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  • MLB Betting Info. 6/12

    StatFox Super Situations


    MLB | ST LOUIS at PITTSBURGH
    Play Against - Any team (ST LOUIS) very good offensive team (>=5.3 runs/game) against a decent starting pitcher (ERA=3.70 to 4.20)-NL, with a good bullpen that converts on 75%+ of their save opportunities
    45-26 since 1997. ( 63.4% | 28.2 units )
    4-6 this year. ( 40.0% | -1.3 units )




    StatFox Situational Power Trends


    MLB | TEXAS at SEATTLE
    TEXAS is 94-71 (+40.6 Units) against the money line vs. AL teams allowing 4.7 or less runs/game on the season over the last 2 seasons.
    The average score was: TEXAS (5.0) , OPPONENT (4.6)

  • #2
    Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/12

    MLB roundup: Royals snap 8-game losing streak
    By The Sports Xchange


    CHICAGO -- Danny Duffy struck out a career-high 10 and Cheslor Cuthbert hit two home runs as the Kansas City Royals beat the Chicago White Sox 4�1 on Saturday to snap an eight-game losing streak.
    Duffy (2-1) allowed three hits and three walks in six scoreless innings for the Royals. Their eight-game skid was their longest since May 2013.
    Cuthbert hit two solo shots for his first career multi-homer game. Wade Davis earned his 17th save.
    Royals pitchers retired 17 straight batters before Todd Frazier singled off Wade Davis in the ninth. Avisail Garcia later singled to drive in Frazier.


    Rangers 2, Mariners 1 (11 innings)
    SEATTLE -- Rougned Odor hit a solo home run in the top of the 11th inning, two innings after teammate Prince Fielder extended the game with a two-out homer in the ninth, as Texas rallied to beat Seattle.
    Odor homered off Seattle reliever Mike Montgomery to give the Rangers their first lead of the night. Two spectacular defensive plays in the bottom of the 11th helped Texas finish off the win and give Sam Dyson his ninth save.
    The Mariners (34-28) were one strike from winning in the top of the ninth, but Fielder hammered a 3-2 pitch from Seattle closer Steve Cishek into the right-field stands for a two-out homer that tied the score 1-1. The Rangers (38-24) opened a four-game lead atop the American League West. It marked just the second time in seven extra-inning games that Texas came out on top. Seattle fell to 5-2 in extra innings.


    Cubs 8, Braves 2
    ATLANTA -- Chicago smashed four home runs and Jake Arrieta won his 10th game.
    Jason Heyward, Anthony Rizzo, Miguel Montero and Kris Bryant each hit homers. That fell one shy of matching the team's high for the year but ensured the 13th win in the last 17 games.
    Arrieta (10-1) threw 105 pitches and went seven innings in the 90-degree heat, allowing two runs, four hits and two walks with three strikeouts. Arrieta also had two hits and scored a run. His 10th victory matches Washington's Stephen Strasburg for the National League lead.


    Giants 5, Dodgers 4 (10 innings)
    SAN FRANCISCO -- Buster Posey capped a two-run rally in the bottom of the 10th inning with a one-out RBI single to center field for San Francisco.
    The Giants evened the three-game series at a win each after the Dodgers won 3-2 on Friday night. The Giants picked up a game in the standings that they lost to the Dodgers in the series opener and reopened a four-game advantage atop the National League West.
    Handed a 4-3 lead on a home run by Adrian Gonzalez in the top of the inning and shooting for an 18th save, Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen got Jarrett Parker to pop out to lead off the 10th before Denard Span hooked a double into the right-field corner. Joe Panik then tied the score with a single to left center. After Brandon Belt blooped a single to right, Posey singled up the middle, scoring Panik with the winner.


    Brewers 7, Mets 4
    MILWAUKEE -- Ryan Braun hit two home runs and Wily Peralta pitched five effective innings and helped his cause with a two-run homer as Milwaukee beat New York at Miller Park.
    Peralta, whose spot in Milwaukee's rotation was in question after going 1-4 with a 6.10 ERA in his last six starts, allowed two home runs but held the Mets to three runs, five hits and a walk while striking out four in just his second victory since May 1.
    His home run was one of five hit by the Brewers. Chris Carter led off the second with his team-leading 16th of the season and Braun hit his 10th in the third -- snapping an 0-for-15 drought. Scooter Gennett had Milwaukee's fourth, a solo shot in the seventh, and Braun wrapped up the fireworks by following with his second of the game.


    Astros 4, Rays 3
    ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Chris Archer kept Houston in check for seven-plus innings, but the bullpen gave up a bases-loaded wild pitch in the eighth inning and a home run in the ninth, helping the Astros win at Tropicana Field.
    The Astros got a solo home run from Luis Valbuena in the ninth and survived a Rays comeback bid.
    Will Harris gave up a walk, single and walk to load the bases with no outs in the ninth. After Steven Souza's sacrifice fly put the tying run at third base, Harris picked up the save by getting a double play from Desmond Jennings.


    Reds 2, Athletics 1
    CINCINNATI -- Jay Bruce's two-run homer in the third inning lifted Cincinnati over Oakland.
    The Athletics have lost seven straight games, their longest losing streak since dropping seven in a row last Aug. 11-17.
    Winning pitcher Dan Straily logged his third consecutive start with at least seven innings. He allowed five hits and one run with three walks and five strikeouts.


    Rockies 5, Padres 3
    DENVER -- Tyler Chatwood pitched 6 2/3 innings and got 16 outs on ground balls and none on flyouts while allowing five hits, three runs and three walks with two strikeouts to lead Colorado over San Diego.
    Carlos Estevez, who is likely to be the closer after Jake McGee went on the disabled list, posted his first career save. He took over after Jason Motte stumbled in the ninth.
    After the Padres tied the score at 3 in the fifth, the Rockies wasted no time going ahead. Charlie Blackmon homered to lead off the bottom of the inning. DJ LeMahieu followed with a triple and later scored.


    Red Sox 15, Twins 4
    MINNEAPOLIS -- Xander Bogaerts had four hits, including a two-run homer, as Boston rolled past Minnesota at Target Field.
    Bogaerts, who went 4-for-5 with a three-run homer in an 8-1 win on Friday, became the third player in the major leagues this season with consecutive four-hit games.
    Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a three-run homer and Sandy Leon added four hits for Boston, which has won three of its last four games. Leon's two-run single capped a five-run eighth that blew the game open. Boston tacked on five in the ninth on two-run singles by Chris Young and Mookie Betts.
    Kurt Suzuki hit a three-run homer for the Twins.


    Nationals 8, Phillies 0
    WASHINGTON -- Right-hander Tanner Roark threw seven scoreless innings and utility men Clint Robinson and Michael Taylor each had three hits as first-place Washington defeated slumping Philadelphia.
    Roark (5-4) gave up six hits and one walk with seven strikeouts before Sammy Solis took over in the eighth. Roark bounced back after allowing five runs in Cincinnati on June 5.
    The Nationals are a season-high 14 games over .500 and have won five of their last six. The Phillies have lost 16 of their last 21 games.
    The Nationals scored four runs in the second to take a 4-0 lead. Stephen Drew had an RBI single, Roark drove in a run on a fielder's choice via a sacrifice bunt and Taylor and Bryce Harper had RBI singles.


    Blue Jays 11, Orioles 6
    TORONTO -- Edwin Encarnacion hit two home runs and had five RBIs as Toronto defeated Baltimore.
    Encarnacion, whose homer in the 10th inning won the game for Toronto on Friday, keyed a five-run sixth inning with a three-run homer and added a solo shot in the eighth. He has 15 for the season.
    Michael Saunders followed Encarnacion's second blast of the game with his 11th homer of the season. Left-hander J.A. Happ (7-3) pitched seven innings for the win.


    Cardinals 5, Pirates 1
    PITTSBURGH -- Matt Holliday smacked a three-run homer and Carlos Martinez held Pittsburgh to one run and six hits as St. Louis defeated Pittsburgh.
    Martinez won his third start in a row. He struck out five in 8 1/3 innings. Trevor Rosenthal picked up his 12th save of the season.
    The Cardinals scored four unearned runs in the fifth inning. Brandon Moss led off with a double to left, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball that came on strike three to Jedd Gyorko. Two outs later, after Aledmys Diaz walked, Holliday hit a first-pitch, three-run homer to right to make it 4-0.


    Tigers 6, Yankees 1
    NEW YORK -- Justin Verlander pitched effectively into the seventh inning, leading Detroit over New York.
    Ian Kinsler had a career-high five RBIs resulting from a tiebreaking three-run homer in the fifth inning and a two-run double in the seventh. Nick Castellanos added a solo home run as the Tigers won for the sixth time in eight games.
    With Verlander's fastball reaching 94 to 96 mph at times, he allowed one run and four hits and picked up first career victory at the current Yankee Stadium. Verlander (6-5) improved to 4-2 in his last seven starts as he struck out five and walked one.


    Diamondbacks 5, Marlins 3
    PHOENIX -- Michael Bourn homered to break up Jose Fernandez's perfect game with two outs the sixth inning, sparking a four-run rally in the Arizona's victory over Miami at Chase Field.
    Fernandez retired the first 17 batters before Bourn's first homer of the season, which traveled well over the fence in right field, triggered a spurt of five straight hits against Fernandez, who had an eight-start winning streak broken.
    Right-hander Zack Godley gave up two runs and four hits in six innings. He struck out three and walked three. Godley was promoted from Triple-A Reno to make the spot start.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/12

      Preview: Orioles (36-25) at Blue Jays (34-30)


      Game: 4
      Venue: Rogers Centre
      Date: June 12, 2016 1:07 PM EDT


      TORONTO -- Edwin Encarnacion and Chris Davis have taken over the four-game series between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles.


      Encarnacion hit two home runs, had an RBI double, two walks and five RBIs Saturday to help the Blue Jays to an 11-6 win, their second in a row over the Orioles.


      "Tremendous day, the last couple of weeks we've played good baseball," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "The sky's not falling."


      Davis was 2-for-3 with a two-run homer, a double and a walk for the Orioles.


      Each has three home runs in the first three games of the series with the Orioles trying to leave Toronto with a split by taking the finale on Sunday at Rogers Centre.


      The game Sunday has big implications in the American League East race. With a 15-4 win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday, the Boston Red Sox moved into a first-place tie with the Orioles. Toronto sits third, 3 1/2 games behind.


      Both the Blue Jays and Orioles have been dealing with overworked bullpens during the series. Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna was not available to pitch Saturday and that left Jason Grilli to close the game. By the time Grilli's turn came in the ninth, the Blue Jays had a five-run lead. Osuna should be available Sunday.


      Grilli has earned the spot as the setup man for the time being.


      "He's going to pitch some valuable innings for us, the eighth inning," Gibbons said. "He knows what he's doing. You give a veteran guy like that a fresh start, it can rejuvenate you."


      The Orioles were forced to use left-handers T.J. McFarland and Brian Duensing against such good Toronto right-handed hitters as Encarnacion and Josh Donaldson on Saturday. Donaldson hit the go-ahead sacrifice fly against McFarland who then allowed Encarnacion's decisive three-run homer in a five-run sixth. Duensing allowed back-to-back homers to Encarnacion and Michael Saunders in the eighth.


      Right-handers Mychal Givens and Dylan Bundy were unavailable with some question about their possible use on Sunday. Right-hander Brad Brach could have pitched one inning Saturday, but later on in the game.


      Another twist is that Showalter was saving right-hander Vance Worley for possible long relief duty on Sunday. The Orioles are starting right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez, and he has not pitched beyond 5 2/3 innings in his past six starts. There is a good chance the bullpen will be taxed again. So the game Sunday had an impact on the game Saturday.


      "There were about three we couldn't use," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "That's why they're good and that's why they're healthy. You don't like facing those guys (Donaldson and Encarnacion) with (McFarland) and Duensing but we had no choice today."


      Showalter suggested the Orioles were considering going to the minors for some bullpen help.


      The Orioles have been without setup man and right-hander Darren O'Day, who has been on the disabled list with a strained hamstring since June 3.


      "It's one of the challenges of not having Darren," Showalter said. "We've been able to overcome it. We're a right-hander short down there, but hopefully he'll get back (soon)."


      Jimenez is 8-6 with a 3.87 ERA in 14 career outings, including 13 starts, against the Blue Jays. But he has not reached the sixth inning since May 7 and in his past six starts this season he is 1-3 with an 8.44 ERA.


      Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are going with right-hander Aaron Sanchez, who pitched into the ninth inning in a no decision against the Detroit Tigers last Tuesday and had a career-best 12 strikeouts.


      It could be another big day for Davis to step forward for the Orioles. He is 5-for-7 with two home runs against Sanchez.


      In eight career games, including three starts, against the Orioles, Sanchez is 1-2 with a 5.14 ERA.


      The Blue Jays have been without right fielder Jose Bautista since he left the game Thursday for a pinch runner in the sixth inning with tightness in his right thigh area and his status for Sunday is uncertain..


      "It's feeling better but he's not quite right so we'll buy him one more day," Gibbons said before the game Saturday.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/12

        Preview: Astros (30-34) at Rays (28-32)


        Game: 3
        Venue: Tropicana Field
        Date: June 12, 2016 1:10 PM EDT


        ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Houston has had the best bullpen in the American League since May 1, and while Saturday's win was a wobbly one, their endgame is looking better than Tampa Bay's entering Sunday's series finale.


        The Astros got a third save from reliever Will Harris, who wasn't his dominating self -- he walked two batters after having just four walks all season, and gave up a run after going 26 appearances without doing so. But he got a game-ending double play to walk away with a win, and that's encouraging to manager A.J. Hinch.


        "It was a good win for us -- we needed every run we could get," Hinch said. "The ability to keep the big inning on both sides out of the way really kept it sharp."


        Sunday's finale pits two starters who have been much better than their records would suggest -- Houston left-hander Dallas Keuchel (3-8, 5.44 ERA) and Rays lefty Matt Moore (2-4, 5.56). The Rays' bullpen has been overworked in the first half of the season -- relievers allowed as many runs in getting four outs Saturday as starter Chris Archer did in getting 23.


        "He has been great for us 95 percent of the time he takes the hill," Archer said of reliever Erasmo Ramirez, whose bases-loaded wild pitch brought in the go-ahead run in the eighth. "When he comes into the game, you feel confident, and when he comes into the game Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, we are going to feel the same amount of confidence."


        There are concerns that Rays manager Kevin Cash only trusts part of his bullpen -- he brought in Dana Eveland in a one-run game in the ninth, and the only batter he faced hit a solo home run, which ended up being the deciding run. Eveland's ERA is 6.75, and the Rays already have two relievers who have made their MLB debuts in the last month, so the alternatives are very unproven.


        "He has been used heavily," Archer said of Ramirez. "Baseball is a sport where there are a lot of ups and downs, and this is one that wasn't necessarily positive for him, but obviously we fully believe and know what he's capable of."


        Houston is in a different place -- its relievers have an ERA under 2.00 over the last 23 games, with Harris making a strong case to take over as closer. Luke Gregerson has 13 saves and pitched a perfect eighth Saturday, but Harris is the one with a 0.63 ERA, with 30 strikeouts against just six walks. A formal anointing as closer hasn't come yet, but might not be far off either.


        "It's looking more and more likely that he's going to get more opportunities," Hinch said. "But I'm not going to name a closer just yet. I'll let it marinate a little bit more."

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/12

          Preview: Athletics (25-36) at Reds (24-38)


          Game: 3
          Venue: Great American Ball Park
          Date: June 12, 2016 1:10 PM EDT


          CINCINNATI -- Tyler Holt went to spring training with the Cincinnati Reds as a competitor with primarily Adam Duvall for the starting job in left field.


          Duvall nailed that job down pretty quickly and shows no signs of letting go, but that didn't mean Holt was out of work. He became Cincinnati's fourth outfielder and, for at least the next few days, he will be the Reds' regular center fielder while Billy Hamilton is on the seven-day concussion disabled list.


          The Reds conclude a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics on Sunday and Holt figures to again be in the starting lineup.


          Holt started his third consecutive game in center field on Saturday, giving him 16 starts this season - three each in left and right fields and 10 in center. He singled and turned in a two-out diving catch of a sinking line drive that helped the Reds edge Oakland 2-1.


          "He keeps proving why he's out in center field," said Reds pitcher Dan Straily, the beneficiary of Holt's defensive gem. "If we have to put Billy Hamilton on the disabled list, he's a great guy to put out there. He could be the starting center fielder on most teams."


          "He's done everything we've asked," manager Bryan Price said. "He's been the prototypical bench player."


          Holt, who is batting .282, and the rest of the Reds will be getting their first look at Oakland right-hander Kendall Graveman (2-6, 5.49 earned-run average) in the finale of the three-game series.


          The right-hander went 1-1 with a 2.04 ERA and a .159 opponents' batting average over his first three starts before plummeting to 1-5 with a 7.03 ERA and a .358 opponents' batting average over his last eight starts.


          Graveman allowed five runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings in his last start, a 12-inning Athletics' loss at Houston on June 4.


          Cincinnati left-hander John Lamb will be making his first career appearance against Oakland. Lamb (1-3, 4.74) has logged seven or more innings in each of his last two starts despite taking a line drive off his left hip while pitching at Colorado on June 1. He allowed four hits and one earned run with two walks and five strikeouts over 7 1/3 innings while getting a no-decision in his last start, Cincinnati's 7-6 win over St. Louis on Tuesday.


          Oakland manager Bob Melvin was lamenting a suddenly punchless offense that had produced a total of two runs in the Athletics' last three games, a run that started with a 4-0 loss at Milwaukee on Wednesday.


          "You continue to grind," Melvin said on Saturday after Oakland's second consecutive 2-1 loss. "I mean, our timing hasn't been great. Days we haven't got much out of our starters and we've had to go into the bullpen for four or five innings, our offense has been decent. Game like this, our offense needs to be better. It's two days in a row that we wasted really good pitching performances. I think we're pressing some at the plate."

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/12

            Preview: Cubs (42-18) at Braves (18-43)


            Game: 3
            Venue: Turner Field
            Date: June 12, 2016 1:35 PM EDT


            ATLANTA -- The Chicago Cubs will make their final appearance at Turner Field on Sunday and send a veteran pitcher against another one of the Atlanta Braves young arms.


            The finale of the three-game series will feature Chicago left-hander Jon Lester (7-3, 2.08), a three-time All-Star who has played in four league championship series and two World Series.


            He'll be opposed by John Gant, a 22-year-old rookie who will be making his first major league start. Gant, obtained from the New York Mets in a midseason trade last year, has made seven relief apperances for the Braves this season.


            The two teams split the first two games of the series, Atlanta winning 5-1 on Friday and Chicago rebounding for an 8-2 victory on Saturday.


            Lester has been outstanding again this season, his second with the Cubs. In his last two starts, Lester has struck out at least nine and not walked a batter, becoming the team's first lefty to do that since 1913. Over his last three starts he's 3-0 with a 0.77 ERA.


            Lester has gone at least six innings and allowed one or fewer earned runs in eight of his 12 starts. The Cubs are 9-3 in games that Lester has started.


            "All their pitchers are throwing the ball well," said Atlanta catcher A.J. Pierzynski.


            Gant made the team as a longshot in spring training. He has split his time between Atlanta and Triple-A Gwinnett, going 3-0 with a 3.14 ERA in eight starts for the G-Braves, where he had 48 strikeouts and just 13 walks in 43 innings.


            With Atlanta, the lanky right-hander is 0-0 with a 6.17 ERA and has pitched 11 2/3 innings of relief and allowed 13 hits, five walks while striking out 14.


            The Braves hope to get a deep effort from Gant after Matt Wisler was able to last only four innings on Saturday, necessitating the use of four relievers. Wisler has allowed six homers in a combined eight innings over his last two starts.


            "He's just in a little rut right now," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "He'll be fine. He'll get through it. There's still a learning curve and he's trying to figure it out."


            Meanwhile the Cubs have enjoyed a Wrigley-like experience at Turner Field. Of Saturday's 43,114 in attendance, many were sporting Chicago colors and Cubs gear. Among the Cub fans in attendance was actor Bill Murray, who sat near the third base dugout and agreeably had his picture taken hundreds of times.


            "It's so nice," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "We do travel well. There are certain organizations in sports that do and we're one of them. We really appreciate it ... and they're nice people, too."


            The Cubs have been a road machine. Dating back to the second game of a double-header at Pittsburgh on Sept. 15, the Cubs have won 29 of their last 39 regular-season road games.


            Atlanta and Chicago have split their four meetings this year. After Sunday's game, the two teams will have a makeup game on July 7 at Wrigley Field. Atlanta holds a 43-29 lead in the all-time series at Turner Field.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/12

              Preview: Tigers (31-30) at Yankees (31-31)


              Game: 3
              Venue: Yankee Stadium
              Date: June 12, 2016 2:05 PM EDT


              NEW YORK -- About a year ago at this time, Michael Fulmer was starting to gain some notice for how he was pitching with Double-A Binghamton as a prospect for the New York Mets.


              A month later, the Detroit Tigers found themselves in the rare position of selling at the trading deadline when they dealt Yoenis Cespedes to New York.


              The reward for the trade is Fulmer, and he takes an impressive run of effectiveness for the Detroit Tigers into Sunday's series finale with the New York Yankees.


              The former first-round pick of the New York Mets began 2015 out of the top 10 in any prospect rankings. When last year ended, he was Detroit's top prospect for going a combined 10-3 with a 2.14 ERA in the Eastern League.


              And Fulmer has lived up to the billing in the last month.


              "It's been a roller coaster, it really has from going with the Mets playing in Double-A, to the trade," Fulmer said Friday. "Right now, it's a high obviously and I'm loving every minute of it."


              Fulmer has a streak of 22 1/3 scoreless innings, the third longest for a Detroit rookie. He is 4-0 with an 0.32 ERA in his last four starts and the Elias Sports Bureau said he is the fourth rookie to win four consecutive starts with such a miniscule ERA since 1984.


              So what can Fulmer's success be attributed to?


              The answer is the changeup. It is a pitch he knew he had but really had not started using until this year. Fulmer said he didn't really feel anything positive clicking with it until throwing it before a May 21 start against Tampa Bay.


              Starting with that start, pitch F/X data says he has thrown the pitch 71 times with an average velocity of around 86 mph.


              "I've had it since about 2012," Fulmer said Friday afternoon. "Nobody must have known it though.


              "I've always trusted it and I think before my start against the Rays I had a bullpen where I threw about 30 of them. Something just clicked. I can't tell you what because I have no idea but something just clicked. Ever since it's worked and I've been throwing it and it's been working."


              Fulmer will be hoping to follow the lead of Justin Verlander, whom he credited extensively with helping him learn more about the mental aspects of pitching in the major leagues.


              Verlander led Detroit to a 6-1 win on Saturday by allowing one run and five hits in 6 2/3 innings.


              Ian Kinsler homered and had a career-high five RBIs. The second baseman and the rest of Detroit's offense will get its second look at Michael Pineda this month.


              Although Pineda did not get a decision in New York's 5-4 win at Detroit on June 2, the right-hander allowed one run and seven hits in 5 2/3 innings while getting eight strikeouts.


              Pineda was even better Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels when he allowed all three of his runs in the fifth inning and a season-low four hits in seven innings.


              Pineda credited the success with a mechanical adjustment in his arm angle. It marked the first time since July 4 he pitched seven innings.


              "He's a guy that has a lot of talent," Yankees right fielder Carlos Beltran said Tuesday. "If he executes, he's going to be able to get people out."


              And if the Yankees execute on the mound and at the plate, they will get back above .500 after having a five-game winning streak stopped Saturday.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/12

                Preview: Mets (34-27) at Brewers (29-33)


                Game: 4
                Venue: Miller Park
                Date: June 12, 2016 2:10 PM EDT


                MILWAUKEE -- Steven Matz will be looking for a little luck Sunday when he takes the mound at Miller Park for the New York Mets in the series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.


                The left-hander has only allowed five runs -- three earned -- in his last two starts, but the Mets managed to score only four runs in those contests.


                "I had nothing out there today," Matz said after taking his first loss of the season. "I was really scuffling from the first inning on. It's just one of those days.


                "(I) tried to battle the best I could. But, to only go through five innings in a doubleheader like this, I was pretty disappointed in myself."


                Prior to that, Matz had been on fire. He was shelled in his first outing of the season (seven earned runs, 1 2/3 innings) but went 7-0 with a 1.13 ERA in his next seven starts, allowing just six earned runs while striking out 49 in 48 innings of work.


                "He didn't command his fastball and you've got to command your fastball to make it work," Mets manager Terry Collins said after the loss. "He was up in the zone, up in the zone. He couldn't get the fastball down."


                Matz will be facing Milwaukee for the second time this season; he held the Brewers to two runs in a seven-inning, eight-strikeout performance May 20 at Citi Field.


                "I'm a rhythm pitcher, so I got into the rhythm," Matz told reporters after that game. "We just kind of got into that groove, but I didn't really change anything. It's just one pitch."


                Milwaukee counters with right-hander Zach Davies, who is coming off two of the best starts of his career. He took a no-hitter into the seventh inning his last time out, and held Oakland to two runs on two hits with three walks and five strikeouts.


                Prior to that, he worked eight shutout innings while striking out a career-high nine to lead Milwaukee to a 3-1 victory over the Cardinals.


                Davies is 4-0 with a 2.91 ERA in his last seven starts, after starting the season 0-3 with an 8.78 mark.


                "Zach is a young starter who is learning as he goes and proving as he goes," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "He's gaining more confidence, getting comfortable with his stuff, how it plays to hitters and how it needs to be good. He's getting it through experience. It's not easy to go out there for a young guy and what's good is that he's taking everything that's happened before, applying it and getting better."


                Milwaukee avoided the possibility of a second sweep by the Mets this season, and snapped a six-game losing streak to New York Saturday with a 7-4 victory.


                Prior to this season, the Brewers hadn't lost a season series to the Mets since 2008.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/12

                  Preview: Royals (31-30) at White Sox (31-31)


                  Game: 3
                  Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
                  Date: June 12, 2016 2:10 PM EDT


                  CHICAGO -- Expect the American League Central to continue to be chaotic.


                  The Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox have had topsy-turvy seasons. After splitting the first two games of their three-game series, the teams play the finale on Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field.


                  The reigning World Series champion Royals (31-30) snapped their eight-game losing streak on Saturday with a 4-1 victory over the White Sox.


                  "It's a really tough division," Royals starting pitcher Danny Duffy said. "We just gotta make sure we stay where we need to be and keep doing what we need to do. We've lost some really tough, close games."


                  The Royals trailed division leader Cleveland by 3 1/2 games entering Saturday night. Chicago (31-31) and Detroit are right behind Kansas City.


                  "It's going to be like this all the way, all summer long," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "We do have good teams in the division. Everybody has had their ups and their downs so far this year. I don't think anybody in this division is going to run away with anything. It's going to be a tightly contested division all summer long."


                  The Royals went 6-0 during their last homestand, but their offense went cold on their current 1-8 road trip. Kansas City scored just four runs in six games against Cleveland and Baltimore.


                  The offense broke out in a 7-5 loss on Friday to the White Sox after Yost tweaked the lineup, moving Alcides Escobar from leadoff to No. 2, putting Whit Merrifield at leadoff and swapping Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain at No. 3 and 4. The Royals have hit six home runs in their last two games.


                  "It's crazy how things go, but as quick as it turns around, it did," Yost said. "It turned around within a course of a day, where we were red hot as a team to pretty cold as a team. But it also turns around that quick, too."


                  The White Sox were in first place in the division for 47 days and led by six games on May 9. They are 8-21 since. The team has undergone major changes, promoting prospect and shortstop Tim Anderson, signing veteran first baseman Justin Morneau and designating shortstop Jimmy Rollins and pitcher Mat Latos for assignment.


                  "We'll probably know by the All-Star break what we have and what we have coming," Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. "You got a guy like Justin, and you don't know how that plays with your team. It's a good thing to have him. But you don't have him right now, so you don't know how that's gonna work."


                  The Royals hold a 6-2 series edge over the White Sox this season.


                  Kansas City right-hander Yordano Ventura (4-4, 5.32 ERA) is expected to start against White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon (2-5, 4.41) on Sunday.


                  Ventura is appealing his nine-game suspension for his part in a brawl on Tuesday with the Orioles. Rodon missed his last start because of a sore neck but was fine after throwing on the side.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/12

                    Preview: Red Sox (36-25) at Twins (18-43)


                    Game: 3
                    Venue: Target Field
                    Date: June 12, 2016 2:10 PM EDT


                    Rick Porcello and the Boston Red Sox will attempt to polish off a three-game sweep of the slumping Minnesota Twins on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.


                    Boston (36-25) has won three of its last four games after Saturday's 15-4 rout. The Red Sox also took Friday's opener 8-1 after splitting a two-game series at San Francisco.


                    "I think we're a pretty special offense," Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. told reporters. "When somebody doesn't get the job done, we have a whole lot of faith in the next person that they're gonna get the job done."


                    It has been a wasted weekend for Minnesota (18-43), which entered the series with momentum after taking two of three against Miami. Overall, the Twins have lost nine of 12.


                    "We've been having trouble on the defensive side, not getting outs that we should get," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "Good teams capitalize on those mistakes."


                    Porcello (7-2, 4.04 ERA), who pitched six seasons in the American League Central with the Detroit Tigers, is 8-9 with a 4.00 ERA against Minnesota in 25 career starts, his most against any opponent. He is 5-3 with a 3.69 ERA in 10 starts at Target Field.


                    Twins hitters have hit 18 home runs off Porcello -- another personal high -- while batting .278. Minnesota is one of six teams that Porcello has a losing record against.


                    Minnesota's Brian Dozier, Oswaldo Arcia and Trevor Plouffe have all taken Porcello deep.


                    Dozier has hit three homers against Porcello while batting .258 (8-for-31) and driving in eight runs. Joe Mauer has a career .255 average (13-for-51) with five walks and five RBIs versus Porcello and Kurt Suzuki (.217, 5-for-23) has also driven in five runs against him.


                    Of the five active Minnesota hitters with at least 15 at-bats against Porcello, none boast averages higher than .267.


                    Porcello emerged with his third straight no-decision in Wednesday's start, giving up three runs, five hits and a walk while striking out six in six innings against the Giants.


                    Pat Dean (1-2, 4.75 ERA) gets to face his hometown team in his own ballpark on Sunday.


                    The 26-year-old southpaw is a Waterbury, Conn., native who also pitched at Boston College. It will be his first start against the Red Sox, and he hasn't faced anybody on their active roster.


                    Dean is seeking his first win at Target Field, where he's 0-0 with a 5.54 ERA in three outings.


                    Dean lasted 4 1/3 innings in Tuesday's start against Miami, allowing four runs, seven hits and a walk with two strikeouts. He has a 7.71 ERA in his last 9 1/3 innings.


                    Dean has been noticeably better as a starter this season, with opponents hitting .267 (23-for-86) against him in four starts compared with .389 (14-for-36) in two relief appearances.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/12

                      Preview: Indians (34-27) at Angels (27-35)


                      Game: 3
                      Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
                      Date: June 12, 2016 3:35 PM EDT


                      ANAHEIM, Calif. -- One of the major leagues' best yet underrated pitchers will start for the Cleveland Indians against the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.


                      Right-hander Danny Salazar, 26, enters the game second in the American League with a 2.24 earned-run average. Opponents are batting just .183 against him, the league's second-lowest average against any pitcher. Salazar, who missed his last start Wednesday because of shoulder fatigue, is pitching on nine days' rest.


                      "His shoulder's fine," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "We probably were a little overly protective. But once you go one step too far with somebody, you can't take it back."


                      Salazar's tantalizing potential motivated Francona to be cautious last week.


                      "He's got a chance to be pretty special," Francona said. "He's got pitches to attack hitters, and he's starting to figure out the things to fall back on when things aren't perfect."


                      Opposing Salazar is left-hander David Huff, a 31-year-old journeyman making his second start of the season. Huff allowed five runs on eight hits -- including two home runs -- in 3 2/3 innings during Tuesday night's 6-3 loss to the New York Yankees.


                      The Angels are Huff's seventh major league organization. Los Angeles signed Huff on May 19, two days after the Kansas City Royals released him, and purchased his contract from Triple-A Salt Lake on Tuesday.


                      Huff went to high school in Huntington Beach, less than 20 miles from Angel Stadium, and played collegiately at UCLA and UC Irvine.


                      Cleveland seeks to maintain its three-game lead in the American League Central over the second-place Detroit Tigers. Los Angeles, meanwhile, hopes to build upon very recent success. The Angels needed a ninth-inning rally Saturday night to earn a 4-3 win and break a five-game losing streak.


                      "We're not going to give up," second baseman Johnny Giavotella said. "We're going to battle until the last out, whether we have a 10-game losing streak or a 10-game winning streak."


                      Right-hander Tim Lincecum will make his first major league appearance in nearly a year Sunday, when the Los Angeles Angels and the Cleveland Indians conclude their three-game series.


                      Lincecum, who won two Cy Young Awards and helped the San Francisco Giants win three World Series, made his last appearance June 27 and lasted only 1 2/3 innings before undergoing hip surgery in September. Released in November, Lincecum staged a showcase in Arizona on May 6 that attracted scouts from more than 20 teams, and signed with the Angels on May 20.


                      Signing Lincecum is the Angels' latest attempt to craft a patchwork rotation in the aftermath of injuries. Four starters -- right-handers Garrett Richards and Nick Tropeano, and left-handers C.J. Wilson and Andrew Heaney -- are on the disabled list, with Tropeano the only one expected to be activated soon.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/12

                        Preview: Phillies (29-33) at Nationals (38-24)


                        Game: 3
                        Venue: Nationals Park
                        Date: June 12, 2016 4:05 PM EDT


                        WASHINGTON -- Washington pitcher Joe Ross sat at his locker Saturday afternoon, looking at his phone and then laughing with young outfielder Michael A. Taylor.


                        Ross was about 24 hours away from taking the mound Sunday afternoon at Nationals Park against the Philadelphia Phillies in the finale of a three-game series.


                        After getting swept by the Phillies here in late April, the Nationals will get a chance to turn the tables on Sunday. And the pitching matchup seems to favor Washington, as Ross will enter the game with a record of 5-4 and a 2.92 ERA while opponent Adam Morgan of the Phillies is 1-5 with a 6.70 ERA.


                        Ross is coming off a tough outing on Tuesday against the White Sox in Chicago, though the Nationals came back to win 10-5 after he left the game. The first-place Nationals have won nine of their last 12 games and are a season-best 14 games over .500 at 38-24.


                        "It is a big stretch," said Washington manager Dusty Baker. "We are only home 10 days this month."


                        It has been a unique stretch for the Nationals, who arrived in the nation's capital around 4 a.m. Friday and then played about 15 hours later against Philadelphia in a normal 7:05 p.m. start that day.


                        Then they started at 12:05 p.m. Saturday, with the early start giving the team a chance to prepare for its annual charity gala Saturday night. The Sunday game is a rare 4:05 p.m. start, allowing the Nationals to rest up after the big night.


                        The message board in the Nationals clubhouse said that players are to arrive by 1:30 p.m. for the game on Sunday.


                        On top of that, Washington general manager Mike Rizzo and his staff have set up headquarters on the ground floor at Nationals Park for the amateur draft, which ended Saturday.


                        The room that is usually used by Baker for pre and post-game press conferences has been converted into draft headquarters, with Baker holding his post-game sessions in his office -- one that is filled with part of his colorful art collection.


                        The mood is not so bright in the Phillies clubhouse, as the team has lost 16 of their last 21 games after they were a season-best seven games over .500 at 24-17 on May 18.


                        Philadelphia has decided to bench veteran first baseman Ryan Howard and go with Tommy Joseph, a former top prospect at catcher.


                        But the offense didn't respond on Saturday as Washington starter Tanner Roark went seven innings in an 8-0 win.


                        "Roark pitched well, we didn't hit," said Phillies manager Pete Mackanin, a former draft pick of the Washington Senators. "It looked to me like we were guessing. We were guessing wrong on pitches, and that's something we've got to get away from,"


                        The Phillies will get their next chance at that on Sunday against Ross, but the numbers are not encouraging. Ross is 2-0 with a 0.61 ERA against the Phillies this year.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/12

                          Preview: Marlins (32-30) at Diamondbacks (27-37)


                          Game: 3
                          Venue: Chase Field
                          Date: June 12, 2016 4:10 PM EDT


                          PHOENIX -- The Arizona Diamondbacks rose to the occasion against two of the top pitchers in the game last week, and they will try to carry it over in the final game of a three-game series against the Miami Marlins on Sunday.


                          Six days after handing Chicago Cubs right-hander and defending NL Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta his first loss of the season, the Diamondbacks halted Jose Fernandez's eight-game winning streak Saturday. Fernandez retired the first 17 batters he faced before Michael Bourn's homer with two outs in the sixth inning sparked a four-run rally in a 5-3 victory.


                          "To be honest with you, I'm never thinking about hitting a home run," said Bourn, whose last homer came on July 5, 2014. "I just run into them. It has been awhile. I had a goose egg last year. I was able to get one, and it felt good."


                          The D-backs will start left-hander Robbie Ray on Sunday as they attempt to win their third home series of the season. They are 2-7-1 in 10 home series, although both of their series wins have come in the last four.


                          Miami will counter with left-hander Adam Conley. The two opposed each other May 5, when Conley gave up two hits and struck out six threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings of a 3-0 victory in Miami on May 5.


                          Arizona had what third baseman Jake Lamb called "probably the best half-inning we've had all year" to score four runs off Fernandez in the sixth inning Saturday. After Bourn homered, Jean Segura singled, Lamb doubled, Paul Goldschmidt singled and David Peralta tripled to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 lead.


                          "He's as good as anyone in baseball," Goldschmidt said. "Just one half-inning there, one-third of a half inning."


                          The D-backs had nine hits and three runs off Arrieta in five innings at Wrigley Field last Sunday before their burst against Fernandez on Saturday.


                          Goldschmidt was asked if the D-backs consider it a special challenge to face some of the top pitchers in the game.


                          "You know a guy like him, is going to be a hundred percent locked in," Goldschmidt said, addressing Fernandez specifically.


                          "He is going to be on top of his game, so you have to be there, too. If you take one pitch off, it could be how it started out tonight. You are not going to get many pitches to hit, so you just have to be ready to go. Guys like him, they bring it every night, every pitch."


                          Ichiro Suzuki had a pinch-hit infield single Saturday and will enter Sunday's game four hits short of Pete Rose, who had 4,256 hits in his 24-year major league career. Suzuki, 42, has 2,974 major league hits and 1,278 in Japan. He is in his 25th professional season.


                          The series features two of the top closers in the majors. Miami right-hander A.J. Ramos converted his 19th straight save in an 8-6 victory Friday, setting a franchise record for consecutive saves to begin a season.


                          Arizona right-hander Brad Ziegler pitched around two singles to open the ninth inning Saturday, getting out of it on a double play and a strikeout for his 12th save of the season and 40th in a row, the longest active streak in the majors.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/12

                            Preview: Padres (26-37) at Rockies (29-33)


                            Game: 3
                            Venue: Coors Field
                            Date: June 12, 2016 4:10 PM EDT


                            DENVER -- Both scheduled starters in Sunday's rubber game of the San Diego Padres-Colorado Rockies series are left-handers who were first-round picks of the Rockies.


                            Tyler Anderson will make his major league debut for the Rockies, who recalled him Saturday to fill a roster spot that opened when closer Jake McGee (sprained left knee) went on the disabled list. Anderson, 26, was the Rockies' first-round pick and the 20th overall selection in the 2011 draft out of the University of Oregon.


                            The Rockies took Christian Friedrich with the 25th overall pick in the 2008 draft out of Eastern Kentucky. Friedrich, 28, is 3-1 with a 2.57 ERA in five starts for the Padres, who have won four of those games.


                            Friedrich was 5-8 with a 6.17 ERA in 16 starts for the Rockies in 2012. Back problems caused him to miss the 2013 season, and he went 0-4 with a 5.92 ERA in three starts for Colorado in 2014. The Rockies moved Friedrich to the bullpen, and he made 68 appearances last year, going 0-4 with a 5.21 ERA.


                            Friedrich has ample history at Coors Field where he has pitched 85 1/3 innings in 49 games, nine starts, and is 2-9 with a 6.96 ERA.


                            "Your mistakes are exacerbated at Coors Field a little bit more than anywhere else," said Friedrich, who relishes being able to now pitch where the home and road environments are similar. "Coming here, everyone knows it's Coors Field. I've pitched it. I've lived it. There's small adjustments you have to make but it's not like it's night and day. It's still pitching. It's still trying to get through that order three times."


                            Friedrich signed with the Padres as a free agent on March 3. He began the season with two starts at High Class A Lake Elsinore and two more at Triple-A El Paso before making his Padres debut May 13.


                            Anderson has had a variety of injuries, including a sports hernia, shoulder inflammation and two stress fractures in his left elbow. The second caused him to be shut down during a Texas League playoff start in Tulsa after he went 7-4 with a 1.98 ERA in 23 starts during the regular season and was named Texas League Pitcher of the Year.


                            Anderson didn't pitch in 2015 and began this year on the Rockies' 15-day disabled list with a strained right oblique. After one rehab start at High Class A Modesto on May 8, the Rockies reinstated Anderson and optioned him to Double-A Hartford where he went 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA in two starts before being promoted to Albuquerque. He went 1-1 with a 2.12 ERA there in three starts.


                            If there is a save situation in the top of the ninth, Carlos Estevez, 23, might not be on the mound. With closer Jake McGee (sprained left knee) going on the 15-day disabled list Saturday, Estevez earned his first career save after he took over for Jason Motte and came on in the ninth with no outs and runners on first and second.


                            Rockies manager Walt Weiss said Estevez will be the closer when available. He has pitched four out of the past five days, including the past two - a 28-pitch outing Friday followed by eight pitches to get the final two outs Saturday. His postgame comments Saturday made it sound like Estevez will pitch if called upon Sunday, something Weiss is not likely to do.


                            "If they needed me, I'm going for it," Estevez said after he wrapped up the Rockies' 5-3 win. "They needed me right there; I went for it like 100 percent. That's what I had to do, keep my team winning and win the game finally."

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/12

                              Preview: Rangers (38-24) at Mariners (34-28)


                              Game: 3
                              Venue: Safeco Field
                              Date: June 12, 2016 4:10 PM EDT


                              SEATTLE -- Recent history isn't always the best gauge of baseball success, but the Texas Rangers have to be feeling good about Sunday's pitching matchup in the series finale.


                              The Rangers will send Cole Hamels (5-1) to the mound against a Seattle starter, Wade Miley, that Texas already roughed up twice this season.


                              Hamels beat the Mariners on Opening Day, allowing two runs and four hits in seven innings in the Rangers' 3-2 win. Conversely, Miley gave up 11 total runs in two starts against Texas in the opening two weeks of the season.


                              Working in Seattle's favor is the fact that Miley is coming off one of his better games, having thrown seven shutout innings in a win over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night.


                              Hamels is looking for his first win since May 22. His Sunday start could include a milestone. He is two strikeouts from 2,000 in his career -- a number that only 76 pitchers have achieved in major league history.


                              Hamels is the Rangers' top starter, at least until Texas gets a 100 percent healthy Yu Darvish up and running. Darvish is battling shoulder and neck stiffness and the Rangers announced Saturday that he'll skip his scheduled start Monday in Oakland.


                              "We just want to make sure he's OK," manager Jeff Banister said without offering a possible replacement.


                              The Rangers could conceivably make a roster move to bring someone up for Monday's start, but they're already pretty strapped for players with third baseman Adrian Beltre nursing a sore hamstring. Left-handed reliever Cesar Ramos has started three games this season, so he might be an option as well.


                              The news for Seattle's pitching rotation wasn't as encouraging Saturday. ESPN.com reported staff ace Felix Hernandez could miss up to another month with a strained right calf. Hernandez is eligible to come off the disabled list in the next few days, but he told ESPN that his target is to be activated four to six weeks from the original time he was put on the DL on June 1.


                              "I felt really bad," Hernandez told ESPN of receiving the news. "All I want to do is pitch with my team."


                              The Mariners sit four games behind Texas in the American League West standings after Saturday night's loss. Seattle was one strike from closing the gap to two games, but Rangers slugger Prince Fielder sent the game into extra innings with a two-out homer on a full count in the top of the ninth. Two innings later, teammate Rougned Odor added a solo homer of his own for the 2-1 win.


                              It was a big win for the Rangers, who now have a chance to win their third series from the Mariners.


                              "We needed this after dropping one (Friday night)," Saturday starter Colby Lewis said.


                              The Mariners, conversely, might need Sunday's game if they're going to stay in the AL West hunt. Without another chance to play Texas until August, Seattle can't afford to fall five games back.

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