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[CNOTES]

Baseball Capsules


August 25, 2015


PHILADELPHIA (AP) David Wright hit a long home run on his first major league swing in 133 days, Wilmer Flores went deep twice and the New York Mets set a franchise record with eight homers in a 16-7 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night.


Yoenis Cespedes, Juan Lagares, Travis d'Arnaud, Daniel Murphy and Michael Cuddyer also connected for the NL East-leading Mets. New York set a franchise record with 15 extra-base hits - seven doubles and eight homers. The teams tied an NL record with 11 combined homers.


Fresh off scoring 33 runs in a three-game sweep at Colorado, the Mets slugged their way back from a 7-2 deficit after Jacob deGrom's shortest career outing.


The 2014 NL Rookie of the Year lasted just 2 2-3 innings and allowed a career-high seven runs on eight hits. His ERA rose from 1.98 to 2.29.Sean Gilmartin (3-1) had four strikeouts in 3 1-3 scoreless innings to earn the win.


Ryan Howard and Domonic Brown hit three-run homers and Cameron Rupp also took deGrom deep. But the Mets chased starter Adam Morgan and rallied off Hector Neris (2-1).


CUBS 2, INDIANS 1


CHICAGO (AP) - Kris Bryant homered with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the surging Cubs to a victory over the Indians in a makeup of a rained out game from June 15.


The rookie, who had homered twice Sunday, lined a pitch from Cleveland reliever Zach McAllister (3-4) into the right field bleachers to give Chicago its fifth straight win and 21st victory in 26 games.


Carlos Santana singled home pinch runner Abraham Almonte with the tying run with two out in the ninth to spoil Jon Lester's bid for his first shutout and complete game with the Cubs.


Backed by four double-plays, Lester rebounded from his shortest start of the season to pitch his longest since joining the Cubs. He was relieved by Hector Rondon (5-2) with two outs in the ninth after scattering six hits and striking out six.


Anthony Rizzo's triple in the seventh drove in Chris Coghlan - who had doubled for only Chicago's second hit - to break a scoreless tie in a pitching duel between Lester and Indians ace Corey Kluber.


YANKEES 1, ASTROS 0


NEW YORK (AP) - Carlos Beltran hit a game-ending sacrifice fly after Oliver Perez walked the bases loaded, and the Yankees beat the Astros in a game highlighted by a tense duel between Nathan Eovaldi and Scott Feldman.


Perez (0-1) entered in the ninth and gave New York fans a reminder of his wild five seasons with the Mets. He walked Brett Gardner, threw a wild pitch, then walked Alex Rodriguez intentionally. Brian McCann walked to load them and end Perez's night.


Beltran then gave Chad Qualls' first pitch a ride to deep center field for New York's third walk-off win this year.


Andrew Miller (2-2) pitched the ninth in helping the Yankees hand the AL West leaders their 18th road loss in their last 22 away games. The Astros were coming off a sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers at Minute Maid Park.


Eovaldi and Feldman each went eight innings.


REDS 12, TIGERS 5


CINCINNATI (AP) - Brandon Phillips drove in four runs with a home run and a triple during Cincinnati's 10-run sixth inning and the Reds came back from a five-run deficit to snap a nine-game losing streak and beat the Tigers.


In the makeup of a game postponed on June 18 by rain, former Detroit shortstop Eugenio Suarez homered and doubled during Cincinnati's biggest inning since scoring 10 runs against Arizona in August 2005. Fourteen Reds batted in the inning against four Detroit pitchers, including reliever Al Alburquerque (3-1), who allowed three runs while not retiring any of the three batters he faced.


Collin Balester (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.


ROYALS 8, ORIOLES 3


KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Omar Infante led a seven-run charge in the sixth inning to support a strong start by Kris Medlen, helping the Royals beat the Orioles.


Despite working on a pitch count, Medlen (2-0) lasted six innings in his first start since Sept. 27, 2013, with Atlanta. The right-hander allowed five hits - one of them a two-run homer by Adam Jones in the first inning - while striking out six without a walk.


Medlen, who returned last month after his second Tommy John surgery, made seven appearances out of the Kansas City bullpen before replacing Jeremy Guthrie in the starting rotation.


Infante followed a tying, two-run homer by Mike Moustakas in the sixth with a two-run triple, then scampered home when the throw to third base skittered away. Lorenzo Cain drove in two more later in the inning, spoiling what had been a promising start by Ubaldo Jimenez (9-8).


BRAVES 5, ROCKIES 3


ATLANTA (AP) - Jonny Gomes drove in three runs with two hits, including a two-run homer in the first, and the Braves beat the Rockies to end their seven-game losing streak.


Adonis Garcia snapped a 2-2 tie with a homer off Jorge De La Rosa (7-6) in the fourth. Gomes' fifth-inning single drove in Cameron Maybin, who doubled.


The losing streak was Atlanta's longest of the season. The Rockies have lost four straight.


Colorado's Charlie Blackmon and Ben Paulsen hit homers in the first and second innings, respectively. Julio Teheran (9-6) was strong after that as he allowed three runs on four hits in 7 1-3 innings.


Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez left the game in the fifth with soreness in his right knee. His status is day to day.


PIRATES 5, MARLINS 2


MIAMI (AP) - J.A. Happ pitched six scoreless innings, extending a streak of strong starts for the Pirates in a win over the Marlins.


Pittsburgh starters have thrown 19 1-3 consecutive scoreless innings, and Happ (2-1) has allowed one earned run in his past 17 1-3 innings.


The Pirates won for the sixth time in seven games to climb a season-high 27 games above .500. They have won five consecutive road games since Aug. 13, and they're 4-0 this year against Miami.


Tom Koehler (8-12) allowed two runs in six innings. He lost his sixth start in a row, and against the Pirates he fell to 0-4 in four career starts.


Gregory Polanco had a season-high four hits and drove in a run. Andrew McCutchen hit a two-out, two-run double in the third, and Neil Walker contributed a sacrifice fly in the seventh.


RED SOX 5, WHITE SOX 4


CHICAGO (AP) - Rusney Castillo homered and drove in a career-high five runs, and Joe Kelly won his fifth straight outing as Boston beat Chicago.


Kelly (7-6) allowed five hits and two runs over 7 1-3 innings. He became the first Red Sox pitcher since Clay Buchholz in 2013 to win five straight starts.


Jean Machi pitched the ninth for his second save.


Castillo went 3 for 4 and finished a triple shy of the cycle. His sixth-inning double drove in two runs and extended Boston's lead to 5-1.


Jeff Samardzija (8-10) dropped a career-worst fifth straight decision. Jose Abreu hit his 24th homer.


CARDINALS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 3


PHOENIX (AP) - Lance Lynn pitched six effective innings with the help of four double plays, and Yadier Molina hit a two-run single in the seventh to lift St. Louis over Arizona.


Lynn (10-8) allowed two runs on nine hits and induced three straight inning-ending double plays, including with the bases loaded in the fourth and fifth. Trevor Rosenthal gave up a run-scoring single to David Peralta in the ninth before closing out his 39th save.


Matt Carpenter hit a solo homer off Jhoulys Chacin (0-1), and the Cardinals broke open a tie game with a three-run seventh. They have won 10 of their last 11 against Arizona.


Welington Castillo homered for Arizona but flied out with the bases loaded to end the seventh. The Diamondbacks had 14 hits but left 11 runners on base to end a four-game winning streak.


ATHLETICS 11, MARINERS 5


SEATTLE (AP) - Danny Valencia homered and Stephen Vogt doubled twice in a seven-run fifth inning as Oakland climbed out of a big hole against Seattle starter Hisashi Iwakuma.


Josh Reddick also went deep and drove in three runs for the A's, who rallied after starter Felix Doubront exited early with a bruised foot.


Oakland trailed 5-0 after Iwakuma (5-3) allowed just one single through four innings. Vogt got the outburst started with a leadoff double. Two outs later, Billy Burns and Mark Canha connected on consecutive two-run doubles to make it 5-4.


Reddick tied it with an infield single and Valencia hit his 12th home run, bouncing it off the top of the left-center wall.


Edward Mujica (3-4) threw two hitless innings, and A's relievers retired their final 16 batters.


Franklin Gutierrez and Mark Trumbo homered for the Mariners.

 

[CNOTES]

LEADING OFF: Giants host surging Cubs; Strasburg streaking


August 25, 2015


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




LET'S GET WILD


The Cubs have won 21 of 26 and can increase their 6 1/2-game cushion in the race for the second NL wild card when they open a three-game series at San Francisco. Jake Arrieta (15-6, 2.30 ERA) pitches for Chicago against Matt Cain (2-3, 5.66).


HEALTHY AT LAST


Stephen Strasburg looks to continue his dominant stretch as the Nationals, losers in eight of 12, host the Padres. The right-hander has a 1.35 ERA in three starts - all vs. NL West teams - since returning from the disabled list Aug. 8 following an oblique strain. San Diego sends out James Shields (9-5, 3.74), who picked up his first victory since mid-July his last time out.


DOG DAYS

Mike Trout and the Angels hope to turn around what's been a forgettable month as they start a three-game series at Detroit. The Angels are 8-14 in August and have lost four straight while their best player has had one of the worst months of his career. Trout is batting .205 with one homer in August, but showed signs of a breakout by going 3 for 4 in a 12-5 loss to Toronto on Sunday. Jered Weaver (5-9, 4.34 ERA) tries to play stopper for Los Angeles.


ON THE ROAD AGAIN


Noah Syndergaard takes another run at his first major league road win when the Mets play Philadelphia. The rookie is 7-1 with a 1.82 ERA in nine home starts, but 0-5 with a 5.05 ERA in nine outings on the road. New York has provided plenty of support for its pitchers lately, reaching 14 runs in three of the past four games.


GOOD-LUCK CHARLIE


The Pirates have won each of Charlie Morton's past five starts and seek a sixth straight against Miami. Morton has two wins and a 2.93 ERA during that span, blanking the Giants over 6 2-3 innings his last time out. The Marlins will start left-hander Brad Hand (3-3, 4.46).


EYES ON BETTIS


Rockies right-hander Chad Bettis makes his first start since July 18 when he faces the Braves. He has spent five weeks on the DL with right elbow inflammation. Manager Walt Weiss said Bettis will not be on a ''hard'' pitch count. Bettis is 5-4 with a 4.88 ERA in 13 starts. ''I think he's really accomplished a lot this year,'' Weiss said. ''He's finally settled into that starter's role.''

 

[CNOTES]

Astros, Yankees clash in N.Y


August 25, 2015


HOUSTON ASTROS (69-57) at NEW YORK YANKEES (69-55)


First pitch: Tuesday, 7:05 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Houston -110, New York +100, Total: 7.5


A couple of teams fighting for a division win, the Houston Astros and New York Yankees, go head-to-head in game two of this three-game set.


The Astros have had some ups and downs this year as they currently lead the AL West by 3.5 games over the Rangers despite striking out in 23.9% of their at-bats as a group (2nd-worst in league). They make up for the whiffs with a league-best 169 homers on the year, but it has actually been the pitching staff that has led them to wins in five of their last seven contests. The hurlers have allowed a meager nine runs (1.3 runs per game) during that stretch and once again did well on Monday, but could not do anything offensively in the 1-0 defeat as they garnered just five hits and were 0-for-7 with RISP.


Although the team struggled, SS Carlos Correa (.282) still performed with a 2-for-4 night and in 67 games already has 15 homers with 11 stolen bases in his rookie year. The Yankees have had a similar year to their counterparts in this matchup and are currently tied in the AL East with the Blue Jays for the top spot. They’ve won five of their last eight contests in order to stay in that position, but really struggled over the weekend with losses in 3-of-4 tries against the Indians before grabbing the close win on Monday night.


They can thank starter Nathan Eovaldi (8 IP, 0 ER, 4 H, 7 K) for the win as the team won in walk-off fashion. The winning run came thanks to a sacrifice fly off the bat of OF Carlos Beltran (.272) who is hitting .299 with six homers and 16 RBIs since the All-Star break.


The start in this one will go to LHP Dallas Keuchel (14-6, 2.37 ERA) for the ‘Stros as RHP Ivan Nova (5-5, 3.72 ERA) gets the call for New York. It has been a very rough year for Houston when playing on the road as they are a putrid 24-36 (.400) away from home as the Yanks have managed a mark of 37-24 (.607) in the Bronx.


It has been New York who has taken the edge in this series over the past three years, going 10-7 against this opponent and 4-3 at home during that time. Some trends to keep an eye on include that the Astros are 16-6 (.727) after batting .225 or worse over a 15-game span this year as the Yankees are 46-30 (.605) when the money line is +125 to -125 on the season.


On the injury front, OF George Springer (Wrist) continues to ride the DL while SS Jed Lowrie (Thumb) is questionable for Houston. On the other side of the diamond, New York has 1B Mark Teixeira (Leg) listed as questionable and will be without OFs Dustin Ackley (Back) and Mason Williams (Shoulder).


It was no fluke that Keuchel took the ball to start the All-Star Game for the American League as he is amongst the best in the league with his career-best ERA of 2.37. He doesn’t exactly mow down batters at a torrid pace, getting 7.9 strikeouts per nine innings, but has shown great control (2.1 BB/9) and despite playing half of his games in what is considered a hitter’s park, has given up just 11 homers in 178.2 innings (0.45 HR/9).


Although he isn’t striking out everyone, he is getting 63.1% of batters to hit the ball on the ground and has left 79.2% of runners on base. The former seventh-round pick has gone at least six innings in every one of his outings on the year and has given up more than three runs just five times. His last start was another great one as he went seven innings and gave up two runs on seven hits with five strikeouts (1 walk) in a no-decision.


He has done very well in his two starts against the Yanks, going 1-1 with a 1.59 ERA (0.82 WHIP) and was dominant (9 IP, 0 ER, 6 H, 12 K) against them earlier this year. The players who have had the most experience and success against the lefty are OF Chris Young (6-for-17, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 2 RBI) and 3B Chase Headley (3-for-10, 1 HR, 3 RBIs), while OF Brett Gardner and 2B Stephen Drew are a combined 0-for-7 in the matchup.


The relievers for Houston have been key to the success of the season, as they are a combined 24-20 with a 2.65 ERA (1.03 WHIP) and have successfully saved 31-of-48 (65%) games. Luke Gregorson (2.88 ERA, 24 saves) has shown career-best control (1.80 BB/9) and has benefitted from batters hitting a meager .255 BABIP against him as he is 24-for-29 (83%) in save chances.


Nova had a rough last few years due to some serious injuries, but he has made the tough trek back to the highest level and is performing quite well for his team. Although he is striking out just 5.9 batters per nine innings in 10 starts, he has given up minimal homers (0.78 HR/9) and has respectable control (3.0 BB/9). Just like Keuchel, Nova sees his wins from the ability to keep the ball on the ground which he has done 52.5% of the time while batters are hitting .270 BABIP against him.


The 28-year-old has flip-flopped wins and losses in each of his last four outings and took one of his defeats when he last took the mound against the Indians, getting through five frames of three-run, six-hit baseball while striking out four (2 walks). The righty has started against this group just once and earned a win after going 5.2 frames with two runs allowed on six hits with a single strikeout (6 walks).


Although Nova has not seen the Houston offense much, he will be happy if SS Jed Lowrie remains out as he is 4-for-8 with a pair of extra-base hits against him. He has done well in minimal at-bats against 1B Chris Carter, though, as the power-hitter is hitless in three attempts.


The New York bullpen has gotten the job done this year, going 21-13 with a 3.23 ERA (1.18 WHIP) and have managed to get the save in 38-of-47 (81%) attempts. Andrew Miller (1.83 ERA, 23 saves) has been one of the best closers in baseball with 13.4 K/9 and one blown save.

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Angels (63-61) at Tigers (59-65)
Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: August 25, 2015 7:08 PM EDT

Jered Weaver's best start since coming off the disabled list helped the Los Angeles Angels maintain their lead for the AL's second wild card last week.


The starting pitching hasn't been the same since, and the Angels' edge in the playoff race has vanished.


Los Angeles sends Weaver to the hill looking to snap a four-game skid by winning an eighth straight meeting with the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night at Comerica Park.


Weaver (5-9, 4.34 ERA) has gone 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in three starts since returning from left hip inflammation that kept him out over a month and a half. He pitched well again Wednesday, allowing five hits over 6 1-3 innings of a 1-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox for his first win since beating Detroit 8-6 on May 30.


"I still feel like I can gain some strength back and get the velocity up, but even if I stay where I'm at, I'm totally comfortable out there," Weaver said. "I'm throwing the ball the way I want to, which is nice."


The right-hander's previous four starts against the Tigers came at Comerica, and he went 2-1 with a 2.03 ERA. However, Weaver has lost his last four road starts with a 6.12 ERA and has allowed at least four runs in six of his 10 outings away from home this year.


That doesn't bode well for the Angels (63-61), who have averaged 2.6 runs while dropping 12 of 13 on the road. They weren't very good at the end of their seven-game homestand, either, getting outscored 44-12 while dropping the last four following Weaver's solid outing.


Starters posted a 12.67 ERA in that stretch, and Toronto finished with 48 hits during a three-game sweep over the weekend as the Angels fell out of the second wild-card spot.


Los Angeles is tied with Minnesota, 1 1/2 games behind Texas for the AL's last playoff position and sits 3 1/2 back of AL West-leading Houston.


"There's still a lot of confidence in that room," manager Mike Scioscia said after holding a closed-door meeting following Sunday's 12-5 loss. "All it's going to take is one good game playing like the way we can and moving forward from there."


Mike Trout went 3 for 4 with an RBI triple Sunday after batting .176 with 25 strikeouts over his first 22 games this month. He's 3 for 4 with two doubles lifetime against Alfredo Simon, who is coming off the best start of his career.


Simon (11-7, 4.52) tossed his first complete game and allowed his only hit with two outs in the fifth inning of a 1-0 win over Texas on Thursday. The right-hander had a 2.58 ERA through his first 12 starts, then went 3-4 with an 8.19 ERA over his next 10 before blanking the Rangers.


"It's been tough the last couple games," Simon said. "I just want to get back to the point I was early in the year."


Simon didn't pitch during a four-game series with the Angels from May 28-31 and hasn't faced them since 2011. Los Angeles swept that May series in Anaheim and has won 17 of the last 20 meetings.


Detroit (59-65) also enters this contest looking to snap a four-game skid after falling 12-5 to Cincinnati on Monday. The Tigers took the lead on first-inning homers from J.D. Martinez and Nick Castellanos, but the Reds answered with a 10-run sixth.


Miguel Cabrera had two hits and is batting .528 with a homer and eight doubles during a nine-game hitting streak. Ian Kinsler had his major league-best 49th multihit game and is batting .484 during a season-high seven-game run.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Angels at Tigers
Tue, Aug 25 - 7:08PM EDT


GAME 2
Angels at Tigers
Wed, Aug 26 - 7:08PM EDT


GAME 3
Angels at Tigers
Thu, Aug 27 - 1:08PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Astros (69-57) at Yankees (69-55)
Game: 2
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: August 25, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Dallas Keuchel has been unbeatable in Houston, but road games have prevented his season from reaching spectacular status.


The same disparity has held true for the Astros, and after his team lost a tight opener against the New York Yankees, the Houston ace will try to even the series and become the franchise's first 15-game winner in seven seasons Tuesday night in the Bronx.


Keuchel (14-6, 2.37 ERA) is 11-0 with a 1.35 ERA in 14 home starts after surrendering two runs in seven innings of Wednesday's 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay. He didn't earn the decision in his first bid to be the first Astros pitcher to reach 15 wins since Roy Oswalt went 17-10 in 2008.


He's 3-6 with a 3.65 ERA in 11 on the road with losses in six of seven, including defeats in three straight starts with a 4.64 ERA.


Keuchel has made two career starts against the Yankees, beating them 4-0 at home with a six-hitter June 25 after giving up three runs over eight innings of a 3-0 loss at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 21, 2014.


His 4.53 groundball-to-flyball ratio leads baseball, which bodes well against the Yankees, whose 1.46 home runs per home game ranks fourth.


Carlos Beltran is 3 for 7 with a home run off Keuchel, and the veteran played a key role in the opener.


New York (69-55) won 1-0 on Monday on Beltran's sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the ninth inning to climb into a first-place tie with Toronto in the AL East. It was his 11th RBI in 11 games, during which time he's batted .375 with runners in scoring position. He had six RBIs while hitting .120 in those situations over his previous 27.


Alex Rodriguez's struggles continued with an 0-for-3 night, giving him a .151 average in 20 games in August.


The win got New York to 5-3 on a 10-game homestand, while Houston (69-57) lost for the 16th time in 19 road contests. The Astros are scoring 2.2 runs per game, yet they remain 3 1/2 up on Texas for first in the West.


They've gone 20 straight innings without scoring at Yankee Stadium.


"These are exciting games. I wish we would have won," manager A.J. Hinch said. "One-run games are tough losses, but you'll see tomorrow that we're a resilient team. We'll bounce back and be better."


Colby Rasmus is hitting .045 in his last eight games overall, Marwin Gonzalez is at .056 in his past six and Carlos Gomez is batting .117 without an extra-base hit in his last 17. Rasmus is a .135 hitter at Yankee Stadium, but he's 2 for 5 off Ivan Nova (5-5, 3.72).


The right-hander allowed three runs in five innings of Thursday's 3-2 home loss to Cleveland, giving him a 1-2 mark and 5.19 ERA in his last three starts with both losses coming in the Bronx.


"You're going to have days like this," Nova said. "Not going to feel perfect every time you go out there."


That was the case in his only career start against the Astros - a 4-2 road win April 3, 2014 - but he earned the victory after giving up two runs and six hits with five walks in 5 2-3 innings. Jed Lowrie is 4 for 8 with a triple and a double against Nova.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Astros at Yankees
Mon, Aug 24 Final 0 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Astros at Yankees
Tue, Aug 25 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Astros at Yankees
Wed, Aug 26 - 1:05PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Padres (61-63) at Nationals (62-61)
Game: 1
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: August 25, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

A more patient approach is paying dividends for the Washington Nationals.


But still well out of playoff position, they hope their offensive improvement isn't coming too late.


Washington seeks its third straight victory Tuesday night behind a rejuvenated Stephen Strasburg against the visiting San Diego Padres.


The Nationals (62-61) have won four of six, totaling 34 runs in those victories after scoring 12 during a season high-matching six-game losing streak. Washington drew eight walks in Sunday's 9-5 win against Milwaukee, including two apiece by Jayson Werth, Anthony Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman.


The club is drawing a walk every 6.3 plate appearances in the last six contests compared to 12.3 previously.


"Those types of offensive at-bats are important," manager Matt Williams told MLB's official website. "Guys are going to hit the ball out of the ballpark on occasion, but that is not the measure of our success. It comes from those extended at-bats."


Washington still trails the NL East-leading New York Mets and is well off the Chicago Cubs' pace for the league's second wild-card spot.


The Nationals have won 10 of the last 14 meetings with San Diego (61-63) while averaging 6.1 runs, and scored 10 twice while taking three of four at Petco Park from May 14-17. Bryce Harper was 8 for 17 with two homers and six RBIs.


Strasburg (7-6, 4.22 ERA) is 4-1 with a 1.26 ERA in his last six starts, fanning 43 in 35 2-3 innings. He's gone at least six innings in all three outings since returning from an oblique strain - matching the total from his previous 13 starts this year.


He held Colorado to an unearned run and two hits over seven innings in Wednesday's 4-1 road win, looking again like the elite pitcher he's been in years past.


"That's what you can get from him - dominant stuff every time he goes out there," Williams said. "He has a chance to do something special every time he takes the mound."


The right-hander owns a 2.77 ERA in four straight wins against the Padres, including a 10-5 victory May 17.


San Diego's 10-3 loss to St. Louis was just its third in the last 12 games, but it is still batting .298 while averaging 6.1 runs in its last 11.


"This game looks like a blowout, and for all practical purposes it was, but we had some great at-bats," interim manager Pat Murphy said.


Matt Kemp, who has a .361 average with 17 RBIs during a 15-game hitting streak, is batting .436 in his last 12 meetings with Washington. Justin Upton is hitting .360 with 11 home runs and 25 RBIs in his last 31 matchups, and is 6 for 14 with two homers the last two years against Strasburg.


James Shields (9-5, 3.74) won for just the second time in 14 starts Tuesday, yielding five hits over six innings in a 9-0 victory against Atlanta.


He doesn't have a decision with a 5.11 ERA in two matchups with the Nationals, but hasn't faced them since 2009.


Denard Span is expected to rejoin the Nationals after being sidelined since July 6 due to a back injury. He was hitting .304 with 37 runs scored in 59 games.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Padres at Nationals
Tue, Aug 25 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Padres at Nationals
Wed, Aug 26 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Padres at Nationals
Thu, Aug 27 - 7:05PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Mets (68-56) at Phillies (50-75)
Game: 2
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: August 25, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Once the lowest-scoring team in the majors, the New York Mets are getting help from an increasingly powerful offense as they push for their first division title in nine years.


After adding David Wright to the mix, the visiting NL East leaders will try to win for the 17th time in 23 games Tuesday night when they face the Philadelphia Phillies.


New York was averaging an MLB-low 3.55 runs Aug. 2 but has scored 6.5 per contest while hitting 33 homers in 19 games since.


The Mets scored at least 14 runs for the third time in four games Monday when they recorded a team-record eight home runs in a 16-7 win that opened this four-game series.


Wilmer Flores led the way with two homers and five RBIs as New York (68-56) overcame a five-run deficit to win its fourth in a row and expand its division lead to 5 1/2 games over idle Washington.


'We never gave up,' Flores said. 'It's really fun being here right now.'


In his first game since April 14 due to a mild right hamstring strain and then lumbar stenosis, Wright hit a 435-foot home run in his first at-bat. Manager Terry Collins said the captain will not play every day in an effort to keep him healthy.


The Mets look to turn in another big offensive night and help Noah Syndergaard (7-6, 3.17 ERA) end his struggles on the road. He's gone 0-5 with a 5.05 ERA in away games compared to his 1.82 ERA at home.


After going 4-1 with a 1.44 ERA over a seven-start stretch, Syndergaard has posted a 6.19 ERA in his last three outings. He gave up three runs over five innings of a 5-4 loss at Baltimore on Wednesday and didn't get the decision.


"I feel every bit as confident as I do at home," the right-hander told MLB's official website. "I'm just not getting the results that I want."


That would change if Syndergaard matches the performance he had against Philadelphia (50-75) on May 27. He struck out six over 7 1-3 innings of a 7-0 home win in his only meeting this season.


The Mets swept that three-game series and now seek their seventh straight win and 22nd in 27 matchups with the Phillies. They've outscored them 59-29 in winning nine of 10 this season.


Freddy Galvis had three of Philadelphia's 11 hits in the opener, while Ryan Howard, Domonic Brown and Cameron Rupp homered. Brown had been 1 for 21 over his previous 10 games.


'Every once in a while you run into these lopsided games, but this was disappointing,' Philadelphia interim manager Pete Mackanin said. 'Jumping on (Jacob) deGrom for seven runs was special. Seven runs, 11 hits, you should win most games like that.'


Jerome Williams (4-9, 6.10) is hoping for that kind of run support as he looks to rebound from his worst start of the season. The veteran right-hander allowed eight runs and eight hits - two home runs - while walking four over 1 2-3 innings of a 9-7 loss at Miami.


Williams had posted a 1.50 ERA in his first three August starts.


"I couldn't throw any pitches where I wanted to and you're not going to survive like that," he said.


Williams will get his third look at the Mets in 2015 but first at Citizens Bank Park. He's gone 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA in the two meetings.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Mets at Phillies
Mon, Aug 24 Final 16 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Mets at Phillies
Tue, Aug 25 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Mets at Phillies
Wed, Aug 26 - 7:05PM EDT


GAME 4
Mets at Phillies
Thu, Aug 27 - 7:05PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Brewers (53-72) at Indians (58-66)
Game: 1
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: August 25, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Cleveland Indians dropped Josh Tomlin's final six home starts a year ago before he missed the start of this season due to right shoulder surgery.


He'll be on the Progressive Field mound for the first time in 2015 on Tuesday night as the Indians start a two-game home series against power-hitting Khris Davis and the Milwaukee Brewers.


After missing nearly the entire 2013 season due to Tommy John surgery, Tomlin (1-1, 2.03 ERA) went 6-9 with a 4.76 ERA last year before undergoing shoulder surgery in April. He has been sharp in two outings since returning, particularly while yielding one run and two hits over seven innings to earn Thursday's 3-2 victory over the New York Yankees.


"It's fun to talk about him," manager Terry Francona said. "We've talked about, just in the short period he's been here, how much we're pulling for him."


Now Tomlin will finally pitch again in Cleveland, where he went 0-5 with a 6.02 ERA in eight starts since winning there May 6, 2014. The Indians (58-66) lost his last six home outings.


Tomlin is 3-1 with a 2.79 ERA in seven career home interleague starts, though he has never faced the Brewers. The only Milwaukee hitter he has faced is Adam Lind, who is 2 for 5 in this matchup.


He might not be too anxious to get a look at Davis, whose nine homers in August place him among baseball's leaders. Davis is 5 for 15 with four homers and eight RBIs in his last four games.


Milwaukee (53-72) dropped two of three in Washington to start this five-game trip, falling 9-5 on Sunday despite homers by Davis, Scooter Gennett and Jonathan Lucroy. Eight of the runs allowed by the Brewers came with two outs.


"We had opportunities to make pitches and get out of the innings but we were just unable to do that," manager Craig Counsell said. "They had a bunch of walks that extended innings."


Brewers starter Wily Peralta (4-7, 4.48) is 3-2 with a 5.40 ERA in five starts since returning July 28 from a strained left oblique. He has won consecutive outings for the first time, though he hardly looked sharp yielding six runs in five innings of Wednesday's 8-7 victory over Miami.


The right-hander has never faced Cleveland or any of its available hitters.


The Indians return home after a 5-6 trip capped by Monday's 2-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs in a makeup game.


Shortstop Francisco Lindor is hitting .405 with 13 runs scored in his last 19 games.


Indians star Jason Kipnis is tied with Detroit's Miguel Cabrera for baseball's best home average at .376, and his .400 average in interleague play is tied for third in the majors. Kipnis went 1 for 4 on Monday after he did not start the day before to rest.


These teams split two games at Miller Park from July 21-22. The Brewers have won 12 of 20 interleague meetings, including seven of nine in Cleveland.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Brewers at Indians
Tue, Aug 25 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Brewers at Indians
Wed, Aug 26 - 7:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Rockies (49-74) at Braves (54-71)
Game: 2
Venue: Turner Field
Date: August 25, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Atlanta Braves have moved past their worst losing streak of the season and are in a position to win a third straight home series, but getting there is probably going to require their next starter to overcome his own struggles.


Mike Foltynewicz will try to get past allowing 13 runs in 9 1-3 innings over his last two starts Tuesday night against the visiting Colorado Rockies, who can't be certain what they'll get from returning starter Chad Bettis.


Foltynewicz (4-5, 6.06 ERA) has gone through plenty of hard times this season, but those are probably at their peak after the right-hander gave up a career-high seven runs and eight hits in 4 2-3 innings of Thursday's 7-1 loss at Wrigley Field. He also came an out shy of making it through five innings in his previous start, surrendering six runs and nine hits to Arizona in an 8-4 loss.


In 27 innings over five starts since the All-Star break, the 23-year-old has given up nine home runs after surrendering eight in 54 2-3 innings of nine starts and three relief efforts before that.


"I've just got to refine the off-speed (pitches) a little better and I think I'm heading in the right direction," Foltynewicz told MLB's official website after facing the Cubs. "They just came out swinging it pretty well tonight."


Carlos Gonzalez is 2 for 2 against him, but the Colorado slugger is day to day with right knee soreness after being removed from Monday's 5-3 loss.


Bettis is coming off the disabled list having been sidelined since July 18 due to elbow inflammation. The right-hander knows he's going to spend the last month-plus of the season auditioning for the Rockies' up-for-grabs 2016 rotation.


"It's huge," Bettis said. "One, to show that I'm healthy again. Two, to show that I didn't miss a beat. It's going to be big."


In two rehab starts split between Double-A New Britain and Triple-A Albuquerque, Bettis (5-4, 4.88) gave up five hits in 8 1-3 scoreless innings while walking two and striking out 11.


The 26-year-old got off to a promising start with a 3-2 record, 3.44 ERA and 2.72 walks per nine innings in his first eight starts this season, but he fell off to 2-2 with a 7.62 ERA and 5.19 walks per nine in his last five before heading to the DL.


The second to last came against the Braves as Bettis yielded three runs and three hits in six innings of an 11-3 home victory on July 12. It was his third outing in the series with Bettis going 1-1 with an 8.25 ERA and 11 walks in 12 innings.


Atlanta (54-71) snapped a seven-game skid overall and a six-gamer against Colorado in the opener. Nick Markakis was 3 for 5 and is batting .407 in his last six contests, while Cameron Maybin had his fourth straight two-hit game at Turner Field.


Andrelton Simmons (sore left knee) didn't start for the second straight game, but manager Fredi Gonzalez said the shortstop is expected to start Tuesday.


The Rockies (49-74) have dropped 12 of 14, four straight and five in a row on the road while batting .158. They're 25 games under .500 for the sixth season in franchise history and third time in the last four years.


Charlie Blackmon homered Monday and is batting .395 on a 10-game hitting streak.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Rockies at Braves
Mon, Aug 24 Final 3 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Rockies at Braves
Tue, Aug 25 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Rockies at Braves
Wed, Aug 26 - 7:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Pirates (75-48) at Marlins (50-75)
Game: 2
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: August 25, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Charlie Morton showed no ill effects from hip surgery when he beat Miami in his season debut, but the pitcher the Marlins will face again exactly three months later seems to be far more polished.


Pittsburgh has seen a number of encouraging signs lately from Morton, whose recent history against Miami suggests another solid outing could be in store Tuesday night as the visiting Pirates try for an 11th win in 13 games.


Injuries and a lack of consistency have kept Morton (8-4, 4.06 ERA) from being a reliable member of Pittsburgh's rotation since his arrival in 2009, but he's had his share of impressive performances this season - especially of late.


The right-hander has pitched at least into the seventh without allowing a run four times in his past 13 starts, doubling the amount he had in 55 outings over the past three seasons for the Pirates (75-48). Two of those have come this month, including Thursday's 4-0 win over San Francisco as Morton allowed four hits through 6 2-3 innings.


He also fanned eight, giving him 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings in four August starts. That's more than double his 5.25 per nine through July, a figure that ranked 122nd of 135 starters to toss at least 70 innings.


"Charlie is developing into a more complete pitcher," manager Clint Hurdle told MLB's official website. "A pitcher with a sinkerball, rather than a sinkerball pitcher. His curve has so much tilt and depth."


Hurdle isn't just paying lip service to the curve. Opponents are hitting .100 against Morton's hook, the lowest average off any starter's pitch that's been thrown at least 250 times - just ahead of Clayton Kershaw's signature curve.


When he's not striking batters out, Morton is keeping the ball on the ground. His 3.24 ground-to-fly ball ratio is fourth in the majors.


"It's fun to play behind him when he's going well because he gets a lot of ground balls that lead to a lot of quick innings and you get on and off the field in a hurry," second baseman Neil Walker said.


That should come in handy against the Marlins (50-75), who are on pace for the majors' highest percentage of ground balls (53.9) since it became an official stat in 1987. It certainly worked in Morton's favor May 25 at PNC Park against Miami, when he got 18 outs on the ground and three via strikeout while lasting seven in a 4-2 win.


That was the fourth consecutive start in which Morton went seven against the Marlins, and he's 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA. The lone Miami player other than Giancarlo Stanton to have any success off Morton is Christian Yelich (5 for 13), who could return Tuesday from a stint on the disabled list due to a knee contusion.


J.A. Happ made it look easy in Monday's opener, pitching six scoreless innings in a 5-2 win to become the fifth Pittsburgh starter in six games to not allow an earned run.


"They're having a lot of fun, playing good baseball and doing a lot of little things right," Happ said of his team, which is 27 games over .500 for the first time since 1992. "It's awful fun to watch."


Miami counters with Brad Hand (3-3, 4.46), who's been more effective as a starter than a reliever. In six starts against NL clubs, he's 3-1 with a 2.65 ERA, including five scoreless innings in Pittsburgh on May 27 before the Marlins lost 5-2.


The left-hander held Philadelphia to a run over six innings Thursday in a 9-7 win, improving to 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA in 16 games - three starts - at home.


Hand has faced 220 left-handed batters without allowing a homer since Bryce Harper took him deep April 9, 2014.




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Pirates at Marlins
Mon, Aug 24 Final 5 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Pirates at Marlins
Tue, Aug 25 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Pirates at Marlins
Wed, Aug 26 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Pirates at Marlins
Thu, Aug 27 - 7:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Dodgers (67-56) at Reds (52-71)
Game: 1
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: August 25, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Whether it be a feeling of panic or a greater sense of urgency, Clayton Kershaw would like the Los Angeles Dodgers to start playing with it in the heat of a playoff race.


The NL West leaders hope to regain their edge as they try to end to their longest road losing streak in seven years Tuesday night against the Central-worst Cincinnati Reds.


Although they've dropped 10 of 15, the Dodgers have been fortunate their division lead has only been trimmed from three to 1 1/2 games because San Francisco has lost five of seven.


Los Angeles (67-56) was no-hit by Houston's Mike Fiers on Friday and has batted .163 while totaling nine runs during a season-high five-game losing streak. Justin Turner is 1 for 22 over his last six games, while Jimmy Rollins has gone 3 for 22 in his past five.


The Dodgers went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position in a 3-2, 10-inning loss Sunday at Minute Maid Park. They've dropped eight straight road games for the first time since a 10-game skid in 2008.


"I think panic's a good thing to a certain extent," said Kershaw, Sunday's starting pitcher. "It's obvious we've got five weeks or whatever it is, too. So, there's a sense of urgency. Maybe that's better to say than panic. I feel like we've got to start playing like that.'


Los Angeles appears to have an opportune matchup in which to turn things around as it opens this three-game series at Great American Ball Park. Cincinnati (52-71) snapped a nine-game losing streak overall and an eight-game slide at home with Monday's 12-5 win over Detroit.


The Dodgers took the last three of a four-game home series against the Reds from Aug. 13-16. This will be a rematch of the Aug. 14 matchup when Alex Wood allowed three runs over 6 1-3 innings and John Lamb gave up five over six in the Dodgers' 5-3 win.


Wood (8-8, 3.79 ERA) has yielded at least three runs in each of his four outings with Los Angeles.


The left-hander will have to be cautious with Joey Votto, who had a two-run home run and a double off him in the first meeting. Brandon Phillips, Jay Bruce and Todd Frazier went 1 for 9.


Votto, Phillips and Eugenio Suarez homered Monday when Cincinnati scored 10 in the sixth inning after averaging 2.4 runs over its previous 10 at home.


'We just play the game as best we can and try to stay humble,' Phillips said. 'Even when you lose you want to have fun but I tell the young guys to never get used to losing.'


After making his big-league debut in Los Angeles following his arrival from Kansas City in the Johnny Cueto trade, Lamb (0-1, 6.35) allowed three runs over 5 1-3 innings Thursday but did not factor in a 5-4 home loss to Arizona. He's struck out 15 batters over his first two outings.


"I'm real pleased with what we've seen from him," manager Bryan Price told MLB's official website.


Turner, Kike Hernandez and Rollins each had two hits when facing the Los Angeles-area native at Chavez Ravine. Adrian Gonzalez's three-run home run in the fifth inning was the big blow.


Gonzalez is hitting .337 with nine homers in 25 career games at Cincinnati, while Hernandez is 8 for 17 versus the Reds this season and Carl Crawford is hitting .350 in 16 career games against them.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Dodgers at Reds
Tue, Aug 25 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Dodgers at Reds
Wed, Aug 26 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Dodgers at Reds
Thu, Aug 27 - 12:35PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Twins (63-61) at Rays (62-62)
Game: 1
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: August 25, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Either the Minnesota Twins' four-game win streak or the Tampa Bay Rays' four-game run at home will end Tuesday night.


Twins starter Ervin Santana's woes may give the edge to the Rays.


Minnesota has dropped five straight outings by Santana as he opposes impressive rookie Nathan Karns in the opener of a three-game set between wild-card contenders.


The Twins (63-61) are one game ahead of the Rays (62-62) in a crowded wild-card race. These clubs are among four that are within 2 1/2 games of Texas for the final playoff spot.


"I know that they're neck-and-neck with us and there's a lot of teams involved in all of this but we've gotta play good baseball regardless of who we're playing against," Rays manager Kevin Cash said about the importance of facing the Twins.


Cash's club returns home after a 4-6 trip while Minnesota is brimming with confidence after a four-game road sweep of wild-card contender Baltimore. The last three wins were all by one run, including Sunday's 4-3, 12-inning victory in which the Twins trailed by one entering the ninth.


'We have shown resiliency which is a good thing,' manager Paul Molitor said. 'We find a way to win day to day. We don't get too very far ahead of ourselves and we don't carry too many bad losses with us for too long.'


Minnesota's win streak has come after Santana (2-4, 5.53 ERA) last took the mound. He gave up four runs over 7 2-3 innings in Wednesday's 4-3 loss at the New York Yankees in his best effort of a five-start stretch in which he is 0-4 with an 8.46 ERA.


"Everything was good,' Santana said. 'Changeup was better, slider was better, fastball location was better, so everything was good.'


The veteran right-hander is 6-6 with a 4.98 ERA in 14 starts versus the Rays. Asdrubal Cabrera is a .200 hitter in 40 at-bats against him, Grady Sizemore is batting .321 (9 for 28) in this matchup and John Jaso is at .381 (8 for 21).


James Loney is 5 for 16 off Santana, though the Rays are unsure of whether or not he will be suspended after he bumped umpire Paul Nauert during Saturday's 5-4 victory at Oakland in which he was ejected. Loney was 0 for 2 in Sunday's 8-2 loss and is in the midst of a 3-for-24 slump.


Evan Longoria went 0 for 12 with five strikeouts over the weekend as the Rays took two of three from the Athletics. He is 6 for 15 with two homers against Santana.


Karns (7-5, 3.44) has allowed two runs or fewer in an AL-best 18 outings - a mark that matches Rolando Arrojo's 1998 franchise rookie record. His 10 starts of yielding three hits or fewer are the most in baseball.


The right-hander is 3-0 with a 2.81 ERA in six outings since the All-Star break.


Karns' lone start against the Twins was his third in the big leagues with Washington. He surrendered four runs over three innings in a 5-4 victory June 9, 2013.


He'll get his first look at Twins rookie Miguel Sano, who is hitting .321 with four homers and nine RBIs in his last seven games.


Minnesota won two of three at home over Tampa Bay from May 15-17. The Rays have captured seven of the last nine home meetings.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Twins at Rays
Tue, Aug 25 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 2
Twins at Rays
Wed, Aug 26 - 7:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Twins at Rays
Thu, Aug 27 - 8:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Blue Jays (69-55) at Rangers (64-59)
Game: 1
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: August 25, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

Both on the outside of the playoff picture a month ago, the Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers now control their own destinies with remarkable turnarounds since the trade deadline.


Each looks to extend its run of success when the teams begin a three-game series and potential playoff preview Tuesday night in Texas.


Toronto (69-55) stood eight games behind AL East-leading New York when it acquired Troy Tulowitzki on July 28, two days prior to trading for fellow All-Star David Price. That deficit has since been erased due to a 19-4 stretch following the Tulowitzki deal.


Texas (64-59) was then five games out of a wild-card spot it now holds by winning 17 of 24. The Rangers have passed division-rival Los Angeles after three straight wins in Detroit and three consecutive Angels losses to Toronto.


'These guys know what is in front of them and where they want to go," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said.


The Blue Jays hit .393 while punishing Angels pitching for 36 runs to further add to their already sizable MLB lead in that category. They've homered in 14 straight road tilts after hitting two in Sunday's 12-5 rout to improve to 4-1 on an eight-game trip.


Edwin Encarnacion and Josh Donaldson have been at the forefront of the barrage. Encarnacion finished 4 for 4 with a homer and four RBIs Sunday to increase his career-high hitting streak to 19 games, while nine of Donaldson's MLB-leading 100 RBIs came during the series.


Encarnacion is batting .414 with five homers and 18 RBIs during the streak. Donaldson is 11 for 21 with 13 RBIs on the trip.


'We came in (to Anaheim) smoking hot. We're on fire right now,' manager John Gibbons said. 'Everybody in our lineup has been swinging. It was a heck of a series. One thing we do is score runs. We've been doing it all year.'


Texas stayed hot as well by getting a strong contribution from its big-ticket deadline acquisition, as Cole Hamels delivered six innings of two-run ball to notch his first victory as a Ranger in Sunday's 4-2 decision.


The Rangers have won nine of 11 overall and 12 of 14 in Texas, though they've dropped six of seven at home to Toronto and 12 of the 16 total meetings since the start of 2013.


Hamels' addition has helped upgrade a rotation further bolstered by a healthy Derek Holland (1-1, 3.68 ERA). The left-hander made a triumphant return from a four-month absence caused by a shoulder strain by holding Seattle to two runs over 6 1-3 innings in a 7-2 win on Wednesday.


Holland is 3-1 with a 3.06 ERA over his last five starts against the Blue Jays but hasn't faced them since 2013. Donaldson is 6 for 18 with two home runs and Encarnacion is 4 for 12 with a homer in previous matchups. Jose Bautista, who's 6 for 10 with a homer and three RBIs over the last two games, is 3 for 17 with six strikeouts versus Holland, however.


Toronto counters with Mark Buehrle (13-6, 3.45) as the veteran attempts to add to his strong career numbers against the Rangers. He moved to 14-5 in 22 starts versus Texas by yielding two runs in seven innings in a 12-2 home win June 26.


The Blue Jays have won each of Buehrle's last six starts against Texas with the left-hander going 3-0 with a 2.88 ERA. In nine starts at Texas, Buehrle is 6-2 with a 2.92 ERA.


Buehrle is coming off his shortest outing of the season, lasting only four innings and permitting four runs in Wednesday's loss to Philadelphia. He had been 7-1 with a 2.16 ERA over his previous 13 starts.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Blue Jays at Rangers
Tue, Aug 25 - 8:05PM EDT


GAME 2
Blue Jays at Rangers
Wed, Aug 26 - 8:05PM EDT


GAME 3
Blue Jays at Rangers
Thu, Aug 27 - 2:05PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Red Sox (57-68) at White Sox (58-65)
Game: 2
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: August 25, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

It's beginning to take quite the optimist to consider the Chicago White Sox a wild-card contender, and if their seven-game homestand with Boston and Seattle continues in the way it started, they might no longer have to deal with the identity crisis.


A prime stretch of games to make up ground continues Tuesday night in Chicago with the White Sox trying to even the three-game series with the Red Sox.


Chicago (58-65) is six games back of Texas for the second wild card - with seven teams to pass - after Monday's 5-4 defeat dropped it to 7-12 at home since the All-Star break.


When the White Sox faced Boston from July 27-30, they won the first three games to extend a season-best winning streak to seven and get within a game of .500. The 9-15 span and 5.52 starting ERA that's followed has vice president Ken Williams scratching his head.


"I've not watched a team I've had this long and still not been able to figure it out," Williams, whose club hosts struggling Seattle for four games starting Thursday, told MLB's official website. "Generally, in June, I can figure out what our identity is and can look at a schedule and say, 'We should win this game, we're going to have a tougher time with this one.' I don't know with this club that I'm able to do that."


They've at least been able to find some consistency in Jose Quintana (7-10, 3.60 ERA).


The left-hander yielded two runs in 6 1-3 innings of a 9-2 win July 29 to give him a 2-0 mark and 1.63 ERA in four career starts against Boston.


He also earned the decision in Thursday's 8-2 road victory over the Los Angeles Angels after giving up two runs in six innings. The 26-year-old is 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA in his last six outings, and he hasn't walked three batters in his last 15 starts.


"He attacks the zone and keeps the ball down," catcher Geovany Soto said. "He knows how to pitch. Despite being as young as he is, he really knows how to do his job and knows how to prepare for a major league game. And he's only going to get better from here."


He's up against Wade Miley, who's also been in strong form.


Miley (10-9, 4.41) surrendered a run in 7 1-3 innings of Thursday's 4-1 home win over Kansas City. The left-hander has won back-to-back starts with a 1.88 ERA.


"I'm just commanding the ball a little bit better," Miley said. "When you're commanding better, you get some swings and early contact, and get deeper into ballgames."


That wasn't the case in a 9-4 home loss to Chicago on July 28 as the White Sox tagged him for seven runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings.


Jose Abreu, who homered in that game, has gone deep in two straight and is batting .472 with four homers, six doubles and 10 RBIs in a nine-game hitting streak in the series.


Melky Cabrera is 3 for 5 against Miley, but Adam LaRoche is 0 for 8.


Boston (57-68) continued to impress at the plate in the opener with Rusney Castillo going 3 for 4 with a home run, double and five RBIs. The rookie right fielder is batting .429 with a 1.288 OPS in a nine-game hitting streak.


"The guy has been dynamite," interim manager Torey Lovullo said. "He has responded to a lot of the challenges. I know that he's been coming on as of late and letting his game speak for itself. There is an ease and a rhythm to him."


Over a 13-10 span, the Red Sox are averaging 6.6 runs and batting .311 - both MLB bests




SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Red Sox at White Sox
Mon, Aug 24 Final 5 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Red Sox at White Sox
Tue, Aug 25 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Red Sox at White Sox
Wed, Aug 26 - 8:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Orioles (62-62) at Royals (76-48)
Game: 2
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: August 25, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Miguel Gonzalez posted the best ERA of any Baltimore starter in 2014 and helped the Orioles reach the AL Championship Series before they were swept by the Kansas City Royals.


He hasn't been nearly as good this season, and another poor outing could lead to the Royals dealing Baltimore another blow to their playoff chances.


The Orioles look to avoid a season-worst sixth consecutive defeat when Gonzalez takes the mound Tuesday night in Kansas City.


Gonzalez finished 10-9 with a 3.23 ERA last season as Baltimore won 96 games and its first division title since 1997. That success hasn't carried over, though, with Gonzalez (9-9, 4.73 ERA) going 0-3 with a 7.82 ERA over his last five starts and the Orioles (62-62) on the verge of falling under .500 for the first time since they were 48-49 on July 26.


The right-hander allowed at least five runs for the sixth time this season Thursday, giving up a season-worst seven through five innings of a 15-2 loss to Minnesota.


'That tells you that this game isn't easy, and it'll humble you for sure,' said Gonzalez, whose 2-1 loss to the Royals in Game 4 of last year's ALCS ended Baltimore's season. 'No matter how good you are, you are going to go through some tough times.'


Baltimore's rough stretch continued in its first of a seven-game road trip after the Royals (76-48) broke open Monday's series opener with a seven-run sixth inning on their way to an 8-3 victory.


Shortstop J.J. Hardy was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a groin injury before the Orioles fell 2 1/2 games behind Texas in a crowded race for the AL's second wild card.


Adam Jones hit a two-run homer in the first and is 5 for 10 over his last two.


'They pitched well and we didn't swing the bats well,' said manager Buck Showalter, whose club finished with five hits. 'They know that we got to get it going, and that's not usually a good recipe against good pitchers.'


Kansas City improved to 13-4 since Aug. 7 with its third straight win. Mike Moustakas hit a two-run shot for his third homer in four games, and Omar Infante finished with two triples and a pair of RBIs.


Lorenzo Cain had three hits and is 11 for 20 in his last five against the Orioles, including the ALCS.


The Royals' 13-game edge on Minnesota in the Central is by far the majors' biggest division lead.


Danny Duffy (6-6, 4.18) gets the ball looking to bounce back from a rough outing. Duffy went 4-1 with a 2.55 ERA over his previous seven starts before he gave up four runs in five innings of Thursday's 4-1 loss to Boston.


'The fourth and fifth were really clean, but you can't wait to find your rhythm until the third or fourth inning," said Duffy, who threw 75 of his 98 pitches in the first three innings. 'Quite honestly, I thought it was one of my worst starts of the year. Not at all pleased with it.'


The left-hander felt much better after his last start against the Orioles on May 17, 2014, when he allowed two hits in seven innings of a 1-0 win. He didn't pitch against Baltimore in the ALCS.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Orioles at Royals
Mon, Aug 24 Final 3 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Orioles at Royals
Tue, Aug 25 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Orioles at Royals
Wed, Aug 26 - 8:10PM EDT


GAME 4
Orioles at Royals
Thu, Aug 27 - 2:10PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Cardinals (79-45) at Diamondbacks (62-62)
Game: 2
Venue: Chase Field
Date: August 25, 2015 9:40 PM EDT

A series against the MLB-leading St. Louis Cardinals has come at a bad time for the Arizona Diamondbacks, who had been trying to close the gap in the NL West.


The Diamondbacks hope to bounce back with a rare victory over the Cardinals on Tuesday night, though Jaime Garcia will be looking to win his fifth straight start against them.


Arizona (62-62) charged into this four-game series by hitting .322 with eight homers while totaling 26 runs during a four-game sweep at Cincinnati.


The Diamondbacks couldn't sustain that pace in Monday's 5-3 loss to St. Louis (79-45), failing to trim their division deficit to 4 1/2 games behind the idle Los Angeles Dodgers.


David Peralta had four hits and Welington Castillo homered for the second straight game, but Arizona left 11 runners on base and grounded into four double plays in its fifth straight loss to the Cardinals.


"We had our chances," manager Chip Hale said. "We did a great job of getting guys in scoring position and some of our good RBI guys coming up in (Paul Goldschmidt) and (Aaron) Hill. We just hit into some double plays."


Arizona has scored three runs or less seven times while winning only once in 10 meetings with St. Louis over the past two seasons. It isn't likely to get any easier against Garcia (5-4, 1.79 ERA).


The 29-year-old has been mostly outstanding despite missing the first seven-plus weeks of the season due to a shoulder injury and another month in June with a groin injury.


Garcia has held opponents to two runs or less in nine of 12 starts, though he did allow three over 6 1-3 innings Wednesday while not factoring into the decision of a 4-3 home win over San Francisco.


"Whether you have your best stuff or don't, you want to give your team a chance," Garcia, who has a 1.32 ERA in five road starts, told MLB's official website.


Garcia has won all four of his career starts versus Arizona behind a 2.78 ERA. The Diamondbacks, though, tagged him for season highs of four runs and eight hits in six innings of a 6-4 road loss May 26. Nick Ahmed homered off Garcia and Yasmany Tomas had two doubles in that contest.


A.J. Pollock went 2 for 5 with a double Monday and is hitting .404 in his last 22 home games.


Garcia has done a nice job against Goldschmidt, who is 0 for 5 with three strikeouts lifetime in the matchup. Goldschmidt, who leads the NL with 93 RBIs and ranks third with a .327 average, could be out soon as he and his wife are expecting their first child.


Arizona will try to get back on track offensively as Robbie Ray faces the Cardinals for the first time. The left-hander was originally scheduled to pitch in the opener before getting pushed back after the club recalled starter Jhoulys Chacin from Triple-A Reno.


Ray (3-9, 3.38) allowed three runs over six innings Wednesday but didn't get any runs from the offense for the second consecutive outing in a 4-1 loss at Pittsburgh. He's gone 0-5 with a 4.97 ERA in seven starts since his last victory at Texas on July 7.


St. Louis has totaled 15 runs in its last two wins after pushing across nine over its previous five games. Matt Carpenter hit his 19th home run Monday to snap an 0-for-21 slide.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Cardinals at Diamondbacks
Mon, Aug 24 Final 5 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Cardinals at Diamondbacks
Tue, Aug 25 - 9:40PM EDT


GAME 3
Cardinals at Diamondbacks
Wed, Aug 26 - 9:40PM EDT


GAME 4
Cardinals at Diamondbacks
Thu, Aug 27 - 9:40PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Athletics (55-71) at Mariners (57-68
Game: 2
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: August 25, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Mike Montgomery pitched seven seasons in the minors before getting his shot with the Seattle Mariners and producing an unexpectedly stellar first month in the major leagues.


His story doesn't sound like much of a fairy tale now.


Montgomery hasn't won since defeating the Oakland Athletics 7 1/2 weeks ago, and he'll look to end that drought by beating them again Tuesday night.


Seattle (57-68) acquired the 26-year-old rookie from Tampa Bay for Erasmo Ramirez on March 31 and called him up to make his debut June 2. Montgomery (4-6, 4.16 ERA) went 4-2 with a 1.62 ERA in his first six seven starts, tossing back-to-back shutouts June 23 against Kansas City - the club that drafted him in the first round in 2006 - and San Diego on June 30.


The left-hander allowed one run in 5 2-3 innings of a 2-1 win over Oakland on July 5, but he's mostly struggled since then. Montgomery has gone 0-4 with a 7.45 ERA in his last eight starts and gave up nine runs in 2 1-3 innings of a 15-1 loss to Boston on Aug. 14.


He allowed three runs in the first inning of Wednesday's 7-2 defeat to Texas but gave up three hits over his final five.


'Once I started commanding the fastball, I got a lot of early outs on it,' Montgomery said.


Montgomery is 1-3 with a 3.40 ERA in seven home starts and gets another shot to snap out of his funk against the A's, who ended a eight-game road skid with Monday's 11-5 victory.


Franklin Gutierrez hit a three-run homer and Mark Trumbo added a solo shot later in the Mariners' five-run third inning, but Oakland (55-71 responded with seven in the fifth.


Josh Reddick went 3 for 5 with a homer, Danny Valencia also went deep and Stephen Vogt added three hits for the A's, who posted their highest run total since a 14-1 win over Minnesota on July 19.


'We're resilient. We hustle. We fight. Reddick getting down the line right there was huge,' Valencia said. 'We take advantage of small mistakes. Doing those things is the reason why we won.'


Seattle has dropped four of five, and about the only positive from its latest defeat was Nelson Cruz reaching base in his 34th straight game by being hit by a pitch.


The Mariners have had some success against Oakland's Jesse Chavez (7-12, 3.75), who had one of his better outings Wednesday, allowing two runs in eight innings of a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He went 1-3 with a 6.57 ERA over his previous five outings.


Chavez's win over the Dodgers came in his career-high 22nd start. He made 21 last season after starting four times in the first six years of his career.


'The work that I put in will lead to results," Chavez said. "That's all I want to show, is that I'm still out there working to get through this season, a full season at that, as a starter. I want to build off this.'


The right-hander, though, has lost his last four starts against the Mariners with a 4.75 ERA. Chavez fell 4-3 to Seattle on May 10, allowing four runs over 6 2-3 innings, and gave up two-run homers to Cruz and Logan Morrison in 6 1-3 of a 9-5 defeat July 3.


Chavez has particularly struggled against Cruz (5 for 11, two homers) and Robinson Cano (7 for 16).


SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Athletics at Mariners
Mon, Aug 24 Final 11 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps


GAME 2
Athletics at Mariners
Tue, Aug 25 - 10:10PM EDT


GAME 3
Athletics at Mariners
Wed, Aug 26 - 3:40PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

Preview: Cubs (72-51) at Giants (66-58)
Game: 1
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: August 25, 2015 10:15 PM EDT

The San Francisco Giants look to use a return home to bolster their pursuit of the NL West lead, but their difficult schedule isn't ceasing.


The Giants open their homestand Tuesday night against a short-handed Chicago Cubs team seeking to pad its sizable lead on a playoff berth while Jake Arrieta attempts to become MLB's first 16-game winner.


San Francisco (66-58) batted .226 with 16 runs while going 2-5 on the road against two of the NL's best teams, St. Louis and Pittsburgh. The Giants, though, are just 1 1/2 games behind the slumping Los Angeles Dodgers in the division.


"It goes through cycles," manager Bruce Bochy told MLB's official website. "A week ago we were getting all the big hits we needed, and this road trip we've had a hard time getting them in."


The Giants get to resume their NL West chase at AT&T Park, where they've won 13 of 15 while hitting .317 with 84 runs. They'll again have to face two of the NL's better clubs - the Cubs (72-51) and St. Louis - in a six-game homestand before a three-game showdown at Los Angeles.


San Francisco is 7-10 in a 26-game stretch against teams that currently have winning records.


The Giants opened that run of play by getting swept in four games in Chicago from Aug. 6-9 and allowed the Cubs to take the NL's second wild card. They currently own a 6 1/2-game advantage over San Francisco but won't have two contributors to their playoff push for the near future.


Jorge Soler could be out for a month because of a strained left oblique and reliever Jason Motte also went on the disabled list Monday with a strained right shoulder. Soler was 6 for 13 with four RBIs against the Giants.


"It's just one of those things that happens," manager Joe Maddon said. "Everybody faces the different dilemmas this time of year, and you have to play through the bad lie. â?¦ You have to have depth."


Addison Russell was not in the lineup for Monday's 2-1 win over Cleveland, being given the day off as his fiancee is expecting their first child. He may still be day to day with a groin injury that forced him out of Sunday's victory against Atlanta.


Kris Bryant's 20th home run sent the Cubs to their fifth straight win and 20th in their last 24 games.


'They came through and I knew I was going to get an at-bat there and I made the most of it," said Bryant, who became the fifth rookie in Cubs history to hit 20 homers in a season.


Hunter Pence (oblique), Angel Pagan (knee) and Joe Panik (back) are on the disabled list for San Francisco. Pence went 6 for 13 in the four games in Chicago and had one of his team's four hits off Arrieta (15-6, 2.30 ERA) in a 2-0 loss Aug. 9.


The right-hander added to his NL Cy Young Award candidacy with six scoreless innings in Thursday's 7-1 win over Atlanta, improving to 4-0 with a 0.66 ERA this month.


Arrieta, 7-0 with a 1.44 ERA in his last nine road outings, took a 4-0 loss in his most recent against San Francisco on May 27, 2014.


Matt Cain (2-3, 5.66) allowed five runs in a season-low four innings Aug. 8 in an 8-6 loss in Chicago, but pitched well Wednesday. The right-hander yielded two runs in six innings in St. Louis but remained winless in five consecutive starts after the Giants' 4-3 loss.


Cain is 4-0 with a 1.23 ERA in his last six home starts against the Cubs, with the most recent July 26, 2013.



SERIES AT A GLANCE


GAME 1
Cubs at Giants
Tue, Aug 25 - 10:15PM EDT


GAME 2
Cubs at Giants
Wed, Aug 26 - 10:15PM EDT


GAME 3
Cubs at Giants
Thu, Aug 27 - 3:45PM EDT

 

[CNOTES]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up


Tuesday, August 25

National League
Mets @ Phillies
Mets are 1-8 in Syndergaard road starts; he is 1-1, 6.19 in his last three starts; his last four starts went over the total.


Williams is 1-2, 5.92 in his last five starts (over 3-1-1).


Mets won ten of last 11 games with Philly; four of last five went over total. New York won five of last six games; seven of their last eight went over total. Phillies won four of their last six; five of their last seven went over total.


Padres @ Nationals
Shields is 0-1, 4.42 in his last three road starts; his last four starts overall went over the total.


Strasburg went to San Diego State; he is 4-1, 1.51 in his last six starts; six of his last seven stayed under the total.


Padres lost three of last four games with Washington; four of last five series games went over. San Diego won seven of last nine games (over 8-2 in last 10). Nationals won four of last six games (over 5-3-1 in last nine).


Rockies @ Braves
Bettis is making first start since July 18; he is 1-2, 8.55 in his last four starts. Four of his last five starts went over.


Foltynewicz is 0-2, 12.54 in his last two starts; his last four all went over.


Colorado won five of last six games with Atlanta; three of last five stayed under the total. Rockies lost nine of last 11 games (over 7-4). Braves are 1-7 in their last eight games (over 6-2).


Pirates @ Marlins
Morton is 2-0, 2.88 in his last four starts; under is 5-3-1 in his last nine.


Hand is 2-1, 3.13 in his last four starts (over 2-2).


Pirates won nine of last 11 games with Miami; last four stayed under total. Pittsburgh won ten of last 12 games; five of last six stayed under. Marlins lost five of last six games; over is 6-3-1 in their last ten.


Dodgers @ Reds
Wood is 1-2, 5.01 in his last four starts.


Lamb is 0-1, 6.35 in his first two MLB starts (over 2-0).


Dodgers won their last three games with Cincinnati; three of last four series games went over. LA lost its last five games, scoring nine runs- five of their last six stayed under. Reds lost nine of last ten games (over 4-1 in last five).


Cardinals @ Diamondbacks
Garcia is 2-0, 1.69 in his last four starts (under 4-0-1 in last five).


Ray is 0-4, 5.48 in his last four starts (under 4-0).


St Louis won ten of last 11 games with Arizona; under is 7-2-1 in last ten series games. D'backs won four of last five games, scoring 29 runs; under is 4-3-1 in their last eight. Cardinals split last eight games (over 3-0-1 last four).


Cubs @ Giants
Arrieta is 4-0, 0.99 in his last four starts; under is 5-2-1 in his last eight.


Cain is 0-2, 7.01 in his last five starts; over is 5-0-2 in his last seven.


Cubs won last four games with the Giants (over 3-1); Chicago won last five games overall, scoring 32 runs (over 7-3 in last ten). SF lost four of its last five; under is 5-1-2 in their last eight games


American League
Astros @ Bronx
Keuchel is 2-1, 2.60 in his last four starts; four of his last five stayed under.


Nova is 1-2, 5.19 in his last three starts; six of his last seven stayed under.


Astros lost three of last four games with Bronx; six of last seven in series stayed under total. Houston won five of last seven games (under 7-0). Bronx lost three of last five games overall; under is 7-4-1 in their last twelve.


Angels @ Tigers
Weaver is 1-1, 2.60 in his last three starts; three of his last four went under.


Simon is 1-1, 2.57 in his last two starts; four of his last six stayed under.


Angels won their last seven games with Detroit (under 5-2); Halos gave up 44 runs in losing last four games- five of their last six went over. Tigers lost last four games, allowing 23 runs; four of their last five stayed under.


Twins @ Rays
Santana is 0-4, 9.11 in his last five starts (under 5-1 in last six on road).


Karns is 2-0, 3.33 in his last five starts; (over 2-0-1 last three at home).


Minnesota lost four of last six games with Tampa Bay; over is 7-3 in last ten series games. Twins won last four games, scoring 26 runs; four of their last five stayed under. Rays won three of last four (under 4-2 in last six) games.


Orioles @ Royals
Gonzalez is 0-3, 7.82 in his last five starts; seven of last ten went over.


Duffy is 2-1, 3.80 in his last four starts; nine of his last ten stayed under.


Orioles lost their last seven games with Kansas City; under is 5-4 in last nine series games. Baltimore lost six of last seven games; three of last four stayed under total. Royals won eight of last ten games (over 3-0-1 in last four).


Blue Jays @ Rangers
Buehrle is 2-1, 4.70 in his last five starts; five of his last six went over.


Holland is 1-1, 3.68 in his two starts this year (under 1-0-1).


Toronto won four of last five games with Texas; eight of last ten games went under total. Blue Jays won five of last six games; they scored 36 runs in last three-- their last five went over. Rangers won eight of last ten games (under is 7-0-1 in their last eight games).


Red Sox @ White Sox
Miley is 2-0, 188 in his last two starts; four of his last six went over.


Quintana is 1-1, 4.01 in his last four starts; four of his last five went over.


Red Sox lost three of last five games with Chicago; seven of last eight series games got over total. Boston won five of last seven games; over is 12-1-1 in its last fourteen games. White Sox won three of last five games; six of their last seven went over.


A's @ Mariners
Chavez is 2-1, 3.00 in his last three starts- they all stayed under.


Seattle lost last eight Montgomery starts (0-4, 8.15); over is 2-0-1 in his last three.


Oakland lost seven of last ten games with Seattle; three of last five stayed under the total. A's are 4-9 in their last 13 games overall, but scored 19 runs in winning last two. Mariners lost seven of last ten games (over 7-2-1).


Interleague
Brewers @ Indians
Peralta is 2-2, 604 in his last four starts; over is 5-3-1 in his last nine..


Tomlin is 1-1, 2.03 in his two starts this season (under 2-0).


Brewers won eight of last nine games with Cleveland; last five went over the total. Milwaukee lost four of last six games )over 4-0-1 in last five). Indians are 3-2 in last five games, but scored only seven runs in last three-- over is 5-3 in their last eight. .


Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
NY-Phil-- Syndergaard 9-9; Williams 7-13
SD-Wsh-- Shields 12-14 (3-11 last 14); Strasburg 8-8 (5-1 last 6)
Pitt-Mia-- Morton 12-4 (5-0 last 5); Hand 3-4
Col-Atl-- Bettis 8-5; Foltynewicz 6-8
LA-Cin-- Wood 9-16/1-3; Lamb 0-2
StL-Az-- Garcia 7-5 (4-0 last 4); Ray 4-11
Chi-SF-- Arrieta 17-8 (9-1 last 10); Cain 4-5


Hst-NY-- Keuchel 17-8; Nova 5-5
LA-Det-- Weaver 8-10; Simon 14-9 (5-1 last 6)
Minn-TB-- Santana 3-6 (0-5 last 5); Karns 11-13
Tor-Tex-- Buehrle 14-10; Holland 1-1
Balt-KC-- Gonzalez 12-11; Duffy 12-7 (7-2 last 9)
Bos-Chi-- Miley 12-13; Quintana 10-15
A's-Sea-- Chavez 7-15; Montgomery 4-11 (0-8 last 8)


Mil-Clev-- Peralta 6-8; Tomlin 1-1


Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
NY-Phil-- Syndergaard 6-18; Williams 7-20
SD-Wsh-- Shields 7-26; Strasburg 4-16
Pitt-Mia-- Morton 8-16; Hand 3-7
Col-Atl-- Bettis 3-13; Foltynewicz 6-14
LA-Cin-- Wood 8-25; Lamb 1-2
StL-Az-- Garcia 2-12; Ray 2-15
Chi-SF-- Arrieta 4-25; Cain 4-9


Hst-NY-- Keuchel 4-25; Nova 1-10
LA-Det-- Weaver 5-18; Simon 3-23
Minn-TB-- Santana 1-9; Karns 11-24 (3 of last 3)
Tor-Tex-- Buehrle 13-24; Holland 1-2
Balt-KC-- Gonzalez 6-23; Duffy 3-19
Bos-Chi-- Miley 7-25; Quintana 14-25
A's-Sea-- Chavez 6-22; Montgomery 4-15


Mil-Clev-- Peralta 5-14; Tomlin 0-2


Umpires
NY-Phil-- Under is 8-3-1 in last twelve Bellino games.
Pitt-Mia-- Home side won five of last six O'Nora games.
Col-Atl-- Under is 8-4 in last twelve Knight games.
StL-Az-- Over is 9-5-1 in last fourteen Fairchild games.


Hst-NY-- Underdogs won 12 of last 16 Cooper games.
Bos-Chi-- Over is 8-5 in last thirteen Ripperger games.
Balt-KC-- Under is 15-3-1 in last nineteen Tumpane games.
A's-Sea-- Four of last five Reynolds games stayed under.

 

[CNOTES]

MLB


Tuesday, August 25

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


7:05 PM
NY METS vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone OVER in 7 of NY Mets's last 8 games
NY Mets are 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing NY Mets
Philadelphia is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home


7:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. NY YANKEES
Houston is 3-8 SU in their last 11 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 7 games when playing NY Yankees
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of NY Yankees's last 21 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of NY Yankees's last 19 games


7:05 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. WASHINGTON
San Diego is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Washington
San Diego is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against San Diego
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 6 games when playing San Diego


7:08 PM
LA ANGELS vs. DETROIT
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of LA Angels's last 10 games when playing on the road against Detroit
LA Angels are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Detroit's last 10 games when playing at home against LA Angels


7:10 PM
COLORADO vs. ATLANTA
Colorado is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Colorado is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games
Atlanta is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home
Atlanta is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Colorado


7:10 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
Milwaukee is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games on the road
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee


7:10 PM
MINNESOTA vs. TAMPA BAY
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games
Tampa Bay is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games when playing Minnesota


7:10 PM
LA DODGERS vs. CINCINNATI
LA Dodgers are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cincinnati's last 7 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
Cincinnati is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games at home


7:10 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. MIAMI
Pittsburgh is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Pittsburgh is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
Miami is 12-6 SU in its last 18 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Miami's last 23 games


8:05 PM
TORONTO vs. TEXAS
Toronto is 16-3 SU in its last 19 games
Toronto is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Texas
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Texas's last 8 games at home
Texas is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home


8:10 PM
BOSTON vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Boston is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Boston's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chi White Sox's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Chi White Sox's last 13 games at home


8:10 PM
BALTIMORE vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Baltimore's last 6 games when playing Kansas City
Baltimore is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
Kansas City is 8-2 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Kansas City's last 20 games when playing Baltimore


9:40 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. ARIZONA
St. Louis is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games on the road
St. Louis is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Arizona is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games at home
Arizona is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing St. Louis


10:10 PM
OAKLAND vs. SEATTLE
Oakland is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oakland's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Seattle's last 6 games at home
Seattle is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Oakland


10:15 PM
CHI CUBS vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Chi Cubs's last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Chi Cubs's last 9 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of San Francisco's last 8 games
San Francisco is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games