The Bum's Best Bets For Saturday May 30th - MLB - NBA -NHL !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Nationals (28-19) at Reds (19-27)
Game: 2
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: May 30, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

Failing to homer for the first time in three games in one of his toughest ballparks to hit, Bryce Harper took exception when the Cincinnati Reds plunked him late in the series opener.

The superstar slugger will look to respond and help the Washington Nationals avoid their first back-to-back losses in a month Saturday at Great American Ball Park.

Harper had homered in two straight games and was hitting .460 with 13 homers over his previous 19 before going 1 for 4 with a strikeout in Friday's 5-2 loss to the previously struggling Reds (20-27).

Although he has NL bests of 18 home runs and 43 RBIs, the two-time All-Star is 7 for 41 (.171) with one homer in 10 games at Cincinnati. Among NL parks, he's only posted worse averages at Milwaukee (.120) and San Francisco (.160).

Harper wasn't happy when Tony Cingrani hit him in the back with his first pitch in the seventh inning, staring at the pitcher while taking his time going down the line. He also had an animated chat with Joey Votto at first base.

'What are you going to do?' Cingrani said. 'He should've jogged. Be a baseball player. Sorry I hit you. Run.'

Washington (28-20) hasn't dropped two straight since a six-game skid from April 22-27, but appears to have a good chance to bounce back with a 22nd victory in 29 games. Probable starter Gio Gonzalez is 2-1 with a 1.06 ERA in five career starts against the Reds, posting 10.59 strikeouts per nine innings and limiting them to a .138 batting average.

The left-hander has gone at least seven innings in four of those meetings and he'll look to go deep again after the bullpen worked seven innings Friday after Stephen Strasburg left in the second with neck tightness.

After allowing 11 runs over 10 innings in his previous two starts, Gonzalez (4-2, 4.53 ERA) got back on track by giving up one run and striking out seven over 6 1-3 innings in Sunday's 4-1 home win over Philadelphia.

"I just think he established the low strike," manager Matt Williams told MLB's official website, "which helps with his breaking ball because it's a big, sweeping breaker that gets down below the zone and his changeup."

Todd Frazier is 0 for 5 when facing Gonzalez, but he moved closer to Harper's home run total Friday with a third homer in four games for his 15th overall. Votto, who had a first-inning solo shot, is 3 for 10 with a homer in this matchup.

It's unclear when Brandon Phillips will return to the lineup after missing the past three starts with a turf toe injury.

The Reds had been outscored 66-29 during a 1-10 stretch before plating five runs for the first time in nine games.

They'll try to provide more scoring for Raisel Iglesias (1-1, 4.26), who was shaky Sunday while filling in for injured ace Johnny Cueto. The rookie right-hander needed 84 pitches to get through three innings, allowing two runs in a 5-2 loss at Cleveland.

Iglesias faces the Nationals for the first time as Cueto is not yet ready to return due to inflammation in his pitching elbow.

Washington won't have Jayson Werth for an extended period after learning the outfielder broke his left wrist two weeks ago. Werth was batting .208 with two homers and 12 RBIs when he got hurt May 15.

Ian Desmond is batting .352 over a 13-game hitting streak after going 2 for 5 Friday.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Nationals at Reds
Fri, May 29 - Final 2 - 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Nationals at Reds
Sat, May 30 - 4:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Nationals at Reds
Sun, May 31 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: White Sox (21-25) at Astros (30-18)
Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: May 30, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

While leading hitter Avisail Garcia could return to the lineup for the Chicago White Sox, a nagging injury to reigning AL Rookie of the Year Jose Abreu has left his immediate status uncertain.

Regardless of who is in the lineup Saturday, the visiting White Sox likely face a difficult task against Houston Astros ace Dallas Keuchel.

Leading the club with eight home runs and 29 RBIs, Abreu is day to day after leaving Friday's 6-3, 11-inning victory with an irritation to his right index finger that has given him problems of late.

Garcia, meanwhile, appears set to play after missing five games with knee inflammation. Hitting .327, Garcia took batting practice Friday and was available to pinch hit.

'It was very encouraging watching him run around ... looks like it would be (Saturday) to have him start again,' manager Robin Ventura said of Garcia, who is batting .406 with three homers and 11 RBIs in 19 road games.

Geovany Soto, who entered Friday's game when catcher Tyler Flowers moved to first base in place of Abreu, delivered a two-run, go-ahead double in the 11th to help Chicago (22-25) improve to 3-3 on an 11-game trip.

'We had to start moving guys all over the place trying to figure out who you've got, who's available,' Ventura said. 'It was a nice win.'

Though Soto is 2 for 12 versus Keuchel (6-1, 1.98 ERA), Garcia homered for his one hit in two at_bats against the left-hander.

After losing at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 21, Keuchel went 8-0 with a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts before he yielded a pair of two-run homers and four other hits over eight innings of Monday's 4-3 loss at Baltimore.

"You're going up against professional hitters and if you don't locate, even if you get the ball up, quarter inch, inch above what you want, guys can get under that pitch," he told MLB's official website. "I think I still pitched well overall."

Manager A.J. Hinch isn't concerned.

"Every starter that goes out wants to try to win. He's no exception,' Hinch said. 'That's the first blemish on a record that's been really awesome this year.'

With Keuchel 5-0 and boasting a 1.61 ERA in his last eight home starts, Hinch should have every reason to believe he'll bounce back. Keuchel still leads the AL in opponent batting average (.190) and ranks among the major league leaders in ERA and innings (72 2-3).

Keuchel, 1-1 with a 3.97 ERA versus Chicago, will try to help Houston (30-19) avoid just its second three-game skid of the season as it faces Jose Quintana (2-5, 4.67).

The left-hander allowed seven runs in six-plus innings of Sunday's 8-1 defeat to Minnesota, but he's posted a 1.29 ERA while splitting his last two on the road. Quintana has received one run or no runs of support in five of his last seven outings.

He's 1-0 with a 3.63 ERA in four starts against the Astros, who had 10 hits but went 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position Friday.

With two RBIs, Chris Carter has six in the last four games and is batting .364 in his last six contests. He's 1 for 7 with a double and four strikeouts versus Quintana.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
White Sox at Astros
Fri, May 29 - Final 6 - 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
White Sox at Astros
Sat, May 30 - 4:10PM EDT

GAME 3
White Sox at Astros
Sun, May 31 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Red Sox (22-26) at Rangers (23-25)
Game: 3
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: May 30, 2015 7:15 PM EDT

The surprising Texas Rangers are providing hope for a rebirth during their hot streak and with the return of Josh Hamilton.

Now they're adding some more intrigue by calling up top prospect Alex "Chi Chi" Gonzalez for his much-anticipated debut.

After Hamilton's big day helped evened the series, Gonzalez will try to make a strong first impression with the club as the Rangers seek their ninth win in 11 games Saturday night against the visiting Boston Red Sox.

Following five straight winning seasons that included two World Series appearances, Texas fell to the bottom of the AL West with 95 losses last year. It looked like more of the same in 2015 when the club got out to a 16-23 start.

The Rangers (24-25), however, ran off seven straight wins before snapping a two-game slide with Friday's 7-4 victory. Hamilton, the 2010 AL MVP for Texas, hit two home runs in his second home game since being re-acquired last month.

"I said in my press conference before my first game here I can be the player I once was," he told MLB's official website. "I really feel that way so it's good to do things in front of the home crowd that I have done before."

Gonzalez will try to keep the club rolling as he makes his debut in what appears to be his rotation spot to lose.

The team's No. 1 draft pick in 2013 out of Oral Roberts, the 23-year-old went 3-5 with a 4.15 ERA in eight starts at Triple-A Round Rock, though he had gone 2-1 with a 2.20 mark in his past three.

He was the Rangers' minor league pitcher of the year last season, when he went a combined 12-6 with a 2.66 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 138 2-3 innings between Double-A Frisco and High-A Myrtle Beach.

"It is a combination of his pitch mix and his maturity," general manager Jon Daniels said. "He is going to give us a chance to win and compete, and we also see him getting better at the big league level."

The right-hander may have to cool off Hanley Ramirez, who has gone 4 for 8 with two home runs and a double in this series. He's now 9 for 19 with four homers and nine RBIs in five career games in Arlington.

The Red Sox (22-27) are hoping to avoid their eighth loss in 11 games by giving the ball to red-hot Wade Miley (4-4, 4.47 ERA). He has a 1.25 ERA over a three-start winning streak after going 1-4 with a 6.91 mark over his first six.

He allowed two runs over seven innings in a 4-3 home win over Texas on May 19 before retiring the first 14 batters Sunday and giving up one run and four hits over eight in a 6-1 victory against the visiting Angels.

"Well, it comes down to fastball command," manager John Farrell said. "Even when he's gotten a couple of guys on base, he hasn't overthrown as we saw maybe back in April. He's turned things around personally this month, that's pretty clear."

Miley is 1-1 with a 1.84 ERA in two career meetings with the Rangers dating to his time with Arizona. Carlos Corporan is 2 for 2 with a home run off him, while Prince Fielder has gone 2 for 4 with a double.

Fielder, the AL's batting leader at .364, is hitting .484 with three homers over his last seven games.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Red Sox at Rangers
Thu, May 28 Final 5 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Red Sox at Rangers
Fri, May 29 - Final 4 - 7
Boxscores • Recaps

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]

Preview: Royals (28-18) at Cubs (25-21)
Game: 2
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: May 30, 2015 7:15 PM EDT

The Kansas City Royals' lineup hasn't been performing consistently lately but had one of its better efforts in the series opener against the Chicago Cubs.

They might have an opportunity to build on their showing with Alex Rios expected to return from injury Saturday night at Wrigley Field.

Kansas City (29-18) is batting .246 and averaging 3.5 runs in its last 11 games, a significant decrease from its .291 average and 5.1 runs per contest in its first 36. The Royals have scored three runs or fewer seven times in the last 11, including each of their season-high four consecutive losses.

They ended that skid with an 8-4 victory over the Cubs on Friday and totaled 11 hits with a trio of solo homers. Kansas City also benefited from a pair of Chicago errors in their highest-scoring performance since a 12-1 win over the New York Yankees on May 15.

The Royals look to improve to 6-1 against the NL in Rios' scheduled return from a fractured left hand. The outfielder hasn't played since getting hit by a pitch in Minnesota on April 13 and the career .279 hitter was batting .321 with eight RBIs in his first seven games with the team.

"He was really swinging the bat good when he left," manager Ned Yost said. "But it may take him some time."

Yost gives the ball to Yordano Ventura, who is seeking a second win in eight starts. The right-hander threw seven innings in a 3-0 victory against Cincinnati on May 19 but took a 6-1 loss to St. Louis on Sunday, allowing four runs in seven innings.

Ventura (3-4, 4.64 ERA) is pitching his first game in Chicago since the Royals' bench-clearing brawl with the White Sox on April 23, which led to a seven-game suspension. He's appeared to calm down following three confrontations in his first four games.

Ventura will make his first start against the Cubs (25-22), who are batting .206 while averaging 3.0 runs during a 4-7 stretch. Chicago, the majors' leader with 466 strikeouts, has fanned 29 times in the past two games with 15 Friday.

"They showed why they went to the World Series last year. We showed why we're not ready yet," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.

Tsuyoshi Wada (0-0, 2.70) will make his first start versus the Royals after Jason Hammel was pushed back to Sunday.

The left-hander has pitched in two games since returning from a strained groin and yielded one run in 5 1-3 innings in Monday's 2-1 loss to Washington. He has struck out 15 over 10 innings and while right-handed hitters are batting .194 (6 for 31) with a home run and double against him, lefties are 2 for 5 with a homer and double.

The Royals rank second in the majors with a .293 average against southpaws.

The only Cubs to face Ventura - Dexter Fowler, Miguel Montero and David Ross - are a combined 5 for 10 with one home run and two doubles.

Montero is batting .370 with a home run and five doubles while hitting safely in 11 of his last 12 games against the Royals.

Kansas City's Omar Infante is hitting .371 in his past 18 versus the Cubs.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Royals at Cubs
Fri, May 29 - Final 8 - 4

GAME 2
Royals at Cubs
Sat, May 30 - 7:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Royals at Cubs
Sun, May 31 - 2:20PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dodgers (28-18) at Cardinals (31-16)
Game: 2
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: May 30, 2015 7:15 PM EDT

To Matt Carpenter, the St. Louis Cardinals' level of confidence in Michael Wacha is so high that it feels like they're going to win every time he takes the mound.

It seems that way because they have.

The Cardinals have won each of Wacha's nine starts this season and 11 in a row dating to September, a streak that will become the best by a St. Louis pitcher in a decade with another victory Saturday night against a Los Angeles Dodgers team that's in a historic road scoring slump.

Carpenter's praise came after Wacha (7-0, 2.14 ERA) held Kansas City to an unearned run over seven innings Sunday in a 6-1 victory, the second time in as many starts he's recorded 21 outs after doing so just three times in 19 outings in 2014.

Wacha now tries to become the first Cardinals pitcher to go 8-0 since Matt Morris in 2005 and the first to start 12 straight St. Louis victories since Chris Carpenter's club-record 17-game streak that same year.

"We continue to watch him improve," manager Mike Matheny told MLB's official website. "We've watched Michael be very special in some big situations as a young pitcher. As he has been able to add confidence and add pitches ... we're watching him take advantage. We just want to keep him moving in a positive direction and thinking about what's the next step."

St. Louis (32-16) has given Wacha an absurd 6.87 runs of support per nine innings, but there are also individual reasons to expect some regression. After striking out 9.05 per nine as a rookie and 8.27 before suffering a shoulder injury last season, Wacha's rate is down to 5.46 - 109th of the 128 pitchers in baseball to make at least seven starts.

His ERA is fifth in the NL but his 3.68 FIP is 27th. Batters are hitting .258 with no one on base against Wacha but just .149 with runners on - the latter a major-league best. Pedro Martinez (.160 in 2000) is the only starter since 1974 to hold opponents under .170 with men on base.

This will be the Dodgers' first look at Wacha in the regular season, but it's not their first time stepping in against him. Wacha dominated Los Angeles (28-19) in the 2013 NL championship series, pitching 13 2-3 scoreless innings and allowing just two hits over seven in a 9-0 Game 6 win that sent the Cardinals to the World Series.

He might be catching the Dodgers at the right time again. Los Angeles hasn't scored a run on the road in 37 consecutive innings after Friday's 3-0 loss. That's the franchise's longest road drought since at least 1912 and tied for the longest by any major league team since the 1985 Braves went 46 straight without scoring.

'I don't know about a rut,' manager Don Mattingly said after being ejected for arguing balls and strikes. 'I just look at this one and we didn't do enough to win.'

The Cardinals, winners of five straight, have never seen Carlos Frias (3-2, 5.34) before, and based solely on his last outing most Dodgers fans probably don't want to see him again. After posting a 2.82 ERA in his first four starts, Frias matched a franchise record for earned runs allowed by giving up 10 in four-plus innings of Sunday's 11-3 loss to San Diego.

"That's part of the game," Frias said. "These days are going to happen to anyone. I just have to be ready for the next one."

Carpenter, Jason Heyward, Kolten Wong and Jon Jay - who came off the disabled list Friday and had a pinch-hit single - should be itching to get in the lineup Saturday. In Frias' 10 outings between the majors and minors this season, left-handers are hitting .372 with a .967 OPS.

It's unclear if Matt Holliday, who has reached base in a team-record 43 straight games, will play after sitting out Friday with flu-like symptoms.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Cardinals
Fri, May 29 - Final 0 - 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Dodgers at Cardinals
Sat, May 30 - 7:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Dodgers at Cardinals
Sun, May 31 - 2:15PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Tigers (28-21) at Angels (24-24)
Game: 3
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: May 30, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

Although all eyes were on former AL MVPs Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera heading into this series, it's been a three-time NL MVP who has sparked a pair of victories for the Los Angeles Angels.

Albert Pujols will try to homer for a third straight game against the slumping Detroit Tigers on Saturday night when the Angels look to continue their dominance in the series in Anaheim.

Cabrera took home AL MVP honors in 2012 and 2013 before Trout broke through last season, but both have been relatively quiet at Angel Stadium.

Trout has gone 2 for 8 with a double, leaving him 4 for 30 in his last eight games versus Detroit (28-22). Cabrera has a single and two walks in four at_bats and is 5 for 32 with one homer in his past nine against the Angels.

Pujols has stolen the show by going 4 for 6 with two home runs and scoring four runs in the series. He hit his 10th homer of the season and the 530th of his career in Friday's 2-0 victory.

The 35-year-old is hitting .395 with 10 home runs in 35 career regular-season meetings with Detroit.

'It's a long season, so I just try to stay positive all the time and have quality at_bats,' Pujols said.

The Angels (25-24) now look to take the first three of this series with their 12th win in 13 home meetings.

Los Angeles starters have excelled at home with a 1.87 ERA over the last 20 games. That's a trend Jered Weaver (3-4, 4.06 ERA) might be able to continue since he's gone 52-20 with an AL-best 2.39 ERA in 97 home starts since 2009.

After going 0-4 with a 6.29 ERA in his first six starts, Weaver has regained the form that led to 18 wins last season. He's 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA in his last four starts after allowing one run over 6 2-3 innings in Monday's 4-3 home win over San Diego.

The right-hander finished with a season-high seven strikeouts but did not get a decision. He's 1-0 with a 1.38 ERA in his last two meetings with the Tigers, whom he hasn't faced at home since 2010.

Ian Kinsler has gone 4 for 8 off him the past two seasons, but is mired in a 1-for-26 slump over his last seven games.

Yoenis Cespedes, who fanned with the bases loaded in the eighth inning Friday, is 4 for 12 with two doubles versus Weaver since 2013. Cabrera has gone 1 for 8 in the matchup since 2010.

The Tigers are batting .181 while totaling six runs in the first four games of their seven-game trip. They've also scored four runs during a five-game skid in Anaheim and are just 15-43 at Angel Stadium since 2002.

'We're not hitting,' said manager Brad Ausmus, whose club has lost five of seven. 'It's no secret, so we've got to try to do something on the bases and try to score somehow.'

Detroit will try to turn things around for Shane Greene (4-3, 4.27), who faces the Angels for the first time.

The right-hander took a shutout into the sixth Monday but didn't make it out of the inning, surrendering all four runs in a 4-0 loss at Oakland. He had given up just three runs over his previous 24 2-3 innings spanning four starts.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Tigers at Angels
Thu, May 28 Final 2 to 12
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Tigers at Angels
Fri, May 29 - Final 0 - 2
Boxscores

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

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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Braves (23-24) at Giants (29-20)
Game: 3
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: May 30, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

Tim Lincecum has twice concluded May with an ERA under 3.00, and both times he also ended the season below that mark.

It'll take quite a bit more work for that to happen this season, but if he's able to finish his month there in Saturday night's outing against the Atlanta Braves, the San Francisco Giants starter should have a decent chance to claim two other feats. Lincecum has never won five straight home starts, and he'll also have a shot at establishing his top home scoreless run ever.

"The evolution of the last few years has been pretty rocky, so I'm taking what I've got going right now as a definite plus," Lincecum told MLB's official website after his last home start.

The right-hander's April and May of the previous three seasons resulted in a 9-14 record and 5.04 ERA in 33 starts. Lincecum (5-2, 2.56 ERA) was 5-4 with a 2.22 ERA through May in 2011, which led to a 2.74 season mark. He also did it in 2008.

This season has been a return to that early season form, particularly at AT&T Park with a 4-1 record, a 1.13 ERA and a scoreless streak of 22 innings - the longest active home mark in the majors. His personal-best run went 27 innings from June 13-July 11 of last year.

He's also gone 4-0 with a 2.05 ERA in five starts this month and has a shot at going unbeaten in six straight starts for the first time since going 10 from Oct. 1, 2009-May 20, 2010.

However, he is coming off one of his worst starts of the season. Lincecum surrendered four runs - all on three homers - in Monday's 8-4 win in Milwaukee but still came away with the decision.

He won both of his starts against Atlanta last season while allowing two runs in 13 2-3 innings to improve to 9-6 with a 2.76 ERA in 15 career matchups. Andrelton Simmons (1 for 9), Cameron Maybin (4 for 24), Eric Young Jr. (4 for 21), Chris Johnson (3 for 15) and Freddie Freeman (4 for 19) have all struggled against the two-time Cy Young Award winner.

After Friday's 4-2 win secured at least a split in the series, the Giants (30-20) have won five straight with a 2.00 ERA while limiting opponents to a .180 average. Over a 13-2 run, they've averaged 6.27 runs and batted .306 to move back into first place.

Buster Posey was 2 for 4 with a home run, double and three RBIs. Brandon Crawford went 2 for 4 to boost his average to .393 over his last 14 games, and the career .248 hitter has a .342 average in 21 games against the Braves.

San Francisco has won 11 of 14 over Atlanta, including seven of eight at AT&T Park with the Braves averaging 2.13 runs and batting .172.

Atlanta (23-25) has dropped four of five to begin a 10-game road trip, and it's been limited to 1.63 runs and a .188 average in the last eight games. A.J. Pierzynski was 0 for 3 Friday to dip to 1 for 21 in his last six.

Williams Perez will try to slow the Giants and earn his first big league win in his third start. Perez (0-0, 4.05) has been impressive in his first two starts with two runs allowed in 11 innings with 14 strikeouts. In Monday's 6-3 loss at the Los Angeles Dodgers, the 24-year-old gave up a run and seven hits in six innings.

"He mixes his pitches really well," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He's not afraid to throw his secondary stuff when he's behind in the count. That takes a while for even the most veteran pitchers. So far, I've liked the way he's pitched and progressed."


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Braves at Giants
Thu, May 28 Final 0 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Braves at Giants
Fri, May 29 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores

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

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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Indians (22-25) at Mariners (23-24)
Game: 3
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: May 30, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Since being called up to make his season debut late last month, Roenis Elias has made the most of his opportunity with the Seattle Mariners.

The left-hander looks to continue his success while trying to win a third straight start Saturday night against the visiting Cleveland Indians.

Since Hisashi Iwakuma suffered a lat injury that's likely to keep him out until around the All-Star break, Elias (2-1, 2.56 ERA) has more than filled that void. After going 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in his first three starts, Elias is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA in the last three.

"Any time you lose a guy of Iwakuma's status, that's a big hit," manager Lloyd McClendon told MLB's official website. "But it was nice to have this young man there waiting in the wings. And he hasn't disappointed."

Elias has allowed a run in each of those last three starts, and three or fewer while going 5-5 in 16 straight - the third-longest such stretch in club history. He lasted six innings of a 4-1 victory at Tampa Bay on Monday.

"I just relax and try to throw strikes and maintain the situation by staying calm," Elias said.

He hopes to fare better than his other start versus Cleveland (22-26) on June 28 when he allowed five runs in six innings of a 5-0 home defeat.

Elias won't have an easy time following up Taijuan Walker's scoreless eight-inning performance during Friday's 2-1 victory. Seth Smith's two-run homer in the sixth helped the Mariners (24-24) win for the sixth time in eight games.

Smith, who batted cleanup for the first time this season, is 7 for 19 in the last six games after going 2 for 15 with six strikeouts in his previous six.

"I told him during batting practice that he was my secret weapon, that they wouldn't know what to think when they didn't see (Nelson) Cruz (batting fourth)," McClendon said. "He didn't disappoint."

Teammate Robinson Cano was held out of the starting lineup for a second straight game because of the flu, but if healthy should be glad to see Cleveland's Shaun Marcum (1-0, 6.28) again. The right-hander hasn't faced Seattle since 2008 or Cano since 2011, but the veteran second baseman is batting .353 (6 for 17) with a double and triple against him.

Marcum yielded two solo homers over 6 2-3 innings to beat the Chicago White Sox when he was recalled from the minors May 20, then gave up seven runs and two more homers in 2 2-3 innings of a 10-8 loss to Texas on Monday.

'I think the main thing was location,' he said. 'I was up pretty much most of the day even some of the outside I was up in the zone. When you don't throw 95 (mph), not locating and pitching up in the zone it is going to be a tough day.'

Jason Kipnis had one of the three hits Friday for Cleveland, which had its season-high four-game road winning streak snapped. Kipnis leads the majors this month in batting (.445), on-base percentage (.531) and runs (29). His 49 hits in May are the most by an Indian since at least 1914.

"He's in the midst of a really good run here,' manager Terry Francona said. 'Right now you're seeing a good player who feels good, and fun to watch."

Kipnis scored Friday on a ninth-inning triple by Ryan Raburn, who was stranded to end the game.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Indians at Mariners
Thu, May 28 Final 5 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Indians at Mariners
Fri, May 29 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

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

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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Pirates (25-23) at Padres (24-26)
Game: 3
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: May 30, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Though the Pittsburgh Pirates' weeklong-winning streak has ended, Charlie Morton hopes his success has just begun.

Looking to help the visiting Pirates bounce back, Morton tries to build on a stellar season debut Saturday night against the San Diego Padres.

Anxious to return from hip surgery that ended his 2014 campaign in mid-September, Morton overcame eight hits by giving up two runs and not walking a batter in eight innings of Monday's 4-2 victory at Miami.

'I think it was just a relief,' said the right-hander, who went 6-12 with a decent 3.72 ERA in 26 starts but matched a career high for losses last season.

'I knew my stuff was pretty good during rehab starts," he added. "I knew I was getting ground balls and swings and misses. I knew it was good enough to get big league hitters out but to go out and do it is really (something different).'

After spending time this spring refining his mechanics, Morton believes he's improved but remains far from a polished product.

'My stroke is a little bit better, more fluid,' he said. 'My timing is a little bit better. My direction. Everything is a little bit better overall. Those are things I can keep tweaking, fine tuning and get better."

Morton is 2-0 with a 2.61 ERA at Petco Park, where Pittsburgh's seven-game winning streak ended with Friday's 6-2 defeat. The Pirates (25-23) averaged 6.6 runs and 10.7 seven hits during their run but managed only six hits Friday, highlighted by Pedro Alvarez's two-run single in the third.

Pittsburgh held that 2-0 lead until Abraham Almonte's two-run double in the seventh. Derek Norris belted a grand slam with two outs in the ninth after striking out in his first four at_bats to become the first player to record such a game since Mark Teixeira for Texas on May 25, 2003.

"The great thing about this game is you continue to play the game the right way and you continue to bust your butt and play the game hard and good situations come up and you stay confident in yourself," Norris said.

He was more thrilled with the way the Padres (24-26) rallied for their third win in four games.

"We've got a lot of competitors," Norris said. "We've got a lot of guys who love to play baseball. We've got a lot of grinders."

Tyson Ross (2-4, 3.84 ERA) is one of those players.

Despite giving up a season-high 10 hits, San Diego's Tyson Ross (2-4, 3.84) allowed two earned runs and one walk while not factoring in the decision of Monday's 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. Though Ross is second in the majors with 30 walks, he was pleased with his overall control while yielding two earned runs for the sixth time in his 10 starts.

"If I can stay right there, let the defense work behind me, the results are going to be pretty positive," Ross told MLB's official website.

The right-hander is 1-1 with a 3.72 ERA in three starts versus Pittsburgh.

Though Alvarez is 1 for 5 with a triple against Ross, he's batting .391 with eight RBIs in his last seven contests.

Teammate Gregory Polanco is 2 for 3 with a home run and double versus Ross.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Pirates at Padres
Thu, May 28 Final 11 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Pirates at Padres
Fri, May 29 Final 2 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

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

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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Yankees (25-24) at Athletics (19-32)
Game: 3
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: May 30, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

Little has gone right for the Oakland Athletics this season, but things may be looking up as they close in on their first home series win of the year.

Their latest triumph again came at the expense of the New York Yankees, who can bounce back Saturday night after yet another loss - a result all too familiar in recent weeks.

Following a 2-14 stretch, Oakland (19-32) has won five of seven and the first two of its series with the Yankees (25-24).

Sonny Gray pitched eight strong innings, Brett Lawrie hit his fourth home run and Stephen Vogt drove in two runs as part of a four-run third in Friday's 6-2 victory. Oakland has won back-to-back home games for the first time this season, and a victory Saturday will give the A's their first series win at the O.co Coliseum since Sept. 19-21.

'We're getting leads now, we're holding them, we're getting better at_bats, we're getting breakthrough hits, cleaner games defensively for the most part,' manager Bob Melvin said. 'A lot of things that have been our Achilles heel, we're starting to get better at.'

The Athletics have enjoyed tremendous starting pitching over this seven-game stretch with a 1.01 ERA. Jesse Hahn (2-4, 3.69 ERA) has the best outing of that run and takes the mound again Saturday.

After failing to pitch into the eighth inning in any of his previous 20 career starts, Hahn went the distance Monday and allowed only four hits and a walk in a 4-0 win over Detroit.

"All the way around, he was terrific," Melvin said. "I think he realizes now that when he has good stuff he needs to throw it over the plate. That allows him to go deep into games. ... When he has that good sinker, he has the ability to do what he did today."

New York (25-24) has again fallen off after a three-game home sweep of Kansas City and has now lost 12 of 16.

Coming off one of his best starts of the season, Nathan Eovaldi (4-1, 4.27) could turn the tides. After failing to make it out of the fifth at Washington on May 19, the right-hander held the Royals to a run over seven innings in Monday's 14-1 win.

"I thought he used his curveball effectively. He got some strikeouts with his split. I thought he mixed his pitches really well today," manager Joe Girardi said of Eovaldi, the beneficiary of a 7.01 run-support average that's among the highest in the majors. "When he has his offspeed and can throw it for strikes, he's really effective."

Brian McCann could provide Eovaldi with some more help Saturday. He has homered in four straight games and has driven in a run in every contest during a seven-game hitting streak in which he's batting .391.

The last Yankee to homer in five consecutive games was Alex Rodriguez from Sept. 4-9, 2007.

'I've been making small adjustments here and there,' said McCann, who was hitting just .188 on the road prior to this series. 'Honestly, I feel like I've been swinging the bat well all year. Now I'm kind of getting more lift in my swing and the ball's leaving the ballpark.'


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Yankees at Athletics
Thu, May 28 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Yankees at Athletics
Fri, May 29 Final 2 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

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

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

[StarDust Bum]

Interleague Results

The 2015 MLB regular season will usually feature at least one Interleague game every day. All teams will play exactly 20 Interleague games broken down into eight series, four at home and four on the road.

AMERICAN LEAGUE RESULTS (2013-2015)

Team 2013 2014 2015 (Home-Away)

Baltimore Orioles 11-9 12-8 (0-0, 1-4)

Boston Red Sox 14-6 9-11 (2-1, 2-1)

Chicago White Sox 8-12 11-9 (2-1, 2-1)

Cleveland Indians 11-9 10-10 (4-2, 0-0)

Detroit Tigers 12-8 12-8 (1-2, 4-2)

Houston Astros 8-12 5-15 (1-1, 3-0)

Kansas City Royals 9-11 15-5 (4-1, 0-0)

Los Angeles Angels 10-10 12-8 (3-2, 0-3)

Minnesota Twins 8-12 9-11 (0-0, 2-0)

New York Yankees 9-11 13-7 (2-1, 0-2)

Oakland Athletics 13-7 13-7 (0-0, 0-0)

Seattle Mariners 8-12 9-11 (1-1, 0-3)

Tampa Bay Rays 12-8 10-10 (0-0, 3-2)

Texas Rangers 10-10 10-10 (0-0, 1-1)

Toronto Blue Jays 11-9 13-7 (1-2, 0-0)

AL Totals 164-146 163-137 (21-14, 18-19)


NATIONAL LEAGUE RESULTS (2013-2015)

Team 2013 2014 2015 (Home-Away)

Arizona Diamondbacks 11-9 7-13 (1-1, 0-0)

Atlanta Braves 11-9 7-13 (1-1, 2-1)

Chicago Cubs 13-7 9-11 (0-0, 0-0)

Cincinnati Reds 11-9 6-14 (0-0, 1-7)

Colorado Rockies 5-15 7-13 (0-0, 0-2)

Los Angeles Dodgers 12-8 11-9 (3-0, 0-0)

Miami Marlins 9-11 13-7 (3-3, 0-0)

Milwaukee Brewers 6-14 11-9 (1-2, 2-1)

New York Mets 11-9 11-9 (2-0, 1-2)

Philadelphia Phillies 7-13 7-13 (1-2, 0-0)

Pittsburgh Pirates 15-5 11-9 (1-4, 0-0)

St. Louis Cardinals 10-10 8-12 (1-2, 3-3)

San Diego Padres 8-12 9-11 (0-3, 3-2)

San Francisco Giants 6-14 10-10 (3-0, 1-1)

Washington Nationals 11-9 10-10 (2-0, 1-2)

NL Totals 146-164 137-163 (19-18, 14-21)

Updated - Thu May 28, 2015, 6:30 PM ET

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Saturday

May 30, 2015


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Blue Jays are 11-0 (+$1,147) since 2008 if not a 135+ dog when facing an AL team following a win where they trailed by at least four runs, but were not down more than four after five innings.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- When Jose Quintana starts the White Sox are 0-11 OU since August 11, 2013 when their team used 5+ pitchers yesterday and scored less than seven runs for a net profit of $1100 when playing the under.

MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

-- The Blue Jays are 1-12 (+$1,270) since August 2010 if not a 230+ favorite after a game where they got a complete game from their starter who threw at least 106 pitches, if did not trail by 3+ runs after seven innings.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Mariners are 0-10 OU since July 12, 2009 as a home favorite after a win as a favorite in which they scored in at most two separate innings and it is not the in the first game of a series.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Cardinals are 10-0 since September 26, 2014 when Michael Wacha starts for a net profit of $1051.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, May 30


National League
Rockies @ Phillies
de la Rosa is 1-1, 4.79 in his last three starts; his last four went over.

Harang is 2-2, 2.45 in his last five starts; three of his last four stayed under.

Colorado is 4-5 in last nine games with Philly (over 6-3); Rockies won five of last six games- six of their last nine went over. Phillies lost seven of their last eight games overall.

Nationals @ Reds
Gonzalez is 1-0, 6.61 in his last three starts; three of his last four went over.

Iglesias is 1-1, 3.38 in his first three MLB starts (under 2-1).

Nationals won 21 of last 28 games; seven of their last eight stayed under. Cincinnati lost 10 of last 12 games; Reds are 5-3 in last eight games with Washington; last five series games stayed under the total.

Marlins @ Mets
Koehler is 1-0, 1.89 in his last three starts; over is 5-3 in his last eight.

Niese is 0-3, 10.13 in his last three starts; all three went over.

Miami lost five of last eight games with New York; seven of last 11 in series went over total. Marlins are 9-15 on road; they lost eight of last 11 games overall, with five of last six staying under. Mets are 20-7 at home; they won three of last four games, allowing eleven runs- five of their last six games went over the total.

Diamondbacks @ Brewers
Hellickson is 1-1, 5.73 in his last six starts (over 3-2-1).

Lohse is 2-1, 4.07 in his last four starts; over is 4-1-1 in his last six at home.

Arizona lost three of last five games with Milwaukee; road team won six of last seven series games. D'backs lost four of last six games; three of last five stayed under total. Brewers lost their last six games, scoring 16 runs.

Dodgers @ Cardinals
Frias is 0-2, 7.88 in his last three starts; three of his last four went over.

Cardinals are 9-0 when Wacha starts (3-0, 1.99 in last five).

Dodgers haven't scored a run in last four road games; they lost six of last eight games with St Louis; seven of last nine in series stayed under total. Cardinals won last five games; under is 6-1-1 in their last eight.

Pirates @ Padres
Morton allowed two runs in seven IP (87 PT) in his first '15 start. .

Ross is 1-1, 3.75 in his last four starts; over is 3-1 in his last four at home.

Pirates won seven of last eight games, but lost four of last six vs San Diego; last three series games went over. Padres won four of last six games overall, with last three going over.

Braves @ Giants
Perez allowed two runs in 11 IP in his first two MLB starts (0-0).

Lincecum is 4-0, 2.05 in his last five starts (under 3-1-1).

Braves lost seven of last eight games with San Francisco; nine of last 12 in series stayed under total. Atlanta lost four of last five games overall. Giants won ten of last 12 games; six of their last nine games went over.

American League
Rays @ Orioles
Ramirez is 2-1, 4.05 in his four starts (over 2-2).

Chen is 0-2, 4.26 in his last three starts; under is 3-1-1 in his last five.

Rays lost last six games, scoring ten runs; under is 6-2-1 in their last nine games. Orioles won three of last four games (under 6-2 in last eight). Tampa Bay lost six of last eight games with Baltimore; last five series games stayed under the total.

Red Sox @ Rangers
Miley is 3-0, 1.25 in his last three starts; his last five stayed under.

CCGonzalez is making MLB debut; he is 3-5, 4.15 in eight AAA starts in '15.

Boston lost seven of last ten games; they lost three of last four games with Texas- under is 6-2-1 in last nine series games. Rangers won eight of last 10 games; under is 6-5 in their last eleven games.

Blue Jays @ Twins
Sanchez is 1-2, 4.58 in his last three starts; three of his last four went under.

Gibson is 3-1, 1.32 in his last five starts; three of his last four went over.

Toronto won four of its last five games; they lost four of last six games with Minnesota; in last six games, under is 3-2-1. Twins won five of last six games, allowing 17 runs; four of their last five games went over.

White Sox @ Astros
Quintana is 1-4, 3.66 in his last five starts; five of his last six stayed under.

Keuchel is 3-1, 4.23 in his last four starts; four of his last five home starts stayed under.

White Sox lost seven of last 11 games; seven of those 11 stayed under the total- they're 6-3 in last nine games against Houston- five of last seven series games went over. Astros won seven of last nine home games; three of their last five at home stayed under.

Bronx @ A's
Eovaldi is 1-1, 4.82 in his last three starts; three of his last four road starts stayed under the total.

Hahn is 1-1, 1.80 in his last two starts; three of his last four home starts went over the total.

Bronx lost 16 of last 21 games with Oakland; nine of last twelve series games went under. Bombers lost nine of last ten road games; four of their last six overall stayed under. A's won five of last seven games-- under is 7-2-1 in their last ten games.

Tigers @ Angels
Greene is 1-1, 2.52 in his last four starts; four of his last five stayed under.

Weaver is 3-0, 1.50 in his last four starts; his last five stayed under.

Detroit lost nine of last 12 games against the Angels; six of last eight series games stayed under total. Tigers lost five of last seven games; five of their last seven stayed under. Angels won last two games, allowing two runs; four of their last six stayed under the total.

Indians @ Mariners
Marcum is 1-0, 8.68 in his first two starts this season.

Elias is 2-0, 1.35 in his last three starts; his last six stayed under.

Cleveland lost seven of last 11 games with Seattle; six of last eight series games stayed under. Indians won eight of last 11 games; three of their last five games went over total. Mariners won six of last eight games; five of their last eight games stayed under.

Interleague
Royals @ Cubs
Ventura is 1-1, 2.57 in his last two starts; under is 4-2-1 in his last seven.

Wada is 0-0,, 2.70 in his two starts; his last three starts stayed under.

Royals lost four of last five games, outscored 33-13; under is 4-2-1 in their last seven games. Cubs lost four of last five games, with four of last five staying under. Cubs are 6-5 in last 11 games vs KC, but teams haven't played since '11- those were only three series games since '01.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Col-Phil-- de la Rosa 2-4; Harang 5-5
Wsh-Cin-- GGonzalez 7-2; Iglesias 1-2
Mia-NY-- Koehler 4-5; Niese 3-6
Az-Mil-- Hellickson 3-6; Lohse 4-6
LA-StL-- Frias 2-3; Wacha 9-0
Pitt-SD-- Morton 1-0; Ross 4-6
Atl-SF-- Perez 1-1; Lincecum 5-4

TB-Balt-- Ramirez 3-2; Chen 5-4
Bos-Tex-- Miley 5-4; CCGonzalez 0-0
Tor-Min-- Sanchez 4-5; Gibson 5-4
Chi-Hst-- Quintana 3-6; Keuchel 8-2
NY-A's-- Eovaldi 5-4; Hahn 2-7
Det-LAA-- Greene 6-4; Weaver 5-5
Clev-Sea-- Marcum 1-1; Elias 2-4

KC-Chi-- Ventura 4-5; Wada 1-1

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Col-Phil-- de la Rosa 3-6; Harang 2-10
Wsh-Cin-- GGonzalez 1-9; Iglesias 0-3
Mia-NY-- Koehler 0-9; Niese 4-9
Az-Mil-- Hellickson 4-5; Lohse 4-10
LA-StL-- Frias 2-5; Wacha 3-9
Pitt-SD-- Morton 1-1; Ross 3-10
Atl-SF-- Perez 2-2; Lincecum 2-9

TB-Balt-- Ramirez 3-5; Chen 2-9
Bos-Tex-- Miley 2-9; CCGonzalez 0-0
Tor-Min-- Sanchez 3-6; Gibson 1-9
Chi-Hst-- Quintana 5-9; Keuchel 2-10
NY-A's-- Eovaldi 5-9; Hahn 3-9
Det-LAA-- Greene 2-10; Weaver 3-10
Clev-Sea-- Marcum 1-2; Elias 2-6

KC-Chi-- Ventura 3-9; Wada 1-2

Umpires
Col-Phil-- Four of last five Barry games stayed under.
Az-Mil-- Four of six Blakney games stayed under.
Wsh-Cin-- Three of last four Fletcher games stayed under.
Mia-NY-- Six of last seven Dimuro games stayed under.
LA-StL-- Pattillo is working first game of year; under was 8-6 in his '14 tilts.
Atl-SF-- Five of last seven LBarrett games stayed under.
Pitt-SD-- Five of last six Tumpane games stayed under.

Tor-Minn-- Underdogs won four of last seven Barksdale games.
TB-Balt-- Six of seven Carapazza games stayed under.
Chi-Hst-- Favorites won seven of eight Morales games.
Bos-Tex-- Favorites won last five Segal games.
NY-A's-- Last seven Demuth games went over total.
Det-LA-- Three of last four Cuzzi games went over total.
Cle-Sea-- Five of last six Kellogg games stayed under.

KC-Cubs-- Underdogs won last five Dreckman games.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Saturday, May 30

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
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2:10 PM
TORONTO vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 5 games on the road
Toronto is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Minnesota is 6-19 SU in its last 25 games when playing at home against Toronto
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing at home against Toronto

3:05 PM
COLORADO vs. PHILADELPHIA
Colorado is 6-13 SU in its last 19 games on the road
Colorado is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Philadelphia is 15-5 SU in its last 20 games when playing at home against Colorado
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 6 games at home

4:05 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. BALTIMORE
Tampa Bay is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Baltimore
Tampa Bay is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Baltimore is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Baltimore's last 7 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

4:10 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. HOUSTON
Chi White Sox are 8-3 SU in their last 11 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Chi White Sox's last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games when playing at home against Chi White Sox
Houston is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games at home

4:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. CINCINNATI
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games on the road
Washington is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 5 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 5 games when playing at home against Washington

4:10 PM
ARIZONA vs. MILWAUKEE
Arizona is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Arizona is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
Milwaukee is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing Arizona
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 6 games when playing at home against Arizona

4:10 PM
MIAMI vs. NY METS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games
Miami is 3-11 SU in its last 14 games
NY Mets are 13-6 SU in its last 19 games when playing Miami
The total has gone OVER in 14 of NY Mets's last 18 games when playing Miami

7:15 PM
BOSTON vs. TEXAS
Boston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 6 games when playing Texas
Texas is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas's last 6 games when playing Boston

7:15 PM
LA DODGERS vs. ST. LOUIS
LA Dodgers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games when playing St. Louis
St. Louis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing LA Dodgers

7:15 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. CHI CUBS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Kansas City's last 6 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
Kansas City is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Chi Cubs are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games at home

10:05 PM
NY YANKEES vs. OAKLAND
NY Yankees are 2-10 SU in their last 12 games when playing Oakland
NY Yankees are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games on the road
Oakland is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
Oakland is 7-16 SU in its last 23 games

10:05 PM
ATLANTA vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Atlanta's last 12 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing on the road against San Francisco
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of San Francisco's last 9 games when playing Atlanta
San Francisco is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Atlanta

10:05 PM
DETROIT vs. LA ANGELS
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit's last 5 games when playing LA Angels
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Detroit's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Angels's last 8 games at home
LA Angels are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games at home

10:10 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. SAN DIEGO
Pittsburgh is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
Pittsburgh is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing San Diego
San Diego is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
San Diego is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games at home

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

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Saturday, May 30

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MLB betting cheat sheet: Strasburg enduring stretch of futility
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Here's a comprehensive look at betting notes for this weekend’s major-league schedule:

What’s wrong with Strasburg?

Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals is 3-5 with a 6.50 ERA this season. He has turned in only one quality start (back on April 19) and has lasted more than 5.1 innings only twice. Strasburg will get another shot on Friday at the Cincinnati Reds. The over is 5-1 in Strasburg’s last six starts overall and 5-0 in his last five road starts.

Break up the Twins!

The Minnesota Twins are on an American League-best current winning streak of five games and have surged into a tie for first with the Kansas City Royals in the AL Central. Minnesota has scored 23 runs in its last four contests (3-1 O/U).

Juan gone

The Los Angeles Dodgers shipped veteran third baseman Juan Uribe to the Atlanta on Wednesday. Actually, with the Braves already in town for a three-game series, he was simply shipped across the infield to the other dugout. Uribe (.238, 1 HR, 6 RBI) went 0-for-3 in his debut on Wednesday. Fellow third baseman Chris Johnson was activated from the disabled list on Wednesday and some kind of platoon is expected.

Pitching Notes

* Outside of maybe the Dodgers’ Zack Greinke, no National League pitcher has been as consistently dominant as Pittsburgh Pirates’ starter A.J. Burnett. The 38-year-old is 4-1 with a 1.37 ERA and has turned in eight consecutive quality starts. He will get the nod again on Thursday night at the San Diego Padres. The Pirates are 6-0 in their last six overall and the under is 8-2 in their last 10 road games.

* Jeremy Guthrie of the Royals is coming off a miserable performance in which he gave up 11 runs on nine hits, three walks, and four homers in just one inning of a 14-1 loss at the New York Yankees on Monday. Guthrie, whose next start will come at the Chicago Cubs on Sunday afternoon, has an 8.17 ERA on the road in 2015 (thanks mainly to the aforementioned outing). He is sporting a 9.78 ERA in day games.

Hitting Notes

* Nobody is hotter at the moment than Texas Rangers’ first baseman Prince Fielder (.368, 10 HR, 38 RBI). He is on a six-game hitting streak with 15 hits, five home runs, and 15 RBIs in those five. Fielder has hit safely in 15 of his last 16 games and in 24 of his last 26 outings. He is batting .396 in May with nine dingers and 28 RBIs. The Rangers have won seven of their last eight games.

* The Milwaukee Brewers are the worst team in baseball with a winning percentage of .333 (16-32). They have lost five games in a row and have scored a total of 11 runs in those games. Three everyday players (Carlos Gomez, Aramis Ramirez, and Luis Sardinas) are hitting worse than .190 over the past seven days.

Totals Streak

Miami Marlins (25-21-2 O/U): The Marlins may go over the total more often than not, but the under has been dominant of late. It is 5-0 in Miami’s last five overall and 9-2 in the team’s last 11 games. The fish crossed the plate a total of five times in this week’s three-game sweep at the hands of the Pittsburgh Pirates. They have scored more than two runs only once in their last five outings.

Weather Note

* According to forecasts, wind will be blowing in from right field at 11 miles per hour in Arlington when the Texas Rangers host the Boston Red Sox Thursday.

Injury Notes

* The Cincinnati Reds’ pitching staff is banged up, to the extent that manager Bryan Price has no idea who is going to take the mound on Sunday against Washington. Johnny Cueto (elbow) and Jason Marquis (unspecified) are both in the mix. Marquis’ ERA (6.46) more than doubles that of Cueto (3.03).

* Toronto Blue Jays’ designated hitter Jose Bautista (.230, 7 HR, 30 RBI) is back after missing two games with a shoulder injury. The 34-year-old wasted no time producing, as he went 3-for-4 with three doubles and five RBIs in a 10-9 win over the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday.