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**TheGame** · 05-31-2016, 07:39 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 5/31

MLB roundup: Harvey sharp as Mets blank White Sox
By The Sports Xchange

NEW YORK -- Matt Harvey threw seven shutout innings of two-hit ball in his best start of the season and Neil Walker's leadoff home run in the bottom of the seventh snapped a scoreless tie and lifted the New York Mets to a 1-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on Memorial Day.
The Mets snapped a two-game losing streak with their seventh win in their last 10 games. The White Sox have lost seven straight and 13 of 16.
Harvey began the afternoon with the second-highest ERA in the National League at 6.08, but he looked like the Harvey of 2013 on Monday. The right-hander, who allowed one hit over nine innings in his only other start against the White Sox on May 7, 2013, retired the first 13 batters he faced before J.B. Shuck's clean single to right.
Left-hander Jose Quintana took the hard-luck loss for the White Sox after allowing the one run on six hits and two walks while striking out seven over seven innings.

Red Sox 7, Orioles 2
BALTIMORE -- Xander Bogaerts had two doubles and two RBIs, Blake Swihart had three hits and Steven Wright allowed two runs in a complete-game effort as Boston beat Baltimore before a crowd of 43,926.
Jackie Bradley broke a tie with a solo homer to center in the sixth off starter Tyler Wilson to give the Red Sox a 3-2 lead. David Ortiz hit a solo homer to lead off the eighth against rookie lefty Ashur Tolliver as Boston built the margin to 4-2. It was the 14th homer of the year for Ortiz.
Marco Hernandez hit his first career homer in the eighth, a three-run shot off Mychal Givens, as Boston upped the lead to 7-2.

Braves 5, Giants 3
ATLANTA -- Mike Foltynewicz out-pitched Jeff Samardzija and last-place Atlanta cooled San Francisco.
Foltnewicz allowed just three hits and Mallex Smith hit a bases-loaded triple off Samardzija in the second inning on a humid afternoon when the temperature hit 90 degrees.
It was just the third loss in 18 games for the Giants, who lead the National League West with a 32-21 record. The Braves are just 5-21 at home and 14-36 overall -- the worst record in the majors.

Astros 8, Diamondbacks 3
PHOENIX -- Houston catcher Jason Castro had two hits and three RBIs and right-hander Collin McHugh threw his first career complete game in the Astros' 8-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Monday afternoon.
Castro singled in a run in a four-run second inning and doubled in two runs in the third inning as the Astros scored all their runs and had 11 of their 13 hits in the first four innings to ruin Arizona left-hander Edwin Escobar's first major league start.
McHugh gave up three runs on five hits, and he retired 21 of 22 batters after a two-out walk to Jake Lamb in the first inning before Brandon Drury's two-out single in the eighth.

Cardinals 6, Brewers 0
MILWAUKEE -- Matt Holliday had three hits including his ninth home run of the season and Carlos Martinez struck out eight over eight shutout innings as St. Louis beat Milwaukee.
Holliday also scored twice and drove in three runs, part of a Cardinals' 12-hit attack that took advantage of a number of defensive miscues by the Brewers, who were charged with two wild pitches, a passed ball and an error.
The loss was Junior Guerra's first of the year. He'd gone 3-0 with a 3.30 ERA in five starts since bring brought up from Triple-A Colorado Springs on May 3.

Athletics 3, Twins 2
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Kendall Graveman pitched six solid innings and ended his five-game losing streak as the Oakland A's defeated the Minnesota Twins 3-2 at the Oakland Coliseum on Monday afternoon.
Graveman gave up two runs on six hits over six innings. He struck out five, walked three and threw 85 pitches. Coco Crisp hit a leadoff home run for the A's, who won their third straight game and ended the Twins' four-game winning streak.
Twins right-hander Ervin Santana gave up three runs on seven hits over seven innings. He struck out five and walked two.

Mariners 9, Padres 3
SEATTLE -- Kyle Seager and Dae-Ho Lee each hit home runs, accounting for five runs as the Seattle Mariners routed the San Diego Padres 9-3 on Monday at Safeco Field.
Seager gave the Mariners their first lead, at 4-2, with a two-out, two-run homer in the sixth. Seattle scored four runs in the inning to rally from a 2-0 deficit. Designated hitter Adam Lind had a two-run single with the bases loaded in the eighth, then Lee piled it on with a three-run shot for a 9-2 Mariners lead.
Seattle snapped a three-game losing streak with the win, while the Padres lost their third in a row.

Reds 11, Rockies 8
DENVER -- The Cincinnati Reds staggered into Coors Field with the worst road record in the majors and just one win in their past 13 games. And as if on cue, they trailed by four runs after three innings.
But the Reds took the lead with a five-run uprising in the fourth and went on to beat the Colorado Rockies 11-8.
The Reds hit five home runs -- solo shots by Joey Votto, his 200th career homer, Zack Cosart, Eugenio Suarez and Adam Duvall and a two-run blast by Duvall, who had his first career two-homer game.

Cubs 2, Dodgers 0
CHICAGO -- Travis Wood rode to the rescue with four innings of hitless relief while Jason Heyward delivered a go-ahead RBI single as the Chicago Cubs ran their winning streak to six games with Monday's 2-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Heyward was 1-for-4 with an infield hit that scored Ben Zobrist in the fifth to break a scoreless tie.
Wood got an emergency call in the third inning after starter Jason Hammel experienced cramping in his right hamstring as he warmed up.

Royals 6, Rays 2
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Lorenzo Cain singled home the go-ahead run in the eighth and Eric Hosmer capped the inning off with a three-run homer as Kansas City bested Tampa Bay.
Alcides Escobar's one-out single started the game-winning rally. Rookie Whit Merrifield, who has hit safely in his first nine career starts, moved him to third with a single. Cain fell behind in the count 0-2 to Erasmo Ramirez before singling on the seventh pitch, scoring Escobar.
Hosmer then took a 1-2 Ramirez offering out to right-center to put this one away.

Angels 5, Tigers 1
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Right-hander Jhoulys Chacin earned his first American League victory as Los Angeles used a late rally to defeat Detroit in front of 38,541 at Angel Stadium.
Chacin (1-1) retired the first 17 batters he faced, amassed 10 strikeouts and conceded just one run, one walk and four hits in his first complete-game victory in five years.
The Angels sent 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the eighth inning and combined five hits, an error and an intentional into five runs against right-hander Justin Verlander, who conceded just one hit while retiring 21 of the first 22 batters he faced, and reliever Buck Farmer.

**TheGame** · 05-31-2016, 07:40 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 5/31

Preview: Astros (23-29) at Diamondbacks (23-30)

Game: 2
Venue: Chase Field
Date: May 31, 2016 3:40 PM EDT

The Arizona Diamondbacks are still looking for their first home win with Patrick Corbin on the mound.

He'll try and get that monkey off his back Tuesday when the Diamondbacks seek to complete a five-game homestand with a winning record as they meet the Houston Astros.

Arizona (23-30) has lost all four home outings by Corbin (2-4, 4.21 ERA), who is 0-3 with a 6.48 ERA in those games. He has surrendered eight homers over 25 innings at Chase Field, with opponents batting .310 against him.

The left-hander wasn't great in his last outing, giving up five runs over 5 2/3 innings in Thursday's 8-3 defeat at Pittsburgh.

Corbin has faced Houston once, yielding four runs in seven innings to earn a 12-4 road victory Aug. 18, 2012.

He has held the Astros' Carlos Gomez hitless in nine at-bats with four strikeouts. That's bad news for Gomez, who will be activated off the disabled list and is expected to start for the first time since May 15 after being out with a bruised left rib cage.

Gomez has been in the minor leagues on a rehab assignment.

"He feels healthy, he feels better and we're looking forward to getting him back," manager A.J. Hinch told the Astros' official website.

The Astros (23-29) have struggled against southpaws most of the season, but improved to 3-9 versus lefty starters with Monday's 8-3 victory at Arizona. They took advantage of rookie Edwin Escobar, who was tagged for eight runs in 3 1/3 innings in his first career start.

Jason Castro was 2 for 3 with three RBIs, George Springer was 3 for 4 and Carlos Correa drove in two runs to give him six RBIs in his last three games.

Houston has matched its longest win streak of the year at three with its sixth win in seven games.

Arizona fell to 2-2 on this homestand, which concludes Tuesday. These teams then travel to Houston to play two more games.

Paul Goldschmidt homered for the second time in three games. Eight of his 10 homers have come at home.

The Astros have won two of the last three road starts by Lance McCullers (1-1, 4.60) after dropping nine straight. One of those defeats was a 5-3 loss at Arizona on Oct. 4 in which he yielded three runs in five innings in a no-decision.

McCullers began the season on the disabled list with a sore right shoulder before being activated May 13. He got credit for his first victory Thursday with an odd five-inning stint in which he gave up one hit - a solo homer - with a career-worst six walks and 10 strikeouts in a 4-2 win over Baltimore.

Houston got the first complete game of Colin McHugh's career Monday as he pitched a five-hitter. It came at a good time since seven relievers combined for seven innings Sunday in an 8-6, 13-inning victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

The Astros' bullpen has a 1.35 ERA in the last 12 games.

'Our bullpen's been holding us up and to be able to give them a blow feels good," McHugh said.

**TheGame** · 05-31-2016, 07:40 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 5/31

Preview: Padres (20-32) at Mariners (29-21)

Game: 2
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: May 31, 2016 3:40 PM EDT

The Seattle Mariners have been perfect in interleague play so far, although it helps that they have played a pair of last-place teams.

They'll try to saddle the stumbling San Diego Padres with another loss Tuesday when they send Hisashi Iwakuma to the mound at Safeco Field.

Seattle (29-21) improved to 4-0 in interleague play with Monday's 9-3 rout. The Mariners have faced the worst team in the NL West in San Diego (20-32) once along with three games against the worst in the Central in Cincinnati.

The Mariners have a good opportunity to pad that mark with this contest as well as two more in San Diego, where these teams travel to play beginning Wednesday night. The Padres have dropped 11 of 14.

Iwakuma (3-4, 4.33 ERA) hopes to first help Seattle cap this eight-game homestand with a .500 mark by winning a third straight outing. He gave up three runs in each of his last two, pitching seven innings in last Wednesday's 13-3 rout of Oakland.

The right-hander is 1-3 with a 6.06 ERA in five career interleague home starts. He has never started versus the Padres, pitching to one hitter in a 2012 relief outing against them.

Iwakuma does have some familiarity with some San Diego batters. Alexei Ramirez is 2 for 14 against him, Derek Norris is hitless in eight at-bats with six strikeouts and Wil Myers is hitless in six while striking out four times.

Seattle snapped a three-game slide Monday by rallying from a two-run deficit with four runs in the sixth inning and five in the eighth. Kyle Seager delivered the go-ahead two-run homer.

Dae-Ho Lee took advantage of a rare start with a three-run homer. The lefty slugger normally does not start versus right-handed pitchers but was in there versus Andrew Cashner.

'(Lee) does something, every game,' manager Scott Servais said. 'It's amazing.'

There's no word on whether Lee will be in the lineup to face luckless James Shields (2-6, 3.06) on Tuesday. The Padres have lost eight of Shields' 10 starts, mostly due to his 1.95 run-support average for baseball's worst mark.

The right-hander gave up two runs in six innings of Wednesday's 4-3,10-inning defeat at San Francisco.

Shields went 1-1 with a 2.13 ERA in two starts versus Seattle last year. Robinson Cano went 3 for 6 against him and has faced him more than any other active hitter, batting .411 in 90 at-bats.

Nelson Cruz is 5 for 27 against Shields, not including a 4-for-8 mark in the postseason.

Cano is second in the majors with 44 RBIs, although he went 0 for 3 with a walk Monday as his seven-game hitting streak ended.

The Padres are hoping to get Fernando Rodney into the game so the closer can improve to 11 for 11 in save chances and have a happy return to Safeco Field. Rodney, who has yet to allow an earned run in 19 innings, converted 64 saves as Mariners closer from 2014-15.

"We're thrilled to have him," manager Andy Green told the Padres' official site. "I hope he comes out here and has the opportunity to see what he can show in Seattle."

**TheGame** · 05-31-2016, 07:40 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 5/31

Preview: Rangers (30-21) at Indians (26-23)

Game: 5
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: May 31, 2016 6:10 PM EDT

Even Colby Lewis' worst start of the season couldn't slow him down to the point of a loss, and he's now in position for the first 5-0 start of his career.

The right-hander takes the mound seeking to win a third straight start Tuesday night as the visiting Texas Rangers try to take the first two of a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians.

Lewis (4-0, 3.38 ERA) had pitched at least six innings in every start and completed seven in five straight prior to giving up six runs and eight hits in five innings of Wednesday's 15-9 home win over the Los Angeles Angels. The veteran had been coming off his best start - seven scoreless innings at Houston - before giving up more than four runs for the first time this year.

He still had it together enough to walk just one and has issued three in 40 innings over his last six starts.

Lewis' career in Cleveland has been a disaster, going 1-2 with an 11.74 ERA in three starts and one relief appearance. The losses have come in the last two starts there, and Lewis gave up 10 runs and 11 hits with two home runs in 2 2/3 innings of a 12-3 defeat on May 27, 2015.

Carlos Santana (5 for 12 with a home run) and Rajai Davis (8 for 22) have hit him well, but Marlon Byrd is 1 for 7.

Lewis is up against Corey Kluber (4-5, 3.78), who has also won consecutive starts after erratic results early in the season.

"We have some other guys pitching pretty well, but he certainly anchors (the rotation)," manager Terry Francona told MLB's official website. "We have that one guy that has the responsibility of maybe going up against the other team's best pitcher, and he's earned that."

Five days after throwing seven innings of two-run ball at Boston, Kluber gave up two runs â?? one earned â?? and struck out nine in 7 1/3 innings of Wednesday's 4-3 road victory over the Chicago White Sox.

"I've been asking the few hitters that have gotten to second base today and in Boston," second baseman Jason Kipnis said. "They say his stuff, he might have found it again. He's been looking real sharp."

The former Cy Young Award winner is 1-3 with a 4.67 ERA in four home starts, but he's 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in two starts against the Rangers. Prince Fielder is 2 for 15 with six strikeouts and a home run against Kluber.

The Rangers (30-21) jumped on the Indians (26-23) early in Monday's 9-2 series-opening victory, scoring nine runs by the fourth inning for their eighth win in 10 games.

Nomar Mazara homered for the fifth time in his last 11 games, and Elvis Andrus collected three hits after going 0 for 8 over the weekend at home against Pittsburgh. Ian Desmond was 2 for 5 with a home run and is batting .432 on an eight-game hitting streak.

'I'm trying to do my job and produce runs,' Desmond said. 'When we score, we win.'

Cleveland has lost three of four while giving up 25 runs.

**TheGame** · 05-31-2016, 07:41 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 5/31

Preview: Nationals (31-21) at Phillies (26-25)

Game: 2
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: May 31, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

Joe Ross and Aaron Nola have birthdays two weeks apart, and there's been very little separating them on their respective mounds this season.

The youngsters have impressive ERAs and records that don't quite do them justice, something both the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies will try to do their parts in correcting Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park.

Ross (4-4, 2.52 ERA), who turned 23 on May 21 and lost his fourth straight start, recovered with Thursday's 2-1 home win over St. Louis. The right-hander gave up a run and six hits in seven innings with the only damage coming on a home run.

Over those last five starts, he's been given seven runs of support in 31 innings, though he made two work against the Cardinals and said he could have gone deeper.

"I still felt good. I still had the good fastball with command," Ross told MLB's official website. "I tried to pitch my way into a double play to get out of that inning. The count got a little longer than I'd like. It was big for me to build that confidence late in the game, try to get out of there and give us a chance to win."

Ross' first career start against the Phillies came on April 15 in Philadelphia, and he was dominant with three hits allowed in 7 2/3 scoreless innings of a 9-1 win.

Nola (4-3, 2.86), who turns 23 on June 4, is also coming off a win. The right-hander gave up four runs â?? two earned â?? and six hits in Wednesday's 8-5 victory in Detroit. Even so, he came away critical of even what seemed to be his more impressive innings before giving up three in the fifth.

"I knew after I struck the side out there in the first, I had to bear down more, because I felt like I needed to make better pitches after that inning," Nola said. "After the first couple of innings, I felt like my ball was kind of leaking over the plate and I was kind of yanking my fastball away to righties."

Since giving up seven runs to Washington on April 16, Nola is 4-1 with a 1.72 ERA in seven starts while allowing three earned runs once. He followed up that home embarrassment against the Nationals by turning in one of his best starts of the season against them 12 days later in Washington, giving up two hits in seven innings of a 3-0 win but being stuck with a no-decision.

That hasn't been the norm for him in the series though, going 0-1 with a 5.32 ERA in four career starts. All 13 of the runs he's allowed have come in his two home starts.

Bryce Harper has done the most damage by going 6 for 10 with two home runs, but the reigning NL MVP might not be healthy. Harper left in the seventh inning of Monday's 4-3 win after being hit by a pitch on the right knee.

The other key part of the Washington (31-21) lineup kept hitting. Daniel Murphy raised his average to .395 with three hits.

The Phillies (26-25) have lost four straight and are in danger of falling to .500 for the first time since being 10-10.

**TheGame** · 05-31-2016, 07:41 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 5/31

Preview: Red Sox (31-20) at Orioles (28-21)

Game: 2
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: May 31, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

Xander Bogaerts has often gone unnoticed in a Boston Red Sox lineup filled with heavy hitters and big-name stars, though that's beginning to change.

With his 23-game hitting streak beginning to draw attention, the shortstop attempts to help the AL East-leading Red Sox further separate from the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night.

Boston (31-20) moved two games ahead of the Orioles in the division with a 7-2 victory in Monday's opener of this four-game series, with Bogaerts driving in the first two runs and finishing 2 for 4 to increase his average to .354. He's hitting .402 with five homers and 17 RBIs during the streak.

'I'm just trying to go up there and get hits, you know? If it happens, it happens,' he said. 'Just trying to be me, and not trying to be someone who I'm not.'

Bogaerts isn't the only hot hitter on a Red Sox team that leads the majors with a .295 average and 302 runs. David Ortiz homered in his third straight game Monday and Jackie Bradley Jr. snapped a 2-all tie with a solo shot in the sixth inning.

Ortiz is 14 for 28 with four homers and 13 RBIs over a seven-game hit streak. Bradley, who had his 29-game streak halted Thursday, is hitting .403 with six homers and 22 RBIs over his last 21.

Boston's dangerous lineup presents another challenge for the hard-luck Kevin Gausman (0-2, 3.24 ERA), victimized by insufficient run support in the majority of his seven starts. The Orioles have provided him with one run or less in four of those outings and he's been denied a win in two others when the bullpen blew late leads.

Gausman wasn't at his best last time out, allowing four runs on three homers in five innings of Thursday's 4-2 loss at Houston.

The right-hander will need to be careful against Ortiz, who's 6 for 13 with two homers when facing him and has seven homers in his last 10 games at Camden Yards. Bogaerts is 5 for 14 against the former first-round pick.

Baltimore (28-21) hopes to get its bats going again after being held to four hits in Steven Wright's complete-game effort. The Orioles are hitting .225 over a 2-6 stretch.

Baltimore next faces a former Orioles farmhand when Eduardo Rodriguez makes his season debut. The 23-year-old left-hander, sidelined by a dislocated right kneecap sustained during spring training, was deemed ready to return after yielding a run over seven innings in last Tuesday's rehab start for Triple-A Pawtucket.

Acquired from Baltimore for Andrew Miller in July 2014, Rodriguez went 10-6 with a 3.85 ERA in 21 starts as a rookie last season and was 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA over his last seven. He pitched well in two visits to Camden Yards, surrendering one run and recording 16 strikeouts over 11 1/3 innings.

Rodriguez held Manny Machado, Adam Jones and Chris Davis to a combined 2 for 20 last season, though Matt Wieters was 2 for 5 with a home run and is batting .421 over a nine-game hitting streak.

**TheGame** · 05-31-2016, 07:41 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 5/31

Preview: Yankees (24-26) at Blue Jays (27-26)

Game: 2
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: May 31, 2016 7:07 PM EDT

J.A. Happ has recovered nicely from his worst start of the season, and CC Sabathia has recovered nicely from a strained groin.

The left-handers square off for the second time in less than a week Tuesday night as the Toronto Blue Jays try for their fifth straight series win over the visiting New York Yankees.

After Monday's 4-2 win to kick off the three-game series, the Blue Jays (27-26) are 10-4 against the Yankees (24-26) since last losing a series to them in August. Ryan Goins was 2 for 2 with a home run for his first multihit game since April 13. He had a 9-for-91 span in the 34 games separating them.

While the Blue Jays have won eight of 11 since their five-game losing streak, the Yankees have dropped four of six since their six-game winning streak.

Happ (6-2, 3.20 ERA), who gave up eight runs in two innings of a 13-2 home loss to Tampa Bay on May 16, has limited his last two opponents to four runs and six hits in 14 1/3 innings.

That includes a run and three hits in seven innings of Thursday's 3-1 win at Yankee Stadium, though he walked three for a second straight.

"I think that was a big game," Happ told MLB's official website. "Nice to get the series here. We're going to face them again next week, so we have to keep grinding."

It was his second win over the Yankees in as many attempts this season and third in as many starts against them to push his record to 5-2 with a 4.15 ERA in 11 starts. That's gotten substantially better in the five since his last defeat to New York, going 3-0 with a 2.23 mark while giving up three earned runs once.

Alex Rodriguez (0 for 14) Mark Teixeira (2 for 11) and Brian McCann (3 for 21) have struggled against Happ, but Carlos Beltran is 9 for 30 with three home runs.

Sabathia (3-3, 2.83) missed time earlier this month but has returned and put together another strong two starts to add to an already encouraging season. The veteran gave up two unearned runs and two hits in seven innings of the loss to Happ and is 2-1 with a 0.45 ERA in his last three starts.

"He's learning what he can and can't do now with lesser velocity," McCann said. "When you have a mindset like he's got, he's going to succeed no matter what he's doing. That's why he's one of the best pitchers of this generation. His career has been amazing."

If he's able to keep things positive for one more start, he's going to enter June without having given up four runs in a start. That just hasn't been the case too often lately against the Blue Jays.

Sabathia gave up four or five runs in his previous five starts in the series, going 2-4 with a 3.83 ERA in the last six meetings with Toronto.

Jose Bautista (4 for 34 with 10 strikeouts), Justin Smoak (3 for 15), Russell Martin (3 for 15) and Michael Saunders (1 for 17 with nine strikeouts) have rarely gotten in on the fun.

**TheGame** · 05-31-2016, 07:41 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 5/31

Preview: Pirates (29-21) at Marlins (26-25)

Game: 2
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: May 31, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

To extend his personal-best winning streak, Jose Fernandez will have to slow down the Miami Marlins' miserable stretch against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

With a chance to become the first Marlins pitcher in more than a decade to win seven straight starts, Fernandez squares off with fellow ace Gerrit Cole on Tuesday night when Miami tries to snap a three-game skid against the visiting Pirates.

Pittsburgh (29-21) has success that stretches much further back in this series. With Monday's 10-0 victory in the opener of this four-game set, the Pirates are 9-1 while limiting Miami (26-25) to 20 runs since Aug. 6, 2014, and 18-5 dating to July 20, 2012.

The first two games were originally scheduled to be played in Puerto Rico but were moved due to concerns of the Zika virus. Gregory Polanco's grand slam, Sean Rodriguez's two-run homer and David Freese's four hits lifted the Pirates on Monday.

But on Tuesday they run into Fernandez, whose latest gem extended the longest winning streak of his career. The right-hander struck out 12 Tampa Bay hitters while allowing six hits and a run in seven innings of Thursday's 9-1 win.

Fernandez (7-2, 2.82) became the franchise's first player to win six consecutive starts since Javier Vazquez in 2011, and no Marlin has had a longer such streak since A.J. Burnett won seven in a row July 19-Aug. 19, 2005. Fernandez has a 1.89 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 38 innings during the run, and he's yielded three runs in 27 innings over the last four.

The 23-year-old struck out seven of the last 10 batters he faced and punched out every hitter in the Rays lineup at least once. He raised his strikeouts per nine innings rate to 13.35, highest among qualifying major league starters.

'I've been feeling so strong and I'm pacing myself the way I should be in the games,' Fernandez said. 'It's time for me to learn how to manage myself on the mound and learn how to pitch.'

Fernandez hasn't faced the Pirates since his 2013 rookie season with the Marlins splitting his two starts. He allowed 10 hits and four runs in 13 innings while walking four and striking out 18.

Starling Marte, David Freese and Andrew McCutchen are a combined 0 for 11 in the matchup with eight strikeouts.

Cole (5-3, 2.53) has been no slouch himself of late, winning three of his last four starts behind a 1.04 ERA. The righty has given up 26 hits in 26 innings over that stretch but has held opponents to four runs - three earned.

He took a no-decision in Thursday's 8-3 win over Arizona, allowing seven hits and an unearned run in five innings. He worked out of several jams before throwing 1-2-3 frames in the fourth and fifth innings - his pitch count of 106 ultimately doing him in.

'It's no secret I wasn't that sharp, but you're going to have days like that,' Cole said. 'In the third inning, we started to get some traction with moving the ball inside and out, up and down, but at that point, I think it was probably like 50 pitches through two innings.'

However, Cole helped himself with the bat - hitting a 409-foot, three-run homer and a double to raise his batting average to .200.

Cole is 2-1 with a 3.42 ERA in four career starts against Miami. He gave up three runs in 14 1/3 innings in two 2015 victories.

Christian Yelich (3 for 8, two home runs), Giancarlo Stanton (3 for 8, two doubles, home run) and Justin Bour (2 for 6, home run) have each hit Cole well.

**TheGame** · 05-31-2016, 07:42 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 5/31

Preview: Giants (32-21) at Braves (15-35)

Game: 2
Venue: Turner Field
Date: May 31, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

Buster Posey is a Georgia native playing his final series at Turner Field.

The San Francisco Giants star is expected back in the lineup Tuesday night as his team tries to even a four-game set with the Atlanta Braves.

Posey did not start Monday's 5-3 loss to open this series after starting 15 of the club's previous 17 games. He reached on an error in the ninth as a pinch-hitter, dropping his average to .397 in 19 career games at Turner Field, including two in the postseason. That's his highest mark in any NL park.

He should be back in the lineup after a weekend in which he went 6 for 13 with two homers and six RBIs as the Giants (32-21) took two of three in Colorado. Posey also showed his leadership skills by calling a team meeting before Saturday's contest, and San Francisco proceeded to total 18 runs in winning the last two games.

The Giants were held in check Monday, managing a solo homer by Brandon Belt and five singles. They lost for the third time in 18 games.

Third baseman Matt Duffy left after he was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning. X-rays were negative.

Outfielder Hunter Pence has three straight multihit efforts, going 7 for 14 with three doubles and three RBIs.

The Giants will get their first look at Braves starter Matt Wisler (2-4, 3.08 ERA) after he gave up three runs in six innings Thursday in a 6-2 home defeat to Milwaukee. Wisler struck out seven for the third straight outing.

The right-hander has a 2.64 run-support average for one of baseball's worst marks. He has faced one Giants hitter, with Denard Span 1 for 4 against him.

Atlanta (15-35) has won three of four at home after losing 20 of its first 22 there. Mallex Smith hit a three-run triple to support six-plus strong innings from Mike Foltynewicz.

"The record's not good but these guys, it's not for lack of trying, these guys are unbelievable," interim manager Brian Snitker said. "Every day they show up, there's always energy, I hear 'em cutting up out there, they work hard, they grind it out and it's good to see when they're rewarded with a win like today."

The Braves will try and extend a winless stretch by Giants starter Jake Peavy (1-5, 7.26) to seven games. Peavy is 0-4 with a 7.57 ERA in his last six since beating Miami on April 23.

The veteran right-hander has yielded one run in two outings sandwiched around a poor effort May 20 in which he gave up five runs and recorded five outs in an 8-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs. He lasted 6 2/3 innings in Wednesday's 4-3, 10-inning win over San Diego.

"I was obviously better than I was the other night, just honestly couldn't get in the dugout the other night, the stuff was a lot of the same as it was against Chicago and I stayed in control for the most part," Peavy said.

Peavy has faced the Braves once in each of the last three years, going 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA. Jeff Francoeur is a .344 hitter against him and Nick Markakis is at .333 with a homer.

**TheGame** · 05-31-2016, 07:42 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 5/31

Preview: White Sox (27-25) at Mets (29-21)

Game: 2
Venue: Citi Field
Date: May 31, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

While bullpen collapses have drawn the most attention during the Chicago White Sox's lengthy losing streak, they're not hitting particularly well either.

With Steven Matz on one of the most dominant stretches by any pitcher this season, that trend could very well continue.

As Matz aims to extend his seven-start winning streak, the floundering White Sox hope to avoid an eighth straight loss and second consecutive shutout to the New York Mets on Tuesday night.

Owners of the AL's top record on May 9, Chicago (27-25) has fallen to third in the Central by dropping 15 of 19 since. After beginning a nine-game trip by squandering late leads in three losses to rival Kansas City, the White Sox were stymied by a resurgent Matt Harvey in Monday's opener of this three-game set.

Harvey faced the minimum through six innings and allowed two singles and a walk over a season-high seven to lead New York to a 1-0 win. The struggling right-hander entered the game with a 10.80 ERA over three straight defeats.

The White Sox are hitting .217 while averaging 3.1 runs over the skid and have lost six straight to left-handed starters, none of whom can match Matz's recent run of success.

Matz (7-1, 2.36 ERA) has yielded six runs in 48 innings during the streak, becoming the first Mets hurler since Tom Seaver in 1969 to allow two or less in seven consecutive winning starts. The 25-year-old was in top form in Wednesday's 2-0 victory at Washington, holding the Nationals to four singles and striking out seven over a career-high eight innings.

'I think he thinks he belongs here,' manager Terry Collins said. 'I think he knows he's part of a very, very good pitching staff. We count on him when he goes out there and I think he picks his game up.'

Matz faces a Chicago lineup that's receiving little from its heart, with Todd Frazier in a 1-for-22 slump and Jose Abreu having gone 11 straight games without an RBI.

"It's frustrating when you get pitches to hit and don't do nothing with them," Frazier said.

New York (29-21) also hasn't produced much offense of late, managing four runs and hitting .167 over its last three games. The Mets have homered in 10 straight, with Neil Walker's shot off Jose Quintana in the seventh inning accounting for Monday's lone score.

Walker is hitting .391 over his last seven games and has two homers in 25 at-bats off the struggling Mat Latos (6-1, 4.06), whose 2016 season has mirrored that of his team.

After posting a 0.74 ERA in winning his first four starts during the White Sox's strong April run, Latos has permitted four or more in four of his last five. He's recorded a 7.09 ERA while allowing seven homers and a .363 average over that span.

Latos was better his last time out, limiting Cleveland to three runs through six innings in a 7-6 win May 23.

The Mets are expected to have David Wright unavailable for a fourth straight game due to a herniated disk in his neck. Collins told reporters Monday that the team is considering placing the captain on the disabled list.

'With the condition he's been playing in and the condition he's in right now, yeah, I'm concerned about it,' Collins said. 'I know this guy plays with a lot of discomfort. He always has. And when he can't play, he's hurt.'

**TheGame** · 05-31-2016, 07:43 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 5/31

Preview: Dodgers (27-25) at Cubs (35-14)

Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: May 31, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

Though Jake Arrieta has looked more human than usual on the mound this month, he's still in position to make more history.

He did so in his last matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

As Arrieta faces the visiting Dodgers for the first time since he no-hit them last summer, the Chicago Cubs try to win a major league-record 24th straight game with their ace on the hill Tuesday night.

Arrieta (9-0, 1.72 ERA) had a remarkable 0.55 ERA during an 18-start stretch prior to posting a decent 3.24 ERA in the last four. For the first time in 30 starts, the right-hander gave up more than three runs Wednesday - allowing four and seven hits over five innings of a 9-8 win at St. Louis.

"He has not pitched as well as he can yet," manager Joe Maddon told MLB's official website. "You'll see the day when he goes out with that fastball command and it'll be the eighth inning with 92 pitches and it'll be a good day."

Still, Arrieta can become the majors' first 10-game winner after Chicago (35-14) won his 23rd consecutive start - matching Atlanta's record behind Kris Medlen in 2012.

"That's baseball," said Arrieta, who also looks to become the first in franchise history to go 10-0 since Jim McCormick in 1886. "You can go out and give up one run and get the loss. We'll ride it out and see where it goes."

Maddon is grateful for the chance to witness all the success surrounding Arrieta.

"He's on a nice run now, a historic run," said Maddon, whose club has won six in a row after dropping eight of 12. "I will take a moment to sit back and think I've been watching this the whole time."

Maddon certainly enjoyed watching Arrieta on Aug. 30 at Dodger Stadium, when he struck out 12 in a 2-0 victory for the first of his two no-hitters over an 11-start span.

Chase Utley, who fanned for the final out of that contest, is 0 for 10 against Arrieta. Adrian Gonzalez is hitless with a walk in his last 11 plate appearances against him.

'We'll just go out there and try to put some at-bats and hits together,' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

Los Angeles (27-25) managed one hit - Justin Turner's pop fly lost in the sun in the first inning - of Monday's 2-0 defeat. After Jason Hammel left with a cramped hamstring prior to the start of the third inning, four Cubs relievers did not allow a baserunner the rest of the way.

Facing the Cubs for the first time since 2010, Scott Kazmir (4-3, 4.84) improved to 2-0 in his last three starts after allowing a run and striking out a season-high 12 in six innings of Wednesday's 3-1 victory over Cincinnati.

'My rhythm is getting a lot better with all my pitches," the left-hander said. "That's the key to be able to have that fastball command. I was able to go in and out and use my changeup off the plate.'

Each of Kazmir's last two wins came at home, where he has a 3.56 ERA despite going 2-3. He's 2-0 in five road starts but owns an 8.02 ERA in the last four.

Ben Zobrist is 1 for 7 in the regular season against Kazmir, but has hit safely in a career high-tying 16 straight games and is batting .458 in his last 23.

Dexter Fowler is 1 for 9 against Kazmir, but could have a chance to improve on those numbers after sitting Monday with a sore heel.

"I wanted to give him (a day off)," Maddon said. "He should be able to start (Tuesday.)"

**TheGame** · 05-31-2016, 07:43 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 5/31

Preview: Cardinals (27-25) at Brewers (23-28)

Game: 2
Venue: Miller Park
Date: May 31, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

Having overcome his early-season struggles, Mike Leake now hopes his improvement translates against an opponent that's had his number of late.

Leake looks to end a four-start winless stretch against the Milwaukee Brewers and pitch the St. Louis Cardinals to a second straight win over their NL Central rivals Tuesday night.

After beginning his Cardinals' tenure 0-3 with a 6.03 ERA through six starts, Leake (3-4, 3.90 ERA) has allowed just four runs over 28 innings in stringing together four very good ones. The free-agent addition had won three consecutive outings before surrendering solo homers to Bryce Harper and Danny Espinosa in seven innings of Thursday's 2-1 loss at Washington.

Better command has been the key to Leake's resurgence, as he's issued four walks over his improved stretch.

"If I put it where I want it, I feel like they're not going to hit it," he told MLB's official website.

Leake wasn't as sharp when allowing four runs in six innings in a no-decision against the Brewers on April 13. He had lost his previous three matchups with Milwaukee and has posted a 5.59 ERA over his past five meetings, with the Brewers hitting .355 over those games.

Jonathan Lucroy is 15 for 32 with a home run off Leake and 7 for 14 with two homers and nine RBIs over his last four games. The catcher had one of five singles against Carlos Martinez, whose dominant eight-inning stint led the Cardinals to a 6-0 win in Monday's opener of this three-game set.

Martinez struck out eight and received ample support in halting a five-start losing streak. Matt Carpenter went 4 for 5 with three runs scored and Matt Holliday finished 3 for 4 with a homer and three RBIs.

'That was phenomenal,' manager Mike Matheny said of Martinez. 'He can be as dominating as anybody in the game when he puts it all together.'

Milwaukee (23-28) didn't help its cause with an error and passed ball during the Cardinals' three-run third.

'They were kind of `woulda-coulda-shoulda' plays but certainly not routine plays,' manager Craig Counsell said. 'The way Martinez was pitching, we pretty much needed to make every play.'

Holliday has three homers in six games after hitting three over his previous 29. The veteran outfielder is on an 8-for-12 tear and owns a .357 average against Wily Peralta (3-5, 6.62), who seeks to build off a promising last outing and end a five-start losing streak against St. Louis (27-25).

Peralta has recorded a 6.33 ERA over the skid and was reached for five runs in five innings in a 7-0 loss at Busch Stadium on April 14, falling to 4-9 in 14 career meetings with the Cardinals.

The right-hander also has struggled this season at Miller Park, where he's allowed 24 earned runs and a .390 average in 24 2/3 innings. Peralta did throw 5 1/3 effective innings Thursday in Atlanta, yielding two runs in a 6-2 win.

Carpenter has hit .457 with three homers in 35 at-bats against Peralta, while Randal Grichuk is 3 for 6 and homered off him in last month's matchup.

Milwaukee has lost 12 of 16 to St. Louis and 10 of 12 at home in the series and may have Ryan Braun out of the lineup again. The 2011 NL MVP, hitting .351 this season, hasn't started the last three games due to a sore neck

**TheGame** · 05-31-2016, 07:43 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 5/31

Preview: Rays (22-27) at Royals (28-22)

Game: 2
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: May 31, 2016 8:15 PM EDT

The Tampa Bay Rays' dismal stretch already features two Drew Smyly losses, and the Kansas City Royals' only defeat of the last week belongs to Dillon Gee.

Smyly hopes to avoid the longest losing streak of his career by helping the visiting Rays even this series on Tuesday night against Gee and the Royals, who are seeking their longest winning streak since closing 2015 with five straight victories.

Kansas City (28-22) has taken over first place in the AL Central with its four-game run, capped by Monday's 6-2 win over Tampa Bay (22-27) - the Rays' eighth loss in 10 games.

Eric Hosmer hit a three-run home run after Lorenzo Cain drove in the go-ahead run during a four-run eighth inning to help the Royals to their eighth win in the last nine games of this series. They are 21-6 against the Rays since June 25, 2012.

Smyly (2-6, 3.92 ERA) hopes he can end that success by building a bit of momentum for himself.

The left-hander had pitched well his previous two starts - allowing four runs in 11 1/3 innings - before getting pounded in Thursday's 9-1 loss to Miami. He gave up five runs and six hits - two home runs - in six innings to suffer his third loss in his last four outings.

'It was just frustrating because I felt like I had pretty good command,' said Smyly. 'Just a couple of bad pitches, a couple curveballs just stayed up. It was just a frustrating outing for me because I thought I could perform better than I did.'

The five-year veteran held a 2.61 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in three starts against Kansas City in 2014, though those were all with Detroit. Smyly is 3-1 with a 2.20 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in five career starts against the Royals, the other two coming in 2012.

Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez and Omar Infante have each homered off Smyly, though they have just a .206 batting average in a combined 34 at-bats.

Kansas City's only loss in its last seven games came from Gee (1-2, 3.86). The right-hander jumped into Kansas City's rotation earlier this month and looked good in his first two starts, but his Wednesday outing was a disaster.

He was shelled for 10 hits and six runs in four innings of a 7-5 loss at Minnesota, giving up four extra-base hits including three homers.

'It just seemed like when I made a mistake (Wednesday) they really did some damage,' Gee said.

Gee spent the first six years of his career with the New York Mets and has never faced Tampa Bay.

**TheGame** · 05-31-2016, 07:44 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 5/31

Preview: Reds (17-34) at Rockies (23-27)

Game: 2
Venue: Coors Field
Date: May 31, 2016 8:40 PM EDT

After rebounding from one of the roughest outings of his young career, Jon Gray hopes to help the Colorado Rockies halt their latest slide.

Looking to end a mostly solid month on a high note, the right-hander tries to keep the Rockies from a fourth straight home defeat Tuesday night against the Cincinnati Reds.

Gray (2-2, 5.95 ERA) allowed nine runs in 3 1/3 innings of a 13-7 loss at St. Louis on May 19, but he's 2-1 with a 1.98 ERA in his other four starts this month. A week removed from being roughed up by the Cardinals, Gray yielded a two-run homer to David Ortiz in the first inning of the career-high 7 1/3 he lasted in Thursday's 8-2 victory at Boston.

'I just took one pitch at a time and focused on what I can do and didn't worry about the results," the 2013 third overall pick said after his 16th career outing. "Executed each one best I could.'

Manager Walt Weiss was impressed.

"The progress for a young player, a young pitcher, is never going to be without speed bumps," Weiss told MLB's official website. "It doesn't happen in this league. Every once in a while you have a hiccup, but the thing I look for is how you respond.

"Jonny, after a tough outing, came out and responded about as well as you can."

Facing Cincinnati for the first time, Gray gave up two runs and struck out eight in seven innings of a 5-2 win May 13 in his most recent effort at Coors Field. It was his first win there in eight tries.

Colorado's last three starters, however, have yielded 16 runs in 13 2/3 innings during a three-game skid at Coors. Chad Bettis allowed six in 3 2/3 innings in Monday's 11-8 loss to Cincinnati as the Rockies (23-27) lost for the ninth time in 12 games and fell to 9-13 at home.

'We know we're better than the way we're playing,' outfielder Carlos Gonzalez said. "(The Reds) have some really good players out there, but they've been limping."

Adam Duvall homered twice and Joey Votto went deep for the 200th time for the Reds (17-34), who have won two of three following an 11-game skid.

Six of Duvall's 13 home runs have come over the past eight games. He's 7 for 17 with 10 RBIs in the last four.

Votto is 7 for 15 with two home runs and six RBIs in his last four at Coors.

Cincinnati will activate Jon Moscot (0-2, 4.02) to take the mound after missing just over a month with inflammation in his surgically repaired non-throwing shoulder. The right-hander gave up three runs - one earned - and walked four in five innings of a 5-2 loss to the Mets on April 27 in his most recent big league outing.

Moscot made three rehab starts at Triple A-Louisville, highlighted by six scoreless innings Thursday.

"He satisfied our expectations as far as getting through six innings and throwing the ball well," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "He didn't lose his job because he got hurt."

This will be his first appearance against Colorado.

Gonzalez is looking to homer in a fourth straight contest for the first time since 2010. He's 16 for 32 in his last eight games and has seven RBIs in the last five. He's batting .484 with five homers and 11 RBIs in his last eight against Cincinnati.

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MLB Betting Info. 5/31

MLB Betting Info. 5/31

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