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Preview: Pirates (60-39) at Nationals (48-53)
Game: 4
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: July 25, 2013 12:35 PM EDT
Even if Gio Gonzalez can continue his outstanding pitching, the Washington Nationals' slumping offense hasn't shown it can provide enough runs to end the team's lengthy slide.
The Pittsburgh Pirates hope to take advantage of those troubles and complete their first four-game road sweep of the Washington/Montreal franchise in 25 years Thursday.
Washington (48-53), the defending NL East champion, had its late rally fall short against a Pittsburgh team playing without injured All-Star closer Jason Grilli (forearm) in Wednesday's 4-2 loss.
The struggling Nationals had only two hits over the first eight innings before managing three in the ninth, including Jayson Werth's two-run home run, but still lost their season-worst sixth straight contest.
While Werth is 5 for 12 with five homers and eight RBIs in his last four games, Washington has gone 2 for 35 (.057) with runners in scoring position and totaled 13 runs during its skid.
Star left fielder Bryce Harper (knee) and shortstop Ian Desmond (hand blister) missed Wednesday's contest, but could be back as the Nationals look to avoid their longest losing streak since an eight-game slide from Aug. 28 - Sept. 5, 2009.
"We need to win some games,' Wednesday's losing pitcher Stephen Strasburg said. "It's getting to the point where our back's against the wall.'
Gonzalez (7-3, 2.89 ERA) seems poised to keep them close since he's 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his last nine starts.
The left-hander matched a career high with 11 strikeouts and yielded four hits over six shutout innings, but was given only one run of support in Washington's eventual 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday.
He'll try to build on his 2-0 record with a 2.84 ERA in his fourth career start against the Pirates (60-39) after surrendering two runs and five hits over six innings in a 6-2 victory at Pittsburgh on May 5.
Starling Marte took Gonzalez deep in that meeting, though he enters this meeting 1 for 21 in his last five games.
Following his own 1-for-21 stretch, teammate Pedro Alvarez may be heating up after going 3 for 7 with two home runs in the last two games of this series.
He'll try to help the Pirates win their fifth straight and claim their first four-game road sweep in this rivalry since June 23-26, 1988.
A.J. Burnett (4-7, 3.05) has gone 1-5 with a 3.39 ERA over his last 10 starts thanks in part to a Pittsburgh offense that has given him just 19 runs of support over that span. That's been a common theme for Burnett - his 3.07 run-support average ranks among the lowest in the major leagues.
The right-hander allowed four runs in the first inning but settled down and struck out eight in a 5-4 loss at Cincinnati on Saturday. He yielded five runs - two earned - and a season-high 10 hits over 5 2-3 innings.
Only two of his 15 career starts versus Washington/Montreal have come within the past two seasons. Burnett has struck out 19 while going 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA over 15 innings in those outings - both Pittsburgh victories.
While Burnett has made things tough on Ryan Zimmerman (0 for 9) and Desmond (0 for 7), Adam LaRoche is 3 for 6 with a home run since 2010.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Pirates at Nationals
Mon, Jul 22 Final 6 to 5
Boxscores Recaps
GAME 2
Pirates at Nationals
Tue, Jul 23 Final 5 to 1
Boxscores Recaps
GAME 3
Pirates at Nationals
Wed, Jul 24 Final 4 to 2
Boxscores Recaps
GAME 4
Pirates at Nationals
Thu, Jul 25 - 12:35PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-25-13 03:08 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Rays (61-42) at Yankees (54-49)
Game: 2
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: July 27, 2013 1:05 PM EDT
The Tampa Bay Rays' rotation is the primary reason they've surged to the top of the AL East.
The New York Yankees are hoping Alfonso Soriano can provide a spark with Derek Jeter sidelined at least one more game.
Rookie Chris Archer will try to keep the Rays rolling by winning a fifth straight decision against the foundering Yankees on Saturday.
Tampa Bay (61-42) has gotten a 2.13 ERA from the rotation, which has held opponents to .208 at the plate during a staggering 20-3 stretch that has vaulted the team atop the division.
The Rays are one-half game ahead of Boston after trailing by as many as seven on June 28.
Jeremy Hellickson turned in the latest strong performance Friday, yielding one run and four hits in six innings of a 10-6 win over the Yankees (54-49).
Archer (5-3, 2.76 ERA) has been a vital contributor to Tampa Bay's surge, going 4-0 with a 1.62 ERA over his last six starts and winning the last three behind a 0.41 ERA. The rookie right-hander began his four-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory at Yankee Stadium on June 23, yielding one run in six innings in his only career meeting with New York.
He was impressive Sunday, allowing one run in seven innings of a 4-3 win at Toronto.
"I've realized where my potential is and I'm striving for that every time out," Archer said.
While the Rays are the hottest team in baseball, the Yankees are scuffling through a 3-7 stretch.
New York is hitting .226 with no homers and 14 runs while dropping three of five. The team showed some signs of breaking out Friday with 11 hits but was unable to overcome a 10-1 deficit the final two innings.
The Yankees are hoping Soriano can begin making a difference. They acquired him from the Chicago Cubs on Friday, and he went 0 for 5 with one run and one RBI while batting cleanup.
"He's not the same player he used to be," general manager Brian Cashman said, "but he certainly provides some thunder from the right side that we've been lacking."
Pressure seems to be building on Cashman to find personnel to help the Yankees cut into their seven-game deficit to the Rays.
"We've obviously been trying to improve our offense, to no avail, throughout this season," Cashman said. "By far, (Soriano) is the best available bat to date."
New York could get a significant lift when Derek Jeter (right quadriceps) comes off the disabled list. He is eligible to be activated Saturday, but a decision won't be made until after he plays a simulated game that day.
The Yankees send Ivan Nova (4-3, 3.66) to the mound, and he's compiled a 2.55 ERA in seven games - four starts - since sitting out nearly a month with right triceps inflammation. Despite pitching better, he has just a 3-2 record to show for it since he's been backed by one total run in those defeats.
Nova didn't get any help Monday, when he allowed three runs in seven innings of a 3-0 loss at Texas.
His previous loss came to Archer, yielding three runs in 6 2-3 innings as his four-game home winning streak against the Rays ended.
Nova is 6-2 with a 2.27 ERA over his last eight overall games versus Tampa Bay.
Rays rookie Wil Myers has seven straight multihit games, going 15 for 30 with seven RBIs and six runs. The right fielder is 8 for 23 (.348) with five RBIs in five meetings with New York.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Rays at Yankees
Fri, Jul 26 Final 10 to 6
Boxscores Recaps
GAME 2
Rays at Yankees
Sat, Jul 27 - 1:05PM EDT
GAME 3
Rays at Yankees
Sun, Jul 28 - 1:05PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-27-13 03:47 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Astros (34-68) at Blue Jays (47-55)
Game: 3
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: July 27, 2013 1:07 PM EDT
The Toronto Blue Jays have finally strung together a couple of wins.
Josh Johnson would settle for one at this point.
The right-hander will try to avoid a career-worst fifth consecutive losing start Saturday when the Blue Jays and major league-worst Houston Astros continue their series north of the border.
After Mark Buehrle's two-hitter in Thursday's 4-0 series-opening victory helped Toronto (47-55) end a season-high seven-game skid, the Blue Jays equaled a team record with 12 extra-base hits in Friday's 12-6 victory.
Edwin Encarnacion hit two of the club's five homers, a solo shot and a grand slam in the eight-run seventh. The only other Blue Jay to homer twice in one inning was Joe Carter on Oct. 3, 1993, against Baltimore.
"I don't think you can get any better than that,' manager John Gibbons said after Toronto won back-to-back games for the first time since a franchise record-tying 11-game surge June 11-23. "He's having another great year (with 28 home runs).'
Johnson (1-6, 5.66 ERA) is not. He's 0-4 with a 7.71 ERA in five starts since defeating the Orioles on June 23 after lasting just two-plus innings in Monday's 14-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, allowing five runs and seven hits and calling his performance "pitiful."
"You feel for the guy because he's competing but it just hasn't happened,' Gibbons said.
Johnson, who also lost four consecutive starts Aug. 9-25 while with the Marlins, is 0-2 with a 4.84 ERA in four career starts versus Houston.
He'll face an Astros team that's dropped 19 of 23 overall and 15 of 19 on the road.
Houston (34-68) will try to get back on track with Dallas Keuchel (4-5, 4.42) going for his first win in six starts. The left-hander was in position to pick up a victory Monday, exiting with a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning, but the bullpen faltered again in a 4-3 loss.
The Astros have blown 15 saves and their relief corps has been tagged for a major league-high 64 homers - 22 more than anyone else in baseball.
"It doesn't matter about what the other team is going to do," manager Bo Porter said. "We have to do a better job of making quality pitches in those situations.'
One positive for Houston heading into the weekend is the play of Marc Krauss, who went 2 for 4 with a homer and four RBIs on Friday. The rookie left fielder had four RBIs in his first 20 games since getting called up June 21 when Trevor Crowe (shoulder) went on the disabled list.
Krauss could get more playing time with J.D. Martinez (sprained left wrist) being placed on the disabled list after getting injured Friday. The club called up center fielder Robbie Grossman to take Martinez's spot.
Jose Reyes is swinging one of the hottest bats for the Blue Jays since the All-Star break. Reyes is hitting .394 during that eight-game stretch with two homers, four doubles and seven RBIs after reaching safely five times and coming up a triple shy of the cycle Friday.
Colby Rasmus' 4-for-5 effort, meanwhile, lifted his average to .393 since the break.
Toronto has won three of four from Houston since losing the first four matchups between these clubs.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Astros at Blue Jays
Thu, Jul 25 Final 0 to 4
Boxscores Recaps
GAME 2
Astros at Blue Jays
Fri, Jul 26 Final 6 to 12
Boxscores Recaps
GAME 3
Astros at Blue Jays
Sat, Jul 27 - 1:07PM EDT
GAME 4
Astros at Blue Jays
Sun, Jul 28 - 1:07PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-27-13 03:50 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Red Sox (62-43) at Orioles (58-47)
Game: 3
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: July 28, 2013 1:35 PM EDT
It's been more than two years since the Boston Red Sox won two straight against the Baltimore Orioles.
Just as surprising is Jon Lester's lack of success lately in this matchup.
The visiting Red Sox look to avoid a seventh consecutive series loss to the Orioles on Sunday.
Wins against Baltimore have been very hard to come by lately for Boston, which had lost six of eight in the season series and 25 of 35 overall to the Orioles before Stephen Drew homered twice and matched a career high with five RBIs in a 7-3 victory Saturday.
"The past couple of games, I've felt good at the plate but had no luck,' Drew said. "It's just good to turn around and have a good outcome. It was also a good win. That's what we really needed.'
The Red Sox (62-43) have lost the last six series to their AL East rivals and haven't won two in a row over the Orioles during that 35-game span. Their last back-to-back wins against them came during a 7-0 run April 28-July 18, 2011.
Boston posted a 71-28 record against Baltimore starting in 2006 and ending with those seven consecutive wins.
Lester was responsible for a good portion of that success, going 14-0 with a 2.33 ERA in his first 17 starts against the Orioles. But he's 0-2 with a 5.25 ERA in the past four, allowing five runs and nine hits over five innings in a 6-3 loss at Camden Yards on June 16.
Lester (9-6, 4.50 ERA) has a chance for three straight quality starts for the first time since May. He has a 3.55 ERA in his last two outings after compiling a 7.08 mark in his previous six.
Extra rest seemed to help the left-hander Tuesday in a 6-2 win over Tampa Bay. He allowed two runs with no walks over 6 1-3 innings and matched a season high with eight strikeouts. Lester had been scheduled to make his first start after the All-Star break on Sunday, but that was delayed to give him nine days of rest.
"He was strong,' manager John Farrell said of Lester, who has a 5.37 ERA in 11 starts on regular rest in 2013. "It seems like the added rest did him some good."
Catcher Matt Wieters is batting a team-best .378 (14 for 37) against Lester, but backup Taylor Teagarden, who is 4 for 38 (.105) this season, is expected to start.
Saturday's loss was the fourth in five games for the Orioles (58-47), who had their home-run streak against the Red Sox stopped at 11 games - one shy of the club record.
Chris Davis went 1 for 3 with a walk and two strikeouts, the 21st consecutive game in which the major league home run leader has struck out. He has fanned eight times in his last three contests and hasn't homered since hitting No. 37 on July 14.
Asked how he was feeling at the plate, Davis replied, "I felt really awesome, like a unicorn riding through a rainbow with a pot of gold at the end of it. You know, you go through slumps during the season. I was very fortunate to have very few in the first half.'
Struggling Jason Hammel (7-7, 5.20) will try to reverse his own fortunes and help the Orioles avoid their first series home loss since May.
Hammel is 0-5 with a 5.47 ERA in nine starts since beating Washington on May 27. He allowed 10 hits for the second straight start and walked a season-high four, but limited Kansas City to three runs over six innings in a 3-2 loss Tuesday.
Hammel went 1-0 with a 2.31 ERA in two starts against the Red Sox last season, both at Fenway Park.
Davis Ortiz, though, is 6 for 14 with a homer against him, and Shane Victorino (5 for 11) and Dustin Pedroia (4 for 9) also have fared well in this matchup.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Red Sox at Orioles
Fri, Jul 26 Final 0 to 6
Boxscores Recaps
GAME 2
Red Sox at Orioles
Sat, Jul 27 Final 7 to 3
Boxscores Recaps
GAME 3
Red Sox at Orioles
Sun, Jul 28 - 1:35PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-28-13 02:50 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Mets (46-55) at Nationals (51-54)
Game: 3
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: July 28, 2013 1:35 PM EDT
Rookie Taylor Jordan has, for the most part, given the Washington Nationals successively longer outings since an uneven big-league debut against the New York Mets last month.
New York's new six-man rotation will include Carlos Torres, who has been tremendous in two 2013 starts.
One right-hander considered a promising prospect opposes another who can only be called a journeyman when these disappointing teams complete a four-game set Sunday in Washington.
These NL East clubs, separated by three games in the standings, appear to be well out of contention.
Fans of both will be looking to the future and Nationals supporters should be excited by the progress of Jordan (0-3, 3.68 ERA).
The 24-year-old right-hander started the year in Class A Potomac before a 7-0 mark with an 0.83 ERA at Double-A Harrisburg helped pave the way for his promotion to the big leagues June 29.
Jordan gave up three runs - one earned - over 4 1-3 innings in a 5-1 loss to New York that day.
Although he remains winless, Jordan has increased his innings pitched to 5 2-3, 5 2-3, six and 7 2-3 in his latest outing, a 5-1 loss to Pittsburgh on Tuesday in which he gave up five runs.
Unlike last month, Jordan won't be in awe of the Mets (46-55).
"I'm starting not to really care who's up to bat," said Jordan, who will be shut down once he pitches between 20 and 30 more innings. "I still have to make my pitches. "
When Jordan last faced New York, Torres (1-1, 0.94) was in the Mets' bullpen.
He has allowed two runs over 11 innings in two starts made possible due to injuries to Jonathon Niese and Shaun Marcum.
Torres hadn't started since Aug, 3, 2010, before these outings. New York is his third team in four big-league seasons. He's part of a six-man rotation the Mets are using now to give Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler extra rest.
Starting pitching has been the story of this series. Mets starters have allowed five runs over 22 innings while Nationals starters have yielded seven over 20 2-3.
Home runs have proved decisive. The Mets went deep three times in Friday's 11-0 rout before Ryan Zimmerman had the game's only homer in the nightcap of that doubleheader, a game-winning solo shot in a 2-1 victory.
Washington (51-54) scored all of its runs via the longball in Saturday's 4-1 win. Ian Desmond and Denard Span hit back-to-back homers in the second inning and Bryce Harper added a two-run shot in the third.
The Nationals have homered 12 times over their last eight games after a six-game drought.
"One thing we know that they can do is they're a dangerous club, they've got good power," Mets manager Terry Collins said.
Collins is hoping for a split before the Mets head to Miami for another four-game set Monday.
"We're 1-2 right now, we win tomorrow we're 2-2," he said. "There's nothing to accept. You've just gotta keep playing, bounce back, we've got a lot of road trip left."
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Mets at Nationals
Fri, Jul 26 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores Recaps
GAME 2
Mets at Nationals
Sat, Jul 27 Final 1 to 4
Boxscores Recaps
GAME 3
Mets at Nationals
Sun, Jul 28 - 1:35PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-28-13 02:52 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Royals (50-51) at White Sox (40-61)
Game: 3
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: July 28, 2013 2:10 PM EDT
The Kansas City Royals are on the verge of matching their longest winning streak of the season, thanks in large part to superb pitching.
The rotation has been particularly dominant.
Bruce Chen looks to keep the Royals rolling with another commanding performance Sunday against the last-place Chicago White Sox.
Kansas City (50-51) is on a five-game winning streak for the first time since a season-high six-game run from June 5-10.
The Royals' current surge has been powered by their pitching staff, which has compiled a 1.00 ERA. The rotation has been especially excellent with a 0.79 ERA.
James Shields tossed seven scoreless innings in Friday's 5-1 win and Wade Davis was even better Saturday, going 7 1-3 while allowing four hits in Kansas City's 1-0 victory.
Now it's up to Chen (4-0, 1.97 ERA) to help the Royals complete the sweep. The left-hander has been outstanding in two starts since entering the rotation in place of an ineffective Luis Mendoza, who beat him out for a starting spot in spring training.
The only run the 36-year-old has allowed in 12 innings of two starts came on a solo homer in Tuesday's 3-2 win over Baltimore.
"His fastball - he'll throw one at 83 (mph) and then one at 87, and the 87 looks like 94 mixed in with the slow curveball, the changeup, the two-seamer. So he does a great job of on and off the gas with his velocities," manager Ned Yost told the team's official website.
Chen is 3-1 with a 3.60 ERA over his last five games - four starts - versus Chicago. However, that defeat came in his most recent visit to the South Side on Sept. 8, when he surrendered five runs and three homers in six innings of a 5-4 loss.
The White Sox (40-61) haven't been nearly that productive at the plate lately, getting 14 hits in this series with their only run coming on a Conor Gillaspie's solo shot Friday.
Gordon Beckham, 0 for 6 in this series, is mired in a five-game slump during which he's gone 1 for 21. He had been hitting .396 in the 12 games prior to this stretch.
Beckham is 4 for 27 with a homer against Chen.
Hector Santiago (3-6, 3.38) will take the mound hoping to replicate his most recent start against the Royals. He went a season-high eight innings in Kansas City on June 21, allowing three hits and a run in a 9-1 win.
He's 0-1 with a 4.18 ERA in five starts since.
Santiago was charged with a 6-2 loss to visiting Detroit on Tuesday, allowing six runs - three earned - with six strikeouts and a career high-tying five walks in six innings. The defense didn't provide much help with a season-high four errors.
He may not have to deal with Lorenzo Cain, who has three hits and two RBIs over the past two games. The center fielder exited in the eighth inning Saturday due to tightness in his left groin after crashing into the outfield wall while taking a hit away from Jeff Keppinger in the seventh.
"He's got a little bit of a groin strain, why we took him out," Yost said. "He's day to day. Probably rest him (Sunday) because we've got an off day on Monday, grab him two days right there."
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Royals at White Sox
Fri, Jul 26 Final 5 to 1
Boxscores Recaps
GAME 2
Royals at White Sox
Sat, Jul 27 Final 1 to 0
Boxscores Recaps
GAME 3
Royals at White Sox
Sun, Jul 28 - 2:10PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-28-13 02:53 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Cardinals (62-39) at Braves (59-45)
Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: July 28, 2013 8:05 PM EDT
The St. Louis Cardinals haven't been swept on the road all season and haven't been swept in Atlanta in more than 10 years.
The NL's best offense hasn't gotten untracked this weekend, but could enjoy a favorable matchup against the Atlanta Braves' struggling Kris Medlen in Sunday night's series finale.
St. Louis (62-39) leads the league with 496 runs but has scored one through the first two games of this set. The Cardinals' six hits over consecutive games are their lowest total for an offense batting an NL-best .275.
Yadier Molina's second-inning homer in Friday's 4-1 defeat has been followed by 16 scoreless innings at the plate. Julio Teheran and two relievers combined on a two-hitter in Atlanta's 2-0 victory on Saturday.
The Cardinals have dropped four straight in the regular season at Turner Field, where they won 6-3 in last year's NL wild-card playoff - a loss that still stings for the Braves.
"They're a great team," shortstop Andrelton Simmons said. "They got us last year in a pretty big game. We owe them some. It's good to see this team beating them."
Medlen (6-10, 3.78 ERA) was the starter for Atlanta (59-45) in the wild-card defeat, allowing five runs - two earned - over 6 1-3 innings. He gave up a homer to Matt Holliday - activated off the disabled list Saturday - in his first start of any kind versus St. Louis.
The right-hander has posted an 8.59 ERA in dropping three straight starts for the first time in his career.
Medlen has received two total runs of support during his slide. His average of 3.40 is one of baseball's lowest marks.
He will be opposed by Shelby Miller (10-6, 2.77), who has never faced the Braves. The Cardinals were happy with Miller after the 22-year-old returned from a 12-day break with six scoreless innings in Tuesday's 4-1 home win over Philadelphia.
Miller had given up 10 earned runs in 12 2-3 innings over his previous three starts.
"The biggest thing for me was to clear my head and get back to where I need to be," Miller said. "I just relaxed and threw out there. I got some time away, got time to work on some mechanics and get things straightened away."
Now the right-hander will try to improve on the road, where he has a 4.07 ERA compared to a 1.74 mark at home.
Atlanta is in position for its first three-game home sweep of St. Louis since April 22-24, 2003, but the Braves' offense has actually produced fewer extra-base hits in this series. The Cardinals have five and Atlanta four.
One of those hits for the Braves was Simmons' two-run double in the eighth inning Saturday. Chris Johnson is 4 for 6 in this series for Atlanta.
The Cardinals' Carlos Beltran is hitless in his last 11 at_bats and 1 for 9 overall against Medlen. Molina's homer Friday is his only hit in his last 10 at_bats, while fellow MVP candidate Allen Craig has gone hitless in three straight games for the first time in 2013 with nine empty at_bats.
This series features four of the league's top hitters in Molina (.332), Johnson (.332), Craig (.329) and Matt Carpenter (.321).
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Cardinals at Braves
Fri, Jul 26 Final 1 to 4
Boxscores Recaps
GAME 2
Cardinals at Braves
Sat, Jul 27 Final 0 to 2
Boxscores Recaps
GAME 3
Cardinals at Braves
Sun, Jul 28 - 8:05PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-28-13 03:07 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Brewers (43-61) at Cubs (48-55)
Game: 1
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: July 29, 2013 8:05 PM EDT
Despite trading away two high-priced veterans, the Chicago Cubs have managed to produce some positive results of late.
Looking for a fourth consecutive victory, the Cubs return home for the first time since the All-Star break to face the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night.
Since losing eight of 10 to open June, Chicago (48-55) is 23-17 and coming off a 6-4 trip that concluded with a three-game sweep of San Francisco. That road run came while the club continued its rebuilding process by dealing Matt Garza and Alfonso Soriano.
"It's not as much of a challenge for me as always making sure you have the depth to fill the voids that happen sometimes," manager Dale Sveum told the Cubs' official website. "We have a lot more depth than we did last year."
Chicago managed six runs in San Francisco, but held the reigning World Series champs to three in three one-run wins. All-Star Travis Wood pitched seven strong innings and hit a solo homer in Sunday's 2-1 victory.
After Chris Rusin and Wood combined to allow an unearned run and seven hits over 14 innings of the last two games, Jeff Samardzija (6-9, 3.94 ERA) hopes to avoid another subpar outing when he takes the ball Monday.
The right-hander was staked to a 6-0 lead after 4 1/2 innings Wednesday, but allowed four runs and matched a season high with five walks in 5 2-3 innings of a 7-6, 12-inning win at Arizona.
"You just can't walk guys, it brings up your pitch count.' said Samardzija, who is 1-2 with a 6.85 ERA and walked 15 in four July starts.
He hopes that won't be the case while trying to improve on a 2-4 record and 5.46 ERA in 10 starts this season at Wrigley Field. He is 4-5 in 11 road starts but has a 2.72 ERA.
Samardzija dropped to 0-3 with a 3.75 ERA in four starts against the Brewers (43-61) after yielding five runs, four on a pair of homers, in seven innings of a 5-4 loss April 19.
Milwaukee is 5-3 against the Cubs this season, but lost the final two of a three-game home set to their NL Central rivals last month.
The Brewers lost for the fifth time in seven games, 6-5 at Colorado on Sunday. All-Star Carlos Gomez had two hits, and is 12 for 20 in the last five contests after he went 3 for 42 in his previous 12.
Gomez is batting .235 (4 for 17) versus Chicago in 2013, but homered off Samardzija.
Looking for a third straight winning start, teammate Kyle Lohse (7-7, 3.37) has allowed one run in 13 innings of his last two outings. That run came in seven frames of a 3-1 victory over San Diego on Wednesday.
"When he is on his game like that, it is a big boost for the team," manager Ron Roenicke said.
The right-hander has a 3.15 ERA while winning three straight starts against the Cubs. He gave up a three-run homer to Nate Schierholtz in seven innings of a 9-3 home win over Chicago on June 25.
That is one of Schierholtz's two hits in nine at_bats against Lohse. He's 10 for 25 (.400) with three home runs and eight RBIs in his last eight contests overall.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-29-13 03:40 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Blue Jays (48-56) at Athletics (62-43)
Game: 1
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: July 29, 2013 10:05 PM EDT
If the Oakland Athletics' latest victory was further indication that their offense is heating up, they just might run away with the AL West title.
Hoping to build on an impressive comeback win, the A's look for a fourth consecutive victory Monday night against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays.
Oakland (62-43) averaged 1.6 runs while splitting eight games from July 8-20, but since is putting up 5.0 per game while winning six of eight. The A's overcame an early five-run deficit to win 10-6 over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.
"That's just Oakland A's baseball," catcher Derek Norris told the Athletics' official website. "You know there's going to be a time when both (hitting and pitching) are going to click, and that's going to be scary for teams when they come in to face Oakland.
"That's what makes us a very good ballclub."
Yoenis Cespedes had three hits with four RBIs as Oakland increased its division lead to a season-high six games over struggling Texas. Before breaking out, Cespedes was 2 for 15 with five strikeouts in his previous five games since he won the All-Star Home Run Derby.
"I've been working a lot, every single day, to try to get the swing that I got (Sunday),' said Cespedes, who still has not homered in 25 consecutive games.
Teammate Eric Sogard also had three hits, and is batting .407 (11 for 27) with six RBIs in his last eight contests after going hitless in his previous nine at_bats.
"We've had some guys struggling, and then someone else shows up ... and then someone else shows up," manager Bob Melvin said. "We still have some guys struggling, but we manage to either get just enough or keep adding on like (Sunday).'
Toronto (48-56) scored 24 runs while winning three of four from major league-worst Houston this weekend, with half coming in Friday's 12-6 victory. Colby Rasmus delivered the winning single in the bottom of the ninth for a 2-1 win Sunday.
The Blue Jays entered that set in the midst of a seven-game skid.
"We have to put as many wins together as we can," Rasmus told the Blue Jays' official website. "Stay positive and get on this (10-game) West Coast trip and go out there and try to win some ballgames."
Rasmus is batting .365 with 14 RBIs in 23 games this month, and .357 (5 for 14) in his last three versus Oakland.
Teammate Edwin Encarnacion went 9 for 12 with eight RBIs in the Houston series. He's hit .391 (9 for 23) with two homers and five RBIs in his last six games against the A's.
However, Encarnacion and Rasmus are a combined 1 for 6 with three strikeouts against scheduled Oakland starter A.J. Griffin (9-7, 3.84 ERA).
The right-hander allowed four hits over 7 2-3 scoreless innings while going 1-0 against the Blue Jays last season, but left after 32 pitches with a strained shoulder versus Toronto on August 4.
Griffin gave up three runs on two more homers in 6 1-3 innings of a 4-3 win at Houston on Wednesday. He ranks among the major league leaders with 23 home runs allowed, but only six have come at home.
He'll be opposed by Esmil Rogers (3-4, 3.74), who has not earned a decision in his last three starts. Rogers allowed two runs despite yielding 10 hits in seven innings of an 8-3, 10-inning loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday.
The right-hander pitched 3 1-3 scoreless innings of relief versus Oakland last year
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-29-13 03:41 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Reds (59-47) at Padres (48-58)
Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: July 29, 2013 10:10 PM EDT
The Cincinnati Reds' offense has gone stagnant, which means another stingy performance from Mike Leake could be even more necessary.
A solid pitching effort bailed out the San Diego Padres in their most recent contest, and they'll look to send Cincinnati to a fourth straight defeat Monday night.
Cincinnati (59-47) averaged 6.2 runs while winning seven of its previous nine, but it scored just twice while dropping the final three of its four-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After plating one run each Friday and Saturday, the Reds fell 1-0 on Yasiel Puig's homer in the bottom of the 11th inning Sunday. Brandon Phillips went 0 for 4 and finished 1 for 13 for the series.
"Our guys are trying the best they can," manager Dusty Baker said. "I mean, everybody's talking about our on-base percentage, but you've got to have some guys drive them in. We were frustrated all day."
Cincinnati's pitching staff, which ranks among the majors' best with a 3.33 team ERA after striking out a franchise-record 20 on Sunday, allowed only eight earned runs against the Dodgers and now will turn to Leake (10-4, 2.73 ERA) for another solid effort.
Leake has won three straight starts after giving up one run despite a career-worst 12 hits through six innings of an 8-3 win over San Francisco on Wednesday. He also had his second three-hit game of the year but is 2 for 37 in the other 17 games he's batted.
The right-hander is 8-2 with a 1.97 ERA over his last 13 starts. Leake's only career start versus San Diego didn't go so well, though, as he allowed five runs and walked three in 1 2-3 innings of an 11-5 defeat July 30, 2012.
The Reds have won six of the last seven meetings with the Padres, which completed a 6-4 road trip with two series wins after a 1-0 victory over Arizona on Sunday and will play at home for the first time in the second half.
``The guys should be proud about the way they bounced back after the All-Star break,' manager Bud Black said. ``It was a good road trip.'
San Diego (48-58), though, needed a solid pitching performance from Tyson Ross - who allowed three hits in eight innings - to help overshadow its inconsistent offense. It has scored one run or none three times in a five-game stretch, but totaled 22 in winning the other two.
Carlos Quentin drove in his 20th run of July on Sunday, and he'll look to help provide enough support for Sean O'Sullivan, who looks to build off a solid outing.
O'Sullivan (0-2, 4.73) has made two starts and three appearances since being recalled July 12 after the Padres announced Clayton Richard would have season-ending shoulder surgery. He pitched well in his latest outing but still suffered a 3-1 defeat after giving up three runs - two earned - in 6 1-3 innings Wednesday at Milwaukee.
That start was in place of Jason Marquis, who will undergo Tommy John surgery.
"He's got a little bit of a bulldog in him," Black said. "He changed speeds, and he kept the ball down. We just couldn't get any runs for him."
The right-hander has never faced the Reds, who have won six of their last eight in San Diego.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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07-29-13 03:42 PM |
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