The Bum's Best Bets For Tuesday May 5th - MLB - NBA -NHL !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Tigers (17-9) at White Sox (8-14)
Game: 1
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: May 05, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Robin Ventura can't pick up a bat to help the Chicago White Sox's low-scoring offense produce more runs.

He can't get inside his players' heads when they're making poor baserunning decisions, and he surely won't be taking the mound to replace one of the many struggling members of the pitching staff.

Those stand as just some of the reasons the White Sox are defending their manager for the club's ugly start as they try to avoid a sixth straight defeat in Tuesday night's opener with the visiting Detroit Tigers.

Jose Abreu publicly backed Ventura hours before Chicago (8-14) laid another egg in a 13-3 loss to Minnesota on Sunday. The White Sox, who average the fewest runs in the AL and haven't homered in eight games, are being outscored 39-10 during their skid, leading outsiders to wonder if Ventura is on the hot seat.

'It's a bad week, there's no way around it,' Ventura said.

Problems at the plate are just the start. An illness circulated the clubhouse, forcing Adam Eaton to miss the last three games and Adam LaRoche to leave in the fifth inning Sunday.

Chicago also ranks near the bottom of the majors in ERA (4.56) and opponents' batting average (.278). Jeff Samardzija, one of the key acquisitions that raised the club's expectations, has allowed at least four runs in three of his five starts.

Samardzija (1-2, 4.78 ERA) gave up eight runs and 10 hits in five innings of an 8-2 loss to Baltimore on Wednesday in his first start since appealing a five-game suspension for his role in a benches-clearing brawl with Kansas City on April 23.

Performances like that won't help his value when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season.

"The better I play, the better situation I put myself in," Samardzija told MLB's official website. "That feeling of going out and having a successful eight or nine innings and giving up no runs or one run, that's what it's all about. Everything else takes care of itself."

Samardzija had his best effort in his first career start against the Tigers on April 17, allowing one run - Yoenis Cespedes' homer in the fourth - in eight innings of Chicago's 2-1 loss.

Cespedes had two hits, Miguel Cabrera had a two-run homer and Alex Avila drove in three runs as Detroit (17-9) beat Kansas City 6-4 on Sunday to take the final two of a four-game series.

The Tigers now look to beat the White Sox for the fifth time in six meetings behind Shane Greene, who has tailed off after a solid start.

Greene (3-1, 4.60) won his first three outings with a 0.39 ERA, allowing his only earned run in that stretch while going seven innings in a 9-1 win over the White Sox on April 19.

He then gave up eight runs in four innings of a 13-1 loss to Cleveland on April 24 before surrendering seven in 4 1-3 innings of Detroit's 10-7 comeback win over Minnesota on Wednesday.

Manager Brad Ausmus, a catcher for 18 seasons in the majors, caught Greene's bullpen session earlier this week to get a better understanding of why the right-hander has struggled.

"I wanted to get a view of his pitches from a perspective that I know," Ausmus said. "He looked good."

Former Tiger Avisail Garcia is 0 for 5 against Greene, but he's batting .417 during a nine-game hitting streak after going 3 for 4 on Sunday.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Tigers at White Sox
Tue, May 5 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Tigers at White Sox
Wed, May 6 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Tigers at White Sox
Thu, May 7 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Indians (9-15) at Royals (16-9)
Game: 1
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: May 05, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Last season, Danny Salazar may have played the largest role in the Cleveland Indians' starting staff getting off to a particularly poor start.

The rotation has been even worse this year, but the 25-year-old isn't to blame.

The right-hander will try to continue buoying the staff in his first May start Tuesday night in Kansas City, where the Indians have won four straight.

Salazar (3-0, 3.32 ERA) was called up from Triple-A Columbus on April 18, and in retrospect, it probably should have happened sooner. He wasn't at his best in Wednesday's 7-5 home win over Kansas City, surrendering four runs and six hits in six innings, but he's struck out 28 while issuing five walks in 19 innings over three starts.

The rotation as a whole has a 5.29 ERA. Last season, Salazar went 0-3 with a 6.04 ERA in five April starts as the staff struggled through its worst month with a 5.04 mark.

He points to more consistent use and execution of a curveball, which he almost never used before, as a way to avoid having starts such as his last go from trying to terrible.

"I'm trying to feel comfortable with it," Salazar told MLB's official website. "Sometimes it's going to be there, sometimes it's not going to be there. It's a new pitch that I'm trying out right now and if I feel like it's working, I'm going to use it."

Salazar is 3-3 with a 5.45 ERA in six starts against the Royals, but he's 2-1 with a 3.50 ERA at Kauffman Stadium. Eric Hosmer is 6 for 12 with a home run and three doubles against him, but Omar Infante (1 for 12), Salvador Perez (3 for 16) and Alex Gordon (3 for 15) have all struggled.

He's trying to help the Indians (9-15) to their first back-to-back wins since taking two of three in a season-opening series in Houston. They beat Toronto 10-7 on Sunday to earn a four-game split, and support has been good at 5.80 runs per game in their last 10.

Jason Kipnis was 4 for 5 with a home run and is 8 for 12 with two homers in three games and three in his last five since going 67 without leaving the yard. Michael Brantley went 2 for 3 and is 18 for 40 in his last 10.

The stretch of recent success at the plate includes dropping two of three at home to the Royals (16-9) from April 27-29.

Kansas City followed that series by splitting four at home against Detroit, but the set ended with two losses. In Sunday's 6-4 defeat, the team's six-hit effort dipped its MLB-leading on-base percentage (.349) under .350 for the first time.

Kansas City is trying to avoid it's first three-game losing streak since being swept in three by Cleveland to end August on a four-game skid.

The Royals could have All-Star closer Greg Holland (pectoral strain) back from the disabled list. He last pitched April 17 and has allowed one baserunner in four innings, so if Jason Vargas is able to get him the ball, the Royals should be in good shape.

Vargas (2-1, 5.95), however, has been a problem in the rotation along with Jeremy Guthrie and Yordano Ventura. Vargas limited Cleveland to two runs and three hits and earned the decision in a 6-2 win April 27, but he walked five.

"It's the third day of May," manager Ned Yost said after Sunday's loss. "These guys work really hard. When they're going through periods like this, they continue to work hard. They'll figure it out."

The left-hander is 4-3 with a 5.05 ERA in 10 starts against the Indians.

Lorenzo Cain is completing a two-game suspension and is eligible to return Wednesday.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Indians at Royals
Tue, May 5 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Indians at Royals
Wed, May 6 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Indians at Royals
Thu, May 7 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Diamondbacks (10-14) at Rockies (11-13)
Game: 2
Venue: Coors Field
Date: May 05, 2015 8:40 PM EDT

Tyler Matzek got the Colorado Rockies off to a good start on their road trip by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks, but nothing went right during the remainder of it.

Matzek will try to help the Rockies end a five-game slide by beating the Diamondbacks again Tuesday night after the opener of this three-game series in Denver was postponed because of rain.

Colorado (11-13) won 5-4 at Arizona last Monday as Matzek (2-0, 2.70 ERA) yielded two runs over five-plus innings, continuing a strong start to a season in which he has given up one or two runs in every outing.

That was the only victory for the Rockies on the six-game trip, capped by a weekend sweep by San Diego in which Colorado was outscored 26-11.

"We need to get better," said third baseman Nolan Arenado, who homered three times over the weekend. "We need to do everything - pitch better, hit better with men on base. All around, we are not very good right now. We need to start changing it up because losing gets contagious and people start to get out of it. We need to start winning.'

Matzek will try to lead Colorado out of its funk after he got some extra rest last Monday, when he left his outing with cramping in his left hamstring, and when this series opener was postponed. He blamed the desert conditions for his exit after 80 pitches and has had no setbacks in two ensuing bullpen sessions.

The left-hander is 2-1 with a 2.65 ERA in three starts against the Diamondbacks, holding Ender Inciarte hitless in nine at_bats.

"He's kept the opposing team from scoring this year," manager Walt Weiss told MLB's official website. "He's had some baserunners, but he's made pitches. He keeps us in position to win games."

Arizona (10-14) has won the last four starts by Josh Collmenter (2-3, 2.76) against Colorado, with the right-hander going 1-0 with a 3.08 ERA. The victory was Wednesday's 9-1 rout in which Collmenter yielded an unearned run in eight innings and retired 12 straight at one point.

He's 0-1 with a 5.49 ERA in four starts at Coors Field, however.

Numerous Rockies have enjoyed success against him, including Troy Tulowitzki (6 for 20), Carlos Gonzalez (5 for 15), Charlie Blackmon (5 for 14) and Nick Hundley (6 for 14). DJ LeMahieu is 0 for 10 in the matchup.

Hundley was rested in Sunday's 8-6 loss. He can extend his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games after going 13 for 32 in his last nine.

Blackmon has gone 5 for 9 with three solo homers in his past two games and 14 for 33 in his last seven.

The Diamondbacks were swept over the weekend by the Los Angeles Dodgers, falling 1-0 in 13 innings Sunday. A.J. Pollock was 1 for 13 in the series and rookie Yasmany Tomas 2 for 12.

Slugger Paul Goldschmidt has gone 15 for 27 over his last six games, including 9 for 14 against Colorado. He's reached base in his last 20 against the Rockies, batting .475 with five homers, 14 walks and 27 RBIs.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Rockies
Mon, May 4 - 8:40PM EDT

GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Rockies
Tue, May 5 - 8:40PM EDT

GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Rockies
Wed, May 6 - 3:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dodgers (16-8) at Brewers (7-18)
Game: 2
Venue: Miller Park
Date: May 05, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Craig Counsell won his managerial debut with the Milwaukee Brewers and now a former teammate will try to deal him the first loss.

The Brewers go for a fourth straight win Tuesday night when they face the Los Angeles Dodgers, who again turn to Zack Greinke following a defeat.

Milwaukee (8-18), owner of the worst record in baseball, hired Counsell on Monday after dismissing Ron Roenicke a day earlier.

The Brewers responded with a three-run eighth inning to rally for a 4-3 win over Los Angeles (16-9) in the opener of this four-game series.

"It was a special energy," said Ryan Braun, who had an RBI single. "It was weird at the end of the game. It had an atmosphere we hadn't been a part of for a very long time. It is special for us to have an opportunity to get him his first victory.

"Hopefully it is a sign of things to come."

Greinke (4-0, 1.93 ERA) is looking to spoil any of those good feelings, but he has an 8.10 ERA while losing two starts at Miller Park with Los Angeles. He went 15-0 with a 2.93 ERA in 23 games there with Milwaukee, including in 2011 as Counsell's teammate.

The right-hander enters this matchup in a familiar position, as three of his victories have followed Dodgers losses, including his last two.

Greinke battled through 110 pitches in six innings of Wednesday's 7-3 win over San Francisco, allowing three runs with six strikeouts while helping himself with a sacrifice fly.

"My arm still felt good when I came out. It was just that they drove the pitch count up - and they only give you so many pitches to use," Greinke said.

Yasmani Grandal had half of the Dodgers' six hits Monday. He's 7 for 9 with a homer, two doubles and two RBIs in the past three games, increasing his average 83 points to .262.

Grandal is 7 for 12 in his last three meetings with the Brewers, while Joc Pederson hit a solo homer in his first Monday.

Pederson has homered on five of his last six hits and his seven home runs tie him with Toronto's Devon Travis for the rookie lead.

The Brewers could use a bounce-back effort from Aramis Ramirez, who went 0 for 4 on Monday after going 8 for 16 with two homers and six RBIs over his five prior games.

He's 5 for 8 over the last two years against Greinke.

Milwaukee gives the ball to Matt Garza (2-3, 4.60), who has lost both of his home starts while allowing seven runs in 11 innings. The right-hander was solid on the road Wednesday, giving up two runs in 6 2-3 innings of an 8-3 win over Cincinnati.

He's facing the Dodgers for the first time in his 10-year career, but he's held Jimmy Rollins to four hits in 23 at_bats while Howie Kendrick is 7 for 12 with a homer.

Jean Segura's status is unclear for Milwaukee after missing Monday's game due to being hit in the helmet by a pitch in Sunday's 5-3 win over the Chicago Cubs. The shortstop, 6 for 17 in his last four home games, is 1 for 6 against Greinke.

Hector Gomez started in place of Segura and had a solo homer and a triple.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Brewers
Mon, May 4 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Dodgers at Brewers
Tue, May 5 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Dodgers at Brewers
Wed, May 6 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Dodgers at Brewers
Thu, May 7 - 1:40PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rays (13-12) at Red Sox (12-13)
Game: 2
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: May 05, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

A chance to face the beleaguered Boston Red Sox staff appeared to give the Tampa Bay Rays just what they needed to break out of their funk at the plate.

They'll try to keep that momentum going while giving Drew Smyly enough support to earn his first win of the season Tuesday night in a matchup with former teammate Rick Porcello, who likely won't have Hanley Ramirez available to help him.

Tampa Bay (14-12) was batting .178 and had scored 10 runs in its six games before a 5-1 win at Fenway Park on Monday night. David DeJesus, 0 for 16 in his prior five contests, had two of the Rays' 11 hits and Logan Forsythe registered two for the fifth time in six contests.

"I do like the lineup we put out there today," manager Kevin Cash said. "The fact that we're versatile with the right-left going through the lineup is pretty important."

The Red Sox's ERA remained at 5.04 after their fourth straight loss, all at home. Their starters have posted a 6.00 mark and have a 6.05 staff ERA while losing nine of the last 12.

Porcello (2-2, 5.34 ERA) kept up his end Wednesday in a 4-1 win over Toronto, yielding one run and two hits over seven innings.

While with Detroit last season, the right-hander had vastly different showings in two starts against the Rays. He tossed a three-hitter in a 6-0 road win Aug. 20 and was tagged for seven runs in 5 2-3 innings in a 7-3 home loss July 6.

The Red Sox are probably hoping to see the Porcello's form from August, Ramirez's status is unclear. The outfielder left in the first inning after running into a side wall while trying to make a catch and spraining his left shoulder.

Ramirez tied a franchise record with his 10 home runs before May 1 but hasn't added to that total or driven in a run so far this month.

"He's day to day," manager John Farrell said. "Right now obviously with the sprain to the left shoulder on the collision, we're hopeful over the next couple days there's some improvement. There's no clear-cut DL at this point."

If Ramirez has to sit, it could make it a little easier for Smyly (0-0, 3.38) to record another effective outing. The left-hander has given up two runs or fewer in eight consecutive starts dating back to Aug. 11 and pitched at least six innings in all but two of those.

He gave up a pair of solo homers and two other hits in six innings Wednesday against the New York Yankees, but Tampa Bay needed 13 innings for a 3-2 win.

Smyly is 3-1 with a 2.42 ERA in 10 starts since being acquired from Detroit on July 31. He gave up two runs and three hits in 5 2-3 innings in a 4-3 win over Boston on Sept. 1 and went 1-0 with a 2.31 ERA in his two matchups last season.

Forsythe, 10 for 24 (.417) in his last six games, is 5 for 12 in four against Boston this season and 0 for 3 lifetime against Porcello.

David Ortiz, batting .385 (10 for 26) in his last seven contests, is 4 for 7 with a home run against Smyly in his career.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rays at Red Sox
Mon, May 4 Final 5 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rays at Red Sox
Tue, May 5 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Rays at Red Sox
Wed, May 6 - 7:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cubs (13-11) at Cardinals (19-6)
Game: 2
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: May 05, 2015 8:15 PM EDT

Monday was the kind of win that reinforces the identity of the St. Louis Cardinals.

For now, the loss also partly continues to define the Chicago Cubs, who will try to bounce back against their surging NL Central rivals Tuesday night.

St. Louis is 19-6 for the first time since 1899 and rides a seven-game win streak into this contest after rallying for a 10-9 victory in the series opener. The Cardinals erased most of a 5-0 first-inning deficit on Mark Reynolds' grand slam in the bottom of the inning and eventually took the lead on Tony Cruz's two-run double to cap a four-run seventh.

'It's just a team full of guys who grind out every inning, every out, every pitch,' said Cruz, the backup catcher. 'I can't pinpoint one thing. It's all just a team effort.'

Such resiliency is nothing new, but the win was impressive considering St. Louis needed 35 innings to sweep Pittsburgh over the weekend. Its bullpen - without closer Trevor Rosenthal - delivered another clutch effort with 5 1-3 innings of two-run relief and has a 0.80 ERA over 33 2-3 innings during this winning streak.

Even with his quality relief corps, manager Mike Matheny wouldn't object to a deep outing from Tyler Lyons in his season debut. The left-hander seeks his first victory in nearly two years as he takes Adam Wainwright's spot in the rotation.

Lyons won his first two major league starts in May 2013, and has since gone 10 starts and 21 appearances without a victory, losing his last eight decisions.

His lone start against the Cubs last season was one to forget as he was tagged for nine runs, five coming on two homers, and nine hits in four innings of a 17-5 defeat. Lyons did have 6 1-3 scoreless innings of one-hit relief in three other appearances versus Chicago last year.

"Being my third season up here, hopefully I've picked up enough along the way and kind of know what to expect," he told MLB's official website after going 2-1 with a 2.91 ERA in four starts at Triple-A Memphis.

The Cubs are still enjoying their best start at 13-11 since 2009, but the loss shows how much work first-year manager Joe Maddon still has left to change the team's culture from lovable losers to perennial pennant contenders as part of president Theo Epstein's mandate when he began rebuilding the club following his arrival after the 2011 season.

It was the eighth time since 2011 the Cubs have blown a five-run lead, and they've lost seven of them. They've dropped four of five overall, and this was their first loss in 11 games this year when scoring at least five runs.

"We played a really good game," Maddon said. "... Give them credit, they came back. It was not one of our better pitching nights."

Kyle Hendricks (0-1, 5.23) again seeks his first win of the year for Chicago. He worked in and out of trouble Wednesday versus Pittsburgh, but not well enough to avoid the loss after yielding two runs and five hits in five innings of an 8-1 defeat.

The right-hander went 0-1 with a 3.06 ERA in three starts against St. Louis as a rookie last year. Hendricks - allowing lefties to hit him at a .343 clip - has struggled against Matt Holliday, who is 4 for 9 with two homers in their matchups, as well as Matt Carpenter (5 for 8) and Reynolds (3 for 4).


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cubs at Cardinals
Mon, May 4 Final 9 to 10
Boxscores

GAME 2
Cubs at Cardinals
Tue, May 5 - 8:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Cubs at Cardinals
Wed, May 6 - 8:15PM EDT

GAME 4
Cubs at Cardinals
Thu, May 7 - 1:45PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Padres (14-13) at Giants (13-13)
Game: 2
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: May 05, 2015 10:15 PM EDT

The San Francisco Giants have surged back to .500 behind tremendous pitching, but turning to Ryan Vogelsong will likely require the lineup to score more.

Following gems from Tim Lincecum and Madison Bumgarner, Vogelsong seeks improvement when the Giants attempt to extend their longest winning streak of the season Tuesday night against the San Diego Padres.

San Francisco (13-13) has followed an eight-game slide by winning 10 of 14, and the pitching staff is coming up big. The Giants have a 1.25 ERA while holding opponents to a .142 average during a four-game winning streak, which continued with Monday's 2-0 victory over the Padres (14-13).

Bumgarner was superb in the opener of this three-game series, carrying a no-hitter into the seventh inning before leaving with one out in the eighth. That came a day after Lincecum allowed three hits in eight innings of a 5-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels.

The Giants haven't posted three straight shutouts since a franchise-record four in a row June 25-28, 2012, and giving the ball to Vogelsong (0-2, 9.31 ERA) for his third start in place of the injured Jake Peavy isn't likely to get them closer.

The right-hander is looking to rebound from Wednesday's 7-3 defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers, during which he matched a career high by serving up four homers while allowing six runs in three innings.

"I warmed up fine in the bullpen and felt fine, physically. I just didn't make very good pitches," Vogelsong said. "Not all of them were up, but some were, for sure. They weren't terrible pitches, just not as good as they needed to be."

Vogelsong has a 4.35 ERA while losing his last two starts to the Padres, and he surrendered five runs in 3 2-3 innings of relief while not figuring in the decision of a 10-2 loss at San Diego on April 11.

San Francisco is hitting .275 over the past 14 games but is averaging only 3.5 runs. Angel Pagan leads the Giants with a .350 average, and he's batting .405 over the past 10 games after having two hits and an RBI on Monday. Pagan is a .323 hitter in 17 games against the Padres at AT&T Park.

San Diego scored 26 runs while sweeping a three-game set from Colorado before being shut down by Bumgarner.

Andrew Cashner (1-4, 2.61) would like to see the offense bounce back since he's lost his last two starts while being backed by one total run. The right-hander has allowed five runs with 16 strikeouts in 14 innings over that stretch.

Cashner is 0-2 with a 6.50 ERA in seven games - three starts - at San Francisco. He surrendered six runs and two homers over five innings while not receiving a decision in a 9-8 loss Sept. 25.

Cashner has struggled against Buster Posey, who is 9 for 17 with two homers off him while Nori Aoki is 4 for 8.

His batterymate could be Austin Hedges, who struck out as a pinch-hitter in his major league debut Monday. One of the Padres' top prospects, Hedges hit .324 in 21 games for Triple-A El Paso before being called up.

"It was good to get some of the jitters out of the way. I felt good and I was anxious," Hedges said. "The next at-bat, I'll be a little more disciplined."


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Padres at Giants
Mon, May 4 Final 0 to 2
Boxscores

GAME 2
Padres at Giants
Tue, May 5 - 10:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Padres at Giants
Wed, May 6 - 3:45PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rangers (9-16) at Astros (18-8)
Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: May 05, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The red-hot Houston Astros finally cooled off and their longest winning streak in nearly 11 years came to an end.

They don't appear to remain subdued for long, however, with a favorable pitching matchup awaiting Tuesday night against the visiting Texas Rangers.

Though the Astros (18-8) still own the AL's best record, the bats went quiet in Monday's series opener, settling for four hits in a 2-1 defeat. They had hit .291 and averaged 7.6 runs during a 10-game winning streak, and took two of three at Texas from April 10-12, totaling at least 10 hits in each game.

Ross Detwiler pitched seven strong innings but Houston led until Texas scored in the eighth and ninth, going ahead on Robinson Chirinos' sacrifice fly. Though the Rangers were 2 for 15 with runners in scoring position, Houston was 0 for 5 and failed to draw at least three walks for the first time in 13 games.

"I get that we won a lot in a row," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "I'm happy for our team. We played well. We didn't get a win (Monday), so I'd like to start another win streak and win (Tuesday)."

The second in this three-game set features two starters who spent the majority of their careers with the opponent. Houston's Scott Feldman (2-2, 4.31 ERA) was 39-44 in 204 games for the Rangers from 2005-12, while Rodriguez (0-1, 4.82) went 80-84 in 217 games for Houston before being traded to Pittsburgh in 2012. They started against each other once in that span, with Feldman getting the victory in a 9-3 win on June 18, 2010.

Rodriguez's best years appear to behind him, as the left-hander is 0-5 with a 5.82 ERA in 10 games since his last victory May 26, 2013. He gave up four runs over 4 1-3 innings of a 5-2 loss to Seattle on Wednesday, walking five.

Jose Altuve is 3 for 7 against Rodriguez and 17 for 33 against lefties this season.

Outside of a disastrous performance in an 8-1 loss to Oakland on April 13, Feldman has a 2.73 ERA in his other four starts. He yielded two runs over a season-best seven innings in a 3-2, 10-inning win over Seattle on Thursday.

He's 3-2 with a 2.96 ERA in seven starts against his former club and recorded his last complete game in his most recent home matchup, tossing a three-hitter in a 2-0 victory Aug. 30.

Shin-soo Choo has hit safely in four straight after batting .096 in his first 16 contests, but is 4 for 21 against Feldman.

Texas (9-16) still owns the league's worst record but Monday's victory was likely a big morale booster for a team that had dropped five of six and allowed 21 runs over its last three.

"It's a huge win for the team," Detwiler said. "Obviously, everybody knew about the 10-game winning streak, so it's really nice to put an end to that and put a win together."


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rangers at Astros
Mon, May 4 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores

GAME 2
Rangers at Astros
Tue, May 5 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Rangers at Astros
Wed, May 6 - 8:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Athletics (11-16) at Twins (14-12)
Game: 2
Venue: Target Field
Date: May 05, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Trevor May appeared healthy in his latest start and showed no lingering effects from a bruised right elbow that cut short his prior outing.

The Minnesota Twins hitters had one of their best showings of the season in May's last start and continue to shine.

The surging Twins look to win six straight games for the first time in four years Tuesday night against a struggling Oakland Athletics pitching staff.

May (2-1, 4.43 ERA) was forced to leave in the fourth inning April 25 in Seattle after taking a line drive off his pitching elbow. He gave up two runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings in his next outing, a 12-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.

"I got really lucky, I think," said May, 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA in his last three starts. "I'm fortunate to continue on with the program after a thing like that. I'm happy."

That 12-run effort is among Minnesota's many top-notch hitting performances in the past week. The Twins (14-12) are batting .344 with 49 runs during a 6-1 stretch and had 13 hits in an 8-7 comeback win in Monday's series opener.

Torii Hunter sent them to a fifth consecutive victory with a three-run homer in the sixth. Stephen Vogt provided an early jolt for Oakland (11-16) with his first career grand slam in the first, but the Twins tied the game in the second.

Jordan Schafer finished 3 for 3 with two RBIs and is 8 for 18 with six runs in his last six games.

"All the way through our lineup guys are grinding at_bats right now," Schafer said.

The Twins will try to win six in a row for the first time since an eight-game streak in June 2011 when they face a team that has a 5.28 ERA in the past 13 games. The A's bullpen has a 7.14 mark in that stretch, and their starters have a 5.33 ERA in the last nine contests.

That's negated some fine recent efforts by the offense, which has scored seven runs in each of the last four games. Vogt is 5 for 8 with three homers and nine RBIs in his last two games and has six home runs and 18 RBIs in his last 10 road contests.

"We get a lead, and we lose it. Come back, just short. It does get frustrating," manager Bob Melvin said. "You're not going to hit on all cylinders. Obviously this has been a serious deficiency for us, and we've got to figure it out somehow. Somebody has to step up."

Jesse Chavez (0-2, 2.55) has received zero runs of support over 11 innings in his two games since joining the rotation. The right-hander yielded four runs in five innings in a 6-5 defeat to the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday.

In his only career start against the Twins, Chavez allowed one run while striking out a career high-tying nine in seven innings on April 9, 2014.

May's lone start against Oakland came in his major league debut Aug. 9, when he gave up four runs and walked seven in two innings in a 9-4 loss.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Athletics at Twins
Mon, May 4 Final 7 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Athletics at Twins
Tue, May 5 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Athletics at Twins
Wed, May 6 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Athletics at Twins
Thu, May 7 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mariners (11-15) at Angels (11-15)
Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: May 05, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Angels will likely need to rely on good pitching until their struggling offense comes around.

Garrett Richards, impressive in three outings since returning from knee surgery, looks poised to give them a chance Tuesday night against the Seattle Mariners.

Both clubs entered Monday's series opener at Safeco Field in the AL's bottom third in runs per game, though the Angels were fresh off an especially anemic showing in dropping three straight at San Francisco, totaling 16 hits and six runs.

Led by Nelson Cruz's major league-leading 14th home run, Seattle had three solo shots to Los Angeles' two in Monday's 3-2 victory, with only three men reaching scoring position against starters Felix Hernandez and Matt Shoemaker.

Cruz is tied with four other players for the most homers hit in a team's first 26 games, including the Angels' Albert Pujols, who did it with St. Louis in 2006.

"I've found a way to stay consistent, and that's the key," Cruz said.

Matt Joyce and David Freese homered for the Angels (11-15), who are averaging 3.7 runs after finishing first with 4.8 in 2014. Seven of Los Angeles' 10 runs in four meetings with Seattle have come on five home runs.

Richards (2-1, 3.00 ERA) hasn't taken long to find his 2014 form, winning back-to-back quality starts. He is limiting opponents to a .194 average, though he'd like to cut down on walks after issuing 10 in 18 innings.

He's 3-1 with a 1.73 ERA while completing at least seven innings in all five career starts versus Seattle. Richards was particularly tough on the Mariners in two matchups last year, giving up one run and four hits over 15 innings. No current Seattle player has homered against him, with Cruz going 2 for 11.

The Mariners (11-15) had dropped four straight with starters posting a 7.36 ERA prior to Hernandez's strong outing. James Paxton (0-2, 5.74) is looking for his first win in nine starts, though he might be more confident following his longest outing in that span.

The left-hander limited Houston to two runs over seven innings in Thursday's 3-2, 10-inning road loss after lasting a combined 7 1-3 innings in his previous two starts. He also didn't give up a home run for the first time in five starts this season.

"Felt much better tonight," Paxton said. "Found my rhythm a little bit."

He is 2-2 with a 2.67 ERA in five starts against Los Angeles and allowed two runs on a Freese homer while tossing six innings in a 2-0 home loss April 7. Freese is 5 for 14 against him with two home runs, while C.J. Cron (.286) is the only other Angel hitting better than .267 off Paxton. Mike Trout is 2 for 13 with five strikeouts.

Los Angeles might be able to get an offensive boost from catcher Carlos Perez, should he make his big league debut. Perez was recalled from the minors on Monday with fellow backstop Drew Butera being designated for assignment. Perez is hitting .361 with 12 RBIs in 17 games for Triple-A Salt Lake.

"It's his time to come up here and have an opportunity to play," manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's ready for the challenge of the major leagues."

Seattle placed leadoff hitter Austin Jackson on the disabled list with a sprained right ankle after he was injured in Sunday's loss at Houston. The Mariners are hitting .196 from the leadoff spot, though Seth Smith homered while occupying that slot Monday.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mariners at Angels
Mon, May 4 Final 3 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mariners at Angels
Tue, May 5 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Mariners at Angels
Wed, May 6 - 10:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Tuesday

May 5, 2015


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Mets are 10-0 since August 27, 2013 as a home favorite vs a team that has won at least their last two games for a net profit of $1000.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- When Zack Greinke starts the Dodgers are 11-0 since June 11, 2013 when the team is seeking immediate revenge for a loss as a favorite for a net profit of $1100.

MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

-- The Dodgers are 10-0 (+$1,000) in database history as a road favorite after a loss in which they did not walk the opponent.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Reds are 0-11 since May 26, 2014 as a dog after a loss it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $1100 when playing against.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Dodgers are 0-10 OU since October 12, 2013 as a road favorite after a one run loss and it is not the last game of a series for a net profit of $1005 when playing the under.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Tuesday's six-pack

-- Clippers 117, Rockets 101-- Will Clippers rest CP3's hamstring in Game 2?

-- Bulls 99, Cavaliers 92-- Cleveland missed Love (injured), Smith (suspended).

-- Kentucky Derby winner American Pharoah wears ear plugs when he races.

-- Washington 1, NY Rangers 0-- Capitals grab 2-1 series lead.

-- A's scored 4 runs in top of 1st last night, Cubs scored 5; neither team won.

-- Rays 5, Red Sox 1-- Boston lost nine of its last twelve games.

**********

Armadillo: Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but........

13) At the pro sports level, players win games, its that simple. Milwaukee made a decision to fire manager Ron Roenicke a few days before they actually did it, then leadoff hitter Carlos Gomez came off the DL and now Milwaukee has won three games in a row, but Roenicke's fate had already been sealed. You can't fire the trainer during the season. Lucroy is still hurt; will Milwaukee still be in the race by the time he gets healthy?

12) Cal Ripken Sr (0-6 in '88), Phil Garner (0-6 in '02) hold record for the earliest firings in a season; You spend 6-7 weeks in spring training then can a manager a month into the season- its change for the sake of change, because you can't fire the players either, at least not too many of them.

11) Rangers 2, Astros 1-- Last night was first time this season Houston lost a game when they had a lead in that game.

10) Grady Jarrett played college football for Clemson, was drafted by Atlanta; his mom's house burned down during the draft Friday night. Seriously, it did. When Atlanta announced Jarrett's pick, former Falcon Jesse Tuggle was at the podium.......reading Jarrett's name- Tuggle is the young man's father.

9) First time I saw Jameis Winston play was Labor Day 2013, his first college game against Pitt. At one point in the first half, Winston was 11-11 passing and looked nothing like a freshman QB. I turned to my father, laughed and said, "He's the greater quarterback I've ever seen." No freshman was supposed to play that well- his NFL career is going to be fascinating to follow.

8) Winston's last college game was his first loss, 59-20 to Oregon in Pasadena; his first NFL game will be against the Titans in September. the opposing QB will be the same guy in both games; Marcus Mariota.

7) Buccaneers put a clause in Winston's contract where he is not allowed to play professional baseball for the length of his contract-- he can probably thank Russell Wilson for that one.

6) Tampa Bay joined the NFL in 1976; since then, they had 36 starting QBs in their mostly sordid 39-year history, the first of which was a guy you've heard of-- Steve Spurrier, who also was the team's punter.

5) Pirates had a brutal weekend in St Louis; three games, three extra-inning losses; there is a fine line for lot of these baseball teams. Middle relievers are often the key to keeping teams in games, but their performances are so erratic, it is why teams rise and fall so much from year to year.

4) I read about Randy Gregory's needs for a sponsor/support system for when he is away from the Cowboys and it sounds just like Josh Hamilton, and that sounds like trouble for Dallas. You can only have so many guys who are a distraction-- the Cowboys are approaching their limit.

3) Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas closed for good Monday, another old-time Las Vegas landmark that is no longer open. Every time I visit Vegas, there are new things to see and old things that can't be seen anymore.

Saw 1995 movie Leaving Las Vegas the other night; the hotels they showed as the hot spots aren't hot spots anymore-- some of them don't even exist now.

2) Sonny Gray had a weird game Sunday; he faced 31 batters- seven of them walked, 10 more struck out. It was like a Little League game-- 119 pitches is a lot for this time of year. Oakland's bullpen is so putrid that Bob Melvin is pushing his starters to go a little farther into games, to lessen the strain on the pen.

1) Cleveland's Cory Kluber was 18-9, 2.44 last year and won the Cy Young Award; this year he is 0-4, 4.62 in six starts, all Cleveland losses.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Tuesday, May 5


Arizona @ Colorado

Game 961-962
May 5, 2015 @ 8:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Arizona
(Collmenter) 15.052
Colorado
(Matzek) 13.152
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Arizona
by 2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado
-150
10
Dunkel Pick:
Arizona
(+130); Under

San Diego @ San Francisco

Game 963-964
May 5, 2015 @ 10:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Diego
(Cashner) 16.405
San Francisco
(Vogelsong) 14.899
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Diego
by 1 1/2
8 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Diego
-115
7
Dunkel Pick:
San Diego
(-115); Over

NY Yankees @ Toronto

Game 965-966
May 5, 2015 @ 7:07 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Yankees
(Pineda) 18.127
Toronto
(Estrada) 16.504
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Yankees
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Yankees
-120
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NY Yankees
(-120); Over

Tampa Bay @ Boston

Game 967-968
May 5, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
(Smyly) 17.879
Boston
(Porcello) 16.722
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 1
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-135
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(+115); Over

Texas @ Houston

Game 969-970
May 5, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas
(Rodriguez) 15.881
Houston
(Feldman) 14.797
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas
by 1
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Houston
-185
9
Dunkel Pick:
Texas
(+165); Over

Oakland @ Minnesota

Game 971-972
May 5, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oakland
(Chavez) 15.766
Minnesota
(May) 17.434
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Minnesota
by 1 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
-110
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Minnesota
(-110); Under

Miami @ Washington

Game 951-952
May 5, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
(Latos) 14.860
Washington
(Strasburg) 18.276
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 3 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-165
7
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(-165); Over

Detroit @ Chicago White Sox

Game 973-974
May 5, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
(Greene) 15.766
Chicago White Sox
(Samardzija) 17.360
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago White Sox
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago White Sox
-110
8
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago White Sox
(-110); Under

Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh

Game 953-954
May 5, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cincinnati
(Lorenzen) 14.157
Pittsburgh
(Locke) 15.564
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-150
8
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-150); Over

Cleveland @ Kansas City

Game 975-976
May 5, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
(Salazar) 13.443
Kansas City
(Vargas) 14.904
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas City
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kansas City
-115
8
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas City
(-115); Under

Philadelphia @ Atlanta

Game 955-956
May 5, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
(Billingsley) 15.276
Atlanta
(Miller) 11.776
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 3 1/2
6 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
-160
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(+140); Under

Seattle @ LA Angels

Game 977-978
May 5, 2015 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Seattle
(Paxton) 14.913
LA Angels
(Richards) 16.405
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
LA Angels
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Angels
-150
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
LA Angels
(-150); Under

LA Dodgers @ Milwaukee

Game 957-958
May 5, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Dodgers
(Greinke) 15.509
Milwaukee
(Garza) 16.478
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 1
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-160
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(+140); Under

Baltimore @ NY Mets

Game 979-980
May 5, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Baltimore
(Norris) 17.609
NY Mets
(Colon) 14.860
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baltimore
by 3
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Mets
-145
7
Dunkel Pick:
Baltimore
(+125); Over

Chicago Cubs @ St. Louis

Game 959-960
May 5, 2015 @ 8:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago Cubs
(Hendricks) 16.478
St. Louis
(Lyons) 15.510
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago Cubs
by 1
7 1/2
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
St. Louis
-130
8
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago Cubs
(+110); Under

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Tuesday, May 5

National League
Marlins @ Nationals
Latos is 0-3, 6.86 in his five starts; six of his last eight went over.

Strasburg is 2-1, 3.38 in his last three starts; four of his last five went over.

Miami won three of last four games with Washington; they've lost four of last five games here. Under is 7-4 in last 11 series games. Marlins won eight of their last 11 games. Washington won six of its last seven games, with three of last four games staying under the total.

Reds @ Pirates
Lorenzen lost his MLB debut, allowing three runs in five IP (107 PT).

Locke is 0-1, 10.38 in his last two starts; over is 7-1-1 in his last nine.

Pittsburgh lost its last five games with the Reds; under is 6-2-1 in last nine series games. Pirates lost their last three games, all in extra innings; under is 6-1-2 in their last nine. Cincinnati is 4-6 in its last ten games.

Phillies @ Braves
Billingsley is making first start in 750 days (4-15-13 was last start); he is 81-61 in 190 career starts, all for the Dodgers.

Miller is 3-1, 2.48 in his five starts, all of which stayed under.

Phillies won three of last four games with Atlanta; under is 4-1-1 in last six in series. Phillies lost five of their last seven games. Braves also lost five of their last seven games; over is 5-2-2 in their last nine games.

Dodgers @ Brewers
Greinke is 4-0, 1.93 in his five starts, four of which went over.

Garza is 2-3, 4.91 in his five starts this season.

Milwaukee is 3-0 since Gomez came off DL; they won first game under new manager Counsell last night. Dodgers won seven of last ten games but lost seven of ten road games. LA lost six of last seven games with Milwaukee. Five of last six Brewer games stayed under the total.

Cubs @ Cardinals
Hendricks is 0-1, 3.86 in his last three starts; his last four went over. .

Lyons is making first '15 start; he was 0-2, 7.88 in his last three starts LY, and is 2-8, 4.62 in 23 career games (12 starts).

Cubs lost four of their last five games; they blew 8-4 lead in sixth inning last night; under is 3-2-1 in their last six games. Cardinals won last seven games, allowing 23 runs, with three of last four staying under the total. Cubs are 3-5 in last eight games with St Louis; four of last five stayed under.

Diamondbacks @ Rockies
Collmenter is 2-1, 1.57 in his last three starts; four of his last five went over.

Matzek is 2-0, 2.70 in his four starts; seven of his last ten stayed under.

Home side won eight of last ten Arizona-Colorado games; Snakes lost their last four visits to Coors Field. Seven of last eight series games went over the total. Arizona lost seven of last nine games; over is 4-1-1 in its last six games. Colorado lost last five games, outscored 47-17; five of its last six went over.

Padres @ Giants
Cashner is 1-2, 3.15 in his last three sarts; Padres scored seven runs in three games. Over is 4-1-1 in his last six starts.

Vogelsong is 0-2, 9.88 in his three starts; four of his last five went over.

Home side won nine of last 11 Padre-Giant games; Padres lost four of last five visits here. San Diego won three of last four games, scoring 26 runs; five of its last seven games went over total. Giants won their last six home games; seven of their last nine home games stayed under the total.

American League
Bronx @ Blue Jays
Pineda is 2-1, 3.36 in his last three starts; over is 4-1-1 in his last six.

Estrada is making first '15 start; he was 23-26 in 71 starts for Milwaukee; he's allowed one run in 10.2 IP in relief this year (six games).

Bronx lost three of last four games with Toronto; under is 6-4 in last 10 series games. Blue Jays lost seven of last 11 games overall, with five of last eight going over. Bronx won 13 of last 17 games, nine of last 11 on road; six of last eight on road stayed under.

Rays @ Red Sox
Rays won Smyly's last six starts (0-0, 3.38 in two starts this year); eight of his last nine starts stayed under.

Porcello is 2-2, 5.63 in his five starts; three of last four went over.

Rays won last three game with Boston; three of last four stayed under total. Rays lost four of last seven games, scoring total of 15 runs- their last nine games stayed under the total. Red Sox lost seveb of last nine games; four of last five stayed under the total.

A's @ Twins
Chavez is 0-2, 4.91 in two starts; A's scored five runs in two games.

May is 2-0, 3.00 in his last three starts; his last four went over.

Minnesota won eight of last ten games, scoring 39 runs in their last five. they lost nine of last 11 games with Oakland-- eight of last eleven went over total. Oakland lost eight of last eleven games; over is 9-0-1 in their last ten.

Rangers @ Astros
Former Astro Rodriguez is 0-1, 4.92 in his two starts; three of his last four stayed under the total.

Former Ranger Feldman is 2-0, 3.20 in his last three starts; eight of his last ten starts stayed under the total.

Houston won 10 of last 11 games; they lost five of last seven games with Texas- eight of last nine series games stayed under total. Rangers lost 10 of their last 14 games.

Tigers @ White Sox
Greene allowed 15 runs in 8.1 IP in his last two starts; four of his last six starts went over the total.

Samardzija is 1-2, 5.06 in his five starts; six of his last eight went over.

Chicago lost four of last five games with Detroit; White Sox lost their last five games overall, outscored 39-10. Detroit won six of last nine games; over is 5-3 in last eight Tiger games.

Indians @ Royals
Salazar is 3-0, 3.32 in his three starts; five of his last seven went over.

Vargas is 2-1, 6.41 in his four starts; four of his last five went over.

Kansas City won four of last six games with Cleveland; last five series games went over; road team won eight of last ten series games. Indians lost six of last nine games, with sevne of last eight going over. Royals are 4-5 in last nine games; five of their last seven went over the total.

Mariners @ Angels
Paxton is 0-2, 6.75 in his five starts; three of his last four went over.

Richards is 2-1, 3.50 in his three starts; under is 5-3 in his last eight.

Seattle won six of last eight games against the Angels; seven of last nine in series stayed under total. Mariners lost four of last five games, allowing total of 27 runs- seven of their last nine went under. Angels lost last four games, scoring eight runs in last four- three of those four stayed under.

Interleague
Orioles @ Mets
Norris is 1-2, 12.18 in his four starts; his last five went over total.

Colon is 4-1, 3.31 in his five starts; seven of his last ten went over.

Mets are 3-7 in last ten games since an 11-game win streak; they lost last two games by 1-0 scores- five of their last seven games stayed under. NY won last six games with Baltimore, but last meetings were in 2012. Six of last seven in series stayed under total. Orioles won five of last six games, allowomg total of six runs in last four- their last three games stayed under. .

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Mia-Wsh-- Latos 2-3; Strasburg 2-3
Cin-Pitt-- Lorenzen 0-1; Locke 3-1
Phil-Atl-- Billingsley 0-0; Miller 4-1
LA-Mil-- Greinke 4-1; Garza 2-3
Chi-StL-- Hendricks 2-2; Lyons 0-0
Az-Colo-- Collmenter 2-3; Matzek 3-1
SD-SF-- Cashner 1-4; Vogelsong 1-2

NY-Tor-- Pineda 4-1; Estrada 0-0
TB-Bos-- Smyly 2-0; Porcello 3-2
A's-Minn-- Chavez 0-2; May 3-1
Tex-Hst-- Rodriguez 0-2; Feldman 3-2
Det-Chi-- Greene 4-1; Samardzija 2-3
Cle-KC-- Salazar 3-0; Vargas 3-1
Sea-LAA-- Paxton 1-4; Richards 2-1

Balt-NYM-- Norris 2-2; Colon 4-1

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Mia-Wsh-- Latos 2-5; Strasburg 1-4
Cin-Pitt-- Lorenzen 0-1; Locke 1-4
Phil-Atl-- Billingsley 0-0; Miller 0-5
LA-Mil-- Greinke 3-5; Garza 2-5
Chi-StL-- Hendricks 1-4; Lyons 0-0
Az-Colo-- Collmenter 2-3; Matzek 3-1
SD-SF-- Cashner 2-5; Vogelsong 1-3

NY-Tor-- Pineda 1-5; Estrada 0-0
TB-Bos-- Smyly 0-2; Porcello 1-5
A's-Minn-- Chavez 0-2; May 1-4
Tex-Hst-- Rodriguez 0-2; Feldman 2-5
Det-Chi-- Greene 1-5; Samardzija 1-5
Cle-KC-- Salazar 1-3; Vargas 0-4
Sea-LAA-- Paxton 2-5; Richards 0-3

Balt-NYM-- Norris 1-4; Colon 2-5

Umpires
Mia-Wsh-- Three of last four Iassogna games stayed under.
Phil-Atl-- Six of last seven Marquez games went over.
LA-Mil-- Road won team 11 of last 16 Emmel games.
Chi-StL-- Last five BWelke games went over total.
SD-SF-- Last five Drake games stayed under total.

NY-Tor-- Under is 9-4 in last thirteen Hickox games.
TB-Bos-- Underdogs won four of last six Gorman games.
Tex-Hst-- Under is 10-4-1 in last fifteen Muchlinski games.
A's-Min-- Last three Tichenor games stayed under the total.
Sea-LAA-- Last four GGibson games stayed under the total.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Tuesday, May 5

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7:05 PM
CINCINNATI vs. PITTSBURGH
Cincinnati is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Pittsburgh
Cincinnati is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cincinnati
Pittsburgh is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games at home

7:05 PM
MIAMI vs. WASHINGTON
Miami is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games
Miami is 4-9 SU in its last 13 games when playing Washington
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 10 games
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Miami

7:07 PM
NY YANKEES vs. TORONTO
NY Yankees are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of NY Yankees's last 7 games
Toronto is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing NY Yankees
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. BOSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 18 of Tampa Bay's last 25 games when playing on the road against Boston
Tampa Bay is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Boston's last 5 games
Boston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games

7:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. ATLANTA
Philadelphia is 4-12 SU in its last 16 games on the road
Philadelphia is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Atlanta's last 16 games at home

7:10 PM
BALTIMORE vs. NY METS
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Baltimore's last 7 games when playing NY Mets
Baltimore is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Mets's last 6 games when playing at home against Baltimore
NY Mets are 14-7 SU in its last 21 games

8:10 PM
TEXAS vs. HOUSTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas's last 6 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 6 games on the road
Houston is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
Houston is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing at home against Texas

8:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Cleveland's last 12 games on the road
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
Kansas City is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Cleveland
Kansas City is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games at home

8:10 PM
OAKLAND vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 11 of Oakland's last 14 games when playing Minnesota
Oakland is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games when playing Minnesota
Minnesota is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 6 games at home

8:10 PM
LA DODGERS vs. MILWAUKEE
LA Dodgers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games
LA Dodgers are 3-9 SU in their last 12 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 6 games
Milwaukee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

8:10 PM
DETROIT vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Detroit is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
Detroit is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi White Sox
Chi White Sox are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing Detroit
Chi White Sox are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games at home

8:15 PM
CHI CUBS vs. ST. LOUIS
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
Chi Cubs are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games on the road
St. Louis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
St. Louis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:40 PM
ARIZONA vs. COLORADO
Arizona is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games ,when playing on the road against Colorado
Arizona is 1-4-1 SU in its last 6 games ,on the road
Colorado4-0-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Arizona
Colorado is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games ,

10:05 PM
SEATTLE vs. LA ANGELS
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Seattle's last 9 games on the road
Seattle is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
LA Angels are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing Seattle
LA Angels are 4-8 SU in their last 12 games when playing at home against Seattle

10:15 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone OVER in 8 of San Diego's last 12 games on the road
San Diego is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Francisco's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of San Francisco's last 10 games when playing at home against San Diego