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Preview: Blue Jays (43-46) at Indians (47-43)
Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: July 10, 2013 7:05 PM EDT
Even when he's struggling, Cleveland's Justin Masterson can usually be relied on to pitch deep into games.
In his last start, the right-hander failed to provide even that.
Masterson tries to bounce back from one of this worst starts of the season by continuing his dominance over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday night in Cleveland.
After tossing a six-hitter in a 4-0 win over the Chicago White Sox on June 30, Masterson (10-7, 3.78 ERA) gave up six runs and seven hits in a season-low 4 2-3 innings of a 7-0 home loss to Detroit on Friday.
"It's always disappointing when you lose,' said Masterson, who was 5-0 with a 1.49 ERA in his previous six starts in Cleveland.
It was a rare inefficient outing for Masterson, who was named an All-Star on Saturday. He ranks eighth in the majors in innings pitched with 128 2-3, but needed 108 pitches to record 14 outs, failing to get through five innings for the first time in 19 starts.
A matchup with Toronto might help him rebound.
Since the start of last season, Masterson is 2-0 with an 0.86 ERA in three starts against the Blue Jays. He gave up a run and three hits in a 4-1 victory at Toronto on April 2.
He'll look to take advantage of a Toronto lineup that has plated two runs or fewer in four of its last six games. The Blue Jays got eight hits in a series-opening 3-0 loss on Tuesday, but went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position to get shut out of the second time in three games.
"We outhit them, but we just didn't outscore them,' Toronto manager John Gibbons said. "That's what hurts. We had our chances, but we just couldn't get that big hit.'
The Blue Jays (43-46) aren't totally devoid of offense, however. Maicer Izturis is 11 of 22 during a six-game hitting streak, and Colby Rasmus is batting .360 (9 for 25) with two homers, four doubles and eight RBIs in his last seven contests.
Cleveland's Michael Brantley has also been swinging a hot bat, going 6 for 10 with two home runs and six RBIs in his last three games. Nick Swisher is 13 for his last 34 (.382) with two doubles and two home runs, and has reached base multiple times in five straight games for Cleveland (47-43).
Brantley and Swisher could make things difficult for Esmil Rogers (3-4, 3.84), who gave up season highs of seven runs and 11 hits in an 11-1 loss to the Tigers on Thursday. He was 2-1 with a 2.43 ERA in his previous five starts.
The right-hander saw the Indians twice out of the bullpen in the first series of the season, surrendering an RBI single to Mark Reynolds his last time out.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Blue Jays at Indians
Tue, Jul 9 Final 0 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Blue Jays at Indians
Wed, Jul 10 - 7:05PM EDT
GAME 3
Blue Jays at Indians
Thu, Jul 11 - 12:05PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-10-13 03:41 PM |
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Preview: Athletics (54-37) at Pirates (53-36)
Game: 3
Venue: PNC Park
Date: July 10, 2013 7:05 PM EDT
The surging Oakland Athletics have a chance to complete yet another sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates, but they'll face a red-hot Francisco Liriano in the series finale at PNC Park on Wednesday night.
Oakland (54-37) is 11-0 all-time versus Pittsburgh, the best record in the major leagues by one team against another in interleague play. The A's recorded their 10th victory in 13 games Tuesday by defeating the slumping Pirates 2-1.
Brandon Moss drove in both runs for Oakland on a fourth-inning homer while his former team was held to three hits. Pittsburgh suffered its season high-tying fourth consecutive defeat and season-high third in a row at home.
The Pirates (53-36) have scored six runs during their four-game skid after totaling 16 in the previous three, wasting a strong effort by a pitching staff that's compiled a 2.58 ERA in the past five.
Runs may again be hard to come by for Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Oakland has allowed two in both games of this series and has a 2.03 ERA in the last seven contests.
"I just love the fact that this is part of the road you're on during the season," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "It's got every opportunity to challenge you but at the same time it's a chance to make you better tomorrow."
Liriano (8-3, 2.20 ERA) will try to end the Pirates' woes by adding to his win streak. The left-hander is 3-0 in his last three outings with a 1.66 ERA and recorded his first complete game of 2013 on Friday.
Liriano gave up two runs and four hits in a 6-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs, striking out seven.
"This was an exclamation point on what he has been doing," Hurdle told the team's website. "He knows the role he plays here now. Basically, the last two, three weeks he's been our No. 1, and he's acted like it."
Liriano gave up six runs in 3 1-3 innings of a 9-7 loss in his latest start against Oakland on Aug. 11 while with the White Sox. He's had mixed results versus the A's, giving up five or more earned runs four times in 12 career starts but allowing one or none in five.
In his first start against Pittsburgh, Tommy Milone (8-7, 4.11) will try to take advantage of a struggling lineup to record his third straight win. The left-hander has posted a 5.92 ERA in his past four starts, but he went 8 1-3 innings and gave up three runs in a 6-3 victory over Kansas City on Friday.
"I don't know if we've seen him better, especially on the road," manager Bob Melvin said. "He was just making his pitches and mixing it up."
Milone is 5-0 in 12 career starts against NL opponents despite posting a 5.00 ERA.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Athletics at Pirates
Mon, Jul 8 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Athletics at Pirates
Tue, Jul 9 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 3
Athletics at Pirates
Wed, Jul 10 - 7:05PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-10-13 03:44 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Nationals (47-44) at Phillies (45-47)
Game: 4
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: July 11, 2013 7:05 PM EDT
While Jordan Zimmermann remains unbeaten at home, the road hasn't proven as kind to him.
The ballpark hasn't made much difference for Kyle Kendrick, who has been hit hard in his last two starts.
Zimmermann takes the mound opposite Kendrick as the Washington Nationals try to salvage a four-game split against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night.
Zimmermann (12-3, 2.57 ERA) is tied for the NL lead in wins, and the Nationals (47-44) have won his last seven starts and 15 of 18 overall. Each of those losses, though, have come on the road, where he's gone 3-3 with a 3.88 ERA - more than two runs higher than his home mark of 1.75.
Zimmermann has been especially bad in his last two starts in opposing stadiums, going 0-1 while allowing 13 runs in 11-plus innings.
The right-hander wasn't very sharp Saturday at home. He allowed three runs over 5 1-3 innings in a 5-4 win over San Diego but didn't get a decision.
"It's been going on for a little while, but I'll be fine," Zimmermann said of his lingering neck stiffness.
Zimmermann is 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA in his last three starts against the Phillies (45-47), but he's 1-2 with a 5.79 ERA in three career outings in Philadelphia.
Kendrick (7-6, 3.90), meanwhile, gave up four runs and 10 hits in six innings in a 6-1 loss at Dodger Stadium on June 30, then surrendered six runs and a career-high 12 hits in five innings Saturday in a 13-4 home defeat to Atlanta.
"He had the ball up. His fastball and his changeup were up," manager Charlie Manuel told MLB's official website. "It was the first time I saw him having trouble keeping the ball down."
Kendrick has dropped three straight starts once in his career, June 6-17, 2012.
The right-hander has posted mixed results versus Washington, going 4-6 with a 4.69 ERA over 19 starts. He has allowed two runs or fewer in 10 of those games while posting a 9.80 ERA in the others.
Kendrick yielded one run and two hits in 7 2-3 innings but didn't factor in the decision of a 6-2, 11-inning loss to the Nationals on June 19.
While Bryce Harper has gone 7 for 14 with a homer and three doubles against Kendrick, Jayson Werth is 2 for 17 and Adam LaRoche is 4 for his last 24 in their matchups.
The Nationals were limited to four runs in dropping the first two games of this set before hitting four homers in Wednesday's 5-1 victory. Anthony Rendon and Wilson Ramos hit back-to-back shots in the fifth inning before Ryan Zimmerman and Werth went back-to-back in the sixth.
"This park should make you more aggressive," said manager Davey Johnson, whose team entered Wednesday having dropped four of five and nine of 12 at Citizens Bank Park.
Filling in for injured first baseman Ryan Howard, Darin Ruf provided all of Philadelphia's offense with his first homer of the year. Ruf has hit safely in all five games since getting called up Saturday, going 5 for 13 with two RBIs and four runs.
Despite Wednesday's loss, the Phillies are 11-5 at home since June 2.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Nationals at Phillies
Mon, Jul 8 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Nationals at Phillies
Tue, Jul 9 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 3
Nationals at Phillies
Wed, Jul 10 Final 5 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 4
Nationals at Phillies
Thu, Jul 11 - 7:05PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-11-13 04:16 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Reds (51-40) at Braves (52-39)
Game: 1
Venue: Turner Field
Date: July 11, 2013 7:10 PM EDT
No matter what happens in their final series of the first half, the Atlanta Braves will head into the All-Star break atop the NL East.
That lead could have been bigger had they done a better job supporting Tim Hudson.
The right-hander tries to build on his first victory in two months Thursday night in the first of four against the visiting Cincinnati Reds.
Although Braves starters had a 4.21 ERA on a 3-3 trip that ended with Wednesday's 6-2 loss to Miami, that group's 3.52 ERA is a major reason why the team owns baseball's largest divisional lead.
Atlanta (52-39) has held at least a share of the top spot in the East since April 5.
Hudson (5-7, 4.03 ERA) has the worst ERA among Braves starters, but he's posted a 2.28 ERA in his last seven outings with opponents batting .207. He has a team-worst 3.42 run-support average while going 1-3 during that stretch, even after Atlanta set season highs for runs and hits (19) in Saturday's 13-4 victory at Philadelphia.
Hudson, working on six days' rest due to a sore neck, was 0-6 in his previous 10 starts.
"It makes my job a lot easier when we're able to put up some crooked runs," he told the Braves' official website after yielding one run and walking none in seven innings.
Hudson, 3-0 with a 2.68 ERA in eight home starts, gets his first look at the Reds (51-40) since their last game in Atlanta, a 6-2 Braves victory May 15, 2012.
Atlanta took two of three from the Reds from May 6-8.
The Reds will now try to hand the Braves a season high-tying third straight home defeat after ending their three-game skid with Wednesday's 6-2 victory at Milwaukee. Cincinnati scored four runs during its slide.
"It would have been a graveyard in here if we didn't pull this one out," starter Mike Leake said.
The Reds continue their trip with Mat Latos (8-2, 3.18) on the mound. The right-hander permitted four runs and a season high-tying four walks but struck out 11 over six innings in Saturday's 13-4 victory over Seattle.
"The offense picked me up," said Latos, who received four runs of support in his previous three starts. "Thirteen runs is always good, especially when I put us in a 2-0 hole."
Latos, 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA in two starts in Atlanta, should be especially careful with Chris Johnson, who's batting .409 with nine RBIs during an 11-game hitting streak. Johnson, 7 for 15 with a homer and three doubles off Latos, was hitless in five at_bats against the Reds in May.
Teammate Andrelton Simmons went 8 for 13 with two homers and four RBIs.
Chris Heisey, who was sidelined for that series with a hamstring injury, is questionable for Cincinnati after getting hit on the left arm by a pitch Tuesday and missing Wednesday's game. Heisey is 9 for 11 in five career games in Atlanta.
Shin-Soo Choo, who has hit safely in a team-best eight straight, will play his first game there. The center fielder hit two homers, including a walkoff shot, in a 5-4 victory May 7.
Brandon Phillips is 3 for 21 when facing Hudson, while fellow All-Star starter Joey Votto is 1 for 10.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Reds at Braves
Thu, Jul 11 - 7:10PM EDT
GAME 2
Reds at Braves
Fri, Jul 12 - 7:30PM EDT
GAME 3
Reds at Braves
Sat, Jul 13 - 4:05PM EDT
GAME 4
Reds at Braves
Sun, Jul 14 - 1:35PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-11-13 04:18 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Brewers (37-53) at Diamondbacks (47-44)
Game: 1
Venue: Chase Field
Date: July 11, 2013 9:40 PM EDT
The Arizona Diamondbacks are rumored to be interested in trading for Milwaukee's Yovani Gallardo.
In the meantime, the right-hander looks to remain undefeated against the Diamondbacks and help the visiting Brewers hand the NL West leaders a fourth straight defeat Thursday night.
For the first time in his seven-year career, Gallardo (7-8, 4.85 ERA) is the subject of some serious trade talk while Milwaukee (37-53) sports one of the majors' worst records.
Clinging to a 1 1/2-game division lead and looking to perhaps bolster a rotation that's minus injured starters Trevor Cahill and Brandon McCarthy, Arizona (47-44) appears to be one of those teams vying for Gallardo's services.
"It's a little bit different. I wouldn't say that it's tough," Gallardo told the Brewers' official website of dealing with the rumors. "The only thing I can do is go out there and pitch.
"There's certain things that you really can't control. It's out of my hands."
What Gallardo can control is trying to improve on his 7-0 record and 1.55 ERA in 10 regular-season and playoff starts against the Diamondbacks. He's also 4-0 with a 1.48 ERA at Chase Field, but hopes for a better outing after giving up four runs and nine hits in six innings of an 8-7, 11-inning home loss to Arizona on April 7.
Gallardo has allowed 17 runs in 13 innings while losing two of three overall, but earned the win Saturday after he gave up four in six innings of a 7-6 victory over the New York Mets.
"I've been feeling good for three or four starts now, and that's a good start," he said. "Now you just have to get everything working together - mechanics, release point, rhythm."
Milwaukee was swept by the Diamondbacks in April, and now looks to avoid a third consecutive loss at Chase Field, where Arizona was just swept by the surging Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Diamondbacks blew a one-run lead in the ninth then lost 7-5 in 14 innings on Thursday.
"We have to figure out some things so guys can get some outs later in the game," manager Kirk Gibson said.
The Brewers failed to record a sweep of their own with Wednesday's 6-2 loss to Cincinnati. Neither Ryan Braun nor Norichika Aoki played as Milwaukee was held to two runs and four hits for the second straight contest.
Batting .405 this month, Aoki is expected back after missing two straight games with elbow tightness. He's batted .457 (16 for 35) with three RBIs in eight career games versus Arizona.
Braun also is likely to play following a day to rest after he went 1 for 3 on Tuesday in his return from missing a month with a thumb injury. He's also dealing with the distraction of possibly facing a suspension for allegedly failing to cooperate with the investigation of the Biogenesis case.
Braun is 2 for 5 with two homers against scheduled Arizona starter Wade Miley (5-7, 4.06), who has allowed one run over 13 2-3 innings in his last two starts.
The left-hander went 0-2 despite posting a 2.76 ERA over a five-start stretch before he yielded a home run and four other hits in eight innings of an 11-1 win over Colorado on Saturday.
Miley improved to 2-1 and dropped his ERA to 6.89 against the Brewers after he gave up a homer to Jean Segura in six innings of a 3-1 victory at Milwaukee on April 5.
Arizona All-Star Paul Goldschmidt is batting .414 with seven RBIs in seven games, and has hit .400 (12 for 30) with six doubles, three homers and nine RBIs in eight career games versus Milwaukee. He is 3 for 3 with a double against Gallardo.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Brewers at Diamondbacks
Thu, Jul 11 - 9:40PM EDT
GAME 2
Brewers at Diamondbacks
Fri, Jul 12 - 9:40PM EDT
GAME 3
Brewers at Diamondbacks
Sat, Jul 13 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 4
Brewers at Diamondbacks
Sun, Jul 14 - 4:10PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-11-13 04:20 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Cardinals (55-35) at Cubs (41-49)
Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: July 12, 2013 4:05 PM EDT
While the St. Louis Cardinals sit atop the NL Central and the Chicago Cubs find themselves near the bottom, manager Dale Sveum's club isn't to be overlooked.
The Cubs try to keep rolling Friday when they continue a four-game set against the visiting Cardinals, who could be without Matt Holliday.
Fourth-place Chicago (41-49) has won five of six and 16 of 27 after taking Thursday's opener 3-0. Edwin Jackson threw seven strong innings while Anthony Rizzo went 2 for 3 and drove in all the runs.
The Cubs have allowed three runs or fewer in each of their last five wins.
"Hopefully, this is (a sign of) things to come in the second half," said Rizzo, who is 5 for 11 in the last three games and leads the team with 54 RBIs.
Thursday's loss, meanwhile, may have come at a cost for St. Louis (55-35), which saw Holliday exit with a tight right hamstring after grounding out in the fourth.
"I think I'll have a better feel for what it looks like (Friday)," said Holliday, who despite going 0 for 2 is batting .377 with five homers, 10 RBIs and 14 runs in his last 17 games in the series. "And hopefully, it will be day to day and I'll be able to use the (All-Star) break, and it will be all right."
The Cardinals, who lost for the first time in six games, have dropped six of eight on the road.
They will try to bounce back against scheduled starter Carlos Villanueva (2-4, 3.63 ERA), who had pitched out of the bullpen for six weeks before returning to the rotation Sunday in a 4-3, 11-inning win over Pittsburgh. The right-hander allowed one run and three hits but was removed after four innings.
"You always don't dwell too much about (returning to the rotation)," he told MLB's official website. "You've got to get people out whenever you put me in."
Villanueva, who has gone 2-2 with a 3.13 ERA in 14 games - six starts - during the day, is 2-0 with a 4.01 ERA in his last four starts against the Cardinals. He yielded three runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings in a 5-4 defeat to St. Louis on May 8.
Holliday is 4 for 13 with two homers against Villanueva, but Yadier Molina is 4 for 21. Molina is hitless in his last 13 at_bats overall.
The Cardinals counter with Joe Kelly (0-3, 4.15), who has mostly been used as a long reliever. The right-hander allowed four runs in six innings Saturday in a 5-4 walkoff win over Miami.
"I felt good. Made a couple bad pitches, especially the homers," said Kelly, who was taken deep twice. "Those pitches, I make those down and they're going to be outs. … I'm not terribly disappointed, but I'm not too happy. I mean, we won. The walkoff was awesome, but I'd like to be a little better next time."
Kelly's only other start this year came in a 10-3 loss to Arizona on June 5, when he allowed two runs in 5 2-3 innings.
In his lone start versus Chicago, Kelly permitted three runs in 6 1-3 innings in a 3-2 loss at Wrigley Field last July.
Cubs left fielder Alfonso Soriano is mired in a 1-for-20 slump against the Cardinals.
St. Louis' Allen Craig is batting .415 with four homers and 19 RBIs in his last 19 games.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Cardinals at Cubs
Thu, Jul 11 Final 0 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Cardinals at Cubs
Fri, Jul 12 - 4:05PM EDT
GAME 3
Cardinals at Cubs
Sat, Jul 13 - 7:15PM EDT
GAME 4
Cardinals at Cubs
Sun, Jul 14 - 8:05PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-12-13 04:09 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Blue Jays (44-47) at Orioles (51-42)
Game: 1
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: July 12, 2013 7:05 PM EDT
Stuck in last place in the AL East, manager John Gibbons expressed concern following the Toronto Blue Jays' latest loss.
He knows things aren't about to get any easier with a visit to Camden Yards.
The Blue Jays try to get back on track Friday night when they open a three-game set against Chris Davis and the Baltimore Orioles.
After posting 11 consecutive victories, Toronto (44-47) has lost 11 of 17 to fall three games back under .500. The Blue Jays went 5 for 28 with runners in scoring position while dropping two of three at Cleveland, falling 4-2 in Thursday's finale.
"We didn't hit a home run in the series," said Gibbons, whose team is 12-22 when failing to homer. "When you look at it, when we win, we hit home runs. Our bats have gone cold in the last week. We've had some spurts but overall we're not swinging it real well."
Jose Bautista is mired in a 2-for-19 slump and Edwin Encarnacion is 2 for his last 18.
"Those are the guys the team revolves around but two guys can't do it all the time," Gibbons said.
Toronto is now 11 1/2 games behind East-leading Boston, and Gibbons believes his team is in danger of falling out of contention.
"We're right on that edge," he told MLB's official website. "We have to start winning some games. We have three more before the break, but Baltimore has a pretty darn good team, too, and it's in their home park."
While the Blue Jays have taken four straight from the Orioles (51-42), they've dropped nine of 12 in Baltimore since the start of last season.
Manger Buck Showalter's club is coming off its 18th home win in 25 tries, 3-1 over Texas on Thursday. Davis snapped an 0-for-17 skid with his major league-leading 34th homer and Brian Roberts also went deep.
Davis, who drove in his 86th run, has already surpassed his previous career highs of 33 homers and 85 RBIs set last season. His home run total is the highest in baseball before the All-Star break since 2001, when Barry Bonds had 39 and Luis Gonzalez hit 35.
"We know he's talented, but to have 34 and 86 before the break is just crazy," Roberts said of Davis, who is batting .380 with 12 homers and 25 RBIs in his last 26 games versus Toronto. "It's been fun to watch."
The Orioles now turn to Chris Tillman (10-3, 3.92 ERA), whose seven-game winning streak was snapped Saturday in a 5-4 loss at Yankee Stadium. The right-hander yielded five runs and a career worst-tying 10 hits in 5 1-3 innings
Tillman is 2-0 with a 2.89 ERA in his last three starts versus Toronto. Bautista is 6 for 15 with two homers in their matchups, and Encarnacion is 4 for his last 9.
The Blue Jays counter with Mark Buehrle (5-5, 4.50), who has allowed two runs or fewer in four of his last six starts. The left-hander threw seven innings of six-hit ball to beat Minnesota 4-0 last Friday.
Buehrle is 7-5 with a 2.97 ERA in 16 career starts against the Orioles, but he hasn't faced them since 2011. Nick Markakis is 13 for 31 with two homers in their matchups, and Davis and Nolan Reimold are a combined 9 for 18, each taking him deep once.
Blue Jays reliever Steve Delabar will join Bautista, Encarnacion and fellow reliever Brett Cecil at Tuesday's All-Star game after winning the AL final vote. Delabar is 5-1 with a 1.74 ERA in 37 relief appearances.
Bautista is a career .179 hitter at Camden Yards, his lowest average at any AL ballpark.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Blue Jays at Orioles
Fri, Jul 12 - 7:05PM EDT
GAME 2
Blue Jays at Orioles
Sat, Jul 13 - 4:05PM EDT
GAME 3
Blue Jays at Orioles
Sun, Jul 14 - 1:35PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-12-13 04:11 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Rangers (53-39) at Tigers (50-41)
Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: July 12, 2013 7:08 PM EDT
The starters in the opener of this three-game series between the Detroit Tigers and visiting Texas Rangers have ERAs of at least 7.00 over their last four outings.
That's good news for sluggers such as Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez of Detroit and Adrian Beltre and Nelson Cruz of Texas - all of whom are surging.
The Tigers' Doug Fister and the Rangers' Justin Grimm form a matchup of struggling right-handers that figure to be hard-pressed to end their woes Friday night.
Fister (6-5, 4.07 ERA) has gone 0-1 with a 7.66 ERA over his last four outings while Grimm (7-6, 5.88) is 2-1 with a 7.00 mark in that same span.
Fister gave up exactly six runs for the third time in four outings Sunday and walked a season-high three over six innings, although he escaped without a decision in a 9-6 loss at Cleveland.
"I've got to fix that," Fister told the Tigers' official website. "I can't do that. I have to attack guys like I've done in the past."
Grimm allowed four runs over four innings of a 5-4 victory over Houston on Sunday. He has a 9.00 ERA over his last seven outings, surrendering 10 homers in 33 innings.
Fister has gone 2-4 with a 6.00 ERA in eight starts against Texas (53-39). Beltre is 8 for 17 against him and Cruz 8 for 19.
Beltre is batting .451 with six homers and 12 RBIs during a 13-game hitting streak while Cruz is at .340 with two home runs and 10 RBIs over his last 12 contests.
Grimm allowed two runs over 6 2-3 innings to earn a 7-2 victory over Detroit on May 18. His only other start against the Tigers came in his second major league appearance, as he gave up six runs and was chased in the second inning of an 8-2 defeat June 25, 2012.
Cabrera is 3 for 5 against Grimm and Martinez has a double in two at_bats.
Cabrera is hitting .398 with 12 homers and 25 RBIs over his last 25 contests while Martinez is batting .453 during a 13-game streak.
The Rangers took three of four from the Tigers (50-41) from May 16-19. Beltre went 8 for 16, Elvis Andrus was 7 for 16 and Mitch Moreland drove in a team-high six runs. Moreland, though, is 1 for 12 against Fister.
Cruz is hitting .241 with one home run in 14 games against the Tigers since homering six times and driving in 13 runs in the 2011 ALCS.
Cabrera, the first player to reach 30 homers and 90 RBIs before the All-Star break, is 9 for 16 with team highs of three homers and six RBIs in this season series.
The Tigers have dropped five of six at home after losing two of three to the White Sox this week.
The Rangers scored 16 runs in winning the first two games in Baltimore this week before totaling two in dropping the final two of the set.
"To split after winning the first two games is not the way we wanted to go," infielder Ian Kinsler told the Rangers' official website.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Rangers at Tigers
Fri, Jul 12 - 7:08PM EDT
GAME 2
Rangers at Tigers
Sat, Jul 13 - 7:15PM EDT
GAME 3
Rangers at Tigers
Sun, Jul 14 - 1:08PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-12-13 04:14 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Twins (37-52) at Yankees (50-42)
Game: 1
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: July 12, 2013 7:05 PM EDT
Derek Jeter donned his customary pinstripes for the first time in nine months and immediately contributed to a New York Yankees offense that seems rejuvenated after a short slump.
The captain's solid history at the plate against Minnesota may be an indication that will continue as New York seeks a fifth straight victory over the struggling Twins on Friday night at Yankee Stadium.
Jeter fractured his left ankle in Game 1 of the AL championship series against Detroit on Oct. 13. After an arduous rehabilitation process that included a setback in April when he fractured the ankle again, he had an infield single on the first pitch he saw and added an RBI groundout while making his season debut as the designated hitter in Thursday's 8-4 win over Kansas City.
``I was nervous going into the game,' Jeter said.
He was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning because of a tight right quadriceps, but that shouldn't keep him out of the lineup Friday.
``Jete thinks he'll be ready to play," manager Joe Girardi said.
Neither Girardi nor Jeter believe the minor injury was from rushing back too quickly.
``I think Derek would run himself out there the next 70 games if it was up to him,' Girardi said. ``I mean, that's just who he is. He expects to play every day. So from that standpoint I think we have to guard against rushing him back too much, and we have to pick days off, and we have to pick DH days.
"In the perfect world, you have a month of spring training, but this has not been a perfect world around here this year.'
The Yankees (50-42) scored eight times for the second straight game after finishing with one run in losing each of their previous three. They'll look to continue their hot hitting with the help of Jeter, who is batting .326, including the postseason, in his career versus Minnesota and .351 in the Bronx.
New York did just fine without him, though, the last time it faced the Twins, scoring 29 runs in a four-game sweep July 1-4. It has won seven of the last eight meetings with Minnesota, which will try to avoid a sixth straight defeat after falling 4-3 to Tampa Bay on Thursday.
The Twins (37-52) were no-hit until the sixth and finished with just four while losing for the 11th time in 12 tries.
"We've still got to put the ball in play better than we did the last couple of days, and that really affected the outcomes of games (during the four-game sweep),' manager Ron Gardenhire said.
Minnesota will try to bounce back against Yankees starter Hiroki Kuroda (7-6, 2.77 ERA), who has pitched at least seven innings without allowing a run five times. The right-hander gave up three hits in seven scoreless innings before Mariano Rivera allowed a two-run, ninth-inning homer to Adam Jones in a 2-1 loss to Baltimore on Sunday.
It was the second time in those five outings Kuroda lost a potential victory due to a blown save by Rivera.
Kuroda will be opposed by Scott Diamond (5-8, 5.52), who had one of his better outings July 1 when he gave up three runs while striking out five in 6 2-3 innings before Minnesota fell 10-4 to the Yankees.
Things didn't go so well for him Sunday, when he allowed six runs in 4 2-3 innings of an 11-5 loss to Toronto. The left-hander allowed three homers and has given up eight over his last four starts after permitting seven through his first 12.
Diamond is 1-4 with a 7.03 ERA over his last six outings.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Twins at Yankees
Fri, Jul 12 - 7:05PM EDT
GAME 2
Twins at Yankees
Sat, Jul 13 - 1:05PM EDT
GAME 3
Twins at Yankees
Sun, Jul 14 - 1:05PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-12-13 04:16 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Royals (43-46) at Indians (48-44)
Game: 1
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: July 12, 2013 7:05 PM EDT
After getting back on track with a series win, the Cleveland Indians would love to push the Kansas City Royals further behind them in the AL Central.
The Indians go for their fourth win in six games Friday night when they take on the Royals in the opener of a three-game series at Progressive Field.
Following four straight losses and six in eight games, Cleveland (48-44) bounced back with an 4-2 victory over Toronto on Thursday to take two of three in that set.
Rookie Danny Salazar allowed one run and two hits over six innings, lowering the ERA of Cleveland's rotation to 2.05 over the last five games. The Indians' starters had a 9.00 ERA during the team's recent four-game skid.
Corey Kluber (6-5, 4.23 ERA) will try to continue that trend Friday. Since posting a 1.66 ERA while winning three consecutive starts from June 11-22, the right-hander is 0-1 with a 6.61 ERA in his last three.
The best outing of that stretch, though, came Sunday, as Kluber matched a career high with 10 strikeouts and yielded two runs over 6 1-3 innings in a 9-6 win over Detroit.
He'll face the Royals for the third time this season after going 1-0 while giving up six runs and 11 hits over 12 1-3 innings in his previous two starts - both Indians victories.
Alex Gordon became the ninth Royals player to hit two grand slams in a season when he connected off Kluber in Cleveland's 6-5 win in Kansas City on July 2. The left fielder has three hits - two home runs - in nine at_bats in this matchup.
Eric Hosmer's only hit in eight at_bats against Kluber left the park, but he's batting .389 with five home runs in his last 13 games overall.
"I'm not really doing anything different right now," Hosmer told the team's official website. "I'm just trying to stay consistent with the work I'm doing."
The Royals (43-46) had a pair of early three-run leads Thursday before losing 8-4 to the Yankees and settling for a split of that four-game series.
Kansas City will try to pull within 2 1/2 games of the second-place Indians by handing the ball to Bruce Chen (3-0, 2.41), who replaces struggling right-hander Luis Mendoza in the rotation. The lefty makes his first start after going 11-14 with a 5.07 ERA in 34 starts for the Royals in 2012.
Chen has pitched well in Cleveland, going 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA in four starts since 2010.
Michael Brantley should be happy to see Chen again since he's 9 for 14 lifetime in this matchup. The left fielder is also hitting .396 in his last 12 games against the Royals.
Teammate Asdrubal Cabrera, who hit his seventh homer Thursday, is batting a team-best .370 - including 4 for 7 with runners in scoring position - in this season series.
The teams have split 10 meetings, though Cleveland took two of three at home June 17-19.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Royals at Indians
Fri, Jul 12 - 7:05PM EDT
GAME 2
Royals at Indians
Sat, Jul 13 - 7:05PM EDT
GAME 3
Royals at Indians
Sun, Jul 14 - 1:05PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-12-13 04:18 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: White Sox (36-53) at Phillies (46-47)
Game: 1
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: July 12, 2013 7:05 PM EDT
The Chicago White Sox have had a miserable season - particularly offensively - but their lineup seemed to find a groove while winning a road series this week.
Chicago will try to continue its hot hitting against a rookie pitcher who's been on a run of his own lately, as Jonathan Pettibone looks to win his third straight start when the Philadelphia Phillies host the White Sox on Friday night.
Chicago is second-to-last in baseball with 336 runs, and its .301 on-base percentage and .384 slugging percentage are also near the bottom.
The last-place White Sox (36-53), though, scored 22 runs while taking two of three from AL Central-leading Detroit, winning 6-3 on Thursday behind Josh Phegley's grand slam. The homer was Phegley's third in five games since making his big league debut.
Chicago hit .358 for the series, bolstered by Alex Rios' 6-for-6 performance in an 11-4 victory Tuesday. Alejandro De Aza was 7 for 14 and scored five runs while Dayan Viciedo drove in five.
The 22 runs were the most Chicago has scored in a series this year.
"You just keep going. It's a good feeling," manager Robin Ventura told the team's official website. "As low as it has been, you can have a series like this and beat a really good team."
Pettibone (5-3, 3.84 ERA) has posted a 2.35 ERA in his last four starts and won the past two, matching a season high with six strikeouts in each. He limited the Braves to one run over 5 1-3 innings of a 7-3 win Sunday.
The right-hander has had mixed results in two interleague starts, posting a 1-1 record and 4.63 ERA.
John Danks (0-2, 4.15) has gone 1-2 in his last three starts despite a 2.53 ERA in that span. Danks, who gave up three runs in seven innings of a 3-1 road loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday, has received six runs of support in the three games.
Danks has gone 7-5 with a 2.98 ERA in 19 career interleague starts, but 0-2 with a 4.15 ERA in three such outings this season.
The left-hander takes on a Phillies team that just took three of four at home from Washington, capped by a 3-1 win Thursday. Philadelphia (46-47) is on the verge of being .500 for the first time since it was 31-31 on June 7.
"It's a big win for us," said Kyle Kendrick, who gave up one run in seven innings.
Left-handed hitting Ben Revere, who went 2 for 4 on Thursday and is batting .436 during a nine-game hit streak, has a .455 average against lefties in his last 11 games. He's batting .362 against those pitchers this season.
Delmon Young, 0 for 3 for a second straight game, is batting .372 with two homers and four doubles off Danks.
The status of the White Sox's Alexei Ramirez is uncertain after he left Thursday's game with a cramp in his right leg. Ramirez, who has started all 89 games this season, is 7 for 18 over his last four contests.
"I'm going to wait until tomorrow, but I always come to the park to play," he told the team's official website. "I feel good after I got treatment and stuff like that."
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
White Sox at Phillies
Fri, Jul 12 - 7:05PM EDT
GAME 2
White Sox at Phillies
Sat, Jul 13 - 4:05PM EDT
GAME 3
White Sox at Phillies
Sun, Jul 14 - 1:35PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-12-13 04:20 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Mets (40-48) at Pirates (54-36)
Game: 1
Venue: PNC Park
Date: July 12, 2013 7:05 PM EDT
The Pittsburgh Pirates' offense finally got in gear to back up another brilliant starting pitching performance.
Getting anything going against Jeremy Hefner could prove to be far more difficult.
The Pirates will try to win back-to-back games for the first time in nearly two weeks Friday night against a resurgent New York Mets team going for its first five-game road winning streak in nearly two years.
Limited to six runs while losing four straight - and the NL Central lead to St. Louis - Pittsburgh (54-36) pounded out 12 hits in Wednesday's 5-0 victory over AL West-leading Oakland.
The Pirates' 5-for-9 effort with runners in scoring position was a welcome change - the team is batting just .232 in those situations - but Francisco Liriano continued what's been a dominant run of Pittsburgh starts with seven strong innings. The Pirates, owners of the majors' best ERA at 3.09, have had just one starter in the last 25 games give up more than three runs.
That happened the last time Charlie Morton (1-2, 3.38 ERA) took the ball.
Making his fifth start since coming off the DL following right elbow surgery, the right-hander made it through six innings for the first time but surrendered a pair of two-run homers in Saturday's 4-1 road loss to the Cubs.
"What I need to do and what I do well usually is keep the ball in the park and I didn't do that,' said Morton, who hadn't allowed a homer in his first four starts.
Morton, 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA in two home starts against New York, will face a Mets team that's eyeing a season high-tying fifth consecutive victory after finishing off a three-game sweep with Wednesday's 7-2 win at San Francisco.
Marlon Byrd homered for the second straight game, Daniel Murphy and John Buck each drove in a pair while All-Star third baseman David Wright extended his hitting streak to 11 games.
The Mets (40-48) are averaging 6.8 runs while winning five of six on their trip. Their last five-game road winning streak was July 25-29, 2011.
Hefner (4-6, 3.39) could help New York equal that run considering the way he's been dealing. After going 0-5 with a 4.50 ERA in his first seven starts, Hefner has a major league-best 1.64 ERA since June 4.
He's yielded one earned run in six of seven starts during that stretch.
"We made a mechanical adjustment a couple months ago, toward the end of May," Hefner told the Mets' official website after striking out a career high-tying eight and throwing seven innings of one-run ball in Sunday's 2-1 win over Milwaukee. "I have a little more deceptiveness, and the velocity's gone up a little bit. Playing great defense and we're scoring runs."
Hefner didn't need much support in his only previous outing against Pittsburgh, going seven innings in a 6-0 home win Sept. 26.
The Mets were outscored 21-7 by the visiting Pirates while losing the last three of a four-game series in May.
Third baseman Pedro Alvarez, 6 for 11 with a homer and four RBIs in those contests, is batting .343 with three home runs and seven RBIs as Pittsburgh has dropped six of nine since ending June on a nine-game winning streak. Alvarez, among the NL home run leaders with 23, was initially left off the Home Run Derby roster by Wright, the league's captain, but was selected Thursday to replace Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez.
Fellow All-Star Andrew McCutchen, who's batting .406 this month, drove in half of the Pirates' eight runs as they dropped two of three in the Mets' last visit May 21-23, 2012.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Mets at Pirates
Fri, Jul 12 - 7:05PM EDT
GAME 2
Mets at Pirates
Sat, Jul 13 - 7:15PM EDT
GAME 3
Mets at Pirates
Sun, Jul 14 - 1:35PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-12-13 04:21 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Nationals (47-45) at Marlins (33-57)
Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: July 12, 2013 7:10 PM EDT
Stephen Strasburg earned the win over the weekend despite delivering a lackluster performance.
While Strasburg has experienced a few hiccups against the Miami Marlins over his career, he has mostly had their number.
Strasburg and the visiting Washington Nationals look to continue their recent success against the Marlins in the opener of a three-game set Friday night.
Strasburg (5-6, 2.45 ERA) had gone 3-1 with a 1.41 ERA over an eight-start stretch before yielding four runs in six innings against San Diego on Sunday. The Nationals (47-45), though, backed him with a career-high 11 runs of support in an 11-7 victory.
"He was battling," manager Davey Johnson said of Strasburg, who struck out a season high-tying nine. "I thought he threw good. Sometimes he fights himself ... seems like the last couple of weeks he's been snake bit."
The right-hander has received fewer than three runs of support in 12 of 17 starts.
"It's good to put runs up there on the board for Stras," said left fielder Bryce Harper, batting .373 with six homers, nine RBIs and 11 runs in his last 12 games against the Marlins.
Strasburg threw seven innings of three-hit ball to beat Miami 2-0 on opening day, improving to 5-2 with a 2.77 ERA in 10 career meetings. While he has allowed 18 runs over 12 1-3 innings in three of those outings, Strasburg has posted a 0.21 ERA in the others.
Strasburg has had difficulty against slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who is 6 for 16 with a homer and four doubles in their matchups.
Owner of the NL's worst record, Miami (33-57) had been limited to 12 runs during a five-game losing streak before beating Atlanta 6-2 on Wednesday. Placido Polanco had three hits and a season-high three RBIs while Stanton, who entered the game in a 3-for-26 slump, went 1 for 2 with a two-run double and career high-tying three walks.
"That's a great sign," manager Mike Redmond said of Stanton. "He's such a big presence in that lineup. You can see how in situations they start pitching around him, but when he stays in the zone and handles the pitches he knows he's capable of handling, he can dominate a game."
Stanton went 14 for 32 with five homers, four doubles and 12 RBIs in his final eight games against the Nationals in 2012, but he is 1 for 9 in three this year. The Marlins have hit .204 and scored 13 runs while dropping five of six in the series.
Miami gives the ball to Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 2.55), who goes for his fifth quality start in as many tries since coming off the disabled list. The right-hander allowed three runs and five hits in 6 2-3 innings Saturday in a 5-4 loss at St. Louis.
Set to make his first appearance versus Washington, Eovaldi will need to be careful against Jayson Werth, who is 14 for 26 with two homers during an eight-game hitting streak.
While Werth went 2 for 4 on Thursday, the Nationals were limited to five hits in a 3-1 loss at Philadelphia. Hitting a major league-worst .216 on the road, Washington has dropped 17 of 26 away from home.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Nationals at Marlins
Fri, Jul 12 - 7:10PM EDT
GAME 2
Nationals at Marlins
Sat, Jul 13 - 7:15PM EDT
GAME 3
Nationals at Marlins
Sun, Jul 14 - 1:10PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-12-13 04:23 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Astros (32-59) at Rays (53-40)
Game: 1
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: July 12, 2013 7:10 PM EDT
The Tampa Bay Rays are capitalizing on a favorable portion of their schedule.
Giving the ball to David Price could help them continue their winning ways.
The left-hander goes for his third consecutive victory - and second over the major league-worst Houston Astros - since returning from the disabled list when the Rays go for their first nine-game winning streak in nine seasons Friday night.
Tampa Bay has won 12 of 13 to move a season-best 13 games over .500. Its last 11 games have come against the AL's three worst teams - Houston (32-59), Chicago and Minnesota.
The Rays (53-40) have a chance for their longest undefeated stretch since a franchise-record 12-game surge June 9-22, 2004. They're averaging 5.2 runs in the last 13 games, with their starters posting a 2.13 ERA.
"It's simple, age-tested formula," manager Joe Maddon said after Thursday's 4-3 victory over the Twins. "We pitched well, we caught it and got some clutch hits. There's a lot of belief within the group."
That confidence is even higher with Price (3-4, 4.18 ERA) winning both of his starts after missing nearly seven weeks with a triceps strain. The reigning AL Cy Young winner needed just 98 pitches to throw a complete game in Sunday's 3-1 victory over the White Sox.
"I felt better five days ago," Price told the Rays' official website, referring to an 8-0 victory at Houston on July 2 when he struck out a season-high 10 in seven innings. "My fastball location was still there. If I can have command of that pitch, I feel like I can be successful at this level."
Standing in the way of the Rays' 10th consecutive home win is an Astros team that's dropped 15 of 21, including three of four at home to Tampa Bay from July 1-4.
Houston continues its eight-game trip with Jarred Cosart slated to make his major league debut. The right-hander, acquired from Philadelphia in the 2011 Hunter Pence deal, was 7-4 with a 3.29 ERA with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
"I don't know much about the Rays, but I know (All-Star catcher Jason) Castro is great with scouting reports and (pitching coach Doug Brocail) and those guys will help me do what I need to do," Cosart told MLB's official website.
Cosart can't expect much support with the Astros hitting .209 and averaging 3.4 runs during a 2-10 stretch. Jose Altuve, the team's leading hitter at .284, is batting .213 over those 12 games, while Chris Carter, Brandon Barnes, Matt Dominguez and Castro are hitting a combined .174 with 46 strikeouts.
However, Brett Wallace is batting .417 with two homers and six RBIs over the last six games after setting a career high with four hits in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to St. Louis.
He matched Carter with team highs of two homers and four RBIs against Tampa Bay earlier this month.
"(Wallace is) staying on the ball and hitting with a lot of confidence right now," manager Bo Porter said.
So is Rays designated hitter Luke Scott, who's batting .458 with two homers during a seven-game hitting streak.
Desmond Jennings had eight hits in the series in Houston and drove in a career high-tying four runs July 2 to back up Price, who improved to 2-0 with a 3.75 ERA in two starts against the Astros - both in Houston.
The Astros took two of three in their only series visiting the Rays from June 20-22, 2008.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Astros at Rays
Fri, Jul 12 - 7:10PM EDT
GAME 2
Astros at Rays
Sat, Jul 13 - 4:10PM EDT
GAME 3
Astros at Rays
Sun, Jul 14 - 1:40PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-12-13 04:25 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Brewers (37-54) at Diamondbacks (48-44)
Game: 2
Venue: Chase Field
Date: July 12, 2013 9:40 PM EDT
After finally recording his 10th win, Patrick Corbin can focus solely on trying to help the Arizona Diamondbacks remain atop the NL West.
The All-Star left-hander looks to lead the Diamondbacks to a fifth consecutive victory over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night.
Corbin (10-1, 2.40 ERA) went 9-0 with a 2.06 ERA in his first 11 starts and 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA over the next six. He allowed a home run and two other hits while striking out 10 in eight innings of a 6-1 win over Colorado on Sunday.
He joins Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling and Brandon Webb as the only Arizona pitchers with at least 10 wins prior to the All-Star break.
"He deserved it a long time ago,' Arizona catcher Miguel Montero said. "He should be 15-0, to be honest.
"I'm pretty sure there's a lot of weight off his shoulders to get that 10th win."
Corbin is now focused on trying to help the Diamondbacks (48-44) build on Thursday's 5-3 comeback win over Milwaukee.
"Look, I'm trying to win every game I go out there," he said. "I got No. 10 (Sunday) and I'll aim for No. 11 the next time I go out there."
In his only start against the Brewers on April 6, Corbin gave up two runs in six innings of a 9-2 road victory.
He won't have to worry about facing Milwaukee star Ryan Braun, who will miss at least two more games after being placed on bereavement leave for a family medical issue.
"There's a chance he will miss the whole series," manager Ron Roenicke told the Brewers' official website.
It's the latest setback for the former NL MVP, who played one game after coming off the disabled list Tuesday following missing a month with a thumb injury. He's also dealing with the distraction of possibly facing a suspension for allegedly failing to cooperate with MLB's investigation of the Biogenesis case.
Without Braun on Thursday, Milwaukee (37-54) jumped out to a 3-0 lead on home runs by Jonathan Lucroy and All-Star Carlos Gomez, but Arizona rallied to snap a three-game slide. Arizona's Martin Prado had two hits, including the tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth.
"What it really comes down to his they got a big hit and we didn't," said Roenicke, whose team has been outscored 25-13 while going 0-4 against the Diamondbacks in 2013.
Prado has batted .350 with 10 RBIs in his last 15 games.
Milwaukee's Norichika Aoki has batted .415 in nine games this month, while Gomez's solo shot is his only hit in the last 20 at_bats.
Tom Gorzelanny (1-2, 2.12) makes his second straight start after allowing two unearned runs and striking out eight without a walk in a 2-1 loss to the New York Mets on Sunday. The left-hander, who filled in to give Wily Peralta extra time to heal a strained left hamstring, has split his two spot starts this season while yielding one earned run in 10 innings.
"Obviously (starting is) something I've done most of my career and I enjoy it, but I'm here to do whatever they need me to do," he said. "Start again or go back to the bullpen, I'm happy with whatever.'
Gorzelanny has gone 3-1 with a 4.63 ERA in six starts against the Diamondbacks, last facing them in 2010.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Brewers at Diamondbacks
Thu, Jul 11 Final 3 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Brewers at Diamondbacks
Fri, Jul 12 - 9:40PM EDT
GAME 3
Brewers at Diamondbacks
Sat, Jul 13 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 4
Brewers at Diamondbacks
Sun, Jul 14 - 4:10PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-12-13 04:28 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Red Sox (57-37) at Athletics (54-38)
Game: 1
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: July 12, 2013 10:05 PM EDT
After a disappointing start, John Lackey feels like he's throwing the ball as well as any time during his successful career.
The right-hander hopes for another strong start while trying to help the Boston Red Sox avoid a seventh consecutive road loss to the Oakland Athletics in a matchup of division leaders Friday night.
Returning from elbow surgery that erased his entire 2012 season and a biceps strain that sidelined him for most of April, Lackey started 1-4 with a 4.05 ERA. Since then, he's 5-2 with a 2.30 ERA in 10 starts.
"It's probably the best first half I've had," said the 34-year-old Lackey, who possibly forgot about going 11-5 with a 2.91 ERA before the break in 2007.
Lackey (6-6, 2.80) lost for the first time in seven starts Sunday, allowing two solo homers among five hits and striking out nine in seven innings of a 3-0 defeat to the Los Angeles Angels.
"John's pitching as well as he has I think at any point in time in his career - and that's not to shortchange anything he did early on," manager John Farrell said. "But he's in a very good place right now."
Lackey is 18-6 with a 2.91 ERA in 33 starts against the Athletics (54-38), going 8-5 with a 2.85 ERA in 17 outings in Oakland. He's dropped two straight there despite a 2.77 ERA.
The AL East-leading Red Sox (57-37) scored 30 runs to win the final three of a four-game set at Seattle, coming away with an 8-7, 10-inning victory Thursday after trailing by four runs early.
"We continue to grind away and play it right to the last out," Farrell said.
Boston took two of three at home from the A's in May but has dropped 16 of 20 at Oakland and been outscored 45-10 during its slide there.
Jacoby Ellsbury is batting .413 with two homers and 11 RBIs during his AL-high 19-game hitting streak, but he's 4 for 34 in his last nine at Oakland.
Teammate Daniel Nava's only hit in six at_bats Thursday drove home the go-ahead run with two outs in the 10th. He's hit .375 in his last seven games but is 3 for 17 on the road against the A's.
Owner of a one-game lead over Texas in the AL West, Oakland has won 10 of 14 overall and 18 of 22 at home. The A's lost 5-0 at Pittsburgh on Wednesday to conclude a 4-2 trip.
Coco Crisp had three hits in that game but is batting .156 (5 for 32) with two homers against Lackey.
Third baseman Josh Donaldson went 5 for 9 with three doubles and four RBIs at Boston in May.
Scheduled Oakland starter Jarrod Parker (6-6, 4.04) went 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA against the Red Sox last season.
The right-hander is 4-0 with a 2.24 ERA in his last eight starts, but the A's have totaled seven runs while losing his last three. After leaving his previous outing with hamstring tightness, Parker allowed three runs in 6 1-3 innings of a 4-3 loss at Kansas City on Saturday.
"I'm semi-happy with the health stuff," Parker told the Athletics' official website. "It felt OK. I'd be lying if I told you it didn't affect my stuff though."
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Red Sox at Athletics
Fri, Jul 12 - 10:05PM EDT
GAME 2
Red Sox at Athletics
Sat, Jul 13 - 10:05PM EDT
GAME 3
Red Sox at Athletics
Sun, Jul 14 - 4:05PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-12-13 04:30 PM |
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