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**TheGame** · 09-05-2016, 08:00 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 9/5

MLB roundup: Heyward caps Cubs' rally in 13th inning
By The Sports Xchange

CHICAGO -- Jason Heyward lined a run-scoring base hit to center in the bottom of the 13th inning as the Chicago Cubs claimed a 3-2 walk-off victory over the San Francisco Giants on Sunday.
Heyward's single off Giants reliever Matt Reynolds scored Anthony Rizzo from second base as the Cubs secured their sixth come-from-behind win of the season.
Rizzo reached on a leadoff single to left center and advanced to second on Ben Zobrist's infield ground out. With first base open, the Giants intentionally walked Addison Russell and set up Heyward's heroics.
Reynolds (0-1), the 10th Giants' pitcher of the day, took the loss. Trevor Cahill (4-4), the Cubs' eighth pitcher, worked one inning for the win.

Yankees 5, Orioles 2
BALTIMORE -- Chase Headley and Austin Romine each had two RBIs and New York avoided a three-game sweep by Baltimore.
Despite the loss, Baltimore is still clinging to the second wild card in the American League.
The Yankees won with five rookies -- Gary Sanchez, Rob Refsnyder, Starlin Castro, Aaron Judge and Ronald Torreyes -- in the starting lineup.
New York reliever Luis Severino (2-8) picked up the win after entering for starter Michael Pineda in the fifth inning. Dellin Betances got his eighth save by throwing 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the Yankees, who started the day 4 1/2 games behind the Orioles.

Tigers 6, Royals 5
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Justin Upton homered, doubled and drove in three runs as Detroit topped Kansas City.
Upton homered with Miguel Cabrera aboard with two outs in the eighth inning to give the Tigers the lead. Upton's double in the second scored J.D. Martinez. Upton homered off Joakim Soria (4-7), who lost for the second time on the homestand.
J.D. Martinez, who fractured his right elbow June 16 while running into the wall at Kauffman Stadium, homered in the fourth. He is hitting .397 with eight home runs and 17 RBIs in 30 games since coming off the disabled list.

Blue Jays 5, Rays 3
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Down 3-1 in the seventh and facing a potential sweep against last -place Tampa Bay, Toronto rallied back and got a two-run homer from Russell Martin in the eighth inning.
The Rays saw their bullpen spoil a strong start from starter Chris Archer, who struck out nine in six-plus innings and held the Blue Jays to five hits and two runs.
The Blue Jays got only 2 2/3 innings from starter J.A. Happ but 6 1/3 innings of scoreless, two-hit relief from four relievers. Robert Osuna pitched a perfect ninth for his 30th save of the season.

Cardinals 5, Reds 2
CINCINNATI -- Randal Grichuk hit a two-run homer and Kolten Wong added a solo shot, helping St. Louis avoid the sweep with a victory over Cincinnati in the finale of a three-game series.
The Reds suffered what might be a significant injury when center fielder Billy Hamilton left in the third inning with a strained left oblique.
Cardinals starter Carlos Martinez (13-7) allowed two runs over seven innings. He walked five and fanned six. Seung Hwan Oh recorded his 15th save.

Brewers 10, Pirates 0
PITTSBURGH -- Jonathan Villar hit his first career grand slam, Domingo Santana hit two homers and Chris Carter added a three-run shot as Milwaukee completed a three-game sweep of Pittsburgh.
Four Brewers pitchers combined for the shutout. Starter Chase Anderson (8-11) pitched five innings, allowing five hits and striking out two while walking none. Milwaukee tied a season high with its fourth win in a row.
Villar's homer came as a pinch hitter in the sixth. He did not start for the second game in a row because of a sore left knee from a play late in Friday's game.

Braves 2, Phillies 0
PHILADELPHIA -- Matt Kemp and Freddie Freeman hit home runs, Julio Teheran was on the right end of a pitcher's duel with Jake Thompson and Atlanta earned a win over Philadelphia.
The Braves completed a three-game sweep of the Phillies, who have now lost six straight and 10 of their last 12. The Braves have won 10 of their last 14.
Teheran (5-9) didn't allow a hit until Maikel Franco led off the fourth inning with a single. Teheran allowed five hits, struck out seven and walked two in six innings of work.

Astros 7, Rangers 6
ARLINGTON, Texas -- George Springer led off the game with a homer and collected two RBs as Houston posted a victory to salvage the finale of a three-game series with Texas.
The win cut the Texas lead in the American League West to 9 1/2 games and gave Houston just its third win in 16 matchups versus the Rangers this season.
Springer's homer came off Texas starter Yu Darvish (5-4), who was tagged for a season-high five earned runs and seven hits in four innings.

Athletics 1, Red Sox 0
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Danny Valencia raced home from first base when Boston left fielder Brock Holt bobbled Khris Davis' double in the left field corner in the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday, allowing Oakland to record a win over the American League East contender.
The defeat ended a three-game winning streak for the Red Sox, who had blitzed the A's 16-2 and 11-2 in the first two games of the series.
The loss also dropped Boston (76-60) out of first place in the AL East. The Toronto Blue Jays (77-59), a winner at Tampa Bay earlier in the day, moved a game ahead of the Red Sox.

White Sox 13, Twins 11
MINNEAPOLIS -- Tim Anderson's two-run double in the top of the 12th inning lifted Chicago to a win over Minnesota at Target Field.
Omar Narvaez and Adam Eaton each hit singles off Twins reliever Pat Dean to set up Anderson, who dumped a two-base hit into the left-field corner, scoring both runners.
Jose Abreu hit a pair of three-run homers and finished with a career-high seven RBIs as the White Sox salvaged a four-game series split with their Central Division rivals.

Angels 4, Mariners 2
SEATTLE -- Albert Pujols belted another homer in a Los Angeles victory that was overshadowed by a scary incident involving pitcher Matt Shoemaker.
Kyle Seager's line drive hit Shoemaker in the side of the head during the second inning, causing him to fall to his knees while also opening a cut on the side of his head.
Shoemaker was taken to a local hospital and diagnosed with a hematoma and a small skull fracture. He was scheduled to stay overnight for observation and will meet with a neurologist in Seattle while the Angels continue their road trip in Oakland.

Diamondbacks 8, Rockies 5
DENVER -- Socrates Brito hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning that capped a four-run rally as Arizona topped Colorado in the rubber game of their series.
The loss left the Rockies 3-3 on a homestand that concludes with a three-game series with San Francisco. The win was the fourth in six games for the Diamondbacks, who are 3-2 on a road trip that finishes with three games against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Arizona's seventh-inning rally came out of nowhere against Rockies starter Jon Gray, who had allowed just three singles and a first-inning run through the first six frames and at one point retired eight straight batters and 14 of 15.

Dodgers 7, Padres 4
Yasiel Puig hit a three-run homer in his second game since returning from the minors, and Los Angeles defeated San Diego at Dodger Stadium.
Los Angeles took two of three in the weekend series. The Dodgers (76-60) hold a three-game lead in the National League West over the Giants after San Francisco (73-63) fell to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.
Puig went 1-for-2 with two walks, making him 3-for-6 since he came back from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Indians 6, Marlins 5
CLEVELAND -- Lonnie Chisenhall's two-out, walk-off RBI single capped a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Cleveland a wild win over Miami at Progressive Field.
The Indians swept the three-game series to extend their winning streak to six games.
Chisenhall's hit was preceded by a two-out, two-strike, two-run single by Jose Ramirez that tied the game at 5-5.

Mets 5, Nationals 1
NEW YORK -- Rookie right-hander Seth Lugo continued to serve as an unexpected stopper for New York, earning the win after allowing one run over a career-high seven innings vs. Washington at Citi Field.
Lugo, making his fourth start in place of injured left-hander Steven Matz, allowed six hits and no walks while striking out four in improving to 3-1 and lowering his ERA to 2.19 as a member of the rotation. The 26-year-old, who is 3-2 with a 2.38 ERA overall, had a 6.50 ERA in 21 games (14 starts) earlier this season with Triple-A Las Vegas.
The Mets won the final two games of the three-game series. New York is one game behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the race for the NL's second wild card. The Nationals lead the Mets by 8 1/2 games in the NL East and are three games ahead of the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers in the race for the second seed in the NL.

**TheGame** · 09-05-2016, 08:01 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 9/5

Preview: Phillies (60-73) at Marlins (68-66)

Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: September 05, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

MIAMI -- Jerad Eickhoff is a big man at 6-4 and 245 pounds, and the Philadelphia Phillies right-hander works in a way that befits his imposing stature.

In his first full year in the majors, the 26-year-old Eickhoff has yet to miss a start.

"That's my job," Eickhoff told the media after his most recent start. "I take pride in being able to do that."

He will get start No. 28 on Monday, when the Phillies (60-76) open a three-game series at the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park. The Phillies are hoping to snap a six-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, the Marlins (68-69) come home after a brutal 1-6 road trip, including a 6-5 walk-off loss at the Cleveland Indians on Sunday. Miami relievers allowed six runs, including three in the ninth. That loss put the Marlins four games behind the St. Louis Cardinals in the race for the second and final wild-card playoff berth.

Miami is under .500 for the first time since April 28.

Eickhoff will seek to take advantage of the Marlins slump and will be looking to pitch more like last year, when he made his major league debut, going 3-3 with a 2.65 ERA in eight starts. He was 7-for-8 in terms of quality starts, using a low-90s fastball and a hammer curve to neutralize batters.

This year hasn't been quite as good for Eickhoff, who has 15 quality starts, a 9-13 record and a 3.90 ERA. His batting average allowed has increased from .212 last year to .261 this year, when he has allowed 22 home runs.

Eickhoff was at his best this June, when he went 3-2 with a 2.23 ERA. But his ERA was 4.50 in July and 4.85 in August.

Among Eickhoff's problems includes the fact that he has struggled on the road -- his 4.55 ERA away from Philly is almost one run higher than it is at home.

In addition, Eickhoff has struggled late in his starts. He has a 2.64 ERA in the first five innings but 12.32 thereafter.

Yet another problem has been Eickhoff's inability to consistently handle lefty hitters, who are batting .279 with 14 homers against him. He is holding righty hitters to a .239 average and eight homers.

The Marlins, who will start rookie right-hander Jake Esch against him, will likely look to load the lineup with lefty batters.

Among the lefty hitters who could do some damage for the Marlins are first baseman Derek Dietrich, second baseman Dee Gordon and outfielders Ichiro Suzuki and Christian Yelich.

They and the rest of the Marlins offense will try to support Esch, who will be making just his second major league appearance.

Esch, a 26-year-old Minnesota native who played shortstop in high school, was a pitcher/hitter in his college days at Georgia Tech. The Marlins made him their 11th-round pick in 2011, drafting him as a pitcher even though he had just five innings on the mound in his junior year.

With a fastball that ranges from 90 to 94 mph, Esch is not overpowering, and -- like Eichhoff -- he's had his struggles against lefty batters.

But with the Marlins rotation injuries -- left-handers Adam Conley and Wei-Yin Chen are on the disabled list -- Miami has little choice but to give Esch a chance.

In his first big-league start, last week against the New York Mets, Esch averaged 91 mph on his fastball and lasted just 4 1/3 innings. He allowed seven hits, three walks and two runs, striking out two.

The Mets hit .389 against Esch, who escaped with a no-decision.

"There's nothing like getting thrown into the fire," Esch told the media after allowing a two-run homer to Mets infielder Wilmer Flores. "I wish I could have taken back that one mistake."

Esch, who had 20 family members in the stands for his big-league debut in New York, should have a more normal pregame experience leading up to Monday.

But even if Esch were to give Miami a good start, the Marlins' bullpen is suddenly a concern. Closer Fernando Rodney was dominant with the San Diego Padres earlier this year, posting a 0.31 ERA in 28 games, earning an All-Star berth.

But in 29 games since he was acquired by Miami, Rodney is 2-2 with a 4.45 ERA. He inherited a two-run lead on Sunday and couldn't hold it, giving up a tying hit with two outs and a 1-2 count.

Set-up man A.J. Ramos, who was an All-Star closer before the Marlins got Rodney, had a 2.25 ERA before the All-Star Game and a 6.28 ERA since then, including an 8.22 mark in August.

**TheGame** · 09-05-2016, 08:01 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 9/5

Preview: Blue Jays (76-57) at Yankees (69-63)

Game: 1
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: September 05, 2016 1:05 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- There was a time when the Toronto Blue Jays could never win at Yankee Stadium.

Times have changed and now it is the New York Yankees who rarely win home games against the Blue Jays.

The AL East rivals will begin a three-game series that will be significant for different reasons Monday afternoon.

From Sept 19, 2012 through July 25, 2014, the Yankees won 17 straight meetings in New York and outscored the Blue Jays 89-46. Since the skid, Toronto has won 14 of the last 21 meetings in New York but since the start of last season when Josh Donaldson and Russell Martin joined the team, the Blue Jays have won 11 of the 15 meetings in New York.

Donaldson and Martin have had varying degrees of success in those games but enter Monday on hot streaks. Donaldson is 12-for-64 (.188) in New York over the last two seasons but is batting .347 (17-for-49) over his last 13 games, although he had a 12-game hitting streak snapped during Sunday's 5-3 win at Tampa Bay.

Martin, who spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons in New York, is batting .298 (14-for-47) with six home runs and 18 RBI at Yankee Stadium as a Blue Jay. He also is batting .338 (23-for-68) with nine home runs and 24 RBI in his last 18 games after hitting a tiebreaking two-run home run in the eighth inning Sunday.

Martin's home run on a 3-0 count ended a streak of 27 innings without a home run for Toronto but more importantly helped the Blue Jays take a one-game lead over the Red Sox.

"We kind of smelled the win," said bench coach DeMarlo Hale, who took over when manager John Gibbons was ejected in the fourth during a Martin at-bat. "The dugout got a little emotional. We had the bullpen set up. The guys in the middle did their job to get the ball to (Joaquin) Benoit, (Jason) Grilli and Osuna. It's a good effort by this team, and hopefully we can carry it into New York."

Toronto has held a share of the division lead every day since Aug. 16 which was the same day it stormed back from a five-run deficit for a 12-6 victory in New York following a 42-minute rain delay.

Since scoring 19 runs in their last two games at New York, the Blue Jays have won eight of their last 15 games and have split the first six games of their nine-game trip which leads into next weekend's three-game series with Boston.

The Yankees were in first place when the teams met last August but shortly after Toronto's sweep fell out. They have been chasing deficits in the standings ever since.

New York is in fourth place at 6 1/2 games out in the division. In the crowded wild card race, the Yankees are 3 1/2 games behind Baltimore.

The Yankees (70-65) began this weekend with a chance to get into the lead with a sweep but dropped two of three with shutout losses. New York rebounded with a 5-2 victory Sunday when Chase Headley and Austin Romine drove in two runs apiece.

"You can't afford to lose three in a row to these guys," manager Joe Girardi said. "We know they play really well in this building. We lost a tough one last night. To be able to bounce back today is important. It keeps us alive."

Monday will start a 10-game homestand for the Yankees. New York has four with Tampa Bay and three with the Los Angeles before going on an 11-game trip that features four-game series in Toronto and Boston.

"This was a big win. We needed it," Romine said. "We just need to keep the rhythm moving into the next game and see if we can get on a roll."

R.A. Dickey has been on the mound for Toronto's two losses in New York this season but run support has been the issue. The Blue Jays were shut out in both games on May 24 and Aug. 15 while Dickey allowed five runs and nine hits in 11 2/3 innings.

The Blue Jays have scored 16 times in his last two starts and Dickey has allowed seven runs and 12 hits over 12 2/3 innings. Dickey did not get a decision Aug. 28 when he threw 64 pitches in six innings and the Blue Jays rallied for a 9-6 victory over Minnesota.

Dickey is 7-6 with an 2.72 ERA (36 ER, 119 IP) in 22 appearances against the Yankees.

The Yankees will send out their best starting option when Masahiro Tanaka starts and puts his five-game unbeaten streak on the line. Tanaka is 11-4 with a 3.12 ERA this season and since a 7-1 loss to the New York Mets on Aug. 2 he is 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA.

The right-hander did not face the Blue Jays in the last series but is 5-3 with an 2.28 ERA in nine career starts.

Tanaka will also be pitching on five days rest and he has done better with extended rest, going 8-1 with a 2.34 ERA in 15 starts.

**TheGame** · 09-05-2016, 08:01 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 9/5

Preview: Cubs (87-47) at Brewers (57-76)

Game: 1
Venue: Miller Park
Date: September 05, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

MILWAUKEE -- The Chicago Cubs have been steamrolling their way to the National League Central crown and Kyle Hendricks has been leading leaded the charge.

Hendricks hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in any of his last 18 starts, posting a 1.60 ERA during that stretch with 102 strikeouts in 118 innings of work, lowering his ERA to a National League best 2.09 in the process.

"It has to be Cy Young contention," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said after Hendricks' last start, when he tossed seven shutout innings and led Chicago to a 3-0 victory over Pittsburgh. "Put the radar gun in your back pocket and look at what he's doing. That has to be strong consideration."

Even Hendricks' teammates have been impressed by his recent run.

"Everyone is throwing 90 mph plus, but he's just doing his thing," first baseman Anthony Rizzo said.

He's faced Milwaukee twice this season, going 0-1 with a 4.35 ERA. In eight career starts against the Brewers, Hendricks is 4-2 with q 2.08 ERA including a 2-1 mark and 1.90 ERA in four starts at Miller Park.

The Cubs could use another long outing from Hendricks after playing 13 innings Sunday in a 13-inning victory over the Giants at Wrigley Field.

Chicago's league-leading rotation has been given a bit of a break over the final month, as manager Joe Maddon has turned to a six-man rotation.

"Right now, throughout the industry you're hearing about fatigue and people being skipped and all that stuff," Maddon said. "Right now our starters are pitching as well as they have all year. I would like to think if we continue along this path we'll keep that freshness about them."

Milwaukee will turn to right-hander Zach Davies, who's emerged as a staff ace this season. The rookie comes into the game 10-6 with a 4.07 ERA -- a number that was inflated by a brief slump earlier this month.

Still, Davies has gone 5-2 with a 3.88 over his last 10 starts.

Home runs from Jedd Gyorko and Kolten Wong hurt Davies his last time out, when he held the Cardinals to three runs and struck out nine over 6 1/3 innings in a loss to the Cardinals.

"I thought Zach pitched well," Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "The home run to Wong was probably the pitch that he would like to have back. The pitch to Gyorko was a good pitch. The first run they got, maybe we could avoid that by executing the run down better. But Zach pitched well, he pitched really well."

The Cubs, winners of 15 of their last 20, have won five straight against the Brewers including a four-game sweep last month at Wrigley Field. Chicago leads the overall series, 9-3, this year and are 34-16 against their NL Central rivals since the start of the 2014 season.

Milwaukee is coming off a three-game sweep of the Pirates but had lost 12 of 17 prior to its successful trip to Pittsburgh.

**TheGame** · 09-05-2016, 08:02 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 9/5

Preview: Mets (69-65) at Reds (55-77)

Game: 1
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: September 05, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

CINCINNATI -- The New York Mets certainly don't have the most desirable travel schedule.

They beat the Washington Nationals 5-1 in a nationally televised game Sunday night, then flew to Cincinnati to face the Reds at 1:10 p.m. EDT on Monday at Great American Ball Park.

"Is that a big difference? Well, yeah, you're still talking about rest," manager Terry Collins said. "We've still got to get to the ballpark, we've got to be there at 11:30 (a.m.), just to get the blood flowing and get the guys out there, loosen them up and get them ready to play.

"They're not going to go board that plane tonight and go right to sleep. That isn't happening. So we've got to somehow make sure that there's a least a little period of time where they're going to get some rest."

Collins said Sunday night that he discussed resting some regulars on Monday but hadn't made any decisions.

Monday will be a memorable day for Mets right fielder Jay Bruce, who will play in Great American Ball Park for the first time with his new team. He was traded Aug. 1 by the Reds, the club he played for during his first eight-plus seasons, to New York in exchange for infielder Dilson Herrera and minor league pitcher Max Wotell.

Bruce, along with his wife Hannah, are to be honored during pregame ceremonies on Monday.

The Mets have won 16 of the past 18 matchups with the Reds, including each of the past 11 games dating to a 2-1 loss on Sept. 16, 2014, at Great American Ball Park.

The current 11-game losing streak is Cincinnati's longest ever against the Mets.

At 27-15, the Mets have the highest winning percentage at Great American Ball Park of any team in the National League, including the Reds.

New York swept the Reds in a three-game series April 25-27 at Citi Field.

Right-hander Robert Stephenson, the Reds' top-rated rated prospect according to Baseball America, will make his third major league start Monday. He is taking the rotation spot vacated by Homer Bailey, who is being skipped due to tightness in his right biceps.

It has been a roller coaster year for Stephenson, who became the first Reds pitcher to win his first two career starts since Larry Luebbers in 1993. Wayne Simpson in 1970 was the last Reds pitcher to win his first 3 career starts.

However, in the minor leagues, Stephenson struggled with his command while going 8-9 with a 4.41 ERA in 24 Triple-A starts. Delino DeShields, his manager at Louisville, said publicly that he wasn't making the adjustments as suggested by the coaching staff and should be "embarrassed" by his performance.

"I understood where he was coming from," Stephenson said of DeShields after being recalled on Friday. "I was frustrated, too. He apologized. I'd be stupid to not listen to coaching."

Stephenson (2-0, 3.00 ERA) will be facing the Mets for the first time, and he said he will take solace in the fact that he will remain in the majors for the remainder of the season.

"Of the three times I've been called up, this is definitely the most exciting, knowing that I'm going to be here for an extended period of time," he said.

Right-hander Bartolo Colon (12-7, 3.35 ERA) will start for the Mets. In his career, Colon is 4-1 with a 4.01 ERA against Cincinnati in six starts. He got a no-decision in his lone appearance against the Reds this year, giving up three runs in five innings on April 26 in New York.

Cincinnati (57-78) took two of three from the wild-card contending St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend at Great American Ball Park. Meanwhile, the Mets (71-66) won two of three against the Nationals to climb within one game of St. Louis in the race for the second NL wild card.

The Reds might be without a key contributor Monday, as center fielder Billy Hamilton left the Sunday game due to a strained left oblique muscle.

**TheGame** · 09-05-2016, 08:02 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 9/5

Preview: Orioles (72-61) at Rays (56-76)

Game: 1
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: September 05, 2016 1:10 PM EDT

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Baltimore Orioles find themselves in a precarious position as they come to the Rays for a three-game series, three games back of the division lead and tied with Detroit for the American League's second wild card, so if it wasn't obvious, every win counts from here out.

"Win games. It's real simple," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said after a 5-2 loss to the Yankees on Sunday. "We have to win games regardless of how we get there. I don't care how it looks or how it happens. We need to have more runs than them after nine innings, or 10 or 11 or 12 and so on. It's a pretty simple equation right now."

Baltimore (74-62) faces the Rays (58-77) seven times in their next 13 games, so Tampa Bay can again play a major spoiler role, as they did this weekend in taking two of three games from division-leading Toronto.

"Tough one today. Came up a little short obviously," said Rays manager Kevin Cash after a 5-3 loss to Toronto, missing out on a potential sweep. "There were probably a couple more opportunities we didn't get."

Monday's opener -- a Labor Day 1:10 p.m. first pitch -- pits Baltimore RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (5-11, 6.46 ERA) against Rays RHP Matt Andriese (6-6, 4.19 ERA).

Andriese opened the year 6-0 but has struggled since rejoining the rotation after the trade deadline -- the Rays are committed to keeping him in what is now a six-man rotation, but he's 0-6 with a 5.47 ERA in his last 14 appearances, including seven starts.

In his last start, he reset career highs for runs (7) and hits (10) allowed, including seven extra-base hits in a loss to Boston. For his career against the Orioles, he's 0-2 with a 7.04 ERA.

What's worse, Jimenez has a strong history against the Rays, with a 2.87 ERA and 4-2 career record, striking out 36 batters in 37.2 innings. In his only outing against Tampa Bay this year, he took a tough-luck loss in a 3-1 loss in April.

The Rays are relegated to spoiler status in a division they long since stopped being competitive in. Baltimore is in a different mode, struggling to stay close enough to take advantage of remaining head-to-head series against the Blue Jays and Red Sox.

"Whether we're playing here or in Tampa or in Detroit or in Boston, we're always playing people," Showalter said of the target on his team's back. "There's never a time they're not engaged. Tampa is in a spot, you can see how they're playing right now. Detroit's right there and of course Boston's there. That's why you do all the things that we do to be a part of this. Enjoy the competition and enjoy the fruits of the players' labor to get this chance."

**TheGame** · 09-05-2016, 08:02 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 9/5

Preview: Royals (69-64) at Twins (50-84)

Game: 1
Venue: Target Field
Date: September 05, 2016 2:10 PM EDT

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Kansas City Royals will try and right the ship on Monday when they open a three-game series against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Labor Day.

The Royals scored four runs in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday to take a brief lead before Joakim Soria allowed two runs in the next half inning. Kansas City was unable to match and lost 6-5, dropping the rubber match of a three-game series.

The Royals have now lost four of their last five games since a 13-2 stretch vaulted the defending world champions back into postseason contention. Instead of a defining moment, the Royals went 2-4 in a six-game homestand against two teams that are, like them, vying for wild-card positioning.

"We could easily have gone 6-0 on this homestand," Royals manager Ned Yost told the Kansas City Star. "Just four really tough losses and (we) had a chance to win all of them."

Kansas City will begin the series four games behind the Baltimore Orioles for the second wild-card spot in the American League and 9 1/2 games back of the Cleveland Indians for first in the Central.

Minnesota had a chance to begin their 10-game homestand with a series win against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday but were unable to hold a late lead in a 13-11 loss in 12 innings.

The Twins began the four-game series riding a 13-game losing streak but snapped out of it in a win on Thursday. After hitting four home runs in a win on Saturday night, Minnesota clobbered four more on Sunday, including Byron Buxton's first career grand slam.

But the Twins' bugaboo all season, their shaky pitching staff, reared its head again late, allowing Chicago to score three runs over the final two innings, sending the game to extras.

"That's a tough one," said Twins manager Paul Molitor. "You score 11 runs and have a lot of guys with good days with the bat. And it wasn't enough."

Ian Kennedy will get the start for Kansas City on Monday. Kennedy pitched eight shutout innings against the Twins at Kauffman Stadium on Aug. 20 and is looking for his third win over Minnesota in four tries.

The Twins will counter with Jose Berrios, who has struggled mightily in nine starts in the big leagues. The rookie right-hander has allowed a total of 18 runs over his last four starts with Minnesota and was optioned to Rochester following his last outing on Aug. 25 against Detroit, when he gave up five earned runs on six hits and five walks in five innings of work.

Berrios allowed three runs on five hits and struck out 14, however, in his last start with Rochester on Wednesday.

**TheGame** · 09-05-2016, 08:03 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 9/5

Preview: Cardinals (70-62) at Pirates (67-64)

Game: 1
Venue: PNC Park
Date: September 05, 2016 4:05 PM EDT

PITTSBURGH -- It's one of those meaningful series in September with playoff implications that the baseball world will be watching.

But when the St. Louis Cardinals open a three-game set with a Labor Day matinee against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, neither team will exactly come steaming into the game.

St. Louis, at least, will be coming off a win. The Cardinals had lost three in a row but avoided a sweep at Cincinnati with a 5-2 win Sunday.

Pittsburgh has lost a season-worst six games in a row and has been shut out in three of those games, including a 10-0 loss at home Sunday against Milwaukee, which swept a weekend series.

The Cardinals (71-64) hold the second wild-card spot in the National League, 3 1/2 games ahead of the Pirates.

Asked if his club could shake off the six losses and give the Cardinals a series, Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle managed a smile.

"Oh, my goodness, yes," he said. "This is what life's all about. Do you just fold up your bag and go home? That's not an option. You get to play a meaningful game in September because they've earned it."

The Pirates fell to .500, at 67-67, Sunday. They were outscored 18-4 by the Brewers in the three weekend games.

"It magnifies everything else when you don't score runs," Hurdle said. "We got shut out two out of three games. We carved a little offense out of the in-between game.

"We've got to fight to get the leadoff hitter on base. That's No. 1. And then the at-bats, it becomes that battle in the box, getting a strike, getting that pitch you want to hit and hitting it hard somewhere. That is it. That's all we need to focus on."

The Pirates have been getting good starts lately from their pitching, even if the bullpen has been shaky at times.

Rookie Chad Kuhl ((3-2, 3.70 ERA) will be making his 10th major league start Monday, first against St. Louis. He has lost his past two decisions but has given up just 12 runs over his past six starts.

At the other end of the spectrum is St. Louis' scheduled starter, veteran Adam Wainwright (9-8, 4.53 ERA), who this season has been trying to prove he's still effective.

He has not earned a win in his past eight starts, although Tuesday at Milwaukee, he allowed just one run on three hits over seven innings with seven strikeouts and no walks in a no-decision on his 35th birthday.

"Going into the game, I tried to forget about everything that's gone on this year," Wainwright told ESPN.com. "I watched only '13 and '14 film of me. I wanted to remember that guy. Not this other fellow who's been pitching this year."

Offensively, the Cardinals have been going heavy on the long ball. They have hit a homer in a franchise-record 23 games in a row.

They are just 12-11 in those games, but manager Mike Matheny isn't looking to rein in the power.

"I'll take home runs," he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch this weekend. "Home runs are a good way to produce offense. It's been helping us all year long. And it will continue to.

"It's not like we're sitting there striking out 20 times a game and popping up all day long. There were some good defensive plays made against us all day long."

Hurdle, meanwhile, is hoping for some runs by any means from the Pirates.

"We're just not meeting the demands of the game," he said. "The preparation is there. The focus is there. ... At the end of the day, there's no runs on the board two out of three games (over the weekend). That makes it hard."

**TheGame** · 09-05-2016, 08:03 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 9/5

Preview: Braves (51-83) at Nationals (78-55)

Game: 1
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: September 05, 2016 4:05 PM EDT

Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker sat behind the desk of the visiting manager's office at Citi Field in New York late Sunday afternoon and viewed the printout of the baseball standings.

"I'm just glad that we're in a position not to have an 'x' by our name," Baker said, referring to the designation used for teams that have already been eliminated from their division races. "There's a couple x's already. We want to add some x's."

The National League East-leading Nationals can do just that Monday afternoon, when they begin a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park.

Washington comes home after losing the final two games of a three-game series against the New York Mets, including a 5-1 defeat Sunday night. Atlanta has won six straight, including a three-game sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies that concluded Sunday afternoon with a 2-0 victory at Citizens Bank Park.

One win by the Nationals (79-57) this week will officially eliminate the Braves (54-83) from the National League East race. Of course, Atlanta has been out of contention since April, when it began the season on an eight-game losing streak and finished the opening month a miserable 5-18.

Knocking out the Braves would allow the Nationals -- who are 8 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Mets -- to move one step closer to where they want to be. While Washington is closing in on its third division title in five years, the Nationals/Montreal Expos franchise hasn't won a playoff series since 1981, which is the longest drought among the four major North American pro sports leagues.

"Everybody keeps talking postseason -- let's win this (regular) season first," Baker said Saturday afternoon. "We haven't won this season yet. Somebody (said), 'If you go .500 the rest of the way ...' That's not going to satisfy me or satisfy us. You want to finish strong, and the postseason is something that's down the way. But right now, we've got to keep grinding."

The Braves' postseason hopes are long gone, but they will hope to continue laying the foundation that has been constructed over the past several weeks. Atlanta, which has its second six-game winning streak of the season, is 23-25 since the All-Star break and 17-15 since Aug. 1.

"The past month, the past couple of months, we've been playing really good baseball," Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said Sunday. "We got off to a really rough start. You knew it was going to turn around at some point."

A 100-loss season once appeared to be unavoidable for the Braves, but they need to go just 9-16 down the stretch to avoid the franchise's first 100-loss campaign since 1988.

"We're not the same team, quite honestly," Braves interim manager Brian Snitker said Sunday. "I feel good with everybody that goes up there."

Nationals ace right-hander Max Scherzer (15-7, 2.89 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Braves rookie right-hander Ryan Weber (1-0, 5.24 ERA) on Monday.

Scherzer, who had his start pushed back a day in order to get some extra rest, carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning in his previous start last Tuesday, when he earned the win after allowing two runs over eight innings as Washington beat the Phillies, 3-2.

In three starts against Atlanta this year, he is 2-0 with a 4.66 ERA. Scherzer has a 3-3 record and a 4.01 ERA in 10 career games (eight starts) vs. the Braves.

Weber will be making his first start of the season following 12 relief appearances. He has a 0-1 record and a 2.31 ERA in three career games (one start) against Washington.

**TheGame** · 09-05-2016, 08:03 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 9/5

Preview: Angels (59-74) at Athletics (57-76)

Game: 1
Venue: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
Date: September 05, 2016 4:05 PM EDT

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland Athletics could be providing a look into their future to an American League West rival when right-hander Raul Alcantara makes his major league debut Monday afternoon in the opener of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The 23-year-old, acquired by the A's along with Josh Reddick from Boston in 2011 for reliever Andrew Bailey, has been almost unhittable at Triple-A Nashville since an in-season promotion. He's gone 4-0 with a 1.18 ERA in his last eight starts, a stretch in which he's struck out 32 and walked just three.

"It's his time," A's manager Bob Melvin proclaimed before Sunday's series finale against the Boston Red Sox. "We're excited about watching him."

The A's also will promote another of their top prospects, right-hander Jharel Cotton, to start Wednesday against the Angels.

Cotton was one of three pitchers acquired this season at the trade deadline from the Los Angeles Dodgers when the A's dealt away Reddick.

Alcantara will start in place of left-hander Sean Manaea, who is battling a sore back.

He can only hope to be as effective as Kendall Graveman was Sunday in a 1-0 win over the Boston Red Sox.

Graveman shut out the Red Sox on six hits over 6 1/3 innings, setting the stage for a walk-off win that allowed Oakland to snap a five-game losing streak.

Alcantara will be opposed by Angels right-hander Jered Weaver, who made his major league debut 10 seasons ago. He shut out the Baltimore Orioles on three hits over seven innings that night en route to an 11-2 rookie year.

The 33-year-old is just 10-11 with a 5.21 ERA this season, but both marks have improved significantly in his last two starts, during which he's beaten the Toronto Blue Jays and Cincinnati Reds, allowing only three runs in 12 innings.

Weaver has gone 14-11 with a 2.77 ERA in 36 career starts against the A's. The ERA is his lowest among all teams he'd faced more than 15 times.

The veteran pitched a three-hit shutout in his previous visit to Oakland on June 19.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia made it clear after Weaver's previous start that he has no intention of replacing his top pitchers with prospects just because his club is out of playoff contention.

"Our philosophy and the way we're going to approach every day," he said, "is to go out there and win a game by starting with the first pitch of the game and winning that pitch and winning situations and going out there and playing the game the way we need to play it."

The Angels flew south from Seattle on Sunday night without right-hander Matt Shoemaker, who remained hospitalized for observation after being hit in the head by a line drive in LA's 4-2 win over the Mariners.

Shoemaker was diagnosed with a small skull fracture.

The Angels (61-75) won two of three in the series and have opened a three-game lead over the A's (58-79) in the battle to escape last place in the AL West.

**TheGame** · 09-05-2016, 08:04 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 9/5

Preview: Giants (72-62) at Rockies (64-69)

Game: 1
Venue: Coors Field
Date: September 05, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

DENVER -- The San Francisco Giants hope three games at hitter-friendly Coors Field will be a tonic for their stagnant offense as they eye October.

The Colorado Rockies, their postseason hopes unrealistic at this point, will try to bounce back from a series loss against the Arizona Diamondbacks and end a homestand with a winning record when they begin a three-game series Monday with the Giants.

The teams last played July 6. The Giants are 7-6 against the Rockies this season, and the teams have split six games at Coors Field.

The Giants are 33-21 against the National League West, which is the best intra-divisional record for any team in the division but not a telling statistic given how the Giants have stumbled in the second half.

The Giants will be playing a divisional opponent for the first time since July 17 when they were swept in a three-game series at San Diego. That was San Francisco's first series after the All-Star break when their season began to take a miserable turn.

The Giants lost 3-2 in 13 innings Sunday to the high-flying Chicago Cubs, dropping three of four games at Wrigley Field. All four games were decided by one run. The Giants scored 10 runs on 14 hits in the series. They were held to four hits or fewer in four consecutive games for the first time since June 13-16, 1963.

"I'm good with how hard they played in this series," Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of his team.

The Giants fell three games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West and lead St. Louis by 1 1/2 games in the race for the top wild-card spot.

At the All-Star break, the Giants led the NL West by 6 1/2 games and were 57-33. But their record after the break is a major league worst 16-30. The Giants are 7-17 on the road in the second half.

Colorado is the second stop on a 10-game, 11-day trip for the Giants that will end at Arizona. Left-hander Matt Moore will make his seventh start for the Giants. He is 2-3 with a 3.16 ERA in six starts since being acquired from Tampa Bay. Moore threw 133 pitches on Aug. 25 at Los Angeles, leaving after Corey Seager broke up his no-hitter with a two-out single in the ninth.

Moore then threw 92 pitches in his last start Wednesday and gave up five hits and one run in 5 1/3 innings against the Diamondbacks and won his second straight start as the Giants triumphed 4-2.

Moore's one appearance against the Rockies came at Coors Field in 2013 while pitching for the Rays.

The Rockies dropped the final two games in their three-game set with the Diamondbacks and are 3-3 on a homestand that will conclude with the Giants series. Colorado is 35-34 at Coors Field this season.

Chad Bettis will be pitching on seven days' rest when he opposes the Giants on Monday. The Rockies didn't want him to face Arizona on Sunday, since he had made four starts against them with limited success this season. Bettis is 11-7 with a 5.17 ERA. The Rockies have won each of Bettis' last seven starts at Coors Field, where he is 5-2 with a 5.40 ERA in 11 outings this season.

Bettis is 2-3 with a 5.28 ERA in five career starts against the Giants, including a May 6 loss at San Francisco, where he gave up five runs and eight hits in six innings as the Rockies fell 6-4.

With an eye toward next season, the Rockies are working Tom Murphy into their catching corps, which includes starter Nick Hundley, a free agent after this season, and backup Tony Wolters. Murphy was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on Friday. He singled as a pinch-hitter Friday and went 1-for-4 with one RBI in a start Saturday. Murphy pinch hit Sunday and hit a 482-foot home run down the left-field line in the seventh, stayed in the game and singled in the ninth.

"It looked like it might have been a pitch on the inner half that he got the barrel to," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said of the massive homer Murphy hit off left-hander Patrick Corbin. "He's a strong kid, so he gets it airborne, and it goes a long way."

**TheGame** · 09-05-2016, 08:04 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 9/5

Preview: Tigers (72-61) at White Sox (63-70)

Game: 1
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: September 05, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- The Detroit Tigers will look to bolster their playoff chances when they visit the Chicago White Sox on Monday afternoon to open a three-game series.

With 26 games to go in the regular season, Detroit (74-62) is tied with the Baltimore Orioles for the second wild-card playoff berth in the American League. The Tigers are two games behind the Boston Red Sox for the first wild-card spot, and they trail the Cleveland Indians by 5 1/2 games in the American League Central.

"I think we understand that if we keep playing inconsistent, we're not going anywhere; we're going to go home," first baseman Miguel Cabrera told the Detroit News after the Tigers won two of three games this weekend against the Kansas City Royals. "We don't want to go home. We're going to keep fighting to the end and try to make something happen. This is fun.

"To play for something, this is fun. Trying to play for a spot in the playoffs, it's exciting. You need to come every day and play hard."

That leaves the White Sox (65-71) to play the role of spoiler as the Tigers come to town. Chicago opens a 10-game homestand after a disappointing road trip in which they went 2-5.

The White Sox's road trip started against the familiar Tigers, who swept them in three games. Chicago is 5-11 against Detroit this season and has been outscored 92-68 in those contests.

Since May 23, the White Sox have posted a 13-31 record against AL Central rivals.

"You have to figure out a way to shore that up and get some consistency," White Sox manager Robin Ventura told the Chicago Tribune. "We can go from one night scoring seven to three games in a row scoring one."

Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander (14-7, 3.30 ERA) likely will not make life easy for the White Sox. Verlander has recorded 10 consecutive quality starts and is second in the AL with 198 strikeouts.

During his career, Verlander is 19-13 with a 3.87 ERA against Chicago. He is 6-8 with a 4.34 ERA in 18 starts at U.S. Cellular Field.

White Sox left-hander Chris Sale (15-7, 3.10 ERA) will try to outshine Verlander in a battle of aces. Sale limited the Tigers to two runs in eight innings in his last meeting Aug. 31 but did not factor in the decision.

Chicago's lanky southpaw has gone 8-7 with a 3.09 ERA in 28 career appearances (18 starts) against the Tigers. He is 5-3 with a 2.97 ERA in 16 games (nine starts) at home against Detroit.

Sale and his teammates could benefit from a return to their home ballpark. The White Sox are 35-29 at home this season compared with 30-42 on the road. Against the Tigers, the White Sox are 4-3 at home and 1-8 on the road.

Tigers catcher James McCann is relishing the high stakes of September baseball.

"It's what you dream about in the offseason and spring training," McCann told the Detroit News. "Getting to this point in the season and getting to play for something."

**TheGame** · 09-05-2016, 08:04 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 9/5

Preview: Rangers (80-54) at Mariners (68-65)

Game: 1
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: September 05, 2016 4:10 PM EDT

SEATTLE -- You again?

When the Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners take the field for the first game of a three-game series Monday afternoon, it will mark the fourth time in just over a week that the two American League West rivals have squared off. What's pretty clear is which team owns the other.

The Rangers (82-55) completed a three-game sweep over Seattle last week and improved to 11-4 against the Mariners this season. Any grain of hope Seattle carried into the series in terms of the AL West race was extinguished by the time Texas hammered the final nail with a 14-1 win last Wednesday.

Along the way, Texas continued to frustrate Mariners ace Felix Hernandez, who gave up a costly grand slam in that game to fall to 0-2 with a 6.30 ERA against the Rangers this season. Hernandez, who will be back on the mound for Seattle on Monday, is now 17-23 with a 3.85 ERA in career matchups against Texas.

After his latest outing, a frustrated Hernandez told reporters: "It wasn't good. I was terrible, on my part. I should have gone out there and stepped my level up, but I made a lot of mistakes."

The latest sweep not only knocked Seattle (69-67) out of any kind of pennant contention, it also dealt a significant blow to the Mariners' chances of winning a wild card.

"Nobody is happy," manager Scott Servais said after the 14-1 loss. "We're really disappointed. But there's nothing we can do about it. These games are over. We have to put it behind us and look forward."

The Mariners will get another shot at Texas this week, beginning with Monday afternoon's game at Safeco Field. They'll face a Rangers team that had won seven in a row before dropping the finale of the Houston series 7-6 on Sunday. Despite the loss, the Rangers took control of the AL West during another series win.

"We're feeling good for sure," Elvis Andrus said Sunday. "We're in the driver's seat right now. We have to continue to play hard. We can't take anything for granted. There's a lot of baseball ahead and we have to keep grinding."

The Rangers plan to send lefty Cole Hamels to the mound Monday, and he might be just as motivated as Hernandez to atone for his last start. The Mariners touched up Hamels for six runs off seven hits and four walks over 4 1/3 innings his last time out, although the veteran southpaw was able to come away with a no-decision when Texas came back to win 8-7.

That game marked the first time since July 8 that Hamels allowed more than two earned runs in a game, and it came after two previous starts against Seattle that had resulted in a 2-0 record and a 1.93 ERA.

Seattle's Hernandez was originally scheduled to start Tuesday's game, but the team moved him up a day to accommodate hurting left-hander James Paxton. A torn fingernail suffered in his last start has bothered Paxton, so the team decided to give him an extra day off. Last Thursday's off day allowed Hernandez to move up a day and still stay on four day's rest.

**TheGame** · 09-05-2016, 08:04 AM

Re: MLB Betting Info. 9/5

'Mets visit Reds'

New York Mets at Cincinnati Reds September 5, 1:10 EST

Sometimes in sports a team just has another team's number and that's the case for New York Mets when it comes to Cincinnati Reds. Winning three earlier meetings the Metropolitans have now won eleven consecutive games vs Cincinnati and have come out on the winning side in sixteen of the past eighteen encounters including 8-1 at Great American Ball Park.

Bartolo Colon doing Mets bidding bodes well for the team. Mets have won Colon's last three starts and the hurler carries a solid 5-1 career team start record vs Cincinnati including 2-0 since putting on a Met uniform. Additionally, this being the opening game of a road series is yet another nod towards Mets, since the team has compiled an 8-2 record last 10 series road openers handing the ball to the righthander. According to current odds the Mets are -$1.30 road favorites.

Announcement

MLB Betting Info. 9/5

MLB Betting Info. 9/5

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