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**StarDust Bum** · 05-28-2015, 11:29 AM

Preview: Pirates (23-22) at Padres (22-25)
Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: May 28, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Clint Hurdle seems to be considerably happier now that the Pittsburgh Pirates are winning consistently, and giving the ball to A.J. Burnett isn't likely to alter his mood.

Burnett looks to continue his masterful final season and keep the Pirates rolling in the opener of their 10-game road trip Thursday night against the San Diego Padres.

Pittsburgh (24-22) was four games under .500 following a 4-3, 13-inning loss to Minnesota on May 20, and Hurdle called the team the "definition of insanity," according to MLB's official website.

"If you want more, you've got to do more," Hurdle said.

The Pirates are outscoring opponents 35-9 during a six-game winning streak, their longest since taking nine straight from June 20-30, 2013.

"We're headed in the right direction," Hurdle said after Pittsburgh's 5-2 win over Miami on Wednesday. "You've got to take ownership of your season. You've got to take ownership of your club. These guys know we have talent. For way too long, we were a good team playing mediocre baseball. So you're not a good team, really. You've got to connect the dots. You've got to put the parts of the game in play."

Burnett (4-1, 1.37 ERA) owns the lowest qualifying ERA in the majors, and the right-hander has a 1.29 mark while winning four consecutive starts for the first time since a career-best eight straight from May 19-June 28, 2012, during his first stint with Pittsburgh.

"He's like a kid in the backyard out there that's having some fun that is being aggressive and very, very purposeful on the mound," Hurdle said. "He's pitching as well as I've ever seen him pitch. He's doing more."

The 38-year-old right-hander, who plans to retire at season's end, was superb Saturday, allowing one run with a season-high 10 strikeouts while outpitching Matt Harvey in an 8-2 win over the New York Mets.

"I just look at leaving it all out on the field, knowing it's my last go around," Burnett said. "It's fun to pitch for (my teammates), to be around them. They bring so much out of me."

Burnett is 2-3 with a 3.96 ERA in six starts over the last three seasons against the Padres (23-25).

San Diego has won three of four games, matching its win total from the previous 12. They Padres have yet to win more than three straight, which they can do for a fifth time after taking their final two on the road against the Los Angeles Angels.

Ian Kennedy (2-4, 6.11) takes the mound looking to avoid matching a career-high five straight losing starts from May 3-25, 2012, with Arizona. He has a 7.47 ERA over his last three outings but was solid Saturday at Dodger Stadium, holding Los Angeles to two runs with six strikeouts in six innings of a 2-0 loss.

The right-hander was 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA last season against the Pirates, though Josh Harrison went 4 for 5 with three extra-base hits and Gregory Polanco was 3 for 3.

Kennedy will get his first look at rookie Jung Ho Kang, who is hitting .389 (14 for 36) in his past nine games after connecting for a two-run single Wednesday.

San Diego's Justin Upton is 7 for 16 with a homer and seven RBIs over the last four games, and he's 6 for 14 with two homers and two doubles versus Burnett.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Pirates at Padres
Thu, May 28 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Pirates at Padres
Fri, May 29 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Pirates at Padres
Sat, May 30 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Pirates at Padres
Sun, May 31 - 9:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 05-28-2015, 11:29 AM

Preview: Red Sox (21-24) at Rangers (22-23)
Game: 1
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: May 28, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

The last time Josh Hamilton played at home for the Texas Rangers, he was booed as the club was eliminated from the playoffs.

The Rangers haven't been back to the postseason since, while Hamilton is finally back for them.

He'll make his home debut Thursday night as unbeaten starter Nick Martinez looks to set a club record with an impressive streak in the opener of a four-game series against the Boston Red Sox.

Hamilton closed his first stint with Texas (23-24) by going 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in a 5-1 loss to Baltimore in the 2012 AL wild-card game. He was booed in his final two at_bats in a season in which the Rangers were swept over the final weekend in Oakland to blow the AL West title.

The left fielder had a self-reported alcohol and cocaine relapse last offseason that led to the end of his two-year tenure with the Los Angeles Angels. He was a five-time All-Star in his first stint with Texas and sparked the Rangers to the World Series in 2010 and 2011.

Hamilton was mostly booed in his Angels returns to Arlington, though he batted .389 during a 14-game hitting streak as a visiting player there heading into 2015.

'I'm looking forward to being back in the area and in the ballpark and playing in front of Rangers fans again,' he said. 'I don't think any nerves will be there, but you never know."

He went 1 for 11 in his first series in Cleveland, with his first hit coming in Wednesday's 12-3 defeat that ended the Rangers' season-high, seven-game win streak.

Martinez (4-0, 1.96 ERA) could get Texas right back on track. He's third in the AL in ERA and among three pitchers to not have a loss after making at least nine starts.

The right-hander, who has never faced Boston, allowed two runs over seven innings to win his second straight outing in a 15-4 rout of the New York Yankees on Saturday.

That was the 15th straight start in which Martinez has allowed three or fewer earned runs to match Rich Hand's 1972 club record. Martinez benefits from the fourth-highest run support average in baseball at 8.18.

Having Prince Fielder helps, as the AL batting leader has a .368 average. Fielder is 15 for 28 with five homers and 15 RBIs in a six-game hitting streak.

Boston (21-26) will give the ball to highly touted Eduardo Rodriguez, who looks to become the first Red Sox starter to win his big league debut since Daisuke Matsuzaka in 2007.

Rodriguez is a 22-year-old left-hander who went 4-3 with a 2.98 ERA in eight starts with Triple-A Pawtucket. Catcher Blake Swihart has caught him the last two years.

"He's not scared to go after guys," Swihart told MLB's official website. "He's very confident out there on the mound and he goes out there with the confidence that he's going to win the battle. To just have a guy who goes out there and competes like that is nice."

The Red Sox began a seven-game trip by getting swept in three by Minnesota. Dustin Pedroia went 5 for 12 in the series, including a pair of two-run homers in Wednesday's 6-4 defeat.

Texas and Boston combined for 14 runs from May 19-21 when the Rangers took two of three at Fenway Park.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Red Sox at Rangers
Thu, May 28 - 8:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Red Sox at Rangers
Fri, May 29 - 8:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Red Sox at Rangers
Sat, May 30 - 7:15PM EDT

GAME 4
Red Sox at Rangers
Sun, May 31 - 3:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 05-28-2015, 11:30 AM

Preview: Yankees (23-22) at Athletics (17-30)
Game: 1
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: May 28, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

The New York Yankees are happy to have Alex Rodriguez, especially lately.

After sparking a sweep over what had been the AL's top team, Rodriguez will try to help the Yankees match their longest winning streak of the season Thursday night against the league-worst Oakland Athletics.

New York (25-22) wasn't entirely thrilled to have Rodriguez back after he sat out all of last season serving a suspension for a banned substance.

Last week, owner Hal Steinbrenner called Rodriguez "a great asset."

The 39-year-old designated hitter is 10 for 22 (.455) in the past six games, collecting six hits and scoring four runs in a three-game sweep of reigning AL champion Kansas City after the Yankees had lost 10 of 11. The Royals entered that series with the majors' best record but fell into a tie atop the AL Central while New York took over the East lead.

Rodriguez hit a three-run shot for his 11th homer of the season in Wednesday's 4-2 victory, giving him 1,995 RBIs to pass Lou Gehrig's 1,993 for the most in AL history. He's one back of Barry Bonds for second all-time, while Hark Aaron leads with 2,297 for a statistic that didn't become official until 1920.

"I haven't played a lot of baseball in the last two years, but I feel like I'm in a good place, I'm happy. I'm having fun," said Rodriguez, limited to 44 games in 2013 due to hip surgery.

"I think for me in a weird way the time off was a blessing in disguise. I was able to get some rest, change my workout regimen a little bit. I just feel like I'm in a better place and more explosive than I've been."

He has a .375 average in his last 13 meetings with the A's (17-32) but hasn't faced them since 2012.

Strong pitching also has New York in position to equal its season-high four-game win streak from April 21-24, having yielded four runs in three games against the Royals, but its starter Thursday has one of the AL's worst ERAs among qualifying pitchers.

CC Sabathia (2-6, 5.47 ERA) is coming off his worst performance of the season and shortest without an injury in nine years. He was pulled with one out in a third inning in which he was charged with six of Texas' 10 runs in a 15-4 loss Saturday.

The six-time All-Star, though, had won his two previous starts on the road, where owns a 3.48 ERA in six starts compared to 11.77 at home.

Sabathia has a 6.00 ERA while losing his last two starts against the A's, both in 2013.

The Yankees have dropped seven of eight on the road and nine of 10 in Oakland, but the A's own the majors' worst home record at 6-16. They've lost six of seven at home after falling 3-2 to Detroit on Wednesday.

Oakland is turning to Kendall Graveman (2-2, 6.04) after he allowed three hits and had a season-high six strikeouts in six innings of a 5-0 win at Tampa Bay on Saturday, hours after being recalled from Triple-A Nashville.

The right-hander, who has never faced the Yankees, was on the opening-day roster but went 1-2 with an 8.27 ERA in four starts before being sent down.

"I located the fastball well, had good movement and changed speeds when I needed to, so I think that was a positive," Graveman told MLB's official website. "I felt comfortable out there."

That hasn't been the case at O.co Coliseum, as he's lost both of his starts there while surrendering 14 runs and 16 hits - three homers - in eight innings.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Yankees at Athletics
Thu, May 28 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Yankees at Athletics
Fri, May 29 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Yankees at Athletics
Sat, May 30 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Yankees at Athletics
Sun, May 31 - 4:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 05-28-2015, 11:30 AM

Preview: Indians (20-24) at Mariners (21-23)
Game: 1
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: May 28, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

In his past three outings, Corey Kluber has delivered the results expected from last year's AL Cy Young Award winner.

The Seattle Mariners' James Paxton has been effective for an even longer stretch and will try to outduel Kluber in Thursday night's series opener against the Cleveland Indians.

Kluber hardly resembled the AL's top pitcher a few weeks ago, having lost four straight starts with a 7.43 ERA as opposing batters hit .373 against him. He's since gone 2-0 with a 0.72 ERA in three games while pitching at least eight innings in each.

Kluber (2-5, 3.49 ERA) yielded one run in eight innings Saturday in a 2-1 win over Cincinnati while fanning seven, giving him 37 strikeouts in his last 25 innings. He leads the AL with 83 strikeouts.

"You don't dominate the entire league the way he did last year without being able to have some good starts coming up the next year," second baseman Jason Kipnis said. "The guy's stuff is fantastic ... He does all the little things. The guy knows how to pitch."

Paxton (3-2, 3.52) also has turned things around after a rough stretch. He was 0-2 with 6.86 ERA in his first four outings but has a 1.59 ERA in his last five and has won three straight. The only runs he's allowed during that win streak were the two he surrendered in six innings of Saturday's 3-2 victory in Toronto.

"This guy is special," manager Lloyd McClendon told MLB's official website.

Paxton hasn't allowed a run in his last two home starts, spanning 14 innings. Kluber is 0-3 in five road starts, getting six runs of support, after giving one run and fanning 12 in nine innings of a 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox on May 18.

Kluber, who will make his first appearance in Seattle, registered a three-hitter with eight strikeouts in his only start against the Mariners, a 2-0 win July 30. In his first matchup with Cleveland, Paxton will face a team that's coming off one of its best performances at the plate in 2015.

The Indians (21-25) totaled 17 hits in a 12-3 rout of Texas on Wednesday to avoid a three-game sweep. They were batting .223 overall and .143 with runners in scoring position in their prior 10 games.

Carlos Santana hit a three-run homer in an eight-run third inning while Lonnie Chisenhall and Michael Bourn combined for six hits and five RBIs.

"These games don't happen all the time, but when they do happen, it feels good," Bourn said. "We came out, and we were aggressive, and we got on the board early."

Kipnis was a home run shy of the cycle and is batting .447 in May, but he's hit .143 in these teams' last three series as the Mariners won two of three in all of them. Cleveland has lost seven of its last nine games in Seattle.

The Mariners (23-23) will seek to match their longest win streak of the season at four games and move above .500 for the first time since they were 1-0. They completed a three-game sweep in Tampa Bay on Wednesday with a 3-0 victory.

Nelson Cruz drove in all of those runs with his home run in the ninth, his AL-best 18th longball. He's 4 for 13 with one home run and two doubles against Kluber, while the other eight Mariners hitters who have faced him are a combined 8 for 47.

Kluber could benefit from having his regular catcher back behind the plate. Yan Gomes had missed six weeks with a sprained MCL before returning Sunday.

Seattle's Kyle Seager, who had reached base in a career-high 21 consecutive games before failing to reach Wednesday, owns a .394 batting average in 25 games against the Indians.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Indians at Mariners
Thu, May 28 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Indians at Mariners
Fri, May 29 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Indians at Mariners
Sat, May 30 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Indians at Mariners
Sun, May 31 - 4:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 05-28-2015, 11:30 AM

Preview: Pirates (23-22) at Padres (22-25)
Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: May 28, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Clint Hurdle seems to be considerably happier now that the Pittsburgh Pirates are winning consistently, and giving the ball to A.J. Burnett isn't likely to alter his mood.

Burnett looks to continue his masterful final season and keep the Pirates rolling in the opener of their 10-game road trip Thursday night against the San Diego Padres.

Pittsburgh (24-22) was four games under .500 following a 4-3, 13-inning loss to Minnesota on May 20, and Hurdle called the team the "definition of insanity," according to MLB's official website.

"If you want more, you've got to do more," Hurdle said.

The Pirates are outscoring opponents 35-9 during a six-game winning streak, their longest since taking nine straight from June 20-30, 2013.

"We're headed in the right direction," Hurdle said after Pittsburgh's 5-2 win over Miami on Wednesday. "You've got to take ownership of your season. You've got to take ownership of your club. These guys know we have talent. For way too long, we were a good team playing mediocre baseball. So you're not a good team, really. You've got to connect the dots. You've got to put the parts of the game in play."

Burnett (4-1, 1.37 ERA) owns the lowest qualifying ERA in the majors, and the right-hander has a 1.29 mark while winning four consecutive starts for the first time since a career-best eight straight from May 19-June 28, 2012, during his first stint with Pittsburgh.

"He's like a kid in the backyard out there that's having some fun that is being aggressive and very, very purposeful on the mound," Hurdle said. "He's pitching as well as I've ever seen him pitch. He's doing more."

The 38-year-old right-hander, who plans to retire at season's end, was superb Saturday, allowing one run with a season-high 10 strikeouts while outpitching Matt Harvey in an 8-2 win over the New York Mets.

"I just look at leaving it all out on the field, knowing it's my last go around," Burnett said. "It's fun to pitch for (my teammates), to be around them. They bring so much out of me."

Burnett is 2-3 with a 3.96 ERA in six starts over the last three seasons against the Padres (23-25).

San Diego has won three of four games, matching its win total from the previous 12. They Padres have yet to win more than three straight, which they can do for a fifth time after taking their final two on the road against the Los Angeles Angels.

Ian Kennedy (2-4, 6.11) takes the mound looking to avoid matching a career-high five straight losing starts from May 3-25, 2012, with Arizona. He has a 7.47 ERA over his last three outings but was solid Saturday at Dodger Stadium, holding Los Angeles to two runs with six strikeouts in six innings of a 2-0 loss.

The right-hander was 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA last season against the Pirates, though Josh Harrison went 4 for 5 with three extra-base hits and Gregory Polanco was 3 for 3.

Kennedy will get his first look at rookie Jung Ho Kang, who is hitting .389 (14 for 36) in his past nine games after connecting for a two-run single Wednesday.

San Diego's Justin Upton is 7 for 16 with a homer and seven RBIs over the last four games, and he's 6 for 14 with two homers and two doubles versus Burnett.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Pirates at Padres
Thu, May 28 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Pirates at Padres
Fri, May 29 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Pirates at Padres
Sat, May 30 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Pirates at Padres
Sun, May 31 - 9:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 05-28-2015, 11:32 AM

Preview: Tigers (27-20) at Angels (23-23)
Game: 1
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: May 28, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

Although their rotation has been decimated and their offense has hit a dry spell, the resourceful Detroit Tigers are aiming for their third consecutive victory on a seven-game western trip.

They'll try to erase some bad memories on the next stop at Angel Stadium, which has been their own house of horrors.

The Tigers are looking to avoid their 10th defeat in 11 road games against the slumping Los Angeles Angels on Thursday night when left-hander C.J. Wilson sets out to continue his own success at home.

Justin Verlander has yet to throw a pitch because of a strained right triceps, and Detroit (28-20) is now having to scramble to fill more holes in the rotation. Alex Wilson worked three effective innings in his emergency start ahead of five others in Wednesday's 3-2 win at Oakland after Alfredo Simon left the club to see his ailing father.

"It felt like a long relief outing for me," Wilson told MLB's official website.

Next, the Tigers will call on right-hander Buck Farmer to make his season debut. He's replacing injured left-hander Kyle Lobstein, who had been starting in place of Verlander.

Farmer went 0-1 with a 15.63 ERA in two August starts before allowing one run in three innings in two relief appearances in September. He's been pitching well at Triple-A Toledo, posting a 2.98 ERA over 51 1-3 innings.

The Tigers hope he can help turn around their fortunes at Angel Stadium, where they've gone 15-41 since 2002. Detroit totaled two runs while dropping the last three of a four-game series there in July.

The Angels have dropped four of five heading into this meeting after Wednesday's 5-4 home loss to San Diego. However, they appear to be turning to the right pitcher as Wilson (2-3, 3.36 ERA) has gone 10-2 with a 3.56 ERA in his last 18 home starts.

The two-time All-Star is also 2-2 with a 2.23 ERA in seven night games this season.

After going 1-1 with a 2.10 ERA over a five-start stretch, Wilson hasn't been as sharp in allowing eight runs and 17 hits over 11 innings in his last two. He gave up four runs and needed 119 pitches to make it through six in Saturday's 8-3 loss at Boston.

"That's what I was most upset about, was being inefficient with my pitches, even though I had a good plan," Wilson said.

Wilson is 2-2 with a 5.45 ERA in six regular-season starts versus Detroit, though he's 1-0 with a 1.98 mark in the two at home. Ian Kinsler is 8 for 21 off his former Texas teammate, but he's 3 for 32 in his last eight games.

Yoenis Cespedes, 6 for 18 with four walks in the matchup, keyed Detroit's series-clinching win over the A's by going 2 for 3 with a three-run home run in the fifth inning. He has seven RBIs over a six-game hitting streak at Los Angeles.

Miguel Cabrera has gone just 4 for 16 with five strikeouts and one home run when facing Wilson. The superstar was batting .400 with five homers over a 13-game hitting streak before going 0 for 4 with three strikeouts Wednesday.

Detroit batted .202 while totaling just four runs in the three games in Oakland, though Los Angeles (23-24) hasn't exactly lit up the scoreboard either in batting .228 and plating 12 runs in its past five.

Mike Trout, who had two hits Wednesday, is just 2 for 22 over his past six meetings with the Tigers.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Tigers at Angels
Thu, May 28 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Tigers at Angels
Fri, May 29 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Tigers at Angels
Sat, May 30 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Tigers at Angels
Sun, May 31 - 8:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 05-28-2015, 11:34 AM

Preview: Yankees (24-22) at Athletics (17-31)
Game: 1
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: May 28, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

The New York Yankees are happy to have Alex Rodriguez, especially lately.

After sparking a sweep over what had been the AL's top team, Rodriguez will try to help the Yankees match their longest winning streak of the season Thursday night against the league-worst Oakland Athletics.

New York (25-22) wasn't entirely thrilled to have Rodriguez back after he sat out all of last season serving a suspension for a banned substance.

Last week, owner Hal Steinbrenner called Rodriguez "a great asset."

The 39-year-old designated hitter is 10 for 22 (.455) in the past six games, collecting six hits and scoring four runs in a three-game sweep of reigning AL champion Kansas City after the Yankees had lost 10 of 11. The Royals entered that series with the majors' best record but fell into a tie atop the AL Central while New York took over the East lead.

Rodriguez hit a three-run shot for his 11th homer of the season in Wednesday's 4-2 victory, giving him 1,995 RBIs to pass Lou Gehrig's 1,993 for the most in AL history. He's one back of Barry Bonds for second all-time, while Hark Aaron leads with 2,297 for a statistic that didn't become official until 1920.

"I haven't played a lot of baseball in the last two years, but I feel like I'm in a good place, I'm happy. I'm having fun," said Rodriguez, limited to 44 games in 2013 due to hip surgery.

"I think for me in a weird way the time off was a blessing in disguise. I was able to get some rest, change my workout regimen a little bit. I just feel like I'm in a better place and more explosive than I've been."

He has a .375 average in his last 13 meetings with the A's (17-32) but hasn't faced them since 2012.

Strong pitching also has New York in position to equal its season-high four-game win streak from April 21-24, having yielded four runs in three games against the Royals, but its starter Thursday has one of the AL's worst ERAs among qualifying pitchers.

CC Sabathia (2-6, 5.47 ERA) is coming off his worst performance of the season and shortest without an injury in nine years. He was pulled with one out in a third inning in which he was charged with six of Texas' 10 runs in a 15-4 loss Saturday.

The six-time All-Star, though, had won his two previous starts on the road, where owns a 3.48 ERA in six starts compared to 11.77 at home.

Sabathia has a 6.00 ERA while losing his last two starts against the A's, both in 2013.

The Yankees have dropped seven of eight on the road and nine of 10 in Oakland, but the A's own the majors' worst home record at 6-16. They've lost six of seven at home after falling 3-2 to Detroit on Wednesday.

Oakland is turning to Kendall Graveman (2-2, 6.04) after he allowed three hits and had a season-high six strikeouts in six innings of a 5-0 win at Tampa Bay on Saturday, hours after being recalled from Triple-A Nashville.

The right-hander, who has never faced the Yankees, was on the opening-day roster but went 1-2 with an 8.27 ERA in four starts before being sent down.

"I located the fastball well, had good movement and changed speeds when I needed to, so I think that was a positive," Graveman told MLB's official website. "I felt comfortable out there."

That hasn't been the case at O.co Coliseum, as he's lost both of his starts there while surrendering 14 runs and 16 hits - three homers - in eight innings.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Yankees at Athletics
Thu, May 28 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Yankees at Athletics
Fri, May 29 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Yankees at Athletics
Sat, May 30 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Yankees at Athletics
Sun, May 31 - 4:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 05-28-2015, 11:37 AM

Preview: Braves (22-23) at Giants (27-20)
Game: 1
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: May 28, 2015 10:15 PM EDT

The San Francisco Giants return to AT&T Park, where their pitching staff appears more comfortable after surviving some rough efforts on the mound during an ultimately successful road trip.

Shelby Miller continues to pitch well no matter his surroundings.

The Giants seek a fifth consecutive home victory in the opener of a four-game series against Miller's Atlanta Braves on Thursday night.

San Francisco starters finished with a 6.10 ERA on a seven-game trip, a mark that looks much better after Ryan Vogelsong allowed one run over six innings of Wednesday's 3-1 win to cap a sweep of Milwaukee.

The Giants (28-20) went 5-2 on the trip largely due to a .299 average and 25 extra-base hits. Joe Panik hit a two-run homer Wednesday and Nori Aoki had two hits to finish 11 for 17 over the final four games.

Thursday begins a seven-game stretch at home, where the Giants have won 13 of their last 16.

'This is one of the toughest road trips I've been on,' manager Bruce Bochy said. 'I think we were only able to get on the field (for batting practice) twice, but these guys never complained and they came out ready to go every day.'

San Francisco's staff ranks 26th in the majors with a 4.60 ERA on the road, but its 2.73 mark at home is the second-best in baseball.

It hasn't seemed to matter where Miller (5-1, 1.50 ERA) pitches. The right-hander lost a no-hitter with one out in the ninth and finished with a two-hit shutout at Miami on May 17, then gave up two runs in six innings of Atlanta's 3-2, 11-inning win over Milwaukee on Saturday.

Miller, who allowed a first-inning run for the first time this season against the Brewers, is 2-0 with a 0.87 ERA and two shutouts in four May outings while holding opponents to a .144 average.

The Braves (23-23) have won eight of Miller's nine starts, and in that defeat he allowed only two earned runs to Cincinnati on April 30.

"It's always a grind," Miller said. "I just try to go out there every inning and battle and put up zeros."

Miller has a 1.46 ERA while winning both of his regular-season starts against the Giants, but they roughed him up for three runs and six hits in just 3 2-3 innings in Game 4 of last year's NL championship series as San Francisco beat St. Louis 6-4.

Hunter Pence is 4 for 9 with a homer off Miller, who opposes Chris Heston as the Giants' starter looks to snap out of his funk.

Heston (4-3, 4.33) went 2-1 with a 0.87 ERA over his first three starts, but he has a 6.48 ERA since while allowing at least five runs in four of six inconsistent outings.

The right-hander struck out a career-high 10 and allowed two hits in a complete-game 8-1 win at Houston on May 12, then gave up five runs in just two innings of the Giants' 9-8 loss at Cincinnati on May 17.

Heston struggled again while allowing six runs in 5 2-3 innings of a 10-8 win at Colorado on Saturday, but should be happy to return to San Francisco, where he's posted a 2.77 ERA in four starts.

He'll be making his first career appearance against the Braves, who salvaged the finale of a three-game set with the Los Angeles Dodgers with Wednesday's 3-2 victory.

Cameron Maybin homered and is hitting .351 over his last 11.

"It's a huge win,' Maybin said. "... To leave here getting a win, we got to be excited about it. It was a good team win and it was a good way to finish up.'

Atlanta has lost nine of the last 12 meetings.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Braves at Giants
Thu, May 28 - 10:15PM EDT

GAME 2
Braves at Giants
Fri, May 29 - 10:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Braves at Giants
Sat, May 30 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Braves at Giants
Sun, May 31 - 4:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 05-28-2015, 11:40 AM

Thursday's Late Tips

May 28, 2015

Yankees at Athletics – 10:05 PM EST

New York is closing May pretty much how it started the month, picking up three consecutive victories. The Yankees dominated the Royals in a three-game home sweep, outscoring the defending American League champs, 23-4. Joe Girardi’s club travels to the West Coast for the first time this season, as the Bronx Bombers have dropped seven of their last eight road games.

The Athletics are mired in last place of the AL West at 17-32, while owning the worst record in the American League. Oakland’s modest three-game winning streak earlier in the week is now a memory after the A’s lost the final two contests of their three-game set with the Tigers at home. The A’s plated just two runs in the last two defeats, while cashing the ‘under’ in all three games, a stark contrast from the 16-3 ‘over’ mark Oakland owned in its first 19 home contests.

Bay Area native CC Sabathia (2-6, 5.47 ERA) takes the mound against an Oakland lineup that is batting just .210 against left-handed pitching. The Yankees have won three of Sabathia’s past four road starts, but has lost his last two outings at the Coliseum since 2012. Kendall Graveman (2-2, 6.04 ERA) is winless in two home starts for Oakland, but the A’s are 3-0 in his three outings in the underdog role.

Tigers at Angels – 10:05 PM EST

Detroit remains out west following its series victory at Oakland as the Tigers travel to Orange County for a four-game set with the Angels. Since a 9-1 start, Detroit has won three consecutive games three times, as the Tigers go for another three-game hot streak following a pair of one-run victories over the A’s. The Tigers own a 2-4 record in the last six road series openers, as Detroit has been listed as an underdog five times in this span.

The Angels have played better at home recently, winning seven of the past 11 games in Anaheim, while going ‘under’ the total in eight of the last 10 home contests. C.J. Wilson (2-3, 3.36 ERA) is coming off a pair of shaky starts for the Angels, allowing eight earned runs and 17 hits in last two outings, both losses. Los Angeles has won three straight home outings by Wilson, while the Halos have scored at least four runs in each of those games.

Indians at Mariners – 10:10 PM EST

All Seattle needed was to get away from the Pacific Northwest for a while, as the M’s finished off a 6-3 East coast swing with a three-game sweep of the Rays. Now, the Mariners are back at .500 and back at home to host an Indians’ squad that avoided a sweep at home by busting up the Rangers, 12-3 on Wednesday. Cleveland had won a season-high six straight games prior to consecutive losses to Texas to begin its series on Memorial Day.

Corey Kluber (2-5, 3.49 ERA) is less than one season from winning the AL Cy Young Award, as the Indians lost the right-hander’s first seven starts this season. Kluber has bounced back of late by posting a 2-0 record in his previous three trips to the mound, while striking out 37 and walking just one batter in this stretch. However, the Indians have struggled with Kluber on the hill away from Progressive Field, posting an 0-5 record, while the Cleveland offense scored two runs or less four times.

The Indians have compiled a solid 5-1 record in their last six road games against left-handed starting pitchers, as the Tribe faces southpaw James Paxton (3-2, 3.52 ERA) in the series opener. For as good as Kluber has been recently, Paxton isn’t too far off, winning three straight starts, including a pair of scoreless efforts in home victories over the Padres and Red Sox. Paxton has never faced the Indians in his short career, while the Mariners have cashed the ‘under’ in five straight games at Safeco Field.

Pirates at Padres – 10:10 PM EST

Following a pair of ugly home losses to the Twins, the Pirates finished up their homestand with six consecutive wins after sweeping the Mets and Marlins. Pittsburgh forged above the .500 mark thanks to allowing a total of nine runs in the six victories, while riding a three-game ‘under’ streak. Since sweeping Arizona in late April, the Bucs have struggled on the highway by posting a 4-9 in their last 13 away games, including five losses by one run apiece.

The Padres finished off their six-game Los Angeles road swing on a winning note by taking the final two games against the Angels, as San Diego pulled off a 5-4 victory on Wednesday as +150 underdogs. Bud Black’s team begins a seven-game homestand as the Padres have dropped five of their last six contests at Petco Park.

Two pitchers going in different directions of late take the mound in the series opener as A.J. Burnett squares off against Ian Kennedy. Burnett (4-1, 1.37 ERA) has won four consecutive starts, while tossing seven innings in each of those victories for the Pirates and allowing a total of five earned runs. Pittsburgh has cashed the ‘under’ in four of Burnett’s five road starts, as the Bucs have scored three runs or less four times. Kennedy (2-4, 6.11 ERA) is winless in his last three outings, while the Padres own just a 1-3 record in his four home starts this season.

Braves at Giants – 10:15 PM EST

Atlanta continues its road swing through California after avoiding a sweep in a 3-2 triumph at Los Angeles on Wednesday as +170 underdogs. In spite of losing the series to the Dodgers, the Braves have won eight of their last 12 contests, while sending out right-hander Shelby Miller to the mound in the opener at AT&T Park. Miller (5-1, 1.50 ERA) has turned into the most impressive arm in the Braves’ rotation this season, two starts removed from a two-hit shutout over the Marlins as a short road underdog. The Braves have won eight of Miller’s nine starts, including a perfect 5-0 record away from Turner Field.

The Giants stumbled out of the gate with a 4-10 record, but the defending World Champions have put together a 24-10 mark in the past 34 games. San Francisco finished off a seven-game road trip with a 5-2 mark, topped off by a three-game sweep over the slumping Brewers at Miller Park. Thirteen of the last 16 games for the Giants have been played on the highway, as San Francisco’s lone three home games in this stretch were all victories in the underdog role against Los Angeles last week. Christopher Heston (4-3, 4.33 ERA) is 2-0 in his last three starts for the Giants, but the righty has allowed 11 earned runs in the last two games following a complete-game, two-hitter at Houston.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-28-2015, 11:43 AM

Chalk could be costly

May 27, 2015

April and May means that many novice sports bettors may look at the matchups and lean toward ace pitchers and lay the big price. But let me give you three words of advice: Don't do it. Baseball is unique from football and basketball in that there is no point spread. Instead you bet merely on which team will win the game and this translates into a money-line wager.

When betting baseball, most professional handicappers look for prices that are close to even money (for example, -120, -135 favorites or +105, +130 underdogs). Or bettors will play baseball totals where, like NFL and NBA totals, there is a point spread set on each game and the line is usually minus-110 OVER or UNDER.

The reason is simple: You need to pay serious attention to money-management when wagering on sports. You may like to bet on Clayton Kershaw, Felix Hernandez and David Price because they are big name win a lot, but you end up laying roughly three dollars for every one you hope to win and, over the long haul, you are very likely to lose money. This is why you rarely find professional handicappers giving out ace pitchers that are priced as a two-dollar or more favorites.

And what happens when ace pitchers have an injury or a bad season? Former dominant aces CC Sabathia, Tim Lincecum and R.A. Dickey have struggled this year. Lincecum stopped throwing his slider for stretches in 2012 and ended up 10-15. He’s been up and down a lot since, while Dickey had one monster season then changed leagues, struggling in the hitter friendly AL East ever since.

Betting the big favorites on a regular basis is dangerous and there is little value in it. Think about the value: You have to win 2 out of every 3 of those wagers just to break even. That is roughly a 66% winning percentage just to stay afloat, or in the case of Kershaw at –240, an even higher percentage. This 2015 baseball season the Dodgers started 2-4 in Kershaw’s first six starts! It is not worth it to get hooked on the big favorites because you may get away with it once and a while, but over the long haul, your bankroll will get wiped out.

There are so many factors that can come into play in baseball. For example, the wind could be blowing out, making both starting pitchers vulnerable to a lot of runs and a lot of pitches. This could mean that your ace would throw 100 pitches in five innings. If that is the case, he would be prone to tire around the 100-pitch mark, and/or the game would be turned over the bullpen, something you hadn't counted on. Then, all of a sudden the game is in the relief pitcher's hands, rather than the staff ace that you were counting on to go 8 innings.

Or, a team may fall apart defensively. A couple of ill-timed errors with two outs and two men on base via walks, and you are down 3-0. You had not factored in the errors, only the great starting pitcher. One season Roy Halladay was a three-dollar favorite at home against the Pirates (as he should have been). He pitched great, allowing 2 runs in a complete game, but lost 2-1 as the Phillies mustered only six hits while committing three errors. In 2011, Justin Verlander was outstanding, even throwing a no-hitter. Yet, the Tigers started 3-5 in his first eight starts – all as chalk!

Sometimes teams get pumped up to face an ace, particularly at home, and want to get a win. Another factor is that in the first half of the baseball season, lines are often set on what the pitcher did last year, not the current season. The Red Sox, Angels and Reds have been big disappointments and even the high profile Cubs and Nationals haven't been as good as expected.

Meanwhile, the Padres, Giants, Astros and Twins have overachieved. Some of those teams disappointing teams will get better, but the point is, you can't go on last year's stats from these starters, as 2015 is a brand new season.

Also, what if the starting pitcher gets injured? Or there is a rain delay, and the big favorite pitcher only goes 3 innings? If you had known this before the game started, you probably wouldn't have taken the big price. In baseball, look for spots with big dogs rather than the big favorites; the percentages are in your favor.

**StarDust Bum** · 05-28-2015, 11:48 AM

MLB
Dunkel

Thursday, May 28

Pittsburgh @ San Diego

Game 901-902
May 28, 2015 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Pittsburgh
(Burnett) 14.396
San Diego
(Kennedy) 15.691
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
San Diego
by 1 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-120
6 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
San Diego
(+100); Over

Atlanta @ San Francisco

Game 903-904
May 28, 2015 @ 10:15 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
(Miller) 16.751
San Francisco
(Heston) 15.662
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Atlanta
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Francisco
-135
6 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Atlanta
(+115); Over

Boston @ Texas

Game 905-906
May 28, 2015 @ 8:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Boston
(Rodriguez) 14.707
Texas
(Martinez) 16.311
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas
by 1 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Texas
-110
9
Dunkel Pick:
Texas
(-110); Under

NY Yankees @ Oakland

Game 907-908
May 28, 2015 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Yankees
(Sabathia) 16.563
Oakland
(Graveman) 14.982
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Yankees
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Yankees
-115
8
Dunkel Pick:
NY Yankees
(-115); Under

Detroit @ LA Angels

Game 909-910
May 28, 2015 @ 10:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
(Farmer) 17.312
LA Angels
(Wilson) 16.357
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 1
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Angels
-145
7
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(+125); Over

Cleveland @ Seattle

Game 911-912
May 28, 2015 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cleveland
(Kluber) 15.841
Seattle
(Paxton) 16.898
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
-130
6 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(+110); Over

Chicago White Sox @ Baltimore

Game 913-914
May 28, 2015 @ 1:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago White Sox
(Sale) 16.843
Baltimore
(Wilson) 15.322
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago White Sox
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago White Sox
-145
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago White Sox
(-145); Under

Chicago White Sox @ Baltimore

Game 915-916
May 28, 2015 @ 4:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago White Sox
(Beck) 14.227
Baltimore
(Wright) 16.709
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baltimore
by 2 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Baltimore
-150
8
Dunkel Pick:
Baltimore
(-150); Under

**StarDust Bum** · 05-28-2015, 11:48 AM

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, May 28

National League
Pirates @ Padres
Burnett is 4-0, 1.61 in his last four starts, three of which went over.

Kennedy is 0-3, 7.47 in his last three starts; five of his last six went over.

Pirates won their last six games, allowing nine runs; five of their last seven games stayed under. Padres won three of last four games; six of their last eight stayed under total. Pittsburgh lost three of last four games with San Diego; four of last five series games stayed under.

Braves @ Giants
Miller is 2-0, 0.87 in his last four starts; eight of his last nine stayed under.

Heston has a 12.91 RA in his last two starts; his last four starts went over.

Braves lost five of last six games with San Francisco; eight of last ten in series stayed under total. Atlanta won five of its last eight games overall. Giants won eight of last ten games; five of their last seven games went over.

American League
Red Sox @ Rangers
Rodriguez is making MLB debut; he was 4-3, 2.98 in eight AAA starts so far this year.

Texas is 8-1 when Martinez starts (2-0, 2.25 last two); five of his last six starts went over the total.

Boston lost three in row, six of last eight games; four of their last six went over the total. Red Sox are 6-4 in last ten games with Texas, but lost last two; under is 5-1-1 in last seven series games. Rangers won seven of last eight; four of their last six games went over.

Bronx @ A's
Sabathia is from Oakland; he is 2-2, 5.96 in his last four starts; five of his last six road starts stayed under the total.

Graveman is 2-1, 4.26 in his last four starts.

Bronx lost six of last eight games with Oakland; eight of last ten series games went under. Bombers won last three games overall, allowing four runs; three of their last four stayed under. A's are 9-24 in last 33 games- under is 6-1-1 in their last eight games.

Tigers @ Angels
Farmer allowed 12 runs in 9.1 IP in four games LY, two of which were starts; he is 5-1, 2.98 in nine AAA starts this season.

Wilson is 1-1, 4.74 in his last three starts; five of his last seven stayed under.

Detroit lost seven of last ten games against the Angels; five of last six series games stayed under total. Tigers are 5-3 in last eight games; four of their last five stayed under. Angels lost four of last five games; three of their last four stayed under the total.

Indians @ Mariners
Kluber is 2-0, 0.72 in his last three starts, all of which stayed under.

Paxton is 3-0, 1.59 in his last five starts; five of his last eight went over.

Cleveland lost three of last four games with Seattle; five of last six series tilts stayed under. Indians on seven of last nine games; seven of their last ten stayed under total. Mariners won five of last six games; four of their last six games stayed under.

White Sox @ Orioles
Sale is 1-1, 2.63 in his last three starts, all of which stayed under total. Beck is 3-2, 3.30 in eight AAA starts this season- this is his MLB debut.

Wilson is making first MLB start; he's thrown two innings in relief, is 2-4, 3.29 in eight AAA starts this season. Wright has thrown 14.1 scoreless innings in his first two MLB starts.

Chicago lost its last five games with Baltimore; under is 6-3-1 in last 10 series games. White Sox lost seven of last nine games; eight of their last 10 games went under the total. Orioles won five of last seven home games; four of their last five games overall stayed under

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Pitt-SD-- Burnett 5-4; Kennedy 2-5
Atl-SF-- Miller 8-1; Heston 6-3

Bos-Tex-- Rodriguez 0-0; Martinez 8-1
NY-A's-- Sabathia 3-6; Graveman 3-2
Det-LAA-- Farmer 0-0; CJWilson 4-5
Clev-Sea-- Kluber 2-8; Paxton 4-5
Chi-Balt-- Sale 5-3; Beck 0-0; Wilson 0-0 Wright 1-1

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Pitt-SD-- Burnett 0-9; Kennedy 3-7
Atl-SF-- Miller 1-9; Heston 1-9

Bos-Tex-- Rodriguez 0-0; Martinez 1-9
NY-A's-- Sabathia 3-9; Graveman 3-5
Det-LAA-- Farmer 0-0; CJWilson 1-9
Clev-Sea-- Kluber 4-10; Paxton 4-9
Chi-Balt-- Sale 5-8; Beck 0-0; Wilson 0-0 Wright 0-2

**StarDust Bum** · 05-28-2015, 11:49 AM

MLB

Thursday, May 28

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

1:05 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. BALTIMORE
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Chi White Sox's last 10 games
Chi White Sox are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games
Baltimore is 5-0 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi White Sox
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Baltimore's last 5 games

4:05 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. BALTIMORE
Chi White Sox are 1-4-1 SU in their last 6 games ,
Chi White Sox are 1-3-1 SU in their last 5 games ,when playing on the road against Baltimore
Baltimore is 2-3-1 SU in its last 6 games ,
Baltimore5-0-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing Chi White Sox

8:05 PM
BOSTON vs. TEXAS
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Boston's last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Boston's last 10 games when playing on the road against Texas
Texas is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Texas's last 10 games when playing at home against Boston

10:05 PM
NY YANKEES vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of NY Yankees's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 5 games when playing on the road against Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland's last 5 games when playing at home against NY Yankees
Oakland is 1-6 SU in its last 7 games at home

10:05 PM
DETROIT vs. LA ANGELS
Detroit is 3-13 SU in their last 16 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Detroit's last 6 games when playing LA Angels
LA Angels are 9-1 SU in their last 10 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of LA Angels's last 20 games

10:10 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. SAN DIEGO
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games when playing on the road against San Diego
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against San Diego
San Diego is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 9 of San Diego's last 13 games at home

10:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. SEATTLE
Cleveland is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 6 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Seattle's last 6 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Seattle's last 8 games when playing at home against Cleveland

10:15 PM
ATLANTA vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Atlanta's last 10 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
Atlanta is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games on the road
San Francisco is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Francisco's last 6 games at home

**StarDust Bum** · 05-28-2015, 11:50 AM

MLB

Thursday, May 28

MLB roundup: A-Rod moves past Gehrig in RBIs

NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez moved past Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig into third place on the all-time RBI list with a three-run homer in the bottom of the third inning and the New York Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals with a 4-2 victory Wednesday.

Rodriguez entered Wednesday tied with Babe Ruth for second on the all-time RBI list after reaching 1,992 RBIs with a seventh-inning single in Friday's loss to the Texas Rangers. Rodriguez drove a 0-1 slider from Chris Young (4-1) over the left field wall that moved him past Gehrig and gave him 1,995 RBIs.

It also was Rodriguez's 665th home run and 2,880th hit, putting Rodriguez 20 shy of joining Derek Jeter as the only Yankees to reach 3,000 hits. Rodriguez added his 2,881st hit with a single in the seventh and finished the game one behind Barry Bonds, who is well behind Hank Aaron (2,297).

Michael Pineda (6-2) bounced back from two sub-par outings and allowed one run and six hits in 6 2/3 innings.

Tigers 3, A's 2

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Yoenis Cespedes hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning to power Detroit over Oakland.

Cespedes played his first two-plus major-league seasons for the A's before being traded to Boston on July 31. He lined right-hander Dan Otero's 2-2 pitch over the left-field fence with two outs, giving Detroit a 3-0 lead.

A's starter Scott Kazmir threw three shutout innings and held the Tigers hitless but left the game because of tightness in his left shoulder. Kazmir, who made the American League All-Star team last season, struck out four, walked three and threw 47 pitches.

Orioles 5, Astros 4

BALTIMORE -- Chris Davis hit a tiebreaking solo homer with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, his second home run of the game, that lifted Baltimore over Houston.

Astros manager A.J. Hinch brought in left-hander Tony Sipp to face Davis, but the move backfired as he homered on the first pitch to snap a 4-4 tie. Davis also hit a two-run homer off Collin McHugh in the fourth. He has 10 homers and 26 RBIs this season.

The Astros tied the score with a three-run seventh against Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez. Evan Gattis hit a two-run homer to left center, tying the score at 4.

Giants 3, Brewers 1

MILWAUKEE -- Joe Panik hit a two-run homer and Ryan Vogelsong matched a season high with five strikeouts as San Francisco completed a three-game sweep of Milwaukee.

Panik collected two hits and erased a 1-0 Milwaukee lead in the fifth inning when he homered off Mike Fiers, who was starting on short rest in place of Wily Peralta and struck out six in his five-inning stint, allowing eight hits without a walk.

Vogelsong gave up five hits and didn't walk a batter to win his third consecutive road start. He improved to 4-0 with a 1.13 ERA in five May starts after beginning the season 0-2.

Mets 7, Phillies 0

NEW YORK -- Rookie right-hander Noah Syndergaard did it all in his fourth major league start, throwing 7 1/3 shutout innings and delivering three hits, including a long homer, in New York's win over Philadelphia.

The Mets scored once in the first inning, three times in the third and once apiece in the fourth, fifth and sixth in sweeping a three-game series from the Phillies at Citi Field for the second time this season.

Syndergaard (2-2) allowed six hits and walked none while striking out six in pitching beyond the sixth inning for the first time as a big-leaguer. He allowed just two runners to get into scoring position.

Indians 12, Rangers 3

CLEVELAND -- Cleveland belted three home runs, including a three-run shot by Carlos Santana in an eight-run third inning, to roll over Texas.

The win snapped Texas' seven-game winning streak. It was the last day of a road trip for Texas and the last day of a 4-2 homestand for the Indians, who pounded out 17 hits, including home runs by Santana, Nick Swisher and Lonnie Chisenhall.

Right-hander Carlos Carrasco (6-4) pitched eight innings to get the win. He gave up one run on five hits, with eight strikeouts and one walk.

Twins 6, Red Sox 4

MINNEAPOLIS -- Aaron Hicks and Eddie Rosario homered and right-hander Phil Hughes pitched 6 2/3 innings to help Minnesota beat Boston.

The Twins got their first sweep of Boston in nearly a decade, when they took three from the Red Sox in June of 2006 at the Metrodome. It was also the Twins' fifth consecutive win overall and seventh in their last eight games.

Dustin Pedroia homered twice for the Red Sox, who had lost just four times total in five previous series at Target Field since 2010. It was Pedroia's second multi-homer game of the season and first since Opening Day.

Mariners 3, Rays 0

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- For eight innings, Tampa Bay's Chris Archer and Seattle's Felix Hernandez threw shutout gems, taking a scoreless stalemate into the ninth.

Then the Rays went to the bullpen, and reliever Brad Boxberger gave up a three-run homer to Nelson Cruz as the Mariners won to sweep the three-game series.

Hernandez (8-1) pitched a four-hitter for his second complete-game shutout of the season and earned his first win at Tropicana Field. He struck out eight and walked one. Archer allowed only two hits, walked none and struck out 12, matching a career high.

Rockies 6, Reds 4

CINCINNATI -- Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon homered, and right-hander Kyle Kendrick pitched seven strong innings, lifting Colorado over Cincinnati in the finale of a three-game series.

Todd Frazier and Tucker Barnhart homered for the Reds, who have lost 10 of 11. The Reds halted a nine-game losing streak on Tuesday, their longest since 1998.

Kendrick (2-6) allowed one run through seven innings before giving up three earned in the eighth as the Rockies took the series. He walked one and struck out one over just 75 pitches.

Pirates 5, Marlins 2

PITTSBURGH -- Jung Ho Kang's two-run single capped a five-run rally in the seventh inning as Pittsburgh ran its winning streak to a season-high six games.

The Pirates trailed 2-0 with two outs and none on in the seventh when Chris Stewart and pinch hitter Jose Tabata hit consecutive singles off left-handed reliever Mike Dunn to put runners on the corners.

Right-hander Sam Dyson (2-2) relieved and gave up back-to-back RBI singles to Josh Harrison and pinch hitter Pedro Alvarez that tied the score. Dyson then walked Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte to force in the go-ahead run and Kang greeted righty Carter Capps with his two-run single to center to extend his hitting streak to nine games.

White Sox 5, Blue Jays 3

TORONTO -- Adam LaRoche drove in the go-ahead run in the 10th inning and Chicago snapped a four-game losing streak.

Jose Abreu led off the 10th with a triple to right field against Blue Jays right-hander Roberto Osuna (1-1) and LaRoche singled to right to give Chicago a 4-3 lead. Gordon Beckham doubled home pinch-runner Emilio Bonifacio as the White Sox ended the Blue Jays' three-game winning streak.

Right-hander David Robertson (4-1), who gave up the tying homer to Josh Donaldson in the ninth, picked up the win.

Cardinals 4, Diamondbacks 3

ST. LOUIS -- Peter Bourjos' hard but clean slide into home plate forced a throwing error from catcher Jordan Pacheco in the bottom of the ninth, scoring Matt Carpenter with St. Louis' winning run.

With the bases loaded and one out, Jhonny Peralta bounced the first pitch to third baseman Yasmany Tomas. The throw home forced Bourjos, but Bourjos knocked Pacheco's legs out from under him, and Pacheco's throw to first sailed down the right field line as Carpenter trotted home.

Jason Heyward led off the ninth with a 423-foot, game-tying solo homer off closer Brad Ziegler that curved inside the right field foul pole, Heyward's fifth of the year.

Nationals 3, Cubs 0

CHICAGO -- Bryce Harper hit his 18th home run, and Max Scherzer struck out a season-high 13 in seven scoreless innings as Washington beat Chicago.

Scherzer (6-3) scattered five hits walked just one as he won his fifth straight start while the Nationals took two of three from the Cubs. Drew Storen worked the ninth inning for his 16th save.

Harper slammed a leadoff home run in the sixth inning off Jon Lester as the Nationals opened a 2-0 lead. He is tied with Seattle's Nelson Cruz for the major league lead in homers.

Padres 5, Angels 4

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Andrew Cashner gave up three runs in seven innings and got key hits from Justin Upton and Matt Kemp as San Diego beat Los Angeles.

Angels starter Garrett Richards was his own worst enemy, committing two errors, including one while fielding a bunt in the seventh inning that led to two unearned runs. That was when Upton and Kemp came through with back-to-back, two-out, RBI singles that turned a 3-3 game into a 5-3 Padres lead. Those hits also knocked Richards out of the game.

Richards (4-3) got the loss after giving up five runs (three earned) in 6 2/3 innings.

Braves 3, Dodgers 2

LOS ANGELES -- Cameron Maybin homered, and Atlanta avoided a three-game sweep by holding off Los Angeles.

Braves starter Alex Wood (3-2) limited the Dodgers to a run for seven innings, striking out six, walking two and scattering seven hits. Jim Johnson pitched a perfect eighth, fanning two batters, before Jason Grilli survived a rocky ninth for his 14th save.

Grilli served up a solo home run to left fielder Alex Guerrero, his ninth this season, and a single to pinch hitter Andre Ethier before forcing Ethier at second and inducing pinch hitter Alberto Callaspo, who made his Dodger debut, to fly out to center.

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The Bum's Best Bets For Thursday Mayl 28th - MLB - NBA -NHL !

The Bum's Best Bets For Thursday Mayl 28th - MLB - NBA -NHL !

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