Friday 9/25/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Dodgers (87-65) at Rockies (63-90)

Game: 1
Venue: Coors Field
Date: September 25, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Mike Bolsinger knows that the way he is pitching, he won't be a part of the Los Angeles Dodgers' postseason rotation and may not be on the roster.

The right-hander will try to shake off some recent woes Friday night in the opener of a three-game road series with the Colorado Rockies.

Los Angeles (87-65) is closing in on a third straight NL West title that will likely come during this seven-game trip. The Dodgers still have plenty of incentive to play well through the end of the season with a slight lead over the New York Mets for home-field advantage in the division series.

Numerous players are auditioning to be a part of Los Angeles' playoff plans, with rookie Corey Seager stating his case by batting .353 in 19 games since being called up Sept. 3 from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

The Dodgers called up Bolsinger (6-4, 3.26 ERA) two days earlier, and he's 1-1 with a 6.23 ERA in three starts since returning to the majors. He lasted 4 1-3 innings and gave up four runs in Sunday's 4-3 home loss to Pittsburgh.

'I don't think it's mechanics,' Bolsinger said. 'It's just my timing and feel for my pitches is just off. I just don't feel it. That feel is just not there. The curveball used to be sharper. Now it's more loopy, and I'm leaving it up in the strike zone.'

Bolsinger is 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA in two 2015 starts versus the Rockies, holding Nolan Arenado hitless in five at-bats.

Los Angeles is 11-5 against Colorado (63-90), going 4-2 on the road.

The Dodgers sent Seager to the bench and welcomed back third baseman Justin Turner in Thursday's 6-3 victory over Arizona. Turner missed four games with a knee injury and went 0 for 2 with a walk before being removed after five innings.

"We've got a little bit of a plan, but it's not necessarily just five innings, it'll be the number of games consecutive, all that kind of the same stuff, just trying to get him back on his feet, keep the swelling out, keep him sharp," manager Don Mattingly said.

Colorado reached the 90-loss plateau for the third time in four years after losing its fifth straight, 5-4 at home to Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Arenado had two doubles and two RBIs. He's among baseball's leaders with 38 doubles and a .369 average with runners in scoring position.

The Rockies stole six bases in the four-game series with the Pirates.

"We put some runners in motion," manager Walt Weiss said. "We felt like we had an opportunity to do that so we were a little more aggressive on the bases."

Colorado will give David Hale (4-5, 6.32) his first start since Aug. 23 in place of Yohan Flande, who left his last outing with a knee injury. Colorado dropped Hale's last seven starts, with the right-hander going 0-5 with a 7.45 ERA.

The right-hander has made one start and four relief appearances in his career against the Dodgers, posting a 3.86 ERA. The Los Angeles hitter he has faced the most is Jimmy Rollins, who is 4 for 9 in this matchup.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Indians (75-76) at Royals (89-63)

Game: 1
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: September 25, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The Kansas City Royals took the AL Central lead in early June and never looked back on their way to clinching their first division championship since 1985.

That's also the year they won their only World Series, and they know there's still a long road ahead to get back to a second consecutive Fall Classic.

Edinson Volquez hasn't pitched all that well against the visiting Cleveland Indians, but he'll look to help the Royals win a third straight game for the first time in nearly a month Friday night.

Kansas City (89-63) held a double-digit lead atop the Central for most of the second half, and it wrapped up its first division title in 30 years Thursday with a 10-4 win over Seattle and Minnesota's 6-3 loss to Cleveland.

"I've felt all along we would win this division. I've got my eyes on a much bigger prize," manager Ned Yost said. "This is the first step of it."

The accomplishment comes one year after the Royals rode a wild-card berth all the way to the World Series, where they lost to San Francisco in seven games.

"We understand that we're not done," center fielder Lorenzo Cain said. "We've got a lot of unfinished business to take care of."

Kansas City's next goal is to secure home-field advantage throughout the postseason. The AL pennant winner will have that edge in the Fall Classic due to the NL losing the All-Star Game, and the Royals hold a two-game edge on Toronto for the AL's best record despite being 7-12 since Sept. 4.

They now look to win three in a row for the first time since Aug. 27-29 behind Volquez (13-8, 3.62 ERA). He has allowed seven runs and 14 hits while walking seven in 11 innings over his last two starts, and he's given up at least four runs in half of his last eight outings.

Volquez has had his issues against the Indians, going 1-1 with a 6.43 ERA in three starts this season. He's walked 14 in 14 innings while also surrendering 15 hits.

Michael Brantley has gone 4 for 6 off Volquez in those outings but has sat out the last two games with a jammed right shoulder. Manager Terry Francona said he's getting close to returning but that playing in this contest might be a stretch.

Jason Kipnis led off Thursday's victory with a homer and Carlos Santana added a three-run shot as the Indians (75-76) salvaged the finale of a three-game series. They still hold slim playoff hopes as they trail Houston by four games for the second wild card, but they'd have to hop four teams in the standings.

"You're trying to win every game no matter the circumstance," said Lonnie Chisenhall, who drove in two runs. "I know we've got a chance and have something to play for."

Carlos Carrasco (13-11, 3.62) takes the ball looking to help improve those chances. He has a 2.19 ERA and a .167 opponents' batting average over his last eight starts with 63 strikeouts in 53 1-3 innings.

That includes allowing one run while striking out nine in six innings of an 8-3 win over the Royals on Sept. 14. The right-hander, though, lost to the Chicago White Sox on Saturday as he gave up three runs - two earned - in five-plus innings of a 4-3 defeat.

Carrasco has won all three of his starts against the Royals this season with a 2.25 ERA, striking out 23 in 20 innings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (83-69) at Astros (80-73)

Game: 1
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: September 25, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The Texas Rangers have won seven straight over the second-place Houston Astros and can take a major step toward their first AL West title in four years this weekend.

They may have the right person on the mound to start this three-game series.

Yovani Gallardo has beaten the Astros more than any other club and will get the ball Friday night in Houston.

Texas (83-69) has a magic number of seven to capture the West after sweeping three games in Oakland to start this six-game trip following Thursday's 8-1 victory. The Rangers have won nine of 11, including a four-game home sweep of the Astros from Sept. 14-17.

'They've got some great energy right now, superior focus and they're on a mission,' manager Jeff Banister said. 'Each one of them knows where we want to go. We're not there yet so they maintain that focus.'

Texas trailed by eight games in the West race Aug. 2. Now Houston (80-73) may be better served by focusing on holding off Minnesota and Los Angeles for the second wild card.

The Astros are losers of seven of 10 after Wednesday's 6-5 defeat to the Angels.

'We're right in the thick of this,' manager A.J. Hinch said. 'We're in the thick of the division; we're in the thick of the wild card with our sights set on a really big series against Texas.

'I downplay everything for five months, five-and-a-half months to get to this series. There's no downplaying it. I'm not going to sit in front of you and say it's not an important series.'

Gallardo (12-11, 3.41 ERA) is tied with Philadelphia's Aaron Harang for the most wins against the Astros among active pitchers, going 15-4 with a 3.09 ERA. He is 2-1 with a 6.14 ERA in three 2015 matchups.

"I know these next three games are going to be very important," Gallardo told MLB's official website. "For me, I have done it before, but you still have to make pitches no matter what the situation. It will be more exciting, that's for sure, than other games."

Houston has some lefty-swinging hitters who have fared well against the right-hander in Jason Castro (.350), Luis Valbuena (.321) and Colby Rasmus (.318).

Gallardo has failed to get out of the sixth inning in five consecutive starts, allowing three runs in five-plus innings in Friday's 3-1 home defeat to Seattle.

His mound opponent, Scott Kazmir (7-10, 2.73), turned in his shortest start with the Astros by allowing three runs in 3 2-3 innings in Saturday's 10-6 win over the Athletics. Kazmir is 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA in his last five starts.

The left-hander is 2-1 with a 1.60 ERA in five starts this year versus the Rangers. Prince Fielder, Shin-soo Choo, Delino DeShields and Adrian Beltre are a combined 5 for 39 against him in 2015.

DeShields is 7 for 14 with six RBIs in his last four games. Beltre was 6 for 14 with eight RBIs in the Oakland series.

"The main thing is not putting pressure on ourselves," DeShields said. "It's really ours to lose."

The Astros' Carlos Gomez has missed the last 11 games with an intercostal strain and is unlikely to play this weekend.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Brewers (64-89) at Cardinals (97-56)

Game: 2
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: September 25, 2015 8:15 PM EDT

While Carlos Martinez has enjoyed a successful first full season as a starter for the St. Louis Cardinals, he's struggled at home of late.

The right-hander can turn things around at Busch Stadium with another dominating start against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night.

After contributing almost exclusively out of the bullpen for St. Louis (97-56) each of the past two years, Martinez (14-7, 3.01 ERA) has the second-most wins on the team and would appear to be in good position for a spot in the NL division series' rotation.

"I always want to give my team the best chance to win a game," he told MLB's official website. "That's all I'm worried about all the time."

Following a five-start stretch where he went 1-3 with a 5.60 ERA, Martinez is 1-0 with a 1.84 ERA in two starts that both came on the road. The first came at Milwaukee on Sept. 15 when he allowed a Khris Davis homer, three other hits and struck out nine in eight innings of a 3-1, 10-inning victory

"He gets the excitement around this (time of year), and being here, and he feeds off that stuff," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said about Martinez, who has yielded only that home run and fanned 17 in 15 innings against the Brewers this season.

Matheny, though, would like to see Martinez fare better at home, where he went 5-2 with a 2.28 ERA in his first nine starts but is 1-2 with a 6.11 ERA in the last five.

Davis is 4 for 10 with that homer and two doubles against Martinez, who tries to lead St. Louis to a sixth consecutive victory following Thursday's 7-3 win over the Brewers (64-89).

Jhonny Peralta and Stephen Piscotty hit back-to-back homers and combined for seven RBIs as the major league-leading Cardinals won for the ninth time in the last 11 games to remain four ahead of Pittsburgh in the NL Central.

'I love it. With the fans and crowd here, once you get a little taste of that, you're not playing for your numbers,' Piscotty said. 'You're playing for those moments.'

The number haven't been bad for Piscotty, who homered for the sixth time and is batting .313 with 37 RBIs in 58 games since making his major league debut July 21.

He's has seven RBIs in six games against Milwaukee. However, Piscotty went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts against Ariel Pena (2-0, 3.50) when the right-hander yielded a run in five innings against Martinez and the Cardinals last week.

Though Pena has walked 10 and not completed more than five innings in any of his three career starts this month, he hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of those contests.

"He's certainly representing himself well," manager Craig Counsell said. "He's given us a chance to win in all three starts."

Jonathan Lucroy delivered a pinch-hit single Thursday in his first action since suffering a concussion Sept. 8. Counsell said Lucroy won't catch again this season but could play first base and pinch hit at some point of the next week.

"It's the type of injury where you want to feel like you're back to normal," Counsell said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mariners (74-79) at Angels (78-74)

Game: 1
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: September 25, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

With consecutive series wins against clubs they're chasing, the resurgent Los Angeles Angels are making some headway in their fight for a playoff berth.

Los Angeles hopes to continue the climb with its wins leader on the mound Friday night against the Seattle Mariners in the opener of a favorable six-game homestand.

After losing two of three at Safeco Field last week, the Angels were 3 1/2 behind Houston, which holds the second wild-card spot, and two behind Minnesota. They bounced back, though, by taking three of four from the Twins and two of three against the Astros.

Los Angeles (78-74) is now just 1 1/2 back of Houston and tied with Minnesota heading into its final homestand against Seattle and last-place Oakland. The club wraps up the season with four at AL West-leading Texas, which it trails by five games.

"We're staying focused, know what we need to do, don't try to force it, just do our job and win the series," Angels slugger Albert Pujols said.

Garrett Richards (14-11, 3.73 ERA) will try to lead Los Angeles to its fifth win in the past six home meetings with the Mariners. He's been at his best at Angel Stadium, allowing three runs or less in 13 of 15 starts while going 9-4 with a 3.03 ERA.

After allowing four runs in five innings of a 10-1 loss at Seattle on Sept. 14, the right-hander gave up two runs over 8 2-3 in Saturday's 5-2 win at Minnesota. He has had trouble with his command, walking 16 over his last four starts.

The Angels have won Richards' two home outings against the Mariners this season, but lost two at Safeco. He's 2-0 with a 1.52 ERA in four career home starts in the series.

Logan Morrison and Seth Smith have both homered off Richards this year, though Nelson Cruz has gone 4 for 22 lifetime in the matchup.

Morrison hit his 17th homer and Ketel Marte extended his hitting streak to 11 games in Thursday's 10-4 loss at Kansas City, which claimed its first division title in 30 years.

"Keep working, get better and maybe we can be doing that next year," Morrison said.

The Mariners (74-79) have scored three runs or less 11 times during a 7-9 stretch against the Angels. They've hit .220 and averaged 2.8 runs while going 2-4 in Anaheim.

They'll attempt to reverse that trend for Vidal Nuno (1-3, 3.64), who has bounced in and out of the rotation over the past seven weeks. Felix Hernandez has been moved back to Saturday after experiencing elbow tightness in last Sunday's outing.

Nuno struggled Saturday when he allowed five runs while walking four over 3 1-3 innings in a 10-1 loss at Texas. He's gone 0-2 with an 8.31 ERA in four road starts.

In his only career outing at Angel Stadium, the left-hander surrendered one run over 6 1-3 innings in a 9-2 win May 7, 2014.

Erick Aybar, 2 for 2 off Nuno in 2015, is hitting .358 in the season series. Mike Trout, whose only hit in six career at-bats versus Nuno left the yard, has batted .322 with six homers against the Mariners.

Seattle is trying to avoid its first three-game losing streak since Aug. 19-22.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (79-73) at Athletics (64-89)

Game: 1
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: September 25, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

Sonny Gray has been one of the few bright spots for the Oakland Athletics during a difficult season, but even his performance has slipped recently.

He'll look to snap out of his funk as the A's try to avoid a sixth consecutive defeat when they host the fading San Francisco Giants on Friday night.

Oakland (64-89) has fallen 25 games under .500 for the first time since 1997 and is on the brink of its first 90-loss season since that same year, a resoundingly disappointing way to end a run a three straight playoff appearances.

The A's fell 8-1 on Thursday as Texas completed a three-game sweep, dealing Oakland its ninth loss in its last 11 at home.

Gray (13-7, 2.72 ERA) had been shining through all the disappointment. He led the AL with a 2.13 ERA after his outing Aug. 28, but it has gone up considerably over his last four starts.

The right-hander has especially struggled over his last two, allowing a season-high seven runs over three innings in a loss to the Chicago White Sox on Sept. 14 before giving up five in 5 1-3 of Saturday's loss at Houston.

Gray has surrendered at least five runs in three of his last four after doing so twice in his first 26 outings.

"I feel fine," Gray said. "It's command. Look at it, I've walked eight guys in the last eight innings, that's an easy answer. You just have to throw more strikes, attack better and not give away bases like that."

Gray was stingy in his only career start against the Giants, though, as he struck out eight over seven innings of a 6-1 victory July 8, 2014. San Francisco went on to win its third World Series in five years last season, but its hopes of getting back to the postseason look bleak.

The Giants (79-73) have lost four of six after falling 5-4 to San Diego on Thursday and are eight games behind the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers with 10 to play.

Worse news is that San Francisco is closer in the division race than in the wild-card pursuit, as a loss or a Chicago Cubs victory would end its very faint hopes for the NL's final playoff spot. Given those circumstances, manager Bruce Bochy said he "would be shocked" if key players like Hunter Pence, Brandon Belt, Nori Aoki and Gregor Blanco played again this season because of injuries.

Brandon Crawford homered Thursday and is 5 for 10 over his last three, and rookie Matt Duffy had three hits.

The Giants look to bounce back behind Mike Leake (10-9, 3.81), who also has struggled lately. He has a 7.36 ERA over his last three outings and is coming off his shortest start in nearly two years after allowing three runs and eight hits in just three innings of Saturday's 6-0 loss to Arizona.

The right-hander hasn't faced Oakland in more than five years, and the only Athletic with more than three at-bats off Leake is the injured Ike Davis.

San Francisco swept a three-game series between the clubs at home from July 24-26, but the A's have won the last five matchups in Oakland.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (73-80) at Padres (72-81)

Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: September 25, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

The NL leaders in wins since the All-Star break are calculable: Jake Arrieta and Zack Greinke with 10 followed by Madison Bumgarner and Clayton Kershaw at nine.

After that, a group of three stands at seven, and among them is Arizona's Rubby De La Rosa.

The right-hander entered the season with eight career victories, which he can match in 13 starts since the break Friday night in San Diego as the Diamondbacks and Padres begin a three-game series.

De La Rosa (13-8, 4.60 ERA) is 7-3 with a 3.88 ERA in his last 12 starts, matching Jake Peavy and Michael Wacha for fifth-most wins in the NL in that time. The 26-year-old gave up a hit with four walks in 5 2-3 innings of last Friday's 2-0 victory in San Francisco.

"He spotted his fastball and I thought he used his sinker a lot more tonight," manager Chip Hale told MLB's official website. "He mixed his pitches. He threw a lot of sliders. He kept his composure out there."

That's always been the case against the Padres with a 3-0 record and 1.38 ERA in four starts with the wins coming in three this season. De La Rosa has silenced Justin Upton (0 for 10), Matt Kemp (1 for 10) and Derek Norris (1 for 9), but Wil Myers (4 for 9) and Yangervis Solarte (4 for 10) have had some success.

De La Rosa is up against Casey Kelly, who makes his first big league start this season. Kelly (0-0, 4.50 ERA) gave up a run and five hits in two innings of relief in Saturday's 10-2 loss in Colorado for his first MLB appearance since making six starts in 2012 and going 2-3 with a 6.21 ERA.

The right-hander was 2-10 with a 5.16 ERA in 31 games - 17 starts - with Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A El Paso this season. The 25-year-old was awful in losing his only start against Arizona in 2012, giving up six runs and eight hits in 2 1-3 innings.

The Padres (72-81) are a game back of the Diamondbacks for third place in the NL West after taking the last two of a three-game home series with San Francisco. In Thursday's 5-4 win, Norris was 3 for 4 with a home run and two doubles, tripling his extra-base hit output from his previous 10 games.

It was the third win in four games and second straight walk-off victory for San Diego, which is one defeat shy of a fifth straight losing season.

"It's too late this year," interim manager Pat Murphy said. "... I think if you look at the guys for the future, they're sending the message that, 'Hey, there's a lot to play for.'"

After Thursday's 6-3 loss, the Diamondbacks (73-80) settled for a split with the Los Angeles Dodgers after winning the first two. They're 4-3 on a 10-game road trip, and another loss would ensure them a fourth straight season without a winning record.

Since they last went over .500 at 62-61 on Aug. 23, they've won 11 of 30.

"We had high expectations going into this year, but we let some games get away," said Paul Goldschmidt, 7 for 16 with three home runs in his last four games. "We have a young team, but hopefully with some more experience, we can keep improving. ... Obviously, we want to be up there with the Dodgers and winning the division. We're not there yet, so we have to try to find ways to keep getting better."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB roundup: Royals win AL Central
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Mike Moustakas homered, drove in three runs and reached five times as the Kansas City Royals thrashed the Seattle Mariners 10-4 Thursday night.

With the Royals' victory and the Minnesota Twins' loss to the Cleveland Indians, Kansas City wrapped up the American League Central championship.

The Royals have not won a division crown since 1985 when they were in the AL West.

Padres 5, Giants 4

SAN DIEGO -- For the second straight night, San Diego scored a walk-off win against San Francisco.

Pinch-hitter Alexi Amarista singled home Derek Norris with one out in the ninth to give the Padres a 5-4 win in the rubber match of the three-game series.

The loss dropped the reigning World Series champion Giants eight games behind the Dodgers with 10 games to play in the National League West.

Indians 6, Twins 3

MINNEAPOLIS -- Cody Anderson pitched 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball and got plenty of early run support as Cleveland salvaged the final game of a three-game series.

The win moved Cleveland to within 2 1/2 games of the Twins in the American League wild card standings, and to within four games of the idle Houston Astros for the second wild card spot.

Francisco Lindor had three hits and designated hitter Carlos Santana had a three-run home run.

Cardinals 7, Brewers 3

ST. LOUIS -- Thanks largely to a rookie who just arrived in the majors about two months ago, St. Louis continued its steady march to a National League Central title.

Stephen Piscotty knocked in St. Louis' last four runs, lifting the Cardinals over the Brewers.

St. Louis reduced its magic number for a third straight division crown to six thanks to Piscotty, who now has 37 RBIs in his first 58 games.

Mets 6, Reds 4

CINCINNATI -- Lucas Duda delivered a pair of run-scoring doubles and Daniel Murphy drove home the go-ahead run with a triple in the seventh as New York reduced its magic number for a postseason berth to three.

New York increased its lead in the National League East to 7 1/2 games over the Washington Nationals who dropped their third straight to Baltimore on Thursday.

Mets closer Jeurys Familia shut the door in the ninth for his 42nd save while Eric Goedell earned the win.

Yankees 3, White Sox 2

NEW YORK -- Carlos Beltran hit a three-run home run with one out in the bottom of the third inning off Chris Sale and New York held on.

The Yankees won for the seventh time in their last 11 games while lowering their magic number to clinching a postseason berth to six.

They also equaled last year's win total while beating the White Sox at home for the ninth straight time.

Rangers 8, Athletics 1

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Cole Hamels pitched six solid innings for his fifth straight victory and Texas completed a three-game sweep of Oakland.

Texas increased its lead in the American League West over idle Houston to a season-high 3 1/2 games.

The Rangers and Astros begin a three-game series Friday at Minute Maid Park.

Pirates 5, Rockies 4

DENVER -- Pedro Alvarez hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning and playoff-bound Pittsburgh rallied to beat Colorado for its sixth consecutive victory.

Starling Marte had four hits and was 13-for-20 in the four-game series for the Pirates.

Joe Blanton worked the seventh to pick up the win and Mark Melancon tossed a perfect ninth for his major league-leading 50th save.

Dodgers 6, Diamondbacks 3

LOS ANGELES -- Chris Heisey hit a grand slam to highlight a six-run fifth inning and Los Angeles edged closer to its third straight National League West title with a victory over Arizona.

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw struck out nine and gave up three runs on six hits before departing after five innings in his shortest stint this season.

Orioles 5, Nationals 4

WASHINGTON -- Catcher Matt Wieters hit a two-run homer off reliever Blake Treinen in the eighth inning and Baltimore kept its slim playoff hopes alive with a victory over Washington, further damaging the Nationals' postseason aspirations.

The Orioles, who won all three games of the series, pulled within 3 1/2 games of idle Houston for the second American League wild card.

Washington lost for the seventh time in its past 10 home games.

Marlins 1, Phillies0

MIAMI –- J.T. Realmuto snapped a scoreless tie with a seventh-inning RBI triple to lead Miami to the win.

Derek Dietrich started the winning rally with a one-out infield single, snapping a streak of nine consecutive batters retired by Phillies rookie right-hander Alec Asher.

Realmuto followed with the game-winner.

Rays 4, Red Sox 2

BOSTON -- Steven Souza Jr. smacked a go-ahead double to cap a three-run sixth inning, and Tampa Bay beat Boston.

Evan Longoria hit his 20th home run of the year.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB notebook: Red Sox elevate Hazen to GM
By THE SPORTS XCHANGE

The Boston Red Sox promoted longtime club executive Mike Hazen to senior vice president/general manager on Thursday.

Hazen, 39, has served in various capacities during the past decade with the Red Sox. His duties have ranged from player acquisitions and evaluations to contract negotiations and scouting. He replaces Ben Cherington, who resigned in August

In January, the Red Sox named Hazen as a senior vice president/assistant general manager. He had been an assistant GM under Cherington since 2011 after Cherington replaced Theo Epstein, who left for the Chicago Cubs.

Epstein hired Hazen, a Massachusetts native, as the Red Sox's director of player development in 2006.

"Over his 10 years with the Red Sox, Mike has proven to be an invaluable member of the baseball operations department," Red Sox vice president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in a statement. "We are thrilled to have him in this position and I'm excited to have him working with me on every aspect of baseball operations."

--Kansas City Royals reliever Greg Holland will miss the rest of the season due to persistent arm troubles, the team announced.

Holland has been dealing with elbow issues all season and manager Ned Yost told reporters before Thursday's game that Holland has a significant tear in the ulnar collateral ligament.

Such a diagnosis will likely require Tommy John surgery. The team said the severity will be determined when the right-hander is examined in Los Angeles next week.

Earlier this week, Yost announced that Wade Davis would serve as closer for the remainder of the season.

--Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado referred to Washington Nationals reliever Jonathan Papelbon as a coward after being plunked by a pitch in the ninth inning of Wednesday's game.

Machado hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning off Washington's Max Scherzer, a blast that gave Baltimore a 4-3 lead. When Machado came up to bat in the ninth, Papelbon drilled him in his left shoulder and both benches cleared.

Papelbon was immediately ejected. Machado was irate after Baltimore's victory and called the beaning intentional.

"[He's someone] with more than 10 years in the game and he's going to go out there and throw at somebody's head," Machado told reporters. "It's something that's uncalled for. It's [BS]. It's something that you don't do."

--Washington Nationals infielder Danny Espinosa has a hamstring injury that will keep him from playing for the remainder of the season.

Manager Matt Williams said Thursday that Espinosa, 28, has a slight tear that usually needs about four weeks of recovery time and the team didn't want to put him in danger of further injury.

In 118 games this season, Espinosa batted .240 with 13 home runs, 37 RBIs and 59 runs.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Wind blowing in at Wrigley Field Friday
Andrew Avery

According to weather forecasts, wind will be blowing in from left field in Chicago when the Cubs host the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field Friday afternoon.

Probable pitchers for Friday's tilt are Gerrit Cole for the Bucs and Jon Lester for the Cubbies. The Cubs opened -115 and the total is presently off the board.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dickey struggling versus Rays this season
Andrew Avery

The Toronto Blue Jays have gone 0-4 in knuckleballer R.A. Dickey's four starts versus the Tampa Bay Rays this season. Dickey is probable to get another shot when the Jays open a three-game set with the Rays at Rogers Centre Friday evening.

Dickey has a personal record of 0-3 in those games and has a 4.94 ERA thanks to 13 earned runs in 23 2/3 innings of work.

The Rays are expected to counter with Jake Odorizzi.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Five To Follow MLB Betting: Friday September 25, 2015 Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

Could be a wild day at Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon as the Cubs' magic number to clinch their first playoff berth since 2008 was at two entering Thursday. Chicago was off Thursday, so if the San Francisco Giants were to lose on Thursday night in San Diego, the Cubs could clinch simply with a victory on Friday. If the Giants win, then the Cubs can't do it in front of the fans and would have to potentially wait until San Francisco's result on Friday night. Pittsburgh just clinched its third consecutive playoff berth on Wednesday night. .Oddly, it was also the third straight year the Pirates did it on Sept. 23. They are one of three teams to reach the playoffs each of the past three seasons, and they have now reached the postseason in three consecutive seasons three times in franchise history, also in 1970-72 and 1990-92.


Pirates at Cubs (-119, TBA)

This is your lone matinee and will have live betting at sportsbooks as it's televised by the MLB Network. Big series here as really the Cubs have to take two of three at a minimum to have any shot of overtaking the Pirates for the top wild-card spot. They probably need a sweep. And the next time the Cubs see Pirates ace Gerrit Cole, who starts on Friday, would be that wild-card game. Cole (17-8, 2.64) is going to come up short in his bid for 20 wins. He took a no-decision vs. the Cubs on Sept. 16, allowing three earned in six innings. He is 6-1 lifetime against the Cubs, including 4-1 in Wrigley Field. Anthony Rizzo hits .357 off him in 14 at-bats. Starlin Castro is 6-for-16 with four RBIs. Cubs lefty Jon Lester (10-11, 3.46) dominated the Pirates on Sept. 15, throwing a complete game and allowing one run and five hits. Andrew McCutchen is just 1-for-10 career off him. Starling Marte is 3-for-7 with a double.

Key trends: The Pirates are 10-1 in Cole's past 11 on Friday. The Cubs are 5-2 in Lester's past seven at home. The "over/under" has gone under in seven straight Pirates games vs. a lefty. The under is 10-1-1 in Lester's past 11 vs. teams with a winning record. Pittsburgh is 4-1 in Cole's past five at the Cubs.

Early lean: Cubs and under no matter the number.


Braves at Marlins (-225, 6.5)

Expect to see Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman back in the starting lineup Friday. He didn't start Wednesday against the Mets due to a wrist injury, but hit a pinch-hit two-run double, then remained in the game and hit the game-winning three-run homer in the ninth inning. The Braves need all the help they can get against Marlins ace Jose Fernandez (5-0, 2.18), who is simply unbeatable at home. With a victory, Fernandez would set a major-league record for most home wins without a loss to begin a career. He's currently 16-0 with a 1.11 ERA in 25 career starts at Marlins Park. Freeman is 3-for-12 with a homer off him career. Andrelton Simmons is 2-for-10 with a double. The Braves go with rookie Ryan Weber (0-1, 3.26). He hasn't faced the Marlins in his three career big-league starts.

Key trends: The Marlins are 7-0 in Fernandez's past seven at home vs. teams with a losing record. They are 0-5 in his past five on Friday. The over is 6-0 in Fernandez's past six on Friday.

Early lean: Fernandez gets the record. Take Marlins on runline and under.


Twins at Tigers (-116, 8.5)

Will Detroit have Miguel Cabrera back in the lineup here? He has been dealing with a back injury for a little bit and got Wednesday off. Cabrera looks tired and beaten up, hitting just .193 over his past 16 games without a homer. This is a series the Twins need to sweep and they could find themselves in the wild-card lead (for second spot) by Sunday if they do. Minnesota starts Mike Pelfrey (6-10, 4.16) here. He has a 7.23 ERA over his past five starts. He is 1-2 with a 4.19 ERA in three starts vs. Detroit in 2015. Cabrera is 6-for-26 off him. Ian Kinsler is 4-for-16 with two doubles and a homer. Detroit rookie lefty Matt Boyd (1-5, 7.40) hasn't won since Aug. 5, his first start with Detroit since coming over from Toronto. Boyd hasn't faced Minnesota.

Key trend: The Twins are 1-5 in Pelfrey's past six series openers. The Tigers are 1-5 in Boyd's past six vs. teams with a winning record. The over is 4-0-1 in Pelfrey's past five.

Early lean: Tigers and over.


Rays at Blue Jays (-163, 8.5)

The Jays did enough in their big series with the Yankees to open this week, taking two of three, to all but assure they win the AL East. This game starts their final home series of the regular season. Toronto can still catch Kansas City for the top seed in the AL as well. Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (10-11, 4.05) goes for Toronto. He is 0-3 with a 4.94 ERA this year against Tampa Bay. Asbrubal Cabrera is 6-for-16 with two homers and five RBIs off him. Tampa Bay has won the past three starts of Jake Odorizzi (8-8, 3.38). He is 1-1 with a 5.11 ERA in two starts vs. Toronto. Jose Bautista is 0-for-11 with four strikeouts off him. Josh Donaldson is 1-for-6 with a dinger.

Key trends: The Rays are 0-4 in Odorizzi's past four road starts vs. teams with a winning record. The Jays are 10-2 in Dickey's past 12. The under is 8-3 in Odorizzi's past 11 vs. teams with a winning record. The under is 5-1 in Dickey's past six in Game 1 of a series.

Early lean: Jays and over.


Rangers at Astros (-142, 8.5)

This game is on ESPN2 and will have live betting at sportsbooks. Clearly the series of the weekend. If Texas takes even two of three, the AL West race is over. Houston still is dealing with the Angels and Twins for that second wild-card spot. The Rangers start Yovani Gallardo (12-11, 3.41). He is 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA in his last two starts. Gallardo is 2-1 with a 6.14 ERA vs. the Astros this season. Colby Rasmus is 7-for-22 off him with two homers. Luis Valbuena is 9-for-28 with three doubles. Astros lefty Scott Kazmir (7-10, 2.73) has just two wins with Houston since coming over from Oakland. He's 0-1 with a 4.71 ERA this month. Kazmir is 2-1 with a 1.60 ERA this year vs. Texas. Mitch Moreland is 3-for-8 with a homer off him. Adrian Beltre hits just .208 with 13 strikeouts in 48 at-bats off Kazmir.

Key trends: The Rangers are 6-1 in their past seven against a lefty. Houston is 0-6 in Kazmir's past six on five days of rest. The under is 8-0 in Gallardo's past eight during Game 1 of a series.

Early lean: Astros and under.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Friday's six-pack

-- Average NFL game last year had 13.2 penalties for 111.1 yards. Last weekend, the average game had 18.6 penalties for 166.2 yards.

-- Eli Manning has started 170 straight games. During that span, the Redskins have started 10 different QBs.

-- A's starting pitchers have six wins in their last 40 games. No bueno.

-- Tennessee Titans are only NFL team that hasn't tried a field goal yet.

-- Mets started this season 17-32 on the road; they're 21-5 on road since then.

-- Giants 32, Redskins 21-- Was surprised that CBS announcers commented more than once on lack of enthusiasm of crowd.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

'ACC Showdown'

Georgia Tech (2-1, 2-1 ATS) and Duke (2-1, 2-1 ATS) do battle in ACC action Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. The Yellow Jackets will be in one foul mood after suffering their first blemish of the campaign last week at Notre Dame. What may have Georgia Tech even grouchier is the fact Duke went into Atlanta last season and upset Yellow Jackets 31-25 snapping its ten game head-head win streak. The highly motivated and revenge minded Yellow Jackets with the nation's second best ground game (377.0 RYG) should run roughshod over a Blue Devil run defense that gave up 201 rushing yards in their home loss to Northwestern last week.

Yellow Jackets 7-1 ATS rushing 200 or more yards, 9-1 ATS in their last 10 overall, 5-0 ATS vs the conference, 4-1 ATS last 5 trips into to Durham behind 308.6 rushing yards/game have been pegged 7.5 point road favorites.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Streaks, Tips, Notes

UCLA Bruins at Arizona Wildcats September 26, 8:00 EST

Pac-12 rivals try to stay unbeaten when Bruins (3-0, 1-1-1 ATS) visit Wildcats (3-0, 2-1 ATS) Saturday evening at Arizona Stadium. Bruins have won/covered the past three meetings but going back to '07 it's the Wildcats holding the series edge at 5-3 (4-4 ATS) including 3-1 SU/ATS when meeting in Tucson. Arizona pegged 3.5 point home underdogs works in favor of the Wildcats as they're on a 3-0 ATS streak taking points at home, have covered 5-of-6 hosting Bruins dating back to '03. One final nugget, home team in this series is 9-3 ATS the past twelve meetings.


Central Michigan at Michigan State September 26, 12:00 EST

Michigan State looks to remain perfect when they host Central Michigan on Saturday. Michigan State ridding a 15-1 SU stretch on home field should have little trouble against their MAC opponent. But, at 26.5 point chalk you bet Spartans at some risk. Pesky Chippewas haven't lost the cash this season and hit the field 7-3 ATS in their last 10 vs. the Big Ten. On the other side, Spartans haven't cashed a ticket yet, are a vig-losing 8-8 ATS the last 16 home games and enter 5-6 ATS laying 20 or more points, 3-8-1 ATS their last 12 games in September.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Arthur Ralph Sports

Bonus Play FRI Stanford -15

 

[GJ2]

Request for Philly Seal $500 move TIA