Cnotes Best Bets For Thursday June 11th - MLB - NBA -NHL !

[CNOTES]

MLB MONEYLINE


MLB > (913) TEXAS@ (914) OAKLAND | 06/11/2015 - 03:35 PM
Play ON TEXAS using the money line in All games in road games
The record is 20 Wins and 12 Losses for the this season (+18.12 units)


MLB > (917) LA ANGELS@ (918) TAMPA BAY | 06/11/2015 - 07:10 PM
Play AGAINST TAMPA BAY using the money line in All games at home when the total is 7 or less
The record is 19 Wins and 33 Losses for the last two seasons (-24.8 units)


MLB > (905) SAN FRANCISCO@ (906) NY METS | 06/11/2015 - 07:10 PM
Play AGAINST NY METS using the money line in All games as a home underdog of +100 to +125
The record is 19 Wins and 48 Losses for the last three seasons (-26.6 units)


MLB > (911) SEATTLE@ (912) CLEVELAND | 06/11/2015 - 12:10 PM
Play ON SEATTLE using the money line in Road games in June games
The record is 11 Wins and 3 Losses for the last two seasons (+11.84 units)


MLB TOTALS


MLB > (901) SAN DIEGO@ (902) ATLANTA | 06/11/2015 - 12:10 PM
Play OVER SAN DIEGO on the total in All games in all games
The record is 38 Overs and 21 Unders for the this season (+16.7 units)


MLB > (913) TEXAS@ (914) OAKLAND | 06/11/2015 - 03:35 PM
Play OVER OAKLAND on the total in All games against division opponents
The record is 20 Overs and 8 Unders for the this season (+12.1 units)


MLB TOP POWELINE


MLB > (911) SEATTLE @ (912) CLEVELAND | 06/11/2015 - 12:10 PM
Line: CLEVELAND -110 BTB PowerLine: CLEVELAND 118
Edge On: CLEVELAND (8)


MLB > (901) SAN DIEGO @ (902) ATLANTA | 06/11/2015 - 12:10 PM
Line: ATLANTA -125 BTB PowerLine: ATLANTA 103
Edge On: ATLANTA (8)


MLB > (913) TEXAS @ (914) OAKLAND | 06/11/2015 - 03:35 PM
Line: OAKLAND -156 BTB PowerLine: OAKLAND -127
Edge On: OAKLAND (4)


MLB > (915) BOSTON @ (916) BALTIMORE | 06/11/2015 - 07:05 PM
Line: BALTIMORE -110 BTB PowerLine: BALTIMORE -141
Edge On: BALTIMORE (31)


MLB > (903) COLORADO @ (904) MIAMI | 06/11/2015 - 07:10 PM
Line: MIAMI -133 BTB PowerLine: MIAMI 121
Edge On: MIAMI (33)


MLB > (917) LA ANGELS @ (918) TAMPA BAY | 06/11/2015 - 07:10 PM
Line: TAMPA BAY +110 BTB PowerLine: TAMPA BAY -115
Edge On: TAMPA BAY (25)


MLB > (905) SAN FRANCISCO @ (906) NY METS | 06/11/2015 - 07:10 PM
Line: NY METS -115 BTB PowerLine: NY METS -128
Edge On: NY METS (13)


MLB > (907) CINCINNATI @ (908) CHICAGO CUBS | 06/11/2015 - 08:05 PM
Line: CHICAGO CUBS -145 BTB PowerLine: CHICAGO CUBS 104
Edge On: CHICAGO CUBS (29)


MLB > (909) WASHINGTON @ (910) MILWAUKEE | 06/11/2015 - 08:10 PM
Line: MILWAUKEE -105 BTB PowerLine: MILWAUKEE 156
Edge On: MILWAUKEE (41)

 

[CNOTES]

NBA FIRST HALF


NBA > (707) GOLDEN STATE@ (708) CLEVELAND | 06/11/2015 - 09:05 PM
Play ON CLEVELAND in the first half in All games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season
The record is 21 Wins and 7 Losses for the this season (+13.3 units)

 

[CNOTES]

Thursday's Top Action


June 10, 2015




GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (80-20) at CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (67-32)


NBA Finals – Game 4
Sportsbook.ag Line: Golden State -2.5, Total: 193.5

The Warriors will look to even the series when they visit the Cavaliers in Cleveland in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Thursday.


Game 3 of the NBA Finals did not disappoint, as the Cavaliers thwarted a valiant comeback attempt from the Warriors and held on for a 96-91 win. SF LeBron James submitted another historic performance with 40 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, four steals, and two blocks in 46 minutes of action. PG Matthew Dellavedova was heroic with 20 points, and his timely shots helped preserve the Cavs’ lead in the fourth quarter. He also played great defense on PG Stephen Curry, who was held in check for most of the game.


While Curry did finish with 27 points on 7-for-13 shooting from three-point range, the Warriors will need him to provide more offense early if they hope to win Game 4. SG Klay Thompson had a relatively quiet night with 14 points, and SF Harrison Barnes struggled immensely, missing on all eight of his shot attempts. PF David Lee was a sparkplug off the bench with 11 points in just 13 minutes. The Warriors outscored the Cavs by 17 points when Lee was on the floor, and Steve Kerr must be considering giving the two-time NBA All-Star a bigger role in the rest of the series.


Like Games 1 and 2, Game 3 was decided by single digits. Game 3 went Under the total, and the Under has hit in four of the five matchups between Cleveland and Golden State in the regular season and playoffs. The Cavs are now 3-2 SU and 3-2 ATS against the Warriors in that same time frame, including 2-0 SU and 2-0 ATS at home. The Warriors are 33-17 ATS when playing against a team with a win percentage between 60 and 70 percent in the second half of the season over the last three seasons. The Cavaliers, however, are 12-4 ATS against teams that shoot over 36 percent from three-point range in the second half of this season.


PG Kyrie Irving (Knee), PF Kevin Love (Shoulder), and C Anderson Varejao (Achilles) remain out for the season for the Cavaliers, while PG Matthew Dellavedova (Cramps) and SG Iman Shumpert (Shoulder) are probable for Thursday’s matchup. PF Draymond Green (back) is probable for the Warriors.


The Warriors have not looked like their usual selves on the offensive end through the first three games of the series, and their struggles start with PG Stephen Curry (28.3 PPG, 6.4 APG, 5.0 RPG, 1.8 SPG in playoffs). He did not find any rhythm in Game 3 until late, and 17 of his 27 points came in the fourth quarter. SF Harrison Barnes (10.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG in playoffs) and PF Draymond Green (13.3 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 4.8 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.2 BPG in playoffs) had awful offensive games, as the two combined to shoot 2-for-18 from the field.


If their struggles are to continue, SG Andre Iguodala (8.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.1 SPG in playoffs) will have to step up again as he did in Game 3, when he finished with 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists. He has also played solid defense on LeBron James, and will look to slow down his opponent as much as possible in Game 4 in order for the Warriors to leave Cleveland with a win.


SF LeBron James (29.9 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 8.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.2 BPG in playoffs) continued his torrid pace in Game 3, and his averages in the series now stand at 41.0 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 8.3 APG, 1.7 SPG, and 1.0 BPG. This NBA Finals may prove to be a defining factor in his legacy, and it would take a monumental performance from a player on either team to claim Finals MVP honors, even if the Cavaliers lose the series. He has attempted an incredible 107 shots from the field thus far, which has been necessary for his team that is shorthanded on offense and will continue to be for the remainder of the Finals.


James did get help from PG Matthew Dellavedova (7.5 PPG in playoffs), who erupted for 20 points in Game 2, and PF Tristan Thompson (8.6 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 1.2 BPG in playoffs), who turned in a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds.


SG J.R. Smith (13.2 PPG in playoffs), who scored a quiet 10 points in Tuesday’s win, will need to make a bigger impact in Game 4 for Cleveland, especially if Dellavedova and SG Iman Shumpert (9.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 1.4 SPG in playoffs) aren’t completely healthy.

 

[CNOTES]

Game 4 - Warriors at Cavaliers


June 10, 2015


The Cavaliers are seeking their first title in franchise history, as they picked up their first ever home victory in the NBA Finals in Tuesday’s 96-91 triumph over the Warriors. Cleveland cashed as two-point underdogs, while seizing a 2-1 series advantage in the NBA Finals, even though it didn’t come easy in the final quarter.


LeBron James continues to put up historic Finals numbers, topping the 39-point plateau for the third straight game by scoring 40 in the Game 3 victory. The Cavaliers limited the Warriors to below 20 points in the opening quarter for the third consecutive time, while building a 20-point advantage in the third quarter. Cleveland’s shooting numbers from the floor dramatically improved from Game 2 (32%) to Game 3 (46%), as fan favorite Matthew Dellavedova stepped up in Kyrie Irving’s place to score 20 points, including a key three-point play with 2:27 remaining to give the Cavs an 84-80 advantage.


From the “in case you missed it” department, the Cavaliers had their foot on Golden State’s throat late in the third quarter, building a seemingly insurmountable 68-48 advantage. However, the top seed in the Western Conference wasn’t going to give up that easily, putting together an 18-5 run to start the fourth quarter to trim the deficit to 75-70. Stephen Curry, who struggled in Game 2 and was invisible for the first three quarters of Game 3, found his shot in the fourth quarter by scoring 17 points, including hitting five shots from three-point range.


Curry’s fourth quarter heroics gave Golden State a chance at pulling off a stunning comeback, drilling a trey to get within 81-80 with 2:45 left. Dellavedova’s circus shot (and free throw) followed by a three-pointer from James gave Cleveland breathing room, but David Blatt’s short rotation may be costly moving forward as six Cavaliers logged at least 31 minutes. The Warriors have outscored the Cavaliers in the final quarter in each of the last two games, as the most productive quarter so far in this series for Golden State was the 36-point fourth quarter output in desperation mode of Game 3.


The Warriors haven’t lost three consecutive games yet this season, winning in the previous five attempts off back-to-back losses. Only once in this situation did Golden State drop consecutive contests and break that skid on the road, coming at Memphis in Game 4 of the conference semifinals, 101-84. Since 2012, road favorites trailing in a playoff series, 2-1 have fared extremely well, winning eight of nine times, including a 3-0 mark this postseason (Atlanta at Washington, semifinals; Cleveland at Chicago, semifinals; Golden State at Memphis, semifinals).


It’s hard to ignore the fact that the Cavaliers have won nine of their last 10 games since losing to the Bulls at the buzzer in Game 3 of the conference semifinals, which includes a 5-1 ATS record as an underdog. Also, Cleveland has compiled a 7-1 SU and 4-4 ATS record at Quicken Loans Arena in the playoffs, while James is nearly automatic when playing at home in the postseason, owning a tremendous 45-10 mark in his last 55 home playoff contests since 2011.


Oddsmakers sent out a total of 193 ½ for Game 4 and that line has held steady even though the ‘under’ cashed for the second straight game on Tuesday.


VI NBA analyst Chris David believes came up short on Golden State’s team total in Game 3 but is willing to give it another shot.


He explained, “Golden State played fast in Game 3 and attempted 90 shots, but they continued to miss open jumpers and that’s been the story of this series. Another key factor that hurt their offense on Tuesday was free throws as they only attempted 12 from the charity stripe. The Warriors have faced this adversity before and have won all five games after dropping back-to-back games. What’s also important to know is that the Warriors averaged 108 points per game in those victories, the most recent being a 101-point performance at Memphis in Game 4 of the second round.”


“Golden State has a team total of 97 ½ for Game 4 and based on trends in this year’s playoffs, I’m backing the ‘over’ once again. In eight road games during the postseason, Golden State has surpassed this number six times and that’s a 75 percent connection I can’t ignore. I’d also put in a small buy order on Cleveland’s win total (95 ½) to go ‘under’ the number. The Cavaliers have played slow this entire series and even when they had their best offensive effort in Game 3, they still wound up with 96 points.”


VI NBA expert Tony Mejia says the Warriors need to figure out their rotation after Game 3, “It sounds like Steve Kerr is going to commit to playing David Lee more playing time, likely trimming some minutes from Draymond Green, Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli. As a result, we may see a brisker pace, since he is far more proficient than those guys in pick-and-roll situations but is a suspect defender who the Cavs are going to target and try to take advantage of now that they’ll expect he’ll be part of this one.”


Will the former All-Star make an impact? Mejia believes Lee’s increased minutes can affect the total, “Lee was a +17 in his 13 minutes in Game 3, making all four of his shots in scoring 11 points, but he also committed five fouls. With the lowest total of the series set for this Game 4, Lee’s inclusion needs to be taken into account as a factor that could help yield the first OVER since the series opener.”


Golden State opened up the series at -220 (Bet $220 to win $100) to claim its first championship since 1975, according to Sportsbook.ag. However, that price has dropped down to -115 heading into Game 4, which is a solid price to grab Golden State at, while Cleveland moved from +185 to begin the series to -105.

 

[CNOTES]

Cavs' Dellavedova out of hospital


June 10, 2015


CLEVELAND (AP) - Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova has been released from the hospital after being treated for dehydration following Game 3 of the NBA Finals.


The scrappy guard, who has emerged as an unlikely star during this postseason, was sent to the Cleveland Clinic after experiencing severe cramping following the Cavs' 96-91 win over Golden State on Tuesday night.


Dellavedova scored 20 points and played 38 minutes as the Cavs took a 2-1 lead in the series. Dellavedova has been starting in place of All-Star Kyrie Irving, who broke his kneecap in Game 1 and was just discharged from the Cleveland Clinic following surgery.


Dellavedova received an IV at Quicken Loans Arena after the game then was taken by ambulance to the hospital for further treatment.


Dellavedova was with his teammates at the arena Wednesday, and the 24-year-old Australian is scheduled to speak to the media.


Also, guard Iman Shumpert is expected to undergo imaging tests on his left shoulder, which he bruised in the first quarter.


As is his style, Dellavedova came up with several loose balls in Game 3 by diving on the floor, and he flattened a chair while soaring over Cleveland's bench while hustling on one play.


''He's going to throw his body all over the place,'' LeBron James said. ''He gave everything's he's got.''


Dellavedova's medical issues are nothing new to the Cavs, who are playing without Irving and forward Kevin Love. Love is also out for the season after hurting his shoulder in the opening round against Boston.


Shumpert hurt the same shoulder he dislocated earlier this season that sidelined him for six weeks.


Shumpert ran into a clean screen set by Golden State's Draymond Green in the first quarter. He was taken to the locker room for treatment, returned but played with virtually one arm for the rest of the game.


James said it was inspiring to see Shumpert keep playing.


''When he came back on the floor with his shoulder wrapped and knowing that he wasn't at 100 percent, it means everything to the team,'' James said. ''It means everything to me. It means everything to him as well. But we just can't afford any more injuries. We're already depleted.''

 

[CNOTES]

Warriors' Green has back spasms, expected to play in Game 4


June 10, 2015


CLEVELAND (AP) - Golden State forward Draymond Green is battling back spasms but is expected to play in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Coach Steve Kerr says Green is getting treatment Wednesday and will be evaluated each day, but ''should be OK'' for Thursday's game.


The runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year, Green is shooting just 8 for 30 (27 percent) in the finals, missing seven of his eight 3-point attempts.

 

[CNOTES]

Warriors confident of comeback in Finals

June 10, 2015


CLEVELAND (AP) - All things considered, the Golden State Warriors would rather have been golfing.


That's what some players did the last time they found themselves in this situation, when they were getting outmuscled and even outhustled, banged and beaten by a bigger team.


They couldn't get a tee time Wednesday. NBA Finals rules required the team to come to the arena for media obligations on the off day.


''So it's going to be dark by the time we get out of here,'' swingman Andre Iguodala said.


But just as they fought their way out of that situation against Memphis in the Western Conference semifinals, they believe they will overcome another 2-1 deficit now against Cleveland.


''We'll figure out our game and the adjustments we need to make as we watch film later today, and we'll be ready tomorrow to give our best effort,'' MVP Stephen Curry said. ''I feel like we're pretty confident we can turn this around.''


They've accomplished it before, against a team that did some of the same things the Cavaliers are doing now.


The Grizzlies, with big bodies inside, play a rugged style reminiscent of Eastern Conference basketball. They won Game 2 at Oracle Arena and came home to win Game 3 in that series, sending Golden State to the video room.


The Warriors didn't even go to the gym before Game 4 in Memphis, instead watching two hours of film in a hotel ballroom when the players weren't on the course. Coach Steve Kerr said they might've done the same thing Wednesday if they didn't have to report to Quicken Loans Arena, but planned to watch tape at some point.


''We will watch significant parts of it, but the similarity is there,'' Kerr said. ''Physical team that slows it down, like Memphis did. Our frustration with our pace and tempo is there. So it's very similar and it's very helpful that we've been through this process. Obviously, the personnel is different; the teams are different. But it's something we've been through, and that is a positive that we can draw on that experience.''


Golden State has averaged just 97.3 points in this series, even with two games going to overtime, after leading the NBA with 110 per game during the regular season. The Warriors were held to 90 and 89 in their back-to-back losses to the Grizzlies, then bounced back with 102.3 per game in running off three straight victories.


''We're down 2-1 on the road. Same sequence of games, win-loss-loss, so very similar situations,'' Curry said. ''Obviously a different team, so you've got to adjust accordingly. But the mission is we've got to win Game 4. Go home with an even series and take it from there.''


A better performance from Draymond Green would help. The runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year is shooting just 8 for 30 (27 percent) in the finals, missing seven of his eight 3-point attempts, and was treated Wednesday for back spasms. Kerr said Green was expected to play Thursday.


Green was animated Wednesday talking about the difference in the Warriors and Cavs thus far.


''They're playing like a team that's desperate and needs something. We're playing like a team that's not desperate and got something,'' he said.


If Green is limited, that could open additional minutes for David Lee, who came off the bench Tuesday after sitting out Games 1 and 2 and scored 13 points. Kerr and Warriors players said they expected Lee to have a bigger role going forward.


''Them saying it, and him playing, obviously gives us a heads-up,'' Cleveland coach David Blatt said. ''But there are a lot of options on that team. They're a deep team and they can give you different looks.''


Lee helped spark a Game 4 rally, though the biggest difference was Curry. The MVP finally got his shot to fall while scoring 17 points and making five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, and the Warriors seemed to gain confidence from seeing him break out.


''I found a rhythm as the game went on,'' Curry said, ''so I'll hopefully bottle up that second half and be ready to go to start the game in Game 4.''

 

[CNOTES]

Irving calls kneecap injury 'a freak play'


June 10, 2015


CLEVELAND (AP) - Kyrie Irving doesn't regret a single move. Not playing on a sore knee, and not the one that ended his season.


Wearing a cast and using crutches, Irving spoke to reporters Wednesday for the first time since breaking his left kneecap last week in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, an injury that seemed to doom the Cavaliers' title hopes.


Cleveland, though, has rallied without the All-Star, opening a 2-1 lead in the series over Golden State with a win in Game 3 on Tuesday night.


After being slowed by tendinitis during the postseason - he sat out two games in the Eastern Conference finals - Irving knew there were risks when he took floor in the opener. However, he said doctors told him the tendinitis did not make him more susceptible to other injuries and he wanted to play.


''Obviously, there was a risk going out there playing anyway, no matter what,'' he said. ''It was just a freak play.''


Irving said he felt good throughout the whole game.


''It wasn't about the minutes or anything like that that everyone wants to kind of speculate about,'' he said. ''It was me who decided to go out and play, put my body on the line.''


Irving said the left-to-right move he tried was something he had done ''a thousand times.'' He attempted to stop and believes he made contact with Warriors forward Klay Thompson.


The 23-year-old Irving knew immediately that his injury was serious.


''It was something I hadn't felt before, and I had to walk off the court,'' he said. ''That was it.''


Irving was in good spirits during the five-minute interview session at Quicken Loans Arena. He wore a baseball cap backwards and a black T-shirt that said: ''Killa, Champ, Menace & Drew,'' a nod to teammates Mike Miller, James Jones, Kevin Love and himself.


Irving will need at least three months to recover from the broken kneecap, a setback that will only heighten talk that he is injury prone. But he's staying positive and trying to do what he can to help his teammates finish off the Warriors and win a title.


His injury - and the one to Love's left shoulder that ended the forward's season - have made the challenge tougher on the Cavs.


''Everything that we've had to endure all season, all the goals we set, now we have to go out and accomplish it,'' Irving said. ''Now I'm just sitting back as a fan and enjoying it.''

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Padres (30-30) at Braves (28-30)
Game: 4
Venue: Turner Field
Date: June 11, 2015 12:10 PM EDT

Until nearly the end of May, Atlanta was looking like a modest offensive club. Roughly the same time frame applies to Andrew Cashner's label as a tough-luck starting pitcher.


All of a sudden, Cashner is a bit of a mess and the Braves have some of the hottest bats in the majors, a trend they'll try to continue as they go for a series win over the San Diego Padres on Thursday in Atlanta.


The Braves (29-30) have taken two of three in the series after a 14-hit effort in Wednesday's 4-1 victory. The club was batting .245 with a .310 on-base percentage after play May 29, but the Braves have since posted a .308 average and .362 OBP over a 6-5 stretch - the latter of which leads MLB.


Kelly Johnson returned from a 24-game stint on the disabled list with a 3-for-4 night.


"It was a good first day," Johnson told MLB's official website. "Obviously that's how you'd like to see it. It doesn't always work out that way, but it doesn't work out that way even when you've been playing 20 games in a row sometimes."


San Diego (30-31) has dropped five of six in Atlanta. Cory Spangenberg, batting .423 in his last eight games, was 3 for 4 the day one-time starting second baseman Jedd Gyorko was send to Triple-A El Paso.


Matt Kemp was out of the lineup, likely because his .170 career average at Turner Field is easily his worst at any NL ballpark.


Cashner (2-8, 4.05 ERA), trying to avoid matching a career high and becoming the first pitcher to nine losses, has allowed 12 earned runs in his last two starts after going 2-7 with a 3.00 ERA and 2.86 run-support average in his first 10. It's the only time Cashner has totaled more than eight earned runs in consecutive starts in the same season.


In Saturday's 9-7 win in Cincinnati, he gave up seven runs and eight hits in 5 2-3 but also matched a career high with five walks, fittingly missing out on the decision as the Padres' bats provided him with a new feeling of being bailed out for a change.


"This might be one of the best games I've been here for as a Padre," Cashner said.


He's never pitched in Atlanta but held the Braves to two runs and six hits to get a win in his only start against them in 2013. Chris Johnson is 1 for 7 with four strikeouts against Cashner, so Juan Uribe (8 for 20) could start at third base for the Braves.


Even with the recent struggles, his 7.79 ERA in his last three starts is only a shade higher than Julio Teheran's.


Teheran (4-2, 4.87) is 0-1 with a 7.64 ERA in that span, though he is coming off his longest outing of the year. The right-hander yielded four runs and five hits in 7 1-3 innings of Saturday's 5-4 home win over Pittsburgh.


Teheran is yet to lose at Turner Field this year, going 3-0 with a 2.53 ERA in five starts. He's gone six without a loss dating to last season, when he also had a career-best seven-start unbeaten streak at home.


The last on that run came in a 5-3 win over San Diego on July 26, but Teheran is 1-2 with a 5.79 ERA in three starts against the Padres. Former teammate Justin Upton has a home run in two at_bats against him, but Clint Barmes (0 for 7) and Alexi Amarista (1 for 9) haven't been able to figure him out.


Wil Myers (wrist tendinitis) will come off the disabled list for Thursday's game after missing the last 28.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Padres at Braves
Mon, Jun 8 Final 5 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Padres at Braves
Tue, Jun 9 Final 5 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Padres at Braves
Wed, Jun 10 - Final 5 - 6
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 4
Padres at Braves
Thu, Jun 11 - 12:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Padres (30-30) at Braves (28-30)
Game: 4
Venue: Turner Field
Date: June 11, 2015 12:10 PM EDT

Until nearly the end of May, Atlanta was looking like a modest offensive club. Roughly the same time frame applies to Andrew Cashner's label as a tough-luck starting pitcher.

All of a sudden, Cashner is a bit of a mess and the Braves have some of the hottest bats in the majors, a trend they'll try to continue as they go for a series win over the San Diego Padres on Thursday in Atlanta.

The Braves (29-30) have taken two of three in the series after a 14-hit effort in Wednesday's 4-1 victory. The club was batting .245 with a .310 on-base percentage after play May 29, but the Braves have since posted a .308 average and .362 OBP over a 6-5 stretch - the latter of which leads MLB.

Kelly Johnson returned from a 24-game stint on the disabled list with a 3-for-4 night.

"It was a good first day," Johnson told MLB's official website. "Obviously that's how you'd like to see it. It doesn't always work out that way, but it doesn't work out that way even when you've been playing 20 games in a row sometimes."

San Diego (30-31) has dropped five of six in Atlanta. Cory Spangenberg, batting .423 in his last eight games, was 3 for 4 the day one-time starting second baseman Jedd Gyorko was send to Triple-A El Paso.

Matt Kemp was out of the lineup, likely because his .170 career average at Turner Field is easily his worst at any NL ballpark.

Cashner (2-8, 4.05 ERA), trying to avoid matching a career high and becoming the first pitcher to nine losses, has allowed 12 earned runs in his last two starts after going 2-7 with a 3.00 ERA and 2.86 run-support average in his first 10. It's the only time Cashner has totaled more than eight earned runs in consecutive starts in the same season.

In Saturday's 9-7 win in Cincinnati, he gave up seven runs and eight hits in 5 2-3 but also matched a career high with five walks, fittingly missing out on the decision as the Padres' bats provided him with a new feeling of being bailed out for a change.

"This might be one of the best games I've been here for as a Padre," Cashner said.

He's never pitched in Atlanta but held the Braves to two runs and six hits to get a win in his only start against them in 2013. Chris Johnson is 1 for 7 with four strikeouts against Cashner, so Juan Uribe (8 for 20) could start at third base for the Braves.

Even with the recent struggles, his 7.79 ERA in his last three starts is only a shade higher than Julio Teheran's.

Teheran (4-2, 4.87) is 0-1 with a 7.64 ERA in that span, though he is coming off his longest outing of the year. The right-hander yielded four runs and five hits in 7 1-3 innings of Saturday's 5-4 home win over Pittsburgh.

Teheran is yet to lose at Turner Field this year, going 3-0 with a 2.53 ERA in five starts. He's gone six without a loss dating to last season, when he also had a career-best seven-start unbeaten streak at home.

The last on that run came in a 5-3 win over San Diego on July 26, but Teheran is 1-2 with a 5.79 ERA in three starts against the Padres. Former teammate Justin Upton has a home run in two at_bats against him, but Clint Barmes (0 for 7) and Alexi Amarista (1 for 9) haven't been able to figure him out.

Wil Myers (wrist tendinitis) will come off the disabled list for Thursday's game after missing the last 28.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Padres at Braves
Mon, Jun 8 Final 5 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Padres at Braves
Tue, Jun 9 Final 5 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Padres at Braves
Wed, Jun 10 - Final 1 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Padres at Braves
Thu, Jun 11 - 12:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Mariners (26-32) at Indians (27-30)
Game: 3
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: June 11, 2015 12:10 PM EDT

After finally showing some offensive life, the Seattle Mariners might get an additional boost if the AL home run leader returns to the lineup.


Nelson Cruz hopes to play when the Mariners try to complete their first road sweep of the Cleveland Indians in seven seasons Thursday.


Seattle (27-32) had failed to score more than three runs in the previous 13 contests before breaking out for a 9-3 victory Wednesday. With Cruz sitting out because of back spasms, Kyle Seager hit a grand slam and had five RBIs from the cleanup spot in the Mariners' third-highest scoring game of the season and largest run output on the road.


Though Seattle has struggled at the plate, Seager has batted .409 with six home runs and 15 RBIs in his last 12 road contests. He's hit .433 with three homers in 15 games at Progressive Field.


'It doesn't feel good to step in Nelson Cruz's spot,' Seager said. 'I don't want to step in his spot. I want him to be in his spot. It feels good to get the win for the day, but you have to hope he's back as soon as possible.'


Third in the majors with 18 home runs and also among baseball's leaders with a .326 average, Cruz was 6 for 12 in his previous three games before going 0 for 2 in Tuesday's 3-2 victory. Manager Lloyd McClendon thought Cruz looked bothered by his back issues, but after a day of rest believes the slugger can possibly return as the DH as the Mariners try to record their first sweep in Cleveland since August 2008.


"See if he feels better (Thursday)," McClendon told MLB's official website.


Cruz wants to be cautious.


"I don't want to push it," he said. "Just gotta be smart with this."


Cruz went 0 for 3 with a strikeout against Shaun Marcum (2-1, 5.19 ERA) on May 30, when the right-hander pitched 5 1-3 innings and gave up a two-run homer to Robinson Cano in a 4-3 win at Seattle. Marcum followed that up by yielding three runs in 6 1-3 innings of Friday's 5-2 loss to Baltimore.


"When he executes his pitches, he's just fine," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "There's so much deception, and he knows what he's doing, knows what he wants to do."


The Mariners' J.A. Happ (3-1, 3.31) executed quite well while giving up six hits and striking out six over seven scoreless innings of Friday's 1-0 home loss to Tampa Bay. The left-hander, who has not gotten a decision in his last five starts, is 1-0 with a 5.33 ERA in five road starts compared to 2-1 with a 1.88 ERA in six home outings.


Making his first start at Progressive Field, Happ gave up two runs in five-plus innings of a 6-3, 12-inning loss to the Indians on May 31.


Brandon Moss is 4 for 6 against Happ and had two hits Wednesday for Cleveland (27-31), which has dropped three in a row and totaled 12 runs in a 1-4 stretch.


Seattle's Logan Morrison is batting .349 during a career-high 16-game hitting streak.


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Mariners at Indians
Tue, Jun 9 Final 3 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Mariners at Indians
Wed, Jun 10 - Final 9 - 3
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Mariners at Indians
Thu, Jun 11 - 12:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Red Sox (27-32) at Orioles (27-30)
Game: 3
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: June 11, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

One week after a five-game losing streak dropped Baltimore into a tie for last place with Boston, strong pitching has helped reverse those results.


The Orioles haven't often been able to count on Chris Tillman to extend such trends, though the right-hander has had plenty of success against the Red Sox, who he'll face Thursday night as his club seeks a home sweep and its top winning streak of the year.


Baltimore (28-30) is seeking a fourth straight victory and sixth in seven games after Wednesday's 5-2 win. The staff has a 2.07 ERA with a .204 opponent batting average over the last seven, but manager Buck Showalter says some of that has to do with solid defense.


"It can be a real momentum swing against another team when you center some balls up and they stay in the park and you still get outs," said Showalter, whose team has committed an MLB-low two errors in 18 games.


The Orioles have won four straight in the series, all in Baltimore, and are seeking their first sweep of the season, while the Red Sox are trying to avoid their third.


Boston (27-33) has dropped five straight on the road and nine of 10. It last dropped six straight away games during an eight-game slide to end 2012.


David Ortiz was out of the lineup Wednesday because he's struggled against left-handers, but he hasn't been great against Tillman at 6 for 30. Xander Bogaerts (2 for 15) has also struggled, but Brock Holt is 5 for 8.


Tillman (3-7, 5.61 ERA) ended a seven-start winless streak in Friday's 5-2 victory at Cleveland, but he has a long way to go to turn his season around. Tillman gave up two runs and six hits in 6 1-3 innings after a 0-6 stretch with a 6.10 ERA, and his season ERA is his worst through 11 starts since he completed 2010 with a 5.87 mark in that many outings.


Before the prolonged struggles began, he held the Red Sox to a run and six hits in 5 1-3 innings of a 4-1 victory April 18, improving to 8-3 with a 2.63 ERA in 17 starts against them. He's won his last three starts in the series, and dating to the beginning of last year, he's 4-1 with a 2.43 ERA in six.


The Red Sox counter with Wade Miley (5-5, 4.67), who has been strong over the past month with a 4-1 record and 2.73 ERA in five starts after beginning his first season in Boston by going 1-4 with a 6.91 ERA over his first six.


The left-hander held Oakland to two runs and six hits in 7 1-3 innings of Friday's 4-2 home win, and he's gone at least seven innings in three of his last four starts.


"Setting aside (an 8-0 loss in Texas on May 30), he came back out, rebounded, and he's pitching extremely well," Red Sox manager John Farrell told MLB's official website. "We're able to play very good defense behind him, particularly in the infield, and I think a lot of that has to do with the pace in which he works."


One of his worst starts came during an 18-7 loss in Baltimore on April 26 in which he allowed seven runs - six earned - and five hits with two walks in 2 1-3 innings. He took the loss and dropped to 0-1 with a 9.64 ERA in two starts against the Orioles.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Red Sox at Orioles
Tue, Jun 9 Final 0 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Red Sox at Orioles
Wed, Jun 10 - Final 2 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 3
Red Sox at Orioles
Thu, Jun 11 - 7:05PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Rockies (27-30) at Marlins (24-35)
Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: June 11, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Colorado Rockies stumbled against the Miami Marlins last weekend but quickly rebounded with an impressive showing against the team with the best record in baseball.


They'll get another shot at the Marlins on Thursday night as Chris Rusin tries to again hold down the Miami lineup in the opener of a four-game series.


The Rockies (27-31) followed a series loss to Miami (24-36) at home by taking the first two from St. Louis before losing 4-2 on Wednesday. Nolan Arenado had two home runs and four RBIs in the three games, DJ LeMahieu went 7 for 13, and Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez extended hitting streaks.


Tulowitzki, who did not play Wednesday, is batting .500 with five homers and 14 RBIs while hitting safely in nine straight. Gonzalez has hit .438 during an eight-game streak.


Perhaps most encouraging for Colorado was the work of the bullpen, which allowed two runs in eight innings after posting a 7.59 ERA in the previous seven games.


'Bottom line, we ended up this homestand with a series win against arguably the best club in baseball,' manager Walt Weiss said. 'It's a good way to end it.'


Colorado's only win against the Marlins came behind Rusin (2-0, 1.45 ERA), who allowed two runs and struck out eight in seven innings of Saturday's 10-5 victory.


The left-hander has a 1.93 ERA in two starts after going 4-9 with a 4.69 ERA in 20 with the Chicago Cubs from 2012-13.


"He's got deception, he's got command and he's got a feel for pitching," Weiss said. "I think those three things are his greatest strengths. He knows how to pitch and how to put sequences together and how to finish an at-bat."


David Phelps (2-3, 4.68) suffered the loss opposite Rusin and will start again Thursday. The right-hander gave up a career high-tying nine runs and career-worst 11 hits in 3 2-3 innings and allowed home runs to Gonzalez and Wilin Rosario.


"I think I made three quality pitches all day," Phelps told MLB's official website. "I wasn't getting ahead of guys. I wasn't hitting my spots. I was up in the zone, and it was really just a terrible game."


Phelps is 0-3 with an 8.27 ERA in his last four starts after going 2-0 with a 1.75 ERA in his first six.


Miami is coming off a three-game sweep at Toronto in which it scored eight runs. Giancarlo Stanton went 6 for 11 with three homers and drove in half of those runs, but he struck out in all four at_bats against Rusin last weekend.


'You've got to put this behind you and get back to winning series,' catcher Jeff Mathis said.


Stanton had seven RBIs in four home games against the Rockies last season but has done most of his damage this year on the road. He's hit 13 of his 21 homers away from Marlins Park and is batting .225 there compared to .262 as a visitor.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Rockies at Marlins
Thu, Jun 11 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Rockies at Marlins
Fri, Jun 12 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Rockies at Marlins
Sat, Jun 13 - 4:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Rockies at Marlins
Sun, Jun 14 - 1:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Giants (33-26) at Mets (31-28)
Game: 3
Venue: Citi Field
Date: June 11, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Though their series in Queens will be remembered for an historic pitching performance, the San Francisco Giants' continued offensive success has them in position for a sweep.


The Giants can do so for the first time there in 13 seasons by sending the New York Mets to a seventh defeat in nine games Thursday night.


One night after rookie Chris Heston's no-hitter, Brandon Belt, Joe Panik and Justin Maxwell homered off Matt Harvey to help San Francisco (34-26) to an 8-5 victory Wednesday.


"There's not many hitters that are going to handle the pitches they handled, so you give the hitter credit," Giants manager Bruce Bochy told MLB's official website. "That's great stuff that we're facing, but they fought. It's all about battling every at-bat."


The Giants have batted .321, scored 29 runs and averaged 12.2 hits to go 4-1 since hitting .237 and totaling 14 runs during a five-game skid.


They've managed to get hot despite Hunter Pence being sidelined since June 2, and it appears likely the outfielder is headed to the disabled list with a sore left wrist.


"We've stopped him from any activities to calm him down," Bochy said of Pence, who batted .282 with 13 RBIs in 18 games after making his season debut in mid-May because of a broken left forearm sustained during spring training.


The Giants also are without outfielder Gregor Blanco, who was put on the seven-day concussion DL.


Panik, though, is batting .407 with four home runs and 11 RBIs during a 14-game hitting streak. He's 8 for 14 with two homers in his last three against the Mets (31-29), who haven't been swept at home by San Francisco since May 2002 at Shea Stadium.


Looking to win a seventh straight decision versus New York, Tim Lincecum (6-3, 3.29 ERA) is 6-1 with a 2.88 ERA in 11 starts against the Mets. Though the right-hander hasn't pitched in Queens since 2012, he's 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his last three there.


Lincecum is 2-1 in his previous three starts overall, allowing four runs in each outing. He lasted six innings in Friday's 5-4 victory at Philadelphia.


Lincecum has never faced Travis d'Arnaud, who went 1 for 4 with a RBI and two runs scored Wednesday in his first action since breaking a finger April 19. The third-year catcher is hitting .311 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in 12 games this year.


"It's a big boost for us," manager Terry Collins said. "If we can get him to where he's comfortable swinging the bat, he can help us, and in the middle of our lineup we need that."


Jonathon Niese (3-6, 4.43) went 3-2 with a 1.95 ERA in his first six starts but is 0-4 with a 7.96 ERA in the last five. However, he remains in the Mets' rotation after allowing three runs and striking out eight in six innings of a 7-2 loss at Arizona on Friday.


"It is a step in the right direction," he said. "I felt really good. I felt mechanically I was pretty sound. I made some good pitches."


Though Niese is 1-3 in six starts against the Giants, he has a 2.57 ERA.


Buster Posey is batting .455 with eight RBIs in his last eight games against the Mets and .368 with two doubles and a homer versus Niese.


Brandon Crawford is 4 for 9 against him.


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Giants at Mets
Tue, Jun 9 Final 5 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Giants at Mets
Wed, Jun 10 - Final 8 - 5
Boxscores


GAME 3
Giants at Mets
Thu, Jun 11 - 7:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Angels (29-29) at Rays (31-28)
Game: 3
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: June 11, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Mike Scioscia knows Garrett Richards is a better pitcher than he's shown of late.


Trying to remain confident amid his rough stretch, the Los Angeles Angels right-hander tries to bounce back from the worst start of his career Thursday night against the host Tampa Bay Rays.


Soon after Richards (5-4, 4.14 ERA) gave up six runs before exiting with two outs in the first inning of Saturday's 8-2 loss to the New York Yankees, Scioscia showed support for his struggling hurler.


'Hopefully, he'll give us a better start next time," the Angels manager said. "He's too good a pitcher not to find it again."


Scioscia is confident Richards can rediscover the form that allowed him to go 3-2 with a 2.29 ERA in his first six outings this year. He's posted a 7.91 ERA while splitting his last four starts.


"I can't hang my head on this,' Richards said. 'I'm just going through a rough patch right now. I'm not going to sit here and make excuses. It's baseball. This is the big leagues."


The Angels (29-30) have reason to believe Richards can get back on track. He yielded five runs during a first inning he never finished in a 9-5 loss at Oakland last May 30, then went 9-2 with a 1.94 ERA over his next 15 starts before his season ended with a knee injury in August.


"I went on a tear after that," Richards, 13-4 with a 2.61 ERA last year, told MLB's official website. "I know what I bring to the table."


Richards is 2-1 despite a 5.02 ERA in three career starts against the Rays (32-28), who managed three runs in six-plus innings against him in a 7-3 Angels victory June 1.


Los Angeles, however, has since been held to two or fewer runs four times while losing six of seven. The Angels scored both runs in the third of Wednesday's 4-2 defeat.


Starting at third base after being held out the previous three games with a sore wrist, Evan Longoria homered and five pitchers held Los Angeles to seven hits as Tampa Bay won for the eighth time in 11 contests.


'To win games and be the type of team that we want to be, we've got to do that more times than not for sure," manager Kevin Cash said.


Longoria is 1 for 8 against Richards.


Teammate Alex Colome (3-2, 4.54) allowed seven hits and walked three but gave up one run over six innings at Seattle on Saturday, not getting a decision in the 2-1 loss. The right-hander has yielded two or fewer runs in three of his last four outings.


His worst performance in that stretch came against Richards on June 1, when he allowed five runs on three homers over six innings.


Albert Pujols and Mike Trout homered off Colome in that contest.


Trout is batting .375 with six RBIs in eight career games at Tropicana Field.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Angels at Rays
Tue, Jun 9 Final 8 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Angels at Rays
Wed, Jun 10 - Final 2 to 4
Boxscores


GAME 3
Angels at Rays
Thu, Jun 11 - 7:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Reds (26-31) at Cubs (30-26)
Game: 1
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: June 11, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

After the Cincinnati Reds rode a hot offense while putting together a successful homestand, the primary concern is whether that momentum will follow them on the road.


The Reds seek a season-best fifth straight win Thursday night when they open a four-game series against the Chicago Cubs, who've gained some steam with a high-scoring win.


Cincinnati (27-31) completed a sweep of Philadelphia with a 5-2 victory Wednesday. The Reds put up double-digit hit totals in each win behind Joey Votto and Todd Frazier, who have combined to go 15 for 32 with 12 runs during the streak.


Zack Cozart has also been a key contributor with five RBIs in his last four, but he's likely headed to the disabled list after injuring his right knee in the series finale.


"It's heartbreaking is what it is, to see him carried off the field for the reasons that you mentioned. He's having a great season," manager Bryan Price told MLB's official website. "Certainly, we all want to see him continue to have a phenomenal year and be a big part of our team's success."


The Reds have not experienced the same success on the road, where they've lost nine of their last 10. They were limited to only four hits in a 5-0 loss to the Cubs on April 15 and have dropped five of their last six at Wrigley Field, which will have the entire outfield bleachers open to fans for the first time this season.


Looking to distance his team from those road woes will be Michael Lorenzen (1-1, 3.29 ERA). The right-hander has been solid in six starts this season with a 2.80 ERA and matched a season high with three runs allowed Saturday in a 9-7 loss to San Diego.


Cincinnati's bullpen shouldered the blame for that defeat, allowing six runs over the final three innings. That unit, however, has been dominant in four games since, surrendering only one run in 10 2-3 innings.


Tsuyoshi Wada (0-1, 4.19) will start for Chicago (31-26) on Thursday looking to build on an impressive team performance in Detroit. Following a shutout loss, the Cubs dismantled the Tigers 12-3 on Wednesday to split their brief two-game set.


Miguel Montero and Chris Coghlan each hit a three-run homer - their seventh and eighth of the season, respectively - and eight of Chicago's starters scored to cap a 5-4 trip.


"It was a good trip," manager Joe Maddon said. "We could have started it better, but we finished strongly and I'll take it."


Wada struggled Friday with five runs allowed in 3 2-3 innings against Washington, but had posted a 2.30 ERA in his three previous starts. The left-hander has a 1.97 ERA while not allowing more than two earned runs in any of his last nine outings at Wrigley.


Wada has faced Cincinnati once in his career when he allowed an unearned run in five innings of a 6-5 loss on July 8 in his MLB debut. Lorenzen has yet to face the Cubs.


Anthony Rizzo is hitting .356 with 10 home runs in 21 meetings with the Reds dating to the start of last season. He scored three runs during Chicago's first home series this year against Cincinnati, which dropped two of three in April 13-15.


Billy Hamilton has 14 stolen bases against Chicago - his second-most versus any opponent.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Reds at Cubs
Thu, Jun 11 - 8:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Reds at Cubs
Fri, Jun 12 - 4:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Reds at Cubs
Sat, Jun 13 - 7:15PM EDT


GAME 4
Reds at Cubs
Sun, Jun 14 - 8:05PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Nationals (30-28) at Brewers (22-37)
Game: 1
Venue: Miller Park
Date: June 11, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Most everything has gone awry for the Milwaukee Brewers this season, and their play at Miller Park stands at the top of the list.


Following a winning road trip, the Brewers will look to change their home fortunes when they face the Washington Nationals on Thursday night.


Milwaukee (22-38) has lost seven of eight at Miller Park, getting outscored 45-27 during that stretch, and has the worst home record in baseball at 9-20. The only victory in that span came in a 17-inning marathon against Arizona on May 31, won in large part due to the relief effort of Matt Garza (4-7, 5.09 ERA), who got the decision after working five scoreless innings.


The right-hander followed that performance with another victory Saturday, pitching seven innings and allowing one run in a 4-2 win over Minnesota.


Prior to those two outings, Garza had posted an 11.66 ERA in losing three straight starts.


'I got away from me and the way I like to pitch, and it was getting harder and harder to not only look at myself but to sleep at night,' Garza said. 'You can't do this game without having fun.'


Saturday's win was one of five for the Brewers on their nine-game trip. Milwaukee posted a 1.47 ERA in going 3-2 in the last five contests, and the bullpen surrendered one run during the swing.


"We're in these games," manager Craig Counsell said. "Our pitching's giving us a chance so that's what you want. We'll take these. You've got to get us a chance and the pitching is giving us a chance, giving the offense a chance for sure."


Garza is 0-3 with a 7.33 ERA in six career starts against Washington and had the shortest start of his career in his last meeting, leaving after giving up five runs in one-third of an inning in an 8-3 road loss July 19.


The Nationals (31-28), though, have mostly struggled over the past two weeks, beating the New York Yankees 5-4 in 11 innings Wednesday to give them a 3-9 mark in their last 12.


Michael Taylor and Danny Espinosa homered and Denard Span drove in two runs, including the winner.


Span, who had missed the previous game with back tightness, went 3 for 6 with a double. He's gone 7 for 13 in his last three against Milwaukee.


"Denard is a hard worker and he gives everything he's got every day," Wednesday's starter Gio Gonzalez said. "You see it defensively, you see it on the basepaths, you see it in the way he grinds out at_bats. I don't expect anything less from him and I don't think he expects anything less from himself."


Tanner Roark (2-2, 3.16) suffered through a shaky performance in his third start of the year Friday, allowing four runs in 5 2-3 innings of a 7-5 win over the Chicago Cubs. Roark, who spent all of 2014 as a starter, has gone 2-0 with a 3.78 ERA since injuries forced him back into the rotation May 25.


The right-hander has a 5-0 record and 2.97 ERA in his last six starts against NL Central opponents. He pitched seven innings of one-run ball in his only appearance against the Brewers on July 19, striking out five.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Nationals at Brewers
Thu, Jun 11 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Nationals at Brewers
Fri, Jun 12 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Nationals at Brewers
Sat, Jun 13 - 4:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Nationals at Brewers
Sun, Jun 14 - 2:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Rangers (31-27) at Athletics (23-37)
Game: 3
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: June 11, 2015 3:35 PM EDT

Kevin Brown took a nondescript name and turned it into one with a reputation in Texas.


Chi Chi Gonzalez doesn't have to worry about his name being overlooked among a mundane roster, but he's also doing his best to tag it with early achievement.


The rookie has joined Brown as the last two Rangers pitchers to start their first two games in the majors and win both, and another victory Thursday in Oakland would make Gonzalez the first to do it in three.


Brown (1986-88) and Glen Cook (1985) were the only two to do it prior to Gonzalez (2-0, 0.00 ERA), though Brown's starts came in nonconsecutive seasons. The previous two also weren't quite as dominant with Cook allowing five total runs and Brown three, while Gonzalez is yet to surrender his first run.


Gonzalez threw a three-hitter in Friday's 4-0 win in Kansas City, and the right-hander has limited opponents to a .106 average, though he's walked seven in 14 2-3 innings. Only two came in the shutout.


"He was the poster boy for what we have been talking about with our pitchers," manager Jeff Banister told MLB's official website. "Three pitches or less, early contact and ground-ball outs."


He'll be starting for a club that can win a seventh straight series for the first time since June 8-July 1, 2012. The Rangers (31-28) would also be going for a three-game sweep if they hadn't allowed one to get away in Wednesday's 5-4 walk-off loss.


The teams have traded wins and losses all season with Oakland (24-37) holding a 5-4 advantage. The Athletics came from 4-2 down entering the bottom of the eighth Wednesday to end a four-game losing streak.


"We used to specialize in those here for quite a while," manager Bob Melvin said. "It was nice to be able to come back from 4-2 to tie it, then come back and score another run. It was a good feeling."


Josh Reddick drove in the winning run in the ninth, and the right fielder is batting .500 with 14 RBIs in an eight-game hitting streak against Texas.


Scott Kazmir (2-4, 3.14) starts for an A's team looking to win consecutive home games for just the second time this year. It would be the club's second straight home series victory after going without a win in the first seven.


Kazmir's season began with two victories like Gonzalez, but he's gone winless in his last nine starts despite a 3.78 ERA. He hasn't qualified for a win in his last two, with a missed start sandwiched between due to shoulder tightness.


The left-hander returned in Friday's 4-2 loss in Boston and allowed four runs - three earned - and nine hits in 4 2-3 innings.


"I look at the pitches I made, the hits I gave up," said Kazmir, who will try to help the bullpen by going deep into his start after the relievers pitched 5 1-3 innings Wednesday. "I've just got to be better out there. I will be next time."


He's been much better at home with a 1-1 record and 1.65 ERA in five starts, with the victory coming by a 10-0 score over Texas on April 8. Kazmir limited the Rangers to a hit with 10 strikeouts in seven innings.


He faced them in a 7-5 win in Texas on May 1 and didn't get the decision after allowing three runs in six innings. He's 4-1 with a 3.41 ERA in six starts in the series since joining the A's.


Prince Fielder (2 for 14) and Robinson Chirinos (1 for 11) have struggled against Kazmir.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Rangers at Athletics
Tue, Jun 9 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Rangers at Athletics
Wed, Jun 10 - Final 4 to 5
Boxscores


GAME 3
Rangers at Athletics
Thu, Jun 11 - 3:35PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Braves activate Kelly Johnson from DL


June 10, 2015


ATLANTA (AP) - The Braves have activated Kelly Johnson from the 15-day disabled list and optioned outfielder Joey Terdoslavich to Triple-A Gwinnett.


Johnson is starting in left field and hitting sixth in Wednesday night's game against the San Diego Padres. He has been out since May 14 with a right oblique strain and despite missing 24 games still ranks second on the team with six homers. He is hitting .259 with starts in left field, right field and third base.


Terdoslavich's demotion comes one day after his pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning gave Atlanta the lead in its 6-5 win over the Padres on Tuesday night. It was his first big league homer and it came in only his fourth at-bat of the season.

 

[CNOTES]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, June 11


National League
Padres @ Braves
Cashner is 1-1, 8.31 in his last three starts, all of which went over.

Teheran is 0-1, 7.65 in his last three starts; nine of his last ten went over.

Home side won eight of last nine Padre-Brave games; six of those nine games went over total. San Diego lost three of last four games; eight of their last 10 games went over. Braves won last two, after losing five of their previous six.

Rockies @ Marlins
Rusin is 1-0, 1.93 in his first two starts this season.

Phelps is 0-3, 8.71 in his last four starts, three of which stayed under.

Colorado lost three of last four games in Miami; over is 6-3-1 in last 10 series games overall. Rockies are 4-0 in games following their last four losses- three of last four games overall stayed under. Marlins lost four of last five; under is 6-3-1 in their last ten games.

Giants @ Mets
Lincecum is 3-1, 4.84 in his last four starts; last three all went over.

Niese is 0-4, 9.00 in his last five starts (over 4-0-1).

Mets lost nine of last ten games with Giants; under is 4-2-1 in last seven series games played here. NY lost six of its last eight games. Giants won four of last five games (over 7-1-2).

Reds @ Cubs
Lorenzen is 0-0, 2.79 in his last three starts; four of his last six went over.

Wada is 0-1, 4.19 in his four starts, three of which stayed under.

Cincinnati lost seven of last eight games with the Cubs. Reds won last four games overall, scoring 26 runs; eight of their last 10 games went over. Cubs won three of their last four games.

Nationals @ Brewers
Roark is 2-0, 3.78 in his first three starts (over 2-1).

Garza is 2-0, 0.75 in his last two outings, after going 0-3, 11.66 in three starts before that. Five of his last seve starts went over.

Washington won seven of last ten games with Milwaukee; three of last four went over total. Nationals lost six of their last eight games. Brewers won four of last six games; their last five games all stayed under.

American League
Red Sox @ Orioles
Miley is 4-1, 3.00 in his last five starts; his last seven stayed under.

Tillman is 1-2, 4.71 in his last four starts.

Boston lost six of last eight games with Baltimore; four of last seven in series went over. Red Sox won five of their last nine games- eight of their last 11 stayed under. Orioles won five of last six games; six of their last seven went under the total.

Angels @ Rays
Richards is 2-2, 8.85 in his last four starts, all of which went over.

Colome is 1-1, 3.23 in his last four starts; four of his last six went over.

Angels are 6-4 in last ten games with Tampa Bay; over is 7-1-1 in last nine series games. Halos lost six of last seven games, allowing 40 runs; over is 5-2-1 in last eight games. Rays won six of last eight games; five of their last six games stayed under.

Mariners @ Indians
Happ is 0-0, 3.33 in his last five starts; five of his last seven went over.

Marcum is 2-1, 6.00 in his four starts, three of which stayed under.

Road team won six of last seven Seattle-Cleveland games; under is 8-4 in last 12 series games. Mariners lost eight of last 11 games, with six of last seven staying under total. Indians are 2-5 in last seven games; under is 5-2-1 in their last eight.

Rangers @ A's
Gonzalez allowed nine baserunners, no runs in winning first two MLB starts (14.2 IP); both games stayed under.

Kazmir is 0-4, 6.07 in his last six starts; over is 5-2-1 in his last eight.

Texas is 4-6 in last ten games with Oakland; over is 5-1-1 in last seven. Texas won eight of last 11 games; five of last six stayed under. A's lost four of last five games; under is 5-3-1 in their last nine games.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
SD-Atl-- Cashner 3-9; Teheran 8-4
Col-Mia-- Rusin 1-1; Phelps 3-7
SF-NY-- Lincecum 6-5; Niese 3-8
Cin-Chi-- Lorenzen 3-3; Wada 2-2
Wsh-Mil-- Roark 2-1; Garza 4-7

Sea-Clev-- Happ 6-5; Marcum 2-2
Tex-A's-- Gonzalez 2-0; Kazmir 3-8
Bos-Balt-- Miley 6-5; Tillman 4-7
LA-TB-- Richards 6-4; Colome 3-5

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
SD-Atl-- Cashner 5-12; Teheran 4-12
Col-Mia-- Rusin 0-2; Phelps 4-10
SF-NY-- Lincecum 3-11; Niese 4-11
Cin-Chi-- Lorenzen 0-6; Wada 1-4
Wsh-Mil-- Roark 1-3; Garza 4-11

Sea-Clev-- Happ 4-11; Marcum 1-4
Tex-A's-- Gonzalez 0-2; Kazmir 2-11
Bos-Balt-- Miley 3-11; Tillman 2-11
LA-TB-- Richards 1-10; Colome 2-8