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Preview: Giants (38-38) at Dodgers (33-42)
Game: 2
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: June 25, 2013 10:10 PM EDT
Mike Kickham is hoping his second major league start will be significantly better than the first.
The left-hander matches up with another rookie starter in Stephen Fife on Tuesday night as the San Francisco Giants visit the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Giants are recalling Kickham (0-1, 15.43 ERA) from Triple-A Fresno for the second time this season to start in place of the injured Chad Gaudin, who was placed on the disabled list Monday due to a bruised throwing elbow.
"I kind of know what to expect," Kickham told the team's official website. "Having been there before will benefit me."
Making a spot start in place of the then-injured Madison Bumgarner, Kickham needed 65 pitches May 28 at Oakland to get through 2 1-3 innings of a 6-3 defeat. He gave up four runs, four walks and four hits while striking out three.
"He showed good stuff early," manager Bruce Bochy said after the 24-year-old Kickham retired five of the first six batters he faced. "I'm sure he was amped up and then he got behind hitters but I liked what he showed. It's his first outing and that's always one to put behind you."
Like Kickham, Fife (1-2, 3.25) initially only received a shot this season because of a teammate's injury. He made an emergency start in place of Chad Billingsley on April 21, but was shelled by Baltimore for four runs in 4 2-3 innings. Another opportunity arrived in the form of an injury to Chris Capuano - leading to a start versus San Diego on June 3 - and Fife capitalized this time.
He owns a 2.35 ERA in four starts since being recalled a second time. His sub-.500 record is largely due to a total of four runs of support in those games.
Fife's only game against the Giants came in his second major league start, and it may have been the best of his brief career. He didn't get a decision but allowed one run over 6 1-3 innings in a 5-3 win at San Francisco on July 27.
The Dodgers (33-42) won Monday's series opener 3-1, relying on more heroics from Yaisel Puig as they matched a season high with their third straight win.
Puig connected for his seventh homer in the first inning and later broke a tie with an RBI single in the eighth, improving to 34 for 77 (.442) with 14 RBIs in his first 20 games.
"The league's trying to figure him out and they're trying to see what the best way to approach him is," Los Angeles catcher A.J. Ellis said. "But he's making them go back and scratch their heads a lot, because he's hitting everything and hitting it hard."
Though the Giants saw Pablo Sandoval go 2 for 4 in his first game in over two weeks after being out with a strained left foot, it was one of the few positives on a dreary day for San Francisco (38-38), which fell to .500 for the first time since April 7.
The club announced Angel Pagan, who hasn't played since May 25, will undergo surgery Tuesday on his left hamstring and could miss the rest of the season.
Even Monday's lone run came with a price. Joaquin Arias scored from first in the second inning on Andres Torres' double but strained his left hamstring and exited the game.
Los Angeles won four or more consecutive games seven times last season and four times by June 25.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Giants at Dodgers
Mon, Jun 24 Final 1 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Giants at Dodgers
Tue, Jun 25 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 3
Giants at Dodgers
Wed, Jun 26 - 10:10PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-25-13 02:44 PM |
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Preview: Phillies (36-41) at Padres (39-38)
Game: 2
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: June 25, 2013 10:10 PM EDT
A struggling bullpen is hurting the Philadelphia Phillies' chances of winning. Sending Jason Marquis to the mound is having the opposite effect on the San Diego Padres.
The Phillies will try to bounce back from another blown save by Jonathan Papelbon while snapping Marquis' lengthy win streak Tuesday night.
Philadelphia's relievers have a major league-worst 4.68 ERA this season and a 6.66 ERA in their last nine games as the team has gone 3-6. Papelbon has played a significant role in those struggles, blowing four of his past five save opportunities after converting his first 13 this season.
The latest blown save came in Monday's series opener as the Phillies (36-41) fell 4-3 in 10 innings. They led 3-0 in the ninth until Papelbon gave up a two-run single to Kyle Blanks, who then scored the tying run on a passed ball and would single off Justin De Fratus to drive in the winning run in the 10th.
"I don't know what is worse, losing 15-0 or getting beat that way. Either way, it's a loss and it doesn't sit well with me," said Papelbon, who has given up a run in six of 10 appearances after 18 2-3 scoreless innings.
Injuries to setup man Mike Adams (shoulder) and Michael Stutes (biceps) surely aren't helping. Among Philadelphia's current relievers, only Papelbon and Antonio Bastardo have made more than 38 career appearances.
"(The current bullpen is) probably the youngest we've had," pitching coach Rich Dubee told the team's website. "That's a crapshoot in baseball, trying to find the right bullpen pieces."
Blanks took advantage of the woeful Philadelphia bullpen to finish with a career-best four hits.
"It's been that kind of elusive game for me. It's always fun to have those and I'm looking forward to having a lot more," Blanks said.
The Padres must look forward to having Marquis (9-2, 3.59 ERA) on the hill. They've won each of his last five starts and 10 of 11, a span in which the right-hander has allowed three runs or fewer in all but one outing. He's 8-0 during that stretch, his longest win streak since an 11-game run in 2004.
San Diego (39-38) has won his last eight starts at home as Marquis has gone 6-0 with a 2.75 ERA. The latest of those outings came Thursday, when he gave up two runs over six innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers but did not get a decision in a 6-3 victory.
Marquis, 6-8 with a 5.57 ERA in 19 career starts against the Phillies, is looking to reach double digits in victories for the first time since winning 15 games in 2009 while with Colorado.
It's unclear if he will have to face Ryan Howard. The Phillies hope to have their cleanup man back in the lineup after he had to sit out the series opener with a sore left knee. Manager Charlie Manuel said the knee had been hampering Howard for weeks.
Manuel will start Kyle Kendrick (6-4, 3.56), who seeks to build on a much improved showing. The right-hander gave up one run and two hits over seven innings in a 6-2 loss to Washington on Wednesday after getting tagged for a season-high seven runs and 10 hits in Colorado on June 14.
Kendrick is 1-1 with a 5.87 ERA in three career starts against the Padres.
Chase Utley will try to give him a boost by adding to his recent success against the Padres and Marquis.
The second baseman, who homered Friday, is 8 for 18 with three home runs in his last five games versus San Diego. He's 14 for 31 (.452) all-time against Marquis, his best showing against any pitcher he's faced at least 30 times.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Phillies at Padres
Mon, Jun 24 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Phillies at Padres
Tue, Jun 25 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 3
Phillies at Padres
Wed, Jun 26 - 10:10PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-25-13 02:46 PM |
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MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Tuesday, June 25
Hot pitchers
-- Gonzalez is 0-0, 2.33 in his last four starts.
-- Lohse is 1-0, 2.25 in his last three starts.
-- Marquis is 3-0, 3.37 in his last four starts.
-- Fife has a 2.74 RA in his last four starts.
-- Fernandez is 2-1, 1.98 in his last four starts. Correia is 1-0, 2.31 in his last couple starts.
-- Santana is 2-0, 1.57 in his last four outings. Medlen is 3-1, 2.70 in his last four starts.
-- Wheeler tossed six shutout innings in his first MLB start.
-- Bedard is 1-0, 1.35 in his last couple starts.
-- Arroyo is 1-0, 1.88 in his last four starts.
-- Locke is 3-0, 0.84 in his last seven starts. Saunders is 2-2, 1.82 in his last five starts.
-- Tillman is 4-0, 2.63 in his last four starts. Masterson is 1-0, 2.03 in his last couple starts.
-- Kuroda is 1-0, 2.45 in his last two starts. Darvish is 0-1, 3.00 in his last four outings.
-- Buehrle is 2-0, 1.42 in his last four starts.
-- Wilson is 3-0, 1.89 in his last three starts. Porcello is 2-2, 3.00 in his last five starts.
Cold pitchers
-- Cahill is 0-4, 7.06 in his last six starts.
-- Jackson is 2-4, 5.00 in his last seven starts.
-- Kendrick is 0-1, 5.50 in his last three starts.
-- Kickham is 3-5, 4.81 in 14 AAA starts, and allowed four runs in 2.1 IP in big leagues this year.
-- Nicasio is 0-2, 7.88 in his last three starts. Dempster is 2-6, 5.40 in his last nine starts.
-- Sale is 0-4, 3.71 in his last four starts.
-- Westbrook is 1-1, 5.19 in his last three starts.
-- Milone is 0-2, 6.00 in his last couple starts.
-- Moore is 1-3, 11.09 in his last four starts.
Starting Pitchers/First Inning
You can wager on whether teams will score in the first inning. You're reading ***************.com. Below is how often a starting pitcher has allowed 1+ runs in first inning in one of his starts........
-- Cahill 6-14; Gonzalez 4-15 (0 of last 6)
-- Jackson 6-15; Lohse 6-14 (5 of last 8)
-- Kickham 0-0; Fife 1-5
-- Kendrick 6-15; Marquis 5-15
-- Nicasio 6-11; Dempster 6-14
-- Correia 6-14 (4 of last 6); Fernandez 3-14
-- Wheeler 0-1; Sale 5-14
-- Medlen 4-15; Santana 7-15 (0 of last 3)
-- Westbrook 2-8; Bedard 6-13
-- Arroyo 1-15; Milone 5-15 (0 of last 6)
-- Locke 3-15 (0 of last 7); Saunders 4-15
-- Masterson 3-16; Tillman 3-15
-- Darvish 5-14 (1 of last 7); Kuroda 5-15 (0 of last 5)
-- Wilson 4-15; Porcello 3-13
-- Buehrle 4-15 (0 of last 6); Moore 6-15
Totals
-- Six of last seven Arizona games stayed under total.
-- Seven of Cubs' last eight games stayed under total.
-- Over is 12-5-2 in last nineteen San Diego games.
-- Four of last five Dodger home games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Miami games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Colorado games.
-- Five of last six White Sox games went over total.
-- Under is 3-1 in last four Atlanta games, 1-3 in last four Royal games.
-- 12 of last 17 Houston games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 8-1-1 in last ten Cincinnati games; over is 6-1-1 in last eight A's games.
-- Under is 5-1-1 in last seven Seattle games.
-- Eight of last eleven Cleveland games stayed under the total.
-- Under is 10-5-1 in last sixteen Bronx games.
-- Four of last five Detroit games went over the total
-- Eight of last eleven Toronto games stayed under the total.
Hot teams
-- Arizona won four of its last five games.
-- Brewers won five of their last six home games.
-- San Diego won 11 of its last 14 home games.
-- Dodgers won their last three games, allowing three runs.
-- Marlins won three of their last four games.
-- Mets won five of their last seven games.
-- Astros won five of their last seven home games.
-- Pirates won their last four games, scoring 26 runs. Seattle won four of its last six home games.
-- Cleveland won five of its last six games.
-- Rangers won their last five games, scoring 25 runs.
-- Blue Jays won 11 of their last 12 games. Rays won four of last six.
-- Tigers won three of their last four games.
Cold teams
-- Nationals are 4-6 in their last ten games.
-- Cubs lost four of their last five road games.
-- Phillies lost four of their last five games
-- Giants lost eight of their last eleven games.
-- Minnesota lost four of its last five road games.
-- Boston lost four of its last five games. Rockies lost five of their last seven games, but won last two.
-- White Sox are 3-8 in last 11 games overall, but 9-5 in last 14 at home.
-- Royals lost four of their last five games; Atlanta lost five of its last seven.
-- St Louis lost its last three games, scoring seven runs.
-- Oakland lost seven of its last 10 games. Reds lost three of their last four.
-- Orioles lost their last four games, allowing 29 runs.
-- Bronx lost eight of its last twelve games.
-- Angels lost their last three games, allowing 21 runs.
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Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-25-13 03:04 PM |
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CNOTES
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MLB
Tuesday, June 25
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Rangers at Yankees: What bettors need to know
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Texas Rangers at New York Yankees (+123, 7.5)
Yu Darvish will vie for his first victory in nearly six weeks on Tuesday when the Texas Rangers open a three-game series against the host New York Yankees. The major-league leader in strikeouts fanned 10 batters in his lone career outing versus New York on April 24, 2012. Darvish would be smart to keep an eye on promising rookie Zoilo Almonte, who wrapped up his first major-league series against Tampa Bay by going 7-for-11 with a home run and four RBIs.
Darvish will be opposed by Japanese countryman Hiroki Kuroda, who recorded his first victory since May 17 when he blanked his former team - the Los Angeles Dodgers - in his last trip to the mound. That victory was just the fourth in 12 games for the Yankees, who have mustered three runs or fewer in seven of those contests. Texas enjoyed a well-deserved day off after going 20 without one - capped by a fifth straight victory with a 2-1 triumph over St. Louis on Sunday.
TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, FSSW (Texas), YES, WWOR (New York)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers RH Yu Darvish (7-3, 2.84 ERA) vs. Yankees RH Hiroki Kuroda (7-5, 2.78)
Darvish, who last won on May 16, was originally slated to pitch on Sunday against St. Louis, but saw his start pushed back to make room for Martin Perez. The young fireballer yielded five runs on six hits in as many innings to take the loss versus Oakland in his last turn. Darvish has pitched well on the road, winning three of four decisions while brandishing a 0.76 WHIP and limiting the opposition to a .155 batting average.
Prior to defeating the Dodgers, Kuroda posted an 0-3 mark in his previous five starts despite permitting just 14 runs. The 38-year-old is just 1-2 in his career versus Texas, despite striking out 16 batters and registering a 2.57 ERA. Kuroda is 5-2 with a 2.08 ERA at Yankee Stadium this season.
TRENDS:
* Rangers are 1-5 in Darvish’s last six starts.
* Under is 7-0 in Darvish’s last seven starts vs. American League East foes.
* Yankees are 5-1 in Kuroda’s last six home starts.
WALK-OFFS
1. New York 1B Mark Teixeira is still experiencing pain in his right wrist after more than a week removed from receiving a cortisone shot.
2. Texas 2B Ian Kinsler, who had the tiebreaking RBI single in the seventh on Sunday, has 11 singles during his seven-game hitting streak. Kinsler is 2-for-9 in his career versus Kuroda.
3. The Yankees have won 15 of their last 20 home games versus the Rangers.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-25-13 03:05 PM |
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CNOTES
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Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack
-- Patrice Bergeron played Game 6 of Stanley Cup playoffs (17:45) with a broken rib and separated shoulder; hockey players are tough humans.
-- Yasiel Puig's MLB debut was June 3; no way should he be in the All-Star Game, despite his .442 batting average.
-- Memphis Grizzlies promoted assistant coach Dave Joerger to head coach; I'm sure he's well-qualified, but Grizzlies endorse the Moneyball philosophy, which means they want to hire head coaches on the cheap.
-- SEC 6th Man of the Year Kyle Wiltjer is probably transferring out of Kentucky, which means Coach Calipari ran him off; when you hear a coach say they'll help a kid find his next school, they wanted the kid gone.
-- Angel Pagan tore his hamstring on a rehab assignment, is having the leg operated on and is out 10-12 weeks, maybe the rest of the season.
-- Why don't hitters get out of the way of inside pitchers? Carlos Quentin never backs away from pitches, then glares at the pitcher for hitting him. Would've been interesting to see him bat against Gibson or Drysdale.
*****
Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but............
13) LA Clippers dropped from 15-10 to 10-1 to win next year’s NBA title since Doc Rivers was traded there. Not a lot of respect for Vinny Del Negro with that move in the odds.
12) Lehigh’s CJ McCollum is going to get drafted in the first round, even though he missed half his senior year with a broken foot. McCollum was a baseball player (his grandfather played in Negro Leagues) until they found out he is allergic to grass.
Lucky thing for him, he dedicated himself to basketball and now he’s going to be rich, and the first Lehigh player ever drafted.
11) Brook Lopez had his third foot operation in last two years, after a screw in his foot bent- that just sounds painful. Lopez is very good, but he has to stay healthy to be worth all that money the Nets are paying him.
10) NBA player DeShawn Stevenson has an ATM in his kitchen; he charges buddies the $4.50 transaction fee every time they use it, and I wish I was making all that up.
9) University of Cincinnati’s funding is 17% from state support, 35% from tuition and 48% from donor support- they must have an awful lot of donors. How does a school like Florida Gulf Coast survive, with such a smaller alumni base to get contributions from?
8) Wendy’s is debuting its new pretzel bacon cheeseburger this week; thing only has 670 calories in it. Golfer Charlie Hoffman chipped a tooth twice last week, both times eating bacon. He better not have one.
7) I’m surprised more golfers don’t go off on their caddies like Bubba Watson did Sunday; seems like such a frustrating game, and the caddy is the only guy there. I’m not saying what Watson did was right, just surprised it doesn’t happen more.
6) Why did that guy walk across the Grand Canyon on a tightrope?
5) Nine of the first 39 bracelets at the World Series of Poker were won by Canadians. No idea why, but it’s a fact so there it is.
4) Every time I read about Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel, the phrase “…..too much, too soon” pops into my head, but until today I didn’t realize Manziel is a rich kid, so some of the stuff he’s done this summer is because his family is wealthy, and he has more opportunity than most kids. He’ll be an interesting study this fall.
3) So this Snowden guy who ratted out his country (not judging, but he did do that) turned 30 years old last week. He can’t come back here or he’ll get arrested, so what does he do the rest of his life?
Will he write a book, sell the movie rights and make enough money to live off? Who would hire him as an employee? He’s not exactly trustworthy, now is he? What the hell would he do for work in Ecuador or wherever?
2) If Aaron Hernandez doesn’t play football this fall, and its not looking good for him, New England’s top five receivers from LY will all be elsewhere this coming season. I'm just saying.......
1) Twice Sunday, an outfielder caught a fly ball, dropped the ball transferring it his throwing hand, and both times the ump called it “no catch”, almost like a directive on such plays had been sent out from MLB.
On simple catches and both of these were fairly simple, a rule of common sense has to apply, and it wasn’t in either case. Score was tied in both cases and team that dropped the ball lost both games. Big calls.
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06-25-13 03:08 PM |
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Preview: Blue Jays (38-38) at Rays (41-37)
Game: 3
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: June 26, 2013 12:10 PM EDT
The return of star Jose Reyes might be what the Toronto Blue Jays need to help avoid being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays.
Out since mid-April with a sprained left ankle, the veteran shortstop will be activated from the disabled Wednesday when the visiting Blue Jays try to salvage the finale against a Rays team looking for its fourth consecutive win.
Toronto (38-38) entered this series averaging 6.4 runs and 8.7 hits during a franchise-tying 11-game winning streak, but it's totaled two and 10 hits in the first two. Losers in four straight at Tropicana Field, the Blue Jays have not won any of its last 19 road series against the Rays (41-37).
Reyes, however, could provide a spark to help the club get back on track.
"I'm very excited about it,' he said. "I missed two months of doing what I love to do and now I know I'm going to be on the field one more time around my team."
Reyes hit .395 with a homer and five RBIs in 10 games when he was injured April 12 at Kansas City.
"He's one of those centerpieces of our team,' manager John Gibbons said. "Before he got hurt he was great. He was playing really well. He's been gone a while and now maybe he can put us over the top. We'll see.'
Scheduled starter R.A. Dickey (6-8, 5.15 ERA) was another of Toronto's high-profile offseason acquisitions but has been inconsistent in 2013.
The knuckleballer is 2-1 in four June starts despite a 5.01 ERA over those outings. He gave up a run in 5 2-3 innings of a 6-1 win at Texas on June 15, then allowed six and three home runs in six innings while not factoring in the decision of a 7-6 win over Baltimore on Friday.
"I had a pretty good knuckleball going into the game, threw a couple of hangers up there and they got punished in bad situations,' he said.
The right-hander has allowed 10 hits and no homers while going 2-0 with a 1.57 ERA in his last three starts versus Tampa Bay. He's yielded six runs - four earned - and worked around nine walks in 14 innings to go 1-0 against the Rays in 2013.
Slugger Jose Bautista went 0 for 3 in Tuesday's 5-1 defeat, and is 1 for 15 in the last four at Tropicana Field.
Wil Myers drove in his eighth run in nine career games for Rays, who have won five of seven. He's 3 for 8 and also has a homer in the series.
Tampa Bay's Roberto Hernandez (4-8, 5.14) looks to avoid losing three straight starts for the second time in 2013. The right-hander allowed five runs and nine hits in seven innings of a 6-2 loss at Yankee Stadium on Friday.
Hernandez is 3-1 with a 4.12 ERA in seven starts versus Toronto. He gave up a solo homer to Adam Lind, four other hits and struck out seven in six innings before leaving without a decision in a 6-4 loss to the Blue Jays on May 7.
He's yielded two earned runs and eight hits over 14 2-3 innings to win both of his interleague starts in 2013.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Blue Jays at Rays
Mon, Jun 24 Final 1 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Blue Jays at Rays
Tue, Jun 25 Final 1 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 3
Blue Jays at Rays
Wed, Jun 26 - 12:10PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-26-13 05:12 PM |
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Preview: Twins (34-39) at Marlins (26-50)
Game: 2
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: June 26, 2013 12:40 PM EDT
Now that Tom Koehler finally earned his first career victory, he'll try to accomplish what a Miami Marlins starter has only done twice this season: win a second straight start.
Miami sends Koehler to the mound Wednesday as it hosts the Minnesota Twins, whose recently hot offense was quieted in Tuesday's series opener.
The eight-start winless streak by Koehler (1-5, 4.65 ERA) was the third-longest to begin a Marlins career. He put it to rest in a 2-1 victory at San Francisco on Thursday, allowing one run over seven innings of three-hit ball.
"Other than the day I met my wife, this is probably the happiest moment of my life. Definitely the happiest baseball moment," said Koehler, who turns 27 on Saturday.
Ricky Nolasco and Jose Fernandez are the only Miami starters to win two consecutive outings this season. Koehler had appeared in 21 games for the Marlins (26-50) before finally getting a victory.
"It definitely didn't weigh on my confidence, but to say I didn't think about it would be a lie," said Koehler, who allowed a career-worst nine runs and eight hits in 4 2-3 innings against St. Louis in his previous start. "Every time I went out there I wanted to win the game. I was wondering what it would take to do it."
Marcell Ozuna, whose two-run single in the eighth inning Thursday helped Koehler secure his win, also drove in two runs in a 4-2 victory Tuesday. The rookie outfielder is 21 for 48 (.438) with runners in scoring position.
"He's put together a lot of great at_bats, big at_bats, and he did again tonight," manager Mike Redmond said of Ozuna, who has eight RBIs over his last five games.
The Twins (34-39) scored 43 runs while going 5-3 from June 15-23, tied for the fifth-most in baseball during that stretch, before struggling Tuesday as they were held to one extra-base hit.
Joe Mauer didn't cool off, though, going 2 for 4 and now batting .419 during a seven-game hitting streak. He's hit .462 in his last seven interleague games and .375 in six career matchups with the Marlins.
Minnesota scheduled starter Scott Diamond (5-6, 5.27) has had a particularly tough time against NL competition this season, going 0-2 with a 9.22 ERA in three starts and yielding 26 hits in 13 2-3 innings.
He's given up 13 earned runs over 15 innings in his last three starts on the road, where he began the season 3-0 with a 1.42 ERA.
The left-hander earned just his second win in eight starts Thursday in an 8-4 home victory over the White Sox. He gave up four runs, with three earned all coming in the sixth of a 5 1-3-innings effort.
Diamond has failed to finish the sixth inning in seven of his last eight starts.
"Overall, I'm pretty happy with the way it went," Diamond told the team's official website. "The numbers don't look the best, but I'm happy with how I progressed through the game."
Logan Morrison was 2 for 4 on Tuesday, his fifth two-hit performance through 11 games since returning from knee surgery.
The Marlins are 2-8 in interleague play this year.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Twins at Marlins
Tue, Jun 25 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Twins at Marlins
Wed, Jun 26 - 12:40PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-26-13 05:14 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Reds (45-33) at Athletics (45-34)
Game: 2
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: June 26, 2013 3:35 PM EDT
Interleague play continues to bring out the best in the Oakland Athletics.
The A's look for a fifth consecutive home victory over an NL opponent in the finale of their brief set with the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday.
Oakland (45-34) lost seven of 10 and was coming off a 2-5 trip when it broke out for a 7-3 win over Cincinnati on Tuesday. Third baseman Josh Donaldson hit a two-run homer, catcher Stephen Vogt recorded his first career RBI and five relievers held the Reds (45-33) to four hits over 4 1-3 scoreless innings.
"That's what we need, every guy on this team needs to contribute," said Donaldson, who is batting .438 with two home runs and seven RBIs against NL opponents this season.
Oakland has won 15 of 20 interleague contests and has outscored its NL foes 47-25 while going 6-2 this season. The A's, who face St. Louis and the Chicago Cubs on the homestand, have won 18 of 24 interleague games at the Coliseum.
Playing for the first time this season, Vogt came through with a sacrifice fly in the second inning, but is still 0 for 28 in 19 career games. Since 1990, the only longer hitless streak to open a career was 33 at_bats by Oakland's Chris Carter in 2010.
Scheduled Oakland starter A.J. Griffin (5-6, 3.90 ERA) is 0-3 with a 4.02 ERA in his last five starts. Though the A's are 0-5 in those games, the right-hander allowed two runs and three hits in 5 1-3 innings of a 4-3 loss at Texas on Thursday.
"He gave us 100 pitches and put us in a position where we were ahead, so you can't ask for much more," manager Bob Melvin told the Athletics' official website.
Griffin has given up four home runs in three games to match the total he allowed in the previous five.
He'll make his first start against Cincinnati (45-33), which recorded 10 hits and stranded 11 runners while losing for the fourth time in five contests.
Derrick Robinson had four hits and Joey Votto homered for the Reds, who chased starter Tommy Milone after 4 2-3 innings but did little against Oakland's bullpen.
"Tough game,' manager Dusty Baker said. "We outhit them and we left a lot of men on base.'
Votto is batting .400 (14 for 35) with three homers and five RBIs in nine games, while Robinson has hit .346 in his last seven.
Teammate Jay Bruce hit .340 with eight homers in 11 games before he went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts Tuesday. He's 4 for 32 without a home run and has fanned 13 times against AL opponents this season.
Homer Bailey (4-5, 3.75) takes the mound for the Reds after he allowed two runs and struck out eight but needed 113 pitches to get through six innings while not factoring in the decision of a 5-3 loss to Pittsburgh on Thursday.
"I was only pitching with a fastball,' he said. "They hit a lot of foul balls, and that drove up the pitch count."
The right-hander's only appearance versus Oakland came during his rookie 2007 season, when he allowed a run and two hits in seven innings of a 5-2 victory at the Coliseum.
Cincinnati is without second baseman Brandon Phillips, who is on the paternity list and not expected to join the team until Friday at Texas.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Reds at Athletics
Tue, Jun 25 Final 3 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Reds at Athletics
Wed, Jun 26 - 3:35PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-26-13 05:15 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Pirates (47-30) at Mariners (34-44)
Game: 2
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: June 26, 2013 3:40 PM EDT
The Seattle Mariners' Felix Hernandez was uncharacteristically knocked around last week, but he's been especially good in two career matchups against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Looking to bounce back from one of his worst performances of the year, Hernandez and the Mariners try to avoid a two-game home sweep to the surging Pirates on Wednesday.
After going 3-0 with a 1.84 ERA in his previous four outings, Hernandez (8-4, 2.71 ERA) yielded season highs of seven runs and 12 hits in five innings Thursday in a 10-9 road defeat to the Los Angeles Angels. The 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner, who had only allowed six homers in his first 15 starts, was taken deep twice and struck out a season-low two but didn't get a decision.
"He just had a bad day, and they started squaring him up," manager Eric Wedge told MLB's official website. "He's human. Every now and again you see that he is human, and it's the big leagues and he just had a bad day."
Hernandez, in contrast, has had his way with Pittsburgh (47-30). The right-hander has gone eight innings in each of his two starts in the series, winning both while compiling a 0.56 ERA. He gave up one run and six hits May 8 in a 2-1 win at PNC Park.
"He never hit that other gear with the velocity," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Hernandez, who's allowed one run in each of his last four interleague starts spanning 30 innings. "But the spin and the sequences, the breaking ball to right-handed hitters and the change to left-handers ... still filthy."
Getting the best of Pittsburgh again may not prove as easy this time around. Starling Marte hit a pair of homers and tripled and Brandon Inge, Russell Martin and Gaby Sanchez also went deep as the Pirates posted their season-high fifth consecutive win, 9-4 on Tuesday.
"They always say that hitting is contagious. It's true, when one guys goes, another one goes,' Inge said. "It's something we just rolled with.'
Pittsburgh has averaged 7.0 runs and clubbed 12 homers during its run.
Sanchez is 6 for 13 with two home runs in the last three contests, and Pedro Alvarez is batting .378 with five homers and 13 RBIs during a nine-game hitting streak.
Inge and Martin are a combined 7 for 39 (.179) with 15 strikeouts against Hernandez. Travis Snider is 1 for 12.
The Pirates give the ball to Jeanmar Gomez (2-0, 3.07), who's expected to come off the disabled list following a three-week absence. The right-hander allowed a season-high four earned runs before being removed after the first inning with forearm tightness June 2 in a 5-4, 11-inning win over Cincinnati.
In his final rehab start with Triple-A Indianapolis last Wednesday, Gomez struck out four and didn't allow a hit over five scoreless innings.
He yielded two hits and two walks over five scoreless innings in a 4-1 victory over Seattle on May 7, improving to 1-1 with a 1.64 ERA in two career starts against the Mariners.
After placing Franklin Gutierrez back on the disabled list with another hamstring issue, Seattle (34-44) recalled Dustin Ackley on Tuesday. Ackley, who was sent down May 26 after hitting .205 in 45 games, posted a .365 average and 21 runs in 25 contests with Triple-A Tacoma.
"He's earned it," Wedge said of Ackley's return. "You look at his at_bats and the consistency down there, I think he's taken care of some things mentally that he needed to get beyond. And it's paid for him. He's a hitter. He's always hit. He's going to hit. He just needed to get back to where he needed to get to."
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Pirates at Mariners
Tue, Jun 25 Final 9 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Pirates at Mariners
Wed, Jun 26 - 3:40PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-26-13 05:17 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Rockies (39-39) at Red Sox (46-33)
Game: 2
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: June 26, 2013 4:05 PM EDT
Though he lost his season debut last week, Roy Oswalt appears capable of giving the Colorado Rockies a lift going forward.
Manager Walt Weiss' club could surely use a boost.
The slumping Rockies try to avoid a two-game sweep against the Boston Red Sox as they conclude a disappointing nine-game road trip Wednesday.
Signed to a minor league contract May 2, Oswalt (0-1, 7.20 ERA) went 3-2 with a 2.16 ERA in five starts for Double-A Tulsa before getting called up Thursday. The three-time All-Star allowed four runs and nine hits over five innings during a 5-1 defeat at Washington that night, but he struck out 11 - one shy of his career high - and didn't walk anyone.
"I'm not going to come up here and embarrass myself. If I felt like I couldn't give a team a chance to win I wouldn't come back. I feel like I can still start," he said. "Overall felt pretty well just, it's hard to say this, but really too many strikeouts. Kind of got my pitch count up and I was trying to get deeper into the game."
The 35-year-old right-hander threw 70 of his 101 pitches for strikes.
"He's still got it," Nationals catcher Kurt Suzuki said. "His fastball has some life to it. It looked like he had a pretty good curveball going. He's still got it in the tank, that's for sure."
In his only appearance versus Boston (46-33), Oswalt yielded four runs in 1 1-3 innings of relief during a 10-9 road win Aug. 8, while with Texas.
Losers in nine of 13, the Rockies (39-39) dropped to 2-6 on their trek following Tuesday's 11-4 defeat. Wilin Rosario had three hits - including his 12th homer - but Colorado went 3 for 15 with runners in scoring position.
Boston, meanwhile, went 9 for 20 in such situations and collected a season-high 20 hits. One of four players to record three hits, Dustin Pedroia drove in a season-high four runs and scored twice.
"It's a good hitting club," Weiss said of the Red Sox, who have hit .315 in winning 11 of 15 at home by a 99-55 margin. "You've really got to command your stuff with that lineup or they make you pay."
Boston now turns to John Lackey (4-5, 3.03), who allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings Thursday in a 4-3 walkoff loss at Detroit. The right-hander, who was in line for the win before Andrew Bailey blew the save, is 3-1 with a 2.42 ERA over his last seven outings.
"I feel pretty good. I threw the ball pretty good," he told MLB's official website. "I was able to locate some offspeed stuff and the fastball for the most part. I've been feeling pretty good for a while now. I'm just trying to pound the zone and throw strikes and try to get ground balls and get us as deep in the game as I can."
Lackey has been especially good at home, going 2-1 with a 1.04 ERA and 25 strikeouts in four starts spanning 26 innings. He's 1-0 despite a 4.91 ERA in two starts against the Rockies, though he hasn't faced them since 2010. Michael Cuddyer has given him trouble, going 6 for his last 16 with three homers in their matchups.
Cuddyer is batting .370 with three homers and 14 RBIs during a career-high 22-game hitting streak - the longest in the majors this season.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Rockies at Red Sox
Tue, Jun 25 Final 4 to 11
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Rockies at Red Sox
Wed, Jun 26 - 4:05PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-26-13 05:19 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Indians (39-37) at Orioles (43-35)
Game: 3
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: June 26, 2013 7:05 PM EDT
The Baltimore Orioles just snapped their second-longest losing streak of the season thanks to another homer from Chris Davis.
Another unlikely hero also came up big, too.
Davis and the Orioles continue a four-game set against the visiting Cleveland Indians, who are hoping to welcome shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera back Wednesday night following a three-week absence.
Baltimore (43-35) appeared headed for a fifth consecutive loss before scoring five runs in the seventh inning in Tuesday's 6-3 victory. Davis tied things up with a two-run homer - his major league-leading 28th - before No. 9 hitter Alexi Casilla delivered a three-run shot, snapping a 65-game homerless drought dating to August.
"Awesome, awesome," winning pitcher Chris Tillman said. "I think it's every night, it's somebody new, somebody else. It's good to see. This is a pretty tight-knit team and we enjoy seeing that. It's fun for all of us."
Despite Tuesday's loss, the Indians (39-37) have won nine of 13, and Cabrera's possible return should only make them stronger.
The two-time All-Star, batting .254 with five homers, 28 runs and 25 RBIs, has missed the last 19 games with a strained right quad.
"I've worked really hard every day to come back and help," he told MLB's official website. "I'm 100 percent. I ran the bases (on Monday) and I felt really, really good."
Cabrera is 2 for 6 with a homer and a double against Orioles scheduled starter Jason Hammel (7-4, 5.30 ERA). The right-hander gave up four runs and four hits in six innings Friday in a 7-6 walkoff loss at Toronto. It was his first start since June 12 after being skipped in the rotation due to flu-like symptoms.
"Stuff wise, comparable to the best all year," Hammel said after striking out seven and walking one. "I felt great. You never want to say a stomach virus helped me but, overall, I felt awesome. Body, physically, mentally, everything, I felt pretty good today. It was a pretty good outing."
Hammel could be hard-pressed to build on that effort at home, where he's gone 1-3 over six starts while compiling a 7.09 ERA - nearly three runs higher than his 4.19 road mark. A matchup against the Indians would also appear less than ideal - he's posted a 7.71 ERA in losing each of his three starts against them.
Mark Reynolds, who spent the previous two seasons with Baltimore before signing with Cleveland this offseason, is 2 for 11 with four strikeouts versus Hammel.
Cleveland counters with Scott Kazmir (4-4, 5.37), who had gone 0-2 with a 7.98 ERA over a three-start stretch before beating Minnesota 5-1 on Friday. The left-hander allowed one run and five hits in seven innings while striking out seven and walking none.
"This was more the guy that we expect to see," manager Terry Francona said of Kazmir, who was signed to a minor league contract in December after pitching in the independent Atlantic League last season. "If we thought he would get through the whole year without some hiccups, that's probably unrealistic."
Kazmir is 5-5 with a 4.80 ERA in 15 career starts versus Baltimore, with his last one coming in 2010. He's had a difficult time against Nick Markakis, who is 10 for 21 with two homers in their matchups.
Kazmir will also need to be wary of Davis, who's 17 for 52 with eight home runs and 20 RBIs in his last 13 games.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Indians at Orioles
Mon, Jun 24 Final 5 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Indians at Orioles
Tue, Jun 25 Final 3 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 3
Indians at Orioles
Wed, Jun 26 - 7:05PM EDT
GAME 4
Indians at Orioles
Thu, Jun 27 - 7:05PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-26-13 05:21 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Angels (34-43) at Tigers (42-33)
Game: 2
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: June 26, 2013 7:08 PM EDT
Jose Alvarez impressed in his first two big league starts.
Now, he'll have to deal with the Los Angeles Angels, who have recently looked more like the offensive juggernaut many expected them to be this season.
The Detroit Tigers look to bounce back from a six-error performance in Tuesday's series-opening defeat as they send Alvarez to the mound against Los Angeles on Wednesday night.
Alvarez (1-0, 2.45 ERA) had his contract purchased from Triple-A Toledo earlier this month as a temporary replacement in Detroit's rotation for the injured Anibal Sanchez.
The left-hander has responded by limiting opponents to three runs over 11 innings in two starts with 10 strikeouts. He did not get a decision his last time out in a 4-3 win over Boston on Thursday.
Wednesday could prove to be Alvarez's toughest challenge yet if a 14-8 win in the opener by the Angels (34-33) - their seventh straight victory over Detroit - is any indication. It was the fifth time in 12 contests, a span in which Los Angeles has hit .311, tallied at least nine runs. They had four such outbursts in the previous 65 games.
J.B. Shuck was 3 for 5 with a career-high four RBIs, while Josh Hamilton - starting for the first time in four games after dealing with a sore right wrist - singled in each of his first three at_bats and scored three runs. Hamilton is still hitting .214 and slugging .382, both career lows.
But Tuesday's 3-for-5 performance after an 0-for-15 slump seemed encouraging. Hamilton recorded three games with three or more hits in his previous 72 contests, but they all came in April.
Six errors for the Tigers (42-33) were the most in the majors since Pittsburgh committed seven in a 12-2 loss to the Cubs on Sept. 7.
Miguel Cabrera homered for the 21st time, tying Edwin Encarnacion and Carlos Gonzalez for the second-most in baseball, but also committed two errors.
"It was just an ugly night for us," manager Jim Leyland said. "Obviously, they hit the ball all over the place and we didn't make some plays."
Angels scheduled starter Tommy Hanson (4-2, 5.10) was the beneficiary of another big offensive performance in his last start. Los Angeles came from behind to win 10-9 at Seattle on Thursday, bailing out the right-hander from a loss after he surrendered seven runs and six hits in two-plus innings.
"I think I was just pulling my pitches," he told the team's official website. "They were getting too much of the plate and they let me know."
Hanson threw six shutout innings against the Tigers for his second win of the season April 19, an 8-1 Angels victory.
Los Angeles could get another hot bat in its lineup Wednesday in Peter Bourjos. Bourjos told the team's official website he hoped to play after sitting out Tuesday due to a bruised left thumb he suffered on a slide Sunday. An MRI on Monday showed no structural damage for Bourjos, who is batting .406 over his last nine games and .331 on the season. He already spent over a month on the disabled list earlier this year due to a strained hamstring.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Angels at Tigers
Tue, Jun 25 Final 14 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Angels at Tigers
Wed, Jun 26 - 7:08PM EDT
GAME 3
Angels at Tigers
Thu, Jun 27 - 1:08PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-26-13 05:23 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Rangers (44-33) at Yankees (42-34)
Game: 2
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: June 26, 2013 7:05 PM EDT
The New York Yankees are hoping to continue their turnaround by adding to their recent dominance against the Texas Rangers. Andy Pettitte is seeking to start his Wednesday night.
Winless since his 250th career victory, Pettitte will try to end his woes by leading the Yankees to another win over the Rangers.
At one point during its 10-game homestand, New York (42-34) suffered its seventh loss in nine contests but has gotten back on track by winning three of its last four. The Yankees have batted .254 and scored 18 runs in those four games after hitting .194 and producing 27 runs during their 2-7 stretch.
They also have a 3.00 ERA in the past four contests after posting a 5.06 mark in the previous nine.
New York's pitchers managed to keep Texas from adding to a two-run lead Tuesday, and that allowed the Yankees to rally for a 4-3 victory. Ichiro Suzuki kept his team out of extra innings with a two-out homer in the ninth, his team's fourth of the game.
New York had hit four home runs in its prior 15 games.
"Love it," manager Joe Girardi said. "Sometimes it's tough to score runs when you're not hitting home runs. We got enough tonight."
The win was the 12th in the past 16 matchups with the Rangers (44-33), who had won a season-high five in a row, and 12th in the last 14 home meetings.
Pettitte (5-5, 4.20) will seek to help New York beat Texas again while trying to avoid losing three straight starts for the first time since 2008.
The left-hander is 0-2 with a 5.93 ERA in his two starts since becoming the 45th pitcher to reach the 250-win plateau. He gave up five runs over 6 2-3 innings Thursday in an 8-3 loss to Tampa Bay.
"I just need to be better," Pettitte told the team's website. "I need to shut these guys down once in a while and give us a chance to score first one time instead of always being in a hole. And I feel like I'm putting us in a hole every time out right now."
Pettitte is 13-10 with a 4.82 ERA in 27 career starts against the Rangers, including four in the postseason, and will face them for the first time since an 8-0 loss in Game 3 of the 2010 ALCS.
Justin Grimm, meanwhile, will make his first appearance against the Yankees as he looks to build on his best outing in what's been a difficult month. Grimm (6-5, 5.57) gave up three runs over five innings in last Wednesday's 9-4 victory over Oakland after going 0-2 with an 11.40 ERA in his first three starts in June.
"He's been working hard, and he's been battling," manager Ron Washington told the team's website. "It's always been one inning for him, but tonight we were able to come back, get back in the ballgame, take the lead and hold on to it."
Girardi's next win will be the 600th of his career. He's earned 521 of those wins in his six seasons with New York.
With his next victory, Pettitte will tie Bob Gibson for 44th on the all-time list.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Rangers at Yankees
Tue, Jun 25 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Rangers at Yankees
Wed, Jun 26 - 7:05PM EDT
GAME 3
Rangers at Yankees
Thu, Jun 27 - 1:05PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-26-13 05:25 PM |
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