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Armadillo: Friday's six-pack
-- Terry Francona won his return to Fenway; Indians trounced Boston 12-3 with Carlos Santana walking four times- his OB% is .420.
-- Detroit came from behind to beat the Twins 7-6, handing Minnesota its ninth loss in a row; Ron Gardenhire is the next manager to get fired.
-- Joe Blanton won his first game in nine starts as Angels handed Kansas City its 13th loss in last 17 games, 5-4.
-- Orioles have used 11 starting pitchers in their first 47 games.
-- Blackhawks lost 2-0 in Detroit, now trail that series 3-1. Red Wings are getting hot at the right time, the way the Kings did last year.
-- Home side won again in San Jose-LA series; Kings win 3-0, now lead 3-2 as series heads back to the Shark Tank.
*****
Armadillo: Friday's List of 13: Random stuff with the weekend here........
13) ESPN hired southern radio icon Paul Finebaum to be its daytime voice on the new SEC Network, whenever that debuts; Finebaum talks about college football about 364 days a year, and I’m not kidding.
He is a polarizing figure but if you’re going to have an SEC Network with a show simulcast on radio, he’s the guy they needed to sign.
12) Miguel Cabrera is really, really good; so far this year, he has 27 extra base hits, 23 walks, 25 strikeouts.
11) Major League baseball would be wise to copy the NHL’s replay system, where honchos in the league offices make the calls and take heat off the umpires; system would be quicker and more efficient.
Firing Angel Hernandez would also help, but that ain’t happening.
10) I’m thnking our country would be better off with President serving one 6-year term, rather than a maximum of two 4-year terms. Agree?
9) Another Presidential thought; the Electoral College has to go. How can someone get the most votes and lose? That could happen.
8) Perry’s chocolate chip ice cream is tremendously tremendous, thats my food endorsement for today.
7) Now that the Vikings are going back with an outdoor stadium, the Lions will be the only NFC North team with an indoor stadium. I’ll be curious to see how the league hands out those late season Detroit home games.
6) Miami Heat have lost three games since the Super Bowl, which was in early February. Makes the concept of them losing a best-of-7 series a little remote.
5) Speaking of which, NBA playoff series should be best-of-3, with all three games in the arena of the higher-seeded teams, the exception being series between 4-5 seeds, where the 5-seed would get one home game. Finals could be best-of-5, but best-of-7 series are tedious. The better team always wins, except in case of injury. Upsets are more interesting.
4) Diamondhead Classic basketball tournament in Hawai’I around Christmas: Akron, Boise State, George Mason, Hawai’I, Iowa State, Oregon State, St Mary’s, South Carolina. Not sure about this coming season, but would have been a hell of a tournament last year.
3) Red Sox won two World Series under Terry Francona; they're 97-113 since he left. Who fires a guy that won two World Series?
2) The drinking age in this country should be 18; you’re old enough to go to war, you’re old enough to have a beer.
1) Every high school basketball player should take a trip to see the Las Vegas Summer League in July, so you can see how many really, really good basketball players there are, who are fighting like hell just for the chance to get invited to an NBA training camp. Its extremely competitive!!!!
So instead of jerking around only playing AAU tournaments, work on your skills too, do the grunt work to make yourself better, then you’ll be more likely to excel when you play against other really good players.
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05-24-13 11:08 PM |
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CNOTES
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MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Friday, May 24
Hot pitchers
-- Kendrick is 3-1, 2.20 in his last seven starts. Zimmerman is 4-1, 1.13 in his last five outings.
-- Cubs won last five Feldman starts (4-0, 1.27). Arroyo is 2-0, 0.00 (14.1 IP) in his last two starts.
-- Burnett is 3-2, 2.35 in his last seven starts.
-- McCarthy is 1-0, 1.16 in his last three starts. Stults is 2-1, 2.39 in his last four outings.
-- Capuano is 1-0, 1.32 in his last couple starts.
-- Lynn is 6-1, 2.82 in his last eight starts.
-- Chatwood is 2-0, 0.77 in his last couple starts.
-- Koehler is 0-2, 2.45 in two starts this season; Miami scored three runs in his two starts.
-- Tillman is 3-1, 2.27 in his last six starts.
-- Phelps is 1-1, 1.83 in his last three starts.
-- Masterson is 3-0, 1.17 in his last three starts.
-- Angels won last four Vargas starts (3-0, 2.20).
Cold pitchers
-- Mets are 0-8 when Hefner starts (0-2, 6.19 last three). Medlen is 0-4, 4.54 in his last six starts.
-- Estrada is 1-1, 7.71 in his last four starts.
-- Lincecum is 1-2, 6.00 in his last four starts.
-- Danks is making first '13 start; he is 57-60, 4.12 in 159 career starts; he was 2-0, 3.18 in four minor league starts this season.
-- Nolin has made only six AA starts (3-0, 1.19) with three of six this year; this is his MLB debut. .
-- Sanchez is 1-3, 5.82 in his last four starts. Deduno was 6-5, 4.44 in 15 starts LY; this is his first '13 start (0-0, 2.70 in three AAA starts).
-- Hernandez is 1-1, 5.48 in his last five starts.
-- Lackey is 1-3, 5.64 in his last four starts.
-- Milone is 1-5, 4.23 in his last six starts; A's scored eight runs in those games. Bedard is 0-3, 8.46 in his last six starts.
-- Mendoza is 1-1, 6.95 in his last four starts.
-- Grimm is 1-3, 5.79 in his last four starts. Saunders is 1-1, 6.48 in his last three starts.
Starting Pitchers/First Inning
You can wager on whether teams will score in first inning. Below is how often a starting pitcher has allowed 1+ runs in first inning in one of his starts........
-- Kendrick 4-9; Zimmerman 1-9
-- Medlen 1-9; Hefner 4-8
-- Feldman 2-8; Arroyo 1-9
-- Burnett 3-10; Estrada 1-9
-- Stults 1-9; McCarthy 4-9
-- Lynn 2-9; Capuano 1-4
-- Chatwood 1-3; Lincecum 3-9
-- Koehler 1-2; Danks 0-0
-- Tillman 1-9; Nolin 0-0
-- Deduno 0-0; Sanchez 2-9
-- Phelps 1-4; RHernandez 2-8
-- Masterson 2-10; Lackey 2-6
-- Milone 4-9; Bedard 4-7
-- Vargas 0-9; Mendoza 1-5
-- Grimm 3-7; Saunders 2-9
Totals
-- Seven of last eight Philly road games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 12-2-1 in Atlanta's last fifteen road games.
-- 14 of 21 Cub road games stayed under the total.
-- Four of last five Pirate games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight San Diego games; last five Arizona games stayed under the total. .
-- Six of last eight Dodger games stayed under the total.
-- Last four Colorado games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight White Sox games. Four of last five Miami games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in Baltimore's last eight games.
-- Last three Minnesota games went over the total.
-- Under is 7-3-2 in last twelve Bronx games; eight of last ten Tampa Bay home games went over the total.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in last eight Cleveland games.
-- Six of last seven Oakland games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last eight Angel games went over the total.
-- 10 of last 15 games at Safeco Field stayed under the total.
Hot teams
-- Phillies won seven of their last ten games.
-- Atlanta won its last six games, scoring 34 runs.
-- Reds won ten of their last twelve games.
-- Pirates won eight of their last nine games.
-- Cardinals won 16 of their last 21 games.
-- Rockies won five of their last six games. San Francisco won five of its last six home games.
-- White Sox won six of their last nine games.
-- Blue Jays won seven of their last ten games.
-- Detroit won its last three games, scoring 23 runs.
-- Rays won ten of their last fourteen games.
-- Indians won six of their last eight games.
-- A's won five of their last six games. Houston is 4-3 in its last seven games.
-- Angels won their last five games, scoring 42 runs.
-- Rangers won six of their last nine games.
Cold teams
-- Nationals lost four of their last five games.
-- Mets lost four of their last five games.
-- Cubs lost six of their last eight games.
-- Brewers lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Padres lost eight of their last twelve road games. Arizona lost three of its last four games overall.
-- Dodgers lost four of their last six games.
-- Marlins lost 12 of their last 15 games.
-- Orioles lost seven of their last nine games.
-- Minnesota lost its last nine games, allowing 58 runs.
-- Bronx lost three of its last five road games.
-- Red Sox lost three of their last four games.
-- Royals lost six of their last seven games.
-- Mariners lost their last six games, outscored 46-16.
Reply With Quote
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-24-13 11:13 PM |
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CNOTES
FoxDen Hall of Famer
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MLB
Friday, May 24
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Three pitchers with value for under bettors Friday
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Following a relatively quiet Thursday in the major leagues, action picks up with a full slate of games Friday. There are a number of pitchers taking the hill who have been hot under picks in their most recent starts. Here is a look at three of them.
A.J. Burnett, Pittsburgh Pirates (3-4, 2.57 ERA)
The under is 4-0 in Burnett's last four starts and is 8-2 in his 10 starts this season. The Bucs ace barely gets any run support at all this year as the offense provides him with just 2.60 runs per game.
Burnett gets the ball against the Milwaukee Brewers Friday.
Eric Stults, San Diego Padres (4-3, 4.05 ERA)
The under is 4-0 in the lefty's previous four starts and is 5-1 in his last six. Stults has allowed just seven earned runs in his last four outings. That's good enough for a sparkling 2.39 ERA in that stretch.
The Padres are on the road to face the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday.
Chris Tillman, Baltimore Orioles (3-2, 3.52 ERA)
Tillman has also been pitching well with the under going 4-0 in his last four starts. The O's supply Tillman with the 10th lowest run support total in the American League with just 3.56 runs per start.
Tillman and the Orioles are in Toronto to face the Blue Jays Friday.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-24-13 11:16 PM |
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CNOTES
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MLB
Short Sheet
Friday, May 24
National League
Philadelphia at Washington, 7:05 ET MLB
Kendrick: Philadelphia 6-13 SU after allowing 2 runs or less
Zimmermann: 17-3 TSR off BB starts allowing 2 ER's or less
Atlanta at NY Mets, 7:10 ET
Medlen: 13-1 TSR pitching on 5 or 6 days rest
Hefner: Mets 15-31 SU as a home underdog
Chicago Cubs at Cincinnati, 7:10 ET WGN
Feldman: Cubs 8-24 SU as a road underdog of +125 to +150
Arroyo: Cincinnati 15-4 SU off 7+ road games
Pittsburgh at Milwaukee, 8:10 ET
Burnett: Pittsburgh 8-2 SU away with a total of 7 to 7.5 runs
Estrada: Milwaukee 4-15 SU after losing 3 of their last 4 games
San Diego at Arizona, 9:40 ET
Stults: 10-2 TSR pitching on 5 or 6 days rest
McCarthy: 5-16 TSR as a favorite of -150 or less
St. Louis at LA Dodgers, 10:10 ET
Lynn: St. Louis 17-8 SU with a line of +125 to -125
Capuano: Dodgers 12-22 SU in night games
Colorado at San Francisco, 10:15 ET
Chatwood: Colorado 4-20 SU away after allowing 1 or 0 runs
Lincecum: San Francisco 18-5 SU off a combined score of 3 runs or less
American League
Baltimore at Toronto, 7:05 ET
Tillman: Baltimore 19-10 SU off 6+ division games
Nolin: Toronto 11-26 SU after winning 3 of their last 4 games
Minnesota at Detroit, 7:05 ET
Deduno: Minnesota 9-1 Over off 5+ losses
Sanchez: 1-7 TSR at home pitching off BB team wins
NY Yankees at Tampa Bay, 7:10 ET MLB
Phelps: Yankees 10-3 SU off 3+ road games
Hernandez: 13-4 Over vs. division opponents
Cleveland at Boston, 7:10 ET
Masterson: Cleveland 16-6 SU in May
Lackey: Boston 33-19 Over as a home favorite of -150 or less
Oakland at Houston, 8:10 ET
Milone: Oakland 17-8 SU off 3+ games allowing 3 runs or less
Bedard: 0-10 TSR with a total of 8.5 to 10 runs
LA Angels at Kansas City, 8:10 ET
Vargas: 17-8 TSR in May
Mendoza: Kansas City 40-23 Under vs. left-handed starters
Texas at Seattle, 10:10 ET
Grimm: Texas 10-1 Under after allowing 1 or 0 runs
Saunders: 17-8 TSR as a home underdog
Interleague
Miami at Chicago White Sox, 8:10 ET
Koehler: Miami 25-16 SU away in May
Danks: White Sox 0-8 SU at home with a total of 8 to 8.5 runs
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05-24-13 11:18 PM |
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CNOTES
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NL Central Update
May 22, 2013
With Most teams sitting with 40-45 games complete, more than a quarter of the season is in the books. While a lot can certainly change in the coming months, usually the first two months are pretty critical. Here is a quick look at what we know about the National League Central, a division currently boasting the three best records in the NL.
Misleading Pitching Numbers: The NL Central boasts three of the top four pitching staffs in baseball with St. Louis, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati all featuring a team ERA below 3.36. The starting rotations for all three teams have been strong but the numbers have also been boosted by a lot of games against the NL East. St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh sit in the top three spots of the division, separated by just two games but over the course of the season all three teams could come back to the pack to some extent. Those teams are a combined 33-17 against the NL East and the pitching numbers are likely enhanced by facing so many games against a division where all five teams rank in the bottom nine of MLB in terms of team batting average.
For St. Louis the starting rotation could face some problems in the coming weeks with Jaime Garcia likely done for the season and big adjustments potentially coming for Shelby Miller and Jake Westbrook. Miller has an *xFIP that is nearly twice as high as his ERA of 1.74 and Westbrook has an xFIP of 4.44 despite his 1.62 ERA. Both pitchers should regress as the season progresses and with Westbrook currently on the disabled list he is even more of a question mark. Adam Wainwright and Lance Lynn look like they can continue to take solid turns in the rotation but the bullpen is counting on Edward Mujica to continue his nearly flawless transition into the closer’s role. This should still be a very good pitching staff but leading the league is something that may not be sustainable especially with two starters on the DL and relying on several young starters that are mostly unproven over the course of a season.
Cincinnati’s pitching numbers are likely the most skewed due to the NL East match-ups with 24 games already played against the division and no games played against the powerful NL West yet this season. The Reds have the luxury of being able send Tony Cingrani back down to the minors for seasoning with the return of Johnny Cueto and this is a very solid rotation with Mike Leake, Bronson Arroyo capably filling the back of the rotation. Homer Bailey is having a terrific season and with Mat Latos joining Cueto at the top, this staff is as formidable as any in the league. The bullpen has Aroldis Chapman in reserve and while he has been a bit erratic, few have as dominating of a presence on the mound. All four qualified starters for the Reds have a higher xFIP than ERA however so a slight regression is likely and having seven games against Miami already in the books has impacted the numbers.
Pittsburgh is perhaps the most surprising team in the mix at the top of the standings. After promising starts the past two seasons this certainly looked like a possibility but for the pitching to be this good has been a bit of a shock. The Pirates are 10-5 against the NL East and just 16-13 against the rest of baseball so this is a team that could face the prospect of a decline in the coming weeks. The most volatile member of the rotation is likely Jeff Locke who had just 10 career starts entering this season. Locke is 4-1 with a 2.73 ERA so far this season but he has just 10 more strikeouts than walks and an xFIP of 4.45 with a .224 BABIP suggest he could face a big adjustment. A. J. Burnett has looked like the ace that everyone has always expected him to be and if the Pirates can continue to get positive results from Wandy Rodriguez, Jeanmar Gomez, and Francisco Liriano this is a team that can stay in the mix. The upcoming schedule and the advanced statistics suggest that may be unlikely however.
Disappointment Brewing: Milwaukee was the top scoring team in the National League last season and with some promising young starters on the roster the pitching staff seemed to have a chance to come together this season. Nothing has gone right so far this season for the Brewers who are sitting over 10 games out of first place already this season. Milwaukee has actually hit fairly well for average this season led by Jean Segura and Carlos Gomez who are among the NL league leaders but the scoring has not kept up, a departure from past seasons when Milwaukee was generally a low average but high scoring team. The recent return of Aramis Ramirez could provide a boost and Corey Hart also should be available soon to put more pop into the lineup.
Milwaukee had disastrous results in the bullpen early last season and despite efforts to address the issue this year it has been a big problem again this year, led by John Axford’s horrible closing efforts. Overall the bullpen has turned things around however and has a very respectable 3.38 ERA on the season despite the dreadful first few weeks. The starting pitching has been very disappointing in recent weeks and that has been the biggest factor in the mounting losses. Yovani Gallardo and Kyle Lohse have done their jobs for the most part with respectable numbers though both have been a bit unlucky with very high BABIP rates at this point. Milwaukee expected to get more from young starters Marco Estrada and Wily Peralta however who both are sitting with very poor numbers so far this season and may not be options for much longer. Hiram Burgos has been erratic in his five starts and out of the bullpen Mike Fiers has really struggled after a very encouraging 2012 season as a starter. Overall the Brewers are likely to have the worst rotation in this division and the offense is not doing enough to carry the team at this point.
Milwaukee could have opportunities ahead however as the Brewers are yet to play a single game against the NL East, arguably the worst division in baseball and clearly the worst hitting division in baseball. While the rest of the division has feasted on those match-ups Milwaukee has already played 16 games against the very tough NL West. The Brewers will need to improve in the division having gone just 9-16 so far but sitting only -32 in run differential seems to indicate that this team is likely not as bad as the record indicates right now. Milwaukee has 14 of the next 20 at home and only six of the next 23 games will be against teams with winning records. In June Milwaukee gets games with Minnesota, Philadelphia, Miami, Houston, and the Cubs so this is a team that could make a leap in the standings.
Cubs Ahead of Schedule: 2013 seemed like a severe rebuilding season for the Cubs and a 5-13 start confirmed those notions. The Cubs are 13-12 since however and even with the awful start Chicago is only -3 in run differential this season. The offense is limited but the young prospects are producing with Anthony Rizzo and Starlin Castro both having great starts to the season at the plate. Chicago is towards the bottom of the league in runs scored but this is a team that is competing much better than most expected and may only be a few players away from making a real run again.
A bigger surprise than the respectable offense has been perhaps the very capable pitching staff for the Cubs. Jeff Samardzija has just two wins but he has lived up to his billing with very strong strikeout numbers and mostly quality starts. Travis Wood could not find room in the Cincinnati rotation but he has flourished in Chicago with a 2.24 ERA so far this season. His xFIP is more than twice that high so a negative adjustment could be coming but so far Wood has been getting the job done. Cast aside veterans Scott Feldman, Edwin Jackson, and Carlos Villanueva certainly have not been great but they have been delivering average results and keeping Chicago in most games which is all the Cubs really could have asked for. The Cubs are actually fifth in baseball in quality starts this season which certainly is surprising given the lack of proven starting pitching on the roster. Chicago also gets Matt Garza back this week and he could boost this staff even further.
The Chicago bullpen has been among the worst in baseball however and the Cubs also have the most errors in baseball. Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney form a dynamic duo in the middle of the infield but the rest of the defense is lacking. Chicago has converted just 10 of 19 save opportunities this season with veteran Kevin Gregg perhaps finally settling that role after the annual Carlos Marmol experiment. Overall the bullpen has had few success stories but the return of Garza and perhaps eventually Scott Baker could strengthen the depth of the staff. Chicago has had the most balanced schedule so far in this division with 13 games against the East and 11 against the West but if the Cubs can continue to play close to .500 ball they will be one of the surprise teams of the season and a team that may be ready to make a free agent splash next season.
* xFIP -- Expected Fielding Independent Pitching is a regressed version of FIP, which is Fielding Independent Pitching. The formula converts a pitcher's three true outcomes into an earned run average-like number. The formula is (13*HR+3*BB-2*K)/IP, plus a constant (usually around 3.2) to put it on the same scale as earned run average. xFIP replaces a pitcher’s home run total with an estimate of how many home runs they should have allowed.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-25-13 12:03 AM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Orioles (26-22) at Blue Jays (20-28)
Game: 3
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: May 25, 2013 1:07 PM EDT
Rogers Centre has long been known as a launching pad.
The Baltimore Orioles can attest to that.
Baltimore looks to continue its home-run barrage Saturday afternoon against R.A. Dickey and the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Orioles (26-22) took over the major league lead in home runs with a season-high four in Friday's 10-6 victory. They have hit at least three homers in four straight games - going deep 13 times during that span - and have multiple home-run contests in seven of the last nine.
"When we got a ball over the plate, it seemed like we didn't miss it,' said right fielder Nick Markakis, who is batting .375 (15 for 40) in a nine-game hitting streak.
No Oriole has been more responsible for the power surge than Chris Davis, who hit his major league-leading 16th Friday. He's homered in three straight games and five of seven.
Adam Jones has homered in consecutive games, while J.J. Hardy had the biggest blow Friday with a three-run shot in the first inning that gave the Orioles a lead they would never relinquish.
Manny Machado was unable to join the home-run party but did collect three hits for a franchise-record fifth consecutive road game. He's batting .524 (11 for 21) against the Blue Jays (20-28) this season.
The stage may well be set for a few more home runs with Dickey (4-5, 4.50 ERA) taking the mound for the Blue Jays. The right-hander has surrendered nine home runs this season, though he has stymied Baltimore's biggest bats in the past. Davis is 3 for 12 against the knuckleballer with four strikeouts, Hardy is 1 for 9 and Jones 1 for 9 with three strikeouts.
Additionally, Dickey has pitched much better of late for Toronto. Since Seattle roughed him up for seven runs in six innings May 4, he has posted a 2.70 ERA over his last three starts, striking out 20 in 20 innings.
Dickey produced his longest start of the season in a 7-5 win over Tampa Bay on Monday, yielding three runs and four hits in eight innings.
"I've felt like I've been stuck in a quagmire for the last week, two weeks,' Dickey said. "So it's nice to feel like you've got at least one foot out of it."
The Blue Jays have rewarded Dickey with enhanced run support. After spotting him 12 runs in his first seven starts, they've provided Dickey with 20 over his last three.
Toronto, meanwhile, would do well to get to Baltimore's bullpen, which has posted a 7.71 ERA over the last 10 games. That group has surrendered seven home runs, 21 walks and a .317 average to opposing hitters during that span.
Looking to ward off the bullpen for as long as possible is Freddy Garcia (0-2, 4.84), who rebounded from his worst outing of the season with an improved showing Monday against the Yankees.
After allowing four runs and seven hits over 3 2-3 innings in an 8-4 loss to San Diego, the veteran right-hander limited New York to two runs and three hits in six innings before leaving without a decision in a 6-4 loss.
Garcia is 8-8 with a 5.90 ERA in 19 starts against the Blue Jays. He did, however, end a five-start losing streak at Toronto in a 10-4 win for the Yankees on Aug. 10.
Jose Bautista is 5 for 11 with two homers against Garcia, while Adam Lind is 4 for 8 with a pair of home runs.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Orioles at Blue Jays
Thu, May 23 Final 6 to 12
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Orioles at Blue Jays
Fri, May 24 Final 10 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 3
Orioles at Blue Jays
Sat, May 25 - 1:07PM EDT
GAME 4
Orioles at Blue Jays
Sun, May 26 - 1:07PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-25-13 04:21 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Indians (27-20) at Red Sox (29-20)
Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: May 25, 2013 1:35 PM EDT
Jon Lester has always pitched well against the Cleveland Indians. More recently, he has come to excel at Fenway Park.
On Saturday afternoon, he'll have a chance to put the two together as he looks to propel the Boston Red Sox to a second straight victory.
Lester (6-1, 3.15 ERA), making his first home start against the Indians (27-20) since August 4, 2010, has been dominant at Progressive Field. He is 3-0 with a 1.04 ERA versus Cleveland since the 2011 season, striking out 33 in 26 innings. That includes a start on April 18, in which he surrendered two runs and four hits over seven innings of a 6-3 victory.
The left-hander has also seemingly solved last season's woes at Fenway. In 2012, he posted a 6.31 ERA at home, as opponents hit .302 off of him. This season, he has recorded a 1.66 ERA in Boston, allowing 12 hits over 21 2-3 innings. In his last home start, he retired the first 17 hitters before ultimately finishing with a one-hitter in a 5-0 win over Toronto.
"My job was easy. I put the glove there and he hit it,' catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia said. "I don't think whoever we were facing could have hit him.'
Lester wasn't so good in his last start, however, as he gave up six runs in six innings of a 6-4 defeat to the Chicago White Sox on Monday. After winning Lester's first five starts of the season, Boston has won just two of his last five.
Lester will face a familiar foe in Cleveland's Nick Swisher, who has 15 hits off him in 49 career at_bats. Only Derek Jeter has more hits off the Boston lefty. Swisher will look to provide some pop for an Indians offense that has two home runs in its last four games after hitting 10 during a five-game winning streak.
After batting .203 with six extra-base hits while losing three of four, Boston (29-20) scored eight runs Friday for its highest total since last Saturday.
That offense came in spite of the absence of Will Middlebrooks and Shane Victorino, who were both placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday. Mike Carp provided the biggest hit with a three-run homer in the second inning, breaking an 0-for-21 slump.
"It definitely means a lot,' Carp said. ``I've been struggling for playing time and to have a big at bat like that it builds confidence heading into the next couple days.'
The Red Sox will look to keep up their momentum against struggling Scott Kazmir (2-2, 6.35), who has posted a 10.13 ERA over his last two starts.
He lasted a season-low three-plus innings against Seattle on Monday, yielding five runs and seven hits but escaped without a decision in a wild 10-8 win.
"The last two just didn't really go my way," Kazmir told the Indians' official website. "I never really got into a groove."
Kazmir has plenty of experience against Boston. His 139 2-3 innings against the Red Sox are by far his most against any team. He has a 4.06 lifetime ERA versus Boston.
The left-hander has handled David Ortiz (10 for 46) but Dustin Pedroia is 17 for 33 (.515) in their matchups.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Indians at Red Sox
Thu, May 23 Final 12 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Indians at Red Sox
Fri, May 24 Final 1 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 3
Indians at Red Sox
Sat, May 25 - 1:35PM EDT
GAME 4
Indians at Red Sox
Sun, May 26 - 1:35PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-25-13 04:23 PM |
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Preview: Angels (21-27) at Royals (21-24)
Game: 3
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: May 25, 2013 2:10 PM EDT
Paced by the hot-hitting Mike Trout, the Los Angeles Angels are in the midst of their most successful stretch of the season.
The visiting Angels look to extend their season-high winning streak to seven games Saturday against the struggling Kansas City Royals.
Trout recorded his fourth straight multi-hit game and Jason Vargas pitched 7 1-2 strong innings in a 5-2 win at Kansas City on Friday. After underachieving out of the gate for the second straight season, the high-priced Angels (21-27) have averaged 5.5 runs while winning 10 of 15.
"You don't want to bank on extended streaks, but you do want to get on a roll,' said Trout, 10 for 17 in the last four games.
Trout has batted .372 with eight homers and 23 RBIs in his last 23 contests. He's hit .366 in 11 career games against the Royals (21-24), who have dropped seven of eight since winning two of three at Los Angeles from May 13-15.
"I don't feel like we're pressing,' Kansas City slugger Billy Butler said. "I just don't feel like we're catching breaks here-and-there."
Trout was one of four Angels to homer off Kansas City's Jeremy Guthrie (5-2, 3.49 ERA) in a 6-2 win May 14. Guthrie yielded five runs in seven innings before giving up six over five innings of a 6-5 loss at Houston on Monday.
The right-hander allowed 13 runs while going 5-0 in his first seven starts of 2013, and was 10-0 with a 2.21 ERA over 18 before the loss to Los Angeles.
"(Against the Angels), I was a lot more frustrated, a little bit out of whack," he told the Royals' official website. "(On Monday) I felt pretty decent. I wasn't able to keep us in it."
Josh Hamilton homered off Guthrie last week and is batting .320 with three home runs and two doubles against him.
Kansas City has lost 14 of 18, but hopes to get back on track against ex-Royal Billy Buckner. With Tommy Hanson on the restricted list, Buckner makes his Angels debut and first major league appearance since 2010 with Arizona.
The right-hander was recalled May 16 from Triple-A Salt Lake City, where he went 4-3 with a 4.56 ERA in eight starts. He will be the 21st pitcher used by Los Angeles this year - eight shy of the club record for a season.
"He'll go as long and as hard as he can," manager Mike Scioscia said. "I think he'll be fine."
Buckner is 5-11 with a 6.63 ERA in 21 career starts, including 1-2 with a 6.49 ERA in five as a rookie for Kansas City in 2007.
With a home run Friday on the eve of his 39th birthday, Kansas City's Miguel Tejada is 10 for 31 with two homers and seven RBIs in 14 games this season.
Butler is 6 for 29 (.207) with one RBI in eight games since he went 8 for 13 with a homer and nine RBIs in the road set against the Angels.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Angels at Royals
Thu, May 23 Final 5 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Angels at Royals
Fri, May 24 Final 5 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 3
Angels at Royals
Sat, May 25 - 2:10PM EDT
GAME 4
Angels at Royals
Sun, May 26 - 2:10PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-25-13 04:25 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Twins (18-27) at Tigers (27-19)
Game: 3
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: May 25, 2013 4:08 PM EDT
After Joe Mauer's single saved them from being no-hit, the Minnesota Twins aren't likely to have it much easier against Doug Fister at Comerica Park.
The free-falling Twins will try to avoid their 11th straight defeat Saturday when Fister looks to continue his outstanding pitching at home for the Detroit Tigers.
Anibal Sanchez took a no-hitter into the ninth inning Friday before Mauer broke it up with a one-out single. That was the only hit the right-hander allowed in the Tigers' 6-0 victory.
"In the end, it's the result of my work. I try to figure out, to put my ball in the strike zone,' Sanchez said. "It's a nice result, and I take it.'
Behind Sanchez and a red-hot offense, Detroit (27-19) won its fourth in a row and leapfrogged Cleveland to reclaim first place in the AL Central.
The Tigers now look to take the first three in this four-game series with Fister (5-1, 3.62 ERA) on the mound.
While Fister has given up 10 runs and 17 hits over 7 2-3 innings in his last two road starts, he's 9-1 with a 2.94 ERA at home dating back to July, and has a 3.00 ERA while winning each of his four starts there this season.
The right-hander is 3-6 with a 3.13 ERA lifetime against Minnesota (18-27), though he hasn't given up an earned run over 17 innings in consecutive victories. He struck out seven and scattered seven hits in a complete-game 8-0 victory over the Twins at Comerica Park on Sept. 22.
This time, Fister faces a Minnesota team that has totaled 28 runs while hitting .219 during its longest skid since an 11-game slide Sept. 9-21, 2011.
"The ball isn't bouncing our way very well," Mauer said. "You just have to stay positive."
Mauer has been a bright spot, hitting .418 over his last 16 games, though he's 4 for 23 (.174) against Fister.
The All-Star catcher hasn't been able to get the most out of the Twins' starters, who have an 8.16 ERA while allowing 80 hits - including 12 homers - in 46 1-3 innings during the losing streak.
Scheduled starter P.J. Walters hopes to end that troubling trend as he makes his first major league appearance since September.
The right-hander went 2-5 with a 5.69 ERA in 12 starts last season, and he's 1-1 with a 3.09 ERA in four career outings against the Tigers.
Walters, who had a 3.31 ERA over 54 1-3 innings in nine starts at Triple-A Rochester this season, allowed two runs and four hits over five innings in a 6-4 loss to the Tigers in his last big league start Sept. 29.
Prince Fielder took Walters deep in that meeting and has five hits, including a pair of homers, in eight career at_bats in this matchup.
Andy Dirks is 7 for 17 with a homer in his last four games and may be able to stay hot since he's 3 for 7 with a home run off Walters.
Miguel Cabrera extended his hitting streak to 10 games with two-run single in the second inning Friday. The reigning AL MVP is 10 for 19 with six homers and 15 RBIs over his last five games. He leads the majors with a .388 average and 57 RBIs.
The Tigers are hitting .345 with 29 runs during their four-game winning streak, one shy of a season high.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Twins at Tigers
Thu, May 23 Final 6 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Twins at Tigers
Fri, May 24 Final 0 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 3
Twins at Tigers
Sat, May 25 - 4:08PM EDT
GAME 4
Twins at Tigers
Sun, May 26 - 1:08PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-25-13 04:27 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Rockies (27-21) at Giants (26-22)
Game: 2
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: May 25, 2013 4:05 PM EDT
Michael Cuddyer welcomed himself back to the Colorado Rockies' lineup with a big performance just in time to help the club end a nine-game road losing streak against the San Francisco Giants.
Now, he'll try to help Colorado win for the seventh time in eight tries while extending its winning steak over San Francisco to five on Saturday.
Cuddyer was hitting .319 with seven home runs and 23 RBIs when he went on the disabled list May 12 with an inflamed cervical disk.
In his first at-bat since May 8, the outfielder hit a two-run double in the first inning before adding a solo homer in the sixth to help the Rockies (27-21) earn a 5-0 win in Friday's series opener.
"Being able to go out there and help us get the win was nice," Cuddyer said. "I felt comfortable in the box. In the grand scheme of things I really didn't miss that much time.'
Colorado has a chance to win five straight over its NL West rival for the first time since 2002.
``They've dominated us every time here,' said Carlos Gonzalez, who homered for the second straight game. ``That gives us a lot of confidence when you can win a series against a team that won the championship a couple of times the last few years.'
Cuddyer, though, is just 2 for 14 lifetime off Barry Zito, who will get the start for the Giants (26-22) as they hope to avoid an eighth loss in 11 contests.
Zito (3-3, 3.91 ERA) allowed one earned run or none in six of his first seven starts, but he surrendered eight runs - five earned - and 12 hits in 5 2-3 innings of a 10-6 loss to Toronto on May 14 before giving up five runs and 11 hits in 5 2-3 frames of Sunday's 5-0 defeat at Colorado.
``Yeah, I've given up quite a few hits the last couple of games,' Zito said. ``It doesn't feel good to be allowing all those baserunners."
The left-hander, though, had one of his better outings the first time he faced the Rockies on April 10, yielding seven hits in seven innings of a 10-0 home victory. Zito had gone 3-0 with a 2.00 ERA in four starts versus Colorado before this week's defeat.
Juan Nicasio (4-1, 4.47) opposed Zito on Sunday and had his best outing of the season, giving up three hits in six innings. He also ended a six-start streak of allowing at least one home run.
With starter Jeff Francis hoping to return from injury soon, Nicasio may be fighting for his spot in the rotation.
"I (don't) have pressure,' he said. ``When I go to pitch, I'm focused. I want to do my job, throw strikes.'
The right-hander also faced the Giants on April 9, giving up four runs and walking five in five innings of Colorado's 9-6 defeat.
Nicasio will face a San Francisco lineup that has totaled one run and 10 hits over the last two games. Marco Scutaro is 0 for 7 in those contests after batting .481 during a 19-game hitting streak.
Scutaro, who played 95 games for the Rockies before being dealt to the Giants on July 28, is hitting .412 against his former team in 20 games since the trade despite going 0 for 4 on Friday.
Buster Posey went 1 for 3 to extend his hitting streak to eight games. He's hitting .471 with six homers in his last 19 versus the Rockies.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Rockies at Giants
Fri, May 24 Final 5 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Rockies at Giants
Sat, May 25 - 4:05PM EDT
GAME 3
Rockies at Giants
Sun, May 26 - 4:05PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-25-13 04:30 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Pirates (29-19) at Brewers (19-27)
Game: 2
Venue: Miller Park
Date: May 25, 2013 4:10 PM EDT
No matter how poorly the Milwaukee Brewers have played this month, they continue to fare well against the Pittsburgh Pirates at home.
Looking to win consecutive games for the first time in May, the Brewers hope to continue that home success against the Pirates on Saturday.
Milwaukee (19-27) is 5-16 in May and has not won back-to-back contests since April 29-30 at home against Pittsburgh. However, with Friday's 2-1 victory, the Brewers have won three of four against the Pirates at Miller Park this season and seven of the last eight there.
Since the start of the 2007 season, Milwaukee is 47-8 versus Pittsburgh (29-19) at home.
Alex Gonzalez had a two-run double in the second and Marco Estrada pitched seven strong innings to help the Brewers snap the Pirates' four-game winning streak.
"That was big. It was a good pitch and Alex went down and got it. It was smart hitting,' Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. "We certainly needed to get a lead and with the way Marco pitched we held on.'
The loss was the third in 14 games for Pittsburgh, which hopes Jeff Locke (4-1, 2.73 ERA) can help it bounce back and continue his recent success.
After he went 1-1 with a 5.17 ERA in his first three starts, Locke is 3-0 with a 1.70 ERA in the last six. He allowed three hits in seven innings of a 1-0 win over Houston on Sunday.
Manager Clint Hurdle was pleased with the left-hander's latest effort even though both believe he did not have his best stuff.
"'Pitched' is the imperative word,' Hurdle said. "He was behind a number of counts, his first-pitch strikes were below 50 percent ... but, that being said, he didn't give up anything. He was able to put a foot down, get balls on the ground when we needed them.'
Locke is 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA in two starts versus Milwaukee while surrendering four homers in 10 innings. He allowed three runs over six in a 4-3, 12-inning win May 14.
The Brewers counter with Mike Fiers (1-2, 5.93), who makes his second start of the season while Kyle Lohse continues to deal with elbow irritation.
With a demotion to the minors included, the right-hander's last seven appearances came out of the bullpen after he allowed six runs in five innings of a 9-2 loss to Arizona on April 6. He earned the victory after 1 2-3 scoreless innings in Tuesday's 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"The deeper I go, the better it is for the baseball team," Fiers told the Brewers' official website.
He went 9-10 with a 3.77 ERA over 22 starts in his first full major league season in 2012, including 1-1 with a 6.14 ERA in three against the Pirates. Fiers allowed the game-winning homer to Andrew McCutchen in the extra-inning loss at Pittsburgh last week.
McCutchen, 5 for 9 with three homers against Fiers, is batting .433 (13 for 30) in the last seven games. Despite his team's poor history at Miller Park, McCutchen has batted .420 in 12 games there since hitting .226 in his first 20 in Milwaukee.
Brewers star Ryan Braun hit .440 in his first six games against the Pirates this season before he went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts Friday.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Pirates at Brewers
Fri, May 24 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Pirates at Brewers
Sat, May 25 - 4:10PM EDT
GAME 3
Pirates at Brewers
Sun, May 26 - 2:10PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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05-25-13 04:32 PM |
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