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**StarDust Bum** · 04-29-2015, 12:48 AM

NBA MONEYLINE

NBA > (523) BROOKLYN@ (524) ATLANTA | 04/29/2015 - 07:05 PM
Play ON ATLANTA using the money line in All games in all games
The record is 59 Wins and 23 Losses for the this season (+24.6 units)

NBA > (527) PORTLAND@ (528) MEMPHIS | 04/29/2015 - 09:30 PM
Play ON MEMPHIS using the money line in Home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 31 Wins and 9 Losses for the last three seasons (+19.05 units)

NBA FIRST HALF

NBA > (523) BROOKLYN@ (524) ATLANTA | 04/29/2015 - 07:05 PM
Play ON BROOKLYN in the first half in All games as a road underdog of 3.5 to 5 points vs. the 1rst half line
The record is 14 Wins and 2 Losses for the last two seasons (+11.8 units)

NBA > (527) PORTLAND@ (528) MEMPHIS | 04/29/2015 - 09:30 PM
Play AGAINST PORTLAND in the first half in All games against Southwest division opponents
The record is 15 Wins and 35 Losses for the last two seasons (-23.5 units)

NBA TOTALS

NBA > (527) PORTLAND@ (528) MEMPHIS | 04/29/2015 - 09:30 PM
Play UNDER MEMPHIS on the total in Home games versus good offensive teams - scoring 99+ points/game - 2nd half of the season
The record is 1 Overs and 12 Unders for the this season (+10.9 units)

NBA > (523) BROOKLYN@ (524) ATLANTA | 04/29/2015 - 07:05 PM
Play UNDER ATLANTA on the total in Home games in the first round of the playoffs
The record is 7 Overs and 26 Unders for the since 1992 (+18.3 units)

NBA TOP POWERLINES

NBA > (523) BROOKLYN @ (524) ATLANTA | 04/29/2015 - 07:05 PM
Line: ATLANTA -9 BTB PowerLine: ATLANTA -7
Edge On: ATLANTA (2)

NBA > (527) PORTLAND @ (528) MEMPHIS | 04/29/2015 - 09:30 PM
Line: MEMPHIS -5.5 BTB PowerLine: MEMPHIS -7
Edge On: MEMPHIS (1.5)

**StarDust Bum** · 04-29-2015, 12:50 AM

NHL MONEYLINE

NHL > (31) DETROIT@ (32) TAMPA BAY | 04/29/2015 - 07:35 PM
Play AGAINST DETROIT using the money line in All games vs. division opponents
The record is 13 Wins and 23 Losses for the this season (-15.7 units)

NHL PUCKLINE

NHL > (31) DETROIT@ (32) TAMPA BAY | 04/29/2015 - 07:35 PM
Play AGAINST DETROIT using the in All games vs. division opponents
The record is 13 Wins and 23 Losses for the this season (-15.7 units)

**StarDust Bum** · 04-29-2015, 09:40 AM

Preview: Brewers (4-17) at Reds (10-10)
Game: 3
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: April 29, 2015 12:35 PM EDT

The Cincinnati Reds' play against the lowly Milwaukee Brewers remains a bright spot amid a mediocre start.

The Reds can complete a series sweep by handing the Brewers an eighth straight road defeat Wednesday.

Cincinnati (10-10) has recorded half of its victories in six games against Milwaukee, which at 4-17 is off to the worst start by an NL team since the Chicago Cubs had the same mark in 1997. Baltimore was the last club to open 4-17 in 2010. Both the Cubs and Orioles went 4-18.

'It's tough to stomach," losing pitcher Kyle Lohse said after Tuesday's 4-2 defeat. "No one in here is giving up. It would be one thing if you see guys going out there and they don't care. We care.'

Joey Votto hit his seventh homer, Brandon Phillips added a two-run shot and Marlon Byrd also went deep for the Reds, who have hit half of their 24 homers and averaged 6.5 runs against Milwaukee. They've averaged 3.0 runs in the other 14 games.

Votto, who went 0 for 15 in four games prior to recording two hits Tuesday, has three home runs and five RBIs against the Brewers. Byrd went 0 for 10 with four strikeouts in the first three matchups but is 4 for 10 with two homers, four RBIs and one strikeout in the last three.

Byrd, Votto and Phillips are hitting a combined .250 against Milwaukee's Matt Garza (1-3, 5.16 ERA) with three of their 17 hits leaving the park.

Garza, who went 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA in three starts against the Reds in 2014, was 0-1 with a 5.14 ERA in three at Cincinnati before throwing a two-hitter and striking out nine during a 1-0 victory July 5.

The right-hander is trying to find his form after yielding 28 hits and 11 walks over 22 2-3 innings this season. He gave up three runs, seven hits and walked two in six innings of Friday's 3-0 loss to St. Louis.

'I made progress, but it's about time for that progress to kick into results,' Garza said.

Milwaukee has a 5.88 ERA against the Reds - 1.01 higher than its season mark - and has been held to two or fewer runs in half of the meetings.

Ryan Braun and Aramis Ramirez each hit their second home runs and Adam Lind had the other hit Tuesday for Milwaukee, which dropped eight straight road games Aug. 26-Sept. 3. The Brewers have lost eight of 10 at Cincinnati.

Braun has recorded both home runs, six of his 15 hits and three of his five RBIs against Cincinnati.

The Brewers hope they can spoil the major league debut of right-hander Michael Lorenzen, who will replace the injured Homer Bailey. The hard-throwing, 23-year-old Lorenzen went 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA at Triple-A Louisville.

"We've had our sights set on Michael for some time," manager Bryan Price told MLB's official website. "He came in and threw the ball really well in spring, maybe not statistically, but the ball came out of his hand really well. We think he's mature and ready to handle this type of challenge."

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 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

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

**StarDust Bum** · 04-29-2015, 09:42 AM

Preview: Rays (11-10) at Yankees (13-8)
Game: 3
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: April 29, 2015 1:05 PM EDT

The New York Yankees are one of baseball's hottest teams, but Masahiro Tanaka's latest setback might have dulled the excitement.

At least Michael Pineda should give the Yankees a good chance to sweep the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.

New York started Chase Whitley in Tuesday's 4-2 victory to give Tanaka an extra day of rest. It seemed that injury concerns had subsided after he allowed just one run over 13 1-3 innings in his last two starts.

An MRI revealed tendinitis in his right wrist and mild strain in his forearm, however, and the Yankees will place him on the disabled list. There was no change to his partially torn elbow ligament, but general manager Brian Cashman said it's likely to be at least a month before Tanaka is back in the rotation.

"We want to make sure this doesn't lead to the more horrific problems that we're all trying to avoid," Cashman said.

Though the injury will test the rotation's depth, it looks to be in good hands Wednesday with Pineda (3-0, 3.86 ERA) on the mound. The Yankees have won each of the last six times he's pitched with Pineda earning the victory in the last three. That includes a 5-3 win at Tampa Bay on April 19, when he allowed three runs in 5 2-3 innings. He is to 2-1 with a 3.23 ERA in five career matchups.

Pineda's most impressive outing of the season may have been his last, though, as he limited the New York Mets to one run in 7 2-3 innings of a 6-1 victory on Friday, ending their winning streak at 11.

"He's very smart out there," catcher Brian McCann told MLB's official website. "He reads hitter well. He knows what he wants to do and can make adjustments on the fly, that's why he's as good as he is."

The right-hander is 4-1 with a 1.69 ERA in eight home starts as a Yankee and 9-3 with a 2.58 ERA in 13 career April starts.

New York (13-8) has won 10 of 12 overall and six straight over Tampa Bay.

McCann doubled twice and drove in three runs Tuesday and is batting .333 over his last nine games with eight RBIs.

Alex Rodriguez, one homer shy of tying Willie Mays for fourth all-time, is expected back in the lineup after getting a night off.

Tampa Bay (11-10) hopes Drew Smyly can build on his season debut after he had been limited by shoulder tendinitis. Smyly gave up two runs over 4 2-3 innings in Friday's 12-3 win over Toronto. A pre-established pitch count was partially to blame for the left-hander being pulled after throwing 79 pitches and not getting the victory.

"Extremely unfortunate that his pitch count kind of got to the difficult decision-making zone, and that's on me that we had to prioritize his health over his record at this point," manager Kevin Cash said. "I apologize to him, but that's the plan we had in place and we wanted to stick to it."

Smyly is 1-0 with a 1.45 ERA in five appearances versus New York, giving up three runs over 13 innings in two starts. No current Yankee has more than one hit against him.

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 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

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

**StarDust Bum** · 04-29-2015, 09:44 AM

Preview: Tigers (14-7) at Twins (9-11)
Game: 3
Venue: Target Field
Date: April 29, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

No AL pitcher won more games during the day last season than Phil Hughes.

The afternoon hours haven't been nearly as kind to the Minnesota Twins right-hander in 2015.

Making his fourth day start, Hughes looks to avoid becoming the majors' first five-game loser Wednesday against the visiting Detroit Tigers.

Hughes (0-4, 4.39 ERA) went 11-2 with a 3.26 ERA in 16 starts during the day in his first season with Minnesota, tying Cincinnati's Johnny Cueto for the most victories in the majors.

After signing a three-year, $42 million extension in the offseason, Hughes already surpassed his loss total while going 0-3 with a 5.30 ERA during the afternoon.

Overall, the Twins (9-11) haven't provided much support by totaling two runs with Hughes on the mound. Though his 0.68 run support average is by far the lowest of any major league starter, Hughes has hurt himself by giving up six homers in those four outings.

In his first night start Friday at Seattle, Hughes yielded six hits and struck out nine over eight innings during an impressive duel with Felix Hernandez, but two of those hits left the park in the 2-0 defeat.

'There's two pitches I'd like to have back. It seems like that's kind of the story of my year so far,' he said. "It seems like (the home runs) are the turning points of the game.'

Hughes, who didn't allow a homer while going 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA against the Tigers in 2014, gave up a two-run shot to Alex Avila and J.D. Martinez's solo drive plus another run over six innings of a 4-0 loss at Detroit on opening day.

He'll look to help the Twins take the series after they beat Detroit (14-7) for the first time in five games this season, 3-2 on Tuesday. Danny Santana had three hits and Kurt Suzuki added two, including a go-ahead single in the seventh as Minnesota improved to 8-5 since losing six of the first seven.

Santana, 6 for 10 in the last three games, is batting .525 with 10 RBIs in nine career home games versus Detroit.

The second-year shortstop went 0 for 4 with a strikeout against Shane Greene (3-1, 3.00) on April 9 when the right-hander allowed an unearned run over eight innings of a 7-1 win. Greene gave up an earned run and 12 hits over 23 innings in his first three starts then was tagged for eight runs and nine hits in four-plus during a 13-1 loss to Cleveland on Friday.

"He's a sinkerball pitcher, and if he doesn't have his changeup in the right location and if he's not down with that two-seamer - I don't want to say it's easy pickings, but major league hitters take advantage of that," manager Brad Ausmus told MLB's official website.

Including the postseason, Miguel Cabrera hit .471 with five home runs against Hughes heading into 2015 but went 0 for 3 earlier this month.

Yoenis Cespedes is 5 for 10 with a home run, two doubles and a triple versus Hughes. He's batting .378 with 25 RBIs in 20 games against Minnesota, hitting safely in all 11 at Target Field while batting .444 and driving in 18.

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 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

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

**StarDust Bum** · 04-29-2015, 09:48 AM

Preview: Astros (13-7) at Padres (11-11)
Game: 3
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: April 29, 2015 3:40 PM EDT

Considering the way Houston is hitting and Dallas Keuchel is pitching, the Astros appear in good position to conclude an already stellar trip on a positive note.

Looking to set a club record for the best 12-game road start, the AL West-leading Astros can sweep the reeling San Diego Padres with a sixth straight win Wednesday.

Houston (13-7) hit .202 and averaged 2.8 runs while splitting its first 12 contests before scoring 7.4 and batting .288 to go 7-1 on this nine-game trip. With three home runs and 17 hits during Tuesday's 14-3 rout of San Diego (11-11), the Astros have gone deep 13 times on the trek, scored at least nine runs in three of the last four games and recorded 10 or more hits in six straight.

Winners in nine of 10, Houston looks to go 10-2 on the road for the first time while trying for its first series sweep at Petco Park.

'There is a lot of energy, a lot of confidence,' manager A.J. Hinch said. 'We've been playing good baseball, not error-free. But this brings a lot of smiles. Winning really does bring a togetherness to this group.'

Jose Altuve had four hits and George Springer drove in five runs as Houston handed San Diego its sixth defeat in seven games.

The Astros didn't skip a beat after learning Tuesday that shortstop Jed Lowrie would be out until after the All-Star break with a torn ligament in his thumb. He was hitting .300 with four homers and 10 RBIs.

Batting .467 with six RBIs in the last six games, Altuve can certainly carry the offensive load.

'Everybody has been moving in the right direction,' said Evan Gattis, who homered Tuesday. 'It's good that we are all coming together and coming together at the same time.'

The Astros should feel even more confident behind Keuchel (2-0, 0.62 ERA), who hasn't allowed a run in 15 innings over his last two starts. The left-hander gave up two hits in nine innings during Friday's 5-4, 11-inning win over the Athletics, but wasn't satisfied after walking two more batters to raise his total to 11.

"It was just real spotty command," Keuchel said. "I'd like to kind of clean that up early in the game. That's not my M.O."

In his only previous outing versus San Diego on June 28, 2012, Keuchel allowed a solo homer and three other hits in six innings while not factoring in the decision of a 7-3 loss.

He was opposed that day by Andrew Cashner (1-3, 2.63), who gave up two runs and struck out nine in 6 1-3 innings of his only start versus Houston.

Half of Cashner's 14 runs allowed this season have been earned, including both over seven innings of a 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday. Despite the defeat, the right-hander has a 1.44 ERA while allowing two or fewer earned runs in 20 straight starts at Petco Park.

"I liked his mix of pitches," manager Bud Black said. "Cash has three quality pitches. ... You can't depend on one pitch, even if the fastball with Cash is a good one."

In the four games since Cashner's last start, Padres pitchers have allowed 11 home runs while posting an 8.00 ERA.

Batting .320 at home, Wil Myers is 1 for 3 with two walks and two strikeouts versus Keuchel.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Astros at Padres
Mon, Apr 27 Final 9 to 4
Boxscores

GAME 2
Astros at Padres
Tue, Apr 28 Final 14 to 3
Boxscores

GAME 3
Astros at Padres
Wed, Apr 29 - 3:40PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 04-29-2015, 09:48 AM

Preview: Blue Jays (10-11) at Red Sox (11-10)
Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: April 29, 2015 6:10 PM EDT

If Jose Bautista and his teammates can duplicate their latest efforts, the Toronto Blue Jays likely won't have too many issues while Jose Reyes is on the disabled list.

R.A. Dickey might not need to worry about run support if he can repeat last season's performances against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night.

Bautista shined in his second game back from an injured right shoulder Tuesday, hitting a solo homer and driving in three runs in a 11-8 victory. Josh Donaldson had his own solo homer and three of Toronto's season-high 17 hits.

The Blue Jays (10-11) had lost four in a row while batting .177 and scoring 11 runs.

They were also playing their first contest since putting Reyes on the DL for a fractured left rib. The shortstop, batting .250 with seven RBIs, reportedly tried to play through the injury for the past two weeks.

Reyes' absence might not be felt again Wednesday if Dickey can provide another stellar effort against the Red Sox (11-10) and bounce back from his miserable outing Friday. The knuckleballer was charged with eight runs in 4 2-3 innings in a 12-3 loss at Tampa Bay.

"I've thrown three pretty fair starts and one clunker," Dickey told MLB's official website. "I've got 30 starts left. I'm not like throwing my hands up in the air and panicking."

Dickey (0-2, 5.25 ERA) went 4-0 with a 2.23 ERA in five starts versus the Red Sox in 2014 and was 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in his two in Boston. He didn't have more than two wins against any other team while finishing 14-13.

Rick Porcello (1-2, 6.48) is 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in his last three starts against Toronto and gave up three runs in seven innings in his lone matchup last season, an 8-2 loss for Detroit on June 4.

The right-hander has surrendered at least four runs in each of his last three outings, including an 8-3 loss to Baltimore at Fenway Park on April 19 in which he was tagged for eight in five-plus innings.

Porcello was charged with four runs in six-plus innings Friday in a 7-5 road win against the Orioles, a performance that began a five-game stretch in which the Red Sox have put up a gaudy 8.32 ERA. They've allowed 34 runs in the past three contests and blew an early four-run lead Tuesday.

"We've been victimized by the big inning and we've got to find a way to minimize the damage in those situations," manager John Farrell said. "It's a matter of going out and continuing to execute. There's got to be an ability to slow some hitters down."

Boston has scored 32 runs in that same span while batting .282 after hitting .194 in an eight-game stretch while pushing across 26 runs.

Pablo Sandoval is 9 for 16 with two homers, two doubles and seven RBIs in those past five contests. He went 4 for 5 with a pair of doubles Tuesday after leaving Monday's opener with what Farrell called a "whiplash injury."

Sandoval has one single in his last six at_bats against Dickey while Xander Bogaerts is 6 for 11 with two doubles lifetime in this matchup. Bautista is 8 for 17 in his career against Porcello but all of those hits have been singles.

Hanley Ramirez is seeking to match the Red Sox's most homers before the start of May, David Ortiz's 10 in 2006. Ramirez has four in his last five games and none in 21 career at_bats versus Dickey.

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 Final 11 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

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

**StarDust Bum** · 04-29-2015, 09:50 AM

Preview: Royals (14-6) at Indians (6-13)
Game: 3
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: April 29, 2015 6:10 PM EDT

Pitching effectively hasn't been much of a problem for Kansas City Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura.

Keeping his emotions in check has been a far bigger issue.

Ventura has left all four of his starts earlier than he or the team hoped and he'll get another chance to atone for his actions Wednesday night as the Royals seek to sweep the struggling Cleveland Indians.

Ventura (2-1, 4.09 ERA) allowed one run over six innings on opening day against the Chicago White Sox before leaving with a thumb cramp, and was replaced April 12 against the Los Angeles Angels after 5 2-3 because of a right calf cramp. He had words with Mike Trout in the sixth inning after the star outfielder scored on Albert Pujols' double and both dugouts and bullpens emptied, but no punches were thrown.

Ventura's only poor outing came the following week versus Oakland, which reached him for five runs in 3 1-3 innings before he was ejected for hitting Brett Lawrie in the left elbow.

More problems followed for the hard-throwing 23-year-old Thursday against the White Sox after he snagged a grounder from Adam Eaton. The two exchanged words as Ventura threw to first to end the seventh inning. Eaton then had to be restrained from Ventura, who was ejected from a second straight start.

Players from both dugouts and bullpens ran onto the field and punches were thrown during a fight that lasted a couple of minutes.

Four Royals were suspended, with Ventura's seven-game ban the longest. He appealed the suspension and is awaiting a ruling.

"The last three outings, my emotions have spilled over, gotten the better of me," Ventura said with teammate Jeremy Guthrie serving as interpreter. "I'm an emotional pitcher, but I have to control them. I want to do that, moving forward."

Opposing the Indians would seem a good way for Ventura to get back into a regular rhythm. His 1.57 ERA in five meetings is his best against any opponent he's faced more than twice, and he's 2-0 with a 0.59 ERA in two starts in Cleveland.

Michael Brantley, though, is 6 for 16 with a home run in this matchup, while Carlos Santana is 5 for 14 with a pair of homers.

Kansas City (14-6) has rebounded from consecutive losses with wins in the first two games of this series, using a six-run seventh to rally for an 11-5 victory Tuesday. Kendrys Morales had three of the Royals' 18 hits, capping the big seventh with a three-run homer.

'The offense came right back and put a big six-spot on the board, which was great to see,' manager Ned Yost said.

Yost's team is in position for its first three-game sweep in Cleveland since June 2003.

The AL-worst Indians (6-13) have lost four straight and dropped to 1-6 at home for their worst start since opening 1-7 in 1991.

'We can all say it's early in the season as much as we want, but it's time to get going,' reliever Scott Atchison said. 'We're not where we want to be. We need to step up. It's time to stop messing around, and I know we'll do it.'

Danny Salazar (2-0, 2.08) will be tasked with slowing Kansas City. The right-hander followed a very strong season debut with an even better showing Friday in a 13-1 victory at Detroit. He struck out a career-high 11 to give him 21 in 13 innings and allowed one run and six hits over seven.

Salazar went 2-2 with a 5.14 ERA in four starts against the Royals last season, including an 0-2 mark with a 9.00 ERA in two at Progressive Field.

Eric Hosmer is 5 for 9 with three doubles against Salazar.

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 Final 11 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

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

**StarDust Bum** · 04-29-2015, 09:52 AM

Preview: Nationals (8-13) at Braves (10-10)
Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: April 29, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Off to a sluggish start despite being projected as a World Series contender, the Washington Nationals have been in need of a signature win to jump-start their season.

They hope their latest victory over the Atlanta Braves can be a turning point.

Coming off the biggest comeback win in team history, the Nationals look to build on a sensational offensive showing when they face a pitcher that has routinely shut them down in Alex Wood in Wednesday night's series finale in Atlanta.

Washington (8-13) entered Tuesday eight games out of first place and appeared to be on its way to a seventh straight loss as it trailed 9-1 after two innings. The Nationals chipped away with four in the fifth and tacked on another three in the seventh but still entered the ninth trailing by two.

Dan Uggla completed the rally with a three-run homer in the ninth to send Washington to a 13-12 victory. The Nationals' previous biggest comeback was June 17, 2006, when they trailed the New York Yankees by seven runs, and the Montreal Expos twice rallied from at least eight down to win, most recently in 2003.

"We're going to have to keep working and come back (Wednesday) ready to play with the same attitude we had the whole game," Uggla said.

One of the most encouraging signs was the offense finally got going.

The Nationals had 15 hits with nine going for extra bases after averaging 2.3 runs while batting .189 and totaling 11 extra-base hits during the losing streak.

Uggla, released last year by the Braves and still owed over $18 million at the time, also tripled and drove in five runs after entering with a .135 average and two RBIs. Denard Span had a homer, three doubles and a single to match a career high for hits and scored four times after going 6 for 29 with no extra-base hits in his first seven games.

The Nationals now have the difficult task of facing Wood (1-0, 3.00 ERA), who is 3-1 with a 1.49 ERA in six starts against them. He has stuck out 44 in 36 1-3 innings and limited Ryan Zimmerman to one hit in seven at_bats.

Wood threw 5 2-3 scoreless innings, allowing five hits while striking out one and walking two in Friday's 1-0 loss to Philadelphia. The left-hander did a good job of limiting baserunners after posting a 1.58 WHIP in his first three starts.

'My stuff is coming around,' he said.

The Braves (10-10) are trying to quickly move on from Tuesday's embarrassing loss, the franchise's first when scoring at least 12 runs since a 13-12 defeat at Colorado on June 8, 1996. In losing for the sixth time in eight games, Atlanta wasted a 17-hit attack with Freddie Freeman and A.J. Pierzynski getting four apiece.

'You're up 9-1 in the second inning and that's a game you're supposed to win,' Pierzynski said.

Freeman is heating up, going 8 for 13 with three doubles in his last three games following a 1-for-18 slump. Since the start of last season, he is batting .458 against the Nationals and has gone 4 for 8 versus Jordan Zimmermann (1-2, 5.23).

After being tagged for 12 runs over 8 2-3 innings in a pair of losses, Zimmermann gave up two runs and six hits - all singles - in six innings of Friday's 3-2 defeat to Miami. The right-hander has rarely been hit hard, surrendering a homer and two doubles for his only extra-base hits allowed.

He is 2-1 with a 2.10 ERA in five starts against the Braves since 2013.

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 Final 13 to 12
Boxscores • Recaps

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

**StarDust Bum** · 04-29-2015, 09:55 AM

Preview: Mets (15-6) at Marlins (9-12)
Game: 3
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: April 29, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Bartolo Colon's outstanding start already has him in legendary company.

Colon has a chance to become the second pitcher 40 or older to win five straight starts to open a season Wednesday night when the New York Mets conclude this three-game series with the Miami Marlins.

Colon (4-0, 2.77 ERA) has joined Roger Clemens (2004) and Hall of Famers Nolan Ryan (1990) and Phil Niekro (1984) as the only pitchers 40 or older to win his first four starts of a season.

Only Clemens was able to extend his streak, winning his first seven games with Houston.

Colon has a chance to join him if he can win a third straight start against the Marlins. The right-hander has won the last two while yielding two runs in 14 2-3 innings with 12 strikeouts. He allowed one run over seven innings in a 4-1 victory in New York on April 17.

Colon followed that up six days later with a 6-3 win over Atlanta. He gave up three runs in six innings while battling a blister on his middle finger that forced him to throw fastballs on 87 of his 91 pitches.

"It only bothered me to throw breaking pitches, secondary pitches. But I don't use those, so it didn't bother me at all," Colon told MLB's official website through an interpreter.

The Mets (15-6) have alternated wins and losses for six games after falling 4-3 at Miami on Tuesday for their first loss in six season meetings.

Juan Lagares and Daniel Murphy remained hot in the loss, combining for four of the team's 10 hits.

Lagares had a game-tying bases-clearing double in the seventh, making him 9 for 17 over the past four games. The center fielder is 10 for 23 in his last five games in Miami, while Murphy is 10 for 25 (.400) with two homers and six RBIs in his last six there.

He had three hits Tuesday, improving to 6 for 11 with five RBIs in the past three games overall. The second baseman has raised his average 60 points to .205 over that span.

Miami has posted a 1.71 ERA during a 6-1 stretch after its pitchers had a 6.75 ERA during a preceding five-game skid.

Mat Latos (0-3, 7.31) gets the ball looking for his third straight effective outing. He allowed two runs over 6 1-3 innings before Martin Prado's RBI single in the eighth provided the difference in Friday's 3-2 win over Washington.

"He was battling the whole time," Prado said. "To see him work so hard like that, it's contagious. That's what we're expecting from him."

Latos has lost three consecutive starts against the Mets despite a 1.50 ERA. He didn't get any offensive support April 18, yielding two runs and six hits in five innings of a 5-4 loss at Citi Field.

Miami's Dee Gordon leads the majors with 36 hits, four back of Mike Lowell's franchise record for April set in 2002. The second baseman is hitting .467 in 10 games and he's 12 for 21 in the past five after collecting four hits in this series.

He's 10 for 17 in the last four meetings with the Mets.

"He's been phenomenal," manager Mike Redmond said. "He's doing it all. He's as advertised. We knew what we were getting when we got him and he's been a huge part of this ballclub, not just as a player, but emotionally."

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 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores

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

**StarDust Bum** · 04-29-2015, 09:56 AM

Preview: Mariners (9-11) at Rangers (7-13)
Game: 3
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: April 29, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

The Seattle Mariners are on the verge of their first road sweep of Texas in more than 13 years, and Felix Hernandez figures to be a good bet to end his personal drought in Arlington against the feeble Rangers lineup on Wednesday night.

Seattle (9-11) won 2-1 Tuesday, led by Nelson Cruz's 3-for-4 night against his former team. Cruz improved to 25 for 64 (.391) over his last 16 games, while Texas' offense continued to struggle.

The Rangers (7-13) have lost five of six while going 4 for 38 with runners in scoring position, scoring two runs or fewer in four of five. They haven't been swept at home by Seattle in a series of at least three games since a four-game set April 12-15, 2002.

'It's a long season. ... This obviously isn't the April we set out to have,' first-year manager Jeff Banister said. 'These guys aren't pressing. They are out there battling. They are still energetic.'

Hernandez (3-0, 1.61 ERA) has a chance to win four games in April for only the second time, accomplishing the feat only in 2009. He already has 32 strikeouts in 28 innings despite fanning only one batter in his second outing.

He yielded five hits Friday while striking out nine and walking none in a 2-0 victory over Minnesota to record his first shutout since 2012. Hernandez's 74 starts between complete games marked the longest stretch of his career.

"It's been a while so it feels really good," he said.

Hernandez raised some concerns when he limped off the mound after jumping to field choppers in the second and seventh innings, possibly straining the quadriceps muscle that has given him problems this year.

"I'm fine," he told MLB's official website. "I'm getting better. I'll be fine."

The right-hander has more experience against the Rangers than any other team, and they're also responsible for more of his losses than any other opponent - he's 13-21 with a 3.95 ERA in 43 career matchups. Hernandez gave up one run and two hits with 12 strikeouts over seven innings in a 3-1 home victory on April 18, but his last win at Texas came Sept. 28, 2010. In five outings there since, he is 0-3 with a 4.60 ERA.

Wandy Rodriguez gets the nod for the Rangers after limiting the Los Angeles Angels to one run over five innings in Texas' 3-2 road loss on Friday, his first big league start since May 21. Now he seeks his first win since May 26, 2013.

"It was a veteran outing by a guy that hadn't been on a major league mound in more than nine months," Banister said of Rodriguez's AL debut. "Wandy gave us five innings and pitched through traffic for most of the night, but he moved the fastball around and competed very well."

The southpaw won his only matchup with Seattle while opposite Hernandez, giving up one run over 7 2-3 innings in a 5-1 victory with Houston on June 15, 2007.

Texas' Mitch Moreland is slated for surgery Wednesday to remove bone chips from his elbow and is likely to miss a few weeks. Adam Rosales was 0 for 4 while starting at first base.

Mired in an 0-for-20 slump, Shin-soo Choo was held of Tuesday's lineup. He is hitting a major league-worst .096 this season and is 9 for 36 with 13 strikeouts against Hernandez.

"I still believe in who I am," said Choo, two years removed from a 21-homer, 20-stolen base season. "That's the tough part. I'm not doing well. ... I can get through it."

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mariners at Rangers
Mon, Apr 27 Final 3 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mariners at Rangers
Tue, Apr 28 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores

GAME 3
Mariners at Rangers
Wed, Apr 29 - 8:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 04-29-2015, 09:57 AM

Preview: Pirates (11-10) at Cubs (12-7)
Game: 3
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: April 29, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

Chicago Cubs hitters have experienced few problems against the Pittsburgh Pirates this season but could face a considerable challenge as they try for their first three-game home sweep in the series in seven years.

The Pirates' Gerrit Cole has won each of his five starts against the Cubs and carries a personal streak of seven consecutive victories into Wednesday night's finale.

Chicago (12-7) has batted .315 and scored 31 runs while going 4-2 against the Pirates this season. The Cubs have totaled 10 runs and 23 hits in the first two games of this series, including a 6-2 victory Tuesday that was their fourth in a row.

"We're playing at a really high level mentally right now," manager Joe Maddon said. "A lot of energy, trying to make things happen."

Dexter Fowler and Starlin Castro combined for six hits and drove in three runs. Castro has at least one hit in each of his last seven games against Pittsburgh, going 13 for 30 (.433) with six RBIs, and is batting .386 in his last 10 overall.

Ballyhooed rookie Kris Bryant is batting .391 (9 for 23) in this season's series with nine of his 10 RBIs. He's 5 for 18 against the two other teams he's faced.

The Cubs will try to keep rolling while completing their first three-game sweep against the Pirates at Wrigley Field since April 18-20, 2008. They swept a three-game set at Pittsburgh from Sept. 7-9, 2012.

The Pirates (11-10), who split a four-game home series with the Cubs last week, have totaled two runs and nine hits while striking out 19 times and failing to draw a walk in this visit.

"We've been playing in some streaks," manager Clint Hurdle said. "We continue to say the game's contagious, and we've had some contagion on the other side."

Cole (3-0, 2.19 ERA) looks to become the first Pirates starter to win his first six games against one opponent since Dock Ellis won in his first seven matchups versus San Diego from 1969-71. He has a 3.48 ERA in his five career matchups with the Cubs, with Castro going 5 for 9.

The right-hander, who yielded a run while striking out seven over 7 2-3 innings in a 4-1 victory at Arizona on Friday, has a 1.37 ERA in winning his last three starts. He's 7-0 with a 2.65 ERA in nine starts dating back to his last visit to Wrigley, a 10-4 victory Sept. 7. He beat the Cubs again five days later.

The Cubs will send out Kyle Hendricks, who has no record and a 5.74 ERA in his first three starts after going 7-2 with a 2.46 ERA in his 13 last season. He gave up three or more runs in three outings in 2014 and already has two such performances this year.

Hendricks was charged with three runs in 5 1-3 innings Thursday in a 5-4 loss in Pittsburgh, his first matchup with the Pirates. Gregory Polanco went 2 for 3 with an RBI double that chased the right-hander in the sixth, but has not started the first two in this series because of an ailing left groin.

Polanco, batting .284 with seven doubles and seven RBIs, struck out in a pinch-hit appearance in the eighth inning Tuesday.

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 Final 2 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

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

**StarDust Bum** · 04-29-2015, 09:59 AM

Preview: Phillies (8-13) at Cardinals (13-6)
Game: 3
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: April 29, 2015 8:15 PM EDT

The St. Louis Cardinals may have lost ace Adam Wainwright for the season, but Carlos Martinez appears very capable of picking up the slack.

Martinez seeks to continue his impressive start Wednesday night when the Cardinals face the visiting Philadelphia Phillies.

Wainwright is out for the season with a torn left Achilles suffered in Saturday's 5-3 win at Milwaukee and St. Louis (13-6) lost its following two games before beating Philadelphia 11-5 on Tuesday.

Giving the ball to Martinez (2-0, 1.35 ERA) should increase the Cardinals' chances at leveling their record without the three-time All-Star. The right-hander was used almost exclusively out of the bullpen over the past two seasons, posting a combined 4.28 ERA.

It didn't take long for him to settle into his new role after being named the fifth starter during spring training. All three of his starts have ended in Cardinals victories and he's completed six innings each time.

Martinez is coming off his best performance yet, allowing four hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings of a 3-0 win at Milwaukee on Friday.

"He can be pretty special," catcher Yadier Molina told MLB's official website. "He's getting aggressive, attacking the hitter, putting away with that slider and changeup. He's doing well so far."

Martinez earned a 5-3 win in his only career start against the Phillies (8-13) on June 22, but he allowed three runs with five strikeouts in five innings. His three other matchups have come in relief, tossing one scoreless inning in each.

After his team totaled four runs in consecutive losses, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny shuffled his lineup Tuesday. He dropped Matt Carpenter from the leadoff spot to second and the third baseman responded with an RBI double, a triple and two runs. He's batting .380 with 17 runs on the season.

St. Louis set season highs in runs and hits (15) and went 8 for 15 with runners in scoring position after going 4 for 32 in the previous four games.

"It's hard to argue with the team's 15 hits and 11 runs," said Jason Heyward, who went 1 for 2 with two runs and three walks while dropping from second to sixth in the order. "Our lineup's flexible and that's what is awesome about it."

The Phillies (8-13) aim to avoid an eighth loss in 10 road games behind Aaron Harang (2-1, 1.37), who is 0-6 with a 3.51 ERA in his last eight starts against the Cardinals since last beating them in May 2009.

The right-hander has completed at least six innings in each of his four starts and held opponents to a .164 average.

He had his best outing of the season Friday, tossing two-hit ball over eight innings with six strikeouts in a 1-0 home win over Atlanta.

"It was the same thing last year," Harang told MLB's official website, alluding to his 3-1 record and 0.85 ERA in his first five starts with the Braves in 2014. "If you work fast in the count and try to get their guys to hit the ball early in the count, it's going to keep the defense on their toes. I'm trying to get us off the field and back to the dugout to get the offense going."

Cardinals shortstop Jhonny Peralta is 10 for 30 with two homers and three doubles against Harang.

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 Final 5 to 11
Boxscores • Recaps

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

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

**StarDust Bum** · 04-29-2015, 10:01 AM

Preview: Rockies (11-9) at Diamondbacks (9-11)
Game: 3
Venue: Chase Field
Date: April 29, 2015 9:40 PM EDT

After a scary moment involving one of their top young players, the Arizona Diamondbacks powered their way to one of their most dominant wins and broke out of their slump at the plate.

The Diamondbacks will try to close out their series against the Colorado Rockies by providing better support for Josh Collmenter at Chase Field on Wednesday night.

Arizona top prospect Archie Bradley was forced to leave Tuesday's game after getting hit in the face by a Carlos Gonzalez line drive, but walked off under his own power and gave a thumbs up to Diamondbacks fans.

From there, Arizona rolled to a 12-5 victory with Mark Trumbo going 4 for 4 with four RBIs and finishing a double shy of the cycle. Paul Goldschmidt had three of his team's 15 hits and drove in three runs in the end to a four-game losing streak.

The Diamondbacks (9-11) batted .211 and scored 21 runs while dropping six of their prior eight. They produced six runs in their skid, including a 5-4 loss to Colorado (11-9) on Monday that gave them five straight defeats in the series for the first time since 2004.

"The guys did a great job," manager Chip Hale said. "We were able to do some damage early and then continue to do it during the game. That's a good sign."

Arizona has given Collmenter a combined two runs of support in his three home starts. The right-hander gave up three runs in six innings Friday against Pittsburgh but dropped to 0-3 at Chase Field with a 4-1 defeat.

Collmenter (1-3, 3.65 ERA) tossed a four-hitter in a 9-0 win in San Francisco in his prior outing April 17.

Collmenter had no record and a 4.42 ERA in his three starts against Colorado last season with Arizona winning each. He yielded one run and two hits over 6 1-3 innings in his final matchup in 2014, a 5-2 home victory on Aug. 29.

Jordan Lyles (2-1, 2.92) went 1-0 with a 2.81 ERA in three starts against the Diamondbacks last season. The right-hander gave up one run and three hits in six innings in his lone one in Arizona on April 30, a 5-4 loss in 10 innings.

Lyles bounced back from his lone defeat this season with Thursday's 2-1 win over San Diego, yielding one run over 6 2-3 innings. He walked two after issuing five in a 6-3 loss at the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 18.

"I thought I made great strides and effort of limiting mistakes - walks and unnecessary walks - that I've had earlier this season," Lyles said.

Trumbo is 4 for 12 with three homers in his career against Lyles. He's batting .522 (12 for 23) with three homers in his last six games against Colorado.

Goldschmidt is hitting .461 with five homers and 26 RBIs in his past 19 matchups. He's 3 for 9 lifetime versus Lyles.

Charlie Blackmon is 5 for 10 against Collmenter in his career. He's 9 for 20 in a string of four consecutive multihit games and is batting .414 in his last eight versus Arizona.

Justin Morneau, 10 for 17 in his last four contests, is 1 for 8 against Collmenter.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rockies at Diamondbacks
Mon, Apr 27 Final 5 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rockies at Diamondbacks
Tue, Apr 28 Final 5 to 12
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Rockies at Diamondbacks
Wed, Apr 29 - 9:40PM EDT

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