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MLB Betting Info. 8/5

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  • MLB Betting Info. 8/5

    National League


    Reds @ Pirates
    DeSclafani is 4-0, 4.06 in his last five starts; under is 4-1-2 in his last seven. Reds split his six road starts.
    Taillon is 1-1, 3.00 in his last four starts (over 5-3).
    Reds won their last six series (12-6); they’re 6-3 in last nine road series openers. Under is 5-1-1 in their last seven games. Pittsburgh lost five of last six games; they’re 10-7 in home series openers. Last four Pittsburgh home games went over.


    Giants @ Nationals
    Samardzija is 0-2, 7.56 in his last three starts; over is 9-3 in his last 12. Giants are 6-5 in his road starts.
    Gonzalez is 2-1, 3.00 in his last four starts; over is 10-5-1 in his last 16 starts. Washington is 5-4 in his home starts.
    Giants lost nine of last 11 road games; six of their last eight games stayed under. SF is 8-10 in road series openers. Washington won six of its last eight games; they’re 10-6 in home series openers. Four of last five Washington home games went over.


    Braves @ Cardinals
    De la Cruz is 0-2, 5.51 in his three starts (under 2-1).
    Garcia is 0-2, 9.35 in his last two starts; over is 4-2-1 in his last seven. Cardinals are 3-7 in his home starts.
    Cardinals lost four of last five games, over is 6-1-1 in their last eight. St Louis is 7-11 in home series openers. Atlanta won four of last six games; they’re 6-12 in home series openers. Over is 5-3 in their last eight games.


    Marlins @ Rockies
    Phelps is making his first ’16 start; he is 5-5, 2.65 in 54 IP this year, in 50 relief stints. He’s started 59 major league games, 19 LY, when he was 4-8, 4.50 for Miami.
    De la Rosa is 1-0, 2.91 in his last two starts; three of his last four went over. Colorado split his six home starts.
    Marlins lost five of last seven games; they’re 10-7 in road series openers. Six of last eight Miami games went over. Colorado won 11 of last 14 games; under is 12-5-2 in their last 98 games. Rockies are 9-3 in last 12 home series openers.


    Brewers @ Diamondbacks
    Anderson is 2-0, 2.70 in his last two starts; he hasn’t finished the 6th inning in any of his last eight starts (over 5-2-1). Milwaukee is 3-6 in his road starts.
    Shipley is 1-1, 4.77 in his first two MLB starts (under 2-0).
    Brewers are 7-4 in last 11 games, 5-12 in road series openers. Under is 11-6 in their last 17 games. Arizona lost eight of last ten games; they’re 3-15 in home series openers. Last four Diamondback games went over.


    Phillies @ Padres
    Hellickson is 2-0, 1.83 in his last three starts; seven of his last eight stayed under. Phillies are 5-4 in his road starts.
    Friedrich is 0-4, 7.36 in his last six starts (over 10-4). San Diego is 4-2 when he starts at home.
    Phillies lost six of last nine road games; they’re 8-10 in road series openers. Three of Phils’ last four games stayed under. San Diego is 8-4 in last 12 home games, 11-7 in home series openers. Under is 9-6 in their last fifteen games.


    American League


    Indians @ Bronx
    Tomlin is 2-1, 3.05 in his last three starts; under is 3-1-1 in his last five. Cleveland is 8-2 in his road starts.
    Pineda is 2-1, 2.84 in his last thee starts; six of his last seven stayed under the total. New York is 6-5 in his home starts.
    Indians lost three of last four games; they’re 10-8 in road series openers. Last four Cleveland games went over. New York lost six of its last eight games; they’re 10-4 in last 14 home series openers. Under is 11-1 in New York’s last 12 home games.


    Twins @ Rays
    Santana is 2-2, 2.48 in his last five starts; six of his last seven stayed under. Twins are 2-6 in his road starts.
    Snell is 2-0, 2.00 in his last three starts; four of his last five stayed under. Tampa Bay is 2-3 in his home starts.
    Twins won five of last seven road games; they’re 6-11 in road series openers. Last six Minnesota games went over. Tampa Bay won six of its last eight games, is 7-11 in home series openers. Under is 8-3 in Rays’ last eleven home games.


    Orioles @ White Sox
    Gallardo is 0-2, 5.57 in his last six starts; four of his last five stayed under. Orioles are 3-5 in his road starts.
    Former Oriole Gonzalez is 1-1, 3.03 in his last five starts; his last three went over total. White Sox split his six home starts.
    Orioles won three of last four games, are 8-9 in road series openers. Under is 9-2-1 in their last 12 road games. Chicago is off a 2-6 road trip but they’ve won four in row at home; White Sox are 9-8 in home series openers. Four of last five Chicago games went over.


    Rangers @ Astros
    Perez is 0-3, 9.42 in his last five starts; six of his last eight road starts went over. Texas is 4-6 in his road starts.
    Keuchel is 0-2, 4.15 in his last four starts; four of his last five stayed under. Houston is 4-5 in his home starts.
    Rangers won five of last seven games; they lost last five road series openers (8-10). Five of last seven Texas road games stayed under. Houston lost eight of last ten games, is 11-7 in home series openers; under is 13-4-1 in last 18 Astro home games.


    Blue Jays @ Royals
    Liriano makes his Toronto debut here; he was 1-3, 7.29 in his last four starts for Pittsburgh (under 3-1).
    Gee is 0-3, 7.36 in his last three starts; four of his last five starts went over. He is 1-3, 7.11 at home.
    Blue Jays are 7-3 in last ten games, 10-7 in road series openers (1-4 in last five). Five of last six Toronto road games stayed under. Kansas City lost 11 of last 15 games; they’re 14-3 in home series openers. Six of their last eight games stayed under.


    Angels @ Mariners
    Lincecum is 1-5, 10.55 in his last seven starts (over 4-4). He is 0-2, 10.58 in his last three road starts.
    Hernandez is 1-0, 5.60 in three starts since coming off DL; three of his last four starts went over. Seattle split his six home starts.
    Angels are 6-4 in last ten games, 8-9 in road series openers. Halos’ last three games went over total. Seattle won four of last six home games; they’re 9-8 in home series openers. Five of last seven Mariner home games stayed under.


    Interleague


    Mets @ Tigers
    Syndergaard is 0-2, 4.03 in his last four starts (under 3-1). Mets are 6-2 when he starts on the road.
    Verlander is 3-0, 1.80 in his last four starts; his last six stayed under. Tigers won six of his last eight home starts.
    Mets lost six of last nine games; they’re 9-8 in road series openers. Five of their last six games went over. Detroit won nine of last ten games; they’re 11-6 in home series openers. Five of Tigers’ last seven games went over.


    Cubs @ A’s
    Lester is 2-0, 2.55 in his last three starts; five of his last six went over. Cubs are 7-4 in his road starts.
    Overton is 1-2, 9.33 in his four starts (over 2-1-1).
    Cubs won seven of last eight games; they’re 4-8 in last 12 road series openers. Over is 13-4-1 in their last 18 road games. Oakland lost five of last six games; they’re 7-2 in last nine home series openers. Five of their last six home games stayed under.


    Red Sox @ Dodgers
    Wright is 4-0, 6.75 in his last six starts; Boston scored 47 runs in those six games. Under is 7-1-1 in his last nine road starts. Boston is 6-4 in his road starts.
    Kazmir is 3-1, 3.58 in his last five starts; over is 7-3 in his last ten. Dodgers won five of his last seven home starts.
    Red Sox is 4-9 in its last 13 games; under is 11-1 in their last 12 road games. Boston is 10-6 in road series openers. Dodgers are 7-9 in last 16 games, 7-3 in last ten home series openers. Over is 6-2-1 in their last nine road games.


    Teams’ record when this pitcher starts


    Cin-Pitt: DeSclafani 7-3; Taillon 5-3
    SF-Wsh: Samardzija 11-11 (0-3 last 3); Gonzalez 8-13
    Atl-StL: De la Cruz 1-2; Garcia 10-11
    Mia-Colo: Phelps 0-0; De la Rosa 7-8
    Mil-Az: Anderson 8-12; Shipley 1-1
    Phil-SD: Hellickson 12-10; Friedrich 7-7
    Cle-NY: Tomlin 15-4; Pineda 10-11
    Min-TB: Santana 5-15; Snell 3-6
    Blt-Chi: Gallardo 8-5; Gonzalez 8-8
    Tex-Hst: Perez 12-10; Keuchel 9-13
    Tor-KC: Liriano 0-0/9-12; Gee 2-5
    LAA-Sea: Lincecum 3-5; Hernandez 7-6
    NYM-Det: Syndergaard 13-7; Verlander 13-9
    Chi-A’s: Lester 15-6; Overton 2-2
    Bos-LA: Wright 13-8; Kazmir 12-9


    Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning


    Cin-Pitt: DeSclafani 5-10; Taillon 3-8
    SF-Wsh: Samardzija 7-22; Gonzalez 6-21
    Atl-StL: De la Cruz 0-3; Garcia 8-21
    Mia-Colo: Phelps 0-0; De la Rosa 7-15
    Mil-Az: Anderson 7-20; Shipley 1-2
    Phil-SD: Hellickson 6-22; Friedrich 5-14
    Cle-NY: Tomlin 9-19; Pineda 7-21
    Min-TB: Santana 6-20; Snell 3-9
    Blt-Chi: Gallardo 6-13; Gonzalez 6-16
    Tex-Hst: Perez 9-22; Keuchel 5-22
    Tor-KC: Liriano 5-21; Gee 4-7
    LAA-Sea: Lincecum 3-8; Hernandez 2-13
    NYM-Det: Syndergaard 4-20; Verlander 8-22
    Chi-A’s: Lester 6-21; Overton 2-4
    Bos-LA: Wright 6-21; Kazmir 12-21 (5 of last 7)

  • #2
    Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/5

    MLB: Streak, Tips, Notes
    Sportspic.com


    San Francisco at Washington


    N.L. West leading San Francisco Giants and N.L. East leading Washington Nationals open a three-game series at Nationals Park.


    The Giants have collapsed since the All-Star break with 13 losses in 18 games behind 3.5 runs/game. No reason to think they'll turn things around in the Nation's Capital. San Francisco as a team has had its problems of late in an opposing park with just two wins the past eleven away from home. Giants have certainly followed in that same vein in Washington with the club compiling a 2-10 record the past twelve visits.


    Adding to the problem, Giants starter, Jeff Samardzija has fallen on hard times with just one win in six attempts surrendering four or more runs in all but one game. Additionally, Samardzija is not your typical August Guy going 0-7 recently and compiling a 1-9 record his last ten during the month. One final betting nugget. Samardzija has a 1-4 Team Start skid vs Washington including a loss in San Francisco his last outing.


    Baltimore at Chicago


    Baltimore Orioles and low-scoring games go together like baseball handicapping and baseball betting. In the past twenty-two games Baltimore has played 'Under' 20 times with 2 'Over'. Matching that, Orioles have a 10-1 'Under' streak vs a team with a losing record and have played 'Under' in 7 of 9 on the South Side of Chicago.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/5

      Friday's Diamond Notes
      By Tony Mejia
      VegasInsider.com


      Hottest team: Cubs (4-0 last four, 7-1 last eight)


      The best team in baseball is at again. Although the Cubs came out of the gate groggy and needed Aroldis Chapman to come fortify the bullpen rotation, all the pieces appear to be in pace to make a run at 100 wins. Currently, Chicago leads all of MLB with a record of 66-41, the only team among the 30 that can boast of a winning percentage of above .600. Three of their last four victories have been by a single run, so Joe Maddon and Co. are definitely getting used to excelling in tight games. The Cubs are in Oakland for a strange three-game series on the west coast before returning home for a nine-game homestand that they're hoping will help pull away the NL Central.


      Coldest team: Diamondbacks (0-4 last four, 5-17 last 22)


      Although he's Arizona's top pitching prospect by a long shot, the verdict remains out on 24-year-old Braden Shipley, which makes this one interesting. Shipley dominated in L.A. his last time out, holding the Dodgers to only five hits over six scoreless innings. He'll be making his first home start and has the D'Backs (-130) as a decided favorite against the Brewers, who counter with inconsistent righty Chase Anderson.


      Hottest pitcher: Justin Verlander (11-6, 3.54 ERA)


      There's no denying Verlander's resurgence at this point. Despite dummies wanting to scapegoat supermodel girlfriend Kate Upton due to all the time he spent with her, Verlander righted his own ship, fixing his mechanics and coming up with the right variety in his repertoire to reinvent himself. He's won nine of his last 11 decisions, but will be facing a monster in interleague play, as we'll relay below.


      Coldest pitcher: Tim Lincecum (2-5, 8.49 ERA)


      You would be hard-pressed to name anyone with tougher luck pitching-wise than the Angels, which explains the Lincecum reclamation project trotting back out there again. There's no question he can still bring it, but it's obvious he's lost most of his mental fortitude on the mound. Fade him while you can. Lincecum hasn't pitched longer than five innings in seven of his eight major-league starts tis season and has given up more than a single run every time out after a successful debut at Oakland. He has won one decision out of his last five and has surrendered a homer in every game this season besides that opener. Lincecum walked a season-high six batters in this last outing against Boston, which sets up Felix Hernandez and Seattle (-175) as a heavy favorite in his fourth start since coming off the disabled list following the All-Star break. He's 1-0 with two no-decisions since returning.


      Biggest UNDER run: Orioles (20-2 last 22)


      The Orioles' pitching has fallen in line. Credit whoever you want, be it manager Buck Showalter or veteran pitching coach Dave Wallace, guys are taking care of their responsibilities. Despite a 5-3 loss to the Rangers on Thursday, Baltimore continues an excellent run on the mound since guys are stepping up and the bullpen has been lights out. As things stand entering Friday, the Orioles hold first place in the AL East by percentage points.


      Biggest OVER run: Twins (6-0 last six, 34-16-4 last 54)


      The Twins have gone through multiple runs where they’ve gone cold, but over the last few months, they’ve been by far the most dependable ‘over’ team going. Part of it is an improved and attack, while a brutal bullpen could be to blame for what has transpired the rest of the time. Despite its offensive resurgence, Minnesota owns the worst record in the American League. They’re terrible anyway you slice it beyond engaging in slugfests. This matchup between them and Tampa Bay puts together two of the league's worst teams as they seek to properly finish out the string while improving.


      Matchup to watch: Red Sox at Dodgers


      These teams haven't played since 2013, so if nothing else, a lack of famiiarity makes this intriguing. Beyond all that, both teams are desperate, battling for wild cards in their respective leagues. Boston re-established control of the second AL wild card, but remains only one-half game ahead Detroit, which lost to the White Sox on Thursday. L.A. finally snapped its losing streak against surging Colorado, but remains two back in the NL West and just three up on Miami and St. Louis for the NL wild cards. With no definitive date set for Clayton Kershaw's return, the Dodgers have to capitalize on their opportunities at home. Talented veteran lefty Scott Kazmir will work against knuckle-baller Steven Wright in an excellent pitching matchup to get things started.


      Betcha didn’t know: Noah Syndergaard has already beaten Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta this season, taking the Cubs down 2-1 on July 19 in the pitcher's duel everyone expected. In his first meeting against a Cy Young Award winner, he took down three-time recipient Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers 2-1. He hasn't faced Tim Lincecum or Roy Halladay, once the ace of the team that drafted him with the 38th pick of the 2010 draft, Toronto. He's lost to Madison Bumgarner this season (May 1), but the Giants ace doesn't have a Cy Young Award. Jake Peavy does, but the Mets' Norse horse hasn't faced him in the majors. He's never gone head-to-head with R.A. Dickey, who he was traded for. That makes him perfect against Cy Young winners, which comes to mind since he faces Justin Verlander tonight. He beat Max Scherzer, who won a Cy Young with the Tigers in 2013, on May 17, taking down the Nationals 2-0 while striking out 10 over seven shutout innings. He's never faced CC Sabathia, Johan Santana, The only Cy Young recipient he's ever faced who beat him was Zack Grienke, who won 5-2 for the Dodgers in Game 2 of last year's NLDS after Chase Utley's historic slide took out Ruben Tejada. So, yes, you're reading right. Going into tonight, Syndergaard is perfect in the regular season against Cy Young winners, expanding his myth.


      Biggest public favorite: Blue Jays (-130) at Royals


      Biggest public underdog: Rangers (+160) at Astros


      Biggest line move: Marlins (+115 to -110) at Rockies

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/5

        MLB Betting Cheat Sheet
        By Covers.com


        One Giant Series


        The San Francisco Giants hold a slim lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers atop a competitive National League West - and expanding that edge could be difficult as the Giants visit the NL East-leading Washington Nationals in a three-game weekend set. Both teams will have their aces at their disposal, with the Nationals sending Stephen Strasburg to the hill Saturday and San Francisco riding Madison Bumgarner in Sunday’s series finale. The teams split an entertaining four-game set at the end of July.


        ALCS Rematch


        Tensions will be high at Kauffman Stadium as the Toronto Blue Jays visit the defending World Series-champion Kansas City Royals in a rematch of the American League Championship Series. The three-game set will feature the Blue Jays debut of left-hander Francisco Liriano, who was acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates at the trade deadline. Liriano has had a dreadful season, and has been particularly wretched of late, losing seven of his last eight starts as the moneyline favorite.


        Prospect Showcase


        The Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays will both showcase their top pitching prospects this weekend at Tropicana Field. The Rays will send deceptive left-hander Blake Snell to the hill Saturday afternoon; Snell has pitched to the under in five of his last seven starts, and has allowed two or fewer runs in four straight outings. The Twins counter with Jose Berrios on Sunday; he’s 4-0-1 against the total in five major-league starts, thanks in large part to 20 earned runs against over 21 innings.


        Hitting Notes


        The Minnesota Twins produced the second-most runs of any team in July - and they have outfielder Max Kepler to thank for that. Entering Thursday, Kepler has hit a whopping 13 home runs since July 1 - more than any player in baseball over that span - and has an OPS above 1.000 over that span.


        Houston, you have a problem. And it centers around the play of 3B Alex Bregman, who comes into Thursday hitting an abysmal 1-for-32 in his first taste of major-league action. The Astros have faltered in his eight games, going 2-6 SU despite being a favorite in seven of those contests.


        Pitching Notes


        Thinking about betting on Chicago Cubs lefty Jon Lester to tame the Athletics in Oakland on Friday? Think again. While Lester has been a sensational play at home (6-2, 1.99 ERA), he has stumbled outside Wrigley Field (5-2, 4.03). The over is 8-2 in Lester’s 10 road starts.


        Houston fans will be clamoring to see what Joe Musgrove can do for an encore. The 23-year-old racked up eight strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings in his major-league debut Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays, and has earned himself the start Sunday against Yu Darvish and the Texas Rangers.


        Totals Trend


        Aaron Sanchez has made life miserable for opposing hitters, and he’s making things difficult for his Toronto Blue Jays, as well. They’re sending him to the bullpen shortly, but not before he takes the hill Saturday. Sanchez has pitched to the under in 15 of his 21 starts so far this season.


        Friday's Weather Report


        There is a chance of some thunderstorms in D.C. for the opener of the series between the Nats and Giants. There will also be a 5-10 mph breeze blowing out to left field at Nationals Park. The total for this one is set at 8.5.


        There will be thunderstorms in the Pittsburgh area Friday night for the evening game between the Pirates and the visiting Cincinnati Reds. There will be a 25 percent chance of some wet stuff falling from the sky and a 5-10 mph wind blowing from right to left. The total is set at 8.0.


        Detroit will have a 40 percent chance of rain and some thunderstorms in the area as the Tigers welcome the New York Mets to town for a weekend of interleague action. There will also be a 10-15 mph wind blowing from right to left. The total is set at 7.5.


        There will be three cities with games Friday night that will be impacted by a system sweeping through the Midwest carrying with it a 40 percent chance of rain and some potential electricity in the air. Toronto at Kansas City (Total: 9.0), Atlanta at St. Louis (Total: 8.5), and Miami at Colorado (Total: 11.5) could all see weather delays and wet conditions.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/5

          MLB roundup: White Sox end Tigers' 8-game win streak
          By The Sports Xchange


          DETROIT -- Avisail Garcia and Jose Abreu homered during a five-run second inning, Jose Quintana pitched 7 1/3 strong innings and the Chicago White Sox ended the Detroit Tigers' eight-game winning streak with a 6-3 victory Thursday.
          Garcia hit his third home run in three games while Abreu ended a 32-game homerless drought. The White Sox had lost six of their last seven, including the first two games of the series.
          Quintana (9-8), who has won his last four decisions, gave up just two runs after allowing a leadoff homer to Ian Kinsler. He walked one and struck out three.
          Closer David Robertson, who gave up three solo homers the last time he faced Detroit, collected his 26th save with a scoreless ninth.


          Rays 3, Royals 2
          ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Brad Miller hit a three-run homer off Joakim Soria in the eighth inning to lift Tampa Bay past Kansas City.
          Going into the inning, the Rays had been held to just one hit behind a strong performance from Ian Kennedy, who struck out nine over six innings.
          Rays starter Drew Smyly kept up, giving up two runs and striking out 10. Smyly's one mistake came in the top of the fourth inning when he gave up a two-run homer to left fielder Alex Gordon.


          Indians 9, Twins 2
          CLEVELAND -- Jason Kipnis, Carlos Santana, Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez all homered for Cleveland, which halted its three-game losing streak while ending Minnesota's four-game winning streak.
          Hector Santiago (10-5) took the loss in his Twins debut after being acquired from the Angels on Monday. Santiago was 6-0 with a 1.78 ERA in his previous six starts, but he gave up a first-inning home run to Kipnis and a three-run homer to Santana in the third.
          Dan Otero (3-1) picked up the win after throwing 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of Cleveland starter Mike Clevinger.


          Reds 7, Cardinals 0
          CINCINNATI -- Brandon Finnegan allowed two hits over six innings, and Brandon Phillips had a pair of doubles and scored three times to lead Cincinnati to a shutout win.
          It was the fourth shutout of the season for the Reds. St. Louis managed just five hits.
          Finnegan (7-8) allowed only two baserunners, with neither advancing past second base. It was the second straight start in which Finnegan pitched six shutout innings.


          Giants 3, Phillies 2 (10 innings)
          PHILADELPHIA -- Denard Span hit a home run in the top of the 10th inning off Severino Gonzalez to help San Francisco avoid a series sweep.
          Santiago Casilla pitched a clean 10th inning to earn his 25th save.
          Matt Moore, acquired at the trade deadline from Tampa, made his first start for the Giants, but he did not get a decision. He pitched six innings, giving up three hits and two runs while walking six and striking out seven. Moore had a 2-1 lead after five innings, but the Phillies tied it on Freddy Galvis' RBI fielder's choice in the sixth.


          Mets 4, Yankees 1
          NEW YORK -- Jay Bruce, who had been hitless in his first 10 at-bats since being obtained Monday from the Cincinnati Reds, ended the drought with a three-run home run in the fifth inning to lead the New York Mets.
          Kelly Johnson also homered for the Mets, who have nine home runs in their last five games.
          Bartolo Colon (10-6) reached double-digit wins for the 13th time in his career. He allowed one run and six hits in 6 2/3 innings for his 228th career victory. Yankees starter Nathan Eovaldi (9-8) allowed four runs and five hits in seven innings.


          Rangers 5, Orioles 3
          BALTIMORE -- Jonathan Lucroy hit a solo homer, and Ian Desmond added two RBIs to help the Rangers salvage the finale of a three-game series.
          Lucroy's homer was his first since he came to Texas from the Milwaukee Brewers in a trade on Monday. Another recent acquisition, Carlos Beltran, added an RBI single for Texas.
          Baltimore saw its three-game winning streak end despite solo homers from Mark Trumbo, Pedro Alvarez and Hyun Soo Kim. Trumbo leads the major leagues with 31 homers.


          Blue Jays 4, Astros 1
          HOUSTON -- J.A. Happ pitched six strong innings, guiding Toronto past Houston.
          Happ allowed one run on four hits and one walk with six strikeouts. He capped a stellar four-game series for Toronto starters, as Marcus Stroman, R.A. Dickey, Marco Estrada and Happ (15-3) issued two walks in 27 innings.
          Toronto won the final three contests against the Astros. Houston lost for the eighth time in 10 games and scored one run for a third consecutive contest.


          A's 8, Angels 6 (10 innings)
          ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Yonder Alonso's two-out double drove in the tiebreaking run in the 10th inning, and Oakland earned a win over Los Angeles.
          Angels reliever Mike Morin got the first two outs of the 10th before giving up consecutive singles to Danny Valencia and Billy Butler. Alonso followed with a liner to right-center to score Valencia. Marcus Semien added an RBI single to give the A's some breathing room.
          Oakland reliever Ryan Madson (4-4) got the win over Morin (2-2), and Ryan Dull pitched the 10th inning for his second save. The victory allowed the A's to avoid a three-game sweep while ending their five-game losing streak.


          Dodgers 4, Rockies 2
          DENVER -- Kenta Maeda pitched into the sixth inning, and Los Angeles avoided a sweep at Colorado.
          Yasmani Grandal tripled home two runs with two outs in the fifth when the Dodgers scored three runs against Rockies starter Tyler Chatwood (10-7) and took a 4-2 lead. Corey Seager began the scoring in that inning when he hit his 19th home run, tying the record Hanley Ramirez set in 2013 for a Los Angeles shortstop.
          Maeda (10-7) gave up two runs and four hits in 5 2/3 innings with no walks and five strikeouts. He hit two batters and threw a wild pitch in his 96-pitch outing.


          Braves 5, Pirates 2
          ATLANTA -- Adonis Garcia turned a base-running gaffe into the go-ahead run in Atlanta's victory over Pittsburgh.
          Garcia walked with one out in the seventh inning and took second on Ender Inciarte's single. Garcia then wandered off second base and inexplicably took off for third.
          Pirates reliever Felipe Rivero calmly threw to third, well ahead of Garcia, but Pittsburgh third baseman Jung Ho Kang had the ball bounce off the end of his glove for an error and roll behind him. When Garcia saw Kang tumble to the ground, he raced home with the go-ahead run.


          Red Sox 3, Mariners 2 (11 innings)
          SEATTLE -- Brock Holt delivered a two-out, RBI single in the 11th inning, lifting Boston to a win over Seattle. The Red Sox managed a split of the four-game series after dropping the middle two contests.
          Holt, who entered the game in the seventh inning, drove a pitch from Cody Martin up the middle to drive in Travis Shaw. Martin (1-2) was the sixth pitcher used by a Mariners, and he gave up a leadoff single to Shaw and a sacrifice bunt by Sandy Leon.
          Brad Ziegler came on in the bottom of the 13th to earn his third save of the season after Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel (2-3) ended the ninth and struck out the side in the 10th.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/5

            Preview: Reds (44-63) at Pirates (53-53)


            Game: 1
            Venue: PNC Park
            Date: August 05, 2016 7:05 PM EDT


            PITTSBURGH -- The Cincinnati Reds play the Pirates in Pittsburgh on Friday night in the start of a weekend series between clubs in contention for a wildcard playoff spot, but the clubs' stories lately have not been all that similar.


            The Reds have won all six of their series since the All-Star break, each time by taking two of three games. It is their first streak of six straight series wins since 1999.


            Including a series win against Chicago followed by getting swept by the Marlins just before the All-Star game, Cincinnati has won seven of its past eight series.


            "It's been a good run really since Chicago before the break, with that little hiccup in Miami," Reds manager Bryan Price said, according to mlb.com. "Since then, it's been winning series and playing good ball, playing better defense, pitchers throwing strikes, a little bit deeper with some of our starts, which really helps the bullpen, and getting healthier. A lot of good things are happening."


            The Reds beat St. Louis 7-0 Thursday to take that series -- you guessed it -- 2-1. It was their fourth shutout this season, second in their past six games and third in their past 16 games.


            The Pirates, meanwhile, are 2-3-1 in series since the break, including getting swept in Milwaukee and dropping two of three to Atlanta, the worst team in the league, this week.


            They are trying to find the right combinations and parts, something that has been ongoing all season. Pittsburgh this week not only made a few moves at the trade deadline -- right-hander Ivan Nova will start Saturday in his Pirates debut -- but manager Clint Hurdle also made a noteworthy move seemingly born of frustration and desperation.


            Hurdle benched center fielder and former National League MVP Andrew McCutchen for the full three games of the series at Atlanta that ended Thursday night with a 5-2 loss.


            The hope was that McCutchen would benefit from taking a step back, not picking up a bat or taking the field for a few days. He is batting a career-low .241, including a current 5-for-27 showing, and has gotten just five of his 43 RBIs since July 15.


            "He's tried a lot of things," Hurdle told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "This man's fought. He's done early work, late work, side work, video work. Nothing's worked."


            McCutchen, who presumably will be back in the lineup Friday against Cincinnati, wasn't thrilled with the tactic, but he did not want to make waves.


            "If I had my choice, I'd be in there," McCutchen told the Tribune-Review. "But I'm all for my team, all for my teammates, so that's the reason I'm not going to mope about it."


            McCutchen also was one of the players left reeling by moves Pittsburgh made that were broadly interpreted as being rooted in financial concerns rather than boosting the club's postseason chances this year. Among other things, the Pirates shipped Mark Melancon, one of the sport's top closers, to Washington.


            "There is some confusion," McCutchen told the Tribune-Review. "Some things that feel like, 'Why? What was the reasoning behind some of our moves?' That's the biggest thing.


            "We understand (management) is not our job. We understand it's not what we do. We play. But there are some things that I'm sure for all of us, kind of blew us away. Where we are (mentally) is just like, 'Dang. Wow. That's crazy.' You know?"


            In addition, the Pittsburgh rotation has been in some disarray beyond the trades, partly because of injuries but also because of shaky performances that have led to skipped starts and stretches in the bullpen by starters. One, Jeff Locke, spoke out about a lack of consistency with his role after he spent more than a week in the bullpen.


            Friday, rookie right-hander Jameson Taillon (2-2, 3.52 ERA) will make his ninth major league start, first against the Reds. He has had a couple of hiccups that might be expected of a young pitcher, but overall has shown promise when healthy. He has not allowed a walk in his past four appearances and has been charged with seven earned runs in those 24 innings. Pittsburgh has won four his past five starts.


            Taillon's counterpart Friday will be Reds right-hander Anthony DeSclafani (6-0, 2.93 ERA), who has eight quality starts in 10 appearances, including a six-inning, one-run performance Saturday against San Diego.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/5

              Preview: Giants (62-46) at Nationals (64-44)


              Game: 1
              Venue: Nationals Park
              Date: August 05, 2016 7:05 PM EDT


              WASHINGTON -- The Washington Nationals have ranked among the league leaders most of this season in team ERA and fielding percentage.


              But Nationals manager Dusty Baker is still not satisfied as his club begins a three-game series at home Friday against the San Francisco Giants in a matchup of first-place teams.


              While his club leads the league in homers, Baker would like to see his team hit better for average and especially when runners are in scoring position.


              "I don't like being in the middle of the pack on offense, I will tell you that," Baker told reporters during a road series this week in Arizona. "This is the offensive time of the year, August and September."


              The Nationals (64-44), who had Thursday off, flexed their offensive muscle by beating Arizona 14-1 on Monday, 10-4 on Tuesday and 8-3 on Wednesday.


              "We were able to get the series sweep with an off day (Thursday)," infielder Daniel Murphy said Wednesday on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network.


              The Giants wrapped up a series at Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon with a 3-2 victory in 10 innings while the Nationals ended a three-city road trip by going 6-3 in Cleveland, San Francisco and Arizona. Washington outscored foes 54-27 on the trip.


              San Francisco (62-46) had the worst mark in the majors at 4-13 since the All-Star break going into Thursday's play.


              "It's hard to believe," Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto told MLB.com. "We're a good team. All we can do is keep grinding and putting our best stuff out there every time."


              Bryce Harper had the flu and missed Tuesday's game in Arizona. "He looks a lot better," Baker said of Harper, who was back in the starting lineup Wednesday.


              The Giants are slated to start right-hander Jeff Samardzija, who is 7-16 with a 4.92 ERA in 57 games (25 starts) in the month of August.


              He was slated to start for Thursday but was pushed back when Matt Moore, acquired in a trade from Tampa Bay on Monday, pitched against the Phillies.


              Samardzija (9-7, 4.30 this season) has some history with several Washington hitters.


              Murphy, the Player of the Month for July in the National League, is hitting .500 in 12 at-bats with one homer against the former Notre Dame football player. Washington catcher Wilson Ramos is hitting .364 with two homers in 11 at-bats against him. Murphy and Ramos went deep in the series at Arizona.


              Harper is hitting .200 in 10 at-bats against Samardzija and Ben Revere is at .333 in nine trips.


              Harper enters Friday with an average of .130 in his last seven games, .115 in his last 15 and .194 in his last 30.


              "Sooner or later Harper will really bust out of this," Baker said.


              Washington infielder Danny Espinosa, who was on fire in June, is hitting .115 in his last 15 games and .196 in his last 30.


              Washington has a new closer -- Mark Melancon -- since it last played at Nationals Park.


              Jonathan Papelbon, acquired last year at the trade deadline, lost the role after Melancon was acquired in a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday for reliever Felipe Rivero and a minor league pitcher.


              The Washington Post reported Thursday that left-hander Gio Gonzalez (6-9, 4.29) would make the start on regular rest Friday against the Giants. That will allow the Nationals to skip over the fifth man in the rotation, which has been rookies Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez in the past few weeks.


              Hunter Pence is 1-for-17 against Gonzalez while Buster Posey is 5-for-15.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/5

                Preview: Indians (61-45) at Yankees (54-54)

                Game: 1
                Venue: Yankee Stadium
                Date: August 05, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

                NEW YORK -- The Cleveland Indians have held sole possession of first place in the American League Central for nearly two months.

                Suddenly, their lead does not seem as secure.

                The Indians look to maintain their advantage and possibly add to it Friday night when they open a three-game series with the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

                Cleveland has held a share of first place for the past 54 days and 63 days overall. The Indians took sole possession of the lead June 17 and won 21 of 29 games to take a 7 1/2-game lead on three occasions.

                The most recent instance was July 20, but since an 11-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals, the Indians have dropped six of 11 at the same time the Detroit Tigers went on their biggest run of the season.

                Cleveland is up by three games over Detroit after favorable results Thursday. The Indians averted a four-game sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Twins by scoring a 9-2 victory as Jason Kipnis, Carlos Santana, Francisco Lindor and Jose Ramirez homered.

                "That helps, because we got beat around the ballpark for the last three days," Indians manager Terry Francona said.

                At the same time as Cleveland getting its first lead in 27 innings, the Tigers had an eight-game winning streak snapped with a 6-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

                Even so, the Tigers are in striking distance with one-third of the season remaining.

                "There's no point in rushing," Lindor said. "There are a lot of games left."

                The Yankees (54-54) have lost six of eight games since starting the second half with eight wins in their first 12 games. New York was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position Thursday during a 4-1 loss to the New York Mets, marking the 43rd time the Yankees scored two runs or fewer.

                The Yankees are at .500 for the 11th time in the past two months.

                "I know with the trades and everything that has happened, the outlook is a little different," Yankees left fielder Brett Gardner said. "But we're going to play hard and grind every day. We're not giving up."

                Alex Rodriguez has not started in 10 of New York's past 11 games, and the Yankees are unsure when his next start will be.

                "I can't really tell you when I'm going to play him," manager Joe Girardi said.

                Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira sat out Thursday after getting hit in the left shin Wednesday by a pitch from Mets left-hander Steven Matz. He is day-to-day.

                Gary Sanchez has occupied the designated hitter spot the past two games, and the Yankees plan on playing him close to every day for the rest of the season as a DH or the catcher.

                Cleveland will start Josh Tomlin and, he will go for his team-leading 12th win, which would equal the career high he set during the 2011 season. Tomlin (11-3, 3.43 ERA) has split his last four starts, and he allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings Saturday during a 6-3 win over the Oakland A's.

                Tomlin did not pitch when the Indians lost three of four to the Yankees three weeks ago. He is 3-2 with a 4.82 ERA in seven career appearances against the Yankees, including Aug. 20, 2015, when he allowed a run and two hits over seven innings in a 3-2 win at New York.

                That victory was Tomlin's first after having shoulder surgery. Over 29 starts the past two years, he is 18-5 with a 3.28 ERA.

                Michael Pineda will start for the Yankees, looking to improve upon a 5-10 record and a 5.13 ERA. Pineda is 2-2 with a 4.13 ERA in four starts since the All-Star break, and they have been typical of his inconsistency.

                In his two wins, Pineda has allowed one run and 10 hits with 16 strikeouts in 13 innings. In his two losses, Pineda has allowed 10 runs and 11 hits in 11 innings.

                Pineda has never faced the Indians.

                While the Yankees took three of four July 7-10 in Cleveland, the Indians have won five of their past seven games at Yankee Stadium.

                In the early-July series, Lindor was 7-for-19 (.368) with two home runs.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/5

                  Preview: Twins (43-65) at Rays (44-63)


                  Game: 1
                  Venue: Tropicana Field
                  Date: August 05, 2016 7:10 PM EDT


                  ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- While the Minnesota Twins and Tampa Bay Rays sit at the bottom of the standings in the American League, both clubs enter Friday's series opener playing some decent baseball.


                  The Twins (43-65) dropped a 9-2 decision to the Cleveland Indians on Thursday afternoon but won the first three games of the four-game series against the AL Central leaders.


                  The Rays (44-63) have won two straight, rallying for three runs in the eighth inning Thursday to defeat the Kansas City Royals 3-2.


                  "By coming back and continuing to battle, I think we're showing what kind of character we have on this team," said Rays shortstop Brad Miller, whose three-run homer wiped out a 2-0 deficit. "This hasn't been an easy season, but the guys in this clubhouse continue to fight every game and play hard."


                  Minnesota, meanwhile, is streaking behind the hot bat of catcher Joe Mauer. The 2009 AL Most Valuable Player was 10-for-18 (.556) with five doubles, a triple and a home run during the four-game series against the Indians. He finished a home run shy of a cycle Tuesday during a 13-5 win over Cleveland.


                  "I've been really staying on that back leg, driving the ball," Mauer said. "I've been a little bit more sore, but it's been feeling good getting results."


                  For the Rays, it is Miller providing the big bat. He has homered in the past two games. The surge began days after Tampa Bay acquired third baseman Matt Duffy from the San Francisco Giants at the trade deadline with the plan of making him the full-time shortstop. Duffy is on the disabled list due to strained left Achilles.


                  So while Miller will have to change positions, likely to first base, his bat will still be in the lineup.


                  "I don't think they have kept me in the lineup to do me any sort of favors," Miller said. "I've earned my spot and earned the opportunity to play every day. I played shortstop (Thursday), and that's what I prepared for. I'll have to play wherever they move me."


                  The Rays will send rookie left-hander Blake Snell (3-4, 3.08 ERA) to the mound for the series opener Friday.


                  Snell has pitched more than five innings in each of his past seven starts and has won two of his past three, including a 5-3 victory against the New York Yankees on Sunday. In that start, he matched his career high with nine strikeouts, and he yielded two runs in 5 1/3 innings.


                  He will oppose the Twins for the first time in his career.


                  Minnesota will counter with right hander Ervin Santana, who has made three quality starts in a row and five in his past six outings. Santana (4-9, 3.66 ERA) won his last start on Sunday, a 6-4 victory against the Chicago White Sox, giving up three runs (one earned) over six innings.


                  Santana lost his only start against the Rays this season, giving up five runs over six innings in a 7-4 loss at Target Field in June 4. In 16 career starts against Tampa Bay, he is 6-7 with a 5.48 ERA.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/5

                    Preview: Mets (56-52) at Tigers (59-49)


                    Game: 1
                    Venue: Comerica Park
                    Date: August 05, 2016 7:10 PM EDT


                    DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers' longest winning streak of the season ended Thursday. They'll try to get another one going this weekend when they face another team fighting for a playoff spot.


                    The New York Mets, coming off a four-game split with the crosstown rival Yankees, will make their first journey to Detroit's Comerica Park since June 2011. The three-game showdown begins on Friday night.


                    Detroit dropped three games behind American League Central Division leader Cleveland with a 6-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday afternoon.


                    "You try to win every series," Tigers catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia said. "It's been a great eight-win run, so now we're going to start a new one."


                    Following a down year in which they finished last in the division, the Tigers have re-established themselves as a contender. Despite losing the series finale to the White Sox, they're still 10 games over .500.


                    "It's awesome. That's what helps teams get through August and September," right fielder J.D. Martinez said. "It's a long last couple of months if you're out of it. You're kind of just grinding through and the clubhouse is just miserable. Last year, that's kind of how it felt. It's just tough to go out there and play. But when you know you're in it and you've got a shot to make it to the playoffs, there's nothing like it."


                    The Tigers will send out the American League Pitcher of the Month for July in the series opener. Justin Verlander compiled a 4-0 record in six starts last month, including a complete-game victory over Houston on Saturday when he recorded a season-high 11 strikeouts.


                    Cameron Maybin's status for the weekend series is uncertain. The Tigers' center fielder suffered a mildly sprained thumb on his glove hand while diving for a ball on Wednesday and did not play on Thursday.


                    The Tigers won't see the slugging outfielder they traded last season. Mets left fielder Yoenis Cespedes was placed on the 15-day disabled list after he aggravated a right quad strain during a 9-5 loss to the Yankees on Wednesday.


                    The Mets were planning to use him as a designated hitter during the weekend series before the pain persisted. He appeared in 14 of 21 games after initially suffering the injury on July 8 and hit just .227 with one homer in that span.


                    "It's a little frustrating," Cespedes told the New York Times and other media members through an interpreter. "I've missed games and lost my timing trying to get back on the field to help the team, and I can't."


                    The addition of slugger Jay Bruce at the trade deadline softens the blow. Bruce hit his first homer with the Mets, a three-run shot, in a 4-1 win over the Yankees on Thursday. The Mets will still miss Cespedes' presence in the middle of the order.


                    "He was a huge factor. We're not going to mistake that," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "He was a huge factor. But we've gone through this (all) year, with not just Ces but a lot of guys. ... There's going to be a lot of guys in that clubhouse right now who have to do a little bit more."


                    Right-hander Noah Syndergaard will be seeking his first win in five starts when he opposes Verlander. Syndergaard has two losses and two no-decisions in that span, though he has only given up seven earned runs. He took a no-decision in his last start on Sunday against Colorado, allowing three runs -- two earned -- with six strikeouts in six innings.


                    The Tigers will be facing Syndergaard, who is pitching with a bone spur in his elbow, for the first time.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/5

                      Preview: Orioles (61-46) at White Sox (52-56)


                      Game: 1
                      Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
                      Date: August 05, 2016 8:10 PM EDT


                      CHICAGO -- The Baltimore Orioles cling to a slim lead in the American League East, while the Chicago White Sox are trying to avoid tumbling further down the AL Central standings.


                      The teams meet for a three-game series starting Friday night at U.S. Cellular Field.


                      The Orioles (61-46) lead the Toronto Blue Jays in the division by percentage points after taking two of three against West leader Texas.


                      "I was impressed with how well our guys pitched against them because that's a tough lineup to go through and stay engaged in the game," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "That's the type of thing we're going to have be able to do to get where we want to go."


                      Since the All-Star break, Baltimore is 10-10. While the Orioles own the best home record in the majors at 39-17, on the road they're just 22-29 and have lost seven of their last nine.


                      The series could be interesting in terms of power. The Orioles top the majors with 161 home runs -- including 31 by right fielder Mark Trumbo, who has one more than White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier for the most in all of baseball. And U.S. Cellular Field can be a hitter-friendly park.


                      The White Sox (52-56) are 7-13 in the second half and are returning from an eight-game road trip after dropping two of three to the Detroit Tigers. Chicago is 10 games behind AL Central leader Cleveland and seven games back in the wild card race.


                      The White Sox and Baltimore split four games April 28-May 1 in Baltimore.


                      For the Orioles, right-hander Yovani Gallardo (3-3, 5.70 ERA) is expected to start. He is winless in six starts since June 29. Gallardo allowed five runs in 4 1/3 innings against Toronto in his last start Saturday. In 11 career innings against the White Sox, he has given up one unearned run.


                      Right-hander Miguel Gonzalez (2-5, 4.06 ERA) is scheduled to start for the White Sox in his first meeting with his former team. Baltimore released him during spring training after he posted a 9.78 ERA in six starts. Gonzalez was 39-33 with a 3.82 ERA in four seasons with the Orioles. Last month, Gonzalez went 1-2 with a 2.50 ERA and pitched six innings or more in all six starts.


                      The White Sox are hoping first baseman Jose Abreu is heating up. He homered in Thursday's 6-3 victory over the Tigers for his first drive since June 23. He has 12 home runs after hitting 30 last season.


                      "It has been a long time and somewhere in there it has been dragging on him," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "His swings today were great. He's been hitting a lot of balls right on the nose, which is a good sign for him.


                      "The last few days we've seen the ball jump off his bat, not chasing a lot of stuff. He looks pretty comfortable at the plate and everything coming off his bat is pretty solid."


                      As far as injuries, White Sox rookie shortstop Tim Anderson is day to day after suffering a bruised left hand Thursday.


                      "It was relieving to get those X-rays negative," Anderson said.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/5

                        Preview: Rangers (63-46) at Astros (56-52)


                        Game: 1
                        Venue: Minute Maid Park
                        Date: August 05, 2016 8:10 PM EDT


                        HOUSTON -- Mired in a prolonged offensive slump, the Houston Astros enter a decisive series against a recent nemesis at precisely the wrong time.


                        The Astros are 1-9 against the Texas Rangers this season and have lost 17 of the past 20 games in the Lone Star Series. The American League West rivals open a three-game set at Minute Maid Park on Friday.


                        Houston (56-52) lost for the eighth time in 10 games Thursday night, falling 4-1 to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Astros have scored 21 runs during that span to fall 6 1/2 games behind the Rangers (63-46) in the division.


                        "When we get a chance to play against a team that's in front of us, that's always an opportunity," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "I look at it as we've got to worry about ourselves and playing our brand of baseball no matter if we're playing the Blue Jays, the Rangers, the Twins, Toronto next week. Our schedule is pretty tough the next couple of months, and they're next on the docket.


                        "I wasn't circling this series as the end all, be all. We've got to play all of our games, but it will be nice to get back in the division and get a look at their new team. They're the team people are chasing, so why wouldn't you want to play them?"


                        Left-hander Dallas Keuchel (6-11, 4.86 ERA) will make his 18th career start against the Rangers, his most against any opponent. Keuchel is 4-7 with a 4.58 ERA in his career against Texas, including 0-3 with a 7.91 ERA in three starts this season.


                        Keuchel recorded seven consecutive quality starts before getting shelled in Detroit on Sunday, allowing seven runs on seven hits in five innings. That marked his fourth start this season of less than six innings.


                        The Rangers, who salvaged the series finale against the Baltimore Orioles with a 5-3 victory Thursday night, will turn to left-hander Martin Perez (7-7, 4.22 ERA) in the opener. Perez defeated the Astros 5-3 on June 9, allowing two runs on four hits and four walks with two strikeouts over six innings. He is 5-2 with a 1.88 ERA in seven career starts against Houston.


                        Texas is working to integrate a pair of deadline-deal acquisitions into its offense: designated hitter Carlos Beltran and catcher Jonathan Lucroy. The Rangers traded with the New York Yankees to land Beltran while getting Lucroy from the Milwaukee Brewers at Monday's non-waiver deadline.


                        The Rangers recorded a season-high six doubles Thursday as part of their seven extra-base hits, also a season high. It was Lucroy who delivered the non-double extra-base knock, belting his first home run with his new club.


                        "Any time you have extra-base hits like that, you have guys that can put some numbers up offensively," Lucroy told MLB.com. "I think any one of these guys in that lineup out there can do that. There's a lot of different weapons and a lot of different ways we can hurt you."


                        Texas manager Jeff Banister added, "To get away with this win tonight (in a) close ballgame is (good). Our guys got some nice production up and down the lineup."

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/5

                          Preview: Braves (39-69) at Cardinals (57-51)


                          Game: 1
                          Venue: Busch Stadium
                          Date: August 05, 2016 8:15 PM EDT


                          For the St. Louis Cardinals, the time to talk about being the team they feel they can be is just about over.


                          Thursday's 7-0 loss at Cincinnati capped a 5-5 trip that hinted at being so much more after a 4-1 start against the New York Mets and Miami, fellow National League wild-card hopefuls. With two-thirds of the season in the books, St. Louis (57-51) is tied with the Marlins for the second wild card.


                          Beginning with Friday night's visit from the Atlanta Braves, the Cardinals need to figure out how to become the team they want to be, or else face missing the National League playoffs for just the fifth time since 2000.


                          "It's August. You're going to have stuff," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "They talk about it being the dog days, and these are a good test because you're going to have some struggles."


                          Many of the Cardinals' struggles have occurred in Busch Stadium, where they are a pitiful 25-30 a year after going 55-26 en route to a third straight Central Division title and baseball's first 100-win regular season in four years.


                          If St. Louis is to indeed derive an advantage from familiar surroundings and the last at-bat, the upcoming six-game homestand offers a favorable opportunity. After three games with Atlanta (39-69), it welcomes the Reds, who have won one series in their last 10 visits.


                          What's more, the Cardinals are getting a big boost to their lineup with the return of All-Star Matt Carpenter, who will be activated Friday after missing a month with a strained right oblique.


                          Carpenter, who was batting .298 with 14 homers and 53 RBIs at the time of his injury, was on a pace to score and drive in more than 100 runs from the leadoff spot.


                          He and his teammates will face right-hander Joel De La Cruz (0-3, 3.80), who will be making his fourth career start. De La Cruz last pitched on Sunday, working 4 1/3 scoreless innings in a 2-1 win over Philadelphia.


                          Left-hander Jaime Garcia (7-8, 4.30) gets the call for St. Louis, aiming to improve on a disastrous start Saturday night. Going on three days of rest, Garcia allowed four runs in his first 15 pitches and eventually was charged with six runs over 3 1/3 innings in an 11-0 defeat.


                          The Braves are coming off a rain-delayed 5-2 win Thursday night over Pittsburgh, enabling them to notch a series win. Center fielder Ender Inciarte's two hits stretched his hitting streak to 15 games.


                          "He just keeps swinging that bat, kind of like that guy they saw last year," Atlanta interim manager Brian Snitker said to mlb.com of Inciarte. "That's good to see. The kid has worked really hard, and he's played great defense. It's just really nice to see the bat come alive."


                          The Cardinals will pitch Carlos Martinez (10-6, 2.99) on Saturday night, while the Braves haven't named a starter. Sunday's series finale matches St. Louis veteran Adam Wainwright (9-5, 4.14) against Mike Foltynewicz (4-5, 4.60).

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/5

                            Preview: Blue Jays (62-47) at Royals (51-57)


                            Game: 1
                            Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
                            Date: August 05, 2016 8:15 PM EDT


                            TORONTO -- Francisco Liriano's first start for the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday against the Kansas City Royals would be interesting enough under normal circumstances.


                            The deadline trade to acquire him from the Pittsburgh Pirates is a gamble.


                            The left-hander struggled this season with the Pirates, going 6-11 with a 5.46 ERA. The Blue Jays hope that being reunited with catcher Russell Martin will be a factor in turning around Liriano.


                            Martin and Liriano worked well together with Pittsburgh in 2013-14. Liriano has a 2.92 ERA with Martin catching. "I think we're pretty much on the same page," Liriano said. "We have a pretty good connection."


                            Adding to the interest is that the start also comes during the on-going quandary of what to do with Aaron Sanchez, who has performed so well in his first full season as a major league starter that some in upper management are concerned about limiting his innings.


                            A temporary compromise was reached Thursday when it was decided to go with a six-man rotation for the time being. The Blue Jays had said Sanchez would be going to the bullpen after his next start, a move that Martin and other players openly opposed.


                            It takes some heat off Liriano for now. He is not being asked to replace a starter who is 11-1 with a 2.71 ERA. When general manager Ross Atkins visited Houston to clarify the situation with Sanchez, Liriano offered to go to the bullpen if necessary.


                            Liriano still must show better than he did with the Pirates this season, however. Sanchez will start Saturday in the middle contest of the three-game series at Kauffman Stadium instead of Friday. Liriano is 6-5 with a 4.55 ERA in 17 games (14 starts) against the Royals.


                            Atkins discussed the situation with the starting pitchers and found a favorable reception to using a six-man rotation instead of moving Sanchez to the bullpen.


                            "The biggest thing is input from different people after something was more concrete, or closer to it, and the fact that Francisco Liriano was so open to everything," Atkins said. "Then the more we thought about the potential of a six-man rotation not just benefiting Aaron but benefiting the others in the rotation at this point in the season."


                            The Blue Jays got the 15th win of the season Thursday from left-hander J.A. Happ in a 4-1 victory over the Houston Astros, They won three in a row from the Astros after dropping the opener of the four-game series in 14 innings. The Blue Jays are 19-9 since July 1 and are a percentage point behind the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East.


                            The struggling Royals, who lost 3-2 to the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday on a three-run homer against reliever Joakim Soria in the eighth inning, start right-hander Dillon Gee (3-5, 4.66 ERA) on Friday. The bullpen is without Luke Hochevar and closer Wade Davis who are on the disabled list.


                            "We're to a point with our bullpen -- if we could get to a four-out save -- we might have used Kelvin (Herrera) there," manager Ned Yost said after the game Thursday. "But we just never got there. ...We're just real thin down there."


                            The Royals, the 2015 World Series champions, are 51-57 after a 2-6 road trip. They are 6-14 since the All-Star break.


                            Gee makes his eighth start and 22nd appearance of the season. He suffered his third straight loss when the Texas Rangers defeated the Royals 5-3. He allowed seven hits (including two home runs), one walk and four runs in six innings against Texas, his longest outing of the season.


                            He was with the New York Mets in 2012 when he made his only career start against the Blue Jays, a 6-5 win when he allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings.


                            "Just get us through five and keep us in the game," Yost said. "He's done that. That's what we need from him. He got us through six innings last time and kept us in the game, and gave us a chance to win."

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/5

                              Preview: Marlins (57-51) at Rockies (54-54)


                              Game: 1
                              Venue: Coors Field
                              Date: August 05, 2016 8:40 PM EDT


                              DENVER -- The Miami Marlins open a three-game series Friday against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field with Ichiro Suzuki on the cusp of history.


                              Suzuki is two hits shy of 3,000 but has gone hitless in his past 10 at-bats. Ichiro, the Marlins' fourth outfielder, has started two of Miami's past 13 games because of the Marlins' formidable outfield starters -- Christian Yelich, Marcel Ozuna and Giancarlo Stanton.


                              The three-game series with the Rockies concludes a six-game road trip for the Marlins, who open a six-game homestand Monday. Miami manager Don Mattingly said he wanted Ichiro to reach the 3,000-hit milestone when the Marlins were home, but he's been mostly pinch-hitting because the three starting outfielders have been well and the Marlins (57-51) are tied with St. Louis for the second wild-card spot -- three games ahead of Colorado.


                              "We go back to the context of winning, and that's where Ichiro fits into this thing perfectly," Mattingly said. "I don't think he wants me to just put him in there to get this thing done and sacrifice the team when you've got somebody else that's going good."


                              The left-handed hitting Ichiro is likely to be on the bench Friday when left-hander Jorge De La Rosa starts for the Rockies. De La Rosa is 7-7 with a 5.51 ERA and earned his 100th career win in his last start Saturday at the Mets when he gave up two runs and six hits in six innings as the Rockies won 7-2.


                              In nine starts since moving back into the rotation June 14, De La Rosa is 5-3 with a 3.54 ERA.


                              David Phelps, who is 5-5 with a 2.65 ERA, starts for the Marlins. He threw 55 pitches on Saturday while working 2 2/3 scoreless innings against St. Louis and will be making his first start after 50 relief appearances this season as the Marlins try to move him into the rotation to stabilize their No. 5 spot. Phelps will be on a limit of about 70-to-75 pitches when he faces the Rockies in his 60th career start.


                              While the Marlins wait to celebrate with Ichiro when he makes history, the Rockies are concerned with more mundane matters, namely their depth at shortstop.


                              Rookie Trevor Story is done for the season after undergoing surgery Thursday to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb. In his absence, the Rockies planned to have Daniel Descalso, Cristhian Adames and Rafael Ynoa, who was recalled when Story was placed on the disabled list, handle the position.


                              However, Descalso suffered a left shoulder contusion while playing left field Thursday and had to leave the game after the third inning. He stumbled making a catch on drive hit by Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and hit the wall with his neck and shoulder.


                              When he addressed the media after the game, manager Walt Weiss said he had not talked with trainer Keith Dugger about Descalso.


                              "But he was having a hard time swinging the bat, so I had to get him out of there," Weiss said. "It didn't look real good. He kind of got folded up there against the wall. Any time a guy runs into the wall and you see his neck get in a position like that, it's concerning."


                              The Rockies on Friday will have to evaluate Descalso and determine if and when he can play shortstop.


                              "We're a little nicked up right now," Weiss said. "It's not really a position that we can take on any more (adversity), but if that's the case, we'll deal with it. We'll be fine, just like we have been."

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