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**TheGame** · 08-06-2016, 07:26 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/6

MLB roundup: Complete-game shutout for Astros' Keuchel
By The Sports Xchange

HOUSTON -- Dallas Keuchel rebounded from a poor start with a complete-game shutout and the Houston Astros showed life offensively in their 5-0 win over the Texas Rangers Friday night at Minute Maid Park.
Keuchel (7-11), shelled by the Tigers in Detroit on Sunday, surrendered three hits and two walks while stifling the Rangers (63-47). Keuchel added seven strikeouts to end a three-game losing skid to Texas in which he allowed four-plus earned runs in each appearance this season.
The Astros (57-52) tagged Rangers left-hander Martin Perez (7-8) for four runs in the third inning to snap from their offensive funk. Second baseman Jose Altuve finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs to pace the attack.
Perez surrendered five earned runs on eight hits and three walks with four strikeouts over seven innings. He had allowed a total of 10 earned runs in seven previous appearances against the Astros.

Orioles 7, White Sox 5
CHICAGO -- Pedro Alvarez's hot streak continued at U.S. Cellular Field, where he hit two more home runs to lead Baltimore to a win to start a series against Chicago.
Alvarez, the Orioles' designated hitter, went 2-for-5 and clubbed solo homers in the second and eighth innings. It was the second two-homer performance in the past three games for Alvarez, who has hit five home runs in the past three games and six in the past five, bringing his season total to 18.
Manny Machado and Adam Jones also had big nights for the Orioles, who totaled 16 hits and overcame four errors to remain percentage points ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays in a virtual tie for first in the American League East.

Pirates 3, Reds 2
PITTSBURGH -- Sean Rodriguez led off the bottom of the ninth with a 413-foot home run to left field to give Pittsburgh a win over Cincinnati.
Pittsburgh broke a two-game losing streak. It was the start of a six-game homestand for the Pirates, who were coming off a 1-5 road trip.
In a matchup of young right-handers, Pittsburgh's Jameson Taillon and the Reds' Anthony DeSclafani had similar nights but neither got a decision. Taillon allowed one run on six hits over six innings, with one walk and six strikeouts. He threw 102 pitches and picked up his first career win at PNC Park. DeSclafani, who had won four of his past five starts, allowed two runs on two hits over six innings, with three walks and six strikeouts. He threw 106 pitches.

Nationals 5, Giants 1
WASHINGTON -- Lefty Gio Gonzalez allowed just two hits and one run in seven innings and new leadoff man Trea Turner had a double, homer and scored twice as Washington beat San Francisco in a battle of first-place clubs.
The Nationals, who are 21 games over .500 for the first time this year, began the day seven games ahead of the second-place Miami Marlins in the National League East.
The Giants started the night two games ahead of the second-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. San Francisco is 5-14 since the All-Star break.

Twins 6, Rays 2
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Minnesota got a go-ahead pinch-hit home run from Eddie Rosario in the seventh inning on the way to a victory over Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field.
Rosario is 2-for-2 this season as a pinch-hitter with a pair of two-run homers. This one came off Rays reliever Erasmo Ramirez, who had seen the Rays take a 2-1 lead in the sixth on a solo home run by red-hot shortstop Brad Miller.
Ramirez gave up another home run -- a solo shot to Miguel Sano in the eighth -- to spoil another strong outing from rookie Blake Snell, who lowered his ERA to 2.95.

Tigers 4, Mets 3
DETROIT -- Victor Martinez smashed a long two-run homer and James McCann added an RBI single in a three-run fourth inning to bring Detroit from behind in a victory over New York for the Tigers' ninth win in their last 10 games.
Justin Verlander (12-6) faced a Mets lineup packed with seven left-handed batters and allowed four hits in six innings. He struck out nine and walked one.
Shane Greene and Justin Wilson each worked a scoreless inning and Francisco Rodriguez gave up a ninth-inning run but still notched his 31st save.

Cardinals 1, Braves 0
ST. LOUIS -- Jaime Garcia did it all on a night where the St. Louis Cardinals needed him to do it all.
Garcia fired a three-hitter over eight shutout innings and fanned 11 while knocking in the only run in his shutout victory over Atlanta at Busch Stadium.
Coming off an 11-0 loss Saturday night in Miami in which he gave up four runs in the game's first five batters and allowed six runs in only 3 1/3 innings while pitching on just three days' rest, Garcia (8-8) more than made amends.

Yankees 13, Indians 7
NEW YORK -- Starlin Castro's grand slam powered a five-run third inning for New York, which went on to beat Cleveland at Yankee Stadium.
Jacoby Ellsbury finished 4-for-5 with two runs scored and a seventh-inning RBI single for the Yankees, who have alternated wins with losses in their last five games.
The Indians have lost four of six, a stretch in which they have been outscored 50-32.

Blue Jays 4, Royals 3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Devon Travis opened the game with a home run and homered again in the eighth as Toronto edged by Kansas City.
Travis' ninth home run off Kelvin Herrera with two out in the eighth was the decisive blow.
Brett Cecil (1-6) pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning to claim the victory, while Joaquin Benoit earned his first save of the season.

Marlins 5, Rockies 3
DENVER -- What had the makings of a bitter, disheartening loss for Miami turned into an immensely satisfying comeback victory.
The Marlins scored four runs in the ninth inning to beat Colorado. The big hit was Martin Prado's go-ahead, two-run single.
Brian Ellington (2-1), who rescued Fernando Rodney in the eighth, was the winning pitcher. A.J. Ramos, who blew a save in his last outing on Wednesday in Chicago, posted his 32nd save of the season.

Mariners 6, Angels 4
SEATTLE -- Felix Hernandez and Seattle overcame a rough start to beat the Angels on a night when Los Angeles starter Tim Lincecum endured another rough outing.
Hernandez (6-4) bounced back from Mike Trout's three-run homer in the first to pitch eight strong innings. He allowed four runs and three hits, only one of which came over his final seven innings.
The Mariners used a six-run first inning -- including a three-run homer by Mike Zunino -- to hand Lincecum (2-6) his third consecutive loss.

Red Sox 9, Dodgers 0
LOS ANGELES -- Knuckleballer Steven Wright threw a complete-game shutout, and Boston rolled to a rout of Los Angeles before an announced sellout crowd of 52,728 at Dodger Stadium.
Wright (13-5) retired 18 of 19 batters before giving up a single to Yasmani Grandal to open the eighth inning. Wright finished with nine strikeouts one walk and held the Dodgers to three hits.
Wright is the only major league pitcher to allow three runs or fewer in his 11 road starts this season, tying Rogers Clemens' club mark set in 1988.

Cubs 7, Athletics 2
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Jorge Soler hit a three-run homer in his first at-bat after being activated from the disabled list, Jon Lester threw seven strong innings and Chicago defeated Oakland at the Oakland Coliseum.
Lester (12-4) allowed two runs on six hits, struck out eight and walked none. He faced the A's for the first time since leaving them as a free agent and signing with the Cubs after the 2014 season. The A's acquired Lester on July 31, 2014, from Boston with outfielder Jonny Gomes in exchange for outfielder Yoenis Cespedes.
Dexter Fowler led off the game with his ninth home run of the season for the Cubs, who won their fifth straight game.

Phillies 5, Padres 4
SAN DIEGO -- Cameron Rupp erased a 2-0 Padres lead with a three-run homer and added a run-scoring double to tie a career high with four RBIs as Philadelphia defeated San Diego at Petco Park.
Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, who was the subject of considerable trade speculation before last Monday's deadline, retired 13 straight Padres from the third through seventh innings and picked up his ninth win against seven losses.
Padres starter Christian Friedrich (4-7) suffered the loss.

Diamondbacks 3, Brewers 2
PHOENIX -- Welington Castillo walked with the bases loaded to force in the winning run in the 11th inning and Yasmany Tomas had two homers in Arizona's victory over Milwaukee at Chase Field.
Paul Goldschmidt singled to right field off right-hander Blaine Boyer (1-2) to open the 11th inning and Jake Lamb singled to center. Tomas struck out before Peralta reached on a fielding error by shortstop Orlando Arcia to load the bases.
Castillo walked on a 3-1 pitch.
Left-hander Adam Loewen (1-0) had two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 11th inning for his first victory since Sept. 29, 2015 with Philadelphia.

**TheGame** · 08-06-2016, 07:27 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/6

Preview: Indians (61-46) at Yankees (55-54)

Game: 2
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: August 06, 2016 1:05 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- There was a bit of role reversal going on at Yankee Stadium Friday afternoon, when the small-market Cleveland Indians held a press conference for the player (left-handed pitcher Andrew Miller) they'd acquired from the biggest market team of all, the New York Yankees, five days earlier.

After Friday night, the Yankees are hoping the role reversals last a couple more days.

The rebuilding Yankees host the American League Central-leading Indians in the second game of a three-game series Saturday afternoon. New York never trailed in winning Friday night's opener, 13-7.

While the final score suggested a back-and-forth slugfest, the Yankees' ability to jump out to insurmountable leads -- they led 6-0 in the third and 11-4 after the seventh -- against a doubly dangerous Indians team had manager Joe Girardi pleased.

"When you talk about Cleveland, everyone talks about how well their pitching has been this year," Girardi said. "But going into tonight they were second in the league in runs. You don't hear as much about their offense, but it's really good."

The Indians offense hasn't been nearly good enough to cover up for the sudden struggles of their pitching staff, which was seemingly bolstered by the acquisition of Miller in exchange for four prospects on Sunday.

Cleveland has been outscored 50-32 in the last five games, during which it has gone 1-4 while its starters have allowed a whopping 30 runs in just 17 1/3 innings. The skid has raised the Indians' ERA nearly three-tenths of a run -- from 3.59 to 3.88 -- and dropped them from first in the AL in ERA to third.

"It's still a tough pill to swallow whenever the offense is clicking like they're clicking and we're not doing the job we're supposed to be doing," said right-hander Josh Tomlin, who became the latest culprit Friday by giving up seven runs over 4 2/3 innings -- the longest start by an Indians pitcher during the slump.

The last pitcher to produce a strong start will take the mound for the Indians on Saturday, when right-hander Corey Kluber opposes Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia in a matchup of pitchers who won the American League Cy Young Award while playing for Cleveland.

Kluber, who won the Cy Young in 2014, earned the win Sunday, when he threw seven shutout innings in an 8-0 victory over the Oakland Athletics. He has allowed one run or fewer in three of his last four starts, a stretch in which he's lowered his ERA from 3.79 to a season-low 3.27.

Sabathia, the 2007 Cy Young Award winner, will be trying to snap out of a lengthy slump. A late comeback by the Yankees spared Sabathia the loss on Monday, when he gave up five runs over 5 2/3 innings in a 6-5, 10-inning win over the New York Mets. Sabathia has failed to author a quality start in seven of his last eight outings, a stretch in which he's gone 1-4 with a 6.85 ERA as his overall ERA has increased from 2.20 to 4.15.

**TheGame** · 08-06-2016, 07:27 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/6

Preview: Red Sox (60-48) at Dodgers (60-49)

Game: 2
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: August 06, 2016 4:05 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- If the Los Angeles Dodgers expect to compete against the Boston Red Sox, they need a solid outing from one of their starting pitchers.

Scott Kazmir was the latest Dodgers' starter who failed to deliver in three of the last four games. Kazmir (9-5) allowed four runs on five hits with four walks and two strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings in a 9-0 loss to the Red Sox on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

"Overall, he just really didn't command the fastball tonight," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "That's a very good hitting club and they made us pay for some mistakes. Game got away from us."

Kazmir's troubles come on the heels of Los Angeles starters managing just seven innings in two blowout losses to the Colorado Rockies earlier this week. On Saturday, they'll trust their fate to Ross Stripling.

Stripling (2-3, 4.14 ERA), who is being called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City, has not been consistent. But the Dodgers have few options since right-hander Bud Norris (back strain) is headed to the 15-day disabled list Saturday. Norris' injury is the latest of a string that have handcuffed the Dodgers, including ace Clayton Kershaw (herniated disk), who landed on the 60-day disabled list earlier this week and isn't expected back before September.

Needless to say, Stripling will be challenged.

"They're a lot of good hitters actually on that team," Roberts said of the Red Sox. "I can say we probably caught a break with David (Ortiz) on the bench (Friday night) in a National League ballpark."

Lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (2-4, 5.91 ERA) will get the start for Boston. In his last four starts, Rodriguez has a 2.63 ERA and has allowed only two hits in 12 at-bats with runners in scoring position (.167). This will be the first time he's face the Dodgers.

"For four months, we really haven't had any success," Roberts said regarding his team's woes with hitting left-handed pitchers. "We've got our work cut out but we'll be OK."

They weren't OK against Boston knuckleballer Steven Wright, who threw a complete-game shutout in Friday's gem, striking out nine, walking one and limiting the Dodgers to three hits.

"Outstanding. Complete control," Red Sox manager John Farrell said of Wright's performance. "I thought the two big pitches that were really good to see were the 3-2 knuckleballs that he threw to the middle of the order guys in the seventh inning for two strikeouts. He didn't go away from (his knuckleball) even in a four-run game. He executed even when he was behind in the count."

Wright (13-5) retired 18 of 19 batters, including 15 in a row at one point, before giving up a single to Yasmani Grandal to open the eighth inning.

"Watching Dodgers' games was what I did growing up, so to have an opportunity to pitch here was fun and to be able to throw my first complete-game shutout was definitely icing on the cake," said Wright, a native of nearby Torrance.

**TheGame** · 08-06-2016, 07:27 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/6

Preview: Cubs (67-41) at Athletics (48-61)

Game: 2
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: August 06, 2016 4:05 PM EDT

OAKLAND, Calif. -- After the way Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta finished last season en route to winning the National League Cy Young Award and started this season, he was overdue for a rough streak.

Arrieta went 11-0 with a 0.57 ERA over his final 13 regular-season starts last year, and the Cubs went 13-0 during that stretch. This year, he went 9-0 with a 1.72 ERA in his first 10 starts as the Cubs won all 10.

But over his past five starts, Arrieta has gone 0-3 with a 4.88 ERA, and the Cubs have lost all five games. He'll try to end that skid Saturday afternoon against the Oakland A's in the second game of a three-game series at the Oakland Coliseum.

"I just think we all (have) high highs and lows," catcher David Ross said Friday before the Cubs' 7-2 victory against Oakland. "It's going to be hard to sustain what he was doing. I don't think anything's wrong.

"I think we all went through a little stretch there where we were kind of fatigued. I think the All-Star break helped him recover and he's pitched well since then. It could be fatigue, it could be rhythm, it could be any number of things. But for how long he sustained just being completely unhittable, I think everybody said, 'What's wrong?' when he gives up a couple runs."

Arrieta (12-5) certainly isn't sweating his mini-slump. In his previous start, he gave up two runs on two hits over seven innings in a 4-1 loss to Seattle. Two starts before that, he held the Mets to one run on five hits over seven innings and got a no-decision in a 2-1 loss.

"Yeah, two hits," Arrieta said of his start against the Mariners. "Two walks in the 8th or it could have easily been a different story. A couple close calls led to a couple base runners. They ended up getting a couple.

"Sometimes this game does weird things to you. But trying to get locked in and be at our best individually down the stretch is the most important thing for us. That's kind of what we're striving to do."

Oakland catcher Stephen Vogt said the A's are expecting nothing but the best from Arrieta.

"I faced him a lot in the minor leagues," Vogt said. "You can't say enough about what he's done over the last couple years. It's pretty special. I'm looking forward to the challenge. He's got some of the best numbers in baseball and he's had some of the best success over the last couple years. It will be a good challenge for us. I'm looking forward to it."

A's right-hander Sonny Gray will be looking again to recapture the command he had last year when he finished third in the American League Cy Young Award voting. Gray is 5-10 with a 5.84 ERA and 15 wild pitches.

"Obviously he's frustrated and obviously he's working to get better every day," Vogt said. "It's just been kind of when he hasn't been good, they take advantage of him, and when he has been good, bounces haven't gone his way.

"So it's kind of been an up-and-down season for him. But he's handling it well. I think he's learning. Obviously it's not easy, but he's doing a good job, he's keeping a good level head and he's putting his work in every week, like he has all year."

In his previous start, Gray gave up seven runs over 3 1/3 innings in an 8-0 loss to Cleveland.

"We're always looking and expecting him to go out and be the guy that we've seen in the past," A's manager Bob Melvin said. "So is he. It's just about going out there and stringing a few performances together that get him going in the right direction again."

**TheGame** · 08-06-2016, 07:28 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/6

Preview: Twins (44-65) at Rays (44-64)

Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: August 06, 2016 6:10 PM EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- If Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Chris Archer needs some kind of spark to get out of the long, difficult slump that has been his 2016 season, perhaps the Minnesota Twins will do the trick.

Archer is 5-15, leading the majors in losses, with just one win in his last 10 starts and his team 2-8 in those games. Baseball hasn't had a 20-game loser since Detroit's Mike Maroth in 2003, and if Archer is to keep pitching and avoid such infamy, something has to change.

For his career, Minnesota has been that kind of cure-all -- he's 4-1 all-time against the Twins, with a sterling 1.78 ERA in his five starts. He actually lost in his last outing against Minnesota, but struck out 12 in doing so nearly a year ago in August.

And if the Rays, too, are to reverse their struggles, they'll need Archer to last longer than Friday's starter, Blake Snell, who got to 97 pitches in just 5 1/3 innings, putting a 2-1 lead in the hands of the Tampa Bay bullpen.

It didn't go well, as relievers Erasmo Ramirez and Ryan Garton combined to give up five runs and six hits in their 3 2/3 innings, while the Twins bullpen calmly threw 2.2 innings of one-hit, scoreless relief.

"(Ramirez) has been throwing the ball pretty good for us," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Today, you go back and look at those pitches and I'm guessing they were probably hit where they were supposed to be hit, (given) the location."

Those pitches included a two-run home run to Eddie Rosario and a solo shot from Miguel Sano. And just as the Twins have been good for Archer in the past, the Rays could benefit from facing a young, unproven arm in Minnesota starter Jose Berrios, who is carrying an 8.57 ERA with a 2-1 record.

Berrios had good numbers at Triple-A Rochester, carrying a 2.71 ERA in 13 starts, and Saturday will be his second start since being recalled. He took the win in his last start, giving up three runs on five hits in six innings for a quality start, retiring 15 straight at one point.

Minnesota kept the Rays from causing any real trouble in Friday's opening win, holding them to a 1-for-7 night with runners in scoring position. Starter Ervin Santana gave up three hits in the first five at-bats, then settled down to retired 10 straight and last into the seventh inning. Their bats, meanwhile, came through with four hits with runners in scoring position, allowing them to break open a game that was a pitcher's duel entering the seventh inning.

"A nice overall win for us," manager Paul Molitor said. "We had to keep fighting. We fought our way back in the game and the bullpen was solid."

**TheGame** · 08-06-2016, 07:28 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/6

Preview: Reds (44-64) at Pirates (54-53)

Game: 2
Venue: PNC Park
Date: August 06, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH -- The scheduled starters for Saturday's Cincinnati-Pittsburgh game at PNC Park have had an eventful week, for different reasons.

Reds right-hander Homer Bailey returned Sunday after 15 months between major league starts because of Tommy John surgery. Two days later, he was vocal in criticizing the club for trading slugger Jay Bruce.

Pirates right-hander Ivan Nova, meanwhile, was directly part of the trade deadline flurry. Pittsburgh acquired him from the Yankees for two players to be named. He will be making his debut with his new team Saturday.

The game will be the second of the series, after the Pirates won 3-2 on Friday.

Nova joined the Pirates on the road and during his first pregame appearance in the Pittsburgh clubhouse, he was pulled in a few directions to tend to some equipment needs, publicity photos and such.

But it sounded as if Nova would have some comfort level Saturday night.

"I have the advantage that the catcher who will probably be catching me is a guy that I've known for a long time," he said of Francisco Cervelli. "He's a really good friend of mine. We have good history."

In fact, Nova worked with Cervelli and another Pirates catcher, Chris Stewart, during his time with the Yankees. Stewart (knee) is on the disabled list.

"I came from the American League to the National League. There's a lot of hitters I don't know," Nova said. "They have an idea how to pitch to them."

Nova was 7-6 with one save and a 4.90 ERA in 21 games with New York. He moved from the bullpen to the rotation in early May. In 15 starts, he is 6-5 with a 4.86 ERA.

Nova doesn't plan on changing a lot and had not spoken with Pittsburgh pitching coach Ray Searage about his delivery.

"I don't think I have any mechanical problems," Nova said. "My job is to go out there and execute my pitches."

For hitters, that usually means a heavy diet of Nova's sinker.

"The way I think is, if you don't show me you can hit my sinker, why (would) I stop throwing it?" he said.

Nova got some insight to life in the Pirates clubhouse from left-hander Francisco Liriano, a friend who was traded by Pittsburgh to Toronto on Monday.

He also got the standard mantra from Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle: "The organizational themes, to shrink-wrap it: You fear nothing. You respect everything. We hold ourselves to a very high level of execution in what we say and do. We don't make excuses. We play for the name on the front and represent the name on the back. If you're going to get your name in the paper, keep it in the sports page."

Bailey, if he were under the Pirates' watch, wouldn't have violated Hurdle's mandates, but surely didn't get rave reviews from the Cincinnati management for questioning the motives behind the Bruce trade.

"I think I see the plan," Bailey told ESPN.com on Tuesday. "They talked about us losing 100 games at the beginning of the year, and (expletive), we're damn sure trying, aren't we?"

Two days earlier, Bailey was basking in a successful return from his long injury absence. He allowed two runs, struck out six and walked three in 5 2/3 innings in a 3-2 victory against San Diego.

"He was sharper than I thought he would be," catcher Tucker Barnhart told Cincinnati.com. "When Homer's elevating and getting swings-and-misses on fastballs up, he's at his best. It just opens up his split and his breaking balls even more."

**TheGame** · 08-06-2016, 07:28 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/6

Preview: Giants (62-47) at Nationals (65-44)

Game: 2
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: August 06, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

WASHINGTON -- Two pitchers with very different ERAs will face each other Saturday in the second game of a series between first-place teams at Nationals Park.

Giants right-hander Matt Cain (3-6, 5.53) will face Washington right-hander Stephen Strasburg (15-1, 2.63) in the second game of the series.

Cain will try to pick up the slack after Giants starter Jeff Samardzija gave up five runs in a 5-1 loss on Friday night. The Giants have now gone 5-14 since the All-Star break and their lead is slipping in the National League West.

"We have to start winning ballgames. This is a big series," said Bruce Bochy, the Giants manager.

Cain got the 100th victory of his career but had to leave after five hitless innings due to a high pitch count last weekend against the Nationals. The Giants got the win 3-1 over Gio Gonzalez, who has also been known to reach 100 pitches in five innings at times.

Strasburg was named the Pitcher of the Month for July in the National League and entered Friday as the league leader in winning percentage (.938) and wins and was fourth in strikeouts with 161 and fourth in opponents' batting average at .194.

In three games at home against the Giants in his career, Strasburg has been given 5.93 runs per game by his teammates.

Hunter Pence is hitting .260 (4-for-16) against Strasburg while Buster Posey is hitting .375 in 16 trips to the plate while first baseman Brandon Belt, who did not start Friday against lefty Gonzalez, is 1-for-7 against Strasburg.

Eduardo Nunez, just acquired from the Minnesota Twins in a trade, is 3-for-4 in his career against Strasburg.

A few of the Nationals hitters have interesting -- albeit limited -- track records against Cain.

Daniel Murphy, the July player of the month in the National League, is hitting .167 against him but has two homers in 12 at-bats.

Danny Espinosa, the Washington shortstop, has two homers in eight at-bats for an average of .250.

Clint Robinson, a backup first baseman for the Nationals, is two-for-two in his career against Cain.

The slumping Bryce Harper is hitting .167 in seven at-bats against Cain. Harper has hit the ball hard the past few games but has little to show for it.

He was 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly on Friday.

"He hit the ball hard," said Washington manager Dusty Baker after Friday's win. "Good times are around the corner."

Gonzalez pitched for the Oakland A's through the 2011 season so he is no stranger to the Giants.

The lefty, who won 21 games with Washington in 2012, has had amazing success against right-handed hitting Hunter Pence -- who is hitting .059 in 17 at-bats against Gonzalez.

Buster Posey is hitting .333 in 15 at-bats against the Miami-area native while Angel Pagan has an average of .364 in 11 trips to the plate.

Brandon Crawford is hitting .273 in 11 at-bats against Gonzalez.

"We have to find a way to get this offense going," Bochy said Friday. "We have to bust out of this. It better be sooner than later. We have our work cut out tomorrow (against Strasburg)."

**TheGame** · 08-06-2016, 07:29 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/6

Preview: Orioles (62-46) at White Sox (52-57)

Game: 2
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: August 06, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- The Baltimore Orioles seem to enjoy playing behind right-hander Chris Tillman.

The 28-year-old pitcher is slated to make his 24th start of the season Saturday night against the Chicago White Sox. Baltimore is 19-4 this season when Tillman takes the mound, including team victories in five of his last six outings.

The steady wave of Tillman-related triumphs is a big reason why Baltimore (62-46) remains locked in a virtual tie with the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the American League East. Tillman (14-3, 3.46 ERA) is two wins shy of matching his career high from 2013, and he has limited opponents to a .219 batting average since July 5.

As the Orioles surge closer toward a postseason run, the White Sox (52-57) are sliding in the opposite direction. Chicago has lost seven of its past nine games and 15 of 22 after a 7-5 loss to Baltimore in Friday's series opener.

The White Sox could welcome back rookie shortstop Tim Anderson, who left Thursday's game against the Tigers because of a bruised left hand and was not in the lineup Friday.

"You're just a little concerned about him going out there and doing something that would jeopardize some other part of his body," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "We're going to let him rest a little bit and hopefully that (swelling) goes down and it feels better by (Saturday)."

White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon (2-8, 4.67 ERA) will look to snap his streak of eight straight starts without a win. Rodon does not have a victory since May 22 against the Kansas City Royals. He is 0-2 with a 4.85 ERA in three appearances (two starts) against the Orioles during his career.

Rodon will have his hands full against one of the top-hitting teams in the league.

Baltimore leads the majors this season with 163 home runs. The team boasts the top long-ball hitter in the game (Mark Trumbo, 31 home runs), not to mention two corner infielders with mammoth power (Chris Davis and Manny Machado, 22 home runs apiece).

Yet the Orioles' latest thunder bat does not belong to Trumbo, Davis or Machado. Look instead to Pedro Alvarez, who clubbed two home runs in Friday's series-opening win and has five in his past three games.

Alvarez's first blast traveled 415 feet over the center-field wall. His next one soared even farther -- 451 feet.

The left-handed hitter has 18 home runs for Baltimore after hitting 27 home runs last season with Pittsburgh.

"I just think you can tell he's in a good place," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "He's seeing the ball well. He's sitting on some pitches that he wasn't, and when he's getting his pitch, he's not missing it.

"He's as strong as anybody we've got. ... Took him a little while to get going, but some of that's not his fault. He's coming to a new league, new pitchers, there was a lot of different things going on."

**TheGame** · 08-06-2016, 07:29 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/6

Preview: Rangers (63-47) at Astros (57-52)

Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: August 06, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

HOUSTON -- The Astros entered their decisive series with their American League West division rivals Texas in need of a jolt, something to snap them from their recent doldrums and the Rangers' dominance of the series.

The Astros (57-52) had lost nine of 10 against the Rangers before coasting to a 5-0 victory in the opener Friday night. But their inability to succeed against Texas, as opposed to their 11-1 mark against the Angels, was something worthy of discussion with the division up for grabs.

"I think in a lot of ways you just have to play the game," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "I don't think they're all related. I scoff at the idea of them having our number of the next time we play the Angels that they're automatic wins. The fact that you've got to play the whole schedule, you've got to figure out ways to match up against them. This is a different team from when we played them earlier. We're a different team.

"Regardless of how we've gotten here they're in sight. The challenge to beat them remains the same as it does whether they've beaten us nine out of 10 or we've beaten them eight out of 10."

Right-hander Doug Fister (10-7, 3.56 ERA) returns from the paternity list to start for the Astros. Fister is 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in two road starts against the Rangers this season and 5-5 with a 4.88 ERA in 12 career starts against Texas.

The Rangers (63-47) counter with right-hander Lucas Harrell (3-2, 3.57 ERA with the Braves and Rangers), who makes his second career start with Texas on Saturday. It will mark his first career appearance against the Astros, for whom Harrell made 77 appearances from 2011-14.

Texas has yet to fully discover its offensive stride following the non-waiver trade deadline acquisitions of Carlos Beltran and Jonathan Lucroy. Beltran, who started as the designated hitter for a fourth consecutive game, finished 1-for-4 on Friday night. He will start in right field Saturday for the first time with the Rangers.

Lucroy was given the night off but will return behind the plate Saturday to catch Harrell. Lineup maneuverings aside, the Rangers need more of an offensive punch than they mustered against Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel, who tossed a three-hit shutout in the series opener.

"I think it was more of a story that they were able to get him a lead," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said of Keuchel. "You get a guy of his caliber some runs to work with he can go to work. He was able to pound the strike zone, which early on our guys felt like we had a nice patient approach against Keuchel. First we got a little impatient for the last out of the first and also on the double-play ball. Look that's what he does.

"He can induce the groundball. I mean 19 groundball outs tonight, 16 of which were on the pull side which tells me that he was able to put the fastball where he wanted to, kept us off-balance with the slider."

**TheGame** · 08-06-2016, 07:30 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/6

Preview: Mets (56-53) at Tigers (60-49)

Game: 2
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: August 06, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

DETROIT -- Injuries are part of the game, but for the Detroit Tigers and New York Mets, they seem to be an everyday part.

One of the reasons Detroit didn't make any non-waiver trade deadline deals -- aside from having little to offer -- was the expectation of getting pitchers Jordan Zimmermann and Daniel Norris back from the disabled list along with right fielder J.D. Martinez.

They're all back now -- sort of.

Norris was taken off the disabled list -- and optioned to Toledo.

Zimmermann came off -- and got rocked in his first start. Now he's dealing with a bad right lat muscle that might land him back on the disabled list. More might be known after he throws a side session on Sunday.

Martinez came back as a pinch hitter and clubbed the winning home run on the first pitch he saw upon his return, then smoked a double on the first pitch he saw in his first start the following day.

The Mets will be missing a middle-of-the-order bat for two weeks (or maybe more) with outfielder Yoenis Cespedes going on the DL with a right quad issue he has been dealing with for three weeks.

That's not to mention problems with keeping their first basemen healthy and assorted injuries to other infielders and key rotation members.

"It seems like there's a night we pitch well and we don't hit," Mets manager Terry Collins said. "Then there's another night we score six and we win a game and the pitching's OK. The next night we don't hit again.

"It's certainly hard to understand why we're going like that."

New York will send right-hander Logan Verrett out to face Detroit for the first time when he starts Saturday night against the Tigers.

Verrett is 3-6 with a 4.20 ERA in 28 games with the Mets this season, including 10 starts. He has made four starts since the All-Star break with no decisions but a 3.86 ERA. He has 16 strikeouts and eight walks.

This will be his second straight start against an American League team, having allowed three runs in five innings against the New York Yankees in his most recent start.

Detroit left-hander Matt Boyd will be seeking a chance to prolong his time in the rotation when he starts against the Mets.

Boyd (2-2, 4.71 ERA) will be making his 10th start in 11 appearances with Detroit this season. He has done a decent job of filling in while Zimmermann and Norris recuperated.

It will be his first game against the Mets and only his second time facing a National League opponent. Boyd got two outs in relief in a game against the Cubs last Aug. 19 in Chicago.

Boyd has been inconsistent, tending to throw too many hittable pitches at some point in his most of his starts, but he did pick up a win in his last outing. He allowed three runs in five innings with a walk and six strikeouts against Houston on July 29.

Detroit has pulled within two games of first-place Cleveland in the American League Central after winning nine of 10 games while the Indians have cooled off.

"We want everyone to join us," Detroit second baseman Ian Kinsler said. "There's plenty of room on the bandwagon."

**TheGame** · 08-06-2016, 07:30 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/6

Preview: Braves (39-70) at Cardinals (58-51)

Game: 2
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: August 06, 2016 7:15 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS -- And the winner is ... Roberto Hernandez.

Hernandez, known as Fausto Carmona when he won 19 games for the 2007 Cleveland Indians that reached the American League Championship Series, starts Saturday night's game for the Atlanta Braves at the St. Louis Cardinals.

The 36-year old Hernandez was about the only logical choice Atlanta (39-70) had for this one after right-hander Aaron Blair, who it had planned to promote from Triple-A Gwinnett to make the start, injured his knee Thursday and landed on the disabled list.

Their rotation already threadbare by other injuries and trades, the Braves turned to Hernandez, who is 4-6 with a 4.60 ERA in 16 International League starts between Buffalo and Gwinnett.

Hernandez was picked up by Atlanta on July 15, so forgive interim manager Brian Snitker if his scouting report on him isn't exactly detailed.

"I don't know," Snitker said. "I haven't talked to anybody. Last time I seen him on TV, he started the season opener in '06 when I managed Triple A -- Buffalo against Richmond."

The following year, Hernandez -- a.k.a. Carmona -- enjoyed by far the best year of his MLB career. He drew votes for the Cy Young Award and helped Cleveland get within a game of the World Series.

But Hernandez couldn't follow that season with other good ones and has bounced from team-to-team over the last five years. He started this year in Toronto's organization, but was released July 3.

While the Braves are just trying to piece together a rotation to finish out their final 53 games, St. Louis (58-51) is in a fight with the Miami Marlins and others for a wild-card spot.

Friday night's 1-0 victory over Atlanta kept the Cardinals in lockstep with Miami for wild card number two. They were led by starter Jaime Garcia, who fanned 11 over eight scoreless innings and knocked in the only run with a second inning single.

Garcia's outing was just the team's seventh quality start since the All-Star break. Not only did it serve as a great bounceback from his 11-0 loss on July 30 in Miami, it gave an overworked bullpen a night off, save for closer Seung Hwan Oh.

"If we had had a little more room, we could have sat the bullpen down and given them a night's rest," manager Mike Matheny said of the decision to lift Garcia after eight innings. "Jaime wanted the ball (in the ninth) and probably deserved the ball, but they were turning the lineup over for a fourth time. We need every win we can get."

St. Louis' Carlos Martinez (10-6, 2.99 ERA) will try to ape Garcia's effort. Martinez is 2-0 in his career against the Braves, earning a 1-0 win against them last July and a 12-2 decision on April 9 in Atlanta, working six innings in that one.

Martinez is coming off a no-decision Sunday in Miami, working seven innings and allowing four runs on seven hits and four walks, whiffing four. Martinez shrugged off a three-run first to keep the Cardinals in the game.

**TheGame** · 08-06-2016, 07:31 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/6

Preview: Blue Jays (63-47) at Royals (51-58)

Game: 2
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: August 06, 2016 7:15 PM EDT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Toronto Blue Jays have opted to go with a six-man rotation instead of moving Cy Young candidate Aaron Sanchez to the bullpen.

Sanchez makes his 22nd start Saturday against the Kansas City Royals. He has thrown a career-high 139 1/3 innings.

"If all six of them are throwing good, we'll keep rolling with it," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "If somebody's scuffling and we want to change things up, we can do that. We're just going to roll with this. We like all six. See where the hell it goes."

Sanchez is 11-1 with an American League best 2.71 ERA, while holding opposing batters to a .225 average.

After acquiring left-hander Francisco Liriano in a Monday trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates, the original plan was to have Sanchez pitch out of the bullpen the final two months of the season, keeping his innings and pitches down.

That, however, created a commotion among the players, who are in a win-now mode.

Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins flew to Houston to meet with the players and the organization did an about-face on opting to keep the hard-throwing Sanchez in the rotation.

Sanchez, who had not suffered a loss since April 22 to the Athletics, has thrown 2,078 pitches this year. He threw 474 pitches in five July starts, going at least seven innings in four of them.

With a six-man rotation and a seven-man bullpen, Gibbons has only a three-man bench.

"But, we'll deal with it," Gibbons said. "You know, we definitely ... get to September as quick as you can, get reinforcements."

Liriano gave up three runs (one unearned) in six innings Friday in his first Toronto start. He allowed seven hits and walked two in a no-decision. The Blue Jays won 4-3 with Devon Travis hitting a pair of home runs.

While Sanchez is difficult to score on, the Royals have had difficulty scoring upon anyone lately. They have not recorded more than three runs in nine straight games, which is a club record for one season. They went 11 straight games scoring three or fewer runs, but that was stretched over two seasons from Oct. 4, 1991-April 14, 1992.

"It's a broken record," Royals manager Ned Yost said of his club's no-nuke offense. "And we've got to face an All-Star pitcher (Saturday)."

The Royals scored 20 runs in their past nine games, while hitting .205 with a .253 on-base percentage and a .309 slugging percentage.

The Royals counter with left-hander Danny Duffy, who has also been dominant recently. He gave up one hit -- an eighth inning double to Desmond Jennings -- and struck out a club record 16 Rays on Monday in his previous start.

Duffy has won six straight decisions and leads the American League with 92 strikeouts since June 1, averaging 10.62 per nine innings in that span. He is 3-0 with a 3.79 ERA this season at Kauffman Stadium.

Duffy, however, does not have a good track record against the Blue Jays. He is 1-3 with a 6.97 ERA in five career appearances (four starts) against Toronto.

**TheGame** · 08-06-2016, 07:31 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/6

Preview: Marlins (58-51) at Rockies (54-55)

Game: 2
Venue: Coors Field
Date: August 06, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

DENVER -- Ichiro Suzuki made a cameo appearance Friday night, a three-pitch at-bat as a pinch-hitter that was preceded by a successful strategic move by Colorado Rockies manager Walt Weiss and ended with a strikeout, leaving Ichiro at 2,998 hits,

Manager Don Mattingly has not said when Ichiro might next start. Unlike Friday, the Rockies are starting right-handed pitchers on Saturday night (Chad Bettis) and Sunday afternoon (Jon Gray).

Mattingly sent Ichiro up to pinch hit with one out in the seventh Friday and right-hander Scott Oberg on the mound. Weiss countered with left-hander Boone Logan, who had limited left-handed hitters to an average of .135 (10-for-74) with 26 strikeouts.

Ichiro took a first-pitch strike, fouled off the third and took the third for strike three. Since his last hit July 28, Ichiro is 0-for-11 in seven games that include one start and he is 8-for-35 (.229) since the All-Star break.

In a pregame interview with the Marlins' beat writers, Ichiro admitted this slow climb to 3,000 hits has been unlike anything he has experienced in a professional career that began in 1992.

"I feel pressure every time I get up to the plate," Ichiro said through an interpreter. "But there are different types of pressure. This is a different type of pressure. This experience, I'll never be able to get this experience again. The fans that cheer me on, I feel obviously I want to get a hit. When I don't, I feel bad that I wasn't able to do it in front of them."

While Ichiro waits for the two grand moments that will make him the 30th player in major league history to scale the 3,000-hit summit, Andrew Cashner will make his second start for the Marlins since being acquired from San Diego. He's 4-7 with a 4.54 ERA overall. In his Marlins debut Sunday, Cashner was not involved in the decision after pitching six innings against St. Louis and allowing four hits and two runs, one earned, with no walks and two strikeouts. The Marlins won 5-4.

Bettis is 9-6 with a 5.16 ERA. On Sunday at New York, he allowed three runs and five hits in six innings with two walks and a season-high-tying eight strikeouts. Bettis was in line for the win since the Rockies scored once in the seventh to go ahead 4-3, but in the bottom of the inning, Logan gave up a three-run homer to Neil Walker that gave the Mets a 4-3 win.

Bettis, who will be making his first start against the Marlins, is 3-0 with a 3.09 ERA in his past five starts.

The Rockies have lost two straight games to fall to 2-2 on their current eight-game homestand. The Dodgers behind Kenta Maeda beat them 4-2 on Thursday. On Friday, the Rockies scored three runs in the eighth to go ahead 3-1, only to have the Marlins rough up closer Carlos Estevez for four runs in the ninth to win 5-3.

"Late losses are always frustrating," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "We'll bounce back tomorrow, win a game tomorrow."

**TheGame** · 08-06-2016, 07:31 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 8/6

Preview: Brewers (48-59) at Diamondbacks (44-65)

Game: 2
Venue: Chase Field
Date: August 06, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

PHOENIX -- Pardon the Milwaukee Brewers if they believe Yasmany Tomas' next trip will include a ticker-tape parade or a stop in Cooperstown.

Tomas continued to make the Brewers his personal cerveceros in Arizona's 2-1, 11-inning victory at Chase Field on Friday, hitting a pair of bases-empty homers that allowed the Diamondbacks to take the game that far.

Tomas pulled a changeup for a homer in the second inning and hit a fastball over the fence in right field for his second multiple-homer game against the Brewers in five games this season.

He leads the major leagues with six multiple-homer games (Baltimore's Mark Trumbo, a former Diamondback, has five) and he is 8-for-21 with two doubles, four homers and 10 RBIs in the season series that will continue with the second game of a three-game set in Chase Field on Saturday.

Big things were expected when Tomas signed a six-year, $68.5 million contract before the 2015 season, and he appears to be turning the corner at the plate.

"We believe he is starting to figure it out," Arizona manager Chip Hale said.

Tomas, 24, hit .273 with nine homers and 43 RBIs in his rookie season, and he was mostly a platoon player the final six weeks of the season.

"I'm working really hard to have good pitch selection," Tomas said through interpreter Ariel Prieto.

Arizona will start left-hander Patrick Corbin (4-10) against Matt Garza (2-4) in the first of the D-backs' two chances to win their fourth home series of the season. They are 18-38 at home.

Corbin and Garza faced each other July 26, but never had a decision when the Brewers pulled out a 7-4 victory with three runs in the eighth inning. Both have had success in the matchup. Corbin is 2-2 with a 2.88 ERA in nine appearances against Milwaukee and Garza is 5-2 with a 2.88 ERA in nine appearances against Arizona.

The D-backs are 18-38 at home and the Brewers are 18-34 on the road this season, winning two of their 17 series. They have lost 11 and split four.

Like Tomas, Milwaukee outfielder Hernan Perez continued to swing the bat well against Arizona. Perez singled and scored and is 6-for-18 with a homer, two RBIs and three stolen bases in five games against the Diamondbacks.

Milwaukee shortstop Orlando Arcia, considered one of the top prospects in the game when he was promoted from Triple-A Colorado Springs on Tuesday, had his first hit Friday, an RBI single on a high changeup that drove in Perez to tie the game at 1 in the fourth inning.

Arcia has started all three games since his addition, and that is likely to continue as the Brewers expose him to the highest level. Arcia committed a fielding error with runners on first and second and one out in the 11th inning Friday, when he took a ball behind second base and attempted to flip back to the bag instead of throwing to first base for the out. Welington Castillo walked one batter later to force in the winning run.

"He's certainly going to be our primary shortstop," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "We're looking forward to seeing him play. He's ready for the big leagues. There is a learning curve. He will at times feel like he is seeing things that he has never seen before."

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MLB Betting Info. 8/6

MLB Betting Info. 8/6

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