run differential, while five of the bottom ten run line clubs (Angels, Rays, Braves, Twins and Diamondbacks) also rank within the bottom ten in run differential. So based on this simple correlation alone, we’ve discovered that a third of the league’s run line record matches up with its run differential ranking.

      One team to keep an eye on moving forward in regards to run line wagering is the Philadelphia Phillies, who have lost 28 of their last 39 games after commencing the season with a 24-17 record. What’s intriguing about Philadelphia is that despite winning just 43.8 percent of their contests this season, the 2008 World Champions are a shocking 18-9 (.666) in one-run games in 2016. That type of performance in one-run affairs is extremely difficult to sustain over the course of a 162-game season, so don’t be surprised if the Phillies exhibit a regression in that department in the very near future.

      As for the Indians, who knows when Cleveland’s starting rotation will hit a rough patch and regress to the mean. After all, this club hasn’t lost since the Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: MLB Betting Info 7/6

        'Interleague Over Gamblers Cashing'

        Three month's worth of baseball in the books 'Over' gamblers are cashing at a healthy 57.4% clip when American League clubs take on National League teams. The 'Over' has been the correct choice in 200 games vs 130 'Under', 18 'Push'.

        In the Junior Circuit, the Detroit Tigers (12-2 O/U), Los Angeles Angels (11-3-1), Minnesota (11-1-1) lead the way. In the Senior Circuit it's San Diego Padres (9-2 O/U), Pittsburgh Pirates (11-4), Colorado Rockies (8-2) cashing consistently for 'Over' gamblers.

        This week, Baltimore Orioles-Los Angeles Dodgers will be trying to keep 'Over' bettors happy.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: MLB Betting Info 7/6

          Toronto vs Kansas City Series! July 4-6

          Toronto and Kansas City square off in a three game series at Rogers Center north of the border. This will be the first meeting of the season between these clubs since since Jays fell short in the American League Championship Series last October. With that October setback, got to think Jays are going to show up and give it their best. Looking at probables for the series and the fact Royals are a brutal 13-25 on the road a series sweep for Jays is not out of the question.

          Aaron Sanchez gets the nod for the Blue Jays in the opener. Sanchez off a fantastic outing tossing eight innings of one run ball has won his last seven decisions and will carry an 8-1 record, 3.08 ERA to the hill. Sanchez trades pitches with Edinson Volquez (7-7, 4.80 ERA) who is also off a strong 6 2/3 inning start of shutout ball. Jays ridding a 4-0, 6-2 home streak with Sanchez have the edge over Royals who are 3-4 in an opposing park with Volquez and have lost his last two starts in Toronto.

          The second pitching matchup features knuckelballer Dickey vs Chris Young. Toronto handing the ball to Dickey does serve as an alarm, since the Blue Jays are 0-8 in Dickey's home starts this season, 1-10 his last eleven in front of the home audience. Then again, Young hasn't been a peg to hang your hopes on in road games going 0-5 over six starts with Royals 1-5 over those games. Young tagged for a long-ball in twelve of his fourteen starts, 22 total for the campaign Jays should give their fans something to cheer about while providing hard-luck Dickey a rare team win at home.

          In the finale, Marcus Stroman gets the call for Toronto after spinning one of his finest outings of the season last time out pitching 6 2/3 innings allowing one run on five hits while striking out six. His counter part, Ian Kennedy is off his seventh loss of the season and of those seven six have been on the road. Look for Jays to make it 3-0 vs Royals with Stroman.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: MLB Betting Info 7/6

            MLB roundup: Stanton powers Marlins past Mets
            By The Sports Xchange

            NEW YORK -- Giancarlo Stanton hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the seventh inning before putting the game out of reach with a monstrous three-run shot in the eighth inning of the Miami Marlins' 5-2 win over the New York Mets at Citi Field on Tuesday.
            Stanton's first homer landed several rows back in the left-center field bleachers, and his second one landed in the second deck. The two-homer game was the first of the season for Stanton and the 17th of his career. The five RBIs were his most in a game since April 18, 2014.
            Chen allowed one run on three hits and one walk while striking out five over seven innings.

            Phillies 5, Braves 1
            PHILADELPHIA -- Zach Eflin pitched his first complete game, and four Philadelphia solo home runs were more than enough to deliver the rookie right-hander his first career win, topping Atlanta.
            Peter Bourjos, Cody Asche, Maikel Franco and Tommy Joseph all went deep for the Phillies, who won for the seventh time in eight games to creep closer to .500 with the All-Star break only five games away.
            Eflin threw 92 pitches in nine innings, the first time in five career starts he got past the sixth. He gave up six hits but countered that with six strikeouts and no walks.

            Reds 9, Cubs 5
            CHICAGO -- Zack Cozart and Jay Bruce each clubbed two-run homers as Cincinnati never trailed en route to a victory over Chicago.
            Reds starter Brandon Finnegan worked five innings and broke a three-game losing streak for the win as Cincinnati evened the series at a victory apiece. Cubs starter John Lackey was hit for six early runs and took the loss in a six-inning outing, his third setback since June 20.
            Cozart went 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs, Billy Hamilton was 2-for-3 with a walk and scored twice while Bruce slugged a two-run homer in the ninth -- his 18th -- as the Reds snapped a two-game losing streak.

            Blue Jays 8, Royals 3
            TORONTO -- Josh Donaldson hit two solo home runs, Ezequiel Carrera added a solo shot, Troy Tulowitzki hit a three-run blast and R.A. Dickey struck out eight in seven innings as Toronto defeated Kansas.
            Cheslor Cuthbert, who had three RBIs, hit a two-run homer for the Royals.
            Dickey allowed four hits, three walks and two unearned runs. Royals starter Chris Young gave up seven hits, including four home runs, and six runs in 2 1/3 innings.

            Brewers 5, Nationals 2
            WASHINGTON -- Aaron Hill went 3-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs and young right-hander Zach Davies allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings as Milwaukee beat first-place Washington, taking the first two games in the series.
            Hernan Perez, the No. 6 batter in the order, smashed a two-run homer off starter Gio Gonzalez in the sixth to give the Brewers a 3-1 lead. It was the fourth homer of the season for Perez and just the fifth in 463 career at-bats.
            Jonathan Lucroy added two hits for the Brewers and Daniel Murphy, Danny Espinosa and Anthony Rendon had two for the Nationals.

            Indians 12, Tigers 1
            CLEVELAND -- Lonnie Chisenhall had four hits and three RBIs and Tyler Naquin and Carlos Santana homered as Cleveland continued its domination of Detroit at Progressive Field.
            Cleveland is now 11-0 against Detroit this year and the Indians have outscored the Tigers 77-24. The first-place Indians, who went 22-6 in June and have won 16 of their last 18 games, lengthened their lead in the American League Central over the second-place Tigers to 7 1/2 games.
            Carlos Carrasco gave up one run in six innings and combined with two relievers on a four-hitter to get the win. Detroit starter Anibal Sanchez was rocked for seven runs in less than five innings in taking the loss.

            Angels 13, Rays 5
            ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Los Angeles got two home runs from red-hot C.J. Cron, pulling away with six runs in the ninth to aa win over Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field.
            The Angels had lost 12 of 14 games before bouncing back for the road win, with Cron breaking open a back-and-forth game with a three-run home run in the ninth.
            Rays pitchers have allowed 19 runs in the ninth inning of their last six games, this after allowing a total of 23 runs in the ninth inning of the first 77 games this season.
            Cron hit his 10th and 11th home runs -- he already has five home runs and 13 RBIs in July.

            Rangers 7, Red Sox 2
            BOSTON -- Robinson Chirinos blasted a three-run homer in the ninth inning after Rougned Odor doubled home the go-ahead run in the sixth as Texas crushed Boston at Fenway Park.
            It was the sixth homer of the year for Chirinos, the Rangers' No. 9 hitter, as Texas reclaimed the major-league lead in wins after the Chicago Cubs' 9-5 loss to Cincinnati.
            Shin-Soo Choo hit a solo homer for his seventh bomb of the season and Elvis Andrus and Jurickson Profar each had RBIs for the Rangers.

            Astros 5, Mariners 2
            HOUSTON -- Dallas Keuchel worked six solid innings and Houston showcased an electric power display with three home runs to beat Seattle at Minute Maid Park.
            Luis Valbuena, Colby Rasmus and A.J. Reed all clubbed homers off Mariners right-hander Taijuan Walker (4-7), with Valbuena socking his 10th home run and Rasmus his 11th dinger. Collectively, that trio finished 3-for-5 with five RBIs, four runs scored and one walk against Walker.
            Keuchel won his third consecutive start and recorded his first home win since April 15 against the Tigers. He allowed a run-scoring groundout to Mariners catcher Chris Iannetta in the second inning and a solo home run to Nelson Cruz in the fourth, his 22nd, but was effective.

            Pirates 5, Cardinals 2
            ST. LOUIS -- Eric Fryer drove in three runs and David Freese contributed to both of Pittsburgh rallies as it tied its season long winning streak with a win over St. Louis.
            Freese, the 2011 World Series Most Valuable Player, doubled and scored in a two-run fifth. An inning later, he snapped a 2-2 tie when he poked an RBI single up the middle and through a drawn-in infield that scored Andrew McCutchen.
            Fryer, playing his first game for the Pirates since being picked up off waivers Sunday from the Cardinals, dumped a two-out, two-run double down the right field line off Mike Leake that scored Freese and Jordy Mercer for a three-run advantage.

            Yankees 9, White Sox 0
            CHICAGO -- Masahiro Tanaka didn't allow a run and New York cranked out a season-high 20 hits in a win over Chicago at U.S. Cellular Field.
            Tanaka, pitching on five days' rest instead of the usual four, kept the White Sox off-balance for most of his 7 2/3 innings by efficiently using his pitches. Tanaka struck out six, walked one and worked around a couple of trouble spots without allowing a run.
            Brett Gardner went 4-for-6 and scored two runs, Carlos Beltran was 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI, and Mark Teixeira went 2-for-5 with two RBIs to lead the Yankees, who had seven doubles and two home runs.

            Diamondbacks 7, Padres 5
            PHOENIX -- Rickie Weeks Jr. homered and Paul Goldschmidt drove in a pair of runs as Arizona beat San Diego.
            Jean Segura had three hits and scored three runs and Jake Lamb added a pinch-hit triple for the Diamondbacks, who won for the second time in 10 games.
            Wil Myers had four hits, including a triple, and drove in a run, Matt Kemp had an RBI double and Yangervis Solarte added a run-scoring single for the Padres, who have lost two of three.

            Orioles 4, Dodgers 1
            LOS ANGELES -- Chris Tillman gave up one run over seven innings, Manny Machado hit a decisive three-run homer, and Baltimore beat Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium.
            The first-place Orioles earned their first-ever regular-season win at Dodger Stadium
            First-place Baltimore, which leads the second-place Toronto Blue Jays by 2 1/2 games in the American League East, snapped a five-game losing streak.
            Tillman won his fifth consecutive interleague game dating back to July 7, 2014, and the Orioles are 8-0 in his past eight interleague starts. The right-hander surrendered five hits and two walks, and he struck out two while throwing 100 pitches.

            Twins 11, A's 4
            MINNEAPOLIS -- Kennys Vargas had a pair of hits, including a two-run homer in the decisive fifth inning, to lead Minnesota over Oakland at Target Field.
            Vargas, playing in his second game after being recalled from Triple-A Rochester on Monday, also doubled to lead off the second inning and came around to score Minnesota's first run of the game.
            Max Kepler and Miguel Sano added homers and the Twins got six strong innings from left-hander Tommy Milone as Minnesota beat the Athletics for the first time in five tries this season.

            Rockies 7, Giants 3
            SAN FRANCISCO -- Nolan Arenado continued his powerful hitting against San Francisco Giants, blasting a three-run, seventh-inning home run that rallied Colorado to victory.
            The Rockies won on the 25th anniversary of Denver being awarded an expansion franchise.
            Tyler Chatwood pitched effectively for five innings in his return from the disabled list, and the Colorado bullpen held the Giants to one run after that, allowing the Rockies to even the three-game series at a win apiece and the season series with the National League West leaders at 6-6.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: MLB Betting Info 7/6

              Preview: Tigers (44-40) at Indians (51-32)

              Game: 3
              Venue: Progressive Field
              Date: July 06, 2016 12:10 PM EDT

              CLEVELAND -- At this point, whenever the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers meet, there's only one overriding topic: The Streak. Wednesday afternoon at Progressive Field, the two teams will play the final game of their three-game series, and it will be the Tigers' last chance until September to halt their losing streak to Cleveland, which currently stands at 11 games.

              The Indians are 11-0 against the Tigers this season. "They've outplayed us," said Detroit manager Brad Ausmus. "We haven't played that bad, but they've played better than us, pitched better than us and hit better than us."

              In winning all 11 games between the two teams, the Indians have outscored the Tigers 77-24. So not only has Cleveland won every game, many of them have been blowouts. Among Cleveland's 11 wins have been victories by scores such as 10-1, 9-4, 6-0, 9-3, and 12-1.

              Nevertheless, Ausmus says his players aren't dwelling on their inability to beat Cleveland this year.

              "You go into very game thinking anyone can win. It's just that we've lost the last 11 in a row," he said. "But when we take the field tomorrow none of our guys will be thinking about the streak."

              Indians manager Terry Francona says the streak is a part of a bigger picture, which is what concerns him most.

              "I don't spend a lot of time thinking about (the streak)," Francona said. "You just worry about playing the next game and trying to win."

              Making the streak even better for Cleveland and more miserable for Detroit is that the two teams are in the Central Division. So each outcome has added importance in the division race. The first-place Indians currently lead the second-place Tigers by 7 1/2 games.

              In Wednesday's matchup, the Tigers will send impressive rookie Michael Fulmer (8-2, 2.17) to the mound. Fulmer may give the Tigers their best chance yet at halting the streak. The 23-year-old right-hander has allowed one or no runs in each of his last eight starts, which is the longest such streak by a Tigers starter since at least 1913. Over his last eight starts, Fulmer is 6-1 with a 0.53 ERA. Since May 21, Fulmer leads all major league pitchers with a 0.53 ERA and .133 opponent's batting average.

              Cleveland will start right-hander Josh Tomlin, who can throw some impressive statistics onto the table as well. Tomlin is 9-1 with a 3.21 ERA. He leads the American League with an average of 0.9 walks per nine innings. Tomlin also leads the AL with 6.40 strikeouts per walk.

              Fulmer has only lost two of his 13 starts, but one of those losses was to the Indians. On May 5 at Progressive Field, the Indians beat Fulmer 9-4. In that game, Fulmer pitched five innings and gave up five runs and 10 hits.

              Nine of Tomlin's 15 starts this season have been against AL Central teams. In those games, he is 7-0 with a 3.17 ERA. This will be Tomlin's fourth start against the Tigers this season. In his first three, he was 3-0 with a 2.61 ERA.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: MLB Betting Info 7/6

                Preview: Braves (28-56) at Phillies (39-46)

                Game: 3
                Venue: Citizens Bank Park
                Date: July 06, 2016 1:05 PM EDT

                PHILADELPHIA -- The hot-swinging Philadelphia Phillies will go for a sweep of division rival Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night, fresh off an impressive power display on Tuesday.

                Five home runs paved the way to a 5-1 win in the middle game of the three-game series, one day after a seven-run second inning led to an 8-2 victory in Monday's opener.

                "It was nice to see," manager Pete Mackanin said. "Guys are still swinging the bats pretty well. ... We took advantage of some pitches up in the zone."

                Now, the Phillies (39-46) will take on a rookie pitcher making his first career MLB start in Tyrell Jenkins, who enters with an 0-1 record and a 5.79 ERA in 9 1/3 innings of work at the major league level this season.

                In the minors, Jenkins started 92 out of his 97 appearances, with a 32-27 record and 3.75 era. In parts of two years at Triple-A Gwinnett between 2015-16, he was 9-7 with a 3.18 ERA in 23 games (18 starts). He last pitched on July 3, giving up two runs (both earned) in two innings of a 5-2 loss to Miami.

                "I don't have any predetermined parameters for him," Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said. "Somebody's got to start that game tomorrow, and he's been stretched out as a starter all spring and all summer. He hasn't lately, so we'll just kind of monitor him. He might get tired, I don't know when -- three innings, four innings -- if he can go five innings, that would be great."

                Snitker has tried to keep the level of positivity as high as possible for an Atlanta squad that, at 28-56, is only one game ahead of Minnesota for word record in the major leagues. The loss to the Phillies on Tuesday night made it three in a row and seven of nine for a club that saw manager Fredi Gonzalez fired in May after a 9-28 start.

                "It's hard, you've got to have a lot of patience and it's not easy," Snitker said. "It's something that has to be done with young guys, I think, and we just have got to stay as positive as we can with it, because it is a learning experience every time and these guys are going to grow and they're going to get better."

                The Phillies will counter with seven-year veteran Jeremy Hellickson, facing Atlanta for the first time in his career. He'll be looking to win three straight starts for the first time this year, and has been throwing some of his best stuff of late.

                Over his last three starts, Hellickson is 2-1 with a 2.37 ERA, giving up six runs (five earned) in 19 innings, striking out 15 against just two walks.

                He'll look to continue the momentum in a clubhouse that's won three straight and seven of eight to move within seven games of a wild-card slot in the National League.

                "There's a bunch of chemistry in this locker room," said rookie starter Zach Eflin, who went the distance in picking up his first career win Tuesday night. "It's a really cool thing to be a part of."

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: MLB Betting Info 7/6

                  Preview: Marlins (44-40) at Mets (45-38)

                  Game: 3
                  Venue: Citi Field
                  Date: July 06, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

                  NEW YORK -- Giancarlo Stanton was not one of the four Miami Marlins selected to the National League All-Star team Tuesday. But the two prodigious home runs he hit to single-handedly lift the Marlins to a 5-2 win over the New York Mets proved he is still a player who can carry his team during a pennant chase.

                  Stanton, whose two-run homer in the seventh and three-run homer in the eighth accounted for all of the Marlins' runs, matching his career high with five RBIs, will attempt to build off his first two-homer game of the season when the Mets host Miami on Wednesday afternoon in the finale of a three-game series at Citi Field.

                  "I'm coming back, coming back," Stanton said with a grin after lifting his average to .226. He has 17 homers and 45 RBIs in 72 games.

                  "It's a long road from here. That's why you don't worry about where you're at on the season stats. Just keep plugging away. Keep trying to win each day and know that by the end of the year, it'll pan out."

                  A productive Stanton can only help the Marlins make a push for their first playoff berth since 2003. Miami (44-40) is 1 1/2 games behind the Mets (45-38) in the race for the National League's second wild card.

                  "As rough as it's looked at times, (he) still has a chance to (have) one of those 40 (homer) and 100 (RBI seasons)," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "You feel like he's going to be there. If he gets hot at all, it's going to be a big boost for us."

                  While the Marlins have a known quantity in the former National League home run champion Stanton, the Mets will be looking for a spark Wednesday from Jose Reyes, who went 0-for-4 Tuesday in his first game back with his original major league club.

                  Reyes, who was named to four All-Star Games as the Mets' shortstop from 2003 through 2011, made his first career start at third base Tuesday and is expected to play there regularly the remainder of the season. He signed with the Mets June 25, hours after being released by the Colorado Rockies following the completion of his 51-game suspension for a domestic violence incident involving his wife last Halloween.

                  "This team, we went to the World Series last year," Reyes said. "We've got a good opportunity to go to the playoffs this year. This is the situation I was looking for for a long time."

                  Reyes will bat leadoff whenever he is in the lineup for the Mets, who will be looking Wednesday to regain the offensive form they enjoyed in outscoring the Cubs and Marlins 40-17 during a five-game winning streak that ended Tuesday.

                  Mets right-hander Jacob deGrom is scheduled to oppose Marlins left-hander Justin Nicolino. DeGrom is 3-1 with a 2.80 ERA in seven career starts against the Marlins while Nicolino is 0-0 with a 3.97 ERA in two career starts against the Mets.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: MLB Betting Info 7/6

                    Preview: Athletics (36-48) at Twins (28-55)

                    Game: 3
                    Venue: Target Field
                    Date: July 06, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

                    Little is going right for Sonny Gray this season.

                    Wins have been absent for over two months, there was a disabled-list stint, pitches have gone wild, and hitters are having few problems with Gray's offerings.

                    The Oakland right-hander will look to correct some if not all of those problems Wednesday afternoon when the Athletics conclude their three-game series with the Minnesota Twins at Target Field.

                    Gray (3-7, 5.42 ERA) entered this season as the team ace, and it was hard to argue based on his 33-20 record and 2.88 ERA in his first three seasons with Oakland.

                    He has hardly been ace-like in 2016, going 3-7 with a 5.42 ERA while leading the majors with 13 wild pitches. He began the year with a 3-1 record and a 2.73 ERA, but starting with a two-inning outing April 27 in Detroit, it has been a massive struggle.

                    Gray is 0-6 with a 6.63 ERA in 11 starts since April 21 and 0-2 with a 4.42 ERA in six outings since returning from the disabled list June 5. He was out 15 days due to a strained right trapezius. During his losing streak, Gray has allowed a .297 opponents' batting average.

                    The losing streak is the longest of Gray's career and equals the longest by an Oakland pitcher in the last four seasons. His streak of 11 straight winless starts is the third longest by an A's starter this century.

                    "This hasn't been his best year," Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "He'll figure it out and get better as the year goes along. There's always going to be a year that is not as good as other years."

                    Last Friday, Gray allowed seven runs and seven hits over six innings during a 7-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Five of those runs occurred during the fifth and sixth, and three were allowed with two outs in the sixth.

                    "That was obviously not a very good start," Gray said. "There were times, like in the sixth, where I got two quick outs. I have to be able to shut that inning down and get back out there for the seventh and not hit a guy and walk another. It just escalated from there."

                    Gray was on the DL when Oakland swept Minnesota from May 30-June 1. Although he is 2-1 in three career starts against the Twins, he has a 6.19 ERA in those outings.

                    Oakland hopes Gray can correct his struggles but also help the pitching staff rebound from an 11-4 loss that ended at 1 a.m. CDT on Wednesday due to a nearly three-hour rain delay. The Athletics allowed nine runs with two outs Tuesday night, and they have a 6.63 ERA over their past eight games.

                    Minnesota will be looking to win a third straight home series and to earn its seventh win in 10 home games since June 18. The Twins have scored 60 runs during their past six home wins, and all three of their double-digit scoring games have come in the past two-plus weeks.

                    Miguel Sano, Kennys Vargas and Max Kepler homered Tuesday.

                    "A lot of guys had good nights," Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said.

                    The Twins' Wednesday starter, Ervin Santana, will hope to benefit from similar run support while also continuing his recent run of improved performances.

                    Santana (2-7, 4.50 ERA) is 1-0 with a 2.41 ERA in his past three starts, including Friday, when he allowed two runs and three hits in 6 1/3 innings during a no-decision against the Texas Rangers. Before this stretch, he was 0-5 with a 7.71 ERA in five starts from May 24-June 14.

                    Santana has extensive experience facing Oakland from his eight seasons (2005-2012) with the Los Angeles Angels. He is 15-7 with a 2.10 ERA in 28 career starts against the Athletics.

                    Since leaving the Angels, Santana is 1-2 with a 2.51 ERA in four starts against the A's. He took the loss May 30 in Oakland when he allowed three runs and seven hits in seven innings.

                    Santana has allowed a .304 average (38-for-125) with runners on base. During his last three outings, opposing hitters are 5-for-24 (.208) against the right-hander with men on, including 1-for-8 by Texas when Molitor let him throw a season-high 117 pitches.

                    "I don't even think about that," Santana said of the pitch count. "Molitor gave me the opportunity to stay in the game and gave me more enthusiasm to pitch. I was fighting. I was excited for that."

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: MLB Betting Info 7/6

                      Preview: Reds (31-54) at Cubs (52-31)

                      Game: 3
                      Venue: Wrigley Field
                      Date: July 06, 2016 2:20 PM EDT

                      CHICAGO -- Kris Bryant was back in the Chicago Cubs' lineup Tuesday and apparently OK after an outfield collision 24-hours earlier that left him with a leg bruise.

                      The run-in with Albert Almora Jr. while both pursued a fly ball also prompted an admonishment from Cubs manager Joe Maddon to be more watchful in the future.

                      "I didn't like it, I didn't like it at all," Maddon told said. "When a player is camped, there's no reason to run a player off. ... It happens to every team throughout the course of the season, but I would like it not to happen again."

                      The versatile Bryant has played in 31 games in the outfield this season, but was back at his normal third base spot Tuesday.

                      He is not a player the Cubs could afford to lose for any significant part of the season, a worry Bryant himself shared when talking about how the Cubs lost Kyle Schwarber for the season in an April 7 outfield collision with Dexter Fowler.

                      "I was just kind of scared about the knee at first," Bryant said Tuesday. "I'm feeling better today, a lot better, nothing to prevent me from playing. I think I got lucky. Things could have been a lot worse."

                      Bryant, voted in as an All-Star Game starter, felt so good that he clubbed his major-league-leading 25th home run of the season in the third inning Tuesday during the Cubs' 9-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

                      He is batting .278 with 64 RBIs, 19 doubles and a .578 slugging percentage.

                      In the series finale Wednesday, Bryant will be batting against a pitcher who finally made his season debut last month after sustaining a spring training injury, and he will be fielding behind a pitcher who hasn't seen a lot of action as a starter.

                      Chicago right-hander Adam Warren (3-1, 4.56 ERA) will be called up to make a spot start -- his first in a Cubs uniform -- after two outings at Triple-A Iowa.

                      He was acquired by the Cubs from the Yankees in December as part of a trade that sent Starlin Castro to New York. Warren began the season in Chicago and made 25 relief appearances before being optioned to Iowa on June 21.

                      Warren's return is part of Maddon's strategy to give his staff a breather during on ongoing run of 24 games in 24 days heading into the All-Star break.

                      Reds right-hander Anthony DeSclafani, meanwhile, will be making only his sixth appearance and start this season.

                      He started 31 times for the Reds last year, but he spent much of this season on the disabled list with a strained left oblique that occurred in a final spring training appearance.

                      DeSclafani (2-0, 1.78 ERA) went on to make late-April rehab starts for Double-A Pensacola and Class A Dayton before he felt soreness again in the muscle. He didn't make another rehab appearance until May 25, the first of three outings for Triple-A Louisville.

                      He was activated off the disabled list on June 10 and made his season debut that night against the Oakland A's, working six innings of one-run ball but getting no decision in a 2-1 Reds victory.

                      DeSclafani worked just 2 2/3 innings in his next outing on June 16 at Atlanta and also had a no-decision.

                      Everything clicked in his third outing, when he pitched seven innings and struck out six in an 8-2 win over the Texas Rangers. He then tossed a career-high eight innings on June 26 against the San Diego Padres in a 2-0 win.

                      DeSclafani wasn't involved in the decision in his most recent start, Friday at Washington, when he worked 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball, striking out eight while walking two

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: MLB Betting Info 7/6

                        Preview: Orioles (48-35) at Dodgers (48-38)

                        Game: 3
                        Venue: Dodger Stadium
                        Date: July 06, 2016 3:10 PM EDT

                        LOS ANGELES -- The Baltimore Orioles will try to end a difficult West Coast swing on a winning note when they face the Los Angeles Dodgers in a Wednesday afternoon game.

                        Chris Tillman's strong seven-inning effort Tuesday night set up Baltimore for its second series win on the trip despite having an overall losing record due to the lack of consistent pitching, having surrendered 51 runs in their first seven games against the Padres, Mariners and Dodgers.

                        Although Tuesday's win over Los Angeles stopped a five-game losing streak while ending the Dodgers' five-game winning streak, Orioles manager Buck Showalter did not think it was a big victory.

                        "We don't live in that world; this win was no big deal," Showalter said. "We just have to keep grinding out wins and get more efforts like we got from Chris tonight."

                        Right-hander Kevin Gausman (1-6, 3.97 ERA) will try to back up Tillman's effort when he goes to the hill on Wednesday trying to bounce back from his 5-3 loss to Seattle on July 1. Though his season stats are unimpressive, yielding 14 home runs in just 81 2/3 innings, he has shown signs of turning his season around in his last two starts, allowing three runs in 13 2/3 innings. The team, however, is 5-9 in his 14 starts. Gausman has never faced the Dodgers in four big league seasons.

                        Despite their 7-3 record in their last 10 games, the Dodgers have failed to make a sizeable dent in the San Francisco Giants' comfortable lead in the National League West. They trail the Giants by five games and it appears that their best chance to return to the postseason will come via a wild-card berth. Tuesday's loss to the Orioles snapped a 10-game home winning streak for Los Angeles. The streak was the Dodgers' longest since a 13-game, season-opening run from April 13-May 6, 2009.

                        Dodgers right-hander Bud Norris will make his home debut against one of his former teams as Los Angeles tries to remain within striking distance of the Giants. Norris, acquired from the Atlanta Braves on June 30 in a five-player trade, won his debut at Colorado on July 1, throwing six scoreless innings in a 5-0 win over the Rockies. Norris pitched for the Orioles from 2013-15 and had a 21-20 record and a 4.65 ERA.

                        Norris has pitched well of late. In his last five starts, he has gone 3-0 with a 1.78 ERA (6 ER/30.1 IP) and has posted a 0.82 WHIP, prompting the Dodgers to add him to an injury-racked pitching staff.

                        Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager will try to extend his 18-game hitting streak that ties him with Bill Sudakis (July-August, 1969) for the second-longest rookie hitting streak in franchise history. Tommy Davis' 20-game streak in 1960 holds the team record. Seager was named to his first MLB All Star on Tuesday, getting the nod with a breakout season at Chavez Ravine.

                        "I think he's the best shortstop on both sides of the ball, said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "It would have been a travesty if he had not made the team."

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: MLB Betting Info 7/6

                          Preview: Brewers (37-46) at Nationals (50-35)

                          Game: 3
                          Venue: Nationals Park
                          Date: July 06, 2016 4:05 PM EDT

                          WASHINGTON -- Veteran Matt Garza will continue his latest comeback Wednesday when he pitches for the Brewers against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park.

                          The Brewers will look for a sweep after winning the first two games against a lineup that includes 2016 All-Stars Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy and Wilson Ramos.

                          "You're chosen individually, but it's a team component when you're standing on the sideline representing your team and organization," said Dusty Baker, the Washington manager.

                          The Nationals looked sloppy Tuesday in a 5-2 loss but still have a potent lineup.

                          "It is a challenge. Their three, four and five hitters are going to the All-Star Game," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "It is a good team. We have pitched well the last two games. One more game."

                          It will be the finale of a 10-game homestand for the Nationals, who went 3-7 on a recent road trip and will now try to end the homestand 7-3 before beginning a series on Thursday in New York against the Mets.

                          Washington began the homestand by winning three in a row over the Mets, then won three of four against the Cincinnati Reds. They hit a season-high six homers on Sunday against the Reds, and the next day Cincinnati fired pitching coach Mark Riggins.

                          Standing in the way of the Nationals on Wednesday will be Garza, 32, who will be making just his fifth start of the year for the Brewers. He was activated from the 60-day disabled list June 14.

                          "Getting Garza back ... has been really nice," said reliever Tyler Thornburg, who threw a scoreless inning Tuesday.

                          The California native was on the 15-day disabled list through July 20 of last year with right shoulder tendinitis. He was removed from the starting rotation Sept. 5 and did not pitch the rest of the season.

                          He was tagged with the loss Friday in St. Louis as he gave up nine hits and four earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work.

                          Garza was 6-14 with a 5.63 ERA last year in 26 games, with 25 starts.

                          The numbers are much better this year for Garza, who began his career in the rookie Appalachian League with Elizabethton in the Minnesota Twins system in 2005.

                          He is 1-1 with a 3.74 ERA in four starts for the Brewers though he has given up 29 hits in 21 2/3 innings with 14 strikeouts and seven walks.

                          Garza made his big league debut with Minnesota in 2006 and has also pitched for the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers.

                          He signed with the Brewers prior to the 2014 season. His best season was in 2010 when he went 15-10 for Tampa Bay.

                          Garza is 82-90 in his major league career and has made 247 starts.

                          Garza will be opposed on Wednesday by right-hander Tanner Roark, who is 7-5 with a 2.93 ERA in 17 starts for the Nationals this year.

                          Will Middlebrooks, called up Sunday by the Brewers from Triple-A, made the start Tuesday at third base against Washington. "I do like when a guy comes to the right opportunity," said Counsell. "When we decided to call Will up, this is the situation that we were looking toward. In a National League game there's going to be two guys that have the chance to have some impact on the game."

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: MLB Betting Info 7/6

                            Preview: Royals (43-40) at Blue Jays (47-39)

                            Game: 3
                            Venue: Rogers Centre
                            Date: July 06, 2016 7:07 PM EDT

                            TORONTO -- In an attempt to complete a three-game sweep of the World Series champion Kansas City Royals, the Toronto Blue Jays are counting on a continued return to form from Marcus Stroman on Wednesday.

                            A sweep wouldn't make up for losing the American League Championship Series to the Royals in six games last October, but it would be a good first step.

                            The Blue Jays are in a tight race in the American League East, which they won last year. And they also have to keep in mind the AL wild-card spots, which Kansas City might be fighting for, too. It is far in the future, but games played now could influence those played down the stretch in September.

                            The Royals (43-40) lost 8-3 to the Blue Jays on Tuesday. Kansas City is trying to find ways to win on the road, where it is 16-29 after dropping the first two games of the series at Rogers Centre.

                            Stroman (6-4, 5.08 ERA) has something to prove, too. In his past 10 starts, he is 2-4 with a 6.36 ERA, despite a decent start in his most recent outing. He has shown some improvement after pitching coach Pete Walker worked at lowering his hands in his windup and making a few other slight adjustments to simplify his delivery.

                            Last Friday, Stroman allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings in Toronto's 19-inning loss to the Cleveland Indians. He struck out six and recorded 10 outs on ground balls, a sign that his sinker is staying down.

                            "I felt good," Stroman said. "The work that's been going on between starts is starting to pay off."

                            Stroman is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in one regular-season start against the Royals. He also won Game 3 of the ALCS against the Royals despite allowing 11 hits, one walk and four runs in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out one in Toronto's 11-8 win.

                            The Blue Jays right-hander will be facing Royals right-hander Ian Kennedy (6-7, 4.04).

                            Kennedy has allowed 20 home runs this season. Surprisingly, that is not the most on the pitching staff. Chris Young, who allowed four homers Tuesday, leads the majors with 26 long balls allowed.

                            Kennedy has allowed at least one homer in each of his past six starts. Young tied the club record by allowing at least one homer in a 13th consecutive start Tuesday.

                            Kennedy took the loss Friday when the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Royals 4-3. He allowed six hits (including one home run), three walks and three runs in five innings. He had eight strikeouts but battled his command.

                            "Early on, it just felt like it was a struggle to get on top of the ball," Kennedy said. "My hand was under it a little bit. My fastball was good. My breaking ball wasn't as good as it was last start. It was kind of a constant grind. That's what it felt like."

                            He has one career start against Toronto, and he allowed one hit and one run on Sept. 13, 2007, when he was with the New York Yankees. It was his third major league start.

                            Kennedy is 3-6 with a 5.37 ERA in 10 road starts this season.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: MLB Betting Info 7/6

                              Preview: Angels (34-50) at Rays (34-49)

                              Game: 3
                              Venue: Tropicana Field
                              Date: July 06, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

                              ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Many things have gone wrong in the Rays losing 17 of their last 20 games, but manager Kevin Cash took a rare step Tuesday, pulling outfielder Steven Souza after he didn't run out of the box on a routine fly to center that ended up dropping between two outfielders.

                              Souza made it to third and scored later, but the message was sent that Cash isn't tolerating any dropoff in effort, even from players known for their energy.

                              "I think the bottom line is that I play hard, but right there I didn't play very hard," Souza said. "I got caught slipping and took for granted a routine play. I basically wore a triple for it and I got to third, but I could have easily scored if I was running hard."

                              Cash declined to address the issue after the game, saying "there are issues that happen in a team that we address in-house. We'll keep it in-house and we'll move on from there."

                              The Rays' struggles haven't been limited to any one part of their team -- their starting pitching has consistently failed to get beyond the fifth and sixth innings, and their bullpen has been terrible in the past three weeks, allowing runs in 18 of the last 20 games.

                              In the ninth inning of the last six games alone, the Rays have given up 19 runs, this after allowing a total of 23 runs in the ninth inning of the first 77 games.

                              Wednesday's game offers two struggling starters with ERAs over 5.00 -- Los Angeles right-hander Jered Weaver is 6-7 with a 5.51 ERA, and Rays left-hander Drew Smyly is 2-9 with a 5.53 ERA, so it could be another high-scoring affair after seeing the two teams combine for 30 hits in Tuesday's game.

                              As rough as the first eight innings were, the Rays were down just 7-5 entering the ninth, seeing closer Alex Colome come back off the disabled list with a scoreless ninth. Enny Romero faced three batters and allowed all three to score on C.J. Cron's three-run home run, and then Dana Eveland replaced him and gave up four hits for three more runs.

                              In the other dugout, the Angels, whose victory over the Rays Tuesday was just their third win in 15 games, were thrilled to show the depth of their lineup for once, with Mike Trout getting a rare day out of the starting lineup and Albert Pujols a quiet 1-for-6 on the night. The rest of the batting order came through for 15 hits, including a pair of homers and four RBIs from first baseman C.J. Cron, something manager Mike Scioscia was happy to see.

                              "We need our lineup to get deeper, particularly the guys that are going to hit right after Mike and Albert," Scioscia said, talking about players like Cron and Jefry Marte. "The 5-6 hole for us is really important. Hopefully with C.J. getting comfortable, and Marte has thunder in his bat. Hopefully we'll start getting a little deeper."

                              As rough as the first eight innings were, the Rays were down just 7-5 entering the ninth, seeing closer Alex Colome come back off the disabled list with a scoreless ninth. Enny Romero faced three batters and allowed all three to score on C.J. Cron's three-run home run, and then Dana Eveland replaced him and gave up four hits for three more runs.

                              In the other dugout, the Angels were thrilled to show the depth of their lineup for once, with Mike Trout getting a rare day out of the starting lineup and Albert Pujols a quiet 1-for-6 on the night. The rest of the batting order came through for 15 hits, something Mike Scioscia was happy to see.

                              "We need our lineup to get deeper, particularly the guys that are going to hit right after Mike and Albert," Scioscia said, talking about players like Cron and Jefry Marte. "The 5-6 hole for us is really important. Hopefully with C.J. getting comfortable, and Marte has thunder in his bat. Hopefully we'll start getting a little deeper.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X