The Bum's Best Bets For Sunday June 14th - MLB - NBA -NHL !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: White Sox (28-31) at Rays (33-29)
Game: 3
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: June 14, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

Chris Sale won't make too much of his personal accomplishments during a recent run of dominance.

Trying to win a fourth straight start, the left-hander's main focus is helping the visiting Chicago White Sox avoid being swept by the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.

It would be easy for Sale (6-2, 3.04 ERA) to pat himself on the back for allowing one run and 12 hits in 22 2-3 innings over his last three outings. With 49 strikeouts in his last four, Sale became the first White Sox pitcher to fan at least 10 in as many contests.

Despite also having a chance to become the first pitcher to strike out at least 12 in four straight starts since Pedro Martinez in 2001, Sale isn't much for self-praise.

"I don't pay attention to any of that. I just try to come in and do my job," he said after yielding a run while striking out a season-high 14 over eight innings of a 3-1 win against Houston on Monday.

"I'm just a pitcher," he told MLB's official website. "I'm a baseball player. I want to go out and play baseball and do the best I can. That's all I've ever done and all I'm ever going to do. All the extra stuff is cool and fine, but I'll stick to being a baseball player."

Though Sale would rather be modest, manager Robin Ventura has no problem holding his ace in even higher regard after he became the first pitcher since 1900 to fan at least 10 in four straight while increasing his strikeout totals in each contest.

"He's really been on a roll and some of the numbers he's starting to rack up are impressive, especially how long this organization has been here," Ventura said prior to missing this series to attend his daughter's college graduation.

It was a year ago this month that former Rays pitcher David Price became the last to strike out at least 10 in five consecutive starts. As Sale tries to match that feat, he'll look to help Chicago (28-32) salvage a win in this three-game set.

Sale is 1-1 with a 1.88 ERA at Tampa Bay, but last pitched there in 2013.

"He's got a lot of things working in his favor," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "The delivery and stuff combination, I don't know if there are many (pitchers) that are much tougher."

Conor Gillaspie came on as a pinch hitter and launched a go-ahead two-run homer in the top of the eighth, but the Rays (34-29) scored twice with two outs in the bottom half to win for the 10th time in 14 games, 5-4 on Saturday.

"This shows you why we're in the position we're in," Tampa Bay's Chris Archer said after he allowed three runs in seven-plus innings. "We pitch well enough and we get timely hitting."

With two more hits, Rays outfielder Joey Butler is batting .411 in his last 14 games.

Evan Longoria, who had two RBIs on Saturday, is 1 for 8 with four strikeouts versus Sale.

Teammate Nathan Karns (3-3, 3.86) went 2-1 with a 1.89 ERA during a six-start stretch that he's followed by going 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in two outings that came against the Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander gave up five runs and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings of Tuesday's 8-2 defeat.

In his only start versus Chicago on Sept. 21, Karns was tagged for six runs and three homers over five innings of a 10-5 loss.

Avisail Garcia homered twice off Karns but is 1 for 19 with six strikeouts in five away games this month.


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 - Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Yankees (33-27) at Orioles (30-30)
Game: 3
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: June 14, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

The Baltimore Orioles are on the brink of their longest winning streak in 10 years, and they can point to a red-hot Manny Machado and the return of Matt Wieters as big reasons why.

The Orioles attempt to complete a sweep of this three-game set with the visiting New York Yankees on Sunday.

Baltimore (31-30) has won six in a row and eight of nine after a 9-4 victory Saturday. The Orioles haven't put together a longer winning streak since taking eight straight from April 22-May 1, 2005.

"We finally got pieces coming back and the team's playing well," Machado said. "We are finally playing as a team."

Wieters is 8 for 23 (.348) with five extra-base hits and four RBIs in six games after starting the season on the disabled list while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Machado has gone 14 for 30 with three homers and seven RBIs in seven games after collecting five hits in the first two of this series. The third baseman has batted .400 in his last 14 meetings with New York (33-28), delivering a two-run homer among his three hits and matching a career high with four RBIs on Saturday.

Wieters added a pair of doubles and scored twice.

The Orioles are hitting .325 with 10 homers and averaging 6.5 runs over their last six. They've scored 20 runs and recorded 31 hits - five homers - in this series.

"Guys are in a little bit of a flow," manager Buck Showalter said. "You've got a lot of different guys contributing."

Showalter is looking for rookie Mike Wright (2-1, 2.96 ERA) to become another as he takes the mound in place of Miguel Gonzalez, who is on the DL with a groin strain.

Wright was demoted to Triple-A Norfolk on June 5 after surrendering eight runs and 14 hits - four homers - in 10 innings while splitting his last two starts with Baltimore. He was recalled Thursday.

The right-hander will face the Yankees (33-28) for the first time as the Orioles go for their first sweep in the series since June 28-30, 2013. New York has followed a season-high seven-game winning streak by losing three straight.

Adam Warren (4-4, 3.64) has won two of his past three starts with a 2.25 ERA, but a pair of days off this week means he hasn't started since an 8-2 win over the Los Angeles Angels last Saturday. The right-hander yielded two runs and four hits in 6 2-3 innings, reaching the seventh for a fifth straight start.

"I feel comfortable going deeper in the game," said Warren, who switched from the bullpen to the rotation this year. "Early on, the game just seemed so much longer to me."

Warren gave up two runs and seven hits with three walks in 4 2-3 innings of a 5-4 win in his only career start against Baltimore on May 8. Machado is 6 for 7 off him after going 3 for 3 in that game.

Alex Rodriguez is five hits shy of 3,000. His two-run homer Saturday gave him 2,001 RBIs, joining Hank Aaron (2,297) as the only players to reach 2,000.

"You want to do these things and help the team win," said Rodriguez, 8 for 21 (.381) with three homers and seven RBIs in his last six games against the Orioles.


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 Final 4 to 9
Boxscores

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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Blue Jays (32-30) at Red Sox (27-35)
Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: June 14, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

The Boston Red Sox were unable to slow down Toronto's surging lineup and the Blue Jays rolled to a 10th straight victory. They're hoping rookie sensation Eduardo Rodriguez has better luck against the hottest team in baseball Sunday at Fenway Park.

Toronto (33-30), which last won 11 in a row in June 2013, beat the Red Sox 5-4 in 11 innings Saturday. Russell Martin put the Blue Jays ahead for the second straight game with a home run in the 11th, his 10th of the season and third in five games.

They were 4 for 8 with runners in scoring position and the double-digit hit total was the club's 12th in 18 games. Toronto is averaging 6.8 runs during the winning streak and has scored 6.5 per game while taking five of eight meetings in the season series.

Rodriguez (2-0, 0.44 ERA) will try to rise to the challenge as he looks to continue the excellent start to his career, having allowed one run in 20 2-3 innings over three outings.

"Through three starts, we're looking at a pretty special young man," manager John Farrell said.

The left-hander is making Boston look brilliant for acquiring him from Baltimore for reliever Andrew Miller in July. He's given up eight hits and seven walks with 21 strikeouts, and the lone run came on a homer by Minnesota's Brian Dozier on June 3.

However, with a major league-leading .308 average and .498 slugging percentage against left-handers, Toronto could give Rodriguez problems. Josh Donaldson is hitting .419 against lefties, though he was 0 for 5 overall Saturday.

The Red Sox (27-36) are a season-worst nine games below .500 after dropping a season-high five straight, giving up 29 runs in the last four. David Ortiz is 2 for his last 30 with runners in scoring position.

"We've got to show up tomorrow and play," said second baseman Dustin Pedroia, batting .373 over his last 12 games. "That's all you can do. We're all grown men. We can't start crying."

They'll face Marco Estrada (3-3, 3.78), who is looking to win a third straight start after knocking off Washington and Miami. Toronto helped him out by scoring 18 runs in those games after he had received one or no runs of support in nine of his first 11 outings.

"It's awesome watching these guys swing the bat," Estrada said. "It's impressive."

He was a winner in relief in his first appearance against Boston, walking two over three scoreless innings in an 11-8 road victory April 28. He didn't record a decision in his only start against the Red Sox, giving up one earned run over 5 2-3 innings of a 6-2 victory April 4, 2014, with Milwaukee.

Boston's lineup could be stretched thin after Pablo Sandoval departed Saturday due to a tight right quadriceps. He is day to day.

Mookie Betts is also expected to miss another game after crashing into the wall in Friday's loss, spraining his lower back. Farrell said no personnel moves were likely, however.

Rusney Castillo moved from right field to Betts' center field spot Saturday while Alejandro De Aza played right.

"With Brock Holt being able to move all over the field, we're covered," Farrell told MLB's official website. "So we're not looking to make any kind of roster change, right now."


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Blue Jays at Red Sox
Fri, Jun 12 Final 13 to 10
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Blue Jays at Red Sox
Sat, Jun 13 Final 5 to 4
Boxscores

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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Phillies (22-40) at Pirates (33-27)
Game: 3
Venue: PNC Park
Date: June 14, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

Starling Marte is on a tear and it shouldn't come as a surprise that he's hammering the lowly Philadelphia Phillies.

Marte looks to continue his hot hitting as the Pittsburgh Pirates give the ball to A.J. Burnett, who will try to send his former team to a 10th straight road defeat Sunday.

Marte is 11 for 33 with nine RBIs in eight games, and he routinely pounds the Phillies. He's hitting .385 in 78 at_bats against them for his highest average against any opponent with at least 20.

He has recorded three hits and one RBI in three consecutive matchups, including Saturday's 4-3 win that came roughly 16 hours after delivering a walkoff single in a 1-0, 13-inning victory.

The Pirates (34-27) are 21-11 since May 9 for the best record in the majors in that span.

"We didn't really just turn it on," Gerrit Cole said after becoming baseball's first 10-game winner Saturday. "We grinded through awhile of some pretty bad baseball. It wasn't like it was a one-game turnaround. It speaks to how we go about our business and you know weather the storm."

Pittsburgh will try to take six in a row at home over Philadelphia for the first time since 1993-95 behind Burnett (6-2, 2.11 ERA). The right-hander has been one of the biggest surprises in the major leagues this season after going 8-18 with a 4.59 ERA with the Phillies last year.

His first meeting with them May 12 resulted in a 7-2 victory in which he allowed two runs - one earned - in seven innings.

That was part of Burnett's six-start winning streak, during which he compiled a 2.79 ERA. However, he gave up eight earned runs in 10 2-3 innings over the last two in that stretch before bouncing back with seven innings of one-run ball in a 2-0 loss to Milwaukee on Monday.

Burnett has posted a 1.60 ERA in five home starts but is 2-2 in them, having been backed by one or no runs in three of those outings.

He'll face a Phillies team that's averaging 2.1 runs while hitting .190 with runners in scoring position during the nine-game road losing streak, its longest since an 11-gamer July 20-Aug. 11, 2013.

The rotation has posted a 6.10 ERA in the road skid and has been charged with six of the losses.

Cole Hamels (5-5, 3.19) took one Monday, surrendering five runs in six innings of a 6-4 defeat to Cincinnati. The left-hander had gone 4-1 with a 1.83 ERA in his six previous starts, which included striking out nine Pirates while allowing two runs in seven innings of a 3-2 win May 13.

He's 1-1 with a 1.50 ERA in four career starts at Pittsburgh, winning the most recent July 4, 2013.

Hamels held Marte hitless in three at_bats in May.

Ben Revere continues to be a rare offensive bright spot for the Phillies (22-41), batting .381 in 10 contests. He has four hits in this series, extending his road hitting streak to 11 games with a .346 average.

He's never faced Burnett despite this being his sixth season in the majors.


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 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Nationals (31-30) at Brewers (24-38)
Game: 4
Venue: Miller Park
Date: June 14, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

Max Scherzer has lost consecutive starts twice this season, something he didn't do all of last year. Another defeat Sunday will give the former Cy Young Award winner only the second three-start losing streak of his career.

While that outcome might seem unlikely in the finale of a four-game series in Milwaukee, it's the Brewers that are having the better month than Scherzer's Washington Nationals.

The Nationals (32-30), who got their first win of the series in Saturday's 7-2 final, are 5-12 since last winning consecutive games May 24 and 25. Washington has picked it up offensively with 5.3 runs per game in its last four after averaging 2.5 in a 17-game span through Scherzer's last start.

Bryce Harper was 3 for 3 with two RBIs on Saturday and is 11 for 19 against the Brewers since the start of last year, while Yunel Escobar homered and has batted .347 in his last 13 games. Ian Desmond, though, is in a 2-for-25 slump.

"We're a great team. I think everybody knows that. I've been preaching all year in the media, in the clubhouse, that we've got one of the best lineups in baseball," Harper said. "When we do the things we need to do, we're going to score a lot of runs."

The Brewers (24-39) have won eight of 13. Shortstop Jean Segura is 5 for 12 in the series and has batted .350 over his last 14. Second baseman Scooter Gennett is also 5 for 12 in the series, his first three games back from Triple-A Colorado Springs, after failing to have a multihit game and batting .154 in 21 contests before going down.

Carlos Gomez returned from a hip injury that cost him three games but was 0 for 4 on Saturday and is batting .176 in his last 14 games against Washington.

The Nationals haven't lost a series with the Brewers since being swept in three at Milwaukee in May 2011. They're 14-10 since with four series victories and two splits.

The only time Scherzer (6-5, 2.13 ERA) lost three straight starts was in May 2010. After surrendering four runs in 6 2-3 innings of Tuesday's 6-1 road loss to the New York Yankees, the right-hander has given up eight runs over 12 2-3 in two defeats after posting a 0.62 ERA in his previous four outings, part of a five-start winning streak.

Scherzer's latest start also marked the first time this season he's allowed more than one run on the road, where he is 3-2 with a 1.55 ERA in six starts. Milwaukee is among four teams he hasn't defeated, going without a decision and recording a 2.77 ERA in two starts and a relief appearance. He hasn't faced them since his second season of 2009.

Ryan Braun is 0 for 7 with four strikeouts against Scherzer while Adam Lind is 1 for 8 with a home run in the matchup.

Scherzer will be opposed by Taylor Jungmann, whose major league debut went glowingly in a 4-1 win at Pittsburgh on Tuesday. The right-hander allowed a run and three hits in seven innings.

"I thought he'd respond to the stage, and he did," manager Craig Counsell told MLB's official website. "He was very poised out there and in control of everything really."

That was anything but a certainty after Jungmann went 2-3 with a 6.37 ERA in nine starts and two relief appearances for Colorado Springs.


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 Final 7 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mariners (27-34) at Astros (35-27)
Game: 3
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: June 14, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

After watching Houston rough up their ace in the first inning of the series opener, the Seattle Mariners immediately jumped on the Astros' starter the following day.

Neither club expects that trend to continue with two stingy pitchers - Houston's Lance McCullers and Roenis Elias - taking the mound in Sunday's finale at Minute Maid Park.

The AL West-leading Astros (35-28) snapped a seven-game losing streak Friday in resounding fashion, scoring eight runs in the first and chasing Felix Hernandez after just one-third of an inning in a 10-0 victory.

Seattle (28-34) responded Saturday by plating five runs in the first and three more in the third off Collin McHugh in an 8-1 win after being shut out in its previous two games.

Logan Morrison homered twice, while Nelson Cruz had two hits and is batting .409 over his last six. Morrison's three-run shot in the first marked his first home run since May 12 before he added a two-run blast in the third.

He's hit safely in 18 of his last 19, raising his average from .219 to .258.

"It's unrealistic to think it's going to happen every day, but at the same time it has to happen more often for us," Morrison said. "We have a great team. We know it. We've got to find a way to be more consistent, not only with our at_bats but with our production. Hopefully this is a step in the right direction."

Runs could be more difficult to come by in this contest.

McCullers (2-1, 2.32 ERA) has been solid in five starts since making his major league debut May 18 against Oakland, striking out 36 and walking only six in 31 innings. The 21-year-old has especially found his groove in his last two outings.

The right-hander allowed one run and fanned 11 in a four-hitter to beat Baltimore 3-1 on June 3 before giving up three runs and striking out seven in seven innings of Monday's 3-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

McCullers is close friends with Carlos Correa, the former No. 1 pick who made his big league debut during McCullers' last outing. Correa hit two homers with at least one hit in his first four games before going 0 for 3 with a walk and two strikeouts Sunday.

Correa and the rest of the Astros lineup hopes for more production against Elias (3-3, 2.79), but they'll likely have to do it without Jose Altuve for a second straight game.

George Springer batted leadoff Sunday in place of Altuve, who hurt his hamstring in the first inning of the series opener.

"I have to be smart about this," Altuve told MLB's official website. "It's not going to be easy for me to sit on the bench, but I have to support my team from here."

Elias walked Altuve then allowed a two-run homer to Evan Gattis in the first inning May 1 before giving up a solo shot to Jake Marisnick in the second of Seattle's 4-3 loss.

The left-hander, who is 0-1 with a 2.60 ERA in three career starts against the Astros, will look to keep Houston off the board early this time.

He's allowed two runs or fewer in five of his last six starts, including Tuesday when he gave up one in six innings of a 3-2 win over Cleveland. Elias has given up more than three runs just once in nine outings.


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 Final 8 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Royals (34-24) at Cardinals (40-21)
Game: 3
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: June 14, 2015 2:15 PM EDT

Being 20 games over .500 isn't out of the ordinary for the St. Louis Cardinals. Being 20 over with 100 to play? That's something even the most successful franchise in the history of the NL hasn't accomplished very often.

St. Louis hasn't reached the mark this quickly since World War II, and it'll try to keep rolling Sunday by completing a three-game home sweep of the Kansas City Royals.

The Cardinals (41-21) reached 20 over for the first time this season with Saturday's 3-2 victory, doing so in 62 games. That's the fastest since the 1944 club did it in 54, which is one of nine teams in franchise history to beat the current club to the mark.

Six of those predate 1890, and two of the three since went on to win the World Series.

Manager Mike Matheny doesn't want his team to slow down to consider the accomplishments that have followed some serious adversity, including the offseason death of Oscar Taveras and current injuries to Adam Wainwright, Matt Adams, Lance Lynn and Matt Holliday.

"I'm proud of the fact that they're not getting distracted, because it's a story," Matheny said. "It's being fed to them from everybody on the outside, even some of their closest friends are saying, 'Hey, this amazing that this happened and that happened.'

"... As long as they don't buy into it, and they look at that lineup and say, 'We've got a plenty good team here to win today, and what we're doing is going to be enough.' And as soon as they back off that, we would be in trouble."

The most recent win featured a familiar formula with a starter limiting the Royals to two runs before the bullpen took over for four scoreless innings.

St. Louis has won three straight and 14 of 19 with a 2.13 ERA, a stretch that started with a 6-1 victory over Kansas City on May 24 that averted a three-game sweep. The bullpen has a 0.99 ERA in that stretch with one earned run allowed in 27 1-3 innings over 12 games this month.

The Royals (34-25) are 6-11 in that time with 2.4 runs per game.

"We're a good offensive team," left fielder Alex Gordon told MLB's official website. "We'll get out of this (offensive) slump."

Next up on the mound for the Cardinals is John Lackey, whose success this season has been entirely dependent on venue. Lackey (4-4, 3.74 ERA) is 4-1 with a 1.73 ERA in six home starts and has a 6.27 mark in six on the road.

Since being acquired at last season's trade deadline, the right-hander has gone 6-1 with a 2.02 ERA in 11 starts at Busch Stadium.

He gave up a career high-tying 10 runs and 12 hits in four innings of Monday's 11-3 loss at Colorado, his shortest outing of the year.

Chris Young's last start was the antithesis of that as the right-hander had a no-hitter going into the seventh of Tuesday's 2-0 victory at Minnesota. Young (5-2, 2.25) allowed one hit and issued three walks in 6 1-3 innings after surrendering 10 runs in 11 innings of back-to-back defeats.

He beat the Cardinals 5-0 on May 22 by allowing six hits in six innings to give him a 1-3 mark and a 2.93 ERA in six starts against them. Young has held Mark Reynolds (2 for 14 with five strikeouts), Jason Heyward (2 for 10) and Jhonny Peralta (0 for 5) in check.

Lackey faced the Royals the day after and allowed three runs in five innings of a 3-2 loss. He's gone 1-2 with a 5.09 ERA in his last three starts against Kansas City. Gordon is 7 for 14 with two home runs off him.


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 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Twins (33-27) at Rangers (32-29)
Game: 3
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: June 14, 2015 3:05 PM EDT

The Minnesota Twins sure look as if they could use a spark during their worst stretch of the season. Maybe baseball's top prospect can provide it.

Byron Buxton will be in center field for Minnesota in Sunday's series finale against the Texas Rangers.

The Twins (33-28) have dropped five straight, scoring two runs or fewer in the first four of those losses. They're 3-9 this month while hitting .207 after going a major league-best 20-7 with a .276 average in May.

Buxton's arrival should at least bring some energy for Minnesota, which announced during Saturday's game that it would purchase the outfielder's contract from Double-A Chattanooga and he would join the team Sunday.

Widely considered baseball's No. 1 prospect, Buxton is hitting .283 with 25 extra-base hits, 20 stolen bases in 22 attempts and 37 RBIs in 59 games for Chattanooga. Named a Southern League All-Star on Tuesday, the second overall pick heads to Texas having gone 14 for 30 during an eight-game hitting streak for the Lookouts.

The move appears to be prompted by the absence of outfielders Torii Hunter and Aaron Hicks. Hunter sat Saturday after dropping his appeal of a two-game suspension for his tirade earlier in the week, while Hicks was scratched with a sore elbow.

Minnesota staged a late rally with four ninth-inning runs in Saturday's 11-7 loss, but was outhit 15-9.

Texas (33-29) scored six in the fourth, led by back-to-back homers from Mitch Moreland and Joey Gallo. The club is averaging 6.9 runs while winning seven of eight at home.

Nick Martinez (5-2, 2.65 ERA) was excellent in Tuesday's 2-1 win at Oakland, surrendering one hit and three walks in six innings. He was six days removed from surrendering a season-worst seven runs in just 3 1-3 innings of a 9-2 defeat.

"I'm back to the type of pitcher I am, just attacking hitters to both sides of the plate and working off that," Martinez said. "In my last outing I had trouble finding it. It was a great way to bounce back."

The right-hander didn't allow a home run for the first time in four starts and is 4-0 in the eight starts in which he's kept the ball in the yard.

Martinez didn't record a decision in his only matchup with Minnesota as a rookie, allowing four runs and nine hits over 5 2-3 innings of a 5-4 road victory on May 29, 2014.

Phil Hughes (4-6, 4.81) is trying to avoid losing a third straight start after suffering defeats against Boston and Kansas City. It's been a turbulent season for Hughes, who started the year with four straight losses before going 4-0 in his next six.

Hughes' fate has largely been decided by the Twins' bats, though, as he's 0-6 when he receives two runs or fewer of support He was saddled with the loss in Monday's 3-1 defeat against Kansas City after allowing three runs in 7 2-3 innings, his second-longest outing of the season.

"(I'm) still not where I want to be and not where I have to be if we want to continue down this path of winning baseball," he told MLB's official website.

The right-hander is 0-3 with a 4.06 ERA in his last five starts versus Texas after winning his first two career matchups while throwing 14 1-3 scoreless innings.


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 Final 7 to 11
Boxscores

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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Diamondbacks (28-32) at Giants (34-28)
Game: 3
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: June 14, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

Chris Heston's no-hitter wasn't the first solid start of his young career, though it certainly could go down as his most memorable. What he'd like to forget is how poorly he pitched following his other fantastic outings.

The 27-year-old rookie now looks to help the San Francisco Giants avoid their longest home losing streak in nearly 22 years when he takes the mound against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Sunday's series finale.

Heston (6-4, 3.77 ERA) struck out 11, allowed only two balls out of the infield and overcame three hit batters to no-hit the New York Mets in a 5-0 victory Tuesday. It marked the first no-hitter in the majors this season and came in just his 13th career start.

"This has got to be No. 1, probably right next to my first big league appearance (a relief effort Sept. 13)," Heston said. "Definitely something I'll remember forever."

Reveling in his success could cost him again, though. Heston's best start prior to the no-no came May 12 when he allowed one run and two hits while striking out 10 in a complete-game, 8-1 victory over Houston.

However, he was chased before recording an out in the third inning after allowing five runs in his next outing against Cincinnati on May 17, then gave up six runs to Colorado five days later. On three other occasions, the right-hander has allowed one run or fewer only to give up at least five in his next start.

"Honestly, I think it's just a matter of him just kind of trying to find his way right now," catcher Buster Posey said. "He's still early in his career in establishing what type of pitcher he's going to be. And it's something that we all go through when we first get to the majors."

Rubby De La Rosa knows the ups and downs continue in the later years, too. He'll try to overcome his current struggles while handing the Giants (34-29) an eight straight home loss for the first time since Sept. 7-15, 1993.

De La Rosa (4-3, 5.84) is 0-1 with a 10.29 ERA in four starts since giving up two runs in nine innings of Arizona's 3-2, 13-inning win over Miami on May 18. He gave up seven runs against Atlanta on June 3 and nine over five innings of Monday's 9-3 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The right-hander has given up two homers in five of his 12 outings, including each of the last three. Manager Chip Hale said he plans to keep De La Rosa in the rotation despite another disastrous start.

"He's one of our guys," Hale said. "We're in a situation here where we're trying to win games, and also trying to develop guys along the way. And with Rubby's stuff and his changeup and his velocity, we feel like he's worth the development. So we're just going to keep working with him and get him better."

De La Rosa has struggled against the Giants as well this season, allowing 10 runs and 17 hits over 12 innings in two April starts. The Diamondbacks (29-32), though, have held San Francisco to three runs while winning the last three meetings.

"The offense right now, we're out of sync," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy, whose club has hit .135 over its last three games. "The first five innings we looked dead."

Arizona snapped a four-game skid with a 1-0 victory in Friday's series opener before scoring three in the first inning of Saturday's 4-2 win.

The Diamondbacks have won five of the last six matchups at AT&T Park.


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 Final 4 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Athletics (25-39) at Angels (32-30)
Game: 3
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: June 14, 2015 3:35 PM EDT

Though the Oakland Athletics are mired in another rough road stretch, Sonny Gray has been quite good away from the Coliseum. He's also consistently shut down Albert Pujols.

Riding a 13-inning road scoreless stretch, the right-hander tries to help the A's avoid a season-high sixth consecutive defeat away from home Sunday against Pujols and the Los Angeles Angels.

After managing a season-low two hits during Saturday's 1-0 defeat, Oakland (25-39) has batted .216 and totaled 12 runs over its last five road contests. The A's, who last dropped six straight on the road in 2011, have lost at least four in a row away from home three times in 2015.

Despite those struggles, Oakland starters have a 2.05 ERA in the last three games.

The AL ERA leader, Gray (7-3, 1.74) is 4-1 with a 1.85 ERA in seven road starts while receiving an average of 7.0 runs of support. He's yielded six hits, one walk and no runs over those 13 innings to win his last two.

Gray returned home Tuesday and gave up two runs over six innings of a 2-1 defeat to Texas.

'If that's a bad game, then I'll take it any day,' said manager Bob Melvin, whose team has lost six of eight. 'Every game he pitches, we're either in or we're winning it.'

Home or away, Gray has been awfully tough while posting a 1.64 ERA to win two of his last three against Los Angeles (32-30). Both victories have come while giving up three runs over 15 innings this season.

Pujols, 2 for 19 against Gray, has batted .373 with 10 home runs and 16 RBIs in his last 15 games. His first-inning shot Saturday was the difference for the Angels, winners of three straight and four of five.

'I probably threw too many fastballs in that sequence. That's on me,' losing pitcher Kendall Graveman said about the homer to Pujols, the sixth player in Angels history to homer at least 10 times in a 15-game span and the first since Mo Vaughn in 2000.

While Gray's been strong on the road, Matt Shoemaker (4-4, 4.86) has yielded one run over 12 1-3 innings while not getting a decision in his last two home starts after going 0-3 with a 9.45 ERA in his first three. The right-hander's most recent outing came at Tampa on Tuesday when he gave up two runs in 6 1-3 innings of an 8-2 victory.

"Earlier in the season (it was) a little rough, but fixed my focus, more execution and just go from there," Shoemaker, 1-0 with a 1.45 ERA in his last three outings, told MLB's official website. "It's baseball, and I've got to go out there ... and be ready to go again."

He's 0-1 with an 8.31 ERA in two starts against the A's this season. Marcus Semien, who doubled Saturday, went 4 for 5 with two doubles and one home run against Shoemaker in those contests.

After closing out victories each of the last two nights, Huston Street has a 1.26 ERA while converting all 12 save chances against the A's.

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 Final 0 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Reds (28-33) at Cubs (33-27)
Game: 4
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: June 14, 2015 8:08 PM EDT

The starting pitchers for the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds in their series finale landed with their clubs this offseason by very different means.

The one riding a three-start winning streak isn't the one who signed a six-year, $155 million deal, while the one on a three-start losing streak isn't the one who was acquired in a modest trade.

Jon Lester and Anthony DeSclafani battle Sunday night at Wrigley Field with the Cubs seeking a third win in the four-game set, while the Reds continue to struggle on the road.

Lester (4-5, 4.25 ERA) is winless in four starts and has posted a 10.61 ERA in the last two after surrendering five runs and nine hits in 4 1-3 innings of Tuesday's 6-0 loss in Detroit, which matched his shortest outing of the year.

The only time the left-hander lost four straight starts was in 2010.

"I don't want him to feel like he got beat up (in his last start), because he didn't," manager Joe Maddon told MLB's official website. "It wasn't like he was making awful pitches, because he wasn't. He may not have been on top of his game, but I thought his stuff was pretty good early on in that game."

Lester has failed to get a decision while posting a 6.75 ERA in two starts against the Reds this season. He never faced them while in the AL.

DeSclafani (5-4, 3.53), who came from Miami in the Mat Latos deal, is unbeaten in four starts and his three straight wins have come after he earned a total of three over his first 14 starts in the majors. The right-hander gave up two runs and 10 hits in 6 1-3 innings of Tuesday's 11-2 home win over Philadelphia.

DeSclafani has done his best work on the road in his two seasons in the majors, going 5-2 with a 2.54 ERA as opposed to 2-4 with a 6.09 at home. He's 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA in three starts against the Cubs, two of which have come with the Reds. He yielded just one earned run over 12 innings in those outings.

Chicago's Anthony Rizzo (0 for 8), Starlin Castro (1 for 7) and Kris Bryant (0 for 3) haven't had any success against DeSclafani, but Miguel Montero is 2 for 4 with a home run.

The Chicago catcher also homered in Saturday's 4-3 walk-off win, giving him three in the last four games while going 7 for 15. He also has three home runs in his past four against Cincinnati while going 6 for 14 with seven RBIs in that span.

Bryant was 3 for 4 with three runs to give the rookie his second hitting streak of at least 10 games in his first 52 in the majors.

Joey Votto homered Saturday for the Reds and has seven while batting .357 in his last 15 contests.

Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips (groin) has been out of the starting lineup for three straight games, and it sounds like he could be out again Sunday.

"Until I see him make more explosive movements, I don't think he'll start," manager Bryan Price said.

The Cubs (33-27) have won nine of 11 against the Reds (28-33) dating to last season.

Cincinnati has dropped 11 of its last 13 on the road, averaging 2.8 runs. The Reds are 19-49 away from home since June 30 to tie Colorado for the worst road record in that span.


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 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores

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

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Sunday

June 14, 2015


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Mets are 12-0 SU on since Sep 28, 2014 as a favorite and it is the last game of the series.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- When Jorge De La Rosa starts the Rockies are 10-0 since May 12, 2013 after he had a WHIP of less than one his last start for a net profit of $1090.

MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

-- The Nationals are 13-3 since June 10, 2014 coming off a 5+ run win against this opponent.

CHOICE TREND:

-- The Cardinals are 10-0 SU on since Oct 07, 2014 at home and it is the last game of the series.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- When John Lackey starts the Cardinals are 0-10 OU since August 03, 2014 after his team lost the last time he started for a net profit of $1005 when playing the under.

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: No-hit Heston vs. D-Backs, Toronto tries for 11

June 13, 2015

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

HE'S HERE

Byron Buxton, considered by many the top prospect in the minors, is set to make his major league debut and start in center field for Minnesota. The 21-year-old was promoted from Double-A Chattanooga for the series finale in Texas. Buxton was the second overall pick in the 2012 amateur draft - the top choice was shortstop Carlos Correa, who made his big league debut for Houston on Monday. Buxton was hitting .283 with 12 triples, 20 steals and a Southern League-high 44 runs this year.

HESTON'S HILL

Giants rookie Chris Heston faces the Diamondbacks in his first start since pitching a no-hitter at the New York Mets. The 27-year-old righty accomplished the feat in his 13th major league start, and didn't throw a pitch over 91 mph. When Heston returned to AT&T Park in San Francisco, he had a new locker stall among aces such as Madison Bumgarner and Matt Cain. ''I guess I moved up in the real estate,'' Heston said. Johnny Vander Meer remains the only pitcher to throw consecutive no-hitters, in 1938 with Cincinnati.

BLUE JAYS FLY

Toronto goes for its 11th straight win, which would match the team's best streak since an 11-game run in June 2013. The Blue Jays go for a sweep at Fenway Park and will take on rookie sensation Eduardo Rodriguez - since making his big league debut last month, he's given up one run and eight hits while striking out 21 in 20 2-3 innings. Boston has lost five in a row.

OH, K!

White Sox star Chris Sale will try to become the first pitcher to strike out at least 12 in four straight starts since Pedro Martinez in 2001. Heading into the game at Tropicana Field, the lefty has given up one run and fanned 39 in his last three starts. He goes against Tampa Bay, which has won seven in a row vs. left-handed starters.

AWAITING ALTUVE

Houston second baseman Jose Altuve might need another day to recover after straining his right hamstring trying to beat out a grounder. He didn't play Saturday vs. Seattle, having been hurt Friday. The All-Star who led the majors in batting last year is hitting .290 with 27 RBIs and 17 steals for the AL West leaders.

SHIELD HIM

James Shields has given up 15 home runs this season, one behind major league leader Kyle Kendrick. Yet Big Game James has found a way to prevent those homers from really hurting him. He's 7-0 with a 3.79 ERA in 13 starts during his first year with the Padres. He'll pitch vs. the visiting Dodgers

[StarDust Bum]

Holy $hit betting stat of the day: Under wagers have cashed in all of Elias' starts this season

Under wagers are scorching hot in Seattle Mariners pitcher Roenis Elias' starts this season, going 9-0 in all nine starts heading into Sunday's showdown against Lance McCullers and the Houston Astros.
The Cuban southpaw is 3-3 with an ERA of 2.79 and a WHIP of 1.24 in nine starts this season, but the Mariners are just 3-6 in those starts. They've scored just 24 runs combined in the eight games the 26-year-old has started.

Both the Mariners and their opponents in Elias' starts are combining to average just 5.4 runs in those games.

With Elias and McCullers toeing the rubber Sunday, oddsmakers at some online books opened the total at 7.5. As of early Sunday morning, the total stood at 8

[StarDust Bum]

Quality starts making Rangers a hot under play

The Texas Rangers' rotation has turned in nine straight quality starts, the franchise's longest string since 1992, and the under has been a hot wager thanks to the efforts from the pitching staff.

The Under has gone 7-2 in those previous nine ball games, which includes a five-game under streak in the first five games.

Next up, the Rangers turn to Nicholas Martinez, who contributed to the quality starts streak with six innings of one-hit ball in a 2-1 victory over the Oakland A's back on June 4. Martinez will go up against Phil Hughes and the Minnesota Twins in Arlington Sunday afternoon.