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Preview: Marlins (4-13) at Reds (9-8)
Game: 3
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: April 20, 2013 1:10 PM EDT
The manner in which the Miami Marlins won their latest contest might be what they need to begin a run in the right direction.
Looking to win back-to-back games for the first time this season, the visiting Marlins continue their series with the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.
Justin Ruggiano hit a tiebreaking solo homer off Cincinnati's Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning to help Miami (4-13) snap the Reds' four-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory Friday.
The Marlins have scored four runs in their last three games, but bounced back nicely against a Cincinnati team that totaled 11 runs in each of the previous two contests - including Thursday's series opener.
"We haven't scored a ton of runs,' Miami manager Mike Redmond said. "We're trying to be aggressive in situations when we can be aggressive.'
The hard-throwing Chapman had not allowed a run in his previous eight appearances. Five of the seven homers Chapman has allowed during his four seasons in the majors have come at Great American Ball Park.
"You get so used to him being perfect, but that happens a couple of times a year,' Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "It doesn't happen very often."
Ruggiano, who homered in his second straight game, has hit three of Miami's five home runs on the season. He's 7 for 22 with five RBIs in his last six contests and 8 for 20 in seven career games versus Cincinnati (9-8).
Shortstop Nick Green added three hits Friday for Miami, which hopes more competitive efforts are in the team's future.
"It all came together perfect (Friday),' Redmond said.
Scheduled Miami starter Wade LeBlanc (0-3, 6.75 ERA) has served up eight of the 12 runs he's allowed this season in the first inning. Washington scored four in the first Monday off LeBlanc, who yielded seven and nine hits in 3 2-3 innings of a 10-3 loss.
"I don't know. We're only three starts in, but something has got to change," LeBlanc told the Marlins' official website. "We've got to figure out how to get through that first inning unscathed, and give these guys a chance. That's priority No. 1 at this point."
The left-hander is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA against the Reds, but last faced them in 2011.
Cincinnati counters with Bronson Arroyo (2-1, 4.05), who allowed a two-run homer and four other hits in eight innings of a 4-2 win over Philadelphia on Monday. That helped the Reds end a five-game skid and rest a bullpen that had been taxed during the slide.
"(Baker) said that he needed me bad," Arroyo told the Reds' official website. "I assumed that meant go deep in the ballgame and have a 'W' next to our name at the end of the night."
The right-hander is 1-4 with a 4.22 ERA in 10 starts against the Marlins.
Cincinnati managed four of its five hits in six innings Friday off Miami starter Kevin Slowey. Joey Votto drove in the Reds' lone run, but is 1 for 12 with five strikeouts in the last four games.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-20-13 05:35 PM |
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Preview: Tigers (9-7) at Angels (5-10)
Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: April 20, 2013 3:05 PM EDT
The Los Angeles Angels are playing much better at home, and Albert Pujols is playing a key role.
The venue hasn't mattered when the nine-time All-Star faces the Detroit Tigers.
Pujols looks to continue pounding Tigers pitching in order to help the Angels win their fourth straight at home on Saturday.
Los Angeles (5-10) has been one of the early disappointments of the season, but it's trying to begin reversing its sluggish start on this six-game homestand.
The Angels began that stretch with an 8-1 victory over Detroit, winning a fourth straight at home versus the Tigers.
"I don't feel like anyone has panicked in this clubhouse," said Tommy Hanson, who tossed six scoreless innings Friday. "We know we're a good team, and we're going to play well. I feel like we just need to get rolling, and I don't think anybody is second-guessing our team in this clubhouse."
They're starting to string together some success at home, winning three in a row while scoring 17 runs after mustering 11 while dropping the first four.
Pujols is providing some pop with a .407 average at home compared to .214 on the road. He went 3 for 5 with two RBIs in the opener of this three-game series, giving him a career .458 average in 21 regular-season meetings with Detroit.
Mike Trout is 9 for 20 with four doubles, one homer and six RBIs over the past five games after getting a double and two RBIs on Friday.
The reigning AL Rookie of the Year is 4 for 15 with four RBIs in four home meetings versus Detroit, but two of those hits are doubles while the other two are homers.
Garrett Richards (0-0, 4.22 ERA) is scheduled to get another turn in the rotation with Jered Weaver on the disabled list.
Richards yielded four runs in 6 1-3 innings last Saturday before the Angels rallied with four in the last two frames to pull out a 5-4 win over Houston.
He's 1-1 with a 2.53 ERA in five games against the Tigers, winning his only start by allowing three hits in seven innings of a 13-0 away victory on July 17.
Torii Hunter, who leads Detroit with a .418 average, has put together a 12-game hitting streak after going 2 for 4 with a double Friday in his return to Anaheim. He's batting .453 over that stretch.
Rick Porcello (0-1, 5.11) is expected to return to the rotation after making his most recent appearance out of the bullpen. The right-hander capped Sunday's 10-1 victory at Oakland by tossing two perfect innings.
Porcello wasn't nearly that effective in his latest start April 10, when he surrendered four runs and eight hits in five innings of an 8-6 loss to Toronto.
He's 3-2 with a 5.80 ERA in seven career starts against the Angels, losing 6-5 in his only appearance in Los Angeles on April 20, 2010. He was tagged for six runs and eight hits in 4 1-3 innings.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-20-13 05:38 PM |
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Preview: Nationals (9-7) at Mets (8-7)
Game: 2
Venue: Citi Field
Date: April 20, 2013 3:05 PM EDT
Superb pitching has been vital to the New York Mets' early success at Citi Field.
They may need another strong performance on the mound if they're going to beat Gio Gonzalez and the Washington Nationals on Saturday.
New York (8-7) has won five of seven home games thanks in large part to a 2.14 ERA - 1.87 from the rotation. That's a dramatic difference from the Mets' 6.42 ERA in eight road games.
They got another strong performance in the opener of this series Friday, when Matt Harvey outpitched Stephen Strasburg in a 7-1 victory, ending their eight-game home slide to Washington (9-7). Harvey allowed one run and four hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings.
"He pitched great, but that's the mark of a true ace," manager Terry Collins said. "Games like that can spread to great seasons."
Gonzalez (1-1, 4.50 ERA) pitched plenty of great games last season for the Nationals in finishing third in the Cy Young Award voting, and he certainly had his way with the Mets in his final three starts. The left-hander won all three while posting a 0.96 ERA.
That includes limiting New York to a .116 average in two road outings.
Gonzalez will try to continue that dominance while rebounding from Sunday's 9-0 loss to Atlanta. He was tagged for seven runs and seven hits - two homers - with three walks in five innings after compiling an 0.82 ERA over his first two starts.
"Our job is to make sure we keep them as close as possible, and I didn't do that," Gonzalez said.
Jeremy Hefner (0-2, 7.20) hasn't come close to doing that, either.
The right-hander has surrendered seven runs and four homers in four innings over his last two games - one start. Rain and snow postponed two games and have kept him from starting since a 7-3 loss at Philadelphia on April 10.
Hefner, however, was impressive in his only home start so far, yielding one run in six innings of a 7-5 loss to Miami on April 5.
Hefner's recent troubles may only continue since he lost all three starts versus the Nationals as a rookie last year while compiling a 5.29 ERA. Bryce Harper went 3 for 9 with a double, a triple and a homer in their matchups.
The Mets have 12 homers at Citi Field after going deep four times Friday, and they've hit at least one in each of their first seven home games for the first time since 2002.
They haven't put together a longer season-opening string at home since homering at least once in the first 14 games of their inaugural season of 1962.
Ike Davis and Lucas Duda hit two each Friday, and all three of Davis' have come at home. The first baseman is hitting .173 while tying Marlon Byrd with a team-high 15 strikeouts, but at 4 for 10 he's one of the few Mets who has had some success against Gonzalez.
Duda, 1 for 2 against Gonzalez, is 7 for 17 with four solo homers and seven runs over the past six games.
New York last won back-to-back home meetings with the Nationals when it swept a two-game set from May 18-19, 2011.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-20-13 05:40 PM |
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Preview: Dodgers (7-8) at Orioles (8-7)
Game: 2
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: April 20, 2013 7:05 PM EDT
Highly touted rookie Hyun-Jin Ryu has provided some consistent efforts in his first three starts with the Los Angeles Dodgers. They could use another such performance Saturday when he faces the Baltimore Orioles in the opener of a split doubleheader at Camden Yards.
The scheduled series opener Friday was postponed by rain, forcing the teams to play a doubleheader in Los Angeles' only visit to Baltimore this season.
Ryu will try to earn a third consecutive win while helping the Dodgers avoid a fifth straight defeat.
The Dodgers paid $25.7 million just to negotiate a six-year, $36 million deal with Ryu, a star left-hander in Korea, and so far, it's been money well spent.
Ryu (2-1, 2.89 ERA) has pitched at least six innings and allowed three or fewer runs in each of his three starts. He recorded nine strikeouts and helped himself with three hits in his latest outing, a 7-5 victory at Arizona last Saturday.
``Puts guys on the same time,' manager Don Mattingly said of the rainout. "Gives Ryu an extra day, so he will be on regular rest.'
The Dodgers (7-8), though, haven't won since that contest, getting outscored 23-7 during a four-game skid. They had 10 hits in the series finale against San Diego on Wednesday but went 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position and lost 7-2.
Los Angeles is batting .171 in those situations this year.
"We have to move forward," said Mattingly, who played under Baltimore manger Buck Showalter during his career with the New York Yankees. "We're 7-8, and that's not good enough. But also it's not like we're throwing up the white flag yet. We talk about what's acceptable and what's not acceptable and how do we turn it around.
"We're not going to sit and feel sorry for ourselves."
The Dodgers have also traditionally had lackluster performances in interleague play, going 115-139, but they'll get to face a team that's fared even more poorly. Baltimore's 126-157 mark is the worst in the AL, and the Orioles (8-7) enter this series having alternated losses and wins in their last six games.
Baltimore, though, produced a resilient 10-6 victory in 10 innings over Tampa Bay on Thursday. The Orioles rallied from an early three-run hole and erased two other one-run deficits before blowing a one-run lead in the eighth.
Matt Wieters' grand slam gave Baltimore its 17th consecutive extra-inning win, the longest such streak since Pittsburgh's 21 straight from June 1959-July 1960.
Showalter said getting ready for the Dodgers and interleague play was quite a change after facing AL East foes Boston, the Yankees and Tampa Bay in succession.
``It's a real challenge for your time," he said. ``We were here until well after midnight (Thursday) and today spent the whole day trying to gather the information our players need to know. It was one of those days where you close your door from noon to 3 trying to get everything done.'
Jason Hammel (2-1, 4.34) will oppose Ryu, looking to lead the Orioles to back-to-back wins for the third time this season. The right-hander will also attempt to win consecutive starts for the first time since June.
Hammel gave up three runs over six innings of a 5-2 win over the Yankees on Saturday, but he's 2-4 with a 5.63 ERA in nine career starts against the Dodgers and 0-3 with a 10.66 ERA in the last three.
Josh Beckett (0-2, 3.26 ERA) is scheduled to start the nightcap for the Dodgers. The veteran right-hander is no stranger to the Orioles, having gone 7-7 with a 4.36 ERA in 20 starts against them.
He hasn't enjoyed any success in recent meetings, losing four straight outings while compiling a 6.75 ERA and giving up six home runs.
Beckett had by far his best performance of the season Sunday at Arizona, allowing one run and six hits over 8 1-3 innings of a 1-0 loss. He walked one and struck out nine in his longest start since a shutout for Boston on June 15, 2011, against Tampa Bay.
Wei-Yin Chen (0-2, 4.00) aims to end a long winless streak for Baltimore. The left-hander turned in his second consecutive quality start in a 3-0 loss at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, getting little or no offensive help from his teammates again.
Chen is 0-6 with a 4.37 ERA in 10 starts since his last win Aug. 19 against Detroit, receiving 15 runs of support in those games.
Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford are the only current Dodgers to face Chen, going a combined 4 for 12 in their matchups.
The Dodgers have won five straight over the Orioles, with the latest series taking place June 15-17, 2004.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-20-13 05:43 PM |
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Preview: Indians (5-10) at Astros (5-11)
Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: April 20, 2013 7:10 PM EDT
It's fitting that Scott Kazmir's return to the major leagues comes in his hometown of Houston.
The veteran left-hander takes the mound for the first time in a little more than two years when he tries to help the Cleveland Indians avoid a sixth straight loss Saturday night against the Astros.
Kazmir last pitched in the majors for the Los Angeles Angels on April 3, 2011. He was placed on the disabled list with lower back tightness shortly after and spent time rehabbing in the minors before the Angels released him in June of that year.
After Kazmir spent 2012 pitching near his home in suburban Houston for the Sugar Land Skeeters of the independent Atlantic League, Cleveland (5-10) signed him to a minor league contract in December. He went 1-0 with a 3.46 ERA in four spring training games to earn a spot in the Indians rotation.
"I had to prove more to myself than anything, being out for so long," he told the team's official website. "I was able to do that. It seemed like every day my game was starting to come together, starting to click."
Kazmir's return was delayed after he suffered an oblique injury prior to the season, but he's finally ready to take a major league mound - and for the first time in his hometown.
"You go out there the first time you want to show out, you want to do real (well)," Kazmir said. "At the same time, you don't want to overthrow. You want to stay within yourself and get your game. You have to slow back on that adrenaline."
He allowed three runs and two homers while striking out seven in 5 2-3 innings of a 3-2 loss to Houston with Tampa Bay in 2008.
Kazmir hopes to help the Indians get back on track after they were outscored 25-11 during a five-game skid. Lonnie Chisenhall hit a two-run homer but Cleveland stranded nine and went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position in a 3-2 loss Friday.
"We did have opportunities,' manager Terry Francona said. "I think what happens sometimes is, guys try too hard. We had a couple of chances, and we rolled over."
Asdrubal Cabrera went 1 for 3, but struck out in a seventh consecutive contest. The star shortstop is batting .138 (8 for 58) with 18 strikeouts.
He's 4 for 10 with a double against Philip Humber (0-3, 2.89), who hopes to finally get some decent offensive support.
The right-hander has seen the Astros score one run in his three starts. He gave up two runs in seven innings of a 4-1 loss to the Angels on Sunday.
"As a pitcher, you can't really control wins and losses," Humber said. "You just go out there and try to give the team a chance to win when it's our turn. There are times when I go out there and don't deserve to win and my teammates have picked me up.
"That's happened a lot in the past, so you just keep going."
Humber is 0-2 with an 8.31 ERA in five starts versus Cleveland.
J.D. Martinez and Rick Ankiel homered Friday as the Astros (5-11) snapped a five-game slide. Martinez, however, is day to day after spraining his right knee in the fourth inning.
Four of Ankiel's six hits in 31 at_bats are home runs.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-20-13 05:50 PM |
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Preview: Athletics (12-5) at Rays (6-10)
Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: April 20, 2013 7:10 PM EDT
Evan Longoria's power surge has helped the Tampa Bay Rays get off to a good start to their homestand.
The star third baseman looks to continue his home run binge when the Rays try for a second straight victory over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday night.
Longoria hit a two-run homer Friday as Tampa Bay (6-10) scored four times in the first inning of an 8-3 win over Oakland.
The A's (12-5) had a six-game road winning streak to start the season snapped as the Rays pounded out 10 hits and matched a season high for runs. Tampa Bay opened a six-game home stretch against Oakland and the New York Yankees that followed a 2-7 road trip.
Tampa Bay averaged 3.0 runs in its first 13 games, but 6.7 while winning two of the last three.
"It's still not there," manager Joe Maddon said. "We still need to improve in certain areas, but it's wins like this that can get you going in the right direction. It's all about confidence.'
Longoria has six hits in 25 at_bats, but four have been homers in the last five games. He has reached base in all 16 contests, with only two players in franchise history recording longer such streaks to begin a season - Rocco Baldelli with 24 in 2003 and Jorge Cantu with 20 in 2005.
"I think Longo is definitely getting toasty,' Maddon said
The Rays hand the ball to Jeremy Hellickson (0-1, 4.91 ERA), who gave up two runs and three hits in seven innings while striking out nine in a 3-2 loss at Boston on Monday. He didn't get a decision.
The right-hander is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in four starts versus Oakland, which scored twice in the first inning Friday but did little else against four Rays pitchers.
With 11 hits in the series opener, the A's have posted double-digit hit totals in each road contest, though they scored fewer than six runs in a game away from home for the first time in 2013.
Shortstop Jed Lowrie went 4 for 4 to raise his average to .413.
"He's been as about as consistent as you can be,' Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. "Up over .400 now at this time of year is pretty good.'
Coco Crisp homered and extended his hitting streak to 12 games, during which he's batting .392 with five home runs and nine RBIs. He's 3 for 9 with a double against Hellickson.
The A's hope Jarrod Parker (0-2, 10.80) can regroup after lasting 3 1-3 innings in each of his last two outings. He gave up eight runs and nine hits in a 10-1 loss to Detroit on Sunday.
"I made a couple of good pitches, and they hit them," said Parker, who has walked eight and struck out four in three starts. "And I made a couple of bad pitches and they hit them. I'm just a tick away. I feel fine.'
The right-hander went 0-1 in two starts against the Rays in 2012, allowing three runs in six innings in both.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-20-13 05:52 PM |
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Preview: Mariners (7-11) at Rangers (10-6)
Game: 2
Venue: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Date: April 20, 2013 8:05 PM EDT
The offenses of the Rangers and Mariners appear to be trending in opposite directions, with Texas' lineup breaking out in a series-opening victory while Seattle's continued to scuffle.
Both will turn to rookie hurlers - facing each other for the second time this season - as this three-game set continues Saturday night in Arlington.
The Rangers (10-6) led the majors with 808 runs last year but were expected to see their offense take a hit after losing key players in the offseason. However, most likely didn't expect them to dip as drastically as the 3.7 runs per game they've averaged heading into Friday's contest.
But Texas busted out for a 7-0 victory, matching a season high for runs, and its six runs in the fifth were twice as many as the team had scored in a single inning this year.
Three batters broke out of ugly individual slumps. David Murphy had been 4 for his last 31, A.J. Pierzynski was 4 for 25 and Craig Gentry halted a 2-for-16 skid.
"We know what we're capable of as an offense. You can't do that every night," said Ian Kinsler, who leads Texas with five home runs and 11 RBIs. "I think we all want to get it going earlier."
Meanwhile, the Mariners (7-11) remain mired in inconsistency and haven't strung together two victories since starting 2-0. A big problem has been the lack of run production, with Seattle averaging 2.1 runs over its last nine games while going 3-6.
The Mariners have struck out 44 times in their last three, including 10 times against Texas' Yu Darvish on Friday. The others were against Detroit's Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, meaning they've faced three of baseball's top strikeout artists in order. But manager Eric Wedge wasn't necessarily buying that excuse.
"We have faced good pitchers. But we're a lot better than that," Wedge said. "The one thing is hitting with two strikes. We gotta do a better job. There's certain things we need to do prior to that to create damage. We're capable and we should do a better job."
Looking to follow Darvish's masterful outing - it was the first time Seattle has been shut out - will be right-hander Nick Tepesch, who is 1-1 with a 3.46 ERA through the first two starts of his career. The loss came in a 4-3 defeat at Seattle last Sunday as he surrendered four runs on nine hits over 5 2-3 innings.
"The bottom line is he kept us in the game and gave us a chance," manager Ron Washington told the team's official website. "We just didn't get the hit that would have made a difference."
Seattle starter Brandon Maurer picked up his first career victory in that game, holding the Rangers to three runs on five hits over six innings.
Maurer, who is 1-2 with a 9.95 ERA after he was shelled in his first two starts, said he believes the experience against the same club should help Saturday.
"I'll just go out there and do the same thing," the 22-year-old told the Mariners' official website. "I don't have to tweak anything. Just go out there and make pitches."
Mariners center fielder Franklin Gutierrez was held out of the starting lineup for the second straight game and for the fifth time in seven days Friday as he continues to deal with groin tightness. Wedge said the team would continue to monitor his status.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-20-13 05:53 PM |
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Preview: Diamondbacks (9-7) at Rockies (12-4)
Game: 2
Venue: Coors Field
Date: April 20, 2013 8:10 PM EDT
Jorge De La Rosa missed well over a year after suffering a significant injury against the Arizona Diamondbacks two seasons ago.
The left-hander, though, appears to be back to his old self if his latest outing is any indication.
De La Rosa looks to build on an impressive performance as the surging Rockies go for an eighth consecutive win Saturday night in the second of three against the visiting Diamondbacks.
After recording a 6.10 ERA in his first two starts, De La Rosa (1-1, 3.86 ERA) allowed two hits and struck out seven over six scoreless innings Sunday in a 2-1 victory at San Diego. De La Rosa earned his first win since May 13, 2011 - 11 days before he tore the collateral ligament in his throwing arm versus Arizona.
"That's nothing new to us," Padres manager Bud Black told MLB's official website. "We've seen Jorge throw that way before, prior to his Tommy John surgery."
A 16-game winner in 2009, De La Rosa could have a big impact this season as long as his arm holds up.
"It was real special,' he said of Sunday's win. "It was a very hard time last year and the year before. I have to keep focus in every game I pitch and try to be the same guy as I was before."
Despite that forgettable day nearly two years ago, De La Rosa is surely looking forward to facing the Diamondbacks. He's gone 6-2 with a 2.28 ERA over his last 10 starts in the series while striking out 57 in 59 1-3 innings. De La Rosa has limited Gerardo Parra to two hits in 12 at_bats in their matchups and Martin Prado is 0 for 5.
De La Rosa will look to follow Jhoulys Chacin's strong effort in Friday's 3-1 series-opening win. Chacin pitched effectively into the seventh inning before leaving with left oblique tightness. He became the first Rockies starter to throw 100 pitches since June 12, a stretch of 117 games - the longest such streak since records started being kept in 1988.
"We hope it's nothing serious," third baseman Chris Nelson said. "But when you see your pitcher walk off the mound like that, it's a rough one for the whole team."
Despite going 0 for 2 with runners in scoring position, Colorado (12-4) is batting .359 in such situations during its run. The Rockies haven't posted eight consecutive victories since a 10-game winning streak Sept. 3-12, 2010.
Colorado is also a franchise-best 7-0 at home, where it's outscored opponents 51-22.
Arizona (9-7), meanwhile, has hit just .221 while opening 1-3 on its nine-game road trip. Prado, Paul Goldschmidt, Miguel Montero and Cody Ross - the team's 2-3-4-5 hitters Friday, went a combined 0 for 16. Goldschmidt had reached base in all 15 games before coming up empty.
The Diamondbacks try to get back on track behind Trevor Cahill (0-2, 3.50), who threw 7 1-3 innings of six-hit ball Sunday in a 1-0 walkoff win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"Cahill was outstanding - he's tough, he pounds the strike zone, as tough as anybody we face," Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis said. "He has movement on the ball and deception."
Cahill, in contrast, hasn't been very sharp over five career starts against the Rockies, going 1-3 with a 5.65 ERA. Dexter Fowler is 4 for 5 with two triples against him, but Michael Cuddyer is 1 for 14.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-20-13 05:55 PM |
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Preview: Padres (5-11) at Giants (10-7)
Game: 2
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: April 20, 2013 9:05 PM EDT
It appears all the San Francisco Giants needed to get back on track was a visit from the San Diego Padres.
Looking to build on a thrilling walkoff win, the Giants try to continue their recent success against the Padres as these NL West rivals play the second of three Saturday night.
After suffering a three-game sweep at Milwaukee, San Francisco (10-7) returned home to beat San Diego 3-2 in Friday's series opener. Angel Pagan came through with a game-ending double with one out in the ninth inning, sending the Giants to their fourth consecutive home win.
"It's one of those situations you want to be the guy," Pagan said. "I wanted to be in that situation. I wanted to get the hit. We needed that win after getting swept in Milwaukee."
San Francisco improved to 24-9 over the last 33 matchups in the series, including a 13-4 mark at home while posting a 2.35 ERA.
The Giants now turn to Tim Lincecum (1-0, 5.63 ERA), who after allowing six runs in as many innings against Colorado on April 9, gave up a pair of two-run homers in the first Sunday in a 10-7 road win over the Chicago Cubs. The right-hander went on to throw four scoreless frames before being removed.
"It just comes down to focus, executing your pitches when you need to. I could have ended that inning with two runs maybe. I guess I just didn't focus the way I should have," he said.
"I didn't have a good rhythm. Everything seemed a little off, especially with the offspeed pitch. After that I kind of settled down and everything started working again."
While opponents are hitting just .217 against Lincecum, he's walked 12 in 16 innings.
Lincecum had gone 10-4 with a 1.84 ERA over his first 19 starts against the Padres (5-11) before getting hit hard in each of the last three. He's 0-1 with a 7.02 ERA over that stretch despite striking out 20 in 16 2-3 innings.
Yonder Alonso is 1 for 12 with five strikeouts against Lincecum. Chase Headley, though, is 7 for 20 with two home runs since the start of 2010.
Headley, who made his season debut Wednesday after missing the first 14 games due to a broken left thumb, went 1 for 3 with a homer and two RBIs on Friday. Alonso, Jedd Gyorko, Kyle Blanks and Nick Hundley - the team's 5-6-7-8 hitters - however, were a combined 0 for 13.
San Diego gives the ball to Clayton Richard (0-1, 5.28), who's compiled a 1.64 ERA over his last two starts. The left-hander gave up two hits and overcome four walks to throw six scoreless innings in Sunday's 2-1 loss to Colorado.
"You'd like to see a solid pitching effort supported by enough runs to get by, but our offense couldn't get going," manager Bud Black told MLB's official website.
Richard is 6-4 with a 3.29 ERA in his last 11 outings versus San Francisco. He had dropped three consecutive starts in the series before surrendering one unearned run and five hits over eight innings of a 7-1 victory Aug. 19.
Richard has struggled against Buster Posey, who's 6 for 17 with a homer in their matchups. While the reigning NL MVP went 1 for 2 with an RBI on Friday, he's batting .150 over his last seven games.
"It's a matter of keep on grinding and keep working," he said.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-20-13 05:57 PM |
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CNOTES
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Armadillo: Saturday's six-pack
-- Chicago gets an average of 3.38 inches of rain a month; they had 4.69 in one day this week. That not good.
-- PGA golfers get drug tested? Seriously? I had no idea.
-- Speaking of golf, there are just under 1,500 golf courses, just in Florida alone. Thats a lot of grass seed and fertilizer.
-- Big Dozen becomes the Big 14 in 2014; they'll have two divisions with seven teams in each. Can't wait for those Indiana-Rutgers rivalry games.
-- Of the three rainouts Friday night, only the Dodgers-Orioles will play a doubleheader Saturday. No word on rescheduling the other two games.
-- If I want that bomber kid in Boston tortured on national TV every week for a year, then executed, does it make me a bad person? I hope not.
*****
Armadillo: Saturday's List of 13: Random thoughts on a spring Saturday.....
13) Thanks to Ken Thomson and Sportsxradio for having me on as a guest Friday night; you can check the archive here. If you're interested in being a better bettor, this show is a great place to get the education to improve your handicapping. I know it helps me.
12) So while I'm on the air, I'm watching Colorado-Arizona, and Jhoulys Chacin is throwing a shutout for the Rockies and my fantasy team; then he pulls an oblique, and I have to bite my damn tongue so I don't curse into the phone. Baseball players get hurt an awful lot.
11) Stumbled across this fact today and it hit me; this is how great Lebron James is: four years ago, the Cavaliers were 66-16. Now? Not so much. In last three years, thats three years, they're 64-166.
10) When you see a game with no walks, 19 strikeouts, you know the umpire helps the pitchers. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Doug Eddings. Under is 13-8 in his last 21 games behind the plate.
9) Dwight Howard is a free agent this summer; there is no way on God's green earth I would pay him max money to be the best player on my team. My best player has to make his teammates better, has to be coachable, and in a perfect world, would make at least half his free throws.
8) I'm a little behind with my movie watching, because all I watch are games and CSI reruns, but saw The Bucket List while I was writing tonight, and it is a very good movie. Well worth two hours of your time. OK, so its a six-year old movie, I told you I was behind on my movie watching.
7) Cleveland Browns have been around for 14 years since NFL gave them an expansion team; they're been 1-0 once. Once. 2004. I'm thinking they can beat the Dolphins this year and make it twice, but we'll see how they draft next week. New OC Norv Turner will improve their quarterback play.
6) Cam Cameron is the offensive coordinator at LSU? NFL guys are way ahead of college coaches, right? Zach Mettenberger for the Heisman?
5) Duke promoted Nate James to replace Chris Collins as assistant coach of the basketball team; all of Coach K's assistant coaches are former Duke players, except for his Director of Ops, who is his freakin' son-in-law. Is this a good idea? Who would ever say no to him if it was necessary?
Before you tell me it would never be necessary, I'll point you to State College and Penn State-- Joe Paterno needed a strong voice to point him in the right direction and he didn't have one when he needed one most.
4) Good grief, ESPNU has run out of decent programming; they're actually showing Duke's spring football game. Would be better TV if they showed the Manning brothers working out at Duke with Wes Welker this spring.
3) At risk of being Captain Obvious, policemen/firemen are extremely courageous humans. Imagine being the guys who found the bomber hiding in that boat in Boston? Quite a story they have to tell.....
2) Speaking of that boat, if the people who own it wanted to sell it to a collector, how much you think they could get for it? Its a piece of American history, for sure-- I'm thinking they could get a small fortune for it.
1) The poor people who lost relatives/friends this week, both in Boston and west Texas, how do you come to grips with all this? Why does it happen? Who does stuff like this? I mean, an 8-year old died, for the love of Pete.
Its been a wild week, and I hope I never see another one like it.
Reply With Quote
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-20-13 05:58 PM |
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CNOTES
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MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Saturday, April 20
Hot pitchers
-- Arroyo is 3-1, 3.00 in his last four starts.
-- Lee is 2-0, 1.90 in three starts this season. Lynn is 2-0, 4.09 in his last two starts.
-- Maholm is 3-0, 0.00 (20.1 IP) in three starts this year.
-- Cahill is 0-1, 2.92 in his last couple starts. de la Rosa is 0-1, 2.25 in his last two starts.
-- Richard is 0-0, 1.64 in his last couple starts.
-- Ryu is 2-0, 2.92 in his last couple starts. Beckett is 0-1, 2.70 in his last two starts. Hammel is 2-1, 4.34 in three starts this year.
-- Kuroda is 2-0, 1.88 in his last two starts.
-- Buchholz is 3-0, 0.41 in three starts (one run/22 IP).
-- Peavy is 2-1, 4.42 in three starts this year.
-- Humber has a 2.89 RA in three starts, but Astros lost all three games- they scored one run in the three games.
Cold pitchers
-- LeBlanc is 0-3, 7.36 so far this season.
-- GGonzalez is 0-1, 7.20 in his last two starts. Hefner is 0-2, 6.00 in two starts this season.
-- McDonald is 1-2, 8.56 in three starts this season.
-- Burgos is making MLB debut; he is 0-2, 2.70 in three minor league starts so far this year. Jackson is 0-2, 9.53 in three starts this season.
-- Lincecum has a 6.75 RA in three starts, but Giants won all three games, scoring 24 runs.
-- WChen is 0-2, 4.00 in three starts this season.
-- Buehrle has a 7.88 RA in three starts, but Toronto scored 30 runs and won all three games.
-- Shields is 1-2, 3.43 in three starts this season.
-- Worley is 0-2, 12.75 in his first three AL starts. Richards is 0-1, 6.88 in his last three starts.
-- Porcello is 0-1, 6.10 in two starts this season.
-- Parker is 0-2, 10.80 in three starts this season. Hellickson is 0-1, 4.91 in his three starts this season.
-- Kazmir is 1-5, 5.96 in his last ten starts, last of which was 4/3/11; this is his first MLB start in two years.
-- Maurer is 1-2, 10.66 in three starts this season. Tepesch is 1-1, 3.65 in two starts this season.
Totals
-- Six of last nine Pittsburgh games went over the total.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Philly games.
-- Six of last nine Arroyo starts stayed under the total.
-- Eight of last eleven Washington games went over total.
-- Four of last six Cub games stayed under the total.
-- Last five Arizona games stayed under the total.
-- Five of last seven San Diego games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Dodger games went over the total.
-- Six of last seven Bronx games stayed under the total.
-- Last three Boston games went over the total.
-- 14 of last 16 Oakland games went over the total.
-- Under is 8-0-1 in last nine Texas games.
-- Seven of last ten Cleveland games went over the total.
-- Last five White Sox games stayed under the total.
-- Nine of last eleven Angel games went over the total.
Hot teams
-- Braves won 13 of their first 16 games. Pirates won seven of last ten.
-- Cardinals won six of their last nine games.
-- Reds won four of their last five games.
-- Brewers won last five games, scoring 30 runs.
-- Colorado won its last seven games, scoring 49 runs.
-- Padres won three of their last four games.
-- Bronx won eight of its last ten games.
-- Red Sox won their last six games, allowing 11 runs. Kansas City won six of its last nine games (2-3 in last five).
-- Oakland won 12 of its last 15 games (6-0 vs Astros).
-- Rangers won four of their last five home games.
-- Twins won last two games, scoring eight runs in both, after losing previous five games.
-- Detroit won four of its last six games.
Cold teams
-- Phillies lost four of their last five games.
-- Marlins lost 13 of their first 17 games.
-- Nationals lost five of their last seven games. Mets lost three of their last four games.
-- Cubs lost eight of their last eleven games.
-- Arizona is 4-6 in its last ten games.
-- Giants lost three of their last four games.
-- Baltimore is 2-5 this season in game following a win. Dodgers lost last four games, outscored 23-7.
-- Blue Jays lost three of their last four games.
-- Mariners lost seven of their last ten games.
-- Rays lost five of their last seven games.
-- Astros lost five of their last six games. Cleveland lost its last five games, allowing 25 runs.
-- White Sox lost seven of their last ten games.
-- Angels lost seven of their last ten games.
Umpires
-- Mia-Cin-- Under is 13-2-1 in last sixteen O'Nora games.
-- Wsh-NY-- Favorites won ten of last twelve Davis games.
-- StL-Phil-- Seven of last nine Layne games went over total.
-- Atl-Pitt-- Underdogs won six of last eleven Conroy games.
-- Chi-Mil-- Favorites won six of last eight Hallion games.
-- Az-Col-- Underdogs won six of last eight Fairchild games.
-- SD-SF-- Three of first four Hirschbeck games this year went over total, but he has traditionally been a pitcher's up.
-- NY-Tor-- Over is 8-4-1 in last thirteen Diaz games.
-- Det-LA-- Over is 21-5-2 in last 28 Emmel games.
-- A's-TB-- 19 of last 26 Joyce games went over the total.
-- Cle-Hst-- Home side won five of the last six Dimuro games.
-- Sea-Tex-- Over is 7-4 in last eleven Cooper games.
Reply With Quote
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-20-13 06:03 PM |
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CNOTES
FoxDen Hall of Famer
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Posts: 10543
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MLB
Saturday, April 20
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Saturday's streaking and slumping MLB starting pitchers
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Streaking
Paul Maholm, Atlanta Braves (3-0, 0.00 ERA)
Maholm hasn’t allowed a run through three starts and has racked up 20 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings. The Braves have been providing plenty of run support for the southpaw, outscoring the opposition 20-2 in his starts to date.
Ervin Santana, Kansas City Royals (1-1, 2.45 ERA)
The hard-throwing righty has gone eight innings in each of his last two starts, while only being touched up for two earned runs in the process. The Royals have played under the total in each of this three outings.
Slumping
Mark Buehrle, Toronto Blue Jays (1-0, 7.31 ERA)
The soft-tossing lefty earned his first win as a Blue Jay last time out but surrendered two earned runs on nine hits. The veteran southpaw carries a hefty 7.31 ERA and 1.75 WHIP into his next start against the Yankees.
Jarrod Parker, Oakland Athletics (0-2, 10.80)
Parker was lit up for eight earned runs in 3 1/3 innings last time out against the Tigers. The right-hander hasn't survived more than five innings in each of his three starts and has been touched up for 19 hits in just 11 2/3 innings pitched.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-20-13 06:06 PM |
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CNOTES
FoxDen Hall of Famer
Registered: Feb 2006
Posts: 10543
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MLB
Saturday, April 20
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MLB weather watch: Favorable conditions across the bigs
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Here's a look at Saturday’s notable weather in the big leagues:
Miami Marlins at Cincinnati Red (+210, -230, 8.5)
Site: Great American Ball Park
Forecasts are calling for temperatures in the high-40s and partly cloudy skies. Winds will blow out towards left field at 14 mph.
Washington Nationals at New York Mets (-155, +143, 7.5)
Site: Citi Field
Forecasts are calling for temperatures in the high-50s and cloudy conditions. Winds will blow out right field at 17 mph. The Mets were 6-1 when the wind blew out to right in 2012.
San Diego Padres at San Francisco Giants (+165, -180, 7.5)
Site: AT&T Park
Winds will blow out to right field at 11 mph. Skies will be sunny and clear with temperatures in the low-60s.
Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox (n/a, n/a, n/a)
Site: Fenway Park
Forecasts are calling for temperatures in the mid-50s and cloudy conditions. Winds will blow out towards Pesky’s Pole at 16 mph. Teams combined for an average of 2.7 home runs per game in 15 contests when the wind blew out to right at Fenway in 2012.
Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers (+170, -185, 9.5)
Site: Rangers Ballpark
Forecasts are calling for sunny skies with temperatures in the mid-60s. Winds will blow in from right field at 12 mph.
Los Angeles Dodgers at Baltimore Orioles (+112, -121, n/a)
Site: Camden Yards
Winds will blow from left field to right field at 11 mph. Skies will be sunny and clear with temperatures in the high-50s.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-20-13 06:07 PM |
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CNOTES
FoxDen Hall of Famer
Registered: Feb 2006
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MLB
Short Sheet
Saturday, April 20
Early Games
National League
Miami at Cincinnati, 1:10 ET
LeBlanc: Miami 4-17 SU off a combined score of 3 runs or less
Arroyo: Cincinnati 20-5 SU revenging a loss as a home favorite
Washington at NY Mets, 3:05 ET FOX
Gonzalez: 15-4 TSR in road games
Hefner: Mets 23-41 SU vs. left-handed starters
American League
NY Yankees at Toronto, 1:05 ET
Kuroda: 2-9 TSR on Saturdays
Buehrle: 45-18 TSR on Saturdays
Kansas City at Boston, 1:10 ET MLB
Shields: 2-8 TSR on Saturdays
Buchholz: 14-3 TSR as a favorite
Minnesota at Chicago White Sox, 3:05 ET FOX
Worley: Minnesota 4-0 Over off BB home games
Peavy: 11-5 TSR in day games
Detroit at LA Angels, 3:05 ET FOX
Porcello: 20-6 Over vs. AL West opponents
Richards: Angels 0-6 SU as a favorite of -150 or less
InterLeague
LA Dodgers at Baltimore, 7:05 ET Game Two
Beckett: 4-12 TSR in road games
Chen: 17-9 TSR with a total of 7 to 8.5 runs
Write-In Game
LA Dodgers at Baltimore, 1:05 ET Game One | MLB
Ryu: Dodgers 7-16 SU off BB games scoring 2 runs or less
Hammel: 13-5 TSR in the first half of the season
Reply With Quote
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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04-20-13 07:02 PM |
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