The Bum's Best Bets For Friday June 12th - MLB - NBA -NHL !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Yankees (33-26) at Orioles (29-30)
Game: 1
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: June 12, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

The New York Yankees' winning streak has come to an end, and the Baltimore Orioles have finally gotten a decent one going.

The clubs meet Friday night in the opener of a three-game series at Camden Yards, where Ubaldo Jimenez has thus far put together an impressive season.

After completing a three-game sweep of Boston with Thursday's 6-5 win, Baltimore (29-30) has a shot at extending its season-best run to five games while getting back to .500 for the first time since being 12-12 on May 5. The Orioles have won six of seven while posting a 2.32 ERA.

Adam Jones homered for the fourth time in seven games and went 2 for 3 to boost his average to .419 in his last eight.

"Getting this little roll on, playing good baseball, it's just the main thing as long as you get in a little groove," said Manny Machado, who also homered and is 9 for his last 21. "It's a long season ahead of us, but hopefully we keep riding this wave."

The Orioles have also won nine of the last 12 meetings with the Yankees in Baltimore.

New York (33-26) saw its seven-game winning streak come to an end in Wednesday's 5-4, 11-inning loss to Washington.

The Yankees also lost closer Andrew Miller - perfect in 17 save chances - to a left forearm strain. He won't throw for 10 days to two weeks, and Dellin Betances will move into the ninth-inning role a game after the bullpen allowed a 4-2 lead to slip away. The Yankees had been 28-1 leading after seven innings.

"Everyone has to look forward to the challenge and try to get the job done," Betances said.

Jimenez started Baltimore's last loss - a 2-1 defeat in Cleveland on Saturday - and the right-hander somehow managed to dodge the decision and limit the Indians to a run after allowing six hits and issuing a season-high six walks. The good news for Baltimore is it hasn't been a trend. Jimenez (3-3, 3.02 ERA) totaled six walks in his previous five starts, and manager Buck Showalter saw it as an isolated incident.

"He's not an excuse maker, but he was just having trouble gripping the balls," Showalter told MLB's official website. "... It's just one of those days where it's windy, cool, slick."

Jimenez doesn't have a decision in his last four starts and is winless in five, but most of his success has come at home with a 3-1 record and 2.06 ERA in five starts.

Against the Yankees, however, he's 2-4 with a 5.50 ERA, and he walked 14 in three starts in the series last season. Garrett Jones (5 for 11) and Carlos Beltran (6 for 15 with two home runs) have hit Jimenez well. Chris Young is 7 for 43 with 17 strikeouts and might be left out of the lineup given his 5-for-50 overall slump. Mark Teixeira (3 for 21 with eight strikeouts) and Brett Gardner (2 for 14) have also struggled against him.

Michael Pineda is seeking his second three-start winning streak this season, and he should be fresh after the club elected to have him skip his last start to limit his work. Pineda (7-2, 3.33) gave up two runs and seven hits in six innings of a 7-2 win in Seattle on June 1 and has a 2.13 ERA in the last two.

The right-hander is 3-0 with a 2.56 ERA in six starts against the Orioles, posting three straight victories with two coming this year behind 25 strikeouts in 13 1-3 innings. Much of that success has come against Chris Davis (1 for 11 with eight strikeouts), Travis Snider (0 for 9, five strikeouts), Delmon Young (1 for 8, five strikeouts), Caleb Joseph (1 for 7, six strikeouts) and Ryan Flaherty (0 for 6).


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Yankees at Orioles
Fri, Jun 12 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Yankees at Orioles
Sat, Jun 13 - 7:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Yankees at Orioles
Sun, Jun 14 - 1:35PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Indians (28-31) at Tigers (31-29)
Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: June 12, 2015 7:08 PM EDT

Danny Salazar leads the majors in strikeouts per nine innings and usually gets tremendous support from the Cleveland Indians.

They may have trouble giving him many runs to work with Friday night due to their woes against David Price.

Price rarely loses to the Indians and takes the mound in this three-game series opener at Comerica Park for the Detroit Tigers, who have dominated this rivalry of late.

Salazar (6-1, 3.50 ERA) averages 11.82 strikeouts per nine innings after he registered 10 and yielded one run in seven-plus innings to earn Saturday's 2-1 home win over Baltimore. The right-hander began the season in the minors due to a poor spring before being called up April 18.

"Right now, so far, I'm much better," he said. "I have my own routine, something I didn't have in spring training. I'm working on it every day. That's helped me a lot."

Salazar is third in the majors with a 7.30 run support average, though receiving that kind of backing against Price (5-2, 2.70) could be unlikely. The left-hander is 7-1 with a 2.40 ERA in 10 career starts against the Indians, allowing three unearned runs in 5 2-3 innings in a 9-6 victory April 11 in which he didn't get a decision.

Detroit (31-29) is 10-2 in Price's starts after Saturday's 7-1 road win over the Chicago White Sox in which he struck out 11 in a five-hitter for his second complete game.

Price has a 1.48 ERA in his last four outings. Batters swing and miss at his fastball 16.5 percent of the time and 21.0 percent against his changeup.

"He is really more about the edges of the plate and his changeup, which is always kind of in the area which keeps the pitch count down," manager Brad Ausmus said.

Both starters face some difficult matchups.

Carlos Santana is 7 for 20 off Price and Ryan Raburn is 7 for 21 with a homer.

Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis will likely return to the lineup after he was not in it for the first time in Thursday's 6-0 win over Seattle. Kipnis is 3 for 12 versus Price and a .253 hitter against lefties.

Salazar is 2-1 with a 2.93 ERA in six starts against the Tigers and was responsible for the only victory over them in six meetings this season April 24 when he yielded one run with 11 strikeouts over seven innings in a 13-1 rout.

Miguel Cabrera is 8 for 17 with a homer and eight strikeouts versus Salazar and red-hot Ian Kinsler is 5 for 12 with a homer.

Cabrera went 0 for 3 in Wednesday's 12-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs as his streak of reaching base ended at 27 games. Kinsler was 2 for 3, improving to 11 for 24 in his last six games.

Kipnis is second in the AL with a .333 average and Cabrera is fourth at .325.

The Tigers, who have captured 12 of the last 14 meetings, may choose to be patient against Salazar since he averages an AL-high 4.07 pitches per batter.

Cleveland (28-31), which ended a three-game slide Thursday, starts a five-game trip after capturing its previous four road series.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Indians at Tigers
Fri, Jun 12 - 7:08PM EDT

GAME 2
Indians at Tigers
Sat, Jun 13 - 4:08PM EDT

GAME 3
Indians at Tigers
Sun, Jun 14 - 1:08PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Phillies (22-39) at Pirates (32-27)
Game: 1
Venue: PNC Park
Date: June 12, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Pittsburgh Pirates starter Jeff Locke owns the highest ERA by a left-hander, though he has a favorable matchup Friday night.

His mound opponent is a former teammate making his debut for the lowly Philadelphia Phillies.

Locke has won all four previous starts versus the Phillies, who will give Kevin Correia the ball as they try to avoid an eighth straight road defeat in the opener of this three-game series.

It hasn't been a strong start to the season for Locke (3-3, 5.37 ERA), who has one win in his last nine outings and has been charged with 11 runs - 10 earned - over 10 1-3 innings in his last two. He gave up four runs over 6 1-3 innings Saturday as he did not get a decision in a 5-4 defeat at Atlanta.

Locke has a 3.52 ERA at home compared to 8.37 on the road. He has posted a 1.35 ERA against the Phillies, who average major league lows of 3.18 runs and 0.59 homers.

Players on Philadelphia's active roster are a combined 6 for 46 (.130) against him, including Ben Revere going 1 for 11 and Chase Utley with a double in six at_bats. Utley is hitless in 21 at_bats and has one of baseball's worst averages at .185.

Pittsburgh (32-27) will see a familiar face in Correia, who signed a one-year deal Monday with the Phillies. He takes the spot of right-hander Severino Gonzalez, who was 2-2 with an 8.69 ERA in five starts before being sent to the minors Sunday.

Correia pitched for San Francisco's Triple-A team in Sacramento this season, going 0-1 with a 3.58 ERA in six starts. He was released May 29 after exercising an opt-out provision in his contract, hoping another team would be willing to sign him as a starter.

"This is a good opportunity, but it's also a good city to play in," Correia said. "It's a great sports city to go play in. It's a place I've always looked at and I admire the organization and how things are run. So I'm happy to be here no matter what the situation is."

The right-hander will pitch at PNC Park for the first time since his two years with Pittsburgh from 2011-12, going 12-11 in each season.

He went 3-1 with a 3.77 ERA in five starts versus Pittsburgh between 2008-10. Pedro Alvarez is 3 for 5 against him while Andrew McCutchen is hitless in five at_bats.

Correia was tied for second in the majors with 17 losses in 2014 for Minnesota and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Philadelphia (22-39) has lost 13 of 16 overall and is enduring its longest road slide since losing 11 in a row July 20-Aug. 11, 2013. The Phillies gave up four runs in the first inning in a second straight game in Wednesday's 5-2 loss at Cincinnati.

"It seems like the last couple of weeks, we've been trying to come from behind, playing catch-up in every game," manager Ryne Sandberg said.

Utley is hitting .151 off lefties and Ryan Howard is at .167.

Pittsburgh totaled three runs in dropping two of three to Milwaukee, avoiding a sweep with Wednesday's 2-0 victory. The Pirates were 3 for 24 with runners in scoring position in the series.

Alvarez homered Wednesday for the first time in 15 games. He has one of baseball's lowest line drive percentages at 16.3.

These teams split four games in Philadelphia from May 11-14.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Phillies at Pirates
Fri, Jun 12 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Phillies at Pirates
Sat, Jun 13 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Phillies at Pirates
Sun, Jun 14 - 1:35PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Blue Jays (31-30) at Red Sox (27-34)
Game: 1
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: June 12, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Toronto Blue Jays' season-best winning streak has been a marriage of strong pitching and plenty of offense. For much of the season, Drew Hutchison failed to provide one of those.

The right-hander has been much steadier in his last three starts, so it seems the dominant streak could spill over into Friday night's series opener in Boston against the slipping Red Sox.

The Blue Jays (31-30) are over .500 for the first time since being 16-15 on May 19 and can now match a nine-game winning streak from May 20-28, 2014.

The run, impressive on its own, has been amplified with equal parts pitching and hitting, with six of those wins coming by four runs or more.

Toronto pitchers have posted a 2.13 ERA with the starting staff allowing three earned runs once. The lineup is batting .299 and scoring 7.13 runs per game with nine home runs in the last four, including one each from Jose Reyes, Josh Donaldson, Justin Smoak and Russell Martin in Wednesday's 7-2 home win over Miami.

Reyes is batting .394 with a hit in every game on the streak, and Donaldson has four straight two-hit games.

Hutchison (5-1, 4.91 ERA) has seen the run support all season, receiving a major league-high 8.66 per game, which is more than a run higher than the next qualifying pitcher - teammate Mark Buehrle (7.58). It would also be higher than any single-season mark of at least 12 starts since Matt Harrison (9.25 in 15 starts) in 2008 and the third highest in data available to 1974.

Hutchison needed it with a 6.06 ERA though nine starts, but he's gone 2-0 with a 2.18 mark over his last three. Hutchison limited Houston to a run and six hits in 6 1-3 innings of Saturday's 7-2 home win, and much of the difference lately can probably be attributed to the one walk he's issued in 20 2-3 innings of those starts. Through nine, he had a 2.94 walks per nine innings rate, which was more in line with the 2.96 mark he entered the season with.

"We expect a lot out of him now, but he's really just starting to scratch the surface of what he can become at this level," manager John Gibbons told MLB's official website.

He's received plenty of support when facing the Red Sox, going 3-1 in six starts despite a 5.34 ERA. Xander Bogaerts (6 for 12), Mookie Betts (4 for 8) and Mike Napoli (4 for 9) have hit him well, but David Ortiz is 2 for 15.

He's up against Joe Kelly, who has also started to correct a poor first nine starts. Kelly (2-4, 5.40) had a 6.24 ERA prior to going 1-0 with a 1.64 mark in his last two outings. He surrendered a run and four hits in Saturday's 4-2 win over Oakland.

All three of his starts against Toronto have come since joining Boston at last season's trade deadline, and he's 0-1 with a 6.62 ERA. Donaldson (4 for 8) and Martin (4 for 10 with a home run) have been good, but Reyes is 1 for 11.

The Red Sox (27-34) were swept in Baltimore with Thursday's 6-5 loss giving them their fourth three-game skid over an 8-14 span. Another would match a four-game slide to begin May, since which they've gone an AL-worst 15-24 to match their low-water mark for the season of seven games under .500.

Ortiz homered for the first time in 18 games, but he's batting .146 in his last 11 at Fenway Park. Each of his seven home runs have come against right-handers.

"Against right-handers, he's having a strong year," manager John Farrell said. "Today was another day in that production so far."


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Blue Jays at Red Sox
Fri, Jun 12 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Blue Jays at Red Sox
Sat, Jun 13 - 1:35PM EDT

GAME 3
Blue Jays at Red Sox
Sun, Jun 14 - 1:35PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rockies (27-32) at Marlins (25-36)
Game: 2
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: June 12, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Colorado Rockies may have a solution for keeping Giancarlo Stanton in the ballpark - send Kyle Kendrick to the mound at Marlins Park.

With Stanton in the midst of a power surge, Kendrick will try to extend his dominance of the slugger and the Miami Marlins on Friday night when the Rockies try to avoid their longest skid in a month.

Stanton went 2 for 5 with his major league-leading 22nd home run and four RBIs to raise his baseball-best total to 55 as Miami snapped a three-game skid in Thursday's series-opening 6-0 win. The All-Star is 8 for 16 with four homers, two doubles and eight RBIs over his last four games.

"The whole idea was to get more traffic on in front of `G' and give him run-producing situations," manager Dan Jennings said.

Stanton has hit .326 with 13 home runs in 35 career games versus Colorado, though it's been a much different story when he's faced Kendrick. He's gone 3 for 29 (.103) - his worst average against any pitcher he's faced at least 14 times - with nine strikeouts and just one longball against the right-hander.

Kendrick (2-7, 6.16 ERA) has allowed 15 homers and baseball's second-highest ERA, but he gave up two runs and five hits while not allowing the ball to leave the yard over seven innings in Sunday's 3-2, 10-inning home loss to Miami.

He is 14-3 with a 3.41 ERA in 27 career games against the Marlins, tying him for the fifth-most wins versus Miami behind Greg Maddux (19), Tom Glavine (17), Tim Hudson (15) and John Smoltz (15).

"I know those guys very well," he said. "They are a very aggressive team."

The 30-year-old will try to help the Rockies avoid their first three-game losing streak since a season-worst 11-game skid April 28-May 13. He's 2-1 with a 3.04 ERA in four career starts at Marlins Park.

Miami (25-36) got back on track offensively in the opener after totaling eight runs while getting swept in a three-game series at Toronto. J.T. Realmuto is 10 for 19 in his last five after going 2 for 3 and Marcell Ozuna is batting .370 on a 12-game hit streak.

Adeiny Hechavarria is batting .410 on a nine-game hitting streak versus Colorado (27-32) after going 3 for 5, but he's just 2 for 19 when facing Kendrick.

The Marlins hope to match a season high with their fourth straight home victory by giving the ball to Jose Urena (0-2, 5.49), who's improved in each of his three starts.

After allowing five runs and 10 hits over 4 2-3 innings in a 5-1 loss at Pittsburgh on May 26, the right-hander gave up three runs and four hits over six in a 5-1 home loss to the Chicago Cubs.

Urena is looking to improve on his best outing Sunday when he yielded one run and three hits over six innings opposite Kendrick in the extra-inning victory at Coors Field.

"I thought that was a big step forward for him," Jennings told MLB's official website. "He's going to have a nice future, nice career."

Corey Dickerson went 2 for 4 with a double Thursday in his return from a 23-game absence because of plantar fasciitis. DJ LeMahieu stayed hot with two more hits, leaving him 13 for 27 in his last six.

Troy Tulowitzki is batting .470 with five home runs and 14 RBIs on a 10-game hitting streak.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rockies at Marlins
Thu, Jun 11 Final 0 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rockies at Marlins
Fri, Jun 12 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Rockies at Marlins
Sat, Jun 13 - 4:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Rockies at Marlins
Sun, Jun 14 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Braves (29-31) at Mets (32-29)
Game: 1
Venue: Citi Field
Date: June 12, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

A walk-off victory following two disheartening losses gave the New York Mets a badly needed boost to their spirits.

Handing the ball to the dependable Bartolo Colon should give them a good chance to make the positive vibes more enduring.

Colon will try to beat the Atlanta Braves for the third time in as many matchups this year as the Mets go for their longest winning streak in the series in 26 years Friday night.

After getting no-hit by San Francisco rookie Chris Heston on Tuesday and watching struggling ace Matt Harvey get pounded the next night, New York (32-29) defeated the Giants 5-4 on Thursday to avoid the sweep. Michael Cuddyer singled home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

'It's huge morale-wise for us,' said manager Terry Collins, whose team has gone 3-6 in its last nine with the rotation posting a 5.50 ERA in that stretch. 'Today was a big one.'

After a pair of rough outings May 15 and 20, Colon (8-4, 4.52 ERA) has regained his steady form in his last three, going 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA. He worked seven innings and struck out seven Saturday but suffered a 2-1 loss to Arizona, allowing a two-run homer in his final inning.

The veteran right-hander will be looking to tie Pittsburgh's Gerrit Cole for the NL lead in victories.

"He's been outstanding. You can't say enough about him," Collins told MLB's official website. "The guy does everything you want him to do. He's professional about the way he goes about his job."

Colon won his first four starts of the season with a 2.77 ERA, and two of those came against Atlanta (29-31). He allowed three runs in six innings of a 6-3 home victory in the most recent April 23.

The Mets have won four straight and seven of nine against the Braves after sweeping three games at Citi Field from April 21-23. They haven't won five in a row against Atlanta since 1989.

Cuddyer also had an RBI double Thursday and has batted .382 with seven RBIs in his last nine home games. However, he's 2 for 21 with a home run in six meetings with Atlanta this year.

The Braves have lost six of nine after falling 6-4 in 11 innings to San Diego on Thursday.

Alex Wood (4-3, 3.36), who had won three straight starts with a 1.23 ERA, was ejected after the fifth inning Sunday on his way to the dugout for arguing balls and strikes in a 3-0 home loss to Pittsburgh.

"I think it was a combination of everything," Wood said. " ... I think the frustration of the whole game leading up to that and then the three runs they scored that inning, too."

The left-hander's previous three starts had come on the road, where he's 4-0 with a 2.15 ERA in seven games. He allowed three runs in 6 2-3 innings of a 4-3 home loss to New York on April 12 and didn't get the decision.

Wood is 0-2 with a 4.09 ERA in six starts in the series. Cuddyer is 3 for 5 with a home run off him.

Freddie Freeman, who's batted .390 with five homers and 12 RBIs in his last 11 games, is 3 for 23 in the six meetings with the Mets this season. However, he's 7 for 16 with three doubles against Colon.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Braves at Mets
Fri, Jun 12 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Braves at Mets
Sat, Jun 13 - 4:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Braves at Mets
Sun, Jun 14 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: White Sox (28-30) at Rays (32-29)
Game: 1
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: June 12, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Chicago White Sox's inconsistent season resembles that of starter John Danks, who especially has been up and down over the last month.

He's been solid at Tropicana Field in recent years, though, and he'll take the mound there Friday night as the White Sox open a five-game road trip against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Chicago (28-30) moved above .500 by capping a six-game winning streak May 18, but then dropped 13 of its next 20. The White Sox bounced back this week, sweeping a three-game set against AL West-leading Houston with Wednesday's 4-1 victory.

Danks (3-5, 5.17 ERA) has experienced similar peaks and valleys. He gave up three runs in 14 innings in wins over Cincinnati on May 10 and Oakland on May 16, then gave up 11 runs in 10 1-3 innings in losses to Cleveland on May 21 and Toronto five days later.

After tossing his first shutout in four years against Houston on May 31, Danks pitched four scoreless innings before giving up five runs and getting removed with two outs in the fifth of Saturday's 7-1 loss to Detroit.

"I felt good," Danks said. "For whatever reason, the ball got up. They were able to put the bat on the ball and find some holes."

The left-hander has pitched well at Tropicana Field in his latest visits, though, going 1-2 with a 3.15 ERA in his last three starts there after allowing two runs in six innings of a 10-5 win Sept. 21.

Manager Robin Ventura won't get to witness this outing in person, as bench coach Mark Parent will guide the club with Ventura missing the entire series to attend his daughter's college graduation.

The White Sox still will have Jose Abreu, who went 2 for 4 with a two-run homer in each of the final two games against the Astros. He hit .385 with three homers last season to help Chicago win five of seven meetings with the Rays (32-29), who dropped two of three to the Los Angeles Angels after Thursday's 6-2 defeat.

Steven Souza Jr. hit a two-run homer in the second, but Tampa scored three runs or fewer for the sixth time in seven games. Manager Kevin Cash went to the bullpen in the sixth inning, and five relievers combined to allow five runs and 10 hits.

Following the game, rookie reliever Andrew Bellatti was placed on the disabled list with shoulder tendinitis.

'Brought our guys in and it just didn't work out tonight,' Cash said. 'We'll still take those chances anytime we get them with our bullpen. We have a ton of confidence in them.'

The entire staff is in flux now, though, especially because of the absence of Jake Odorizzi, who is on the 15-day DL after leaving last Friday's start in the fifth inning because of a strained left oblique.

With Odorizzi out, Cash will turn to Matt Andriese, who will make his eighth appearance and fourth start after being recalled from the minors following Thursday's contest.

Cash likely will be going to his bullpen early, as Andriese (0-1, 4.79) has pitched fewer than four innings in each of his three starts. The right-hander hasn't appeared in the majors since May 14, when he allowed one run in four innings of relief and earned a save in a 6-1 win over the New York Yankees.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
White Sox at Rays
Fri, Jun 12 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
White Sox at Rays
Sat, Jun 13 - 4:10PM EDT

GAME 3
White Sox at Rays
Sun, Jun 14 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Twins (33-26) at Rangers (31-29)
Game: 1
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: June 12, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

The Minnesota Twins' surprise 20-7 mark in May that sent them into first place in the AL Central has begun to unravel with a 3-7 record to start June.

The swoon hasn't lasted long enough yet to truly test the team's resolve, but they'll try to sidestep any impending stress by coming around Friday night in the opener of a three-game road series with the Texas Rangers.

The Twins (33-26), after all, lost an average of 96 games over the last four years. They were outscored 45-16 while losing six of their first seven to start 2015.

Finishing 1-5 on a homestand with Wednesday's 7-2 loss to Kansas City was hardly a major setback for a team that's been trying to rediscover a winning way for most of this decade.

"I don't have any particular issue when you go through periods like this," manager Paul Molitor said. "It's unfortunate it came at a time when the games seemed to be, at least externally, a lot bigger. It's just kind of the nature of how your season's going, to have ebbs and flows."

In his address to the players after the loss to the Royals that left the Twins two games behind Kansas City in the division, Molitor reminded them of the date.

'You don't determine the fate of your season in June. That just never happens, one way or another," Molitor said.

Even if their roster doesn't prove to be good enough over the balance of the summer to stay in the chase for a spot in the postseason, the intangible improvements alone ought to translate to a more competitive club down the stretch.

"Coming out of the gate we were realistic. I think we knew that we were going to have to kind of get off to a good start and then weather those bad times," right-hander Phil Hughes said. "I think we've done those things remarkably well. Anytime we've lost a couple tough games, it seems like we bounce back and have done a good job of putting those things behind us."

Despite being in the bottom third in the majors in home runs, steals and on-base percentage, the Twins only fell out of the top third in runs this week after scoring three times in three games while being swept by the Royals.

Their pitching staff is last in the majors in strikeouts. They've been charged with the seventh-most errors in baseball, and most of the analytics used to measure defense don't favor the Twins.

Yet here they are, still seven games over .500 despite their recent struggles, which Tommy Milone (2-1, 4.55 ERA) will try to end.

Milone, however, hasn't been dependable since winning his first two starts, going 0-1 with a 6.75 in his last three. In his first back from the minors to fill in for Ricky Nolasco on June 4 at Boston, the left-hander gave up four runs - two earned - and nine hits in five innings before the Twins rallied for an 8-4 win.

He saw plenty of Texas in his days with Oakland, going 2-4 with a 4.95 ERA in eight starts. Shin-soo Choo is 1 for 10 in their meetings.

Texas (31-29) is also looking to bounce back after losing a series for the first time in seven tries this week. The Rangers not only fell 7-0 in Oakland on Thursday, but they were also victims of a one-hitter. Over the last eight games, they're batting .228 and averaging 2.63 runs.

Wandy Rodriguez (3-2, 3.25) has been capable of making that kind of support hold up lately. After surrendering a run and six hits in seven innings of Saturday's 4-2 win in Kansas City, the left-hander is 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA in his last four starts.

"Stabilizer," manager Jeff Banister told MLB's official website. "He has taken on a front end of the rotation type of attitude, shouldering a lot of innings and being a veteran presence. He is a guy who has been through a lot of battles and significant games."

Rodriguez is 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA in two starts against the Twins, but the most recent was in 2009. He's held Joe Mauer to one hit in six at_bats and Mauer enters in a 1-for-14 slump over the last four games.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Twins at Rangers
Fri, Jun 12 - 8:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Twins at Rangers
Sat, Jun 13 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Twins at Rangers
Sun, Jun 14 - 3:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Nationals (31-28) at Brewers (22-38)
Game: 2
Venue: Miller Park
Date: June 12, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Scooter Gennett went hitless in his last 18 at_bats for the Milwaukee Brewers before they gave him a 17-game stint in the minors to sort out his issues at the plate.

That remains a work in progress even though he's back with the big league club, but at least he ended his drought in the majors in exciting fashion.

Gennett looks to get into more of a groove when the Brewers and Washington Nationals play the second of a four-game set at Miller Park on Friday night.

The second baseman was sent to Triple-A Colorado Springs on May 17 after hitting just .154 in 21 games for the Brewers (23-38). Recalled to start Thursday, he was 0 for 3 before his go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning gave Milwaukee a 6-5 victory over struggling Washington (31-29).

"You need to have a little fortune once in a while. Sometimes, that's what creates confidence," manager Craig Counsell said. "Your first night back, you get the game-winning hit, that's a big deal."

Gennett's big hit helped the last-place Brewers win for the fifth time in seven tries, with reliever Will Smith picking up the victory after finishing a scoreless eighth by picking off Bryce Harper. Smith was making his first appearance since serving a six-game suspension for having a foreign substance on his arm.

Carlos Gomez sat out a second straight game because of leg soreness, but Counsell hopes he'll be in the lineup for this contest. Gennett is 0 for 4 and Gomez 0 for 12 with eight strikeouts lifetime against Jordan Zimmermann, who takes the mound trying to help Washington avoid its 11th defeat in 14 games.

Zimmermann (5-3, 3.18 ERA) went 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA over his previous four starts before allowing four runs and 10 hits in five innings of Sunday's 6-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs. The right-hander gave up one more run that he did during his entire hot stretch.

"I just wasn't locating," Zimmermann said. "My breaking pitches were terrible. It's going to happen when you don't have all your pitches, and I just wasn't sharp."

Zimmermann hasn't run into much trouble against the Brewers, though, going 4-0 with a 2.35 ERA in five career starts. He struck out nine while allowing two runs in six innings of Washington's 4-2, 16-inning victory the last time he faced them June 24.

Mike Fiers will oppose Zimmermann looking to overcome a rough start of his own.

Fiers (2-6, 4.06) hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of his last six outings, going 1-2 with a 2.78 ERA in that stretch. However, he walked three and threw 91 pitches in just 4 1-3 innings of Sunday's 2-0 loss to Minnesota.

"It was just a struggle," Fiers said. "One of those games where I just had to battle through. Just felt like I battled all day. Like I had to battle every pitch."

The right-hander pitched 6 1-3 scoreless innings in his only start against the Nationals in 2012 before allowing two runs in five innings over two relief appearances against them last season.

The only Washington player with multiple hits off Fiers is Ryan Zimmerman, but he was placed on the 15-day disabled list Thursday with plantar fasciitis.

Denard Span is coming off back-to-back three-hit games after going 3 for 24 over his previous six.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Nationals at Brewers
Thu, Jun 11 Final 5 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Nationals at Brewers
Fri, Jun 12 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Nationals at Brewers
Sat, Jun 13 - 4:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Nationals at Brewers
Sun, Jun 14 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mariners (27-33) at Astros (34-27)
Game: 1
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: June 12, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

At some point, the young Houston Astros were going to struggle.

That time has arrived, and facing Felix Hernandez certainly won't do them any favors as the flailing AL West leaders host the Seattle Mariners on Friday night.

After overachieving for the first two months of the season - including a 6-1 mark against Seattle - a June swoon has rocked Houston (34-27). The Astros have lost a season-worst seven straight, scoring 16 runs while batting .201 with 68 strikeouts.

"It's a difficult trip to say the least," manager A.J. Hinch said after Wednesday's 4-1 defeat to the White Sox capped an 0-6 swing through Toronto and Chicago. "I think it's time for us to go home and rid ourselves of this last week."

Houston was held to four runs in three games in Chicago. George Springer had five singles in the leadoff spot Wednesday, but 2-3-4 hitters Jose Altuve, Preston Tucker and Evan Gattis went a combined 0 for 13. The Astros are 4 for 47 (.085) with runners in scoring position during their skid after going hitless in seven chances Thursday.

"We hit some balls hard again that got caught," Springer told MLB's official website. "... We've got to go out and keep playing hard and grinding out these games."

Springer is 11 for 28 during Houston's losing streak, but the rest of the team is hitting .174 and facing Hernandez (9-2, 2.51 ERA), trying to become the majors' first 10-game winner, is hardly enticing.

Hernandez limited Tampa Bay to one run and two hits in seven innings of Saturday's 2-1 win, his major league-leading fifth victory when backed by three or fewer runs. Additionally, he's 4-0 in his last five road starts, yielding four runs in 29 2-3 innings.

He hasn't lost to an AL West opponent since Texas beat him June 13 of last year, going 8-0 with a 1.53 ERA in his last 13 intradivision starts with 97 strikeouts in 88 innings.

Hernandez hasn't faced the Astros this season, but he's 3-1 with a 1.18 ERA in six matchups since they joined the AL West in 2013. Altuve is 8 for 18 with three doubles against the right-hander, but Springer and Gattis are a combined 0 for 9.

Seattle (27-34) is fighting its own offensive doldrums, and now it tries to avoid becoming the first team since the 2004 Montreal Expos to score three or fewer runs 15 times in a 16-game stretch following Thursday's 6-0 loss to Cleveland. The Mariners, who were denied a three-game sweep but have lost 10 of 14, have hit only two homers in their last 11 games.

Nelson Cruz, who leads the AL with 18 homers, missed the last two games due to back spasms but is expected to play Friday. Robinson Cano has only two homers and is batting .238, but manager Lloyd McClendon thinks he's coming around after collecting three doubles in the series.

"That's the best way you're going to come out of this funk, is stay in the middle of the field," McClendon said. "I think he's doing a nice job of it."

Brett Oberholtzer (0-1, 3.75) again seeks his first win after giving up four runs - two earned - in 3 2-3 innings of a 7-2 loss at Toronto on Saturday. The left-hander has won both of his starts versus the Mariners and his lone shutout came against them in 2013.

Houston, which has won six straight at home over Seattle, will see highly touted rookie shortstop Carlos Correa make his Minute Maid Park debut after going 4 for 12 with a homer and three RBIs versus Chicago.

Gattis is batting .161 in his last eight games without a homer, but he hit four and drove in 10 runs in Houston's four-game home sweep of Seattle from April 30-May 3 in the teams' last series.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mariners at Astros
Fri, Jun 12 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Mariners at Astros
Sat, Jun 13 - 4:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Mariners at Astros
Sun, Jun 14 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Royals (34-23) at Cardinals (39-21)
Game: 1
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: June 12, 2015 8:15 PM EDT

For the first time in more than 70 years, baseball's two best teams reside in Missouri this late into a season.

The St. Louis Cardinals dropped two of three in Kansas City last month but managed to defeat Royals staff ace Yordano Ventura.

With their offense sputtering a bit, especially when Jaime Garcia starts, the Cardinals look to get to the struggling Ventura early in Friday night's I-70 Series opener at Busch Stadium.

Kansas City (34-23) took over first place in the AL Central by sweeping a series from Minnesota to push their winning streak to four following a 2-9 stretch. Alex Gordon hit a three-run homer in Wednesday's 7-2 victory while Salvador Perez singled twice to improve to 8 for 19 in his last five games.

"To get out of town sweeping the series is a good feeling," manager Ned Yost said.

Pulling off another sweep will be a tall order since the Cardinals (39-21) are a major league-best 22-7 at home.

Ventura's struggles are another cause for concern in the first matchup between Missouri teams holding baseball's top two records this late into the season since Aug. 18, 1944, when the Cardinals and St. Louis Browns were atop the standings.

Ventura gave up four runs and six hits in a season-low three innings in Saturday's 4-2 loss to Texas.

'He has to continue to develop, to understand that with power stuff, you still have to be able to locate and execute your pitches," Yost said.

Ventura (3-5, 4.62 ERA) got off to another shaky start, allowing four runs in the first two innings. In six outings since the start of May, the right-hander has a 7.50 ERA in the first two innings. Opponents are batting .333 off him in the first on the season.

Against the Cardinals on May 24, Ventura walked Kolten Wong and Matt Carpenter to lead off the game and both came around to score. He ended up allowing two more runs on a Carpenter homer and was lifted after the seventh in a 6-1 loss.

St. Louis' offense, though, hasn't exactly been clicking, averaging 2.8 runs while batting .205 over a 2-3 stretch. Wong is 3 for 19 with no walks in the last five and Carpenter snapped an 0-for-13 slump by going 2 for 5 Wednesday as St. Louis defeated Colorado 4-2 to avoid a sweep.

"We've got the kind of lineup that's going to be able to put some runs across, but overall, we know that our sustained success begins with our starting pitching," manager Mike Matheny said.

The Cardinals lead the majors with a 2.71 ERA. No team has finished a season with a better ERA since Houston had a 2.66 in 1981.

Garcia (1-3, 2.67) has been sharp since coming off the disabled list but has received no runs of support in three of four starts. He gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings of Saturday's 2-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The left-hander hasn't issued a walk in his last 22 innings.

Kansas City has regularly frustrated, Garcia, however, knocking him around for six runs and eight hits in five innings last June. He is 0-1 with an 8.31 ERA in four starts in the series.

The Royals had been going through a slump of their own before Wednesday, averaging 2.1 runs and hitting .173 with runners in scoring position in their previous nine games.

'You're going to have slumps throughout the season. It's how you respond to it,' Gordon said.

The Royals are 5-2 against the Cardinals since the start of last season and have won five of seven in St. Louis.

Gordon has hit safely in the last seven meetings, batting .381 with three homers and a .519 on-base percentage. He is 4 for 9 with a home run and double against Garcia.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Royals at Cardinals
Fri, Jun 12 - 8:15PM EDT

GAME 2
Royals at Cardinals
Sat, Jun 13 - 4:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Royals at Cardinals
Sun, Jun 14 - 2:15PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Athletics (25-37) at Angels (30-30)
Game: 1
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: June 12, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Angels finally seem to have started taking advantage of the tear Albert Pujols has been on lately.

With the veteran slugger in position for another milestone, the Angels look to continue their recent success against the Oakland Athletics in the opener of a three-game series Friday night.

Pujols is hitting .373 with nine homers, 15 RBIs and 13 runs over the past 13 games, a stretch that has bumped his season batting average 32 points to .267.

"I'm catching more breaks, I guess," Pujols said. "I've been swinging the bat well all year long and if you stay with that approach, sooner or later they're going to fall. I'm not going out there and trying to hit a home run every time, just trying to put on a good swing and let the rest take care of itself."

Pujols had a two-run shot among his two hits and Los Angeles (30-30) rallied for a 6-2 victory over Tampa Bay on Thursday - only its second win in eight games.

His hot hitting is now coinciding with some history. Pujols' homer against the Rays marked the 537th of his career - moving him past Mickey Mantle for 16th all-time - and his 1,635 RBIs are one shy of tying Ernie Banks for 29th on that list.

Pujols has a .325 average against the A's (25-37) in Anaheim and he's 7 for 16 (.438) with a home run off scheduled starter Jesse Chavez.

Los Angeles has won 11 of its last 15 against Oakland, which ended a four-game skid with Wednesday's 5-4 win over Texas before capping the three-game set with a 7-0 victory.

Chavez (2-6, 2.51 ERA) would appreciate a similar offensive effort since he's getting an average of 1.39 runs of support this season - the lowest in the majors by over a run.

He's been backed by five total runs while losing four of five road starts despite a 3.48 ERA. The venue hasn't made a difference in four career starts against the Angels, with the right-hander going 0-3 with a 3.00 ERA with two total runs of support prior to receiving no runs while losing both meetings this season.

Chavez only had himself to blame Saturday, giving up four runs and 10 hits in five innings of a 4-2 loss at Boston after going 16 innings without allowing an earned run while splitting his previous two starts.

"The only small difference I saw was he was a little bit up," catcher Stephen Vogt told MLB's official website. "Typically, if he makes a mistake over the plate, it's down, and he made a couple out and over the plate that he doesn't do, so that was a little different. But if you go back and watch, he still made some good pitches."

Los Angeles is turning to Hector Santiago (4-3, 2.55), who's 3-0 with a 1.01 ERA in six career starts against the A's. The left-hander yielded one run and three hits with a season-high eight strikeouts in six innings of a 14-1 home victory April 21.

Santiago was knocked around in his most recent start June 3, surrendering five runs and two homers while hitting two batters in five innings of a 6-5 loss in 10 to Tampa Bay.

He allowed one of two inherited runners to score in 3 2-3 innings of relief in Saturday's 8-2 loss to the New York Yankees.

Santiago has allowed Josh Reddick to go 4 for 9 off him. The right fielder is 9 for 18 with one homer and three doubles in five games and is 9 for 19 (.474) in his last five meetings with Los Angeles.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Athletics at Angels
Fri, Jun 12 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Athletics at Angels
Sat, Jun 13 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Athletics at Angels
Sun, Jun 14 - 3:35PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dodgers (35-25) at Padres (31-31)
Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: June 12, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Clayton Kershaw is enjoying his best stretch of the season as he gets ready to face a familiar strikeout-prone opponent.

The Los Angeles Dodgers starter looks to win his fourth straight outing Friday night in the opener of a three-game road series against the San Diego Padres.

Kershaw (5-3, 3.36 ERA) has yielded two runs and 10 hits with 28 strikeouts over 22 innings in his last three starts after he pitched eight innings of one-hit ball with 11 strikeouts in Saturday's 2-0 home win over St. Louis.

"I just executed some fastballs away that were pretty well located and tough to put a bat on," he said. "This was probably the best slider-curveball combination I've had in a while."

Kershaw is third in the majors with 101 strikeouts as he gets another look at San Diego (31-31), which has struck out 510 times for baseball's third-highest total. The Padres are the team he has faced the third-most in his career, going 12-6 with a 2.33 ERA in 25 starts.

The left-hander is 4-0 with a 1.42 ERA in his last five outings against San Diego, failing to win in a 6-3 victory on opening day in which he gave up three runs in six innings with nine strikeouts.

That marked his first look at former teammate Matt Kemp, who was 2 for 3 off him. Justin Upton is 4 for 36 with 12 strikeouts in this matchup, Will Venable is 4 for 16 and lefty-swinging Yonder Alonso - who bats .429 off southpaws - has one hit in nine at_bats.

Batters swing at Kershaw's first pitch 39.3 percent of the time for baseball's highest mark.

This will be the third time that Kershaw will square off with Odrisamer Despaigne (3-4, 4.72), who went 0-2 with a 6.35 ERA last year in his lone starts against Los Angeles. Kershaw allowed two earned runs in 17 innings in those games.

Despaigne is 1-4 with a 5.82 ERA in six outings since joining the rotation May 7 but has a 2.42 ERA in the last four. He gave up four runs over six innings in Sunday's 4-0 defeat at Cincinnati.

No Dodgers hitter has more than five at_bats against the right-hander, with Cuban compatriot Yasiel Puig going 2 for 5.

Puig went 4 for 4 with a three-run homer and scored the winning run in the ninth inning as Los Angeles (35-25) beat Arizona 7-6 on Wednesday to complete a three-game home sweep. The right fielder missed more than a month with a strained left hamstring before returning Saturday.

'It's tough to fill the shoes of a guy like that when he can do so much,' second baseman Howie Kendrick said.

Third baseman Justin Turner could return to the lineup after missing two games because he fouled a pitch off his left kneecap in Monday's 9-3 win.

San Diego capped a 4-3 trip by rallying from three runs down in Thursday's 6-4 win over Atlanta. Yangervis Solarte hit a two-run single in the 11th inning in a game that featured a benches-clearing incident involving Kemp and the ejection of manager Bud Black.

'That just shows how good of a team we have,' Kemp said. 'We have to win those games. That was a good comeback.'

Cory Spangenberg, who has never faced Kershaw, went 7 for 16 with four RBIs in the four-game series.

Los Angeles has captured six of nine meetings.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Padres
Fri, Jun 12 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Dodgers at Padres
Sat, Jun 13 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Dodgers at Padres
Sun, Jun 14 - 4:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Diamondbacks (27-32) at Giants (34-27)
Game: 1
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: June 12, 2015 10:15 PM EDT

It's been over seven years since the San Francisco Giants lost six straight at home.

They'll try to avoid that fate behind Madison Bumgarner, who puts his personal four-game win streak on the line Friday night in the opener of a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

San Francisco (34-27) dropped the final five of a seven-game homestand before rebounding to win four of six on the road against Philadelphia and the New York Mets. The Giants failed to protect a late lead Thursday and lost 5-4 to the Mets on a walkoff hit.

'Hard-fought series. Good road trip,' manager Bruce Bochy said. 'You'd like to get greedy and get this one, but we just couldn't hold the lead.'

Bochy's club has already had two five-game home losing streaks this season. San Francisco hasn't had a longer slide there since a seven-game skid from May 14-31, 2008.

Bumgarner (7-2, 3.38 ERA) failed to record a quality start for just the second time in 10 outings Saturday, but struck out a season-high 11 over eight innings in a 7-5 win over the Phillies. He allowed a grand slam and a solo homer after posting a 2.41 ERA in his previous eight starts.

"If we were able to win 7-5 every time I go out there, I'd dang sure take it," Bumgarner told MLB's official website. "The numbers might not be too sexy. But it's about winning games, not putting up numbers."

The left-hander is 4-0 with a 3.48 ERA over his last five starts and he's reached the seventh in four of them.

Bumgarner is 4-1 with a 2.04 ERA in his last 11 starts against the Diamondbacks (27-32).

Paul Goldschmidt is 6 for 31 against Bumgarner but did hit a three-run homer off him on April 16.

The Arizona slugger is batting .408 with seven homers and 17 RBIs in his last 21 games, going 4 for 5 with a two-run shot in Thursday's 7-6 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"We didn't play very well those first two games, but we came out and played better, and that's what we wanted to do," Goldschmidt said. "If you play consistently like that, you're going to win games."

It was a season high-tying fourth consecutive defeat for the Diamondbacks, who are batting .192 with runners in scoring position during that stretch while their starting pitchers have posted an 8.86 ERA.

Chase Anderson (1-1, 3.12) will be tasked with helping Arizona get back on track, but that will be difficult if his teammates struggle again to produce with him on the mound.

The right-hander gets an average of 2.85 runs of support, ranking among the lowest in the majors, and has received no runs in four of his past seven starts.

He's certainly pitched well enough to win more, going 1-0 with a 2.51 ERA during that span. Anderson allowed one run and eight hits with six strikeouts in 5 2-3 innings while not figuring in the decision of a 2-1 win over the Mets on Saturday.

Nori Aoki has never faced Anderson, but is batting .486 (17 for 35) with eight runs during an eight-game hitting streak. Aoki is hitting .433 in his last 23 contests.

Another Giants player swinging a hot bat is Joe Panik, who is hitting .397 with three homers and 10 RBIs during a career-best 15-game streak. He's reached base safely in 23 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the majors.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Giants
Fri, Jun 12 - 10:15PM EDT

GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Giants
Sat, Jun 13 - 7:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Giants
Sun, Jun 14 - 4:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Pitchers to Watch - NL

June 11, 2015


NL Starting Pitcher Rankings – through 6.10.15

Starting pitching is critical to the result of any baseball game and there are many ways to evaluate the numbers. Here are my current top 15 pitchers in the National League through June 10. This is an objective list based on a combination of 2015 statistics and does not factor in any of the strengths and weaknesses of the respective teams these players pitch for, nor any previous season results.

1) Clayton Kershaw – Los Angeles Dodgers: While April was a forgettable month for the Dodgers ace and 2014 MVP winner the prized left-hander has re-gained his form with three excellent outings in a row including his best start of the season last week. Kershaw owns the lowest xFIP in the NL and the highest strikeout rate in the NL and his conventional numbers should only continue to improve. While his average Game Score is only the ninth best in the NL at this point in the season he ranks tied for second in the league over his last five starts. Kershaw will face plenty of lines priced above -200 moving forward but he remains on a historically great run.

2) Jacob deGrom – New York Mets: Over his last five starts Jacob deGrom owns an average Game Score of 74.2 for an incredibly dominant run of starts. His xFIP is the fifth best in the NL and while he doesn’t have quite the strikeout rate of some of the other top starters he has one of the lowest home run rates in the league and opponents are batting just .219 against him as he has picked up wins in six of his last seven starts. Just like his team, deGrom has not pitched nearly as well on the road this season however where his ERA is 4.06 compared to a 1.34 ERA at Citi Field.

3) Max Scherzer – Washington Nationals: Even with back-to-back shaky outings for tough start to June Scherzer’s arsenal has translated well back in the NL this season. He owns the highest average Game Score in the NL and the highest median Game Score in the league as well by a wide margin. He has a top 5 strikeout rate and a top 5 ERA in the league though he has a significantly lesser groundball percentage than most of his peers on this list. The Nationals have lost his last two starts but Scherzer will remain a hefty favorite most nights and rightfully so.

4) Gerrit Cole – Pittsburgh Pirates: It has been a breakout season for the former #1 pick leading an outstanding Pirates rotation. Cole leads the NL with a 1.73 ERA and while that mark is nearly a full run lower than his xFIP at this point he has been a bit unlucky with a .317 BABIP. Cole has done a great job at stranding base runners this season which will be worth keeping an eye on as the season goes on. Cole has been very consistent with a Game Score of 57 or higher in all but two of his 12 starts this season.

5) Jason Hammel – Chicago Cubs: Perhaps the biggest surprise on this list and a pitcher that potentially could regress the rest of the season, Hammel has posted great numbers to help the Cubs stay in contention in the NL. He is in the league’s top 9 in ERA and xFIP while currently holding the lowest WHIP in the league at 0.89. Hammel has walked just nine batters in 75 innings and opponents are batting just .211 against him. A .255 BABIP is a concern moving forward as Hammel has had some favorable bounces but it is hard to argue with his results with a Game Score of 64 or higher in six of his last eight outings.

6) Johnny Cueto – Cincinnati Reds: On a struggling Reds team with a terrible bullpen Cueto continues to do fine work on the mound. He has had just one start with a Game Score below 50 this season and he owns the second lowest WHIP in the NL at 0.94. His 4-4 record is disappointing but he has done his job as the Reds have scored a combined total of two runs in his four defeats. His 3.21 xFIP is significantly higher than his 2.64 ERA and he doesn’t have the elite strikeout rate of some of his peers but Cueto remains a very reliable option, particularly at home.

7) Carlos Martinez – St. Louis Cardinals: The Cardinals are 10-2 behind Martinez this season and he would be even higher on this list if not for two rough consecutive outings in early May with seven runs allowed in each outing. Martinez has allowed just three runs and 21 hits over his last five outings spanning nearly 34 innings including beating the Dodgers in back-to-back outings. He is striking out nearly 10 batters per nine innings and is in the NL’s top 12 in both ERA and xFIP. A high walk rate is a bit concerning but Martinez has the stuff to continue to dominate.

8) Francisco Liriano – Pittsburgh Pirates: Liriano has been somewhat erratic throughout his career and this season has been no exception. Liriano owns a misleading 3-5 record which hides his potential with the third best strikeout rate in the NL and the fourth lowest xFIP. Liriano owns a .242 BABIP which could climb upward as opponents are batting just .184 against him but his command has been sharp this season with a 1.02 WHIP. Liriano has eight starts this season with a Game Score of 65 or higher as he remains capable of high end outings and he is certainly one of the NL’s most feared left-handers.

9) Zack Greinke – Los Angeles Dodgers: With a glowing 1.92 ERA Greinke is a quality start machine. His strikeout rate has not reached his past success averaging fewer than 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings however and his xFIP is nearly a run and a half higher than his ERA. No team would complain about the numbers Greinke is putting up but he has pitched more than seven innings just twice in 12 starts which hurts his standing on this list and he has benefitted from a .248 BABIP. Greinke will remain one of the highest priced pitchers in the game with the first place Dodgers behind him though he has not been quite as dominant as it looks.

10) Cole Hamels – Philadelphia Phillies: Lowly Philadelphia is 7-6 with Hamels starting this season he will remain the top pitching trade target for contenders looking to add a quality arm to the rotation. Hamels has been around for a while but at just 31 years old he is having another strong season with numbers in line with his past track record even pitching for another losing Phillies team. Hamels has had three marginal starts this season but his median Game Score is the fifth best in the NL at 64.5 and he is on pace to have his highest strikeout rate since his rookie season in 2006.

11) A. J. Burnett – Pittsburgh Pirates: Everyone has always felt that Burnett has had the stuff to be one of the top starters in baseball. After several good but rarely great seasons Burnett has put it all together in the first half in 2015 even at age 38. He owns the fourth lowest ERA in the NL and he has allowed just three home runs in 12 starts, spanning nearly 77 innings. Burnett’s career track record often features the occasional awful outing sprinkled in every handful of starts and he has avoided that fate this season so far.

12. Shelby Miller – Atlanta Braves: Miller nearly had a no-hitter earlier this season but in his four starts since that game he has been much less effective. His season ERA is just 1.84, second best in the NL but his xFIP is more than two runs higher at 3.94, certainly a concern moving forward as his current .218 BABIP is likely unsustainable. With a struggling bullpen backing him up Miller has just five wins but with a 0.98 WHIP and opponents batting just .188 against him it has been an incredible first two months of the season for the still just 24-year old.

13) Matt Harvey – New York Mets: One rough mid-May outing in Pittsburgh spoiled his numbers a bit but in his return from surgery Harvey has not disappointed for the surprising Mets. After starting the season 5-0 he is just 1-4 since but a 3.06 xFIP is among the better marks in the league and his strikeout and walk rates are outstanding. Seven of his 12 starts have featured a Game Score of 64 or higher and he is starting to go deeper into games with two eight-inning outings in his last five starts and nine or more strikeouts in four of his last six starts.

14) Jake Arrieta – Chicago Cubs: Arrieta has made 12 starts for the Cubs this season but few of them have been bad outings and Arrieta owns the second lowest xFIP in the NL behind only Kershaw. He has a better than 5:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and he has been a bit unlucky with a .320 BABIP. He is a big reason why the Cubs could hang around the playoff chase all season long.

15) Michael Wacha – St. Louis Cardinals: Wacha has not pitched quite as well as his record and reputation as the Cardinals opened the season with wins in his first nine starts of 2015. A 3.79 xFIP is much higher than his ERA and he is producing fewer than seven strikeouts per nine innings. Wacha has not had many dominant starts with his highest Game Score this season being just 67 but he has been consistently good to very good though he is starting to be a bit overpriced.

Next Five: James Shields – San Diego Padres, Dan Haren – Miami Marlins, Madison Bumgarner – San Francisco Giants, Lance Lynn – St. Louis Cardinals, Chris Heston – San Francisco Giants.

Newcomers to Watch: Mike Bolsinger – Los Angeles Dodgers, Chad Bettis – Colorado Rockies, Williams Perez – Atlanta Braves.

Stock Sliding: Chase Anderson – Arizona Diamondbacks, Aaron Harang – Philadelphia Phillies, Tim Lincecum – San Francisco Giants.