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**StarDust Bum** · 06-01-2015, 01:03 AM

Preview: Blue Jays (23-28) at Nationals (28-21)
Game: 1
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: June 01, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Jordan Zimmermann has been the Washington Nationals' most consistent pitcher behind Max Scherzer, giving his club a chance to win virtually every time out.

His performance Monday night against the Toronto Blue Jays might not matter if Washington's bullpen can't recover from a terrible few days.

The Nationals (28-22) have dropped four of five and were swept in three games by Cincinnati over the weekend. Relievers gave up six runs in two innings in Sunday's 8-2 loss, and allowed 14 over 11 2-3 in the series. The bullpen came in with a 2.98 ERA, the seventh-lowest in baseball.

Washington relievers have recorded 27 1-3 innings over the last eight games.

"They've been pushed with the short starts and the spot start. They've been pushed a lot on this road trip," manager Matt Williams said.

Bryce Harper returned to the lineup after he was scratched Saturday due to a sore back, but was 0 for 2 with two walks. He hit .360 with 13 homers and 28 RBIs for the month of May and was 7 for 13 in his only three games versus Toronto in 2012.

Zimmermann (4-2, 3.26 ERA) has logged eight consecutive quality starts and is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA in his last three. Washington lost for the first time in six starts by the right-hander Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs, though he only allowed one run over seven innings in the 3-2 defeat. In the six starts in which Zimmermann hasn't recorded a victory, he's received a combined 12 runs of support.

Zimmermann, looking for a 16th straight quality start at Nationals Park, is 6-0 with a 1.95 ERA in nine career interleague outings there, winning each of the last four. In his only matchup with Toronto on June 19, 2009, Zimmermann yielded a run over 5 2-3 innings in a 2-1, 11-inning win.

The Blue Jays (23-29) have dropped three of four, though Josh Donaldson enters the series on a tear. The third baseman is 11 for 25 with six homers, two doubles, 11 RBIs and 11 runs over his last six games.

"He's got that knack, and that's why he's an elite player," manager John Gibbons said. "And that's not easy to do consistently like he's doing. Thank God we've got him."

Toronto is an AL-worst 5-15 on the road since April 24 with starters posting a 6.17 ERA. The Nationals have won eight of nine at home.

R.A. Dickey (2-5, 5.77) has struggled for much of the season and has a 7.92 ERA over his last four games, surrendering seven homers in 25 innings. He gave up five runs over five innings in a 10-9 win against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, not picking up a decision.

Dickey is 0-3 with 7.43 ERA in four road starts, and 4-6 with a 3.73 ERA in 15 career games against the Nationals, though he hasn't faced them since with the New York Mets on Sept. 11, 2012.

Jose Reyes, 10 for 29 in six games since returning from a cracked rib, is 8 for 22 off Zimmermann, last facing him in 2012.

Toronto leads the all-time series 33-28, though Washington has won six of the last seven meetings while limiting the Blue Jays to three runs or fewer in each victory.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Blue Jays at Nationals
Mon, Jun 1 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Blue Jays at Nationals
Tue, Jun 2 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Blue Jays at Nationals
Wed, Jun 3 - 7:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-01-2015, 01:05 AM

Preview: Twins (29-19) at Red Sox (22-28)
Game: 1
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: June 01, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins are rolling into June following one of their most successful months in the past quarter century and will get to face a team they swept last week, the Boston Red Sox.

Mike Pelfrey outdueled Clay Buchholz in the middle game of that series, and the two pitchers will square off again Monday night at Fenway Park.

Minnesota (30-19) went 20-7 in May for its most wins in a month since going 22-6 in June 1991. The Twins also moved into first place this late into a season - a half game ahead of Kansas City - for the first time since winning its most recent division title in 2010, and are off to their best start since winning 33 of 49 in 2001.

"We're doing some good things, but it's your ability to find a way to stay with what's making you successful, and I'm not going to get too far ahead of myself," manager Paul Molitor said.

Molitor's team claimed its seventh win in eight games Sunday by rallying for a 6-5 victory over Toronto. Torii Hunter hit the go-ahead, two-run double in the seventh and Trevor Plouffe had a two-run homer.

Plouffe has two hits in five of his last seven contests and is batting .379 with seven RBIs in that stretch. He went 4 for 13 in the three-game sweep against Boston and is batting .333 in his last seven matchups with five multihit games.

The Twins were swept in three games in their most recent visit to Fenway from June 16-18 but will enter this series having won nine of 13 on the road.

Pelfrey (4-1, 2.77 ERA) will try to add to that mark with another superb outing against the Red Sox (22-29) following a 2-1 victory Tuesday. He yielded one run in seven innings while Buchholz gave up both Minnesota runs in the first in an outing that lasted 7 1-3 innings.

"That happens," Buchholz told MLB's official website "I've gotten a lot of wins whenever I've given up four, five or six runs. It'll turn around."

Pelfrey has yielded two runs or fewer and pitched at least six innings in five of his last seven starts. Buchholz (2-6, 4.33) has a 1.99 ERA in his last three games, pitching at least 7 1-3 innings in each, but has gotten a combined three runs of support and suffered back-to-back defeats.

Buchholz is winless in his last five starts against Minnesota despite posting a 2.97 ERA and has received a total of nine runs to work with.

Pelfrey will try to keep Buchholz's run support low again while sending the Red Sox to their seventh loss in eight games and a season high-tying fourth straight. Boston was one out away from victory Sunday in Texas but Koji Uehara gave up Josh Hamilton's two-run double in a 4-3 defeat, his second blown save in 12 chances.

Dustin Pedroia, batting .357 in his last 10 games, will try to help his teammate end that drought by adding to his .345 career average versus Minnesota. He went 5 for 12 with two homers last week in Minnesota.

Kurt Suzuki is hitting .417 in a 13-game hit streak versus the Red Sox but batting .192 in his last seven overall contests. He's 9 for 18 lifetime against Buchholz.

Plouffe is 3 for 16 but had two hits off the right-hander Tuesday.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Twins at Red Sox
Mon, Jun 1 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Twins at Red Sox
Tue, Jun 2 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Twins at Red Sox
Wed, Jun 3 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Twins at Red Sox
Thu, Jun 4 - 4:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-01-2015, 01:07 AM

Preview: Cubs (25-22) at Marlins (20-30)
Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: June 01, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Mother nature helped Jason Hammel get an extra two days of rest, and the Chicago Cubs are hoping that's enough for him to resume what has been an excellent season.

Hammel looks to remain consistent Monday night as he takes the mound for the visiting Cubs against the Miami Marlins.

Hammel (3-2, 2.98 ERA) has completed seven or more innings in five of his last six starts, though he lost for the first time in that span last Sunday. He gave up four runs over seven innings while striking out a season-high nine in a 4-3 defeat at Arizona.

The right-hander has set a high standard for himself through the season's first two months, as the four runs allowed matched the most he has surrendered this year. All four came in the first three innings, during which he allowed five hits. He didn't give up another hit.

"I adjusted where I was throwing (the) first pitch," he told MLB's official website.

Hammel was initially slated to pitch Saturday but was pushed back to give him extra time to heal a cracked fingernail. Saturday's rainout delayed his start another day with Tsuyoshi Wada starting Sunday versus Kansas City. He won his lone start with six-plus days' rest this season, but he's 9-10 with a 5.09 ERA in 32 such outings for his career.

Limiting walks has been a big key to Hammel's success this year. His 1.04 walks per nine innings are a career low, and he has issued seven bases on balls after walking 13 through his first nine outings in 2014.

He's 1-3 with a 4.86 ERA in eight games against the Marlins, including six starts, only winning in 2011 with Colorado.

Chicago (26-22) had dropped seven of 11 prior to Sunday's 2-1, 11-inning victory against the Royals. The Cubs walked off on David Ross' single, though they're still averaging just 2.2 runs over the last six games with 39 strikeouts in the last three.

Starlin Castro was 0 for 3 but has eight doubles and two home runs with nine RBIs in his last 10 meetings with Miami.

The Marlins (20-31) were unable to sweep the New York Mets, losing 4-3 Sunday, their 15th defeat in 20 games. Giancarlo Stanton was 0 for 4 after Saturday's two home runs, though he has five homers in his last five home games versus Chicago.

Justin Bour hit his fifth home run and has gone deep in each of his last three games. The rookie is 24 for 65 (.369) this season.

Jose Urena (0-1, 9.39) is trying to bounce back after a rough first career start Tuesday. He gave up five runs and 10 hits over 4 2-3 innings in a 5-1 loss at Pittsburgh, but he didn't sound overly discouraged.

"I was confident in what I was doing today," said Urena, whose call-up from Triple-A was prompted by injuries to Henderson Alvarez and Mat Latos. "It didn't work out for me."

Rookie starters are 1-2 against the Cubs but have limited them to four earned runs over 17 1-3 innings.

Dee Gordon is 8 for 17 over his last four games and has stolen seven bases in 10 career games against the Cubs.

Chicago has won 10 of the last 15 meetings.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cubs at Marlins
Mon, Jun 1 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Cubs at Marlins
Tue, Jun 2 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Cubs at Marlins
Wed, Jun 3 - 7:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-01-2015, 01:09 AM

Preview: Orioles (23-25) at Astros (31-19)
Game: 1
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: June 01, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Brett Oberholtzer hopes the second time is the charm, at least, in terms of returns from the same injury this season.

The Houston Astros hope for no setbacks as Oberholtzer makes his second start of the season Monday night against the visiting Baltimore Orioles.

Oberholtzer (0-0, 3.00 ERA) comes off the disabled list for a second time. He initially suffered a blister on his left index finger, then re-aggravated the injury in his season debut on May 13. He gave up a run in a 4-3 win against San Francisco, leaving after three innings.

The left-hander allowed one earned run over 4 2-3 innings in a 6-1 loss for Triple-A Fresno on Wednesday and said he felt fine after a Friday bullpen session.

"He hasn't had any problems," manager A.J. Hinch told MLB's official website. "We were going to have him make another start in the minor leagues, but it didn't pan out that way. It will be nice to have him back."

Oberholtzer's earlier-than-expected return to the rotation is due to the loss of Scott Feldman, who is expected to miss six weeks after he underwent knee surgery Friday.

He won both previous starts versus Baltimore, yielding one run and seven hits over 14 innings.

Houston (31-20) could use a strong start from Oberholtzer given its recent offensive struggles. The Astros lost 6-0 to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday and have totaled 17 runs while going 10 for 56 (.179) with runners in scoring position during a 2-4 stretch. Evan Gattis is 13 for 28 with eight extra-base hits in his last seven games, but 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position with five strikeouts in that span.

Ubaldo Jimenez (3-3, 3.14 ERA) faces the Astros for the second time in less than a week. He gave up four runs and a season-high 10 hits over seven innings in a 5-4 victory on Wednesday, not recording a decision. Gattis hit a two-run homer against him.

Jimenez is 4-0 with a 2.56 ERA in 10 career starts versus Houston, but hasn't gotten a decision since 2012. Colby Rasmus was 3 for 4 off him and is 13 for 31 (.419) lifetime against the right-hander with eight extra-base hits, including six doubles.

Baltimore (23-26) is hoping to get Adam Jones back after he sat out for the second straight game in Sunday's 9-5 loss to Tampa Bay. He sprained his left ankle sliding into home Thursday against the Chicago White Sox, though MRI results were encouraging.

"Nothing structurally, in pretty good shape there," manager Buck Showalter told MLB's official website.

Showalter said he might use Jones as designated hitter if it means a quicker return. Jones has hit .217 over his last 17 games, dropping his season average from .357 to .304. He's 15 for 71 (.211) in 19 games against the Astros and 1 for 6 off Oberholtzer.

Baltimore could use Jones' bat, considering it totaled seven runs in dropping two of three to the Rays, and six of those runs came on homers.

"We've got to keep swinging the bats," said Manny Machado, who homered twice Sunday after going 2 for 23 in his previous six. " ... We've just got to keep swinging the bats and at the end of the day, it's all about the 'W.'"

Also slumping for the Orioles is Jimmy Paredes, who has gone 1 for 20 with 11 strikeouts to drop his average from .353 to .314.

This marks Baltimore's first game outside of the Eastern time zone.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Orioles at Astros
Mon, Jun 1 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Orioles at Astros
Tue, Jun 2 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Orioles at Astros
Wed, Jun 3 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Orioles at Astros
Thu, Jun 4 - 2:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-01-2015, 01:11 AM

Preview: Brewers (16-34) at Cardinals (32-17)
Game: 1
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: June 01, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The St. Louis Cardinals have won each of their last six series against the Milwaukee Brewers and virtually all signs point to that run continuing this week.

The top team in the majors will also seek its seventh win in eight games Monday night against the team with MLB's worst record, who could also be weary after ending a seven-game skid.

St. Louis (33-17) has taken 13 of 19 over Milwaukee (17-34) and won two of three in each of the two series this season, both in April. The Cardinals will take a 20-6 home record into this one following Sunday's 3-1 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

St. Louis took two of three from the Dodgers despite producing seven runs. The Cardinals, who have an MLB-best 2.73 ERA, gave up six runs and only a solo homer kept them from their second shutout in the series Sunday.

"Every series is huge and when you play really good teams, it goes a long way coming down the stretch," outfielder Jason Heyward said.

They'll next face a Brewers team that's batting a major league-worst .228 and is near the bottom with 3.8 runs per game. Milwaukee had a season-high 16 hits in the end to its lengthy skid Sunday but needed 17 innings for a 7-6 victory over Arizona.

The team is expected to get Jonathan Lucroy back from a fractured left toe Monday but Adam Lind might sit because of a sore back. Lucroy, who hasn't played since April 20, hit .301 with 53 doubles and 69 RBIs in 2014 but was batting .133 in 12 games this season.

"To me, we're getting one of the best players in the game back playing again," manager Craig Counsell told MLB's official website. "(He's) one of the best catchers in the game. That's something worth putting a smile on your face."

Jaime Garcia (1-1, 3.46 ERA) will try to stifle Lucroy and the Brewers with a better performance than in his most recent outing. The left-hander, though, earned his first win of the season with a 6-4 victory over Arizona on Tuesday.

Garcia gave up four runs in six innings after allowing two runs in seven innings May 21 in his return from surgery on his pitching shoulder, a 5-0 loss to the New York Mets.

He's facing the Brewers for the first time since May 17, 2013, and is 6-4 with a 3.39 ERA in 14 career starts including two in the 2011 NLCS.

The Brewers were slated to start Matt Garza but needed him to pitch the final five innings in Sunday's marathon. Mike Fiers (1-5, 4.53) is expected to start Monday and will pitch on normal rest.

The right-hander was given three days off before allowing two runs and eight hits over five innings in a 3-1 loss to San Francisco on Wednesday.

He's 2-2 with a 1.78 ERA in six career starts against St. Louis, but lasted just four-plus innings in his latest matchup, a 6-3 victory April 26.

It's unclear if he'll have to face Matt Holliday, who has reached base safely in a franchise-record 44 consecutive games to begin this season. The Cardinals outfielder was scratched Sunday because of the flu.

Holliday's streak is the longest in the majors since Derek Jeter's MLB-record 53 games in 1999. He's 1 for 11 with five walks lifetime versus Fiers.

Jhonny Peralta is batting .522 against Milwaukee this season, boosting his average in 30 career matchups to .376.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Brewers at Cardinals
Mon, Jun 1 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Brewers at Cardinals
Tue, Jun 2 - 8:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Brewers at Cardinals
Wed, Jun 3 - 1:45PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-01-2015, 01:12 AM

Preview: Dodgers (29-19) at Rockies (21-26)
Game: 1
Venue: Coors Field
Date: June 01, 2015 8:40 PM EDT

Clayton Kershaw looked like his dominant self from seasons past in his latest outing but takes the ball Monday night on the road, where he has labored at times.

The Los Angeles Dodgers ace will also have to contend with a Colorado Rockies lineup that's been highly productive of late, especially at home.

Kershaw (3-3, 3.86 ERA) fanned 10 in seven innings and walked none in an 8-0 win over Atlanta on Tuesday. His first scoreless effort in 10 starts this season also ended a three-game stretch in which he was 1-1 with a 5.49 ERA.

"His stuff has been similar every time out. I feel like I've had to defend him, but he doesn't need defending," manager Don Mattingly told MLB's official website. "He's been throwing the ball well, and tonight he got the results."

Kershaw has yet to earn a win in his five starts away from Dodger Stadium, going 0-2 with a 5.23 ERA. The left-hander gave up five runs in 5 2-3 innings at Colorado on May 10 as the Dodgers rallied for a 9-5 victory.

Kershaw, though, improved to 7-0 in his last eight starts against the Rockies with a 6-4 win May 15, allowing three runs in 6 2-3 innings while striking out 10.

Los Angeles (29-20), which leads the season series 7-2, won both games at Coors Field in May, and the teams won't meet again until Sept. 14-16 after this four-game series.

Colorado (22-26) has batted .211 and averaged 3.1 runs against the Dodgers this season, but is hitting .286 and averaging 5.8 runs in its last 11 games.

The Rockies, hitting .324 with 39 runs in their past five at Coors Field, are returning home following a seventh win in eight contests and a season high-tying fourth in a row Sunday, a 4-1 victory in Philadelphia.

Nolan Arenado hit a two-run homer - his fifth in seven games - and D.J. LeMahieu went 3 for 4 with a two-run shot. Arenado is batting .429 with 14 RBIs in his last seven games and LeMahieu is batting .380 in his last 13.

"We're just playing good ball right now," Arenado said. "We're pitching great, we're driving in runs when we need to and we've had a lot of success doing that."

LeMahieu is hitting .146 in his last 14 against the Dodgers and is 2 for 14 versus Kershaw in the past two seasons.

Kershaw's team barely avoided getting shut out for the fifth time in six road games Sunday, losing 3-1 to St. Louis. Joc Pederson's homer in the eighth was one of two hits for the Dodgers, who were blanked in a franchise-worst fourth straight road contest Friday.

Kyle Kendrick (2-6, 6.38) will try to add to those woes while building on his first win in nine starts. His 6-4 victory in Cincinnati on Wednesday ended a drought that dated back to his season debut April 6.

Kendrick gave up one run in his first seven innings before getting charged with three in the eighth while recording one out.

The right-hander has mixed results in his two starts against Los Angeles this season. He yielded one run and three hits in seven innings in a 1-0 loss May 17 and gave up six runs in 4 2-3 innings in a 7-3 defeat April 17.

Kendrick is 0-5 with a 5.14 ERA in his last six starts versus the Dodgers, with his last win against them as a starter coming in 2010.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Rockies
Mon, Jun 1 - 8:40PM EDT

GAME 2
Dodgers at Rockies
Tue, Jun 2 - 3:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Dodgers at Rockies
Wed, Jun 3 - 8:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-01-2015, 01:14 AM

Preview: Braves (24-25) at Diamondbacks (23-25)
Game: 1
Venue: Chase Field
Date: June 01, 2015 9:40 PM EDT

Last season, Alex Wood was in mid-season form from the get-go, allowing six runs in his first five starts. This year has been more complicated, but it seems he's regaining form reminiscent of that breakout stretch as a starter.

The Atlanta Braves left-hander takes the mound Monday night in a visit to the Arizona Diamondbacks with a shot at winning three straight starts for the first time in his career.

In the previous two he's allowed three runs in 14 innings with both coming on the road, where Wood (3-2, 3.50 ERA) is 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA over eight unbeaten starts dating to Sept. 6. All three victories have come this season, including a 3-2 win at the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday. Wood gave up a run and seven hits in seven innings for his best outing of the season after missing his previous start because of illness.

"You know it's going to click," Wood told MLB's official website. "It's a matter of when and putting those right parts in place. After tonight and (my recent side sessions), I feel like it's really starting to click."

In four appearances against Arizona, he's 0-1 with two runs allowed in nine innings. Paul Goldschmidt drove in those runs with a home run on July 6 and is 2 for 2 against Wood, though he's limited the Diamondbacks to a .172 average.

The Arizona slugger is coming off a series that might make Atlanta think twice of pitching to him, going 9 for 14 with three home runs, three doubles and four walks in three games in Milwaukee. In Sunday's 7-6 loss in 17 innings, he became the first Diamondbacks player ever to reach base seven times in a game.

Goldschmidt has managed three hits in three straight games twice this season, and dating to the start of the first on April 27, he's batting an NL-best .398.

The Diamondbacks (23-26) won two of three against the Brewers but were 3 for 17 with runners in scoring position Sunday and are 10 for 65 (.154) over a 2-4 span.

For Atlanta (25-25), the opener of the three-game series presents a shot at winning three straight after taking the last two of a four-game set in San Francisco. Sunday's 7-5 victory gave the Braves 15 runs in the wins after scoring a combined 13 over a 3-5 stretch.

Jace Peterson was 2 for 5 with a three-run triple in the ninth inning and went 7 for 17 in the series with two triples and a double. Freddie Freeman wasn't in the lineup but homered for the second time in three games after entering as a defensive replacement. He's a .396 hitter in 24 career games against Arizona.

"Hopefully I can carry the momentum of that home run, and the one a couple of days ago, into Arizona," Freeman said.

The recent surge could be bad news for Archie Bradley, who is 0-2 with an 11.25 ERA in his last four starts. Bradley (2-2, 5.28) surrendered six runs and five hits with three walks in 3 2-3 innings of Tuesday's 6-4 loss in St. Louis.

The last three have come on the road, and the rookie has been substantially better at home at 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA. Control, however, has been absent everywhere with 19 walks in 30 2-3 innings, prompting an assessment.

"I'm not going to say they have been adjusted, but I feel a lot better," Bradley said. "We've slowed some things down, tried to simplify things and made things easier."

The team's greatest concern could be getting innings out of Bradley after the bullpen went 11 1-3 Sunday. That bullpen, though, has been strong over seven games with a 1.42 ERA. Over the last 10, the Arizona rotation has a 5.91 ERA and no starter has made it through seven innings.

The clubs split six games last season, but the Braves have won 15 of the last 22.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Braves at Diamondbacks
Mon, Jun 1 - 9:40PM EDT

GAME 2
Braves at Diamondbacks
Tue, Jun 2 - 9:40PM EDT

GAME 3
Braves at Diamondbacks
Wed, Jun 3 - 3:40PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-01-2015, 01:15 AM

Preview: Yankees (26-24) at Mariners (24-25)
Game: 1
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: June 01, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

The Seattle Mariners have been able to bank on Felix Hernandez for a quality outing and, almost always, a win.

Considering their exhausted bullpen, the Mariners could use another workhorse effort from Hernandez on Monday night against the New York Yankees and Michael Pineda, who faces his former team for the first time.

Seattle (24-26) failed to build on a mid-week sweep at Tampa Bay into a home series with Cleveland, dropping three of four while failing to score more than three runs in any contest.

The last two games took a heavy toll on the Mariners bullpen, as four relievers pitched in Saturday's 4-3 defeat and seven relievers threw seven innings in Sunday's 6-3, 12-inning loss. The bullpen worked 16 total innings over the series, finding respite only behind Taijuan Walker's eight dominant innings in Friday's 2-1 win.

Hernandez (8-1, 1.91 ERA) figures to provide those arms with a needed rest. He is averaging more than seven innings per start and tossed a four-hitter in Wednesday's 3-0 win over the Rays.

Seattle has won nine of Hernandez's 10 starts this season.

"I don't know what to say about the guy," manager Lloyd McClendon told MLB's official website Wednesday. "We need a complete game and he goes out and gives us a complete game. He was phenomenal."

Hernandez threw seven innings of two-run ball to beat the Yankees last June and is 3-0 with a 1.49 ERA in his last five starts in the series.

The Mariners' offense has continued to stumble over its last five games, hitting .192 and scoring 14 runs while striking out 60 times - the most in the majors since Wednesday. Kyle Seager has highlighted the issue, going 3 for 17 with no runs and no RBIs for a Seattle team that ranks among the worst in baseball with 3.7 runs per game.

They'll face Pineda (6-2, 3.36), who seems to have regained his early season form following two subpar efforts. After posting a 1.27 ERA in four starts from April 24-May 10, Pineda allowed 12 runs - nine earned - over his next 11 1-3 innings.

The right-hander bounced back by permitting a run while striking out eight over 6 2-3 innings Wednesday in a 4-2 win over Kansas City.

"You could see the difference," catcher Brian McCann said of Pineda's improvement last week. "There was more tilt. Today was as good as it gets. That's about as well as you can pitch."

This marks his first meeting with the Mariners following his trade to New York in 2012. Pineda was an All-Star in 2011 for Seattle when he notched a 3.03 ERA through his first 18 starts.

New York (26-25) has won two of its last 12 road games and fell 3-0 at Oakland on Sunday. Alex Rodriguez extended his hitting streak to 10 games and tallied two of the team's eight hits, but the Yankees were unable to advance a runner past second base.

"We have to figure out a way to play the same style of baseball at home and on the road," said Rodriguez, who is hitting .405 during his streak. "It's not realistic to play as well on the road, but be a little bit more consistent."

Mark Teixeira is slugging .594 against Hernandez, the highest mark against the right-hander among batters with at least 60 at_bats.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Yankees at Mariners
Mon, Jun 1 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Yankees at Mariners
Tue, Jun 2 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Yankees at Mariners
Wed, Jun 3 - 3:40PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-01-2015, 02:09 AM

Preview: Mets (27-23) at Padres (24-27)
Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: June 01, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

The San Diego Padres could be a much more imposing force in the National League if they can learn to utilize outings from tough-luck Andrew Cashner.

After finally earning a win for the right-hander, the Padres will look to keep their offense rolling into Cashner's start Monday night against the New York Mets, losers of seven straight on the road.

Cashner (2-7, 3.00 ERA) has suffered through a run support average of 2.86 - fifth-worst in the NL - but enjoyed five runs over seven innings of a 5-4 win against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday. He had received only three total runs of support in his previous six starts, spanning 39 innings, all of which were Padres' losses despite Cashner posting a 3.00 ERA in that span.

Cashner has the best ERA and lowest walk rate (2.14 per nine innings) among the team's current rotation.

"He's pitched much better than the record indicates," manager Bud Black told MLB's official website. "At the end of the day, Cash is about the team, about team wins. His individual won-loss record will definitely improve."

San Diego (25-27) provided a great deal of offense for Sunday's starter Odrisamer Despaigne in a 7-1 win over Pittsburgh. Will Middlebrooks hit his seventh home run, Jedd Gyorko drove in two and Derek Norris had two hits and two runs as the Padres split the four-game set.

San Diego had lost seven of nine at home.

'I think we're playing pretty good baseball right now,' said Gyorko, whose RBIs were his first in 11 games. 'The pitchers have been throwing the ball pretty well the last 10 days of so and we're starting to get that timely hitting when we need it. When we put that together, it can be pretty dangerous.'

Unlike his counterpart Monday, Jacob deGrom (5-4, 2.71) has been the beneficiary of 19 runs over his last three starts, all New York wins. That success is not undeserved, though, as the right-hander has allowed only three runs and struck out 26 over his last 21 1-3 innings while issuing one walk.

Though he's never faced the Padres, deGrom has experience against Matt Kemp (2 for 6) and Justin Upton (2 for 9 with five strikeouts).

The Mets (28-23) have never done well at Petco Park, winning only one series (2011) there since it opened in 2004. They've dropped four of five in San Diego, batting .182 and totaling 11 runs.

New York avoided a three-game sweep with Sunday's 4-3 victory over Miami to complete a 4-2 homestand. Wilmer Flores hit his eighth home run and Ruben Tejada delivered a tiebreaking RBI double in the seventh for the Mets, who try to avoid their second eight-game road skid in as many seasons.

Tejada went 5 for 12 in the series with two doubles and four RBIs, and played a flawless third base in place of the injured David Wright.

"Right now, I've got the opportunity to play," Tejada told MLB's official website. "I want to enjoy it and keep working hard."

Cashner made his only start against New York on June 13 and allowed four runs over six innings in a 6-2 loss at Citi Field.

Michael Cuddyer is 4 for 14 with a homer and double against Cashner.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mets at Padres
Mon, Jun 1 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Mets at Padres
Tue, Jun 2 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Mets at Padres
Wed, Jun 3 - 9:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-01-2015, 02:11 AM

Preview: Pirates (26-23) at Giants (30-21)
Game: 1
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: June 01, 2015 10:15 PM EDT

With seven wins through 10 starts, Gerrit Cole has been one of the NL's most reliable starters and is in position to match the top win total in the majors. Even so, he's been overshadowed in his own rotation by the accomplishments of a 38-year-old headed for retirement.

A similar storyline applies in his next pitching matchup with 37-year-old Ryan Vogelsong coming off possibly the best May in the majors.

Consistency meets flavor of the month Monday night in San Francisco as Cole and the Pittsburgh Pirates try to steal the spotlight from the Giants' rejuvenated veteran in a rematch of the 2014 NL wild-card clubs.

Cole (7-2, 2.11 ERA) allowed two solo homers in Wednesday's 5-2 home win over Miami for a second straight victory, but fellow starter A.J. Burnett has won five straight and owns a 1.81 season ERA in what he says will be his final year.

The junior of the two is displaying experienced stuff without surpassing two walks in any of his starts and 15 straight dating to Sept. 7. Over that span, he's issuing 1.58 walks per nine innings after posting a 2.63 mark in the first 36 starts of his career.

"It's a big deal. Free passes tend to hurt you," the right-hander told MLB's official website. "For the most part, just attacking guys and staying down in the zone and forcing early contact keeps guys uncomfortable."

Cole is 2-0 with a 3.14 ERA in two starts against San Francisco with success against Gregor Blanco (0 for 6 with four strikeouts) and Hunter Pence (1 for 6).

It's not just Cole and Burnett carrying the staff. The club's 3.04 ERA ranks second in the majors, though that wasn't apparent in Sunday's 7-1 loss in San Diego.

Pittsburgh (26-24) has still won eight of 10 with a .292 average after posting a .242 mark through 40 games. Francisco Cervelli was 3 for 4 and is batting .449 over 15 games, while Andrew McCutchen is hitting .450 over his last 11. At AT&T Park, though, the former MVP is a .221 hitter in 19 contests.

Vogelsong (4-2, 4.24) came up a win shy of Burnett's 5-0 mark in May, and his 1.14 ERA trailed only Shelby Miller and Zack Greinke for the best in baseball. After allowing a run and six hits in six innings of Wednesday's 3-1 win in Milwaukee, the right-hander is in position to win four straight starts for the first time in his career.

"Just location has been better," said Vogelsong, who's also 2-1 with a 2.06 ERA in seven home starts since the beginning of August. "When I'm mechanically right, I can go out there and make pitches."

The former Pirate is 2-3 with a 3.38 ERA in five starts against Pittsburgh. McCutchen (3 for 14) and Pedro Alvarez (2 for 13 with seven strikeouts) haven't figured him out, but Neil Walker is 7 for 16 with four doubles.

The Giants (30-22) dropped the last two of a four-game set with Atlanta after winning five straight. Even so, they completed a 21-9 May and are a half-game behind the NL West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers after entering the month in last.

Joe Panik was 2 for 4 with a home run in Sunday's 7-5 loss and has a 14-game home hitting streak, while double-play partner Brandon Crawford also homered and is batting .363 in 21 games.

It was the first time in 41 games San Francisco has scored five runs or more and lost, during which it's batting a major league-best .284.

Including San Francisco's wild-card win last year, the clubs have split 32 games dating to 2010, the Giants' first of three World Series-winning seasons.

Pence is in 2-for-20 slumps overall and against the Pirates.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Pirates at Giants
Mon, Jun 1 - 10:15PM EDT

GAME 2
Pirates at Giants
Tue, Jun 2 - 10:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Pirates at Giants
Wed, Jun 3 - 3:45PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-01-2015, 02:15 AM

June Pitchers Report

May 31, 2015

May flowers bring June showers, or so the saying goes. For Major League Baseball pitchers toeing the slab during the month of June, showers are hopefully not in their immediate plans. Instead, it’s the hope of all MLB starting pitchers to stay around long enough to avoid having to clean up early.

Listed below are hurlers that have enjoyed a two-to-one or better success ratio in team-starts over the course of the last three seasons during the month of June. On the flip side, we've also listed pitchers that struggle in June, winning 33% percent or less of their team-start efforts. To qualify pitchers must have made a minimum of 10 starts, with at least one start each June over the last three years. And for your convenience alongside each record we break down each pitcher’s greatest success or greatest failure rate either home (H) or away (A) within his good or bad month.

Note: * designates a categorical repeat appearance by this pitcher, maintaining status quo from last season’s June list.

GOOD MONTH PITCHERS:

*Burnett, A.J. - 8-4 (5-2 A)

It is hard to pitch much better than Burnett has in his announced last season of his career with a 1.81 ERA and WHIP 1.16, both of which would be career lows. The right-hander has been very hard on left-handed hitters who are batting just .200 against him.

*Colon, Bartolo - 11-4 (6-1 H)

The ageless Colon just keeps rolling along. His 7-3 record is better than he’s actually pitched thru May with an ERA approaching five. At 42 years old he’s not tricky, throwing over 70 percent fastballs. He just keeps winning games and typically does so in June.

Cueto, Johnny - 9-4 (6-1 H)

The Cincinnati ace has been on the DL with elbow inflammation and is 3-4 with 3.03 ERA thus far in 2015. When right, Cueto has three what scouts call “plus pitches”, including a darting fastball in the mid-90’s. He commands all his pitches and creates deception by turning his back to hitters.

*Dickey, R. A. - 11-5 (7-3 A)

Another pitcher who has reached the 40-year threshold is the Toronto knuckleballer, who also is having a tougher time with a 5.77 ERA as this month commences. His undoing is runners in scoring position, with opposing batters hitting .286. Let’s see if history repeats itself for Dickey this month.

Kershaw, Clayton - 11-5 (6-2 H)

Not having typical Kershaw year to this point with fastball command the reason opponents are hitting .242 vs. career average of .210. However, still four months are eft in the season and few would think the best pitcher in baseball the last few years will not once again get in a groove where he becomes untouchable.

Lohse, Kyle - 11-5 (6-1 H)

The Milwaukee righty’s season has mirrored the Brewers. A horrible April start (1-4, 7.28 ERA), modest improvement the first 20 days of May (lowered ERA to 5.53) and pounded again to finish the month (ERA back up to 6.50). Lohse is terrible thus far at Miller Park with 7.31 ERA and hopes to come close to past results might have to do it on the road this time.

*Scherzer, Max - 10-5 (5-2 H)

Been everything Washington could have hoped for with puny 1.51 ERA, a WHIP of 0.88 and better than 8-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio. RH batters are a feeble .172 against his pitches and the leadoff batters in an inning are at .130 BA. Once he gets rolling, by the fifth inning he’s like a caged lion prowling around the mound.

*Zimmermann, Jordan - 12-4 (7-2 H)

If you think the Nationals are set up to have a good month in June, check out Zimmermann’s record and the guy above. The 29-year old right-hander is the perfect No. 2 starter who throws quality strikes in the mid 90’s, a tightly spun curve, slider with late bite and a ‘plus’ change. Good luck against Washington this month!

BAD MONTH PITCHERS:

Eovaldi, Nate - 3-12 (1-6 H)

Eovaldi has more ability than his record shows overall and this month in particular. Has 96 to 100 MPH heater, but it does not always have a lot of movement and his secondary pitches are not consistent enough which is why he’s never approached a strikeout per inning. The Dodgers and Miami both gave up on him though he’s still only 25.

Lincecum, Tim - 5-10 (1-7 A)

Lincecum’s weak record in June primarily has been the last few seasons, not so much in his Cy Young years. No longer capable of upper 90’s fastball, he went back to work in the off-season with his father who helped him become who he was and the results the first two months have been positive. Whether Tiny Tim has good or bad month will revolve on having his command back.

*Nolasco, Ricky - 5-10 (2-5 A)

If you compare Nolasco’s key peripheral numbers this season to date versus last year, they are very close with an ERA over 5 and being smacked around for a .315 BA, yet he’s 5-1 compared to 6-12 in 2014. He can be thankful for the Twins offense making him better than he is, but don’t worry, this joy ride will end soon.

Peavy, Jake - 2-11 (0-8 A)

Peavy’s lower back recovery suffered a setback on May 29th when it flared up during minor league injury rehab outing and he will be evaluated again to see the next step with no time table for his return, which is probably good based on June results.

Samardzija, Jeff - 5-12 (2-6 H)

The former Notre Dame pass-catcher has an ERA of 3.84 to begin the third month of the season, which is more typical of his numbers before last year. He’s been neither good in away games (.296 BA allowed), nor during the day (.286 BA allowed). And when there been a lone runner on third base, the opposing batter is five for 10, a cool .500.

Stults, Eric - 3-10 (1-6 A)

After a 1-5 record with a 5.85 ERA with Atlanta, Stults was demoted and a thrown in on the Juan Uribe for Alberto Callaspo trade. He was immediately designated for assignment by the Dodgers and frankly why anyone would want this 35-year old hurler, even if he is left-handed, in unimaginable. (Though we think somebody will pick him up.)

**StarDust Bum** · 06-01-2015, 02:19 AM

Win Total Update - May

May 31, 2015

Two months are in the books during this exciting baseball season. The Astros were the big story in April, but several teams turned it on in the month of May to get back in their respective division races. Among those red-hot squads, the Twins, Giants, and Rangers bounced back from a slow first month to catch fire heading into June.

The Twins stumbled out of the gate to a 1-6 record, but Minnesota is the leader of the AL Central as the calendar turns to June following an impressive 20-7 May. Paul Molitor’s debut as manager of the Twins have sparked a change with this club that finished in dead-last inside the division at 70-92 in 2014. Target Field has turned into one of the toughest venues for opponents to succeed this season as the Twins won 13 of 16 home contests this month.

The Giants suffered a World Series hangover in the opening month with a 9-13 record. However, San Francisco turned it on with a 21-9 record, including a 12-5 mark at AT&T Park, in spite of a pair of losses to Atlanta to close May. In eight of those home wins, the Giants pitched shutouts, but Bruce Bochy’s team ended the month with an 8-3 mark to the ‘over.’

The Astros bolted out of the gate in April, but the other Lone Star State team stole the headlines in May. The Rangers won the final three games against the Red Sox, capped off by Josh Hamilton pinch-hit, two-run double in extra innings to finish off May with a 19-11 record. Texas is right in the mix of the AL West race alongside the Astros and Angels, while concluding the month at 10-2.

Below are each team’s records for April and May, along with their current pace to cash their season ‘over’ or ‘under’ win totals.

NATIONAL LEAGUE WIN TOTALS

Team Win Total - 2015 April Record May Record Projection

Arizona 72 ½ 10-11 13-15

Atlanta 73 ½ 10-12 15-13

Chicago Cubs 81 ½ 12-8 14-14

Cincinnati 79 11-11 11-16

Colorado 70 ½ 11-10 11-16

L.A. Dodgers 91 13-8 16-12

Miami 81 ½ 10-12 10-19

Milwaukee 80 5-17 12-17

N.Y. Mets 81 15-8 13-15

Philadelphia 67 8-15 11-18

Pittsburgh 85 ½ 12-10 14-13

San Diego 84 11-12 13-15

San Francisco 85 9-13 21-9

St. Louis 87 ½ 15-6 18-11

Washington 93 10-13 18-9

AMERICAN LEAGUE WIN TOTALS

Team Win Total - 2015 April Record May Record Projection

Baltimore 84 ½ 10-10 13-16

Boston 86 12-10 10-19

Chicago White Sox 82 8-11 15-15

Cleveland 81 7-14 17-12

Detroit 81 15-8 13-15

Houston 73 ½ 15-7 16-13

Kansas City 83 15-7 14-12

L.A. Angels 87 ½ 11-11 15-13

Minnesota 68 ½ 10-12 20-7

N.Y. Yankees 80 13-9 13-16

Oakland 82 ½ 9-14 11-19

Seattle 85 10-12 14-14

Tampa Bay 77 ½ 12-10 14-15

Texas 76 ½ 7-14 19-11

Toronto 83 ½ 11-12 12-17

**StarDust Bum** · 06-01-2015, 02:23 AM

THIS WEEK IN THE NATIONAL LEAGUE

With so many National League teams having had the day off Thursday, I thought it would be a good time to play “catch up” on what’s happening of late in the Senior Circuit, similar to what we did with the AL yesterday.
In every installment of these updates for the two leagues, we’re seeing two very different narratives play out. While the American League is parity-ridden with no clear favorite and not many bad teams, the National League is quite the opposite with a clear hierarchy having developed. The favorites are who we thought they’d be, the bad teams are pretty much who we thought they’d be, leaving only a handful of teams “in the middle” as potential candidates to emerge and challenge the current division leaders. Those are the teams I wanted to focus on here.
But first, let’s cast aside Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Cincinnati and Colorado. All four teams currently have a run differential of -37 or worse and are at least seven games below .500. Simply put, the quartet is likely to all be “sellers” come trade deadline time.
At the top, Washington, St. Louis and Los Angeles were all overwhelmingly favored to win their divisions this year and guess what? They are all in first place right now. It would be a shocker if any didn’t win their respective divisions, let alone missed the playoffs.
That leaves eight teams “stuck in the middle” for you. Again, I think there is a clear dividing line between the contenders and the pretenders.
San Diego, Arizona, Atlanta and Miami would be the four least likely to make the playoffs, in my opinion. The Padres are bad in all the ways we thought they might be (defense!) and the pitching has been has been surprisingly disappointing. I’m not quite sure the Diamondbacks have an actual plan in place. Atlanta does, but in involves rebuilding for the future. Miami’s curious decision to name its GM the new manager has gotten no less curious two weeks later.
So, we’re now left with the Mets, Cubs, Pirates and Giants as viable threats to challenge the division leaders. Let’s focus on them.
The Mets have already ceded control of the NL East to Washington, but that was to be expected. After being swept themselves by the Pirates, a visit from the Phillies had to be a welcome sight and New York was able to return the favor, taking all three games. This weekend, they host Miami and that’s followed by a West Coast trip to visit San Diego and Arizona. Taking care of business against the last place Marlins is fairly imperative given the Mets’ road woes. At home, they are 20-6 with a net gain of 13.8 units while away from Citi Field they are a lousy 7-15, resulting in a loss of 7.4 units. Also troubling is a 7-12 record outside of the division. Yet, the NL East could also be the Metropolitans’ “saving grace” as with every other team besides Washington looking weak, they could continue to clean up. I also like the Mets’ pitching even as they go to a six-man rotation, which theoretically should help all the young arms (particularly Matt Harvey’s) hold up.
Historically, teams as young as the Cubs do not fare all that well over the course of the long season. But for now, a 25-21 record is reason to rejoice on the Northside. They have all that talent in the starting lineup, but my main concern with the Cubbies has to be the lack of starting pitching depth beyond Jon Lester, who as a hitter ranks among the “easiest outs” in the history of baseball (0 for 59 all-time at the plate!). Lester does further damage to his own team’s offense as his personal catcher David Ross is batting just .162 for the season. After losing two of three earlier this week to the Nationals, the upcoming schedule calls for a nine-game road trip with a variety of start times. No team has played more one-run games and so far the Cubs have gone 13-10 in those contests. Too many errors, too many strikeouts and a shaky bullpen have me feeling that the club won’t even make the playoffs this year, thus extending the longest World Series drought in the sport.
The Pirates, on the other hand, are the strongest bet of these four to make the playoffs as of now. They have a run differential of +41 for the year thanks to a seven-game win streak that has seen them outscore the opposition 46-14. Only three teams in all of baseball currently have a better YTD run differential. As I’ve talked about before, the Bucs don’t give up many runs. Only the Cardinals and Dodgers have allowed fewer and the starting rotation has recorded a win in every game during the win streak while posting a 1.93 ERA and a 54-9 KW ratio. At the same time, the offense has started to pull its own weight, former MVP Andrew McCutchen in particular. He is hitting 15 for 31 with five doubles the last eight games.
Clearly, I wrote off the defending World Series Champs too soon. In retrospect, that was foolish to do, even after the uninspired spring bled into the start of the regular season. The offense is scoring more than five runs per game in May, third best in all of MLB, while Thursday saw the pitching staff record its MLB-leading ninth shutout of the season. Eight of those have come in the last 12 home games, three infamously in a sweep of the hated Dodgers. By virtue of going 15-7 when priced as an underdog, the Giants are now +8.3 units for the season. But interesting enough, they are just a .500 team within the division and when favored on the money line.

**StarDust Bum** · 06-01-2015, 02:29 AM

This Week in the American League

Not that much has changed since the last time we discussed the American League, 17 days ago. The same three teams are in first place, although there is a tie in one division and the new challenger is one you would not have expected. More on them in a bit though; for now, the Junior Circuit remains as muddled and parity-ridden as ever with all but five teams separated by just four games.

In a parity-ridden league, the AL East was supposed to be the most parity-ridden division. So far, that notion has held “true to form.” However, I wanted to single out two teams, neither of which is the Yankees or Rays, who just traded possession of first place. Instead, I wanted to make mention of the team I feel is clearly the worst in the East right now and one that could very well make a move up in the standings.

Boston (21-26) is currently in last place (entering Thursday) & they deserve to be as they are the only team in the division to have a negative run differential for the year. In fact, at -40, they have one of the four worst run differentials in all of baseball. This does not bode well for their future. At -9.6 units for the year, predictably they are big money burners as before the season started most were calling for them to win the division. That’s not going to happen unless they can get the starting pitching turned around. Clay Buchholz has been the biggest disappointment of the lot, with a 2-8 TSR and down 8.25 units. There’s no one situation that the Red Sox are truly awful in, so it’s a case of a team clearly falling well below preseason projections. Note that the offense really hasn’t done its job either, scoring two runs or less in nine of the last 15 games. With the next two series against the two hottest teams in the league right now (Texas, Minnesota) things aren't looking up in Beantown.

Right above the Red Sox in the standings is Toronto at 22-27 (-6.85 units). But the Blue Jays deserve a far better fate as their run differential of +25 is the division’s best. It’s not hard to identify the culprit in the disappointing record as it’s a 3-10 record in one run games. Only Oakland has been worse in such affairs and while the A’s don’t seem to be getting any better, there is hope for these Jays. They have – by far – scored the most runs in all of baseball (255). Like Boston, pitching is a concern though. Only Milwaukee and Colorado have given up more runs. Their next three series, all on the road, are against Minnesota, Washington and Houston. Yikes. If you’re thinking that you can make a profit betting the Over on Toronto games though, then think again. It’s just 24-23-2 due to the fact that since May 3rd, the total for their games has always been in the 8.5 to 9.5 range. The Over is 14-8-1 in Jays’ road games.

In our previous look at the American League, I told you that it was time to “sell high” on the Minnesota Twins. Clearly I was wrong. At the time of this writing, they have been the best bet in baseball at +16.0 units for the year. With their sweep of Boston combined with the Royals getting swept by the Yankees, Minnesota is tied for first place in the Central, which is shocking. But I’m fairly adamant that this won’t last even though their offense is averaging a league leading 5.3 runs per game. Sure, they’ve won 8 of 10 series, but can their hitters really continue to be this “clutch” with runners in scoring position? The answer is no. I also have my questions about the defense. The pitching staff does a great job at limiting walks, but they also own the lowest strikeout rate in all of baseball. Led by Glen Perkins (18 for 18 in save opportunities), the team has not lost a game this year in which in entered the ninth inning with a lead. In fact, they’ve lost only once when leading after five, including a 24-1 record when leading after eight. That record is due to regress.

Taking a brief look out West, all I’ll say is Houston could be the real deal. Not only does the offense lead baseball in home runs, with seven of the nine regulars contributing at least five, but the starting pitching is strong at the top as well. Dallas Keuchel’s ground ball rate is 63.3 percent, third best in MLB, and Colin McHugh is pretty good as well. The Astros still strikeout too much, but I think that they key is that they’re 6.5 games clear of everyone else in the division and none of those four are inspiring a ton of confidence right now. I don't see any reason why Houston shouldn't dominate a seven-game homestand against the White Sox and Orioles.

Until next week!

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