Cnotes Sports Page For Sunday September 28th Best Bets-Trends-News !

[CNOTES]

RECAPPING SUNDAY'S ACTION:


MLB: 7 - 1 - 0


WNBA: 0 - 1 - 1


CFL: 2 - 0 - 0


CFB: 0 - 0 - 0


NFL: 8 - 8 - 0




WNBA RECORD FOR JUNE/JULY/AUGUST/SEPTEMBER :


*****...............................35 - 28 - 2
DOUBLE PLAY....................69 - 56 - 1
TRIPLE PLAY......................39 - 32 - 0
SLAM DUNK.......................40 - 37 - 1


MLB RECORD FOR JUNE/JULY/AUGUST/SEPTEMBER :


*****.............................142 - 164 - 1 .....................,......- 19.44
double play......................241 - 253 - 4 .............................- 23.14
triple play........................125 - 131 - 2 ............................ - 80.12
grand slam......................122 - 118 - 4...................,.,........- 48.80
double grand slam.............37 - 28..................................... +43.13
underdog of the year.........0 - 1...........................................+ 9.36




CFL JUNE/JULY/ AUGUST/SEPTEMBER RECORD:


SINGLE PLAY.................................35 - 27
DOUBLE PLAY................................13 - 18
TRIPLE PLAY..................................20 - 10 - 1
BLOW OUT.....................................5 - 3

 

[CNOTES]

Baseball Capsules


September 27, 2015


WASHINGTON (AP) NL MVP front-runner Bryce Harper and Nationals closer Jonathan Papelbon got into a dugout fight a day after Washington was eliminated from playoff contention, tangling in the eighth inning Sunday of a 12-5 loss to last-place Philadelphia


In the ninth, Papelbon (4-3) gave up Andres Blanco's go-ahead homer as the Phillies scored eight times.


Harper flied out in the eighth with the score 4-all. As he returned to the dugout, he exchanged words with Papelbon, who was acquired from Philadelphia in July to help with a possible postseason push.


Papelbon then reached for Harper's throat with his left hand and shoved the outfielder back toward the bench with both arms. Teammates pulled the pair apart.


Harper was replaced in right field for the ninth.


Dalier Hinojosa (2-0) earned the win.


CUBS 4, PIRATES 0


CHICAGO (AP) - Jake Arrieta pitched seven dominant innings and also homered in his major league-best 21st win, and Chicago stopped Pittsburgh's winning streak at eight games.


Arrieta (21-6) retired his first 18 batters before Gregory Polanco grounded a leadoff single into left field in the seventh. The right-hander homered in the second and struck out nine while improving to 15-1 with a dazzling 0.89 ERA in his last 19 starts.


Pittsburgh (95-61) and Chicago (90-65) each have clinched playoff spots and lead the NL wild-card standings, so the Pirates could see Arrieta again in the first game of the postseason on Oct. 7.


The Pirates could still catch St. Louis for the NL Central title. They trail the Cardinals by three games and open a three-game series at home against St. Louis on Monday.


A.J. Burnett (9-6) pitched six effective innings.


ASTROS 4, RANGERS 2


HOUSTON (AP) - Dallas Keuchel (19-8) improved to 15-0 at home this season, striking out 10 while giving up one run and two hits in seven innings. Houston maintained a half-game lead over the Los Angeles Angels for the second AL wild card and closed within 2 1/2 games of AL West-leading Texas.


Luke Gregerson threw a perfect ninth for his 29th save.


Martin Perez (3-6) allowed two runs - both unearned - and five hits in six innings.


ANGELS 3, MARINERS 2


ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Kole Calhoun singled in the tiebreaking run in the eighth after Carson Smith relieved Hisashi Iwakuma (9-5), and Los Angeles won its fifth straight


David Freese homered in the fifth for the Angels (81-74), who remained a half-game behind Houston. Los ngeles also moved just three games behind the Rangers, with four games in Texas to end the season.


Pinch-hitter Mark Trumbo hit a tying homer off Fernando Salas (5-2) in the eighth for the Mariners (74-82), who were mathematically eliminated Sunday. Seattle lost its final five road games and ensured its fifth losing season in six years.


TWINS 7, TIGERS 1


DETROIT (AP) - Byron Buxton doubled and homered for Minnesota, which won for the fifth time in seven games and remained 1 1/2 games behind Houston.


Ervin Santana (7-4) allowing one run and six hits in seven innings.


Detroit, which is last in the AL Central, finished 38-43 at Comerica Park, its worst home record since 2004. Randy Wolf (0-5) gave up six runs and seven hits in 1 1-3 innings.


ROYALS 3, INDIANS 0


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A day after his father died, Chris Young (11-6) pitched five no-hit innings in his first start after nearly two months in the bullpen, then caught a flight to Dallas before the game ended.


After Danny Duffy struck out two in a perfect sixth for the AL Central champion Royals, Francisco Lindor bunted for a single on Ryan Madson's first pitch.


A day after climbing above .500 for the first time since April 9, the Indians (77-77) fell four games behind Houston.


Kelvin Herrera worked a flawless eighth, and Wade Davis gave up a double to Jason Kipnis in the ninth as he finished the two-hitter for his 14th save.


Kansas City took a 2-0 lead in the fourth against Danny Salazar (13-10) when Eric Hosmer hit an RBI double and scored on Mike Moustakas' groundout.


RED SOX 2, ORIOLES 0


BOSTON (AP) - Henry Owens (4-3) gave up three hits in 7 2-3 innings, Blake Swihart hit a solo homer and Boston completed a three-game sweep that included three shutouts. Robbie Ross Jr. worked the ninth for his sixth save.


Baltimore (76-79) fell 5 1/2 games back of Houston.


YANKEES 6, WHITE SOX 1


NEW YORK (AP) - Luis Severino (5-3) pitched five-hit ball for six innings, Dustin Ackley homered off Erik Johnson (3-1) to lift New York's late-waking offense and New York cut its magic number for clinching at least a wild card to three.


Severino (5-3) induced three double plays in shutting down the White Sox in his 10th big league start, helping the Yankees move within one of the franchise's 10,000th regular-season victory.


BLUE JAYS 5, RAYS 4


TORONTO (AP) - Josh Donaldson hit a solo homer off Steve Geltz (2-6) with two outs in the ninth, his 41st this year.


Justin Smoak had three hits, including a two-run homer. The Blue Jays, headed to the postseason for the first time since 1993, finished an AL-best 53-28 at home.


Brett Cecil (4-5) pitched the ninth before Toronto's 27th home sellout of the season and 12th straight. The Blue Jays sold out 20 of their final 21 home games and drew 2,794,891 at home, their most since 1995.


METS 8, REDS 1


CINCINNATI (AP) - Jacob deGrom (14-8) gave up one run and five hits and struck out nine over six innings in his first outing since Sept. 15 - he had been skipped over in the rotation to rest.


A day after clinching the NL East title for their first postseason berth since 2006, the Mets rested their regulars but still completed the first season sweep by either team since New York started play in 1962, going 7-0 against Cincinnati. The Mets outscored the Reds 36-12 in these four games at Great American Ball Park and extended their franchise-record road winning streak to 11.


Keyvius Sampson (2-6) lost his fifth straight start, allowing five runs - three earned - and nine hits in 2 2-3 innings. Last-place Cincinnati has lost eight in a row, one shy of its season high.


MARLINS 9, BRAVES 5


MIAMI (AP) - Justin Bour homered twice and drove in three runs as Miami completed a three-game sweep. Bour was 7 for 12 in the series with four homers and eight RBIs.


Martin Prado drove in three runs and Marcell Ozuna also homered for Miami, which has won a franchise-best seven consecutive games against the Braves.


Tom Koehler (11-14) allowed four runs, nine hits, and five walks in 6 2-3 innings. Shelby Miller (5-17) gave up seven runs - four earned - and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings. He is 0-16 in 24 starts since May 17.


BREWERS 8, CARDINALS 4


ST. LOUIS (AP) - Pinch-hitter Jason Rogers had a ninth-inning grand slam off Trevor Rosenthal (2-4), who had converted 47 of 49 previous save chances.


The Cardinals' NL Central lead was cut to 2 1/2 games over Pittsburgh.


Khris Davis homered twice and drove in four runs for the Brewers, who scored seven runs in the ninth.


David Goforth (1-0) pitched one inning, and Francisco Rodriguez got his 37th save when he retired Brandon Moss with two on.


ROCKIES 12, DODGERS 5


DENVER (AP) - Nolan Arenado had a career-high five RBIs, including a three-run homer, and Colorado completed a three-game serrp that kept Los Angeles' magic number at two for its third straight NL West title.


Los Angeles (87-68) openes a four-game series at defending World Series champion San Francisco (81-74) on Monday.


Arenado hit his 41st homer in the fourth. He also had a sacrifice fly and a run-scoring single, giving him a major league-leading 126 RBIs.


Chris Rusin (6-9) surrendered four runs - three earned - in 5 1/3 innings as Colorado swept Los Angeles for the first time since 2007. Alex Wood (11-12) couldn't hold a 4-1 lead, allowing eight runs in 5 1/3 innings.


GIANTS 5, ATHLETICS 4


OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Chris Heston (12-10) gave up four runs and six hits over five-plus innings to win for the first time in two months. He had been 0-5 with a 4.90 ERA in nine starts since beating Milwaukee on July 27.


Santiago Casilla pitched the ninth for his 37th save.


Sean Nolin (1-2) gave up five runs - three earned - and seven hits in a season-low 2 1-3 innings.


DIAMONDBACKS 4, PADRES 2


SAN DIEGO (AP) - Ender Inciarte had two homers among his four hits. He drove in three runs and also stole his 21st base.


Jhoulys Chacin (2-1) pitched three innings. and Brad Ziegler worked the ninth for his 29th save.


James Shields (13-7) was charged with four runs, nine hits and four walks over 6 1-3 innings.

 

[CNOTES]

LEADING OFF: Bucs vs Cards, Giants vs Dodgers for divisions


September 27, 2015


A look at what's happening around the major leagues Monday:


FOR THE CROWN


The Pirates get their best chance to catch up to the NL Central-leading Cardinals this week as they play a three-game set in Pittsburgh. Trevor Rosenthal blew a save against the Brewers on Sunday, and the banged-up Cardinals have lost two of three. Star catcher Yadier Molina (thumb) was scheduled to be re-examined.


GIANT CHALLENGE


The Giants trail the Dodgers by six games in the NL West with seven left to play, but can chip into that lead as they open a four-game set at home against Los Angeles. San Francisco leads the season series 9-6 - including 6-0 at AT&T Park - but face Zack Greinke on Monday before Clayton Kershaw opposes Madison Bumgarner Tuesday. Greinke has won both his starts against San Francisco this season. Jake Peavy pitches for the Giants.


KEEPING UP


Fresh off taking two of three from the first-place Rangers, the Astros continue their pursuit of an AL West title as they play at Seattle. Rookie Lance McCullers hasn't won since July 29 but has made a quality start in five of his past six outings, including a nine-strikeout performance against the Angels his last time out. Houston is 2 1/2 games behind Texas.


D.C. DUSTUP


The Nationals hope the only fireworks will be of the postgame variety as they play their final home game of the season, a makeup of a July 8 rainout against the Reds. Bryce Harper and Jonathan Papelbon fought in the dugout during Washington's 12-5 loss to the Phillies on Sunday, something for which Papelbon apologized for postgame. ''I'm in the wrong there,'' Papelbon said. ''For me, I can't allow that to happen in the middle of a game.''


OUTSIDE LOOKING IN


The Twins and Indians open a series as both teams try to gain ground in the crowded AL wild-card race. Minnesota is 1 1/2 games behind Houston for the final spot, while Cleveland is four games back of the Astros. Corey Kluber is tied for the AL lead with 15 losses after winning the AL Cy Young award last year.


INSIDE LOOKING OUT


The Royals and Cubs make up a May 30 rainout at Wrigley Field with both teams already assured of postseason berths. Kansas City has locked up the AL Central, but is limping to the finish with a 9-15 record this September. The Cubs are most likely headed for the NL wild-card game and are hoping to edge out Pittsburgh - or possibly St. Louis - for hosting rights in the contest.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Reds (63-92) at Nationals (79-76)
Game: 1
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: September 28, 2015 3:05 PM EDT

The frustration seemed to boil over for the Washington Nationals this weekend when their MVP frontrunner and closer came to blows in the dugout.


Max Scherzer's recent struggles played a small part in the club's elimination from playoff contention, and the high-priced right-hander will make one of his final starts this season in Monday's home finale against the Cincinnati Reds.


The feud between Bryce Harper and Jonathan Papelbon blew up in Sunday's 12-5 loss to Philadelphia after Papelbon jawed at the outfielder following a flyout in the eighth. Things became physical when the pitcher lunged at Harper and pushed him against the bench.


Harper was pulled from the game - something the outfielder said was scheduled - but Papelbon surprisingly went back out for the ninth. He was then charged with five runs - two earned - while getting credit for the Nationals' fifth loss in six games.


"He apologized," said Harper, who is slated to have the day off Monday. "It's like brothers fighting. That's what happens. Hopefully, we'll move forward and I'll do what I can for the next six days to have some fun and play the game."


Harper, the NL leader in batting average and home runs, appeared to call out Papelbon earlier this week for plunking Baltimore's Manny Machado in a 4-3 loss Wednesday.


"I mean Manny freaking hit a homer," Harper said at the time. "Walked it off and somebody drilled him. I mean, it's pretty tired. It's one of those situations where it happens and, I don't know, I'll probably get drilled tomorrow."


It might have seemed unimaginable that their season would end this way after the Nationals won the Scherzer sweepstakes in January. A seven-year, $210 million deal for the 2013 AL Cy Young Award winner made them a popular pick to take the NL pennant and at least their third NL East title in four years.


Those two playoff appearances each ended in the division series and Scherzer was expected to help get them over the hump. Instead, the Nationals (79-76) are in line to finish far behind the New York Mets in the division.


Scherzer (12-12, 2.98 ERA) has gone 1-4 with a 4.85 ERA in his last nine starts and took the loss Wednesday against the Orioles, yielding four runs over 6 2-3 innings.


"When you have the type of talent that we have in this clubhouse and we aren't able to succeed," Scherzer told MLB's official website, "everybody needs to reflect on what they need to do better to be able to do what they need to do for 2016."


Scherzer is scheduled to make two more starts beginning with this makeup game against the Reds (63-92) stemming from a July 8 rainout. He took a 5-0 loss July 7 in his only start versus Cincinnati this season, allowing five runs in 4 2-3 innings, but will face a team that's mired in one of its longest losing streaks of 2015.


An 8-1 defeat to the Mets on Sunday was the Reds' eighth in a row, one shy of matching a season worst. Cincinnati will try to end it by finishing 6-0 against Washington.


Brandon Finnegan (1-1, 4.97) will try to lead the Reds to their first season sweep in the series in his third career start. The left-hander, acquired from Kansas City on July 26, took a 5-3 win at Milwaukee in his first outing Sept. 18 but was tagged for six runs in five innings of a 10-2 loss in St. Louis on Wednesday.


Joey Votto has reached base in 44 straight games, the Reds' longest streak since Pete Rose's team-record 48 in a row in 1978 and one shy of matching MLB's longest this season.


"He's been terrific," manager Bryan Price said. "It's a huge bounce back year after missing 100 games last year, and that's been great to see."


Votto, hitting .370 with a 1.211 OPS during his streak, has batted .414 during a seven-game hit streak against Washington.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Blue Jays (90-65) at Orioles (76-79)
Game: 1
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: September 28, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

An AL East title and possible home-field advantage throughout the playoffs are very much within reach for the Toronto Blue Jays, the majors' highest scoring team that now faces one that hasn't produced a run in three straight games.


The Blue Jays conclude the regular season with a seven-game road trip that begins with Monday night's matchup against the Baltimore Orioles.


Toronto, which secured its first postseason berth since 1993 Friday, has a magic number of four to clinch the AL East. The Blue Jays (90-65) are also battling Kansas City for the league's best record with the chance to spend the majority of the postseason at Rogers Centre.


'I wouldn't even say that having the best record is our first goal,' third baseman Josh Donaldson said. 'Our first goal is to win the division.'


Donaldson brought the Blue Jays a step closer by homering with two outs in the bottom of the ninth in Sunday's 5-4 victory over Tampa Bay that closed out the regular-season home schedule. Toronto ended 53-28 at Rogers Centre, tying Houston for the AL's best home mark.


The Blue Jays have won four straight and seem to stand a good chance of extending the streak in the opener of this three-game series, considering the Orioles' offensive woes and Chris Tillman's struggles against Toronto's potent lineup.


Toronto has hit .407 with nine home runs in five season meetings with Tillman (10-11, 5.16), who's 0-4 with a 15.50 ERA in those matchups. Kevin Pillar is 5 for 10 with three homers against him, Ryan Goins is 5 for 6, Donaldson is 4 for 11 with a homer and Edwin Encarnacion is 4 for 9 with a home run this season.


Jose Bautista, who homered three times in the Tampa Bay series, has three in 36 career at-bats against Tillman.


Tillman had been struggling regardless of the opponent before allowing three runs in six innings in Wednesday's 4-3 win at Washington. He had been 0-4 with a 7.76 ERA over his previous six starts, including a 10-4 loss at Toronto Sept. 6 in which he surrendered three homers and six runs in three-plus innings.


Baltimore (76-79) also has room for improvement from a lineup mired in a 28-inning scoreless drought. The Orioles mustered two extra-base hits and 12 overall while being swept at Boston, the first time they've been shut out in three straight since July 29-31, 1957.


"Sometimes you've got to tip your cap to the pitchers. "They had us off-balance the entire series," said outfielder Adam Jones, who went 1 for 4 in Sunday's 2-0 loss after missing five straight games with back spasms. "We hit balls hard right at guys, just nothing to show for it. It happens like that."


The Orioles draw another challenge Monday against Marco Estrada (13-8, 3.13), who is 3-1 with a 2.32 ERA in his past five road starts.


The right-hander is 6-2 with a 2.51 ERA over his last 11 outings, allowing two runs over 6 2-3 innings before leaving without a decision in a 6-4 loss to the Yankees on Tuesday.


He's 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA in three 2015 starts against Baltimore, permitting three runs in five innings in the lone loss May 11 at Camden Yards. Estrada allowed two runs and two hits in five innings when opposing Tillman Sept. 6.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Blue Jays at Orioles
Mon, Sep 28 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Blue Jays at Orioles
Tue, Sep 29 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Blue Jays at Orioles
Wed, Sep 30 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 4
Blue Jays at Orioles
Thu, Oct 1 - 7:05PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Red Sox (75-80) at Yankees (86-69)
Game: 1
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: September 28, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Closing in on the AL wild-card game, the New York Yankees have more uncertainty over who'll be pitching it.


The Yankees enter Monday night's opener of a four-game series with the visiting Boston Red Sox owning a magic number of three to clinch a postseason berth, most likely as the host of the one-game playoff. New York (86-69) holds a comfortable 4 1/2-game lead over Houston for the first wild card and trails AL East-leading Toronto by four with seven remaining.


Manager Joe Girardi's options for next Tuesday's wild-card game are far more cloudy due to Masahiro Tanaka's ailing hamstring. While he's hopeful of Tanaka starting sometime this series as a final tuneup, Girardi still wasn't sure as of Sunday whether his ace would be available.


"That's something we have to decide on how he feels. I know everyone wants an answer, but it's really not that simple because of his value to us moving forward," Girardi said prior to his team's 6-1 win over the Chicago White Sox. "It's something you have to weigh. Is it worth the risk maybe moving it up a day or two days if you need him, to what could possibly happen? It's a careful situation that we're trying to manage. I wish I knew, really."


What is known is Ivan Nova (6-9, 4.87 ERA) will start Monday.


After being dropped from the rotation when tagged for six runs in 1 2-3 innings in a Sept. 12 loss to the Blue Jays, the right-hander held Toronto to one run and struck out six over 5 2-3 innings as Tanaka's replacement in Wednesday's 4-0 defeat to Toronto.


'He did a tremendous job for us,' Girardi said. 'It's unfortunate we weren't able to score him any runs.'


It was a rare recent strong outing for Nova, who's 1-5 with a 7.31 ERA over his past six starts and 1-4 with a 9.41 ERA in his last five at Yankee Stadium.


Nova has lost both season meetings with Boston (75-80), most recently a 4-3 road decision Aug. 31 in which he allowed three runs on homers by David Ortiz and Mookie Betts in six innings.


Ortiz, who's homered five times in his last 10 games at Yankee Stadium, is 4 for 6 off Nova this season.


Eduardo Rodriguez (9-6, 3.97) opposed Nova last month and takes the mound Monday looking to continue a streak of 29 consecutive scoreless innings by Boston pitchers. The Red Sox posted shutouts in each outing of a three-game sweep of Baltimore capped by a 2-0 win in Sunday's home finale.


Boston last swept a three-game set with all shutouts Sept. 19-21, 1958 against the Washington Senators.


'To say you're going to shut out the Baltimore Orioles for three straight games, I would have never believed it,' Red Sox interim manager Torey Lovullo said. 'Our pitchers deserve so much credit for that.'


Rodriguez is 3-1 with a 2.17 ERA over his last six starts and 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in three against the Yankees, whom the rookie held to one earned run over five-plus innings on Aug. 31. He yielded two in seven innings of a 2-1 loss Aug. 6 in his lone Yankee Stadium appearance.


The 22-year-old left-hander has an 8.53 ERA in losing all four road starts since the All-Star break.


Rodriguez also has struggled against a few Yankee regulars. Jacoby Ellsbury is 4 for 9 with two homers off him, Alex Rodriguez 4 for 9 with one homer and Didi Gregorius 4 for 8.


The Yankees are one win away from becoming the first AL team with 10,000 regular-season victories.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Red Sox at Yankees
Mon, Sep 28 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Red Sox at Yankees
Tue, Sep 29 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Red Sox at Yankees
Wed, Sep 30 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 4
Red Sox at Yankees
Thu, Oct 1 - 7:05PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Twins (80-75) at Indians (77-77)
Game: 1
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: September 28, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

With the Minnesota Twins in the heart of a pennant race, Trevor Plouffe figures to be back in the lineup Monday night.


He and the Twins face a tough assignment against Corey Kluber, although Phil Hughes outpitched the Cleveland Indians ace last week.


Hughes will try to reverse his poor history at Progressive Field when these right-handers meet again in the opener of a four-game series.


Minnesota (80-75) trails Houston by 1 1/2 games for the AL's second wild card, while Cleveland (77-77) is four games back.


Plouffe, who leads the Twins with 82 RBIs, sat out Sunday's 7-1 victory at Detroit due to illness. The slugger, hitless in his last 11 at-bats, is one of numerous Twins to be suffering from a bug and labored through an 0-for-4 effort in Saturday's 6-2 win.


"Last night, it was a little tough on him physically," manager Paul Molitor told MLB's official website. "I don't really want to take him out, but I think it's the right thing."


Plouffe entered the season with a .360 average in 25 at-bats versus Kluber (8-15, 3.55 ERA) but has gone 2 for 11 in that matchup this year. He singled and doubled against the Indians ace last Wednesday as Kluber lasted a season-low 3 2-3 innings and was charged with four runs in a 4-2 loss.


The right-hander had gone 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in his first three 2015 starts versus the Twins before he missed 19 days with a hamstring injury. In two post-injury starts, he's allowed seven runs in 7 2-3 innings.


"I'm healthy enough to go out there and take the ball," Kluber said. "I don't think that's an excuse to make."


Torii Hunter is a .136 hitter against Kluber and Brian Dozier is at .133.


Hughes (11-9, 4.43) won for the first time in three starts since returning from some back issues when he limited the Indians to four hits in five scoreless innings opposite Kluber. The Twins starter posted a 12.38 ERA over his three previous outings.


"I wasn't in a position where I was feeling great about myself," Hughes said. "Having this outing was a step in the right direction."


The right-hander is 2-2 with a 6.43 ERA in four starts versus the Indians this year. His 6.39 career ERA at Cleveland is his second-worst in an AL city to his 7.36 in Anaheim.


Carlos Santana has faced Hughes the most among Indians hitters, going 3 for 21 - including 2 for 9 this year. Jason Kipnis is 4 for 10 in this matchup in 2015.


Molitor plans to rest Kurt Suzuki, who is 0 for 10 against Kluber and has caught the last seven games. Chris Herrmann is expected to start behind the plate.


Three Minnesota rookies posted notable firsts Sunday. Byron Buxton hit his first homer, Miguel Sano his first triple and Max Kepler struck out as a pinch-hitter in his big-league debut.


The Indians, who have won 15 of their last 20 at home, capped a 3-3 trip with Sunday's 3-0 loss to Kansas City.


Michael Brantley returned Sunday after missing four games with a shoulder injury. He is hitting .375 against Minnesota this year.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Twins at Indians
Mon, Sep 28 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Twins at Indians
Tue, Sep 29 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Twins at Indians
Wed, Sep 30 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Twins at Indians
Thu, Oct 1 - 7:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Tigers (72-83) at Rangers (84-71)
Game: 1
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: September 28, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

One of MLB's best home teams over the past two months, the Texas Rangers will get to finish off their pursuit of the AL West title on their own field.


Colby Lewis will seek to open a seven-game homestand by outdueling the Detroit Tigers' Justin Verlander again Monday night.


Texas (84-71) has won 23 of 30 on its own field and used that success to help boost it past Houston in the division. They had a 4 1/2-game lead over the Astros after a 6-2 victory Friday but dropped the final two contests to keep their magic number at five.


"We want to be in our house," manager Jeff Banister told MLB's official website. "If we get to do what we want to do, we'll get to do it in our house."


Texas will seek to move closer to a division title while adding to Detroit's first losing season in seven years. The Tigers (72-83) were guaranteed that with a 6-2 loss to Minnesota on Saturday and they fell 7-1 in Sunday's finale.


Lewis (17-8, 4.36 ERA) will try to send them to another loss while becoming the Rangers' 11th pitcher to reach 18 wins and first since Matt Harrison in 2012. Often the beneficiary of robust run support, the right-hander has also aided his own cause lately with a 1.71 ERA in three consecutive winning starts and yielded two runs in six innings in a 10-3 victory at Oakland on Wednesday.


Lewis went seven innings in a 2-0 win Aug. 21 against Detroit, and Verlander (4-8, 3.49) gave up both runs with one earned in his seven innings.


The 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young winner has endured an injury-shortened campaign in which he's made 18 starts and often seen lackluster run support, 3.26 per nine innings. He got enough for his first victory in four outings Wednesday, allowing three runs over seven innings in a 7-4 decision against the Chicago White Sox.


Verlander was 0-2 with a 3.74 ERA in his previous three starts but got a combined five runs to work with.


Verlander also showed renewed life on his fastball, cranking one up to 99 mph against his final better and four others at 98. He's set to make two more starts, including the season finale Sunday at the White Sox.


"That's impressive. Especially in September, late in the season, finding a way to bear down and reach back for all you've got for a couple pitches, very impressive. That's vintage (Verlander)," catcher James McCann said.


The Rangers won three of four in Detroit from Aug. 20-23 in their only other series with the Tigers this season despite Miguel Cabrera's torrid performances at the plate.


Cabrera went 9 for 14 with four doubles in that series and is a career .393 hitter against the Rangers. The only AL team he has a better average against is his current one (.417 in three games).


That could aid his pursuit of a fourth AL batting title. Cabrera's .337 average currently puts him 13 points ahead of Boston's Xander Bogaerts.


Cabrera had two doubles in his three at-bats against Lewis in August.


Former teammate Prince Fielder, batting .171 in his last 10 games, went 2 for 11 in the series in Detroit and dropped his career average against the Tigers to .209, his worst versus any team.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Tigers at Rangers
Mon, Sep 28 - 8:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Tigers at Rangers
Tue, Sep 29 - 8:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Tigers at Rangers
Wed, Sep 30 - 8:05PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Athletics (65-91) at Angels (81-74)
Game: 1
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: September 28, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

Before the Los Angeles Angels go on the road to face one of the teams they're chasing, they can't overlook a series with the AL's worst club.


That's unlikely to happen given how things unfolded the last time All-Star Hector Santiago squared off against the struggling Felix Doubront.


Santiago was outpitched by the fellow left-hander and they'll meet again Monday night in Anaheim as the Angels seek a sixth straight victory.


Los Angeles (81-74) trails AL West leader Texas by three games and is one-half game behind Houston, which holds the league's second wild card. The Angels begin a four-game set against the Rangers on Thursday.


The club must first focus on a three-game home set against Oakland (65-91), which is an AL-worst 14-30 against left-handed starters. Santiago (9-9, 3.47 ERA) is 1-0 with a 2.31 ERA in two home outings against the Athletics.


Those came before he faced Doubront (3-3, 5.53) in Oakland on Aug. 31. Santiago was charged with five runs over 2 2-3 innings, while Doubront gave up four runs in six-plus innings to notch his second victory in an 11-5 rout.


Doubront also won the following outing before going 0-2 with a 10.20 ERA in the next three, yielding six homers over 15 innings. He was charged with seven runs over 4 2-3 innings in Wednesday's 10-3 defeat to the Rangers.


"For the most part the cutter's his pitch and he just hasn't been getting it in like he normally does," manager Bob Melvin said.


The Angels are enjoying their longest win streak since a season-high, seven-game run July 12-22. They capped a three-game sweep of Seattle with Sunday's 3-2 victory on Kole Calhoun's go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning.


"Every game is crucial," Calhoun said. "Somebody has got to step up in every single game, and that's what I had to do down the stretch."


Los Angeles improved to an AL-best 32-16 in one-run games. That's in stark contrast to Oakland, which fell to 18-33 for baseball's second-worst mark in one-run contests after its rally from five runs down fell short in a 5-4 loss to San Francisco on Sunday.


"We had many games like this where we're down pretty good and we come back and we just couldn't finish it off," Melvin said.


Santiago is 2-3 with a 6.44 ERA in his last seven outings, failing to record an out past the fifth inning six times.


Josh Reddick is 5 for 13 off Santiago and Danny Valencia is 5 for 11.


Valencia is day to day after leaving Sunday in the fourth inning when he was hit by a pitch on the left elbow.


"X-rays are negative so we'll just see how he feels tomorrow," Melvin said.


A short start by Santiago would hamper the Angels in this final week with no off days since two of their top relievers are out. AL saves leader Huston Street injured his groin Saturday and fellow right-hander Joe Smith has a sprained left ankle.


Mike Morin pitched a perfect ninth inning Sunday in place of Street for his first career save.


The Angels have taken nine of 16 from the A's. Calhoun and Albert Pujols have combined for 28 RBIs in the season series.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Athletics at Angels
Mon, Sep 28 - 10:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Athletics at Angels
Tue, Sep 29 - 10:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Athletics at Angels
Wed, Sep 30 - 7:05PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Astros (82-74) at Mariners (74-82)
Game: 1
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: September 28, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

The Houston Astros are hoping the road trip they're about to begin will last longer than six games.


They have a slender lead for the AL's second wild card and still harbor AL West title hopes as they open a three-game series Monday night against the Seattle Mariners.


Houston (82-74) is one-half game ahead of the Los Angeles Angels and 1 1/2 in front of Minnesota in the wild-card standings. The Astros trail first-place Texas by 2 1/2 games in the division race.


This trip through Seattle (74-82) and Arizona will extend if Houston reaches the playoffs. The club told players to bring their passports for a potential visit to East-leading Toronto next week.


The Astros, a major league-best 15-8 on the road through the end of May, are 8-20 away from home since the All-Star break to tie Oakland for baseball's second-worst mark.


"I wish I could explain what's happened," manager A.J. Hinch said. "I'm trying to put myself back in the mind-set in April and May when I was asked why we were so good on the road and why we were bad at home."


Houston closed its home slate with Sunday's 4-2 win over Texas behind Dallas Keuchel, who went 15-0 at Minute Maid Park this year after striking out 10 in seven innings. Jake Marisnick gave Houston the lead for good with a two-run double in the second inning.


"We want to put as much pressure on the Rangers as we can," Hinch said.


Chris Carter has homered in four straight starts. Hinch says he will continue to platoon Carter with the lefty-swinging Luis Valbuena.


Carter figures to be in the lineup for a majority of this series since the Mariners have tabbed lefties Roenis Elias (5-8, 3.94) and Vidal Nuno to start Monday and Tuesday.


"I'd expect to see him play a big role for us this final week," Hinch said. "We've got two lefties to kick off this Mariners series."


Seattle is 2-6 in Elias' home starts, with the southpaw going 2-4 with a 3.86 ERA. He is 1-2 with a 6.65 ERA in four overall outings versus Houston this year.


Elias is 1-2 with a 3.21 ERA in five starts since being recalled Aug. 23 from Triple-A Tacoma. Carter is 1 for 8 against him this year and Evan Gattis 4 for 9 with a homer.


The Astros have dropped the last five starts made by Lance McCullers (5-7, 3.22), who is 0-4 with a 4.70 ERA in his previous seven.


The rookie right-hander is 1-1 with a 2.89 ERA in two starts against Seattle during which he opposed Elias both times. His road ERA is 4.88 compared to .186 at home.


Seattle clinched its fifth losing season in six years with a fifth straight loss, 3-2 to the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday to cap a 3-6 trip.


Perhaps the biggest intrigue on this six-game homestand will be whether Nelson Cruz finishes on top of the majors in homers again. He's tied with Baltimore's Chris Davis for the lead with 43.


The Astros' Carlos Gomez has missed the last 14 games with an intercostal strain, but there's a chance he could return later in this series.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Astros at Mariners
Mon, Sep 28 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Astros at Mariners
Tue, Sep 29 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Astros at Mariners
Wed, Sep 30 - 10:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Dodgers (87-68) at Giants (81-74)
Game: 1
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: September 28, 2015 10:15 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Dodgers' difficulty clinching the NL West has kept the San Francisco Giants' slim playoff hopes alive heading into the rivals' four-game series at AT&T Park.


Zack Greinke can snuff out the remaining drama by winning his eighth straight start against the Giants and helping the Dodgers secure a third consecutive division title Monday night.


Los Angeles (87-68) has lost seven of nine after Colorado completed a three-game home sweep of the Dodgers with Sunday's 12-5 victory. The magic number still stands at two to clinch the West after San Francisco (81-74) won the final two of a three-game series at Oakland.


A Los Angeles win at any point this series would wrap up the division and eliminate the defending World Series champion Giants from postseason contention.


'They're a good ballclub,' Sunday's losing pitcher Alex Wood said. 'I know the last thing on anybody's minds in the San Francisco clubhouse is losing to us and letting us clinch on their field.'


Having Greinke (18-3, 1.65 ERA) on the mound certainly increases the Dodgers' chances of doing just that. He's won seven consecutive starts against the Giants while posting a 1.90 ERA, including victories at Dodger Stadium on April 29 and Sept. 1 in the only two this year.


The right-hander, who has won his last two outings at AT&T Park with a combined 13 scoreless innings, has boosted his Cy Young candidacy with victories in his last five starts overall with a 1.53 ERA and 0.85 WHIP.


Greinke gave up two runs in seven innings of a 6-2 win over Pittsburgh in his last outing Sept. 18, then skipped his next turn in the rotation because of a tight calf.


"He came into my office the day after the start or the next day and he told me what he was feeling," manager Don Mattingly told MLB's official website. "We were just hoping it would resolve over the week, and for the most part it doesn't feel really serious, but at this point we don't want to take any chances with him."


The Dodgers have won the last four meetings, but they've dropped the six matchups in San Francisco this season and were shut out in all three games during their last trip there May 19-21.


The Giants will need to extend that home streak to 10 or they'll continue the trend of missing the playoffs in odd years between championships. They're not going down without a fight, though, having scored at least four runs in seven straight.


'I wish we were in a little better position, but the standings are what they are,' manager Bruce Bochy said. 'We'll go in and try to win a game. Whatever happens, happens.'


Jake Peavy (7-6, 3.83) looks to help the Giants stave off elimination. He has a 1.42 ERA over his last three starts after pitching six scoreless innings in the Giants' 5-4 loss to San Diego on Wednesday.


Peavy's 14 wins over the Dodgers are his second most against any club, but he's 0-1 with a 4.34 ERA in three starts against them since joining San Francisco last season. He gave up four runs - including homers to Adrian Gonzalez and Andre Ethier - in 5 2-3 innings of the Giants' 5-4, 14-inning loss Aug. 31 in his only start against Los Angeles this season.


Three of Gonzalez's five hits in 20 at-bats against Peavy have left the park, and Mattingly is hoping he'll be back in the lineup after missing his third game in four days Sunday with a pinched nerve in his back.


"He sounded encouraged," Mattingly said. "We're hopeful for (Monday). We'll see where he's at."



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Dodgers at Giants
Mon, Sep 28 - 10:15PM EDT


GAME 2
Dodgers at Giants
Tue, Sep 29 - 10:15PM EDT


GAME 3
Dodgers at Giants
Wed, Sep 30 - 10:15PM EDT


GAME 4
Dodgers at Giants
Thu, Oct 1 - 3:45PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Cardinals (98-58) at Pirates (95-61)
Game: 1
Venue: PNC Park
Date: September 28, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

No matter how well the St. Louis Cardinals have played throughout their stellar season, they haven't been able to pull away from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Central race.


That could change in a matter of days.


St. Louis can wrap up its third straight division title by taking two out of three in Pittsburgh beginning Monday night, but the Pirates don't plan to settle for a wild-card berth and will look to continue giving Lance Lynn troubles in the series opener.


The Cardinals (98-58) have held baseball's best record for most of 2015 and have been in first place in the Central since April 16. However, they hold only a three-game lead with six to play on the Pirates (95-61), who haven't won a division title since the last of three straight in 1992.


Pittsburgh has hosted the last two NL wild-card games after finishing three behind St. Louis in 2013 and two back last season. It cut into the Cardinals' lead by winning eight straight before managing just one hit in Sunday's 4-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs.


The Pirates failed to pull closer after St. Louis blew a 3-1 ninth-inning lead in an 8-4 loss to Milwaukee earlier in the day. The Cardinals were 86-0 when leading after eight innings.


"This series was going to be meaningful no matter what," said Cardinals' infielder Matt Carpenter, who is batting .375 with six homers over his last 12 games. "It just looks like it's getting a little more. We have an opportunity to go in there and send a message. We're going to go there and try to win a division."


Pittsburgh has other ideas, and facing Lynn (12-10, 3.16) again could work out in their favor. The right-hander has a 5.25 ERA in 17 starts including playoffs against the Pirates. He lasted just four innings of a 5-2 loss July 10 before recording only two outs and giving up a career high-tying seven runs in the shortest start of his career Aug. 13.


Lynn went 0-2 with a 9.26 ERA over his previous three starts before pitching six scoreless innings of Wednesday's 10-2 win over Cincinnati. His average of 3.48 walks per nine innings is among the highest in the majors, but he didn't issue a free pass for the second time in his 29 starts.


'I got outs,' Lynn said. 'I wasn't worried about anything.'


Jordy Mercer is 7 for 15 lifetime off Lynn, but Andrew McCutchen is 7 for 42 with 16 strikeouts in their matchups.


McCutchen is hitting .136 over his last seven but was the only Pirate other than Gregory Polanco to reach base against Jake Arrieta on Sunday after being hit with a pitch.


Pittsburgh was shut out for the first time since Aug. 30 and failed to get more than one hit for the first time since being no-hit by Washington's Max Scherzer on June 20.


"We'll move on,' manager Clint Hurdle said. 'We get to go back home and play the team we're hunting. So it's good, it's real good.'


J.A. Happ (10-8, 3.88) has gone 6-2 with a 2.28 ERA in nine starts since being acquired at the trade deadline after striking out eight in 5 1-3 innings of Tuesday's 6-3 win over Colorado.


The left-hander had his best start during his resurgence against the Cardinals on Sept. 4, allowing three hits and striking out eight in seven scoreless innings of a 9-3 victory.


These clubs have split 16 meetings this season. The Pirates won three of four during the Cardinals' last visit to PNC Park from July 9-12.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Cardinals at Pirates
Mon, Sep 28 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Cardinals at Pirates
Tue, Sep 29 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Cardinals at Pirates
Wed, Sep 30 - 7:05PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

MLB
Dunkel

Monday, September 28


Detroit @ Texas

Game 961-962
September 28, 2015 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
(Verlander) 15.096
Texas
(Lewis) 13.654
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Texas
-130
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(+110); Over

Oakland @ LA Angels

Game 963-964
September 28, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oakland
(Doubront) 14.775
LA Angels
(Santiago) 17.836
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Angels
by 3
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Angels
-170
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Angels
(-170); Over

Houston @ Seattle

Game 965-966
September 28, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
(McCullers) 18.457
Seattle
(Elias) 17.019
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Houston
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-130
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Houston
(-130); Under

Kansas City @ Chicago Cubs

Game 967-968
September 28, 2015 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Kansas City
(Ventura) 17.698
Chicago Cubs
(Hendricks) 14.516
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas City
by 3
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago Cubs
-120
No Run Total
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas City
(+100); N/A

Cincinnati @ Washington

Game 969-970
September 28, 2015 @ 3:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cincinnati
(Finnegan) 12.394
Washington
(Scherzer) 15.762
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 3 1/2
9 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-200
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-200); Over

St. Louis @ Pittsburgh

Game 951-952
September 28, 2015 @ 4:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
(Lynn) 16.292
Pittsburgh
(Happ) 13.741
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 2 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-135
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(+115); Under

LA Dodgers @ San Francisco

Game 953-954
September 28, 2015 @ 7:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Dodgers
(Greinke) 14.705
San Francisco
(Peavy) 15.681
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Francisco
by 1
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
No Line
N/A
Dunkel Pick:
San Francisco
N/A

Toronto @ Baltimore

Game 955-956
September 28, 2015 @ 4:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
(Estrada) 18.228
Baltimore
(Tillman) 16.793
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
-125
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-125); Over

Boston @ NY Yankees

Game 957-958
September 28, 2015 @ 4:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
(Rodriguez) 14.244
NY Yankees
(Nova) 15.724
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Yankees
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Yankees
-145
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NY Yankees
(-145); Under

Minnesota @ Cleveland

Game 959-960
September 28, 2015 @ 4:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Minnesota
(Hughes) 15.748
Cleveland
(Kluber) 17.588
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 2
5 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
-165
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(-165); Under

 

[CNOTES]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, September 28

National League
Cardinals @ Pirates
Lynn is 1-1, 3.52 in his last three starts (over 3-1 last four).

Happ is 6-1, 1.73 in his last seven starts (under 7-2 last nine).

Pirates won eight of last nine games overall, scoring 47 runs (under 7-2 last nine); they won three of last four games with St Louis-- over is 6-2-1 in last nine. Cardinals won six of last nine games (over 4-1-1 last six).

Dodgers @ Giants
Greinke is 5-0, 1.53 in his last five starts (under 6-2 last eight).

Peavy is 3-0, 2.19 in his last four starts (over 4-1 last five).

Dodgers won their last four games with the Giants; over is 5-3-1 in last nine series games. LA lost seven of last nine games (over 5-2 last seven). Giants are 4-3 in last seven games, with last five going over total.

Reds @ Nationals
Finnegan is 1-1, 6.30 in his two MLB starts (over 1-1).

Scherzer is 1-1, 3.48 in his last five starts (over 5-2-3 in last ten).

Reds lost their last eight games (over 10-3 last thirteen); they won last five games with Washington-- seven of last nine stayed under. Nationals had a fight in their own dugout yesterday; they lost five of last six games- three of last four went over the total.

American League
Blue Jays @ Orioles
Estrada is 2-0, 2.67 in his last five starts; three of his last four went over.

Tillman is 1-4, 7.23 in his last seven starts (over 3-1-1 last five).

Toronto-Baltimore split last eight meetings (over 3-1 last four). Blue Jays won five of last six games (under 5-3-2 last ten). Orioles didn't score in three game series over the weekend in Boston; under is 4-1-1 in their last six games.

Red Sox @ Bronx
Porcello is 0-2, 6.23 in his last two starts (under 6-3 last nine).

Warren is 1-5, 7.31 in his last six starts (under 5-3 last eight).

Boston lost seven of last ten games with New York; four of last five stayed under the total. Red Sox won three in row, six of last nine games; their last six stayed under the total. Bronx won six of last nine games (under 4-1 last five).

Twins @ Indians
Hughes is 1-3, 7.02 in his last four starts.

Kluber is 0-3, 5.60 in his last five starts (over 6-3 last nine).

Twins won four of last five games with Cleveland (under 5-1 last six); Twins won five of last seven games overall (under 6-3 last eight). Indians won three of last four; four of their last six games stayed under the total.

Tigers @ Rangers
Verlander 1-0, 2.87 in his last two starts; four of his last five went ov er.

Lewis is 3-0, 1.71 in his last three starts (over 4-1 last five at home).

Detroit lost its last three games with Texas; last five series games went under the total. Tigers are 3-5 in last eight games (under 5-2 last seven). Texas won four of last six games (over 6-1-1 last eight).

A's @ Angels
Doubront is 0-2, 10.20 in his last three starts (over 6-1 in last seven).

Santiago is 2-0, 4.34 in his last four starts (under 3-1).

Angels trail Houston by half-game for last Wild Card spot; they're 6-4 in last 10 vs Oakland (over 6-3-1). Halos won last five games overall. A's lost seven of last eight games, with last six going over the total.

Astros @ Mariners
McCullers is 0-3, 3.48 in his last five starts (under 3-1 last four).

Elias is 1-1, 2.81 in his last three starts (over 3-1 last four at home).

Astros are 5-8 in their last thirteen games; over is 7-3-1 in their last eleven; they have a half-game lead for last Wild Card slot. Houston lost four of last six games against Seattle (over 9-0-1 in last ten). Mariners lost last five games (over 5-3 last eight). .

Interleague
Royals @ Cubs
Ventura is 2-1, 5.73 in his last four starts; over is 3-1-1 in his last five.

Hendricks is 1-1, 5.74 in his last three starts (over 4-1 in last five)

Royals won three of last four games vs Chicago; KC is 4-5 in its last nine games, with seven of its last ten going over total. Cubs lost three of last four games; their last five all stayed under.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
StL-Pitt-- Lynn 16-13; Happ 14-15/7-2
LA-SF-- Greinke 22-8 (13-2 last 15); Peavy 9-8
Cin-Wsh-- Finnegan 1-1; Scherzer 16-15

Tor-Balt-- Estrada 15-11; Tillman 15-15 (3-0 last 3)
Bos-NY-- Porcello 12-14; Nova 6-9 (1-5 last 6)
Min-Cle-- Hughes 13-12; Kluber 11-20
Det-Tex-- Verlander 6-12; Lewis 16-15 (3-0 last 3)
A's-LAA-- Doubront 6-5/5-2; Santiago 16-14 (4-0 last 4)
Hst-Sea-- McCullers 8-12 (0-5 last 5); Elias 6-12

KC-Chi-- Ventura 15-11 (10-2 last 12); Hendricks 17-13

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
StL-Pitt-- Lynn 10-29; Happ 10-29
LA-SF-- Greinke 7-30; Peavy 4-17
Cin-Wsh-- Finnegan 0-2; Scherzer 8-31

Tor-Balt-- Estrada 12-26; Tillman 6-30
Bos-NY-- Porcello 5-26; Nova 2-15
Min-Cle-- Hughes 8-25 (4 of last 5); Kluber 11-31
Det-Tex-- Verlander 3-18; Lewis 6-31
A's-LAA-- Doubront 5-11 (4 of last 5); Santiago 9-30
Hst-Sea-- McCullers 6-20; Elias 7-18

KC-Chi-- Ventura 6-26; Hendricks 7-30

 

[CNOTES]

MLB

Monday, September 28

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

3:05 PM
CINCINNATI vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Cincinnati's last 23 games when playing on the road against Washington
Cincinnati is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Washington's last 9 games when playing Cincinnati

7:05 PM
TORONTO vs. BALTIMORE
Toronto is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Toronto's last 18 games on the road
Baltimore is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Baltimore's last 9 games at home

7:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. PITTSBURGH
St. Louis is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games when playing Pittsburgh
St. Louis is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 6 games

7:05 PM
BOSTON vs. NY YANKEES
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games when playing NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Boston's last 19 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Yankees's last 7 games when playing at home against Boston
NY Yankees are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games at home

7:10 PM
MINNESOTA vs. CLEVELAND
Minnesota is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games
Cleveland is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 6 games when playing Minnesota

8:05 PM
DETROIT vs. TEXAS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing Texas
Detroit is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Texas
Texas is 11-3 SU in its last 14 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas's last 5 games when playing Detroit

8:05 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. CHI CUBS
Kansas City is 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 5 games

10:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. LA ANGELS
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Oakland's last 8 games when playing on the road against LA Angels
Oakland is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 12 of LA Angels's last 17 games when playing Oakland
LA Angels are 11-4 SU in their last 15 games when playing at home against Oakland

10:10 PM
HOUSTON vs. SEATTLE
Houston is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle's last 5 games when playing Houston
Seattle is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games when playing Houston

LA DODGERS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
LA Dodgers are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
LA Dodgers are 2-7 SU in their last 9 games
San Francisco is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games at home
San Francisco is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers

 

[CNOTES]

MLB

Monday, September 28


Pitcher change announced - Rick Porcello, Boston

NY Yankees vs. Boston on September 28 at 7:05 PM. Previous Starter: Eduardo Rodriguez.

 

[CNOTES]

Twins still in running for wild-card spot


DETROIT -- Terry Ryan knew what was in the pipeline, and that shored up the Minnesota general manager's belief last winter the Twins would be a decent baseball team this season.


"We felt good coming out of spring training, even with the situation about Ervin Santana," Ryan said Sunday after Minnesota completed winning two of three against Detroit, taking a 7-1 decision. "We talked about (being in the hunt for) the postseason all the way back in February."


Minnesota opened at Detroit and got pounded in three straight games. The Twins stood 1-6 before the turnaround began.


"We've been resilient all year," he said. "We did bounce back. We were even in first place at one point.


"We aren't where we want to be at this point. But we do have a week to get there."


Ryan pointed out Minnesota began its 1991 World Series winning season 2-9, so beginnings aren't a barometer for endings.


"Now it's on to Cleveland -- and they're right behind us," manager Paul Molitor said. "We've got to try to figure out a way to get it done there. And we're going up against some awfully good pitching."


A wave of position players has come up to the Twins, who have some pitching prospects expected in a year or two.


Aaron Hicks has turned a career of disappointment into a season of hope. Kennys Vargas didn't live up to expectations but Miguel Sano has exceeded them. Eddie Rosario has had an excellent rookie season and, if Minnesota's pitching isn't spectacular, it is serviceable, with a bullpen that has been very good.


"We knew we had some young guys coming," Ryan said, "and some young guys already on the team who were going to get better. Of course, we had a few guys who we thought would be better who haven't been."


For now, it's on to Cleveland. Then home to face Kansas City.


Then, maybe, a wild-card game...

 

[CNOTES]

Yankees still uncertain of injured Tanaka's status


NEW YORK -- For fans of the New York Yankees, the question they want answered is when will Masahiro Tanaka make his next start after being idle for over a week due to a Grade One hamstring strain.


The answer is not clear cut or definitive.


"I know everyone wants an answer," New York manager Joe Girardi said before Sunday's 6-1 win over the Chicago White Sox. "It's really not that simple because of his value to us moving forward. It's something you have to weigh.


"Is it worth the risk maybe moving it up a day if you need him to what could possibly happen? It's a careful situation that we're trying to manage. I wish I knew really."


The Yankees are hoping it will be some point during their four-game series against the Boston Red Sox. What they do know is Tanaka will not be starting Monday but they hope he fills in the next three days when the probable pitcher is TBA.


As in to be announced.


The Yankees do not have anything to announce because they are awaiting Tanaka to get through all the necessary hurdles before clearing him for a return.


So far, Tanaka played catch Thursday, threw a bullpen session Friday and threw off flat ground Sunday. It is expected he will do fielding drills and some running, the most important steps to pass for players with leg injuries.


"I'm not ready to talk anything about that yet," Tanaka said through an interpreter. "As for now, for me, I'm just happy with the way I'm progressing."


The Yankees have seven games remaining after Sunday and a wild-card play-in game would be Oct. 6. To use Tanaka in the play-in game, Thursday would likely be his cut-off point for starting, though Girardi said he might make a one-inning cameo to stay sharp.


Of course, even with a fairly comfortable margin in front of the Houston Astros, the Yankees are not ready to start making postseason plans until it is official.


"I know we have a five-game lead with eight games to go," Girardi said. "I understand that. But I don't think as a team, as a manager you can assume anything until you know. We've seen a lot of strange things happen in this game.


"We got to worry about getting in first. Once you get in, then you can start planning ahead further. But take it a day at a time and a lot of things could change in the next few days. Who knows?


For the Yankees, the change they are hoping for is in Tanaka's status.

 

[CNOTES]

Blue Jays' regular-season work is not done


TORONTO - What started as a mere toast after a 10-8 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday turned into a soggy celebration for the Toronto Blue Jays.


They entered the Saturday game realizing they had clinched a wild-card spot and the team would compete in the postseason for the first time since 1993.


After the game, following a planned toast, it turned into a session of players dousing each other with beer and champagne.


At the same time, the players insisted they still had their focus on winning the American League East.


"It got a little out of hand for the situation, after we had a talk before the game (Saturday) about just a toast and that was it," said left-hander Mark Buehrle, who pitched six innings Sunday.


Luckily from the Blue Jays' perspective, the celebration for a job that was only partly done did not deter them.


Third baseman Josh Donaldson, a candidate for the American League MVP Award, hit his third walkoff homer of the season in the ninth inning for a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.


With the victory, the Blue Jays maintained their four-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East with seven games remaining. Their clinching number is four.


It was a grand way to end the final regular season home game for the Blue Jays. But for the first time in 22 years the finale of their home schedule won't be their final home game of the season.


There is another aspect to the final week of the season in addition to the quest for the AL East title.


The Blue Jays also are in a position to finish the season with the best record in the American League, which would give them home-field advantage through the postseason. The American League already has home-field advantage for the World Series.


They are tied with the Kansas City Royals for the best record in the AL. Each team is at 90-65.


As an indication of how much has changed, the Blue Jays were 51-51 on July 29 and the Royals were 61-39.


The Blue Jays hitters thrive at Rogers Centre. So getting the extra game at home could be a big factor for them in the playoffs.


"It's big for anybody to get that," manager John Gibbons said. "We've been so good at home, too. We're basically known as a hitting club and it's a great ballpark to hit in."


The Blue Jays finished their home schedule with a 53-28 record and they are 37-37 on the road.


But first things first. That is the division.

 

[CNOTES]

Rangers trying to hang on to lead in AL West


HOUSTON -- Following their victory over the Astros on Friday night, a win that bumped their lead to 4 1/2 games in the American League West, the Rangers appeared on the brink of a coronation celebrating their sensational month.


By Sunday afternoon, two losses to the Astros later, Texas had backed into position of having to fend off the Astros just a while longer. Houston sliced its deficit in the AL West by two games with consecutive wins behind Collin McHugh and Dallas Keuchel, putting the Rangers in position to need a successful week at home against the Tigers and Angels, who are also in the postseason chase, to claim the West title.


"Safe? There's nothing safe in baseball," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "You've got to continue to play. It's about competing. These guys, they've never taken that approach. We've been playing from behind all year long. We've worked way too hard to get to this point to think that anything is safe. We know this club's not going to lay down."


The Rangers trailed by as many as 9 1/2 games in the West this season, but their 16-7 mark in September through Friday extended their division lead to a season-high 4 1/2 games. Now, not only do the Rangers have to worry about fending off the Astros over the final seven games, they'll have the Angels to deal with for four games this coming weekend at Globe Life Park. The Angels won their fifth consecutive game on Sunday and stand just three games behind the Rangers in the division standings.


"We're exactly where we want to be," Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland said. "We've played good ball to this point. We've worked really hard. Battled a lot to get to where we're at right now. We've still got seven games left, so we're going to go out each night and try to take what we got in front of us, play hard and give everything we've got to the end."