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Preview: Diamondbacks (15-13) at Padres (11-17)
Game: 2
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: May 04, 2013 8:40 PM EDT
Chase Headley says talks regarding a potential contract extension with the San Diego Padres were becoming a distraction, so he's decided to wait until the offseason to focus on the negotiations.
He hasn't seemed too distracted at the plate, though.
San Diego seeks a sixth consecutive home victory Saturday night as it faces the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have lost four straight.
Headley had one of the best seasons in Padres history in 2012, hitting 31 homers with an NL-best 115 RBIs while also winning a Gold Glove at third base. The sides couldn't work out a long-term deal in the offseason, though, and Headley signed a one-year, $8.575 million contract.
Discussions have continued, but Headley has seemed to grow tired of those talks taking his focus off the field, not because he's frustrated with the negotiations.
"The reasoning for my wanting to do this in the offseason is because I know me better than anybody else," Headley said. "For me to go out and play the best that I can, I need to be completely focused on the field. That's the sole and only purpose behind it."
He hasn't seemed too bothered while batting .364 during his current hitting streak, which reached eight with an RBI double in the eighth inning of Friday's 7-6 win over Arizona. Headley drove in a run for the fourth straight game after having four RBIs through his first 11.
The switch hitter has four homers and 16 RBIs in his last 12 games versus the Diamondbacks.
San Diego (12-17), which hasn't won six straight at home since Aug. 1-25, 2010, has won seven of nine overall. The Padres have averaged 6.1 runs in the last seven with 31 extra-base hits, including six Friday as part of a 14-hit attack.
"I've sensed us starting to swing the bats better the last couple weeks," manager Bud Black said. "It showed again with double-digit hits, some good at_bats, some hard contact along the way."
The Padres will seek to win for the 11th time in 13 meetings with the Diamondbacks (15-14), who have lost each of Clayton Richard's last six starts against them.
He's 5-0 with a 2.85 ERA in that span, but Richard (0-3, 7.94 ERA) enters his start Saturday in a funk. The left-hander allowed five runs in 5 2-3 innings of a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Monday, six days after giving up six runs in 1 2-3 innings of a 6-3 loss to Milwaukee.
"I wish I could have put us in a better position to win a baseball game. That's all that really matters," Richard said.
He's looking to avoid going winless in a career-high eight straight starts dating back to last season, having allowed at least five runs in five of his last seven.
Arizona scheduled starter Patrick Corbin (3-0, 1.91) is off to a significantly better start, allowing seven runs in 33 innings over five outings. He hasn't walked a batter in either of his last two, including giving up two runs in 6 2-3 innings of Sunday's 4-2 win over Colorado.
"He just competes," manager Kirk Gibson told the team's official website. "He understands the tools he possesses and he has utilized them."
The left-hander faced San Diego three times as a rookie last season, losing both starts and posting a 5.27 ERA as the Padres hit .358 against him. Chris Denorfia went 3 for 6 with a pair of solo homers off Corbin.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-04-13 02:04 PM |
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Preview: Dodgers (13-14) at Giants (16-12)
Game: 2
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: May 04, 2013 9:05 PM EDT
As the reigning NL MVP on a World Series champion, Buster Posey is loved by San Francisco Giants fans.
His play at home against the archrival Los Angeles Dodgers only reinforces those feelings.
Coming off a clutch performance, Posey looks to continue his success against the Dodgers at AT&T Park on Saturday night and lead the Giants to their longest winning streak of the season.
Posey enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2012, batting a league-best .336 with 24 homers and 103 RBIs - all career highs.
So far, he's struggling to replicate those impressive numbers, hitting .281 with four homers and 17 RBIs. However, facing the Dodgers at home may be triggering a change.
Posey has a .333 average in 22 home meetings with Los Angeles - .408 over the past 14.
The All-Star catcher came up big in the opener of this three-game series Friday, connecting for a walkoff homer to clinch a 2-1 win. He also knocked in San Francisco's other run on a sixth-inning double, as the Giants (17-12) matched their season-high four-game winning streak.
"He's the guy you want up there. He ran a deep count there," manager Bruce Bochy said of Posey's homer. "It doesn't come at a better time than when he hit it. That's another great comeback for us."
Scheduled starter Ryan Vogelsong (1-2, 6.23) will try to rebound from his shortest - and perhaps worst - start of the season. It was also the most recent defeat for the Giants, 6-4 at San Diego on Sunday.
Vogelsong was battered for six runs and eight hits, including a career high-tying three homers, with three walks in five innings. He's surrendered seven homers over his last four starts.
"I'm just off, man. I can't get anything really going," Vogelsong told the team's official website. "I don't feel like I'm as far off as I was last year."
Last year, the right-hander went 0-2 with a 3.42 ERA over his first four starts before going 6-0 and compiling a 1.76 ERA over his next eight.
Coincidentally, that run started with a 2-1 win over the Dodgers (13-15) on May 8, when he yielded one run in 7 1-3 innings.
Vogelsong is 4-2 with a 1.80 ERA over his last seven starts versus Los Angeles.
Injuries continue to mount for the Dodgers, who lost Hanley Ramirez to a left hamstring injury Friday. The shortstop returned Monday from a torn ligament in his right thumb, which kept him out of the lineup for the first 25 games.
"It sounds like he got it pretty good," manager Don Mattingly said. "It's usually a pretty good amount of time. It's not like he's going to be back in a couple days."
Adrian Gonzalez's status is unclear after he was a late scratch for the series opener due to neck pain, stemming from a collision with an umpire earlier this week.
The injury issues have given Matt Magill an opportunity to showcase himself, and this time it's for Ted Lilly - placed on the DL Friday with a strain in his right rib cage.
Magill made his major league debut last Saturday because Stephen Fife went on the DL with bursitis in his right shoulder. The right-hander impressed, yielding two runs and four hits with seven strikeouts in 6 2-3 innings while not getting a decision in a 6-4 loss to Milwaukee.
"He's a guy that just seems to be under control," Mattingly told the team's official website. "He's a guy that you can just see his precision really in his work. He's been a guy that has to locate. He's kind of constantly getting better."
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-04-13 02:06 PM |
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Preview: Orioles (17-12) at Angels (10-18)
Game: 3
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: May 04, 2013 4:05 PM EDT
Freddy Garcia is back in the majors with his sixth team in 15 seasons.
The 36-year-old right-hander makes his Baltimore debut Saturday when the Orioles continue their four-game road set against the Los Angeles Angels, likely without slugger Chris Davis.
Garcia went 7-6 with a 5.20 ERA over 30 appearances and 17 starts for the New York Yankees in 2012, then signed a minor league deal with San Diego in January. He was released by the Padres on March 24, but Baltimore signed him to the same deal five days later.
After going 4-0 with a 2.67 ERA in five starts at Triple-A Norfolk, and posting a 1.69 ERA in the last two, Garcia appears ready to return to a major league mound.
"This is not a guy that was a failed starter in the big leagues," manager Buck Showalter told the Orioles' official website. "I'll tell you another thing: Everybody early in the season carries better stuff than they do later on. So, he's pretty fresh right now."
Garcia probably couldn't pick a better team to face in his return than Los Angeles (11-18). His 17-3 record and 2.63 ERA in 29 starts - including one in the postseason - against the Angels are both career bests versus any opponent with at least 10 starts made.
"Hopefully I pitch the way I know I can pitch and I can help the team win games and throw innings," Garcia said.
Davis, meanwhile, likely won't be able to help Baltimore (17-13) bounce back from Friday's 4-0 loss after he injured his right knee running out a ground ball. Davis is 1 for 8 with four strikeouts through the first three games of May after he earned AL player of the month honors for April by hitting .348 with nine homers and 28 RBIs in 27 contests.
"My knee kind of buckled," said Davis, who will undergo an MRI on Saturday. "Felt a tingling in my foot, thought I could walk it off. Went down the stairs, tried to go down the stairs, couldn't go down the stairs.
"We'll see how it goes. Everything was intact. ... Hopefully, it will just be a couple days."
Though the Orioles are 5-4 on this 11-game trip, they were held to a season-low three hits off Jason Vargas after collecting 10 in Thursday's 5-1 series-opening victory. Third baseman Manny Machado's 11-game hitting streak ended when he went 0 for 4 on Friday.
Despite yielding 11 walks in two starts versus Baltimore, scheduled Angels starter Tommy Hanson (2-1, 3.91 ERA) is 1-0 with a 1.64 ERA against the Orioles.
The right-hander has allowed two runs in 12 innings while going 1-0 in his last two overall.
In his first start since April 19 after spending time on the bereavement list following the death of his stepbrother, Hanson gave up those two runs and struck out six in six innings but the bullpen could not hold the 6-2 lead he left with in Monday's 10-8, 19-inning loss at Oakland.
Mark Trumbo and Mike Trout each homered Friday for the Angels, who have won two of three following a four-game skid.
Four of Trumbo's six hits in the last 22 at_bats have been home runs.
"I guess at times I can be kind of streaky,' said Trumbo, who is 0 for 7 with three strikeouts versus Garcia.
Trout is 6 for 15 (.400) with two homers and eight RBIs in four games, and 3 for 5 with a double against Garcia.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-04-13 02:07 PM |
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Preview: Tigers (16-11) at Astros (8-21)
Game: 3
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: May 04, 2013 7:10 PM EDT
A four-game series against the team with the worst record in the AL has done very little to slow down the Detroit Tigers.
Facing Lucas Harrell, however, just might.
The Tigers look to make it three straight against the Houston Astros on Saturday night and prevent Harrell from winning a fourth consecutive start.
Detroit (17-11) has won seven of eight, hitting .294 with 12 homers and averaging 6.0 runs while the pitchers have a 2.57 ERA.
That stretch includes a 7-3, 14-inning win over Houston (8-22) on Thursday before Alex Avila's two-run homer in the ninth provided the difference in a 4-3 victory a day later.
Avila has homered on each of his last two hits in 10 at_bats over the past three games. He's 3 for 22 over his last seven and hitting .179 on the season.
"Hopefully that will get him going, get some confidence going," manager Jim Leyland said. "That was a big one."
The Tigers' confidence may be in for an unexpectedly big test against Harrell (3-2, 3.60 ERA), who has been credited with the Astros' only two wins over the past 10 games.
That's part of a brilliant stretch by the right-handed sinkerballer, who is 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA over his last four starts. He's induced eight of his major league-leading 10 ground-ball double plays in that span.
Harrell got three while yielding one run and scattering eight hits in 6 1-3 innings to beat the New York Yankees 9-1 on the road Monday.
"I've been working on trying to get more ground balls and inducing early contact," Harrell told the team's official website. "It makes it easy for me when you know you can get a ground ball."
Harrell has no record with a 3.00 ERA in two games - one start - against Detroit, but those came as a rookie with the Chicago White Sox in 2010.
That was also the last time he faced Miguel Cabrera, who is 0 for 4 against Harrell.
The Tigers slugger is among baseball's leaders with a .368 average and 30 RBIs. He's managed at least one hit in all but one of his last 17 games, a stretch that includes batting .385 while driving in eight runs during a nine-game road hitting streak.
Max Scherzer (3-0, 4.02) is scheduled to get the ball in search of a third straight winning start. The right-hander, though, has allowed eight runs and 13 hits with 16 strikeouts in 12 1-3 innings over his last two outings.
He showed improvement Monday, yielding three runs while fanning 10 in 7 1-3 innings of a 4-3 victory over Minnesota.
"Honestly, it was my curveball," Scherzer told the team's official website. "That's a pitch I've really been working on."
Scherzer, though, is still seeking his first road win despite compiling a 1.29 ERA with 23 strikeouts in 14 innings over his first two outings. He has no decisions since both games were decided in extra innings, thanks in part to the offense backing him with four total runs.
Scherzer lost his only appearance at Minute Maid Park on Aug. 22, 2009, giving up four runs in five innings. He went 1-1 with a 7.36 ERA in two meetings that season.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-04-13 02:09 PM |
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Preview: Rays (12-15) at Rockies (17-11)
Game: 2
Venue: Coors Field
Date: May 04, 2013 8:10 PM EDT
Starting for the first time since his feud with umpire Tom Hallion, David Price insists he's only focused on pitching the Tampa Bay Rays past the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night.
The left-hander won't have to worry about Hallion behind the plate this time and doesn't believe the crew working the series will have any hard feelings as Tampa Bay tries for its second win in a row at Coors Field.
"I don't think umpires hold grudges," Price said before a 7-4, 10-inning victory over the Rockies on Friday. "If something happened directly to that umpire, maybe. I don't know. I don't think so."
The AL Cy Young Award winner accused Hallion of directing a profanity toward him when the two exchanged words after the seventh inning during an 8-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. After the game, the plate umpire called Price a "liar."
Major League Baseball fined Hallion and Price as well as Tampa Bay pitchers Jeremy Hellickson and Matt Moore for their roles in the incident, and manager Joe Maddon has called the matter closed.
"It's about moving on," Maddon said. "It's about focusing on your team, your team doing well and not really worrying about the other stuff."
Price (1-2, 5.21 ERA) will try to build off his first victory, having recorded a season-best nine strikeouts and allowing three runs over seven innings against the White Sox.
In his only career start against the Rockies (17-12), Price yielded five runs and 10 hits over seven innings in a 5-3 loss at Coors Field on June 17, 2009. He laced a single in his first major league at-bat in that contest, but he's since gone 1 for 17 at the plate.
While Price now faces a team that leads the majors with a .284 batting average, it's uncertain whether he'll have to contend with two of Colorado's top hitters - Dexter Fowler and Troy Tulowitzki.
Fowler, batting .310 with a team-high eight homers, left Friday's game in the fourth inning after hurting his right hip flexor but hopes to play Saturday.
"I just landed weird. It's fine," he said. "It just tightened up on me. I knew it wasn't that serious."
Tulowitzki went 2 for 4 with two RBIs on Wednesday after missing two games with a shoulder injury, but the All-Star shortstop was out again Friday due to what he described as "heavy" legs.
Tulowitzki, intentionally walked as a pinch hitter in the eighth, is hitting .317 with six homers and a team-leading 24 RBIs.
"I'm thinking one game," manager Walt Weiss said. "Don't know for sure. Just one of those precautionary things. Just some soreness in his legs. Nothing major."
With Tulowitzki out of the lineup, Michael Cuddyer slid into the cleanup spot Friday and delivered a two-run homer. Cuddyer is batting .381 with four homers and 11 RBIs at home, but he's 1 for 12 with six strikeouts against Price.
Colorado counters with right-hander Jon Garland (2-2, 4.65), who looks to bounce back after allowing 10 runs and 18 hits over 12 innings in consecutive losses.
He's 5-2 with a 3.27 ERA in 11 career starts against the Rays (13-15), though he hasn't faced them since 2008.
Garland will try to cool off Evan Longoria, batting .400 with five extra-base hits and five RBIs during the Rays' 3-4 road swing. He had the go-ahead, RBI single in the 10th inning Friday.
The Rockies have lost 11 straight versus AL teams at Coors Field.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-04-13 02:11 PM |
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MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Saturday, May 4
Hot pitchers
-- Cingrani is 2-0, 1.50 in his first three MLB starts.
-- Gallardo is 3-0, 2.75 in his last three starts. Wainwright is 4-1, 1.64 in his last five outings.
-- Locke is 3-0, 1.99 in his last four starts.
-- Hamels is 1-1, 2.33 in his last four starts.
-- Arizona is 5-0 when Corbin starts (3-0, 1.89).
-- McGill allowed two runs in 6.2 IP in his first '13 start, vs Milwaukee.
-- Colon is 2-0, 2.07 in two road starts this season. Hughes is 1-0, 2.70 in his last three starts.
-- Correia is 3-1, 2.23 in his five starts this season.
-- Dickey is 2-2, 2.84 in his last four starts.
-- Hanson is 1-0, 1.50 in his last couple starts.
-- Guthrie is 1-0, 2.75 in his last three starts. Axelrod is 0-0, 3.00 in his last three starts.
-- Scherzer is 2-0, 3.71 in his last four starts. Harrell is 3-0, 1.82 in his last four outings.
-- Lackey is 1-1, 2.61 in two starts this season.
Cold pitchers
-- Samardzija is 0-4, 4.55 in his last five starts.
-- Strasburg is 0-4, 5.04 in his last five starts.
-- Fernandez is 0-2, 7.62 in his last three starts.
-- Niese is 1-2, 5.40 in his last four starts. Teheran has a 5.93 RA in five starts this season.
-- Richard is 0-2, 13.51 in his last couple starts.
-- Vogelsong is 1-2, 6.82 in five starts this season.
-- Price is 1-1, 5.63 in his last five starts. Garland is 0-2, 7.20 in his last couple starts.
-- Kazmir is 0-1, 8.64 in two starts this season.
-- Saunders is 0-3, 12.51 in his three road starts.
-- 36-year old Garcia is making his first '13 start; he was 0-1, 7.64 in his last four starts LY.
-- Ogando is 0-2, 7.04 in his last three starts.
Totals
-- Under is 7-3 in last ten Cub games.
-- Over is 9-4-1 in Philly's last fourteen home games.
-- Ten of last thirteen Washington games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last six Atlanta home games stayed under total.
-- 12 of 17 games at Miller Park went over the total.
-- Five of last seven San Diego home games went over total.
-- 10 of last 13 Dodger games went over the total.
-- Last four Colorado games went over the total.
-- Six of last nine Seattle road games stayed under total.
-- Over is 24-5 in last 29 Oakland games.
-- Six of last eight Minnesota games stayed under total.
-- Six of last eight Texas games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 7-1-1 in last nine Kansas City games.
-- Over is 6-2-2 in last ten Houston games.
-- Seven of last ten Baltimore games went over the total.
Hot teams
-- Pirates won seven of their last nine home games.
-- St Louis won eight of its last eleven games.
-- Padres won seven of their last nine games.
-- San Francisco won eight of its last ten home games.
-- A's won four of their last five games. Bronx won nine of its last twelve home games.
-- Kansas City won seven of its last ten games. White Sox won four of their last six road games.
-- Indians won last five games, outscoring foes 46-11.
-- Boston won seven of its last nine games.
-- Detroit won eight of its last ten games.
-- Orioles won ten of their last sixteen games.
Cold teams
-- Washington is 6-8 on the road this year.
-- Milwaukee lost its last three games, allowing 18 runs.
-- Cubs lost nine of their first thirteen home games. Cincinnati lost 10 of its last thirteen on the road.
-- Miami lost 11 of its 14 road games. Phillies are 8-10 in their last 18 games overall.
-- Mets lost six of their last eight games. Atlanta lost seven of last nine.
-- Arizona lost its last four games, allowing 24 runs.
-- Dodgers lost three of their last four games.
-- Rockies lost eight of last twelve games. Tampa Bay is 5-11 on road.
-- Twins are 3-6 in their last eight away games.
-- Blue Jays lost 10 of their last 13 games- they were outscored 17-2 in last three. Seattle lost seven of its last ten road games.
-- Texas lost four of its last six games.
-- Houston lost 15 of its last 19 games.
-- Angels lost seven of their last ten games.
Umpires
-- Cin-Chi-- Eight of last ten Porter games went over the total.
-- StL-Mil-- Favorites won 11 of last 14 Miller games.
-- Wsh-Pitt-- Favorites won last six Hirschbeck games.
-- Mia-Phil-- Under is 8-5-1 in last fourteen Fairchild games.
-- NY-Atl-- Under is 10-4-1 in last fifteen Nauert games.
-- Az-SD-- Favorites won last five Bellino games.
-- LA-SF-- Underdogs of less than +$200 are 21-9 in last 30 Johnson tilts.
-- TB-Colo-- Favorites won eight of last ten Fagan games.
-- A's-NY-- Six of last eight Conroy games stayed under the total.
-- Min-Clev-- Six of last seven Timmons games went over the total.
-- Sea-Tor-- Home side won 13 of last 16 Hickox games.
-- Balt-LA-- Favorites won last five Bell games.
-- Det-Hst-- Visitors won nine of last twelve Barry games.
-- Bos-Tex-- Last four Davis games went over the total.
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Believe in the 3 G's
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05-04-13 02:32 PM |
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MLB
Saturday, May 4
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Three big winners, three big losers pitching on Saturday
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Here's a look at three starters on Saturday who have made $1,360 for bettors this year, and three who have cost $1,300.64:
Money winners:
Patrick Corbin, Arizona Diamondbacks (3-0, 1.91 ERA, $518.21 in five starts)
Corbin has been stellar and his bullpen has been just as helpful. Corbin has allowed only seven earned runs in five starts, while Arizona relievers have given up only three runs after Corbin left the mound.
Kevin Correia, Minnesota Twins (3-1, 2.23 ERA, $337.23 in five starts)
Correia and the 12-12 Twins have cashed three times as heavy underdogs this season against the more public Rangers, Angels and Tigers. He's given up only nine runs in five starts and has walked only five batters.
Julio Teheran, Atlanta Braves (1-0, 5.08 ERA, $504.56 in five starts)
The Braves are 5-0 when Teheran is pitching, and his high ERA has made him an underdog three times, cashing twice against Washington at +126 and +115. Atlanta's bats have given Teheran an average of 6.2 runs of support in his starts.
Money losers:
Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals (1-4, 3.13 ERA, -$459.84 in six starts)
The only win on the board for the Nationals with their ace on the mound came on opening day against the lowly Marlins, when Washington was a -249 favorite. The Nats are giving Strasburg only 1.8 runs of support, below its 27th-ranked average of 3.48 runs per game.
David Price, Tampa Bay Rays (1-2, 5.21 ERA, -$427.01 in six starts)
Price has given up six home runs in April and 16 in all of 2013. The bats are struggling for him as well, producing only 3.6 runs per game in his starts, compared to the team's 4.19 season average.
Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies (1-3, 4.78 ERA, -$413.79 in six starts)
Hamels has improved from his early-season struggles. He has a 2.33 ERA in his last four starts. But the struggling Phillies have provided an average of only 2.25 runs in those starts, below the team's season average of 3.69 runs per game.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-04-13 02:36 PM |
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Preview: Nationals (15-15) at Pirates (17-12)
Game: 3
Venue: PNC Park
Date: May 05, 2013 1:35 PM EDT
Much like the rest of the Washington Nationals, Gio Gonzalez is ready to move on from a tough April.
The left-hander looks to bounce back from another rough outing while trying to help the Nationals complete a winning road trip with a second straight victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.
A 21-game winner with a 2.89 ERA in 2012, Gonzalez (2-2, 5.34 ERA) allowed a run, six hits and walked four in 11 innings to go 1-0 in his first two starts this season. However, he's yielded 18 runs, 20 hits and 14 walks in 21 innings while going 1-2 in the last four.
Gonzalez's early struggles have coincided with the mediocre start by Washington (16-15), the reigning NL East champion with lofty expectations for 2013.
"It's a long season, man. I'm not going to stress it," Gonzalez said.
After he gave up a run in eight innings of an 8-1 win over Cincinnati on April 25, Gonzalez struck out a season-high nine but allowed five runs and walked five in four innings of an 8-1 loss at Atlanta on Tuesday.
Though Washington has won three of four in May after Saturday's 5-4 victory, manager Davey Johnson knows if Gonzalez is to follow suit, he must be more efficient than he was Tuesday.
"When you pitch, you've got to hit your spots, you've got to make good pitches," Johnson told the Nationals' official website. "He just didn't do it. He punched out a lot of guys, but a lot of them were full counts. You waste a lot of pitches on a lot of hitters."
Gonzalez is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA in two starts versus Pittsburgh (17-13), but has never pitched at PNC Park.
The Nationals are in position to finish 4-3 on a trip that began with two straight losses to the Braves. Wilson Ramos delivered a game-tying single in the sixth and Tyler Moore had a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the ninth to help Washington rally from a 4-2 deficit Saturday.
Hours after Johnson called a team meeting with the hope of igniting a lethargic offense, the Nationals scored more than three runs for the first time in seven games.
"Well, we got a few more guys on base,' Johnson said after his team managed six hits and stranded 11 runners. "We didn't get many in - but it's a start.'
Johnson's team is batting .174 (8 for 46) with runners in scoring position during that seven-game span.
First baseman Adam LaRoche went 1 for 1 with an RBI and three walks. The ex-Pirate is 4 for 7 with five walks in three games after going 1 for 32 with 13 strikeouts and one walk in his previous 10.
He's batting .348 (8 for 23) against scheduled Pittsburgh starter Wandy Rodriguez (2-1, 3.91).
The left-hander hopes to rebound after he gave up seven runs, three homers and four walks in 3 2-3 innings of a 10-4 loss at Milwaukee on Monday.
"I had bad location. A lot of hitters I started behind in the count,' he said. "For the hitter, it's easy when they know what's coming. When you're behind you throw a fastball for a strike and they know a fastball is coming and they hit it.'
Despite a 4.50 ERA, Rodriguez is 5-2 in 10 starts against the Nationals.
Starling Marte and Clint Barmes each hit two-run homers but the Pirates' four-game home winning streak ended Saturday.
Batting .328, Marte has hit three of his four home runs in the last four games.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-05-13 07:53 AM |
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Preview: Athletics (17-14) at Yankees (18-11)
Game: 3
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: May 05, 2013 1:05 PM EDT
After limiting the Oakland Athletics to their fewest hits in a little more than week, the New York Yankees are hoping Andy Pettitte can do even better while bouncing back from a miserable start.
Pettitte will try to help the Yankees finish 8-2 on their homestand while earning his 249th career win Sunday.
Oakland (17-14) had scored 38 runs while batting .272 in its six games before a 4-2 loss at Yankee Stadium on Saturday. After collecting 10 hits in a 2-0 win in Friday's series opener, the A's had four through eight scoreless innings Saturday before getting two in a two-run ninth.
The six hits were the fewest for Oakland since it had three in a 3-0 loss to Baltimore on April 26.
"That's the name of the game, getting hot all together," catcher John Jaso told the team's website. "Get a walk or two in there and a hit. We didn't really do that much."
Lyle Overbay, meanwhile, boosted the injury-plagued Yankees with his third home run in six games. The last three hitters for New York (18-11) were a combined 4 for 9 with two solo homers.
"The bottom of the lineup was excellent. Just an outstanding performance by those guys," manager Joe Girardi said of Overbay, Eduardo Nunez and Chris Stewart.
In his first start against the A's in nearly four years, Pettitte (3-2, 3.86 ERA) will try to rebound from a 9-1 loss to Houston on Monday. After posting a 2.22 ERA in his first four starts, the veteran left-hander gave up seven runs and 10 hits in 4 1-3 innings against his former club.
Pettitte hadn't allowed that many hits since giving up 10 to Boston in a 10-8 loss on Sept. 24, 2010. He also yielded seven runs for the first time since that game.
"All around just a sickening game for me, and a very frustrating game. I'm just looking forward to getting back out there," he said.
Pettitte, who hasn't faced Oakland since July 25, 2009, is 12-7 with a 3.32 ERA in 24 career matchups, including three in the playoffs. He earned his first major league win against the A's on June 7, 1995, and is 7-4 with a 3.02 ERA in 12 home starts against them in his two stints with New York.
The 40-year-old Pettitte will pitch opposite 24-year-old Dan Straily, who is trying to rebound from a miserable effort of his own in his first start against the Yankees. After being called up from the minors for the second time this season, Straily (1-0, 6.35) gave up a career-high six runs over 4 2-3 innings to the Los Angeles Angels on Monday, but he avoided the loss as Oakland rallied late in a 10-8 win in 19 innings.
Vernon Wells is the only Yankees player to have faced Straily, and he hit a two-run homer off the right-hander in a 6-5 loss for the Angels on Sept. 11. Jed Lowrie is the A's only active player to have hit against Pettitte, going 4 for 10 with a home run.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-05-13 07:55 AM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Mets (12-15) at Braves (17-12)
Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: May 05, 2013 1:35 PM EDT
A rare outburst offensively has sparked consecutive victories, and the New York Mets appear to have a decent chance to keep swinging hot bats Sunday at Turner Field.
The Mets look to match a season high with their third straight win in the finale of this rain-shortened two-game set as they face Julio Teheran, who has been the Atlanta Braves' least effective starter.
After totaling 11 runs and hitting .165 with three homers during its season-worst six-game losing streak, New York (12-15) has scored 14 times while batting .263 with six homers in back-to-back victories.
David Wright provided one of the big blows Friday with a game-tying homer off Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrel in the ninth inning before New York scored twice in the 10th to win 7-5.
"He's as dominant as anybody in the game," Wright said of Kimbrel, who allowed a home run for the first time since Aug. 31. "You've just got to hope he makes a minor mistake or really you don't have much of a chance."
Wright, who also homered in a 7-6 win at Miami on Wednesday, now tries to lead New York to its first three-game win streak since April 6-8. Saturday's middle game of the series was postponed, with no makeup date set.
The Mets notched their second victory in nine games in Atlanta on Friday while tying a season high with four homers, and they'll look to continue that kind of production as they face Teheran (1-0, 5.08 ERA).
Opponents are hitting .333 against the right-hander, who has the worst ERA of any pitcher on the Braves' active roster. He has one quality start in five tries - every other Atlanta starter has at least four - but the Braves (17-12) have won all of them while scoring a combined 31 runs.
Teheran, though, has managed to avoid the big inning lately, allowing three runs despite 18 hits over 12 1-3 innings in his last two starts. He surrendered 10 hits and two runs in 5 1-3 innings Monday, not getting a decision in a 3-2 win over Washington.
"We're watching him grow up in front of our eyes," manager Fredi Gonzalez said.
The East-leading Braves haven't given their pitchers much support following a 12-1 start, hitting .226 with 156 strikeouts while dropping 11 of 16.
Atlanta, however, has batted .295 with 10 homers and 57 RBIs over the last nine home games against the Mets. Evan Gattis hit his seventh homer Friday, Andrelton Simmons drove in two runs and B.J. Upton had two hits to break a 1-for-22 slump.
"Our offense went out there and did what they had to do," said Kimbrel, who blew his second save in three games. "They scored when we needed to score, and we weren't just able to hold it down."
The Braves hope to do some damage against left-hander Jonathon Niese (2-2, 3.31), winless in his last three starts while getting three runs of support.
Niese allowed three runs - one earned - in 6 2-3 innings in a 5-1 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday, showing no ill effects from the comebacker that hit him near the right ankle and knocked him out of his previous start.
"It felt good," said Niese, who threw a season-high 117 pitches. "I was able to pound the zone with all of my pitches for the most part."
Niese is 5-1 with a 2.93 ERA in seven starts against the Braves since the start of the 2011 season, yielding three runs in 21 innings over the last three.
Two of those runs came off homers by Freddie Freeman, but the first baseman is homerless since opening day.
Justin Upton is 5 for 11 off Niese without a homer, and he hasn't gone deep in a season-high six consecutive games but still leads the majors with 12 home runs.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-05-13 08:00 AM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Cardinals (18-11) at Brewers (14-14)
Game: 4
Venue: Miller Park
Date: May 05, 2013 2:10 PM EDT
The St. Louis Cardinals are finding Miller Park's dimensions very much to their liking.
That doesn't bode well for Milwaukee right-hander Marco Estrada.
The Cardinals will try to continue their power surge and complete a four-game sweep of the Brewers on Sunday.
Jon Jay homered for the first time since April 10 and drove in the go-ahead run in the ninth inning, while Allen Craig and Daniel Descalso each hit their first homers to lead St. Louis to a 7-6 win Saturday.
"That's probably the first time that's happened,' Jay said of the home runs from the three of them.
After totaling two homers over their previous six contests, the NL Central-leading Cardinals (19-11) have hit five in their last two while extending their winning streak to a season-high five games.
St. Louis, which ranks near the bottom third of the majors with 26 home runs, has hit two or more in back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Now the Cardinals look to carry over that momentum against Estrada (2-1, 4.58 ERA) as they seek their longest winning streak since an eight-game run from July 11-21, 2010.
Estrada has had trouble keeping the ball in the park, surrendering 10 total home runs and allowing at least one in each of his six starts. He's allowed 2.55 homers per nine innings, the worst ratio in the majors.
Estrada surrendered a season-high three homers while giving up five runs in five innings, but left without a decision in a 12-8 win over Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
He's 0-2 with a 4.00 ERA in three career starts against the Cardinals after allowing three runs - including a Matt Adams homer - over six innings in a 4-3, 10-inning win at St. Louis on April 14.
Yadier Molina is 7 for 13 with a homer against Estrada, while Carlos Beltran has homered for his only hit in eight career at_bats in this matchup.
Estrada, though, is tied for the team lead with four quality starts and the Brewers (14-15) have won four of his last five outings.
Milwaukee faces another tough test against left-hander Jaime Garcia (3-1, 2.50) as it tries to avoid matching a season-worst five-game skid.
Garcia handcuffed the Brewers on April 14, scattering seven hits over seven shutout innings before Milwaukee rallied late for the win.
He seeks his third straight winning start after yielding one run on seven hits over eight innings in a 2-1 victory over Cincinnati on Tuesday. Garcia recorded 18 groundball outs, utilizing a St. Louis defense that ranks near the top of the NL with a .988 fielding percentage.
"With the defense we have, you want to make them hit the ball on the ground,' Garcia said. "I'm confident that they'll make the plays.'
Garcia, however, hasn't had fared too well in five career starts - including a loss in the 2011 postseason - at Miller Park, where's he's 2-2 with a 6.84 ERA.
Ryan Braun is hitting .355 with 18 homers and 45 RBIs off left-handers over the past two seasons, but has batted .188 with one homer in 32 career at_bats against Garcia.
Carlos Gomez went 2 for 4 with a homer Saturday to extend his hitting streak to 11 games. He's hitting .488 with four homers and seven RBIs during that span and is batting an NL-best .373.
The Cardinals have never swept a four-game series from the Brewers.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-05-13 08:02 AM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Reds (17-14) at Cubs (11-19)
Game: 3
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: May 05, 2013 2:20 PM EDT
Mat Latos carries a lengthy scoreless streak into the Cincinnati Reds' series finale against the Chicago Cubs, but had to deal with right hip tightness in his most recent outing.
The right-hander, though, says he's ready to try to add to his streak and help the Reds continue their recent dominance over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.
Latos (2-0, 1.83 ERA) has not allowed a run in 17 innings, a stretch that includes a 1-0 victory over Chicago on April 24. He gave up four hits over seven innings in that game, and five hits over six in a 2-1 win in St. Louis on Monday.
Latos beat the Cardinals despite tweaking his right hip during his first at-bat. On Friday he said the hip "feels good," and he appears ready to take a shot at surpassing his longest scoreless streak, a 21-inning stretch from May 1-18, 2010.
"I've been throwing and doing my running and lifting with bands to not put any pressure on it just to be sure. But it's been fine," Latos told the team's official website.
That might not give much comfort to the Cubs (11-19). Latos is 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA in his last three starts against Chicago, all in Cincinnati. He won his only start at Wrigley Field on Aug. 19, 2010, allowing two runs over seven innings of a 5-3 victory while pitching for San Diego.
Latos will try to help the Reds (17-14) extend a franchise-best eight-game win streak at Wrigley and earn their 20th victory in 25 overall matchups. Cincinnati took advantage of Chicago's beleaguered bullpen in a 6-4 victory Saturday, scoring four runs in the eighth inning.
Carlos Marmol and Hector Rondon combined to give up four walks and an RBI single to Jay Bruce, the lone hit in the frame. Marmol also hit a batter, but it was Rondon who was charged with the Cubs' eighth blown save in 16 chances.
The Reds had one of the worst road records in the majors (3-10) before their visit to Wrigley.
Edwin Jackson will try to help the Cubs avoid another home sweep to Cincinnati by earning his first win with his new team. Jackson (0-4, 6.27) was tagged for season highs of eight runs and 11 hits over 4 2-3 innings in a 13-7 loss to San Diego on Tuesday.
"It definitely wasn't the best game. I think overall it just been a pretty disappointing month from my standpoint, to myself, to my teammates, to the organizations and the fans, but it is test of character,' Jackson said. "It's just one of those times where you can crumble or fold or you can fight and bounce back. I definitely have not been one to fold."
Jackson is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in three career starts against the Reds, the most recent May 13 while with Washington.
Shin-Soo Choo, who homered in Saturday's win, is 8 for 22 with three doubles against Jackson. Bruce, who had three RBIs in the series' first two games, is 0 for 8.
Alfonso Soriano, who went deep twice Saturday, is 2 for 11 with one homer against Latos. David DeJesus is 3 for 7.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-05-13 08:04 AM |
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