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**TheGame** · 04-19-2016, 07:46 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/19

Preview: Mariners (5-7) at Indians (5-5)

Game: 1
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: April 19, 2016 6:10 PM EDT

Add Wade Miley to the long list of left-handed starters the Cleveland Indians have faced in the opening two weeks.

They hope to add him to the short list of ones they've beaten.

Miley will be the seventh left-handed starter the Indians face in their first 11 games when the Seattle Mariners visit for Tuesday night's series opener.

Cleveland (5-5) hasn't had much success against the lefties, going 2-4 in the games started by David Price, Chris Sale, John Danks, Matt Moore, Drew Smyly and Steven Matz.

Outfielders Marlon Byrd and Collin Cowgill were added in the offseason to help against left-handed pitching but are a combined 1 for 21. The Indians are batting .200 against lefties.

That number would be even worse if not for an outburst against Danks, who the Indians pounded for seven runs - five earned - in five innings of a 7-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on April 8. Cleveland has totaled nine runs and struck out 41 times against the other five lefty starters.

Four of them pitched seven innings, which is how long Matz lasted in Cleveland's 6-0 home loss to the New York Mets on Sunday.

Ace Corey Kluber gave up six runs and nine hits in six innings, and he wasn't helped by center fielder Rajai Davis losing two routine fly balls in the sun in the second inning as the Mets scored three times.

'I'm sure that's an awful feeling,' manager Terry Francona said. 'You feel probably pretty naked.'

After scoring 18 runs over their previous three games, the Indians struck out 15 times and managed two singles and a double in the series' decisive game.

Cleveland could finally catch a break against Miley, who's struggled in his first two starts. Both came against Texas and he allowed three-run homers in each, giving up 11 runs and 17 hits in 12 innings to go 0-1.

Juan Uribe is the only Indians player with more than six at-bats against Miley, going 7 for 25 with three doubles.

Carlos Carrasco (1-0, 3.46) rebounded from a rough first outing against Boston by limiting Tampa Bay to one run and four hits in eight innings of Wednesday's 4-1 win. The right-hander walked one and struck out eight.

Robinson Cano, with five home runs on the season, is 5 for 9 with two doubles, a homer and four RBIs against Carrasco. Nelson Cruz is 3 for 8 with a pair of doubles in the matchup.

Cano is 5 for 16 during a four-game hitting streak, but Seattle (5-7) had a three-game winning streak snapped with Sunday's 4-3 loss to the New York Yankees.

The Mariners took two of three from the Yankees to open a nine-game road trip.

"The key is to win the series, no doubt," manager Scott Servais said. "It would have been nice to sweep here. I think we're playing much better, obviously, then we played at home. But yeah, win the series, get a day off (Monday) and then go get Cleveland."

Seattle has won four of six at Cleveland, though it lost the 2015 season series 4-3.

**TheGame** · 04-19-2016, 07:46 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/19

Preview: Mets (5-6) at Phillies (6-7)

Game: 2
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: April 19, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

The New York Mets were well aware they would need to go beyond their five starters over the course of this season, but they certainly couldn't have expected that to happen so quickly.

The Philadelphia Phillies must be thrilled to hand the ball to Vince Velasquez every few days.

Logan Verrett goes for another impressive performance in place of Jacob deGrom as the Mets try to end Velasquez's shutout streak Tuesday night.

New York (6-6) entered the season with expectations of returning to the World Series, and that's mostly due to a rotation that includes deGrom, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and veteran Bartolo Colon.

DeGrom, though, has only made one start, leaving after the sixth inning with tightness in his left lat but earning a 7-2 win over Philadelphia on April 8.

He also left the team to be with his wife for the birth of their son last Tuesday, but was added to the family medical emergency list following complications with the birth. The deGroms brought the child home Monday.

In the meantime, Verrett (0-0, 1.29 ERA) makes his second start after allowing three hits and striking out six over six scoreless innings of a no-decision in a 2-1 win over Miami on Wednesday.

"We knew going in that we were going to need more than just five guys," manager Terry Collins told MLB's official website.

Verrett has only started five of his 20 career games, going 1-1 with a 2.86 ERA. That includes yielding three runs with five strikeouts and four walks in 4 1-3 innings of a no-decision in a 7-5 loss at Philadelphia on Sept. 30.

The right-hander will try to draw some inspiration from Syndergaard's latest gem in Monday's 5-2 victory. He fanned eight and allowed one run in seven innings.

"Those five guys are unbelievable pitchers, the four young guys and Bartolo is a Cy Young Award winner," Verrett said. "So you try not to get caught up in being them. It's easy to see their fastballs light up the radar gun, but that's not the type of pitcher I am.

"I've just got to remember who I am as a pitcher, and take that approach when I take the mound."

Whatever approach Velasquez is taking is working. He's the first Phillies pitcher to not allow a run through his first two starts since Robinson Tejada in 2005, and can be the first to do so in three straight since at least 1913.

The 23-year-old right-hander tossed a three-hitter in Thursday's 3-0 win over San Diego, striking out a career-high 16 to tie Cliff Lee (2011), Curt Schilling (1997) and Steve Carlton (1982) for the third-highest single-game total in team history.

"He's something else," manager Pete Mackanin said. "Very impressive."

Velasquez, acquired in an offseason trade with Houston, was outstanding in his season debut at Citi Field on April 9. He fanned nine and yielded three hits in six innings of a 1-0 win.

The Phillies (6-8) are already monitoring his innings since he only totaled 88 2-3 between the Astros and the minors last year.

"It's about workload and we can define workload in a lot of different ways," general manager Matt Klentak said. "But it's about managing that."

New York's David Wright homered twice Monday, giving him 22 in 98 games at Citizens Bank Park. That's the most by a visiting player in the ballpark's 13-year history.

'I can't explain it,' Wright said. 'It's a good place to hit, certainly, but other than that I think I play a lot here.'

**TheGame** · 04-19-2016, 07:46 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/19

Preview: Athletics (6-7) at Yankees (5-6)

Game: 1
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: April 19, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

A slump-busting win provided a reminder that the New York Yankees could prove dangerous if they can get enough length out of their starting pitchers.

They'll be looking for another strong effort from a starter Tuesday night when they hand the ball to Michael Pineda - who's coming off a solid outing - as they continue a nine-game homestand with three against the Oakland Athletics.

Masahiro Tanaka pitched seven innings and gave up two earned runs while Dellin Betances and Andrew Miller struck out all six batters they faced as New York (5-6) beat Seattle 4-3 on Sunday, ending a four-game losing streak.

Four Yankees relievers - Betances, Miller, Johnny Barbato and Chasen Shreve - have made at least five appearances and not allowed an earned run. Betances has struck out 15 in six innings while Miller has struck out 12 in five.

'It seems whatever I do, he does it better,' Betances said of Miller. 'We feed off each other.'

The two needed 13 pitches apiece to strike out their respective sides. And New York isn't far from its shutdown bullpen getting a major boost, with Aroldis Chapman's 30-game suspension ending May 9. He's expected to slide into the closer role currently occupied by Miller.

'Those guys are ridiculous,' catcher Brian McCann said.

Chapman's arrival could further mask a shaky starting rotation, which even after Tanaka's outing ranks toward the bottom of the AL with 61 2-3 innings and a 5.25 ERA. Tanaka was the first Yankees hurler to pitch seven innings this season.

Pineda (1-1, 6.55 ERA) will try to match that effort after going six innings and allowing two earned runs in a 7-2 loss to Toronto on Wednesday, bouncing back from an ugly outing in his season debut. The right-hander is 2-1 with a 2.00 ERA in three starts against Oakland, striking out 19 in 18 innings.

The Yankees will also have to be much more productive offensively if they want to compete in the AL East, and they posted their highest run total in six games Sunday. Slumping Alex Rodriguez hit a two-run homer and Brett Gardner had three hits for New York, which is batting .210 with runners in scoring position.

Oakland (6-7) hasn't been much better in clutch situations, leaving 88 on base - second-most in the AL - and batting .214 with runners in scoring position. The A's, though, are looking for their third straight win after taking two of three at home from Kansas City over the weekend.

Billy Burns hit a leadoff triple in the eighth inning and scored on Josh Reddick's sacrifice fly as the A's rallied for a 3-2 victory Sunday.

"To come back and win two out of three from the defending champs, it's always nice to get a team win, but to do it against those guys - that's a really good team," Burns told the Athletics' official website.

Oakland was held to one hit through six innings.

"Coming back against that team, where typically the seventh-eighth-ninth (innings are) quite a chore, to come back against them, that's kind of how they're built," manager Bob Melvin said. "Got some big hits."

The A's send Eric Surkamp (0-1, 4.00) to the mound for his third start. He failed to last five innings in his first two, giving up two runs and throwing 96 pitches in 4 2-3 of a 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. The left-hander has never faced the Yankees.

The A's have won 18 of the last 26 against New York, though the Yankees took two of three in the Bronx in the teams' last meeting July 7-9.

**TheGame** · 04-19-2016, 07:46 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/19

Preview: Blue Jays (6-7) at Orioles (8-3)

Game: 1
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: April 19, 2016 7:05 PM EDT

The Toronto Blue Jays flexed their muscles last season in leading the majors in homers en route to the AL East crown.

The Baltimore Orioles are currently setting the pace for longballs in the AL as well as the East lead.

These power-hitting teams meet for the first time in Tuesday night's three-game series opener in which the Orioles try to improve to 6-0 at home.

Toronto (7-7) drilled 232 homers last year, with Baltimore third at 217. The Orioles (8-3) have gone deep 23 times to lead the league, with five apiece by Mark Trumbo and Chris Davis.

"A lot of guys in the lineup can hit the ball a long way," outfielder Nolan Reimold told MLB's official website. "We feel like we're never out of the game. The later innings, we can score a lot of runs still. It's a long year, it's still really early, but we know we can put up some runs."

The Blue Jays may be well equipped to keep the Orioles in the ballpark since they are sending Marcus Stroman (2-0, 4.22 ERA) to the mound. Stroman is among baseball's leaders with a 65.2 groundball percentage.

The right-hander gave up two runs in eight innings to earn Thursday's 4-2 victory over the New York Yankees, using his sinkerball to help him record 17 groundball outs compared to four through the air. He yielded five runs in 5 1-3 innings in his previous outing April 8 against Boston.

"I thought I was locating my sinker," he said. "I felt like I was down more than in my last game and the results showed."

Stroman is 7-0 with a 2.82 ERA in his last eight starts dating to September 2014, and 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA in two against the Orioles. Seldom-used Ryan Flaherty is the Orioles hitter who has faced him the most, going 1 for 7 with a homer.

Baltimore will counter with Mike Wright, who allowed four runs in five innings as he threw 96 pitches in last Tuesday's 9-5 victory at Boston. It marked his season debut after an April 9 postponement pushed it back.

"It's been quite awhile so that was a little different," Wright said. "Like I said, I just went out there and tried to battle, I was obviously off a little bit, that was actually the worst command I've had in quite some time."

Wright had this outing pushed back two days after the Orioles had Sunday's game at Texas postponed coupled with Monday's off day.

The right-hander went 0-2 with an 11.81 ERA in two 2015 starts against Toronto. Jose Bautista homered against him and Justin Smoak doubled twice.

Baltimore now tries to continue its best home start since beginning 7-0 in 1997, and it also finished 2015 on a five-game win streak at Camden Yards. Manny Machado has hit safely in all 11 games this season with a .383 average while Joey Rickard is 8 for 18 at home.

Bautista has a .202 average at Baltimore for his second-worst mark in an AL city. He batted .373 with six homers and 20 RBIs against the Orioles last season as the Blue Jays took 11 of 19.

Toronto improved to 1-3 in one-run games with Monday's 4-3 victory at Boston. The Blue Jays went 15-28 a year ago for baseball's worst mark.

**TheGame** · 04-19-2016, 07:47 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/19

Preview: Nationals (9-2) at Marlins (3-7)

Game: 2
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: April 19, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

The Miami Marlins ended Bryce Harper's home run streak at four games while the Washington Nationals were unable to prevent Giancarlo Stanton from going deep.

This four-game series at Marlins Park continues Tuesday night with Harper facing the hard-nosed Adam Conley while Stanton will step into the batter's box versus familiar foe Stephen Strasburg.

The major storyline in this series is about two of baseball's most feared sluggers. Harper had established a career high by homering in four straight games before going 0 for 2 with a walk and a sacrifice fly in Monday's 6-1 defeat.

"Every time you get him out, you breathe a sigh of relief,' Miami manager Don Mattingly said.

Stanton ended a five-game homerless drought with a solo shot in the fifth inning. He's 5 for 12 against Washington (9-3) this year.

"Boy, it's hard to keep big boy in the ballpark too over there forever, you just can't do it," Nationals manager Dusty Baker said.

Harper is 4 for 7 with one homer and two doubles when facing left-handers as he faces the southpaw Conley (0-0, 3.86 ERA), against whom he is 1 for 2 with two walks.

Conley threw six scoreless innings in last Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the New York Mets, finishing with a career-high nine strikeouts and one walk.

'He pounded the strike zone,' Mattingly said. 'He's going to come in there. He's not going to back off. He's going to pitch inside. It's interesting to watch how hitters react to him.'

Conley was much more effective than his first start April 7 when he was charged with three runs in one inning in a 6-4 victory at Washington, departing early due to a weather delay.

Strasburg (2-0, 1.98) can open with victories in his first three starts for the first time. He has beaten Atlanta in his first two outings and did not allow an extra-base hit over 13 2-3 innings.

Stanton is the hitter with the third-most at-bats against the right-hander, going 13 for 32 (.406) with three homers and six doubles. Marcell Ozuna is 8 for 22 with two homers off Strasburg while lefty-swinging Justin Bour went 4 for 8 with one homer last year versus him.

Strasburg went 1-2 with a 4.95 ERA in four 2015 starts against Miami. He is 2-5 with a 6.57 ERA in his last seven at Marlins Park.

Reports are surfacing that Strasburg is throwing his slider more, although he is denying that he is even employing one.

The Nationals have lost consecutive games for the first time while the Marlins (4-7) ended a four-game slide with their first home win in six tries Monday.

The slumping Ozuna delivered a two-out, two-run single in the first inning after entering with a .190 average. Christian Yelich went 2 for 4 for Miami, third in the NL with a .276 average but tied for the league's second-fewest homers with seven.

Washington's Daniel Murphy is batting .441 during a 10-game hitting streak.

**TheGame** · 04-19-2016, 07:47 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/19

Preview: Dodgers (8-5) at Braves (3-9)

Game: 1
Venue: Turner Field
Date: April 19, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

Though he was a southern kid who had spent most of his career in Georgia, Alex Wood was excited when he was shipped to the Los Angeles Dodgers in July.

Now Wood is looking forward to facing the Braves in his first trip back to Atlanta on Tuesday night with the Dodgers chasing their fifth win in six games.

A native of Charlotte, N.C., Wood played for the University of Georgia before the Braves drafted him in 2012. He pitched for minor league affiliates in Rome and Gwinnett while appearing to emerge as a big part of the club's rebuilding plans.

The left-hander went 21-20 with a 3.10 ERA in 86 games with Atlanta before he became one of the key pieces of a 13-player deal that sent him across the country.

"That's where I lived. It'll be fun," Wood told MLB's official website of Tuesday's return. "I was pretty much caught off guard with the whole trade. Everybody likes to think they know what's going on, but obviously you never really know."

Wood (1-1, 4.50 ERA) went 5-6 with a 4.35 ERA for Los Angeles (8-5) last season before getting left out of the playoff rotation, but he's been given another chance to start this season following injuries to Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brett Anderson.

Wood is hoping to put on a show for friends and family after allowing one run and five hits over seven innings in Wednesday's 3-1 home win over Arizona.

"I'll be leaving a bunch of tickets and we'll see what happens," he said.

Freddie Freeman expressed his unhappiness when Wood, Jim Johnson and Luis Avilan were sent to Los Angeles in the deal that brought Hector Olivera to Atlanta. The first baseman went 2 for 4 with an RBI and Jace Peterson was 2 for 4 with three RBIs on Sunday when the Braves won their third straight, 6-5 in 10 innings.

"There's nothing better than getting on the bird with a series win and sweep and an off-day," manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

Freeman is 4 of 11 in his last three games after a 2-for-25 start, while Nick Markakis is 7 for 16 with three doubles and six RBIs over his last four. Markakis is also 8 for 18 with three doubles and a homer in his last five versus Los Angeles.

The Braves (3-9) have scored six runs in each of the past three games after putting up that many only once while dropping their prior nine.

Julio Teheran (0-2, 6.35) is expected to get the ball after previously scheduled starter Matt Wisler worked the 10th inning Sunday. He's struggled in his last two outings, allowing 11 runs and 12 hits over 11 innings in a pair of defeats.

Teheran is also 0-4 with a 6.08 ERA in four career starts against the Dodgers.

Yasiel Puig is 4 for 6 with a home run off him, while Yasmani Grandal has gone 3 for 7 with two doubles and Adrian Gonzalez is 4 for 12 with a home run.

Grandal had two hits and an RBI and Joc Pederson hit his second homer Sunday when Los Angeles took two of three from San Francisco with a 3-1 home win. Kike Hernandez went 8 for 18 with two homers and seven RBIs on the homestand.

Wood beat the Dodgers in July when Atlanta took two of three at Turner Field.

**TheGame** · 04-19-2016, 07:47 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/19

Preview: Rockies (7-5) at Reds (6-6)

Game: 2
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: April 19, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

The Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds have the NL's worst bullpens, and they have starters with high ERAs matching up Tuesday night.

The Reds' Alfredo Simon retired two batters in his last start and the Rockies' Jorge De La Rosa has gotten through the fifth inning once in three outings as their clubs continue a three-game series in Cincinnati.

Colorado (8-5) has the majors' worst bullpen ERA at 6.86 while Cincinnati is at 5.66. The Rockies have actually gone four innings over consecutive games without a reliever allowing a run after 10 straight games giving up at least one.

The Reds saw their bullpen collapse in Monday's 5-1 loss, allowing four runs in the eighth inning. Rookie Trevor Story snapped a tie with a solo homer off Ross Ohlendorf before Jumbo Diaz relieved Ohlendorf and surrendered a three-run blast to Ben Paulsen.

Cincinnati (6-7) has posted a bullpen ERA of 8.33 while losing six of seven.

'It's been documented the challenges they've had,' manager Bryan Price said. 'We believe we've got guys who can get the job done. We just haven't found the right mix, but we will. It's a long season.'

Story leads the majors with eight homers, the most through a player's first 13 games in major league history since 1900.

'That was a beautiful piece of hitting,' manager Walt Weiss said. 'That's a perfect swing, pretty much. You think you might want to give him a day off and he goes out and has another big game.'

Nolan Arenado is also red-hot, going 13 for 34 with five homers and 13 RBIs in his last eight games.

The Reds have scored three runs or fewer in seven of their last eight games but may be confident of breaking out versus De La Rosa (1-1, 8.80 ERA), who gave up four runs over 6 2-3 innings in Thursday's 11-6 win over San Francisco.

That marked major improvement for the left-hander, who went 0-1 with a 12.46 ERA in his first two starts.

De La Rosa has a 7.42 ERA against the Reds for his second-worst mark versus an NL club. Brandon Phillips is 3 for 10 against him and Jay Bruce 1 for 10.

Colorado may be looking forward to facing Simon (0-1, 12.15), who did not get out of the first inning Wednesday and was charged with five runs in a 9-2 road defeat to the Chicago Cubs. Simon pitched two days later in relief and yielded four runs in one inning in a 14-3 loss at St. Louis.

The right-hander is 0-2 with a 11.25 ERA in two starts versus Colorado. Gerardo Parra has the most at-bats among the Rockies against Simon, going 2 for 10.

Second baseman DJ LeMahieu sat out Monday because of tightness in his groin. Cristhian Adames went 0 for 3 in his place.

Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez figures to be back in the lineup after he rested Monday for the first time. Suarez is 10 for 20 with four homers and nine RBIs in his last five home games, although he is 5 for 24 in his last six contests.

**TheGame** · 04-19-2016, 07:48 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/19

Preview: Rays (5-7) at Red Sox (6-5)

Game: 1
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: April 19, 2016 7:10 PM EDT

The Boston Red Sox's bullpen failed them over their last two games, something they didn't expect with the normally reliable arms of Koji Uehara and Craig Kimbrel at the ready.

It might get more work if Joe Kelly can't grasp hold of his command issues.

Boston's offense also will have to be more successful against Drew Smyly, who takes the mound Tuesday night at Fenway Park looking to help the Tampa Bay Rays win a third straight game.

Red Sox relievers have a 4.12 ERA after allowing seven runs in 5 1-3 innings over back-to-back losses to Toronto. Boston (6-6) led 1-0 heading into the eighth Monday before Uehara walked two, hit a batter and was charged with four runs while getting just one out in a 4-3 defeat.

Kimbrel allowed a two-run single and walked in a run before getting the final two outs. He came on earlier than expected after Uehara, who blamed his struggles on the Patriots' Day game's early start, faltered.

The closer wasn't comfortable, either - for a different reason.

'It's definitely not a situation I'm accustomed to,' Kimbrel said. 'I'm asked to come in and get two outs and leave it where it was. I was able to get the first (batter) to give us a chance. That really wasn't what we had written up.'

The rest of the bullpen should be ready to go with Kelly (1-0, 10.13 ERA) taking the mound against the Rays (5-7). Kelly gave up seven runs in three innings before the Red Sox rallied to beat the Blue Jays on April 8, then allowed seven hits and walked five while throwing 116 pitches in five innings of Wednesday's 4-2 win over Baltimore.

"Obviously, it wasn't the best, but I went out there and battled and grinded," Kelly said.

Kelly hasn't been at his best against the Rays, either. The right-hander allowed five runs in five innings in each of his two starts against them last season and might have to limit the damage better when opposing Smyly (0-2, 4.61).

The left-hander went 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his last four road starts of 2015, tossing 6 1-3 shutout innings to beat the Red Sox 6-2 on Sept. 23. He's 3-1 with a 1.77 ERA in six starts and two relief appearances against Boston and has a 2.45 ERA in three outings at Fenway.

'Really cool environment,' Smyly said. 'It's always exciting. An electric atmosphere.'

Smyly is coming off a solid home start after allowing three runs and three hits in seven innings Wednesday against Baltimore. He struck out a career high-tying 11 - he also fanned that many Red Sox on Sept. 13 - but didn't get any run support in a 4-1 loss.

Smyly said he's looking forward to facing the retiring David Ortiz again if he's in the lineup. Ortiz, who is 5 for 11 with a homer and a double lifetime off Smyly, didn't start against left-hander J.A. Happ on Monday before striking out as a pinch hitter.

"He is one of the best hitters of all time," Smyly told MLB's official website. "It's been an honor to get to face him. It's always a very competitive at-bat, so it's pretty cool when I'm done to tell people that I got to face Papi."

Tampa took the final two of a three-game set from the Chicago White Sox after scoring once during a three-game skid. Brandon Guyer went 4 for 4 with an RBI in Sunday's 3-2 victory and Kevin Kiermaier snapped an 0-for-19 slump with a double.

Evan Longoria is just 4 for 20 over his last five, but he hit .410 with three homers and four doubles in 10 games at Fenway last year.

**TheGame** · 04-19-2016, 07:48 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/19

Preview: Tigers (7-4) at Royals (8-4)

Game: 1
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: April 19, 2016 7:15 PM EDT

Known for his volatile mound presence and blistering fastball, Yordano Ventura says there's something much different about him this year.

Ventura is finally showing some confidence in his offspeed pitches, something the right-hander looks to continue Tuesday night when the Kansas City Royals open a six-game homestand with their first look at the AL Central rival Detroit Tigers.

Ventura (0-0, 2.45 ERA) has picked up where he left off in 2015 when he went 7-1 with a 2.38 ERA with 81 strikeouts over his last 11 regular-season starts.

He's allowed six hits while striking out 12 in his first two outings, but Kansas City (8-4) has supported him with a total of four runs.

Ventura gave up one run over six innings of Wednesday's 4-2 win at Houston. With the bases loaded in the sixth, he threw a changeup on a full count to Carlos Gomez, who grounded out weakly while likely waiting on a 100-mph heater.

That's something Ventura may not have even considered doing last season.

"I feel comfortable with my curveball and changeup," he told MLB's official website through an interpreter. "Last year, at times I felt I was strictly a fastball pitcher. This year, I feel like I can throw my offspeed pitches at any time."

Ventura is looking to improve his command after walking nine over his first two starts. He's posted a 0.61 ERA in winning three home starts against Detroit after allowing one run with 12 strikeouts in seven innings of a 12-1 victory Sept. 2.

Detroit's Nick Castellanos has gotten off to a strong start with a .357 average and two home runs, but he's 1 for 11 with four strikeouts against Ventura.

Ian Kinsler, J.D. Martinez and Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered Sunday but the Tigers suffered their first series loss with a 5-4 road defeat to the Astros. Martinez is hitting .372 on the season and Saltalamacchia has three homers over his past four games.

Miguel Cabrera has gone 10 for 22 over his past six against Kansas City.

The Tigers (7-4) finished 20 1/2 games back in 2015 but gave the Royals trouble, winning nine of the 19 meetings. They'll send Shane Greene to the mound as he looks to build on a promising season debut.

The right-hander allowed two runs with seven strikeouts in six innings of a 7-3 win at Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

"At the end of the day, we're just trying to win ballgames," said Greene, who has given up one earned run over 13 innings in two career starts against Kansas City.

The Royals suffered a 3-2 loss at Oakland on Sunday and are trying to avoid their first three-game losing streak since a four-game slide Sept. 4-7. They're returning to Kauffman Stadium for the first time since winning four of five on a season-opening homestand.

Kansas City didn't have much trouble offensively against Detroit last season, averaging 7.1 runs while hitting .315 with 19 homers in the last 10 meetings.

Kendrys Morales has gone 14 for 28 with six home runs in his past six matchups and Lorenzo Cain is 13 for 24 with three homers over his last six home meetings.

Eric Hosmer has hit .400 in his last 29 games against the Tigers and is batting .353 in an eight-game overall hitting streak.

**TheGame** · 04-19-2016, 07:49 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/19

Preview: Astros (5-8) at Rangers (7-6)

Game: 1
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: April 19, 2016 8:05 PM EDT

The Lone Star State battle for last year's AL West title went down to the final week of the season before Texas edged Houston by two games, setting the tone for a rivalry that's been enhanced by the Astros' resurgence.

The race is expected to be competitive again after both clubs made the playoffs, but neither has started 2016 the way they would've liked.

The Rangers won the final seven home meetings with Houston last season and will be coming off two days' rest when this three-game set begins Tuesday night in Arlington.

"Last year those games were amazing," Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus told MLB's official website. "It was good baseball and great for Texas. We haven't been through something like that in a while. It's going to be a tough rivalry."

Texas (7-6) took 13 of 19 meetings and won the West for the first time since the second of back-to-back titles in 2011. Houston (5-8) beat the New York Yankees in the wild-card game before falling in five to eventual World Series champion Kansas City in the Division Series.

The Astros have started slowly this season and didn't win a series until taking two of three from Detroit with Sunday's 5-4 victory. They didn't hit their stride until mid-April in 2015, though, following a 4-6 start.

"What it means for baseball is you have two really good teams who have built their teams in somewhat different ways but arrive on the scene prepared to win," manager A.J. Hinch said. "That's neat for our sport. I'm glad that we were a part of it. We want to sustain that moving forward."

The Astros handled Derek Holland in his last two starts against them last season, and they'll get another crack at him to kick off this season's series. Holland (1-0, 2.31 ERA) gave up nine runs and 17 hits over 10 2-3 innings in those outings.

The left-hander pitched a solid game last Tuesday, though, allowing four hits - three infield knocks and a soft, broken-bat blooper - through 6 2-3 innings of an 8-0 win at Seattle. It's the only scoreless outing by a Rangers starter this season and comes during a six-game stretch in which starters have a 2.83 ERA.

Holland originally was slated to start Sunday, but the series finale against Baltimore was rained out after the Rangers took two of the first three. Texas played 13 straight days before getting a day off and is scheduled to play 22 of the next 23 days.

Jose Altuve went deep off Holland on Sept. 26 and Carlos Correa homered twice against him in that 9-7 win. The 5-foot-6 Altuve has four homers this season and three in a five-game stretch during which he's batting .421.

Altuve led off Sunday's bottom of the first with a homer, and George Springer added a solo shot in the third.

"I'm just trying to get on base and let Carlos and George do the damage," Altuve said.

Correa sat out that contest to rest up for the Rangers. The reigning AL Rookie of the Year had four homers, three doubles and drew six walks against Texas pitching over 13 games last season.

He'll try to provide some offense for Scott Feldman (0-1, 3.48), who spent his first eight seasons with Texas. He lost both starts against his former team last season, giving up 10 runs and 18 hits - three homers - over 8 2-3 innings.

The right-hander is 0-4 with a 5.50 ERA in his last seven starts at Globe Life Park dating to his time with the Rangers.

**TheGame** · 04-19-2016, 07:49 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/19

Preview: Angels (5-7) at White Sox (8-4)

Game: 2
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: April 19, 2016 8:10 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Angels needed just one inning in Chicago to match their highest-scoring game this season but will face a rejuvenated Mat Latos in their next one.

The White Sox right-hander will try deliver another strong start in his home debut Tuesday night while getting his team back in the win column.

The Angels (6-7) scored five runs in the first inning Monday en route to a 7-0 victory, chasing White Sox starter Carlos Rodon after he retired only one batter. They had scored 3.0 runs per game and batted .223 before heading to Chicago.

Andrelton Simmons and C.J. Cron combined for six of their team's season-high 13 hits and three RBIs. Cron was batting .100 with zero RBIs in his first 12 games.

"We're a much better offensive team than we've shown the first couple of weeks of the season," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We got some key hits tonight, especially with guys in scoring position."

Latos will try to quell the Angels while winning a third consecutive start. He has yielded one run - in a 3-1 victory in Minnesota on Thursday - a combined four hits and two walks in his first 12 innings for the White Sox (8-5).

Latos (2-0, 0.75 ERA) allowed one hit over six innings in his debut, a 6-1 victory in Oakland, after spending much of the past two seasons dealing with left knee issues. He has won back-to-back starts to open a campaign for the first time but won his first six decisions for Cincinnati in 2013.

"When I'm healthy and I've got a good slider, things tend to go really good," Latos said. "The past couple of outings, I've had a good slider. I'm healthy and just trying to make pitches."

Chicago could use another strong outing from Latos with its lineup having generated five runs over its last four games while batting .165. The White Sox have scored 39 overall while batting .219 with an AL-worst .591 OPS.

Todd Frazer's average dropped to .154 with an 0-for-3 night. Avisail Garcia (.171) and Austin Jackson (.184) are also off to slow starts.

"We need to get this offense going," said outfielder Adam Eaton, who is batting .347. "Again, there's a ton of talent. We all know that. I think that's the reason we've come up with a question mark is because we know this offense can produce and it will."

Matt Shoemaker (1-1, 6.00) will try to take advantage of facing that struggling lineup while building on a stellar outing in Oakland on Wednesday. The right-hander yielded one hit in six scoreless innings in a 5-1 victory after getting tagged for six runs in three-plus innings in his season debut, a 7-3 loss to Texas on April 8.

Shoemaker was charged with seven runs in 5 2-3 innings in his lone matchup last season, an 8-2 road loss Aug. 10.

Latos allowed one run in six innings in his only matchup against the Angels in 2015 while with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a 5-3 victory in 10 innings Aug. 2. He made two relief appearances for the Angels after being released by the Dodgers on Sept. 25.

Simmons is 5 for 9 with two doubles against Latos while Mike Trout is 1 for 6. Brett Lawrie is 6 for 12 with a solo homer lifetime versus Shoemaker, and Garcia has two homers in three at-bats.

**TheGame** · 04-19-2016, 07:49 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/19

Preview: Cubs (9-3) at Cardinals (7-5)

Game: 2
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: April 19, 2016 8:15 PM EDT

The Chicago Cubs had Jason Hammel on a short leash in last season's final months and didn't hesitate to lift him in the fourth inning of their playoff clincher against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Hammel is attempting to regain the Cubs' faith this season and is off on the right foot after two starts.

He'll try to extend his string of promising efforts Tuesday night while Cardinals left-hander Jaime Garcia has the difficult task of following up the best outing of his career.

Hammel didn't give the Cubs much reason to trust him by posting a 5.65 ERA in his final nine regular-season starts in 2015, and he failed to make it through the sixth inning in all but two of those games. The right-hander gave up a two-run homer to St. Louis' Stephen Piscotty in the opening inning of Game 4 of the NL division series and was pulled following a four-pitch walk to Jhonny Peralta to begin the fourth.

Hammel was even more ineffective in last season's final start, allowing five runs in 1 1-3 innings in the Cubs' final game in its NLCS sweep at the hands of the New York Mets. That was likely at least a small reason for Hammel turning to pitching instructor Tom House, who reportedly helped fine-tune his mechanics and his mentality this offseason.

That work has paid off so far as Hammel is 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA in his first two starts. He earned his first victory in 2016 on Thursday by tossing six scoreless innings in an 8-1 win against Cincinnati.

"I'm staying aggressive and not beating myself up like I was," Hammel told MLB's official website. "As long as I can stay with the thought process that I have right now and continue to execute when I need to, then it'll be good."

Garcia didn't need to retool after going 10-6 with a career-low 2.43 ERA in 2015. He had a tepid start to this campaign by allowing four runs in six innings in a 7-4 win in Atlanta on April 8 but made up for it in a big way Thursday against Milwaukee.

Garcia pitched a one-hitter with a career-high 13 strikeouts in a 7-0 victory.

"Every time he walks out there he has a chance to throw a no-hitter," manager Mike Matheny said. "It's amazing what he can make the ball do when he is in a good rhythm. This is what we expect to see. When he's healthy, he's special."

Garcia (1-0, 2.40) will face the Cubs for the first time since getting charged with five unearned runs in two innings in Game 2 of the NLDS, a 6-3 loss in St. Louis. He's 2-1 with a 2.06 ERA in five regular-season starts against Chicago but the most recent was April 23, 2012.

Hammel went 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA in three regular-season matchups versus St. Louis in 2015 and will try to help the Cubs (10-3) build on a 5-0 win in this season's first meeting with the Cardinals (7-6). Dexter Fowler pushed Chicago to 6-1 on the road Monday with a solo homer and his sixth multihit performance in 13 games, going 2 for 5.

Fowler is batting .378 with a 1.211 OPS, three homers and 10 RBIs, but he is 1 for 11 lifetime against Garcia including playoffs. Jorge Soler had a home run and a double off him in the NLDS.

Yadier Molina is 6 for 13 with three doubles against Hammel, and Matt Carpenter is 3 for 14 with six strikeouts including the postseason.

**TheGame** · 04-19-2016, 07:50 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/19

Preview: Pirates (7-6) at Padres (4-9)

Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: April 19, 2016 10:10 PM EDT

There's never a good time for a team to hear its opening day starter has been scratched, but getting that news just 10 days into the season had to be especially disconcerting for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Finding out that Francisco Liriano would miss just one outing? Talk about a sigh of relief.

The Pirates should be even more comforted by the matchup Liriano gets in his Tuesday night return against a San Diego Padres club that's looked lost outside of the thin Denver air and has had no answers for the left-hander since he donned black and gold.

Liriano (1-0, 2.45 ERA) tossed six scoreless innings and struck out 10 against St. Louis in Pittsburgh's April 3 opener before giving up three runs and allowing 10 baserunners over five at Cincinnati five days later.

His chance to bounce back never happened as originally intended Wednesday against Detroit, with the Pirates (7-6) scratching Liriano due to a tight right hamstring. But a bullpen session Saturday went well, and he'll take the ball as Pittsburgh opens a 10-game trip.

"Just ready to go on Tuesday, go out there and try to go as deep as I can in the game," Liriano told the team's official website. "Execute pitches and we'll go from there. ... We didn't want to rush (Wednesday). Now everything feels good, and we're ready to go."

That can't be pleasant news for the Padres (4-9), whose 10 games outside of Coors Field - where they scored 32 times in three games - have totaled 15 runs. Ten of those 15 came over the weekend against Arizona, but those weren't enough to earn them their first series win after Sunday's 7-3 defeat.

Facing Liriano hasn't gone well for San Diego over the past three seasons. He's posted a 1.74 ERA in five starts against the Padres since joining the Pirates, striking out 41 in 31 innings and allowing just four extra-base hits - all doubles - to the 120 batters he's faced.

To Clint Hurdle, getting Liriano back will have a ripple effect on a bullpen that ranks toward the bottom of baseball with a 4.89 ERA after leading the majors at 2.64 a year ago.

"Having Francisco back in play is definitely an opportunity for us to leverage a strength," Hurdle said. "I'd like to believe the continuity of the starts will give us more continuity in the back end of the bullpen and through the other guys out there, so we can settle guys down and find some routine and roles that we want to build upon."

Colin Rea (0-1, 5.56) will pitch for the Padres hoping his third start is far more like his second than his first. The right-hander gave up five runs and didn't make it through the fourth April 8 at Colorado, then lasted seven innings and held Philadelphia to two runs - one earned - in Wednesday's 2-1 loss.

"He was mixing everything - cutters, curveballs, fastballs, two-seamers," catcher Christian Bethancourt said. "Everything was down in the strikezone, and he was locating very well."

In his first career look at the Pirates, Rea will find a team that's getting on base plenty - but also leaving lots of runners there. Pittsburgh's average (.295) and on-base percentage (.385) lead the majors, but Hurdle's club has left 119 men on, easily the highest total in baseball.

Fourteen stranded Sunday didn't matter. The Pirates pounded out 17 hits in a 9-3 win to take two of three from Milwaukee.

"The club has continued to build some momentum as far as the battle-in-the-box mentality," Hurdle said of a team that's second in the NL with 4.01 pitches seen per plate appearance. "We saw over 170 pitches."

Pittsburgh took five of seven meetings in 2015, its first season series win over San Diego since 2003.

**TheGame** · 04-19-2016, 07:50 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 4/19

Five to Follow MLB Betting: Tuesday, April 19, 2016, Opening Line Report
by Alan Matthews

If I'm a non-AL East team playing the New York Yankees in April and getting them out of the way for at least a series, then I'm thankful. That's because that New York bullpen is going to be ridiculous once lefty Aroldis Chapman comes off suspension early next month. It's already filthy with right-hander Dellin Betances and lefty Andrew Miller. Those two each struck out the side in their one inning pitched against Seattle on Sunday. Of the 33 outs gotten by the duo combined this season, 27 have been by strikeout. They have faced 38 batters allowed an aggregate five hits, no earned runs and walked two. In seven of their 11 combined appearances, either Betances or Miller has struck out the side. Beat the Yankees now folks because it's going to be much tougher soon. Note: no trends available for Tuesday's games as of this writing.

A's at Yankees (-160, 8)

New York was able to avoid being swept at home by the Mariners on Sunday thanks in part to a two-run homer by Alex Rodriguez. Manager Joe Girardi was hitting A-Rod in the No. 3 hole but he had been struggling mightily. He was moved to sixth on Sunday and Carlos Beltran up to No. 3. Rodriguez's homer ended a 19 at-bat hitless streak, two shy of the longest drought of his career. It was career dinger No. 689. He's still not close to the Mendoza Line at .118 on the season. The Yankees were just 1-for-35 with runners in scoring position in the series. They go with Michael Pineda (1-1, 6.55) here. He struggled in his debut but was good last time out, allowing two earned runs over six innings in Toronto. He has faced Oakland three times in his career but those were all five years ago while he was still with Seattle. It's lefty Eric Surkamp (0-1, 4.00) for the A's and I doubt he's in the rotation much longer. Surkamp has yet to last more than 4.2 innings in two starts. He has never faced New York.

Early lean: Yankees and over.

Mets at Phillies (+100, 7)

How will young Phillies right-hander Vincent Velasquez (2-0, 0.00) follow the most dominant outing of his career? Last Thursday, he threw a three-hit shutout with 16 strikeouts and no walks against San Diego. That's a game score of 97 and it could hold up as the best of the season. There were only seven better games in 2015, topped by Max Scherzer's 17-strikeout no-hitter that had a score of 104, the second-highest in MLB history. There have been only 13 game scores of 100 or higher in a nine-inning game. Velasquez was the fifth-youngest pitcher to finish with at least 14 strikeouts and no walks, joining Kerry Wood (he has highest game score), Vida Blue, Dwight Gooden and Jose Fernandez. The Padres swung at 38 of the 79 fastballs Velasquez threw and put just six in play. Last year as an Astros rookie, Velasquez allowed three runs in 8.1 innings vs. the Mets. New York goes with Logan Verrett with Jacob deGrom still out. Verrett blanked the Marlins on three hits over six innings on Wednesday in deGrom's spot.

Early lean: Phillies and under.

Dodgers at Braves (+121, 7.5)

Last July, the Dodgers were involved in a 13-player trade with the Marlins and Braves in which Los Angeles got pitcher Alex Wood, among others. He faces his former teammates for the first time here. I was really high on Wood (1-1, 4.50) while with Atlanta but he's been uneven in Dodger blue. He wasn't good in start No. 1 this year but was last Wednesday against Arizona, allowing just one run on five hits over seven innings. Only a few Braves have faced him and obviously with other teams. Atlanta started 0-9 but won three straight in Miami over the weekend so the Braves try for home win No. 1. They were scheduled to start Matt Wisler, but he was needed to pitch in relief in the 10th inning Sunday in the Braves' 6-5 win. So now it's expected to be Julio Teheran (0-2, 6.35). He has gotten progressively worse in his three starts this season. The Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez is 4-for-12 off him with a homer and four RBIs. Yasiel Puig is 4-for-6 with a homer.

Early lean: Dodgers and over.

Angels at White Sox (-125, 8.5)

Who will be the best Matt/Mat? It's Matt Shoemaker (1-1, 6.00) for the Angels. He was crushed in his season debut against Texas in Anaheim but shut out Oakland on one hit over six innings last Wednesday on the road. Shoemaker really struggled on the road in 2015 with a 5.04 ERA in 15 outings. Shoemaker faced the White Sox once last year and allowed seven runs -- three homers -- in 5.2 innings. Avisail Garcia is 2-for-3 off him with two dingers. Brett Lawrie is 6-for-12 with a homer. It's Mat Latos (2-0, 0.75) for the Pale Hose and he has been a terrific free-agent signing thus far. Latos has gone six innings in both starts and allowed just four total hits. This will be his home debut. Andrelton Simmons hits him well, going 5-for-9 with two doubles. Mike Trout is 1-for-6 with two strikeouts. Trout has done very little this season.

Early lean: White Sox and under.

Cubs at Cardinals (-118, 7.5)

This is nationally televised on the MLB Network and should have live betting at sportsbooks. This probably will be the best rivalry in baseball this season with the Cubs stealing away Jason Heyward and John Lackey this offseason from the Cardinals and Heyward saying he left because he expected the Cards to start slipping because of their collective age. There has been other chirping back and forth. Chicago starts Jason Hammel (1-0, 0.75), who looks like a different guy than the one that was really bad at the end of 2015. Hammel has allowed only eight hits over 12 innings. He was 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA in three starts a year ago vs. the Cardinals. Randal Grichuk is 2-for-6 with a homer and three RBIs off him. Yadier Molina is 6-for-13 with three doubles. Cards lefty Jaime Garcia (1-0, 2.40) comes off the best of his career, a complete-game one-hitter against the Brewers with a career-high 13 strikeouts. The lone hit was a single in the sixth inning. Garcia didn't face the Cubs in 2015. Heyward is 2-for-12 off him. Dexter Fowler is 0-for-9.

Early lean: Cardinals and under.

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MLB Betting Info. 4/19

MLB Betting Info. 4/19

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