Tuesday 8/2/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Post your request, Comments or concerns here.
Good luck on all your plays.

When not viewing the service plays.
Make sure to enjoy the rest of what the RX has to offer.

First time here at the RX.
Make sure to visit the Newbies Room
Click here to go there now

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by Chatsworth Consortium at Running Aces

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 10 - Post: 10:18 - 1 mile. PACE - Class Rating: 73 - Purse:$6000 - FILLIES & MARES - N/W OF $3000 IN LAST 4 STARTS AE: N/W OF 6 EXT.PM RACES LT OR $700 PER START IN 2016 RUNNING ACES NO. 4 & 5 UNCOUPLED MUTUEL ENTRY MN-SIRED ALLOWED: 1 EXTRA PM WIN; 30% ON ALL CONDITIONS ADDITIONAL 50% CLAIMING ALLOWANCE MN = MINNESOTA SIRED L = LASIX B = BUTE F = BANAMINE K = KETOPROFEN


CONSORTIUM CHOICES


Chatsworth Consortium

# 2 BACK STOCK 7/2



# 6 BOOM BOOM SHABOOM 15/1



# 4 KISS ON THE LIPS 9/1



After thorough analysis by the number crunching team, BACK STOCK comes out as the top play. Certainly should be given a look based on the very good TrackMaster Speed Rating recorded in the last race. Don't overlook a horse with these connections. Driver-trainer numbers are looking competitive. This mare has the ability to take positive advantage of a favorable pace scenario in this affair. BOOM BOOM SHABOOM - A really good play in here as she has one of the highest winning clips in the group of animals as well as excellent credentials all around. Running Aces has been playing to this race horse's running style, we're looking for a very compelling effort. KISS ON THE LIPS - Has a very compelling shot in this contest, if she can race to her back racing class.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by Chatsworth Consortium at Pocono Downs

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 6 - Post: 8:00 - 1 mile. TROT - Class Rating: 89 - Purse:$12500 - NW $9,000 IN LAST 5 STARTS STARTERS IN A CLASS HIGHER THAN NW12000L5 OR A WINNER THIS CLASS IN LAST START INELIGIBLE PA PREFERRED MOHEGAN SUN POCONO MATT KAKALEY #5 OVER #1 MIKE SIMONS #6 OVER #9 GEORGE NAPOLITANO #7 OVER #2


CONSORTIUM CHOICES


Chatsworth Consortium

# 1 FORT VALLEY AS 8/1



# 7 SMOOTHER RIDE 6/1



# 5 WORTH THE MONEY AS 4/1



Hard not to support FORT VALLEY AS as the top contender for this race and just look at the nice morning line. Exhibits the look of a profitable play, averaging a rather good 89 TrackMaster SR. He has good class numbers, averaging 92. Should be considered for a bet today. Looks like a strong choice in this group of horses and his successful winning percentage says he has the desire to win this time. SMOOTHER RIDE - Many race players will recognize the outstanding TrackMaster speed fig in the last contest. Stacks up against any horse in this field. Driver-handler are no strangers to the winners circle and should have this horse breaking away from the race. WORTH THE MONEY AS - Might be there at a fair price tag. Most likely one to keep in your exotics.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Walker Group at Fort Erie

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 7 - SA - 8.0f on the Turf. Purse: $12840 Class Rating: 80

FOR THREE YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD WHICH HAVE STARTED FOR A CLAIMING PRICE OF $5,000 OR LESS IN 2015-2016. THREE YEAR OLDS, 116 LBS.; OLDER, 122 LBS. NON-WINNERS OF A RACE AT A MILE OR OVER SINCE JULY 2 ALLOWED 2 LBS. SUCH A RACE SINCE JUNE 2 ALLOWED 4 LBS. IF DEEMED



RECOMMENDED CHOICES

The Walker Group Picks

# 7 RUNAWAY BRENDA 5/2


# 2 SPEYSIDE 9/2


# 1 MIST OPPORTUNITY 7/2


RUNAWAY BRENDA figures to be the wager in here. Has to be given consideration here on the basis of the numbers in the speed section alone. Has recorded formidable speed figures in turf route races in the past. SPEYSIDE - This equine is ranked high in this group in earnings per start at the distance/surface. MIST OPPORTUNITY - May best this group here, showing very good figs of late. Should definitely be given consideration in this race if only for the very strong Equibase Speed Figure garnered in the last affair.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Walker Group at Indiana Downs

Always check program numbers.
Odds shown are morning line odds.


Race 3 - Optional Claiming - 8.5f on the Turf. Purse: $38000 Class Rating: 104

FOR THREE YEAR OLDS AND UPWARD WHICH HAVE NEVER WON $9,750 THREE TIMES OTHER THAN MAIDEN, CLAIMING, STARTER OR RESTRICTED OR WHICH HAVE NOT WON A RACE OTHER THAN MAIDEN, CLAIMING, STARTER OR RESTRICTED IN 2016 OR CLAIMING PRICE $50,000. THREE YEAR OLDS, 118 LBS.; OLDER, 122 LBS. NON-WINNERS OF A RACE ON THE TURF SINCE JULY 2 ALLOWED



RECOMMENDED CHOICES

The Walker Group Picks

# 4 FLASHLIGHT (IRE) 3/1


# 2 SKY HERO 5/2


# 6 OAK BROOK 6/1


FLASHLIGHT (IRE) has a quite good shot to take this race. Is a contender - given the 98 Equibase Speed Figure from his most recent race. Demonstrates the look of a profitable play, averaging a solid 96 speed figure which is one of the most respectable in this field. SKY HERO - The Equibase speed fig of 103 from his last contest looks decent in here. He has been racing very well lately while recording solid Equibase speed figs. OAK BROOK - Looks competitive to be up on the lead at the first call. The speed figure of 102 from his most recent contest looks very good in here.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Turf Club Analysts

Bar

Mountaineer Park - Race #4 - Post: 8:06pm - Claiming - 8.3 furlongs on the Dirt. Purse: $6,200 Class Rating: 69

Rating: Golden DollarGolden DollarGolden Dollar

#3 CHAPLAIN RICH (ML=5/2)
#2 EYE TO THRILL (ML=3/1)


CHAPLAIN RICH - Has found a good spot this time out. EYE TO THRILL - A winning pct like 37 is good for any jockey/handler tandem. This entrant ran out of the money at Mountaineer Park in the last race on the mud. He should improve in this race without a sloppy track. Last raced at Mountaineer Park with a poor post position. I swiped some data from The Brain, and his computer says the inside should be a big help to this one today.

Vulnerable Contenders: #4 PRECISE SHOT (ML=2/1), #5 PURIM'S LEGEND (ML=4/1),

PRECISE SHOT - This favorite may be out of shape without any recent works. PURIM'S LEGEND - 66/59/54, are the deteriorating Equibase speed figs for this pony.


STRAIGHT WAGERS:
Bet on #3 CHAPLAIN RICH to win if you can get at least 5/2 odds

EXACTA WAGERS:
Box [2,3]

TRIFECTA WAGERS:
None

SUPERFECTA WAGERS:
Skip

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Handicapped by The Turf Club Analysts

Bar

Parx Racing - Race #3 - Post: 1:49pm - Maiden Special - 16.5 furlongs on the Turf. Purse: $30,000 Class Rating: 89

Rating: Golden DollarGolden DollarGolden DollarGolden Dollar

#1 MR. JENNEY (ML=3/1)
#8 CASTLE HILL (ML=7/2)


MR. JENNEY - Have to give this gelding a fair chance. Ran a good effort last out within the last month. This deep stretch runner should have a big impact on this race. Expect a solid closing kick. Has a pretty good opportunity to break maiden changing to the dirt in this race. CASTLE HILL - Forgive the off the board finish on the off track in the last race. Without a sloppy track, has a chance right here in this race. Has a good chance to break maiden going over to the dirt right here in this race.

Vulnerable Contenders: #7 METEOROID (ML=4/1), #6 GOODBYESEEULATER (ML=5/1), #3 SPOILER ALERT (ML=8/1),

METEOROID - I can't play this frequent non-winner. Gets the task fulfilled occasionally. GOODBYESEEULATER - This thoroughbred hasn't shown much effort in the last couple contests.

Top HatGUEST COMMENTARY: Winston - MR. JENNEY - I always check out the equine that is number one in earnings per start. If he meets my fundamentals I make a wager.


STRAIGHT WAGERS:
Have to go with #1 MR. JENNEY on the win end if we get at least 6/5 odds

EXACTA WAGERS:
Box [1,8]

TRIFECTA WAGERS:
Skip

SUPERFECTA WAGERS:
None

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Mohawk: Tuesday 8/2 Analysis
By Garnet Barnsdale

DRF

Race 1 - $30,000 Guaranteed Pick Five Pool

Race 4 - $50,000 Guaranteed Pick Four Pool


20-CENT PICK 5: 4,5,7/6/3,4,5,6/1,3,4,9/1,3,10 = $28.80

EARLY PICK 4: 1,3,4,9/1,3,10/2/1,2,6,7 = $48

LATE PICK 4: 1,2,6,7/2,4,5/5/1,4,5 = $36

MEET STATS: 255 - 721 / $1376.90 BEST BETS: 42 - 68 / $136.90

SPOT PLAYS: 16 - 66 / $82.90

Best Bet: TOM HILL (9th)

Spot Play: GRAVITATOR (8th)


Race 1

(7) MAGIC PRESTO was a sharp debut winner with a quick final 1/4 for a two-year-old filly making her initial start; call to repeat. (5) ON A SUNNY DAY is an unbeaten double stake winner so far and will likely go off a big chalk here again. She is formidable, but may provide the perfect target for the choice. (4) SWEET OF MY HEART looks next best and isn't without a shot to topple the two above if she gets a good trip. (1) STUCK IN MY SPANKS can follow along and take a share here.

Race 2

(6) WINTER SWEET FROST has taken clear leads from the 1/2 to the finish in every start so far. She will look to bottom this field out, too, no doubt and is a good bet to succeed. (4) LITERALLY has been solid in both starts and she could make the choice work here. (7) JANDERSON should share if she stays flat and races back to her debut effort. (5) MAJESTIC KAT goes for a barn that has been doing well at the meet. She can crack the exotics here.

Race 3

(6) SHIPPEN OUT went a big uncovered trip at Georgian and was just nailed right on the wire by a closer. He looks as good as any in a race where seemingly anything goes. (5) MAJOR HOMER drops slightly and should be right there with a decent trip, but notice the goose egg in the 2016 win column. (4) SIR MACHALOT has won on this circuit earlier this year and has a shot here if he leaves for position off the gate. (3) CASIMIR OVERDRIVE has been facing better but he has been off more than three weeks; tough call.

Race 4

(3) MASTER THE VIEW shouldn't get hung out here starting from the inside; slight nod. (4) MACH DEJA VU has finished quickly in both starts and could break through for a maiden score here if he is put into the action earlier. (1) ALL IT TAKES didn't fare well on Grand River's smaller surface. His win here two back makes him a contender. (9) MACHIN A TRICK faces easier here and could provide some Pick 4 value.

Race 5

(1) STEPPIN OUT showed heart and grit winning in this class last Thursday. If he goes here, he will be tough to beat. (10) SHOOT THE THRILL won in this class three back now drops back down. The 10-hole could help this contender's price. (3) JUSTASMALLTOWNGIRL races well for Jamieson and she has upset potential here. (6) MUSICAL SPELL raced better last time and he can take a share here despite the class rise.

Race 6

(2) RICHARD HILL, a $190K Harrisburg sale purchase - has displayed potent late speed in his qualifiers and looks ready to roll for high profile connections. (7) ARESNAL SEELSTER - a $35K Forest City sale buy - unleashed a late kick in his July 1st qualifier that suggests he has quite a bit of talent. (5) TREASURE MACH is a 1/2 brother to local starts Bigtime Ball and Invitro. There is probably more to this colt than meets the eye on his program page. (1) FOXTON ROAD was bought for $58K at the Kentucky Standardbred sale and already has a pari-mutuel win but he might find some of these too tough.

Race 7

(2) KEN KAN WIN has destroyed three straight fields at Kawartha and this isn't that tough of a field here in the lowest conditioned class; top call. (1) STAN THE MAN showed improvement last week and could take another step forward here; using. (7) MICHAELS TURN closed a big gap from the 1/4 to the 3/4 in his last start. If more forwardly-placed early here, he could spring an upset. (6) MY REVENUER finally gets a better post to work with here and isn't out of this.

Race 8

(2) GRAVITATOR dodges Winter Sweet Frost here and this Kadabra filly should prove best in this field. (5) ANIKADABRA raced much better when put on the lead early last time and she is the main threat to the choice. (4) TROPICANA AS was a decent third in her debut to a sharp winner; using. (3) EXPOSE YOURSELF can build on her improved effort second time out and take a share here.

Race 9

(5) TOM HILL exploded halfway down the lane to win last time and anything close to a repeat of that impressive mile will result in another score. (2) JACK RACKHAM has raced well in every start this year and should be right there again. (4) BLAISE MM HANOVER rode soft fractions to an easy win on June 9th then scratched sick. This is a tougher assignment; minor share predicted. (8) MACH MESSIER won as an overlay last week but is more likely to finish on the fringes here if the top two bring their “A” games.

Race 10

(5) HEX found room down the lane and sprinted away to an easy win last week. She should be tough right back here. (4) CASIMIR PARDON ME can be a threat here if she leaves hard which I think is likely. (1) BADLANDS DELIGHT can work out a good trip from the inside post and take a good piece of this. (7) SOPHIE BLU and (10) TOTAL KNOCKOUT look next best in a race that appears to have few bona-fide contenders.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Yonkers: Tuesday 8/2 Analysis
By Matt Rose

DRF

MEET STATS: 254 - 737 / $1332.50

BEST BETS: 35 - 61 / $121.30

Best Bet: ASHLAKE (2nd)

Spot Play: KEYSTONE COCOA (10th)


Race 1

(2) BITTERSWEET CHAMP should be a halfway decent price returning locally picking up a catch-driver. (1) TINK AND TIGER drops to a new low and draws best. (5) BEST DEAL YET N has been close up in his last two and clearly merits consideration.

Race 2

(3) ASHLAKE drops back down to the basement claiming level where she was an easy winner at odds-on two back, short price. (1) RUDDY RUSTY hasn't been finishing his miles recently but that was against better. (6) SUGAR QUEEN GABBY has some back class and we've seen her awaken in the past.

Race 3

(4) BOX CAR JOHNNIE bounced back with a better effort last out and when right he's much better than a $12,500 claimer. (1) FOOLS GOLD is another with back class but he's missed time; proceed with caution. (8) MUSTANG MACH N is in good shape for Tritton but he has to overcome a rare outside post.

Race 4

(2) CANBEC KINGKAZIMIR was aggressively handled but faltered last out versus better; a smoother trip from Bongiorno can take this. (4) J JS DELIVERY is another facing weaker off a rugged try. (3) ASOKA N was treated rudely last out and paid the price after getting parked; veteran gets some post relief.

Race 5

(1) SOMETHING FOR DOC has finished willingly in his last two after not being aggressively handled; veteran has shown renewed life this season and he deserves a long look from this spot. (5) TWIN B IMPRESSIVE gets a free ride at this level off a game win and he's beaten much better in the past. (6) STATION THREEOHSIX also has back class and would be no surprise with a live trip.

Race 6

(4) CREE was a very sharp winner last out and the filly faces no killers in here; she handled the added distance well three back. (3) THE BIG MUSCLE makes his second start since shipping from Canada and he seems eligible for improvement. (10) COULD NINE HANOVER was a winner four back versus similar.

Race 7

(5) BINGO QUEEN isn't the most reliable sort but she did win by over 12 lengths when last in an added-distance event and she can power by with any sort of smooth trip. (4) TROUBLE RIEU N makes his second start for Tritton since shipping from Down-Under and he can show improvement. (6) JESSE'S STORY ships south from Saratoga looking for four straight.

Race 8

(10) MUSCLES ON FIRE has hinted at serious ability in his brief career and he qualified decently off the month vacation; Nik Drennan trainee only needs a smooth trip from the second tier to score. (3) CREDEVIE has been a good earner for Smedshammer despite being only 2 for 14 lifetime. (1) MUSCLESANDMARTINIS was a winner in this class last week. (6) TELL THE JUDGE was very game in defeat last out and could provide value underneath.

Race 9

(1) HOME'N DRY stayed trotting in that qualifier and if he minds his manners he's capable of blowing these away. Hold your breath. (4) LILY'S SWAN POND gets a decent midpack post here and a live longshot driver in Brent Holland. (10) MASSIVE TALENT was second best versus similar three back and has to be respected from these connections.

Race 10

(2) KEYSTONE COCOA raced pretty well in her first start for new connections and she gets a juicy morning line here. (4) WESTERN CREDIT was Sears' choice over my top pick and was decent last out without ever threatening for the top spot. (6) EXPRESSIVE ACTION went a long trip in last versus better and still held for a minor share. (9) NEW YORK MUSCLE has a touch of back class.

Race 11

(1) PETROSSIAN AS finished with plenty of trot once shaking free last out; with smooth sailing from the rail he can top this competitive field. (5) JAYPORT ALL MUSCLE keeps Sears and has been a steady commodity. (4) ROSE RUN QUICKLEY ships from Pennsylvania where he's been dull in his last two but he was live in his prior starts.

Race 12

(5) KIWI IDEAL N was never involved last out versus much better but he was competitive in prior starts and the Cassar trainee does have plenty of back class to call upon. (1) THE LUNCH PAIL gets serious post relief but he's not a prolific winner and will probably be overbet. (4) SANDESTIN HANOVER gets Sears back in the bike for a barn that's going well now.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

SPOT PLAYS

For Tuesday


TRACK (RACE) HORSE, MORNING LINE


Finger Lakes (1st) Hudson Hurricane, 4-1
(5th) River Monster, 5-1


Fort Erie (4th) World Record, 7-2
(6th) Phil Noir, 3-1


Indiana Grand (3rd) Flashlight, 3-1
(7th) Picante Caliente, 3-1


Mountaineer (1st) John's Mariah, 7-2
(2nd) Do the Math, 8-1


Parx Racing (2nd) Almost Grecian, 6-1
(12th) Real Estate Rich, 7-2


Presque Isle Downs (2nd) Maya Elizabeth, 6-1
(8th) Seamstress, 4-1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

August Pitchers Report
By Marc Lawrence

With the MLB trading deadline officially closed, and the NFL preseason whetting our pigskin palates, the month of August sets the table for the stretch run of the baseball season. Which pitchers can we count on to satisfy our tastes, and which ones figure to sour our stomachs?

Take a look below.

Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a two-to-one or better success ratio in team-starts over the course of the last three seasons during the month of August.

On the flip side, we've also listed pitchers that struggle in August, winning 33% percent or less of their team-start efforts.

To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at least one start each April over the last three years. And for your convenience alongside each record we break down each pitcher’s greatest success or greatest failure rate either home (H) or away (A) within his good or bad month.

Note: * designates a categorical repeat appearance by this pitcher, maintaining status quo from last season’s August list.

I’ll be back next month with September’s Good Month Pitchers.

Until then, as legendary singer and songwriter Neil Diamond would say, enjoy the hot August nights.

GOOD MONTH PITCHERS:

Arrieta, Jake - 10-5 (6-3 A)

After being Clayton Kershaw-like for nearly 12 months, the Cubs starter has "regressed" back to just being among the best starters in baseball. Arrieta has a nearly 3-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio and only allows a base hit 70 percent of the time in innings pitched this season, among the finest in the majors.

Duffy, Danny - 11-4 (6-1 H)

After starting the season as a reliever, the Kansas City left-hander was forced back into the rotation based on need and he has responded. Since June, after a pair of starts, Duffy has put up an ERA of just over 3.00 and opposing batters have just a .289 on-base percentage against him.

*Gallardo, Yovani - 9-4 (5-2 A)

Not close to the same pitcher he used to be with Milwaukee, with ERA so far this season approaching almost two runs higher than career average (5.37 vs. 3.73). The lost velocity is to blame and secondary pitches have less bite. For Baltimore to win AL East, Gallardo has to find some of his old magic.

Greinke, Zack - 10-5 (5-2 H)

After being on the shelf with oblique injury since late June, Greinke is close to returning for Arizona if no reoccurrence were to take place after a rehab start or two this month. After pathetic start to season, the D-Backs prized starter has cut ERA by 2 1/2 runs and is close to career norms in all major categories. Elite starter.

*Hamels, Cole - 12-6 (8-4 H)

Having typical Hamels season, with low numbers across the board. In bigger picture, underrated high level hurler who has not been getting acclaim after Phillies fall, but has been ace with Texas. As usual, left-handed batters have no chance with .176 batting average and .287 slugging percentage.

*Iwakuma, Hisashi - 12-5 (7-1 A)

Not having normal season for Seattle, with hits allowed much higher than usual for Iwakuma. However, has won four of five starts and the Mariners are 10-3 when the righty has toed the rubber since May 20. With Felix Hernandez back, this pair could lead Seattle charge to postseason.

Milone, Tom - 7-3 (4-1 A)

Milone starts for bad Minnesota club and is inconsistent as ever. Of his 74 hits allowed in only 59 2/3 innings, 11 have gone the yard. Maybe he can keep the ball down and spot his pitches better like previous August’s.

*Sanchez, Anibal - 9-3 (5-1 H)

With decreased velocity and no action on breaking pitches, Sanchez ERA has been six or higher almost all season. Not sure if he can respond this month, with opponents having BA over .300 and owning a WHIP of 1.64.

*Strasburg, Stephen - 13-3 (8-1 H)

Only July 21st, Strasburg suffered first loss of entire season after 13 consecutive wins. Though the fastball is no longer in upper 90's all the time, the breaking pitches disappear from batter's view and he's been exceptional. If Strasburg has true to form month, he will have real shot at 20 wins in 2016.

Teheran, Julio - 11-5 (7-2 H)

Suffered lat strain in late July and has been a victim of no run support from bad Braves club with 2.81 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and opposing batters at only .205 batting average. Note: Teheran’s record also represents his MLB career team start mark during the month of August.

Weaver, Jered - 12-5 (7-3 A)

Shell of his former self at 33. Never a hard thrower, Weaver's fastball only occasionally makes the upper 80's these days and his once dominating changeup is a pitch batter's wait on now with lack of variance of speed of pitches. Will blend good and really awful performances these days.

*Zimmermann, Jordan - 12-6 (8-3 H)

On July 24th had excellent rehab start and will be rejoining Detroit this month. After sensational start with Tigers, Zimmermann was tagged for at least five runs in four of his last five outings. Detroit needs the Zimmermann they had early in the season to have chance to catch Cleveland in AL Central.

BAD MONTH PITCHERS:

Gray, Sonny - 5-11 (0-7 A)

Given Gray's troubles this month, his woes of all season are very likely to continue. Gray simply has been more hittable the entire season, permitting those with bats to hit almost 50 points higher than normal batting average permitted of .233. Note: Gray’s record also represents his MLB career team start mark during the month of August.

*Hellickson, Jeremy - 4-11 (2-9 A)

Back of the rotation starter, Hellickson has largely performed better than expected for Philadelphia and as this article went live, he was rumored to be traded. His KW ratio is significantly higher at 4 to 1 compared to 3 to 1 for his career. Will he be able to maintain the rest of season?

Kazmir, Scott - 5-11 (1-7 A)

The Dodgers port-sider has 9-4 record, but his 4.41 ERA is still above career average of 3.98. Durability has been issue all season, with too many starts around five innings for what is supposed to be Los Angeles No. 2 or 3 starter.

Koehler, Tom - 4-13 (0-10 A)

Above average arm but always up or down and unless he pulls a Rich Hill, at 30 is not likely to change. An 8-8 record, 4.18 ERA and WHIP of 1.46, is about what we have come to expect from Mr. Koehler. Note: Koehler’s record also represents his MLB career team start mark during the month of August.

*Miley, Wade - 5-11 (1-6 A)

Overrated lefty who does not miss many bats and fails to come anywhere close to averaging punch-out an inning. Strictly an innings-eater and provides nothing more than 50-50 chance to win.

Miller, Shelby - 5-11 (2-8 H)

Demoted to Triple-A in July after disastrous campaign. Miller hopes to regain confidence and repair mechanics that are really out of whack and return to Arizona yet this season.

Samardzija, Jeff - 5-13 (3-8 H)

After appearing as the No.3 starter San Francisco wanted for two months, Smards has returned to same old serviceable pitcher of the past and seen his ERA climb from 2.84 to present 4.30 heading into this month.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB roundup: Kepler hits three homers in Twins' win
By The Sports Xchange

CLEVELAND -- The Minnesota Twins hit five home runs, including three by Max Kepler, who had six RBIs, in a 12-5 rout of the Cleveland Indians on Monday night at Progressive Field.
Kepler is the fifth player in Twins history to hit three home runs in a game, the first since Justin Morneau, on July 6, 2007, vs. the White Sox. The other Twins to do it: Bob Allison in 1963, Harmon Killebrew in 1963 and Tony Oliva in 1973.
Kepler hit a two-run homer off Danny Salazar in the first inning, and a two-run homer off Salazar in the third. He grounded out in the fourth, and hit a two-run homer off Cody Anderson in the sixth. He grounded out to first in the eighth inning and singled in the ninth.
Twins starter Jose Berrios (2-1), recalled from Triple-A Rochester earlier in the day, pitched six innings, giving up three runs and four hits with five strikeouts and no walks.

Royals 3, Rays 0
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Danny Duffy took a no-hitter into the eighth inning and struck out a franchise-record 16 batters in Kansas City's win.
Duffy (7-1) got within six outs of the Royals' first no-hitter in nearly 25 years, but Desmond Jennings led off the bottom of the eighth with a double to left field. His 16 strikeouts broke the record of 15 set by Zack Greinke in 2009 against Cleveland, and also set a Tropicana Field record.
The Rays saw their four-game winning streak end, and the Royals ended their four-game losing streak.

Cubs 5, Marlins 0
CHICAGO -- Addison Russell supplied a two-run single in the first inning and Cubs starter Kyle Hendricks took it from there en route to a complete-game shutout.
The win was the fourth in five games for the Cubs while the Marlins saw a two-game winning streak snapped in the opener of a three-game Wrigley Field series.
Hendricks (10-7) gave up seven hits, struck out five and walked three to claim his fifth win in six starts and third shutout outing in his last four.

Yankees 6, Mets 5 (10 innings)
NEW YORK -- Starlin Castro's sacrifice fly in the top of the 10th inning lifted the Yankees to a win in the first Subway Series game of the season at Citi Field. The Yankees snapped a four-game losing streak, and the Mets fell for the sixth time in eight games on their current homestand.
Adam Warren (1-0) earned the win with two scoreless innings. Dellin Betances notched his first save after navigating his way out of a first-and-third, one-out jam in the bottom of the 10th.
Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius hit a game-tying, two-run single in the eighth inning off Addison Reed.

Astros 2, Blue Jays 1 (14 innings)
HOUSTON -- Carlos Correa stroked a walk-off double to the right-center-field gap, scoring Jose Altuve and lifting Houston to a 14-inning win over Toronto.
Altuve opened the 14th with a walk off Blue Jays right-hander Scott Feldman (5-4), acquired from Houston earlier Monday, and Correa followed with his first hit in six plate appearances. Altuve homered in the sixth inning, and Russell Martin went deep for Toronto in the ninth.
The Astros snapped a three-game losing skid thanks to brilliant relief work from right-handers Chris Devenski, who struck out seven over 4 1/3 perfect innings, and Michael Feliz (7-1), who pitched a perfect 14th.

Red Sox 2, Mariners 1
SEATTLE -- Mookie Betts hit a solo shot as Boston used another ninth-inning home run to beat Seattle.
Betts led off the top of the ninth inning with a tie-breaking solo home run, Boston's third ninth-inning homer in two games, before closer Craig Kimbrel came on to earn his 18th save in his first game since July 6.
The Red Sox (57-47) won back-to-back games for the first time since July 20-21 while moving within one game of American League East-leading Baltimore. Boston and Toronto are now tied for second place in the division and for the first wild-card spot.

Nationals 14, Diamondbacks 1
PHOENIX -- Stephen Strasburg won his major-league-leading 15th game and Daniel Murphy had three hits and scored three runs in Washington's blowout victory over Arizona at Chase Field.
Strasburg (15-1) gave up one run on three hits in six innings and tied his career high for victories set in 2012, his first full season. He is 8-0 with a 1.70 ERA in nine road outings.
Wilson Ramos had three of the Nationals' season-high 19 hits and drove in two runs, and Anthony Rendon had two hits and three RBIs as the Nationals (62-44) scored six runs in the first two innings while breaking a two-game losing streak.

Padres 7, Brewers 3
SAN DIEGO -- Yangervis Solarte hit a two-run single and scored on a triple by Ryan Schimpf as part of a five-run fifth inning, and San Diego defeated Milwaukee.
The Padres had three consecutive hits with runners in scoring position while wiping out a 2-1 deficit in the fifth to break out of a situational-hitting slump. Alexi Amarista's run-scoring single, which tied the game at 2-2, ended San Diego's run of 14 straight at-bats without a hit with runners in scoring position.
Travis Jankowski reached base all five times, going 3-for-3 with two walks, two steals and two runs for the Padres.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB notebook: Rangers acquire Beltran, Lucroy
By The Sports Xchange

Sellers for the first time since 1989, the New York Yankees sent veteran outfielder Carlos Beltran to the Texas Rangers on Monday for a trio of minor leaguers.
The Yankees have obtained seven prospects from the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs in deals for left-handed relievers Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman. In the trade involving Beltran, New York acquired Dillon Tate, who was the fourth overall pick in the 2015 draft, in addition to fellow right-handers Erik Swanson and Nick Green.
Beltran has been the most consistent hitter for an offense that has struggled for most of the season. In the final campaign of a three-year, $45 million deal, the 39-year-old switch hitter is batting .304 with 22 home runs and 64 RBIs in 99 games with the Yankees.
Beltran has batted .281 with 414 home runs in 1,507 regular-season games with Kansas City, Houston, the New York Mets, San Francisco, St. Louis and Yankees. He also has been an elite postseason performer, producing a .332 average with 16 home runs and 40 RBIs in 52 games.

-- Two days after a deal with the Cleveland Indians fell through, the Milwaukee Brewers traded catcher Jonathan Lucroy to the Texas Rangers.
The Brewers initially traded Lucroy to the Indians Saturday but he used his no-trade clause to block the deal. Cleveland was among eight teams on Lucroy's no-trade list and he was concerned about playing time next season with the Indians.
Lucroy, a two-time All-Star, is batting .300 with 13 home runs and 50 RBIs this season. He has a $4 million salary this year as part of a contract that includes a $5.25 million team option for 2017.

-- The Los Angeles Dodgers landed two key cogs in their pursuit of the National League West title prior to the non-waiver trade deadline.
Los Angeles acquired left-hander Rich Hill and power-hitting outfielder Josh Reddick from Oakland,
Right-handed pitching prospects Jharel Cotton and Frankie Montas and left-hander Grant Holmes are headed to Oakland.

-- The San Francisco Giants bolstered their starting rotation by acquiring left-hander Matt Moore from the Tampa Bay Rays in a four-player deal.
Tampa Bay received third baseman Matt Duffy as well as prospects Lucius Fox and right-hander Michael Santos for Moore, who posted a 7-7 mark with a 4.08 ERA in 21 starts this season.
The 27-year-old Moore, who is two years removed from Tommy John surgery, has struck out 109 batters in 130 innings this season.

-- The Giants acquired left-handed reliever Will Smith from the Milwaukee Brewers.
Milwaukee will be getting catcher Andrew Susac and pitching prospect Phil Bickford in the deal.
Smith, 27, has a 3.68 ERA in 22 innings for Milwaukee this season. He began the season on the disabled list with a sprained right knee and did not make his debut until early June.

-- The Pittsburgh Pirates bolstered their pitching staff by acquiring Ivan Nova from the New York Yankees and fellow right-hander Drew Hutchison from the Toronto Blue Jays.
Nova was acquired for two players to be named while Hutchison comes to Pittsburgh for veteran left-hander Francisco Liriano, minor league catcher Reese McGuire and minor league outfielder Harold Ramirez.
Nova posted a 7-6 mark with one save and a 4.90 ERA in 21 games with the Yankees this season. The 29-year-old Dominican owns a 53-39 record in 131 career contests -- all with New York.

-- The New York Mets reacquired left-hander Jonathon Niese from the Pirates for left-handed reliever Antonio Bastardo and cash considerations.
Niese is 8-6 with a 4.91 ERA in 23 appearances (18 starts) this season. The Mets shipped him to Pittsburgh in the offseason for second baseman Neil Walker.
Niese, 29, spent his first eight seasons with the Mets and won a career-best 13 games in 2012. He has a 69-67 career mark to go with a 4.00 ERA.

-- The Chicago Cubs continue to redesign their bullpen by landing right-handed reliever Joe Smith from the Los Angeles Angels for a minor leaguer.
Smith is 1-4 with six saves and a 3.82 ERA in 38 games this season. The 32-year-old briefly served as the Angels' closer when Huston Street was sidelined.
The acquisition of Smith comes after the Cubs traded for Aroldis Chapman from the New York Yankees last week. Chicago followed up by acquiring left-hander Mike Montgomery from the Seattle Mariners and activated veteran right-hander Joe Nathan.

-- The Cleveland Indians added depth to their outfield by acquiring Brandon Guyer from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Guyer likely will platoon with right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall for the Indians, who shipped minor league outfielder Nathan Lukes and right-hander Jhonleider Salinas to the Rays to complete the deal.
Guyer batted just .241 with seven homers and 18 RBIs in 63 games with Tampa Bay this season, although the 30-year-old feasted on left-handed pitching. Guyer batted .344 versus southpaws in 2016 with four homers and nine RBIs.

-- The Toronto Blue Jays made a frantic push to shore up their pitching by acquiring three hurlers, including left-hander Francisco Liriano from the Pirates.
Toronto also landed right-hander Scott Feldman from the Houston Astros and right-hander Mike Bolsinger from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Blue Jays sent right-hander Drew Hutchison, catcher Reese McGuire and outfielder Harold Ramirez to the Pirates.

-- The Baltimore Orioles added a familiar face by acquiring veteran utilityman Steve Pearce from the Tampa Bay Rays.
Tampa Bay secured the services of minor-league catcher Jonah Heim for Pearce, who batted .258 with 43 homers and 116 RBIs in parts of four seasons with Baltimore.
The 33-year-old Pearce enjoyed a career campaign with the Orioles in 2014, belting 21 homers and 26 doubles to going along with 49 RBIs.

-- With two late-inning relievers sidelined, the Boston Red Sox bolstered their bullpen by acquiring left-hander Fernando Abad from the Minnesota Twins.
The Red Sox made their fifth trade in the last month and will send right-handed pitcher Pat Light to the Twins.
Abad will join the Red Sox while the team waits for Craig Kimbrel and Koji Uehara to recover from their respective injuries. Kimbrel currently is recovering from a knee injury that required surgery on July 11. Uehara, who assumed closing duties for Kimbrel, has been on the disabled list since July 20 with a right pectoral strain.

-- Three days after being acquired in a seven-player trade, right-hander Colin Rea is being sent back from the Miami Marlins to the San Diego Padres because of an elbow injury.
The Marlins shipped Rea back to the Padres after he only pitched 3 1/3 innings with Miami before getting injured Saturday night.
According to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports, the Marlins were "absolutely livid" and felt they were traded damaged goods.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Giants (61-44) at Phillies (48-59)

Game: 1
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: August 02, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

PHILADELPHIA -- San Francisco left-hander Madison Bumgarner came up big as a hitter on Sunday. He hopes to make a more conventional contribution Tuesday night, when the Giants open a nine-game road trip with a game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Bumgarner (10-6, 2.09 ERA) gets the start for the struggling National League West leaders, facing Phillies rookie right-hander Zach Eflin (3-4, 4.23 ERA).

Before winning the final two games of a four-game weekend series against the Washington Nationals, San Francisco had dropped 11 of 13 games since the All-Star break.

The Giants, whose 10-13 record in July represented their worst in any month this season, shored up their pitching staff by acquiring starter Matt Moore from Tampa Bay and reliever Will Smith from the Milwaukee Brewers at Monday's trade deadline, but offense remains a concern. They are averaging 3.2 runs and hitting .243 as a team over their past 15 games.

Bumgarner did his part at the plate Sunday, doubling off the right field fence in the fifth inning as a pinch hitter for starting pitcher Matt Cain. Manager Bruce Bochy made the move even though Cain had worked five no-hit innings against the Nationals -- albeit while throwing 93 pitches.

Bochy then sent in pitcher Jeff Samardzija to pinch-run for Bumgarner, and Samardzija came around to score, helping San Francisco earn a 3-1 victory.

"They both want to get into the game," Bochy said of Bumgarner and Samardzija. "Pretty impressive pinch-hit, wasn't it?"

Bumgarner, who is hitting .179 this season and .182 in his career, told MLB.com, "It's fun to just be a part of the game and get a chance to help the team win when you're not out there pitching. I'm just glad it worked out."

Bumgarner, who turned 27 Monday, is 0-2 over his last three starts, though he has allowed just seven earned runs over 21 innings (an ERA of 3.00) while striking out 24. The Giants have managed just four runs in that span.

The four-time All-Star also dropped a 3-2 decision to the Phillies on June 25, carrying a 2-0 lead into the seventh before yielding three runs in that inning, the last two on a homer by Philadelphia catcher Cameron Rupp.

"That's one of the best in the game," Rupp said of Bumgarner during the Phillies' last homestand, "and to be able to have an at-bat like I did off him, and then the result, of course it boosts confidence. I think when you have confidence, you have success. That's been the whole thing for me."

Rupp, a full-time starter for the first time this season, is hitting .273 with 10 homers and 30 RBIs. The Phillies as a team continue to struggle at the plate, however. They are 29th in the major leagues in batting average (.239) and runs (380), and their .218 home average is baseball's worst.

Eflin allowed seven runs on nine hits over five innings in an 11-1 loss to the Miami Marlins his last time out, but in his previous seven starts, he fashioned a 2.08 ERA.

Called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on June 10, he was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Jimmy Rollins trade in December 2014. He pitched well in his only outing against the Giants, allowing just an unearned run in six innings during a no-decision on June 24 in San Francisco.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Rangers (62-44) at Orioles (59-45)

Game: 1
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: August 02, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

BALTIMORE -- After the Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles were busy at the trade deadline, the two first-place teams begin a three-game series Tuesday at Camden Yards.

Baltimore, the American League East leader, found the starting pitcher it sought, obtaining left-hander Wade Miley (7-8. 4.98 ERA) from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for minor league pitcher Angel Miranda on Sunday night. On Monday, the team re-acquired former Orioles infielder/outfielder Steve Pearce (.309, 10 homers, 29 RBIs) from the Tampa Bay Rays for minor league catcher Jonah Heim.

The Rangers got outfielder/designated hitter Carlos Beltran (.309, 22 homers, 64 RBIs) from the Yankees in exchange for minor league pitchers Nick Green, Erik Swanson and Dillon Tate, plus cash. Later on Monday, Texas acquired catcher Jonathan Lucroy (.299, 13 homers, 50 RBIs) plus reliever Jeremy Jeffress (2-2, 2.22 ERA, 27 saves) from Milwaukee in a deal for two minor-leaguers, outfielder Lewis Brinson and right-handed pitcher Luis Ortiz.

Brinson and Ortiz are former first-round picks and are regarded as top prospects.

For Baltimore (59-45), the Miley deal should help the team's inconsistent rotation, a problem area all year long. Texas (62-44) added three solid major league players who will make an already very strong team that much better.

The Orioles come into the series after a big win in Toronto on Sunday. Baltimore scored four in the 12th inning for a 6-2 victory. Jonathan Schoop (tiebreaking single) and Adam Jones (three-run homer) had the big hits in the 12th inning.

Texas enters its only trip to Baltimore this season after sweeping a four-game series against the slumping World Series champion Kansas City Royals.

Mitch Moreland played a big part in the Rangers' recent improvement. He has seven homers since the All-Star break -- four in the Kansas City series -- and he earned American League Player of the Week honors for last week.

"I'm trying to go up there and have good at-bats," Moreland said. "It definitely worked out well this series for me. And not just me, we all had a lot of big hits in this series. It was a good run for us, and hopefully it can carry over after the off day."

The Rangers will start right-hander Yu Darvish (2-2, 3.09 ERA) on Tuesday, making his way back from injuries. In three starts since his second disabled-list stint of the season, he is 0-2 with a 3.31 ERA.

Darvish hasn't gone past six innings in any of his seven starts this year, but he told the Dallas Morning News he is ready to throw more than 100 pitches against the Orioles. He threw 90, 91 and 93 pitches in his three latest appearances.

Baltimore counters with rookie right-hander Dylan Bundy (3-3, 3.46 ERA). He is slowly becoming a part of the rotation, and this will be his fourth start.

Bundy has improved in each outing, and he took a no-hitter into the sixth last week against the Colorado Rockies before allowing three runs on two homers in that inning. He wound up allowing just the three runs on three hits in 5 2/3 innings -- with eight strikeouts and just one walk.

The Orioles desperately need consistency from their starting pitchers, and if Bundy keeps developing, it would fill a huge hole for the team.

"Dylan was really good. Solid," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "Got to get into another inning that he hadn't been into, got to throw a couple more pitches than he'd thrown. He was good. Just elevated a couple changeups. He was the reason we were in that game. Impressive."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Pirates (52-51) at Braves (37-68)

Game: 1
Venue: Turner Field
Date: August 02, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Braves, last in the majors with 65 homers, will finally have a right-handed power bat in the lineup when they open a three-game series Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Turner Field.

Matt Kemp, acquired late Saturday, had 23 homers with San Diego and the Braves are counting on him to be a part of their reboot going into a new ballpark in 2017 and a return to contention by 2018.

"We look at this as probably the first piece of starting to look at what we're going to do this winter, as far as adding other pieces into this mix," Braves president of baseball operations John Hart said.

Meanwhile, the Pirates are still hoping to make it to the postseason for a fourth straight year despite trading closer Mark Melancon on Saturday and possessing a 52-51 record after being swept in a weekend series at Milwaukee.

"We're not giving up on anything," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. "We're not lowering the bar. We're not settling."

Left-hander Tony Watson will take over as the closer and the Pirates were busy Monday ahead of the non-waiver trade deadline making other pitching changes.

Right-handed starter Ivan Nova was acquired from the New York Yankees for two players to be named later and veteran left-hander Jon Niese was sent back to the New York Mets in exchange for former Pirates lefty Anthony Bastardo.

Then right at the deadline, left-hander Francisco Liriano was sent to the Toronto Blue Jays along with two prospects for right-hander Drew Hutchinson, who has spent most of the season in Triple-A.

Liriano is owed $13 million next season and had struggled mightily in 2016, going 6-11 with a 5.46 ERA.

The Braves started their massive teardown and rebuild two years ago, dealing away veteran players rather than acquiring them. The 31-year-old Kemp, though, fills a need; the remaining three years on his contract are partially covered by the Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, and the deal subtracted unwanted Hector Olivera.

The Braves, quiet at the Monday afternoon deadline, held on to veteran reliever Jim Johnson, who saved four games while winning National League Player of the Week on Monday.

Gerrit Cole, coming off a career first, will start the series opener for the Pirates against the Braves' Mike Foltynewicz.

Cole (6-6, 2.78 ERA) threw the first complete game of his career on Wednesday against Seattle and is 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA in three career games against the Braves.

He allowed three hits and one run to the Mariners, striking out six without allowing a walk. Of his 94 pitches, 70 were strikes.

The right-hander was on the disabled list for a month with a strained right triceps before returning to the Pirates' rotation on July 17.

Foltynewicz (4-4, 4.30 ERA) gave up five runs in three innings on May 19 in a loss at Pittsburgh, but has pitched much better at home than on the road this season. The right-hander has a 2.83 ERA in Atlanta compared to 5.40 on the road.

The series is Pittsburgh's last visit to Turner Field. They have good memories at the 20-year-old downtown ballpark that was once the main facility of the 1996 Olympics.

The Pirates clinched a spot in the 2014 postseason at Turner Field and celebrated in the visitor's clubhouse.

Pittsburgh took three of four games against the Braves in Pittsburgh this year.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Cardinals (56-49) at Reds (42-62)

Game: 1
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: August 02, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

CINCINNATI -- For the better part of eight seasons, Jay Bruce was a model of stability and professionalism for the Cincinnati Reds organization.

On Monday afternoon, Bruce was traded to the New York Mets in a deal designed to further the Reds' rebuilding efforts.

When Cincinnati begins a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night, a No. 32 jersey will be conspicuously absent from the large locker on the far left-hand corner of the clubhouse.

"Over the past nine seasons, we couldn't have asked for a better person to represent our team, our city and Major League Baseball, both on and off the field," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said in a statement.

"During these difficult last few months, he has answered questions about his future almost daily, while continuing to handle himself with the class and professionalism he has shown since the day we drafted him."

In exchange for Bruce, Cincinnati acquired infielder Dilson Herrera and left-hander Max Wotell. Herrera, 22, originally was signed by Pittsburgh in 2010 and was acquired by the Mets in August 2013. Wotell, 19, was the Mets' third-round pick in 2015.

"This was a very difficult trade for us to make because of how our fans, ownership and everyone in our organization feel about Jay, but we acquired two quality players who better fit the direction our organization is heading," Jocketty said.

"Herrera is considered one of the brightest young stars in the game today. Wotell fits in with the other good, strong arms we've been trying to stockpile in our minor league system."

The Cardinals, who begin play Tuesday in second place in the National League Central behind the Chicago Cubs, made a deal to bolster their bullpen at Monday's non-waiver trade deadline, acquiring lefty Zack Duke from the Chicago White Sox.

The Reds and Cardinals will play six times over the next nine days, beginning with this week's three-game set. Coming into Tuesday's series opener, St. Louis is 18-4 over the past 11 series at Great American Ball Park.

Cincinnati will try to reverse that trend on Tuesday behind right-hander Dan Straily who went from a long reliever to being among the Reds' most dependable starters.

Opponents are hitting just .207 against Straily, who will make his first career start against St. Louis. He leads the Reds' staff in innings pitched (122), strikeouts (97) and quality starts (12).

The Cardinals counter with Adam Wainwright, who has overcome a rough start to the season to post a 1.77 ERA in July, which ranks ninth among all major league pitchers.

St. Louis is 14-3 in his last 17 starts and has won six of his last seven road starts.

Cincinnati has had success against Wainwright, however. His 4.44 ERA against the Reds is the second-highest against any opponent. Wainwright allowed two earned runs in six innings in a 3-2 win against them on June 9. On April 16, Cincinnati roughed him up with a season-high seven runs allowed.

"He's been good, very good," St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. "The fastball execution has been very sharp here lately. Good movement on the cutter sinker and that makes the curveball better."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Twins (41-64) at Indians (60-43)

Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: August 02, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

CLEVELAND -- The Cleveland Indians, with their newly-configured bullpen, will host the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night in the second game of their four-game series.

The Twins won game one of the series Monday night as they continued their inexplicable dominance of the Indians.

Minnesota, which is in last place in the American League Central, is 6-4 versus first-place Cleveland, and 6-21 against all the other division opponents.Tuesday night's pitching matchup will feature Cleveland's Carlos Carrasco (7-4, 2.45) vs. Minnesota's Kyle Gibson (3-6, 4.54).

It will be the 100th start of Carrasco's career, and his 11th against the Twins. He is 2-5 with a 4.02 ERA in those 11 starts. Gibson is 2-3 with a 5.80 ERA in eight career starts against Cleveland. That includes a 6-1 loss on July 17 at Target Field in which Gibson gave up four runs and 10 hits.

The Indians acquired left-hander Andrew Miller from the New York Yankees in a trade on Sunday that significantly strengthened the back of the Indians' bullpen. Miller has experience as both a closer and a setup man. The Indians have closer Cody Allen, who has 20 saves this year and 78 saves over the last three years.

So who will be the Indians' closer going forward? That will be determined by how each given game unfolds. Manager Terry Francona met with both relievers on Monday, and the decision was made to let the game dictate who pitches the eighth inning and who pitches the ninth.

If the matchups in the eighth inning favor a left-handed pitcher, Miller will pitch the eighth and Allen the ninth. If the matchups in the eighth favor a right-handed pitcher, Allen will pitch that inning and Miller the ninth.

"We're going to try to leverage both of them the best we can," Francona said. "We've got a guy in Andrew Miller who is a rare breed. He's comfortable in any role. And Cody is willing to do whatever is best to help us win."

The other change for the Indians is at third base. On Monday, third baseman Juan Uribe was designated for assignment. Jose Ramirez, who has played mostly left field and some third base this year, will replace Uribe as the everyday third baseman.

The Twins, who have won four of their last five games, are riding a rejuvenated offense in recent games. They have won four of their last five games, and in the four wins they scored 26 runs. In Monday's 12-5 win over Cleveland, the Twins exploded for 19 hits, including three doubles, two triples and five home runs.

"We had 19 hits and new could have had more. We hit a lot of balls hard," Twins manager Paul Molitor said.

Much of the hard hitting came from Max Kepler, who had four hits, including three home runs, and Joe Mauer, who had four hits, including a double and a home run.

"We're hoping Joe gets into a run," Molitor said. "He's tweaking some things, trying to find his rhythm."

Outfielder Byron Buxton did not play in Monday's game due to a sore right knee. An MRI exam done on the knee Monday was negative, and Buxton is listed as day-to-day.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Royals at Rays

Game: 1
Date: August 02, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Ned Yost was relieved to see July end.
The Kansas City manager hopes a 3-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday is an indication of a better August ahead for the Royals following a brutal month.
"You just kind of put July in the rearview mirror," Yost said. "It's kind of just a little bit of a reset button. We're in a new month, and let's just go out and play good baseball."
July? July was a 7-19 month in which perhaps the only thing that went right for the Royals was starter Danny Duffy. In 26 games during the month, Kansas City went 5-0 when he pitched, 2-19 when he didn't.
He was never as sharp as he was Monday, taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning and striking out a franchise-record 16 batters. Duffy (7-1) wound up allowing one hit and one walk in eight scoreless innings.
"Duffy had everything going, obviously," Rays manager Kevin Cash said after the game, which snapped a four-game winning streak for Tampa Bay. "Electric fastball and a wipeout changeup, mixed in an occasional curveball."
The Royals (50-55) seek to continue their momentum against a Rays team that dealt away three players at the trade deadline -- left-handed starter Matt Moore went to the San Francisco Giants, utility man Steve Pearce returned to the Baltimore Orioles and outfielder Brandon Guyer was shipped to the Cleveland Indians.
Tampa Bay (42-62) got back only one major league player, former Giants third baseman Matt Duffy, who will take over at shortstop for the Rays once he has recovered from an Achilles injury.
"It was tough," Rays starter Chris Archer said of seeing Moore traded Monday. "It was definitely emotional for me because I've known Matt for a long time. And I wish him the best."
Moore was due to start Tuesday against Kansas City. In his place, the Rays will use right-hander Matt Andriese, who has been stellar as a starter and reliever, posting a 6-2 record and a 2.75 ERA while splitting time between both roles.
The Rays are in the midst of a raft of changes:
--Desmond Jennings was activated from the disabled list Monday and came up with the Rays' only hit, an eighth-inning double. He will replace Guyer as a reserve outfielder.
--Tampa Bay is expected to shift Brad Miller -- who has set a franchise record for shortstops with 17 home runs, but also has a team-high 13 errors -- to first base and outfield, with Duffy taking his place at short.
--Pearce was perhaps the Rays' most consistent hitter, so his absence diminishes the offense.
Tampa Bay played with only 23 players Monday, meaning two moves will be made to replace the departed players and fill out the roster.
As the Rays try to establish a new identity after the trade deadline, they will begin those efforts Tuesday against Yordano Ventura. The Royals right-hander is 6-9 with a 4.88 ERA in an inconsistent season that saw him go 0-4 with a 4.55 ERA in July. After mustering only one hit and two baserunners Monday night, Tampa Bay won't be hard-pressed to improve on its start to August.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: White Sox (51-54) at Tigers (57-48)

Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: August 02, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

DETROIT -- Tigers general manager Al Avila walked into a thinned out Detroit clubhouse and quietly explained why he decided to stand pat when the 4 p.m. Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline passed.

The results of that decision will start to play out Tuesday night when Detroit hosts the also relatively quiet Chicago White Sox in the middle segment of a nine-game homestand.

James Shields (5-12, 4.68 ERA overall, 3-5, 5.17 ERA with the White Sox) will start for Chicago against Detroit's Anibal Sanchez (5-11, 6.56 ERA) in a rematch of a series two weekends back that saw the White Sox stun the Tigers with a pair of walk-off wins July 24 that included a start by Sanchez.

Avila had warned folks not to expect anything "sexy" from Detroit as the trade deadline drew near and was more expansive Sunday after Detroit completed a three-game sweep of Houston.

He reiterated the Tigers biggest boost will come when pitchers Jordan Zimmerman (neck) and Daniel Norris (right oblique), along with right fielder J.D. Martinez (elbow), return from the disabled list. All three could be back this week.

It was the cost of doing business that kept Detroit off the market.

For major help, teams were asking Detroit for Michael Fulmer, Norris and Matt Boyd. Any major move the Tigers could have made, Avila said, "would have set us back five years" in terms of player development.

Avila zeroed in on some of the pitching Tampa Bay offered, but was told up front "you don't have enough" to offer.

There was a lot of noise about Chicago shedding players in favor of a rebuild, but apparently the White Sox have put that off until the winter.

Over the weekend, Chicago traded southpaw Zach Duke to St. Louis for minor league outfielder Charlie Tilson, 23, a left-handed hitter with some speed who immediately was slotted among the top White Sox prospects. He was batting .282 with four home runs, 34 RBIs and 15 stolen bases in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Lefties Chris Sale and Jose Quintana remain with the club despite almost daily rumors they would be dealt for a flock of prospects.

Sale was supposed to pitch against Detroit little more than a week ago but was suspended when he cut up throwback uniforms in a tizzy over comfort and corporate promotions.

Detroit took the first two games of that four-game set, but the third game was suspended by rain. When it resumed, Chicago quickly walked off with a win and then came back in the regularly scheduled game to win in walk-off fashion again.

Shields was the losing pitcher in the first game of that series, a rain-shortened, seven-inning 2-1 affair in which he gave up a pair of solo home runs to Ian Kinsler and Miguel Cabrera.

This will be Shields' 11th start for the White Sox, matching the number he made for San Diego. He is 3-3 with a 1.71 ERA over his last six starts.

Sanchez's record for 16 starts is 3-10 with a 7.13 ERA. He lost his spot in the rotation with a string of disastrous outings early in the season and pitched relatively well in low-pressure relief outings. He was returned to the rotation, however, when Zimmermann and Norris were sidelined by injury in early July.

Norris could have been slotted in favor of Sanchez because his last rehab appearance was last Thursday, but Tigers manager Brad Ausmus apparently wants him pitching against the New York Mets this weekend.