The Bum's Best Bets For Sunday June 7th - MLB - NBA -NHL !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Giants (31-25) at Phillies (21-35)
Game: 3
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: June 07, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

A chance to get back on the road with a visit to slumping Philadelphia has proved enough to push the San Francisco Giants past their recent woes.

The Giants will try to take another step Sunday by completing their first three-game road sweep against the Phillies in 11 years.

San Francisco (32-25) headed to Philadelphia riding a five-game losing streak but snapped it with a 5-4 comeback victory Friday.

It looked as if things were going to be much easier Saturday with a 6-0 lead after three innings, but Jeff Francoeur's grand slam in the fourth forced the Giants to hang on for a 7-5 victory - their fifth road win in a row and 10th in 12 away from home.

The Giants will try to exit Citizens Bank Park with their first sweep there since Aug. 13-15, 2004, which was the Phillies' first season on that field. That also marked San Francisco's most recent sweep of three games or more in the series.

Ryan Vogelsong (4-3, 4.26 ERA) will try to deliver that while bouncing back from his first loss in six starts. The right-hander gave up four runs in six innings in a 4-3 defeat against Pittsburgh on Monday after going 4-0 with a 1.14 ERA in his prior five outings. He yielded three runs in the fifth alone.

"I thought I threw the ball really well. I just made too many mistakes in that fifth inning that cost us the game," Vogelsong said.

Vogelsong lasted just three-plus innings in his first start against the Phillies in 10 years on July 21, giving up four runs and a career-high 11 hits while not getting a decision.

He'll next face a team that's batting .210 and has scored 35 runs in a 2-10 stretch. Philadelphia (21-36) has hit .195 while going 2-6 on its nine-game homestand.

Sean O'Sullivan (1-4, 5.03) will try to end that with his first victory in four starts. The right-hander gave up four runs in 5 2-3 innings to Cincinnati but avoided his third consecutive defeat when the Phillies rallied for a 5-4 victory.

Philadelphia could use an extended outing from O'Sullivan after their two starters in this series went a combined seven innings.

"We need length from our starting pitchers," manager Ryne Sandberg said. "Some of our bullpen guys have pitched a lot. ... To get length out of our starters, that's very important going forward."

O'Sullivan, who has allowed 11 runs in 11 1-3 innings in his last two starts, will face San Francisco for the first time since July 12, 2013. He's 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in two career matchups with the Giants.

San Francisco will try to win six in a row on the road for the first time since Aug. 20-30, 2012, and Buster Posey will look to add to his .383 average at Citizens Bank in the regular season. Posey is batting .372 in 23 career games against Philadelphia.

The Giants have won nine of 11 versus the Phillies and 11 of 14 in Philadelphia.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Giants at Phillies
Fri, Jun 5 Final 5 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Giants at Phillies
Sat, Jun 6 -Final 7 - 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Giants at Phillies
Sun, Jun 7 - 1:35PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Tigers (28-28) at White Sox (25-28)
Game: 3
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: June 07, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

Jeff Samardzija hasn't pitched the way the Chicago White Sox had hoped upon acquiring him in December. Now he's looking to move past one of the worst outings of his career.

The Detroit Tigers will try to ensure that doesn't happen after ending their longest losing streak in a decade.

While Samardzija looks to regroup at U.S. Cellular Field, the Tigers will try to win back-to-back games for only the second time in almost three weeks on Sunday.

After picking him up in a six-player deal with Oakland, Chicago (25-29) envisioned Samardzija as a steady No. 2 behind ace Chris Sale after he posted a 2.99 ERA in 2014.

Instead, the right-hander has been wildly inconsistent over his 11 starts. After going 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA in his previous three, he allowed nine runs and 12 hits over five innings in Tuesday's 15-2 loss at Texas.

"The ball was up, and they took advantage of balls that stayed on the plate in," Samardzija said. "I thought we had some success away, and every time we got the ball in, it wasn't in far enough."

Samardzija (4-3, 4.68 ERA) is on pace for his worst ERA since becoming a full-time starter in 2012 after giving up nine runs for the fourth time in his career. He's particularly struggled early in games, yielding 16 runs and a MLB-high 23 hits while allowing opponents to hit .426 in the first inning.

That might not be an issue against a Detroit team that hasn't scored in the first inning in its last 10 games.

Samardzija has gone 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA in four home starts and is 1-0 with a 1.80 mark in two meetings with the Tigers. He surrendered two runs over seven innings in a 5-2 win at U.S. Cellular on May 5.

The Tigers batted .214 while averaging 2.8 runs during an eight-game skid before Miguel Cabrera homered in a five-run fifth inning in Saturday's 7-1 win that ended their worst slide since September 2005.

"It felt like everyone was exhaling a little bit," manager Brad Ausmus said.

Josh Wilson matched a career high with four hits, while James McCann and Jose Iglesias each had three as part of the team's 18-hit attack. Iglesias has gone 5 for 9 over the first two games.

Yoenis Cespedes is 4 for 9 in this series, though his only hit in six at_bats off Samardzija left the yard.

Detroit (29-28) hopes to build on its offensive effort while dealing Chicago its seventh loss in nine home games.

Since winning his first four starts, Alfredo Simon (5-3, 2.97 ERA) has one victory over his last six. He took a shutout into the seventh inning Tuesday before it slipped away in a 5-3 home loss to Oakland.

The right-hander allowed four runs while issuing five walks over 6 1-3 innings in his first start off the bereavement list following the death of his father in the Dominican Republic.

"For a guy that's been dealing with off-the-field family stuff, it's an unbelievable outing for him," McCann told MLB's official website. "That's all you can ask from him in that situation."

In his only career start versus Chicago, Simon gave up three runs and walked four over five innings in a 7-6 road loss May 6. Conor Gillaspie, who did not play against lefty David Price on Saturday, hit a solo shot off Simon.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Tigers at White Sox
Fri, Jun 5 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores

GAME 2
Tigers at White Sox
Sat, Jun 6 - Final 7 - 1
Boxscores

GAME 3
Tigers at White Sox
Sun, Jun 7 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rangers (29-26) at Royals (30-22)
Game: 3
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: June 07, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

The surging Texas Rangers have gotten little resistance against the scuffling Royals.

They'll try to complete their stay in Kansas City on Sunday by registering their first three-game sweep there in seven years.

Texas (30-26) won its 14th in 17 games Saturday, a 4-2 victory that was also the Royals' ninth loss in 11 contests. Much of the difference between the teams has come at the plate.

The Rangers are batting .288 and averaging 5.8 runs in their hot stretch while Kansas City (30-23) is hitting .197 and averaging 2.1 runs in its last 11, including a 4-0 defeat in Friday's opener.

"Our offense has a lot of confidence right now," Texas manager Jeff Banister said. "Our hitting coach has done a great job with these guys, having them prepared and ready to go from the first inning on. It has really worked out well for us lately."

Banister's team has used a rookie pitcher (Chi Chi Gonzalez) and another that was released by Atlanta before this season (Wandy Rodriguez) to stifle the Royals. Rodriguez yielded one run in seven innings Saturday in Texas' ninth win in 10 road contests.

The Rangers will turn to Colby Lewis (5-3, 4.48 ERA) to help them record their first three-game sweep in Kansas City since Aug. 25-27, 2008. Texas hasn't swept a series of any length from the Royals since winning three games April 22-24, 2011.

"We've still got a chance (Sunday) to come back, win a game and get some momentum," first baseman Eric Hosmer said. "We can't overlook this last game."

Lewis beat the Royals 8-2 on May 11, allowing one run in seven innings, and ended a difficult stretch in a 15-2 victory against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. The right-hander yielded two runs in seven innings after going 1-1 with an 11.93 ERA in his final three in May.

In this one, he'll pitch opposite Jeremy Guthrie (4-3, 6.17), who quickly regained his form Tuesday following the worst outing of his career. The right-hander yielded one run and two hits in 5 2-3 innings in a 2-1 loss to Cleveland after allowing 11 runs and failing to make it out of the second inning in a 14-1 drubbing against the New York Yankees on May 25.

"For me, once I got three outs and there weren't 11 runs on the board, I felt grateful," Guthrie told MLB's official website. "It was just a better start today."

Guthrie beat Texas 6-3 on May 14, allowing two runs in five innings, and is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in his last three starts against the Rangers. He's also given up one run in 11 2-3 innings in his last two home games overall.

Prince Fielder, batting .400 with 17 RBIs in his last 14 games, is 12 for 24 lifetime against Guthrie.

Kansas City manager Ned Yost needs one more win to tie Dick Howser for second on the team's all-time list with 404. Whitey Herzog is the all-time leader with 410 victories.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rangers at Royals
Fri, Jun 5 Final 4 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rangers at Royals
Sat, Jun 6 - Final 4 - 2
Boxscores

GAME 3
Rangers at Royals
Sun, Jun 7 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Brewers (19-36) at Twins (32-22)
Game: 3
Venue: Target Field
Date: June 07, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

The Milwaukee Brewers were probably not anyone's pick to hand the Minnesota Twins their first home losing streak this season.

The Brewers have done just that with help from former Twin Carlos Gomez and will try for their first sweep in Minnesota in 19 years Sunday.

Minnesota (32-23) was 19-7 at home and the AL Central leaders had won 14 of 17 there before the visit from the team with the worst record in the majors.

The Brewers (20-36) had lost 11 of 14 prior to their trip to Target Field, but they've taken their two games there with a pair of late offensive outbursts. Milwaukee scored a combined five runs in the final two innings in a 10-5 win Friday, and Gomez drove in three in the final three innings in a 4-2 victory Saturday.

Gomez's 4-for-4 day pushed his hit streak to nine games as he boosted his career average in 24 games against the Twins to .369. He has 19 RBIs against the team he played for from 2008-09 before being traded to Milwaukee.

"Him getting back his swing, being active and being Gomie, I think it gets us going," pitcher Matt Garza said. "It's just the energy he puts out, just him being him and playing the way he plays is exciting."

Gomez will try to deliver Milwaukee's first sweep in Minnesota since a four-gamer May 17-20, 1996, at the Metrodome. That came two seasons before the Brewers' move to the NL.

Mike Fiers (2-5, 4.06 ERA) will try to help deliver that and build on his first win in six starts, a 1-0 victory in St. Louis on Monday. The right-hander yielded four hits and two walks in six innings while managing to overcome some more lackluster run support.

The Brewers have scored a combined eight runs in his last five starts, and Fiers is 1-1 with 2.57 ERA in that stretch.

He gave up a run in seven innings of a 6-2 victory in his only start against the Twins on June 16, 2012, in Minnesota, and faces Mike Pelfrey (4-2, 2.59) in this matchup.

The right-hander has allowed one run and pitched at least six innings in each of his last three starts, but he took a 1-0 loss in Boston on Tuesday.

"You tip your cap, and you try to move on," Pelfrey said.

Pelfrey, 2-0 with a 2.01 ERA in four home starts, will take on the Brewers for the first time since Aug. 19, 2011, when he was with the New York Mets. Aramis Ramirez, Adam Lind and Jonathan Lucroy are a combined 1 for 15 lifetime against Pelfrey.

He'll face a Brewers lineup that's totaled 18 runs and 36 hits in its past three games. Jean Segura is riding a nine-game hit streak after going 2 for 4 on Saturday.

Minnesota's Joe Mauer, 4 for 7 in this series, has reached base in 30 consecutive interleague games for the third-longest streak in team history. He's batting .399 in his last 52 contests against NL opponents and .384 in his past 47 against Milwaukee.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Brewers at Twins
Fri, Jun 5 Final 10 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Brewers at Twins
Sat, Jun 6 - Final 4 - 2
Boxscores

GAME 3
Brewers at Twins
Sun, Jun 7 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cubs (28-25) at Nationals (30-25)
Game: 4
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: June 07, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

With all the talk surrounding Bryce Harper and Kris Bryant, it's Anthony Rizzo who has been the youngster to watch in this four-game set between the Chicago Cubs and the Washington Nationals.

Rizzo seeks to post his fourth straight multihit effort in Sunday's finale and help the Cubs end Jordan Zimmermann's eight-start unbeaten run.

The storyline for this series has been a budding rivalry between Las Vegas natives Harper and Bryant.

Harper, who leads the majors with a .721 slugging percentage and has 14 homers and 31 RBIs over his last 27 games, is 3 for 9 with a homer in this series. Bryant has three singles in 11 at_bats but notched his 34th RBI in 46 games Saturday as Chicago won 4-2.

Rizzo contributed an RBI double and is 6 for 12 in the series, including a two-homer effort in Friday's 7-5 defeat. He's looking to extend an 11-game hitting streak and post four straight multihit efforts for the first time since April 5-9, 2014.

He is 4 for 10 with a homer against Zimmermann (5-2, 2.88 ERA), who will try to prevent the Nationals (30-26) from losing for the eighth time in 10 games. Zimmermann improved to 4-0 with a 2.00 ERA in eight starts since losing April 18 to Philadelphia with eight strong innings in a 2-0 win over Toronto on Tuesday.

"I was a little off in the beginning, but everything is working now and right where I want to be," he said.

The right-hander has surrendered just three runs in his last 31 innings, including seven of one-run ball in a 3-2 road loss to the Cubs (29-25) on May 26. Zimmermann previously had a 4.81 career ERA against them.

He was opposed that night by Kyle Hendricks (1-2, 3.99), who also gave up one run in seven innings and didn't factor in the decision. Hendricks followed that outing up by surrendering four runs in six innings in Tuesday's 4-2 loss at Miami.

The right-hander's start last month against the Nationals marked the first time he faced them.

Zimmermann has fared well versus Starlin Castro (4 for 22), Chris Coghlan (4 for 19) and Dexter Fowler (3 for 17). Miguel Montero is 7 for 19 with three doubles in this matchup.

Castro figures to be back in the lineup after he was rested Saturday after playing in the Cubs' first 53 games. The shortstop has four hits in his last 21 at_bats.

Nationals third baseman Yunel Escobar was out for the second straight game Saturday. He was scheduled to take batting practice to test his sore right wrist.

Fowler is 5 for 12 with four runs in this series, including a 2-for-4 effort Saturday.

Washington has struck out 24 times in the series and is batting .115 with runners in scoring position over its last four games.

Cubs closer Hector Rondon has put 10 men on base in his last 7 1-3 innings, blowing two of his four save opportunities in eight appearances. Manager Joe Maddon said he isn't changing closers despite having removed Rondon after he walked Anthony Rendon in the ninth Saturday.

"Obviously (Rondon) has not been as sharp as we know he can be lately," Maddon said. "For me it was about winning the game today. I'm not ordaining anybody new."


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cubs at Nationals
Thu, Jun 4 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Cubs at Nationals
Fri, Jun 5 Final 5 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Cubs at Nationals
Sat, Jun 6 - Final 4 - 2
Boxscores

GAME 4
Cubs at Nationals
Sun, Jun 7 - 4:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Marlins (23-32) at Rockies (24-29)
Game: 3
Venue: Coors Field
Date: June 07, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

If ever there were an ideal time for Kyle Kendrick to reverse his fortunes at Coors Field, this would be it.

After the Colorado Rockies' offense got back on track to even the series, Kendrick will try to continue his dominance of Giancarlo Stanton and the Miami Marlins on Sunday.

Colorado has reached double-digit hits in five straight games, though it only managed two runs in Friday's series-opening defeat. The club bounced back Saturday, finishing with a season-high 17 hits in a 10-5 victory.

Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu had three hits apiece, while Wilin Rosario went 3 for 5 with two home runs for his first multi-homer game since May 2012. Carlos Gonzalez was 2 for 4 with a three-run shot.

Troy Tulowitzki is expected back after resting Saturday. The All-Star shortstop is 13 for 24 with four homers over his last six and 7 for 15 in his past four versus Miami.

"Jumping right out of the gate, it was important," Gonzalez said. "This is how this team is built, and we know we can produce a lot of runs when everybody is doing their part. The good thing is Tulo, myself, we're showing some life. We're getting good at_bats and we're starting to produce again, and that's really good for the Rockies."

Now Kendrick (2-7, 6.55 ERA) will try to help the Rockies (25-29) move above .500 through the first seven of this 10-game homestand. However, he's allowed 15 home runs and owns baseball's second-highest ERA.

The 30-year-old has taken a beating at Coors, going 0-3 with a 7.99 ERA while allowing eight homers in four starts. He yielded five earned runs and 10 hits over 5 1-3 innings in Monday's 11-4 home loss to the Dodgers.

"It's baseball," Kendrick told MLB's official website. "It's frustrating."

Kendrick will have to be careful with Stanton as he tries to continue his run of success against the Marlins. Stanton had homered in three straight games before going 1 for 5 with four strikeouts Saturday.

The slugging right fielder is hitting .393 with five doubles and seven RBIs in his last six games at Coors, but he's just 3 for 26 with eight strikeouts against Kendrick.

Kendrick is 13-3 with a 3.33 ERA in 21 career starts versus Miami - easily his best record versus any opponent. He's only lost once over his last 16 starts against the Marlins dating to his time with Philadelphia.

Christian Yelich is 6 for 15 against him and Martin Prado is 10 for 26 with one home run, though Adeiny Hechavarria, Dee Gordon and Justin Bour are a combined 4 for 29.

Marcell Ozuna is batting .407 over a seven-game hitting streak after finishing with three hits Saturday.

The Marlins (23-33) have totaled just one run of support for Jose Urena (0-2, 7.24) in his first two starts. The rookie right-hander gave up three runs and four hits over six innings in Monday's 5-1 home loss to the Cubs after allowing five runs and 10 hits over 4 2-3 in a 5-1 loss at Pittsburgh on May 26.

"I thought that was a big step forward for him," manager Dan Jennings said. "He's a gutsy kid. He competes. He challenges the hitters. He's going to have a nice future, nice career."


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Marlins at Rockies
Fri, Jun 5 Final 6 to 2
Boxscores

GAME 2
Marlins at Rockies
Sat, Jun 6 - Final 5 - 10
Boxscores

GAME 3
Marlins at Rockies
Sun, Jun 7 - 4:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mets (30-27) at Diamondbacks (27-28)
Game: 4
Venue: Chase Field
Date: June 07, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

Although he's seen quite a few of Jacobs deGrom's outstanding performances, New York Mets manager Terry Collins called the latest "one of the best games I've seen him pitch."

The right-hander will try to extend the best stretch of his second season Sunday when the Mets look to end their road woes in the finale of a four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Mets (30-27) won the opener on each stop of this seven-game road swing, but they're looking to avoid their fifth loss on the trip and 12th in 14 road games overall following Saturday's 2-1 defeat.

Bartolo Colon took a shutout into the seventh inning but was denied an NL-leading ninth win when Welington Castillo hit a two-run home run in his second game since arriving in a trade from Seattle.

"We know (Castillo) can hit, he just needs the at_bats, needs to get comfortable," manager Chip Hale told MLB's official website. "He picked a good time to hit his first home run for us."

New York can end this series on a positive note behind deGrom (6-4, 2.41 ERA), who hasn't had much trouble since going 1-3 with a 5.64 ERA from April 24-May 11.

The 2014 NL Rookie of the Year is 3-0 with an 0.92 mark and 34 strikeouts over his last four. He took a perfect game into the sixth inning Monday before allowing two hits over eight innings in a 7-0 win at San Diego.

DeGrom has not allowed an extra-base hit in the last 33 1-3 innings.

"This is the best I've been at repeating it, staying on top of the ball and getting good downward movement like I did last year," he told MLB's official website. "I think I'm just in a better rhythm now."

The 26-year-old has gone 14-5 with a 2.14 ERA in 23 starts since July 8. He'll try to build on baseball's best ERA over that span among those with at least 16 outings as he faces Arizona (27-28) for the first time.

The Diamondbacks got their fourth win in five games Saturday despite finishing with fewer than seven hits for only the second time in the past 24. They have a chance to reach .500 for the first time since April 24.

A.J. Pollock went 0 for 4 to snap a six-game hitting streak in which he went 13 for 28 with seven extra-base hits.

Jake Lamb could make his first start since April 18 because of a left foot stress reaction. The third baseman, hitting .400 in his 11 games, came on as a defensive replacement and struck out in his only plate appearance Saturday.

Probable starter Josh Collmenter (3-5, 5.03) hasn't won in his last five outings, going 0-2 with a 7.83 ERA while receiving nine runs of support. He allowed three runs over 5 2-3 innings in Tuesday's 7-6 home win over Atlanta.

Collmenter has gone 2-1 with a 5.63 ERA in three career starts against the Mets. The right-hander has given up eight runs over 10 innings in two of those outings at Chase Field.

Michael Cuddyer has gone 3 for 9 in the matchup and is hitting .364 during an 11-game hitting streak. Juan Lagares is 5 for 13 in this series after going 2 for 4 with his second home run Saturday.

New York has batted .270 but has totaled just 14 runs while dropping four of five. Lucas Duda is looking to put an end to his slide after going just 2 for 22 with eight strikeouts in his last six.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mets at Diamondbacks
Thu, Jun 4 Final 6 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mets at Diamondbacks
Fri, Jun 5 Final 2 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Mets at Diamondbacks
Sat, Jun 6 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores

GAME 4
Mets at Diamondbacks
Sun, Jun 7 - 4:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rays (30-27) at Mariners (25-31)
Game: 4
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: June 07, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

Kevin Cash has no trouble mentioning Chris Archer's name among the best pitchers in the majors. Considering how well the Tampa Bay right-hander has thrown of late, the first-year Rays manager likely won't get much of an argument.

Looking to win a fourth straight decision, Archer tries to help the Rays conclude a successful trip with another strong outing against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday.

Since yielding nine runs and eight walks over 9 1-3 innings while losing his first two starts of May, Archer (6-4, 2.01 ERA) has allowed five with six walks and struck out 47 over 34 1-3 innings to go 3-0 in his last five.

"The way he's pitching right now I would certainly say he would be the ace of any staff," Cash told MLB's official website. "You can take his numbers and probably put them up against anybody in baseball."

Archer, who hasn't allowed more than a run in four straight contests, matched the club record with 15 strikeouts over eight innings of a 6-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday. He's the first Ray to fan at least 12 in back-to-back outings.

"He's definitely one of the best pitchers in the game,' Los Angeles catcher Chris Iannetta said. "He should get a lot more notoriety than he does. Good guy, goes about his business the right way, looks like he has really good work ethic, great demeanor on the mound, doesn't show anybody up, very professional out there.

"It's evident in his ability to execute pitches."

Though Archer is 0-2 and the Rays (30-27) have dropped all four of his starts versus Seattle, he extended his scoreless-inning stretch against the Mariners to 15 1-3 after allowing two hits and striking out 12 over eight of a 3-0 defeat May 27.

Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager are a combined 0 for 23 with seven strikeouts versus Archer. One of Austin Jackson's two hits in nine at_bats against Archer was a home run.

Jackson's tiebreaking homer in the seventh helped the Mariners snap a seven-game skid with Saturday's 2-1 victory. Though Seattle (25-31) has something positive to build on, it hasn't scored more than three runs in 11 consecutive contests and is batting .154 with runners in scoring position over the last 10.

"We're battling," said Jackson, batting .390 in his last 10 contests. "We're going to keep grinding. ... We're going to weather this storm."

Seattle starters have a 1.75 ERA over a five-game stretch that began Tuesday when ex-Rays prospect Mike Montgomery made his major league debut and allowed a run over six innings of a 5-3, 11-inning loss to the New York Yankees. Tampa Bay dealt the left-hander to Seattle on March 31 for Erasmo Ramirez.

"I want to come here and do my part and help this team win as many games as it can," said Montgomery, who is replacing the injured James Paxton in the rotation.

It's uncertain if he'll get to face Evan Longoria, who could miss a second straight contest while dealing with a sore wrist.

"I'll come in and see how it feels," Longoria said. "With (Monday off), it might be smarter to give it (Sunday), too. But we'll see."

Joey Butler is batting .387 in the last eight for the Rays, who fell to 6-3 on a 10-game trip after their four-game winning streak came to an end.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rays at Mariners
Thu, Jun 4 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rays at Mariners
Fri, Jun 5 Final 1 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Rays at Mariners
Sat, Jun 6 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores

GAME 4
Rays at Mariners
Sun, Jun 7 - 4:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cardinals (37-19) at Dodgers (32-24)
Game: 4
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: June 07, 2015 8:08 PM EDT

Zack Greinke has been dominant at home with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he hasn't won there in more than five weeks and he's certainly not to blame.

Perhaps a meeting with the St. Louis Cardinals will help.

Greinke has been outstanding against the Cardinals in three starts at Chavez Ravine since joining the Dodgers, a run of success he'll try to continue while helping Los Angeles salvage a split of this series Sunday night.

Greinke (5-1, 1.97 ERA) is 21-5 with a 2.25 ERA in 38 home starts - including two against St. Louis in the postseason - since joining the Dodgers before the 2013 season. The right-hander has compiled a 1.35 ERA in his last four games there, but he lost his only decision since the offense has backed him with four total runs over that stretch.

The bats got Greinke off the hook for a loss at Colorado on Tuesday, when he surrendered season highs of five runs and 10 hits in six innings before Los Angeles (32-24) rallied for a 9-8 win.

He may have a good chance to bounce back since he's 3-1 with a 2.41 ERA in six starts - three in the regular season, three in the playoffs - against the Cardinals since joining the Dodgers. Three of those have come at home, where he's posted a 1.29 ERA, a 0.71 WHIP and 21 strikeouts in 21 innings.

He may need another strong performance since the Dodgers have totaled four runs in this series. They didn't need much with Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen combining on a one-hitter in Saturday's 2-0 victory, snapping the team's three-game skid.

Yasiel Puig came through with an RBI double in the seventh inning after missing 39 games with a strained left hamstring.

"We've really missed him in the lineup. You can survive two weeks, three weeks. But when you get into long term, that's when you really start getting into trouble," manager Don Mattingly told MLB's official website.

The right fielder is a .333 hitter in 11 career regular-season matchups with St. Louis, but he's 4 for 9 against Lance Lynn in meetings that include the postseason.

Despite Saturday's defeat, the Cardinals (37-19) have won 10 of their last 13 games thanks in large part to a 1.62 ERA and seven consecutive starts of at least seven innings.

One of those was a gem by Lynn (4-4, 3.03), who allowed five hits in 7 2-3 innings of a 1-0 win over Milwaukee on Tuesday - his longest start of the season. The right-hander's success came through a array of fastballs as he matched his season high of 119 pitches.

"Really, he's finding a great feel for manipulating the fastball with cuts and sinks," manager Mike Matheny said. "Not many people can get away with what he's doing."

Lynn, though, has dropped two of his last three starts on the road with a 5.82 ERA. He was hammered for seven runs and nine hits in two innings while dealing with a blister in a 9-1 loss in his most recent regular-season appearance at Dodger Stadium on June 28.

He was better there opposite Greinke in the NL division series, yielding two runs with eight strikeouts in six innings. Lynn has never allowed a homer in 39 1-3 career innings against the Dodgers.

St. Louis may be without Matt Carpenter, who was hit by a pitch from Kershaw on the right triceps in the first inning Saturday. He played three more innings before exiting and was replaced at third by Pete Kozma, who was starting at second in place of Kolton Wong.

Kozma is 1 for 27 over his last 14 games, while Wong entered once Carpenter left Saturday and went 0 for 2 to snap a 10-game road hitting streak.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cardinals at Dodgers
Thu, Jun 4 Final 7 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Cardinals at Dodgers
Fri, Jun 5 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores

GAME 3
Cardinals at Dodgers
Sat, Jun 6 Final 0 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Cardinals at Dodgers
Sun, Jun 7 - 8:08PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Baseball Capsules

June 7, 2015

BOSTON (AP) - Joe Kelly pitched six solid innings to earn his first win since his initial start of the season, Hanley Ramirez hit a two-run homer and the Boston Red Sox beat the Oakland Athletics 4-2 on Saturday.

The teams played a day after a fan at Fenway Park was struck in the head by a broken bat and suffered life-threatening injuries. Boston Police said Saturday she is expected to survive.

Ramirez also singled twice, David Ortiz hit an RBI double and Mike Napoli had a run-scoring single for the Red Sox, who won for the fourth time in six games.

Mark Canha hit a solo homer for Oakland, which lost for the third time in its last nine.

Kelly (2-4) gave up one run and four hits, striking out six and walking two to snap his career-worst, nine-start winless stretch. Koji Uehara, the fifth Red Sox pitcher, worked the ninth for his 13th save.

Jesse Chavez (2-6) allowed four runs and 10 hits in five innings.

DODGERS 2, CARDINALS 0

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Clayton Kershaw allowed one hit and struck out 11 in eight innings against his October nemesis, and Los Angeles beat St. Louis with a big swing from Yasiel Puig in his return from the disabled list.

Puig snapped a scoreless tie in the seventh with an RBI double after missing the previous 39 games because of a strained left hamstring.

Kershaw (5-3) outpitched Jaime Garcia and lowered his ERA to 3.36. The left-hander led the majors in that category each of the past four seasons.

Kershaw lost to St. Louis in the finale of the 2013 NL Championship Series and the final game of the 2014 Division Series, making him 0-4 with a 7.15 ERA in his last four playoff starts against the Cardinals.

TIGERS 7, WHITE SOX 1

CHICAGO (AP) - David Price struck out 11 in a five-hitter, Miguel Cabrera homered and Detroit ended an eight-game losing streak, beating Chicago.

The four-time AL Central champion Tigers stopped their worst skid since 2005 and avoided falling below .500 for the first time this year.

Detroit finished with 18 hits after averaging 2.75 runs per game during their slide. Cabrera hit a two-run homer, his 12th.

Price (5-2) struck out seven straight batters in the middle innings. He walked two in his 13th career complete game.

Price worked with extra rest after throwing a season-high 121 pitches in 7 2-3 innings Sunday against the Angels.

John Danks (3-5) gave up five runs and 11 hits in 4 2-3 innings.

YANKEES 8, ANGELS 2

NEW YORK (AP) - Brian McCann hit a two-run homer that helped chase Garrett Richards in a six-run first inning, and New York didn't have to fret in a win over Los Angeles that stretched its winning streak to five.

A night after giving up six runs in the ninth inning of an 8-7 win, New York had an early burst that enabled Adam Warren (4-4) to coast against the Angels, who fell behind 7-0 by the second inning. The AL East-leading Yankees have scored six or more runs in the first inning four times - which they had not done since 1948, according to STATS.

Richards (5-4) allowed eight of 10 batters to reach and retired just two batters, matching the shortest start of his big league career. He lasted 37 pitches, giving up six runs, five hits and two walks. Richards has alternated wins and losses in his last six starts.

Los Angeles has lost four straight, matching its season high, and at 28-28 are at .500 for the 11th time this year.

CUBS 4, NATIONALS 2

WASHINGTON (AP) - Jason Hammel extended his mastery over Washington in an 11th impressive start, and Dexter Fowler had two hits and scored twice, leading Chicago to the win.

Hammel (5-2) improved to 9-0 with a 3.01 ERA in 11 starts against the Nationals. Anthony Rizzo and Jonathan Herrera each had two hits and drove in a run for Chicago.

Hammel allowed two runs and five hits in eight-plus innings, striking out seven and walking two. He departed after Bryce Harper hit his 19th homer of the season to open the ninth.

After Hector Rondon walked Anthony Rendon, Pedro Strop entered and finished for his second save.

Wilson Ramos also homered for the Nationals.

With starting pitchers Stephen Strasburg and Doug Fister on the disabled list, the Nationals called on 22-year-old prospect Joe Ross (0-1) to make his major league debut.

DIAMONDBACKS 2, METS 1

PHOENIX (AP) - Welington Castillo hit a two-run homer with two outs in the seventh inning for his first hit with Arizona, lifting his new club over Bartolo Colon and New York.

Castillo, who came to Arizona this week in the trade that sent Mark Trumbo to Seattle, struck out four times in his Diamondbacks debut Friday but lined Colon's first pitch just over the left-field wall.

Colon (8-4) had blanked Arizona on three hits through six innings.

New York had led since Juan Lagares' home run in the second off Chase Anderson, who ended up with a no-decision for the ninth time in his 11 starts.

Randall Delgado (3-2) pitched a scoreless seventh to get the win, and Brad Ziegler escaped a ninth-inning jam for his sixth save when pinch-hitter John Mayberry Jr. bounced into a game-ending double play with two on.

RANGERS 4, ROYALS 2

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Wandy Rodriguez pitched seven strong innings and Texas defeated Kansas City for its seventh win in eight games.

Texas has won six straight series for the first time since 2012. The AL champion Royals have lost nine of 11.

Rodriguez (3-2), a 36-year-old lefty who signed with the Rangers in early April after Atlanta released him in spring training, gave up one run and six hits. He walked none and struck out four.

Yordano Ventura (3-5) continued to struggle early, allowing four runs in the first two innings.

GIANTS 7, PHILLIES 5

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Madison Bumgarner struck out 11, overcoming a grand slam by Jeff Francoeur to pitch San Francisco past Philadelphia.

Bumgarner (7-2) gave up the slam and a solo homer by Andres Blanco. The reigning World Series MVP gave up six hits and walked none in eight innings.

Bumgarner hit two singles and drove in a run as the Giants posted their fifth straight road win.

Nori Aoki got three hits and drove in two runs. He raised his major league-leading road batting average to .407.

Santiago Casilla pitched a scoreless ninth for his 17th save in 19 chances.

The Phillies have lost 10 of 12.

Severino Gonzalez (2-2) gave up six runs in 2 2-3 innings.

BRAVES 5, PIRATES 4

ATLANTA (AP) - Christian Bethancourt lined Vance Worley's first pitch in the ninth inning over the right-field wall for his first career homer, lifting Atlanta to a win over Pittsburgh.

Bethancourt had three hits, including the drive off Worley (2-4). The ball, curving toward the foul pole, cleared the wall beyond the reach of right fielder Gregory Polanco.

Polanco had three hits, including a two-run single off Jim Johnson in the eighth that tied the score at 4.

Jason Grilli (1-2) pitched a perfect inning and the Braves ended Pittsburgh's four-game winning streak.

Chris Johnson hit his first homer of the season in the second for Atlanta.

Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run homer in the fourth for a 2-all tie.

BLUE JAYS 7, ASTROS 2

TORONTO (AP) - Jose Reyes stole three bases and got two hits as Toronto won its season-high fourth in a row, handing Houston its third straight loss.

The AL West-leading Astros matched their longest skid of the year.

Reyes scored a run, drove in one and also walked.

Drew Hutchison (5-1) allowed one run and six hits in 6 1-3 innings, improving to 4-1 with a 2.72 ERA at home. He's 1-0 with a 7.80 ERA in six road starts.

The Astros failed to score more than three runs for the fourth straight game and seventh time in their past nine.

Brett Oberholtzer (0-1) allowed four runs, two earned, and six hits in 3 2-3 innings.

MARINERS 2, RAYS 1

SEATTLE (AP) - Austin Jackson's solo home run in the seventh inning broke a 1-1 tie and Seattle snapped a seven-game losing streak.

Felix Hernandez (9-2) allowed just one run on two hits in seven innings. Rookie Carson Smith notched his first career save for Seattle.

Seth Smith doubled to lead off the fourth inning off Rays starter Alex Colome and advanced to third on a single from Logan Morrison. Willie Bloomquist singled to give the Mariners a 1-0 lead.

Kevin Kiermaier tripled off Hernandez with one out in the sixth inning and scored on a wild pitch to even the game at 1-1. Jackson homered on the seventh pitch against Rays reliever Steven Geitz (1-2) take the lead for good.

ROCKIES 10, MARLINS 5

DENVER (AP) - Wilin Rosario homered twice and Carlos Gonzalez hit a three-run shot to back the solid pitching of Chris Rusin, and Colorado shrugged off another rain delay at Coors Field to beat Miami.

Thunder showers delayed the game's start for 71 minutes, the 13th time this season a game in Denver has been postponed or delayed by weather. Colorado has had a total of 15 hours, 40 minutes, of rain delays at home this season.

Once the weather cleared, the Rockies came out swinging, putting together a four-run inning in the first and a five-run inning in the fourth, when Rosario and Gonzalez teamed up to hit the first back to back home runs by the Rockies this season.

Rusin (2-0), claimed off waivers from the Chicago Cubs last September, allowed two runs on seven hits in seven innings in winning for the first time in his last 10 starts dating to Aug. 14, 2013.

PADRES 9, REDS 7

CINCINNATI (AP) - Yonder Alonso's second career grand slam pulled San Diego even in the seventh inning, and Matt Kemp singled with the bases loaded in the eighth, completing the Padres' biggest comeback of the season in a victory over Cincinnati.

Alonso's homer off Tony Cingrani tied it 7-7 and completed a comeback from a 6-1 deficit. San Diego loaded the bases in the eighth with Abraham Almonte's pinch-hit double and a pair of walks by Jumbo Diaz (2-1). Kemp's single through the hole at shortstop gave him five RBIs overall.

Kemp also had a solo homer and a two-run double off Michael Lorenzen.

Brandon Maurer (2-0) retired the three batters in the seventh. Craig Kimbrel gave up a walk and a single in the ninth before fanning Zack Cozart for his 13th save in 14 chances.

INDIANS 2, ORIOLES 1

CLEVELAND (AP) - Danny Salazar pitched impressively into the eighth inning to reach a career high in wins and Carlos Santana had a tiebreaking double as Cleveland beat Baltimore.

Salazar (6-1) struck out 10 and allowed six hits and a run in seven-plus innings. Baltimore's only run came on Manny Machado's third-inning homer. Salazar, who began the season in the minors, hasn't lost since May 5, a span of six starts.

Nick Swisher had an RBI single, and Santana drove in a run in the sixth off Brad Brach for the Indians' seventh win in 10 games. They are 15-7 since May 14.

Brach (3-2) retired the first two hitters in the sixth before walking Jason Kipnis. Santana's line drive landed in the right field corner and Kipnis scored on a headfirst dive into the plate.

BREWERS 4, TWINS 2

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Carlos Gomez went 4 for 4 with a walk, tormenting his former team again with three RBIs over the last three innings to lift Milwaukee to a victory over Minnesota.

Gomez hit a two-run tiebreaking single in the seventh and an RBI double in the ninth. Matt Garza (4-7) threw seven strong innings, Ryan Braun homered for the first time in 12 days and the Brewers handed the Twins their second straight loss at home for the first time this year in front of the second-largest crowd at Target Field this season.

Francisco Rodriguez pitched a hitless ninth for his 10th save in 10 tries after Brian Dozier hit his 11th homer for the Twins off Jonathan Broxton in the eighth.

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Greinke vs Cards; Cole on a roll; Norris back

June 6, 2015


ONCE MORE

Zack Greinke starts as Los Angeles hosts St. Louis in the twilight at Dodger Stadium during the finale of a four-game series. He's seen a lot of the Cardinals over the years, facing them in three of the last four postseasons. Overall, he's 2-1 in five starts against the Cards in the playoffs.

COLE ON A ROLL

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Gerrit Cole (8-2), who has allowed only two earned runs while winning his last three starts, looks to extend his streak in Atlanta. The right-hander has never beaten the Braves despite a 2.57 ERA in two starts.

DANGER ZONE

Giancarlo Stanton gets a few more swings at altitude in Denver, where he hit a 478-foot homer Friday night. Stanton and the Miami Marlins face Colorado Rockies right-hander Kyle Kendrick (2-7), who has had a hard time keeping the ball in the yard at Coors Field. Eight of the 15 home runs hit off Kendrick this season have come at home, where he is 0-3 with a 7.99 ERA in four starts.

STREAKING

Toronto's Chris Colabello owns the longest active hitting streak in the majors. He'll take his career-best 16-game string into the series finale against Collin McHugh and the Astros.

SLUMPING

Freddy Galvis tries to snap an 0-for-29 slide when Philadelphia faces Ryan Vogelsong (4-3) and the World Series champion San Francisco Giants. On the mound for the Phillies is Sean O'Sullivan, who has given up 20 hits and 11 runs in 11 1-3 innings over his last two starts.

HERE'S JOHNNY

Johnny Cueto (3-4) makes his second start since returning from elbow inflammation when the Cincinnati Reds host San Diego. Cueto gave up two runs in six innings of a 5-4 loss at Philadelphia on Tuesday.

HEY, BUD

Baltimore Orioles right-hander Bud Norris will be activated from the 15-day disabled list to start against the Cleveland Indians. Norris, who is 1-4 with a 9.88 ERA, came down with bronchitis last month and hasn't pitched since May 10.

[StarDust Bum]

Fan hurt at Fenway expected to survive

June 6, 2015

BOSTON (AP) - A fan hit by a broken bat at Fenway Park is expected to survive after sustaining life-threatening injuries during a game between the Oakland Athletics and Boston Red Sox.

Officer Rachel McGuire said Saturday that the woman is recovering.

Tonya Carpenter was struck in the head by the broken bat of Oakland's Brett Lawrie on Friday night. Police initially called her injuries life-threatening.

Carpenter is in serious condition, her family said Saturday in a statement.

''Tonya's family and loved ones are grateful to all who have reached out with thoughts and prayers but are requesting privacy at this time as Tonya recovers,'' said the statement from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Hospital.

There was a ''moment of reflection'' for Carpenter at Fenway Park before Saturday's game between the A's and Red Sox.

''All of us offer our prayers and our thoughts as we wish her a speedy recovery,'' the Red Sox said in a statement.

Lawrie was out of the lineup and manager Bob Melvin said it wasn't because of any psychological effect, but instead a back issue.

Friday night's game was halted in the second inning as emergency crews tended to a bloodied Carpenter and wheeled her off the field on a stretcher.

Lawrie broke his bat on a grounder and part of it hurtled a few rows into the seats between the backstop and Oakland's dugout on the third base side.

There are signs posted on the low retaining wall facing fans in the front row that read: ''Be Alert. Foul Balls and Bats Hurt.''

Alex Merlis, of Brookline, Massachusetts, said he was sitting in the row behind the woman when the broken bat flew into the stands.

''It was violent,'' he said of the impact to her forehead and top of her head. ''She bled a lot. A lot. I don't think I've ever seen anything like that.''

Merlis said the woman had been sitting with a small child and a man. After she was injured, the man was tending to her and other people were trying to console the distraught child, he said.

After the game, Lawrie said he hoped the woman would recover.

''I've seen bats fly out of guys' hands in the stands and everyone's OK, but when one breaks like that, has jagged edges on it, anything can happen.''

Concerned about a rash of flying broken bats and the danger they posed, Major League Baseball studied the issue in 2008 and implemented a series of changes to bat regulations for the following season.

''I do know that MLB is probably taking a look at the incident last night, as they do with any bat that flies into the stands,'' Red Sox manager John Farrell said.

Multi-piece bat failures are down about 50 percent since the beginning of the 2009 season, MLB spokesman Michael Teevan said.

''You have a ballpark here that's how old, and it's close, you have some maple bats that break. I think MLB and the players' association have talked long and hard about how they can try to keep this from happening,'' Melvin said.

Though dozens of fans at big league ballparks are struck by foul balls each season, there has been only one fatality, according to baseball researchers - a 14-year-old boy killed by a foul line drive off the bat of Manny Mota at Dodger Stadium in 1970.

The National Hockey League ordered safety netting installed at each end of NHL arenas after 13-year-old Brittanie Cecil was killed by a deflected puck at a Columbus Blue Jackets game in 2002. She died two days later, and her parents eventually settled with the team for $1.2 million, the league and the arena management.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Sunday, June 7


National League
Cubs @ Nationals
Hendricks is 1-1, 2.73 in his last five starts; four of the five stayed under.

Zimmerman is 3-0, 0.96 in his last four starts; last three stayed under.

Cubs lost seven of last 11 games with Washington, with six of last seven going under total; they're 5-7 in last 12 games overall. Nine of last 11 Cub games stayed under. Washington lost seven of last nine games.

Giants @ Phillies
Vogelsong is 4-1, 1.91 in his last six starts; three of his last four road starts went over the total.

O'Sullivan is 0-2, 6.75 in his last three starts; three of his last four went under.

Phillies lost ten of last 12 games; last five went over- they've also lost nine of last 11 against the Giants, with four of last five going over total. SF lost five of last seven games; over is 5-0-2 in those seven games.

Padres @ Reds
Despaigne is 1-1, 1.35 in his last three starts; (over 4-3 in his last seven).

Cueto is 0-1, 3.15 in his last three starts; under is 4-2-1 in his last seven.

San Diego won its last six games with Cincinnati, allowing 12 runs; under is 7-2-1 in last ten series games. Padres won five of last six games overall; over is 8-0-2 in their last ten games. Reds lost four of last five games; over is 7-1-1 in their last nine games overall.

Pirates @ Braves
Cole is 3-0, 2.02 in his last three starts; under is 5-0-1 in his last six.

Wood is 3-0, 1.64 in his last three starts; over is 3-1-2 in his last six.

Pirates won 12 of last 14 games; over is 7-0-2 in their last nine. Pirates won six of last seven games with Atlanta. Braves are 4-8 in last 12 games; over is 6-0-1 in their last seven.

Marlins @ Rockies
Urena is 0-2, 6.75 in his first two starts (under 2-0).

Kendrick is 1-3, 5.19 in his last four starts; his last three went over.

Miami lost three of last four games with Colorado; over is 6-2-1 in last nine. Miami won five of last eight games; eight of their last twelve stayed under. Rockies won seven of last ten games, with four of last six going over.

Mets @ Diamondbacks
deGrom is 3-0, 0.92 in his last four starts; three of the four went over.

Collmenter is 0-2, 7.83 in his last five starts; five of his last seven went over.

Mets won eight of last 11 games with Arizona; road team won nine of the 11 games. Under is 6-0-1 in last seven series games. NY lost four of their last five games; over is 5-2-2 in their last nine. Arizona won four of last five games; over is 5-1-3 in their last nine.

Cardinals @ Dodgers
Lynn is 3-1, 2.45 in his last five starts; his last four stayed under.

Greinke is 1-1, 2.23 in his last six starts; five of his last seven went over.

Dodgers lost five of last eight games with Cardinals; eight of last nine in series stayed under. St Louis won ten of last 13 games; eight of its last ten stayed under. Dodgers are 4-7 in their last eleven games overall.

American League
Orioles @ Indians
Norris is 1-3, 8.85 in his last four starts; this is his first start since May 10, due to bronchitis. Over is 5-1-1 in his last seven outings.

Carrasco is 3-0, 1.71 in his last three starts; six of his last eight went over.

Orioles lost seven of last 11 games with Cleveland; last six stayed under. O's lost six of last seven games overall, outscored 30-18- six of their eight went under total. Indians won seven of last ten games; six of their last seven went under the total.

Angels @ Bronx
Wilson is 1-2, 5.48 in his last four starts; over is 3-0-1 in his last four.

Sabathia is 0-2, 8.36 in his last three starts; four of his last five went over.

Angels lost six of last seven games with Bronx; last three games went over total. Halos lost their last four games, allowing 28 runs; over is 7-2-1 in their last ten games. Bronx won six of last seven games; seven of last nine went over the total.

Astros @ Blue Jays
McHugh is 1-2, 5.68 in his last five starts (over 3-1-1).

Dickey is 1-3, 6.96 in his last five starts; three of his last four went over.

Houston won seven of last nine games with Toronto; home side won all nine games- seven of nine were played in Texas. Over is 7-4-1 in last 12 series games. Astros lost last three games, scoring six runs; under is 6-1-1 in their last eight. Blue Jays won five of last six home games.

A's @ Red Sox
Graveman is 2-0, 3.06 in his last three starts; three of his four road starts went under the total.

Red Sox scored exactly one run in seven of last nine Buchholz starts; in his last four starts, he is 1-2, 1.76; under is 5-0-1 in his last six.

Oakland lost five of last six games with Boston- they're 9-5 in last 14 overall. Red Sox lost seven of last 12 games, but won last two days; six of their last seven stayed under. Under is 7-3-1 in last eleven Oakland games.

Tigers @ White Sox
Simon is 1-3, 4.46 in his last six starts; under is 3-0-1 in his last four.

Samardzija is 3-0, 1.71 in his last three home starts; they all stayed under.

Detroit lost eight of its last nine games; under is 7-4-1 in their last 12. Tigers are 6-4 in last ten games with White Sox, with three of last five staying under total. Pale Hose are 5-0 in game following their last five losses.

Rangers @ Royals
Lewis is 2-1, 9.70 in his last four starts; Rangers scored 55 runs in his last six outings- his last seven all went over.

Guthrie allowed 11 runs in an inning two starts ago; in his last four starts other than that one, he is 3-0, 1.88. Over is 4-2-1 in his last seven.

Texas won three of last four against the Royals; under is 7-2-1 in last ten series games. Rangers won seven of last eight games overall. Royals lost nine of last 11 games; under is 9-2-1 in their last 12.

Rays @ Mariners
Archer is 3-0, 1.32 in his last five starts; under is 6-2-2 in his last ten.

Montgomery allowed one run in six IP (97 PT) in his first MLB start.

Tampa Bay lost seven of last nine games with Seattle; road team won ten of last 12 series games, with ten of last 12 staying under. Rays won six of last eight games; their last three stayed under. Mariners lost seven of last eight games, scoring 15 runs.

Interleague
Brewers @ Twins
Fiers is 1-1, 2.57 in his last five starts, all of which stayed under.

Pelfrey is 1-1, 1.35 in his last three starts, all of which stayed under.

Milwaukee won its last three games with Minnesota; four of last five went over total. Brewers won four of last six games; five of last eight went over the total. Twins lost four of their last six games.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Chi-Wsh-- Hendricks 5-5; Zimmerman 7-4
SF-Phil-- Vogelsong 6-3; O'Sullivan 2-5
SD-Cin-- Despaigne 4-3; Cueto 5-5
Pitt-Atl-- Cole 8-3; Wood 4-7
Mia-Colo-- Urena 0-2; Kendrick 3-8
NY-Az-- deGrom 7-4; Collmenter 6-5
StL-LA-- Lynn 6-5; Greinke 8-3

Balt-Clev-- Norris 2-4; Carrasco 7-4
LA-NY-- Wilson 5-6; Sabathia 4-7
Hst-Tor-- McHugh 8-3; Dickey 4-7
A's-Bos-- Graveman 5-2; Buchholz 3-8
Det-Chi-- Simon 6-4; Samardzija 6-5
Tex-KC-- Lewis 5-6; Guthrie 6-4
TB-Sea-- Archer 7-5; Montgomery 0-1

Mil-Min-- Fiers 5-6; Pelfrey 7-3

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Chi-Wsh-- Hendricks 1-10; Zimmerman 5-11
SF-Phil-- Vogelsong 1-9; O'Sullivan 4-7
SD-Cin-- Despaigne 3-7; Cueto 4-10
Pitt-Atl-- Cole 4-11; Wood 4-11
Mia-Colo-- Urena 2-2; Kendrick 6-11
NY-Az-- deGrom 3-11; Collmenter 5-11
StL-LA-- Lynn 3-11; Greinke 4-11

Balt-Clev-- Norris 1-6; Carrasco 4-11
LA-NY-- Wilson 2-11; Sabathia 3-11
Hst-Tor-- McHugh 2-11; Dickey 3-11
A's-Bos-- Graveman 3-7; Buchholz 4-11
Det-Chi-- Simon 0-10; Samardzija 5-11
Tex-KC-- Lewis 1-11; Guthrie 3-10
TB-Sea-- Archer 3-12; Montgomery 0-1

Mil-Min-- Fiers 1-11; Pelfrey 1-10

Umpires
Chi-Wsh-- Five of seven Danley games went over.
SF-Phil-- Underdogs won four of last six Wegner
Mia-Colo-- Six of last nine Dimuro games stayed under.
SD-Cin-- Last four Estabrook games went over.
Pitt-Atl-- Underdogs are 6-5 in Carlson games.
NY-Az-- Six of last eight Kellogg games stayed under.
StL-LA-- Underdogs won last three LBarrett games.

Hst-Tor-- Four of last five Holbrook games stayed under.
Tex-KC-- Last five Reynolds games went over total.
A's-Bos-- Underdogs won eight of last nine Davidson games.
Balt-Clev-- May
Det-Chi-- Road team won five of last six Guccione games.
LA-NY-- Four of last five Bellino games went over.
TB-Sea-- Underdogs won seven of nine Eddings games.

Mil-Min-- Six of last seven Knight games went over.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Sunday, June 7

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

1:05 PM
LA ANGELS vs. NY YANKEES
The total has gone OVER in 6 of LA Angels's last 8 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
LA Angels are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 5 games
NY Yankees are 5-0 SU in their last 5 games at home

1:07 PM
HOUSTON vs. TORONTO
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Houston's last 8 games
Houston is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Houston
Toronto is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

1:10 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. CINCINNATI
San Diego is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Diego's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Cincinnati's last 14 games when playing San Diego
Cincinnati is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing San Diego

1:10 PM
BALTIMORE vs. CLEVELAND
Baltimore is 4-15 SU in its last 19 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Baltimore's last 5 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cleveland's last 5 games when playing at home against Baltimore
Cleveland is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Baltimore

1:35 PM
OAKLAND vs. BOSTON
Oakland is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Boston
Oakland is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston's last 8 games
Boston is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

1:35 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. ATLANTA
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Atlanta's last 7 games

1:35 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
San Francisco is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games when playing Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Philadelphia's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Philadelphia's last 5 games when playing San Francisco

2:10 PM
TEXAS vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas's last 5 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
Kansas City is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 13 of Kansas City's last 18 games when playing Texas

2:10 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. MINNESOTA
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Milwaukee's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing at home against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Minnesota's last 5 games when playing Milwaukee

2:10 PM
DETROIT vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Detroit is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Detroit's last 11 games on the road
Chi White Sox are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Chi White Sox's last 10 games at home

4:05 PM
CHI CUBS vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Chi Cubs's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 15 of Chi Cubs's last 22 games when playing on the road against Washington
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

4:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. SEATTLE
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Seattle's last 8 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games at home

4:10 PM
MIAMI vs. COLORADO
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Miami's last 13 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Miami's last 7 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Colorado's last 7 games when playing Miami
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Colorado's last 11 games at home

4:10 PM
NY METS vs. ARIZONA
NY Mets are 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of NY Mets's last 7 games when playing Arizona
Arizona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Arizona is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

8:08 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. LA DODGERS
St. Louis is 6-2 SU in their last 8 games when playing LA Dodgers
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of St. Louis's last 7 games on the road
LA Dodgers are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games
LA Dodgers are 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing St. Louis

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Sunday, June 7


San Diego @ Cincinnati

Game 901-902
June 7, 2015 @ 1:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Diego
(Despaigne) 14.299
Cincinnati
(Cueto) 16.640
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cincinnati
by 2 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cincinnati
-175
7
Dunkel Pick:
Cincinnati
(-175); Under

Pittsburgh @ Atlanta

Game 903-904
June 7, 2015 @ 1:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Pittsburgh
(Cole) 17.178
Atlanta
(Wood) 14.286
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 3
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-145
7
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-145); Under

San Francisco @ Philadelphia

Game 905-906
June 7, 2015 @ 1:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
San Francisco
(Vogelsong) 14.609
Philadelphia
(O'Sullivan) 15.760
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 1
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
San Francisco
-140
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(+120); Over

Chicago Cubs @ Washington

Game 907-908
June 7, 2015 @ 4:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Chicago Cubs
(Hendricks) 15.802
Washington
(Zmmermnn) 14.766
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago Cubs
by 1
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Washington
-155
7
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago Cubs
(+135); Over

Miami @ Colorado

Game 909-910
June 7, 2015 @ 4:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Miami
(Urena) 14.997
Colorado
(Kendrick) 16.459
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado
by 1 1/2
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Colorado
-125
11
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado
(-125); Under

NY Mets @ Arizona

Game 911-912
June 7, 2015 @ 4:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
NY Mets
(deGrom) 16.457
Arizona
(Collmnter) 14.892
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Mets
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Mets
-125
8
Dunkel Pick:
NY Mets
(-125); Under

St. Louis @ LA Dodgers

Game 913-914
June 7, 2015 @ 8:08 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
(Lynn) 17.509
LA Dodgers
(Greinke) 16.421
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
St. Louis
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-170
6
Dunkel Pick:
St. Louis
(+150); Over

Baltimore @ Cleveland

Game 915-916
June 7, 2015 @ 1:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Baltimore
(Norris) 15.493
Cleveland
(Carrasco) 14.689
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Baltimore
by 1
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
-180
8
Dunkel Pick:
Baltimore
(+160); Over

LA Angels @ NY Yankees

Game 917-918
June 7, 2015 @ 1:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Angels
(Wilson) 14.748
NY Yankees
(Sabathia) 16.412
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Yankees
by 1 1/2
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Yankees
-120
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NY Yankees
(-120); Over

Houston @ Toronto

Game 919-920
June 7, 2015 @ 1:07 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
(McHugh) 14.693
Toronto
(Dickey) 15.670
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Toronto
by 1
10
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Toronto
-115
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Toronto
(-115); Over

Oakland @ Boston

Game 921-922
June 7, 2015 @ 1:35 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oakland
(Graveman) 16.513
Boston
(Buchholz) 15.521
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Oakland
by 1
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Boston
-160
8
Dunkel Pick:
Oakland
(+140); Under

Detroit @ Chicago White Sox

Game 923-924
June 7, 2015 @ 2:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
(Simon) 16.756
Chicago White Sox
(Samardzija) 12.449
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 4 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago White Sox
-125
8
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(+105); Under

Texas @ Kansas City

Game 925-926
June 7, 2015 @ 2:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Texas
(Lewis) 16.587
Kansas City
(Guthrie) 15.497
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Texas
by 1
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kansas City
-130
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Texas
(+110); Over

Tampa Bay @ Seattle

Game 927-928
June 7, 2015 @ 4:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
(Archer) 17.110
Seattle
(Montgomery) 14.619
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Tampa Bay
by 2 1/2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Tampa Bay
-135
7
Dunkel Pick:
Tampa Bay
(-135); Over

Milwaukee @ Minnesota

Game 929-930
June 7, 2015 @ 2:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Milwaukee
(Fiers) 16.656
Minnesota
(Pelfrey) 15.104
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Milwaukee
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Minnesota
-110
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Milwaukee
(-110); Under