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**StarDust Bum** · 06-17-2015, 01:28 AM

Preview: Orioles (32-31) at Phillies (22-43)
Game: 3
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: June 17, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

The red-hot Baltimore Orioles can seemingly do no wrong during their best stretch of the season.

Nothing is going right for a Philadelphia Phillies team that's on the cusp of its longest losing streak in 16 years.

Coming off a historic power display, the Orioles will try for their 11th victory in 13 games when this four-game home-and-home series shifts to Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday night.

Baltimore (33-31) extended its surge Tuesday after scoring six times in the first inning en route to a 19-3 home victory. It was the club's highest-scoring effort since a 23-1 win over Toronto on Sept. 28, 2000.

The defending AL East champs were a season-worst six games under .500 on June 3, but they've since batted .299 with 22 home runs while averaging 6.2 runs in a 10-2 stretch. They're in position to move three games over .500 for the first time since the end of last season.

Manny Machado went 3 for 4 with two home runs, giving him a .450 average, five homers and 10 RBIs in his last 10 games. Chris Parmelee made the most of his call-up from Triple-A earlier in the day, finishing with a season-high four hits and his second career multihomer game.

Chris Davis, David Lough, Jimmy Paredes and Ryan Flaherty also went deep as Baltimore hit a franchise-record eight homers in its ninth win in 12 meetings with the Phillies (22-44).

Now the Orioles are expected to get Adam Jones back after he missed one game with a sore shoulder.

'It's fun to watch, fun to be a part of,' winning pitcher Chris Tillman said.

Phillies reliever Justin De Fratus was ejected for appearing to throw at J.J. Hardy in the sixth inning before the Phillies lost an eighth straight game for the first time since July 2013. The club hasn't dropped nine in a row since an 11-game slide in September 1999.

'Worst road trip I've ever been on as far as just the way we lost games,' right fielder Jeff Francoeur said after the team's first winless trip of at least eight games since August 1883.

Francoeur pitched the final two innings Tuesday, allowing two runs and throwing 48 pitches.

The Phillies hadn't homered during the losing streak before Maikel Franco's two-run shot in the sixth inning. They've batted .115 with runners in scoring position while totaling 10 runs over the past seven, getting shut out three times in the last five.

Baltimore's Ubaldo Jimenez (4-3, 3.19 ERA) had received 10 total runs of support over his previous five starts, going 0-1 despite a 3.72 ERA, before getting six in Friday's 11-3 home victory over the Yankees. The right-hander allowed three runs over five innings.

Jimenez has gone 0-2 with a 11.25 ERA in three career road outings against the Phillies, last facing them in 2010. Francoeur is 6 for 30 with two home runs against Jimenez, while Ryan Howard is 3 for 7 with a homer and a triple in the matchup.

Kevin Correia looks to build on a solid Phillies debut in Friday's 1-0, 13-inning loss at Pittsburgh. He worked 5 2-3 innings, allowing five hits with four strikeouts and one walk.

Correia admittedly shook off some rust in his first big-league start since August with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The right-hander has gone 2-1 with a 3.79 ERA in three career outings against Baltimore.

Machado, Jones and Matt Wieters are a combined 1 for 16 against Correia, but Lough is 7 for 11 with three doubles.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Phillies at Orioles
Mon, Jun 15 Final 0 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Phillies at Orioles
Tue, Jun 16 - Final 3 to 19
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Orioles at Phillies
Wed, Jun 17 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Orioles at Phillies
Thu, Jun 18 - 1:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-17-2015, 01:33 AM

Preview: Mets (35-30) at Blue Jays (34-31)
Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: June 17, 2015 7:07 PM EDT

The Toronto Blue Jays steamrolled their way offensively through a long winning streak that had them looking like the class of the AL East, but those good fortunes have gone by the wayside against the New York Mets.

Having suffered their first back-to-back losses of the month, the Blue Jays look to return to their high-scoring ways when this four-game home-and-home series shifts to Toronto on Wednesday night.

Toronto (34-32) averaged 8.0 runs in an 11-game winning streak June 2-14 but was shut down in the two games at Citi Field. New York (36-30) won 4-3 in 11 innings Monday before a 3-2 victory Tuesday.

Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion each had an RBI in the latest defeat but the rest of the lineup mustered four hits against Matt Harvey and two relievers.

'When you run into good pitching, I don't care how good your hitting is,' manager John Gibbons said. 'That's what happens sometimes. That's some great pitching.'

Drew Hutchinson didn't have any complaints about run support in his last start, as the Blue Jays took him off the hook by overcoming an 8-1 deficit with a nine-run seventh inning in a 13-10 win over Boston on Friday.

Hutchinson (5-1, 5.75 ERA) was pounded for eight runs and allowed three homers in 2 1-3 innings. It was the shortest outing of his career not related to injury.

He'll be opposed by Jonathon Niese (3-6, 4.24), who pitched seven innings and allowed four runs - two earned - in a 5-4 win over San Francisco on Thursday. He didn't get the decision.

The left-hander had posted an 0-4 mark and 7.96 ERA in his previous five starts before regaining the form that allowed him to record a 1.95 ERA through his first six outings.

"It was a good outing to build on. My stuff felt great," Niese told MLB's official website. "My mechanics were more sound, allowing me to locate better. My pitches were doing what they're supposed to, instead of cutting off."

Niese suffered an ugly loss in his only meeting with Toronto, allowing eight runs and four homers in three innings of a 14-5 road defeat May 18, 2012.

New York's bullpen ranks among the best in baseball with a 2.84 ERA, and it's been bolstered by a very encouraging outing from closer Bobby Parnell, who recorded five outs for his first save since July 30, 2013 on Tuesday.

Parnell has made three appearances since tearing his MCL on April 2, 2014.

'Felt good. Definitely had some adrenaline going,' Parnell said. 'It was definitely a fun time to pitch. That ninth inning is always good.

'That was a big milestone. Finally had some weight off my shoulders.'

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Blue Jays at Mets
Mon, Jun 15 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Blue Jays at Mets
Tue, Jun 16 - Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Mets at Blue Jays
Wed, Jun 17 - 7:07PM EDT

GAME 4
Mets at Blue Jays
Thu, Jun 18 - 7:07PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-17-2015, 01:36 AM

Preview: Rays (36-29) at Nationals (33-31)
Game: 3
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: June 17, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

For more than a month, Jordan Zimmermann was among the best pitchers in baseball for the Washington Nationals. Lately, he's been one of the worst.

The right-hander looks to avoid losing his third straight start Wednesday night against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays.

In nine starts from April 18-June 2, Zimmermann (5-4, 3.74 ERA) went 4-1 with a 2.09 ERA that was the seventh lowest in the majors. In two games since, he's allowed 10 runs and 19 hits in 8 1-3 innings.

Pitching in his home state Friday, Zimmermann yielded six runs over 3 1-3 innings of an 8-4 loss at Milwaukee.

'It's mainly location and not hitting the spots,' he said.

Manager Matt Williams expected Zimmermann to start working through those issues shortly after his second straight clunker.

'We'll have to make some adjustments and get him ready for his next one. ... Hopefully getting the ball down in the zone a little bit," Williams said.

Facing Tampa Bay (36-30) for the first time since 2009, Zimmermann looks to help the Nationals build on Tuesday's 16-4 rout to split the first half of this home-and-home set. Wilson Ramos homered twice off a pair of position players and Bryce Harper hit his 22nd for one of the 23 hits recorded by Washington, which matched its run total from the previous four contests.

'We had a lot fun as a team,' Harper said after the Nationals scored their most runs since a 17-5 win at Baltimore on May 20, 2011.

After recording three hits for the second time in his last three games, Harper is batting .346 and went 12 for 24 with three home runs and six RBIs on the Nationals' 4-4 trip.

Washington (34-31) has dropped five of six at home while the Rays have won seven of nine on the road, where they are a major league-leading 17-11.

One day after he was hit on his left wrist by a pitch, Evan Longoria had two hits as Tampa Bay's four-game winning streak came to an end.

Steven Souza Jr., 0 for 7 with six walks in the last three games, could get the chance to face Zimmermann for the first time since he made a diving catch to secure the final out of his former teammate's no-hitter Sept. 29 against Miami.

"I went to state playing football, I've won playoff games in the minor leagues, I've hit walk-off homers," Souza, who landed in Tampa as part of a three-team, 11-player deal in December, told MLB's official website.

"But nothing was more special than coming together as a team like that and doing something like that."

Recalled from Triple-A Durham to make his first appearance since May 14, Tampa Bay's Matt Andriese (1-1, 3.76) earned his first career win Friday after he gave up two unearned runs in 5 2-3 innings of a 7-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

"It's big," he said. "Good to get the monkey off my back."

The right-hander didn't make it out of the fourth inning in any of his first three starts while posting a 6.75 ERA.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Nationals at Rays
Mon, Jun 15 Final 1 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Nationals at Rays
Tue, Jun 16 - Final 16 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Rays at Nationals
Wed, Jun 17 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Rays at Nationals
Thu, Jun 18 - 7:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-17-2015, 01:40 AM

Preview: Marlins (28-37) at Yankees (34-29)
Game: 3
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: June 17, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

A month that started so promisingly for the New York Yankees is turning sour.

Following their second lopsided defeat in five games, the Yankees try to avoid a third consecutive defeat to the visiting Miami Marlins on Wednesday night.

New York (34-30) outscored opponents 43-18 during an eight-game winning streak to open June but since has endured a 42-19 disadvantage while going 1-5. The Yankees managed three runs and 10 hits while dropping the first two of this four-game home-and-home series with Miami (29-37).

'We have not pitched well. We haven't swung the bats,' manager Joe Girardi said. 'Hopefully going home will be good medicine for us.'

Ex-Marlin Nathan Eovaldi gave up all of the franchise-record eight first-inning runs scored by the Marlins in Tuesday's 12-2 loss. It was the third time in five games the Yankees allowed nine or more runs and second in that span they lost by at least eight.

'It's a lot of fun when you're able to put together something like that," said Miami manager Dan Jennings, whose team outscored Colorado and New York 30-9 on a 5-1 homestand.

Yankees starters have posted a 9.14 ERA in the last five, a stretch that began with Friday's outing by Michael Pineda (7-3, 3.74 ERA), who allowed six runs in 4 1-3 innings of an 11-3 loss at Baltimore. The right-hander gave up three runs over 12 2-3 innings to win his previous two outings.

Pineda pitched on 10 days' rest after his turn was skipped as the team remained careful with an arm that's totaled 74 2-3 innings and averaged almost 98 pitches in 12 starts. He pitched 76 1-3 innings over 13 starts in a 2014 season in which he missed more than three months with a shoulder issue.

"They're trying to take care of me and give me a little rest," Pineda told MLB's official website. "What happened (Friday), it happens to everybody. I'm trying to keep my head up and just continue working."

He'll get his first look at Giancarlo Stanton, who hit a three-run shot for his major league-leading 24th homer Tuesday. Batting .404 with nine homers and 18 RBIs in his last 14 contests, Stanton is eager to make his first appearance at Yankee Stadium.

'That'll be cool - just the tradition they have there, the whole aura, the whole New York atmosphere,' said Stanton, who is likely to serve as the designated hitter. 'I'm sure I'll be yelled and screamed at. It'll be fun.'

Jose Urena (1-2, 4.44) allowed eight runs over 10 2-3 innings to lose his first two career starts but has yielded one in each of his last two spanning 12 2-3 innings, going 1-0 while facing Colorado both times. The right-hander allowed six hits in 6 2-3 innings of Friday's 5-1 home victory.

Though star right-hander Jose Fernandez is expected to return from Tommy John surgery early next month and Jarred Cosart is nearing a return from a bout with vertigo, Urena's spot appears safe for now.

'We'll cross that bridge when we get there,' Jennings said. 'Right now Urena is in that rotation, and somebody will have to knock him out. He has earned the right to get that opportunity every fifth day."

Ichiro Suzuki, 2 for 4 in the first two games, returns to Yankee Stadium where he hit .301 while playing the previous two-plus seasons with New York.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Yankees at Marlins
Mon, Jun 15 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Yankees at Marlins
Tue, Jun 16 - Final 2 to 12
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Marlins at Yankees
Wed, Jun 17 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Marlins at Yankees
Thu, Jun 18 - 7:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-17-2015, 01:42 AM

Preview: Red Sox (27-38) at Braves (31-33)
Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: June 17, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Brock Holt and Mookie Betts helped end the Boston Red Sox's longest losing streak of the season.

They're hoping the good vibes continue with a full-strength lineup Wednesday night when their series with the Atlanta Braves shifts to Turner Field.

Boston (28-38) had been outscored 47-28 while dropping seven in a row before defeating the Braves 9-4 on Tuesday at Fenway Park. Holt became the first member of the Red Sox to hit for the cycle since John Valentin in 1996 and drove in two runs, while Betts was 3 for 5. Four other players collected two hits in an 18-hit outburst.

"There's good hitters up and down our lineup," manager John Farrell said. "We felt we were capable of putting up some runs."

Holt is batting .390 with eight walks over his last 11 games and Betts is 8 for 14 in his past four after going 3 for 24 in his previous eight.

Farrell should be working with a healthier roster Wednesday. Dustin Pedroia sat out with a sore left knee while Hanley Ramirez was sidelined after aggravating his back in Monday's loss. Both are expected back in the lineup, and Pedroia's bat would be especially helpful.

The second baseman is hitting .407 with 12 runs in his last 13 games, and he's 11 for 26 (.423) with three homers in seven interleague contests this year.

The Braves (31-34) sustained a rough outing from their starter for the second time in three days. Mike Foltynewicz gave up six runs in 4 1-3 innings Sunday against the New York Mets and Julio Teheran yielded six runs in 6 1-3 innings Tuesday.

Alex Wood (4-4, 3.56 ERA) is trying to avoid losing a third straight start for the second time in his career after surrendering eight runs over 11 1-3 innings against Pittsburgh and the Mets.

He gave up two home runs in a 5-3 loss to New York on Friday to match his total from his first 11 starts. The left-hander also issued a season-high four walks.

Wood had limited opponents to exactly one earned run while winning three straight starts prior to the back-to-back losses. He's 3-1 with a 1.64 ERA in six career interleague starts, though he's allowed two runs over 3 2-3 innings of relief against Boston.

The Red Sox are batting .179 against lefties in the past six games, and David Ortiz is 3 for his last 31 off left-handers. Pedroia, however, is 10 for his last 24 in such matchups.

Joe Kelly (2-4, 5.45) gave up four runs over six innings in Boston's 13-10 loss to Toronto on Friday. He's 0-2 with a 7.61 ERA in his last five road starts.

Kelly held the Braves to two runs over 12 1-3 innings in two starts in 2013 while with St. Louis, though shortstop Andrelton Simmons was 3 for 6.

Simmons sat Tuesday with a sore right hand but will likely return Wednesday. X-rays were negative after he was hit by a pitch Monday.

Boston has won nine of 11 in Atlanta since 2006.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Braves at Red Sox
Mon, Jun 15 Final 4 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Braves at Red Sox
Tue, Jun 16 - Final 4 to 9
Boxscores

GAME 3
Red Sox at Braves
Wed, Jun 17 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Red Sox at Braves
Thu, Jun 18 - 7:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-17-2015, 01:45 AM

Preview: Cubs (34-27) at Indians (29-33)
Game: 3
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: June 17, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Kyle Schwarber is the latest of the Chicago Cubs' prized prospects to get his chance in the majors.

Following a brief debut, Schwarber will be in the lineup Wednesday night as the visiting Cubs continue their home-and-home set with the Cleveland Indians.

Though there is no billboard outside Wrigley Field like the one that praised the potential of teammate Kris Bryant prior to his much-anticipated April promotion, there's certainly intrigue surrounding Schwarber's call up. After catching the top of the ninth and striking out in the bottom half of Tuesday's 6-0 loss to Cleveland (30-33), the fourth overall pick in last year's draft will serve as the designated hitter over the next five days at Cleveland and Minnesota

'I'm just gonna stick with my approach and see what happens,' said Schwarber, who hit .320 with 13 home runs and 39 RBIs in 58 games for Double-A Tennessee. 'It's the same game that you've been playing for however many years, just at a different level. I wanna try to stick with my same approach when I'm up at the plate whenever I do get that opportunity. It's gonna be fun.'

After that five-day stint with the Cubs (34-28), Schwarber is expected to be sent down to Triple-A Iowa to refine his skills.

'It's the perfect pit stop for him on the way to Triple-A,' Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein said.

The 22-year-old joins Bryant and second baseman Addison Russell as another of the Cubs' highly touted prospects to debut this season.

Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor, meanwhile, will make his home debut after he went 3 for 7 with a RBI in his first two major league contests. Two of those hits and that RBI came Tuesday in his first career start.

Carlos Santana, who was replaced in the No. 2 hole by Lindor, had a three-run homer and four RBIs out of the cleanup spot as the Indians (30-33) won their fourth straight interleague contest.

Teammate Shaun Marcum (3-1, 4.09 ERA) has a 2.41 ERA while winning two of his last three starts. The best of his five overall came Thursday when he yielded two hits and struck out five without a walk through seven innings of a 6-0 win over Seattle.

"It was nice to go out there and be able to locate the ball and take what I've been doing between starts and actually have it happen,' the right-hander said.

Anthony Rizzo has not seen Marcum since 2013, but is 3 for 5 with two doubles against him. However, he's 0 for 17 in his last four contests.

Tsuyoshi Wada (0-1, 4.84) posted a 2.30 ERA in his first three starts after the Cubs called him up from Triple-A Iowa last month but is 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA in his last two. The left-hander yielded three runs over three-plus innings in Thursday's 6-3 victory over Cincinnati.

"I see him trying to be too complicated - let's simplify this whole thing, trust your good stuff," manager Joe Maddon told MLB's official website. "Trust your stuff, don't try to fool everybody, believe in what you're doing and you'll be much better."

Wada is 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA in three interleague starts but 0-4 with a 4.72 ERA in seven career outings away from Wrigley.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Indians at Cubs
Mon, Jun 15 - 8:05PM EDT ( RAIN OUT )
Recaps

GAME 2
Indians at Cubs
Tue, Jun 16 - Final 0 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Cubs at Indians
Wed, Jun 17 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Cubs at Indians
Thu, Jun 18 - 7:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-17-2015, 01:47 AM

Preview: Tigers (34-30) at Reds (28-35)
Game: 3
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: June 17, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

David Price has been pitching awfully well since the beginning of May, and his last two starts have been so good that he's in position for a rare achievement.

Price looks to become the first member of the Detroit Tigers to toss three straight complete games in 25 years Wednesday night against the Reds as this series shifts to Cincinnati.

Price (6-2, 2.44 ERA) is among the AL leaders in innings pitched (92 1-3) and has the league's second-lowest ERA (1.91) since May 1, while his three complete games are tied with Toronto's Mark Buehrle for the most in the majors.

It's also one shy of the left-hander's career high set with Tampa Bay in 2013. Matching that mark Wednesday would make him the first Tiger to go the distance in three straight since Jack Morris in 1990, and the first in the majors since Cliff Lee did it with Philadelphia four years ago.

Price has a 0.83 ERA over his last four starts, allowing one run with 19 strikeouts while getting all 27 outs in each of the last two.

"His focus is always good," manager Brad Ausmus told MLB's official website, "but the last two outings, it's almost like he's turned it up a notch."

The 2012 AL Cy Young Award winner needed only 93 pitches Friday in a 4-0 win over Cleveland, with his changeup doing much of the work in keeping the Indians off balance.

"That thing, not only was it fading away, but it dropped off the table," catcher James McCann said. "I mean, when he's on, I wouldn't want to stand in the box against him."

Price came within two outs of a complete game in his only start at Cincinnati on April 11, 2014, yielding one run and four hits with 10 strikeouts in a 2-1 win with the Rays.

He held Todd Frazier without a hit in three at_bats in that meeting, but the All-Star third baseman enters this matchup hitting .537 (22 of 41) with 10 RBIs and 13 runs in his last 10 home games.

He's batting .413 in the last 11 contests overall after hitting a pair of solo homers in Tuesday's 5-2 win at Detroit.

"I just squared them up," Frazier said. "Not to be cocky about it, but I know I can hit a ball out of any park."

The Reds (29-35) are turning to Johnny Cueto (4-4, 2.85), who's been baseball's best pitcher at home and is among the majors' leaders overall with a 0.95 WHIP. The right-hander is 2-1 with a 1.25 ERA in five starts at Great American Ball Park - the best home ERA of any pitcher with five starts - after striking out nine and allowing four hits in seven innings of a 4-0 win over San Diego on June 7.

Five days later, Cueto gave up four runs while fanning nine in seven innings of a 5-4 win in 10 at Wrigley Field.

"He battled his tail off, as always," manager Bryan Price said. "He doesn't shy away from pitching in close games at all."

While this is Cueto's first meeting with Detroit (34-31), he's 4-1 with a 1.20 ERA in his last six home interleague games.

He'll face Miguel Cabrera for the first time, and the two-time MVP is 10 for 17 with two homers and nine RBIs in his past five games.

Cabrera is a .345 hitter in 14 games in Cincinnati, but this is his first visit in three years.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Reds at Tigers
Mon, Jun 15 Final 0 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Reds at Tigers
Tue, Jun 16 - Final 5 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Tigers at Reds
Wed, Jun 17 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Tigers at Reds
Thu, Jun 18 - 7:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-17-2015, 01:54 AM

Preview: Cardinals (42-21) at Twins (34-29)
Game: 3
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: June 17, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

While the organization will have to endure an off-the-field controversy, the St. Louis Cardinals continue to excel in between the lines.

They'll look for a sixth consecutive win and third in a row against the Minnesota Twins when the teams head to Target Field on Wednesday night.

The Cardinals are part of a federal investigation looking into whether some of their employees hacked into the Houston Astros' computer system. The Astros' network, called Ground Control, reportedly included databases, contract information, scouting evaluations and discussions of trades.

"The St. Louis Cardinals are aware of the investigation into the security breach of the Houston Astros' database. The team has fully cooperated with the investigation and will continue to do so. Given that this is an ongoing federal investigation, it is not appropriate for us to comment further," the team said in a statement.

A couple of hours after news of the investigation broke, the Cardinals (43-21) beat the Twins 3-2 in Tuesday's finale of a two-game series at Busch Stadium.

"We have opportunities for distraction every day," manager Mike Matheny said. "It's part of what we do, it's a big part of what we do. We divide them into the controllables and the uncontrollables and this is one of the uncontrollables. We don't have any clue what's going on."

The Cardinals have relied on their pitching during the win streak, posting a 1.60 ERA with their starters putting up a 2.14 mark. St. Louis yielded seven hits and two walks Tuesday, holding on for its third consecutive one-run win after Mark Reynolds' two-run single in the third inning.

Carlos Martinez (7-2, 2.93 ERA) will try to keep that going while earning his fourth victory in as many starts and fifth consecutive winning decision. The right-hander gave up two runs in 6 1-3 innings of last Wednesday's 4-2 win at Colorado.

Martinez, who has a 0.80 ERA in his last five starts, is making his second against an AL team. He lost 10-4 to Detroit on May 15 despite giving up two runs in five innings.

He'll face a Twins team that's been held to two runs or fewer eight times in 10 games. Minnesota (34-30) is batting .216 and has totaled 24 runs in that 2-8 stretch.

"It's a tough loss because we had our chances," manager Paul Molitor said Tuesday. "We couldn't get the big hit when we needed it."

Tommy Milone (2-1, 4.15) got two runs of support in seven innings Friday in his second start since being recalled from the minors and did not get a decision in a 6-2 loss at Texas. The left-hander gave up two runs and three hits while striking out eight.

Milone won 7-5 in his only start against the Cardinals on June 30, 2013, while with Oakland despite allowing five runs in six innings.

Twins prospect Byron Buxton will make his home debut after going 2 for 10 in his first three major league games.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Twins at Cardinals
Mon, Jun 15 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Twins at Cardinals
Tue, Jun 16 - 2 to 3
Boxscores

GAME 3
Cardinals at Twins
Wed, Jun 17 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Cardinals at Twins
Thu, Jun 18 - 1:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-17-2015, 01:58 AM

Preview: Astros (37-28) at Rockies (28-35)
Game: 3
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: June 17, 2015 8:40 PM EDT

After finding a groove in their return home, the Houston Astros' lineup will try to stay in it when the team travels to a park that's usually proved kind to hitters.

The Astros head to Coors Field to play two more games against the Colorado Rockies beginning Wednesday night.

Houston (38-28) batted .201 and scored 16 runs in a seven-game losing streak that included six contests away from home. The Astros rebounded to hit .298 and plate 38 runs while winning four of the next five games at Minute Maid Park, including 8-5 over Colorado (28-36) on Tuesday.

Luis Valbuena drove in four runs and hit a pair of homers, giving him four on the homestand. Jose Altuve had an RBI single after sitting out three games due to an ailing right hamstring.

"We're playing really good," Altuve told MLB's official website. "We're swinging the bat, placing the ball good, playing good defense. This is a team win."

Houston now plays in Denver, where the Rockies again have the worst home ERA in the majors at 5.30. Colorado's 4.91 mark at Coors since the beginning of the 2010 season is 57 points higher than the next worst home team, Minnesota.

The Rockies also had MLB's worst home ERA in 2012 (5.97) and 2014 (5.05).

The Astros will get to face a pitcher with one of the highest ERAs among qualifying players in Kyle Kendrick (2-8, 5.87). The right-hander, though, has given up four runs in 13 2-3 innings in his last two starts and allowed two runs in 6 2-3 innings in a 5-1 defeat at Miami on Friday.

"He pitched through a couple jams, and to get us into the seventh there ... that was a great job by Kyle," manager Walt Weiss said.

Kendrick gave up one run in seven innings in his most recent start against Houston on Aug. 5, a 2-1 victory in 15 for Philadelphia. He was 0-3 with a 5.87 ERA in his previous four starts versus the Astros.

Kendrick won't have to face Colby Rasmus in this game. The Houston outfielder, 6 for 13 with a homer and five doubles in their matchups, is on the bereavement list and manager A.J. Hinch said he won't play in this series.

Brett Oberholtzer (1-1, 2.25) will face the Rockies for the first time as he tries to build on his first win in four starts this season, 10-0 over Seattle on Friday. The left-hander yielded three hits and two walks in eight innings.

"I don't know about best I've felt, but I felt good," Oberholtzer told MLB's official website. "Offense was huge for us and that allowed me to just throw strikes and let my defense play behind me."

Oberholtzer has never faced any current Colorado hitter.

The Astros have won four in a row over the Rockies. They ended a seven-game skid at Coors Field with a two-game sweep in May 2013.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rockies at Astros
Mon, Jun 15 Final 3 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rockies at Astros
Tue, Jun 16 - Final 5 to 8
Boxscores

GAME 3
Astros at Rockies
Wed, Jun 17 - 8:40PM EDT

GAME 4
Astros at Rockies
Thu, Jun 18 - 3:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-17-2015, 02:04 AM

Preview: Giants (34-31) at Mariners (29-35)
Game: 3
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: June 17, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Felix Hernandez and Madison Bumgarner have been two of baseball's best pitchers over the last half-decade, though Hernandez has hardly looked the part lately.

He'll try to bounce back from an abysmal outing Wednesday night as the Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants take their series to Safeco Field.

Bumgarner (7-3, 3.16 ERA) ranks sixth in the majors since 2011 with 67 wins, while Hernandez (9-3, 3.38) is tied for eighth at 63. Both also rank in the top 10 in strikeouts and ERA in that span.

Hernandez hasn't been right lately, though, and is coming off what he called the worst start of his career. He gave up eight runs and two homers while matching a personal worst by only recording one out in Friday's 10-0 loss at Houston.

"Look, he's human," manager Lloyd McClendon said. "He had a tough night."

Hernandez was two starts removed from giving up seven runs over 4 2-3 innings of a 7-2 loss to the New York Yankees. The right-hander has a 4.50 ERA in his last eight while giving up nine home runs in 48 innings, a rate of 1.69 per nine. He's averaged 0.72 for his career.

Bumgarner enters off his first loss in six starts despite a solid outing, limiting Arizona to one run over eight innings in a 1-0 defeat Friday. He walked a season-high three and allowed nine hits, though he retired nine of the last 10 he faced.

"He's a warrior," manager Bruce Bochy told MLB's official website. "He regrouped, started mixing (pitches) up a little bit more and did a great job, as he normally does."

The left-hander is 5-1 on the road and 15-4 in his last 21 outings away from home.

He held Seattle to one run in eight innings in his only previous matchup, a 2-1 walk-off win for the Mariners on June 17, 2012. Hernandez was on the mound in that one, yielding one run and striking out seven over seven innings.

Hernandez had won his two previous starts against the Giants in 2006 and 2009, giving up five earned runs in 14 innings.

These clubs split two games in San Francisco, with the Giants (35-31) snapping a five-game losing streak with Tuesday's 6-2 victory. The six runs were one fewer than they had totaled during the skid. Matt Duffy went 3 for 4 with a homer and three RBIs,

"This is a game we needed just to kind of change momentum of how things have been going," said Casey McGehee, who doubled in two runs as a pinch-hitter. "Definitely a better taste in our mouth getting on the plane this way rather than the alternative."

Seattle (29-36) had five hits, including two by Brad Miller, who drove in both runs. Nelson Cruz was 0 for 4, falling to 3 for his last 22 with six strikeouts.

Robinson Cano has struggled to hit lefties, batting .210, though he has never faced Bumgarner. Kyle Seager is 12 for his last 30 off left-handers with four home runs and two doubles.

San Francisco, which had lost nine straight at home before Tuesday, has been baseball's best road team over the last month, winning 12 of 16. The Mariners have averaged 1.8 runs while dropping eight of nine at home.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mariners at Giants
Mon, Jun 15 Final 5 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mariners at Giants
Tue, Jun 16 Final 2 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Giants at Mariners
Wed, Jun 17 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Giants at Mariners
Thu, Jun 18 - 10:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-17-2015, 02:06 AM

Preview: Rangers (34-30) at Dodgers (37-27)
Game: 3
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: June 17, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Clayton Kershaw grew up a fan of the Texas Rangers, and now he'll get to face them for the first time.

After the Los Angeles Dodgers dropped the first half of this four-game series on the road, Kershaw goes for a fourth straight home win Wednesday night against the Rangers.

A native of Dallas, Kershaw (5-3, 3.21 ERA) claims his favorite Ranger was Will Clark, the former first baseman who also wore No. 22.

Kershaw's homecoming won't be remembered fondly, as Los Angeles (37-28) lost both games and gave up a walkoff homer to Robinson Chirinos in Tuesday's 3-2 defeat.

Kershaw is well aware that the Rangers (35-30) have hit 29 homers and averaged 5.2 runs during a 19-7 stretch that's turned around their season.

"Yeah, good team. They're swinging the bats really, really well right now," Kershaw told MLB's official website. "Fortunately, they won't have the DH in L.A. so they're going to have to make a decision there."

Losing the designated hitter in the NL park will likely put Mitch Moreland or Prince Fielder on the bench. Moreland could be moved to the outfield, as he played two games in left last season, leaving Fielder at first base.

Texas will need all the offense it can muster against Kershaw, as the left-hander has gone 3-0 with a 0.94 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 28 2-3 innings over his last four starts. That includes striking out 21 while tossing 15 scoreless innings in a pair of home wins.

He's posted a 1.25 ERA while winning three straight starts at Dodger Stadium, giving him a 14-2 record and 1.57 mark in his last 18 at home.

He struggled somewhat in a 4-3 win at San Diego on Friday, throwing 73 of his 117 pitches for strikes and walking three over 6 2-3 innings of one-run ball. He struck out 11 but didn't get the decision.

"It seemed like it was a battle for him, command-wise with the fastball," manager Don Mattingly said. "But it shows you just what kind of a competitor he is that he continues to fight and battle the whole game."

The Dodgers, having batted .118 with runners in scoring position while losing three of four, open a five-game homestand that includes a weekend series with San Francisco.

The Rangers are looking to win a sixth straight game with Wandy Rodriguez (3-2, 3.03) on the mound. The left-hander is 2-0 with a 2.30 ERA in that stretch, yielding two runs in 13 2-3 innings over his last two starts.

Rodriguez loaded the bases and gave up a run in the first inning Friday, then responded by retiring 18 straight before leaving with two outs in the seventh. He threw a season-high 122 pitches and didn't get a decision in a 6-2 win over Minnesota.

"He does that every time out," Moreland told MLB's official website of Rodriguez's quick pace on the mound. "He gets the ball, he gets on the rubber and he gets ready to throw the next one. It's nice to play defense behind a guy like that and a guy who's going after each hitter."

Rodriguez has posted a 1.49 ERA while going 3-3 in six starts at Dodger Stadium, the latest coming while with Houston in 2011.

He'll get his first matchup with Yasiel Puig, who's 0 for 8 in two games after going 13 for 27 in his first seven following his return from a left hamstring strain.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Rangers
Mon, Jun 15 Final 1 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Dodgers at Rangers
Tue, Jun 16 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Rangers at Dodgers
Wed, Jun 17 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Rangers at Dodgers
Thu, Jun 18 - 10:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-17-2015, 11:00 AM

Preview: Brewers (24-42) at Royals (36-25)
Game: 3
Venue: Miller Park
Date: June 17, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The Kansas City Royals ended their road trip on a high note with two wins over the Milwaukee Brewers, and they'll try for similar results when the four-game series moves to Kauffman Stadium.

They also have a chance to move manager Ned Yost into a tie for the most wins in franchise history Wednesday night.

Kansas City (36-25) completed a 5-2 swing by scoring 15 runs in sweeping both games at Milwaukee (24-42), capped by a 7-2 victory Tuesday.

The Royals had reached the seven-run mark once in their previous 12 games.

"It sure looks like that," Yost said when asked if he thought his team was starting to swing the bats better. " ... It was a good balanced attack tonight offensively."

Lorenzo Cain, facing the Brewers for the first time since being acquired by Kansas City in the Zack Greinke deal in 2010, homered in each game. Previously struggling Omar Infante went 5 for 9 with four runs in the two wins while Mike Moustakas was 4 for 7 with four runs and a homer in that span, helping Yost reach 409 victories with the Royals.

He can match Whitey Herzog for the franchise mark Wednesday.

Joe Blanton (0-0, 1.80 ERA) will make a long-awaited return to a starting role, getting a turn after Jason Vargas was placed on the disabled list Saturday.

The right-hander has made seven relief appearances this season and worked eight scoreless innings over his last four games.

His most recent start came July 22, 2013 when he lasted 3 2-3 innings and allowed four runs and nine hits in a 4-3 loss to Minnesota.

Mike Fiers (3-6, 4.04) will start for Milwaukee following his second quality start in three tries. The right-hander allowed three runs in seven innings of an 8-4 win over Washington on Friday, and pitched six innings of four-hit ball in a 1-0 win over St. Louis on June 1.

Fiers struck out eight against the Nationals and has 80 strikeouts in 69 innings. He's 2-2 with a 2.48 ERA in six road starts, compared to a 5.45 mark in seven at home.

The Brewers have lost four straight while being outscored 26-9. Milwaukee's rotation has posted an 8.31 ERA during the skid, while Ryan Braun has gone 1 for 15.

'We can't have nights like this,' manager Craig Counsell said Tuesday. 'How we play is important. That's the one thing we can control, how we play. That's easy to control. The outcomes, sometimes the other guy beats you and that's OK, but how we play has to be the same every night.'

Carlos Gomez has missed the last two games with leg tightness and is questionable for Wednesday. The center fielder has batted .150 in his last five games.

"I think a lot of this is Carlos is a 100 percent player," Counsell told MLB's official website. "It's hard for some guys, it's hard for him to play at 70, 80 percent. It's how he's played his whole life."

The Royals have dropped five of seven at home but have taken five straight against the Brewers in Kansas City. They've won six consecutive meetings overall.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Royals at Brewers
Mon, Jun 15 Final 8 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Royals at Brewers
Tue, Jun 16 Final 7 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Brewers at Royals
Wed, Jun 17 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Brewers at Royals
Thu, Jun 18 - 8:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-17-2015, 11:03 AM

Preview: Angels (33-32) at Diamondbacks (31-33)
Game: 3
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: June 17, 2015 9:40 PM EDT

As good as their pitching has been, the Arizona Diamondbacks couldn't get past resurgent Albert Pujols or their own lack of offense to extend their winning streak.

They'll hope to produce enough runs to bounce back while giving the ball to a pitcher who's enjoying some surprising success.

After flirting with a no-hitter, Chase Anderson will try to lead Arizona to a fifth win in six games Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Angels as this home-and-home series shifts to Chase Field.

The Diamondbacks (31-33) had posted a 0.50 ERA while winning four in a row heading into Tuesday, but Jeremy Hellickson's lone mistake in six innings resulted in Albert Pujols' two-run homer - the 539th of his career - and a 4-1 loss.

Pujols, who was put in the cleanup spot for the first time with the Angels (33-32), is hitting .368 with 11 home runs and 19 RBIs over his last 18 games.

'You don't change your approach because of where you're hitting in the lineup,' said Pujols, who last hit fourth May 21, 2010, with St. Louis.

'It doesn't matter if you hit eighth, leadoff ... you've still got to go out there and play."

The Diamondbacks had hit .364 with runners in scoring position during their winning streak before going 1 for 5 Tuesday. First baseman Danny Dorn had two hits after getting called up from Triple-A earlier in the day to replace injured right fielder Ender Inciarte.

Arizona will now turn to Anderson (2-1, 2.82 ERA) as it looks to avoid a ninth loss in 12 meetings.

Anderson has surprisingly turned into the Diamondbacks' most effective starter, limiting opponents to one or no runs in six of his last eight starts. He had a no-hitter through six innings Friday and wound up allowing one hit in seven to outpitch World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner in a 1-0 victory at San Francisco.

'You could see him with a good focus out there, taking deep breaths, just concentrating on every pitch," manager Chip Hale said.

The right-hander owns a 2.16 ERA over his last eight outings, but only has two wins to show for it while the offense has provided just 14 runs of support. His 2.70 run-support average on the season ranks among the lowest marks in the majors.

Anderson has allowed just two runs over 12 2-3 innings in his last two home starts. He's getting his first look at Los Angeles, which has batted .200 while totaling nine runs in its last four games.

Carlos Perez and Kyle Kubitza finished with two hits apiece Tuesday. Kubitza is 6 for 19 in six games since getting recalled from the minors.

Los Angeles starter Hector Santiago threw 3 2-3 scoreless innings in his first relief appearance in an 8-2 road loss to the Yankees on June 6. He did not get a decision in his return to rotation Friday when he allowed two runs - both on solo homers - over 5 2-3 in a 5-4 home win over Oakland.

'Having nine days off with that relief appearance in the middle, it was definitely different,' he said.

Santiago (4-3, 2.59) is back on regular rest heading into his first start against Arizona.

He'll likely have to deal with Paul Goldschmidt, who went 0 for 3 Tuesday as the designated hitter after entering the day with an MLB-best .366 average. The slugger, however, drew a walk in the third inning to extend his on-base streak to 26 games.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Angels
Mon, Jun 15 Final 7 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Angels
Tue, Jun 16 Final 1 to 4
Boxscores

GAME 3
Angels at Diamondbacks
Wed, Jun 17 - 9:40PM EDT

GAME 4
Angels at Diamondbacks
Thu, Jun 18 - 3:40PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-17-2015, 11:06 AM

Interleague Results

The 2015 MLB regular season will usually feature at least one Interleague game every day. All teams will play exactly 20 Interleague games broken down into eight series, four at home and four on the road.

AMERICAN LEAGUE RESULTS (2013-2015)

Team 2013 2014 2015 (Home-Away)

Baltimore Orioles 11-9 12-8 (2-0, 1-4)

Boston Red Sox 14-6 9-11 (3-2, 2-1)

Chicago White Sox 8-12 11-9 (2-1, 2-3)

Cleveland Indians 11-9 10-10 (4-2, 1-0)

Detroit Tigers 12-8 12-8 (3-4, 4-2)

Houston Astros 8-12 5-15 (3-1, 3-0)

Kansas City Royals 9-11 15-5 (4-1, 3-3)

Los Angeles Angels 10-10 12-8 (4-3, 0-3)

Minnesota Twins 8-12 9-11 (1-2, 2-2)

New York Yankees 9-11 13-7 (3-2, 0-4)

Oakland Athletics 13-7 13-7 (0-0, 2-0)

Seattle Mariners 8-12 9-11 (1-1, 1-4)

Tampa Bay Rays 12-8 10-10 (1-1, 3-2)

Texas Rangers 10-10 10-10 (2-0, 1-1)

Toronto Blue Jays 11-9 13-7 (4-2, 2-3)

AL Totals 164-146 163-137 (37-22, 27-32)

NATIONAL LEAGUE RESULTS (2013-2015)

Team 2013 2014 2015 (Home-Away)

Arizona Diamondbacks 11-9 7-13 (1-1, 1-1)

Atlanta Braves 11-9 7-13 (1-1, 3-2)

Chicago Cubs 13-7 9-11 (1-2, 1-1)

Cincinnati Reds 11-9 6-14 (0-0, 2-8)

Colorado Rockies 5-15 7-13 (0-0, 0-4)

Los Angeles Dodgers 12-8 11-9 (3-0, 0-2)

Miami Marlins 9-11 13-7 (5-3, 0-3)

Milwaukee Brewers 6-14 11-9 (1-4, 4-2)

New York Mets 11-9 11-9 (4-0, 1-2)

Philadelphia Phillies 7-13 7-13 (1-2, 0-2)

Pittsburgh Pirates 15-5 11-9 (3-4, 0-0)

St. Louis Cardinals 10-10 8-12 (5-2, 3-3)

San Diego Padres 8-12 9-11 (0-5, 3-2)

San Francisco Giants 6-14 10-10 (4-1, 1-1)

Washington Nationals 11-9 10-10 (3-2, 3-4)

NL Totals 146-164 137-163 (32-27, 22-37)

Updated - Wed June 17, 2015, 10:00 AM ET

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