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[CNOTES]

Preview: Indians (60-48) at Marlins (42-65)
Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: August 02, 2013 7:10 PM EDT

The Cleveland Indians are on the verge of their longest win streak in five seasons but are heading on the road, where victories haven't been plentiful lately.
A matchup with the NL's worst team Friday night would appear to help Cleveland's chances, but the Miami Marlins have played relatively well of late and will have All-Star right-hander Jose Fernandez on the mound.
Cleveland (60-48) hasn't won nine in a row since a 10-game streak Aug. 17-27, 2008, but is close to pulling off that feat after sweeping a homestand against Texas and the Chicago White Sox. Ryan Raburn homered twice and drove in four runs in a 6-1 victory over Chicago on Thursday.
"The thing about it, which I enjoy, is the fact that every night it's somebody different. That shows you the kind of chemistry we have," infielder Mike Aviles told the team's website. "We're always rooting for each other. It shows you the type of depth we possess right now. It's a fun way to win every night. Something different."
Raburn is hitting .409 with three homers and nine RBIs in his last six games, and Yan Gomes is 11 for 18 with three doubles, a home run and six RBIs in his last six.
While they've helped push Cleveland's home winning streak to 11, the club has dropped six of eight on the road. The Indians have batted .242 in that stretch but are hitting .307 over their last eight games.
Cleveland also has a 2.28 ERA during the win streak, and Ubaldo Jimenez (8-5, 4.17 ERA) helped by giving up two hits over eight innings in a 6-0 victory over Texas on Sunday.
"It's good competition," Jimenez said of the Indians' pitching success. "You don't want to be the guy who goes out there and doesn't pitch well. Everybody wants to pitch a good game."
In the Indians' first visit to Marlins Park, Jimenez will seek to win back-to-back starts for the first time since a three-game win streak April 29-May 11. However, he's failed to get through six innings in six straight road starts, going 0-1 with a 4.60 ERA in the last three.
The right-hander is 1-1 with a 3.98 ERA in four career matchups with the Marlins.
He'll face a team that has hit .172 in its last five games but has won seven of 11. Miami has a 2.55 ERA in that span following a 3-0 victory over the New York Mets on Thursday.
The Marlins (42-65) now try for a season high-tying third win in a row behind Fernandez (7-5, 2.71), who looks to earn a career-best third straight victory.
Fernandez, who has a 2.14 ERA in his last three starts, set a team rookie record with 13 strikeouts and gave up two runs over eight innings Sunday in a 3-2 win over Pittsburgh.
"We've seen Jose kind of get to that next level. He was able to do that and he dominated. It was nice," manager Mike Redmond told the team's website.
Fernandez will face the Indians for the first time while the Marlins will have their second matchup with Cleveland in as many seasons. Miami took two of three from the Indians from May 18-20, 2012.
Cleveland won its final two games in its most recent visit to Miami in 2007 after losing five straight there, beginning with Game 7 of the 1997 World Series.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Indians at Marlins
Fri, Aug 2 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Indians at Marlins
Sat, Aug 3 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Indians at Marlins
Sun, Aug 4 - 1:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Royals (54-51) at Mets (48-58)
Game: 1
Venue: Citi Field
Date: August 02, 2013 7:10 PM EDT

The Kansas City Royals' current string of victories hasn't come against impressive competition, and Friday night's series opener against the New York Mets wouldn't appear to be much more difficult.
They likely won't care if it means the team's longest winning streak in 19 years.
Kansas City aims for its 10th straight victory as it plays in Citi Field for the first time.
The Royals (54-51) claimed a 7-2 victory at Minnesota on Thursday, marking their ninth win in a row for the first time since starting 9-0 in 2003. They were again led by strong pitching, with James Shields allowing two runs in six innings and Luke Hochevar and Louis Coleman combining for three scoreless.
The last six wins have come against the Chicago White Sox and Twins, who are a combined 41 games under .500. The first three were against Baltimore, which was 12-13 in July.
However, Kansas City has received a quality start in all nine wins while the bullpen has allowed three runs in 24 2-3 innings.
The Royals haven't won 10 straight since a 14-game streak July 23-Aug. 5, 1994.
"We're playing some really good baseball and we believe in ourselves right now," Shields said. "Going into this last two months, this is the kind of baseball we need to play."
Scheduled starter Wade Davis (5-9, 5.50 ERA) will look to keep the Royals' run going as he comes off one of his best performances of the season. The right-hander allowed four singles over 7 1-3 innings to outpitch Chris Sale in a 1-0 win at Chicago on Saturday.
Davis had lost each of his past four starts while posting a 10.91 ERA.
"I got ahead of a lot more guys tonight," said Davis, who threw a scoreless inning of relief with Tampa Bay in his only appearance against New York on June 13, 2012. "I got some early swings to help me get deeper in the ballgame, too."
Dillon Gee (7-8, 4.13) hadn't lost in six straight starts while registering a 3.05 ERA before allowing four runs - all on three homers - over seven innings of a 4-1 loss at Washington on Saturday. He hadn't surrendered a homer in his previous five starts, spanning 33 1-3 innings.
"The balls they hit out, they were mistakes, they weren't good pitches," Gee said.
New York (48-58) was 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11 in a 3-0 loss at Miami on Thursday, the first time the club had been shut out since May 25 against Atlanta.
The Mets have scored 15 runs in the past seven games.
"There's no secret," manager Terry Collins said. "If we knew what it was, we'd fix it. Guys aren't driving in runs. There's nothing wrong with the approach. We're not getting good swings at the pitches we can hit and we're fouling them off. Therefore we're not driving them in."
Royals left fielder Alex Gordon tripled for the third time in seven games Thursday and is hitting .383 in 11 interleague contests this year.
Kansas City can earn its seventh straight road victory for the first time since an eight-game streak Sept. 13-27, 2008.
These teams have split six all-time matchups and will be meeting for the first time since 2004.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Royals at Mets
Fri, Aug 2 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Royals at Mets
Sat, Aug 3 - 1:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Royals at Mets
Sun, Aug 4 - 1:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Cardinals (63-44) at Reds (60-49)
Game: 1
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: August 02, 2013 7:10 PM EDT

The St. Louis Cardinals began a daunting 11-game trip leading the NL Central.
They'll enter the final stretch of that trek hoping not to lose any more ground in the division standings.
After snapping their longest slide of the season, the Cardinals try to continue their recent success against the Cincinnati Reds on Friday night.
St. Louis (63-44) held a 2 1/2-game division lead when the trip began in Atlanta last Friday. However, the Cardinals totaled three runs during a three-game sweep at the hands of the Braves, then dropped the first four at Pittsburgh before ending their seven-game skid with a 13-0 rout of the Pirates on Thursday.
The Cardinals trail Pittsburgh by 1 1/2 games after Allen Craig, Jon Jay and Tony Cruz each had two RBIs in helping the club confidently exhale for the moment.
"(Thursday) was a good sign for our team,' said Craig, who went 3 for 9 the last two games after suffering through an 0-for-22 slump. "There was no panic. We brought a lot of energy.
"You hate to go into lulls like we did because we've played so well all season long but I think this game should get us going again.'
St. Louis has won six of nine against the Reds (60-49) this season, and scored 22 runs while taking two of three at Great American Ballpark in June.
Craig, however, is 1 for 14 against Cincinnati starter Bronson Arroyo (9-8, 3.36 ERA), who is 0-3 with a 4.13 ERA in his last four starts against the Cardinals.
He's 0-2 with a 3.79 ERA in three starts this season versus St. Louis, with five of the eight runs he allowed coming on home runs by Carlos Beltran, Matt Holliday and Matt Adams.
A lifetime .344 hitter with two homers against Arroyo, Beltran is 8 for 22 with two home runs in his last five games versus Cincinnati.
The right-hander gave up a run over 16 innings to win two straight starts before he yielded three in 5 1-3 innings of a 4-1 loss at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.
Owners of the NL's second wild-card spot, the Reds snapped a five-game losing streak by ending a 5-6 trip with a 4-1 victory at San Diego on Wednesday. Cincinnati, which has scored nine runs over its last six contests, is 5 1/2 games back of the Pirates and four behind the Cardinals in the Central.
"From the won-loss standpoint, we've been pretty good," Arroyo told the Reds' official website. 'We have to turn it up another notch to keep up with those guys.
"If we don't beat those guys, they're not going to lose enough games elsewhere for us to catch them."
First baseman Joey Votto is batting .375 against the Cardinals this season but he's 0 for 2 against St. Louis starter Shelby Miller (10-7, 2.79 ERA). The right-hander allowed just one hit and struck out seven in six innings of a 1-0 victory over Cincinnati in the final regular-season game of 2012.
Miller held the Phillies to three hits over six scoreless innings in a 4-1 win July 23, but gave up three runs over 5 2-3 in a 5-2 loss at Atlanta on Sunday.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Cardinals at Reds
Fri, Aug 2 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Cardinals at Reds
Sat, Aug 3 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Cardinals at Reds
Sun, Aug 4 - 1:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Giants (48-59) at Rays (64-44)
Game: 1
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: August 02, 2013 7:10 PM EDT

The Tampa Bay Rays ended July on a down note, but it still ended up being the best month in franchise history.
No AL rookie pitcher in the past 92 seasons had a better July than Chris Archer.
The right-hander goes for a fifth consecutive winning start Friday night when the Rays continue their push for the AL East lead with the San Francisco Giants making their second-ever visit.
Going for its 24th win in 28 games, Tampa Bay (64-44) finished with three hits in a 7-0 loss to visiting Arizona on Wednesday.
The Rays, though, went 21-5 in July, and they would have opened this three-game series percentage points ahead of Boston for the East lead had the Red Sox not rallied for six runs in the ninth inning of Thursday's 8-7 victory over Seattle.
"I really can't get too upset," Rays manager Joe Maddon said Wednesday. "It's been a pretty good July, one of the funnest Julys I've ever participated in."
Archer (6-3, 2.39 ERA) enjoyed a historic July, going 4-0 with a 0.73 ERA in five starts after throwing a two-hitter in Saturday's 1-0 road win over the Yankees. Since 1921, that is the lowest ERA by any AL rookie in July.
"Right now, it's a combination of me being myself and the information that (pitching coach Jim) Hickey gives me," Archer, who has two shutouts in his last three starts, told the Rays' official website. "He tells me what the go-to pitch is for certain hitters. Otherwise, he wants me to pitch to my strengths."
Archer gets his first look at the Giants (48-59), who arrive in St. Petersburg after rallying for a 2-1 victory at Philadelphia on Thursday.
Joaquin Arias and pinch-hitter Roger Kieschnick delivered RBI singles in the top of the ninth inning, then Sergio Romo worked around a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the bottom half.
San Francisco, last in the NL West, has won two in a row following a 1-8 stretch.
"I think I was pretty fortunate," Romo said. "... It was a great win for us."
The reigning World Series champs go for their first three-game win streak since July 11-13 with Madison Bumgarner (10-6, 2.76) on the hill.
The All-Star left-hander leads the Giants in wins and innings, but the club hasn't done much to support him lately, scoring once in his last two outings.
Bumgarner has surrendered one run in those starts after his eight scoreless innings were wasted in Saturday's 1-0 loss to the Cubs.
"What a great job Bum did," manager Bruce Bochy told the Giants' official website. "We're trying to figure out what happened with the chances we had."
Bumgarner, who has never faced the Rays, will have to figure out a way to pitch to rookie Wil Myers, who's batting .457 with four homers and 12 RBIs during a 12-game hitting streak.
The Rays, who had their seven-game interleague home winning streak snapped Wednesday, haven't dropped two straight overall since June 26 and 28.
Tampa Bay won two of three from the visiting Giants from June 8-10, 2004, to even the all-time series at three games apiece.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Giants at Rays
Fri, Aug 2 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Giants at Rays
Sat, Aug 3 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Giants at Rays
Sun, Aug 4 - 1:40PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Nationals (52-56) at Brewers (46-62)
Game: 1
Venue: Miller Park
Date: August 02, 2013 8:10 PM EDT

The Washington Nationals continue to struggle at the plate in key situations, while Jordan Zimmermann hardly resembles the pitcher who was among baseball's best for much of the first half.
Perhaps facing the team his last win came against can help Zimmermann end his slide.
Zimmermann takes the mound in Friday night's series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.
Zimmermann (12-6, 3.19 ERA) joined Detroit's Max Scherzer as baseball's only 12-game winners when he gave up four runs and nine hits over six innings in a 10-5 victory over Milwaukee on July 1. He has since gone 0-3 with a 7.52 ERA in four starts.
The right-hander surrendered five runs and six hits - including two homers to Daniel Murphy - in an 11-0 loss to the New York Mets on Friday, though eight strikeouts were his most in six starts. He threw a career-high 118 pitches in only 6 2-3 innings, and is averaging 17.5 pitches per inning over his last four outings after averaging 13.6 in his previous 17 starts.
"I felt like, you know, I pitched a lot better than what the stat line says," said Zimmermann, who owns a 2.89 ERA while winning all three career starts versus Milwaukee (46-62).
Washington (52-56) has lost 14 of 20, plummeting well behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East. The Nationals have been subpar all season with runners in scoring position, hitting .241, but have been even worse lately.
Since their skid began July 8, the Nationals are 23 for 133 (.180) with runners in scoring position - the lowest in baseball. That average would be even worse had they not gone 9 for 12 in Sunday's 14-1 win over the Mets.
Ian Desmond and Adam LaRoche - second and third on the team with 53 and 46 RBIs, respectively - are hitting .200 and .143 in those situations over that span.
LaRoche and Desmond were 0 for 7 overall with four strikeouts in an 11-1 loss at Detroit on Wednesday, the 12th time the club has been held to two runs or fewer in its last 14 defeats.
"Everybody's got to want it, starting with the manager on down - everybody," said Bryce Harper, who was 1 for 15 with six strikeouts when Washington split four games against Milwaukee from July 1-4. "Everybody wants to win this and keep going. We need to get going and play better, hit better, have better ABs in certain situations and pitch better also. It's just something we need to do."
Harper is batting .333 in 12 games since the break but is 5 for 42 (.119) in 12 career contests against the Brewers.
Scheduled Milwaukee starter Tom Gorzelanny (2-4, 2.83) is coming off his first win in 15 starts dating to May 7, 2011. The left-hander threw 5 1-3 innings while allowing six hits and four runs - all in the sixth - in a 7-5 victory at Colorado on Saturday.
"That inning I could have done a little bit better," said Gorzelanny, 2-1 in three starts against Washington with a 3.15 ERA. "All that matter is we got the win."
Rickie Weeks is batting .119 over his last 16 games but is 3 for 7 lifetime off Zimmermann.
Norichika Aoki was 8 for 20 in the teams' first series while Juan Francisco went 5 for 10.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Nationals at Brewers
Fri, Aug 2 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Nationals at Brewers
Sat, Aug 3 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Nationals at Brewers
Sun, Aug 4 - 2:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Astros (36-71) at Twins (45-60)
Game: 1
Venue: Target Field
Date: August 02, 2013 8:10 PM EDT

The Minnesota Twins haven't been able to dig their way out of some early holes, thanks to their struggling rotation.
That could change when they send one of their hottest pitchers to the mound.
Samuel Deduno looks to win a career-best fourth straight start and end the Twins' four-game losing streak Friday night when he takes on rookie Jarred Cosart and the visiting Houston Astros.
Scott Diamond was the latest Minnesota starter to fall on difficult times Thursday, allowing seven runs and nine hits in five-plus innings in a 7-2 loss to Kansas City. He was optioned to the minors following the game.
Minnesota's starters have the highest ERA in baseball at 5.18, and they've posted a 7.65 ERA while giving up 34 hits over 20 innings during the team's skid.
It's been a much different story when the Twins (45-60) have had Deduno (7-4, 3.18 ERA) toeing the rubber.
The right-hander has been effectively wild during a three-start winning streak, allowing 11 walks but only three runs in 21 innings. He's thrown seven innings in each of those outings, all on the road.
Deduno matched a season high with six strikeouts while walking three and allowing three hits over seven innings in Saturday's 4-0 win at Seattle.
"Guys, if they ever do get to first, say, 'Man, I don't know what to look for off this guy,'" first baseman Justin Morneau said. "And then it's got so much movement they can't get locked in on anything. You rarely see guys square the ball up off him."
Deduno will try to continue his run back at Target Field, where he's gone 3-1 with a 2.33 ERA over four quality starts.
He'll face a Houston team that has batted a major league-worst .225 while dropping 22 of 28 since June 28.
Marc Krauss (.208) has struggled during this stretch, but he hit his second home run in five games as the Astros lost 6-3 in Baltimore on Thursday. Carlos Pena was 4 for 31 with 12 strikeouts before getting released Wednesday.
Following his first major league hit Thursday, L.J. Hoes is 1 for 9 in two games since being acquired from the Orioles for Bud Norris, who defeated the Astros in the series finale.
Houston (36-71) could be without leading hitter Jose Altuve, who was held out of the starting lineup Thursday to rest his sore left quad.
The Astros certainly haven't helped Cosart (1-0, 0.86) much by giving him five runs of support in his first three starts. The right-hander has allowed 13 hits and walked 11 over 21 innings while limiting opponents to a .191 batting average.
Cosart gave up one run and four hits while walking five over six innings in a 2-1 loss at Toronto on Sunday.
He'll make his first start against the Twins, who have averaged 2.5 runs and batted .198 while losing six of eight.
After hitting .175 with four homers in July, Morneau had a promising start to August with a home run and double Thursday.
Teammate Trevor Plouffe has been mired in a 4-for-39 slump, while Aaron Hicks was sent to Triple-A Rochester on Thursday after hitting .163 since the All-Star break.
This is the first meeting between these teams since the Astros took two of three at Minnesota in 2009.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Astros at Twins
Fri, Aug 2 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Astros at Twins
Sat, Aug 3 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Astros at Twins
Sun, Aug 4 - 2:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Blue Jays (50-58) at Angels (49-58)
Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: August 02, 2013 10:05 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Angels found ways to lose late during their longest skid in more than two years, but they left little doubt ending it early against a struggling pitcher.
Things could be a little more difficult when the Angels face one coming off the best performance of his brief major league career.
Todd Redmond takes the hill as the Toronto Blue Jays try for their sixth win in nine games Friday night while looking to deal the Angels a seventh loss in their last eight.
Following three straight walk-off losses in Texas, Los Angeles (49-58) snapped its six-game skid - the team's longest since June 2011 - with an 8-2 victory in Thursday's series opener.
J.B. Shuck drove in three runs and Mark Trumbo went 2 for 4 with his 24th home run as the Angels tagged reeling Josh Johnson for seven runs and 10 hits in 2 1-3 innings. Johnson fell to 1-8 with a 6.60 ERA.
"This is a team that's not going to stop working hard, no matter what we're facing," Trumbo said of his team, which is in fourth place and 13 1/2 games back in the AL West.
The slugging first baseman has hit .311 with three homers in his last 11 games. He's also batting .393 with four homers and nine RBIs in his last seven against the AL East-worst Blue Jays (50-58).
After averaging 2.9 runs and hitting .237 over their previous 14 games, the Angels have shown improvement at the plate - even without the injured Albert Pujols - by scoring 6.7 per game and batting .299 in their last three.
They'll attempt to continue that trend against Redmond (1-1, 3.81 ERA), who is coming off by far the best of his five career starts.
The right-hander allowed one run and three hits over six innings, striking out 10, in the Blue Jays' 2-1 walkoff win over Houston on Sunday.
"I just come up here and try to keep the guys in the game so we can have a chance to win," Redmond told the team's official website.
Redmond, who has never faced the Angels, has 22 strikeouts in 15 2-3 innings over his last three outings.
Los Angeles starter Tommy Hanson (4-2, 5.15) couldn't hold an early five-run lead in his last start, yielding five walks and five runs over 4 2-3 innings in a 10-6 loss at Oakland on Sunday.
That was the right-hander's second start after spending more than a month on the disabled list with a strained right forearm. He's fanned 15 in 10 innings but hasn't factored in the decision in either outing.
Hanson, however, pitched well in his only start against Toronto, allowing two runs and five hits over eight innings in a 5-2 win June 9, 2012, while with Atlanta.
Jose Bautista homered off Hanson in that contest and has five homers in his last 14 games overall. Colby Rasmus has gone 1 for 7 when facing Hanson, but he's batting .409 over his last 17 games.
Toronto could be without Melky Cabrera after he left Thursday's contest in the fourth inning due to irritation in his left knee.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Blue Jays at Angels
Thu, Aug 1 Final 2 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Blue Jays at Angels
Fri, Aug 2 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Blue Jays at Angels
Sat, Aug 3 - 9:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Blue Jays at Angels
Sun, Aug 4 - 3:35PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Rangers (60-49) at Athletics (63-45)
Game: 1
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: August 02, 2013 10:05 PM EDT

Fresh off a successful but brief homestand, the Texas Rangers continue to cut into the Oakland Athletics' lead in the AL West.
Looking for a fifth straight victory, the Rangers try to further close that gap Friday night when they take on an A's team trying to avoid losing three in a row for the first time in almost three months.
Paced by an undefeated four-game homestand against the Angels and Arizona, Texas (60-49) cut Oakland's lead to 3 1/2 games after the A's totaled two runs while dropping the final two of a three-game home set versus Toronto.
The Rangers have taken six of 10 this season from the A's (63-45), including two of three at Oakland in May.
Yu Darvish matched his major-league high with 14 strikeouts and A.J. Pierzynski homered and drove in three runs during Texas' 7-1 victory over the Diamondbacks on Thursday.
The Rangers, who recorded three straight walkoff homers to sweep the Angels, scored 13 of their 27 runs on the homestand via nine homers.
"Our offense has woken up, and the key is to just keep going," manager Ron Washington said. "We knew it was in there, it was just a matter of it coming out, and we're playing as a group."
Pierzynski hit .353 (6 for 17) with two of those home runs during the home stretch.
Teammate Nelson Cruz went 5 for 12 with a homer over those four games, but he's one of 14 players facing possible suspensions as early as this weekend by Major League Baseball because of their relationship to a closed Florida anti-aging clinic accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs.
Cruz, who left Thursday's game with tightness in his right quad, leads the team with 25 home runs and 73 RBIs.
The Rangers might have a good chance to continue their recent power surge against Oakland's Tommy Milone (9-8, 4.10 ERA). The left-hander is 0-3 with a 4.24 ERA and has allowed four homers in four starts versus Texas - all at Arlington.
He was tagged for six runs and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings of a 9-4 loss to Texas on June 19.
Milone gave up a homer and overcame a career high-tying four walks in seven innings of a 3-1 win over the Angels on Saturday.
"I felt good, minus the four walks," Milone said. "I'd like to think that's not the type of pitcher I am."
The Rangers counter with Alexi Ogando (4-3, 3.05), who is 0-1 with a 3.72 ERA in two starts since he missed six weeks with shoulder inflammation. He allowed a run and six hits in 4 2-3 innings of a 6-0 loss at Cleveland on Sunday.
One of the right-hander's two career starts against the A's came May 15, when he gave up two runs in six innings of a 6-2 win at Oakland.
The A's averaged 5.4 runs while winning seven of nine prior to being stymied in the last two by Toronto.
Oakland, which stranded 10 and went 0 for 12 with runners in scoring position during Wednesday's 5-2, 10-inning loss, has not dropped three straight since a five-game slide May 6-10.
"You just go out there the next time you step out there on the field and if there's guys in scoring position, we've got to get them across," third baseman Josh Donaldson said.
Donaldson has batted .351 against the Rangers this season but is 1 for 6 versus Ogando.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Rangers at Athletics
Fri, Aug 2 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Rangers at Athletics
Sat, Aug 3 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Rangers at Athletics
Sun, Aug 4 - 4:05PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Yankees (56-51) at Padres (50-59)
Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: August 02, 2013 10:10 PM EDT

While the New York Yankees are ready to get a former All-Star back in their lineup, the San Diego Padres could be losing their lone representative from this year's game.
Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson will return after missing more than two months while the Padres are unsure whether shortstop Everth Cabrera will be available in Friday night's opener of this weekend series in San Diego.
Granderson missed the first month and a half of the season due to a fractured forearm, then returned for eight games before he broke his left pinkie May 24 at Tampa Bay. He went 4 for 15 in a rehab assignment with Double-A Trenton.
"I'm excited," Granderson told the Yankees' official website. "I'm anxious to help our team get back to the postseason. With (Derek) Jeter back, and with (Alfonso) Soriano now in the lineup, (Robinson) Cano will be getting more help."
San Diego (50-59), meanwhile, is bracing for bad news about Cabrera. The shortstop - along with injured Yankees star Alex Rodriguez - is involved in the Biogenesis case and could draw a suspension from Major League Baseball.
"I can talk nothing about the situation and just wait for that moment," Cabrera said.
Cabrera leads the team in hits (102) and runs (52) and tops the NL in stolen bases (37).
"If it happens, it's going to be a tough one," manager Bud Black said. "He's been one of our better players when he's been out there. He was our All-Star. He's really come into his own this year and it's going to hurt, if that happens."
Granderson led the Yankees (56-51) with 43 homers in 2012. He figures to provide a boost for an offense that owns an AL-worst .368 slugging percentage with 91 homers for the league's second-lowest total.
"We're starting to get a little bit healthier," manager Joe Girardi said. "You get Grandy back and the one thing that he needs to take a page out of Jete's book, don't try to do too much, just be yourself and that will be good enough."
Jeter is 2 for 11 in three games since returning from a strained right quadriceps, going 0 for 7 as the Yankees split two games against the Dodgers this week to start an eight-game trip.
"Once again, just 'cause Curtis is back, doesn't mean you can just sit back and relax," Jeter said. "Everybody has a job to do and everyone has to do it."
The Yankees are visiting Petco Park for the first time. They took two of three in 2002 in their last visit to San Diego at Qualcomm Stadium, where they also went 2-0 in the 1998 World Series.
New York will try to avoid losing five straight outings by CC Sabathia (9-9, 4.65 ERA) for the first time. He is 0-3 with a 7.83 ERA in his last four, yielding seven runs in each of the last two.
The left-hander is 3-0 with a 2.12 ERA in four starts against the Padres but hasn't faced them since 2008.
The San Diego hitter he has faced the most is Carlos Quentin, who is 4 for 22 against Sabathia. Quentin expects to return after a knee injury kept him out of Wednesday's 4-1 loss to Cincinnati that ended a four-game win streak.
Padres right-hander Andrew Cashner (7-5, 3.88) seeks to win three straight starts for the first time in his career. He's given up three runs over six innings in each of the last two, yielding a combined seven hits.
Cashner has never faced New York.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Yankees at Padres
Fri, Aug 2 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Yankees at Padres
Sat, Aug 3 - 8:40PM EDT

GAME 3
Yankees at Padres
Sun, Aug 4 - 4:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

MLB
Dunkel

Seattle at Baltimore
The Orioles look to improve on their 10-1 record in Chris Tillman's last 11 starts against AL West teams. Baltimore is the pick (-165) according to Dunkel, which has the Orioles favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-165). Here are all of today's picks.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 2

Game 951-952: LA Dodgers at Chicago Cubs (4:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Dodgers (Ryu) 15.101; Cubs (Wood) 16.281
Dunkel Line: Chicago Cubs by 1; 7
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-140); No Run Total
Dunkel Pick: Chicago Cubs (+120); N/A

Game 953-954: Colorado at Pittsburgh (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Chacin) 13.224; Pittsburgh (Cole) 15.527
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 2 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh (-150); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-150); Over

Game 955-956: Atlanta at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Atlanta (Medlen) 17.594; Philadelphia (Martin) 12.999
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 4 1/2; 10
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-150); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-150); Over

Game 957-958: St. Louis at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Louis (Miller) 16.262; Cincinnati (Arroyo) 15.124
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (+100); Under

Game 959-960: Washington at Milwaukee (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Zimmermann) 14.121; Milwaukee (Gorzelanny) 15.103
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1; 9
Vegas Line: Washington (-140); 8
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (+120); Over

Game 961-962: Seattle at Baltimore (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Seattle (Harang) 14.320; Baltimore (Tillman) 15.884
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: Baltimore (-165); 9
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-165); Under

Game 963-964: Chicago White Sox at Detroit (7:08 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Santiago) 14.611; Detroit (Fister) 17.800
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 3; 7
Vegas Line: Detroit (-230); 8
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-230); Under

Game 965-966: Houston at Minnesota (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Cosart) 15.010; Minnesota (Deduno) 14.177
Dunkel Line: Houston by 1; 10
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 967-968: Texas at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas (Ogando) 14.217; Oakland (Milone) 15.549
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 1 1/2; 7
Vegas Line: Oakland (-140); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-140); Under

Game 969-970: Toronto at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Toronto (Redmond) 15.692; LA Angels (Hanson) 14.523
Dunkel Line: Toronto by 1; 10
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-120); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+100); Over

Game 971-972: Cleveland at Miami (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Jimenez) 14.268; Miami (Fernandez) 15.219
Dunkel Line: Miami by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Miami (-125); 7
Dunkel Pick: Miami (-125); Under

Game 973-974: Kansas City at NY Mets (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kansas City (Davis) 16.851; NY Mets (Gee) 14.557
Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 2 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (+100); Over

Game 975-976: San Francisco at Tampa Bay (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Bumgarner) 15.703; Tampa Bay (Archer) 14.681
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 1; 6
Vegas Line: Tampa Bay (-140); 7
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (+120); Under

Game 977-978: Arizona at Boston (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Delgado) 14.355; Boston (Lester) 16.148
Dunkel Line: Boston by 2; 10
Vegas Line: Boston (-170); 9
Dunkel Pick: Boston (-170); Over

Game 979-980: NY Yankees at San Diego (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Yankees (Sabathia) 16.755; San Diego (Cashner) 15.144
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: San Diego (-110); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-110); Over

 

[CNOTES]

MLB
Short Sheet

Friday, August 2

National League

Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs, 4:05 ET
Ryu: Over is 4-1 when Ryu starts a day game
Wood: Cubs 5-16 SU since June 2012 when Wood starts a day game

Colorado at Pittsburgh, 7:05 ET
Chacin: Under is 12-4-2 when Chacin starts a road night game
Cole: Pirates 10-5 SU as home favorite in a 2013 series opener

Atlanta at Philadelphia, 7:05 ET
Medlen: Over is 9-3-1 since July 5 in Braves road games
Martin: Over is 14-6-1 in 2013 when Phillies are at home following a loss

St. Louis at Cincinnati, 7:10 ET MLB
Miller: Cardinals 1-6 SU in last seven road series openers
Arroyo: Reds 18-8 SU since start of 2012 when Arroyo starts at home

Washington at Milwaukee, 8:10 ET
Zimmermann: Nationals 14-5 SU since start of 2012 when Zimmermann starts a road night game
Gorzelanny:Under is 5-1 in Brewers' last six series openers


American League

Seattle at Baltimore, 7:05 ET
Harang: Mariners 1-5 SU when Harang starts on the road
Tillman: Under is 7-2-1 in Tillman's last 10 home starts

Chicago White Sox at Detroit, 7:08 ET
Santiago: Road teams 4-18 SU coming off series with Indians since July 2012
Fister: Under is 6-1 in Fister's last seven home starts

Houston at Minnesota, 8:10 ET
Keuchel: Over is 10-3 when Keuchel starts on the road
Deduno: Twins 8-3 SU when Deduno starts at home

Texas at Oakland, 10:05 ET
Ogando: Rangers 1-7 SU in last eight road games
Milone: Athletics 18-7 SU when Milone starts at home

Toronto at Los Angeles Angels, 10:05 ET
Redmond: Over is 4-1 in Redmond's starts
Hanson: Over is 8-1-2 in Hanson's 2013 starts


Interleague

Cleveland at Miami, 7:10 ET
Jimenez: Under is 6-3-2 in Jimenez's 2013 road starts
Fernandez: Marlins 8-2 SU when Fernandez starts at home

Kansas City at New York Mets, 7:10 ET
Davis: Royals 6-0 SU in last six road games
Gee: Under is 10-1 in Gee's last 11 home starts

San Francisco at Tampa Bay, 7:10 ET
Bumgarner: Under is 8-3 in Bumgarner's 2013 road starts
Archer: Rays 4-1 SU when Archer starts at home

Arizona at Boston, 7:10 ET MLB
Delgado: Under is 8-4-1 when Delgado starts away from his home park
Lester: Red Sox 8-0 SU when Lester starts at home in 2013

New York Yankees at San Diego Padres, 10:10 ET
Sabathia: Under is 8-2 in last 10 Yankee series openers
Cashner: Padres 2-6 SU in series openers since start of July

 

[CNOTES]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Friday, August 2

Hot pitchers
-- Dodgers won Ryu's last six starts (3-0, 3.58). Wood is 2-1, 2.90 in his last five starts.
-- Chacin is 6-2, 2.39 in his last nine starts.
-- Arroyo is 3-2, 2.16 in his last five starts. Miller is 2-1, 3.18 in his last four.

-- Fernandez is 5-2, 2.00 in his last ten starts. Jimenez is 2-1, 2.28 in his last four outings.
-- Gee is 2-1, 2.90 in his last six starts.
-- Archer is 4-0, 0.58 in his last four starts. Bumgarner is 3-1, 1.50 in his last five starts.
-- Lester is 2-0, 1.35 in his last couple starts. Arizona won last three Delgado starts (2-0, 1.74).

-- Tillman is 9-1, 3.13 in his last ten starts. Harang is 1-1, 1.50 in his last two.
-- Fister is 3-0, 1.80 in his last three starts.
-- Deduno is 3-0, 1.29 in his last three starts. Cosart is 1-0, 1.29 in his three big league starts.
-- Milone is 1-0, 2.77 in his last couple starts. Ogando is 2-1, 2.73 in his last six starting assignments.

Cold pitchers
-- Cole is 1-4, 3.45 in his last five starts.
-- Medlen is 1-3, 7.40 in his last four starts.
-- Gorzelanny is 1-3, 5.09 in his last four starts. Zimmerman is 0-3, 8.40 in his last three outings.

-- Davis is 1-4, 8.22 in his last five starts.
-- Sabathia is 0-3, 10.23 in his last four starts. Cashner is 2-2, 7.11 in his last four starts.

-- Santiago is 0-1, 4.67 in his last six starts.
-- Hanson is 0-0, 9.75 in his last three starts. Redmond has a 3.92 RA in four starts for Toronto this season.

Starting Pitchers/First Inning
You can wager on whether teams will score in the first inning. You're reading ***************.com. Below is how often a starting pitcher has allowed 1+ runs in first inning in one of his starts........
-- Ryu 5-20; Wood 2-21
-- Chacin 2-20; Cole 2-9
-- Medlen 8-21; Martin 0-0
-- Miller 5-20; Arroyo 3-21
-- Zimmerman 3-22; Gorzelanny 1-5

-- Jimenez 5-21; Fernandez 4-20
-- Davis 7-19; Gee 4-21
-- Bumgarner 3-21; Archer 2-11
-- Delgado 2-8; Lester 6-22
-- Sabathia 5-22; Cashner 6-17

-- Harang 6-17; Tillman 4-21
-- Santiago 3-14; Fister 5-21
-- Cosart 1-3; Deduno 4-12
-- Ogando 1-12; Milone 6-21
-- Redmond 0-4; Hanson 4-11

Totals
-- Five of last six Dodger games stayed under the total.
-- Last seven Colorado games went over the total.
-- Last four Atlanta games went over the total.
-- Last six Cincinnati games stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last nine Washington road games stayed under.

-- Eight of last ten Miami games stayed under total.
-- Under is 6-2-1 in Kansas City's last nine games.
-- Five of last six San Francisco road games went over total; eight of last ten Tampa Bay games stayed under.
-- Last four Arizona games stayed under the total.
-- Last four San Diego games stayed under the total.

-- Under is 5-2-2 in last nine Baltimore games.
-- Last three White Sox games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Minnesota games went over total.
-- Seven of last nine Texas games stayed under total.
-- Five of last seven Toronto road games went over total.

Hot teams
-- Dodgers are 28-7 in their last 35 games.
-- Pirates won four of their last five games.
-- Braves won their last seven games, scoring 51 runs.
-- Brewers won three of their last four games.

-- Indians won last eight games, scoring 49 runs. Miami won seven of its last eleven games.
-- Royals won their last nine games, allowing 16 runs.
-- Tampa Bay won 23 of its last 28 games. Giants won last two games, allowing three runs, after losing eight of previous nine games.
-- Red Sox won five of their last six games.
-- Padres won four of their last five games.

-- Detroit won nine of its last ten games.
-- Rangers won their last four games, scoring 27 runs.

Cold teams
-- Cubs lost four of their last five games.
-- Rockies lost five of their last six games.
-- Phillies lost ten of their last eleven games.
-- Cardinals lost seven of their last eight games. Reds lost five of last six.
-- Nationals lost seven of their last nine road games.

-- Mets lost five of their last seven games.
-- Diamondbacks lost four of their last five games.
-- Bronx is 0-5 in game following its last five wins.

-- Orioles lost six of their last nine games. Seattle lost five of last six.
-- White Sox lost their last seven games, scoring 16 runs.
-- Houston lost six of its last eight games. Twins lost their last four games, allowing 24 runs.
-- A's lost their last two games, scoring total of two runs.
-- Angels lost six of their last seven games. Toronto lost 12 of last 18.
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[CNOTES]

MLB

Friday, August 2

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4:05 PM
LA DODGERS vs. CHI CUBS
LA Dodgers are 11-2 SU in their last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games at home
Chi Cubs are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games

7:05 PM
ATLANTA vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games
Atlanta is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games when playing Atlanta

7:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. BALTIMORE
Seattle is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Baltimore's last 8 games when playing Seattle
Baltimore is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing Seattle

7:05 PM
COLORADO vs. PITTSBURGH
Colorado is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Pittsburgh's last 11 games at home
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:08 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. DETROIT
Chi White Sox are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Chi White Sox's last 9 games when playing Detroit
Detroit is 13-5 SU in their last 18 games when playing Chi White Sox
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox

7:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 6 games when playing on the road against Boston
Arizona is 5-14 SU in its last 19 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Boston's last 16 games
Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Arizona

7:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. MIAMI
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 6 games on the road
Cleveland is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games on the road
Miami is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 7 games when playing Cleveland

7:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. CINCINNATI
St. Louis is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games on the road
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 6 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Cincinnati is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing St. Louis

7:10 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. NY METS
Kansas City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Kansas City is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
NY Mets are 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Mets's last 6 games when playing Kansas City

7:10 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. TAMPA BAY
San Francisco is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road
San Francisco is 3-8 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games at home
Tampa Bay is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games at home

8:10 PM
HOUSTON vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games when playing at home against Houston

8:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. MILWAUKEE
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Washington's last 14 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Washington is 5-16 SU in its last 21 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Milwaukee's last 22 games
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Milwaukee's last 11 games at home

10:05 PM
TORONTO vs. LA ANGELS
Toronto is 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Toronto's last 5 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Angels's last 5 games when playing Toronto
LA Angels are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games when playing Toronto

10:05 PM
TEXAS vs. OAKLAND
Texas is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Oakland's last 8 games when playing at home against Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Oakland's last 19 games

10:10 PM
NY YANKEES vs. SAN DIEGO
NY Yankees are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing San Diego
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 7 games
San Diego is 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing NY Yankees
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games

 

[CNOTES]

MLB

Friday, August 2

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday's MLB betting notes and tips
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NATIONAL

Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago Cubs (+125, 8)

Hot pitching stat: Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu is coming off a great outing versus Cincinnati. The lefty scattered two hits over seven innings of work en route to the 4-1 victory.

Hot batting stat: Dodgers SS Hanley Ramirez is 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles in his career versus Cubs starter Travis Wood.

Weather: There is a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast for gametime. Temperatures will be in the high-70s and wind will blow out to center field at 12 mph.

Key betting note: The Cubs are 2-8 in Wood's last 10 starts.

Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies (+139, 8.5)

Cold pitching stat: Braves starter Kris Medlen was roughed up in his last outing against the Phils on July 7. He gave up seven runs (six earned) on eight hits as Philadelphia won 7-3.

Hot batting stat: Phillies C Carlos Ruiz is 6-for-9 (.667) with three RBIs in his career versus Medlen.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-80s with partly cloudy skies and a 10 percent chance of rain. Wind will blow out to right field at 8 mph.

Key betting note: The Braves are 18-4 in Medlen's last 22 starts versus the National League East.

Colorado Rockies at Pittsburgh Pirates (-147, 7.5)

Cold pitching stat: Pirates starter Gerrit Cole is 1-4 in his last five starts.

Hot batting stat: Pirates 1B Garrett Jones is 5-for-9 (.556) in his career versus Rockies starter Jhoulys Chacin. Two of those hits are home runs.

Weather: There is currently a 20 percent chance of rain in the forecast. Temperatures will be in the mid-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to left field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: The Rockies are 7-2 in Chacin's last nine starts.

St. Louis Cardinals at Cincinnati Reds (-112, 8)

Cold pitching stat: The Reds are 0-3 in SP Bronson Arroyo's starts versus St. Louis this season.

Hot batting stat: Cards CF Jon Jay is 13-for-32 (.406) with two doubles, one triple and one homer in his career versus Arroyo.

Weather: There is a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast for gametime. Temperatures will be in the high-70s with wind blowing from right field to left field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 5-1 in Cards starter Shelby Miller's last six starts versus the National League Central.

Washington Nationals at Milwaukee Brewers (+121, 8)

Cold pitching stat: Nats starter Jordan Zimmermann gave up a pair of homers, six hits and five earned runs in an 11-0 loss to the New York Mets in his last outing. He has taken the loss in his last three starts.

Hot batting stat: Nats 3B Ryan Zimmerman is 3-for-6 lifetime versus Brewers starter Tom Gorzelanny.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to center field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 12-3-1 in the last 16 meetings in Milwaukee.


AMERICAN

Seattle Mariners at Baltimore Orioles (-165, 9)

Hot pitching stat: Mariners starter Aaron Harang is 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA in his last two starts.

Cold batting stat: O's LF Nate McLouth is 3-for-30 in his career versus Harang. McLouth has fanned 11 times in those 30 at-bats.

Weather: Temperatures in the mid-80s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 9 mph. There will be a slight, 10 percent chance of rain.

Key betting note: The Mariners are 2-9 in the last 11 meetings.

Chicago White Sox at Detroit Tigers (-225, 8)

Hot pitching stat: Detroit starter Doug Fister is 3-0 with a 1.35 ERA in his last three starts.

Cold batting stat: Detroit OF Austin Jackson is 1-for-8 with four strikeouts in his career versus Sox starter Hector Santiago.

Weather: There is a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms in the forecast for gametime. Temperatures will be in the low-70s and wind will blow from right field to left field at 10 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 9-3 in Fister's last 12 starts overall.

Houston Astros at Minnesota Twins (OFF, OFF)

Hot pitching stat: Astros starter Jarred Cosart has been very good through his first three career starts. The youngster has given up just two earned runs over his first 21 innings of work (0.86 ERA). He is 1-0 in those starts.

Hot batting stat: Twins star Joe Mauer hit .360 and had on on-base percentage of .437 in the month of July.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 5 mph.

Key betting note: The Twins are 8-3 in starter Samuel Deduno's last 11 home starts.

Toronto Blue Jays at Los Angeles Angels (-115, 8.5)

Cold pitching stat: Angels starter Tommy Hanson was shelled in his last outing. The righty gave up five earned runs on four hits in 4 2/3 innings of work in a 10-6 loss to the Oakland A's.

Hot batting stat: Jays SS Jose Reyes is 8-for-21 (.381) with five doubles and three RBIs in his career versus Hanson.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with mostly sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 9-1-1 in Hanson's last 11 starts overall.

Texas Rangers at Oakland A's (-135, 7.5)

Cold pitching stat: A's hurler Tommy Milone surrendered eight hits and six earned runs while striking out one in a 9-4 loss to Texas on June 19.

Hot batting stat: Rangers 3B Adrian Beltre is 5-for-12 (.417) with two homers in his career versus Milone.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-60s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 10 mph.

Key betting note: The under is 10-1-2 in Rangers SP Alexi Ogando's last 13 starts overall.


INTERLEAGUE

Cleveland Indians at Miami Marlins (-118, 7)

Hot pitching stat: Marlins' rookie phenom Jose Fernandez went 3-1 with a 2.06 ERA in his five July starts.

Hot batting stat: Indians C Carlos Santana went 3-for-4 in Thursday's 6-1 victory over the White Sox. He went 6-for-16 in the four-game series.

Weather: Due to a 40 percent of thundestorms by gametime, the roof could be closed in Miami.

Key betting note: The Indians have won eight games in a row heading into Friday's matchup.

Kansas City Royals at New York Mets (-112, 8)

Hot pitching stat: After posting four-straight losses, Royals starter Wade Davis had one of his finest outings of the season in his last trip to the mound. He gave up just four hits through 7 1/3 innings in a 1-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

Hot batting stat: Royals LF Alex Gordon went 6-for-14 in the Royals' three-game series versus the Minnesota Twins. Two of those hits went for triples.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-70s with sunny skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 12 mph.

Key betting note: The Royals are currently riding a nine-game winning streak after a 7-2 victory over the Twins Thursday.

New York Yankees at San Diego Padres (-102, 7)

Cold pitching stat: Yanks lefty C.C. Sabathia is 0-3 in his last four outings. His previous start, he gave up seven earned runs on nine hits and lasted just five innings in a 10-6 loss to Tampa Bay.

Cold batting stat: Padres slugger Carlos Quentin is 4-for-22 (.182) with one homer and two RBIs lifetime versus Sabathia.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-60s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from left field to right field at 2 mph.

Key betting note: The Yankees are 13-3 in Sabathia's last 16 interleague starts

Arizona Diamondbacks at Boston Red Sox (-172, 9)

Hot pitching stat: Sox lefty Jon Lester was in fine form in his last start. Lester lasted seven shutout innings and gave up just four hits in a 5-0 win over the Baltimore Orioles on July 28.

Cold batting stat: Longtime Blue Jay and current DBacks 2B Aaron Hill has two hits in 32 career at-bats (.063) against Lester. Lester has fanned Hill nine times in those ABs.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-70s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to right field at 10 mph.

Key betting note: The Red Sox are 8-0 in Lester's last eight home starts.

San Francisco Giants at Tampa Bay Rays (-131, 7)

Hot pitching stat: It's hard to not mention Rays starter Chris Archer when discussing hot pitchers. The 24-year-old had a 4-0 record and 0.73 ERA in his five July starts.

Cold batting stat: Giants 3B Pablo Sandoval finished July with just one homer in 92 at-bats.

Weather: Dome.

Key betting note: The under is 4-0 in Giants' SP Madison Bumgarner's last four road starts.


** Odds, probable starting pitchers, stats and weather forecast as of 10:25 p.m. ET Thursday.

 

[CNOTES]

Friday's Interleague Action
August 2, 2013

Indians at Marlins - 7:10 PM EST
Probables: U. Jimenez (8-5, 4.17 ERA) vs. J. Fernandez (7-5, 2.71 ERA)
Previous series recap: Cleveland remains on fire after completing its second straight home sweep by beating Chicago four straight times. The Indians beat the White Sox twice on walk-off homers and twice in blowout fashion, while starting Friday's action two games back of the Tigers in the AL Central. The Marlins salvaged a home split with the Mets with victories in the final two contests of the four-game set.
Current streaks: The Indians are riding a seven-game winning streak, but own a 3-6 record the last nine road series openers. Miami has cashed the 'under' in 14 of the last 16 games overall, including seven of the past nine at Marlins Park. The Marlins have hit the 'under' in seven straight starts made by Fernandez, while the Fish have won six consecutive home outings by the righty.
Diamondbacks at Red Sox - 7:10 PM EST
Probables: R. Delgado (3-3, 2.85 ERA) vs. J. Lester (10-6, 4.27 ERA)
Previous series recap: Boston pulled off a three-game sweep of Seattle, including an incredible rally on Thursday. The Sox overcome a 7-2 deficit heading into the ninth inning, while posting consecutive walk-off victories over the Mariners. Arizona split a mini two-game set at Tampa Bay as the D-Backs blanked the Rays on Wednesday, 7-0. The D-Backs were blown out at Texas last night in a make-up contest, 7-1, the fourth straight 'under' for Arizona.
Current streaks: Arizona has split each of its last eight road contests, while posting a 2-5 record the previous seven interleague games. The Red Sox have won all eight starts made by Lester at Fenway Park, but Boston is 1-3 in his last four home outings against NL opponents since 2011.
Giants at Rays - 7:10 PM EST
Probables: M. Bumgarner (10-6, 2.76 ERA) vs. C. Archer (6-3, 2.39 ERA)
Previous series recap: After getting drilled in the series opener at Philadelphia, the Giants came back to win the final two games, including scoring two runs in the ninth inning in last night's 2-1 victory. The Rays lost for only the second time at Tropicana Field since the start of July in Wednesday's 7-0 defeat to Arizona. Tampa Bay split the two-game set, as the Rays face the Giants for the first time since 2002.
Current streaks: The Rays have won 10 of their past 12 games at home, but all 12 contests came against teams sitting below .500. Tampa Bay is riding a 15-3 'under' stretch the past 18 games, including eight straight at Tropicana Field. The Giants are only 3-8 the last 11 overall, while hitting the 'under' in each of Bumgarner's last eight starts.
Royals at Mets - 7:10 PM EST
Probables: W. Davis (5-9, 5.50 ERA) vs. D. Gee (7-8, 4.13 ERA)
Previous series recap: Kansas City remains on fire after winning its ninth straight game on Thursday by sweeping Minnesota at Target Field. The Royals are riding a season-high six-game road winning streak, while allowing two runs or less seven times in the past nine contests. The Mets split a four-game set at Miami, but lost the final two contests after winning the first two in the underdog role.
Current streaks: The Royals have won nine in a row in the favorite role, including five straight as road 'chalk.' The Mets have put together a 6-1 record the last seven games at Citi Field off a loss, while winning eight of 10 matchups against American League foes this season.
Yankees at Padres - 10:10 PM EST
Probables: C.C. Sabathia (9-9, 4.65 ERA) vs. A. Cashner (7-5, 3.88 ERA)
Previous series recap: The Yankees blanked the Dodgers on Wednesday to salvage a split of a two-game set in Los Angeles, as New York has gone the 3-3 the past six road contests. The Padres grabbed two of three from the Reds at home, as San Diego has won seven of their past 10 games overall.
Current streaks: New York has lost four straight starts made by Sabathia, while the Yankees are 0-5 their past five games off a victory. The Padres are just 6-9 against American League squads, but seven of those losses have come away from Petco Park. Cashner has lost three of his last four home outings, but the Padres own a 6-3 record in his past nine starts in the underdog role.

 

[CNOTES]

MLB
Long Sheet

Friday, August 2

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LA DODGERS (58 - 49) at CHICAGO CUBS (49 - 59) - 4:05 PM
HYUN-JIN RYU (L) vs. TRAVIS WOOD (L)
Top Trends for this game.
CHICAGO CUBS are 30-28 (+9.2 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
LA DODGERS are 9-2 (+7.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.
RYU is 14-6 (+8.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
RYU is 7-0 (+7.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season. (Team's Record)
CHICAGO CUBS are 110-160 (-27.7 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 8-19 (-10.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
CHICAGO CUBS are 695-665 (-154.9 Units) against the money line in home games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 196-262 (-81.2 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 702-724 (-132.2 Units) against the money line in day games since 1997.
CHICAGO CUBS are 110-160 (-27.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
CHICAGO CUBS are 137-176 (-55.3 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA DODGERS is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against CHICAGO CUBS this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

HYUN-JIN RYU vs. CHICAGO CUBS since 1997
No recent starts.

TRAVIS WOOD vs. LA DODGERS since 1997
WOOD is 1-1 when starting against LA DODGERS with an ERA of 6.48 and a WHIP of 1.740.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-2. (-1.4 units)

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COLORADO (51 - 59) at PITTSBURGH (65 - 43) - 7:05 PM
JHOULYS CHACIN (R) vs. GERRIT COLE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
COLORADO is 115-157 (-31.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
COLORADO is 138-246 (-57.3 Units) against the money line as a road underdog of +125 to +150 since 1997.
COLORADO is 188-245 (-59.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 9-24 (-16.5 Units) against the money line after allowing 10 runs or more over the last 3 seasons.
COLORADO is 87-161 (-45.8 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.
COLORADO is 26-63 (-26.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 65-43 (+26.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 20-14 (+8.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
PITTSBURGH is 36-19 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 65-43 (+26.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PITTSBURGH is 42-25 (+17.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
PITTSBURGH is 54-33 (+26.5 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
PITTSBURGH is 27-15 (+14.4 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
PITTSBURGH is 38-17 (+21.3 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
PITTSBURGH is 36-39 (-25.4 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -150 to -175 since 1997.
PITTSBURGH is 19-40 (-20.5 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 28-36 (-17.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JHOULYS CHACIN vs. PITTSBURGH since 1997
CHACIN is 1-3 when starting against PITTSBURGH with an ERA of 6.97 and a WHIP of 1.548.
His team's record is 1-3 (-4.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 2-1. (+1.0 units)

GERRIT COLE vs. COLORADO since 1997
No recent starts.

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ATLANTA (64 - 45) at PHILADELPHIA (50 - 58) - 7:05 PM
KRIS MEDLEN (R) vs. ETHAN MARTIN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ATLANTA is 7-13 (-10.1 Units) against the money line as a road favorite of -125 to -150 this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 364-332 (+44.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
ATLANTA is 158-114 (+22.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 69-42 (+18.4 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 155-112 (+20.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 112-71 (+25.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
ATLANTA is 97-61 (+22.1 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
MEDLEN is 19-4 (+14.0 Units) against the money line against division opponents since 1997. (Team's Record)
MEDLEN is 29-9 (+17.5 Units) against the money line in night games since 1997. (Team's Record)
PHILADELPHIA is 50-58 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 67-64 (-16.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 50-58 (-12.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
PHILADELPHIA is 44-45 (-15.1 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 61-74 (-22.1 Units) against the money line after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
PHILADELPHIA is 33-43 (-21.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
PHILADELPHIA is 3-3 (+0.4 Units) against ATLANTA this season
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.2 Units)

KRIS MEDLEN vs. PHILADELPHIA since 1997
MEDLEN is 1-2 when starting against PHILADELPHIA with an ERA of 5.49 and a WHIP of 1.828.
His team's record is 2-2 (-0.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (+0.0 units)

ETHAN MARTIN vs. ATLANTA since 1997
No recent starts.

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ST LOUIS (63 - 44) at CINCINNATI (60 - 49) - 7:10 PM
SHELBY MILLER (R) vs. BRONSON ARROYO (R)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 53-63 (-23.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 159-117 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
CINCINNATI is 159-117 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
ST LOUIS is 52-29 (+14.8 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CINCINNATI is 325-350 (-87.6 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997.
CINCINNATI is 20-27 (-11.1 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
ST LOUIS is 6-3 (+2.7 Units) against CINCINNATI this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.4 Units)

SHELBY MILLER vs. CINCINNATI since 1997
MILLER is 0-0 when starting against CINCINNATI with an ERA of 0.00 and a WHIP of 0.500.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.3 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

BRONSON ARROYO vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
ARROYO is 8-15 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 4.44 and a WHIP of 1.316.
His team's record is 13-21 (-6.9 units) in these starts. The OVER is 12-20. (-8.9 units)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WASHINGTON (52 - 56) at MILWAUKEE (46 - 62) - 8:10 PM
JORDAN ZIMMERMANN (R) vs. TOM GORZELANNY (L)
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 52-56 (-15.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
WASHINGTON is 52-56 (-15.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 90-51 (+25.0 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
MILWAUKEE is 106-58 (+31.9 Units) against the money line in home games against right-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
WASHINGTON is 90-67 (+22.6 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 3 seasons.
ZIMMERMANN is 36-18 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZIMMERMANN is 36-18 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
ZIMMERMANN is 12-2 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
MILWAUKEE is 46-62 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
MILWAUKEE is 46-62 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
MILWAUKEE is 63-65 (-17.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
MILWAUKEE is 2-2 (+1.6 Units) against WASHINGTON this season
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=-0.2 Units, Under=-0.2 Units)

JORDAN ZIMMERMANN vs. MILWAUKEE since 1997
ZIMMERMANN is 3-0 when starting against MILWAUKEE with an ERA of 2.89 and a WHIP of 1.125.
His team's record is 3-0 (+3.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-1. (+0.8 units)

TOM GORZELANNY vs. WASHINGTON since 1997
GORZELANNY is 2-1 when starting against WASHINGTON with an ERA of 3.15 and a WHIP of 1.200.
His team's record is 2-1 (+0.4 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (+0.1 units)

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SEATTLE (50 - 58) at BALTIMORE (60 - 49) - 7:05 PM
AARON HARANG (R) vs. CHRIS TILLMAN (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SEATTLE is 299-427 (-99.8 Units) against the money line in road games after a loss since 1997.
SEATTLE is 74-140 (-52.2 Units) against the money line in road games after 3 or more consecutive losses since 1997.
BALTIMORE is 60-49 (+8.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BALTIMORE is 74-53 (+23.0 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 80-58 (+14.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 19-9 (+13.1 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 26-18 (+11.9 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
BALTIMORE is 55-41 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BALTIMORE is 43-30 (+10.2 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
BALTIMORE is 43-32 (+10.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
BALTIMORE is 82-73 (+11.9 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
TILLMAN is 16-5 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 10-1 (+9.7 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 this season. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 14-5 (+9.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
TILLMAN is 13-3 (+9.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
HARANG is 17-7 (+14.9 Units) against the money line in road games in August games since 1997. (Team's Record)
HARANG is 17-9 (+12.0 Units) against the money line in road games when playing on Friday since 1997. (Team's Record)
HARANG is 20-15 (+16.4 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
SEATTLE is 2-1 (+1.2 Units) against BALTIMORE this season
3 of 3 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+3.0 Units)

AARON HARANG vs. BALTIMORE since 1997
HARANG is 1-1 when starting against BALTIMORE with an ERA of 3.46 and a WHIP of 0.923.
His team's record is 1-1 (+0.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

CHRIS TILLMAN vs. SEATTLE since 1997
TILLMAN is 4-0 when starting against SEATTLE with an ERA of 0.98 and a WHIP of 0.687.
His team's record is 4-0 (+4.2 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-3. (-2.1 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHI WHITE SOX (40 - 66) at DETROIT (61 - 45) - 7:05 PM
HECTOR SANTIAGO (L) vs. DOUG FISTER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CHI WHITE SOX are 40-66 (-26.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 17-31 (-13.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 18-38 (-17.6 Units) against the money line in road games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 12-28 (-16.5 Units) against the money line against division opponents this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 38-61 (-23.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 21-44 (-23.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 31-48 (-16.0 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 22-43 (-22.2 Units) against the money line after a loss this season.
CHI WHITE SOX are 6-24 (-15.0 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 156-125 (-18.3 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 148-119 (-19.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
DETROIT is 32-28 (-14.4 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
FISTER is 16-28 (-16.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 since 1997. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
CHI WHITE SOX is 3-4 (+1.2 Units) against DETROIT this season
5 of 6 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+4.1 Units)

HECTOR SANTIAGO vs. DETROIT since 1997
SANTIAGO is 0-1 when starting against DETROIT with an ERA of 4.50 and a WHIP of 1.667.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-0. (+1.0 units)

DOUG FISTER vs. CHI WHITE SOX since 1997
FISTER is 1-3 when starting against CHI WHITE SOX with an ERA of 3.89 and a WHIP of 1.392.
His team's record is 2-5 (-3.3 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-3. (-0.4 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HOUSTON (36 - 71) at MINNESOTA (45 - 60) - 8:10 PM
JARRED COSART (R) vs. SAM DEDUNO (R)
There are no Top Trends with records of significance that apply to this game.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

JARRED COSART vs. MINNESOTA since 1997
No recent starts.

SAM DEDUNO vs. HOUSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TEXAS (60 - 49) at OAKLAND (63 - 45) - 10:05 PM
ALEXI OGANDO (R) vs. TOM MILONE (L)
Top Trends for this game.
TEXAS is 80-72 (-20.3 Units) against the money line after a win over the last 2 seasons.
TEXAS is 25-37 (-19.6 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 63-45 (+13.9 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
OAKLAND is 43-19 (+16.9 Units) against the money line as a home favorite of -125 to -150 over the last 3 seasons.
OAKLAND is 34-18 (+11.3 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
OAKLAND is 263-191 (+68.8 Units) against the money line in August games since 1997.
OAKLAND is 19-9 (+11.5 Units) against the money line when playing with a day off over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 62-43 (+25.9 Units) against the money line against division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 63-42 (+17.0 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
OAKLAND is 41-25 (+14.8 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
OAKLAND is 107-72 (+41.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 78-61 (+27.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
OAKLAND is 33-24 (+14.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MILONE is 37-21 (+17.1 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
MILONE is 31-19 (+11.6 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
MILONE is 25-11 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
OAKLAND is 4-6 (-0.6 Units) against TEXAS this season
5 of 9 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL this season . (Under=+0.1 Units)

ALEXI OGANDO vs. OAKLAND since 1997
OGANDO is 1-1 when starting against OAKLAND with an ERA of 4.09 and a WHIP of 1.091.
His team's record is 1-1 (-0.8 units) in these starts. The OVER is 1-1. (-0.1 units)

TOM MILONE vs. TEXAS since 1997
MILONE is 0-3 when starting against TEXAS with an ERA of 4.24 and a WHIP of 1.329.
His team's record is 1-3 (-1.7 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 3-1. (+1.8 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TORONTO (50 - 58) at LA ANGELS (49 - 58) - 10:05 PM
TODD REDMOND (R) vs. TOMMY HANSON (R)
Top Trends for this game.
TORONTO is 50-58 (-8.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TORONTO is 13-26 (-13.3 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 this season.
TORONTO is 27-39 (-12.3 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
LA ANGELS are 250-188 (+42.6 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday since 1997.
LA ANGELS are 49-58 (-24.2 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
LA ANGELS are 50-51 (-19.5 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
LA ANGELS are 28-28 (-13.9 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
LA ANGELS are 49-58 (-24.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
LA ANGELS are 31-46 (-28.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
LA ANGELS are 39-41 (-13.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
LA ANGELS is 1-0 (+1.0 Units) against TORONTO this season
1 of 1 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL this season . (Over=+1.0 Units)

TODD REDMOND vs. LA ANGELS since 1997
No recent starts.

TOMMY HANSON vs. TORONTO since 1997
HANSON is 1-0 when starting against TORONTO with an ERA of 2.25 and a WHIP of 0.750.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CLEVELAND (60 - 48) at MIAMI (42 - 65) - 7:10 PM
UBALDO JIMENEZ (R) vs. JOSE FERNANDEZ (R)
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 6-24 (-16.6 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 4-20 (-16.6 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 330-367 (+45.7 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
FERNANDEZ is 12-7 (+8.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
FERNANDEZ is 9-3 (+8.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
CLEVELAND is 60-48 (+16.8 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 57-45 (+14.7 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
CLEVELAND is 37-32 (+8.7 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
CLEVELAND is 37-33 (+6.2 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
CLEVELAND is 36-22 (+13.6 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
CLEVELAND is 32-17 (+13.9 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record this season.
JIMENEZ is 14-7 (+10.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season. (Team's Record)
JIMENEZ is 13-7 (+8.4 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season. (Team's Record)
JIMENEZ is 9-4 (+8.1 Units) against the money line in night games this season. (Team's Record)
MIAMI is 111-158 (-31.6 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 94-120 (-32.6 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 94-120 (-32.6 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 65-94 (-35.4 Units) against the money line in home games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
MIAMI is 74-111 (-27.1 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
MIAMI is 40-66 (-24.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

UBALDO JIMENEZ vs. MIAMI since 1997
JIMENEZ is 1-1 when starting against MIAMI with an ERA of 3.98 and a WHIP of 1.377.
His team's record is 1-3 (-3.1 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 1-3. (-2.4 units)

JOSE FERNANDEZ vs. CLEVELAND since 1997
No recent starts.

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KANSAS CITY (54 - 51) at NY METS (48 - 58) - 7:10 PM
WADE DAVIS (R) vs. DILLON GEE (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY METS are 16-9 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in an inter-league game over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 62-57 (+12.4 Units) against the money line when the total is 8 to 8.5 over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 18-11 (+12.8 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 90-89 (+11.2 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
KANSAS CITY is 40-34 (+7.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
DAVIS is 17-5 (+12.2 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)
NY METS are 21-30 (-14.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
NY METS are 11-19 (-14.2 Units) against the money line in home games in August games over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 5-15 (-14.6 Units) against the money line in home games when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 21-30 (-14.1 Units) against the money line in home games in games played on a grass field this season.
NY METS are 67-94 (-22.7 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 26-44 (-19.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
NY METS are 31-43 (-20.1 Units) against the money line in home games after a loss over the last 2 seasons.
NY METS are 37-61 (-25.2 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons.
NY METS are 15-35 (-17.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

WADE DAVIS vs. NY METS since 1997
No recent starts.

DILLON GEE vs. KANSAS CITY since 1997
No recent starts.

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SAN FRANCISCO (48 - 59) at TAMPA BAY (64 - 44) - 7:10 PM
MADISON BUMGARNER (L) vs. CHRIS ARCHER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
SAN FRANCISCO is 48-59 (-21.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 18-23 (-12.2 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 29-37 (-13.6 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
SAN FRANCISCO is 33-38 (-12.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
TAMPA BAY is 64-44 (+9.0 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
TAMPA BAY is 82-56 (+23.4 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 107-58 (+31.2 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 3 seasons.
TAMPA BAY is 15-2 (+10.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season this season.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

MADISON BUMGARNER vs. TAMPA BAY since 1997
No recent starts.

CHRIS ARCHER vs. SAN FRANCISCO since 1997
No recent starts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ARIZONA (55 - 53) at BOSTON (66 - 44) - 7:10 PM
RANDALL DELGADO (R) vs. JON LESTER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
BOSTON is 66-44 (+14.6 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ARIZONA is 78-70 (+19.6 Units) against the money line in road games in night games over the last 3 seasons.
BOSTON is 50-61 (-22.9 Units) against the money line when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 71-67 (-18.4 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 31-38 (-19.4 Units) against the money line at home when the total is 9 to 9.5 over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 10-20 (-13.4 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 117-125 (-31.9 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 92-100 (-23.0 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 87-97 (-25.6 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 460-342 (-55.6 Units) against the money line in home games after a win since 1997.
BOSTON is 67-86 (-24.4 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons.
BOSTON is 24-45 (-19.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season over the last 2 seasons.
LESTER is 26-31 (-19.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 9-15 (-13.4 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

RANDALL DELGADO vs. BOSTON since 1997
DELGADO is 0-1 when starting against BOSTON with an ERA of 27.07 and a WHIP of 6.015.
His team's record is 0-1 (-1.0 units) in these starts. The UNDER is 0-1. (-1.3 units)

JON LESTER vs. ARIZONA since 1997
LESTER is 1-0 when starting against ARIZONA with an ERA of 2.57 and a WHIP of 1.000.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.1 units)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NY YANKEES (56 - 51) at SAN DIEGO (50 - 59) - 10:10 PM
C.C. SABATHIA (L) vs. ANDREW CASHNER (R)
Top Trends for this game.
NY YANKEES are 153-140 (-27.5 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 3 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 126-145 (+4.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 71-63 (+11.0 Units) against the money line in home games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 18-10 (+12.5 Units) against the money line in August games over the last 2 seasons.
SAN DIEGO is 126-142 (+7.2 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field over the last 2 seasons.
NY YANKEES are 31-13 (+15.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 2 seasons.
SABATHIA is 64-25 (+28.8 Units) against the money line in road games when playing against a team with a losing record since 1997. (Team's Record)
SAN DIEGO is 23-45 (-22.1 Units) against the money line when playing on Friday over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

C.C. SABATHIA vs. SAN DIEGO since 1997
SABATHIA is 3-0 when starting against SAN DIEGO with an ERA of 2.12 and a WHIP of 1.146.
His team's record is 4-0 (+4.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 2-2. (-0.4 units)

ANDREW CASHNER vs. NY YANKEES since 1997
No recent starts.

 

[CNOTES]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

08/01/13 10-*9-*0 52.63% +*650 Detail

Totals 10-*9-*0 52.63% +650


Friday, August 2

Game Score Status Pick Amount

LA Dodgers - 4:05 PM ET LA Dodgers -142 500
Chi. Cubs - Under 9 500

Seattle - 7:05 PM ET Baltimore -179 500
Baltimore - Under 9 500

Atlanta - 7:05 PM ET Atlanta -160 500
Philadelphia - Under 8.5 500

Colorado - 7:05 PM ET Pittsburgh -160 500
Pittsburgh - Under 7 500

Chi. White Sox - 7:08 PM ET Chi. White Sox +203 500 POD # 4
Detroit - Under 8 500

Arizona - 7:10 PM ET Boston -185 500
Boston - Over 9 500

Cleveland - 7:10 PM ET Miami -110 500
Miami - Under 7 500

St. Louis - 7:10 PM ET Cincinnati -114 500
Cincinnati - Under 8 500

Kansas City - 7:10 PM ET Kansas City -106 500
NY Mets - Over 8 500

San Francisco - 7:10 PM ET Tampa Bay -140 500
Tampa Bay - Under 7 500

Houston - 8:10 PM ET Houston +146 500 POD # 3
Minnesota - Under 8 500

Washington - 8:10 PM ET Milwaukee +124 500 POD # 1
Milwaukee - Over 8 500

Toronto - 10:05 PM ET Toronto +114 500 POD # 2
LA Angels - Over 8.5 500

Texas - 10:05 PM ET Oakland -131 500
Oakland - Under 7.5 500

NY Yankees - 10:10 PM ET NY Yankees -108 500
San Diego - Over 7 500

 

[CNOTES]

Saturday FOX Action

August 3, 2013

Rangers at Athletics - 4:05 PM EST

Probables: M. Garza (7-1, 2.95 ERA) vs. J. Parker (6-6, 4.07 ERA)

Series recap: The Rangers kept up their momentum from the three-game sweep of the Angels as Texas blasted Oakland on Friday, 8-3. Texas cashed in the underdog role, while cutting its deficit in the AL West to 2 ½ games behind Oakland heading into today's action.

Pitching notes: Matt Garza received a no-decision in his last outing, as the Rangers rallied for a 4-3 walk-off triumph over the Angels. Since June 21, the Cubs and Rangers combined to go 7-0 in Garza's last seven starts, while Texas has drilled the 'under' twice in Garza's two outings since getting acquired from Chicago.

Jarrod Parker is coming off his worst outing in three months by allowing six earned runs in five innings, but the A's came back to beat the Angels, 10-6 as heavy home favorites. That victory snapped a five-start winless streak by Oakland when Parker took the mound, while picking up their first home win since mid-June with the right-hander starting.

Current trends: Texas is riding a five-game winning streak, while scoring 15 runs in the last two victories. The Rangers have beaten the A's five of the last six meetings, while Oakland has run into a three-game losing skid, with all three defeats at home.

Dodgers at Cubs - 4:05 PM EST

Probables: C. Capuano (3-6, 4.54 ERA) vs. J. Samardzija (6-9, 3.75 ERA)

Series recap: Los Angeles won its 12th straight road game with Friday's 6-2 triumph at Chicago. The Dodgers scored six runs for the second straight day, as L.A. plated at least one run in four of the first five innings. Friday's contest remained 'under' the total of nine, the fifth 'under' in the last six games for the Dodgers.

Pitching notes: Los Angeles has three straight starts made by Chris Capuano, including the last two in extra-innings. The southpaw has been extremely inconsistent recently by putting together four scoreless starts since coming off the DL in June, but also allowing five earned runs three times in this stretch. The Dodgers are 3-1 in Capuano's last four away outings, while being listed as road 'chalk' for the first time this season.

Jeff Samardzija is winless in his last three starts at Wrigley Field, even though the righty tossed seven scoreless innings in his previous outing against the Brewers. The Cubs are 1-3 in Samardzija's four starts as a home underdog, but Chicago owns a 4-1 record in his last five outings against NL West opponents.

Current trends: The Dodgers have won five of their last six away Game 3's of a series, while Los Angeles has drilled the 'over' in five of the previous six away contests. The Cubs are 8-2 to the 'under' in the last 10 games overall, while going 1-5 the past six contests at Wrigley Field.

Braves at Phillies - 4:05 PM EST

Probables: B. Beachy (0-0, 17.18 ERA) vs. J. Lannan (3-4, 4.10 ERA)

Series recap: Philadelphia squandered an early 2-0 lead in a 6-4 defeat to Atlanta. The Braves plated five runs in the fifth inning to take control and cash as $1.55 road favorites. The victory was the fourth in seven meetings for the Braves this season, while the Phillies have lost 11 of their past 12 games overall.

Pitching notes: Brandon Beachy's first start of the season coming off shoulder surgery wasn't a sharp one, as the righty allowed seven earned runs in 3.2 innings against Colorado on Monday. However, the Braves bailed out Beachy in a 9-8 home victory to cash as $1.30 favorites.

The Phillies have won five of John Lannan's six starts at Citizens Bank Park this season, including his previous outing against the Giants. Seven of Lannan's last nine starts have hit the 'over,' including each of his past two outings.

Current trends: Atlanta has won eight straight games, but the Braves are just 1-5 in their last six off a road win. Philadelphia has been a disaster recently with only one victory since July 20, while hitting the 'over' in five of the previous six games overall.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Royals (54-52) at Mets (49-58)
Game: 2
Venue: Citi Field
Date: August 03, 2013 1:10 PM EDT


Following the end of the Kansas City Royals' longest winning streak in more than 10 years, the pitcher who started the run has a chance to begin a new one.

Bruce Chen takes the mound at Citi Field as the Royals try for their 10th win in 11 games Saturday against a New York Mets team that could be without its All-Star third baseman.

The Mets (49-58) snapped Kansas City's nine-game winning streak - its first since starting the 2003 campaign 9-0 - Friday when Eric Young Jr. homered with two outs in the 11th inning for a 4-2 victory.

"It never feels good after you lose a game, but yeah, it was a nice streak,' Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Now let's see if we can start another one.'

New York's David Wright went 2 for 5 with a two-run homer, but was forced out of the game in the 10th inning when he strained his right hamstring while beating out an infield hit. Wright, who leads the team with a .309 average, is expected to have an MRI on Saturday.

An extended absence might spell trouble for a New York lineup that has averaged 2.4 runs while hitting .147 (10 for 68) with runners in scoring position during a 3-5 stretch.

"It's going to be tough for us,' Young said. "(Wright) brings so much to our lineup. That's why he is our captain.'

It could get tough pretty quick as the Mets go up against Chen (4-0, 2.09 ERA), who is 1-0 with a 1.50 ERA in three starts for the Royals (54-52) since replacing Luis Mendoza in the rotation.

Chen got the team's winning streak started by yielding one run and three hits over six innings in a 3-2 victory over Baltimore on July 23. He followed that by giving up two runs and three hits over six innings in a 4-2, 12-inning win at the White Sox on Sunday.

Opponents are hitting .115 in Chen's three starts, but he hasn't had much help from a Kansas City offense that has provided him with five runs of support.

Marlon Byrd (3 for 6) and John Buck (2 for 2) are the only New York players with experience in this matchup. Chen, who played for the Mets in 2001-02, hasn't pitched against them since 2003.

The Mets originally planned on starting Carlos Torres before the right-hander worked two innings of scoreless relief to earn the win in the opener. Now they'll give the ball to Jeremy Hefner (4-8, 4.21), who is 0-2 with a 12.34 ERA in three starts since the All-Star break.

The right-hander allowed a career-high five walks and five runs - three earned - over 5 1-3 innings before the Mets rallied late for a 6-5 win at Miami on Monday.

David Aardsma couldn't hold a ninth-inning lead on Friday and New York's banged-up bullpen could again be without closer Bobby Parnell (stiff neck), while setup man Josh Edgin is out at least four weeks because of a stress fracture in one of his ribs.

-----------------------------------------------------

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Royals at Mets
Fri, Aug 2 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Royals at Mets
Sat, Aug 3 - 1:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Royals at Mets
Sun, Aug 4 - 1:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Rangers (61-49) at Athletics (63-46)
Game: 2
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: August 03, 2013 4:05 PM EDT


It was less than a week ago when the Texas Rangers were faced with their largest AL West deficit in four seasons.

On Saturday, they can climb within 1 1/2 games of the Oakland Athletics as the division's top two teams continue their weekend set in the Bay Area.

Mired in a 3-12 skid and a 21-inning scoreless stretch, the Rangers (61-49) were six back of the A's (63-46) heading into Monday's action. Texas hadn't been that far off the division lead since finishing 10 behind the Angels to end 2009.

The Rangers, though, have totaled 20 extra-base hits and are averaging 7.0 runs during a winning streak that hit five with Friday's 8-3 victory.

Oakland, meanwhile, has dropped three in a row after winning seven of nine.

"The offense just woke up at the right time,' said Rangers right fielder Nelson Cruz, who increased his team-leading homer and RBI totals to 26 and 75, respectively, with a two-run shot. "We've been quiet for a while. It's a good time to wake up.'

Cruz's regular season could be nearing an end if he's handed a 50-game suspension as part of Major League Baseball's Biogenesis investigation. It's been reported that MLB will announce the suspended players no later than Monday.

"He's been able to separate, man," said manager Ron Washington, who tied Bobby Valentine for first in team history with 581 victories Friday.

Texas last won six straight during a seven-game surge June 15-22, 2012.

Rangers newcomer Matt Garza (1-0, 1.88 ERA) will try to extend his career-best streak of six straight winning decisions.

The first five in that run came while with the Cubs, and he's lasted at least seven innings in his first two outings in Texas. The right-hander gave up three runs Monday before the Rangers rallied late for a 4-3 victory over the Angels.

Garza has a 1.40 ERA in his last eight starts.

"He's a big-game pitcher," Washington told the team's official website. "He never tries to hide what he is about. What I've seen is the way he was in Tampa Bay. He has a hammer, a changeup and he moves his fastball around. He makes quality pitches in quality situations."

Garza will make his second start in Oakland in a month. He threw eight innings of one-run ball in a 3-1 victory July 3, an outing Cubs manager Dale Sveum said was the best he had seen Garza pitch in two years.

The Athletics, who have plated five runs in a season high-tying three-game home skid, will try to bounce back with Jarrod Parker (6-6, 4.07) on the hill. The right-hander's last decision came at Texas on June 18 when he yielded two runs in seven innings of a 6-2 win.

Parker had posted a 2.39 ERA over his previous 13 starts before walking a career-high seven in Sunday's 10-6 loss to the Angels.

"I wasn't as in-command as I want to be," he told the Athletics' official website after giving up six runs in five innings. "... I feel like I kind of let our guys down today, battling and walking guys."

Besides cutting down on free passes, Parker needs more efficient opening innings. His ERA in the first is 7.29 after giving up four runs Sunday.

Parker hasn't struggled against Cruz, retiring him in all 14 matchups, including five times this season. He's 4-1 with a 2.91 ERA in five starts versus Texas overall.

Elvis Andrus, 3 for 8 lifetime off Parker, is batting .339 during a major league-best 15-game hitting streak.

Texas has won seven of 11 in this season series.

----------------------------------------------------------

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rangers at Athletics
Fri, Aug 2 Final 8 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rangers at Athletics
Sat, Aug 3 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Rangers at Athletics
Sun, Aug 4 - 4:05PM EDT