Domingo Santana (shoulder) remained out of the Brewers' lineup Sunday.
He's made just one start in the last week due to soreness in his right lat. Hitting isn't an issue for Santana, as he's made a couple pinch-hitting appearances in recent days, but throwing remains a concern. Alex Presley is again in right field and in the leadoff spot.
He's made just one start in the last week due to soreness in his right lat. Hitting isn't an issue for Santana, as he's made a couple pinch-hitting appearances in recent days, but throwing remains a concern. Alex Presley is again in right field and in the leadoff spot.
StatFox Super Situations
MLB | MILWAUKEE at CINCINNATI
Play On - Home teams (CINCINNATI) poor NL hitting team (AVG <=.250) against a team with a below average bullpen (ERA >=4.50), with a poor bullpen whose WHIP is 1.550 or worse on the season
100-56 since 1997. ( 64.1% | 42.3 units )
5-3 this year. ( 62.5% | 1.8 units )
StatFox Situational Power Trends
MLB | ARIZONA at ATLANTA
ARIZONA is 32-15 (+20.6 Units) against the money line in Road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was: ARIZONA (5.1) , OPPONENT (3.9)
MLB | MILWAUKEE at CINCINNATI
Play On - Home teams (CINCINNATI) poor NL hitting team (AVG <=.250) against a team with a below average bullpen (ERA >=4.50), with a poor bullpen whose WHIP is 1.550 or worse on the season
100-56 since 1997. ( 64.1% | 42.3 units )
5-3 this year. ( 62.5% | 1.8 units )
StatFox Situational Power Trends
MLB | ARIZONA at ATLANTA
ARIZONA is 32-15 (+20.6 Units) against the money line in Road games when playing against a team with a losing record over the last 2 seasons.
The average score was: ARIZONA (5.1) , OPPONENT (3.9)
Preview: Dodgers (14-15) at Blue Jays (16-15)
Game: 3
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: May 08, 2016 1:07 PM EDT
The Los Angeles Dodgers stopped the Toronto Blue Jays' winning streak with help from their ace, but they will have a rookie that's coming off his worst start on the mound for the series finale.
Ross Stripling will seek to bounce back from that effort Sunday while Toronto's Marco Estrada is hoping to see more support in his attempt to snap a personal winless stretch.
Clayton Kershaw yielded two runs in seven innings while striking out 10 to send the Blue Jays (16-16) to their first loss in five games Saturday, a 6-2 defeat. Adrian Gonzalez drove in two runs while Joc Pederson and Justin Turner homered in the Dodgers' third victory in 11 games.
Stripling (0-2, 4.33 ERA) was charged with five runs in 4 2/3 innings in a 5-2 loss to San Diego on April 30, failing to make it past the fifth for the second time in three starts. He was skipped in the rotation with the Dodgers getting two off days last week.
Stripling hasn't given up a run in the first two innings in any of his five MLB starts but has allowed a combined 11 runs after that point in his last three games. That likely indicates that batters are getting a good read on him after his first time through the lineup.
"They start adjusting, and I better adjust, too, or else it's going to be rough like this," Stripling told MLB's official website.
The right-hander can lead Los Angeles (15-15) to its first series win since April 22-24 in Colorado. The Dodgers have taken six of nine on the road.
Estrada (1-2, 2.64) will try to get the Blue Jays back on track with another strong outing. The right-hander yielded a leadoff home run, one other hit and one walk in six innings Tuesday, but he did not get a decision in a 3-1 win over Texas.
"He can run late in the game and give up very few hits. We saw that last year," manager John Gibbons said. "You go back to his last game against the White Sox (on April 27), he went into that seventh inning having given up only (one) hit. It's just what he does."
Estrada has received four runs of support during a four-game winless stretch and none in the past two games. His 1.76 run support average would rank as the AL's lowest if he had enough innings to qualify.
Estrada, who went to high school and college in the Los Angeles area, lost his only start against the Dodgers on Aug. 18, 2011, while with Milwaukee.
Chase Utley is 6 for 10 with three doubles and a home run versus the right-hander. Gonzalez, who has homered and doubled in two at-bats against him, is slated to serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter for Sunday's finale.
Utley or Turner might play first base with Gonzalez not on the field.
Former Los Angeles catcher Russell Martin is expected to return to the lineup after sitting out Saturday with Josh Thole serving as knuckleballer R.A. Dickey's personal battery mate. Martin is batting .177 but was 5 for 15 during the Blue Jays' four-game win streak.
Game: 3
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: May 08, 2016 1:07 PM EDT
The Los Angeles Dodgers stopped the Toronto Blue Jays' winning streak with help from their ace, but they will have a rookie that's coming off his worst start on the mound for the series finale.
Ross Stripling will seek to bounce back from that effort Sunday while Toronto's Marco Estrada is hoping to see more support in his attempt to snap a personal winless stretch.
Clayton Kershaw yielded two runs in seven innings while striking out 10 to send the Blue Jays (16-16) to their first loss in five games Saturday, a 6-2 defeat. Adrian Gonzalez drove in two runs while Joc Pederson and Justin Turner homered in the Dodgers' third victory in 11 games.
Stripling (0-2, 4.33 ERA) was charged with five runs in 4 2/3 innings in a 5-2 loss to San Diego on April 30, failing to make it past the fifth for the second time in three starts. He was skipped in the rotation with the Dodgers getting two off days last week.
Stripling hasn't given up a run in the first two innings in any of his five MLB starts but has allowed a combined 11 runs after that point in his last three games. That likely indicates that batters are getting a good read on him after his first time through the lineup.
"They start adjusting, and I better adjust, too, or else it's going to be rough like this," Stripling told MLB's official website.
The right-hander can lead Los Angeles (15-15) to its first series win since April 22-24 in Colorado. The Dodgers have taken six of nine on the road.
Estrada (1-2, 2.64) will try to get the Blue Jays back on track with another strong outing. The right-hander yielded a leadoff home run, one other hit and one walk in six innings Tuesday, but he did not get a decision in a 3-1 win over Texas.
"He can run late in the game and give up very few hits. We saw that last year," manager John Gibbons said. "You go back to his last game against the White Sox (on April 27), he went into that seventh inning having given up only (one) hit. It's just what he does."
Estrada has received four runs of support during a four-game winless stretch and none in the past two games. His 1.76 run support average would rank as the AL's lowest if he had enough innings to qualify.
Estrada, who went to high school and college in the Los Angeles area, lost his only start against the Dodgers on Aug. 18, 2011, while with Milwaukee.
Chase Utley is 6 for 10 with three doubles and a home run versus the right-hander. Gonzalez, who has homered and doubled in two at-bats against him, is slated to serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter for Sunday's finale.
Utley or Turner might play first base with Gonzalez not on the field.
Former Los Angeles catcher Russell Martin is expected to return to the lineup after sitting out Saturday with Josh Thole serving as knuckleballer R.A. Dickey's personal battery mate. Martin is batting .177 but was 5 for 15 during the Blue Jays' four-game win streak.
Preview: Phillies (16-14) at Marlins (16-12)
Game: 3
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: May 08, 2016 1:10 PM EDT
After struggling to get much done at the plate in recent weeks, the Philadelphia Phillies woke up their slumbering bats just in time to cool off the Miami Marlins.
They might not need much scoring with red-hot Aaron Nola on the mound.
The right-hander looks to extend his 20-inning scoreless streak in Sunday's finale when the Phillies try to clinch their fourth road series victory in their last five.
Philadelphia has batted .220 while failing to score more than four runs in any contest during an 8-4 stretch that included a six-game winning streak. It looked like more of the same Saturday when the club had one run and two hits through seven innings.
However, Odubel Herrera and Cesar Hernandez had RBI singles and Maikel Franco hit what appeared to be an inning-ending double play before Miami's Chris Johnson dropped the throw at first and Herrera scored to put the Phillies (17-14) ahead.
"Just dropped it," Johnson said. "Just messed up and lost the game for us."
After going 3 for 25 over his previous eight games, Hernandez had two of the team's five hits in the 4-3 win that snapped a three-game skid. Herrera is hitting .385 lifetime versus Miami (16-13) and has reached base safely in nine straight meetings.
The Phillies might not need a ton of offense as they chase their third win through seven on a 10-game trip. That's because Nola has been nearly unhittable since allowing three walks, seven hits and seven runs in an 8-1 loss to Washington on April 16.
In his last three starts, Nola (2-2, 2.93 ERA) has gone 2-0 while allowing four walks, eight hits and one run over 21 innings. He threw 76 of 111 pitches for strikes Tuesday when he gave up two hits over seven innings in a 1-0 win at Busch Stadium.
"He can paint the fastball on both sides of the plate, keep hitters guessing one side or the other," manager Pete Mackanin told MLB's official website. "You can't sit on one side of the plate because he's so good at locating both sides of the plate."
The 22-year-old was also spectacular in his only career start versus Miami. He surrendered three hits over a career-high eight innings in a 2-0 road win Aug. 23.
Marcell Ozuna hasn't fared well in the matchups, going 0 for 3 with two strikeouts. Ozuna, though, is batting .400 with four homers over a seven-game hitting streak.
Ozuna and Justin Bour homered and Adeiny Hechavarria and Christian Yelich had two hits apiece in Saturday's loss that snapped Miami's four-game winning streak.
Yelich is batting .350 with three homers and seven RBIs over his last five games.
"Coming in and knowing this (Miami) team is as hot as anybody in baseball, the way they swung the bat (in Friday's 6-4 series-opening victory) it was a little daunting to win (Saturday)," Mackanin said.
Justin Nicolino (2-0, 2.70) will make his third start since replacing an ineffective Jarred Cosart in the rotation. After pitching well against the Los Angeles Dodgers in his debut, he allowed four runs over six innings in Tuesday's 7-4 win over Arizona.
Nicolino went 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in two meetings with Philadelphia in 2015. He'll try to help the Marlins avoid their first back-to-back losses since April 22 and 23.
Game: 3
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: May 08, 2016 1:10 PM EDT
After struggling to get much done at the plate in recent weeks, the Philadelphia Phillies woke up their slumbering bats just in time to cool off the Miami Marlins.
They might not need much scoring with red-hot Aaron Nola on the mound.
The right-hander looks to extend his 20-inning scoreless streak in Sunday's finale when the Phillies try to clinch their fourth road series victory in their last five.
Philadelphia has batted .220 while failing to score more than four runs in any contest during an 8-4 stretch that included a six-game winning streak. It looked like more of the same Saturday when the club had one run and two hits through seven innings.
However, Odubel Herrera and Cesar Hernandez had RBI singles and Maikel Franco hit what appeared to be an inning-ending double play before Miami's Chris Johnson dropped the throw at first and Herrera scored to put the Phillies (17-14) ahead.
"Just dropped it," Johnson said. "Just messed up and lost the game for us."
After going 3 for 25 over his previous eight games, Hernandez had two of the team's five hits in the 4-3 win that snapped a three-game skid. Herrera is hitting .385 lifetime versus Miami (16-13) and has reached base safely in nine straight meetings.
The Phillies might not need a ton of offense as they chase their third win through seven on a 10-game trip. That's because Nola has been nearly unhittable since allowing three walks, seven hits and seven runs in an 8-1 loss to Washington on April 16.
In his last three starts, Nola (2-2, 2.93 ERA) has gone 2-0 while allowing four walks, eight hits and one run over 21 innings. He threw 76 of 111 pitches for strikes Tuesday when he gave up two hits over seven innings in a 1-0 win at Busch Stadium.
"He can paint the fastball on both sides of the plate, keep hitters guessing one side or the other," manager Pete Mackanin told MLB's official website. "You can't sit on one side of the plate because he's so good at locating both sides of the plate."
The 22-year-old was also spectacular in his only career start versus Miami. He surrendered three hits over a career-high eight innings in a 2-0 road win Aug. 23.
Marcell Ozuna hasn't fared well in the matchups, going 0 for 3 with two strikeouts. Ozuna, though, is batting .400 with four homers over a seven-game hitting streak.
Ozuna and Justin Bour homered and Adeiny Hechavarria and Christian Yelich had two hits apiece in Saturday's loss that snapped Miami's four-game winning streak.
Yelich is batting .350 with three homers and seven RBIs over his last five games.
"Coming in and knowing this (Miami) team is as hot as anybody in baseball, the way they swung the bat (in Friday's 6-4 series-opening victory) it was a little daunting to win (Saturday)," Mackanin said.
Justin Nicolino (2-0, 2.70) will make his third start since replacing an ineffective Jarred Cosart in the rotation. After pitching well against the Los Angeles Dodgers in his debut, he allowed four runs over six innings in Tuesday's 7-4 win over Arizona.
Nicolino went 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in two meetings with Philadelphia in 2015. He'll try to help the Marlins avoid their first back-to-back losses since April 22 and 23.
Preview: Brewers (11-18) at Reds (13-17)
Game: 4
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: May 08, 2016 1:10 PM EDT
Milwaukee Brewers infielder Aaron Hill insists he was feeling good about the way he was swinging the bat - even when his average had dropped to .111 last month.
Now the veteran is finally getting results as one of the team's hottest hitters.
Coming off a historic performance, Hill will try to keep it going Sunday when Milwaukee looks to earn a split of a four-game road series against the Cincinnati Reds.
Hill had a .164 average with one home run and seven RBIs in his first 21 games before turning it on the past two weeks. He's batting .414 over an eight-game hitting streak after a three-home run, seven-RBI effort in Saturday's 13-7, 10-inning win.
Hill's 10th-inning grand slam put Milwaukee ahead and his seven RBIs tied him with a handful of others for the highest single-game total in franchise history.
'We've been working hard,' said Hill, who has gone 6 for 13 in this series. "I've been happy with my at-bats even when the results weren't there. Coming off the bench last year, I had to find a way to simplify things.'
After totaling nine runs while going 2 for 24 with runners in scoring position during a three-game slide, the Brewers (12-18) went 5 for 10 in those situations Saturday.
They'll try to continue that against Cincinnati's John Lamb as they look to win back-to-back road games for the first time. The left-hander had a 9.22 ERA in three rehab starts for Triple-A Louisville before holding San Francisco to one run over six innings Tuesday before the bullpen let the Giants go ahead for a 3-1 road victory.
"It was mixed emotions," Lamb told the league's official website. "I know I'd like to... get ahead of hitters and keep the pitch count down a little more than I did."
Lamb allowed eight runs and 14 hits over 11 2/3 innings in two starts versus Milwaukee last season. Ryan Braun is 3 for 5 with a home run and a double off him.
Braun homered and is batting .406 with six RBIs over a seven-game hitting streak.
Junior Guerra also has made it back to the big leagues, getting the call from Triple-A Colorado Springs following the demotion of the struggling Taylor Jungmann.
He was suspended 50 games in 2008 under the Minor League Baseball Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment program and pitched anywhere from Venezuela to Italy to Kansas afterward. He made his MLB debut in 2015 with the Chicago White Sox.
Guerra said the only thing he was thinking about was throwing strikes Tuesday when he allowed four runs over six innings in a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
"It's a long road, but I just have to be thankful," he said. "I have to thank God that I'm here. Now I have to get ready for my next start and get ready to do it again."
Since totaling 10 runs and hitting .156 with runners in scoring position over a six-game skid, the Reds (13-18) have averaged 5.9 runs and batted .400 in those spots in the past six.
Brandon Phillips, who homered twice Saturday, is 7 for 16 with five homers and nine RBIs over his last four. Adam Duvall is 7 for 17 with three homers in his past five.
Game: 4
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: May 08, 2016 1:10 PM EDT
Milwaukee Brewers infielder Aaron Hill insists he was feeling good about the way he was swinging the bat - even when his average had dropped to .111 last month.
Now the veteran is finally getting results as one of the team's hottest hitters.
Coming off a historic performance, Hill will try to keep it going Sunday when Milwaukee looks to earn a split of a four-game road series against the Cincinnati Reds.
Hill had a .164 average with one home run and seven RBIs in his first 21 games before turning it on the past two weeks. He's batting .414 over an eight-game hitting streak after a three-home run, seven-RBI effort in Saturday's 13-7, 10-inning win.
Hill's 10th-inning grand slam put Milwaukee ahead and his seven RBIs tied him with a handful of others for the highest single-game total in franchise history.
'We've been working hard,' said Hill, who has gone 6 for 13 in this series. "I've been happy with my at-bats even when the results weren't there. Coming off the bench last year, I had to find a way to simplify things.'
After totaling nine runs while going 2 for 24 with runners in scoring position during a three-game slide, the Brewers (12-18) went 5 for 10 in those situations Saturday.
They'll try to continue that against Cincinnati's John Lamb as they look to win back-to-back road games for the first time. The left-hander had a 9.22 ERA in three rehab starts for Triple-A Louisville before holding San Francisco to one run over six innings Tuesday before the bullpen let the Giants go ahead for a 3-1 road victory.
"It was mixed emotions," Lamb told the league's official website. "I know I'd like to... get ahead of hitters and keep the pitch count down a little more than I did."
Lamb allowed eight runs and 14 hits over 11 2/3 innings in two starts versus Milwaukee last season. Ryan Braun is 3 for 5 with a home run and a double off him.
Braun homered and is batting .406 with six RBIs over a seven-game hitting streak.
Junior Guerra also has made it back to the big leagues, getting the call from Triple-A Colorado Springs following the demotion of the struggling Taylor Jungmann.
He was suspended 50 games in 2008 under the Minor League Baseball Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment program and pitched anywhere from Venezuela to Italy to Kansas afterward. He made his MLB debut in 2015 with the Chicago White Sox.
Guerra said the only thing he was thinking about was throwing strikes Tuesday when he allowed four runs over six innings in a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
"It's a long road, but I just have to be thankful," he said. "I have to thank God that I'm here. Now I have to get ready for my next start and get ready to do it again."
Since totaling 10 runs and hitting .156 with runners in scoring position over a six-game skid, the Reds (13-18) have averaged 5.9 runs and batted .400 in those spots in the past six.
Brandon Phillips, who homered twice Saturday, is 7 for 16 with five homers and nine RBIs over his last four. Adam Duvall is 7 for 17 with three homers in his past five.
Preview: Rangers (16-14) at Tigers (14-14)
Game: 3
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: May 08, 2016 1:10 PM EDT
There was a time when the Detroit Tigers could call on Justin Verlander to play the stopper's role, though those days seem less prevalent now.
The reeling Tigers are hoping for the Verlander of old as they attempt to prevent a sixth consecutive loss in Sunday's series finale with the Texas Rangers.
Detroit (14-15) fell under .500 for the first time this season following Saturday's 10-5 defeat. The Tigers have been outscored 35-13 during the losing streak, during which their pitchers have combined for a 7.07 ERA and they're hitting just .213.
"It can drive you nuts at times, quite frankly," manager Brad Ausmus told MLB's official website. "All types of facets of the game, sometimes three of the four go well, and it's that one other part that costs you a game."
The skid began with Tuesday's 7-3 loss at Cleveland in which Verlander (2-3) was tagged for seven runs in five innings to raise his ERA to 6.49. The 2011 AL MVP has allowed seven home runs in 34 2/3 innings, nearly half his total over 20 starts last season.
"I felt good physically out there, I just did a bad job of pitching," he said.
Verlander likely won't get much of a reprieve from a Rangers offense that produced a season-high five homers Saturday. Three came after the fifth inning as Texas (17-14) rallied from a 5-2 deficit to position itself for its first three-game sweep at Comerica Park since Aug. 3-5, 2004.
"I don't think we've had more than three in any one game, but we know it's in our guys," manager Jeff Banister said. "We know our guys are going to hit home runs for us. But it was sure nice to see them show up in that quantity."
Adrian Beltre had a pair of two-run homers to break out of a 7-for-43 slump and Mitch Moreland snapped a 5-all tie with a two-run shot in the sixth.
Rougned Odor led off the contest with a solo homer, his second of the series. The young second baseman, who went 3 for 5 with three RBIs to back Cole Hamels' seven scoreless innings in Friday's 5-1 win, is hitting .395 over his last eight games.
Odor is 0 for 8 against Verlander, who held the Rangers to two earned runs over 13 innings in splitting two 2015 matchups. He yielded one run in six innings in a 7-4 win at Texas in September.
Martin Perez (1-2, 3.60) hopes for another power surge from his teammates as he tries to halt a road winless streak of over two years. The left-hander is 0-8 with a 4.98 ERA in 12 away starts since tossing a three-hit shutout at Oakland on April 23, 2014, a month prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Perez was in line to end the drought after exiting Tuesday's outing in Toronto with a 1-0 lead after five innings, but the Blue Jays rallied for a 3-1 victory in 10. The 25-year-old earned his lone 2016 win in his previous start by limiting the Yankees to two runs through six innings on April 27.
He hasn't fared well against Detroit, going 0-2 with a 9.53 in three starts and allowing three runs in five innings of a 4-0 loss at Comerica Park on Aug. 20.
Perez will have to contend with a red-hot Nick Castellanos, who's 16 for 32 with 14 RBIs over a nine-game stretch and drove in two runs Saturday. Miguel Cabrera ended 4 for 5 and is hitting .388 over his last 12.
The Tigers are 5-8 at Comerica Park and have lost five straight and seven of eight at home to Texas.
Game: 3
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: May 08, 2016 1:10 PM EDT
There was a time when the Detroit Tigers could call on Justin Verlander to play the stopper's role, though those days seem less prevalent now.
The reeling Tigers are hoping for the Verlander of old as they attempt to prevent a sixth consecutive loss in Sunday's series finale with the Texas Rangers.
Detroit (14-15) fell under .500 for the first time this season following Saturday's 10-5 defeat. The Tigers have been outscored 35-13 during the losing streak, during which their pitchers have combined for a 7.07 ERA and they're hitting just .213.
"It can drive you nuts at times, quite frankly," manager Brad Ausmus told MLB's official website. "All types of facets of the game, sometimes three of the four go well, and it's that one other part that costs you a game."
The skid began with Tuesday's 7-3 loss at Cleveland in which Verlander (2-3) was tagged for seven runs in five innings to raise his ERA to 6.49. The 2011 AL MVP has allowed seven home runs in 34 2/3 innings, nearly half his total over 20 starts last season.
"I felt good physically out there, I just did a bad job of pitching," he said.
Verlander likely won't get much of a reprieve from a Rangers offense that produced a season-high five homers Saturday. Three came after the fifth inning as Texas (17-14) rallied from a 5-2 deficit to position itself for its first three-game sweep at Comerica Park since Aug. 3-5, 2004.
"I don't think we've had more than three in any one game, but we know it's in our guys," manager Jeff Banister said. "We know our guys are going to hit home runs for us. But it was sure nice to see them show up in that quantity."
Adrian Beltre had a pair of two-run homers to break out of a 7-for-43 slump and Mitch Moreland snapped a 5-all tie with a two-run shot in the sixth.
Rougned Odor led off the contest with a solo homer, his second of the series. The young second baseman, who went 3 for 5 with three RBIs to back Cole Hamels' seven scoreless innings in Friday's 5-1 win, is hitting .395 over his last eight games.
Odor is 0 for 8 against Verlander, who held the Rangers to two earned runs over 13 innings in splitting two 2015 matchups. He yielded one run in six innings in a 7-4 win at Texas in September.
Martin Perez (1-2, 3.60) hopes for another power surge from his teammates as he tries to halt a road winless streak of over two years. The left-hander is 0-8 with a 4.98 ERA in 12 away starts since tossing a three-hit shutout at Oakland on April 23, 2014, a month prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Perez was in line to end the drought after exiting Tuesday's outing in Toronto with a 1-0 lead after five innings, but the Blue Jays rallied for a 3-1 victory in 10. The 25-year-old earned his lone 2016 win in his previous start by limiting the Yankees to two runs through six innings on April 27.
He hasn't fared well against Detroit, going 0-2 with a 9.53 in three starts and allowing three runs in five innings of a 4-0 loss at Comerica Park on Aug. 20.
Perez will have to contend with a red-hot Nick Castellanos, who's 16 for 32 with 14 RBIs over a nine-game stretch and drove in two runs Saturday. Miguel Cabrera ended 4 for 5 and is hitting .388 over his last 12.
The Tigers are 5-8 at Comerica Park and have lost five straight and seven of eight at home to Texas.
Preview: Royals (14-14) at Indians (14-12)
Game: 3
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: May 08, 2016 1:10 PM EDT
Edinson Volquez's ability to rebound from the few poor innings he's endured has made him one of the Kansas City Royals' most effective starters on the young season.
The Cleveland Indians have given him trouble regularly, though.
He'll look to shake off those struggles against the AL Central rivals Sunday and help the Royals win back-to-back games for the first time in more than two weeks.
Volquez (3-2, 3.13 ERA) had a 1.09 ERA through his first four outings, then gave up eight runs in a loss to the Los Angeles Angels on April 26. He allowed two runs in the first inning against Washington on Monday before settling down to go 7 2/3 innings in a 2-0 defeat.
"He was tremendous," manager Ned Yost said. "Sometimes it takes guys an inning to get going. Unfortunately it cost Eddie two runs, but from that point on, he was fantastic."
The right-hander wasn't nearly as good against Cleveland (14-13) last year, posting a 5.85 ERA in four starts with 16 walks in 20 innings. Michael Brantley went 4 for 6 off Volquez last season and could be back in the lineup after getting Saturday off.
The Royals (15-14) held the Indians to six hits in a 7-0 victory and will try to win consecutive games for the first time since April 21-22. Kendrys Morales hit a three-run homer in the first before Kansas City put it away with three runs in the eighth.
"The last week, it seems like every time we play the first inning we're down two or three runs," said Yost, whose club has lost nine of 13. "To be up three runs for the first time in awhile, it's big."
The Royals will look to begin another winning streak by getting to Josh Tomlin, who is coming off his second quality start.
Tomlin (4-0, 3.13) gave up two runs in six innings of Tuesday's 7-3 win over Detroit while allowing nine hits, but he limited the damage by not issuing a walk and has surrendered only two bases on balls over 23 innings.
The right-hander didn't make his first start until April 16 because of a hamstring cramp but has began 2016 strong after not making his first start last season until August because of shoulder surgery.
Tomlin faced the Royals twice last season, pitching a complete game Sept. 15 before giving up five runs in 3 2/3 innings 11 days later.
Salvador Perez is 9 for 14 with a homer and three doubles off Tomlin, who won't have to contend with Mike Moustakas after the Kansas City third baseman went on the disabled list Saturday with a fractured left thumb. He's expected to miss two to three weeks.
"I just thought it was sore," Moustakas told MLB's official website. "The next couple of days it didn't go away, but that was normal, and I thought I could play through it."
The Indians had a four-game winning streak snapped Saturday and were blanked for only the second time this season after outscoring opponents 27-8 during that run.
Game: 3
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: May 08, 2016 1:10 PM EDT
Edinson Volquez's ability to rebound from the few poor innings he's endured has made him one of the Kansas City Royals' most effective starters on the young season.
The Cleveland Indians have given him trouble regularly, though.
He'll look to shake off those struggles against the AL Central rivals Sunday and help the Royals win back-to-back games for the first time in more than two weeks.
Volquez (3-2, 3.13 ERA) had a 1.09 ERA through his first four outings, then gave up eight runs in a loss to the Los Angeles Angels on April 26. He allowed two runs in the first inning against Washington on Monday before settling down to go 7 2/3 innings in a 2-0 defeat.
"He was tremendous," manager Ned Yost said. "Sometimes it takes guys an inning to get going. Unfortunately it cost Eddie two runs, but from that point on, he was fantastic."
The right-hander wasn't nearly as good against Cleveland (14-13) last year, posting a 5.85 ERA in four starts with 16 walks in 20 innings. Michael Brantley went 4 for 6 off Volquez last season and could be back in the lineup after getting Saturday off.
The Royals (15-14) held the Indians to six hits in a 7-0 victory and will try to win consecutive games for the first time since April 21-22. Kendrys Morales hit a three-run homer in the first before Kansas City put it away with three runs in the eighth.
"The last week, it seems like every time we play the first inning we're down two or three runs," said Yost, whose club has lost nine of 13. "To be up three runs for the first time in awhile, it's big."
The Royals will look to begin another winning streak by getting to Josh Tomlin, who is coming off his second quality start.
Tomlin (4-0, 3.13) gave up two runs in six innings of Tuesday's 7-3 win over Detroit while allowing nine hits, but he limited the damage by not issuing a walk and has surrendered only two bases on balls over 23 innings.
The right-hander didn't make his first start until April 16 because of a hamstring cramp but has began 2016 strong after not making his first start last season until August because of shoulder surgery.
Tomlin faced the Royals twice last season, pitching a complete game Sept. 15 before giving up five runs in 3 2/3 innings 11 days later.
Salvador Perez is 9 for 14 with a homer and three doubles off Tomlin, who won't have to contend with Mike Moustakas after the Kansas City third baseman went on the disabled list Saturday with a fractured left thumb. He's expected to miss two to three weeks.
"I just thought it was sore," Moustakas told MLB's official website. "The next couple of days it didn't go away, but that was normal, and I thought I could play through it."
The Indians had a four-game winning streak snapped Saturday and were blanked for only the second time this season after outscoring opponents 27-8 during that run.
Preview: Diamondbacks (13-18) at Braves (7-21)
Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: May 08, 2016 1:35 PM EDT
Following a couple of rocky performances, Patrick Corbin felt he took a step toward getting on track last time out by showing more confidence in his changeup.
Now there's reason to believe he'll make progress Sunday when the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks look to sweep a historically bad Atlanta Braves team he's dominated.
In his first full season since undergoing Tommy John surgery prior to 2014, Corbin (1-3, 4.91 ERA) had a 2.75 ERA in his first three starts before falling on tough times.
He allowed 12 runs over 11 2/3 innings in dropping two straight starts before showing improvement Tuesday when he gave up three over 5 1/3 in a 7-4 loss at Miami.
"I felt better," Corbin told the league's official website. "I felt pretty good with all my pitches. I was just trying to keep the ball down. I brought my changeup back a little more and got some outs with that."
Corbin hopes to use a similar approach as he tries to lead Arizona (14-18) to its first three-game winning streak since a season-high five-game run from April 17-21.
He's 2-0 in three games versus Atlanta, allowing seven hits over 16 2/3 scoreless innings. It's the longest stretch by an Arizona pitcher against one opponent to start a career.
Atlanta's Freddie Freeman had a solo shot in Saturday's 4-2 loss. After a slow start, he's batting .425 with three homers and four doubles over his last 11 games.
Still, the Braves (7-22) rank last in baseball with a .224 batting average. They've also averaged just 2.3 runs while dropping 13 of their last 16 games.
Atlanta is off to the worst start in franchise history dating to 1900 and owns the worst home start (1-14) for any team since the 1913 Yankees lost their first 15.
The Braves will try to score some runs for Mike Foltynewicz as they look to avoid a 10th straight home defeat. The right-hander allowed four runs and eight hits - including three homers - over 3 2/3 innings in Monday's 4-1 loss to the New York Mets.
The 24-year-old made no excuses despite making his first major league start since undergoing emergency surgery to remove a blood clot in September.
"I was ready for this game, and it was probably the best I've felt all year coming into the game," said Foltynewicz, who threw 42 pitches in the first inning. "But I might have gotten a little too amped up in the first."
Foltynewicz has struggled in two career starts versus Arizona, allowing 11 runs and 17 hits over 10 1/3 innings. Jake Lamb and Yasmany Tomas are both 2 for 3 with a double off him, while David Peralta is 3 for 5 with a home run and a double.
Tomas could return after missing two games due to an undisclosed ailment.
Brandon Drury had three hits and Jean Segura and Lamb had two apiece Saturday. Drury has hit .365 with five homers, seven doubles and nine RBIs in his last 15 games.
Since averaging 2 runs and hitting .226 during a six-game losing streak, the Diamondbacks have totaled 11 runs and 20 hits in winning the first two in this series.
They haven't swept a series at Turner Field since taking four in a row there in 2006.
Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: May 08, 2016 1:35 PM EDT
Following a couple of rocky performances, Patrick Corbin felt he took a step toward getting on track last time out by showing more confidence in his changeup.
Now there's reason to believe he'll make progress Sunday when the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks look to sweep a historically bad Atlanta Braves team he's dominated.
In his first full season since undergoing Tommy John surgery prior to 2014, Corbin (1-3, 4.91 ERA) had a 2.75 ERA in his first three starts before falling on tough times.
He allowed 12 runs over 11 2/3 innings in dropping two straight starts before showing improvement Tuesday when he gave up three over 5 1/3 in a 7-4 loss at Miami.
"I felt better," Corbin told the league's official website. "I felt pretty good with all my pitches. I was just trying to keep the ball down. I brought my changeup back a little more and got some outs with that."
Corbin hopes to use a similar approach as he tries to lead Arizona (14-18) to its first three-game winning streak since a season-high five-game run from April 17-21.
He's 2-0 in three games versus Atlanta, allowing seven hits over 16 2/3 scoreless innings. It's the longest stretch by an Arizona pitcher against one opponent to start a career.
Atlanta's Freddie Freeman had a solo shot in Saturday's 4-2 loss. After a slow start, he's batting .425 with three homers and four doubles over his last 11 games.
Still, the Braves (7-22) rank last in baseball with a .224 batting average. They've also averaged just 2.3 runs while dropping 13 of their last 16 games.
Atlanta is off to the worst start in franchise history dating to 1900 and owns the worst home start (1-14) for any team since the 1913 Yankees lost their first 15.
The Braves will try to score some runs for Mike Foltynewicz as they look to avoid a 10th straight home defeat. The right-hander allowed four runs and eight hits - including three homers - over 3 2/3 innings in Monday's 4-1 loss to the New York Mets.
The 24-year-old made no excuses despite making his first major league start since undergoing emergency surgery to remove a blood clot in September.
"I was ready for this game, and it was probably the best I've felt all year coming into the game," said Foltynewicz, who threw 42 pitches in the first inning. "But I might have gotten a little too amped up in the first."
Foltynewicz has struggled in two career starts versus Arizona, allowing 11 runs and 17 hits over 10 1/3 innings. Jake Lamb and Yasmany Tomas are both 2 for 3 with a double off him, while David Peralta is 3 for 5 with a home run and a double.
Tomas could return after missing two games due to an undisclosed ailment.
Brandon Drury had three hits and Jean Segura and Lamb had two apiece Saturday. Drury has hit .365 with five homers, seven doubles and nine RBIs in his last 15 games.
Since averaging 2 runs and hitting .226 during a six-game losing streak, the Diamondbacks have totaled 11 runs and 20 hits in winning the first two in this series.
They haven't swept a series at Turner Field since taking four in a row there in 2006.
Preview: Athletics (13-16) at Orioles (16-11)
Game: 3
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: May 08, 2016 1:35 PM EDT
Chris Tillman took a huge step backward in 2015 with his struggles playing a big role in a disappointing season for the Baltimore Orioles.
His performances this year bode well for a team aiming for a return to the postseason.
After going 29-13 with a 3.52 ERA in 2013 and '14 to give Baltimore a reliable arm at the top of its rotation, Tillman regressed last season and the Orioles finished 81-81. He went 11-11 with a 4.99 ERA and needed a strong finish to get that under five.
Excluding his season debut that was cut to two innings by rain, Tillman (3-1, 2.81 ERA) has been very effective in four of five outings and has been especially dominant in the last three. He has gone 2-0 with a 1.37 ERA in those starts while fanning 22 over 19 2/3 innings.
The right-hander matched his career high with nine strikeouts for the second consecutive start and surrendered one run and five hits in seven innings of Tuesday's 4-1 victory over the Yankees.
"I think it's being able to throw my offspeed for strikes," Tillman told the team's official website. "It's been something that I worked on a lot last year and it never really came along for me in spring training."
Tillman would seem poised to continue his hot stretch. He's 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in five starts against Oakland (14-17) and has completed six innings in each of the last four.
He's been especially tough on Billy Butler (2 for 17), Josh Reddick (0 for 7) and Steven Vogt (0 for 6).
Reddick, though, went 7 for 9 in Saturday's doubleheader split and is a lifetime .377 hitter in Baltimore.
His 4-for-4 effort in Saturday's nightcap went for naught as the Orioles (17-12) scored four runs in the third - capped by Chris Davis' two-run homer - to back a stellar start from Ubaldo Jimenez in a 5-2 win.
"It's early in the season, but you're trying to win that second game because you don't want to go into (Sunday) trying to salvage one game of a three-game set," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Now you have a chance to win the series. It puts a whole different perspective on the long day that we spent here.
"If I had to win only one of the two, I'd want to win the second one."
Marcus Semien homered and drove in three runs, and the Athletics snapped a four-game skid with an 8-4 victory in the opener.
Offense has been hard to come by lately for Baltimore, which has totaled 15 runs and batted .216 in the last six games. That slump doesn't apply to Manny Machado, who is 8 for 23 in that span and hitting .420 at home this season.
Davis snapped an 0-for-16 drought with his seventh homer in the last 11 games against the A's.
Adam Jones is the only current Oriole to take Kendall Graveman deep, and that came in Baltimore's 18-2 win at Camden Yards on Aug. 16.
Since posting a 2.04 ERA through his first three starts, Graveman (1-3, 4.40) has been knocked around for 10 runs and 20 hits over 11 innings in losing his last two outings.
He matched his previous start with 10 hits allowed and yielded four runs in 6 1/3 innings of a 4-3 loss to Seattle on Monday.
The right-hander went 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in two starts last season against the Orioles.
Oakland has posted a 6.47 ERA during a 1-6 stretch against Baltimore.
Game: 3
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: May 08, 2016 1:35 PM EDT
Chris Tillman took a huge step backward in 2015 with his struggles playing a big role in a disappointing season for the Baltimore Orioles.
His performances this year bode well for a team aiming for a return to the postseason.
After going 29-13 with a 3.52 ERA in 2013 and '14 to give Baltimore a reliable arm at the top of its rotation, Tillman regressed last season and the Orioles finished 81-81. He went 11-11 with a 4.99 ERA and needed a strong finish to get that under five.
Excluding his season debut that was cut to two innings by rain, Tillman (3-1, 2.81 ERA) has been very effective in four of five outings and has been especially dominant in the last three. He has gone 2-0 with a 1.37 ERA in those starts while fanning 22 over 19 2/3 innings.
The right-hander matched his career high with nine strikeouts for the second consecutive start and surrendered one run and five hits in seven innings of Tuesday's 4-1 victory over the Yankees.
"I think it's being able to throw my offspeed for strikes," Tillman told the team's official website. "It's been something that I worked on a lot last year and it never really came along for me in spring training."
Tillman would seem poised to continue his hot stretch. He's 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in five starts against Oakland (14-17) and has completed six innings in each of the last four.
He's been especially tough on Billy Butler (2 for 17), Josh Reddick (0 for 7) and Steven Vogt (0 for 6).
Reddick, though, went 7 for 9 in Saturday's doubleheader split and is a lifetime .377 hitter in Baltimore.
His 4-for-4 effort in Saturday's nightcap went for naught as the Orioles (17-12) scored four runs in the third - capped by Chris Davis' two-run homer - to back a stellar start from Ubaldo Jimenez in a 5-2 win.
"It's early in the season, but you're trying to win that second game because you don't want to go into (Sunday) trying to salvage one game of a three-game set," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Now you have a chance to win the series. It puts a whole different perspective on the long day that we spent here.
"If I had to win only one of the two, I'd want to win the second one."
Marcus Semien homered and drove in three runs, and the Athletics snapped a four-game skid with an 8-4 victory in the opener.
Offense has been hard to come by lately for Baltimore, which has totaled 15 runs and batted .216 in the last six games. That slump doesn't apply to Manny Machado, who is 8 for 23 in that span and hitting .420 at home this season.
Davis snapped an 0-for-16 drought with his seventh homer in the last 11 games against the A's.
Adam Jones is the only current Oriole to take Kendall Graveman deep, and that came in Baltimore's 18-2 win at Camden Yards on Aug. 16.
Since posting a 2.04 ERA through his first three starts, Graveman (1-3, 4.40) has been knocked around for 10 runs and 20 hits over 11 innings in losing his last two outings.
He matched his previous start with 10 hits allowed and yielded four runs in 6 1/3 innings of a 4-3 loss to Seattle on Monday.
The right-hander went 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in two starts last season against the Orioles.
Oakland has posted a 6.47 ERA during a 1-6 stretch against Baltimore.
Preview: Mariners (17-12) at Astros (11-19)
Game: 4
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: May 08, 2016 2:10 PM EDT
Collin McHugh helped the Houston Astros salvage a game against the Seattle Mariners when he bested Hisashi Iwakuma less than two weeks ago.
McHugh hopes he can help the Astros avoid a four-game series loss to their AL West rivals when he again opposes Iwakuma and the visiting Mariners on Sunday.
Houston (11-20) was denied a chance at its second straight series win - and third of the season - on Saturday when Luis Valbuena's tying solo home run to lead of the bottom of the ninth inning was wiped away with Robinson Cano's go-ahead homer - his second of the game - in the top of the 10th of a 3-2 loss to Seattle (18-12).
It was the last-place Astros' seventh loss in their last 11 games against the first-place Mariners and fourth in their past five home games.
Cano is batting .548 with three homers, three doubles and eight RBIs during a seven-game hitting streak. He is 13 for 26 with four home runs and 16 of his major league-leading 32 RBIs in six games this season against the Astros.
'It's unbelievable the run he's had,' Mariners manager Scott Servais said. 'Certainly the damage he's done against the Astros. It's crazy.'
Iwakuma (1-3, 4.03 ERA) finally settled in during Tuesday's 8-2 win at Oakland, earning his first win a month into the season. The right-hander held the Athletics to one run and four hits in seven innings.
"I think I had a lot of life on the fastball, especially down low in the zone," Iwakuma told MLB's official website through a translator. "That was very effective. I was able to get strike one, get ahead early and that worked out well for me."
His previous start against the Astros on April 27 was a completely different story. Iwakuma surrendered seven hits and a season-high five runs in five innings, moving his career line to 4-5 with a 4.18 ERA in this series.
Iwakuma is 0-3 with an 8.05 ERA in his last four starts against the Astros, though the Mariners have won four of their last five in Houston.
Seattle is yet to lose a road series, going 13-5, and taking three of four in this one would give the Mariners wins in 17 of 23 games after opening the season 2-6.
Jose Altuve has seen the most success against Iwakuma, going 13 for 30 with five doubles and a home run. Marwin Gonzalez, Colby Rasmus, George Springer and Valbuena have also homered in the matchup.
McHugh (3-3, 6.59), who was 19-7 with a 3.89 ERA in 32 starts a season ago, didn't make it through an inning in his 2016 debut, and after one strong start, he's allowed 15 runs in 20 innings his last four. The best of those was a 7-4 win in Seattle on April 27 in which the right-hander gave up two runs in five innings.
That was his fifth win in his last six games opposing the Mariners, the outlier a three-inning, eight-run disaster on June 13. Otherwise, he has a 3.55 ERA in that stretch, though he has surrendered seven home runs in the last three meetings while striking out the same number.
Cano has eight hits in 25 at-bats against McHugh, including a double, triple and home run, while Nelson Cruz is 4 for 13 with a pair of homers.
Game: 4
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: May 08, 2016 2:10 PM EDT
Collin McHugh helped the Houston Astros salvage a game against the Seattle Mariners when he bested Hisashi Iwakuma less than two weeks ago.
McHugh hopes he can help the Astros avoid a four-game series loss to their AL West rivals when he again opposes Iwakuma and the visiting Mariners on Sunday.
Houston (11-20) was denied a chance at its second straight series win - and third of the season - on Saturday when Luis Valbuena's tying solo home run to lead of the bottom of the ninth inning was wiped away with Robinson Cano's go-ahead homer - his second of the game - in the top of the 10th of a 3-2 loss to Seattle (18-12).
It was the last-place Astros' seventh loss in their last 11 games against the first-place Mariners and fourth in their past five home games.
Cano is batting .548 with three homers, three doubles and eight RBIs during a seven-game hitting streak. He is 13 for 26 with four home runs and 16 of his major league-leading 32 RBIs in six games this season against the Astros.
'It's unbelievable the run he's had,' Mariners manager Scott Servais said. 'Certainly the damage he's done against the Astros. It's crazy.'
Iwakuma (1-3, 4.03 ERA) finally settled in during Tuesday's 8-2 win at Oakland, earning his first win a month into the season. The right-hander held the Athletics to one run and four hits in seven innings.
"I think I had a lot of life on the fastball, especially down low in the zone," Iwakuma told MLB's official website through a translator. "That was very effective. I was able to get strike one, get ahead early and that worked out well for me."
His previous start against the Astros on April 27 was a completely different story. Iwakuma surrendered seven hits and a season-high five runs in five innings, moving his career line to 4-5 with a 4.18 ERA in this series.
Iwakuma is 0-3 with an 8.05 ERA in his last four starts against the Astros, though the Mariners have won four of their last five in Houston.
Seattle is yet to lose a road series, going 13-5, and taking three of four in this one would give the Mariners wins in 17 of 23 games after opening the season 2-6.
Jose Altuve has seen the most success against Iwakuma, going 13 for 30 with five doubles and a home run. Marwin Gonzalez, Colby Rasmus, George Springer and Valbuena have also homered in the matchup.
McHugh (3-3, 6.59), who was 19-7 with a 3.89 ERA in 32 starts a season ago, didn't make it through an inning in his 2016 debut, and after one strong start, he's allowed 15 runs in 20 innings his last four. The best of those was a 7-4 win in Seattle on April 27 in which the right-hander gave up two runs in five innings.
That was his fifth win in his last six games opposing the Mariners, the outlier a three-inning, eight-run disaster on June 13. Otherwise, he has a 3.55 ERA in that stretch, though he has surrendered seven home runs in the last three meetings while striking out the same number.
Cano has eight hits in 25 at-bats against McHugh, including a double, triple and home run, while Nelson Cruz is 4 for 13 with a pair of homers.
Preview: Twins (8-21) at White Sox (20-10)
Game: 3
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: May 08, 2016 2:10 PM EDT
Jose Quintana has fallen in line right behind the ace of the Chicago White Sox all season, and he will try to keep things in order his next time out.
While following another stellar outing from Chris Sale, Quintana will try to deliver the White Sox a sweep and sixth straight win over the visiting Minnesota Twins on Sunday.
Sale passed the ball on to Quintana with seven strong innings in Saturday's 7-2 win, keeping AL Central-leading Chicago (21-10) unbeaten against the last-place Twins (8-22). The White Sox swept an April series in Minnesota and rolled 10-4 in Friday's opener.
Quintana (4-1, 1.40 ERA) will try to lift the White Sox to their fourth sweep already this season.
The left-hander's scoreless-innings streak was snapped at 20 by Hanley Ramirez's home run in Tuesday's 4-1 win over Boston, though he continued to roll with his 10th quality start in 11 outings. That was Quintana's first homer surrendered since Sept. 30, though it was one of just four hits the Red Sox mustered against him in eight innings.
"I feel really good from the first moment of the season, and I try to do my job and try to get wins," Quintana told MLB's official website. "Early in the season, you really want to be coming to the ballpark and see your teammates excited for getting wins. You try to put a little bit extra motivation and try to do everything."
Quintana has done plenty against the Twins in his last 10 starts against them, outside of the seven runs - six earned - they tacked on him in six innings of an 8-1 loss last May. Otherwise, he has given up 11 runs in 56 2/3 innings in the matchup, including one in six innings of a 4-1 win at Minnesota on April 11.
Joe Mauer has seen Quintana well in his career, batting .344 in 32 at-bats with a pair of home runs and five RBIs. Brian Dozier has also gone deep twice in the matchup but has hit .189 in 37 at-bats, and he was kept out of the lineup Friday and Saturday due to right hamstring tightness. Dozier is day to day.
Tyler Duffey (0-1, 1.74) allowed a first-inning three-run homer to Justin Upton in the first inning of his latest start, but he didn't give up another hit until the sixth inning of a 4-1 loss to Detroit on April 30. He tossed 6 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and four runs, one earned.
"He made a mistake with the fastball and Upton crushed it, but he settled in pretty good," Twins manager Paul Molitor told MLB's official website. "I thought he pitched aggressively. He used his fastball. He did OK."
The right-hander faced the White Sox once in his rookie 2015 season, allowing three hits and three runs in 4 2/3 innings of an 8-6 win Sept. 1. He walked three and struck out two, while Chicago's Adam Eaton went 2 for 3 off him with a pair of RBIs.
Game: 3
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: May 08, 2016 2:10 PM EDT
Jose Quintana has fallen in line right behind the ace of the Chicago White Sox all season, and he will try to keep things in order his next time out.
While following another stellar outing from Chris Sale, Quintana will try to deliver the White Sox a sweep and sixth straight win over the visiting Minnesota Twins on Sunday.
Sale passed the ball on to Quintana with seven strong innings in Saturday's 7-2 win, keeping AL Central-leading Chicago (21-10) unbeaten against the last-place Twins (8-22). The White Sox swept an April series in Minnesota and rolled 10-4 in Friday's opener.
Quintana (4-1, 1.40 ERA) will try to lift the White Sox to their fourth sweep already this season.
The left-hander's scoreless-innings streak was snapped at 20 by Hanley Ramirez's home run in Tuesday's 4-1 win over Boston, though he continued to roll with his 10th quality start in 11 outings. That was Quintana's first homer surrendered since Sept. 30, though it was one of just four hits the Red Sox mustered against him in eight innings.
"I feel really good from the first moment of the season, and I try to do my job and try to get wins," Quintana told MLB's official website. "Early in the season, you really want to be coming to the ballpark and see your teammates excited for getting wins. You try to put a little bit extra motivation and try to do everything."
Quintana has done plenty against the Twins in his last 10 starts against them, outside of the seven runs - six earned - they tacked on him in six innings of an 8-1 loss last May. Otherwise, he has given up 11 runs in 56 2/3 innings in the matchup, including one in six innings of a 4-1 win at Minnesota on April 11.
Joe Mauer has seen Quintana well in his career, batting .344 in 32 at-bats with a pair of home runs and five RBIs. Brian Dozier has also gone deep twice in the matchup but has hit .189 in 37 at-bats, and he was kept out of the lineup Friday and Saturday due to right hamstring tightness. Dozier is day to day.
Tyler Duffey (0-1, 1.74) allowed a first-inning three-run homer to Justin Upton in the first inning of his latest start, but he didn't give up another hit until the sixth inning of a 4-1 loss to Detroit on April 30. He tossed 6 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and four runs, one earned.
"He made a mistake with the fastball and Upton crushed it, but he settled in pretty good," Twins manager Paul Molitor told MLB's official website. "I thought he pitched aggressively. He used his fastball. He did OK."
The right-hander faced the White Sox once in his rookie 2015 season, allowing three hits and three runs in 4 2/3 innings of an 8-6 win Sept. 1. He walked three and struck out two, while Chicago's Adam Eaton went 2 for 3 off him with a pair of RBIs.
Preview: Pirates (16-13) at Cardinals (15-15)
Game: 3
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: May 08, 2016 2:15 PM EDT
Gerrit Cole and Michael Wacha were among the NL wins leaders last season, but neither is above .500 right now. Lately, Cole hasn't performed as though he deserves to be whereas Wacha certainly has.
Wacha is unfairly at risk of losing three straight starts for the first time, and Cole is looking to get back on his game as the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates cap their series at Busch Stadium on Sunday.
Only Jake Arrieta had more victories among NL pitchers in 2015 than Cole, who finished 19-8, and Wacha ranked fifth with 17 wins. Both have only two this season.
Cole (2-3, 3.95 ERA) didn't have his breaking stuff working at Colorado in his final start of April, giving up eight hits and four runs - two earned - in six innings. He was fortunate to win that game but didn't even qualify for one Monday, when he was tagged for a career-high six runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings and walked four in a 7-2 loss to Chicago.
'For me, establishing all four corners of the strike zone is key and I didn't do that,' he said. 'I was out of sync all night. I just didn't have it. I definitely have some stuff to work on between starts.'
The only thing Wacha (2-2, 2.65) might have wanted to work on was his hitting - he's 0 for 12 - because the Cardinals have been shut out in his last two outings. He lost both despite striking out 17 in 15 innings. The only time he's lost three consecutive decisions came in 2014.
The right-hander has had five straight quality starts and is coming off his longest outing since his 2013 rookie season, throwing eight innings of one-run ball in Tuesday's 1-0 loss to Philadelphia.
"Some days, you have to go out there and match zeros," Wacha told MLB's official website. "I'll use this start as another building opportunity and keep moving forward."
He can't count on much run support Sunday, either, considering Cole kept them in check last season as he went 3-1 with a 2.39 ERA in four matchups.
However, Matt Carpenter is 8 for 25 (.364) with three home runs off Cole, and he halted an 11-game homerless drought with a two-run shot in the ninth inning Saturday to give St. Louis a 6-4 victory. It was the fourth home run for Carpenter, who led the Cardinals with 28 last season.
He gave St. Louis its first victory in five tries against the Pirates this year and halted their five-game road winning streak.
'That was a big win,' Carpenter said.
Andrew McCutchen is hitting .368 in the season series and is 11 for 19 lifetime versus Wacha, including three of Pittsburgh's 10 hits against him in 4 1-3 innings April 5.
Wacha has been ripped for 11 runs and 14 hits in 8 1/3 innings in his last two starts against the Pirates, but those came in Pittsburgh. He's 2-0 with an 0.83 ERA in four home games against them and has an 0.90 ERA in three starts at Busch this year.
Stephen Piscotty is batting .375 with six RBIs in the last six games and was 2 for 3 with three runs Saturday.
Starling Marte is 4 for 9 in this series and had the tying RBI double in the top of the ninth Saturday. It likely would have scored the go-ahead run from first if not for bouncing over the wall, and Pittsburgh went on to lose for the fifth time in six games.
'That's the definition of a bad bounce,' manager Clint Hurdle said.
Game: 3
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: May 08, 2016 2:15 PM EDT
Gerrit Cole and Michael Wacha were among the NL wins leaders last season, but neither is above .500 right now. Lately, Cole hasn't performed as though he deserves to be whereas Wacha certainly has.
Wacha is unfairly at risk of losing three straight starts for the first time, and Cole is looking to get back on his game as the St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates cap their series at Busch Stadium on Sunday.
Only Jake Arrieta had more victories among NL pitchers in 2015 than Cole, who finished 19-8, and Wacha ranked fifth with 17 wins. Both have only two this season.
Cole (2-3, 3.95 ERA) didn't have his breaking stuff working at Colorado in his final start of April, giving up eight hits and four runs - two earned - in six innings. He was fortunate to win that game but didn't even qualify for one Monday, when he was tagged for a career-high six runs and six hits in 4 2/3 innings and walked four in a 7-2 loss to Chicago.
'For me, establishing all four corners of the strike zone is key and I didn't do that,' he said. 'I was out of sync all night. I just didn't have it. I definitely have some stuff to work on between starts.'
The only thing Wacha (2-2, 2.65) might have wanted to work on was his hitting - he's 0 for 12 - because the Cardinals have been shut out in his last two outings. He lost both despite striking out 17 in 15 innings. The only time he's lost three consecutive decisions came in 2014.
The right-hander has had five straight quality starts and is coming off his longest outing since his 2013 rookie season, throwing eight innings of one-run ball in Tuesday's 1-0 loss to Philadelphia.
"Some days, you have to go out there and match zeros," Wacha told MLB's official website. "I'll use this start as another building opportunity and keep moving forward."
He can't count on much run support Sunday, either, considering Cole kept them in check last season as he went 3-1 with a 2.39 ERA in four matchups.
However, Matt Carpenter is 8 for 25 (.364) with three home runs off Cole, and he halted an 11-game homerless drought with a two-run shot in the ninth inning Saturday to give St. Louis a 6-4 victory. It was the fourth home run for Carpenter, who led the Cardinals with 28 last season.
He gave St. Louis its first victory in five tries against the Pirates this year and halted their five-game road winning streak.
'That was a big win,' Carpenter said.
Andrew McCutchen is hitting .368 in the season series and is 11 for 19 lifetime versus Wacha, including three of Pittsburgh's 10 hits against him in 4 1-3 innings April 5.
Wacha has been ripped for 11 runs and 14 hits in 8 1/3 innings in his last two starts against the Pirates, but those came in Pittsburgh. He's 2-0 with an 0.83 ERA in four home games against them and has an 0.90 ERA in three starts at Busch this year.
Stephen Piscotty is batting .375 with six RBIs in the last six games and was 2 for 3 with three runs Saturday.
Starling Marte is 4 for 9 in this series and had the tying RBI double in the top of the ninth Saturday. It likely would have scored the go-ahead run from first if not for bouncing over the wall, and Pittsburgh went on to lose for the fifth time in six games.
'That's the definition of a bad bounce,' manager Clint Hurdle said.
Preview: Nationals (19-10) at Cubs (22-6)
Game: 4
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: May 08, 2016 2:20 PM EDT
The Chicago Cubs are the highest-scoring team in baseball, something that seems like an unfair advantage with the majors' best pitching staff regularly mowing down opponents.
The last time the Cubs' offense was shut down completely also was the last time they lost a game started by Jake Arrieta, who is reinforcing his status as one of the game's top pitchers.
Chicago can win for the 20th straight time with Arrieta on the hill by sweeping a four-game series with the Washington Nationals on Sunday at Wrigley Field.
Cole Hamels, then with Philadelphia, no-hit the Cubs on July 25 with Arrieta giving up three runs in six innings. Not only hasn't Chicago lost with Arrieta (6-0, 0.84 ERA) on the mound in the regular season since, that's also the last time the right-hander didn't post a quality start.
Arrieta is 17-0 with a 0.66 ERA with a pair of no-hitters over the last 19 and is the first Cubs pitcher to win his first six starts in a season since Mordecai Brown won his first 11 in 1908 - the last time the Cubs won the World Series.
He also hasn't allowed more than three runs in 26 straight regular-season starts, joining Chris Short in 1967-68 as the only players to do so since 1913. Arrieta allowed two hits in seven shutout innings to beat Pittsburgh 7-1 on Tuesday.
'You try to enjoy it, but it's short lived because of the goals we have here,' Arrieta said. 'We play so many games it's smart to get on to the next page.'
The Cubs (23-6) are off to their best start since 1907 and are the first team to win 23 of its first 29 since the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1977 behind a pitching staff that has a 2.53 ERA and an offense averaging 6.2 runs.
They've won six in a row and have scored 21 runs in the first three of this series against a Nationals team that entered with a 2.53 ERA.
Ben Zobrist has four homers and 15 RBIs during a six-game hitting streak after driving in a run Saturday. Kris Bryant homered and Addison Russell had three RBIs in an 8-5 victory for Chicago, which has scored at least five times in each game during its winning streak.
'Everybody participated,' manager Joe Maddon said. 'I love when everybody takes a piece of the ownership. It really matters within the clubhouse.'
Washington (19-11) has dropped four of five despite averaging 6.4 runs. Ryan Zimmerman drove in two runs while Ben Revere and Stephen Drew had two hits apiece Saturday.
Illinois native Tanner Roark is next in line to try to shut down the Cubs. Roark (2-2, 2.35) is on a solid run of his own, posting a 1.27 ERA while going at least seven innings in each of his last three.
The right-hander was in line for the victory Tuesday at Kansas City before the bullpen surrendered a two-run lead in the ninth of a 7-6 loss.
Roark has a 5.33 ERA in four starts and one relief appearance against the Cubs with Anthony Rizzo going deep twice in their matchups.
Game: 4
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: May 08, 2016 2:20 PM EDT
The Chicago Cubs are the highest-scoring team in baseball, something that seems like an unfair advantage with the majors' best pitching staff regularly mowing down opponents.
The last time the Cubs' offense was shut down completely also was the last time they lost a game started by Jake Arrieta, who is reinforcing his status as one of the game's top pitchers.
Chicago can win for the 20th straight time with Arrieta on the hill by sweeping a four-game series with the Washington Nationals on Sunday at Wrigley Field.
Cole Hamels, then with Philadelphia, no-hit the Cubs on July 25 with Arrieta giving up three runs in six innings. Not only hasn't Chicago lost with Arrieta (6-0, 0.84 ERA) on the mound in the regular season since, that's also the last time the right-hander didn't post a quality start.
Arrieta is 17-0 with a 0.66 ERA with a pair of no-hitters over the last 19 and is the first Cubs pitcher to win his first six starts in a season since Mordecai Brown won his first 11 in 1908 - the last time the Cubs won the World Series.
He also hasn't allowed more than three runs in 26 straight regular-season starts, joining Chris Short in 1967-68 as the only players to do so since 1913. Arrieta allowed two hits in seven shutout innings to beat Pittsburgh 7-1 on Tuesday.
'You try to enjoy it, but it's short lived because of the goals we have here,' Arrieta said. 'We play so many games it's smart to get on to the next page.'
The Cubs (23-6) are off to their best start since 1907 and are the first team to win 23 of its first 29 since the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1977 behind a pitching staff that has a 2.53 ERA and an offense averaging 6.2 runs.
They've won six in a row and have scored 21 runs in the first three of this series against a Nationals team that entered with a 2.53 ERA.
Ben Zobrist has four homers and 15 RBIs during a six-game hitting streak after driving in a run Saturday. Kris Bryant homered and Addison Russell had three RBIs in an 8-5 victory for Chicago, which has scored at least five times in each game during its winning streak.
'Everybody participated,' manager Joe Maddon said. 'I love when everybody takes a piece of the ownership. It really matters within the clubhouse.'
Washington (19-11) has dropped four of five despite averaging 6.4 runs. Ryan Zimmerman drove in two runs while Ben Revere and Stephen Drew had two hits apiece Saturday.
Illinois native Tanner Roark is next in line to try to shut down the Cubs. Roark (2-2, 2.35) is on a solid run of his own, posting a 1.27 ERA while going at least seven innings in each of his last three.
The right-hander was in line for the victory Tuesday at Kansas City before the bullpen surrendered a two-run lead in the ninth of a 7-6 loss.
Roark has a 5.33 ERA in four starts and one relief appearance against the Cubs with Anthony Rizzo going deep twice in their matchups.
Preview: Rays (13-14) at Angels (13-16)
Game: 3
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: May 08, 2016 3:35 PM EDT
Nick Tropeano's fast start in the Los Angeles Angels' rotation took a left turn last week, but they're hoping he can reroute in time to end their lengthy slump.
With few healthy starters available, the 25-year-old is tasked with keeping the Angels from a sweep at the hands of the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.
Los Angeles (13-17) struggled through a 2-4 road trip before opening a six-game homestand with a pair of losses to Tampa Bay (14-14).
The Rays have won five of the last seven meetings in this series, and Saturday's loss might sting the most for the Angels. After Tampa Bay's Steven Souza Jr. tied the game with a two-run homer in the sixth inning, Logan Forsythe sealed the 4-2 final score with a two-run single in the ninth.
The Angels are hoping one of their few healthy starting pitchers can drag them out of their most extended slump of the season. C.J. Wilson, Andrew Heaney, Garrett Richards, Tyler Skaggs and Matt Shoemaker are all out with injuries.
Tropeano (1-1, 3.42 ERA) started off well in place of Heaney, who is on the disabled list with a flexor muscle strain and won't return until mid-June at the earliest.
However, after surrendering five runs in 21 1/3 innings over his first four starts, Tropeano gave up three homers and five runs in five innings during Tuesday's 5-4 loss at Milwaukee. All three home runs against the right-hander have come in his last two starts, and he walked a career-high five against the Brewers.
"My command was a little off (Tuesday), and obviously the long ball hurt me," Tropeano told MLB's official website. "I left a couple of pitches up. I felt pretty good with my fastball; my offspeed was just a little up in the zone."
Los Angeles' starting rotation was looking solid through 18 games, posting a 3.16 ERA while opponents hit .234. However, it has a 7.15 ERA with a .346 batting average against in the last 12 - helped by Jered Weaver's six solid innings on Saturday.
Matt Andriese has been recalled from Triple-A Durham because the Rays prefer a right-hander to face the Angels' lineup. Los Angeles has a .239/.303/.360 slash line against righties, compared to marks of .262/.344/.393 versus lefties.
During the right-hander's rookie 2015 campaign, right-handed batters hit .255 against him with three home runs and 16 RBIs in 137 at-bats. Lefties batted .281 against him with five homers and 16 RBIs in 121 at-bats.
Andriese went 1-2 with a 3.41 ERA in six starts at Durham, including a 14-strikeout performance on Tuesday. He pitched from the stretch most of that game to try and get more comfortable with it after drawing some balk calls previously.
"I was getting called on balks on some weird stuff," Andriese told MLB's official website. "So we kind of simplified it. So (Durham pitching coach Kyle) Snyder came to me and said, 'What do you think about starting the game out of the stretch? Get used to it in the game instead of when there's a runner on base.' I started with it and four innings in, I'm like, 'I'm throwing a no-hitter, I'm not going back.'"
The 26-year-old said he plans to return to the full windup Sunday.
Game: 3
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: May 08, 2016 3:35 PM EDT
Nick Tropeano's fast start in the Los Angeles Angels' rotation took a left turn last week, but they're hoping he can reroute in time to end their lengthy slump.
With few healthy starters available, the 25-year-old is tasked with keeping the Angels from a sweep at the hands of the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.
Los Angeles (13-17) struggled through a 2-4 road trip before opening a six-game homestand with a pair of losses to Tampa Bay (14-14).
The Rays have won five of the last seven meetings in this series, and Saturday's loss might sting the most for the Angels. After Tampa Bay's Steven Souza Jr. tied the game with a two-run homer in the sixth inning, Logan Forsythe sealed the 4-2 final score with a two-run single in the ninth.
The Angels are hoping one of their few healthy starting pitchers can drag them out of their most extended slump of the season. C.J. Wilson, Andrew Heaney, Garrett Richards, Tyler Skaggs and Matt Shoemaker are all out with injuries.
Tropeano (1-1, 3.42 ERA) started off well in place of Heaney, who is on the disabled list with a flexor muscle strain and won't return until mid-June at the earliest.
However, after surrendering five runs in 21 1/3 innings over his first four starts, Tropeano gave up three homers and five runs in five innings during Tuesday's 5-4 loss at Milwaukee. All three home runs against the right-hander have come in his last two starts, and he walked a career-high five against the Brewers.
"My command was a little off (Tuesday), and obviously the long ball hurt me," Tropeano told MLB's official website. "I left a couple of pitches up. I felt pretty good with my fastball; my offspeed was just a little up in the zone."
Los Angeles' starting rotation was looking solid through 18 games, posting a 3.16 ERA while opponents hit .234. However, it has a 7.15 ERA with a .346 batting average against in the last 12 - helped by Jered Weaver's six solid innings on Saturday.
Matt Andriese has been recalled from Triple-A Durham because the Rays prefer a right-hander to face the Angels' lineup. Los Angeles has a .239/.303/.360 slash line against righties, compared to marks of .262/.344/.393 versus lefties.
During the right-hander's rookie 2015 campaign, right-handed batters hit .255 against him with three home runs and 16 RBIs in 137 at-bats. Lefties batted .281 against him with five homers and 16 RBIs in 121 at-bats.
Andriese went 1-2 with a 3.41 ERA in six starts at Durham, including a 14-strikeout performance on Tuesday. He pitched from the stretch most of that game to try and get more comfortable with it after drawing some balk calls previously.
"I was getting called on balks on some weird stuff," Andriese told MLB's official website. "So we kind of simplified it. So (Durham pitching coach Kyle) Snyder came to me and said, 'What do you think about starting the game out of the stretch? Get used to it in the game instead of when there's a runner on base.' I started with it and four innings in, I'm like, 'I'm throwing a no-hitter, I'm not going back.'"
The 26-year-old said he plans to return to the full windup Sunday.
