The Bum's Best Bets For Saturday June 13th - MLB - NBA -NHL !

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Preview: Twins (33-26) at Rangers (31-29)
Game: 2
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: June 13, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

The Minnesota Twins' lone win in the last seven games came with Mike Pelfrey on the mound.

Mired in their longest skid of the season, the Twins will look to him for yet another strong performance Saturday against the Texas Rangers.

Minnesota (33-27) had won nine of 12 to move to the top of the AL Central before a 1-6 stretch dropped it two games behind Kansas City. The Twins opened this three-game series with a 6-2 loss Friday, and have totaled five runs while batting .172 during a four-game slide.

Their most recent victory came in Sunday's 2-0 win over Milwaukee. Pelfrey (5-2, 2.28 ERA) scattered eight hits over eight innings, struck out seven and walked one in his longest outing since also going eight on April 21, 2012, as a member of the New York Mets.

"I thought I had good stuff," Pelfrey said. "My split was probably the best it's been. It just seems like whenever they hit the ball hard, it was at somebody. We turned a few nice double plays."

Pelfrey is 2-1 with 0.96 ERA in his last four starts, and has allowed one home run in his last 10 outings spanning 62 innings.

"He's pitching with a little anger, a little passion and a sense of urgency to get it done," right fielder Torii Hunter told MLB's official website. "Every outing he goes out, his concentration level is on another level. He's hitting spots. He's hitting 96 (mph) in the eighth. His ball is moving like crazy. He's one of the best pitchers in baseball right now."

Pelfrey hasn't faced the Rangers since 2013 but he's all too familiar with Prince Fielder, who is 8 for 25 with three homers and two doubles in their matchups.

Minnesota has lost five of six to the Rangers, hitting .199 and averaging 2.2 runs after tallying five hits Friday.

Offense wasn't the only issue in the opener, as Aaron Hicks' failed to catch a long fly ball off the bat of Mitch Moreland in the eighth, resulting in a two-base, two-run error that decided the game.

"Ridiculous," Hicks said. "I don't understand how I missed the ball and it's like I said, I know I make that play every time."

The Rangers (32-29) are a major league-best 16-6 since May 20, winning six of seven at home to improve to 12-15 there.

Elvis Andrus had a career-high four RBIs Friday, with two coming on his third homer of the season after striking out in his previous at-bat and expressing his frustration by slamming his bat to the ground.

"I was starting to get mad, I was swinging at too many pitches," Andrus said. "In that at-bat, I was just trying to look for my pitch, really happy to get that homer, and we got back in the game."

Texas sends Colby Lewis (5-3, 4.42) to the mound hoping he can reverse his fortunes against the Twins. The right-hander is 0-4 with a 7.43 ERA in seven starts against Minnesota, the only AL team - excluding Texas - he has yet to beat.

Since allowing 10 runs over 2 2-3 innings in a loss at Cleveland, Lewis is 1-0 with a 3.21 ERA in his last two starts. He allowed three runs over seven innings Sunday at Kansas City before leaving without a decision in a 4-3 loss.

Joe Mauer is 5 for 11 with a home run against Lewis.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Twins at Rangers
Fri, Jun 12 Final 2 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

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 (31-29) at Brewers (23-38)
Game: 3
Venue: Miller Park
Date: June 13, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

Another home run from Bryce Harper in their last game couldn't save the Washington Nationals, who continue to scuffle.

Turning around their fortunes might be difficult if Jimmy Nelson can build on an outstanding performance.

The Nationals look to avoid a 12th loss in 15 games as Nelson tries to lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a seventh victory in nine Saturday.

Harper, who entered this series 4 for 28 with one home run lifetime at Miller Park, hit his 21st homer and added an RBI single Friday, but Washington lost 8-4.

'Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes it rains,' Harper said.

The star right fielder has three homers in his last six games to move within one of his career high, set in his rookie season of 2012. He also needs one to tie Miami's Giancarlo Stanton for the major league lead.

Harper has gone 6 for 14 in his last four games, but few other Washington players are hitting. The Nationals (31-30) have batted .225 while averaging 2.8 runs in their last 21 games, and their 3-11 slump has them on the verge of falling back to .500 for the first time since May 8.

Ian Desmond (6 for 48), Anthony Rendon (6 for 30) and Wilson Ramos (9 for 60) are struggling, and Ryan Zimmerman was 4 for 35 before going on the disabled list Thursday with plantar fasciitis.

Nelson (3-6, 4.05 ERA) gave up four hits and struck out seven in six innings of Monday's 2-0 win at Pittsburgh. He had allowed 11 runs over 11 innings in his previous two starts.

"He gave us six great innings," manager Craig Counsell told MLB's official website. "He was locked in from the start, I thought."

Nelson, who has never faced the Nationals, has gone 0-2 with a 5.49 ERA in his last three home starts.

Washington's Joe Ross (0-1, 5.40) will try to pick up a pitching staff that has posted a 5.45 ERA over the past 13 games as he makes his first career road start.

The right-hander became the sixth Nationals pitcher to make his big-league debut this season when he allowed three runs over five innings of a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs last Saturday.

The 22-year-old Ross didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning while performing in front of his parents and older brother Tyson, who pitches for San Diego.

"I was a little nervous, but it's the same game when you go out there and pitch," he said.

Milwaukee was a major league-worst 18-36 on June 3 but has gone 6-2 since. The club is looking to win three in a row for the first time since May 9-11.

Aramis Ramirez had three doubles and five RBIs on Friday while Gerardo Parra and Adam Lind added three hits apiece. Parra and Lind have both gone 5 for 8 to help the Brewers total 14 runs and 26 hits while taking the first two in this series.

'You need nights where (Ramirez) kind of just drives the bus offensively and just cleans everything up,' Counsell said.

Center fielder Carlos Gomez could return after missing the past three games due to a sore right hip.


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 Final 4 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

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: Rockies (27-32) at Marlins (25-36)
Game: 3
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: June 13, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

As the Miami Marlins ride the long ball to continued success at home, their starting pitching has helped stymie the Colorado Rockies.

Poised to successfully support Mat Latos in his return from the disabled list, the Marlins seek a season-high fifth consecutive home victory Saturday against the slumping Rockies.

Miami (26-36) hit 13 home runs while losing 16 of its first 26 at home but has gone deep seven times in the last four. Martin Prado launched his fourth and rookie J.T. Realmuto clubbed a three-run shot in the eighth to break open Friday's 5-1 victory.

"It was a tremendous at-bat to battle and get that ball out," manager Dan Jennings said of Realmuto. "That was big for us."

Miami has won six of seven at home following a nine-game skid there and has batted .316 with a 23-6 run advantage in its last four at Marlins Park.

Giancarlo Stanton homered in three consecutive home contests before settling for a single and a double Friday. He's 10 for 19 with three doubles and four homers in his last five overall.

After David Phelps and Jose Urena combined to allow one run over 14 2-3 innings in the first two of this set, the Marlins hope Latos (1-4, 6.12 ERA) returns strong from a knee issue that's kept him out since May 21.

The right-hander allowed 11 runs over 8 1-3 innings to go 0-1 in his last two major league starts but looked good while yielding three hits and striking out four in 4 1-3 of Monday's rehab outing for Triple-A New Orleans.

"He felt strong, his (velocity) certainly indicated that," Jennings told MLB's official website. "He had some of the best, if not the best, velocity we've seen all year."

Latos is 4-0 with a 3.25 ERA in his last five starts versus Colorado, but the Marlins have homered three times while he's gone 0-2 with a 10.18 ERA in his four home outings this season.

Carlos Gonzalez is batting .316 (6 for 19) with a double and a home run against Latos. He homered Friday for Colorado (27-33), which has batted .208 and totaled three runs during a three-game skid.

"We're having a hard time stringing hits together," manager Walt Weiss said.

Though Troy Tulowitzki is batting .455 during an 11-game hitting streak, he and Gonzalez are a combined 3 for 16 in the series. Tulowitzki is 2 for 16 with a double and a homer versus Latos.

Having nailed down a spot in the Rockies rotation, David Hale (2-0, 4.12) makes his fourth start but first on the road this season. He gave up three runs, two homers and struck out seven in seven innings of an 11-3 win over St. Louis on Monday.

Though Hale has allowed five home runs in his last two starts, Weiss has been pleased with the right-hander's resiliency.

"The thing I like about David is when he gives up the home run, he goes right back in the zone," Weiss said. "He has not been scared away from the strike zone after a home run. He continues to attack and throw strikes. Very encouraging."

Hale threw nine scoreless innings of relief over five games against the Marlins in 2014 for Atlanta.

Marcell Ozuna is 0 for 5 versus Hale but batting .367 with nine RBIs during a 13-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 Final 1 to 5
Boxscores

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: 2
Venue: Citi Field
Date: June 13, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

The New York Mets are atop the NL East thanks in large part to their record within the division. They have a good chance to improve it with Jacob deGrom taking the ball at Citi Field.

DeGrom looks to continue his home dominance Saturday and help the Mets win six straight over the Atlanta Braves for the first time since 1985.

The Mets (33-29) were foundering during a 2-6 stretch that included being no-hit by San Francisco's Chris Heston on Tuesday. They've started to turn things around by winning two in a row since, and facing a division opponent could be the key to getting on an extended run.

New York is 22-11 within the East and 16-5 at home in such matchups after beating Atlanta 5-3 on Friday. The Mets have won five in a row and eight of 10 meetings with the Braves (29-32).

DeGrom (7-4, 2.42 ERA) is 10-1 with a 1.30 ERA in 13 home starts, a stretch that began with an 8-3 win over Atlanta on July 8. He struck out 11 and tossed seven scoreless innings to win his first career game in Queens.

That was also the start of deGrom's career-best five-game winning streak, and he has a chance to match it Saturday. He's posted a 1.24 ERA with 44 strikeouts and four walks in 36 1-3 innings over his last five outings.

DeGrom was named co-NL player of the week along with Los Angeles' Clayton Kershaw after winning two road starts by yielding three runs - two earned - with 18 strikeouts in 15 innings.

"It's mainly about going out there and trying put us in position to win every day, going out there and trying to put up zeros to get a win," said deGrom, who struck out 10 and yielded two runs - one earned - in six innings of a 10-2 victory at Atlanta on Sept. 21.

That gave him a 2-1 record and 2.00 ERA in three career starts in the series. DeGrom struck out 29 in 18 innings in those games.

The Braves' Shelby Miller (5-2, 1.84) remains among baseball's ERA leaders despite going 0-1 with a 2.96 ERA over his last four starts.

The right-hander was in position to win after allowing one run in seven innings Monday, but the bullpen gave up four runs in a 5-3 loss to San Diego.

He's 0-1 with a 2.63 ERA in three games - two starts - against the Mets, all of which came while with St. Louis. Miller was charged with a 5-1 defeat in his only outing at Citi Field on June 12, 2013, giving up four runs and two homers with 10 strikeouts in six innings.

Michael Cuddyer is 3 for 3 with a double off Miller. He has an RBI double in each of the last two games, adding a walkoff single to cap Thursday's 5-4 win over the Giants.

Cuddyer has batted .368 in his last 10 home games.

The Braves' Freddie Freeman has posted a .395 average with five homers and 12 RBIs in the past 12 games. He went 1 for 2 with three walks to match his career high Friday.

Freeman is 1 for 7 with two walks against deGrom.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Braves at Mets
Fri, Jun 12 Final 3 to 5
Boxscores

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: Mariners (27-33) at Astros (34-27)
Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: June 13, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

Although the Houston Astros' lengthy losing streak is over, the concerns regarding their injured All-Star second baseman have just begun.

Uncertain how long Jose Altuve could be out of the lineup, the Astros try for an eighth consecutive home victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday.

As Houston (35-27) was busy tagging Felix Hernandez for eight runs in the first Friday, Altuve left after his second at-bat of the inning with discomfort in his right hamstring. The two-time All-Star grimaced as he untucked his jersey and walked toward the clubhouse, casting a shadow over a 10-0 win that ended the Astros' seven-game skid.

Considered day to day, Altuve has never spent time on the disabled list during his five-year career.

"We'll see the severity of it over the next couple of days," manager A.J. Hinch told MLB's official website. "He's sore as expected ... We'll see. We'll hope for the best."

Altuve, who batted .371 with 19 RBIs in his first 24 games, has hit .231 with eight RBIs in his last 37 but remains the leader of the AL West-leading Astros. Batting .219, Marwin Gonzalez replaced Altuve while playing second base for the second time season.

"It's never ideal to have a guy down," Hinch said. "We're not going to rush to a judgment with (Altuve) based on how important he is. We'll have to have some contingency plans and see how it goes."

Houston scored just six fewer runs Friday than it did while batting .201 in the previous seven contests. Luis Valbuena hit a three-run shot and Carlos Correa homered in his home debut as the Astros went deep four times.

Correa is batting .313 (5 for 16) with a double, two home runs and four RBIs in four games since making his much-anticipated career debut Monday. Valbuena's homer is his only hit in 23 at_bats over his last seven contests.

The Astros will hand the ball to Collin McHugh (6-2, 4.34 ERA), who is 2-0 against the Mariners this season but has a 4.50 ERA after he allowed two homers to Nelson Cruz and one apiece to Logan Morrison and Mike Zunino over seven innings of an 11-4 home win May 2.

"It helps when your team scores 11," McHugh joked.

The right-hander has yielded six homers in seven starts since, including two that resulted in three runs over six innings while not factoring in the decision of Sunday's 7-6 loss at Toronto.

Cruz, 3 for 9 with those two homers versus McHugh, went 1 for 3 on Friday in his first game since sitting the previous two with back spasms. Teammate Kyle Seager is 1 for 19 with seven strikeouts against McHugh and 2 for 19 in five games at Houston this season.

Losers in 10 of 13, the Mariners are the first team since Montreal in 2004 to score three runs or fewer 15 times during a 16-game span.

"It certainly isn't ideal," Seager said. "You'd like to score nine runs every night, but ... we'll be all right."

Seattle starters are 0-7 with an 11.22 ERA while the club has been outscored 53-19 in the last seven at Minute Maid Park.

Making his first career road appearance, Mike Montgomery (0-1, 2.08) hopes to change that in his third career start. The left-hander gave up two runs and five hits over seven innings of a 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mariners at Astros
Fri, Jun 12 Final 0 to 10
Boxscores • Recaps

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: 2
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: June 13, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

Tyler Lyons faltered in his first opportunity to help bring stability to the St. Louis Cardinals' pitching staff after ace Adam Wainwright suffered a season-ending injury.

Lance Lynn's trip to the disabled list presents another quandary for the rotation, but Lyons can help soften the blow as he takes the mound Saturday against the AL Central-leading Kansas City Royals at Busch Stadium.

Wainwright suffered a torn left Achilles attempting to run out a pop-up against Milwaukee on April 25. Cardinals starters have been able to overcome that injury and lead the majors with a 2.99 ERA, helped by Lynn's 1.93 mark over his last three starts

Lynn, however, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a forearm strain, leading to Lyons being recalled for his second stint with the MLB-best Cardinals (40-21).

Lyons had no record with a 5.54 ERA in three starts from May 5-16 when called up to take Wainwright's spot in the rotation. He struck out 17 in 13 innings, but opponents hit .321 off him and he reached the five-inning mark just once.

"He knew exactly what he needed to work on (when he was demoted)," manager Mike Matheny said. "Consistency is what separates guys that stick around here from guys who keep bouncing back and forth."

The left-hander hopes to make a good enough impression to hold a spot on the staff this time after going 3-1 with a 2.36 ERA in four starts at Triple-A Memphis.

"Tyler has been throwing extremely well (in the minors)," Matheny said. "We believe he's going to be able to translate that here."

Lyons has made 15 starts over the last three seasons for the Cardinals, his best coming May 28, 2013, when he gave up one run and two hits in seven innings of a 4-1 win over Kansas City in his second major league appearance.

Jeremy Guthrie made his most recent start against the Cardinals two days later, and he'll be on the mound in this contest seeking a third straight solid outing.

His 5.17 ERA over his last six starts doesn't tell the story of how well he's actually pitched in that stretch. Guthrie (4-3, 5.82 ERA) has allowed two runs or fewer in five of those outings and the lone blemish came when he allowed 11 runs and nine hits - four homers - in one-plus inning of a 14-1 loss to the New York Yankees on May 25.

The right-hander has allowed three runs and five hits over 12 innings in two starts since. He gave up one hit through six in a 4-3 win over Texas on Sunday before being removed after allowing back-to-back singles with one out in the seventh, when the Royals' bullpen blew a 3-0 lead.

Guthrie is 0-1 while allowing two runs in six innings of both of his career starts against the Cardinals, who snapped Kansas City's four-game winning streak with a 4-0 win in Friday's series opener.

Jaime Garcia gave up four hits in eight innings to cool off the Royals (34-24). Jon Jay had an RBI triple after going 2 for 24 in his first nine games this month.

"He works hard in (batting practice) and in the cages trying to get back on track, and it's good to see him have some success," said Randal Grichuk, who scored on Jay's sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Mike Moustakas went 2 for 4 and is batting .345 during a seven-game hitting streak for Kansas City, which had won three straight at Busch Stadium.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Royals at Cardinals
Fri, Jun 12 Final 0 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

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: White Sox (28-30) at Rays (32-29)
Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: June 13, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

Chris Archer was recently named AL player of the week. At the rate he's going, there could be some far more prestigious awards in his near future.

In the midst of a historic stretch, Archer seeks a fifth straight win Saturday against the Chicago White Sox.

Archer was handed his player of the week honor Monday, a decision that couldn't have been too difficult after he went 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA in two starts. The right-hander matched a club record with 15 strikeouts over eight innings in a 6-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels on June 2 and fanned 11 more over seven in Sunday's 3-1 victory at Seattle.

He is the first pitcher in the modern era to reach double-digit strikeouts without a walk in three consecutive starts. His 38 strikeouts in that span are the most in a three-start stretch without a walk.

"It's cool, man. It shows you the power of your mind. The less you focus on things you can't control, a lot of times the better the outcome is," Archer said.

"When I'm out there I'm not thinking about strikeouts even when I 'need' a strikeout. I'm just trying to execute every pitch and if you do that and simplify it to that, you start to do great things."

Archer (7-4, 1.84 ERA) is second in the AL in ERA and strikeouts (108), tied for second in opponent batting average (.196) and tied for the lead in WHIP (0.95). He's 4-0 with a 1.09 ERA in his past six starts, striking out 58 and walking six.

"I guess he's putting himself in his own class now," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Very impressive. He just keeps giving us opportunities to win over and over."

Archer allowed two hits over 6 1-3 scoreless innings in a 3-1 victory over the White Sox his most recent matchup on Sept. 20.

Tampa Bay (33-29) scored its most runs this month in Friday's series-opening 7-5 victory. Joey Butler paced the 14-hit attack with three hits and two RBIs to help the Rays win for only the second time in nine home games.

Butler has hit safely in 12 of his last 13 contests, going 21 for 52 (.404), and leads all rookies with a .342 average.

"I'm getting more and more confident," he said. "It's definitely the best opportunity I've had, just playing every day, always being in the lineup. And that helps."

Chicago (28-31) had a three-game win streak snapped despite Jose Abreu homering and driving in two runs for the third consecutive game. He's 12 for 30 with four home runs and 15 RBIs in eight games against the Rays.

There seems to be nowhere to go but up for Jeff Samardzija (4-4, 4.93), who has allowed 15 runs and 22 hits over 12 1-3 innings in his last two starts - both losses. The right-hander failed to hold a 4-1 lead Sunday against Detroit, giving up a pair of homers and allowing six runs and 10 hits over 7 1-3 innings of a 6-4 defeat.

Samardzija pitched seven strong innings in his only career start against the Rays while with Oakland on Aug. 4 but left without a decision.

Bench coach Mark Parent is managing the White Sox this weekend in the absence of Robin Ventura, who is attending his daughter's college graduation.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
White Sox at Rays
Fri, Jun 12 Final 5 to 7
Boxscores

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: Yankees (33-26) at Orioles (29-30)
Game: 2
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: June 13, 2015 7:15 PM EDT

The Baltimore Orioles are surging, while the New York Yankees' last two games have them looking vulnerable despite the seven-game winning streak that preceded those contests.

The Orioles try for their sixth straight win and eighth in nine games Saturday night when they host the Yankees, losers of two in a row.

Chris Davis homered and drove in four runs as Baltimore (30-30) pounded Michael Pineda and beat New York 11-3 on Friday. Jimmy Paredes had three singles and two RBIs for the Orioles, who have reached .500 for the first time since May 5 with their longest winning streak of the season.

They've scored 30 runs in the five consecutive victories.

"We're definitely swinging the bats well now. I think it's big for us to go up there and continue to have great at_bats, not just go up there hacking but really have an approach, have a plan and stick to it and I think that's going to pay off throughout the course of the season," Davis said.

Bud Norris (2-4, 8.63 ERA) might need plenty of runs, although the right-hander turned in his best start of a rough season Sunday, giving up one run in five innings of a 7-3 victory at Cleveland.

Norris, finally shaking off a bout of bronchitis that caused him to miss a month and lose 15 pounds, is 4-1 with a 4.02 ERA in six career starts against New York. He lost 6-2 at Yankee Stadium in his most recent matchup May 10, allowing four runs in 3 1-3 innings.

'I know I'm a good pitcher and I know I can do this for a long time,' Norris said after beating the Indians. 'I want to get back out there and help my team win.'

The Orioles also took advantage of two more errors by New York on Friday, scoring four unearned runs. The first-place Yankees' 45 errors are in the top 10 in the major leagues.

"It wasn't pretty; it wasn't pretty to watch, it wasn't real pretty to be a part of, so hopefully we got it all out of our system and we'll play a much cleaner game tomorrow," outfielder Brett Gardner said.

New York (33-27) blew a two-run lead in the eighth in a 5-4, 11-inning defeat to Washington on Wednesday - a day in which closer Andrew Miller headed to the disabled list - before the lopsided loss Friday.

CC Sabathia (3-7, 5.25) will try to get the Yankees back on track with a third straight solid start, as he's given up four runs over 11 2-3 innings in the past two. The left-hander pitched six innings of two-run ball Sunday before being ejected for questioning balls and strikes in a 6-2 home win over the Los Angeles Angels.

Sabathia has lost his last two starts against the Orioles, the most recent a 4-3 defeat at Camden Yards on April 14 in which he gave up four runs in seven innings. He's 2-5 with a 5.13 ERA in his last nine overall starts in the series and 0-5 with a 5.48 mark in his past seven at Baltimore.

Adam Jones is batting .310 (18 for 58) with four homers, four doubles and a triple against Sabathia while Nolan Reimold is 9 for 27 with two doubles and a home run in the matchup. Davis, 6 for his last 12 overall, is 4 for 21 with 13 strikeouts off of Sabathia.

Mason Williams homered in his major league debut Friday for the Yankees, a two-run shot. Alex Rodriguez picked up his 1,999th career RBI with a single and is six hits shy of 3,000.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Yankees at Orioles
Fri, Jun 12 Final 3 to 11
Boxscores

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: Reds (27-32) at Cubs (32-26)
Game: 3
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: June 13, 2015 7:15 PM EDT

Although losing shortstop Zack Cozart was a huge blow to the Cincinnati Reds, his recently called up replacement wasted little time in helping to win a game.

With a few other pieces returning to full strength, the Reds seek their sixth win in seven contests as they continue a four-game road series against the Chicago Cubs on Saturday night.

Cozart was lost for the season Wednesday to a right knee injury, further depleting a roster that's also missing outfielder Marlon Byrd (broken wrist) and catcher Devin Mesoraco, who has discontinued a minor-league rehab assignment in which he was playing left field to try putting less stress on his ailing left hip.

"We've had some tough, tough injuries," manager Bryan Price said. "We're just kind of putting our heads down and rolling."

The good news for the Reds (28-32) is that center fielder Billy Hamilton returned from a three-game absence due to a sore left hand, though he was 0 for 5 in Friday's 5-4 win in 10 innings, while second baseman and three-time All-Star Brandon Phillips came on as a pinch hitter after being day to day with a strained groin.

Hamilton leads the majors with 25 stolen bases in 29 attempts and Phillips is batting .306 with three homers and 25 RBIs.

Cincinnati got its biggest boost Friday from Eugenio Suarez, who drove in Todd Frazier with an unearned run in the 10th in his second game in place of Cozart.

"I tried to put the ball in play," Suarez said. "I hit a good slider he threw me and I hit it real good. I felt very, very excited because we won a really good game."

Frazier, who reached in the 10th on third baseman Kris Bryant's throwing error, hit his team-leading 18th homer and also drove in a run with a double.

"We made a couple of mistakes, but we kind of fought through them," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. "If we play that (type of) game often enough this year, we're definitely going to get ourselves into the playoffs."

Looking to help the Reds to their third victory in the last nine at Wrigley Field will be Mike Leake (3-4, 4.29 ERA), who is trying to win back-to-back starts for just the third time since a three-start win streak June 15-26.

The right-hander ended a five-start win drought by battling through six innings of a 6-4 home victory over Philadelphia on Monday. Leake allowed 10 hits but gave up just two earned runs and kept the ball in the yard for the second straight outing.

Leake has had success against the Cubs (32-27) with an 8-2 record and 3.19 ERA, but hasn't figured out Chris Coghlan and Anthony Rizzo. Coghlan is 9 for 11 against him with three doubles and two homers, while Rizzo has batted .400 (10 for 25) in the matchup.

Taking the hill for Chicago will be Kyle Hendricks (2-2, 3.96), whose last five starts have resulted in four Cubs victories. In his most recent outing Sunday, Hendricks allowed two earned runs in five innings of a 6-3 win at Washington.

Although Hendricks has been giving the Cubs enough to win, they'd like to see him go deeper into games. The right-hander hasn't made it out of the sixth in seven of 11 starts.

In his two career outings against the Reds, Hendricks has gone 1-0 with a 3.46 ERA and 11 strikeouts over 13 innings.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Reds at Cubs
Thu, Jun 11 Final 3 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Reds at Cubs
Fri, Jun 12 Final 5 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Reds at Cubs
Sat, Jun 13 - 7:15PM EDT

GAME 4
Reds at Cubs
Sun, Jun 14 - 8:08PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Phillies (22-40) at Pirates (33-27)
Game: 2
Venue: PNC Park
Date: June 13, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

Looking to become the majors' first 10-game winner, Gerrit Cole's recent dominance coupled with a meeting against the Philadelphia Phillies should improve his chances.

Cole goes for his longest winning streak of the season Saturday when the Pittsburgh Pirates try to win a fifth straight home matchup with the Phillies.

Cole (9-2, 1.73 ERA) owns the lowest ERA in baseball and is tied with Seattle's Felix Hernandez and Bartolo Colon of the New York Mets for the most wins.

The right-hander has won four straight starts behind a 0.61 ERA and hasn't allowed an earned run in 14 consecutive innings over his last two outings.

He's also the first Pirates pitcher since Emil Yde in 1924-25 to reach 30 victories in 53 or fewer career starts. A win Saturday would make him the club's fastest to reach 31 since Al Mamaux in 1914-16.

Cole battled through a career-high 116 pitches in seven innings Sunday, striking out seven while walking three and plunking two in a 3-0 win at Atlanta.

"Players heighten their focus when they go up against him," manager Clint Hurdle told MLB's official website. "They scratch and claw and fight - and he was able to push them back every time. A very, very strong outing."

Cole has won his last two starts against Philadelphia with a 1.50 ERA after yielding two runs in seven innings of a 4-3 road win May 11. He may need to go at least that deep in this one after Pittsburgh (33-27) used six relievers over seven innings before Starling Marte's walkoff single in the 13th cinched Friday's 1-0 win over the Phillies (22-40).

"I slid into home and I was excited," said Chris Stewart, the Pirates' final available position player who reached via a one-out, pinch-hit single. "I couldn't wait to get out there with Marty and celebrate."

Marte has six hits in the last two games versus Philadelphia, increasing his career average against the rival 32 points to .365.

Josh Harrison is 8 for 18 (.444) in the past four games after getting four hits in Friday's opener of this three-game set. He's also pounded the Phillies, going 9 for 16 (.563) in four meetings this year to give him a career .321 average against them.

The Pirates' four straight home wins over the Phillies marks their longest such streak in the all-time series since taking five in a row from 2002-03.

Philadelphia, meanwhile, owns the worst record in baseball and has lost 14 of its past 17 games. The team has also dropped eight straight on the road for the first time since an 11-game slide from July 20-Aug. 11, 2013.

Pitching has been the biggest problem on the road with the staff compiling a 5.50 ERA - including 6.11 from the starting rotation - during the losing streak.

Sean O'Sullivan (1-4, 4.96) is right in the thick of those struggles, going 0-2 with a 6.17 ERA in his last four starts. The right-hander gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings while not figuring in the decision of a 6-4 win over San Francisco on Sunday.

O'Sullivan served up a three-run homer to Josh Harrison and left after the fifth of a 7-2 home loss in his only start against Pittsburgh on May 12.

Ben Revere went 1 for 6 on Friday, but he's still hitting .351 (13 for 37) over the past nine games. He's 5 for 9 versus Cole.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Phillies at Pirates
Fri, Jun 12 Final 0 to 1
Boxscores

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: Diamondbacks (28-32) at Giants (34-28)
Game: 2
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: June 13, 2015 7:15 PM EDT

Struggling to consistently produce at the plate during their longest home skid in seven seasons, the San Francisco Giants might catch a break Saturday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

At least from the start, they won't have to see Josh Collmenter, who has dominated them as a starter at AT&T Park.

San Francisco (34-28) won six straight and 15 of 18 at home prior to batting .214 and totaling 14 runs while dropping six in a row there for the first time since a seven-game slide in May 2008. The Giants didn't get their first of two hits until the seventh inning of Friday's 1-0 defeat.

It also doesn't help that they officially put Hunter Pence (wrist) on the disabled list in a move that is retroactive to June 3.

'I try to remain hopeful,' manager Bruce Bochy said of Pence, batting .282 with two homers and 13 RBIs in 18 games since opening the season on the DL with a broken forearm.

"Right now he hasn't been doing anything.'

San Francisco also is minus fellow outfielder Gregor Blanco, who is on the seven-day concussion list.

The Giants should at least feel confident they won't start off against Collmenter, who has allowed one run and nine hits over 20 innings to go 2-0 in three starts at San Francisco. The right-hander tossed a four-hitter during a 9-0 rout there April 17, but the Diamondbacks (28-32) announced following Friday's game that he won't make this originally scheduled start and would be sent to the bullpen after going 0-3 with a 7.76 ERA in his last six starts.

Allen Webster has been called up from Triple-A Reno to make his Arizona debut. Acquired from Boston in the December deal that sent Wade Miley to the Red Sox, Webster is 6-5 with a 6.22 ERA in 18 career starts that came over the past two seasons.

The right-hander was 1-2 with a 9.00 ERA in five starts this season for Reno.

This will be his first outing against the Giants and Buster Posey, who ended Chase Anderson's no-hit bid Friday with a sharp comebacker off the right-hander's calf.

'I was kind of looking for it. I looked over and it looked too far away - he's going to beat that out,' Anderson said. 'I wish it would have went to somebody.'

Ryan Vogelsong (4-4, 4.52 ERA) went 4-0 with a 1.14 ERA in five May starts but is 0-2 with a 5.68 ERA in June. He allowed five runs in 6 2-3 innings of a 6-4 loss at Philadelphia on Sunday.

In his other start against the Diamondbacks this season, Vogelsong yielded three-run homers to David Peralta and Jake Lamb, plus one other run and walked four in 4 2-3 innings of a 7-6 road defeat April 7. The right-hander is 0-3 with a 4.37 ERA in his last eight home starts versus Arizona. The Giants failed to score in the two most recent from 2014.

This is a very favorable matchup for Aaron Hill, who is 15 for 33 with two homers and four doubles against Vogelsong.

Paul Goldschmidt is 7 for his last 21 with four doubles against Vogelsong.

Among the major league leaders in batting (.352), RBIs (49), on-base percentage (.472) and slugging percentage (.662), Goldschmidt is 6 for 9 in the last two games and hitting .360 in his last seven versus San Francisco.

Ender Inciarte, who had an RBI single in the second inning Friday, is batting .324 in his last eight games. He's 2 for 15 against Vogelsong.

Posey is batting .355 during a seven-game hitting streak.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Giants
Fri, Jun 12 Final 1 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps

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

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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dodgers (36-25) at Padres (31-32)
Game: 2
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: June 13, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Dodgers have reason to believe their success against the rivals from down the coast will continue after winning another meeting in the series opener.

While Zack Greinke looks to remain undefeated against the San Diego Padres, Ian Kennedy will try to snap a seven-game losing streak versus the Dodgers on Saturday night at Petco Park.

Trailing by a run heading into the eighth inning, Los Angeles got RBIs singles from Justin Turner and Alex Guerrero en route to Friday's 4-3 win. Turner, Andre Ethier and A.J. Ellis had two hits apiece.

'It was a lot of back and forth, a lot of big hits by us and them,' starter Clayton Kershaw said. 'It was a good win for us.'

Former Padre Adrian Gonzalez, ejected for arguing balls and strikes in the seventh inning, is 16 for 37 with six home runs in the season series, while Ethier has gone 10 for 25.

The Dodgers (36-25), winners of won four in a row overall, are looking for their eighth victory in 11 meetings with the Padres.

Greinke allowed a season-high 10 hits and struck out a season-low two while giving up five earned runs for only the second time in 59 starts June 2, when he didn't get a decision in a 9-8 win at Coors Field.

The right-hander returned to form when he gave up one run with eight strikeouts over 6 2-3 innings Sunday, but the bullpen failed to hold his one-run lead in a 4-2 home loss to St. Louis.

Greinke (5-1, 1.92 ERA) has limited opponents to one run in six of his last seven starts but hasn't gotten much offensive help, getting two or fewer runs in five of six and going winless in that span.

He's 5-0 with a 1.53 ERA in 10 career starts against San Diego and has gone 1-0 with a 0.87 ERA in three matchups this season. He gave up four hits over seven innings of a 3-0 win in his only outing at Petco on April 24.

Yonder Alonso (1 for 11), Yangervis Solarte (1 for 9), Melvin Upton Jr. (4 for 27), Alexi Amarista (2 for 13) and Will Venable (4 for 21) have struggled against Greinke. Justin Upton has had the most success in the matchup, going 9 for 23 with a home run.

Derek Norris hit a two-run home run and Clint Barmes added a solo shot Friday for the Padres (31-32), who are trying to avoid their fourth loss in five games.

After posting a 9.31 ERA while dropping four straight May starts, Kennedy (3-5, 6.48) has pitched somewhat better in his last two outings. He allowed two runs over six innings of a 7-2 home win over the Mets on June 2 before giving up three runs over five in Monday's 5-3, 11-inning road win over Atlanta.

The right-hander, however, is 0-7 with a 5.48 ERA in his last 11 starts against Los Angeles.

Kennedy surrendered eight runs over 4 1-3 innings in an 11-8 home defeat to the Dodgers on April 25 and yielded two runs over six in a 2-0 loss at Dodger Stadium on May 23. Ethier, Gonzalez and Howie Kendrick homered off Kennedy in the first contest and Joc Pederson took him deep in the last meeting.

Turner is 7 for 14 off of Kennedy and Ethier is 14 for 39 (.359) with three home runs. Ellis is 3 for 22 and Yasiel Puig 3 for 21 in their matchups.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Padres
Fri, Jun 12 Final 4 to 3
Boxscores

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: Athletics (25-38) at Angels (31-30)
Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: June 13, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Angels' recent proficiency in the late innings has helped them get back on track following a rough stretch.

After a second straight come-from-behind victory, the Angels seek a fourth win in five tries when they continue their home series with the Oakland Athletics on Saturday night.

Los Angeles (31-30) snapped a season-high five-game losing streak by beating Tampa Bay 8-2 on Tuesday, pulling away further with a three-run eighth inning.

The Angels scored three in the seventh and two in the ninth to beat the Rays 6-2 on Thursday, then Mike Trout and Kole Calhoun hit the tying and go-ahead solo homers in the eighth Friday to give them a 5-4 victory.

Los Angeles ranks fifth in the major leagues with 87 runs scored in the seventh inning or later.

'I think we've got a really good squad here with a bunch of scrappy baseball players,' Calhoun said. "We never feel like we're out of a game.'

Trout's 18th homer tied him with Seattle's Nelson Cruz for the AL lead. He has four while batting .440 during a six-game hitting streak and is 7 for 9 with two homers and two doubles in his last three against Oakland (25-38).

The A's are tied for second in baseball with 99 runs scored following the sixth inning after Josh Reddick's two-run homer in the seventh gave Oakland a one-run lead. Brett Lawrie and Josh Phegley also homered in the club's fourth loss in six games.

Oakland looks to bounce back against C.J. Wilson, who continues to struggle after a solid start.

Wilson (3-5, 3.92 ERA) had a 2.63 ERA through seven outings, but he's 1-3 with a 6.00 mark in his last five. He gave up five runs in six innings of a 6-1 loss to Tampa Bay on June 2 before allowing six runs and seven hits - three homers - in seven innings of Sunday's 6-2 loss to the New York Yankees.

The left-hander had allowed five homers in his previous 71 innings.

Wilson went 3-0 with a 2.10 ERA in his previous six starts against the A's before giving up six runs and walking four in two-thirds of an inning of an 8-4 loss in his last matchup Sept. 22.

Kendall Graveman has taken the opposite path of Wilson, struggling in his first stint with Oakland before a demotion that has seemed to motivate him.

Graveman (3-2, 4.83) went 1-2 with an 8.27 ERA in his first four starts, getting sent to the minors one day after giving up six runs in 4 2-3 innings of a 9-3 loss to Houston on April 25. He was recalled May 23 and has gone 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA in four outings.

The right-hander had the best start of his career Sunday, allowing one run in seven-plus innings before the bullpen squandered the lead in a 7-4 loss to Boston.

Graveman was removed after allowing a leadoff homer in the eighth.

"Since he's been back, he's pitched great and probably no better than (Sunday)," manager Bob Melvin said.

One of Graveman's rough starts in his first stint came against the Angels, as he allowed three runs - two earned - and walked three in three-plus innings of a 6-3 loss April 20.

Graveman might have to face an Angels lineup that includes David Freese, who has missed four straight games with tightness in his right hamstring. Manager Mike Scioscia said Freese was available to pinch-hit Friday.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Athletics at Angels
Fri, Jun 12 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

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

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

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Saturday

June 13, 2015


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Pirates are 14-0 SU since May 22, 2014 at home after a win in which they used 5+ pitchers.


PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- When Clay Buchholz starts the Red Sox are 10-0 since June 16, 2011 in June for a net profit of $1043.

MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

-- The Blue Jays are 11-2 since 2008 facing an AL team following a win where they trailed by at least four runs, but were not down more than four after five innings.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Red Sox are 12-0 SU since Sep 02, 2014 when they are off a loss in which they scored first.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Reds are 0-11 SU since Apr 07, 2014 on the road after a win in which they had more strikeouts than hits.

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Verlander, Latos return to mound; Altuve ailing

June 13, 2015

A look at what's happening all around the major leagues today:



WELCOME BACK

Tigers star right-hander Justin Verlander, sidelined since the beginning of the season with a right triceps strain, is scheduled to make his 2015 debut against the Cleveland Indians in Detroit. Verlander was the AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner in 2011.

FINGERS CROSSED

The Houston Astros hope for good news on All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve, who left Friday night's game against Seattle with discomfort in his right hamstring.

NEED YOU NOW

Marlins right-hander Mat Latos, sidelined since May 21 with left knee inflammation, is scheduled to start against Rockies right-hander David Hale. Latos is 1-4 with a 6.12 ERA, and the Marlins' injury-plagued rotation is a combined 17-23. Jarred Cosart, Henderson Alvarez and ace Jose Fernandez are all expected to return from injuries in the next month. ''We've got to get the pitching right, myself included,'' Latos said. ''We have guys who can do it.''

PERFECT 10

Pittsburgh Pirates ace Gerrit Cole (9-2, 1.73 ERA) tries to become the first 10-game winner in the majors when he faces Sean O'Sullivan (1-4, 4.96) and the Philadelphia Phillies.

CC 212

Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia goes up against the Baltimore Orioles looking for his 212th career win, which would be good for sole possession of 23rd place among lefties. Sabathia (3-7, 5.25 ERA) is 18-7 lifetime against the Orioles, who will start right-hander Bud Norris.

STRIKEOUT MACHINE

Rays right-hander Chris Archer, set to pitch against the Chicago White Sox, is coming off a three-start stretch in which he struck out 38 and walked none. He was 2-0 with a 0.39 ERA during the run. Archer (7-4) will face right-hander Jeff Samardzija (4-4).