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MLB
Sunday, April 28
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Sunday Night Baseball: Braves at Tigers
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Interleague play takes over Sunday Night Baseball as the Tigers host the Braves.
Atlanta Braves at Detroit Tigers (-135, 7.5)
DOING THE DOUGIE
Doug Fister has been great early for Detroit. The righty is 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA, delivering three straight quality starts. He had his shakiest start to open the season, giving up three runs and six hits in five innings of work against the Yankees. Fister then allowed just three earned runs over his next three starts against Toronto, Seattle, and the Angels. Fister has displayed sufficient control, yielding only a total of six free passes in those four outings. The Detroit starter made three starts last year against the NL, giving up just three earned runs and 15 hits.
SOLID SOUTHPAW
Mike Minor is 3-1 with a 1.80 ERA on the year and he’s coming off a solid outing in Colorado against the Rockies. Minor has already had a taste of interleague play, losing to the Royals at home despite giving up just one run and five hits in six innings. Minor's control has been fantastic this season, walking just three batters, while striking out 21.
INJURY REPORT
The Braves are nowhere near full strength, especially in the offensive lineup where they are without Jason Heyward and Brian McCann. Both hope to be back in May as Heyward deals with an appendectomy and McCann a shoulder ailment. On the pitching side, they are without Jonny Venters and Brandon Beachy. Venters hopes to return in May from an elbow injury, while Beachy could be out until late June due to Tommy John surgery. Detroit's injury report is a lot better, although Justin Verlander's cracked skin injury on his pitching hand may bear watching. We shall see if it crops up again making things more difficult for him. Octavio Dotel is on the DL with right elbow inflammation, while Phil Coke has a groin strain.
TRENDS
Braves are 8-1 in their last nine Sunday games.
Braves are 4-1 in Minor's last five road starts.
Tigers are 48-21 in their last 69 Sunday games.
Tigers are 10-4 in Fister’s last 14 starts.
HITTERS TO WATCH
B.J. Upton 0-for-5 vs. Fister
Ramiro Pena 1-for-2 vs. Fister
Prince Fielder 3-for-3 vs. Minor
Omar Infante 4-for-12 vs. Minor
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-28-13 03:52 PM |
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MLB
Short Sheet
Sunday, April 28
National League
Philadelphia at NY Mets, 1:10 ET
Hamels: Philadelphia 14-3 OVER after 3 straight games without giving up a stolen base
Niese: NY Mets 11-20 SU in home games after 2 or more consecutive losses
Chicago Cubs at Miami, 1:10 ET
Villanueva: 10-2 TSR in the first half of the season
Nolasco: 5-14 TSR in home games in the first half of the season
Cincinnati at Washington, 1:35 ET
Cingrani: Cincinnati 1-8 SU in road games in games played on a grass field
Detwiler: Washington 91-59 SU after 2 or more consecutive home games
Pittsburgh at St. Louis, 2:15 ET
Locke: Pittsburgh 10-2 SU after having won 2 of their last 3
Miller: St Louis 16-24 SU in home games after having won 4 of their last 5
Milwaukee at LA Dodgers, 4:10 ET
Lohse: Milwaukee 58-32 SU after a win by 2 runs or less
Kershaw: LA Dodgers 10-21 SU revenging a loss vs opponent as a home favorite
San Francisco at San Diego, 4:10 ET
Vogelsong: San Francisco 29-15 SU in road games after a loss
Marquis: San Diego 3-13 SU as an underdog of +100 to +150
Colorado at Arizona, 4:10 ET
Garland: 14-40 SU vs. a starting pitcher whose throws more than 6.5 innings per start
Corbin: 8-0 UNDER vs. teams outscoring opp by 0.5 or more runs/game
American League
Toronto at NY Yankees, 1:05 ET TBS
Dickey: Toronto 20-12 SU after 9 consecutive games versus division rivals
Hughes: NY Yankees 23-9 UNDER after 2 or more consecutive overs
Houston at Boston, 1:35 ET
Norris: Houston 15-7 SU in road games after allowing 7 runs or more 3 straight games
Lackey: Boston 8-16 SU as a home favorite of -150 to -200
Texas at Minnesota, 2:10 ET
Ogando: Texas 52-24 SU after a loss
Correia:
Tampa Bay at Chicago White Sox, 2:10 ET WGN
Price: Tampa Bay 12-3 SU in road games when playing on Sunday
Axelrod: CHI White Sox 18-33 SU after 6 or more consecutive home games
Cleveland at Kansas City, 2:10 ET Game One
Masterson: 8-25 SU with a hot bullpen whose ERA is under 3.00 the last 15 games
Guthrie: 12-3 TSR when the total is 7 to 8.5
Baltimore at Oakland, 4:05 ET
Gonzalez: Baltimore 16-8 SU in road games after having won 6 or 7 of their last 8
Colon: 16-24 TSR as a home favorite of -125 to -150
LA Angels at Seattle, 4:10 ET
Vargas: LA Angels 65-35 SU after scoring 2 runs or less
Iwakuma: Seattle 18-35 SU in home games against left-handed starters
Interleague
Atlanta at Detroit, 8:05 ET ESPN
Minor: Atlanta 18-10 SU as an underdog of +125 to +175
Fister: 2-9 TSR after giving up <=2 earned runs in his last 2 outings
Write-In Game:
Cleveland at Kansas City, 8:10 ET Game Two
Kluber: Cleveland 18-41 SU as a road underdog of +100 to +150
Smith: Kansas City 157-115 OVER after having won 4 or 5 of their last 6
Reply With Quote
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-28-13 06:30 PM |
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Preview: Mets (10-13) at Marlins (6-19)
Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: April 29, 2013 7:10 PM EDT
His team won again, but New York Mets ace Matt Harvey wasn't particularly pleased with his last performance.
The hard-throwing right-hander might feel different after facing the major league-worst Miami Marlins for the first time.
Harvey will look to become the third Mets starter in franchise history to go 5-0 in April on Monday night when rookie Jose Fernandez gets his fifth chance to pick up his first major league win.
After holding opponents to three total runs in his first four outings, Harvey (4-0, 1.54 ERA) yielded three in six innings of Wednesday's 7-3, 10-inning win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. The right-hander avoided the loss as New York scored five times in the final two frames, including a walkoff grand slam by Jordany Valdespin.
"I'll be mad tonight, but obviously happy about the team win," Harvey told the Mets' official website. "Tomorrow, it's a new day. It's time to work toward my next start."
Trying to join Dwight Gooden (1988) and Pedro Martinez (2006) as the only Mets starters to go 5-0 in April, Harvey will face a Miami team trying to win two straight for the first time since Oct. 1-2, when the Mets were last in town.
Led by Giancarlo Stanton's two homers and four RBIs, the Marlins (6-19) won 6-4 on Sunday to salvage the finale of their four-game set with the Chicago Cubs. Stanton's first home of the season came in Saturday's 3-2 loss.
"This guy is a special player. He's a game-changer," manager Mike Redmond said.
The Marlins are hoping their power surge continues - half of their 12 homers have come in the last three games - as they've scored nine total runs in Fernandez's starts. While that's an obvious concern, so is the right-hander posting a 9.00 ERA while losing each of his last two outings.
"We just had a chance to win, and I just kind of blew it up. It doesn't feel good," Fernandez told the Marlins' official website after giving up his first homer of the season - a three-run shot by rookie Oswaldo Arcia - in Tuesday's 4-3 loss at Minnesota. "I like to go out there and do my job to help the team win."
Fernandez (0-2, 4.50) did his job in his major league debut, a 4-3 loss at the Mets on April 7 when the 20-year-old became the youngest pitcher in Marlins history. He lasted five innings in that game, yielding one run and striking out eight.
The Mets (10-13) struck out eight more times in Sunday's 5-1 loss to Philadelphia and are batting .154 with seven total runs over a four-game losing streak as they begin a six-game trip.
Second baseman Daniel Murphy was hitless in 12 at_bats over the weekend, but he went 4 for 12 - including 1 for 2 off Fernandez - with two homers and five RBIs as New York won two of three over Miami from April 5-7.
David Wright went 4 for 10 in that series to lift his career batting average against the Marlins to .323. He also has 23 homers and 99 RBIs in this series.
Wright will try to start a new errorless streak after his 77-game run - the longest by a Mets third baseman - ended on Sunday. He had no errors in 23 chances as the Mets won five of nine in Miami last season.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-29-13 05:46 AM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Astros (7-18) at Yankees (15-9)
Game: 1
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: April 29, 2013 7:05 PM EDT
Andy Pettitte just failed to reach a personal milestone.
The 40-year-old, though, made New York Yankees history the last time he faced the Houston Astros.
Pettitte will pitch against the only other major league team he's played for on Monday night when the Yankees go for a fifth straight win.
Trying to post victories in each of his first four starts for the first time, Pettitte (3-1, 2.22 ERA) gave up all of the runs in Wednesday's 3-0 loss at Tampa Bay. The left-hander, though, fanned 10 in six innings for his 15th double-digit strikeout game.
"I was surprised we got three runs off him. I thought this guy is not going to give anything up tonight,' Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "... He was pretty impressive.'
Pettitte will go down as one of the greatest pitchers in Yankees history, but he hasn't always worn pinstripes. After helping New York win four World Series, he signed with the Astros in 2004. Playing near his home in Deer Park, Pettitte went 37-26 with a 3.38 ERA in three seasons with Houston before returning to the Bronx.
In the Astros' first game at new Yankee Stadium on June 11, 2010, Pettitte went 7 1-3 innings in a 4-3 victory that made him the third pitcher in Yankees history to reach 200 wins, joining Whitey Ford and Red Ruffing.
New York swept that three-game series to improve to 8-1 versus Houston.
The AL-worst Astros (7-18) don't appear to be in any position to improve that mark as they arrive in the Bronx on a nine-game road losing streak. The AL's newest team was outscored 28-10 in a four-game set in Boston over the weekend, going 5 for 38 (.132) with runners in scoring position.
"I know we're struggling right now, but we have to make some adjustments," outfielder Fernando Martinez told the Astros' official website following Sunday's 6-1 loss. "We'll be fine."
Lucas Harrell (2-2, 4.08) has been Houston's most consistent starter so far, giving up two runs or fewer in four of his five outings. He held the opposition to one for a third time Wednesday against Seattle, matching the Astros' longest start of the season by going seven innings in a 10-3 win.
"Strike one was huge today. My goal was to attack and get strike one," Harrell said.
The right-hander's lone experience against the Yankees (15-9) came when he recorded two outs for the White Sox in June 2010.
With Kevin Youkilis set to undergo an MRI on Monday for a back injury that's kept him out of six of the last seven games, Harrell could get his first look at Lyle Overbay, who hit a two-run homer on Sunday.
Another first-year Yankee, Brennan Boesch - who is 4 for 4 off Harrell - also went deep as the injury-plagued Yankees won for the ninth time in 11 home games.
"We've seen very good players come to New York and take time to adjust," manager Joe Girardi said. "We've seen guys that have injury plagued seasons that continue to have them and you can't shake that. We felt that we were going to have to win a lot of close games.'
The Yankees are 9-1 in games decided by two runs or fewer.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-29-13 05:48 AM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Padres (8-15) at Cubs (9-15)
Game: 1
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: April 29, 2013 8:05 PM EDT
The Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres may be at the bottom of their respective divisions, but recent success has both teams feeling better.
Some offensive help would certainly please Jeff Samardzija.
He'll try to avoid the longest losing streak of his career Monday night and help the Cubs to a sixth win in seven home meetings with the Padres, winners of four straight.
Chicago (9-15) and San Diego (9-15) occupy the basement in the NL Central and West, respectively. However, the Cubs have won four of six while the Padres are aiming for their longest winning streak since an eight-game run Aug. 19-27.
The Cubs may be coming off Sunday's 6-4 loss at Miami, but they took the previous three games to win their first series since going 2-1 at Pittsburgh to open the season.
"It's awesome," shortstop Starlin Castro said. "The team got off a little slow, but it's good for us to take this series and feel a little better about things right now."
The Cubs may not be feeling that way about their offense, which is batting .229, including a major league-worst .151 with runners in scoring position.
Chicago will try to begin changing that in this four-game set with the Padres as it begins a stretch of 16 of 19 at home. The Cubs have won five of the last six meetings at Wrigley Field, batting .285 with runners in scoring position.
That type of production would certainly be welcomed by Samardzija (1-4, 3.03 ERA), who is trying to snap a personal four-game slide since beating the Pirates on opening day.
The right-hander last dropped four straight starts from June 9-27. He has a 4.01 ERA during the current skid, turning in two quality starts but getting no run support in either outing.
That was the case Wednesday, when Samardzija yielded only a solo homer and scattered six other hits while fanning eight in six innings of a 1-0 loss at Cincinnati.
"It's not frustrating - it's just the first month of the season," Samardzija told the team's official website. "You have faith in your team, it's early in the season and you keep pitching and see what happens."
He's 2-1 with a 2.20 ERA in four games - two starts - against the Padres. However, he was the hard-luck loser opposite Clayton Richard - Monday's scheduled starter - in a 2-0 loss at San Diego on Aug. 8.
Samardzija allowed one run and four hits in seven innings, while Richard tossed a five-hitter as the Padres swept that three-game series.
This time, Richard (0-2, 7.94) is trying to rebound from one of the worst - and shortest - starts of his career.
The left-hander was tagged for six runs in 1 2-3 innings of a 6-3 loss to Milwaukee on Tuesday in his first outing in nine days due to the flu. It was the Padres' most recent defeat, and the first time Richard failed to complete the second inning since surrendering six runs in one-plus frames of a loss to Cleveland with the Chicago White Sox on July 9, 2009.
He's won both starts against the Cubs, yielding one run in 15 2-3 innings.
The Padres have a .289 average with runners in scoring position during a four-game winning streak, which continued with Sunday's 6-4 victory over San Francisco.
"We're definitely playing a lot better baseball right now," right fielder Chris Denorfia said. "Our pitching's been outstanding the last week, maybe more. Our hitting's coming around."
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-29-13 05:49 AM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Pirates (14-10) at Brewers (12-10)
Game: 1
Venue: Miller Park
Date: April 29, 2013 8:10 PM EDT
After taking over the top spot in the NL Central for the first time since July, the Pittsburgh Pirates hope to end their losing streak against the Milwaukee Brewers with Wandy Rodriguez to the mound.
That won't be easy considering their track record against Yovani Gallardo.
The Brewers look for an eighth straight win over Pittsburgh in Monday's opener as they try to improve to 14-1 in Gallardo's starting career against the Pirates.
Following a 1-5 start, the Pirates (15-10) have played like a completely different club while reaching 15 wins in April for the first time since 1992.
They rolled to a 9-0 victory at St. Louis on Sunday for their ninth win in 12 games, surpassing the Cardinals for first place.
"It helps us believe we have the team we think we have,' said catcher Russell Martin, who had two of the team's four homers on Sunday. "The key is to be consistent and do it every day, and we've been doing it every day.'
Now surging Pittsburgh gives the ball to Rodriguez (2-0, 1.66 ERA) as it attempts to snap a four-game skid in Milwaukee and improve to 6-2 on a 10-game road trip.
After allowing just one earned run over 16 innings in his first three starts, Rodriguez didn't have his best stuff on Wednesday when he gave up his first two homers and three runs over 5 2-3 innings in a 5-3 win at Philadelphia.
"He wasn't as sharp as the last two times,' manager Clint Hurdle said. "The cold weather was gone and the ball was traveling well. He gave us what we needed.'
Rodriguez is 3-7 with a 5.88 ERA in 12 career starts at Miller Park, but he's 1-1 with a 2.66 ERA over his last three in Milwaukee. This will be his first with the Pirates.
The Brewers (12-11) had plenty of trouble with another left-hander on Sunday. They managed only four hits and struck out 12 times against Clayton Kershaw in a 2-0 loss in Los Angeles.
After dropping three of four to close out their six-game road trip, they return home looking to extend a six-game winning streak at Miller Park in the opener of a nine-game stay.
Perhaps Gallardo (2-1, 4.97) can help them get off to a good start. Milwaukee is 13-1 in games he's started against Pittsburgh, and the right-hander is 9-1 with a 2.35 ERA in those outings.
Gallardo had a 6.61 ERA through three starts in 2013, but won his second straight Tuesday at San Diego after holding the Padres to three runs in 6 2-3 innings. He did, however, walk five after allowing only four free passes in his first four starts.
"It was a struggle,' manager Ron Roenicke said. "His command, ball-strike ratio in the first three innings - that wasn't him. But I was glad to see somewhere in there that he got it together. If he can keep us in ballgames and win ballgames when he's struggling it's going to be a nice thing when he gets going.'
Gallardo has been tough on Pedro Alvarez (0 for 12, seven strikeouts) and Clint Barmes (1 for 15), while Gaby Sanchez has six hits - including a homer - in 16 at_bats.
Martin, who has doubled and walked twice in three plate appearances against Gallardo, has been heating up after a poor start. He has a .500 on-base percentage, five homers and four doubles in his last 10 games.
Milwaukee star Ryan Braun has batted .359 with five doubles and four home runs in 39 career at_bats against Rodriguez.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-29-13 05:51 AM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Reds (13-12) at Cardinals (14-9)
Game: 1
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: April 29, 2013 8:15 PM EDT
The Cincinnati Reds didn't face Adam Wainwright in their visit to Busch Stadium earlier this month. They won't be so fortunate this time around.
Wainwright will try to help the St. Louis Cardinals avoid a season-high third consecutive loss on Monday night when these NL Central foes renew their rivalry.
Trying to build off a season-opening 4-2 homestand, the Reds (14-12) dropped two of three at Busch from April 8-10. St. Louis took the final two games of that series by a combined 15-1 score, but its home opener was spoiled with the bullpen giving up nine ninth-inning runs in a 13-4 defeat.
With closer Jason Motte possibly facing reconstructive elbow surgery, St. Louis' bullpen continues to falter. That group has a major league-worst 5.94 ERA after surrendering 11 runs in a pair of losses over the weekend to Pittsburgh, which moved one-half game in front of the Cardinals (14-10) for the Central lead.
"Yeah, it's hard to be positive, but at the same time you have to do everything you can to fight every single day and I'm doing that,' Mitchell Boggs said after getting charged with three runs in the ninth inning of Sunday's 9-0 loss.
Cardinals starters lead the majors with a 2.18 ERA and Wainwright (4-1, 1.93 ERA) is a big reason why. The right-hander has a chance to match a career high with five consecutive winning starts, last accomplished Aug. 26 in an 8-2 victory in Cincinnati.
St. Louis' ace was two outs shy of his second complete game of the season on Tuesday, a 2-0 road win over Washington.
"I'm disappointed I didn't finish it, but at the same time, I knew I threw a quality game and we won the game," Wainwright told the Cardinals' official website. "So I can't really hang my head."
He felt the same way about walking his first batter of the season.
The Reds have an NL-best 106 walks after drawing four in Sunday's 5-2 win in Washington. Cincinnati had lost three straight and eight in a row on the road since the Cardinals' home opener.
Monday's scheduled starter Mat Latos (1-0, 2.16) left that game after giving up four runs in six innings. The right-hander owns a 10.23 ERA in five starts in St. Louis, but he's yielded just one run in each of his last two starts there.
Latos didn't allow any in Wednesday's 1-0 win over the Chicago Cubs, extending his scoreless innings streak to 11 despite not getting much out of his secondary pitches.
"It was just a matter of hitting my spots and being able to make key pitches when I needed to," Latos told the Reds' official website.
That could be key against center fielder Jon Jay, whose .450 batting average (9 for 20) off Latos is the highest among those that have faced him more than 15 times.
Yadier Molina (8 for 20) and Carlos Beltran (three homers) have also enjoyed success off Latos.
Brandon Phillips has faced Wainwright more than any other current Red, going 9 for 34 with a homer.
Jay Bruce, who has six hits - including a home run - in 18 at_bats off Wainwright, could be batting out of the sixth spot again after getting two hits on Saturday when manager Dusty Baker dropped him from the five-hole for the first time this season.
Joey Votto, 1 for 17 off Wainwright, went 4 for 10 at Busch from April 8-10 as the Reds failed to win their fourth series in St. Louis since 2003.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-29-13 05:52 AM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Giants (13-11) at Diamondbacks (14-10)
Game: 1
Venue: Chase Field
Date: April 29, 2013 9:40 PM EDT
While Matt Cain is looking to end his longest season-opening drought in five years, the San Francisco Giants are trying to avoid their longest losing streak in almost three.
That might be a difficult task against Ian Kennedy, who hasn't lost to the Giants in nine straight starts.
Cain and the defending World Series champs will try to snap a five-game losing streak on Monday night when they open a three-game series against Kennedy and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.
After a 9-4 start, slumping San Francisco (13-12) dropped its eighth in 12 games with a 6-4 loss at San Diego on Sunday.
"We haven't been playing so well,' manager Bruce Bochy said. "We've been making mistakes that have hurt us in this little streak we are in.'
The Giants haven't lost six in a row since suffering seven straight defeats from June 26-July 2, 2010, and turn to Cain to get them back on track.
Cain (0-2, 6.59 ERA), though, is still searching for his first victory after pitching inconsistently over his first five starts. It's the longest he's gone winless to open a season since 2008, when he didn't get his first victory until his sixth start.
After allowing seven runs in six innings in a 7-2 loss at Milwaukee on April 18, Cain gave up three earned and five hits over six innings in a 6-4, 11-inning loss to Arizona on Tuesday.
"I thought he regrouped and threw the ball well," said Bochy, whose club dropped two of three to the Diamondbacks.
Cain has pitched well in this series, winning nine of 11 decisions with a 2.95 ERA over his last 14 starts.
The three-time All-Star, however, will have to do a better job keeping the ball in the park. He's allowed six home runs over his last three starts, including Paul Goldschmidt's two-run blast in the last meeting.
Arizona (15-10) appears to be playing with some confidence heading into this meeting after beating Colorado 4-2 at home on Sunday to take three of four from the Rockies.
The Diamondbacks have won five of six overall to move into a tie with Colorado atop the NL West.
Although Kennedy (1-2, 4.70) hasn't won since opening day, another game against the Giants could help the right-hander get back in the win column.
Kennedy is 5-0 with a 2.14 ERA over his last nine starts in this series, surrendering a run and four hits in six-plus innings in a 3-2, 10-inning win at San Francisco on Wednesday.
His 2.33 ERA against the Giants ranks third among active pitchers with a minimum of 10 starts, behind Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw (1.28) and Cincinnati's Mat Latos (2.19).
Kennedy will try to cool off Buster Posey after the reigning NL MVP extended his hitting streak to nine games with a two-run homer on Sunday. He's batting .400 with three home runs and nine RBIs during that stretch.
While Pablo Sandoval - who went 4 for 5 on Sunday - has batted .346 in 35 career games in Arizona, he's just 7 for 33 (.212) against Kennedy.
Goldschmidt leads the Diamondbacks with five homers and 18 RBIs, but he's just 4 for 16 with four strikeouts facing Cain.
Gerardo Parra, a .220 hitter against Cain, has a .340 average over a career-best 13-game hitting streak.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-29-13 05:54 AM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Orioles (15-9) at Mariners (10-16)
Game: 1
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: April 29, 2013 10:10 PM EDT
An offensive surge has led to a strong start to their trip, but the Baltimore Orioles' outstanding work on the mound has keyed their recent dominance over the Seattle Mariners.
The Orioles open a three-game series on Monday night looking for their ninth straight win against the Mariners and sixth in a row at Safeco Field.
Baltimore (15-10) will try to bounce back after failing to close out its first four-game sweep in Oakland since 1987 on Sunday. The Athletics tied it with two in the ninth and scored the winning run on Manny Machado's throwing error in the 10th inning for a 9-8 victory.
Nate McLouth and Machado each had four hits and Chris Davis hit his league-leading ninth home run as the Orioles continued their offensive tear. They hit .315 with 11 doubles, five homers and scored 28 runs while winning three of four in Oakland to start a season-high 11-game road trip.
Zach Britton makes his season debut for Baltimore after going 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA in three starts at Triple-A Norfolk. The left-hander allowed one run over six innings in his last start for the Tides on Thursday.
Britton, who went 5-3 with a 5.16 ERA in 11 starts last season, has no record and a 2.57 ERA in two career starts against the Mariners, walking two and striking out 11.
He allowed three hits over nine shutout innings in a 2-1, 12-inning win over Seattle on May 12, 2011.
Baltimore pitchers have posted a 1.84 ERA during the team's eight-game winning streak in this series.
This time, the Mariners (11-16) are looking to build off their first series victory after taking three of four from the Los Angeles Angels with a 2-1 home win on Sunday.
Jason Bay and Michael Morse each hit their first home runs since April 9.
"We wanted to win this series bad," Morse told the team's official website. "We're going to have a lot of these one-run games, and to come out on top like that means a lot for the character of this team."
Former Oriole Joe Saunders (1-3, 6.33 ERA) takes the mound after allowing eight runs and 11 hits - including a pair of homers - over five-plus innings in a 10-3 loss at Houston on Wednesday.
"Just a bad day. That is all I care to say,' said Saunders, who has given up 15 runs and 20 hits in his last two starts. "We'll just turn the page on it, go get them next time and forget about this one.'
Saunders surrendered two runs over 11 1-3 innings in two starts for Baltimore in the 2012 playoffs and has won all five of his despite a 4.73 ERA in seven career starts against the Orioles.
Baltimore, though, has 11 home runs and 16 doubles against left-handers, ranking near the top of the majors in each category.
Matt Wieters has a homer, single and a walk in three career plate appearances against Saunders, though Davis is 2 for 13 with a homer and six strikeouts in this matchup.
Machado is hitting .433 over his seven-game hitting streak, while former Mariner Adam Jones is batting .342 during his nine-game tear.
Seattle's Dustin Ackley has batted .406 in a nine-game hit streak, but he's batting .205 in 39 career at_bats against the Orioles.
The Mariners rank near the bottom of the majors with a .212 batting average against left-handers.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-29-13 05:57 AM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Twins (11-10) at Tigers (13-10)
Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: April 29, 2013 7:08 PM EDT
Miguel Cabrera is surging for the Detroit Tigers while Joe Mauer is enduring a very rare drought without a hit for the Minnesota Twins.
These superstars will be in the spotlight Monday night when the Tigers look for a fourth straight victory in the opener of a three-game home set against the surprising Twins.
The red-hot Cabrera brings a 12-game hitting streak into this contest. The reigning AL MVP is hitting .420 with 15 RBIs during this run after he went 2 for 4 with a three-run homer on a 3-0 count in Sunday's 8-3 victory over Atlanta, as Detroit (13-10) completed a three-game sweep.
"You've got to make sure 'Skip' gives you the sign to swing. That's when you decide to swing or not swing,' Cabrera said.
Cabrera hit .380 with six homers and 26 RBIs last season against Minnesota (11-10), and went 3 for 13 with four RBIs as Detroit lost two of three on the road against the Twins to open the season.
That's the only series so far between these AL Central division rivals, with Mauer going 4 for 13 in those contests.
Mauer, however, was 0 for 15 as the Twins split four games with Texas capped by Sunday's 5-0 victory. It's the first time he has gone four straight games without a hit since Aug. 15-19, 2007, and he's never gone five in a row without one.
The team-oriented catcher, however, was more concerned with the fact that the Twins have won seven of 10 entering this 10-game trip.
"We've been playing good baseball," Mauer told the Twins' official website. "Even the games we've lost, we've been right there losing a couple one-run games. Guys are fighting, and we're getting good pitching performances, so we'll try to keep doing that."
Mauer has to like his chances of ending his drought Monday since he is 8 for 20 against Tigers starter Max Scherzer (2-0, 4.13 ERA) while Cabrera is 3 for 11 against Twins starter Mike Pelfrey (2-2, 7.94).
Scherzer is tied for the major league lead with the Rangers' Yu Darvish with 13.50 strikeouts per nine innings, and he's 9-1 with a 2.54 ERA in his last 18 starts - including three in the postseason.
The right-hander allowed a season-high five runs over five innings Wednesday to gain credit for a 7-5 victory over Kansas City.
He's 0-1 with a 7.25 ERA in four home starts versus the Twins. Scherzer will also have to be wary of Justin Morneau, who is 5 for 10 with three homers in their matchups.
Pelfrey would have a worse record if not for a run-support average of 8.47 - the highest among Twins starters. The right-hander gave up five runs over 4 2-3 innings Tuesday in an 8-5 loss to Miami.
He'll be concerned about facing Omar Infante, who is 15 for 30 against him and 12 for 25 over his last six games.
No player in the majors has more hits out of the No. 9 slot than Infante's 23.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-29-13 07:02 PM |
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CNOTES
FoxDen Hall of Famer
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Preview: Nationals (13-12) at Braves (15-9)
Game: 1
Venue: Turner Field
Date: April 29, 2013 7:10 PM EDT
The Atlanta Braves continued their recent dominance of the Washington Nationals earlier this month, including a win over ace Stephen Strasburg.
With their fast start a distant memory, the Braves hope a return home for a four-game series with their NL East rival can get them untracked.
Atlanta attempts to avoid its longest slide in 11 months and set a franchise record for its longest winning streak over the Nationals on Monday night.
The Braves (15-9) outscored Washington 18-5 while winning all three games in the nation's capital from April 12-14, including a 3-1 win over Strasburg in the middle game of that set. That's part of their seven-game winning streak, matching the longest by either team in the all-time series.
Atlanta did it May 20-July 5, 1997, when the Nationals were the Montreal Expos.
The Braves' latest sweep of Washington (13-12) was part of a 12-1 start to the season, but they've cooled off significantly by losing eight of 11. They concluded a 3-7 road trip by falling 8-3 at Detroit on Sunday, their fourth consecutive loss.
Atlanta, which hasn't dropped five in a row since an eight-game skid May 21-28, is playing the next seven at home, where it's 6-2.
"It was a tough road trip. You can tell it wore on us," said second baseman Dan Uggla, 4 for 26 with one homer and four RBIs during the trip.
Strasburg (1-4, 3.16 ERA) will try to add to the Braves' recent woes by ending his own.
The right-hander has lost a career-high four straight starts behind a 4.07 ERA. However, he's been backed by just six total runs of support.
He can't be blamed for April 13 loss to Atlanta after he surrendered two unearned runs with seven strikeouts in six innings.
The same can't be said about his three outings at Turner Field, where he's 1-2 with a 6.28 ERA.
Strasburg struggled early Wednesday, giving up three runs in the first inning before settling down and tossing six scoreless with seven strikeouts in a 4-2 loss to St. Louis.
Washington is trying to rebound from Sunday's 5-2 loss to Cincinnati after winning the first three games of the series.
Adam LaRoche, a member of the Braves in 2009, is hitless in his last 26 at_bats, dropping his average 65 points to .135.
"I've got one of two options here," the first baseman said. "I can either keep my head up, keep swinging or I can pack up and go home. I'm not ready to go home yet."
He's 1 for 10 versus Atlanta this year, and will be facing Julio Teheran (1-0, 5.48), who is coming off probably the best performance of his career.
The right-hander, widely considered among the best young arms in baseball, allowed one run and eight hits in seven innings of Tuesday's 10-2 win at Colorado.
Teheran didn't get a decision in his only meeting with Washington on April 12, when he was reached for four runs with three walks in six innings of a 6-4 victory.
Despite the losing streak to the Braves, the Nationals are adamant they'll prove to be better over the course of the season.
"I still don't think that they are better than us," second baseman Danny Espinosa told the team's official website following a 9-0 loss to the Braves on April 14. "It doesn't last forever. So I'm not worried about it. I'm going to be real confident the next 16 games."
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-29-13 07:05 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Indians (9-13) at Royals (13-9)
Game: 4
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: April 29, 2013 8:10 PM EDT
After each team took turns in coming up with big efforts at the plate in a doubleheader split, it could be time for the Kansas City Royals to do so in Monday night's series finale with the Cleveland Indians.
The Royals try to add to the woes of beleaguered Indians starter Ubaldo Jimenez when these teams complete a four-game set at Kauffman Stadium.
Friday's rainout created Sunday's doubleheader, with Kansas City (13-9) winning 9-0 in the opener before Cleveland (9-13) bounced back with a 10-3 rout in the nightcap.
The winless Jimenez (0-2, 10.06 ERA) has had a full week off to try to fix his problems since yielding four runs in five-plus innings in last Sunday's 5-4 victory at Houston.
That effort marked improvement after the right-hander allowed seven runs in each of his previous two outings.
Jimenez is allowing left-handers to bat .316 with all four home runs against him while right-handed hitters are just 4 for 24 (.167).
There is hope for him Monday since he has fared well versus several Royals regulars, with Jeff Francoeur 5 for 27 against him, Alcides Escobar 2 for 13, Billy Butler 3 for 12 and Alex Gordon 2 for 12.
Jimenez is 2-2 with a 4.43 ERA in four career starts against Kansas City.
Wade Davis (2-1, 3.20) will start Monday for the Royals after he was tagged for seven runs over 3 2-3 innings in Wednesday's 7-5 loss at Detroit. He entered that outing with 12 consecutive scoreless innings.
The right-hander has posted a 2.70 ERA in winning both career starts against the Indians, back in 2010 while with Tampa Bay. Davis made four relief appearances against them last year, allowing two runs over 5 1-3 innings.
He has limited Mark Reynolds to three hits in 15 at_bats, although two were home runs. Nick Swisher is 2 for 13 against Davis.
Reynolds is 3 for 12 in this series and Swisher is 2 for 9, but Carlos Santana is 7 for 13.
Former Royals infielder Mike Aviles hit a three-run homer and finished with a career-high five RBIs in the second game while Santana added four hits as Cleveland went 4 for 9 with runners in scoring position after going 0 for 8 in the opener.
"That's why it's game to game,' manager Terry Francona said. "We got leadoff runners on and we kind of go down the line. We got a lead, which also helps, and then we added on."
The Royals committed three errors that helped lead to four unearned runs as their three-game win streak ended.
"We played crummy,' manager Ned Yost said. "We didn't play good. We didn't play good defensively. We didn't make smart decisions on the base paths. It happens. You have games like this. The important thing is you forget it and come back tomorrow ready to go.'
Gordon went 10 for 26 with three homers and eight RBIs in a six-game span before going hitless in four at_bats in Sunday's nightcap.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-29-13 07:07 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Rockies (15-10) at Dodgers (12-12)
Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: April 29, 2013 10:10 PM EDT
A rough stretch may get even tougher for the Colorado Rockies, and a three-game series with the resurgent Los Angeles Dodgers isn't the only reason.
The Rockies may be without shortstop Troy Tulowitzki as they go for just their third win in nine games in Monday night's opener.
Colorado (15-10) opened the season by winning 13 of 17, batting .318 with runners in scoring position while hitting 27 homers and averaging 5.9 runs.
The Rockies haven't been nearly that productive while dropping six of eight, scoring 3.4 per contest and batting .227 with runners in scoring position - .179 while dropping three of four at Arizona over the weekend.
They managed 12 runs in that series, losing Sunday's finale 4-2.
"As long as you continue to go out on a day in and day out basis and play good hard baseball and continue to do the right things, it will definitely work out," said starter Jon Garland, Sunday's losing pitcher. "We have already seen what we are able to do when we get some guys hot offensively and we are throwing the ball good."
Possibly doing that without Tulowitzki will likely be a tougher challenge.
The two-time All-Star will be re-evaluated after leaving Sunday's game with a strained left shoulder after an awkward slide home in the first inning. He was easily tagged out, and remained in the game for two more innings before being replaced by Jonathan Herrera.
"I didn't know he got hurt on the play," manager Walt Weiss said. "It sounds like he jammed his shoulder sliding into the plate."
Tulowitzki has a .308 average with six homers and a team-high 22 RBIs. He's hitting .347 with 22 RBIs and a .653 slugging average over his last 25 meetings with Los Angeles (12-12).
Colorado has dropped four straight overall to the Dodgers, and at Chavez Ravine with Tulowitzki on the disabled list with a groin injury.
The Rockies certainly felt that absence during those four defeats in Los Angeles, getting outscored 24-5 while hitting .220.
Facing Ted Lilly may not help, either.
The left-hander is 10-2 with a 3.92 ERA in 14 career starts versus Colorado, going 6-0 with a 2.86 ERA over the last seven.
Lilly is also coming off an impressive performance in his first start in 11 months after undergoing shoulder surgery. He yielded one run with seven strikeouts in five innings of Wednesday's 7-3, 10-inning loss to the Mets.
"I was definitely under the impression I had to prove myself at this level, and understandably, coming off shoulder surgery, prove to myself, too," Lilly told the team's official website.
Lilly's outing is part of the rotation's 2.81 ERA over the last seven games, helping the Dodgers to five wins.
Carl Crawford is facing the Rockies for the first time since 2009 with Tampa Bay, and he's trying to continue his home success. The left fielder is batting .391 with 11 runs scored at Dodger Stadium, hitting three homers over the past three games there.
He connected for a pair of solo homers Sunday - one on the first pitch of the game - in a 2-0 win over Milwaukee.
Colorado is expected to turn to Tyler Chatwood, who is also trying to improve upon his season debut. The right-hander gave up five runs with three walks in six innings before leaving without a decision in a 6-5 win over Atlanta on Wednesday, when he replaced the injured Jhoulys Chacin in the rotation.
Chatwood is 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA in two starts at Chavez Ravine.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-29-13 07:09 PM |
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CNOTES
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MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Monday, April 29
Hot pitchers
-- Mets are 5-0 when Harvey starts (4-0, 1.54).
-- Wainwright is 4-0, 1.44 in his last four starts. Latos is 1-0, 0.64 in his last couple starts.
-- Pirates are 4-0 when Rodriguez starts (2-0, 2.08). Gallardo is 2-0, 2.84 in his last couple starts.
-- Lilly allowed one run in five IP at Citi Field in his first '13 start.
-- Former Astro Pettitte is 3-1, 2.54 in four starts this season. Harrell is 2-0, 1.96 in his last three starts.
-- Scherzer is 1-0, 3.79 in his last three starts.
-- Straily won his only '13 start, allowing two runs in 6.2 IP. Hanson is 2-1, 4.24 in his first three '13 starts.
Cold pitchers
-- Strasburg is 0-4, 5.55 in his last four starts. Teheran is 0-0, 6.55 in four starts; Brave bullpen won all four games.
-- Fernandez is 0-2, 9.00 in his last couple starts.
-- Samardzija is 0-4, 4.38 in his last four starts. Richard is 0-2, 8.47 in his four starts this season.
-- Giants are 0-5 when Cain starts (0-2, 8.74 in last four). Kennedy is 0-2, 5.32 in his last four starts.
-- Chatwood allowed five runs in six IP in his first '13 start.
-- Pelfrey is 1-2, 10.95 in his last three starts.
-- Jimenez is 0-2, 14.73 in his last three starts. Davis has a 5.12 RA in his first four starts this season.
-- Saunders is 0-2, 13.97 in his last two starts. Britton was 0-2, 12.27 in his last two starts LY; this is his first '13 start.
Totals
-- Six of last eight Washington games stayed under the total.
-- Eleven of last sixteen Met games went over the total.
-- Eleven of last fifteen Cub games stayed under the total.
-- Last five Pittsburgh games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven St Louis home games went over total.
-- 12 of last 14 Arizona games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven games at Dodger Stadium went over the total.
-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Houston games.
-- Ten of last thirteen Detroit games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Kansas City games went over the total.
-- 21 of last 25 Oakland games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Baltimore games went over the total.
Hot teams
-- Washington won three of its last four games.
-- San Diego won its last four games by total of five runs. Cubs won three of their last four games.
-- Pirates won 14 of their last 19 games. Brewers won 10 of their last 13.
-- Arizona won six of its last eight games.
-- Dodgers won five of their last seven games.
-- Bronx won 14 of its last 19 games.
-- Detroit won four of its last five games. Twins won seven of last ten.
-- Royals won six of their last nine games.
-- Orioles won eight of their last eleven games.
Cold teams
-- Atlanta lost seven of its last nine games.
-- Mets lost nine of their last twelve games. Miami lost ten of its first thirteen home games.
-- Reds lost three of their last four games. St Louis lost its last two games, outscored 14-3.
-- San Francisco lost its last six games on the road.
-- Colorado lost six of its last eight games.
-- Houston lost eleven of its last fourteen games.
-- Indians lost eight of their last twelve games.
-- Oakland lost eight of its last ten games. Angels lost five of last seven games foreign soil.
-- Mariners lost 12 of their last 19 games.
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Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-29-13 07:31 PM |
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