MLB Betting Info. 7/18

[TheGame]

MLB roundup: Mets' deGrom tosses one-hit gem
By The Sports Xchange


PHILADELPHIA -- The New York Mets and Jacob deGrom decided the right-hander's All-Star break would be better spent relaxing than joining the National League squad in San Diego earlier in the week.
DeGrom recorded his first career complete game in scintillating fashion, allowing just one hit in New York's 5-0 victory over Philadelphia on Sunday.
The 28-year-old, who lowered his ERA to 2.38, improved to 6-4 on the year after striking out seven and walking one. DeGrom, who has struck out at least six in 10 straight starts, faced one batter more than the minimum.
The Mets scored all of their runs with two outs. In the second inning, Juan Lagares was nearly caught looking at a fastball from Phillies starter Zach Eflin on a 2-2 count, but the pitch was ruled just off the plate. Lagares then belted a RBI triple to right field, scoring James Loney to open the scoring.


Rangers 4, Cubs 1
CHICAGO -- Cole Hamels took advantage of an early lead and scattered four hits as Texas salvaged the finale of a three-game series with a victory over Chicago.
Hamels, who no-hit the Cubs in his last Wrigley Field visit in 2015 while with the Phillies, worked eight innings for his longest outing since going eight on May 22 in the Rangers' 9-2 win over Houston.
Hamels (10-2) struck out seven with an unearned run as the Rangers snapped a four-game losing streak. Closer Sam Dyson struck out the side in a perfect ninth for his 19th save.


Tigers 4, Royals 2
DETROIT -- Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, giving Detroit a win over Kansas City.
Saltamacchia drilled a Joakim Soria pitch into the right field stands after Tyler Collins led off the inning with a single.
Francisco Rodriguez (1-0) got the win with an inning of scoreless relief. The Tigers took two of three games in the series.


Rays 5, Orioles 2
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Tampa Bay hit four home runs -- two from Evan Longoria -- and snapped an eight-game losing streak with a win over Baltimore.
The Rays avoided a sweep and picked up just their fourth win in 28 games, after the worst 27-game stretch by any American League team since 2003.
Jake Odorizzi (4-5), mentioned as a trade target as the deadline approaches, won for the first time in seven starts.


Reds 1, Brewers 0
CINCINNATI -- Billy Hamilton scored the winning run from third on a passed ball in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Cincinnati over Milwaukee.
In the bottom of the ninth, Tyler Thornburg walked Hamilton with two outs. Will Smith came on and walked Joey Votto on six pitches. Hamilton's 24th stolen base put him at third and he raced home when Smith's pitch skipped a few feet away from Jonathan Lucroy.
Thornburg (3-3) took the loss. Tony Cingrani (2-3) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn the win for Cincinnati.


Marlins 6, Cardinals 3
ST. LOUIS -- Ichiro Suzuki drew closer to a cherished major league milestone and Miami took the rubber game of a three-game series matching National League wild-card hopefuls.
Suzuki's three hits led the Marlins' 13-hit attack against the Cardinals. He needs only six hits to reach 3,000, and nearly had a fourth hit. But his infield single in the third was erased after a replay review revealed he was barely nipped at first.
Giancarlo Stanton snapped a 3-3 tie for the Marlins in the seventh with an RBI double off reliever Jonathan Broxton (1-2), scoring Christian Yelich. Stanton scored on a one-out sacrifice fly by Don Kelly for a two-run advantage.


Braves 1, Rockies 0
ATLANTA -- Chase d'Arnaud delivered an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning to give Atlanta a walk-off victory over Colorado.
Ender Inciarte singled leading off the Braves' ninth against Gonzalez German and moved up on a sacrifice bunt and wild pitch. Then Jace Peterson drew a two-out walk to set the stage for d'Arnaud.
German (2-1) got a quick strike, but then d'Arnaud connected with a fastball and lined the winning hit into left field. It was d'Arnaud's third hit of the game.


Indians 6, Twins 1
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Chris Gimenez came off the bench to drive in a pair of runs and Josh Tomlin scattered six hits while allowing just one run over 7 2/3 innings as Cleveland stopped Minnesota.
Gimenez delivered a two-out, two-run single in his first plate appearance of the day as the Indians made the most of a pair of costly sixth-inning Twins mistakes to extend a 2-0 lead into a 4-0 cushion.
Tomlin (10-2) struck out four and walked one.


Pirates 2, Nationals 1 (18 innings)
WASHINGTON -- Starling Marte had three hits, including a solo homer with two outs in the top of the 18th inning, to help Pittsburgh avoid a three-game sweep.
The homer came off Washington reliever Oliver Perez (2-3) and came on the first pitch of the at-bat. It was the longest regular-season game in terms of innings in Nationals franchise history.
Pittsburgh reliever Jonathon Niese struck out Danny Espinosa with two runners on base in the bottom of the 18th to end the game.
The Nationals had tied the game with two outs in the ninth as pinch-hitter Daniel Murphy hit a homer off Mark Melancon to make it 1-1.Melancon had not allowed an earned run in his last 24 games.


Blue Jays 5, Athletics 3
OAKLAND -- Josh Donaldson lined a two-run, tiebreaking double with two outs in the top of the ninth inning to enable Toronto to avoid a sweep.
Justin Smoak reached safely on an infield single with one out against A's reliever John Axford in the ninth. Junior Lake lined a single to center, moving pinch runner Andy Burns to second. Then with two outs, Donaldson hammered his 96-mph fastball down the left-field line.
Roberto Osuna pitched a perfect ninth inning for his 19th save.
Toronto's Troy Tulowitzki hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning, and A's shortstop Marcus Semien hit his 20th home run in the sixth inning.


Astros 8, Mariners 1
SEATTLE -- Jose Altuve went 4-for-5, including his 15th home run, and drove in three runs as the Astros' designated hitter, and teammate Carlos Gomez added his second career grand slam in Houston's lopsided win.
Houston starter Collin McHugh tossed six scoreless innings despite loading the bases twice. He allowed four hits and four walks while striking out 10. McHugh (6-6) beat the Mariners for the third time this season.
Seattle (46-46) left 10 runners on base and committed four errors. The Mariners also hit into five double plays.


Angels 8, White Sox 1
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Albert Pujols hit two homers and drove in four runs to lead the Angels.
Pujols has 17 homers this season and 577 for his career. His 1,187 career extra-base hits moved him past Frank Robinson into 10th place in that category.
Before Sunday's outburst, Pujols had just one home run in his previous 16 games.
Right-hander Jered Weaver (8-7) retired 13 of the final 15 batters he faced to pick up his third win in four decisions. Weaver allowed one run, six hits and one walk in seven innings and had one strikeout to help Los Angeles secure its third consecutive victory and its seventh in nine games.


Diamondbacks 6, Dodgers 5
PHOENIX -- Jake Lamb homered and drove in two runs and Robbie Ray pitched seven scoreless innings as the Diamondbacks hung on for a victory.
Lamb's RBI single started a three-run first inning, and he later hit a solo homer in the fourth. He was 7-for-12 with two doubles, a triple and a homer in the three-game series.
The Dodgers scored all their runs in the final two innings, when Justin Turner drove in four with a two-run homer in the eighth inning and a two-run single in the ninth.
The Dodgers trailed by one run and had runners at the corners with one out in the ninth, but reliever Jake Barrett struck out Yasiel Puig and Chris Taylor to end the game.


Padres 5, Giants 3
SAN DIEGO -- Edwin Jackson was solid in his Padres debut, helping the Padres complete a three-game sweep of the first-place Giants.
Jackson (1-1), making his first start since 2014 with the Chicago Cubs, had a no-hitter through 6 1/3 innings. The veteran right-hander surrendered three runs (two earned) and one hit as the Padres notched their first three-game sweep of the season. Jackson walked five and struck out four.
Jackson was chased after Conor Gillaspie's three-run, pinch-hit home run in the seventh inning pulled the Giants to within 4-3. Brandon Maurer pitched the ninth for his third save.
All-Star Game starter Johnny Cueto (13-2) took his first loss since April 21 for San Francisco. He was charged with four runs and six hits in six innings as he struck out four and walked three. Matt Kemp and Christian Bethancourt hit homers off Cueto, and Yangervis Solarte homered off Giants reliever Hunter Strickland.

[TheGame]

Re: MLB Betting Info. 7/18

Yankees win series finale against Red Sox
By Larry Fleisher, The Sports Xchange


NEW YORK -- Following another frustrating loss on Saturday, manager Joe Girardi didn't hesitate to place his label on the next game.
"This is probably as important (a) game that we've had in July in a long time tomorrow."
Those were Girardi's words as the Yankees faced the possibility of being swept by the Boston Red Sox and falling three games under .500.
On Sunday, Masahiro Tanaka delivered as significant a performance as possible, pitching six effective innings and combining with three relievers on a three-hitter as the Yankees salvaged the finale of a three-game series with a 3-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
"We didn't necessarily have a meeting and talk about how important tonight's game was but I think everybody understood how important we needed to win today," Tanaka said through a translator.
New York beat the Red Sox for the third time in nine meetings and scored all their runs in the fourth inning off David Price (9-7). Starlin Castro had an RBI double before Austin Romine and Jacoby Ellsbury added run-scoring singles.
The Yankees (45-46) moved to within one game of .500 for the 17th time since May 21 and are eight and a half games behind first-place Baltimore, which comes in for a four-game series Monday.
"A good one," Yankees right fielder Carlos Beltran said. "I think being able to take this one was a must-win for us today."
"It was (satisfying)," Girardi said. "I thought it was really important and we needed a big performance from Masahiro."
Tanaka made one mistake while continuing to pitch well on extended rest. Pitching on extended rest due to the All-Star break, Tanaka allowed a home run to Dustin Pedroia three minutes into the game and little else.
"He was just missing barrels all night," Pedroia said.
Tanaka allowed all but one of his baserunners within the opening two innings. He retired nine in a row before a double in the fifth by Brock Holt and 13 of the final 14 hitters he faced.
He turned things over to the bullpen after 87 pitches when his night ended with a warning track fly ball to David Ortiz.
"He was really good," Girardi said.
Dellin Betances pitched a perfect seventh, Andrew Miller fanned Pedroia for the final out of the eighth with a man on first and Aroldis Chapman secured his 18th save in 19 chances by getting Hanley Ramirez to bounce into a double play.
Ortiz was 0-for-3 with a walk and 2-for-11 in his penultimate series at Yankee Stadium before his retirement.
The Red Sox produced their second-fewest hit total and had a season-high six-game winning streak stopped.
Price was duplicate the success of his past three outings as he allowed three runs and 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings. Price allowed at least 11 hits for the ninth time in his career and it was the fourth instance against the Yankees.
"To be the guy that goes out there and doesn't help us win that seventh (in a row), that's tough," Price said.
Boston took a 1-0 lead three minutes into the game when Pedroia sent a 2-1 pitch over the left-field wall for his ninth home run of the season.
After Tanaka struck out the side in the fourth, the Yankees evened the score when Castro's double to left field brought home Didi Gregorius from first base.
New York went ahead two batters later when Castro scored on Romine's single up the middle off the top of Pedroia's glove.
The lead grew to 3-1 when Ellsbury blooped a single to center and Boston center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. was charged with an error when his throw sailed over catcher Sandy Leon's head.
NOTES: New York 1B Mark Teixeira was not in the lineup after fouling a ball off his left foot on Saturday. After the game manager Joe Girardi said Teixeira was sore and would be out a "few days" ... Teixeira had a CT scan on his left foot, and about 30 minutes before Sunday's first pitch, the Yankees said the results were negative. Teixeira also had X-rays on Saturday, which were negative. ... Boston LHP Drew Pomeranz threw a 35-pitch bullpen session ahead of his Red Sox debut on Wednesday against San Francisco. Asked about being traded four times in his career, Pomeranz said, "I've done literally everything there is to do on a baseball field as a pitcher. I'm pretty prepared for anything. You could shove me out there in any situation, I've done it." ... Boston RHP Junichi Tazawa (right shoulder impingement) threw all of his pitches during a 40-pitch bullpen session. Red Sox manager John Farrell said Tazawa would likely throw a simulated game on Tuesday at Fenway Park.

[TheGame]

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Preview: Marlins (49-42) at Phillies (43-50)


Game: 1
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: July 18, 2016 7:05 PM EDT


PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia Phillies manager Pete Mackanin is looking forward to Monday's series-opening game against the Miami Marlins. And it's not just because he wants to quickly forget about Sunday's 5-0 shutout loss Jacob deGrom and the Mets.


Mackanin will finally get to see struggling pitcher Aaron Nola return to the mound for the first time since July 2. It will be 16 days since Nola was on the mound in a game when he throws the first pitch Monday night at Citizens Bank Park. He will oppose Marlins right-hander Jose Fernandez.


The Phillies (43-50) elected to give Nola, their young, right-handed ace, extra rest heading into the All-Star break after the worst stretch of his young major-league career. He will return to the mound having given up at least four runs in five consecutive starts. In four of those starts, he failed to get out of the fourth inning.


In total, the damage was 27 earned runs in 18 innings pitched. This after posting a 2.65 ERA in his first 12 starts of the season. His ERA now sits at 4.69.


"He's ready to go," Mackanin said. "He had a good side and he's anxious to get back out there. He's a competitor and he doesn't want to sit. I'm anxious to see him."


Nola, 23, threw a simulated game last Saturday.


"I don't really think it's a mental break," Nola told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Mentally, I feel fine. I just felt like the past month, I struggled. The ball was up. It wasn't where it should be. When you're elevating balls and not getting ahead of guys, they make you pay for it. That was the main part."


Nola and the Phillies, though, face a daunting task against Fernandez, 23, who is trending in the opposite direction, save for a rare dud on July 2. Fernandez is 11-4 with a 2.52 ERA. He has amassed 154 strikeouts in 107 1/3 innings pitched.


Fresh off his second All-Star appearance, Fernandez, in his first full year since Tommy John surgery, is having his best season. His strikeout rate of 12.91 per nine innings leads the league by plenty. His 154 strikeouts before the break are a Marlins record.


"I think it's just making pitches and not trying to make pitches," Fernandez told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel before heading to San Diego for the All-Star Game. "When the catcher calls a fastball away, it doesn't have to be 100 (mph), it can be 93 -- just down in the zone. I feel like I'm getting a lot better results like that."


The results, right now, are much better than Nola's.


The Marlins (49-42) finished off a series win in St. Louis with a 6-3 win Sunday. They head to Philly for a four-game set.

[TheGame]

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Preview: Mets (49-42) at Cubs (55-36)


Game: 1
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: July 18, 2016 7:05 PM EDT


CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs have their aces rested and ready as the New York Mets come to town for a series that starts Monday.


Left-hander Jon Lester and righty Jake Arrieta offer what Chicago hopes is a one-two punch in consecutive night games against the reigning National League champions.


Lester will have had eight days between starts while Arrieta will have had 10 days away his last appearance.


"I'm eager to see how these guys react to the extra time off," said Cubs manager Joe Maddon on Sunday.


The Cubs have something to prove after being swept by the Mets in four games in New York between June 30 and July 3. Chicago was also eliminated by New York in four games in the 2015 National League Championship Series.


Chicago has lost eight straight to New York after taking seven straight regular-season games during 2015.


Lester (9-4, 3.01 ERA) faces left-hander Steve Matz (7-5, 3.38 ERA) on Monday and looks to right himself after allowing 12 earned runs in his last two starts. He had given up just 24 runs total in his first 16 starts.


Lester gave up a season-high eight runs in a career-low 1 1/2 innings in his outing on July 3 at Citi Field.


Chicago appears to be shaking off a pre-All Star game slump in which it lost 15 of 20 games.


The Cubs (55-36) then won three straight, including a 6-5 victory over Pittsburgh, just before the break. The Rangers broke that winning streak with Sunday's 4-1 victory but the Cubs still took two of three from the American League West leaders.


The Mets (49-42) had also been struggling to gain traction prior to the break, dropping four of their last six and losing ground to first-place Washington in the National League East.


But on Sunday, New York claimed a 5-0 victory over the Phillies thanks to Jacob deGrom's dominant, complete-game, one-hit shutout. The Mets took two of three in the post-All Star Game series.


Matz, who started the season at 7-1, gets first crack at Chicago.


He took the loss in the Mets' 3-2 loss to Washington on July 10 after working seven innings and allowing three runs on six hits. He is 4-2 on the road this season in seven road starts.


The marquee matchup of the series may come Tuesday when Arrieta (12-4, 2.68 ERA) goes against Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard (9-4, 2.56 ERA). Both seek a return to earlier form after struggling prior to the break.


"Not picking up a ball for four days was exactly what I needed," said Arrieta, who had lost three of his last four decisions -- including one to the Mets -- since June 22. "Sometimes you need that mental downtime, spending time with (son) Cooper and my family was tremendous. I picked up the ball for the first time in four or five days and threw the best pen I've thrown all year."


Syndergaard, who will make his 19th appearance, has thrown 105 2/3 innings and also welcomed the All-Star break.


"I was really fatigued the last part of the first half of the season," he told reporters. "I just needed a little bit of a break."


Syndergaard, who departed a July 8 game against the Nationals with what was described as arm fatigue, threw a 20-pitch bullpen session on Saturday.


Mets right-hander Bartolo Colon (8-4, 3.11 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound in Wednesday's series finale, facing righty Kyle Hendricks (8-6, 2.41 ERA).


Also Sunday, the Mets announced they have recalled outfielder Michael Conforto from Triple-A Las Vegas where he was hitting .344 with three homers and 15 RBIs in 61 at-bats. New York optioned Brandon Nimmo to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

[TheGame]

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Preview: Orioles (53-37) at Yankees (45-46)


Game: 1
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: July 18, 2016 7:05 PM EDT


NEW YORK -- Holding any kind of lead in the American League East over the New York Yankees has been a rarity for the Baltimore Orioles, especially in July.


Baltimore can widen its lead over the Yankees on Monday night when it opens a four-game series at Yankee Stadium.


The Orioles are ahead of the Yankees through this point in the season for the second time in three years as they enter Monday 8 1/2 games up on fourth-place New York.


Two years ago, Baltimore won the division by 12 games but at this point was only four games ahead of the Yankees.


Since the franchise moved from St. Louis after the 1954 season, the Orioles have been in first place at this point 10 times. Four of those were 1966 and 1969 to 1971. Until 2014, Baltimore had not been in first place through games played of July 17 since 1997.


The Orioles missed a chance increase their lead with Sunday's 5-2 loss at Tampa Bay. Despite Baltimore's only runs coming on a home run by Pedro Alvarez and a sacrifice fly by Manny Machado, it has won six of eight games after struggling to do much against Jake Odorizzi on Sunday.


"It was more us scoring any runs today," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter told reporters. "We had a couple opportunities and could have cashed in on and didn't."


The Yankees will try to get to .500 for the ninth time since May 22. New York salvaged the finale of its three-game series with the Boston Red Sox with Sunday's 3-1 win.


Masahiro Tanaka did pitch and the Yankees scored their runs on a double by Starlin Castro and singles by Austin Romine and Jacoby Ellsbury during the fourth inning against David Price.


The Orioles (53-37) will look to match a season-high by going 17 games above .500 and Kevin Gausman will be on the mound. Gausman is 1-6 with a 4.14 ERA but has received the lowest run support (3.43) of any Orioles starting pitcher.


Gausman's only win was June 25 against Tampa Bay when he allowed four hits and struck out seven in 7 2/3 innings.


In his last two starts, Gausman has allowed seven earned runs and 16 hits in 11 innings. He has not pitched since allowing four runs and eight hits in five innings in a no-decision during a 6-4, 14-inning win at Los Angeles.


Gausman has eight no-decisions this season and two were against the Yankees. In Baltimore's 2-1, 10-inning victory on May 5, he allowed three hits in eight scoreless innings. A month later, he allowed one run and seven hits in six innings during a 3-1 win.


The Orioles' loss ensured the Yankees will not face a double-digit deficit in the AL East at this point for the first time since 1992.


"It's an important series," New York right fielder Carlos Beltran said. "This homestand is important overall for us. I think this homestand will dictate what the future holds for a lot of guys here."


Ivan Nova will be pitching on extended rest and the Yankees hope he can give them some better distance. He completed at least six innings in five straight starts from May 19 to June 9 but has failed to do so in his last five outings.


Nova has a 7.02 ERA in his last five appearances and finished the first half on July 7 in Cleveland when he allowed four runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings.


The right-hander picked up a win over Baltimore in June when he allowed five runs and seven hits in six innings. Nova took a shutout into seventh before allowing home runs to Mark Trumbo and Alvarez.


Nova is 7-4 with a 5.22 ERA in 16 appearances against Baltimore.


Mark Teixeira will likely be out of the lineup for a few more days. The struggling first baseman fouled a ball of his left foot on Saturday and although x-rays and a CT scan came back negative, he still is sore.


The Orioles have won four of six meetings between the teams in Baltimore on May 3-5 and June 3-5. Baltimore won the last two in New York last season after dropping the first seven.

[TheGame]

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Preview: Braves (32-60) at Reds (34-58)


Game: 1
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: July 18, 2016 7:10 PM EDT


CINCINNATI -- The Atlanta Braves were hoping for a spark when they fired manager Fredi Gonzalez on May 17 and named Brian Snitker interim skipper. Things got better, but in truth they couldn't have gotten much worse after an 11-28 start. Under Snitker, the Braves went 23-32, but still reside in last place in the National League East.


Atlanta is looking to get back on track Monday when it begins a three-game series against another last-place club with a manager on the hot seat -- Bryan Price and the Cincinnati Reds. The teams split a four-game series at Turner Field in June.


One of the key components in the Reds' rebuilding effort -- left-hander Brandon Finnegan -- will start the series opener. It's his second career start against the Braves.


Finnegan was singled out by Price as being among the young pitchers the Reds want to limit innings in the second half. The left-hander, who was acquired last July from the Kansas City Royals in the Johnny Cueto trade, has tossed 101 1/3 innings already this season over 18 starts. His nine quality starts are tied with Dan Straily for the team lead.


On Monday, Finnegan will be looking for a little good fortune after three times being the victim of a blown save, tying him for most on the staff. He also was the starter when the Cubs' Jake Arrieta no-hit Cincinnati on April 21.


Atlanta will counter with right-hander Matt Wisler who defeated the Reds on June 16 when he allowed two earned runs in 6 2/3 innings in a 7-2 win at Turner Field. Wisler is 4-8 with a 4.47 ERA in 18 appearances including 17 starts.


The Reds, who took the series from Milwaukee with a 1-0 walk-off victory on Sunday, have been working with a thin bench, with second baseman Brandon Phillips out with a strained calf muscle. Outfielder Kyle Waldrop was recalled from Triple-A on Sunday to give them another able bat.


Phillips was out of the lineup again on Sunday, but he is likely to return for the opener against Atlanta.


"He's better than he was the day before," said Price of Phillips. "Hopefully, he'll be ready tomorrow. It's essentially a three-man bench. (Waldrop) did a nice job off the bench for us his last time here. You know I don't like for young players to come up here and sit on the bench for more than 10 to 14 days before getting back to getting regular at-bats."


The Braves also won 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth inning on Sunday when Chase d'Arnaud drove in the winning run with a single.


The Braves' bullpen struggled Friday and Saturday, but did the job Sunday, as four relievers combined to pitch two shutout innings.


"The first series back from a break is always kind of tricky," said Jim Johnson, the last of the Braves relievers Sunday and the winning pitcher. "Guys are usually in rhythm and then you have all those days off. I think it was more kind of being out of sync for some of us. You saw the wild pitches the first two games and some uncharacteristic walks for some guys, myself included. That's an excuse, but we need to just focus on doing our jobs and throwing competitive pitches."

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Preview: Twins (33-58) at Tigers (48-44)


Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: July 18, 2016 7:10 PM EDT


DETROIT -- Justin Upton returned to action but the Detroit Tigers made another switch to their outfield on Sunday.


Steven Moya, who had been platooning in right field, was optioned to Triple-A Toledo. Left-handed hitting Tyler Collins now becomes the platoon partner with switch-hitting Mike Aviles in right field.


Collins, who was called up from Toledo on Friday, will likely get the start against Minnesota right-hander Ricky Nolasco on Monday when the Tigers begin a three-game home series against the Twins. Collins had a ninth-inning single on Sunday, setting up Jarrod Saltalamacchia's game-winning two-run homer in a 4-2 over Kansas City.


Detroit manager Brad Ausmus has been forced to improvise since slugger J.D. Martinez fractured his right elbow crashing into a wall in Kansas City in mid-June. Martinez has not yet started a rehab assignment as the bone continues to heal.


Moya showed a good power stroke shortly after being called up from the minors, hitting five homers in 11 games. But he had just four hits in his last 30 at-bats and he was even worse in the field. He grew increasingly tentative and misplayed numerous balls hit his way.


"We wanted to give Collins an opportunity to play a little bit and give Moya an opportunity to work on some stuff in a less stressful environment," Ausmus said. "Part of it is he didn't want to make a mistake. As a result, you become a little cautious."


Upton was activated off the bereavement list prior to Sunday's game and went hitless in four at-bats. But Saltalamacchia's heroics made that a moot point.


"It felt good to do whatever I could to help the team," said Saltalamacchia, who is batting .206.


The Tigers will send out left-hander Matt Boyd in the series opener. Boyd, who will be making his seventh start, is still seeking his first victory. He received a no-decision in his last outing, when he gave up one run on five hits in five innings at Toronto on July 9.


Boyd also had a no-decision in his only career start against the Twins last September, when he gave up four runs -- two earned -- on one hit in six innings.


Nolasco is 2-2 with a 4.23 ERA in seven career starts against the Tigers, including a loss and a no-decision this season. He has lost three of his last four outings, though he collected a win in his last start when he allowed three earned in six innings to Texas.


Overall, Nolasco is 4-7 with a 5.22 ERA.


"Obviously I'm not too happy about my (5.22) ERA. At the same time, I'm healthy," he told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "I've been able to make every start. I've been able to give us a chance to stay in the game. That's the job of a starting pitcher."


Nolasco is one of the Twins veterans who could be dealt prior to the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline, though he's owed a combined $25 million over the next two years and has struggled in recent years.


"Even if you've been around a while, I think it can be a distraction," manager Paul Molitor said to MLB.com. "It's easier said than done, but just go out there and play when you're one of the people that might possibly get moved."


The Twins will be seeking their first win over the Tigers this season. They were swept in a pair of three-game series in April and May.


Minnesota lost two of three to Cleveland over the weekend, including a 6-1 defeat on Sunday.

[TheGame]

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Preview: Padres (41-51) at Cardinals (47-44)


Game: 1
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: July 18, 2016 8:15 PM EDT


ST. LOUIS -- As the season resumed following a four-day break for the All-Star Game, the San Diego Padres authored perhaps the weekend's most stunning result.


After losing its first nine meetings with the San Francisco Giants, San Diego broke out the brooms at Petco Park with 4-1, 7-6 and 5-3 wins. It tagged losses on All-Stars Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto, while pounding Jeff Samardzija for five runs in five innings on Saturday night.


"I think we've grown," Padres manager Andy Green told the San Diego Union-Tribune after Sunday's defeat of Cueto. "You watch Wil (Myers) work a walk against Cueto and celebrate it like he hit a home run. He made a great pitcher work and we weren't necessarily doing that earlier in the year."


Having humbled the team with the majors' top record, the Padres (41-51) start a four-game series Monday night in St. Louis, a place where their winning streaks normally go to die.


Since Busch Stadium opened in its third incarnation in 2006, San Diego is 10-24 there, its only series wins happening in 2006 and 2011. It also was eliminated from the National League Division Series there in 2006.


However, Busch has been anything but home sweet home for the Cardinals this year. After a 6-3 loss Sunday to Miami, St. Louis (47-44) fell to 20-28 in the stadium where it was 55-26 a year ago.


What's more, the loss dropped the Cardinals two games behind the Marlins and New York Mets for the final NL wild-card spot, while keeping them eight games back of the Chicago Cubs in the Central Division.


St. Louis hitters fanned a season-high 15 times Sunday, four by Randal Grichuk and three by Tommy Pham, whose frustration may have boiled over in a postgame rant about the strike zone of plate umpire Marvin Hudson.


"The strike zone was horrible, man," Pham said. "I mean, the guy had no sense of the inside part of the plate or the outside part of the plate. He needs to be held accountable. It's a guy with a lot of years in the league, you know what I'm saying? It'd be different if it were called both ways, but it wasn't."


While Pham might have to make out a check to MLB for those remarks, the Cardinals are hoping to cash in on this series against an opponent they beat two out of three in late April at Petco Park, scoring 19 runs in the process.


St. Louis starts Mike Leake (6-7, 4.14), who's coming off one of his best outings of the year July 10 in a 5-1 win at Milwaukee. Leake fanned a season-high 10 and walked none in seven innings, recording eight strikeouts on his slider.


The Padres counter with left-hander Christian Friedrich (4-5, 4.50), who has lost his last three starts and allowed 12 runs in 15 innings despite fanning 19 and walking three.


On Tuesday night, the Cardinals' Carlos Martinez (8-6, 2.85) matches up with Colin Rea (5-3, 4.95). San Diego's Andrew Cashner (4-7, 5.05) pitches against Jaime Garcia (6-6, 4.11) on Wednesday night, with St. Louis' Adam Wainwright (9-5, 4.15) going up against Luis Perdomo (3-4, 7.36) in Thursday evening's series finale.

[TheGame]

Re: MLB Betting Info. 7/18

Preview: Indians (54-37) at Royals (46-45)


Game: 1
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: July 18, 2016 8:15 PM EDT


KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Cleveland Indians open a three-game series with the defending World Series champion Kansas City Royals on Monday, but without starting catcher Yan Gomes.


While the Indians arrived in Kansas City, Gomes was headed back to Cleveland to have his right shoulder checked by Dr. Mark Schickendantz.


Gomes hurt the shoulder Sunday in the fifth inning of a 6-1 victory at Minnesota when he stepped awkwardly on the first base bag while attempting to avoid the tag of Kenny Vargas.


Gomes fell on his right shoulder as he stumbled to the ground while running at full speed and had to be carted off the field.


"As far as I know it is kind of like a shoulder separation," Gomes told Cleveland media after the game. "I'm going to Cleveland to be checked out and we will know more later."


Indians manager Terry Francona said Gomes, who has started 63 games behind the plate, would be placed on the disabled list Monday. He said in all likelihood the Indians would activate catcher Roberto Perez, who had right thumb surgery in May. He has caught nine innings in a minor league rehab assignment.


"Things like this happen," Francona said. "Hopefully, you are prepared so it doesn't get in the way of what you're trying to do."


What the Indians are trying to do is win the American League Central. They hold a commanding 6 1/2-game lead over the Detroit Tigers, who beat the Royals 4-2 Sunday with a walk-off home run. They have an eight-game bulge over the Royals, who are just a game above .500. The Indians have lost seven of 12 since a 14-game winning streak catapulted them into control of the division.


The Indians will receive no sympathy from the Royals on the Gomes' injury. Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas is out for the season after knee surgery and Lorenzo Cain is on the disabled list with a hamstring injury. Cain, however, could begin a minor league rehab assignment this week, but he won't return to the Royals in time to play in the Indians series.


Alex Gordon, who missed 30 games with a wrist fracture, continues to struggle at the plate, hitting .207 with a puny .652 OPS.


"All I can say is, I've played like crap," Gordon told the Kansas City Star.


The Royals will need Gordon to turn it around quickly if they are to make it to postseason for the third straight year.


"We're going to need to get him going, that's for sure," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He's going to be key."


Corey Kluber, who is 9-8 with a 3.61 ERA, will start the series opener for the Indians. He threw six scoreless innings to beat the Royals in June at Progressive Field, but 10 days later he permitted eight runs, including three unearned, over five innings in a loss at Kauffman Stadium.


Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer is 12-for-45 (.267), with three home runs and 13 RBIs off Kluber. Gordon has a .188 average, 6-for-32, but two of his hits are home runs.


Edinson Volquez, who is 8-8 with a 4.85 ERA, will be the Royals starter Monday. In 11 Volquez starts that theRoyals won, he has a 2.18 ERA while holding opposing hitters to a .225 batting average. In his eight losses, Volquez has a 9.44 ERA with opponents hitting .322.


Indians right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall has 14 hits and a .429 batting average against Volquez, while designated hitter Carlos Santana has a .167 average off the Royals right-hander he has two home runs.


The Indians have defeated the Royals six times in 10 meetings this season, but are 0-3 at Kauffman Stadium.

[TheGame]

Re: MLB Betting Info. 7/18

Preview: Rays (35-56) at Rockies (42-49)


Game: 1
Venue: Coors Field
Date: July 18, 2016 8:40 PM EDT


DENVER -- The Colorado Rockies will have one of their rare meetings with the Tampa Bay Rays when the teams begin a three-game series Monday at Coors Field. The teams last met in 2013, with the Rockies losing two of three games at Coors Field.


That was the fourth series between the teams at Coors Field. The only time they played at Tropicana Park was in 2004 when the Rockies were swept in a three-game series.


The Rays will be trying to break a 10-game losing streak on the road, tied for the third-longest in franchise history. Tampa is 16-26 on the road this season and is embarking on a nine-game trip in 10 days that will also include four games at Oakland and two in Los Angeles against the Dodgers.


The Rays dropped two of three at home to Baltimore to begin play after the All-Star break. They broke an eight-game losing streak with their 5-2 win Sunday. It was just their second win in 14 games and fourth in the past 28.


Left-hander Drew Smyly will start for the Rays Monday. He is 2-10 with a 5.47 ERA and tied his career high with his 10th loss July 6 against the Angels in his last start. He began the season 1-3 with a 2.72 ERA in his first six starts and allowed five homers in 39 1/3 innings. But in his past 11 starts, Smyly is 1-7 with a 7.27 ERA and yielded 15 homers in 60 2/3 innings.


A 1-0 loss Sunday at Atlanta prevented the Rockies from sweeping a three-game series with the Braves. Still, they won the series and now need to cash in on a seven-game homestand that will conclude with four games with the Braves following the series with the Rays. The Rockies are 20-22 at home.


Left-hander Tyler Anderson, who is 1-3 with a 3.03 in six career starts, will take the mound for the Rockies. In his last start July 9 against the Phillies, Anderson recorded his first win, first hit and first home run of his career. He has pitched six innings in each of his past three starts and has gone at least that distance in four of his six starts while issuing just six walks with 32 strikeouts in 35 2/3 innings.


Rockies manager Walt Weiss cited Anderson's composure and ability to change speeds as reasons for his success.


"He's got a very good changeup he's got a lot of confidence in," Weiss said. "He can throw it at any time -- ahead in the count, behind in the count, get him back in the count. The changeup has been the equalizer for him, but the feel to pitch, command -- put it all together, that's what we've seen from Tyler so far."


Rays outfielder Corey Dickerson will return to Coors Field for the first time since the Rockies traded him and minor league third baseman Kevin Padlo to the Rays on Jan. 28 for left-handed reliever Jake McGee and minor league starter German Marquez.


Dickerson is hitting .223 with 13 homers and 35 RBIs. He had nine hits in a season-high, six-game hitting streak that ended Saturday and is 19-for-62 (.306) over his past 18 games since June 21. In 265 games with the Rockies over the past three seasons, Dickerson hit .299 with 39 homers and 124 RBIs.


"I haven't seen those guys since I got traded," Dickerson said. "So it will be pretty cool to say 'bye' in the right way but also say 'what's up' to the guys and enjoy the time there."


McGee has been a disappointment with the Rockies, going 0-3 with a 6.04 ERA in 30 games and allowing five homers in 25 1/3 innings. He is 15-for-19 in save opportunities but lost the closer's role and then suffered a left knee sprain that sidelined him for three weeks before he returned July 2.


Marquez, 21, and not McGee, who turns 30 on Aug. 6 and can be a free agent after next season, was the key to the deal for the Rockies. At Double-A Hartford, Marquez is 8-5 with a 2.88 ERA in 18 starts with 26 walks and 103 strikeouts in 112 2/3 innings.


Padlo, 20, is hitting .211 with 12 homers and 47 RBIs in 76 games for Low Class A Bowling Green.

[TheGame]

Re: MLB Betting Info. 7/18

Preview: Astros (50-42) at Athletics (40-52)


Game: 1
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: July 18, 2016 10:05 PM EDT


OAKLAND, Calif. -- Now that he's won a career-high four straight major league games, Oakland A's right--hander Kendall Graveman is in what should be unfamiliar territory, but he said it feels like old times.


"It's kind of what I expect out of myself," Graveman said Sunday. "When you actually do it and actually command the baseball the way you want to, that feels normal. I remember when I was coming up through the system in the Blue Jays' organization, this is what almost all of my starts felt like."


Graveman will try to extend his winning streak on Monday night when the Oakland A's open a three-game series against the Houston Astros, who beat Seattle 8-1 on Sunday and will send right-hander Mike Fiers to the mound.


Gravemen went 1-6 with a 5.36 ERA over his first nine starts. In his past eight starts, he's 4-0 with a 3.40 ERA, and the A's are 7-1 in that stretch.


What's changed for Graveman?


"I think he's relying on his best pitch and not trying to be too fine with it," A's manager Bob Melvin said before a 5-3 loss to Toronto. "I think there were times where he probably was trying to pick a little too much on the corners. And when you have that kind of sink and it's working for you, you have that kind of sink on your fastball, just throw it down the middle and let it move a little bit and hopefully they beat it into the ground, which, when he's pitching well and doing well, that's what they're doing."


Graveman said he has learned some valuable lessons while battling through some rough stretches at the start of his first two seasons with the A's. Last year he was 1-2 with an 8.27 ERA when he was sent down to Triple-A Nashville. He wound up going 6-9 with a 4.05 ERA in 21 starts for the A's as a rookie.


"Not to boast, but to have success in the minor leagues the way I did, you kind of think, 'Hey, this might be the way it is all the time,'" Graveman said. "But you're going to go through some bumps and some struggles. I hadn't experienced that for a couple years leading up to that moment. Even last year when I came to start the year I really hadn't experienced that.


"But now I think you see I experienced a little bit of that after the first month of the season. Hit a little bump in the road there, and to get over it and continue to pitch and continue to compete and to find a way to get out of it quicker than I did last year, I think that was big. I think it showed growth."


Fiers is 6-3 with a 4.35 ERA, but he's coming off a rough start on July 6 against Seattle. Fiers gave up four runs on five hits, including three home runs, in just 3 1/3 innings of work and got a no-decision in Houston's 9-8 victory.


Fiers gave up all three home runs in a four-run fourth inning when Robinson Cano, Kyle Seager and Dae-Ho Lee took him deep as the Mariners cut Houston's lead to 5-4.


"The few games where we scored a lot, I've given up a lot of runs or not gone as far in the game," Fiers said after the game. "I'm not changing anything. I'm not trying to change anything, if I am. I just need to be better."


Fiers is 0-1 with a 3.28 in four career starts against the A's.


Graveman is 2-1 with a 5.24 ERA in four career starts against Houston. In his last start on July 9 at Houston, he gave up two runs on five hits over five innings in a 3-2 A's victory. He struck out three and walked none for his fourth straight win. He'll face the Astros again after eight days of rest.


"I've thrown a couple bullpens since the last (start)," Graveman said. "I'm just trying to keep that arm slot that I've had going and it's been good. That's the main focus right now, just keep on top of the baseball and let the sinker work and pitch off of that.


"It was a good break, too. I've thrown quite a few innings the first half of the year and I want to continue to do that. It's always good to have a little bit of a break physically and also mentally to take a little bit of a break because sometimes going every five day you really have to stay locked in."

[TheGame]

Re: MLB Betting Info. 7/18

Preview: Rangers (55-38) at Angels (40-52)


Game: 1
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: July 18, 2016 10:05 PM EDT


ANAHEIM, Calif. -- After two years of riding the shuttle between Anaheim and Salt Lake City, right-hander Nick Tropeano will get the chance to establish himself in the Los Angeles Angels' rotation during the second half of the season. After nearly two years of inactivity, right-hander A.J. Griffin hopes to do the same with the Texas Rangers.


Griffin and Tropeano will face each other when the Angels and the Rangers begin their three-game series Monday night at Angel Stadium.


Tropeano is in his second stint this season with the Angels, who acquired him and catcher Carlos Perez from the Houston Astros for catcher Hank Conger in November 2014. Los Angeles recalled Tropeano from Triple-A Salt Lake when left-hander Andrew Heaney severely injured the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow during his first start this season.


Tropeano responded by winning three of five decisions and by compiling the best earned-run average by any starter in the injury-riddled rotation, 3.25, before a tight right shoulder placed him on the disabled list June 4. Activated on June 24, the Angels sent him back to Salt Lake.


"I don't think anyone who is optioned down is pleased," Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia told MLB.com at the time. "Nick's a competitor, and he wants to come up here and wants to make footprints in the big leagues. We all feel he will."


But the Angels recalled Tropeano on July 3 to replace Jhoulys Chacin in the rotation. In two starts since, the right-hander has permitted just three runs, nine hits and two walks in 11 innings while striking out 12 and lowering his ERA for the season to 3.12.


Tropeano made 23 starts last year for both Salt Lake and Los Angeles, with the bulk of them coming for the minor league Bees. In four stints with the Angels, Tropeano went 3-2 with a 3.82 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings.


Griffin, meanwhile, won three of four decisions this year following his recovery from Tommy John surgery in April 2014. Before the surgery, Griffin went 14-10 for the Oakland Athletics in 2013. Afterward, the right-hander threw just 14 1/3 total innings in four combined starts for Class A Stockton and Triple-A Nashville in the Athletics' system. After Oakland released him, the Rangers signed Griffin as a free agent during the offseason.


In his first four appearances, Griffin went 3-0 while recording five quality starts in his first five games this year. Through May, opponents were batting only .212 against him. But after allowing three runs, three walks and four hits in 2 2/3 innings May 7 against the Detroit Tigers, Griffin went on the disabled list because of a stiff right shoulder.


Since being activated June 25, Griffin bears little resemblance to the pitcher who started the season. The right-hander has yet to surpass five innings in any of his four starts, and allowed 11 earned runs and 22 hits in 18 1/3 innings. Griffin's last start was his worst of the year and accounted for his only loss. In a 15-5 rout by the Minnesota Twins on July 10, Griffin gave up six runs on nine hits in five innings while throwing 94 pitches.


Griffin's performance since returning from the disabled list, combined with the presence of starters Derek Holland and Colby Lewis on the 60-day list, provide motivation for general manager Jon Daniels to reinforce the Rangers' rotation before the Aug. 1 trading deadline.


"We're focused on the pitching side," Daniels told MLB.com. "We want to do what makes sense for the team."

[TheGame]

Re: MLB Betting Info. 7/18

Preview: White Sox (45-46) at Mariners (46-46)


Game: 1
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: July 18, 2016 10:10 PM EDT


SEATTLE -- Chris Sale will make his first start in six days when the Chicago White Sox face the Seattle Mariners on Monday. This time, Sale will not be representing the White Sox, not the American League.


The All-Star Game starter will be back on the mound to open the Seattle series, and the White Sox are going to need his A game if their offense continues to struggle like it did during the weekend sweep in Anaheim. Chicago (45-46) scored just one run in the series.


"We're not finding ways to manufacture runs or put the ball in play. That's the frustrating part," White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier told the Chicago Tribune.


The White Sox might find company in Seattle's misery this week. The Mariners (46-46) scored just two runs over the final two games of the Houston series, and they have pretty much played their way out of contention in the American League West after a promising first two months of the season.


"Five runs in three games, that's not going to get it done," Mariners manager Scott Servais said after Sunday's 8-1 loss to Houston. "We've got to do better than that."


Seattle's offense is only part of the problem as the Mariners' pitching rotation continues to battle injuries. Scheduled Monday starter Wade LeBlanc (1-0, 3.52 ERA) has done his part to fill in, but he is coming off a rough outing his last time out. A converted reliever who pitched in Japan last year and was with Toronto's Triple-A affiliate before the desperate Mariners acquired him in June, LeBlanc will be making his fourth start with Seattle.


The Mariners could help him by playing better defense than they did on Sunday, when Seattle committed a season-high four errors in what Servais called the "worst game we played all year."


Third baseman Kyle Seager, who had two errors and now has nine since June 2, added, "It definitely wasn't a good day."


If the Mariners are going to reverse their fortunes and get back into the wild-card race, they'll have to start by scoring some runs on one of the game's best pitchers. Sale is having a typical season, but he is coming off his worst start of the season. The Atlanta Braves hit three home runs off Sale in a July 8 win over the White Sox, during which he allowed eight runs off 10 hits.


"Pretty embarrassing," Sale said after that performance, according to MLB.com. "It's about as bad as I possibly think in a while."

[TheGame]

Re: MLB Betting Info. 7/18

'Central Division rivals clash'


Cleveland Indians at Kansas City Royals July 18, 8:15 EST


Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals get it on for the eleventh time this season when the clubs open a three-game series at Kaufman Stadium. As a team, the Indians are a mediocre 5-7 since their 14-game win streak was snapped back on July 2nd. The Royals have had their own issues of late with just four wins, nine losses during July.


Cleveland holding a 6-4 edge in series play sends out righthander Corey Kluber. In his last start, Kluber spun eight innings of one-run ball in the win over the Yankees bringing his record to 9-8 on the campaign with a 3.61 ERA. Tribe are 1-1 vs Royals this season handing the ball to Kluber but remain just 3-7 last ten vs their division rival with the hurler handling starting duties and that includes a horrid 0-5 that Kluber has started in Kansas City.


The Royals' Edinson Volquez toes the rubber in the series opener. The righthander picking up a win in his last outing tossing 6.0 innings of 3-run ball carries an 8-8 record, 4.85 ERA to the hill. Royals have lost two of three Volquez starts vs Cleveland in 2016 with the lone win coming at Kaufman Stadium. Kansas City is 3-4 in Volquez's seven starts vs Tribe as a Royal including 2-1 on home field.


The fact this series is in Kansas City bodes well for Royals, since they swept Indians at this venue back in June. However, the most compelling numbers in Royals’ favor is that Ned Yost's squad is a sparkling 11-3 opening a home series. Matching that, Royals have a sparkling 5-0 streak at home vs the division w/Volquez and have won 4 of his last 5 in front of the home audience.

[TheGame]

Re: MLB Betting Info. 7/18

'Twins have rough road ahead'


Minnesota Twins at Detroit Tigers July 18, 7:10 EST


When a series of baseball betting trends point in one direction, the baseball handicapping industry takes notice. And, that's the case Monday night when Minnesota Twins visit the Detroit Tigers. Twins sporting the worst road record in the majors at 13-29 have lost six consecutive vs Tigers and own a dreadful 3-10 record last thirteen visits to Comerica Park. Another obsticle for Minnesota, the Twins have lost 8 of their last 9 vs the division with Nolasco doing their bidding, lost 6 of their last 7 with Nolasco after a team loss the previous effort.