Announcement

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2015, 02:06 AM

NBA ATS

NBA > (517) DALLAS@ (518) HOUSTON | 04/28/2015 - 08:00 PM
Play AGAINST DALLAS using the against the spread in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season
The record is 1 Wins and 11 Losses for the this season (-11.1 units)

NBA MONEYLINE

NBA > (517) DALLAS@ (518) HOUSTON | 04/28/2015 - 08:00 PM
Play AGAINST DALLAS using the money line in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season
The record is 1 Wins and 11 Losses for the this season (-11.3 units)

NBA FIRST HALF

NBA > (521) SAN ANTONIO@ (522) LA CLIPPERS | 04/28/2015 - 10:30 PM
Play ON SAN ANTONIO in the first half in All games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 20 Wins and 6 Losses for the this season (+13.4 units)

NBA TOTALS

NBA > (521) SAN ANTONIO@ (522) LA CLIPPERS | 04/28/2015 - 10:30 PM
Play UNDER SAN ANTONIO on the total in Road games after scoring 105 points or more
The record is 15 Overs and 51 Unders for the last three seasons (+34.5 units)

NBA > (517) DALLAS@ (518) HOUSTON | 04/28/2015 - 08:00 PM
Play UNDER HOUSTON on the total in Home games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 6 Overs and 19 Unders for the this season (+12.4 units)

NBA TOP POWERLINE

NBA > (517) DALLAS @ (518) HOUSTON | 04/28/2015 - 08:00 PM
Line: HOUSTON -7 BTB PowerLine: HOUSTON -7
Edge On: HOUSTON (0)

NBA > (521) SAN ANTONIO @ (522) LA CLIPPERS | 04/28/2015 - 10:30 PM
Line: LA CLIPPERS -2 BTB PowerLine: LA CLIPPERS 0
Edge On: LA CLIPPERS (2)

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2015, 02:20 AM

Early-season numbers that MLB bettors need to know

The Sean Doolittle-less Oakland Athletics once again found a way to chalk one up in the loss column Sunday.

The A's were leading 6-5 in the top of the ninth inning and trying to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the visiting Houston Astros when offseason acquisition Tyler Clippard surrendered a two-run, game-winning double to Astros catcher Evan Gattis. The defeat was the latest in a string of meltdowns served up by an Oakland bullpen that ranked third in ERA last season (2.91).

Most MLB insiders feel that Doolittle’s return to the Oakland bullpen will help to steady a ship that has been taking on an exorbitant amount of water through the first month of the season. But try telling that to Athletics backers, who have sat idly by on pins and needles as April lead after April lead has been blown by a unit that entered the season as one of the best in baseball.

Oakland bettors looking for a silver lining need look no further than the sportsbook offering known as the “first five innings” wager, which allows you to make a bet on which team will be winning at the conclusion of five innings, effectively eliminating bullpen consideration.

FIRST 5 INNINGS WAGERS

The beauty of a first five innings wager is that it allows bettors to focus more of their time on handicapping the starting pitchers and less on the overall quality of the bullpen. As we approach the conclusion of the first month of the 2015 MLB season, here’s a look at the Top 5 and Bottom 5 MLB teams when it comes to run differential over the first five innings of a game:

TOP 5 MLB TEAMS IN RUN DIFFERENTIAL OVER FIRST FIVE INNINGS

Toronto Blue Jays: +1.11
New York Mets: +.95
Los Angeles Dodgers: +.94
Oakland Athletics: +.84
Detroit Tigers: +.84

Don’t be surprised by the fact that Oakland currently ranks in the Top 5. Aces Sonny Gray and Scott Kazmir currently spearhead a five-man rotation that ranks seventh in baseball in team ERA at 3.42. That speaks volumes as to how bad the Athletics bullpen has been.

BOTTOM 5 MLB TEAMS IN RUN DIFFERENTIAL OVER FIRST FIVE INNINGS

Milwaukee Brewers: -1.61
Philadelphia Phillies: -1.56
Seattle Mariners: -.89
Minnesota Twins: -.83
Tampa Bay Rays: -.83

As it pertains to the current Bottom 5, pay particular attention to Tampa Bay. While it comes as no surprise to see struggling franchises like the Brewers (4-15), Phillies (7-12), Twins (8-10) and Mariners (7-11) in this group, the Rays finished Sunday tied for the AL East lead with the Yankees. Clearly, this Rays team knows how to erase an early lead.

RESILIENCY

MLB handicappers will want to consider a team’s ability to bounce back when coming off a loss. Square bettors have a tendency to lock in on a team that won the night before against a specific opponent and just assume that the same result will take place a second night in a row. Don’t fall victim to this illogical line of thinking.

Through three weeks, here are the best and worst MLB teams when coming off a loss:

TOP 5 MLB TEAMS OFF A LOSS

Chicago Cubs: 6-1
St. Louis Cardinals: 3-1
New York Mets: 3-1
Houston Astros: 5-2
Arizona Diamondbacks: 6-3

Fireworks should explode in the sky above you with the Arizona Diamondbacks, who are just 8-10 overall in 2015. This team may be destined for another sub-.500 season, but through three weeks, Arizona knows how to bounce back off a loss.

BOTTOM 5 MLB TEAMS OFF A LOSS

Cincinnati Reds: 2-7
Milwaukee Brewers: 4-11
Miami Marlins: 3-8
Colorado Rockies: 2-5
Seattle Mariners: 3-7

Interesting to see the 10-8 Rockies listed above, who have outperformed preseason expectations so far. Whether it’s early-season luck or a sign of things to come, the bottom line is that when this team finds a way to lose (or win), it tends to follow it up with the exact same result the following night.

INTERLEAGUE TOTALS

Twenty-three interleague baseball games found their way into the history books as of the close of business Sunday. And while the American League currently holds a slim 12-11 edge against NL, take careful note of the fact that Overs in these games are now 15-7-1 with an average of 9.65 runs scored per game – that’s more than a full run higher than the 8.0-run MLB average.

It’s a small sample size, but it’s worth paying attention to when wagering on MLB interleague totals in 2015.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2015, 02:21 AM

NBA notebook: Cavs' Smith suspended, Love sidelined

The NBA on Monday suspended Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith for the first two games of the Eastern Conference semifinals, and Cavaliers forward Kevin Love will miss the Eastern Conference semifinals because of a dislocated shoulder.

The league also suspended Boston Celtics center Kelly Olynyk for the first game of next season.

The suspensions are the result of incidents during Cleveland's 101-93 victory over Boston on Sunday. The Celtics were eliminated from the playoffs and the Cavaliers moved on to the conference semifinals, where they will face the Chicago Bulls or Milwaukee Bucks.

The league also upgraded Cavaliers center Kendrick Perkins' Flagrant Foul 1 to a Flagrant Foul 2 and fined him $15,000. Perkins' foul came with 1:44 remaining in the second quarter.

Smith was issued a Flagrant Foul 2 and ejected with 10:24 left in the third quarter after he hit Celtics forward Jae Crowder in the head with his arm.

Olynyk was suspended after he became entangled with Cavaliers forward Kevin Love and yanked his arm down with 5:22 left in the first quarter.

-- Love, who was injured when he got tangled up with Olynyk, was diagnosed with "an acute anterior inferior glenohumeral dislocation with the corresponding ligament/labrum tearing and humeral head bone bruising."

The team said it would update his status "over the next several days."

--Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley had facial surgery in Memphis. He previously had been ruled out of Monday night's Game 4 between the Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers.

Conley left Saturday's game with 3:04 left in the third quarter after he was inadvertently hit in the head by an elbow from Portland guard C.J. McCollum.

--Ever want to walk in Michael Jordan's shoes?

One bidder at a weekend auction now can do exactly that. A pair of Nikes -- the earliest NBA-worn shoes by Jordan -- sold for $71,553 at auction over the weekend.

The buyer, according to the auction house, wants to remain anonymous, according to ESPN.

Saturday's price tag is the second-highest price paid for game-worn Jordan shoes. The shoes he wore in the 1997 NBA Finals "flu game" sold for $104,765 in 2013.

-- The National Basketball Players Association said it will present the Basketball Players Awards in Las Vegas in July.

Awards will be based on a vote of the players, and in addition to standard awards such as MVP, top rookie and top defender, the Basketball Player Awards will honor a Man of the Year, Global Impact Player, Hardest to Guard, Clutch Performer, Coach You Would Want to Play For, Best Home Court Advantage and Player You Secretly Wish Was on Your Team.

--The Golden State Warriors recalled center Ognjen Kuzmic and forward James Michael McAdoo from the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA Development League.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2015, 02:25 AM

Game of the Day: Tuesday's NBA Playoff action

Dallas Mavericks at Houston Rockets (-7, 222)

Rockets lead series 3-1

Raymond Felton got the first chance to start in place of Rondo at the point in Game 3 but Carlisle decided to go with more energy in Game 4 and pushed Barea into the first unit. The veteran responded with 17 points and 13 assists in 36 minutes. “I'm trying to push it every time," Barea told reporters. “I'm trying to be aggressive and my teammates, people around me are ballin'. I'm just trying to attack and do my job. If I do my job and I create problems for their defense, then I think everybody else plays a lot looser and more open.”

Houston missed 17 straight shots in a 10-minute span that bridged the half and never recovered in Game 4. “We got slow offensively, the ball stuck,” Rockets coach Kevin McHale told reporters. “We didn’t do very well for that stretch. All that being said, it was our offensive rebounding and our lack of being able to contain the ball that ended up beating us. Our offense sucked for a while. That was a fatal blow, more of our effort overall I think.” MVP candidate James Harden went 1-of-7 from 3-point range in the loss while handing out a series-low five assists.

LINE HISTORY: The Rockets opened as 6-point favorites, while the total opened at 222.
TRENDS:

* Over is 8-1 in Rockets last nine home games.
* Mavericks are 0-4 ATS in the last four meetings in Houston.
* Rockets are 7-1 ATS in their last eight Conference Quarterfinals games.
* Over is 9-1 in Mavericks last 10 vs. Western Conference.

San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Clippers (-2, 205)

Series tied 2-2

Coach Gregg Popovich was highly disappointed with his club’s Game 4 performance, particularly when you factor in the important of the game. “In general, we lacked a lot of discipline,” Popovich told reporters. “We didn’t execute sharply enough in what we wanted to do strategy-wise or just in general basketball play. I’m just more disappointed in the lack of focus than anything else, and not being as sharp in a lot of situations.” Small forward Kahwi Leonard continued his strong play with 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists and is averaging 24.8 points in the series.

Though Chris Paul had a huge game and power forward Blake Griffin stood out with 20 points and 19 rebounds, backup guard Austin Rivers might have provided the biggest impact with 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting. Rivers has been much-maligned throughout his three-year NBA career and the criticism has increased since he joined the club coached by father Doc Rivers. “This is something I know I can do,” Rivers told reporters. “It wasn’t a surprise for me. Obviously it is to you guys but I’ve been working so hard and this team has been working so hard.”

LINE HISTORY: The Clippers opened as 2-point home faves while the total opened at 205.
TRENDS:

* Over is 9-4 in the last 13 meetings.
* Spurs are 2-5 ATS in their last seven vs. Western Conference.
* Clippers are 1-6 ATS in their last seven home games.
* Clippers are 1-4-1 ATS in their last six games following a S.U. win.

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2015, 02:43 AM

Preview: Blue Jays (9-10) at Red Sox (10-9)
Game: 2
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: April 28, 2015 6:10 PM EDT

Pablo Sandoval has played a significant role in getting the Boston Red Sox past their recent difficulties at the plate but it's unclear if he'll be healthy enough to contribute in the next game.

If Sandoval can't go, Clay Buchholz might have to duplicate his latest performance if he wants to earn his first win in four starts Tuesday night against the slumping Toronto Blue Jays.

Boston (11-9) has generated 24 runs in its last four games while batting .266 but is 2-2 because its had trouble keeping opponents off the scoreboard. The Red Sox had that problem early in Monday's series opener against the Blue Jays (9-11), allowing five runs through four innings, but rallied for a 6-5 victory.

Mookie Betts hit the game-ending single in the ninth to finish off a 3-for-4 night.

"We've hit the ball hard in some situations, where we've made outs," Betts said. "I think we'll turn the corner and today was a really good showing."

Sandoval homered and drove in three runs for the second straight game before exiting after the fifth. The third baseman, 5 for 11 in his last four contests, was hurt when he made a diving catch in the fourth.

"There was a little bit of a whiplash injury type of thing," manager John Farrell said. "We're hopeful he'll be ready (Tuesday)."

Even with Sandoval healthy, the Red Sox have scored one run in each of Buchholz's last two outings. The right-hander has a 2.25 ERA in those games after giving up a career-high 10 runs in a 14-4 loss to the New York Yankees on April 12.

"Step by step, everything's coming along as planned," he said.

Buchholz (1-2, 4.84 ERA) yielded one run and two hits in six innings against Tampa Bay on Thursday while striking out 10, but the Red Sox lost 2-1.

Buchholz went 1-0 with a 3.07 ERA in his final two starts against Toronto in 2014 - far lower than his 5.54 season mark - and will face a team that's batted .177 in an 0-4 start to its 10-game road trip.

The Blue Jays made the most of their six hits even with Jose Bautista providing little in his return from an ailing right shoulder. Bautista went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and a walk in his first game since April 21.

Rookie Devon Travis hit his sixth homer and third in the last six games while driving in a pair of runs.

Bautista is limited to serving as designated hitter for the near future, and it's unclear when he'll resume playing in the outfield.

"I haven't even attempted to throw a baseball," Bautista told MLB's official website. "I don't even have a timeline on that. I would be guessing if I were to tell you that I know when I'm going to be able to play defense."

If he starts again, Bautista will try to give a boost to Drew Hutchison's attempt to build on one of his best starts of the season. The right-hander took a perfect game into the sixth and gave up two runs in eight innings while fanning seven in Thursday's 7-6 win against Baltimore.

Hutchison (2-0, 5.48) went 1-1 with a 6.28 ERA in his three starts against Boston in 2014 but that was skewed by a 14-1 loss in Toronto on July 21 in which he gave up six runs in 2 2-3 innings. He was 1-0 with a 3.09 ERA in his two outings at Fenway Park.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Blue Jays at Red Sox
Mon, Apr 27 Final 5 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Blue Jays at Red Sox
Tue, Apr 28 - 6:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Blue Jays at Red Sox
Wed, Apr 29 - 6:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2015, 02:44 AM

Preview: Royals (12-6) at Indians (6-11)
Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: April 28, 2015 6:10 PM EDT

A home-heavy stretch of games would be good news for most teams looking to shake off a slow start.

The Cleveland Indians seem to be a rare exception.

The Indians try to avoid their second four-game skid of the season Tuesday night against the Kansas City Royals.

Returning to Progressive Field following a disappointing road trip didn't help the Indians (6-12), who committed three errors and lost the series opener 6-2 as reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber fell to 0-3. Cleveland was limited to four hits, with all its offense coming from Mike Aviles' two-run homer.

Monday started a stretch where the Indians play 13 of 16 games at home after 12 of their first 17 came on the road. However, they've lost five of six in Cleveland for the team's worst start there since opening 1-7 in 1991.

'In an ideal world, we would've won more games than we have already, but I think we'll refrain from reading too much into just a handful of games,' Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said. 'I continue to believe in the roster we have, and we'll play better than we have so far.'

Indians starters have a 7.88 ERA with two quality starts at home, the most recent courtesy of Trevor Bauer, who takes the mound following an eight-day layoff.

Bauer (2-0, 0.95 ERA) was scheduled to start Saturday against Detroit but had to be scratched after warming up due to food poisoning.

The right-hander was outstanding in his most recent appearance, tossing four-hit ball over seven scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox on April 20 before closer Cody Allen faltered in the ninth of a 4-3 loss.

Bauer has yet to allow a home run while striking out 26 in 19 innings this season.

He went 0-1 with a 4.11 ERA in three starts against the Royals last year.

A loss in either of the next two games would give the Indians five series losses and one split since opening the season by winning two of three in Houston. They are already assured of finishing April with a losing record for the third consecutive year.

Mike Moustakas matched a career high with four hits and Alex Gordon had two RBIs to help Kansas City improve to 13-6 after coming within one game of winning the World Series last season.

'Teams can go one of two ways when they get a taste of winning,' Indians manager Terry Francona said. 'You can go on the banquet circuit and kind of dig yourself or you can come back with a `Hey, we got there and we want to do it again.' They seem to be in that mode. I wish they weren't.'

Moustakas entered Monday in a 1-for-28 slump against the Indians, but improved to 11 for 26 in his last six games overall.

He'll look to stay hot in support of Jeremy Guthrie (1-1, 5.50), who faces the team he's struggled the most against in his career. The right-hander is 5-5 with a 6.06 ERA in 13 career appearances - including 11 starts - against Cleveland. That ERA is his highest against any opponent he's faced more than five times.

Several Indians have fared very well in this matchup. Carlos Santana is 10 for 21 with two homers and three doubles against Guthrie, Jason Kipnis is 11 for 20, also with two home runs and three doubles, and Lonnie Chisenhall is 8 for 15 with a homer.

Guthrie struggled with his control against Minnesota on Wednesday, matching a career high with six walks and allowing three runs over five innings in a 3-0 loss.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Royals at Indians
Mon, Apr 27 Final 6 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Royals at Indians
Tue, Apr 28 - 6:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Royals at Indians
Wed, Apr 29 - 6:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2015, 02:47 AM

Preview: White Sox (8-9) at Orioles (9-10)
Game: 2
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: April 28, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

(AP) - After their series opener was postponed because of safety concerns after riots broke out near Camden Yards following the funeral of Freddie Gray, the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles are hoping to get back on the field.

Where Tuesday night's game will be played is still up in the air.

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, at the stadium for a previously planned visit, said the game could be moved - possibly to Nationals Park in Washington - if safety continued to be an issue.

Rioters looted stores and threw rocks and bricks at Baltimore police about three miles from the stadium Monday in the wake of the mysterious death of Gray. He died April 19 after suffering a severe spinal injury in police custody.

The Orioles (9-10) announced the postponement about 40 minutes before gametime. About 1,000 fans were inside the stadium at the time, and many gates already had been closed.

The team said the game was called off after consultation with police.

'We feel like we made the decision that would provide us the greatest possible security in terms of protecting the fans, the players, the umpires, everybody involved in the game,' Manfred said. 'I don't know what more I can say about it at this point.'

Prior to the game, Orioles players gathered around a television in the clubhouse and watched the violence unfold. Police blocked off several streets near Camden Yards.

'There's so many things that go on that you get challenged with, obviously this is a different level,' Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. 'There's not a lot of experience with it.

'So you try to take each moment as it comes and I know there were a lot of calls to some guys' families about making sure they knew what was going on from a safety standpoint. But guys are watching it. They are all aware of what's going on.'

Manager Robin Ventura said Chicago (8-9) was aware of the escalating situation.

'I mean we're definitely keeping tabs on it. If there's anything to do, to go ahead and respond to it. But you know, it's concerning to anybody, I think, any time it becomes a violent protest, everybody is on high alert and you're trying to do what's best for the game and the players,' he said.

Major League Baseball has postponed and shifted games in the past because of unrest.

In 1992, the Dodgers had four games postponed in Los Angeles following the Rodney King verdict.

In 1967, the Orioles and Tigers had a game postponed because of riots in Detroit. The next two games were shifted to Baltimore.

If this game does get played, Jeff Samardzija (1-1, 3.33 ERA) will get the ball for the White Sox against Ubaldo Jimenez (1-1, 2.30).

Samardzija is appealing a five-game suspension handed down after Thursday's brawl with Kansas City. The right-hander had a 6.23 ERA after his first two starts but then allowed one run in 14 innings over his next two.

Chicago completed two wins over Kansas City on Sunday - the regularly scheduled 5-3 win and a 3-2 victory from Friday's suspended game - and is 8-5 since dropping its first four.

"Over the last five or six games we've played a really good brand of baseball," reliever Zach Duke said.

Baltimore is batting .310 and averaging 6.11 runs over its last nine after Sunday's 18-7 home win over Boston. The Orioles got five RBIs from Delmon Young, who is 13 for 29 in his last eight games. He's hit Chicago at a .333 clip, which is his best average versus any team he has at least 50 at_bats against.

"It was one we kind of needed; we had been playing sloppy baseball," Young told MLB's official website. "So it was good to get out of the rut. We've been swinging the bats well. We just haven't been playing on the other side of the ball well."

Jimenez allowed four runs and six hits in five innings of last Wednesday's 4-2 loss in Toronto, and while he's held opponents to a .135 average, he's walked six in 8 2-3 innings over his last two starts.

Still, 4.02 walks per nine innings is an improvement over a 4.68 mark over the previous three seasons. The right-hander is 1-2 with a 5.45 ERA in six starts against the White Sox in that time. Conor Gillaspie is 5 for 11 against Jimenez, Adam Eaton is 3 for 4 and Jose Abreu is 1 for 3 with a home run.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
White Sox at Orioles
Mon, Apr 27 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 2
White Sox at Orioles
Tue, Apr 28 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
White Sox at Orioles
Wed, Apr 29 - 7:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2015, 02:48 AM

Preview: Rays (11-8) at Yankees (11-8)
Game: 2
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: April 28, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

A stretch of 30 games in 31 days has caused the New York Yankees to alter their pitching rotation, meaning ace Masahiro Tanaka's turn will be pushed back to the series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays.

That's probably fine with the Rays, who get an extra day to prepare after Tanaka dominated them just over a week ago.

Tampa Bay will instead face Chase Whitley on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium as it looks to avoid a sixth straight loss to New York.

The Yankees (12-8) have one off day from April 17-May 17 - this Thursday - so they want to give an extra day of rest to Tanaka, who allowed two hits and walked none while striking out eight over seven innings of a 9-0 win in Tampa on April 18.

Jake Odorizzi (2-1, 1.65 ERA) took the loss for the Rays (11-9) that day, and he'll get another shot at the Yankees on Tuesday. The right-hander allowed three runs in six-plus innings after becoming the third AL pitcher in the last 100 years to start the season by winning consecutive starts of six-plus innings while giving up two hits or fewer and one run or less.

Odorizzi got back on track Thursday, allowing one run and three hits over 6 2-3 innings of a 2-1 walk-off win over Boston. He's 2-2 with a 5.19 ERA in five starts against the Yankees, with Brian McCann going 8 for 13 with two homers, a double and a triple in their matchups.

McCann hit a tiebreaking homer in Monday's series opener as the Yankees won 4-1 to end the Rays' five-game winning streak. New York has won nine of 11, a stretch that began with a three-game sweep in Tampa from April 17-19, and is alone in first place in the AL East.

'It's better than the alternative,' manager Joe Girardi said. 'We're playing a lot better baseball than the first time we were (home). That's a good thing.'

Whitley is making his season debut after going 4-3 with a 5.23 ERA in 24 appearances in 2014. He made 12 starts and was 3-0 with a 2.56 ERA in the first seven but went 0-3 with a 9.00 ERA over the last five.

The right-hander made two relief appearances against Tampa Bay in September, allowing one hit over four scoreless innings.

Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira was hitless in four at_bats Monday after going 8 for 24 with five homers and 10 RBIs in the previous seven games to earn AL player of the week honors. He's 0 for 16 during the five-game win streak against the Rays.

Alex Rodriguez went 0 for 3 to remain one homer shy of tying Willie Mays for fourth place all-time with 660. He's gone hitless with two strikeouts in four at_bats against Odorizzi.

Evan Longoria had two of Tampa Bay's six hits and is 9 for 11 over the last three games. He's batting .565 (13 for 23) during a six-game hitting streak after batting .186 in the first 14 contests.

Rays outfielder Desmond Jennings could return to the lineup after sitting out the last two days with left knee soreness. Jennings is 5 for 15 over his last four games, and he hit .360 with two homers in six games at Yankee Stadium last season.

"I think he's feeling better," manager Kevin Cash told MLB's official website. "He's a big part of what we're doing, and we need to get him healthy and back in the lineup. We don't want to rush anything right now."

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rays at Yankees
Mon, Apr 27 Final 1 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rays at Yankees
Tue, Apr 28 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Rays at Yankees
Wed, Apr 29 - 1:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2015, 02:50 AM

Preview: Nationals (7-12) at Braves (9-9)
Game: 2
Venue: Turner Field
Date: April 28, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Washington Nationals are hopeful Max Scherzer will only have to miss one start, but even one turn in the rotation may be crucial for a club that has dug itself an early hole in the standings.

They'll now turn to A.J. Cole, making his big league debut in Scherzer's place, to help put an end to their losing streak Tuesday night against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.

Scherzer is having his start skipped because of a sprained right thumb suffered during an at-bat against St. Louis on Thursday. Manager Matt Williams is hopeful the Nationals' $210 million man can pitch within a few days.

"I would think that before another five days he'd be OK to go," Williams said. "We have to get him on a (mound) and make sure he can throw all his pitches. So that may happen tomorrow."

Despite his 1-2 record, Scherzer has easily been Washington's best starter, posting a 1.26 ERA in four outings.

Tanner Roark was also considered for the spot start, but he may have not been stretched out enough after throwing 12 pitches or fewer in four of his six appearances. Cole will be called up from Triple-A Syracuse, where he has no record and a 2.40 ERA in three starts.

The 23-year-old right-hander was 13-3 in 25 games between Double- and Triple-A in 2014 and had a 4.22 ERA in four games this spring.

Washington (7-13) is in dire need of a strong start with its rotation going 0-4 with a 5.55 ERA during the club's six-game slide. Doug Fister gave up five runs, including four earned, and 10 hits over 5 2-3 innings of Monday's 8-4 loss.

The Nationals were one of the most popular picks in any division entering the season, but face baseball's second-biggest deficit with eight games separating them from the first-place New York Mets. They haven't dropped seven straight since losing eight in a row from Aug. 28-Sept. 5, 2009.

Washington is also struggling offensively, batting .189 and totaling 14 runs during its skid.

Atlanta starter Julio Teheran (2-1, 4.64 ERA) is 3-2 with a 3.06 ERA in eight career starts against the Nationals, but Bryce Harper could be a catalyst. He is 7 for 16 off the right-hander with two homers and two doubles.

Teheran took his first defeat in Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Mets, giving up four runs in 4 1-3 innings. His five walks matched a career high, with three coming in the first four at_bats.

"I don't like to make excuses but (the weather) was affecting me a little bit," he told MLB's official website.

Teheran already has 12 walks in 21 1-3 innings after issuing 51 in 221 innings last year.

Kelly Johnson hit a three-run homer Monday for the Braves (10-9), while A.J. Pierzynski extended his hitting streak to 10 games and drove in two runs.

The Nationals could be without infielder Yunel Escobar, who leads the club with a .284 average but left Monday after a hard slide by Andrelton Simmons. Simmons was hit with a pitch by Rafael Martin to open the seventh, and Atlanta's Jonny Gomes was ejected after charging from the dugout afterward.

Monday's opener was sloppy defensively - Washington committed four errors while Atlanta's Jace Peterson had two.The Nationals rank among baseball's worst with 22 errors, and the Braves have eight in their last four games.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Nationals at Braves
Mon, Apr 27 Final 4 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Nationals at Braves
Tue, Apr 28 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Nationals at Braves
Wed, Apr 29 - 7:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2015, 02:52 AM

Preview: Mets (14-5) at Marlins (8-11)
Game: 2
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: April 28, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The New York Mets own the best record in baseball and are off to their best start since 1986.

Daniel Murphy is finally contributing.

After hitting a clutch game-winning homer, Murphy will try to help the Mets to another victory over the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night.

Murphy hasn't done much to spur New York's 15-5 record, but that's starting to change after driving in five runs with a homer and two doubles in the last two games, boosting his season average 29 points to .174.

"I'm just focusing on the at-bat at hand," Murphy said. "No matter what I do, I'm not going to wake up tomorrow and be hitting .290, so one at-bat at a time is all I can control."

That mentality seemed to work Monday, when the second baseman connected for a go-ahead three-run homer in the ninth inning of a 3-1 win in the opener of this three-game series in Miami.

"Murf-a-licious," manager Terry Collins said of Murphy, who has nine of his 14 RBIs over the past five games.

The Mets have won 13 of 16 against the Marlins (8-12), including all five meetings this season. They haven't put together a longer winning streak in the series since taking seven in a row Aug. 9-Sept. 23, 2012.

Center fielder Juan Lagares is batting .404 in his last 13 games against Miami, going 8 for 19 this year after collecting a double and a single while scoring on Murphy's homer Monday.

The Mets will recall Rafael Montero (0-1, 4.15 ERA) from Triple-A Las Vegas to make a spot start in order to give the rotation an extra day of rest. Collins is planning to limit ace Matt Harvey and 41-year-old Bartolo Colon to 30 starts apiece.

Montero made four relief appearances before being sent to the minors April 17. The right-hander was 1-3 with a 3.98 ERA in eight starts as a rookie last year.

Both of his previous meetings with the Marlins came out of the bullpen, as he yielded one unearned run in 1 2-3 innings.

Miami had six singles Monday after hitting .324 with 32 runs while winning the previous five games.

Dee Gordon is 10 for 17 over the past four, and he has a .441 average in his last eight meetings with the Mets. The second baseman is 8 for 13 over the past three matchups after getting two hits in the series opener.

The Marlins are giving David Phelps (1-0, 3.55) a third turn in the rotation with Henderson Alvarez on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation.

Phelps' first start was a 4-1 loss to the Mets on April 17, yielding one run and one hit with three walks in 4 2-3 innings. He was even better at Philadelphia on Thursday, tossing seven scoreless innings and allowing three hits in a 9-1 victory.

"He's a guy that has to hit his spots," manager Mike Redmond said. "Put the ball on the corners, and he was able to do that. When he missed, he missed away from contact."

Phelps hasn't done that in two home games, giving up four runs with two walks in one inning of relief.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mets at Marlins
Mon, Apr 27 Final 3 to 1
Boxscores

GAME 2
Mets at Marlins
Tue, Apr 28 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Mets at Marlins
Wed, Apr 29 - 7:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2015, 02:53 AM

Preview: Brewers (4-15) at Reds (8-10)
Game: 2
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: April 28, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Bryan Price is willing to give Johnny Cueto a large margin of error as Cincinnati's staff ace.

He just doesn't make many mistakes against the Milwaukee Brewers, who he will try to beat for the second time in six days on Tuesday night.

Cueto (1-2, 1.86 ERA) has won five straight starts over Milwaukee, posting a 1.70 ERA and limiting its hitters to a .172 batting average while striking out 33 in 37 innings. Five of the seven runs he's allowed in those victories have come on solo homers, and Cueto battled his way to the most recent one at Miller Park last Wednesday.

Working on a high pitch count, Price trusted Cueto to overcome a leadoff double to Logan Schafer in the eighth inning, and the right-hander delivered with strikeouts of Elian Herrera and Adam Lind to preserve a tie game he won when the Reds (9-10) scored in the top of the ninth of their 2-1 victory.

"When I go to the top step, he was looking at me like, 'Please don't come out and take me out of the ballgame,'" Price told MLB's official website after Cueto finished with a career-high 125 pitches. "I kind of gave him the thumbs up, 'Hey, I'm not gonna, so don't panic out there.' I never wavered. I never thought I'd be taking him out in that situation."

Cueto has made life miserable for Ryan Braun, who's 8 for 41 with 12 strikeouts in their matchups and could return after missing the last two games with soreness in his right side. Aramis Ramirez is one of the few Brewers who has given Cueto fits, hitting .354 with five homers and four doubles in 48 at_bats.

The righty has been near-invincible at home versus Milwaukee (4-16), going 7-0 with a 2.12 ERA in 10 starts. That bodes well for Cincinnati, which opened this three-game set with a 9-6 victory Monday to snap a three-game losing streak.

Jay Bruce hit a two-run homer in a four-run second and the Reds took advantage of nine walks by Brewers pitchers - the most by Milwaukee since August 2013. That plate discipline helped Cincinnati end its funk with runners in scoring position, going 4 for 14 after failing to deliver in 21 at_bats during its losing streak.

'It all boils down to the pitches you swing at,' said Bruce, who ended an 0-for-12 slump. 'I figured I wasn't going to hit .160 all year.'

Milwaukee's slow start - the worst in franchise history - is doubly damaging since all but three of its games have been against division opponents. The Brewers were denied a chance to win back-to-back games for the first time and have dropped six straight on the road.

'You hope that win from yesterday carries over and you have a good offensive performance and you pitch well, and neither one went well. And the fielding didn't go well," manager Ron Roenicke said.

'So that's what we're battling. We're not stringing together one good game after another.'

Kyle Lohse (1-3, 7.94) picked up the Brewers after Cueto shut them down, allowing a two-run homer to Marlon Byrd and two other hits in seven innings of a 4-2 victory Thursday. The crisp 89-pitch effort was a welcome relief to the veteran right-hander, who had been drilled for 18 runs and 24 hits in 15 2-3 innings in losing his first three starts.

'When I'm on, I want them to swing early. I want them to get those quick outs,' said Lohse, whose last start at Cincinnati was a two-hit shutout on Sept. 24.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Brewers at Reds
Mon, Apr 27 Final 6 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Brewers at Reds
Tue, Apr 28 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Brewers at Reds
Wed, Apr 29 - 12:35PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2015, 02:55 AM

Preview: Pirates (11-8) at Cubs (10-7)
Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: April 28, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

Much of Kris Bryant's early success has come at the Pittsburgh Pirates' expense, but he didn't have enough to push the Chicago Cubs to a series win in last week's meeting.

Bryant will try to change that Tuesday night while leading the Cubs to a fourth consecutive victory.

Bryant is batting .351 with nine RBIs, all but one coming in five games against the Pirates. He's 8 for 19 versus Pittsburgh and 5 for 18 against the two other teams he's faced.

"He is a big kid with a good swing that looks like he is going to have every opportunity to be a qualified major league player," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.

Bryant went 2 for 4 with a two-run single in a 4-0 victory in Monday's series opener at Wrigley Field. Anthony Rizzo drove in the other two runs to help end the Pirates' five-game win streak.

"We preached it in spring training - we've got to survive April," Rizzo said. "We can't put ourselves in a hole like we've done in years past and we're doing a good job of coming to the park every day, playing with a lot of energy, having fun and really playing with a purpose."

Bryant totaled five hits and five RBIs when Chicago (11-7) won its first two games at Pittsburgh last week but was 1 for 7 with four strikeouts in the next two as the Cubs settled for a split.

Travis Wood (1-1, 3.24 ERA) will try to build on his solid showing against the Pirates last Tuesday. The left-hander gave up three runs and four hits in five innings but most of the scoring in that 9-8 win took place after his departure.

Wood didn't fare nearly as well in his final two home starts against Pittsburgh (11-9) in 2014, going 0-2 with a 14.21 ERA. He was tagged for seven runs in 1 2-3 innings in a 10-4 loss Sept. 7 and dropped to 0-4 with a 5.28 ERA in his six matchups at Wrigley Field since joining the Cubs in 2012.

He'll pitch opposite Jeff Locke, who failed to get a decision Thursday for the first time in three starts. Locke (2-0, 3.32) gave up four runs in five innings against the Cubs and was in line for a loss until the Pirates rallied for a 5-4 victory.

Bryant went 0 for 2 with a bases-loaded walk and one strikeout in his three plate appearances against the left-hander. Jonathan Herrera hit a two-run triple, and rookie Addison Russell registered his first major league RBI with his first double.

Rizzo, batting .426 in last 15 games against Pittsburgh and owner of an eight-game hit streak in the series, has one hit in his last seven at_bats versus Locke.

Andrew McCutchen has five hits in his last 11 at_bats against Wood, including a pair of homers, but is 1 for 21 in his last seven games following an 0-for-4 effort Monday. He's 0 for 12 in his last four contests versus the Cubs after batting .353 previously.

"He continues to go out there and work," Hurdle said. "He's being very professional about his approach, trying to be stubborn with it and I think he's getting very, very close."

Pittsburgh second baseman Neil Walker, riding a 10-game hit streak, is 7 for 20 (.350) lifetime against Wood and is batting .333 (16 for 48) while hitting safely in 11 of his last 12 contests versus Chicago.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Pirates at Cubs
Mon, Apr 27 Final 0 to 4
Boxscores

GAME 2
Pirates at Cubs
Tue, Apr 28 - 8:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Pirates at Cubs
Wed, Apr 29 - 8:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2015, 02:57 AM

Preview: Tigers (13-6) at Twins (8-10)
Game: 2
Venue: Target Field
Date: April 28, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

A return to Target Field appears to be just what Detroit's Yoenis Cespedes needed to break out of a mini slump.

Cespedes looks to continue to feast on Minnesota pitching and help the Tigers to a fifth win in as many games against the Twins this season Tuesday night.

The Tigers (14-6) outscored the Twins 22-1 in sweeping a three-game series to open the season, with Cespedes going 5 for 13. He arrived in Minnesota amid a 2-for-13 slump before hitting a three-run homer and a double in Monday's 5-4 win, Detroit's third straight following a four-game losing streak.

Cespedes has hit safely in 18 of 19 career games against the Twins, batting .380 - his best average against any AL team - with five home runs, seven doubles and 24 RBIs. Most of that damage has come in 10 games at Target Field, where he is hitting .452 with three homers, six doubles and 17 RBIs.

The slugger is also 3 for 5 with a double against Mike Pelfrey (1-0, 2.65 ERA).

Cespedes isn't the only Tiger to frustrate the Twins (8-11) with Anibal Sanchez (1-2, 5.96) also regularly giving them fits.

The right-hander allowed three hits over 6 2-3 innings in an 11-0 win April 8, improving to 3-1 with a 1.72 ERA in his last nine starts in the series. He has a 1.53 ERA without a decision in his past four at Target Field.

After shutting down Minnesota in his season debut, Sanchez posted a 13.03 ERA in losing his next two starts. He rebounded Thursday, permitting a run and a hit while striking out eight and walking four in 6 1-3 innings of a 2-1 loss to the New York Yankees.

'He used all his pitches and he mixed things up," manager Brad Ausmus said. "He's been trying to be less rotational and come directly to the plate, and he was very good.'

Sanchez has done an exceptional job against Brian Dozier, limiting him to one hit in 17 at_bats for an .059 average - his worst against any of the 20 pitchers he's faced at least 15 times.

Dozier doubled in Monday's opener and is 2 for 19 in his last five games against the Tigers.

Detroit's Jose Iglesias had a homer and a triple among his three hits to raise his average to .397. He is 9 for 16 against the Twins this season and 2 for 2 against Pelfrey.

'He's our spark plug,' Monday's winner David Price said. 'It's awesome what he's been able to do for us. ... He's been a good pick-me-up.'

Pelfrey tossed seven innings of five-hit ball in Wednesday's 3-0 win over Kansas City in his third start after missing most of last season because of elbow surgery. It marked his first victory since beating Detroit on Aug. 20, 2013, a span of 14 starts, and the first time he went at least seven innings without allowing a run since Aug. 27, 2010.

"It's just one start so I don't want to make a big deal about it," the right-hander told MLB's official website. "But I hope to build off it."

Pelfrey, who pitched five innings in each of his first two outings, is 2-3 with a 4.54 ERA in six starts against the Tigers, last facing them Sept. 23, 2013.

Miguel Cabrera is 5 for 20 with no extra-base hits and seven walks against Pelfrey.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Tigers at Twins
Mon, Apr 27 Final 5 to 4

Boxscores
GAME 2
Tigers at Twins
Tue, Apr 28 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Tigers at Twins
Wed, Apr 29 - 1:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 04-28-2015, 02:58 AM

Preview: Phillies (7-12) at Cardinals (12-5)
Game: 2
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: April 28, 2015 8:15 PM EDT

As if the bad news regarding Adam Wainwright's injury wasn't enough for St. Louis, the club still hasn't won since losing its ace.

Michael Wacha appears capable of ending the Cardinals' brief slump and possibly anchoring the rotation with Wainwright sidelined.

He looks to cap an impressive first month Tuesday night against the visiting Philadelphia Phillies.

The Cardinals (12-6) announced Monday that Wainwright would undergo surgery for a torn left Achilles tendon and miss the entire season. He was injured Saturday against Milwaukee.

Wainwright's absence leaves a large void considering his 94 wins since 2009 are tied for the third-most in baseball. His teammates, though, weren't necessarily deterred as it seeks a third straight division title.

"I feel like we're very capable, and a very fortunate group to have a pitching staff that can kind of slide in and do their thing," said Jason Heyward. "I think we're still going to have a lot of fun and do a lot of good things."

St. Louis is in danger of losing its third straight overall after it had a five-game home winning streak snapped in Monday's 4-1 loss. Wacha (3-0, 1.33 ERA) will try to get the Cardinals on track while becoming the franchise's first pitcher 23 years old or younger to win each of his first four starts to a season since Fred Frankhouse opened 5-0 in 1927.

While Wacha's strikeouts are down with 12 in 20 1-3 innings, he also owns a 55.7 groundball percentage, up from a 43.3 mark over his first two seasons.

"He's just becoming a more versatile pitcher and that makes him less predictable," manager Mike Matheny told MLB's official website.

Facing Johnny Cueto and Max Scherzer in his first three outings brought out the best in Wacha, who has given up three runs in 20 1-3 innings. Tuesday's matchup may have less pressure in that regard with Severino Gonzalez making his major league debut for Philadelphia,

"I think he's doing a nice job of not being distracted by who he's facing," Matheny said.

Gonzalez is 1-1 with a 3.57 ERA through three starts for Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He tossed three scoreless innings versus Atlanta in his lone spring training appearance.

"I love Severino," assistant general manager Benny Looper told MLB's official website. "He's got a real good feel for the baseball -- where it's going with all of his pitches. He can't get by with mistakes - he's not a power guy - but he can pitch."

Philadelphia (8-12) has been baseball's lowest-scoring team with 2.7 runs per game, though it has nine runs in the last two after scoring two or fewer in four straight. Carlos Ruiz entered Monday's contest batting .196 but was 4 for 4 and has hit safely in three straight games.

St. Louis got Yadier Molina back after a two-game absence due to a sore right knee, but he was 0 for 4 and the Cardinals struck out 13 times. They're 4 for 32 (.125) with runners in scoring position over the last four games.

Heyward was limited to bench duty due to a strained left groin and struck out as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning. He's expected to be back in the lineup Tuesday.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Phillies at Cardinals
Mon, Apr 27 Final 4 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Phillies at Cardinals
Tue, Apr 28 - 8:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Phillies at Cardinals
Wed, Apr 29 - 8:15PM EDT

GAME 4
Phillies at Cardinals
Thu, Apr 30 - 1:45PM EDT

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