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Preview: Penguins (48-26) at Lightning (46-31)

Date: May 24, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) The bigger the playoff moment, the more Nikita Kucherov shines.

The young Russian has a knack for scoring when Tampa Bay needs it most, which is one of the reasons the Lightning are within one victory of reaching the Stanley Cup final for the second straight year.

Kucherov has found the back of the net a NHL-leading 11 times in 15 games this postseason, seven of them in situations in which he's either tied the score or given his team a lead.

The 22-year-old's latest addition to his impressive playoff resume he began compiling last year was a late goal Sunday to force overtime against Pittsburgh in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. He also notched an assist on Tyler Johnson's winner less than a minute into the extra period.

The 4-3 victory on the road gave Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Game 6 in Tuesday night at Amalie Arena.

'When you're a rising star in this league, as he is ... every team's got one of those guys at some point,' Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. 'It just seems the bigger the moment, the bigger they rise to the occasion. He is proving that last year wasn't a fluke. He's just a gifted, skilled, determined player. He's really a pleasure to coach.'

Kucherov had 10 goals in 26 playoff games a year ago, including a pair of overtime winners that helped the Lightning to the Stanley Cup final, where they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games. One more victory and Tampa Bay will become the first team to make consecutive trips to the championship round since the Penguins and Detroit Red Wings did it in 2008 and 2009.

'He keeps climbing the ladder, and he keeps getting better. But what has really been remarkable for me this year in watching him is the timeliness of his game. He's not scoring one goal in a 6-1 loss or the sixth goal in a 6-1 win,' Cooper said Monday.

'He's getting the game-tier, game-winner; sets up the biggest of the biggest goals, and that says a little bit about the type of player you are,' the coach added. 'When you need him, he's the one ultimately, more often than not, that's there for you. I think that's the one thing that's remarkable about him.'

Pittsburgh has gone from a 2-1 series lead to facing elimination for the first time this postseason after losing consecutively for the first time since January.

Coach Mike Sullivan said he won't make a decision on a starting goaltender for Game 6 until Tuesday morning. Marc-Andre Fleury made his first start in nearly two months in Game 5, and was unable to protect leads of 2-0 and 3-2.

Rookie Matt Murray started the first four games of this series and is 9-4 with a 2.33 goals-against-average and .923 save percentage.

'I thought Marc made some big saves for us, especially early in the game,' Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said, adding it was difficult to gauge how much the long layoff impacted Fleury's performance.

'It's a tough circumstance. We believe in the guys we have. We think we have quality people, but it's an imperfect situation,' Sullivan said before the team flew south to Florida on Monday. 'All things considered, we're trying to make the best decisions we can.'

The Penguins are confident than can rebound Tuesday night and take the series back home for a seventh game.

'I believe in my team. I believe in myself, and we can come back to Pittsburgh for sure,' Penguins star Evgeni Malkin said.

'Every game you shake off, win or lose,' Penguins left wing Chris Kunitz said.

'This group has done a terrific job all year of just staying in the moment and not dwelling on the past, not getting ahead of itself, and just trying to focus on that one game in hand,' Sullivan said, 'and that's what we're going to have to do.'

Tampa Bay plans to approach it the same way.

The Lightning beat the New York Rangers on the road to take a 3-2 lead in last year's conference finals. They returned home and were trounced 7-3 in Game 6.

'You can't sit here and dictate or guarantee what the result's going to be, but our mindset going into the game has got to be a heck of a lot different,' Cooper said. 'And our group is well aware of that.'

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL

Tuesday's game

Tampa Bay-Pittsburgh (TB 3-2)
Tampa Bay tied Game 5 with 3:16 left, won it 0:53 into OT; they can end series with win on home ice, but road team is 3-2 in this series. Lightning won seven of its last ten games with Penguins- they won four of last five played here. Over is 10-1-1 in last 12 series games. Lightning is 2-11 on power play in first three games in this series, Pittsburgh is 3-16. Pittsburgh is 6-4 in its last ten games, going 4-3 in last seven on road. Tampa Bay won three of last four home games; four of its last eight games overall went to overtime.

Playoffs tally: 1st round-- Home: 23-24, Over: 16-17-14
2nd round-- Home: 16-9, Over: 11-5-9
Conference finals-- Home 4-6, Over 5-4-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA notebook: Green, Warriors wait for suspension decision
By The Sports Xchange

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was fined but not suspended by the NBA as a result of kicking Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams in the groin during Sunday's Game 3 of the Western Conference finals.
The foul was upgraded from a Flagrant Foul 1 to a Flagrant Foul 2, and Green was fined $25,000. Kiki VanDeWeghe, the NBA's Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations, made the announcement Monday afternoon.
The ruling is good news for the Warriors, who feared Green might be suspended for Tuesday's Game 4 of the series, which Oklahoma City leads 2-1.
The incident occurred with 5:57 remaining in the second quarter of the Thunder's 133-105 win over the Warriors in Game 3 in Oklahoma City. Green was driving to the basket against Adams when Green stopped and lifted his leg, causing him to kick Adams in the groin.
"After a thorough investigation that included review of all available video angles and interviews with the players involved and the officials working the game, we have determined that Green's foul was unnecessary and excessive and warranted the upgrade and fine," said VanDeWeghe. "During a game, players -- at times -- flail their legs in an attempt to draw a foul, but Green's actions in this case warranted an additional penalty."
Green went 1-for-9 for six points, with four rebounds and three assists along with four turnovers Sunday.
--The Toronto Raptors are on the verge of getting a big boost in their quest to make playoff life miserable for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
That big boost would come from 7-footer Jonas Valanciunas, who participated in Monday morning's shootaround. The 24-year-old Lithuanian has missed the past seven playoff games with a sprained ankle, but the Raptors upgraded Valanciunas' status from "doubtful" to "questionable."
"We're going to see how he reacts this afternoon," coach Dwane Casey told reporters. "He's still pretty sore, but we're going to wait and see."
Before being hurt, Valanciunas averaged 15 points and 12.1 rebounds per game.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tuesday's NBA Conference Finals betting preview and odds: Warriors at Thunder

Golden State Warriors at Oklahoma City Thunder (+1, 221.5)

Thunder lead series 2-1

The road to back-to-back championships for the Golden State Warriors ran straight into a wall in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals as the Oklahoma City Thunder dominated in a 133-105 triumph. The Warriors will try to pick themselves back up and avoid a 3-1 hole when they visit the Thunder for Game 4 on Tuesday.

Golden State was the more aggressive team in Game 2 and came away with a 118-91 victory, seemingly correcting all the mistakes that plagued the team in the second half of a Game 1 loss. Those mistakes came back in a big way in Game 3 as Oklahoma City raced past the Warriors, turning every rebound and every errant pass into an opportunity to get out in transition. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 63 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists in the emphatic win and most importantly sliced their turnover count from 11 in Game 2 to five in Game 3. “My teammates did a great job of driving the basketball and taking the pressure off of me,” Durant told reporters. “Not letting me handle the ball as much and just taking the pressure off me, and I was trying to make the correct passes and the simple passes.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, TNT

LINE HISTORY: The Warriors opened as one-point road favorites after getting destroyed as road faves in Game 3. The line moved briefly to 1.5 Monday morning but has since returned back to the opening number. The total opened at 222 and, at the time of publication for this preview, has come down a half point to 221.5.

ABOUT THE WARRIORS (82-13, 53-40-2 ATS, 51-43-1 O/U): Twice during their run to the 2015 title the Warriors fell behind 2-1 in a series before ultimately winning, but never were they as thoroughly crushed as they were on Sunday. “We got our butts kicked,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr told reporters. “It doesn’t matter if (the loss was by) one point or 30. You’ve got to look at the tape and you’ve got to figure out how you can be better and then you come back with a better effort. But they were the more desperate team (Sunday), they were beating us to loose balls, to rebounds, and our quick shots just fed their transition.” Warriors All-Star Draymond Green was held to six points on 1-of-9 shooting in the loss and was whistled for a flagrant foul for kicking Oklahoma center Steven Adams in the groin in the second quarter.

ABOUT THE THUNDER (65-31, 46-49-1 ATS, 46-50 O/U): The game was knotted at 40 with under nine minutes left in the first half when Oklahoma City put its foot on the gas, outscoring the Warriors 32-7 over the rest of the half while holding the best shooting team in the NBA to 2-of-23 from the field over that span. The Thunder followed that up with a 45-point third quarter to stun the defending champs and were matter-of-fact about their dominating effort after the game. “We were able to catch the ball, drive, get to the paint and kick-out,” Durant told reporters. “We were letting the ball move and our bodies move and that helped us out.”

TRENDS:

* Warriors are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 1 days rest.
* Thunder are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
* Over is 5-1 in Warriors last 6 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.
* Over is 4-1 in Thunder last 5 home games.
* Home team is 9-1-1 ATS in the last 11 meetings.
* Over is 7-1 in the last 8 meetings in Oklahoma City.

CONSENSUS: As usual, the Warriors are picking up the majority of the betting action - even as after getting beaten so badly in Game 3. 61 percent of the picks are on the Dubs. Currently, 69 percent of the wagers are on the Over.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Warriors (73-9) at Thunder (55-27)

Date: May 24, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Draymond Green knows who is responsible for his kick to the groin of Thunder center Steven Adams: Russell Westbrook and the rest of the NBA stars who get to the foul line with a whole lot of salesmanship.

Green's kick felled the 7-foot, 255-pound Adams during the second quarter of Golden State's Game 3 loss to Oklahoma City in the Western Conference finals on Sunday night. Westbrook later said Green kicked Adams intentionally - and that didn't go over well with the Warriors' standout.

'There are multiple plays where I did it later in the game when I got fouled and my right leg went up,' Green said Monday. 'I always do it. Russell said I did it on purpose, but he's part of the superstar group that started all this acting in the NBA.'

Green even pointed to a play at the end of the second quarter, when Green fouled Westbrook on a long 3-pointer.

'Russell Westbrook kicked me at the end of the half,' Green said. 'He just didn't happen to catch me where I caught Steven Adams.'

Westbrook wasn't thrilled with Green's comments, calling Green's foul on the 3-pointer a 'dumb play on his part.'

'I've never been fined for one flop since I've been playing in the NBA,' Westbrook said. 'I don't know about no flopping or nothing. I don't know how to flop. But it seems like he was the one that was flailing, kicking his legs out and stuff yesterday. It wasn't me.'

Green was called for a flagrant 1 foul and Adams later noted that Green had kneed him in the same spot during Game 2. Green was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Monday and the foul was upgraded to a flagrant 2, but he was not suspended and will be in uniform when the defending champion Warriors try to even the series at 2-2.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said he needs Green at his best.

'He needs to refocus a little bit,' Kerr said. 'He'll admit it. It was not one of his best games - in fact, it was one of his worst. The great thing with Draymond is he always turns it around. He's one of the great competitors that we have in the league, that we have on our team. When things aren't looking great, he usually plays his best.'

Kerr knows Green might have made himself a target for the officials.

'Does he have to be careful? I guess,' Kerr said. 'Now, people are watching for him or whatever. He's just going to play, he's going to be himself, and we'll see what happens.'

Green insists the hit that sent Adams to the floor wasn't that big a deal.

'I can see how somebody can think it was intentional, but yet nobody can go in my head and say, `Draymond was thinking about kicking him and he kicked him,'' Green said. 'If you watch my reaction, I walk back to the three-point line, clap everybody's hands, turn around and look like, `What's the dude on the floor for?''

Green scored six points, made 1 of 9 shots and committed four turnovers in a game to forget. Normally one of the league's best defenders, he was beaten numerous times individually by the Thunder, and the Warriors were outscored by 43 points with him on the floor.

With the crowd booing loudly every time Green touched the ball, he couldn't make plays to shut Thunder fans up.

'That's what was frustrating to me,' he said. 'I was just bad. I missed a couple easy ones and it just kind of killed my whole game. That was pretty frustrating, especially with all the boos, because I love boos and it usually helps me play well. It was frustrating that I couldn't get it going.'

Green has been below his standard throughout the series. He's averaging 13 points on 37 percent shooting in the series, and just 5.3 rebounds and 4.7 assists. In the regular season, Green averaged 14 points on 49 percent shooting, 9.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists.

Warriors guard Stephen Curry expects Green to improve. Green bounced back after a poor Game 3 in a first-round loss to Houston to post 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a 121-94 victory in Game 4.

'He's mentally strong, so nothing that happened last night is going to affect Game 4 except light a fire probably,' Curry said. 'You can look at trends and all that. In the Houston series, he was able to understand what he needed to do differently. He's a very smart guy. He has a great eye for the game. I think it matters to him a lot to have an impact on the game. He'll find a way.'

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Oklahoma City-Golden State (OC 2-1)
Thunder was up 25 at half in Game 3, cruised to an easy win. Warriors starters other than Curry/Thompson shot 5-21 from floor. Golden State won seven of last ten games with Oklahoma City; two of three games in this series stayed under. Warriors are 2-3 in their last five visits here; four of those five games went over total. Thunder won four of last five home games. Golden State is 2-3 in its last five road games. Time to step up for Warriors here, or else they'll be down 3-games-to-1.

Playoff tally: Favorites vs spread: 26-18, Over: 13-31
Second round: Favorites: 13-8, over: 12-9
Conference final: Favorites: 3-4, over: 3-3-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Dream (2-1) at Liberty (2-1)

Date: May 24, 2016 11:00 AM EDT

The New York Liberty faltered in their attempt to claim their best start in nine years when they couldn't hold on to a late lead.

That usually hasn't proved an issue for the Liberty in matchups against the Atlanta Dream.

New York seeks its eighth win in nine meetings Tuesday and its sixth consecutive home victory in the series.

The Liberty (2-1) blew an eight-point lead in the final 1:08 of regulation Saturday en route to a 79-72 overtime loss to visiting Los Angeles. Tina Charles had 17 points and 16 rebounds, but her team ultimately couldn't overcome a 33.8-percent shooting performance.

"We didn't execute down the stretch. We didn't do what we're supposed to do," coach Bill Laimbeer said.

The Liberty will next take on a team they beat in four of five meetings last season, including three at home. New York earned three of those wins by at least nine points before needing overtime for a 80-75 victory in the final matchup against the Dream on Sept. 1.

Atlanta (2-1) has split its first two road games and needed an extra period to secure a 73-63 victory over San Antonio in its season opener May 14. The Dream rallied for an 87-81 win against Chicago in their home debut Sunday, and Angel McCoughtry provided 21 points after tallying a relatively tepid 15 in each of the first two games.

Layshia Clarendon had 12 of her 15 points in the second half and pulled down a career-best eight rebounds. The guard is averaging 15.3 points in the first three games, 8.6 more than in her final season with Indiana.

McCoughtry led all scorers with 22.8 points per game in last season's series, but Atlanta shot just 38.1 percent in the five meetings. Charles paced New York with an 18.8-point average in the series, and scored 25 in a 78-67 home victory Aug. 21.

Sugar Rodgers matched her former career high with 23 points in the overtime win in September. She topped that with 24 in a 79-71 victory over Dallas on Sunday and is averaging 18.7 in the first three games, 10.6 more than in 2015.

Charles had 24 points and 11 rebounds in each of the Liberty's first two games this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sparks (3-0) at Sky (1-2)

Date: May 24, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Sparks took almost two months to earn their first road win last season, ending that drought by topping the Chicago Sky on the final day in July.

The Sparks are returning to Chicago with a chance to secure their best record away from home in 13 years. Los Angeles has already recorded its best overall start since 2003 and will try to add to that Tuesday night.

The Sparks dropped their first eight road games in 2015, hindered by a depleted lineup, but won their opening two this season on back-to-back nights this past weekend. Los Angeles (3-0) rallied from an eight-point deficit in the final 1:07 of regulation en route to a 79-72 overtime victory against New York on Saturday.

Nneka Ogwumike led the way with 25 points and 15 rebounds while Candace Parker chipped in 14 points and 12 boards.

"To be able to fight and win tonight after being down in the fourth, says a lot about our team," Parker said. "Nneka stepped up huge today. I'm really proud of the way we fought. It's early in the season, we got to keep building."

The Sparks close out their four-game trip with a pair of reunions, beginning with Parker returning to her hometown. Ogwumike will face sister Chiney on Thursday at Connecticut.

"It means a lot. I grew up there, my family and friends," Parker said of the game in Chicago. "My grandma's able to come."

Parker had 31 points on 12-of-20 shooting and nine rebounds in her most recent game in Chicago, an 88-77 victory July 31, and her second following a self-imposed hiatus to begin last season. She finished two rebounds shy of a triple-double, registering 21 points and a career-high 10 assists, in a 76-64 home win Aug. 16 and a season sweep of the Sky.

Chicago (1-2) has dropped back-to-back games since star forward Elena Delle Donne returned from an illness.

She had 28 points on 12-of-20 shooting in her first game back Wednesday, a 97-80 loss to visiting Minnesota. Delle Donne scored 16 in an 87-81 defeat in Atlanta on Sunday, and the Sky shot 37.7 percent while playing without point guard Courtney Vandersloot (ankle).

Delle Donne shot a combined 37.5 percent in the two games against Los Angeles and missed 12 of 19 attempts in the road loss in August.

Delle Donne still topped 20 points in both games, but Chicago had just three other double-digit scorers in the season series. Los Angeles put a combined nine players in double figures in the two games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Yonkers: Tuesday 5/24 Analysis
By Matt Rose

DRF HARNESS

MEET STATS: 175 - 512 / $901.80

BEST BETS: 23 - 43 / $86.00

Best Bet: IT’S A GOOD THING (4th)

Spot Play: REGULUS N (1st)


Race 1

(7) REGULUS N hasn't done all that much since returning to the Tritton barn but this is his softest spot in some time and there isn't much speed inside of him. (5) SIR JAKE'S Z TAM ships down from Saratoga in decent form and Zeron picks up the drive. (3) BEST DEAL YET N has a post advantage but isn't a prolific winner.

Race 2

(1) KIWI IDEAL N drops to the basement, draws best and has little excuse to fail. (4) YS LOTUS also gets class relief off an improved effort. (4) ILIKETHEMTRASHY arrives from upstate, joins the Banca barn and has to be considered. (7) VILLAGE BEAT has loads of back class.

Race 3

(1) JUSTIFIED was second best last week to a fresh Milici claim; he could turn the tables with the post advantage, (7) LUCKY MCTRUCKY went down the road to defeat the top choice and he's clearly a threat to repeat. (3) PIER HO TEMPTATION returns locally and has done good things in the past with Brennan in the bike.

Race 4

(3A) ITS A GOOD THING has won two in a row on the engine off the Allard claim and he headlines a very strong and chalky mutuel entry here. (3) GRANDPA DON is the other half of the entry and they could be sitting one-two around the track. (1) INTREPID HALL will try to protect rail position. (2A) ELECTRIC CHAPEL N has talent but is very erratic.

Race 5

(7) FASHION DELIGHT returned from the Midwest last week and went down the road in a good try; Milici trainee will be heading to the front again. (1) DELCO ROCKNROLL ships back from Saratoga, draws best and should be sitting the trip. (5) CHEYENNE JEFFREY perked up a bit at Harrington and he's had his moments here in the past; consider.

Race 6

(3) BUBBIE BOY was put on the front end in his debut for Milici and faltered late; he remains sharp and could be in line for a mild upset with a live stalking trip. (1) FAT MANS ALLEY has been razor-sharp for three different barns recently and has loads of back class; veteran is the one to beat. (1A) INNOCENT VICTIM has also been very sharp and he completes a strong Allard entry. (4) CAN'T IT BE ME has looked like a new horse since the Banca claim and he's in with a chance as well.

Race 7

(5) DOUBLEDAY gets a nice driver upgrade to Bartlett and he's proven to be a competitive fit at this level. (3) MADMAN HALL has done little wrong in his last handful of efforts and the Schnittker trainee will be prominent again. (4) FLEET BUMBLEBEE ships down from Canada where he has some good efforts sprinkled in and he definitely merits consideration.

Race 8

(5) APOSTLES CREED was outsprinted home in his local return after a decent run in the Weiss at Pocono; this is a perfect midpack post and leading driver Bartlett has tactical options as the gate springs open. (7) REAL DJ HANOVER didn't fire in his seasonal debut at The Meadowlands facing better but anything Ake Svanstedt sends out has to be respected. (6) HMS FIRECRACKER has been razor-sharp up at Saratoga. (8) ELUSIVE ACTION has also been racing well and could pick off a few for a share.

Race 9

(4) STILLWATER went a long, tough and game trip last week upon arrival for Svanstedt. Expect him to be even better in his second seasonal start. (5) GONEINAPUFFOFSMOKE has stormed home in his first two lifetime starts to be second best in both efforts; he looks impossible not to include here. (8) MASTER CLASS is stuck with a poor post but could be a closing threat. (3) OUT OF HABIT gets post relief and will be closer up.

Race 10

(10) CALIPARI chased a wild runaway last week, narrowed the gap but was outfinished by fresher foes; form has been decent and he's one of many in with a live chance here. (1) BAS J gets a subtle barn change here to Monique Cohen and the classic underachiever could show improvement. (2) PARIS PRINCESS N is a threat if she minds her manners. (6) BINGO QUEEN was a winner last week but stringing together consecutive good efforts has been problematic.

Race 11

(8) CREAMPUFF MACDADDY went a decent effort in defeat in his debut for the Reidel barn and he's got the early speed to overcome the post disadvantage. (4) BOUND FOR FAME is probably best here but he stopped last out at the added distance and that's a bit alarming. (5) ALMAFI COAST is a good fit a this bottom claiming level. (9) KINGS CAVALIER gets Abbatiello back in the bike after a series of Billings and Amateur races

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPOT PLAYS

For Tuesday


TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE


Finger Lakes (5th) Torcci, 7-2
(9th) Hug Me Ez, 3-1


Indiana Grand (2nd) The Political Norm, 7-2
(4th) Vienna Rose, 3-1


Mountaineer (1st) Northern Merit, 4-1
(7th) Castlebrook's Lion, 3-1


Parx Racing (1st) Betamerica Babe, 7-2
(3rd) Do a Legger, 3-1


Presque Isle Downs (3rd) Solid Friendship, 4-1
(6th) Tequila Hero, 7-2

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rays (20-22) at Marlins (23-21)

Game: 2
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: May 24, 2016 12:10 PM EDT

The Tampa Bay Rays have hit the ball out of the park more than any other team in the majors, but that hasn't translated to victories lately with their pitching staff struggling.

That includes Jake Odorizzi, who has given back most of those homers over his last two starts.

He'll face the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night looking to help the visiting Rays avoid a season high-tying fourth straight defeat.

Tampa Bay (20-22) hasn't hit more home runs in its 17-plus year history than the 199 it finished with in 2009, good for sixth in the majors. It is on pace to surpass that mark with a baseball-most 65 so far after Brandon Guyer and Taylor Motter went deep in Monday's series opener.

The Rays lost 7-6, though, after the Marlins (23-21) scored twice in the eighth to take the lead against the Tampa bullpen, which has allowed at least one run in nine of the last 10. The entire staff has a 7.09 ERA over the last four.

The third consecutive defeat came without center fielder Kevin Kiermaier, who will miss eight to 10 weeks after having surgery Tuesday for a broken left hand suffered while diving for a ball in Saturday's loss to Detroit.

'Tough loss,' manager Kevin Cash said. 'We had some exciting hits but fell a little short there at the end.'

The Rays homered three times in Odorizzi's last start, but he gave up two after surrendering three in a loss to Oakland on May 13. The right-hander also walked a season-high four but came away with a 6-3 victory over Toronto on Wednesday while going five innings.

Odorizzi (1-2, 3.81 ERA) allowed three homers over his first seven starts combined.

The Marlins have gone deep only once off Odorizzi in his three starts against them. He allowed only an unearned run and four hits while striking out seven through seven innings of a 4-1 victory the last time he faced them on Oct. 1.

Marcell Ozuna and Miguel Rojas each went 3 for 4 and Ozuna hit his ninth homer in Monday's win after Miami had dropped four of its previous five. Ichiro had four hits, including an RBI single in the eighth, and is batting .417 in 34 games this season.

The 42-year-old is 10 for 13 over his last three, bringing him 40 hits shy of reaching 3,000 during his MLB tenure after beginning his career in Japan.

'We shouldn't even talk about his age,' manager Don Mattingly said. 'For anybody, the way he's swinging the bat is kind of amazing. He's fun to watch.'

Tom Koehler takes the mound in this one looking to improve his control. Koehler (2-4, 4.71) has a 1.83 ERA over his last three starts after giving up eight runs to Milwaukee in the shortest outing of his career May 1, but he's walked five in back-to-back outings.

He allowed three runs in seven innings of a 4-2 loss to Philadelphia on Wednesday. All of those runs were scored in the third after the Marlins jumped out to a 2-0 advantage in the first.

"It wasn't enough," Koehler said. "I had a chance early in the game to shut them down. Too many pitches early on. When you walk that many guys and throw that many pitches, your defense gets on their heels, and your team kind of gets into a lull. It's hard to have a lot of energy after that."

The right-hander walked four the last time he faced the Rays in 2014.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mets (26-18) at Nationals (27-18)

Game: 2
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: May 24, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

It's been an up-and-down week for the New York Mets that has included solid pitching and a four-game win streak, the loss of a big bat in the middle of their lineup and one of their aces being booed off the field in an ugly loss to a division rival.

That matchup against Stephen Strasburg was the worst night of Matt Harvey's career, but the Mets are sticking with him and he'll again oppose Strasburg on Tuesday night in the middle game of this series against the Washington Nationals.

Harvey (3-6, 5.77 ERA) won the NL's Comeback Player award in 2015 by going 13-8 with a 2.71 ERA in his return from Tommy John surgery, but after helping the Mets (26-18) make a run to the World Series, his struggles in 2016 have been hard to explain.

The results have been mixed for Harvey, who has posted three quality starts but has also been very shaky at times, particularly in his previous outing. The right-hander lasted a career-low 2 2/3 innings and allowed a career-high nine runs - six earned - and eight hits in a 9-1 loss to the Nationals (27-18) on Thursday.

New York considered skipping Harvey's next turn, but after a meeting with the pitcher, manager Terry Collins believes he can work through his issues.

"We got as in-depth as you possibly can get. We dissected every angle there was," Collins said. "And in the end, knowing this guy like we do, he wants to pitch. He wants to fight through it. He isn't going to run and hide. He wants to get out there."

The rest of the rotation has since picked things up after the series loss to the Nationals gave the Mets six defeats in seven games. Steven Matz, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard combined for 19 innings with six earned runs allowed in a three-game sweep of Milwaukee over the weekend before Bartolo Colon was solid in Monday's series opener.

Colon allowed one run in seven innings in the 7-1 victory, giving New York's starters a 2.42 ERA during the streak after a 7.68 mark over the previous seven games.

While Harvey appears to be struggling with his confidence, Strasburg (7-0, 2.80) is having no such problem. He tossed six innings of one-run ball with 10 strikeouts on Thursday - his fourth outing this year with at least 10 Ks and second in three starts.

He'll now try to keep the Mets from taking over first place in the NL East after they pulled within a half-game of Washington with Monday's win.

"It's May, there's a lot of baseball to be played," said Strasburg, who will try to join Chicago aces Chris Sale and Jake Arrieta in opening the season 8-0.

He's had his way with several prominent bats in New York's lineup. Curtis Granderson is 3 for 16 with five strikeouts, Neil Walker is 5 for 14 with four Ks and David Wright is 7 for 25 while fanning 10 times against the right-hander.

Strasburg won't have to face Lucas Duda after the Mets lost their first baseman for four to six weeks because of a stress fracture in his lower back. It probably wouldn't have mattered much since Duda is 2 for 15 with six strikeouts in their matchups.

It's a significant blow for the Mets to lose Duda, who hit 27 homers last season and 30 in 2014. He's hitting .231 with seven homers and 19 RBIs this season.

"It's a very difficult task to replace Duda," Yoenis Cespedes said through a translator after hitting his major league-leading 15th home run Monday. "I think we're all aware, for the rest of us that are here, that we really have to step up."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Diamondbacks (21-25) at Pirates (24-19)

Game: 1
Venue: PNC Park
Date: May 24, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

The Arizona Diamondbacks have been one of the NL's best hitting teams in the past week.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are one of the others.

With their thoughts on an ailing teammate, the Pirates will seek to continue their recent success against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday night while Francisco Liriano tries to provide another proficient start at PNC Park.

Arizona is batting .297 with 39 runs and an .829 OPS while winning four of six. The Diamondbacks (21-25) registered 13 hits in a 7-2 victory over St. Louis on Sunday to take two of three at Busch Stadium and improve to 7-2 in their last nine road games.

"The young guys are starting to get it that every game you've got to bring it like the seventh game of the World Series, basically," manager Chip Hale told MLB's official website.

Pittsburgh (24-19) is batting .314 with 38 runs and a .796 OPS in the first seven of a 10-game homestand. The Pirates earned their sixth victory in eight contests Monday, 6-3 over Colorado, one day after the series finale was rained out.

Starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong was carted off the field in the second inning after being hit in the head by Rockies starter Jordan Lyles. The Pirates say Vogelsong was sent to the hospital for an injured left eye.

"In the dugout, it was kind of one of those things where we all felt for (Vogelsong). We were just like, let's finish this game strong and keep him in our prayers," second baseman Josh Harrison said.

The Pirates will now try to earn their 10th win in 13 games against the Diamondbacks. Pittsburgh won two of three in Arizona from April 22-24 and Liriano (3-3, 4.63 ERA) started the finale, a 12-10 victory in 13 innings.

The veteran left-hander gave up four runs in six innings - on a pair of homers - but will get to face the Diamondbacks at home this time. Liriano is 2-1 with a 1.37 ERA in three starts in Pittsburgh, and the Pirates had won in his past 13 starts there until a 3-1 defeat to Atlanta on Wednesday.

He yielded two runs in seven innings in that hard-luck loss.

Liriano was charged with five runs in seven innings in his only home start against Arizona on Aug. 18, a 9-8 victory in 15. He's 1-0 with a 3.73 ERA in five overall matchups.

In this one, he'll pitch opposite Shelby Miller (1-5, 6.64), who is attempting to avoid his third loss in as many starts.

The right-hander gave up three runs and a season-high 10 hits in 5 2/3 innings Wednesday in a 4-2 defeat to the New York Yankees. Although his teammates have hit well lately, they have given Miller one run of support in each of his last two outings and eight in his past seven.

Miller is 2-6 with a 4.29 ERA in nine starts against Pittsburgh, the most recent in September 2014.

Jordy Mercer, batting .476 in his last seven games, is a career .328 hitter against Arizona but has gone 1 for 11 versus Miller. Starling Marte, batting .323, is 5 for 15 with two triples and a double against him.

Welington Castillo is 6 for 17 with two homers against Liriano but is hitting .179 with no home runs in his last eight games.

Jean Segura is batting .351 in a 12-game hit streak versus Pittsburgh but has two singles in his last 16 at-bats against Liriano.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blue Jays (22-24) at Yankees (21-22)

Game: 1
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: May 24, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

Nathan Eovaldi's dominant last start provided the spark for the New York Yankees' longest winning streak - and best run of starting pitching - of the season.

The right-hander now tries to set the tone for a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays that begins Tuesday night and is expected to mark Alex Rodriguez's return.

New York lost the first two of its seven-game western trip before Eovaldi (4-2, 4.44 ERA) retired 18 consecutive Arizona hitters following Jean Segura's leadoff double in the first inning of Wednesday's 4-2 win. The rest of the Yankee pitching staff followed his lead by holding Oakland to nine runs in a four-game sweep finished off with Sunday's 5-4 victory.

'This was a big four-game sweep for us,' manager Joe Girardi said. 'There was a lot of frustration in our clubhouse, whether it was from pitchers or whether it was from position players who were struggling with the bat. Everyone seems to be doing their part now. The vibe is a lot better.'

Eovaldi has recorded a 2.84 ERA in winning each of his three starts during a 12-5 stretch for New York (21-22), which lost 16 of its first 24 games.

The Yankees have been receiving contributions from the offensive side as well during their surge. Carlos Beltran went 9 for 18 with eight RBIs in the Oakland series and Jacoby Ellsbury is 7 for 19 with a .500 on-base percentage over the streak.

Rodriguez was starting to come out of his early season slump prior to straining his right hamstring May 3. The slugger was running without incident during the trip and plans to be activated Tuesday.

The 40-year-old has had his recent struggles against Toronto, hitting .149 in the series since returning from his 2014 suspension and going 0 for 11 when the Blue Jays won two of three from New York last month.

Rodriguez does own a .303 average with one home run off R.A. Dickey (2-5, 4.50), who's given the Yankees trouble in Toronto but hasn't fared as well on the road. The veteran is 4-1 with a 1.80 ERA in his last eight starts against New York but 0-3 with a 3.43 mark in six at Yankee Stadium since last winning there with the Mets on May 20, 2011.

Dickey has been better this season away from Rogers Centre, where he fell to 0-4 with a 5.64 ERA after giving up three homers and four earned runs in six innings of Wednesday's 6-3 loss to Tampa Bay.

" ... they ambushed a couple of first-pitch knuckleballs and hit them out of the park, and that's going to happen when you're a knuckleballer," Dickey told MLB's official website.

He's allowed seven home runs in his last five starts.

Toronto (22-24) had plenty of success in the Bronx during its 2015 AL East title run, winning eight of 10 matchups. The Blue Jays homered 10 times and scored 30 runs in winning three of four at Yankee Stadium from Sept. 11-13.

Toronto hit nine home runs while taking three of four from lowly Minnesota to begin this road trip. Jose Bautista opened Sunday's 3-1 win with his third homer in as many games and Josh Donaldson followed with a solo shot off Phil Hughes to support Marcus Stroman's 7 2/3 strong innings.

Michael Saunders finished the series 7 of 17 with two homers to raise his road average to .364. The outfielder is hitting .388 over his past 12 games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Brewers (18-26) at Braves (12-31)

Game: 1
Venue: Turner Field
Date: May 24, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

The Milwaukee Brewers have pitched pretty well of late, but that couldn't prevent them from being swept over the weekend.

The rebuilding Atlanta Braves have also received some strong performances on the mound lately, which have them coming off an impressive series win.

The teams open a three-game series at Turner Field on Tuesday night with a pair of starters looking to build on strong outings.

The Brewers (18-26) had won three of four going into their road series against the New York Mets last weekend, but couldn't earn a victory despite limiting the Mets to 11 runs. Milwaukee was held to eight in the three games.

"We pitched well enough to put ourselves in every game, but they pitched a little better," manager Craig Counsell told MLB's official website.

Chase Anderson lasted five innings and gave up three runs while being hurt by Ryan Braun's misplay in left field in Sunday's 3-1 loss. Brewers starting pitchers have posted a 3.38 ERA in the last seven games - a major improvement as the club is last in the NL with a 5.45 ERA from the starters.

'I think we're all understanding of the position that we're in, but the goal is still to win games,' said Braun, who singled once in four at-bats in his return after missing four games with a stiff back. 'We're encouraged by the fact that our starting pitching has been really good the last couple of times through. Those guys are throwing great. We're putting ourselves in a position where if we're able to get some big hits or make big pitches, we're going to start winning a lot of games.'

Jimmy Nelson (4-3, 3.07 ERA) will try to extend the rotation's resurgence. The right-hander has been excellent in his last two starts, allowing two runs in 15 1/3 innings, but going 0-1 in that span while receiving two total runs of support.

Nelson can't complain to Julio Teheran (1-4, 2.73) about it, though. The Braves right-hander is getting 2.73 runs per game, fifth-lowest in the league.

His last six starts have been a study in frustration, as he's 1-2 despite a 1.15 ERA. He's received 1.83 runs in those games.

Teheran finally broke through for a victory in his most recent start, however, throwing 7 2/3 scoreless innings to win 3-1 at Pittsburgh on Wednesday. That began a five-game stretch in which the Braves allowed one or no runs three times - all of those victories.

Atlanta (12-31) lost 5-0 at Philadelphia on Sunday, but that prevented a Braves sweep of the contending Phillies as the club completed a 10-game road trip at 4-6 before beginning 10 in a row at home.

"I've seen a lot of good things during my first week here that we can build on," interim manager Brian Snitker said. "We're getting the train rolling a little bit. We've got to just keep taking it a day at a time and not look too far ahead."

His players seem to agree after the dismissal of Fredi Gonzalez and Snitker's arrival last Tuesday.

"I wouldn't be able to put my finger on it, but I do think there is a different feel," utility man Kelly Johnson said. "To be honest, making the change and having that done was something that was talked about almost from the beginning. So now, that's just another distraction that is gone."

Ender Inciarte is 3 for 5 with a home run off Nelson, while Jonathan Lucroy is 4 for 8 with a pair of doubles against Teheran.

The Braves have won 10 of the last 13 meetings with the Brewers.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cubs (29-14) at Cardinals (24-21)

Game: 2
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: May 24, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

Joe Maddon remains baseball's ultimate optimist and refuses to pander to those worrying about the Chicago Cubs' long-term success during their slump.

The latest defeat - a game the Cubs shouldn't have lost - has them enduring their first three-game losing streak and might give Maddon more reason to be concerned.

Jason Hammel gave the St. Louis Cardinals fits last month and will take the mound Tuesday night at Busch Stadium looking to help Chicago get back on track.

The Cubs (29-14) still have baseball's best record despite dropping six of eight, and part of Maddon's reason for maintaining positivity is that they've only been outscored by one run in that stretch.

Chicago has scored more than three runs only once during that span but held a two-run lead heading into the seventh of Monday's series opener. Pinch-hitter Matt Adam's tied it with a homer that inning before Randal Grichuk went deep in the bottom of the ninth to give St. Louis (24-21) a 4-3 victory.

"We knew there was going to be lows and we got hot at the beginning and now we've gotten cold the last couple of weeks," said Ben Zobrist, who had three hits and extended his streak of reaching base safely to 29 starts. "So we got to find the middle ground and get back to playing good baseball."

Hammel (5-1, 2.31 ERA) has been mostly solid but is coming off a rough outing Thursday. He gave up four runs, including a pair of homers, in six innings of a 5-3 loss to Milwaukee. He had allowed only one home run over his first seven starts combined.

"I felt pretty good," Hammel said. "Home runs on hanging sliders; hanging sliders leave the yard. That's about it."

The right-hander didn't have much trouble against St. Louis on April 19, allowing one run and striking out six in six innings of a 2-1 victory. Hammel is 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA in his last three regular-season starts against the Cardinals after posting a 6.57 mark in his first five against them.

Michael Wacha missed facing the Cubs in the first series at Busch Stadium last month, and it might be a good thing he did. Wacha is 0-3 with an 8.84 ERA in his last four outings in the rivalry, including allowing four runs in 4 1/3 innings of an 8-6 loss in Game 3 of last year's NLDS.

Wacha (2-4, 4.03) has been equally bad in his last three overall and posted a 7.71 ERA while lasting just four innings in each of his previous two. He gave up six runs - four were unearned - in a loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 13 before giving up six again and getting a no-decision in a 13-7 win over Colorado on Thursday.

"First couple innings, I felt good. I was hitting my spots, keeping the ball on the corner and down in the zone," Wacha said after his last outing. "Then that fourth inning got away from me a little bit with the leadoff walk and leaving balls over the plate."

Anthony Rizzo is hitting .455 with two homers in their regular-season matchups, and Kris Bryant and Jorge Soler also have gone deep off Wacha, who tries to help the Cardinals win for the fifth time in seven games.

St. Louis is averaging 6.4 runs over its last five.

"This is a team that can do damage in a hurry," manager Mike Matheny said. "That's something we haven't had in the past as much, the ability for quite a few guys in that lineup that feel good about getting the ball over the fence and create instant offense."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Phillies (25-20) at Tigers (22-22)

Game: 2
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: May 24, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

Though he may be at the back end of his career, Miguel Cabrera is still capable of putting a team on his back for a stretch.

As the star slugger looks to stay hot, the Detroit Tigers seek their fourth consecutive win and eighth in nine games Tuesday night against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies.

Cabrera is playing a leading role for a Detroit team that has averaged 6.6 runs and batted .335 with 20 home runs while winning seven of its last eight games. He went 3 for 3 with the 36th multi-homer game of his career in Monday's 5-4 series-opening victory.

Not bad for someone who left Sunday's 9-4 win over Tampa Bay with a bruised knee.

"Miggy looks as good as I've seen him since I've been here," manager Brad Ausmus said.

The 10-time All-Star is 17 for 33 with seven long balls and 12 RBIs in his last nine contests. He's also batting .340 with 21 home runs in 90 meetings with Philadelphia.

The Tigers hope to keep putting up crooked numbers for Justin Verlander (3-4, 4.58 ERA), who has turned things around since posting a 6.49 ERA over his first six starts.

The veteran right-hander and six-time All-Star has compiled a 1.61 ERA while striking out 27 and lasting at least seven innings in each of his last three starts.

"I felt really close a bunch of times early in the season," he told the league's official website. "There were a couple pitches here and there that were costing me. So I just had to refine it a little bit, and the last three have been good."

Verlander earned his first victory since April 27 on Wednesday when he gave up three runs and struck out 10 over 7 1/3 innings in a 6-3 home win over Minnesota. He also became the second pitcher in franchise history with 2,000 Ks.

Verlander hasn't faced Philadelphia since 2007, though David Lough has gone 3 for 18 lifetime against him and Peter Bourjos 1 for 8. The Phillies have totaled nine runs and 25 hits in their last two after putting up eight and 22 over their previous four.

Odubel Herrera finished with three hits and Maikel Franco and Tommy Joseph both homered Monday. Herrera, however, was taken out of the game in the seventh inning after manager Pete Mackanin was displeased with his lack of hustle on a groundout.

The Phillies (25-20) will give the ball to Jeremy Hellickson (4-2, 3.99) as they try to avoid their fourth loss in five games. The right-hander seeks his third straight win after allowing two runs over six innings in Wednesday's 4-2 victory over visiting Miami.

"He continues to throw an outstanding changeup," Mackanin explained. "He's changing speeds and he's been spotting his fastball very well."

Hellickson has gone 2-3 with a 1.86 ERA in five career starts against the Tigers (22-22), though he hasn't faced them since 2013. Justin Upton has gone 5 for 13 with two home runs and two doubles in the matchup and Cabrera is 4 for 11 with a long ball.

Upton's status is uncertain after sitting Monday with quad tightness. Cameron Maybin has hit well since coming off the disabled list, going 14 for 24 in seven games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rockies (21-22) at Red Sox (27-17)

Game: 1
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: May 24, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

David Price benefited early on from the Boston Red Sox's season-long scoring binge, but he hasn't needed much help lately.

Price vies for a third consecutive victory and Jackie Bradley Jr. puts a more impressive streak on the line when Boston attempts to add to the Colorado Rockies' interleague woes in Tuesday night's opener of a three-game series.

After recording an uncharacteristic 6.75 ERA that belied a 4-1 record through his first seven starts in a Red Sox uniform, Price has looked more like the pitcher who's earned a Cy Young Award and five All-Star appearances in his last two. He struck out 12 while limiting Houston to a run over 6 2/3 innings May 12 and held Kansas City to two runs over 7 1/3 in Wednesday's 5-2 victory.

"I felt like that's the best I've commanded all my pitches from the beginning until I was taken out," Price told MLB's official website following his last outing. "That's definitely a step in the right direction."

Price (6-1, 5.53 ERA) has been well-supported by an offense that tops the majors with 256 runs and a .296 average, having received an AL-high 8.46 runs per nine innings. Boston (27-17) has been especially prolific at Fenway Park, where it's averaged 8.4 runs and hit .346 in winning 11 of 13.

David Ortiz led the latest barrage by going 4 for 4 with a homer and three RBIs in Sunday's 5-2 win over Cleveland. The 40-year-old slugger, who ended a triple away from his first career cycle, is hitting .358 with eight homers and 21 RBIs over a 20-game stretch.

'Wish he would have retired last year,' said Indians manager Terry Francona, Ortiz's former skipper in Boston. 'He's kind of on a different level right now. It looks like he's playing softball.'

Bradley singled in the fifth inning to extend his hitting streak to 27 games, one shy of matching the fifth-longest in team history, and Xander Bogaerts increased his to 16 with three hits and an RBI.

Bradley is batting .408 with eight homers and 29 RBIs during his run, while Bogaerts is hitting .403 over his streak.

Boston's offensive prowess has Jorge De La Rosa (1-3, 10.18) finding himself in a tough spot as he makes his return from a month-long stint on the disabled list. The veteran left-hander had allowed 23 earned runs in 20 1/3 innings in five starts prior to straining his left groin April 26.

De La Rosa prepped for this assignment by throwing 94 pitches in a seven-inning rehab start for Triple-A Albuquerque on Thursday.

"I threw a lot of strikes and went to the seventh," he said. "The fastball wasn't the only thing I was working on. I was working on a lot of things."

He has a 7-3 record and 3.23 ERA in 14 interleague starts during his nine-year tenure with the Rockies, though Colorado (21-22) has had little success against the AL of late. The Rockies went 5-15 in interleague play last season and are 19-56 since 2012, easily the majors' worst mark. They've lost 23 of 28 in AL parks.

Colorado makes its first visit to Boston since 2013 having lost four of five on its road trip. It's coming off Monday's 6-3 defeat to Pittsburgh in which the Pirates scored all their runs in the first three innings off Jordan Lyles.

The Rockies did receive a positive result from the struggling Carlos Gonzalez, who had two hits after going 2 for 32 over his previous 10 games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Angels (21-24) at Rangers (25-20)

Game: 2
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: May 24, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

Jhoulys Chacin's second start with the Los Angeles Angels was nowhere near as impressive as his first. Martin Perez's season with the Texas Rangers would likely be going down as his best yet if he could get back to a level of control he'd grown accustomed to.

They face off Tuesday night in Texas with the Angels looking to take the first two of the three-game series.

Chacin (0-0, 4.76 ERA), who was acquired on May 11 from Atlanta, made his first start with his new team three days later. The right-hander gave up two runs and five hits in seven innings of a 9-7 win in Seattle. He then surrendered four runs and six hits in 4 1/3 innings of Thursday's 7-4 home win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"I got in trouble myself, but the bullpen backed me up today," Chacin told MLB's official website. "They rescued me today, and they did their job for us to win the game. That's the goal."

Perez (1-4, 3.48) is coming off his longest outing of the season, in part because he matched a season low for walks. The left-hander gave up four runs and eight hits in seven innings with two walks in Wednesday's 8-1 loss in Oakland for his second straight defeat.

Even so, his season ERA is lower than any of his previous single-season marks, and his 4.64 walks per nine innings is by far his highest. He had a 3.55 mark in 2012 as a rookie and he's at 3.19 for is career.

"The whole nemesis for him has been that one inning, and today it showed up in the first," manager Jeff Banister said. "Location of pitches, deep counts, obviously high pitch count, all in the first and going down three runs. After that, he pitched well, threw strikes and mixed his pitches."

One of his losses came against the Angels when that control was at its worst. Perez gave up three runs and seven hits with five walks in 6 1/3 innings of a 3-1 defeat in Anaheim on April 10, dropping him to 1-2 with a 2.65 ERA in five starts and one relief appearance against them in his career.

The Angels (21-24) won Monday's series opener 2-0, and the staff has been mostly impressive over a 4-2 span with a 2.83 ERA and .222 opponent batting average. The once-taxed bullpen has been rested some in the last three games with six innings of work.

Albert Pujols hit a two-run homer in the third and is batting .379 with seven RBIs in his last eight games to increase his average to .228 after entering that span at .197. Mike Trout was 2 for 4 and has also taken off with a .395 average over his last 11 games. Johnny Giavotella had two hits to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games.

The Rangers (25-20) saw a three-game losing streak come to an end, though they're a game away from a very impressive turn through the rotation. Over the 3-1 span, Texas has a 1.25 ERA with six walks and 38 strikeouts.

Ian Desmond was 2 for 4 and is hitting .351 in his last 13 games to boost his average to .276 after entering that stretch at .239.