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Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack
-- Six NL games Tuesday; no starting pitcher got a decision. Six games in the AL; all 12 starting pitchers got a decision.
-- Red Sox beat Texas 17-5; only inning they didn't score was when OF David Murphy mopped up in the bottom of the 8th inning.
-- Oklahoma AD Joe Castiglione gets a $20,000 bonus because Sooners' softball team won the national championship. Seriously.
-- John Mayberry knocked in five runs in Phillies' 7-3 win over Miami, and he didn't get in the game until the bottom of the 7th inning.
-- Bill Calllahan is going to call the Cowboys' plays instead of head coach Jason Garrett? People in Nebraska are chucking over this.
-- Dodger rookie CF Puig knocked in five runs in his second MLB game as LA beat the Padres 9-7. Quite a start for the young man.
*****
Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but..........
13) Great college baseball game on TV late Monday night, FAU-North Carolina, but in 12th inning, Tar Heels bring in lefty reliever to face one better, the day after he threw 90 pitches as a starter!!! If you don’t think college coaches abuse their pitchers, check the next item, written by a current major league pitcher……
12) Last night’s Tweet of the Night, from Arizona Diamondbacks’ pitcher Daniel Hudson: “Almost just want this UNC regional game to end. These are the types of games where college pitchers get absolutely abused.”
11) If you’re a parent, and your kid is about to get drafted Thursday and sign maybe a half a million dollar contact, how do you sit by and watch his college coach put his arm in jeopardy like that? There have to have been some interesting confrontations over the years.
10) Former Arizona Cardinal HC Ken Whisenhunt is the new OC in San Diego; sounds like Philip Rivers will wear gloves this year, to try and reduce his turnovers; a similar tactic worked well for Whisenhunt when he coached two-time NFL MVP Kurt Warner with the Redbirds.
9) This is the 10th week of what has been a very poor season for my fantasy baseball team; it’s a 16-team, 25-man roster keeper league.
Having Carl Crawford on my team has been frustrating; the six weeks he was active, he had a .320 OB%. The three weeks he was inactive, he had a .402 OB%. If I’m frustrated by his sporadic and erratic play, what about the people who are paying him $20.8M this season? How must they feel?
8) Miami Heat is -$220 to win the NBA Finals; Spurs are +$190.
7) If I had my choice of three people to go to dinner with and pick their brains, they would be: Bill James-Steve Martin-Bob Uecker.
6) JaMarcus Russell is getting a workout with the Bears Friday, which should be interesting. He'd be an interesting project as a backup.
5) Ohio State President Gordon Gee got the gate Tuesday; if you believe he "resigned", you're naive. People don't quit $1.9M a year jobs, when you live in a big mansion and have a huge expense account. His mouth got his overeducated butt fired, bow ties and all.
4) Nine of 14 baseball games Tuesday were decided by one run or in extra innings. Lot of late inning heroics, aka bad relief pitching.
3) Los Angeles Kings stayed unbeaten at home in NHL playoffs, beating Chicago 3-1; Blackhawks still lead series 2-1.
2) Eagles WR DeSean Jackson fired agent Drew Rosenhaus, who then sued Jackson for $400,000; no shortage of drama with those receivers.
1) RIP David (Deacon) Jones, one of my boyhood heroes, and one of the great defensive ends of all-time. Being a Ram fan in the late 60’s was fun because they had a great defense and a coach (George Allen) who was one of the first coaches to really stress special teams play.
Jones used to slap opposing tackles in the head to get by them, a move that was later outlawed. He was a bigger-than-life personality and a great, great player. RIP, sir.
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-05-13 06:01 PM |
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CNOTES
FoxDen Hall of Famer
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MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up
Wednesday, June 5
Hot pitchers
-- Rodriguez is 4-1, 2.90 in his last five starts.
-- Teheran is 1-1, 2.08 in his last three starts.
-- Turner blanked Mets for seven innings in his first '13 start.
-- Cueto is 2-0, 1.80 in his last three starts.
-- Kershaw is 2-1, 1.82 in his last four home starts.
-- Colon is 2-0, 0.78 in his last three starts.
-- Giants are 7-0 at home when Zito starts (4-0, 1.40).
-- Vargas is 4-0, 1.91 in his last four starts. Garza is 1-0, 3.38 in three starts this season.
-- Former Indian Sabathia is 1-1, 2.75 in his last three home starts. Kluber is 1-1, 3.00 in his last four starts.
-- Iwakuma is 5-0, 2.40 in his last seven starts. Axelrod is 3-1, 3.80 in his last four starts.
-- Cobb is 2-0, 1.71 in his last three starts. Fister allowed three runs over 14 IP in his last two starts.
-- Lackey is 2-1, 2.37 in his last three starts. Ogando was 2-0, 2.55 in his last three starts before going on the DL.
-- Walters is 2-0, 4.50 in his first two starts this season.
-- Garcia is 2-0, 2.37 in his last three starts.
Cold pitchers
-- Hamels is 0-6, 5.70 in his last six starts.
-- Haren is 0-3, 4.97 in his last four starts. Gee is 1-2, 6.33 in his last four.
-- Garland is 0-4, 7.27 in his last five starts.
-- Miley is 0-4, 9.55 in his last four starts. Kelly was 5-7, 3.53 in 16 starts for St Louis LY; he's allowed 14 runs in 18.2 IP in relief this year.
-- Marquis is 0-0, 7.27 in his last couple starts.
-- Gallardo is 1-4, 5.96 in his last five starts.
-- Dickey is 1-2, 6.53 in his last three starts.
-- Guthrie is 0-3, 7.11 in his last four starts.
-- Keuchel is 1-1, 5.79 in his three home 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........
-- Rodriguez 2-11; Teheran 5-10
-- Turner 0-1; Hamels 3-12
-- Gee 2-11; Haren 1-11
-- Garland 4-11; Cueto 0-6
-- Miley 2-11; Kelly 0-0
-- Marquis 3-11; Kershaw 0-12
-- Colon 2-11; Gallardo 3-12
-- Dickey 5-12; Zito 3-11
-- Garza 0-3; Vargas 1-11
-- Kluber 0-7; Sabathia 4-12
-- Axelrod 3-11; Iwakuma 4-12
-- Cobb 2-10; Fister 2-11
-- Ogando 1-9; Lackey 2-8
-- Walters 0-2; Guthrie 2-11
-- Garcia 2-6; Keuchel 0-5
Totals
-- Nine of last twelve Philly games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Washington games stayed under total.
-- Last three games for both Pirates/Braves went over total.
-- Five of last seven Cincinnati games stayed under total.
-- Eight of last ten Arizona games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven Kershaw starts stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last ten Milwaukee games went over the total.
-- Six of last eight Angel games stayed under the total.
-- Last six Dickey starts went over the total.
-- Over is 5-2-1 in Cleveland's last eight road games.
-- Four of last six Detroit home games stayed under total.
-- Over is 6-1-1 in last eight games at Fenway Park.
-- Five of last six Guthrie starts stayed under the total.
-- Seven of last ten Houstron games stayed under total.
-- Three of last four White Sox games stayed under the total.
Hot teams
-- Phillies won last three games, scoring seven runs in all three games.
-- Reds won 17 of their last 24 games.
-- Atlanta won 14 of its last 18 games.
-- Cardinals won 24 of their last 33 games. Arizona won three of last four.
-- Dodgers won last four home games, scoring 22 runs.
-- A's won 15 of their last 18 games.
-- Tampa Bay won seven of its last nine games.
-- Boston won eight of its last 11 games.
-- Minnesota won seven of its last eight games.
-- Houston won seven of its last nine games; Orioles won five of last six.
-- Mariners won four of their last five home games.
Cold teams
-- Marlins lost 11 of their last 14 games.
-- Nationals lost four of their last six games. Mets lost last four games.
-- Pirates lost four of their last five games.
-- Rockies lost seven of their last eleven games.
-- San Diego lost four of its last five road games.
-- Brewers lost 15 of their last 21 games.
-- Cubs lost six of their last eight road games. Angels lost six of their last nine games overall.
-- Giants lost five of their last eight games. Toronto lost four of last five.
-- Indians lost last seven road games, outscored 44-21. Bronx lost seven of its last ten games, but won last two.
-- Texas lost its last four road games, allowing 31 runs.
-- Tiegrs lost five of their last seven games.
-- Royals lost 15 of their last 18 games.
-- White Sox lost their last eight games, outscored 44-15.
Umpires
-- Pitt-Atl-- Favorites won four of last five Knight games.
-- Mia-Phil-- Favorites won ten of last twelve Hirschbeck games.
-- NY-Wsh-- Favorites won six of last seven Foster games.
-- Col-Cin-- Over is 3-0-1 in last four Carapazza games.
-- Az-StL-- Home teasm won nine of last ten Nauert games; over is 4-0-1 in his last five games behind the plate.
-- SD-LA-- Over is 9-1-1 in last eleven Timmons games.
-- A's-Mil-- Nine of last ten Wendelstedt games went over total.
-- Tor-SF-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Blaser games.
-- Chi-LA-- Eight of last ten TBarrett games stayed under.
-- Cle-NY-- Five of last seven Vanover games stayed under.
-- Chi-Sea-- Over is 9-4-2 in last fifteen Reyburn games.
-- TB-Det-- Visiting team won five of last seven Everitt games.
-- Tex-Bos-- Favorites won last six Drake games.
-- Min-KC-- Last five Cuzzi games all went over the total.
-- Blt-Hst-- Underdogs won six of last ten Darling games.
Reply With Quote
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-05-13 06:03 PM |
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CNOTES
FoxDen Hall of Famer
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MLB
Wednesday, June 5
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How much will possible PED suspensions impact MLB odds?
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Late Tuesday, Twitter exploded with the rumors of ESPN's Outside the Lines learning of roughly 20 MLB players potentially facing suspension. These players, which include some big names, were involved with a Miami-area biogenesis clinic.
Tony Bosch, who is the founder of the clinic Biogenesis of American, apparently had reached an agreement to cooperate with the investigation of Major League Baseball.
Some of the players who could be named, such as Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun, could face a 100-game suspension due to their second doping offense.
With punishment possibly coming this week, we talked to Steve Mikkelson, sportsbook manager at the Atlantis in Reno, to see how much these suspensions will impact the daily MLB moneylines:
Ryan Braun, Milwaukee Brewers
Braun is lacking in the home run department this year with just nine, but leads the Brew Crew with 35 RBIs.
"This is a guy who is a potential MVP candidate," says Mikkelson. "The Brewers really don't have any pitching and to pull that bat out of the lineup would be devastating. If they lose Braun, they drop below teams like the San Diego Padres and the New York Mets. Without question, you're probably knocking 10 cents off the line."
Robinson Cano, New York Yankees
Cano has been compiling more great numbers and is the heart of the Yankees lineup. Many experts and pundits wrote the Yankees off before the season had started but, heading into action Tuesday, the Yankees were a surprising 2.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox atop the American League East.
"This would be another devastating blow. Not as devastating as Braun, but pretty darn close," Mikkelson says, "The Yankees have done a wonderful job in staying in it this year. Cano is everything to this lineup and he is leading in practically every offensive category and at second base. They can't stay in contention if Cano is lost."
Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers
The Rangers slugger is having another great season leading the ball club with 13 homers and 39 RBIs.
"This is a team that lost Mike Napoli, Josh Hamilton and Michael Young. They're not exactly the scoring team that we're used to and Cruz fits right in the middle of that lineup. He is probably worth three or four cents to the moneyline. If they are going to win without him, which they still can, they are going to need to get guys like Alexi Ogando back and pitching well again."
Melky Cabrera, Toronto Blue Jays
Cabrera was suspended last year as a member of the San Francisco Giants. He leads the Jays with a .281 batting average in his first season with the club.
"I don't view Cabrera as that big a piece for Toronto. The loss of a guy like Jose Reyes was certainly bigger and they have a guy like Rajai Davis who can fill in," says Mikkelson.
Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
Rodriguez has yet to play this season and is another player who could see a second suspension.
"A potential suspension to A-Rod will have no effect on the Yankees. All it says is 'now we know for sure that he's not coming back'."
Jhonny Peralta, Detroit Tigers
Peralta is having a great season for Detroit, batting .332 and has 97 total bases on the season.
"He's having a really good year and his loss would hurt them. Losing Peralta certainly makes them vulnerable, but I believe they still win the division. He's hitting well, but he's poor defensively. His value is a couple of cents to the moneyline at best."
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-05-13 06:04 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Rays (31-26) at Tigers (31-25)
Game: 3
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: June 06, 2013 1:08 PM EDT
A big reason for Max Scherzer's stellar start is the support he's received from his teammates - especially at home.
The right-hander tries again to become the first Detroit pitcher in six years to start 8-0 on Thursday when the struggling Tigers face the Tampa Bay Rays.
Scherzer (7-0, 3.42 ERA) appeared set to become the first Tiger since Jeremy Bonderman in 2007 to do so Friday at Baltimore when he allowed three runs, three hits, struck out 10 and left with a 5-3 lead after eight innings. However, closer Jose Valverde gave up four runs, including a walk-off three-run homer with two outs, for a 7-5 loss.
"It's always frustrating," said Scherzer, who retired the last 16 batters he faced. "At the end of the day, I always think we have one of the better teams around, so hopefully this doesn't happen too often."
The Tigers have supplied Scherzer with 8.02 runs per game this season, and 8.69 while he's gone 5-0 in six home starts despite posting a 5.17 ERA.
The Tigers (31-26), however, have totaled seven runs while Scherzer has gone 1-2 with a 3.04 ERA in four starts against Tampa Bay.
A day after losing 10-1 in the series opener, the Rays (32-26) scored all their runs in the ninth inning of Wednesday's 3-0 victory. Matt Joyce hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly and Evan Longoria had two hits with an RBI as Tampa Bay won for the eighth time in 10 games.
The Rays have won four times in their last 17 games against the Tigers, losing seven of nine at Comerica Park.
Central-leading Detroit has dropped six of eight.
Longoria is 5 for 13 (.385) with four RBIs in his last three games. One of his two hits in eight at_bats against Scherzer was a home run.
Scheduled Rays starter Roberto Hernandez (3-5, 4.87) looks to build on his best outing of 2013 after allowing a run and three hits in a season-high 8 2-3 innings of a 3-1 win at Miami last Wednesday.
The right-hander gave up 10 runs and 14 hits over six innings in going 0-1 in his previous two outings.
"He got better as the game was in progress," manager Joe Maddon told the Rays' official website. "He's got good stuff, he knows how to pitch. A really nice breaking ball. A nice feel for what he's doing out there. He's going to be very good."
Hernandez is 8-5 with a 3.97 ERA in 17 starts against the Tigers, going 1-2 with an 8.10 ERA when he last faced them with Cleveland in 2011.
Detroit star Miguel Cabrera is batting .333 (12 for 36) with three home runs and two doubles against Hernandez. He went 0 for 2 with two intentional walks Wednesday, and leads the majors with a .366 average.
Teammate Prince Fielder is batting .333 during a 10-game hitting streak but struck out both times following those walks to Cabrera in the sixth and eighth innings.
"There's probably times you're going to roll the dice and let the pitcher pitch to Cabrera," Maddon said. "Everything depends on the pitcher. It's not a generic moment."
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MLB HEAD TO HEAD
Jun 5, 2013 Score ATS Results
TAM « 3 Cover: +135
DET 0 Under: 3
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps
Jun 4, 2013 Score ATS Results
TAM 1 Over: 11
DET « 10 Cover: +100
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-06-13 07:54 AM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Orioles (33-25) at Astros (21-38)
Game: 3
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: June 06, 2013 2:10 PM EDT
The Houston Astros have an important decision to make Thursday night when they get the top pick in the first-year entry draft for the second consecutive season.
The way the Astros are playing, they might not be in that position a year from now.
Houston goes for a ninth win in 11 games Thursday in the series finale against the Baltimore Orioles.
Whomever the Astros (22-38) take No. 1 after selecting shortstop Carlos Correa in that spot in 2012 will join an organization that's finished with the majors' worst record in each of the last two seasons. The Astros are on pace for a club-record third consecutive 100-loss season, but they're definitely not playing like the team that owns the AL's worst mark.
Houston hit six homers - its most since Aug. 9, 2006, and one shy of the team record - in Wednesday's 11-7 victory after being limited to five total hits in Tuesday's 4-1 series-opening loss that ended its season-best 6-0 run.
"You felt like you needed headphones or ear plugs in the dugout because everybody was hitting the ball hard," said J.D. Martinez, who hit a two-run homer to help Houston end a seven-game skid to Baltimore.
The Astros will close out their three-game homestand with Bud Norris (5-4, 3.39 ERA) getting his first look at the Orioles (33-26).
The right-hander is 1-0 with a 0.95 ERA in his last three outings after scattering four hits and three walks in six innings in Saturday's 2-0 road win over the Los Angeles Angels.
"He pitched with a lot of energy, a lot of passion," manager Bo Porter told the Astros' official website after Norris ended a three-start winless stretch.
The Orioles could use that from Miguel Gonzalez (2-2, 4.33) as they try to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time since a season-worst six-game skid May 14-20.
There were discussions about pushing back the right-hander and giving the ball to Jason Hammel on Thursday, but Gonzalez will get the chance to win his first game in six starts. He has three consecutive no-decisions after throwing a season high-tying 105 pitches in Friday's 7-5 victory over Detroit.
Gonzalez set down the side in order just once in six innings, giving up a season-high five runs while walking three for a second straight start.
"I thought he did what he could do to keep it close," manager Buck Showalter told the Orioles' official website.
Gonzalez will be throwing to Texas native Taylor Teagarden as he makes his first appearance versus Houston. Teagarden, activated from the disabled list (dislocated left thumb) prior to this series, will replace Matt Wieters, who could still DH after hitting a two-run homer Wednesday.
Nick Markakis will miss his second straight game following the death of his grandmother.
Baltimore's Chris Davis, the majors' leader with 20 homers, will try to run his modest hitting streak to six after going 2 for 5 with a double Wednesday. That double made Davis the first player with 20 homers and 20 doubles before the team's 60th game.
The only two active Orioles who have faced Norris are Nate McLouth (0 for 6) and J.J. Hardy (1 for 5), and the two are a combined 7 for 17 in this series.
The Astros are 4-1 at home against the Orioles.
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MLB HEAD TO HEAD
Jun 5, 2013 Score ATS Results
BAL 7 Over: 18
HOU « 11 Cover: +145
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps
Jun 4, 2013 Score ATS Results
BAL « 4 Cover: +100
HOU 1 Under: 5
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-06-13 07:56 AM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Mets (22-33) at Nationals (29-29)
Game: 3
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: June 06, 2013 7:05 PM EDT
Gio Gonzalez may be looking forward to just stepping on the mound.
Some production from the bats would be a welcome change.
After being named in a report involving an investigation about performance-enhancing drugs, Gonzalez attempts to win for the first time in a month and help the Washington Nationals take this three-game series with the New York Mets on Thursday night.
Gonzalez (3-3, 3.64 ERA) was among the names revealed in a report involving an MLB investigation of players linked to an anti-aging clinic in Miami. As many as 20 players could be suspended for using PEDs, but the left-hander is expected to avoid punishment since he's linked to legal substances.
"We came into spring training with this kind of cloud over the team, and Gio came in and took the reins and explained exactly what happened," reliever Tyler Clippard, who is also the team's union player representative, told the team's official website. "He wanted to make sure that he explained it to his teammates, which he did. I think he explained to the media just as well as he explained it to us.
"For me, knowing Gio, knowing the kind of guy that he is, I believe him wholeheartedly. He has done it the right way, in my opinion."
Gonzalez, who finished third in NL Cy Young Award voting last year, has been superb over his last five starts. He's compiled a 2.14 ERA while limiting opponents to a .190 average and one homer, but is 0-1 since he's been backed by one run in four of those outings.
That was the theme again Saturday, when he yielded one run and three hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings of a 2-1 loss in 10 at Atlanta. Despite the offense's struggles, Gonzalez isn't faulting his teammates.
"I'm proud of these guys," he said. "They worked their tails off. They do it every game. I'm not disappointed at all. They're playing their hearts out."
Offense hasn't been an issue over Gonzalez's last four starts against the Mets (23-33), since he's 3-0 with a 2.78 ERA while being backed by an average of 8.3 runs. He needed the help April 20, when he allowed five runs with four walks in four innings of a 7-6 win at New York.
The Nationals, however, have batted .197 and scored 11 runs in losing four of their last six games.
Ryan Zimmerman, the team leader with 28 RBIs, is 4 for 25 over that stretch while stranding six runners and going 0 for 3 with them in scoring position.
The Nationals (29-30) had 10 hits - five doubles - Wednesday, but went 2 for 13 with four strikeouts with runners in scoring position to fall 10-1 to the Mets after taking the series opener 3-2 a day earlier.
New York halted a four-game slide Wednesday, and is trying to build momentum by giving Shaun Marcum (0-6, 5.71 ERA) his eighth chance at his first victory. His start to the season is the worst by a Met since Mike Pelfrey went 0-7 in 2007.
Marcum, though, isn't entirely to blame. The veteran right-hander has been backed by an average of 2.6 runs, and he didn't get any while allowing four runs in 6 2-3 innings of Friday's 5-1 loss at Miami.
Marcum is 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA with 14 strikeouts in 13 innings over two career starts against the Nationals.
Marlon Byrd is looking to build on his two homers and three RBIs from Wednesday. The right fielder is 7 for 19 (.368) with four homers while plating eight runs in seven road games.
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MLB HEAD TO HEAD
Jun 5, 2013 Score ATS Results
NYM « 10 Cover: +145
WAS 1 Over: 11
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps
Jun 4, 2013 Score ATS Results
NYM 2 Under: 5
WAS « 3 Cover: +100
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-06-13 07:58 AM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Rangers (35-22) at Red Sox (36-23)
Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: June 06, 2013 7:10 PM EDT
Jon Lester couldn't lose during the first six weeks of the season, but lately he can't win for the Boston Red Sox.
Derek Holland hopes the success he enjoyed in May for the Texas Rangers will carry into June when he tries to continue his recent dominance over the Red Sox.
A pair of left-handers heading in opposite directions take the mound Thursday night in the finale of a three-game series at Fenway Park.
Lester went 6-0 with a 2.72 ERA in his first nine starts but is 0-2 with a 6.05 ERA in the last three. He allowed four runs and walked four in 6 1-3 innings of a 4-1 loss at Yankee Stadium on Friday.
"Bad pitches, behind in the count, not having command of the baseball. The list goes on," said Lester, who has yielded 23 hits and walked eight over 19 1-3 innings in the last three outings.
Lester (6-2, 3.53 ERA) is 0-2 with an 8.55 ERA in his last four starts against the Rangers (36-22). He gave up three runs on two homers, walked three and struck out seven over six innings while not factoring in the decision of a 4-3 loss in Texas on May 5.
Holland went 4-0 with a 2.31 ERA in six starts last month, starting May 3 when he allowed six hits and struck out nine in eight innings of a 7-0 victory over Boston (36-24).
Since Holland (5-2, 2.81) allowed four runs in 4 2-3 innings of an 8-1 loss in his first start against Boston on June 6, 2009, he is 5-0 with a 1.73 ERA against the Red Sox. He's yielded a two-run homer and five other hits over 14 innings to win his last two at Fenway.
The only earned run Holland allowed through 13 2-3 innings while winning his last two starts overall came across seven frames of a 7-2 victory over Kansas City on Friday.
"He's certainly pitching well. He was outstanding again," manager Ron Washington said. "Once again, he stayed out of the fat part of the plate, and off the fat part of the bat for the most part.
"If Yu Darvish wasn't on the staff we have right now, I guess you'd say Derek would probably be the ace."
A night after losing 17-5, Texas got a tiebreaking, two-run double from Elvis Andrus in the seventh inning of a 3-2 win Wednesday. Mired in a 1-for-18 slump, Andrus had two hits to help the Rangers secure their best record through 58 games.
"It was a huge win for us," Andrus said. "We're really good at trying to turn the page and be ready for the next game. That's the way we've had success so far the last couple of years."
Andrus was 2 for 26 with 10 strikeouts in his first eight games at Fenway but is hitting .410 with eight RBIs in his last 10 there. However, he's 5 for 22 (.227) against Lester.
The Red Sox produced a season-high 19 hits in the series opener but were held to five while their three-game winning streak was snapped.
Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia homered Wednesday and is batting .368 with three home runs and 18 RBIs while hitting safely in 25 of his last 27 games. He's 2 for 17 with a homer against Holland.
Texas first baseman Mitch Moreland could miss this game after he left Wednesday with tightness in his hamstring. He's 9 for 18 with two homers against the Red Sox in 2013, taking Lester deep last month.
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MLB HEAD TO HEAD
Jun 5, 2013 Score ATS Results
TEX « 3 Cover: +117
BOS 2 Under: 5
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps
Jun 4, 2013 Score ATS Results
TEX 5 Over: 22
BOS « 17 Cover: +100
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-06-13 08:00 AM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Athletics (36-25) at White Sox (24-32)
Game: 1
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: June 06, 2013 8:10 PM EDT
The Oakland Athletics' starting rotation still looks every bit as tough as it was in a three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox last week.
Those pitchers get another shot at Chicago, which hopes its offensive struggles come to an end after concluding an otherwise miserable road trip on a high note.
Oakland's starters look to keep rolling Thursday night as the A's visit the White Sox in the opener of a four-game series.
The Athletics (36-25) were two games below .500 before winning 16 of 19. Dominant pitching has helped key the surge, with starters posting a 12-2 record and 2.44 ERA while allowing 10 homers in 125 2-3 innings.
They combined to hold Chicago to one run and 13 hits over 21 1-3 innings last weekend in Oakland and didn't let up in taking two of three in Milwaukee. Starters held the Brewers to three runs over 21 innings, with Bartolo Colon allowing one over seven in a 6-1 win Wednesday.
"When you get on streaks like that, it means you're doing something right," manager Bob Melvin told the A's official website. "Not just on the pitching end but the offensive end."
The White Sox (25-32) avoided their first nine-game losing streak in nearly 22 years Wednesday, managing a 7-5 victory in 16 innings at Seattle. The Mariners matched Chicago's five-run 14th, but Alejandro De Aza provided the go-ahead run with an RBI single in the 16th. It was the first major league game in which both clubs finished with five or more runs after being scoreless through nine.
Chicago's five runs in the 14th were more than the club scored in any game during the skid, and the White Sox have 22 runs over the last nine.
"We're all too exhausted right now to relish it," second baseman Gordon Beckham said. "But when you're down, you've got an eight-game losing streak, and you're battling and what happens in the 14th happened it's like, 'How can it get any worse?' ... We battled and hopefully it does enough for us to get going back in the right direction."
Oakland starter Dan Straily (3-2, 4.60 ERA) will try to keep the White Sox's bats quiet, much like he did Saturday as he allowed one run and six hits in six innings while not receiving a decision in a 4-3 win.
The right-hander is 2-0 with a 0.95 ERA in his last three starts, and a reduction in walks has helped key that success. Straily has issued one free pass in those games after yielding 12 over 19 1-3 innings while going 0-2 with an 8.84 ERA in his previous four starts.
"It's a lot harder to hit when you have strikes on you, at least that's what I've heard," Straily told the team's official website.
Straily will be matched up against the same White Sox starter from last weekend's game in Jose Quintana (3-2, 3.86). The left-hander gave up a season-high 10 hits in 5 1-3 innings while not factoring in the decision and has a 5.56 ERA in his last two starts.
"(Quintana) was in and out," manager Robin Ventura said Saturday. "He never evened out."
Oakland's game Wednesday was tied at 1-all until the A's scored five times in the seventh, highlighted by a three-run homer from Brandon Moss, who was hitting .132 with 21 strikeouts over his previous 21 games. With the White Sox expected to roll out a left-handed starter for all four games, rookie Nate Freiman could get a majority of the playing time at first base over Moss.
Freiman is batting .340 against lefties while Moss is hitting .167 with 22 strikeouts in 42 at_bats.
"Moss will be getting some at_bats against left-handers," Melvin said. "He's going to get hot again. There's no doubt about it. ... But based on the fact Freiman has done well against left-handed pitching, he's going to get the brunt of the at_bats."
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Athletics at White Sox
Thu, Jun 6 - 8:10PM EDT
GAME 2
Athletics at White Sox
Fri, Jun 7 - 8:10PM EDT
GAME 3
Athletics at White Sox
Sat, Jun 8 - 4:10PM EDT
GAME 4
Athletics at White Sox
Sun, Jun 9 - 2:10PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-06-13 08:01 AM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Twins (26-29) at Royals (23-32)
Game: 3
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: June 06, 2013 8:10 PM EDT
The Kansas City Royals own one of the worst home records in baseball, but that hasn't been evident when facing the Minnesota Twins.
After ending the longest single-season home losing streak in franchise history, the Royals will try to capitalize on another meeting with their AL Central rivals in the finale of this three-game set Thursday night.
Kansas City (24-32) occupies the division basement partly due to an 11-15 home record.
The Royals' struggles as host were on display for a month, dropping 11 straight while the rotation compiled a 5.17 ERA and the offense batted .209 and averaged 2.1 runs.
They were four-hit in a shutout loss to open the series, but the Royals regrouped by winning 4-1 on Wednesday to end their lengthy slide at Kauffman Stadium.
"We hadn't just been playing bad here. We'd been playing bad in general, everywhere we've been," said designated hitter Billy Butler, who had three hits and drove in a run. "Hopefully this gets us going, gives us a little momentum boost."
The Royals have had plenty versus the Twins (26-30), winning seven of the past nine meetings overall, including four of five at home this year.
Despite the team's struggles, Butler is 9 for 15 over the past five home games. He's a .337 hitter over 54 career games at home versus Minnesota, batting .451 with 12 RBIs over the past 13.
Butler could be in for another big day against Twins starter Mike Pelfrey (3-6, 6.66 ERA), who has allowed opponents to hit .332.
The right-hander is 0-3 with a 7.04 ERA in five starts, as he continues to struggle in his first season since undergoing Tommy John surgery.
"I'm probably the least patient person you've met," Pelfrey told the team's official website. "I've busted my tail to come back from this as fast as I have. I'd like to see results. I'd like for it to be going better than it is. At the end of the day, it eats me alive. So it stinks."
It certainly has in the sixth inning of each of his last two starts, as he's surrendered seven of eight total runs. He's also issued seven walks in 11 innings over that stretch.
Pelfrey gave up all of the scoring in the sixth of Friday's 3-0 loss to Seattle, getting pulled with one out while tossing 101 pitches.
"Right now with Pelf, it's about command," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "He needs more consistency with his pitches."
That may have been the case at Kansas City on April 9, when Pelfrey was tagged for six runs and eight hits in two innings of a 7-4 loss in his only career meeting against the Royals.
Kansas City will counter Pelfrey with Wade Davis (3-5, 6.16), who is 3-0 with a 2.16 ERA over his last five games - four starts - versus Minnesota.
The right-hander, however, hasn't come close to being that effective of late, going 1-5 with a 7.68 ERA over his last eight starts. That includes going 0-3 with a 7.77 ERA while allowing opponents to hit .337 with five homers in four home games.
Davis is also coming off one of his worst performances of the season, getting tagged for six runs and 10 hits in five innings of a 7-2 loss at Texas on Friday.
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MLB HEAD TO HEAD
Jun 5, 2013 Score ATS Results
MIN 1 Under: 5
KAN « 4 Cover: +100
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps
Jun 4, 2013 Score ATS Results
MIN « 3 Cover: +128
KAN 0 Under: 3
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-06-13 08:03 AM |
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Preview: Phillies (30-30) at Brewers (22-36)
Game: 1
Venue: Miller Park
Date: June 06, 2013 8:10 PM EDT
The Philadelphia Phillies are on the verge of climbing over .500 for the first time this season after sweeping one last-place team. To crack the break-even mark, they could use a better performance against another cellar dweller.
The Phillies, who dropped two of three to Milwaukee this past weekend, will try for an improved showing in a four-game series with the Brewers beginning Thursday night at Miller Park.
Philadelphia (30-30) outscored Miami 20-6 in its three games this week and earned a season-high fourth straight win in Wednesday's series finale. Ryan Howard hit a two-run triple in the seventh inning of that 6-1 victory, and the red-hot Domonic Brown followed with a two-run homer.
"We'll be over .500 tomorrow night if we play good," manager Charlie Manuel told the team's website. "When you get to .500, if we can win some games, like four or five straight, or eight out of 10, we'll be in a good position."
Brown is batting .381 with 11 homers and 24 RBIs in his last 16 games and leads the NL with 18 longballs. He homered three times in the three games against the Brewers (22-36) but couldn't prevent Milwaukee from recording its only series victory since the beginning of May.
The Brewers' scheduled starter for Thursday, Wily Peralta (4-6, 5.94 ERA), played a role in one of those wins by outdueling Tyler Cloyd (1-2, 4.76).
Peralta gave up two runs over seven innings in a 4-3 victory Saturday to earn his first win since May 7 in his first start against Philadelphia. Cloyd allowed three runs over seven frames in his first start against Milwaukee and his second straight defeat.
The two will square off again as Philadelphia tries to move above .500 for the first time since it was 81-80 on Oct. 2.
The Brewers enter after dropping two of three to visiting Oakland. They gave up five runs in the seventh in Wednesday's series finale, a 6-1 loss. Milwaukee, losers in 25 of 33 and six of seven at home, is also perhaps dealing with another distraction surrounding Ryan Braun.
The outfielder is under investigation for his link to Biogenesis of America, a closed anti-aging clinic that allegedly sold performing-enhancing drugs to a number of players. Braun was suspended for 50 games in 2011 after testing positive for elevated testosterone, the same year he won the NL MVP, but that penalty was overturned by an arbitrator.
"I've already addressed everything related to the Miami situation. I addressed it in spring training. I will not make any further statements about it. Truth has not changed," Braun said. "I've dealt with this for two years now. I'm pretty good at avoiding distractions."
Braun was not in the starting lineup Wednesday but manager Ron Roenicke said that was because of a nagging right thumb injury.
Braun is a .377 career hitter against Philadelphia, his best average against any NL team, but went 0 for 3 against Cloyd on Saturday. Logan Schafer was 3 for 3 with a pair of doubles versus the right-hander.
Brown is 9 for 15 with 12 RBIs in his last four games against Milwaukee but went 1 for 4 with two strikeouts Saturday against Peralta.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Phillies at Brewers
Thu, Jun 6 - 8:10PM EDT
GAME 2
Phillies at Brewers
Fri, Jun 7 - 8:10PM EDT
GAME 3
Phillies at Brewers
Sat, Jun 8 - 7:15PM EDT
GAME 4
Phillies at Brewers
Sun, Jun 9 - 2:10PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-06-13 08:05 AM |
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Preview: Yankees (34-25) at Mariners (26-33)
Game: 1
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: June 06, 2013 10:10 PM EDT
Raul Ibanez was beginning to develop a knack for hitting the New York Yankees hard before joining them in 2012.
He picked up right where he left off the first time he faced his former team earlier this season.
The Seattle Mariners hope to see more of the same from Ibanez when they begin a four-game set with visiting New York on Thursday night.
Ibanez, in his third stint with Seattle, hit 19 home runs for the Yankees last season, then led the way for the Mariners as they took two of three in New York from May 14-16, homering three times and driving in eight runs.
The 41-year-old outfielder owns an OPS of 1.187 with six home runs and 18 RBIs over his last 11 games against the Yankees dating to Sept. 6, 2008, when he was in his second tenure with the Mariners.
Ibanez homered Monday and Tuesday while helping Seattle (26-34) to wins over the White Sox and was 1 for 6 on Wednesday in a 7-5, 16-inning loss.
The Mariners answered Chicago's five runs in the top of the 14th with five in the bottom half before yielding two more in the 16th. It marked the first time in major league history that each team scored five or more runs in a game when it was scoreless through nine.
The Yankees, meanwhile, hope Travis Hafner will keep providing pop at the plate. He homered in Monday's 7-4 victory over Cleveland and added his 10th on Wednesday as New York (34-25) won 6-4 to complete a three-game sweep.
Hafner has hit safely in 20 of his last 22 games against Seattle while slugging .651 with seven home runs and 25 RBIs. The Mariners hope to match that power with the return of their own slugger, Michael Morse, who missed his eighth straight game Wednesday with a strained right quadriceps muscle.
Tied with Ibanez for the team lead in home runs with 11, Morse is expected back in the lineup Thursday, according to manager Eric Wedge.
"He's champing at the bit," Wedge, who hasn't decided if Morse would be the designated hitter or play first base, told the team's official website. "It's most definitely not going to be the outfield. We'll see how today goes and then decide."
Morse went 7 for 12 with a home run in the teams' first series this season.
Hoping to keep Ibanez in the yard will be New York starter Phil Hughes (2-4, 5.37 ERA). He failed to do so in a 12-2 loss to Seattle on May 15, getting charged with seven runs on six hits - including an Ibanez grand slam - in two-thirds of an inning, the shortest start of his career.
Hughes also served up a grand slam to Boston's Mike Napoli in his last outing as he allowed five runs and seven hits over 4 1-3 innings in an 11-1 loss Saturday. He's allowed seven home runs in his last 23 2-3 innings.
On the hill for Seattle will be Aaron Harang (2-5, 5.82). The right-hander was 1-5 with an 8.58 ERA through his first six starts but has limited opponents to one earned run and eight hits over 15 innings in his last two outings.
Harang has given up three hits in 14 at_bats against Hafner but has never faced the Yankees in his 12-year career.
Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano is batting .337 with 23 RBIs over his last 23 games against Seattle, while Lyle Overbay - coming off the first three outfield starts of his career - is 11 for 24 with five doubles when facing Harang.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Yankees at Mariners
Thu, Jun 6 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 2
Yankees at Mariners
Fri, Jun 7 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 3
Yankees at Mariners
Sat, Jun 8 - 4:10PM EDT
GAME 4
Yankees at Mariners
Sun, Jun 9 - 4:10PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-06-13 08:07 AM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Diamondbacks (34-25) at Cardinals (38-21)
Game: 4
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: June 06, 2013 7:15 PM EDT
Paul Goldschmidt is on a tear, but he's about to face one of the best young pitchers in the NL.
In his first scheduled meeting with rookie sensation Shelby Miller, Goldschmidt will try to continue his torrid hitting and help the Arizona Diamondbacks cap this four-game series with a third straight win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night.
Goldschmidt is one of the biggest reasons Arizona (34-25) is atop the NL West, and he continues to be the club's biggest threat at the plate. The first baseman - who had 20 homers and 82 RBIs last year - leads the team in 2013 with a .336 average and 14 homers, and his 53 RBIs are tops in the league.
"He's on a roll and he's really carrying us," manager Kirk Gibson said of Goldschmidt, who could be in line for an All-Star appearance next month. "He's got a great approach up there. He's a huge cog for us and he's getting better."
Goldschmidt has made his presence felt over the last 11 games, batting .413 while driving in 17 runs and scoring 11. His only two homers in that stretch were grand slams, and he connected for the most recent one in Wednesday's 10-3 win at St. Louis. That was a day after he drove in the decisive run in a 7-6, 14-inning win.
Goldschmidt has five hits - three for extra bases - and six RBI over the last two games of this series.
"I feel like every time I come up there I have men on base," Goldschmidt said. "I've had a lot of opportunities."
The Cardinals (38-21), who are trying to avoid matching their season-high three-game slide from April 27-29, are hoping Miller (6-3, 1.82 ERA) can stop Goldschmidt in his first meeting with the Diamondbacks.
The 22-year-old right-hander also seems headed for the All-Star game in New York since he owns the lowest ERA in the NL, and has limited opponents to a .203 batting average.
Miller has been superb at Busch Stadium, going 3-1 with a 0.79 ERA in five starts, tossing 21 2-3 consecutive scoreless innings over his last three there. It's the longest such streak for a Cardinals rookie at home since John Costello went 22 1-3 in 1988.
Miller's impressive stretch continued with seven innings and as many strikeouts in Saturday's 8-0 win over San Francisco.
Matt Carpenter - like Goldschmidt - is thriving in his second full season in the majors, batting .333, and his 47 runs are among the NL leaders.
Carpenter, who has nine hits in this series, is batting .450 during a career-best 14-game hitting streak that coincided with his move to the leadoff spot.
"You get to get up there, start the game off, kind of get the momentum going, and it's something I do really enjoy," Carpenter told the team's official website.
The Diamondbacks will turn to Ian Kennedy (3-3, 4.74), who is 2-3 with a 7.14 ERA in five career starts versus the Cardinals.
The right-hander allowed two runs with eight strikeouts in seven innings of an opening-day 6-2 win against them April 1. However, he followed that up by going 0-3 with a 5.19 ERA over his next seven outings before winning his last two decisions over his three most recent games.
Kennedy earned a 12-4 win over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, getting his first road victory of the season while allowing four runs with seven strikeouts in seven innings.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Cardinals
Mon, Jun 3 Final 1 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Cardinals
Tue, Jun 4 Final 7 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Cardinals
Wed, Jun 5 Final 10 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps
GAME 4
Diamondbacks at Cardinals
Thu, Jun 6 - 7:15PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-06-13 06:32 PM |
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CNOTES
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Preview: Braves (37-22) at Dodgers (25-33)
Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: June 06, 2013 10:10 PM EDT
Based on the way the Atlanta Braves have played of late, Los Angeles' Zack Greinke could have a hard time trying to end his recent struggles overall and against the NL East leaders.
The right-hander looks to avoid a fourth consecutive rough outing and help the Dodgers prevent the visiting Braves from a sixth straight victory Thursday night.
After losing two of three to open an eight-homestand, Atlanta (37-22) won the last five, capped with a 5-0 victory over Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Julio Teheran came within four outs of a no-hitter and rookie Evan Gattis hit his 13th homer as the Braves won for the 15th time in 19 games.
Atlanta has homered 29 times and posted a 2.48 ERA during that span.
"We're playing winning baseball right now," outfielder Jason Heyward told the Braves' official website. "Everybody's contributing in their own way, timely hits, we're playing pretty good defense and our pitchers are keeping runs off the board.
"We'll go out and have some fun, a change of scenery a little bit, time change out there, but go play baseball and have fun."
With a three-game home sweep of Los Angeles (25-33) last month, Atlanta has won six of eight against the Dodgers.
Greinke (2-1, 4.80), who is 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA in two starts against the Braves, certainly has his work cut out for him in the opener.
He allowed a home run through 5 1-3 innings of a 3-1 victory over Washington on May 15 in his return from missing more than a month with a broken collarbone. Since then, Greinke is 0-1 with an 8.78 ERA in three starts, allowing 28 hits and walking seven.
Greinke yielded four runs and nine hits while walking three in 5 1-3 innings of a 7-6, 10-inning loss at Colorado on Saturday.
"I haven't pitched well a whole lot this year," he told the Dodgers' official website. "I expected to do better the first couple of outings than I have. I've got to make the adjustments and pitch better."
Los Angeles fell short in its bid for a three-game home sweep of San Diego with a 6-2 loss Wednesday.
Highly touted Dodgers rookie Yasiel Puig went 5 for 8 with two homers and five RBIs in his first two games, but was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts Wednesday.
"He's going to be fine, he's going to make outs," manager Don Mattingly said.
Adrian Gonzalez drove in a run and is batting .419 with four homers and 13 RBIs in his last 12 games. He's hit .471 (8 for 17) with two home runs versus Atlanta starter Tim Hudson (4-4, 4.80).
The veteran right-hander is 0-3 with a 6.33 ERA in five starts since beating the New York Mets on May 5, but he allowed an unearned run and three hits in 7 1-3 innings of a 2-1, 10-inning victory over Washington on Saturday.
"I felt pretty good out there," Hudson said. "I think (pitching coach Roger McDowell) and I made some pretty good work in my bullpen sessions between starts."
The Braves hope the recent stride Hudson made will help improve his performance on the road, where he is 1-4 with a 7.67 ERA in six starts. He's 1-2 with a 5.03 ERA in seven at Dodger Stadium.
Heyward went 6 for 14 in the Pittsburgh series, but is 4 for 45 (.089) on the road this season. He's batting .119 (5 for 42) lifetime at Chavez Ravine.
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SERIES AT A GLANCE
GAME 1
Braves at Dodgers
Thu, Jun 6 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 2
Braves at Dodgers
Fri, Jun 7 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 3
Braves at Dodgers
Sat, Jun 8 - 10:10PM EDT
GAME 4
Braves at Dodgers
Sun, Jun 9 - 4:10PM EDT
Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-06-13 06:36 PM |
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Armadillo: Thursday's six-pack
-- An epic bad beat if you had the under in White Sox-Mariner game; it was 0-0 thru 13 innings,. but each team scored five times in 13th inning to beat the 7.5-run total.
-- Seattle's Kyle Seager is first player EVER to hit a game-tying grand slam in extra innings. Pretty amazing.
-- It was the first game ever that saw each team score 5+ runs, after game was scoreless through nine innings.
Elsewhere.........
-- They had 3.97 inches of rain in Atlanta Wednesday, making it wettest day in Atlanta weather history.
-- 11 of Scott Van Slyke's first 14 hits this season were for extra bases; he has five doubles and six home runs.
-- Home teams are 17-6 in Stanley Cup overtime games this spring.
*****
Armadillo: Thursday's List of 13: Random stuff on a spring day.........
13) A 22,000-seat high school football stadium in Allen, Texas cost $60M to build. 60 million dollars, for a high school football facility; guess we know where the greedy bastards in the oil industry live- that’s probably part of why gas is $3.71 a gallon around here.
They’re the Allen HS Eagles, by the way.
12) One of the cool things about college sports is how schools like Rice and Cal State-Fullerton are really good at one sport (in this case, baseball) and doormats in most everything else. Fullerton-UCLA should be a good series this weekend.
11) Pairings for Jimmy V Classic December 17, both games on ESPN-Pitt-Cincinnati (no longer a Big East rivalry) and Florida-Memphis. Pretty good college basketball twinbill.
10) Over last four years, Long Beach State has ranked #2-4-2-1 in non-conference strength of schedule. Wonder if they think its helped them, on the court? Their program probably made lot of money doing that, but its not like they made any noise in the post-season. They probably use it a lot in recruiting.
9) Thoughts and prayers to Cardinals’ QB coach/former Alabama WR Freddie Kitchens, who had emergency heart surgery this week; stuff like that is scary.
8) Next week’s US Open is going to be really tough; word is that Rory McIlroy hit a ball in the rough during a practice round and couldn’t find it, and they’re still fertilizing the rough this week.
7) Big Dozen signed an 8-year deal with the Pinstripe Bowl, clinching that a Big Dozen team will get sent to the Bronx for a bowl game for the next eight years. Not sure the kids involved will be all that excited—its damn cold in NYC in late December.
6) Speaking of the Bronx Bombers, if they get out of paying the rest of ARod’s contract ($80M or so) I’m going to puke- a 100-game suspension nets them about $18M in savings, but getting out of the last three years would be a huge bonanza for them, and allow them to poach more stars from other teams in free agency.
5) Arizona State is playing USC/Notre Dame on consecutive Saturdays this year; that doesn’t happen too much. Todd Graham might want to have a little talk with whomever is doing his scheduling.
4) Kentucky is playing Western Kentucky in its football season opener, but in Nashville; why would these Kentucky teams play a game against each other in Tennessee?
3) Pitcher named Duke von Schamann leads the Class A California League in wins (7-2, 4.32); he is the son of former Oklahoma/Dolphins’ kicker Uwe von Schamann, who kicked in Miami for six years.
The dad once made a last-second FG to beat Ohio State in Columbus; when the Buckeyes called timeout to ice him, von Schamann pretended to be the conductor for the band playing music during the timeout. Yup, those were Barry Switzer’s Sooners.
2) Heard this at work today: “Its bad luck to kill a spider during the day.” Never heard that before; anyone else have any insight on this?
1) An 84-year woman in Florida was the winner of the $590M Powerball jackpot; how happy are her freakin’ kids?
If I’m her, first thing I do is hire a person to taste my food, make sure none of the kids are trying to off her to collect the cash.
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Believe in the 3 G's
GIRLS, GOLF,GAMBLING not in any particular order.
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06-06-13 06:38 PM |
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