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**TheGame** · 04-16-2016, 07:12 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/16

Preview: Mariners (4-6) at Yankees (4-5)

Game: 2
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: April 16, 2016 1:05 PM EDT

New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi opted to give the woeful Alex Rodriguez a day off.

Rodriguez's expected return to the lineup will be against one of baseball's best pitchers.

The slugger has not fared too poorly in the past against Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez, who starts Saturday at Yankee Stadium in the middle game of this series.

Girardi opted to rest Rodriguez for Friday's 7-1 defeat, citing the fact that the Yankees (4-5) arrived home late from Toronto. Since his homer in Detroit on April 9, Rodriguez is hitless with five strikeouts in 14 at-bats and batting .120 for the year.

"I just think it's what hitters go through," Girardi said. "You go through ups and downs. I've said, when you're 40, people are going to always question, is it his age? When it's early in the season, it's usually a lot more glaring.

"You go 0-for-14, you got 400 at-bats under your belt, you're hitting .275, .280, people don't say a whole lot. But when it's early in the season and you're 40 and you're Alex, you're going to be asked about it every day. So let's hope he comes out with three hits soon so I stop getting asked."

Facing Hernandez (0-1, 0.69 ERA) isn't an easy assignment. Rodriguez, however, is 8 for 28 with no extra-base hits and six walks off the Seattle ace.

Hernandez is seeking to avoid going three straight starts without a victory to begin a season for the first time since going 0-3 with a 4.57 ERA in his first four in 2006. The Mariners (4-6) have given him three runs of total support after he struck out 10 in seven innings of three-hit ball in Sunday's 2-1, 10-inning defeat to Oakland.

The right-hander is 5-1 with a 1.38 ERA in eight career outings at the current Yankee Stadium.

New York 's Mark Teixeira is a .319 hitter versus Hernandez with six homers in 69 at-bats and Brett Gardner is 10 for 30. Teixeira's six homers are the most off King Felix.

A pitching matchup between Hernandez and CC Sabathia (1-0, 4.50) would once be considered a marquee one. That's no longer the case after Sabathia had baseball's sixth-worst ERA in 2015 at 4.73 and was third-worst in opposition batting average at .285.

In his season debut, he gave up three runs in six-plus innings of the 8-4 victory over the Tigers in which Rodriguez last had a hit.

Sabathia is 8-1 with a 1.84 ERA in his last 12 starts against the Mariners. Kyle Seager is 2 for 16 against the left-hander and Robinson Cano 2 for 12.

The lefty-swinging Adam Lind is 7 for 15 versus Sabathia, although manager Scott Servais tends to start Dae-Ho Lee against southpaws.

Seattle has more at-bats against left-handers than any team in the majors, but it's hitting .184 in 158 at-bats.

Chris Iannetta went 3 for 3 with a two-run homer and an RBI single Friday as the Mariners opened a nine-game trip with a second straight victory. Cano, who homered four times in his first three road games, was 2 for 5 against his former team.

Gardner homered for New York, which figures to rest top hitter Brian McCann in favor of backup catcher Austin Romine for this day game.

**TheGame** · 04-16-2016, 07:13 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/16

Preview: Angels (5-5) at Twins (1-9)

Game: 2
Venue: Target Field
Date: April 16, 2016 2:10 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Angels' Jered Weaver had plenty of problems last season on the road, where he gave up plenty of homers - an issue that may not be a concern against baseball's lowest scoring team.

He'll try to add to the offensive woes of the Minnesota Twins, who picked up their first victory of 2016 ahead of Saturday's middle game of this series.

Weaver (1-0, 1.50 ERA) went 3-10 with a major league-worst 6.01 ERA on the road last season, with his 10 defeats tying for the most in baseball. He was the first starter in three seasons to finish with a road ERA higher than 6, and his 18 homers allowed tied for the majors' second-highest road total.

The right-hander will be up against a Minnesota club that has scored 19 runs to rank last in the majors with an AL-worst four homers.

The Twins (1-9) weren't complaining about not going deep for a fourth straight game after ending their winless start with Friday's 5-4 victory. They scored two runs in the seventh inning to tie it before Byung Ho Park's go-ahead RBI double in the eighth.

'The energy was there,' manager Paul Molitor said. 'Once we got on the board a couple times, obviously we saw the fight to find a way to win.'

It marked the first time Minnesota topped three runs in a game while Los Angeles (5-5) had its four-game win streak snapped with its first road defeat in four contests.

Eduardo Nunez went 3 for 3 on Friday in his second start after he had a 4-for-4 effort in his first one Sunday at Kansas City.

It's not clear if Nunez will be back in the starting lineup since the infielder was subbing Friday for the slumping Brian Dozier, who rested thanks to a .152 average.

Weaver is 5-0 with a 2.57 ERA in last eight starts against the Twins, who he did not face last year. Kurt Suzuki, who is in a 2-for-23 slump, is a .288 hitter versus Weaver and Dozier is 2 for 10.

The Angels starter cruised in giving up a run in six innings in Sunday's 3-1 home victory over Texas in a season debut pushed back because of neck and shoulder problems.

"I was happy to get back out there. I pitched like I did the last 11 years," he said. "My arm slot is coming back. There's no tightness in my shoulder, no tightness in my back, no tightness in my hip, so I'm feeling healthy."

Weaver will be opposed by Ricky Nolasco (0-0, 1.29), who is 0-1 with a 6.55 ERA in two starts against the Angels. Albert Pujols is 13 for 25 with three homers against him and Yunel Escobar is 11 for 31.

Nolasco allowed one run in seven innings and was in line for the victory in his first start of the year before the bullpen blew a two-run lead in Sunday's 4-3, 10-inning defeat to Kansas City.

He'll be up against an Angels team that has produced five homers to rank second-worst in the AL, although Pujols and Kole Calhoun went deep Friday.

Escobar has hit safely in six straight, going 10 for 24.

**TheGame** · 04-16-2016, 07:13 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/16

Preview: Reds (5-5) at Cardinals (6-4)

Game: 2
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: April 16, 2016 2:15 PM EDT

Though the St. Louis Cardinals have rebounded nicely from a rough opening series, Adam Wainwright has yet to find a formula for success.

Trying a third time for his first victory Saturday, the veteran right-hander looks to continue his recent dominance of Cincinnati by sending the Reds to their first 0-5 road start since 1984.

St. Louis (6-4) has won six of seven since being swept in a three-game set at Pittsburgh. While Wainwright (0-1, 6.55 ERA) is certainly pleased with his team's recent success, he's mired in his own personal struggles on the hill.

He allowed three runs, six hits and walked three in six innings of a 4-1 loss to the Pirates to open the season. The three-time All-Star was worse Sunday, giving up five runs, six hits and issuing a career high-tying five walks in a 12-7 win at Atlanta.

"Ties my career-high-of frustration level, too," Wainwright told MLB's official website. "I'm so far from where I can be and where I want to be. It's very, very frustrating. I'm so upset about the way the ball is coming out right now."

Wainwright hoped spending some time between those first two starts dissecting video of his pitching and checking out his delivery through the use of a mirror would help. Instead, he's grown more agitated.

'It's very frustrating, because my body feels good,' said Wainwright, who missed five months with a torn Achilles last season. 'My arm feels great, but I'm not getting the ball in the right position. ... Fact of the matter is, I'm struggling right now. There's no other way to put it.'

Perhaps pitching at Busch Stadium will help Wainwright resolve his issues.

In his most recent outing there April 19 of last year, Wainwright allowed one run in eight innings of a 2-1 victory over Cincinnati. That's the only run over 23 innings he has yielded while winning three straight against the Reds (5-5).

Wainwright was bailed out by plenty of offensive support last weekend and could be again if his teammates stay hot from Friday's 14-3 rout of Cincinnati. Matt Holliday had four RBIs off two of the six home runs for the Cardinals, who have gone deep 15 times, averaged 9.4 runs and batted .328 in the last seven games.

They might continue to be a problem for Reds pitchers, who have 9.28 ERA during a four-game losing streak that's all come on the road.

Brandon Finnegan (0-0, 2.84) has been solid while allowing two runs each and four hits total over 12 2-3 innings of his two starts. However, he's been backed with only four runs of support.

The left-hander walked five but didn't give up a hit until he completed 6 2-3 innings Monday when the Chicago Cubs scored twice in the seventh of the Red's 5-3 defeat.

'I hope to experience it again and actually get a chance to go through with it,' Finnegan said of attaining a no-hitter.

He had far from no-hit stuff in his only previous start against the Cardinals on Sept. 23, when he allowed six runs and two homers to Matt Carpenter and one to Randal Grichuk over five innings of a 10-2 loss at Busch Stadium.

Holliday, who went 1 for 3 off Finnegan in that contest, was 6 for 32 with three RBIs prior to Friday.

Cincinnati's Joey Votto went deep for the first time in 2016 with a three-run shot Friday. He's batting .176 with a homer and eight strikeouts in 34 at-bats against Wainwright.

**TheGame** · 04-16-2016, 07:14 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/16

Preview: Rockies (6-4) at Cubs (8-2)

Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: April 16, 2016 2:20 PM EDT

Even though their prolific lineup fell quiet in the series opener, the Chicago Cubs aren't likely to need a major bounce-back effort with Jake Arrieta on the hill.

The Cubs will go after their longest winning streak in a pitcher's starts over the past 113 years Saturday with their 16th in a row when the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner faces the surging Colorado Rockies at Wrigley Field.

Although his run of 32 straight scoreless innings ended, Arrieta won for the second time in as many outings Sunday when he gave up three runs over seven innings for his 22nd consecutive quality start in a 7-3 victory at Arizona.

"Those are games when you don't have your best stuff, and you just have to find a way to win, and keep your team in the game," the ace right-hander said.

Arrieta (2-0, 1.93 ERA) hasn't been without outstanding stuff often, going 13-0 with a 0.75 ERA in his last 15 regular-season starts. The Cubs have come out on top in each of those outings during the majors' longest active winning streak in a pitcher's starts.

With one more victory, Chicago will have its longest such stretch since 1913 - surpassing its run with Rick Sutcliffe on the mound in 1984.

Arrieta, however, will have to cool off the Rockies (6-4) as he faces them for the first time in nearly two years. He allowed one run in seven innings in a 3-1 home win July 31, 2014, but gave up a career high-tying nine runs and career-worst 13 hits over five in a 13-4 road loss six days later.

Gerardo Parra, Carlos Gonzalez and Ryan Raburn had two hits apiece in Friday's series-opening 6-1 win, though rookie shortstop Trevor Story, who leads the majors with seven home runs, went 0 for 5. Parra has gone 6 for 13 over his last three games and Gonzalez has batted .390 with three homers and eight RBIs while hitting safely in all 10.

Colorado has 27 runs and 41 hits during a three-game winning streak.

The Rockies hopes to keep it going for Christian Bergman, who will make his first start of the season and first of his career against Chicago. He gave up four runs and four hits in an inning of relief April 5 before going two scoreless April 8.

"I've never been (to Wrigley)," the right-hander said. "I missed it last year because I was rehabbing, and the year before because I was rehabbing. So it's exciting."

The Cubs averaged 7.1 runs during an 8-1 start that was their best since opening 11-1 in 1969. However, they managed four hits and committed four errors Friday when their five-game winning streak came to an end.

'We had a bad day,' manager Joe Maddon said. 'It's not always going to be an oil painting.'

Anthony Rizzo had one of those hits to make him 1 for 19 over the last five games. Dexter Fowler was hitless after going 14 for 30 over the first nine, while Ben Zobrist is 0 for 14 over the past four.

Bergman, though, will have to be cautious with Arrieta after he belted a 442-foot, two-run homer Sunday. He hit his first two home runs last season.

**TheGame** · 04-16-2016, 07:14 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/16

Preview: Royals (8-2) at Athletics (4-7)

Game: 2
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: April 16, 2016 4:05 PM EDT

If they can continue to hold the slumping Oakland Athletics in check, the Kansas City Royals could secure their best start in 13 years.

Chris Young will try to do his part Saturday while avoiding a repeat of his latest outing.

Kansas City matched its 8-2 start from last year's championship season with a 4-2 victory in Friday's opener in Oakland. The Royals never trailed after scoring two runs in the opening inning.

The A's (4-7) saw their batting average drop to .212 after registering six hits, and they have totaled 10 runs in their last five games, eight during a string of four consecutive defeats.

Young (0-2, 7.45 ERA) will try to take advantage of facing that lineup while sending the Royals to their best 11-game start since going 10-1 in 2003. They also won 11 of their first 13 games, but finished third in the AL Central that season with an 83-79 record.

Kansas City is also seeking to improve to 5-1 on the road for the first time since winning six of its first seven in 2003 but will likely need a better outing from their veteran right-hander than in an 8-2 loss in Houston on Monday.

Young gave up six runs and nine hits in 4 2-3 innings after he was a 2-0 loser to the New York Mets in his season debut April 5. He yielded two runs and three hits in five innings in that game.

"I missed my spot a few times and got hit. Then hit my spot a lot and gave up hits, too," Young said. "I'll go back, get back to work and hopefully be better my next outing."

Young has given up two runs in six innings in each of his last two starts against the A's and earned a 3-2 victory - his first in four matchups - in his lone one last season June 27 in Oakland.

He might have to outduel Sonny Gray (1-1, 2.70) in this meeting. The A's right-hander is 8-2 with a 2.13 ERA in his 12 career starts in April but didn't get enough support to back a solid outing in a 4-1 defeat to the Los Angeles Angels on Monday.

Gray gave up three runs in 6 1-3 innings - two on a home run to Mike Trout - after allowing one over seven innings in a 2-1 victory against the Chicago White Sox on April 6.

"My stuff was really good," Gray told MLB's official website. "Three pitches didn't go our way and they capitalized big time."

Eric Hosmer, batting .385 in his last six games, is 3 for 3 lifetime against Gray. Kendrys Morales is hitting .407 in his past seven contests versus Oakland after going 3 for 4 on Friday but is 2 for 12 lifetime against Gray.

The A's are 1-7 at home for the first time since beginning 1-9 in 2001, their worst start there since moving to Oakland. They have dropped their last five home games against the Royals, their longest such skid in the series since losing seven straight from 1987-88.

**TheGame** · 04-16-2016, 07:14 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/16

Preview: Blue Jays (5-6) at Red Sox (5-4)

Game: 2
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: April 16, 2016 4:05 PM EDT

During his brief time with Toronto last season, David Price played a major role in helping the Blue Jays secure their first playoff berth in more than two decades.

Now in Boston, the left-hander looks to continue his success against the visiting Blue Jays on Saturday in his first meeting since joining the Red Sox.

Price (1-0, 5.73 ERA) didn't get the chance to face his former club last weekend when Boston (5-4) took two of three at Toronto, but can help his new team build on Friday's 5-3 series-opening win.

Traded to the Blue Jays (5-6) from Detroit at the deadline, Price went 9-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 11 regular-season starts to lead Toronto to its first division title since 1993. He wasn't nearly as effective while going 1-2 with a 6.17 ERA in four appearances and three starts in the postseason.

The Blue Jays were never really a serious player in re-signing Price before he agreed to a $217 million, seven-year deal with Boston in December.

"We have all of the resources necessary to build a championship team, but they're not unlimited," Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro told MLB's official website at the time. "It really wasn't much of a choice."

Price gave up two runs and struck out 10 in six innings of a 6-2 win at Cleveland in his Red Sox debut. He then yielded five in the third inning of the five he lasted in Monday's 9-7 home loss to Baltimore.

"That has been my Achilles' heel. That one bad inning," Price said. "That's all it takes in this game."

Though Price has thrown 207 pitches in two starts, he isn't worried.

"I'm not concerned. It's all about execution," he said. "I take pride being able to pitch deep into games. I haven't done that in these first two starts, but I look forward to it (Saturday)."

Price is 16-2 with a 2.41 ERA in 21 starts against the Blue Jays, including 7-0 in his last nine. The most recent came July 4 when he allowed a solo homer over seven innings in an 8-3 victory at Comerica Park.

"I'm looking forward to it," he said of facing Toronto. "It's a tough team to pitch against. ...To be able to go out (Saturday) and be able to throw the way I know I can, that'll be a good step in the right direction."

Edwin Encarnacion, 1 for 6 against Price since 2014, hit his first two homers of the season and had all three hits and RBIs for Toronto on Friday.

Boston's Travis Shaw drove in two and catcher Christian Vazquez had two hits in his return from missing all last season with an elbow injury.

Looking for a third straight win, the Red Sox hope to fare better than they did Sunday against Marco Estrada, who allowed five hits and fanned eight in seven innings of Toronto's 3-0 victory. The right-hander's 2016 debut was delayed because of a back issue that forced him to open on the disabled list.

'I feel pretty good,' Estrada said. 'Still a little off. Things are going to get better. Just not quite 100 percent with the feel for things but it's really close.'

David Ortiz went 0 for 3 against Estrada last weekend, and is 3 for 12 with a two home runs lifetime in those matchups.

Jose Bautista is hitting .327 with five homers against Price, Troy Tulowitzki is 4 for 6 with a home run and Josh Donaldson 2 for 9.

**TheGame** · 04-16-2016, 07:15 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/16

Preview: Mets (4-5) at Indians (4-4)

Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: April 16, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

The New York Mets' offense is beginning to come around. Matt Harvey believes he's about to turn a corner as well.

With Harvey taking another crack at an elusive first win of 2016, the Mets aim for a third straight in Saturday's matchup with the Cleveland Indians.

Entering this three-game set with an MLB-low .194 batting average, the Mets broke out with a season-high 14 hits - including four homers - in winning Friday's opener 6-5. Yoenis Cespedes, Neil Walker and Alejandro De Aza each went deep during a five-run fifth inning and New York survived a three-run rally in the ninth.

The Mets (4-5) had just two home runs over the first eight games.

'The hits are starting to fall,' said Michael Conforto, who had New York's other homer and went 2 for 5. 'We're putting up quality at-bats and getting pitch counts up. That's good to see. Hopefully we'll start putting more runs up.'

With the lineup starting to heat up, the defending NL champions can now work out a few early issues to their formidable rotation. Jacob deGrom could miss a second straight turn due to a lat injury and Harvey (0-2, 4.76 ERA) hasn't missed many bats over a pair of pedestrian outings to begin his campaign.

Harvey did display flashes of his usual form Sunday against Philadelphia, retiring 10 straight before surrendering a single and a two-run homer in the sixth inning of a 5-2 loss. He allowed three runs total over the six-inning stint.

'I felt like I was kind of back where I wanted to be and mechanically I was pretty sound,' said Harvey, reached for three earned runs and eight hits over 5 2-3 innings in the April 3 opener at Kansas City. 'I just made a mistake, and unfortunately it got us.'

Harvey has normally excelled in interleague play with a 1.27 ERA in nine career starts, but he's only 3-2 in those outings.

The star right-hander faces an Indians lineup that's produced eight home runs over a five-game stretch and 27 hits over the past two. Carlos Santana had a two-run shot in the ninth Friday and Cleveland (4-3) put the tying run in scoring position before Jeurys Familia recorded the final out.

Jason Kipnis and Juan Uribe each had three hits and Mike Napoli went 2 for 5 with an RBI to extend his hitting streak to seven games.

Cespedes finished 3 for 5 with two RBIs to raise his career average to .325 (25 for 77) at Progressive Field. Walker is 9 for 27 there and hitting .355 (11 for 31) over an eight-game hitting streak against Cleveland.

After tagging Cody Anderson for five runs and nine hits over 4 2-3 innings, the Mets take their swings off Josh Tomlin in the right-hander's delayed season debut. Tomlin worked a simulated game on Tuesday after having Sunday's scheduled start against the White Sox postponed.

The 31-year-old made a successful return from shoulder surgery to post a 7-2 record and

3.02 ERA in 10 late-season starts last year, then beat out Trevor Bauer - an 11-game winner in 2015 - for the final rotation spot during the spring.

Tomlin has shown a propensity for giving up home runs, allowing 13 in 65 2-3 innings last season and 83 over 513 1-3 career innings.

New York has won six of eight in the series and is 9-4 all-time against the Indians, including a 7-3 mark in Cleveland.

**TheGame** · 04-16-2016, 07:15 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/16

Preview: White Sox (8-2) at Rays (3-7)

Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: April 16, 2016 6:10 PM EDT

The Chicago White Sox came out on top in a pitching duel in their opener in Tampa Bay, and a rested John Danks will try to follow suit by rebounding from his dreadful season debut.

The left-hander hasn't performed well in many of his recent matchups against the Rays but will face an anemic lineup Saturday night while trying to help the White Sox match their best start in 59 seasons.

Chicago improved to 8-2 with a 1-0 victory Friday, and Melky Cabrera pushed across the lone run with a ninth-inning single. The White Sox chose to keep Chris Sale on regular rest after Sunday's postponement against Cleveland and move Danks to Saturday.

Sale responded with a two-hitter while striking out nine for his third win, but Jake Odorizzi kept the Rays (3-7) in the game with seven scoreless innings.

"You don't care when it is, it could be early in the year or later in the year, you find a way to win these games," Chicago third baseman Todd Frazier said. "It's huge because now it helps you out at the end of the year but it also helps the team come together."

Danks will have had seven days between starts after a 7-1 loss to Cleveland on April 8 and likely needed all of them to recover from giving up seven runs in five innings. "I've been excited about this start for a couple weeks now. I definitely pictured it going a lot different in my head, but it's baseball," he said. "Got to get ready for the next one."

Danks (0-1, 9.00 ERA) will seek to extend the White Sox's best start since they were 9-2 in 1982, and get them a step closer to matching their 11-2 mark from 1957. He's 1-5 with a 5.93 ERA in his last seven starts against Tampa Bay, however, and gave up five runs in 5 1-3 innings in his only matchup last season, a 7-5 defeat at Tropicana Field.

He might catch a break this time with the Rays owning a .196 batting average and a .567 OPS. They have scored one run over their last three games and totaled 17 hits in their past four.

Tampa Bay has been shut out in three consecutive games just once - June 8-10, 2014 - and its 19-inning scoreless streak is three shy of matching the fifth-longest in franchise history. Another shutout would give the Rays their second-longest stretch of offensive futility behind a 31-inning streak in June 2014.

Erasmo Ramirez (1-0, 3.00) will try to keep the White Sox scoreless in his first start in 2016. The right-hander went 11-6 with a 3.51 ERA in 27 starts in his first season in Tampa Bay and gave up five runs in six innings in his only matchup with Chicago, a 6-5 loss in 10 innings Aug. 5.

Rays starters have yet to earn a victory, matching their second-longest such drought to open a season in team history. Tampa Bay went 16 games without a starter registering a win in 2003 until Jorge Sosa ended that run.

The statuses of Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier and second baseman Logan Forsythe are unknown after they collided Friday. Forsythe has a bruised lower left leg and left hip. Kiermaier suffered a head contusion and will be monitored for concussion symptoms for "the next 24 hours," manager Kevin Cash said.

"We're going to see how (Kiermaier) is when he comes in (Saturday)," Cash added. "He's got a little bit of a headache. I don't know if that's from the ground or connecting with Logan, I'm not sure."

**TheGame** · 04-16-2016, 07:15 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/16

Preview: Brewers (5-5) at Pirates (5-6)

Game: 2
Venue: PNC Park
Date: April 16, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

Taylor Jungmann could be facing the right opponent after the worst start of his young career.

He beat the Pittsburgh Pirates three times a season ago as a rookie and meets them again Saturday night for the visiting Milwaukee Brewers.

Jungmann (0-1, 11.57 ERA) was tagged for a career-high eight runs in two-plus innings Monday in a 10-1 loss at St. Louis, with seven of his eight hits allowed going for extra bases. He had never yielded more than six runs in his first 22 outings before the shortest one of his career.

"They hit fastballs, they hit breaking balls, they hit inside fastballs, they hit outside fastballs," Jungmann said. "It wasn't just one pitch they were going after."

The right-hander has had no such issues facing Pittsburgh, going 3-0 with a 2.42 ERA in four outings in 2015. He struck out 20 and limited the Pirates (5-6) to a .165 average.

The only Pittsburgh batter with more than two hits against him is Jung Ho Kang, who is still out following knee surgery last year. Josh Harrison, Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco and Francisco Cervelli are a combined 5 for 39 against him.

One factor against Jungmann is that Milwaukee (5-5) has dropped his last eight road outings, a span in which he is 0-7 with a 10.02 ERA.

The Brewers opened this three-game set with Friday's 8-4 win highlighted by Ryan Braun's pair of two-run homers for his first multi-homer effort since May 15 and 23rd of his career.

'Maybe I got lucky and the wind stopped blowing when I was up to bat,' Braun said with a smile before adding, 'it was warmer here than it usually is at that time of the year, so I think that probably helped.'

The Pirates were blanked for six innings before they cut the gap to 5-4 in the seventh before Braun's second two-run blast in the eighth.

'It was good to get those tack-on runs,' Braun said. 'The Pirates are one of the best teams in baseball and they are especially tough at home. You always want to get as many runs as you can against them.'

Jonathan Villar had three hits as he returned after missing the two previous games with a sore left ankle.

The Pirates have allowed 30 runs in losing four straight and have dropped six of seven since a 4-0 start.

'We need to execute our pitches better,' manager Clint Hurdle said. 'We need to execute our locations better.'

They will send Jonathon Niese (1-0, 5.73) to the mound after he gave up four runs in six innings to get credit for Monday's 7-4 victory at Detroit.

The left-hander is 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in eight starts versus the Brewers. Braun is 5 for 16 against him while Aaron Hill is 2 for 11 with a homer.

Marte went 3 for 5 on Friday and is hitting .421 in his last nine games. Pirates newcomer John Jaso has reached base in all of his 10 games, going 11 for 26 in a six-game hitting streak.

**TheGame** · 04-16-2016, 07:16 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/16

Preview: Nationals (8-1) at Phillies (5-6)

Game: 2
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: April 16, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

The Washington Nationals will have Max Scherzer on the mound Saturday night as they try to continue their best start in franchise history against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Washington has reeled off eight wins in nine games to start the season, opening this three-game series with Friday's 9-1 rout of the Phillies.

"I thought it was a good team (before the season)," Nationals manager DustyBaker said. "We can get a lot better."

Bryce Harper had three hits, including a home run, and drove in three runs to support 7 2-3 scoreless innings from Joe Ross. The Nationals have outscored opponents 30-10 during a six-game win streak and are off to their best nine-game beginning since the franchise was born in 1969 as the Montreal Expos.

"We're battling every day, having fun," Harper said. "We're pitching well, hitting well and we just want to keep it rolling."

Harper is 12 for 26 with six homers and 10 RBIs in his last six games at Citizens Bank Park. He's gone deep in four consecutive games there.

Scherzer (1-0, 4.15 ERA) looks to continue his success against the Phillies. He's 4-1 with a 2.25 ERA in six career starts versus Philadelphia, striking out 42 and walking just five in 40 innings.

The right-hander earned his first win Monday against Atlanta, allowing four runs and six hits in six innings.

Philadelphia's starting pitchers entered Friday combining to post a MLB-best 2.14 ERA, including Vince Velasquez's 16 strikeout, three-hit shutout on Thursday. However, Jeremy Hellickson was roughed up for six runs and seven hits in three innings in the opener.

"What a difference one day makes," manager Pete Mackanin said. "Like a roller-coaster ride."

The offense was just as bad, managing just four hits as the Phillies (5-6) were held under 10 for the 11th straight game, leaving them one off the pace of the 1967 team which did it in 12 consecutive contests to start that season.

Getting the call for the Phillies on Saturday will be young right-hander Aaron Nola (0-1, 3.21), who gave up four runs and six hits over seven innings in a 4-3 loss to San Diego on Monday. He struck out a career-high nine.

"He made one bad pitch, really," catcher Cameron Rupp said, referencing WilMyers' fourth-inning home run.

Nola has fanned 17 without a walk in his two starts, spanning 14 innings.

"I expected him to be poised," Mackanin said. "Because that's how he showed upto the big leagues last year."

Nola faced the Nationals twice a year ago, allowing six runs in 10 innings without recording a decision.

Anthony Rendon, Jayson Werth and Harper are a combined 7 for 16 against him, each with a homer.

Washington has won seven of eight in Philadelphia.

**TheGame** · 04-16-2016, 07:16 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/16

Preview: Braves (1-9) at Marlins (3-5)

Game: 2
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: April 16, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

It may have taken 10 games, but the Atlanta Braves finally found the win column.

Now they'll try to make it two straight victories Saturday when they continue a three-game set with the Miami Marlins.

Atlanta looked as if it was on its way to matching the worst start in team history Friday, managing just one hit through the first six innings and trailing 3-0 in the seventh. Adonis Garcia led a furious comeback, though, knocking in three runs as the Braves (1-9) scored six unanswered in a 6-3 win.

"It's nice to touch people's hands for once," said first baseman Freddie Freeman. "It's a nice little two-ton boulder off our shoulders."

Nick Markakis also added an RBI, while Alexi Ogando picked up the win, as he and four other Atlanta relievers combined to pitch 4 2-3 scoreless innings.

"It's almost like a playoff win for us," Freeman said. "You hate to say it was almost a must win, but it was almost a must win."

Miami's Marcell Ozuna had three hits, but struck out with the bases loaded against Arodys Vizcaino to end the eighth. Vizcaino retired J.T. Realmuto on a groundout with two on in the ninth to earn the save.

The loss ended Miami's seven-game winning streak versus the Braves and also dropped it to 0-3 at home.

"It was one of those games," manager Don Mattingly said. "We didn't get the outs that we needed."

Getting the call for the Braves on Saturday will be righty Bud Norris (0-2, 6.00 ERA). After pitching well in defeat against Washington on April 6, Norris was roughed up by the Nationals on Monday for five runs and nine hits in five innings.

Norris, winless in six starts dating to June 7 of last season and without a victory since Aug. 14 overall, has faced the Marlins (3-4) five times and is 1-1 with a 6.18 ERA against them.

Miami is one of just three National League teams without a win from its starting rotation, along with Atlanta and Arizona, but the rotation has been turning a corner over the last five games.

Since April 10, Miami's starters have not allowed more than three runs in a game and own an ERA of 2.54 over 28 1/3 innings in that span. It's a sharp contrast from the beginning of the year, when they posted a 10.03 ERA in the first three games after allowing 13 earned runs in 11 2/3 innings.

Hoping to continue the recent trend will be righty Tom Koehler (0-1, 2.84), who lost his season debut Sunday against Washington. The Nationals reached him for two runs and eight hits over 6 1/3 innings of a 4-2 defeat.

"I didn't really have a good feel in the first," said Koehler, who didn't help himself by issuing four walks. "As the game went on, I felt like I got stronger. I would have liked to execute some pitches better in the first inning, thatway I would have given us a better chance to win the game."

In 10 starts and 14 games versus the Braves, Koehler has gone 2-4 with a 3.36 ERA. A.J Pierzynski has been a thorn in his side, going 7 for 15 with two homers and one double.

**TheGame** · 04-16-2016, 07:16 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/16

Preview: Tigers (6-3) at Astros (4-7)

Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: April 16, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

A stellar performance from their ace allowed the Houston Astros to win even while their lineup continued to scuffle.

Justin Verlander will try to help the Detroit Tigers respond with another successful outing against the Astros on Saturday night, but he'll have to shake off a miserable performance from his latest start.

Dallas Keuchel preserved the Astros' slim lead through eight innings in a 1-0 victory in Friday's series opener, ending their three-game slide. Houston (4-7) registered five singles, with Colby Rasmus' driving in the game's lone run in the first.

The Astros have totaled seven runs in their last four games while batting .193. That's not a promising sign as they get set to face Verlander, who is 2-0 with a 1.62 ERA in five lifetime matchups against them.

He didn't give up a run in seven innings in his lone start versus Houston last season, a 4-2 road victory Aug. 15. Verlander has gone at least seven scoreless in three starts against the Astros.

The right-hander wasn't nearly as sharp in a 7-4 loss to Pittsburgh on Monday, getting tagged for seven runs and 10 hits over 4 1-3 innings. Verlander (0-1, 8.71 ERA) took a no-hitter into the sixth inning in his season debut April 5 in Miami, an 8-7 win in 11 innings.

"It was kind of one of those days where the hard-hit balls found gaps. The ones that weren't hit hard ended up being base hits. I was never able to get comfortable out there. There were baserunners on all the time," he said. "You don't want to have a start like that, but you have to stay positive.

"I know historically I've been somebody that takes a few starts to get rolling. My Aprils historically aren't great. They're a little up and down but once it clicks, it goes."

The Tigers (6-2) produced 22 runs and 33 hits in their three consecutive wins before heading into Houston, and they had scored at least four runs in each of their first eight games. They'll try to get back on track while keeping Collin McHugh (1-1, 6.14) from building on his 8-2 win over visiting Kansas City on Monday.

The right-hander scattered eight hits over seven scoreless innings while rebounding from the worst outing of his career. McHugh recorded just one out in a 16-6 loss at the New York Yankees on April 6 and was charged with six runs.

"He was exceptional and he pitched with a purpose tonight," manager A.J. Hinch said. "I am glad he made the adjustment from being a careful pitcher dancing around the strike zone to attacking them with all of his pitches."

McHugh went 0-1 with a 2.57 ERA in his two starts against Detroit, both last season. He yielded one run in seven innings while fanning seven in a 4-2, 11-inning loss at Minute Maid Park on Aug. 15.

He only avoided taking the loss in that game when Preston Tucker homered in the ninth.

Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler, batting .350 in his first nine games, is 1 for 7 against McHugh.

**TheGame** · 04-16-2016, 07:17 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/16

Preview: Orioles (8-2) at Rangers (6-6)

Game: 3
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: April 16, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

After choosing greater security with the Baltimore Orioles over more money from the Texas Rangers, Yovani Gallardo gets a chance to show he made the right decision.

He'll face his former team while attempting to build on his new one's outstanding start when the Orioles and Rangers continue a four-game series Saturday night.

Gallardo finished 13-11 with a 3.42 ERA over 33 regular-season starts during his lone season in Texas and won Game 1 of the Rangers' playoff series with Toronto, prompting the Rangers to issue a $15.8 million qualifying offer the free agent rejected before ultimately signing a two-year, $22 million contract with an option year with Baltimore.

The Fort Worth native's early results since the switch have been mixed. Gallardo (1-0, 5.40 ERA) held Minnesota to a run on two hits over five innings to win his Orioles debut on April 6, but was reached for five runs in five innings against a stronger Boston lineup on Monday.

Texas' rotation has withstood Gallardo's departure thus far, with its starters having allowed three runs or less in each of the first 12 games, a club record and the longest by any team to begin a season since Boston opened 2013 with 16 straight.

The Rangers received a solid six-plus innings from Martin Perez on Friday, though the bullpen imploded as Baltimore scored nine runs in the seventh to rally for an 11-5 victory. The Orioles homered four times during the inning to snap a two-game skid that followed a 7-0 start, the franchise's best since moving to Baltimore in 1954.

Mark Trumbo hit two of those homers and has five with 11 RBIs over a five-game stretch. The offseason acquisition is the first Orioles player to homer twice in the same inning and first in the majors to do so since Toronto's Edwin Encarnacion against Houston on July 26, 2013.

"He's been in a good spot since the day he walked into Sarasota,' manager Buck Showalter said. 'It's obvious, the atmosphere that he's in fits him well. And the guys have drawn to him. He fits the way we try to do things and need to do things.'

Baltimore is the first team to homer four times in an inning since Detroit against the Orioles on June 1, 2013.

Manny Machado doubled in the seventh to extend his season-opening hitting streak to 10 games, during which he's batting .405.

Machado is one of several Orioles with good career numbers against Colby Lewis (1-0, 3.00), the free-agent pitcher Texas (6-6) did manage to retain this offseason. The 36-year-old was brought back on a one-year deal after winning a career-high 17 games in 2015.

Lewis is coming off a strong performance Monday in Seattle, yielding one run and four hits over six innings in a 7-3 victory in which he retired 13 straight hitters at one point.

'We had a plan and stuck to it and it showed," Rangers catcher Brett Nicholas said. "He was just cruising and I was just making sure I caught the ball well and threw it back to him so he could keep it going.'

Lewis won his only 2015 meeting with Baltimore on June 30 despite surrendering two home runs to Chris Davis and one to Machado. Davis is 4 for 8 against him, while Machado is 2 for 5 and J.J. Hardy 6 for 18 with two homers.

Texas, which went 23-11 against the AL East last season, had won five straight against Baltimore

**TheGame** · 04-16-2016, 07:17 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/16

Preview: Diamondbacks (4-7) at Padres (3-8)

Game: 2
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: April 16, 2016 8:40 PM EDT

Don't expect either Shelby Miller or Andrew Cashner to be fazed by their respective team's current scoring struggles.

A lack of offense has been a common theme for both scheduled starters for Saturday night's game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres, and that scenario could very well play out again.

Miller and Cashner ranked first and second, respectively, in the National League in losses last season while also getting the lowest run support in the majors. Miller received 2.54 runs per nine innings during a hard-luck 6-17 campaign with Atlanta, while Cashner was given 3.12 per nine en route to a 6-16 finish.

Miller's prospects figured to be boosted by a trade to Arizona, second in the NL with 720 runs last season, but the 2015 All-Star hasn't helped his cause during his brief time with his new club. He's allowed five homers and 10 runs in 11 innings through two starts, failing to win either.

The right-hander served up a two-run homer to counterpart Jake Arrieta that contributed to Sunday's 7-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs, in which he surrendered four runs while laboring through five-plus innings.

"I think he battled," Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale told MLB's official website. "I put him back out there (in the sixth) with about 90 pitches because I thought his best inning was the fifth. I felt like he was getting stronger."

Miller (0-1, 8.18 ERA) faces a seemingly softer spot against a Padres team that was shut out a MLB-record five times in its first 10 games and has mustered three runs during a four-game losing streak. San Diego (3-8) is hitting .165 with no home runs and 45 strikeouts over the slide.

The Padres had chances in Friday's opener of this three-game series, loading the bases with one out in the ninth inning before Brad Ziegler induced a double play from Jon Jay that preserved a 3-2 Diamondbacks' victory.

Arizona (4-7) hasn't been swinging it well either, having totaled six runs and 19 hits over its last three. It did just enough to halt a two-game skid Friday, getting a tie-breaking RBI single from pinch-hitter Phil Gosselin in the ninth after Jake Lamb stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error.

Lamb finished 2 for 3 and is 4 for 11 with a home run against Cashner (0-1, 8.00), who's also seeking better results after struggling with high pitch counts in his first two outings.

Cashner did show a slight improvement Monday at Philadelphia, allowing three runs over five innings while not factoring in the outcome of a 4-3 win. He threw 94 pitches while surrendering five runs in four innings of a 7-0 home loss to the Dodgers on April 6.

"I always try to take aggressiveness out there," he said. "I think sometimes it maybe gets me in a little bit of trouble, but I think it was a lot better (Monday)."

Cashner lost his first three 2015 starts against Arizona but won the last two, including a June 27 victory at Petco Park in which he yielded two runs over seven innings. He received five runs of support in the defeats.

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MLB Betting Info. 4/16

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