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Preview: Pirates (42-30) at Reds (44-29)
Game: 4
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: June 20, 2013 12:35 PM EDT
The last time Homer Bailey faced the Pittsburgh Pirates, he accomplished something no Cincinnati Reds pitcher had done in 24 years.
Owner of the majors' most recent no-hitter, Bailey faces the visiting Pirates on Thursday for the first time since he made history against them last season.
In 2012, the seven-year veteran set a career high with 13 wins, recorded his lowest ERA at 3.68 and allowed one hit in seven innings of a 2-1, 10-inning Game 3 loss to San Francisco in the NL division series. However, his career highlight came Sept. 28 at Pittsburgh as he struck out 10 and walked one during a 1-0 victory to record the majors' seventh no-hitter of the season.
Bailey (4-5, 3.80 ERA) became the first Cincinnati pitcher since Tom Browning on Sept. 16, 1988, to throw one.
"He didn't give in at all," Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen said after that contest.
Three of Bailey's four career complete games and his most wins against any team have come versus Pittsburgh (42-30). The right-hander is 8-2 in 12 starts against the Pirates with a 2.51 ERA - his best versus any NL team.
Bailey, however, has been inconsistent in 2013.
He gave up three earned runs and 10 hits in 15 innings to go 1-0 in his first two June starts, then allowed six runs and eight hits over seven frames of a 6-0 loss to Milwaukee on Saturday.
"I made a couple of mistakes that they hit for singles down the line, but I made some really good pitches that they put into play," Bailey said. "It wasn't like they were banging balls off the walls."
He'll try to help Cincinnati (44-29) win this four-game set after it rallied for a 2-1, 13-inning victory Wednesday. Jay Bruce halted Jason Grilli's save streak at 25 games with a homer in the ninth, and Brandon Phillips delivered a game-winning single with the bases loaded.
"You feel horrible because the bullpen has been working a lot and we had to go extras and work harder," Grilli said after his first blown save of 2013. "You lose a tough ballgame in an important series."
All of Bruce's three hits in his last 17 at_bats have left the park.
Phillips' winner was his second hit in 21 at_bats. He's hitting .179 in 13 games since being hit on the left forearm with a pitch at Pittsburgh on June 1.
"I haven't been feeling right and I was doing things I don't normally do," he said. "I felt a little better (Wednesday)."
McCutchen is batting .345 (10 for 29) against Bailey but is 2 for 17 in the last four games. He's 4 for 24 in his last six versus Cincinnati.
Pittsburgh right-hander Brandon Cumpton (0-0, 5.40) gets a second start after he gave up three runs and seven hits in five innings of a 5-3, 11-inning loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in his major league debut Saturday.
"He gave us everything he had," manager Clint Hurdle said. "He did a very professional job."
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Pirates at Reds
Mon, Jun 17 Final 1 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Pirates at Reds
Tue, Jun 18 Final 4 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 3
Pirates at Reds
Wed, Jun 19 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 4
Pirates at Reds
Thu, Jun 20 - 12:35PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-20-13 04:01 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Athletics (43-31) at Rangers (40-32)
Game: 4
Venue: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Date: June 20, 2013 2:05 PM EDT
Considering their recent struggles at the plate, the Texas Rangers have been encouraged about the way they've hit the ball against the Oakland Athletics this week.
Coming off their second big offensive performance in the series, the host Rangers look to take the four-game set from AL West-leading A's on Thursday.
Nelson Cruz and David Murphy each had three hits and Justin Grimm lasted five innings to snap a 17-game winless streak by Texas starting pitchers in Wednesday's 9-4 win over Oakland.
The Rangers (40-32) totaled eight runs and averaged 7.2 hits during a season-high six-game losing streak before winning 8-7 in Monday's series opener with the A's (43-31). After being held to three hits in Tuesday's 6-2 defeat, Texas pounded out 14 to cut Oakland's division lead to two games.
"I think we can go out there now and be competitive,' Texas manager Ron Washington said. "I think we got the monkey off our back as far as having a total drought offensively. I think some guys are starting do some things all throughout the lineup.
"We start getting more consistent, then we'll get back to playing our baseball.'
Cruz is 6 for 12 with two homers and six RBIs in the series after going 3 for 20 with six strikeouts in the first six games versus Oakland this season.
Murphy was 7 for 50 (.140) in his previous 14 games before he broke out Wednesday.
The Rangers hope to fare better than they did last month against scheduled Oakland starter A.J. Griffin (5-6, 3.93 ERA). The right-hander yielded a home run and struck out eight without a walk in seven innings of a 5-1 victory May 13 to improve to 1-0 with a 2.87 ERA in three starts versus Texas.
Griffin, however, has allowed four runs in four of his last five starts. He served up a grand slam to 41-year-old catcher Henry Blanco in a 4-0 loss to Seattle on Saturday to fall to 0-3 with a 4.15 ERA in his last four outings.
"I was just trying for weak contact and Henry was looking for a well-placed fastball and he hit it,' Griffin said. "I watched the video and the pitch went right where (catcher John) Jaso set up, up and in. At the end of the day it's four runs on one pitch."
Chris Young hit a three-run homer and had two of the six hits Wednesday for the A's, who have dropped four of six. Young is batting .192, but is 6 for his last 12 with two home runs and four RBIs.
Young is 0 for 6 with four strikeouts against Texas' Josh Lindblom (0-2, 5.94), who makes his fourth start this season after he allowed four runs on two homers in six innings of a 6-1 loss to Toronto on Saturday.
"Those two pitches, that's been the Achilles' heel of our pitching staff lately," Washington told the Rangers' official website. "One or two pitches cost us."
The right-hander gave four runs and seven hits, including a homer to Seth Smith, over 4 2-3 innings of a 9-2 loss to the A's on May 20.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Athletics at Rangers
Mon, Jun 17 Final 7 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Athletics at Rangers
Tue, Jun 18 Final 6 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 3
Athletics at Rangers
Wed, Jun 19 Final 4 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 4
Athletics at Rangers
Thu, Jun 20 - 2:05PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-20-13 04:07 PM |
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Preview: Brewers (29-41) at Astros (27-46)
Game: 3
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: June 20, 2013 2:10 PM EDT
Based on his history at Minute Maid Park, Yovani Gallardo would appear to be in good position to continue his recent success.
Riding a two-game scoreless stretch, the right-hander tries to win in Houston for the fourth straight time and help the Milwaukee Brewers record a winning road trip Thursday against the Astros.
Gallardo (6-6, 4.41 ERA) has allowed seven hits over 14 scoreless innings to win two straight outings after posting an 8.04 ERA in his previous three. He gave up three hits over six innings of a 6-0 victory at Cincinnati on Saturday.
"I feel good - the past three starts, actually," Gallardo said. "It seems like things are finally falling together. I've been able to find a rhythm."
He's usually been able to do so against the Astros (27-46), going 13-3 with a 2.87 ERA in 16 starts. Gallardo had won 10 consecutive outings against them before losing the last one, yielding five runs in six innings of a 7-6 home loss Sept. 28.
However, he still has a three-game win streak in Houston, yielding five runs in 21 2-3 innings with 20 strikeouts. He's 5-2 with a 2.66 ERA all-time at Minute Maid Park.
He'll try to help Milwaukee (29-41) build on a 3-1 comeback victory Wednesday and finish its current trip at 5-4. Rickie Weeks hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning and Aramis Ramirez added a solo shot in the ninth to help the Brewers to their seventh win in 11 contests.
Weeks, who had two of his team's six hits, is batting .419 with three homers in his last 11 games. He batted .182 with three home runs in his first 52 contests, a slump that prompted the Brewers to call up promising prospect Scooter Gennett this month to split time with him at second base.
"Once Scooter got here and we got them matched up, he has been swinging the bat better," manager Ron Roenicke said. "So it's hard to say whether it was just the timing of it or it is the matchups.
"So I think the combination of the two. Scooter has done a nice job out there and hopefully it's a good platoon system."
Weeks won't go into much detail about trying to win back the full-time job.
"It's just one of those things where if my name is in the lineup I've got to go out there and do my job," he said.
Jose Altuve had three of the 10 hits for the Astros, who went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position and fell for the second time in seven games.
Altuve is batting .356 in 26 games versus Milwaukee, but he's 3 for 15 against Gallardo.
Scheduled Houston starter Lucas Harrell (5-7, 4.48) has allowed four earned runs and 14 hits in 20 2-3 innings over his last three starts. His lone win in that span came Saturday, giving up three runs and striking out seven in 6 2-3 innings of a 4-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox.
The right-hander is 0-1 with a 4.35 ERA in two starts versus Milwaukee.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Brewers at Astros
Tue, Jun 18 Final 1 to 10
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Brewers at Astros
Wed, Jun 19 Final 3 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 3
Brewers at Astros
Thu, Jun 20 - 2:10PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-20-13 04:09 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Red Sox (44-30) at Tigers (39-31)
Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: June 20, 2013 7:08 PM EDT
Detroit's Jose Alvarez was impressive on the mound in his major league debut.
Now, he'll get a crack at baseball's best offense.
Alvarez takes the ball Thursday night as the Tigers host the Boston Red Sox in the opener of a four-game series.
Alvarez (1-0, 1.50 ERA) gave up one run and three hits while striking out seven over six innings in a 4-1 win over Cleveland on June 9. Detroit (39-31) purchased the 24-year-old's contract from Triple-A for that start in place of the injured Anibal Sanchez, then sent him back to the minors afterward.
But with Sanchez landing on the disabled list Monday with a strained shoulder, Alvarez has been recalled for another start.
The left-hander took a no-hitter into the fifth against the Indians.
"You certainly had to like his demeanor and his mound presence. I thought it was terrific," manager Jim Leyland said. "He didn't appear to be overwhelmed by anything."
His second big league start likely won't get any easier against the Red Sox (44-30), who lead baseball with 373 runs.
Boston, however, has sputtered some in scoring 27 runs during a 4-5 stretch. It suffered a 6-2 home loss Wednesday to Tampa Bay, getting outhit 15-7.
Detroit is also coming off a discouraging home defeat, falling 13-3 to Baltimore on Wednesday. All six runs against starter Rick Porcello came in the fourth inning.
Even after the outcome was in little doubt, Jose Valverde struggled yet again, yielding four runs and five hits in the ninth.
The Tigers were also 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position after going 1 for 8 in a 5-2 defeat Tuesday. It was only the second time this season they've dropped a home series, and the first since they lost two of three to Cleveland from May 10-12.
"I don't want to sit here and look like I'm making excuses, because I'm not in any way, shape or form," Leyland said. "Things have to be a little bit better. But like I said, today was a day where it was a combination of things."
Detroit hopes to bounce back against Boston starter John Lackey (4-5, 3.08), who is making his first start versus the Tigers since 2010. He was 6-0 through his first eight career starts against the Tigers but suffered losses the last two times he faced them while surrendering 10 runs over 13 innings.
Lackey's last start saw him notch his first win since May 24, as he held the Orioles to two runs over seven innings in a 5-4 victory on Saturday. He gave up four hits and two runs in the first inning before settling down.
Jhonny Peralta and Victor Martinez are a combined 21 for 49 against Lackey.
Miguel Cabrera was 2 for 4 Wednesday, becoming the first player since Ted Williams in 1948 to record at least 100 hits and 71 RBIs through his team's first 70 games.
Austin Jackson, 10 for 21 while hitting safely in his last five games, was 11 for 23 with an OPS of 1.354 in six contests versus Boston last season.
Boston had won 10 of 13 meetings in Detroit prior to dropping the last four there.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Red Sox at Tigers
Thu, Jun 20 - 7:08PM EDT
GAME 2
Red Sox at Tigers
Fri, Jun 21 - 7:08PM EDT
GAME 3
Red Sox at Tigers
Sat, Jun 22 - 7:15PM EDT
GAME 4
Red Sox at Tigers
Sun, Jun 23 - 1:08PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-20-13 04:14 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Rays (37-35) at Yankees (39-32)
Game: 1
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: June 20, 2013 7:05 PM EDT
After a terrific start to the year, Matt Moore has come undone over the last two weeks.
Manager Joe Maddon believes it's only a matter of time until he gets back on track.
Moore tries to avoid losing a career worst-tying fourth consecutive start as the Tampa Bay Rays open a four-game set against the New York Yankees on Thursday night.
Moore (8-3, 4.12 ERA) opened 8-0 with a 2.18 ERA, but he's been knocked around in losing each of his three starts this month. The 24-year-old left-hander, surrendering an AL-worst 4.72 walks per nine innings, has allowed 20 runs, 26 hits and 11 free passes in 12 1-3 innings during his skid.
"If you just think about what I've done the last few starts, it's pretty disappointing," said Moore, who lost four straight outings Aug. 30-Sept. 16. "Anytime that the command is not there, usually it's something that had to do with my delivery."
Moore saw his woes continue Friday in a 7-2 loss to Kansas City, yielding five runs, seven hits and four walks over 5 1-3 innings.
"I believe it's going to come," Maddon told MLB's official website. "I'm not overtly worried about it. I don't know exactly when it's going to be consistent. But this guy is going to be a very, very good major league pitcher. Already is. It's just a little bit frustrating to watch right now."
Moore has allowed a combined two runs in two starts spanning 14 innings against New York this year, going 1-0 with a .146 opponent batting average. He's 3-2 with a 3.57 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 35 1-3 innings over six matchups in the series.
Vernon Wells and Jayson Nix are a combined 2 for 22 against Moore, though Robinson Cano is 4 for 12 with a homer. Wells is 6 for 56 in 16 games this month.
The Yankees (39-32) counter with Andy Pettitte (5-4, 3.95), who gave up four runs and a season-high 11 hits in seven innings Friday in a 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.
"It was frustrating," said Pettitte, who turned 41 on Saturday. "I felt pretty good, but my command definitely wasn't quite where I wanted it to be. ... You've got to make quality pitches. I was just trying to be real aggressive with all of my pitches."
The left-hander is 0-2 with a 7.71 ERA in his last four home starts and also has struggled against the Rays lately, going 1-3 with a 5.04 ERA over a five-start stretch.
Pettitte, who struck out a season-best 10 in six innings during a 3-0 loss to Tampa Bay on April 24, is 12 strikeouts away from tying Whitey Ford's franchise record of 1,956.
While Evan Longoria is 2 for 21 with one homer and 11 strikeouts versus Pettitte, Ben Zobrist is 9 for 22 with two home runs.
The Rays (37-35) entered Wednesday having dropped eight of 10 before winning 6-2 at Boston. Desmond Jennings hit his ninth homer and prized prospect Wil Myers, playing in his third game, collected his first two RBIs.
"He's the proverbial five-tool guy - maybe the six-tool with the makeup, too," Maddon said of Myers. "He's on the right path."
The Yankees have lost six of eight after splitting Wednesday's doubleheader with the Dodgers.
New York and Tampa Bay have split six meetings this season - all at Tropicana Field. The Rays haven't won any of their last eight series in the Bronx.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Rays at Yankees
Thu, Jun 20 - 7:05PM EDT
GAME 2
Rays at Yankees
Fri, Jun 21 - 7:05PM EDT
GAME 3
Rays at Yankees
Sat, Jun 22 - 1:05PM EDT
GAME 4
Rays at Yankees
Sun, Jun 23 - 2:05PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-20-13 04:16 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Rockies (37-36) at Nationals (35-36)
Game: 1
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: June 20, 2013 7:05 PM EDT
The Colorado Rockies are near the top of the NL West despite a struggling rotation.
He may be past his prime, but the Rockies are hoping Roy Oswalt can give the pitching staff a lift when he makes his season debut in the opener of a four-game series with the Washington Nationals on Thursday night.
Colorado (37-36) signed the 35-year-old Oswalt to a minor league contract May 2, and the right-hander went 3-2 with a 2.16 ERA in five starts for Double-A Tulsa. The three-time All-Star is 163-96 over 12 years, and he was 4-3 with a 5.80 ERA in 17 games - nine starts - last season for Texas.
"He's always a competitive guy, a tough at-bat," manager Walt Weiss told the Rockies' official website. "He's a nice piece to have. He's ready to go. His velocity is real good and throwing all his pitches. He's done just about everything in this game, pitched in big games and been a staff ace."
It's highly unlikely he will be as effective as he was for Houston nearly a decade ago when he recorded back-to-back 20-win seasons. The Rockies, though, expect he can stabilize a shaky rotation.
Since May 30, Colorado's starting staff has baseball's third-worst ERA at 5.26. The rotation has only five wins in the last 25 games, but the Rockies are within 2 1/2 games of division-leading Arizona.
Oswalt will be facing a Washington team that snapped a three-game losing streak with a 6-2, 11-inning victory in Philadelphia on Wednesday. Jayson Werth's RBI single with two outs in the ninth tied it for the Nationals (35-36), and two innings later Ian Desmond hit a grand slam.
"I think that's one of the best games we've had as a team all year," starter Gio Gonzalez said. "We battled, made adjustments and came out on top."
Desmond is batting .167 (4 for 24) lifetime against Oswalt - his lowest average of the 17 pitchers he has faced at least 18 times.
Oswalt is 7-5 with a 3.17 ERA in 19 starts against the Washington franchise, last facing the Nationals in 2011.
Washington counters with Jordan Zimmermann (9-3, 2.44 ERA), who is trying to bounce back from a subpar showing.
Zimmermann was tagged for six runs and eight hits - including two homers - in five innings against Cleveland on Saturday, but the Nationals rallied for a 7-6 win. It was just the second time in 11 starts the right-hander permitted more than two runs.
Returning to the nation's capital could help Zimmermann become the first Washington pitcher to earn 10 wins by June 20 since Livan Hernandez in 2005. Zimmermann is 6-0 with a 1.06 ERA in seven home games.
His last outing against the Rockies came at Nationals Park last July, and he allowed one run and three hits in seven innings but did not factor in the decision of a 4-3 loss. He is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five career starts in the series.
The Nationals won two of three in Colorado last week. Desmond went 7 for 10 with five RBIs and Ryan Zimmerman was 4 for 11 with a homer, three doubles and four RBIs.
Tyler Colvin had two home runs and five RBIs in the series for Colorado, while Carlos Gonzalez homered, tripled and drove in four runs.
Gonzalez hit his NL-leading 21st home run in Wednesday's 5-2 loss in Toronto - Colorado's sixth defeat in eight games.
Gonzalez, who leads the NL with 45 extra-base hits, is batting .440 with three homers in six games since facing Washington.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Rockies at Nationals
Thu, Jun 20 - 7:05PM EDT
GAME 2
Rockies at Nationals
Fri, Jun 21 - 7:05PM EDT
GAME 3
Rockies at Nationals
Sat, Jun 22 - 12:05PM EDT
GAME 4
Rockies at Nationals
Sun, Jun 23 - 1:35PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-20-13 04:18 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Mets (27-41) at Braves (43-30)
Game: 4
Venue: Turner Field
Date: June 20, 2013 7:10 PM EDT
Atlanta Braves starters haven't had much trouble against the New York Mets this year, and there's little reason to think that will change Thursday night.
Mike Minor has dominated them lately, and the Braves will be looking to win his ninth straight start in the decisive finale of a five-game series.
Atlanta's rotation has a 2.31 ERA in nine games against New York this season, with 60 strikeouts compared to 13 walks in 58 1-3 innings. However, the Braves are just 5-4 in those games, greatly due to the bullpen's 10.22 ERA in the losses.
Luis Avilan and Craig Kimbrel threw two perfect innings in relief of Kris Medlen in a 5-3 victory Wednesday. The Mets were held to six hits and are batting a major league-low .226.
The Braves (43-30) haven't been defeated with Minor (8-2, 2.68 ERA) starting since New York did it in a 7-5, 10-inning victory May 3. Atlanta has since won all eight of his outings as he's gone 5-0 with a 2.25 ERA.
Even in that matchup with the Mets (27-41), Minor was in line to win as he left with a one-run lead after allowing three runs and three hits in seven innings. He was even better against them May 25, yielding three hits in 7 1-3 innings of a 6-0 victory. That outing improved the left-hander to 4-1 in eight starts against New York, including 2-0 with a 1.31 ERA in the last three.
Minor is 12-0 with a 2.22 ERA in his past 18 outings against NL teams, but the worst performance during his personal unbeaten streak came Saturday. He yielded five runs and seven hits in six innings before the Braves rallied to beat San Francisco 6-5.
"I thought I made decent pitches, and if they were hit a little bit harder, a little bit softer, it could've went the other way," Minor told the team's official website.
David Wright and Daniel Murphy are a combined 0 for 13 with five strikeouts this year against Minor, who is 13-2 in his last 21 starts.
His counterpart Thursday has not had the same good fortune.
Jonathon Niese (3-6, 4.15) has a 1.93 ERA in his last five starts, but the left-hander is 1-6 over his past 10 as the Mets have averaged 1.6 runs with him on the mound.
Niese, among the NL's worst with 4.03 walks per nine innings, had four walks Saturday as he lost to the Chicago Cubs. However, he allowed only two runs and got through 5 2-3 innings in the 5-2 defeat.
"He battled into the sixth inning and didn't want to come out and that's what I want," manager Terry Collins said. "Guys who don't want to come out of the game."
Control issues also plagued him May 5 in Atlanta, tying a career high with six walks while surrendering seven runs in four-plus innings of a 9-4 defeat.
Many Atlanta hitters have enjoyed facing Niese. Jason Heyward is 8 for 20 (.400), Freddie Freeman has gone 7 for 22 (.318) and each has two homers against him.
Justin Upton is 6 for 13 versus Niese but enters Thursday in a 2-for-23 slump. He's batting .157 without a homer in his last 18 home games.
Atlanta hasn't lost a series at Turner Field all season but must win Thursday to keep that streak alive. New York fell 2-1 on Monday before sweeping Tuesday's doubleheader behind pitching phenoms Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler.
The Mets haven't won a series against an NL team since taking two of three versus the Cubs from May 17-19.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Mets at Braves
Mon, Jun 17 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Mets at Braves
Tue, Jun 18 Final 6 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 3
Mets at Braves
Wed, Jun 19 Final 3 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 4
Mets at Braves
Thu, Jun 20 - 7:10PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-20-13 04:20 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Cubs (29-41) at Cardinals (46-26)
Game: 4
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: June 20, 2013 8:15 PM EDT
Among the NL leaders in wins, Lance Lynn's only loss surprisingly came against the lowly Chicago Cubs last month.
Getting the best of him again could prove difficult at Busch Stadium, where the St. Louis Cardinals continue to have their way with manager Dale Sveum's club.
Lynn takes the mound opposite Scott Feldman as the major league-leading Cardinals go for a seventh home win in eight games against the Cubs in the conclusion of a four-game set Thursday night.
Averaging 9.21 strikeouts per nine innings to rank fifth in the NL, Lynn (9-1, 3.56 ERA) has been nearly unbeatable this year. His only blemish came May 7 in a 2-1 defeat at Wrigley Field, allowing a two-run homer to Nate Schierholtz - one of just four hits - while striking out eight in seven innings.
"You look back at it, you gave up two runs on one swing," said Lynn, who dropped to 4-1 with a 2.87 ERA in five starts versus Chicago. "I got behind him and made him hit it and he put a good swing on it so you tip your cap there, but for the most part I threw the ball well. That was only one I wanted back."
Although the Cardinals' offense failed to come through that day, Lynn was fortunate to walk away with a win in Saturday's 13-7 victory at Miami. The right-hander gave up a career-high seven runs and season-worst nine hits over five innings
"It was a bad day," said Lynn, whose run support average of 7.22 ranks highest in the league. "I was fighting it the whole time. I only had one pitch, the fastball. When I threw it they got hits, and I wasn't able to get other pitches over for strikes."
Leading the NL in runs (359), average (.276), and on-base percentage (.336), St. Louis (46-26) has taken six of seven and 15 of 20 from the Cubs (29-41) at home. The Cardinals came through again in Wednesday's 4-1 victory.
Jake Westbrook threw seven sharp innings and Yadier Molina hit a two-run homer as St. Louis improved to 16-8 at home since April 30.
Molina is batting .449 with three home runs and 21 RBIs in his last 24 games.
"With the way he's been hitting, but more importantly the way he's handled us as a staff and the way we've been pitching," Westbrook said of Molina, whom he believes is deserving of MVP consideration. "He, in my mind, is the reason for that."
The Cardinals will try to stay hot against Feldman (6-5, 3.05), who allowed two hits and struck out six over seven innings of one-run ball in Saturday's 5-2 road win over the New York Mets.
"His cutter seems to be harder, and it seems like (it has) a few more inches of movement," Sveum told MLB's official website. "He's able to stick to the game plan so well, he can pitch down and away to stay away from slugging - which he did very well for the most part."
Feldman has allowed two earned runs or fewer in all but two of his last 12 starts.
"He knows how to pitch," Mets third baseman David Wright said of the right-hander, who's never started against St. Louis.
The Cubs have hit .173 in dropping three of four. Starlin Castro, who's hitless in his last eight at_bats, has gone 11 for his last 81 (.136) with 19 strikeouts.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Cubs at Cardinals
Mon, Jun 17 Final 2 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Cubs at Cardinals
Tue, Jun 18 Final 4 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 3
Cubs at Cardinals
Wed, Jun 19 Final 1 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 4
Cubs at Cardinals
Thu, Jun 20 - 8:15PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-20-13 04:23 PM |
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CNOTES
FoxDen Hall of Famer
Registered: Feb 2006
Posts: 10543
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Preview: Mariners (32-41) at Angels (32-40)
Game: 4
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: June 20, 2013 10:05 PM EDT
Another desperate adjustment by the Los Angeles Angels seemingly wasn't enough to spark Josh Hamilton on Wednesday. Fortunately for them, a great pitching performance neutralized his latest disappointing game.
Now Hamilton takes on the pitcher he's faced more than any other, an ace against which he's badly struggled - just like his team did in one meeting this season after shelling him last year.
Los Angeles aims for its sixth win in eight games Thursday night against Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners.
C.J. Wilson held Seattle (32-41) to two hits over seven innings in a 1-0 win for the Angels (32-40) Wednesday. The only run came on Joe Saunders' first wild pitch of the season, allowing Mike Trout to score. Saunders' ninth career complete game was all for naught.
Hamilton, meanwhile, continues to struggle, so much so that manager Mike Scioscia slotted him seventh in his batting order Wednesday after he grounded into three double plays in Seattle's 3-2 win Tuesday. The slugger was 0 for 3 and struck out twice for the third consecutive game Wednesday, lowering his batting average to .210 as he hit seventh for the first time since 2009.
Hamilton's .657 OPS is a career low. He slugged .633 in his MVP season of 2010.
"We've got to figure out something," said Hamilton, hitting .152 in his last 13 home games. "Some players wear emotions on their sleeves and break things, but I'm not going to break my bat on the field because there's kids watching. If they don't think I care, they're mistaken because it hurts me more than it hurts anybody not to be performing."
Hamilton may not do much better Thursday as he's 8 for 51 (.157) with 16 strikeouts versus Hernandez and hitless in his last 10 at_bats against him.
Hernandez (8-4, 2.32 ERA) did have some troubles in five starts versus the Angels last year, collecting an 0-3 record and 6.25 ERA. However, he beat them on April 27 as he gave up two runs - one earned - and five hits in eight innings during a 3-2 win.
The right-hander is 3-0 with a 1.84 ERA in his last four starts and brings a 12-inning scoreless streak into Thursday after going seven in a 4-0 win at Oakland on Saturday.
Trout has hit .407 (11 for 27) against him and enters this matchup on a roll, going 9 for 20 with eight walks in his last six games.
Hernandez will be opposed by Tommy Hanson (4-2, 3.94), who has won his last two outings while allowing four runs in 11 1-3 innings. He struck out a season-high eight against the Yankees in a 6-2 win Saturday.
"This was the most confident I've felt all year. Obviously, I needed a little time to deal with what I was dealing with, but I feel like I'm getting back to a rhythm," said Hanson, who took nearly a month off in May as he dealt with the death of his stepbrother. "I'm back to a normal routine."
Hanson won his only previous start versus Seattle, going six innings and giving up three runs in a 5-4 victory while with Atlanta on June 28, 2011.
Michael Morse is 5 for 13 with two homers against Hanson.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Mariners at Angels
Mon, Jun 17 Final 3 to 11
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Mariners at Angels
Tue, Jun 18 Final 3 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 3
Mariners at Angels
Wed, Jun 19 Final 0 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 4
Mariners at Angels
Thu, Jun 20 - 10:05PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-20-13 04:25 PM |
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CNOTES
FoxDen Hall of Famer
Registered: Feb 2006
Posts: 10543
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Preview: Dodgers (30-40) at Padres (36-36)
Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: June 20, 2013 10:10 PM EDT
Although no one in baseball has issued more walks than the San Diego Padres' Jason Marquis, he hasn't lost in almost two months.
Marquis goes for a ninth consecutive victory and fourth in a row over the Los Angeles Dodgers, who visit Petco Park for the first time since April's bench-clearing brawl Thursday night.
After giving up a season-high seven runs in 4 2-3 innings in a 7-1 loss to Milwaukee on April 22, Marquis (9-2, 3.63 ERA) has gone 8-0 with a 3.25 ERA over a 10-start stretch. The veteran right-hander, who's allowed at least four base on balls in all but two of those outings, has surrendered 47 walks on the season.
Marquis yielded three runs, three hits and four walks in 6 2-3 innings in Saturday's 6-4 victory over Arizona. He has a chance to become the first Padres pitcher to win nine consecutive decisions since Kevin Brown won 11 straight May 26-Aug. 5, 1998.
Marquis now turns his attention to the Dodgers (30-40), against whom he's gone 3-0 with a 2.52 ERA over four outings since the start of last year. He gave up two runs, three hits and two walks in 6 1-3 innings in a 6-2 victory at Dodger Stadium on June 5.
"Marquis is a tough matchup, he's given us trouble," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly told MLB's official website. "He seems like he pitches good every time. He's a guy that keeps the ball down. He can run the ball at you and break the ball off the plate to the other side. He's tough."
Los Angeles is set to make its first trip back to San Diego since drama unfolded April 11. After getting hit by a pitch, Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin charged and collided with Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke, who suffered a broken collarbone.
These teams have played two series since, with the Padres (36-36) taking four of six at Chavez Ravine.
Yasiel Puig, who went a combined 5 for 8 with two homers and five RBIs in leading the Dodgers to two wins over San Diego in his first taste of big league action June 3-4, has yet to cool off.
Batting .474 in 15 games since getting called up from Double-A Chattanooga, Puig hit his fifth homer as Los Angeles cruised to a 6-0 road win over the New York Yankees in the back end of Wednesday's doubleheader. The Dodgers dropped the first game 6-4.
Hanley Ramirez also came up big on the day, going 6 for 8 with a homer and four RBIs.
"Hanley, for me, I've said it since he came over. I think he's one of the best hitters in the game," Mattingly said. "The way Yasiel's swinging the bat, if Adrian (Gonzalez) continues to swing the bat the way he's capable of, that's a pretty potent trio of guys."
Gonzalez, who spent five years with San Diego from 2006-10, is hitting .309 with a team-leading 45 RBIs.
The Padres followed up a season-high seven-game winning streak with back-to-back losses, falling 4-2 at San Francisco on Wednesday. San Diego found itself in another on-field altercation after Madison Bumgarner threw a pitch behind Jesus Guzman's back, prompting both benches to clear.
Guzman, who celebrated after hitting a go-ahead pinch-hit two-run homer in the eighth inning of Tuesday's 5-4 defeat, went deep again Wednesday.
San Diego placed shortstop Everth Cabrera (strained left hamstring) on the disabled list Wednesday and could also be without Quentin again. He's missed the last five games with a shoulder injury.
The Padres will try to regroup against Dodgers scheduled starter Stephen Fife (1-2, 3.74). The right-hander's lone win came June 3, when he gave up a run in 5 1-3 innings of a 2-1 victory over San Diego.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Dodgers at Padres
Thu, Jun 20 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 2
Dodgers at Padres
Fri, Jun 21 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 3
Dodgers at Padres
Sat, Jun 22 - 7:15PM EDT
GAME 4
Dodgers at Padres
Sun, Jun 23 - 4:10PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-20-13 04:29 PM |
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CNOTES
FoxDen Hall of Famer
Registered: Feb 2006
Posts: 10543
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Preview: Marlins (22-49) at Giants (37-34)
Game: 1
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: June 20, 2013 10:15 PM EDT
It's been over a month since the San Francisco Giants have won three in a row. Standing in their way is the Miami Marlins, who have the fewest road wins in the majors but have enjoyed success in recent years when visiting San Francisco.
The Giants look to avoid an eighth straight home loss to the Marlins in the opener of a four-game series Thursday night.
San Francisco's last three-game winning streak came May 10-12, and it has gone 14-19 since that minor run.
The Giants (37-34) have rallied late each time in winning their last two. They scored twice in the eighth inning to beat San Diego 5-4 on Tuesday night and pushed across three runs in the seventh Wednesday to come away with a 4-2 win.
"We're getting good games from a lot of guys," catcher Buster Posey said.
The Marlins (22-49) have held the Giants to 12 runs during their win streak in San Francisco, but they've been having their own trouble scoring.
Miami has scored six times and managed 16 hits in the last three games after registering 19 runs and 32 hits in the previous three.
The Marlins dropped 24 of their first 30 road games but have since won three of five as the visitor. They have played much better overall in the past three weeks, going 9-8 following a 2-16 stretch that included a season-high nine-game losing streak.
Miami opened a seven-game trip by losing two of three to Arizona, falling 3-1 on Wednesday. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the eighth when Cody Ross hit a pinch-hit, three-run homer.
Marlins scheduled starter Tom Koehler (0-5, 5.09 ERA) will make his first appearance against San Francisco. All five of his losses have come in seven starts since leaving the bullpen for the rotation May 12, and he's coming off the worst outing of his career.
The right-hander allowed nine runs and eight hits over 4 2-3 innings of a 13-7 loss to St. Louis on Saturday.
"You can't take any pitches off," Koehler said. "Just because you get ahead (in the count) doesn't mean you can come back and lay something over there for the next pitch, because they're going to punch it. So you have to execute every pitch."
The only Giant that has faced Koehler is outfielder Andres Torres, who went 2 for 3 with a homer in their matchups while playing for the New York Mets last season.
Chad Gaudin (2-1, 2.83) will make his fourth start for the Giants following 18 relief appearances. The right-hander has a 4.24 ERA as a starter compared to 2.05 as a reliever.
He was roughed up in his last outing, giving up four runs and eight hits in five-plus innings while not receiving a decision in a 6-5 loss at Atlanta on Saturday.
Gaudin, who went 4-2 with a 4.54 ERA in 46 relief appearances for Miami last season, is 2-4 with a 5.12 ERA in nine games - two starts - against his former team.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Marlins at Giants
Thu, Jun 20 - 10:15PM EDT
GAME 2
Marlins at Giants
Fri, Jun 21 - 10:15PM EDT
GAME 3
Marlins at Giants
Sat, Jun 22 - 4:05PM EDT
GAME 4
Marlins at Giants
Sun, Jun 23 - 4:05PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-20-13 04:31 PM |
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CNOTES
FoxDen Hall of Famer
Registered: Feb 2006
Posts: 10543
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Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack
According to Phil Steele's magazine, college football teams playing the six hardest schedules this coming season.........
6) Iowa State-- Lost 13 starters, breaking in new QB.
5) Arkansas-- New coach, new QB, seven new starters on offense.
4) Purdue-- Allowed 46 ppg last three times they got to a bowl game.
3) California-- New coach; 2-8 vs spread as home dog since 2005.
2) Oklahoma-- New QB Bell threw 16 passes, ran ball 60 times LY.
1) Florida-- Lost 7 starters on defense (5 of LY's top 6 tacklers).
*****
Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Random stuff as summer starts..........
13) Only three road teams have won a Game 7 of the NBA Finals: Celtics in ’69 and ’74 and the ’78 Washington Bullets, but there also haven’t been that many seven-game series in the Finals.
12) Game 6 got a 14.7 overnight TV rating, which apparently is very good, so the NBA is glad there’s a Game 7. Read into that what you will.
11) When the Dodgers’ put the finishing touches on their $230M payroll, do you think they envisioned Nick Punto leading off at any point this year? Me either.
10) Good news for Tri-City Valley Cats, the Astros' A farm team that plays over the river in Troy; Mark Appel, the Astros' top draft pick, is expected to play for the Valley Cats sometime soon. Doubt he'll be in Class A ball long, but would be fun to see him pitch before he moves on.
9) New Jersey governor Chris Christie is a Dallas Cowboy fan, which is interesting, seeing as the Giants play in New Jersey’s Swamp Stadium. Christie is quirky and honest and seems like a good guy-- kind of wish he'd run for President. .
8) At one point this spring, the Oakland A’s were 60-1 to win the World Series; now they’re 8-1. Good starting pitching will do that to odds.
7) Texas Rangers’ infielder Jeff Baker is on the DL with a sprained thumb he hurt while….giving/getting a high five. Seriously.
6) If the Celtic-Clipper trade doesn’t happen, you think Doc Rivers will coach in Boston next winter? Could be a little awkward, no?
5) Penn State's basketball team went 10-21 LY; since then, they've had four underclassmen transfer out of school. Remember, scholarships are one-year renewable deals, so teams can run kids off, if they so choose.
4) Angels dropped Josh Hamilton to #7 in order against Joe Saunders, a crafty lefty; Hamilton went 0-3 and is now hitting .210.
3) With Gronkowski's injury issues and Hernandez' potential legal woes, you wonder of Tim Tebow is in Foxboro to become a tight end?
2) National League teams are 23-46 in AL parks (DH games) this season; American League teams are 32-46 in NL parks (games with no DH).
1) If you’re a Miami fan and you’re at the Finals and your team is only down five points in the last minute, how do you leave early?
Seriously, whats the freakin’ rush? Lot of people left, then couldn’t get back in when Game 6 went OT. Serves them right.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-20-13 04:37 PM |
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CNOTES
FoxDen Hall of Famer
Registered: Feb 2006
Posts: 10543
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MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Thursday, June 20
Hot pitchers
-- Washington is 7-0 at home when Zimmerman starts (6-0, 1.64).
-- Braves won last eight Minor starts (5-0, 2.94). Niese is 0-1, 2.79 in his last three starts.
-- Feldman is 6-2, 2.74 in his last ten starts. Cardinals won Lynn's last five starts, scoring 43 runs (1-0, 9.00 last two starts, 11 IP).
-- Fife is 1-2, 2.65 in his last three starts. Marquis is 3-0, 3.05 in his last three outings.
-- Gaudin is 2-1, 4.24 in three starts this season.
-- Gallardo is 2-0, 0.00 (14 IP) in his last two starts; Harrell is 1-1, 2.18 in his last three outings.
-- Lackey is 3-1, 2.87 in his last six starts. Alvarez allowed one run in six IP, winning his first '13 start.
-- Hernandez is 3-0, 1.84 in his last four starts.
Cold pitchers
-- Cumpton allowed three runs in five IP in his first '13 start.
-- Bailey is 1-2, 5.96 in his last four starts.
-- Oswalt was 3-2, 2.16 in five AAA starts; he's made 335 career starts, was 4-3, 5.80 in nine starts LY (163-96, 3.28 career record).
-- Koehler is 0-3, 7.04 in his last five starts.
-- Diamond is 0-2, 10.24 in his last two starts. Danks is 1-3, 4.88 in last four.
-- Lindblom is 0-2, 5.94 in three starts this season. Griffin is 0-3, 4.15 in his last four starts.
-- Moore is 0-3, 14.60 in his last three starts. Pettitte is 1-2, 4.18 in last four.
-- Hanson is 1-2, 5.56 in his last four starts.
Starting Pitchers/First Inning
You can wager on whether teams will score in first inning. Below is how often a starting pitcher has allowed 1+ runs in first inning in one of his starts........
-- Cumpton 0-1; Bailey 2-14
-- Oswalt 0-0; Zimmerman 1-15
-- Niese 4-13 (1 of last 9); Minor 4-14
-- Feldman 4-13; Lynn 4-13
-- Fife 1-4; Marquis 4-14
-- Koehler 3-7; Gaudin 0-2
-- Gallardo 3-15; Harrell 3-15
-- Danks 2-5; Diamond 5-12
-- Griffin 1-14; Lindblom 1-3
-- Lackey 4-11; Alvarez 0-1
-- Moore 6-14 (6 of last 9); Pettitte 3-11
-- Hernandez 3-15; Hanson 3-8
Totals
-- Seven of last eight Cincinnati games stayed under total.
-- Three of last four Colorado games stayed under total.
-- Under is 5-2-2 in Mets' last nine games.
-- Last four Cub games stayed under the total.
-- Over is 9-4-1 in last fourteen San Diego games.
-- Over is 6-3-1 in Miami's last ten games.
-- 11 of last 14 Houston games stayed under the total.
-- Three of last four Minnesota games went over total.
-- Over is 3-0-1 in last four Oakland games.
-- Under is 7-0-1 in last eight Boston games.
-- Under is 8-3-1 in last ten Bronx games.
-- Eleven of last thirteen Seattle games stayed under the total.
Hot teams
-- Cincinnati won seven of its last ten games.
-- Braves won four of their last six games.
-- Cardinals won 16 of their last 24 home games.
-- Padres won seven of last nine games, but lost last two.
-- Giants won six of their last nine home games.
-- Astros won five of their last seven games.
-- Twins won three of their last four games.
-- Angels won five of their last seven games.
Cold teams
-- Pirates lost six of their last nine road games.
-- Washington lost four of its last six games. Colorado is 3-7 in its last ten road games.
-- Mets lost 13 of their last 18 games (3-2 last five).
-- Cubs lost three of their last four games.
-- Dodgers lost seven of their last ten games.
-- Miami lost 12 of its last 15 road games.
-- Brewers are 3-4 in their last seven games.
-- White Sox lost 13 of their last 15 road games.
-- Rangers lost 10 of their last 14 games; A's lost four of last six.
-- Detroit lost its last two games, outscored 18-5. Red Sox lost three of their last four road games.
-- Bronx lost six of its last eight games. Tampa Bay lost eight of its last eleven.
-- Seattle lost 12 of its last 17 away games.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-20-13 04:44 PM |
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