MLB Betting Info. 5/3

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Preview: Nationals at Royals

Weather information is currently unavailable. 5-Day Forecast
GAME: Washington Nationals (18-7) at Kansas City Royals (13-12)
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, May 03 - 8:15 PM EST
WHERE: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Bryce Harper was named the National League Player of the Month for April, but the Washington Nationals star is experiencing a dry spell entering the middle contest of a three-game series with the host Kansas City Royals on Tuesday. Harper is just 2-for-21 over his last six games and has gone seven contests without a homer after recording a single in four at-bats during Monday's 2-0 series-opening victory.

Harper recorded nine homers and 24 RBIs while posting a .714 slugging percentage in his standout first month as he begins a run at his second consecutive NL MVP award. "Winning ball games is all that matters," Harper told reporters prior to Washington's fourth consecutive victory. "I think having a good approach, the right mindset when you walk into the clubhouse every single day and the (batter's) box, and enjoying the game. That’s what we're doing as a team, and that's what I'm doing as well." Defending world champion Kansas City has dropped six of its last seven games and been shut out in three of its last four contests. The Royals will try to break out of their offensive slump against Tanner Roark, who aims for his third consecutive stellar effort - he has allowed two hits over seven scoreless innings in each of his last two starts and struck out a career-best 15 in one of them.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, MASN2 (Washington), FSN Kansas City

PITCHING MATCHUP: Nationals RH Tanner Roark (2-2, 2.03 ERA) vs. Royals RH Chris Young (1-4, 6.12)

Roark has struck out 21 in his last two starts after fanning just nine over 17 innings in his first three outings. He has gone seven frames without allowing a run three times this season, the other coming when he gave up four hits against Atlanta on April 13. Roark beat the Royals in his lone appearance against them as he yielded one hit in 4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief on Aug. 23, 2013.

Young is averaging just five innings per start and has worked six frames just once in five starts. He lost to the Los Angeles Angels in his last outing, when he gave up three runs and three hits - two homers - in 5 1/3 innings. Young is 3-2 with a 2.75 ERA in nine career starts against Washington and has experienced trouble retiring Harper (4-for-8, one homer) and Wilson Ramos (2-for-2, two homers).

WALK-OFFS

1. The Royals have scored only 11 runs in their last seven games.

2. Washington 2B Daniel Murphy recorded his first three-hit performance of the season on Monday - including his 1,000th career hit - to raise his batting average to .382.

3. Kansas City LF Alex Gordon is 2-for-22 with nine strikeouts over his last seven contests.

PREDICTION: Nationals 5, Royals 2

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Preview: Phillies at Cardinals

Current Conditions - St. Louis

P/SUNNY 71 °F
Wind: W 13
5-Day Forecast
GAME: Philadelphia Phillies (15-11) at St. Louis Cardinals (13-13)
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, May 03 - 8:15 PM EST
WHERE: Busch Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

After halting a four-game slide in the series opener, the St. Louis Cardinals look to make it two wins in a row as they continue their four-game set against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday. St. Louis rallied from an early 3-0 deficit Monday with 10 unanswered runs as starting pitcher Adam Wainwright helped his own cause by going 2-for-2 with a three-run homer.

The Cardinals belted a total of five home runs in the triumph - including one by Randal Grichuk, who ended his 0-for-20 drought with a pinch-hit double in the sixth inning. Monday's setback ended a six-game winning streak for Philadelphia, which kicked off a 10-game road trip while continuing a stretch during which it plays 16 of 19 away from home. Carlos Ruiz enters Tuesday's contest with a six-game hitting streak that has featured a pair of three-hit performances, including one in the series opener. Freddy Galvis has driven in at least one run in each of his last three games, collecting six of his 13 RBIs on the season in that span.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, FSN Midwest (St. Louis)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Aaron Nola (1-2, 3.55 ERA) vs. Cardinals RH Michael Wacha (2-1, 3.07)

Nola has bounced back from a rough outing against Washington on April 16, allowing one run over seven innings at Milwaukee on April 22 for his first win of the season before tossing seven scoreless frames against the Nationals on the road in a no-decision on Thursday. The 22-year-old native of Louisiana has worked seven frames in four of his five turns this year while displaying good control with 37 strikeouts and only six walks in 33 frames. Nola, who has yet to face St. Louis in his career, has given up only two runs over 21 innings in three road starts this year.

Wacha is coming off his first loss of 2016, a seven-inning outing at Arizona on Thursday in which he allowed three runs and five hits with a season-high nine strikeouts. The 24-year-old Iowa native served up his first two homers of the year in that contest while throwing a career-high 114 pitches. Wacha has made two career starts against Philadelphia, going 1-1 while surrendering nine runs in 10 2/3 frames.

WALK-OFFS

1. Phillies 3B Maikel Franco had reached base safely in every road game this season prior to Monday.

2. St. Louis leads the major leagues with 40 home runs and is tied for second with 11 triples - one behind San Francisco.

3. Galvis is 11-for-36 (.306) with six RBIs in nine career contests at Busch Stadium.

PREDICTION: Phillies 4, Cardinals 3

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Preview: Mariners at Athletics

Current Conditions - Oakland

P/SUNNY 64 °F
Wind: WSW 8
5-Day Forecast
GAME: Seattle Mariners (14-11) at Oakland Athletics (13-14)
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, May 03 - 10:05 PM EST
WHERE: Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Oakland right-hander Sonny Gray has made 79 career starts and none of them have been shorter than his last outing. Gray will seek to rebound from the poor effort when the Athletics host the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday in the second contest of a three-game slate.

Gray lasted just two innings while losing to the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday when he allowed four runs, walked four and gave up two hits (one a homer). Gray will be trying to cool down Seattle second baseman Robinson Cano and designated hitter Nelson Cruz, who each had three hits in the Mariners' 4-3 series-opening victory Monday. Athletics left fielder Khris Davis had two homers and three RBIs in the loss to raise his season homer total to five — all coming the past 12 games. Oakland has lost seven of its last 10 games while Seattle has won 12 of its past 17 games after losing six of its first eight games.

TV: 10:05 p.m. ET, ROOT (Seattle), CSN California (Oakland)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Mariners RH Hisashi Iwakuma (0-3, 4.65 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Sonny Gray (3-2, 3.81)

Iwakuma is winless in five starts and owns a 1.42 WHIP — significantly higher than his 1.10 career mark. He lost to the Houston Astros in his last turn when he gave up a season-worst five runs while lasting just five innings. Iwakuma is 5-5 with a 4.09 ERA in 11 career appearances (10 starts) against Oakland and has struggled against right fielder Josh Reddick (7-for-21) while keeping catcher Stephen Vogt (3-for-14) in check.

Gray has been struggling with his control and has walked four in two of his five starts and has issued 15 overall in 28 1/3 innings. He pitched six or more innings in each of his first four starts — winning three of them — and allowed three runs or fewer on each occasion. Gray is 4-1 with a 2.14 ERA in nine career starts against Seattle and has shut down center fielder Leonys Martin (4-for-30, 10 strikeouts) and catcher Chris Iannetta (1-for-15).

WALK-OFFS

1. The Mariners are 20-11 in Oakland since the beginning of the 2013 season — including five straight victories.

2. Vogt had three hits in the opener and is 7-for-20 during a five-game hitting streak.

3. Seattle LF Nori Aoki had two hits Monday for just his third multi-hit outing of the season.

PREDICTION: Athletics 3, Mariners 2

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Preview: Rockies at Padres

Current Conditions - San Diego

CLOUDY 59 °F
Wind: WSW 12
5-Day Forecast
GAME: Colorado Rockies (12-13) at San Diego Padres (10-16)
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, May 03 - 10:10 PM EST
WHERE: Petco Park, San Diego, California
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Colorado’s Trevor Story is eager to prove he’s more than a one-month wonder. The 23-year-old shortstop, who was named the National League Rookie of the Month after belting 10 home runs in April, aims to build on his stellar start Tuesday as the Rockies continue their three-game series against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.

Story batted .261 with 20 RBIs and 19 runs scored in April to lead the Rockies, who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end in Monday’s 2-1 loss to the Padres. Story has opened May by going 1-for-8 with three strikeouts while hitting third in the order, one spot ahead of third baseman Nolan Arenado, who is hitting .462 with four home runs in his last six games. The Padres don’t have anyone nearly as hot as Arenado, but first baseman Wil Myers has sparked the offense by hitting .323 over his last 23 games. Third baseman Brett Wallace could make his second consecutive start Tuesday as manager Andy Green looks to get more left-handed bats in the lineup against right-handed starters.

TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, ROOT (Colorado), FSN San Diego

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Eddie Butler (0-0, 3.86 ERA) vs. Padres RH Andrew Cashner (1-2, 4.94)

Butler is set to make his first start of the season after throwing 2 1/3 innings of relief against Pittsburgh in his season debut Wednesday. “In the short outing we saw the other day, he was throwing strikes again,” manager Walt Weiss told reporters. “He did that in the minor leagues, and he’s always been a strike thrower.” The 25-year-old was went 3-10 last season in 16 starts, with one of the losses coming at San Diego on May 1, 2015, when he allowed five runs (three earned) over four frames.

Cashner recorded his shortest outing since 2013 on Wednesday, when he yielded six runs (three earned) on four hits and four walks over 2 2/3 innings against San Francisco. “That game was the aberration,” Green told MLB.com. “Look at the two (starts) before that. He threw the ball very well.” DJ LeMahieu is 5-for-12 against Cashner, who is 1-3 with a 6.08 ERA in 11 career games (six starts) against the Rockies.

WALK-OFFS

1. San Diego is 18-5 in its last 23 games against the Rockies at Petco Park.

2. The Rockies are 2-7 when they don't hit a home run.

3. The Padres recalled INF/OF Alex Dickerson from Triple-A El Paso and designated LHP Michael Kirkman for assignment.

PREDICTION: Padres 6, Rockies 4