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**TheGame** · 06-13-2016, 07:55 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/13

MLB roundup: Ventura, Royals beat White Sox
By The Sports Xchange

CHICAGO -- Yordano Ventura struck out a season-high 10 batters in seven innings, and the Kansas City Royals held on for a 3-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday afternoon.
Whit Merrifield finished 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run to lead the Royals at the plate. Salvador Perez added a solo home run as Kansas City won its second consecutive game.
Ventura (5-4) fanned 10-plus batters for the fifth time in his career and the first time since Oct. 3, 2015, against the Minnesota Twins. He struck out the side in the second inning and again in the sixth inning.
A pending nine-game suspension did little to distract Ventura, who is appealing the penalty for his role in a June 7 brawl with the Baltimore Orioles. Ventura allowed one run on five hits and walked one.

Cubs 13, Braves 2
ATLANTA -- The Chicago Cubs were a comedy of errors defensively with Bill Murray on hand for the final two games against Atlanta.
The Cubs won both in laughers anyway, making the actor-comedian happy and improving the team's major-league-best record to 43-18.
Jon Lester (8-3) didn't allow an earned run over seven innings and the Cubs made four errors in the first two innings against the Braves on Sunday. The Cubs had three errors in Saturday's game.
Anthony Rizzo had three hits and three RBIs, while Javier Baez blasted a three-run homer as part of a six-run eighth inning that followed a three-run seventh by the Cubs.

Tigers 4, Yankees 1
NEW YORK -- Michael Fulmer continued his impressive run when he pitched six effective innings and won his fifth straight start as Detroit defeated New York.
Fulmer (7-1) ran his scoreless streak to 28 1/3 innings by holding the Yankees to two hits. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it is just shy of the Detroit rookie record set by John Hiller, who had 28 2/3 scoreless innings Aug. 10-29, 1967.
The right-hander also has allowed one earned run in his last 34 1/3 innings, giving him an earned run average of 0.26 in his last five starts and lowering his overall earned run average from 6.52 to 2.52. He only allowed a leadoff single to Aaron Hicks and a bloop double to Austin Romine that started the fifth.

Blue Jays 10, Orioles 9
TORONTO -- Russell Martin hit a three-run homer, Kevin Pillar had a homer and two RBIs, Devon Travis had two RBIs and Toronto held on to defeat Baltimore.
The Blue Jays won the final three games of the four-game series after the Orioles took the opener.
Adam Jones hit two home runs and Pedro Alvarez, Chris Davis and Matt Wieters each homered once for the Orioles, who fell behind by six runs before cutting the lead to one.

Rays 5, Astros 0
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Matt Moore recorded his best game of the season, holding Houston to two hits in seven innings, as Tampa Bay claimed a series victory.
Moore (3-4) matched his season high with 10 strikeouts, equaled his longest outing and set a season low for hits and runs -- this after getting only one win in his previous nine starts. The Rays took two of three games from the Astros, who saw Dallas Keuchel (3-9) pitch well until a rough fifth inning in which he gave up five runs.
The Rays broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning, getting to Keuchel after four dominant innings.

Athletics 6, Reds 1
CINCINNATI -- Marcus Semien and Jake Smolinski each a hit two-run homer to help Oakland avoid the sweep with a victory over Cincinnati in the finale of a three-game interleague series.
Danny Valencia added a solo homer in the eighth, his 10th of the season, for the Athletics, who collected 15 hits to snap a seven-game losing streak.
Fernando Rodriguez (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings to earn the victory.

Brewers 5, Mets 3
MILWAUKEE -- Zach Davies won his fourth consecutive decision and struck out seven as Milwaukee salvaged a series split with a win over New York.
Keon Broxton and Scooter Gennett had two hits each for the Brewers, who produced nine hits off Mets left-hander Steven Matz (7-3). Matz surrendered five runs while striking out five over six innings.
Davies (5-3) came into his 11th start of the season riding high -- since starting the season 0-3 with an 8.78 ERA, he had gone 4-0 with 2.91 mark in his last seven and carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning his last time out.

Twins 7, Red Sox 4
MINNEAPOLIS -- Max Kepler belted a three-run, walk-off home run in the 10th inning to lift Minnesota to victory over Boston at Target Field.
Kepler hit an 0-2 fastball from Red Sox right-hander Matt Barnes over the center-field fence for his first career home run with runners at second and third and one out.
Michael Tonkin (2-2) struck out two in one inning of scoreless relief to earn the win.

Diamondbacks 6, Marlins 0
PHOENIX -- Rookie Peter O'Brien hit a three-run homer to cap a four-run first inning, and Robbie Ray threw 7 2/3 scoreless innings in Arizona's victory over Miami.
O'Brien hit his first homer of the season in his second start after being recalled Friday from Triple-A Reno, where he led all the affiliated minor leagues with 17 homers and 142 total bases while hitting .330.
Ray (3-5) gave up three hits, all singles, and one walk while throwing a career-high 117 pitches. He struck out six and faced two batters over the minimum. Two of the hits were erased by double plays.

Rockies 2, Padres 1
DENVER -- Mark Reynolds hit a tiebreaking, solo home run in the seventh inning, leading Colorado to a win over San Diego.
Reynolds drove the first pitch from Kevin Quackenbush (3-3) over the out-of-town scoreboard in right field to put the Rockies ahead 2-1. It was his fourth homer of the season.
Colorado left-hander Tyler Anderson was extremely impressive in his major league debut. However, he was denied a win when Gonzalez Germen (2-0) relieved him in the top of the seventh and allowed an inherited runner to score the tying run. Anderson gave up six hits and one run in 6 1/3 innings with no walks and six strikeouts.

Nationals 5, Phillies 4
WASHINGTON -- Jayson Werth hit a two-run single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth as Washington rallied for a win over Philadelphia to sweep the three-game series.
Jonathan Papelbon (1-2) gave up a game-tying homer to Maikel Franco in the top of the ninth but emerged with the win.
The Phillies tied the game at 3-3 in the sixth as Odubel Herrera had an RBI double and Freddy Galvis singled to drive in Herrera. Philadelphia's Cody Asche hit his first homer of the year, a solo shot in the fifth that cut the deficit to 3-1. Danny Espinosa gave Washington a 3-0 lead in the second with a solo homer.

Indians 8, Angels 3
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Carlos Santana hit two home runs and drove in three runs to lead Cleveland past Los Angeles.
Santana hit a solo homer in the second inning and a two-run drive in the ninth to increase his total to 12 home runs. Francisco Lindor added three RBIs and three hits, including a solo home run.
Los Angeles center fielder Mike Trout left the game in the eighth inning when Tommy Hunter hit him with a pitch in the right hand. X-rays revealed no fracture, but Trout sustained a right thumb contusion during the Angels' eighth loss in 10 games.

Rangers 6, Mariners 4
SEATTLE -- Cole Hamels threw seven strong innings, and Texas' offense came alive to take two of three in the series from Seattle.
Mitch Moreland hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning and Ian Desmond added a two-run single in the sixth as the Rangers opened up a five-game lead atop the American League West. The last time Texas had a lead that wide in the division standings was in May 2013.
Hamels (6-1) held Seattle to one run on four hits over seven innings. The Mariners rallied for three runs over the final two innings before the game ended with Seattle's Robinson Cano getting thrown out at second base trying to stretch an RBI single into a double.

Cardinals 8, Pirates 3
PITTSBURGH -- Matt Holliday and Randal Grichuk hit home runs in St. Louis' win for a sweep of a weekend series against Pittsburgh, who have lost five straight.
Holliday went 3-for-4 with two RBIs before leaving in the seventh for a pinch runner. The Cardinals pounded out 14 hits, with eight starters getting at least one and six players driving in at least one run.
The sweep was the first for the Cardinals at PNC Park since August 2009. They finished a two-series road trip 5-1 and are a season-high seven games over .500.
The five-game losing streak is the longest of the season for the Pirates, dropping them to just a game over .500.

Giants 2, Dodgers 1
SAN FRANCISCO -- Fifteen-year veteran Jake Peavy outdueled 19-year-old Julio Urias in a battle of the ages, pitching San Francisco to a victory over rival Los Angeles in a nationally televised game. The first-place Giants won two of three in the weekend series to take a five-game lead over the second-place Dodgers in the National League West.
Brandon Belt hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to account for all of the scoring for the Giants, who recorded their fourth one-run win over the Dodgers this season.

**TheGame** · 06-13-2016, 07:55 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/13

Preview: Cubs (43-18) at Nationals (39-24)

Game: 1
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: June 13, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- Nationals manager Dusty Baker said this weekend that his team can't look too much ahead to an upcoming west coast trip, which begins Thursday with a game in San Diego.

"We have not played the west (coast teams). You want to get some momentum before you go there," Baker said.

The Nationals, who have won six of the last seven, will certainly get a chance to do that when they begin a three-game series at home Monday with the Chicago Cubs in a showdown of first-place teams.

Last year, manager Matt Williams took some heat when he did not set up his rotation to have Max Scherzer pitch in a series against the New York Mets.

Baker won't make that mistake this year, as Scherzer (7-4, 3.57) is slated to start Monday against the Cubs, who will send Kyle Hendricks (4-5, 2.90) to the mound.

"You want to get some steam, get a bit of cushion" before heading west, Baker said.

The Nationals (39-24) are a season-high 15 games over .500 and have more than a cushion. They also have some luck as Jack Arrieta is not slated to pitch in the series for the Cubs, nor is Jon Lester.

"We haven't played a lot of teams in the Central," said Washington shortstop Danny Espinosa, who scored the game-winning run Sunday as the Nationals scored two in the ninth to beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-4.

When the teams met May 5-8 in the Windy City, the Cubs won all four games by a combined score of 22-16.

Scherzer got the loss May 6 by a score of 8-6 as he was hit hard, while John Lackey picked up the win in that game.

Will the Cubs refuse to pitch to Harper in this series, just like they did in Chicago when he drew a ton of walks?

"I don't know," Baker said Sunday. "I haven't really thought about it. I'm thinking about the Phillies now. And then tomorrow I probably still won't think about it. Because thanks to the Cubs, they're the ones that changed my lineup."

Harper struggled after that series but has started to hit better the past week. He was given a rest day on Sunday by Baker, though he did reach on a pinch-hit single in the ninth to aid a winning rally.

A sweep may be asking too much for the Nationals against the Cubs.

Washington got its first home sweep since late April with three wins over the Phillies this weekend.

Chicago is 43-18 -- the best mark in the majors -- after an easy 13-2 win on Sunday over the Atlanta Braves. The Cubs had made three errors on Saturday but the Nationals shouldn't count on Chicago beating themselves.

"It was uncharacteristic," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of the errors in Atlanta.

Said Washington's Espinosa: "The Cubs are really good."

The Nationals and their fans are about to find out just how good the Cubs are.

Baker said Sunday his next goal is to get the Nationals to 20 games over .500. Maddon also has goals.

"I have goals -- that was 25 over today," Maddon said Sunday to mlb.com. "If I have any short-term goals, it's to increase increments of five, and that's what I focus on more than anything."

**TheGame** · 06-13-2016, 07:56 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/13

Preview: Phillies (29-34) at Blue Jays (35-30)

Game: 1
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: June 13, 2016 7:07 PM EDT

TORONTO -- Jose Bautista is expected to return to the Toronto Blue Jays' lineup Monday for the opener of a four-game, home-and-home interleague series with the Philadelphia Phillies.

The teams are familiar with each other because of the proximity of their Florida spring training sites with the Blue Jays in Dunedin, which is adjacent to Clearwater, where the Phillies train.

The Blue Jays are on a roll after taking the final three games of a four-game series against American League East rivals, the Baltimore Orioles. Toronto has moved to within 2 1/2 games of Baltimore and the Boston Red Sox in the division.

They did it with Ezequiel Carrera playing right field and batting leadoff for the past three games while Bautista was out with a sore right thigh. Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said Bautista would return Monday as designated hitter.

Carrera replaced Bautista as a pinch-runner in the sixth inning of the Thursday loss to the Orioles. The Blue Jays' fourth outfielder had a hit in each of the three games he started against Orioles going 4-for-12 (.333) with two walks and a sacrifice bunt.

Not so certain is whether Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna will be ready for Monday. He was not available for the second game in a row Sunday.

"He was a little sore, nothing major," Gibbons said after the 10-9 win over the Orioles on Sunday. "We can't afford to lose him. He's been carrying a pretty big work load."

With the DH used in the American League park, Ryan Howard is expected to get some at-bats in that role.

"I'll probably DH Howie," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said.

Mackanin said on Friday that Tommy Joseph would replace Howard as the Phillies' regular first baseman. Howard will be relegated to pinch-hitting and spot starts. The DH affords a good opportunity for that.

"I flat-out don't like it," Mackanin said. "I don't like to have to deal with it because of what he's done for the organization over the years. Once again, this is another year where we're looking to the future, and Tommy Joseph looks like he's going to be in the future."

Jimmy Paredes, who spent seven games with the Blue Jays after being claimed off waivers from the Orioles, will return Monday with the Phillies. The Blue Jays traded him to the Phillies for cash considerations on June 1.

Paredes, a switch-hitter who plays outfield and infield, was 0-for-4 after starting in right field in the Phillies' 5-4, ninth-inning loss to the Washington Nationals on Sunday. He was 4-for-15 (.267) with one homer and two RBIs in Toronto. He is 4-for-24 (.167) with one homer and four RBIs for the Phillies.

The Phillies will start right-hander Jerad Eickhoff (3-8, 3.68 ERA), who is coming off a solid start in which he held the Chicago Cubs to one run in seven innings. He has a 2.76 ERA in his past five starts. This will be his first start against Toronto.

Blue Jays right-hander R.A. Dickey (4-6, 4.15 ERA) will be seeking his third straight start Monday. He held the Detroit Tigers to two runs in 5 1/3 innings on Wednesday in Toronto's 7-2 win despite having a poor knuckleball. He is 5-4 with a 3.03 ERA in 12 starts against Philadelphia.

The Blue Jays will take a break from the AL East for the series before returning to face the Orioles for a three-game series opening Friday.

Reliever Jason Grilli who joined Toronto after a trade with the Atlanta Braves talked about then intensity in the AL East after he picked up his first save with his new team Sunday in the 10-9 victory.

"It's like a heavyweight boxing match every night," the 39-year-old right-hander said. "No big lead is big enough from the sounds of it and from the looks of it."

**TheGame** · 06-13-2016, 07:56 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/13

Preview: Reds (24-39) at Braves (18-44)

Game: 1
Venue: Turner Field
Date: June 13, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

ATLANTA -- Daniel Wright will make his second major league start Monday night as the Cincinnati Reds open a nine-game road trip with the first of four contests with the Atlanta Braves.

How long Wright stays in the rotation is very much up for question.

The move to start the rookie right-hander against the Braves was as much about getting veteran Alfredo Simon out of the rotation as getting Wright in.

"Alfredo really needed to go to the bullpen and get things ironed out," Reds manager Bryan Price said in Cincinnati in announcing the switch Saturday. "We needed a starter and I think Dan's best suited right now with what we have currently to make that start."

The Reds, winners of seven of their past 11 games, have top pitching prospects Robert Stephenson and Cody Reed at Triple-A Louisville and at least one of them will eventually settle into a rotation spot.

Meanwhile, Wright gets to show what he can do and Simon will have to get back on track in the bullpen.

The 25-year-old Wright made his major-league debut against the Dodgers in Los Angeles on May 24 and went 5 1/3 innings while allowing seven hits and four runs (three earned).

Wright, who started the season with Double-A Pensacola before being promoted to Triple-A Louisville, has made two relief outings since then, giving up five runs and 12 hits in 4 2/3 innings.

It has been a breakthrough season for Wright, who was 2-0 with a 0.45 ERA in eight games (two starts) for Pensacola and 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA for Louisville in two starts.

Simon made 10 starts and one relief appearance for the Reds, going 2-6 with a 9.11 ERA. He pitched more than five innings in just three of his starts.

The Braves also made a rotation change for the series, pushing back Aaron Blair and Julio Teheran to start Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

Each were given an extra day of rest, with John Gant making his first major league start Sunday against the Chicago Cubs.

With Williams Perez (rotator cuff tendonitis) going on the disabled list, the Braves originally had a hole in the rotation for Tuesday.

"I will just give the other two guys an extra day, which I think is a good idea," Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said of Blair and Teheran.

Blair, acquired from Arizona as part of the Shelby Miller trade, goes into his ninth start still seeking his first major league victory. He is 0-4 with a 7.13 ERA.

Blair, ranked as the Braves' No. 2 prospect, was 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA in four starts for Triple-A Gwinnett, but has mostly struggled with Atlanta. He has pitched as many as six innings just once in eight starts.

The Braves have a 40-25 edge over the Reds at Turner Field going into their final series at the 20-year-old ballpark that was built as part of the 1996 Olympic Games. The Braves are moving into a new stadium in suburban Cobb County next year.

The Reds split a four-game series in Atlanta last season and took the season series 4-3.

Cincinnati went 5-4 in a homestand against Washington, St. Louis and Oakland, although the Reds remain last in the National League Central with a 24-39 record.

Atlanta has the worst record in the majors at 18-44, including 7-25 at home.

**TheGame** · 06-13-2016, 07:56 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/13

Preview: Tigers (32-30) at White Sox (31-32)

Game: 1
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: June 13, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- A string of losses against rival teams from the American League Central caused the Chicago White Sox to tumble from first place to fourth place in the division.

White Sox manager Robin Ventura knows the negative trend must stop -- and soon. After a series-ending, 3-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, the White Sox dropped 11 of their last 12 games against teams from the AL Central.

"It adds up," Ventura said. "When you play that many times, if you don't have a good record in your division, it's going to hurt you just because you have so many games with those guys."

The White Sox (31-32) will meet against another division rival when they welcome the Detroit Tigers (32-30) to U.S. Cellular Field for a three-game series starting Monday. The Tigers dominated the first series between the teams from June 3-5, winning all three games by a combined margin of 22-9.

Since then, the Tigers have improved while the White Sox have continued to swoon.

Detroit is coming off a series win against the New York Yankees that improved the team's record to 8-3 in June. The Tigers have pulled even with the Royals for second place in the AL Central, only 2 1/2 games behind the division-leading Indians.

Meanwhile, the White Sox lost 14 of their last 18 games and 10 of their last 13 series. General manager Rick Hahn tried to shake up the roster last week when he designated right-hander Mat Latos and shortstop Jimmy Rollins for assignment, but the moves have done little to jump-start the rest of the roster.

Right-hander James Shields (2-8, 5.06 ERA) will make his second start since joining the White Sox on June 4 in a trade with the San Diego Padres. Shields will try to bounce back from a miserable first start with the White Sox in which he allowed seven earned runs in two-plus innings against the Nationals.

Shields, 34, is familiar with the Tigers after spending the majority of his career with Tampa Bay and Kansas City in the American League. In 18 career starts against Detroit, Shields is 7-6 with a 4.10 ERA.

Left-hander Matt Boyd (0-1, 3.38 ERA) will start for the Tigers. The 25-year-old hurler did not earn the victory in his last outing despite limiting the Toronto Blue Jays to one run on three hits in 5 1/3 innings. Monday's game will mark his first career appearance against the White Sox.

Tigers second baseman Ian Kinsler carries a hot bat into the series. Kinsler recorded the first five-RBI game of his career Saturday against the Yankees, and he slammed a two-run home run in Sunday's finale.

"He's kind of Steady Eddie," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus told MLB.com. "He plays all the time, he's basically always hitting the same spot in the lineup. He's very intense and into the game. He's a catalyst and he brings a lot of attitude to the ballpark, in a good way."

**TheGame** · 06-13-2016, 07:57 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/13

Preview: Indians (35-27) at Royals (32-30)

Game: 1
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: June 13, 2016 8:15 PM EDT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The roles have been reversed.

On June 1, the Kansas City Royals defeated the Tampa Bay Rays to complete a 6-0 homestand and moved into first place in the American League Central.

The Royals then began an 11-day trip with the first four games in Cleveland. The Royals failed to hold a ninth-inning lead in the first contest and dropped a 5-4 decision to begin a season-worst eight-game losing streak.

After completing a sweep in Cleveland, the Indians took over first place in the division. Cleveland outscored the Royals by a 27-6 margin in the four games, limiting them to two runs over the final three games. The Royals went from two games up to trailing the Indians by three.

The two clubs meet in a rematch beginning with a three-game series Monday at Kauffman Stadium. The Indians have won six of seven against the Royals this year, but all the games have been played in Cleveland.

While the Royals are 19-7 at home, they are an abominable 10 games below .500 at 13-23 on the road.

Right-handers Carlos Carrasco for the Indians and Edinson Volquez for the Royals will start the series opener. Volquez started the season 3-0 with a 1.09 ERA in his first four starts, but has struggled lately. Volquez is 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA in two June starts and is 2-4 with a 5.27 ERA in his past seven.

Lonnie Chisenhall, who is .417 with a double and triple in 12 at-bats, and Jason Kipnis (.353) have hit well against Volquez. Carlos Santana has only three hits in 15 at-bats off Volquez, but two are home runs. Santana homered twice Sunday in the Indians' 8-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.

Carrasco has allowed seven earned runs and 14 hits in 11 2/3 innings in his past two starts. He yielded three runs on nine hits in five innings in his previous outing against the Royals, his initial start after coming off the disabled list with a hamstring injury. Lorenzo Cain (.364, 8-for-22) and Eric Hosmer (.316, 6-for-19 with three RBIs) have hit Carrasco well.

The Indians could be without third baseman Jose Uribe, who was carted off the field in the fourth inning Sunday against the Angels. Mike Trout's smash grounder hit Uribe in the groin area. He was diagnosed with a testicular contusion after remaining on the ground in pain for a while.

The Royals, who won the final two games of the road trip at Chicago, are tied with the Detroit Tigers with a 30-22 record for second in the division. The White Sox are 4 1/2 games back.

"It's going to be a dogfight to the end," Royals manager Ned Yost.

Indians manager Terry Francona rested Kipnis on Sunday and Francisco Lindor on Saturday, trying to keep both fresh for the key series in Kansas City, where temperatures are forecasted in high ranges of 92 to 101 the next three days.

"We've got night games in Kansas City, which is great," Francona told MLB.com. "It's still going to be hot. I'm just trying to give a guy a day off before he's fried. We're trying to kind of space it out with the guys playing every day."

**TheGame** · 06-13-2016, 07:57 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/13

Preview: Dodgers (33-31) at Diamondbacks (28-37)

Game: 1
Venue: Chase Field
Date: June 13, 2016 9:40 PM EDT

PHOENIX -- Six months after signing a record free agent deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Zack Greinke will face his former team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, for the first time this season Monday.

The D-backs lured Greinke to the desert with a six-year, $206.5 million contract, one year more and with a slightly higher average annual than the package the Dodgers offered, a deal the D-backs put together in about five hours and one that it turned out Greinke could not resist.

After a rough start Greinke has done some of his best work recently. He threw his first shutout since July 13, 2013, in a 5-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday. He gave up three singles and two walks

Greinke enters play Monday with a streak of 16 consecutive scoreless innings.

Last season with the Dodgers, shutout chances were a common occurrence for Greinke. He threw eight scoreless innings three times before being replaced by closer Kenley Jansen to begin the ninth. Greinke used 94 pitches in one of those starts, 93 in another. He never finished a shutout in 2015.

"With pitch counts and Kenley Jansen, one of the best closers of the game, it was hard to get a situation to have that happen," Greinke said of recording a shutout.

Arizona (28-37) has won three of its last five and is coming off its third home series win of the season, having taken two of three from the Miami Marlins over the weekend. The D-backs are 12-23 at home.

The Dodgers (33-31) have won five of their past nine games, though they dropped two of three at NL West-leading San Francisco over the weekend.

Right-hander Mike Bolsinger (1-3) will start Monday for the Dodgers he was pushed back from a scheduled Sunday start. The team decided to use lefty Julio Urias against the Giants' left-handed-leaning lineup.

Bolsinger has 5.75 ERA through four starts, the worst of which came in his most recent outing. Pitching at home against the Colorado Rockies, Bolsinger gave up six runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings on June 6.

In three career starts against the Diamondbacks, Bolsinger is 1-0 with a 3.07 ERA.

Adrian Gonzalez, who hits well at Chase Field, is just short of milestones as he enters the series. He has 296 homers and 393 doubles, and he would be the seventh active player to reach both levels. Alex Rodriguez, Adrian Beltre, Carlos Beltran, Albert Pujols, David Ortiz and Miguel Cabrera are there already.

Greinke has won five straight starts, and he is 8-1 since allowing 11 runs in 10 innings in his first two outings of the season, both at Chase Field.

Greinke has gone about it in two different ways. He struck out 11 in seven innings of a 3-0 victory at Houston on June 2, and he struck out only two last Tuesday while blanking the Rays.

"It just shows you when you allow contact and your defense plays behind you, you can get through a nine-inning game with a manageable pitch count," Arizona manager Chip Hale said. "There is nothing wrong with that. The strikeout is sexy, but the two-pitch, three-pitch out is probably more economical."

Greinke said this spring that last season was the first in which he did not focus on strikeouts but rather on getting soft contact.

"What ends up happening, when he takes the strikeout out of his mind and thinks about let's get them out with good, low movement and stuff like that, he'll get the strikeouts on guys that are strikeout hitters," Hale said.

**TheGame** · 06-13-2016, 07:57 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/13

Preview: Twins (19-43) at Angels (27-36)

Game: 1
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: June 13, 2016 10:05 PM EDT

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The upcoming three-game series between the Los Angeles Angels and the Minnesota Twins, which starts Monday night, is the latest engagement in each team's campaign to salvage their respective seasons.

After Sunday's 8-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians, the Angels are only one-half game out of last place in the American League West. Los Angeles not only has lost seven of its past nine games but members of the Angels' patchwork rotation have failed to pitch beyond the sixth inning in eight of the previous 10.

Right-hander Matt Shoemaker is the exception, and he is not scheduled to start against the Twins.

"If we're going to start to get this thing going in the direction it needs to be going, the first thing that has to be in order is our rotation," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "That will help our bullpen heal and solidify."

Five of the 10 Angels on the disabled list are pitchers. Four are starters and three are on the 60-day disabled list -- including the projected top two, Garrett Richards and Andrew Heaney.

Minnesota brings the American League's worst record into Monday night's game. But Joe Mauer also brings a streak of 24 consecutive games in which he has reached base. At 29, shortstop Eduardo Nunez is enjoying his best season. Nunez enters the game fifth in the American League with a .327 average and third in stolen bases with 14.

Yet wins have been so few and far between for the Twins that pitcher Pat Dean, who grew up rooting for the Boston Red Sox in Connecticut, actually thought his childhood favorites had won when teammate Max Kepler hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Minnesota a 7-4 win over the visiting Red Sox.

"Wow, that was bad," Dean told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. "The ending kind of got my mind going a little crazy right now."

Two right-handers experiencing frustrating seasons face each other Monday night. The Twins' Ricky Nolasco has lost three of his past four decisions and compiled a 6.39 earned-run average since the start of May.

Meanwhile, the Angels' Jered Weaver continues to struggle with velocity and command. In his last outing on Wednesday night, Weaver allowed six runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 12-6 loss to the New York Yankees.

Mike Trout, who suffered a bruised right thumb when hit by a pitch Sunday, is expected to play for the Angels. But reliever Jose Alvarez is day-to-day after being hit in the right shin by a ground ball.

**TheGame** · 06-13-2016, 07:58 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/13

Preview: Rangers (39-24) at Athletics (26-36)

Game: 1
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: June 13, 2016 10:05 PM EDT

The Texas Rangers are in first place in the American League West, but they enter Monday feeling a little nervous about the condition of Yu Darvish.

While the Rangers visit the Oakland Athletics for the opener of a three-game series, Darvish will be in Dallas getting his shoulder examined.

The right-hander was originally slated to make his fourth start Monday after completing the 14-month rehab process from March 2015 Tommy John surgery. However, on Saturday, the Rangers announced Darvish would be scratched due to shoulder tightness.

"It's a situation where we are going to get him to see a doctor, get an MRI and make sure he's all right," Texas manager Jeff Banister said. "We want this guy to continue to pitch, so we're going to be conservative and make sure he's OK. Not push the envelope."

Trouble began for Darvish when he exited after five innings Wednesday against the Houston Astros. He was examined after the game, and no structural damage was discovered.

He threw a bullpen session Friday, but a day later, following a four-pitch bullpen session, Darvish shut it down. A few hours later, he was scratched from the scheduled Monday start.

"I have heard it's common for players that have had Tommy John surgery to have issues like this," Darvish said in a statement to reporters in Seattle. "Right now I don't want to push it and make it worse. It's a precaution. We hope it's nothing serious and that I can be back soon."

While the condition of Darvish's shoulder remains a mystery, so does Monday's starting pitcher. Banister said left-handed reliever Cesar Ramos was "most likely" to get the start but did not fully commit to him. Ramos is 1-2 with a 3.58 ERA in seven appearances (three starts) and has made two appearances spanning five innings since May 21.

The murkiness regarding Darvish's shoulder is not the only physical issue Texas is dealing with. Adrian Beltre missed his fourth consecutive game Sunday due to a hamstring injury, and although Banister said the third baseman is making progress, the team does not have a timetable for his return.

In the meantime, the Rangers kept winning, as their 6-4 decision at Seattle on Sunday was their eighth victory in 10 games. Cole Hamels allowed one run in seven innings, and Mitch Moreland and Ian Desmond hit two-run homers.

While the Rangers have won seven of nine meetings with Seattle, they were outscored 19-7 in a three-game sweep in Oakland from May 16-18 but are 15-5 since then. The A's owned a 19-22 record when Khris Davis homered four times in the sweep. Since then, the Athletics have lost 14 of their past 21 games.

Oakland ended a seven-game losing streak Sunday by getting home runs from Marcus Semien, Jake Smolinski and Danny Valencia in a 6-1 victory over the Reds at Cincinnati. During the skid, Oakland batted .219 and posted a 5.16 ERA.

"You have to stay positive," Smolinski said. "It's a long season, a lot of things can happen. We just have to even out those tough spots we've been hitting. We just have to stick with it and come out every day ready to play."

The first pitch of the game will start about an hour after the Golden State Warriors begin Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Oracle Arena across the parking lot. Oakland will hope Sean Manaea can pitch as well as Stephen Curry can shoot 3-pointers.

Manaea is 2-3 with a 6.20 ERA but has pitched better recently, going 2-3 with a 4.18 ERA in his past five starts. Manaea last pitched Tuesday in Milwaukee, when he allowed five runs and six hits in seven innings during a 5-4 loss to the Brewers.

The right-hander's only start against Texas was also his first career victory. On May 16, he allowed one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings of a 3-1 win.

**TheGame** · 06-13-2016, 07:58 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/13

Preview: Marlins (32-31) at Padres (26-38)

Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: June 13, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

SAN DIEGO -- TBA has become a regular in the Padres rotation this season.

Three-fifths of the rotation the Padres had on Opening Day are gone.

Actually, the projected top three pieces of the rotation are currently missing.

Andrew Cashner joined Tyson Ross, who hasn't pitched since Opening Day, on the disabled list Saturday. And James Shields has been traded to the Chicago White Sox.

When the season opened, Ross was the Padres' No. 1 starter followed by Shields and Cashner, with right-hander Colin Rea in the No. 4 slot and left-hander Drew Pomeranz the No. 5 starter.

Sixty-four games later, Pomeranz is the ace of the staff and Rea, who faces the Miami Marlins and left-handed starter Wei-Yin Chen Monday night in the opener of a three-game series at Petco Park, has been the second-most active Padres starter.

"It's been tough," Padres manager Andy Green said Sunday when he talked about the state of his rotation. "But it's the hand we've been dealt. It's been less than ideal, but we have to play it the best we can."

Pomeranz, who starts the second game of the series against Miami Tuesday night, is the only member of the Padres rotation who has made every start this season. Rea missed one when the Padres optioned him to Triple-A El Paso on May 23 as a way to control his innings.

But Rea was rushed back to San Diego after Cesar Vargas went on the disabled list. Then Shields was traded and ... well, the Padres have already used 10 starting pitchers this season, including 23-year-old Rule 5 draftee Luis Perdomo, who is the Padres' No. 5 starter until Cashner returns from his neck strain.

The plan to rest Rea and control the 25-year-old's innings has temporarily been scrubbed.

He will be making his 12th start of the season Monday (7:10 p.m.) while facing the Marlins for the first time in his career. Ironically, Wei, who will be making his 130th career start, has never faced the Padres.

And this will be the first meeting of the season between the two teams, each of which lost the rubber games of series on the road Sunday.

Miami was blanked 6-0 by Arizona in Phoenix as it fell to 2-4 after two stops of a three-city road trip.

The Padres dropped a 2-1 decision at Colorado ... adding to one of the worst stats in all of baseball for 2016. The Padres are 0-10 on Sundays this season -- and 1-20 in the finales of the 21 series they've played to date.

On the flip side, the Padres are 14-7 in the openers of series.

Rea is 3-2 with a 4.74 earned run average going into his 12th start of the season. Chen is 3-2 with a career-high 4.56 ERA going into his 13th start. Chen, a product of Taiwan by way of the American League, has only one win in his past seven starts. Rea is 0-1 in his last five starts.

One area where Rea might have an edge is with the bat. Rea is 3-for-22 this season with an RBI and three runs scored and is 5-for-31 in his career. Chen is 0-for-28 in his career at the plate and recently switched to hitting right-handed.

"I just started hitting right-handed," Chen recently told Miami reporters, "so I'm going to need a little time adjusting."

Chen's first hit wouldn't be the first hitting milestone for a pitcher against the Padres this season. Bartolo Colon hit the first homer of his career against Shields when he was still with the Padres on May 7.

**TheGame** · 06-13-2016, 07:59 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/13

Preview: Brewers (30-33) at Giants (38-26)

Game: 1
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: June 13, 2016 10:15 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants plan to welcome back veteran starting pitchers when they duel in a three-game series that begins Monday night at AT&T Park.

Giants right-hander Matt Cain is expected to throw the first pitch of the series after being reinstated from the 15-day disabled list earlier in the day.

Cain (1-5, 5.20 ERA) strained his right hamstring in his most recent start, May 27 at Colorado, prompting the DL stint. He missed two starts, both of which the Giants lost.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy announced that Albert Suarez, who pitched well in Cain's place, would be moved to long relief upon the veteran's return.

"It gives us another quality arm down there," Bochy said of moving Suarez (1-1, 3.09) to the bullpen. "Matty's ready, so let's go."

It is just a coincidence, but Cain's return comes on a special night -- the fourth anniversary of his perfect game against the Houston Astros.

That said, history definitely won't be on Cain's side Monday night. He has virtual thrown batting practice to the Brewers in recent meetings, going 0-3 with a 6.16 ERA in his last three starts against them.

Cain will take a 3-8 lifetime record against the Brewers to the mound with him.

Cain will face a Brewers team that will take the field on a bit of a roll. They swept a pair from the New York Mets over the weekend to earn a split of their four-game series, giving them four wins in six games last week.

Milwaukee's Monday starter, right-hander Chase Anderson, pitched one of those wins, a 4-0 interleague victory over the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday. He allowed two hits and no walks in 6 2/3 scoreless innings, his third consecutive game surrendering no more than one run.

Anderson (4-6, 4.21) doesn't have much of a lifetime record against the Giants, going just 1-2 with an 8.53 ERA in three starts. However, that lone win was a doozy, coming in his lone start at AT&T Park, when he shut out the Giants on one hit over seven innings last June for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Anderson hopes to provide some momentum for Matt Garza, the Brewers right-hander who not only faces the tough task of making his first start of the season Tuesday, but also will go up against San Francisco ace Madison Bumgarner.

Coming off a 6-14 season with a 5.63 ERA as a first-year Brewer, Garza sustained a strained right lat in spring training. He is finally ready for his season debut at the major league level after going 0-2 with a 4.76 ERA in three rehab starts for low Class A Wisconsin the past two weeks.

In order to create a spot in the rotation for Garza, Brewers manager Craig Counsell had to give bad news to Wily Peralta, who is 4-7 with a 6.08 ERA through 13 starts. The fifth-year veteran was sent to Triple-A Colorado Springs.

"It's a tough decision," Counsell said Sunday. "We were just at a point where we have six starters and we need to get better performance out of that spot."

**TheGame** · 06-13-2016, 07:59 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/13

'Jays heavy favorites'

Philadelphia Phillies at Toronto Blue Jays June 13, 7:05 EST

Totonto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies open a four-game home-home interleague series with the first two north of the border. Blue Jays have enjoyed home cooking of late, compiling an 8-2 record before the home audience and have also won thirteen of their last seventeen overall. As for Philadelphia, the Phillies have hit a rough patch going 4-15 the past nineteen on the diamond, including 1-8 in an opposing park.

In the opener, R.A. Dickey toes the rubber for John Gibbons' troops, bringing a 4-6 record to the hill with a 4.15 ERA. Dickey beat Detroit in his last outing, winning back-to-back starts for the first time this season with the knuckler giving up just 2 runs over those 12.0 innings of work. Jays have won each of Dickey's three starts vs Philadelphia and have won five of his last seven interleague starts.

Jerad Eickhoff gets the call for Philadelphia. In his last start, Eickhoff tossed a seven inning gem of one run ball in home victory over Cubs bringing his record to 3-8 with a 3.68 ERA. Looking at the home and away splits for the hurler is illuminating, since it shows Eickhoff 3-3 at home with a 2.12 ERA, 0-5 away from Citizens Bank Park with a whopping 6.41 ERA.

Those team/pitcher numbers, it's no surprise to see the Toronto pegged a hefty -$2.35 moneyline favorite.

**TheGame** · 06-13-2016, 07:59 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/13

MLB

Monday's games

National League games

Cubs @ Nationals
Hendricks is 2-1, 2.05 in his last three starts; six of his last eight stayed under.

Scherzer is 4-2, 2.56 in his last six starts; his last four all went over.

Washington won five of last six games; over is 7-2 in their last nine home games. Cubs won 13 of last 17 games; five of their last seven road games went over.

Reds @ Braves
Wright allowed four runs in 5.1 IP (87 PT) in his first MLB start.

Blair is 0-1, 6.43 in his last three starts; four of his last six went over.

Atlanta lost seven of last nine games; six of their last nine games stayed under. Reds are 8-4 in their last 12 games, five of their last seven home games went over the total.

Marlins @ Padres
Chen is 0-0, 5.32 in his last four starts, three of which went over.

Rea is 0-1, 6.26 in his last five starts; six of his last nine went over.

Padres lost nine of last 11 road games; seven of last nine San Diego road games went over. Marlins lost five of last eight games; six of last seven Miami road games went over.

Dodgers @ Diamondbacks
Bolsinger is 1-3, 5.76 in his four starts (over 2-2). .

Former Dodger Greinke is 5-0, 1.95 in his last five starts; under is 7-4-1 in his last 12.

Arizona lost 16 of last 23 home games; eight of last ten Arizona home games went over the total. Dodgers lost nine of last 14 road games; nine of last 12 LA games stayed under total.

Brewers @ Giants
Anderson is 2-0, 1.04 in his last three starts; five of his last six stayed under.

Cain is 1-1, 1.59 in his last four starts, three of which stayed under.

San Francisco won seven of last nine home games; under is 5-2-1 in its last eight home games. This game is 5:30 local time first pitch; are shadows an issue? Milwaukee is 6-4 in its last ten games; under is 6-3 in its last nine.

American League games

Tigers @ White Sox
Boyd is 0-2, 4.24 in his three starts (over 1-1-1).

Shields allowed seven runs in two IP (84 PT) in his White Sox debut.

Tigers won six of their last eight games; seven of its last eight road games stayed under. Chicago is 8-21 in its last 29 games; under is 9-5 in White Sox' last 14 home games.

Indians @ Royals
Carrasco is 0-1, 5.11 in his last three starts (over 3-3).

Volquez is 0-2, 6.35 in his last three starts (under 8-4-1).

Indians won eight of last 11 games; under is 5-1-1 in their last seven road tilts. Royals lost nine of last ten road games; under is 5-2-1 in KC's last eight games.

Twins @ Angels
Nolasco is 1-3, 6.67 in his last five starts (over 10-1 in his last 11 starts).

Weaver is 2-3, 5.17 in his last five starts; three of his last four went over.

Angels lost five of their last six games; six of their last seven home games stayed under. Minnesota lost nine of last twelve games; ten of Twins' last 12 home games went over the total.

Rangers @ A's
Ramos 1-1, 3.00 in his two starts (under 2-0); his last start was May 21.

Manaea is 1-3, 4.91 in his last four starts (under 4-0-1 in his last five).

Rangers are 16-5 in their last 21 games; five of their last seven road tilts stayed under. A's lost their last nine road games; under is 4-0-1 in their last five.

Interleague

Phillies @ Blue Jays
Eickhoff is 2-2, 2.36 in his last four starts (under is 7-1 in his last eight).

Dickey is 2-0, 2.25 in his last two starts (under 3-0-1 in his last four).

Phillies lost 16 of last 21 games; over is 7-2 in their last nine road games. Toronto won seven of last nine home games; under is 8-4-1 in their last 13.

Teams won-lost records when this pitcher starts:

Chi-Wsh-- Hendricks 5-6; Scherzer 8-5
Cin-Atl-- Wright 0-1; Blair 1-7
LA-Az-- Bolsinger 1-3; Greinke 9-4
Mia-SD-- Chen 6-6; Rea 6-5
Mil-SF-- Anderson 5-7; Cain 3-7

Det-Chi-- Boyd 1-2; Shields 0-1/2-9
Cle-KC-- Carrasco 5-1; Volquez 7-6
Min-LA-- Nolasco 5-7; Weaver 5-7
Tex-A's-- Ramos 1-1; Manaea 3-5

Phil-Tor-- Eickhoff 4-8; Dickey 4-9

Starting pitchers allowing 1+ runs in first inning:

Chi-Wsh-- Hendricks 3-11; Scherzer 5-13
Cin-Atl-- Wright 1-1; Blair 4-8
LA-Az-- Bolsinger 1-4; Greinke 2-13
Mia-SD-- Chen 5-12; Rea 6-11
Mil-SF-- Anderson 4-12; Cain 2-10

Det-Chi-- Boyd 0-3; Shields 5-12
Cle-KC-- Carrasco 0-6; Volquez 2-13
Min-LA-- Nolasco 7-12; Weaver 4-12
Tex-A's-- Ramos 0-2; Manaea 1-8

Phil-Tor-- Eickhoff 4-12; Dickey 5-13

**Satch** · 06-13-2016, 08:54 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 6/13

Preview: Cubs at Nationals

Current Conditions - Washington

M/CLOUDY 90 °F
Wind: SW 15
5-Day Forecast
GAME: Chicago Cubs (43-18) at Washington Nationals (39-24)
DATE/TIME: Monday, June 13 - 7:05 PM EST
WHERE: Nationals Park, Washington, District of Columbia
LINE: N/A TOTAL: N/A

Max Scherzer attempts to make up for his last performance against the Chicago Cubs when his Washington Nationals host the major league’s top team on Monday to open a three-game series. The right-hander gave up a season-high seven runs to the Cubs in a loss on May 6, but has gone 4-2 since while allowing two or fewer runs in five of six outings.

Scherzer is 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA in four career starts against the Cubs and will face Kyle Hendricks, who takes a 2-0 record versus Washington into Monday’s game after tossing six scoreless innings against the Nationals on May 5. Chicago is 4-2 on a nine-game road trip after scoring 21 runs combined – five by Jason Heyward -- to take the last two at Atlanta, improving to a major league-best 43-18. National League East-leading Washington, which dropped four straight to the Cubs last month, has won three in a row and five of six games after rallying in the ninth for a 5-4 victory over Philadelphia on Sunday. Jayson Werth’s two-run single gave the Nationals the victory and he is sizzling at 9-for-18 with eight RBIs during a five-game hitting streak.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ESPN, CSN Chicago, MASN (Washington)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cubs RH Kyle Hendricks (4-5, 2.90 ERA) vs. Nationals RH Max Scherzer (7-4, 3.57)

Hendricks has limited opponents to two or fewer runs in seven of his last eight starts, including Tuesday in a loss against Philadelphia on the road. The 26-year-old, who owns a 1.50 career ERA in three games against Washington, has given up a homer to Bryce Harper but has controlled Ryan Zimmerman and Anthony Rendon (0-for-6 each). Hendricks is 1-4 with a 4.23 ERA on the road and 3-1 with a 1.99 mark at home.

Scherzer has won two straight starts and is coming off one of his best outings of the season, yielding five hits in seven scoreless innings last Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox. The 31-year-old is among the league leaders with 107 strikeouts in 88 1/3 innings, but has permitted 16 homers – 11 in the last seven starts. Ben Zobrist has homered three times against him, but is just 5-for-22 overall versus Scherzer.

WALK-OFFS

1. Chicago 1B Anthony Rizzo has hit safely in nine consecutive contests, recording 10 RBIs in that span.

2. Washington INF Danny Espinosa has homered six times in a 10-game span, including each of the last two.

3. The Cubs have won a league-high 23 games this season by at least five runs and are 31-10 in their last 41 road games, dating back to 2015.

PREDICTION: Nationals 4, Cubs 2

Announcement

MLB Betting Info. 6/13

MLB Betting Info. 6/13

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