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**StarDust Bum** · 05-02-2015, 02:36 AM

NBA MONEYLINE

NBA > (551) SAN ANTONIO@ (552) LA CLIPPERS | 05/02/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play ON SAN ANTONIO using the money line in All games in a road game where where the total is between 200 and 204.5 points
The record is 18 Wins and 6 Losses for the last two seasons (+13.1 units)

NBA FIRST HALF

NBA > (551) SAN ANTONIO@ (552) LA CLIPPERS | 05/02/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play ON SAN ANTONIO in the first half in All games revenging a loss vs opponent
The record is 21 Wins and 6 Losses for the this season (+14.4 units)

NBA TOTALS

NBA > (551) SAN ANTONIO@ (552) LA CLIPPERS | 05/02/2015 - 08:05 PM
Play UNDER SAN ANTONIO on the total in Road games versus poor defensive teams - allowing 99+ points/game
The record is 6 Overs and 23 Unders for the this season (+16.4 units)

NBA TOP POWERLINE

NBA > (551) SAN ANTONIO @ (552) LA CLIPPERS | 05/02/2015 - 08:05 PM
Line: LA CLIPPERS -2 BTB PowerLine: LA CLIPPERS -2
Edge On: LA CLIPPERS (0)

**StarDust Bum** · 05-02-2015, 02:40 AM

NHL MONEYLINE

NHL > (59) WASHINGTON@ (60) NY RANGERS | 05/02/2015 - 12:35 PM
Play ON NY RANGERS using the money line in All games vs. division opponents
The record is 27 Wins and 9 Losses for the this season (+16.55 units)

**StarDust Bum** · 05-02-2015, 02:50 AM

NBA Playoffs - Game 7 Facts

May 1, 2015

Game 7 Quick Facts

-- The NBA has had 119 Game 7’s in playoff history

-- The home team is 95-24 (79%) in those games

-- The 2014 postseason has featured five Game 7's. The home team went 4-1 in those games and the lone visitor to win was Brooklyn, who defeated Toronto 104-103 in overtime..

-- San Antonio owns a 4-5 record in Game 7's

-- Since the Clippers moved to Los Angeles, the team is 2-1 in Game 7's.

-- Doc Rivers has coached in 10 Game 7's and owns a 5-5 career record (Orlando 0-1, Boston 4-4, Los Angeles 1-0)

-- Gregg Popovich owns a 3-2 record in five Game 7's with San Antonio.

San Antonio Game 7 History
1979 Western Conference Semifinals
San Antonio Spurs 111 vs. Philadelphia 76ers 108

1979 Western Conference Finals
Washington Bullets 107 vs. San Antonio Spurs 105

1981 Western Conference Semifinals
Houston Rockets 105 at San Antonio Spurs 100

1990 Western Conference Semifinals
Portland Trail Blazers 108 vs. San Antonio Spurs 105 (OT)

2005 NBA Finals
San Antonio Spurs 81 vs. Detroit Pistons 74

2006 Western Conference Semifinals
Dallas Mavericks 119 at San Antonio Spurs 111 (OT)

2008 Western Conference Semifinals
San Antonio Spurs 91 at New Orleans Hornets 82

2013 NBA Finals
Miami Heat 95 vs. San Antonio Spurs 88

2014 Western Conference First Round
San Antonio Spurs 119 vs. Dallas 96

L.A. Clippers Game 7 History

2006 Western Conference Semifinals
Phoenix Suns 127 vs. L.A. Clippers 107

2012 Western Conference First Round
L.A. Clippers 82 at Memphis 72

2014 Western Conference First Round
L.A. Clippers 126 vs. Golden State 121

ALL-TIME GAME 7 ROAD WINNERS

Year Road Team Home Team Round

2014 Brooklyn 104 Toronto 103 First round

2013 Chicago 99 Brooklyn 93 First round

2012 L.A. Clippers 82 Memphis 72 First round

2008 Orlando 101 Boston 82 Conference semifinals

2007 San Antonio 91 New Orleans 82 Conference semifinals

2007 Utah 103 Houston 99 First round

2006 *Dallas 119 San Antonio 111 Conference semifinals

2005 Detroit 88 Miami 82 Conference finals

2005 Indiana 97 Boston 70 First round

2002 *L.A. Lakers 112 Sacramento 106 Conference finals

2000 New York 83 Miami 82 Conference semifinals

1995 Indiana 97 New York 95 Conference semifinals

1995 Houston 115 Phoenix 114 Conference semifinals

1982 Philadelphia 120 Boston 106 Conference finals

1981 Kansas City 95 Phoenix 88 Conference semifinals

1981 Houston 105 San Antonio 100 Conference semifinals

1978 Washington 105 Seattle 99 NBA Finals

1976 Phoenix 94 Golden State 86 Conference finals

1974 Boston 102 Milwaukee 87 NBA Finals

1973 New York 94 Boston 78 Conference finals

1971 Baltimore 93 New York 91 Conference finals

1969 Boston 108 L.A. Lakers 106 NBA Finals

1968 Boston 100 Philadelphia 96 Division finals

1948 Philadelphia 85 St Louis 46 Semifinals

(*) Asterisk denotes overtime

**StarDust Bum** · 05-02-2015, 02:52 AM

Game 7 - Spurs at Clippers

May 1, 2015

San Antonio at L.A. Clippers (TNT, 8:05 p.m. ET)

Western Conference - 1st Round
Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA

The NBA Playoffs will try to steal some of the attention on Saturday from the Kentucky Derby and Mayweather-Pacquiao fight with its first Game 7 of this year’s postseason.

On Thursday, the Clippers answered the bell again and defeated the Spurs 102-96 as 5 ½-point road favorites. Bettors expecting Los Angeles to survive also had the opportunity to cash a generous money-line payout at 2/1 odds (Bet $100 to win $200).

Blake Griffin (26 points) and Chris Paul (19 points) led the Clippers starting unit in Game 6, which was the difference. Los Angeles’ starting five had an 87-48 advantage in the box score on Thursday and VegasInsider.com NBA expert Tony Mejia is well aware of that gap but he believes the key to Game 7 will be the reserves.

Mejia explained, “As we’ve seen throughout this series, odds are this comes down to bench play, especially since the Clippers are at home and the second-stringers should feel more comfortable performing there. Given the volume of minutes Doc Rivers has been forced to play his starters, getting anything out of the reserves would provide a huge boost against the deeper defending champions. San Antonio needs Tony Parker, Tiago Splitter and Danny Green to come up large after slumping for much of the series.”

In Thursday’s loss, the Spurs’ bench outscored the Clippers 48-15 behind a monster performance from Marco Belinelli, who had 23 points while shooting 7-of-11 from 3-point range.

Will Belinelli produce another effort like that on Saturday? The correct answer is doubtful but I also don’t expect the Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard to go 3-of-15 from the field and post 12 points again.

Mejia mentioned that the Spurs need Parker to get going and I just don’t see it happening. It’s clear that he’s playing injured and head coach Gregg Popovich knows it, which is why he’s playing backup Patty Mills more in this series than he did in the regular season.

If you look at his numbers, you can say that Mills is the X-factor for the Spurs. In three wins, he’s averaging 12.3 points per game while only 9.6 PPG in the losses. He’s 26-years-old while Parker is 32 and the Australian product has a better chance keeping up with CP3.

Thursday’s win by Los Angeles was its second straight victory at the AT&T Center and also the third consecutive win by the visitor in this series.

For Game 7, oddsmakers sent out Los Angeles as a two-point favorite and the line jumped up to 2 ½ at a few shops but it’s currently holding steady at two as of Friday evening.

The allure of a Game 7 always brings out the historians and Mejia doesn’t seen an edge for either club.

He said, “Despite reaching consecutive NBA Finals, this is only the third Game 7 the Spurs have played over the last three seasons and just the fourth since the 2006-07 championship run. Most recently, the Spurs lost to the Miami Heat to fall short of a championship in 2013 and survived Dallas in last year’s first round, while the Clippers also won their most recent Game 7, defeating Golden State in last year’s first round. While San Antonio is indeed more experienced in these situations, that’s not what this clincher will come down to.”

In the 2014 NBA Playoffs, there were five Game 7’s and coincidentally they all occurred in the first round and the home team went 4-1 in those games.

Indiana 92 vs. Atlanta 80
Oklahoma City 120 vs. Memphis 109
L.A. Clippers 126 vs. Golden State 121
San Antonio 119-96 vs. Dallas
Brooklyn 104 at Toronto 103

The lone visitor to pull off the upset was Brooklyn and it took them overtime to barely beat Toronto.

You can check out the Fast Facts and see that history does tell you that the home team in the NBA Playoffs has captured Game 7 nearly 80 percent of the time.

San Antonio owns a 4-5 all-time record in Game 7’s while the Clippers are 2-1 in Game 7’s since they moved to Los Angeles.

Doc Rivers has more experience in Game 7’s and he’s produced a respectable 5-5 record, which includes a 1-0 mark with the Clippers. Popovich is 3-2 in Game 7’s with the Spurs and he led one of the 24 teams to capture a decisive win on the road.

Ironically, that victory came in the 2007 playoffs when San Antonio defeated New Orleans in “The Big Easy” and that was when Chris Paul was playing with the Hornets. In case you don’t recall, New Orleans led that series 2-0 and 3-2 before the Spurs finished them off with back-to-back victories. Part of me is buying the narrative that Paul remembers that series and how he would love to get revenge in this spot on Saturday night.

We all know that beliefs don’t win bets rather facts and it’s hard to ignore this particular one on San Antonio.

Most are well aware that the Spurs have never won back-to-back championships in franchise history, but it’s also true that they’ve only been knocked out in the first round once following a title, which occurred in the 2000 postseason against Phoenix.

I predicted the Clippers to win this series when the matchup was set and I’m a little surprised it hasn’t ended sooner. I’m not shying away from that prediction and expect them to finally get over the hump in this spot but I’d wait to bet this game since both clubs have shown resilience and have made rallies. Outside of the two double-digit outcomes, you’ve had four tight games and if you’re savvy with Live Betting, you can catch a better price.

The total is hovering around 204 points and that’s a fair number considering the ‘over/under’ has gone 3-3 in this series. The pace for Game 6 was very slow and neither team had any rhythm offensively, plus they didn’t shoot high percentages. The Clippers aren’t a great free throw shooting team due to DeAndre Jordan, who is 25-of-64 (39%) from the stripe in this series. Make a note that the Spurs have an Achilles heel at the free throw line too in Tiago Splitter, who is 5-of-16 (31%) versus the Clippers. If either of those two can get those numbers up to 50 percent, ‘over’ bettors would likely cash, but that’s a big “if” to bet on.

Despite not owning homecourt in this series, San Antonio was dubbed the favorite and a lot of that had to do with its championship pedigree. Before the series began, bettors could’ve invested in the Exact Games Props for NBA Series at Sportsbook.ag. The top betting choice for this matchup at 5/2 odds was the Spurs winning in six games, which was denied on Thursday.

4 Games Clippers Win 20/1
4 Games Spurs Win 8/1
5 Games Clippers Win 13/2
5 Games Spurs Win 7/2
6 Games Clippers Win 8/1
6 Games Spurs Win 5/2
7 Games Clippers Win 7/2
7 Games Spurs Win 6/1

The winner of this series will face Houston in the Western Conference semifinals, which will begin on Monday from the Toyota Center. The Rockets have home-court advantage for the best-of-seven series.

I asked Jay Kornegay, Vice President of the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, on possible odds for the next round.

Per the SuperBook:

Houston +120
San Antonio -140

Houston -120
L.A. Clippers EVEN

**StarDust Bum** · 05-02-2015, 02:59 AM

Rangers look to rebound from tough loss

May 1, 2015

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) - Putting a brutal, last-second loss to the Washington Capitals in the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinals behind them isn't something the New York Rangers are worried about.

Playoff hockey is all about short-term memory. You win, you forget about it. You lose, you forget about it faster.

Players remember the mistakes and the need to correct them.

That's the approach the Rangers are taking heading into Game 2 of their best-of-seven series with Alexander Ovechkin and Capitals on Saturday afternoon (12:30 p.m. EDT) at Madison Square Garden.

They've stopped thinking about Joel Ward's game-winning goal with 1.3 seconds to play on Thursday night in Washington's 2-1 win and the questionable hit by Nicklas Backstrom on defenseman Dan Boyle that set up the goal. They're not talking about the lack of a penalty call on the play.

The focus is evening the series at 1-all, or in Washington's case, taking a 2-0 lead home for Monday night's Game 3.

''You wake up the next day and go to work,'' Rangers forward Martin St. Louis said Friday after a short 20-minute practice in the team's Westchester training facility. ''You correct the mistakes and get ready for the next one.''

The Capitals, who got a goal and an assist from Ovechkin, did not practice on Friday.

''He's working hard and doing the right things,'' Capitals forward Troy Brouwer said of `Ovi' at the team's hotel. ''It sparked our team. We as players want to play behind him, play with him and win because over the years he's had a little bit of a reputation of not being able to push his team deep into the playoffs. We want to change that for him this year.''

This marks the first time the Rangers, the NHL's best team in the regular season, have been behind in the playoffs this season. They beat Pittsburgh in five games in the opening round.

''You don't want to dig too deep into it,'' center Derek Stepan said of the need to win. ''It's a loss Game 1 and we have to come out and get ourselves ready and give us at least a good chance to win Game 2.''

Boyle, who was dazed by Backstrom's hit, practiced on Friday. He refused to discuss his thoughts on the hit.

Rangers coach Alain Vigneault also refused to say anything about the referees. He said his team needs to learn from the play, and the most important thing is not to stop playing. The Rangers hesitated after Boyle was hit. The Capitals didn't stop and scored the winning goal.

Capitals coach Barry Trotz watched a videotape of the Backstrom hit and saw nothing wrong with it.

''If you really watch it again, even the people right in front (of the glass), they didn't flinch,'' he said. ''Usually if it is a questionable hit, everybody jumps up and puts their hands up and all that. The fans right there, nothing. It really was nothing. It was the right call.''

The NHL reviewed the hit on Friday and did not take any action.

Vigneault wants his team has to play better against the Ovechkin line in Game 2 and to capitalize on scoring chances. New York has scored one goal in regulations in each of its last three playoffs games and that's not good enough.

---

Calgary at Anaheim, Anaheim leads series 1-0, Game 2, Sunday 10 p.m. EDT.

FLYING DUCKS: after sweeping Winnipeg, the Ducks rolled to a 6-1 win in Game 1 on Thursday, chasing former teammate Jonas Hiller to the bench in the second period.

It also extended the Flames' futility at the Honda Center, where Calgary hasn't won since the 2006 playoffs and has lost 20 consecutive regular-season games since January 2004.

---

**StarDust Bum** · 05-02-2015, 03:11 AM

Preview: Yankees (13-9) at Red Sox (12-10)
Game: 2
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: May 02, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

Alex Rodriguez's return to the New York Yankees' lineup can't be any more dramatic than his lone at-bat in this series against the Boston Red Sox.

Rodriguez can move into sole possession of fourth place on the all-time home run list Saturday when the Yankees seek their first five-game road win streak in two years.

Manager Joe Girardi left Rodriguez out of his starting lineup for the second time in three games in Friday's series opener because the slugger was mired in a 4-for-31 slump and was facing a tough assignment in starter Justin Masterson.

That decision delayed the opportunity for the Red Sox faithful to boo the disgraced Rodriguez until he pinch-hit in the eighth inning. He silenced the Fenway Park crowd with home run No. 660 to break a 2-2 tie and match Hall of Famer Willie Mays on the all-time list.

'I'm actually very excited, trying to stay in the moment,' Rodriguez said. 'It's good to do it in a good team win.'

Rodriguez's blow was decisive in a 3-2 victory for New York (14-9), which last won five straight on the road May 8-13, 2013. The Yankees have won 11 out of 14 overall.

Rodriguez will start Saturday and face Wade Miley (1-2, 8.62 ERA) after going 1 for 3 off the left-hander in a 6-5, 19-inning win by Boston on April 10.

Miley gave up two runs over 5 1-3 innings in that contest in his Red Sox debut before surrendering seven runs in two of his next three outings, including last Sunday's effort of 2 1-3 innings as he suffered an 18-7 defeat at Baltimore.

"It's embarrassing. I know I'm better than this," said Miley, who also gave up seven runs in 2 1-3 innings in his Boston home debut in a 10-5 loss to Washington on April 15.

Girardi may not want to start Chase Headley, who is 3 for 19 against Miley and hitting .167 against left-handers.

Miley's mound opponent in last month's start in New York was Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 4.15), who yielded three runs in 5 1-3 innings that night in his first career appearance against Boston (12-11).

The Yankees right-hander gave up three runs or fewer in his first three outings before surrendering four in 4 1-3 innings Sunday in a 6-4 victory over the New York Mets.

Eovaldi will pitch at Fenway for the first time and will try to slow down Pablo Sandoval, who is 10 for 14 against him including 2 for 3 this year.

Boston catcher Ryan Hanigan left in the seventh inning Friday with a broken knuckle that will require surgery. Hanigan was replaced by Sandy Leon and Blake Swihart is expected to be called up and could make his big league debut this weekend.

Allen Craig homered and Mike Napoli doubled and walked. Napoli has reached base in 32 straight starts against the Yankees for the longest streak by a Red Sox player since Wade Boggs did it in 54 consecutive between 1984-89.

Designated hitter David Ortiz has reached base in his last 26 home games against New York, batting .440 with five homers, 19 RBIs and 19 walks. He's hitting .375 at home compared to .136 on the road.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Yankees at Red Sox
Fri, May 1 - 7:10PM EDT
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Yankees at Red Sox
Sat, May 2 - 1:35PM EDT

GAME 3
Yankees at Red Sox
Sun, May 3 - 8:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 05-02-2015, 03:15 AM

Preview: White Sox (8-11) at Twins (10-12)
Game: 3
Venue: Target Field
Date: May 02, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

It's been nearly a year since the Minnesota Twins were at the .500 mark and 10 months since Ricky Nolasco last won at Target Field.

Nolasco returns from a trip to the disabled list as the Twins try to get back to the break-even mark Saturday against the slumping Chicago White Sox.

Minnesota (11-12) hasn't been at .500 since it was 23-23 on May 24 en route to a 70-92 finish. Following a 1-6 start this season, the Twins are on the cusp of reaching that point again after winning 10 of 16, including each of the first two games in the series.

They slugged their way to a 12-2 victory Thursday before getting their lone run in a 1-0 victory Friday when Kennys Vargas came home on a wild pitch in the fifth inning. The White Sox have totaled four runs in three consecutive defeats and are also dealing with a bout of flu going through their clubhouse.

"We're going through one of those stretches where we are just not getting it going across the board," designated hitter Adam LaRoche told MLB's official website. "It will turn. It just (stinks) going through it."

Minnesota will seek to win for the eighth time in 12 home games while sending the White Sox to a fifth consecutive road defeat. Chicago (8-12) has dropped nine of 11 away from home and its .353 road winning percentage since the start of the 2013 season (61-112) is only higher than Colorado's .328.

Nolasco is set to make his first home start of the season after landing on the DL with right elbow inflammation following his season debut. The veteran right-hander, who is 0-4 with a 6.12 ERA in six home starts since defeating Kansas City on July 1, permitted six runs, six hits and four walks in three-plus innings in an 11-0 drubbing in Detroit on April 8.

"I'm just glad to be getting back to normal and to being on my five days," he said.

Nolasco is 0-2 with a 5.92 ERA in four starts against Chicago, giving up two runs or fewer in two of the starts and five or more in the other two. He yielded two runs in 5 1-3 innings in a 5-4 home win in his last matchup June 20.

Hector Noesi (0-2, 5.23) will face Minnesota for the second time in three starts this season. The right-hander gave up two runs in 4 2-3 innings and walked six - one shy of matching a career high - in a 6-0 loss April 10.

He hasn't pitched since allowing four runs and four hits - including two homers - in 5 2-3 innings of a 6-2 loss to Cleveland on April 21 because Monday's game in Baltimore was postponed due to protests in the city. Noesi has a 5.28 ERA in losing his last five starts, a stretch that began with a 6-4 defeat to Minnesota on Sept. 14.

Joe Mauer, who went 0 for 3 Friday after going 6 for 10 in his previous two games, singled and walked twice against Noesi last month.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
White Sox at Twins
Thu, Apr 30 Final 2 to 12
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
White Sox at Twins
Fri, May 1 - 8:10PM EDT
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
White Sox at Twins
Sat, May 2 - 2:10PM EDT

GAME 4
White Sox at Twins
Sun, May 3 - 2:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 05-02-2015, 03:18 AM

Preview: Brewers (5-17) at Cubs (12-8)
Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: May 02, 2015 2:20 PM EDT

For a Chicago Cubs team desperate for top-end pitching in 2014, Jake Arrieta emerged as one of the more dominant arms in the NL.

Through four starts in 2015, he's been even better.

Now a core member of the Cubs, Arrieta will look to continue his impressive beginning Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers, who could get All-Star Carlos Gomez back from the disabled list.

Arrieta (3-1, 2.03 ERA) had a 0.99 WHIP last season and was at 0.94 this April, so far looking like the ace of a rotation that added Jon Lester in the offseason.

The right-hander had his shortest outing so far Sunday, but allowed only four hits and two runs through six innings of a 5-2 victory against Cincinnati.

"That's what you talk about when a guy doesn't cave in. That matters," manager Joe Maddon told MLB's official website." You're not going to have your best stuff, best everything every night. You've got to be able to win with less than your best, and he did.

"That's a tribute to him and his work and his mental focus."

He'll take the mound on the heels of Lester's best performance thus far. The left-hander limited Milwaukee to three hits through seven scoreless innings Friday, and 21-year-old Addison Russell supplied the offense with his first career home run as the Cubs (13-8) picked up a 1-0 victory.

"You have to win 1-0, 2-1, 3-2 to win championships," Maddon said. "I'm really proud of the guys today. ... Right now the energy is really good, and the process is good, too."

The Brewers (5-18) have been shut out four times this season and rank near the bottom of the league with 3.09 runs per game. Adam Lind, who did not play Friday, is Milwaukee's only regular hitting above .300.

The lineup should get a boost Saturday with the return of Gomez, who was on the DL with a hamstring injury. He's scored a team-leading 175 runs over the past two seasons,

"For the last 15 days, I've been really frustrated. I couldn't do anything to help my team move forward," Gomez said. "I think when I'm in the lineup, it's a little bit different. We're going to be a little bit better. The team has started to play better. We still lost some games, but it's not like before."

The starting pitching has been much better of late, producing six quality starts in the last nine games after managing only two through the first 14.

None of those belong to Mike Fiers (0-3, 5.79), who has failed to get an out after the fourth inning in his last two starts. His strikeout rate remains appealing (10.61 per nine innings), but its done little good considering his opponents' batting average of .358 - one of the worst in baseball.

Anthony Rizzo is 5 for 7 with a homer and a double against Fiers. He has reached safely in 10 consecutive games, and owns a 1.105 OPS in that span.

Kris Bryant owns a .458 on-base percentage since joining the major league club, second only to Rizzo's .479 mark that's among the best in baseball.

Chicago has won eight of its last 10 meetings with Milwaukee.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Brewers at Cubs
Fri, May 1 Final 0 to 1
Boxscores

GAME 2
Brewers at Cubs
Sat, May 2 - 2:20PM EDT

GAME 3
Brewers at Cubs
Sun, May 3 - 2:20PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 05-02-2015, 03:20 AM

Preview: Blue Jays (11-12) at Indians (7-14)
Game: 3
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: May 02, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

Considering how well things unfolded last season, Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona is confident Corey Kluber will overcome another rough start.

That's assuming his teammates can help him out.

The Indians try for a sixth time to win their first game with the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner on the mound Saturday against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays.

A year ago, Kluber went 2-3 with a 4.14 ERA in six April starts then 16-6 with a 2.13 ERA in his last 28 to become Cleveland's third Cy Young winner in eight seasons.

"He's about where he was last year at this time," Francona told MLB's official website. "I do think with Klubes, we've seen it, when he gets on a roll, he'll be better.

"There is never a question about Corey's effort, and I'll take him any day of the week."

Though Kluber (0-3, 4.24) has allowed 12 runs and 23 hits over 12 1-3 innings while losing his last two starts, the Indians (8-14) have managed seven runs overall with him on the mound and been shut out twice.

The right-hander is trying to avoid becoming the first pitcher since Frank Viola in 1989 to have his team lose his first six starts the season after winning the Cy Young.

Publicly, Kluber seems more concerned with the welfare of his team and not himself.

"The way things are going is frustrating,' he said. 'I don't focus as much on me, individually, as I do on the team as a whole."

Kluber, who went 1-1 with a 3.95 ERA against Toronto in 2014, hopes his teammates stay hot after they had 13 hits during Friday's 9-4 victory. Brett Hayes hit a three-run homer, Michael Brantley delivered a two-run shot and Jason Kipnis had a solo drive to help Cleveland move on from a dismal April.

'I always feel like the next day, regardless of what month, let's go play today's game,' Francona said. 'Normally when you're looking for those types of things, you need to look for them, because you're scuffling. Regardless of how many days are in April, if we play well and win, we're all for it.'

After failing to homer in their first five games at Progressive Field, the Indians have seven in the last five.

Brantley, 5 for 9 in the first two games of this series, is batting .367 with two home runs and seven RBIs in his last eight at home against the Blue Jays (11-13).

The Indians get their first look at Aaron Sanchez (1-2, 5.03), who allowed four runs in 5 2-3 innings of a 6-5 walk-off loss at Boston on Monday.

Josh Donaldson homered to lead off Friday's game and Kevin Pillar went 2 for 4 with two RBIs for Toronto, which blew an early three-run lead to fall to 2-6 on its 10-game trip.

After going 0 for 10 in the first three games of the trip, Pillar is 9 for 20 with five extra-base hits and five RBIs in the last five.

"The reports we all had in the minor leagues is that this kid can flat-out play," manager John Gibbons said. "Now, the big difference is that he's out there everyday. He wasn't the last couple years, he was playing a platoon role and facing lefties and there aren't many lefties. Now he's playing everyday and he's settled in. He's been tremendous."

Donaldson is 3 for 9 with a home run against Kluber.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Blue Jays at Indians
Thu, Apr 30 Final 5 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Blue Jays at Indians
Fri, May 1 - 7:10PM EDT
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Blue Jays at Indians
Sat, May 2 - 4:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Blue Jays at Indians
Sun, May 3 - 1:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 05-02-2015, 03:22 AM

Preview: Phillies (8-15) at Marlins (10-12)
Game: 2
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: May 02, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

Dee Gordon and Marcell Ozuna are red-hot at the plate, and that's a big reason why the Miami Marlins have turned around their sluggish start.

Gordon and Ozuna will try to continue pacing the Marlins on Saturday against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Miami (11-12) is hitting .307 and averaging 5.3 runs while winning eight of nine games after batting .243 with 3.8 runs per game through its first 14.

Gordon has been superb from the start, and he leads the majors with a .423 average. He's gone 17 for 28 (.607) over the past seven games.

Ozuna, however, was batting .194 (6 for 31) through his first nine games before hitting .405 over the past 12.

The center fielder's hot stretch continued Friday, when he went 4 for 4, and his third double was a walkoff that drove home Giancarlo Stanton from first in a 4-3 come-from-behind win over Philadelphia (8-16).

"It continues to show the character of this team," manager Mike Redmond said. "Things don't go our way, but we keep battling."

Things certainly aren't going in favor of Cole Hamels (1-2, 3.19 ERA) when he takes the mound against the Marlins. The left-hander owns a 2.50 ERA over his last 11 starts, but he's 1-4 since he's been backed by three runs or fewer in 10 of those games.

Run support was again an issue versus Miami on April 22, when the left-hander allowed an unearned run in six innings while not figuring in the decision of a 6-1 home loss.

Hamels finally got enough help with a three-run seventh Monday, as he allowed one run with nine strikeouts and left after the inning in a 4-1 victory against St. Louis.

"I think personal wins aren't something I really focus on that much," Hamels said. "It's more for the team. You want to set the tone no matter what."

Hamels is pitching amid rumors he'll be traded to a playoff contender since Philadelphia is rebuilding, and that's been clear with its .221 average and 2.8 runs per game, which rank last in the NL.

"I'm living in the moment, and that's kind of all I can do," Hamels told MLB's official website. "In order to be accountable for what I have to do, I can't think in the future or the past. I've got to be here in the present."

His past is impressive against Gordon, who is 0 for 9 with five strikeouts against Hamels. Ozuna, though, has homered on three of his seven hits in 23 at_bats.

The Marlins will counter Hamels with Dan Haren (2-1, 3.38), who is 1-6 with a 4.64 ERA in 11 career starts against the Phillies. He was charged with a 7-3 loss to them April 21, giving up four runs and two homers with seven strikeouts and three walks in six innings.

The right-hander, though, followed that up with an improved effort five days later, yielding two runs and three hits in five innings of a 6-2 win over Washington.

Haren has struggled with Grady Sizemore, who is 11 for 23 (.478) with three homers off him. The right fielder, however, is hitting .158 with one RBI on the season.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Phillies at Marlins
Fri, May 1 - 7:10PM EDT
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Phillies at Marlins
Sat, May 2 - 4:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Phillies at Marlins
Sun, May 3 - 1:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 05-02-2015, 03:24 AM

Preview: Rays (12-10) at Orioles (10-10)
Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: May 02, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Since last facing the Baltimore Orioles, Chris Archer has produced a franchise-record run of dominance for the Tampa Bay Rays.

The right-hander seeks to extend his streak of starts with zero earned runs allowed when he faces the Orioles again Saturday night.

Archer (3-2, 0.84 ERA) gave up four runs in 5 2-3 innings to Baltimore in the Rays' season opener, a 6-2 defeat April 6. Since then, he has yielded one unearned run in 26 2-3 innings over four starts - Tampa Bay's most in a row without an earned run - while striking out 32 and walking five.

He has also given up two hits or fewer in three of those outings, including a 5-1 win over Toronto on Sunday. Archer shook off an illness to pitch seven scoreless innings, strike out seven and walk one.

"I don't think we could ask for a better month out of a starting pitcher. He's been as good as I've ever seen," manager Kevin Cash said.

Archer, 0-2 with a 7.65 ERA in his last four starts against Baltimore, will try to become the first pitcher to go five consecutive starts without giving up an earned run since the Chicago Cubs' Ryan Dempster in 2012.

No AL pitcher has accomplished that feat in one season since Oakland's Cory Lidle in 2002.

"I'm going to strive for perfection," Archer told MLB's official website. "And not beat myself up over not being perfect."

Archer will also try to follow up Alex Colome's successful return from pneumonia, a 2-0 win in Friday's series opener. The Rays (13-10) and Orioles (10-11) are playing their three-game set at Tropicana Field because of rioting in Baltimore.

The Orioles had won their previous three games, including an 8-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday in front of zero fans at Camden Yards. They were batting .351 with 36 runs in their prior four contests but finished with four singles against Tampa Bay.

"It'd be a very convenient excuse. It might seem strange, but once the game starts they're doing something they've done their whole lives," manager Buck Showalter said. "We pitched real well. They just pitched a little better."

Miguel Gonzalez (2-1, 3.42) will attempt to get his club started on another win streak in his second start against Tampa Bay this season. The right-hander gave up one run to the Rays in 5 2-3 innings in his season debut April 8 but took a 2-0 loss.

Gonzalez went 1-1 with a 1.42 ERA in his first two starts but had a 5.73 ERA in his past two, both against Boston. He was charged with four runs in six innings April 24, giving up all of those in the fifth, and avoided a defeat in the 7-5 loss when the Orioles rallied to tie the game in the seventh.

Archer gave up one run in his first four innings against Tampa Bay last month before Alejandro De Aza hit a two-run shot in the fifth and Steve Pearce followed with a solo homer in the sixth. De Aza is 3 for 29 in his last eight games and Pearce is 5 for 31 in his past 10.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rays at Orioles
Fri, May 1 - 7:05PM EDT
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rays at Orioles
Sat, May 2 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Rays at Orioles
Sun, May 3 - 1:35PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 05-02-2015, 03:25 AM

Preview: Tigers (15-8) at Royals (15-7)
Game: 3
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: May 02, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

David Price has yet to experience the rivalry between the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals.

He'll take part for the first time Saturday night and try to help the visiting Tigers avoid a third straight defeat in this four-game series.

Price (2-1, 3.48 ERA) has made fewer starts against Kansas City than any AL team outside of Tampa Bay, his first major league club. He is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in three starts versus the Royals, whom he last faced three seasons ago.

The available Kansas City hitter that the left-hander has faced most is Kendrys Morales, who is 4 for 14 against him and 11 for 35 with 11 RBIs in an eight-game hitting streak. Morales has driven in nine runs in his last four games, going 3 for 8 with four RBIs in this series.

Detroit (15-9) has won four of five starts by Price, who hasn't been happy with how he has pitched. He gave up three runs in 6 1-3 innings of a 5-4 victory at Minnesota on Monday.

"That's what makes a good starting pitcher, that's what makes a major league baseball player is consistency," Price said. "And I haven't shown that yet."

Kansas City (16-7) has turned in superior starting pitching in this series. Danny Duffy allowed one run in seven innings in Thursday's 8-1 rout and Chris Young pitched five hitless innings in Friday's 4-1 victory.

Tigers starters Alfredo Simon and Kyle Lobstein were charged with 10 runs in those contests.

The Royals took a no-hitter into the eighth Friday before Nick Castellanos singled off reliever Kelvin Herrera. Their bullpen leads the majors with a 1.08 ERA.

"It just shows you the great job that (general manager) Dayton Moore did in trying to look ahead and try to look into the future and try to foresee situations and acquire guys who could not miss a beat," manager Ned Yost said.

Detroit's top six RBI leaders - Miguel Cabrera, Yoenis Cespedes, J.D. Martinez, Ian Kinsler, Victor Martinez and Castellanos - have failed to drive in a run in this series. Anthony Gose has both RBIs.

Royals starter Edinson Volquez (2-2, 1.91) hopes that trend continues as he takes the mound after surrendering five runs - one earned - over 5 2-3 innings in Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Volquez fell to 0-2 on the road with a 2.70 ERA compared to 2-0 with a 1.20 ERA in two home outings.

The right-hander is back after serving a five-game suspension for his role in a brawl with the White Sox on April 23.

Volquez won for the first time in three career starts against Detroit by allowing two runs over six innings for Pittsburgh in a 4-2 victory Aug. 12.

Cabrera reached base all three times against Volquez in that game with a single and two walks. Victor Martinez is 0 for 7 against Volquez and J.D. Martinez is 0 for 4.

Kansas City has 24 hits in this series with seven players recording multihit efforts. The Royals lead the majors with a .306 average while the Tigers are second in the AL at .280.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Tigers at Royals
Thu, Apr 30 Final 1 to 8
Boxscores

GAME 2
Tigers at Royals
Fri, May 1 - 8:10PM EDT
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Tigers at Royals
Sat, May 2 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Tigers at Royals
Sun, May 3 - 2:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 05-02-2015, 03:27 AM

Preview: Reds (11-11) at Braves (10-12)
Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: May 02, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Atlanta Braves may be in bit of an offensive rut, but they'll likely come out swinging with a matchup against Cincinnati Reds veteran Jason Marquis.

The Braves look to take advantage of Marquis' early-inning struggles Saturday night to win back-to-back games for the first time since the season's first week.

Atlanta (11-12) has plated nine runs while batting .193 in its last three games after combining for 20 runs and 30 hits in its previous two. The top three hitters in Friday's lineup - Nick Markakis, Alberto Callaspo and Freddie Freeman - were a combined 0 for 10 with four strikeouts and two walks and the team finished with five hits. The Braves managed to snap a three-game losing streak, however, as Kelly Johnson hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the fifth inning - just his second hit in 11 at_bats - in a 4-3 victory.

"We wanted to come out here and give ourselves an opportunity to win this series so now we evened it up," said Eric Young Jr., who is 1 for 11 in his last five games. "We got the matchup tomorrow and got a chance to win this thing."

The Braves, who opened 5-0, could have an easier time offensively against Marquis (2-1, 5.48 ERA), whose 311 opponents' batting average is one of the highest in the NL. Most of the damage against the former Brave is coming early as opponents are hitting .387 off him with a .457 OBP their first time through the order.

The right-hander was able to work his way out of trouble after allowing seven hits and two walks Monday against Milwaukee. He allowed two runs over eight innings - his longest outing in nearly two years - in a 9-6 victory after recording a 7.20 ERA in his first three starts.

Markakis is 5 for 10 with a double against Marquis while Freeman is 2 for 6 with four walks.

In 10 career starts against Atlanta, Marquis has a 6.95 ERA - his highest against any NL opponent. That inflated ERA, however, mostly came from his first four starts. Since 2008, he has a 3.92 ERA against the Braves, last facing them in 2013.

The Braves counter with Eric Stults (1-1, 4.03), who limited Washington to two runs and four hits over 6 1-3 innings in Monday's 8-4 victory. The left-hander has 2.19 ERA in his last two starts without yielding a homer after recording a 6.30 ERA while serving up three home runs in his first two.

The Reds (11-12) failed to homer Friday after totaling 10 in their previous three contests, but Joey Votto managed to stay hot.

Votto had two more hits and is 6 for 13 with a homer and two doubles in his last four contests. He is hitless in his last 11 at_bats against lefties, however, and 2 for 7 with a double against Stults

Brandon Phillips, who missed Thursday's series opener due to an illness, is 4 for 8 in his last two games and 4 for 6 with a homer off Stults.

In two starts versus the Reds, Stults is 1-1 with a 1.42 ERA.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Reds at Braves
Thu, Apr 30 Final 5 to 1
Boxscores

GAME 2
Reds at Braves
Fri, May 1 - 7:35PM EDT
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Reds at Braves
Sat, May 2 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Reds at Braves
Sun, May 3 - 1:35PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 05-02-2015, 03:49 AM

Preview: Nationals (10-13) at Mets (15-8)
Game: 3
Venue: Citi Field
Date: May 02, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Matt Harvey restored the New York Mets' home dominance, and Jonathon Niese is poised to follow suit Saturday when the upstart Mets continue their series with the Washington Nationals.

Harvey became the first five-game winner in the majors Friday night, combining with Alex Torres and Jeurys Familia on a six-hitter in New York's 4-0 victory. The Mets (16-8) snapped a three-game overall losing streak and improved to 11-1 at Citi Field, where their starters have picked up all 11 wins while compiling a 2.59 ERA.

'That's what the definition of an ace is,' outfielder Michael Cuddyer said of Harvey. 'When you've got a losing streak, he goes out and puts up zeros.'

Familia has picked up a save in 10 consecutive appearances, and he's conceded only a solo homer and one other hit in 8 2-3 innings at home - where he has eight saves in as many outings.

Though Familia's availability is uncertain after a five-out save Friday night, Niese (2-1, 2.74 ERA) may not need much help. He's won both his starts at Citi Field this year with a 1.38 ERA, but the left-hander was thwarted in a bid for a third straight victory Sunday after giving up six runs and eight hits in five innings of a 6-4 loss to the New York Yankees.

Niese had a 5.82 ERA in losing all three of his starts against the Nationals (10-14) last year. He's 3-3 with a 3.41 ERA in 10 lifetime starts.

Daniel Murphy, whose three-run eighth-inning double sealed the win, is 9 for 23 with eight RBIs over his last six games to raise his average 67 points to .212. He's fared well against Gio Gonzalez (1-2, 5.01), going 6 for 17 with a triple.

While Gonzalez has had plenty of success at Citi Field himself - he's 5-1 with a 1.88 ERA in eight starts there - the loss came in his last outing Sept. 12, and the lefty is already 0-2 on the road versus NL East opponents this year after Miami roughed him up for six runs and 10 hits in five-plus innings of a 6-2 defeat Sunday.

'As a starting pitcher, you have to go out there and minimize the damage, and obviously I didn't do that," Gonzalez said.

That extended his struggles against division rivals, dropping to 3-9 with a 4.94 ERA in his last 13 starts. Gonzalez went 2-3 versus the Mets in 2014 and stifled them on one hit in seven innings with a career-high 12 strikeouts in a 3-0 win Sept. 25.

Friday was just the second loss in Washington's last 17 games at Citi Field as its offensive problems resurfaced. The Nats had scored 34 runs in winning their previous three games but dropped to 2-8 when scoring two or fewer runs.

"We had some good at_bats," manager Matt Williams told MLB's official website. "That one swing of the bat, we didn't have it tonight."

Ian Desmond hasn't had that one swing for a longer period of time and is mired in an 0-for-29 slump. The Nationals are hoping center fielder Denard Span will be available after sitting out Friday due to general soreness.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Nationals at Mets
Thu, Apr 30 Final 8 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Nationals at Mets
Fri, May 1 - 7:10PM EDT
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Nationals at Mets
Sat, May 2 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Nationals at Mets
Sun, May 3 - 1:10PM EDT

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