The Bum's Sports Page For Tuesday June 23rd Best Bets-Trends-News !

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Preview: Astros (41-31) at Angels (36-35)
Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: June 23, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

Albert Pujols once again resembles the player that dominated baseball for much of the past decade and the one the Los Angeles Angels hoped for when they signed the slugger.

Tearing through a career-best power surge, Pujols will again look to torment the Houston Astros on Tuesday night in the second of a three-game series.

Pujols hit two home runs Monday, giving him 15 over his last 24 games, before Daniel Robertson bunted home the winning run in a 4-3 victory for Los Angeles (36-35).

Pujols' previous career high for homers over a 25-game span was 14, which he accomplished in 2006. He has 23 on the year, five shy of his 159-game total from last season and seven shy of his most as an Angel, set in 2012.

Over this stretch, Pujols is batting .352 with a 1.328 OPS and 30 RBIs, and his 48 home runs against Houston are the most of any player. He came into Monday tied with Hank Aaron at 46. Pujols' career total is now 543 - five behind Mike Schmidt for 15th place.

"I don't think about that. I'm locked in every day," he said. "Obviously, you want to have success every time you go to the plate, but it's impossible. So the best thing you can do is get yourself ready for the game and prepare yourself."

Houston tied it in the eighth on a run-scoring double by All-Star second baseman Jose Altuve, who was 1 for 3 after missing the previous four games with a strained hamstring.

"It feels really good, absolutely," Altuve said to MLB's official website about his hamstring. "My last at-bat I hit a hard chopper foul and I ran 100 percent to first base and I really felt happy because it didn't bother me at all."

George Springer has held the hot hand for the Astros (41-31), though his 14-game hitting streak came to an end. The right fielder had previously batted .458 since June 7 with 12 runs and had four homers in his last seven.

He'll look to bounce back against C.J. Wilson (5-5, 3.39 ERA), who has enjoyed a resurgence with an ERA that's over a full run lower than his 4.51 mark last year. Wilson's 3.46 FIP is his lowest since 2011 and his 1.12 WHIP is the best of his career.

Wilson can credit a large portion of his success to an increase in command. His 2.61 walks per nine innings is a career low. The left-hander did not allow any free passes in eight dominant innings in a 7-1 win against Arizona on Thursday and has a 0.60 ERA in his last two starts.

"I was fortunate to have really good run support," Wilson told MLB's official website. "I was able to kind of kick it up to another gear and either strike the guy out that was batting or use the defense the way we planned it out."

Wilson suffered the loss in his only appearance against Houston this season despite pitching well. He allowed three hits and two runs while striking out eight in 6 2-3 innings, but fell 4-0 on April 18.

Chris Carter is 9 for 26 (.346) with two home runs, five RBIs and a .469 on-base percentage against Wilson. Altuve and Springer have two homers apiece against him.

Collin McHugh (7-3, 5.04) will start for Houston after earning a win in Colorado on Thursday with his eighth quality start in 14 outings. McHugh allowed two runs and five hits, including a home run to Mike Trout in the Astros' 3-2 win over Los Angeles on May 7.

McHugh, who allowed a home run to Pujols on May 21, 2014, has a 2.03 ERA in five starts with the Angels.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Astros at Angels
Mon, Jun 22 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores

GAME 2
Astros at Angels
Tue, Jun 23 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Astros at Angels
Wed, Jun 24 - 3:35PM EDT

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Tuesday's Tip Sheet

June 23, 2015


Astros at Angels – 10:05 PM EST

Nearly halfway through the season, Houston is holding onto to the top spot in the AL West following a fast start in April. The Astros dropped their second straight game on Monday with a 4-3 defeat to the Angels as Albert Pujols drilled a pair of homers for Los Angeles. The ‘under’ improved to 6-1-1 in the eight meetings this season between the AL West rivals, but that number can turn around tonight with Houston’s starting pitcher.

It’s been a rough go for Collin McHugh (7-3, 5.04 ERA), as the Astros own a 3-5 record in the right-hander’s last eight starts after a 6-0 record in his first six outings. McHugh is coming off a victory in his past appearance, an 8-4 win at Colorado as a short road favorite, his first away triumph in his past four starts away from Minute Maid Park. The Astros are riding a five-game ‘over’ streak with McHugh on the mound, as Houston’s offense has provided McHugh at least six runs in three of his past four starts.

C.J. Wilson (5-5, 3.39 ERA) has been on fire of late for the Angels, yielding one earned run in his past two outings, beating the Athletics and Diamondbacks. Wilson has struck out at least seven batters in five consecutive outings, while the Angels have put together a solid 5-2 record in his seven home starts this season. The last time the Los Angeles southpaw faced Houston at Minute Maid Park in April, Wilson compiled a quality start, scattering three hits and two earned runs in 6.2 innings, but the Angels were shut out by the Astros, 4-0.

Royals at Mariners – 10:10 PM EST

Kansas City continues its West Coast swing at Safeco Field, looking to maintain its edge over Minnesota in the AL Central race. The Royals knocked off Felix Hernandez and the Mariners in the series opener last night, 4-1 as +135 underdogs, as Seattle picked up only two hits.

Jeremy Guthrie (5-4, 5.55 ERA) attempts to pick up consecutive wins for the first time since mid-May, coming off a home favorite victory over the Brewers in his last outing. Guthrie has allowed two earned runs or less in six of his past eight starts, with an embarrassing 11 runs given up in one inning of work on Memorial Day against the Yankees thrown into this stretch. Since last August, the Royals own a terrific 10-3 record when Guthrie starts on the highway, while the right-hander was taken off the hook in a 9-7 win at Seattle last season in spite of giving up seven earned runs.

Rookie Mike Montgomery (1-2, 2.73 ERA) is winless in three starts at Safeco Field after allowing four earned runs in 7.1 innings of a 7-0 defeat to the Giants as a -145 favorite. Despite the defeat, Montgomery pitched into the eighth inning and threw less than 100 pitches, but the M’s have scored just four runs in his three home starts. The Mariners have struggled as a home favorite of late, posting a 2-10 record in their last 12 opportunities at Safeco Field.

Padres at Giants – 10:15 PM EST

The defending champion Giants have been one of the hardest teams to figure out this season, losing nine of their last 10 games at AT&T Park. San Francisco is coming off a successful weekend against division rival Los Angeles, taking two of three from the Dodgers to pull within one game of first place in the NL West race.

The Padres travel to the Bay Area after dropping seven of their past 10 contests, sending out right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne (3-5, 4.92 ERA) to the mound. Despaigne is winless in three of his previous four road starts, while allowing six earned runs and eight hits in six innings of a 16-2 drubbing at Oakland in his last outing. Last season, Despaigne dominated the Giants in three outings, yielding one earned run, as the Padres went 3-0, including a 6-0 shutout in his debut last June at AT&T Park.

Madison Bumgarner (7-4, 3.09 ERA) has been tremendous in his past two starts, but he has nothing to show for it. The San Francisco ace lost to Arizona and Seattle in spite of tossing eight innings each time, but the Giants’ offense provided Bumgarner no runs in the two defeats. The Giants are 0-3 in Bumgarner’s previous three starts as a home favorite, as his last home victory came against these Padres in early May, tossing 7.1 scoreless innings in a 2-0 triumph.

What else to watch for:

-- Stephen Strasburg returns to the mound for the Nationals after spending nearly a month on the disabled list with a neck injury. Washington begins a crucial series with Atlanta at Nationals Park owning a two-game advantage over the Braves in the NL East. Strasburg wasn’t sharp prior to his injury, as the Nationals are 1-4 in his last five starts, while the former top pick owns a bloated 5.12 ERA at home.

-- The Phillies picked up a rare road win last night, cashing as +250 underdogs in an 11-8 victory over the Yankees to improve to 8-28 away from Citizens Bank Park. New York has cashed the ‘over’ in five straight games, facing Sean O’Sullivan tonight, as Philadelphia is 0-4 in the right-hander’s four starts this season.

-- The Orioles have won five straight meetings with the Red Sox as the two division rivals hook up at Fenway Park. Boston took two of three over the weekend at Kansas City, but the Sox have struggled at home of late, losing four of their past five in Beantown. Since the start of May, Boston owns an ugly 2-7 record when Joe Kelly takes the mound, which includes a 1-3 record at home.

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This Date In Baseball

June 23, 2015

1936 - Rookie Joe DiMaggio hit two homers in the fifth inning and added two doubles in the New York Yankees' 18-4 victory over the St. Louis Browns.

1950 - Wes Westrum of the New York Giants hit three home runs and a triple in a 12-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

1955 - Harmon Killebrew hit his first major league homer, off Billy Hoeft at Griffith Stadium, but the Detroit Tigers beat the Washington Senators 18-7.

1962 - Jack Reed, a substitute outfielder, hit a homer off Phil Regan in the 22nd inning to give the New York Yankees a 9-7 win over the Detroit Tigers in a game that lasted 7 hours, 22 minutes. It was the only homer Reed hit in the majors.

1968 - Jim Northrup tied a major league record by hitting two grand slams in one game as the Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians 14-3.

1983 - Don Sutton of the Milwaukee Brewers became the eighth pitcher in major league history to strike out 3,000 batters. Sutton's 3,000th victim was Cleveland's Alan Bannister in a 3-2 win over the Indians.

1984 - Oakland's Joe Morgan hit his 265th home run as a second baseman, breaking Roger Hornsby's career home run record for that position. Morgan's homer off Frank Tanana was the 267th of his career and led the A's to a 4-2 win over Texas.

1994 - Jeff Bagwell hit three homers, two in one inning to tie a major league record, as the Houston Astros beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 16-4.

1997 - Randy Johnson of the Seattle Mariners struck out 19 batters - one short of Roger Clemens' major league record for a nine-inning game. He became the first AL left-hander to fan 19, but the Oakland Athletics won 4-1.

1998 - Sammy Sosa tied the major-league record for homers in a month, hitting his 18th of June in the first inning of the Cubs' 7-6 loss to Detroit. Sosa, with 31 homers overall, matched the mark set by Detroit's Rudy York in August 1937, and broke Willie Mays' NL record set in August 1965.

2002 - Both starters in the first game of the Anaheim-Texas doubleheader - Joaquin Benoit and Aaron Sele - threw 96 pitches, 53 strikes and 43 balls. Benoit and the Rangers won 8-5.

2003 - Brad Wilkerson hit for the cycle, going 4-for-4 with four RBIs, in Montreal's 6-4 win over Pittsburgh. It was the first cycle in the majors this season and was performed in sequence - single, double, triple and homer.

2007 - Dustin McGowan pitched a one-hitter to lead Toronto to a 5-0 victory over Colorado. Jeff Baker singled leading off the ninth inning to spoil McGowan's no-hit bid. He retired the next three batters to finish off his first career shutout. He struck out seven and walked one over 109 pitches.

2011 - A.J. Burnett became the first pitcher in New York Yankees history to strike out four batters in one inning, Burnett's major league record-tying performance came in the sixth inning of a 4-2 loss to Colorado.

2014 - Brothers B.J. and Justin Upton tied the major league record for brothers homering in the same game as teammates, accomplishing the feat for the fourth time, in Atlanta's 3-2 win over Houston. Other brothers who had homered in the same game four times were Jeremy and Jason Giambi for the Oakland A's and Vladimir and Wilton Guerrero for the Montreal Expos.

Today's birthday: Robbie Ross, 26; Sam Freeman, 28; Phil Hughes, 28; Doug Bernier, 35.

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LEADING OFF: Gomez could return, Bumgarner needs some runs

June 22, 2015

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


CENTER OF ATTENTION

All-Star center fielder Carlos Gomez hopes to return to the lineup against his original team when the last-place Brewers host the Mets. Gomez has missed six of the last seven games with an ailing right hip. New York has dropped five straight to begin an eight-game road trip and is 10-24 away from home.

BUMMER

Giants ace Madison Bumgarner has pitched eight good innings in each of his last two starts, but lost both of them when San Francisco got shut out. The World Series MVP faces visiting San Diego, and hasn't lost three in a row since right before last year's All-Star break.

GETTING EVEN

Rangers rookie Chi Chi Gonzalez has a sparkling 0.90 ERA after his first four starts in the majors, allowing just 18 hits in 30 innings. He's 2-1, and his lone loss came against Oakland. The 23-year-old righty faces the visiting A's in a series opener.

UP THE LADDER

Reds righty Josh Smith is set to make his major league debut, starting at Pittsburgh. The 27-year-old already has pitched in Class A, Double-A and Triple-A this year, going 4-4 overall with a 3.04 ERA. He'll throw in place of ace Johnny Cueto, who's getting a few extra days of rest.

MILE LOW

Colorado newcomer Kyle Kendrick (2-9, 5.95 ERA) gets another shot at his first home win for the Rockies when he pitches against Arizona. Kendrick is 0-4 with a 6.81 ERA in six starts at Coors Field.

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Female 16-year-old French shortstop registered for MLB

June 22, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) - Major League Baseball says a female 16-year-old French shortstop has been added to the sport's international registration list, making her eligible to be signed starting July 2.

Melissa Mayeux is with Europe's team at the USA Baseball National Team Championship in Jupiter, Florida.

MLB said Monday it believes Mayeux is the first female player added to its international registration list. The sport's international signing period runs from July 2 through June 15.

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Goldschmidt 'couldn't care less' about lack of attention

June 22, 2015

PHOENIX (AP) - No one in the majors, no position player anyway, is having a better season than Paul Goldschmidt.

He leads both leagues in hitting (.356) and on-base percentage (.474). He is at or near the top in virtually every other offensive category. And he might be the best defensive first baseman in the game, too.

Yet national attention, such as that showered on Washington Nationals slugger Bryce Harper, eludes the man his Arizona teammates call ''America's First Baseman.''

Of course, Goldschmidt being Goldschmidt, he says ''I couldn't care less.''

''Maybe that's not the right choice of words but it's just not something I concern myself with,'' Goldschmidt said in an interview with The Associated Press. He said he pays no attention whether he's going ''bad or good.''

Good is an understatement to describe Goldschmidt's season.

He entered Monday with 19 home runs, many in critical situations, was tied for second in the majors with 57 RBIs and ranked second in slugging percentage (.656)

Goldschmidt was leading the majors in walks (55). A major league-high 16 were intentional.

He has 12 stolen bases.

And he said he spends no inordinate amount of time studying pitchers.

''For the majority of your life, up until the big leagues, you never had any video or scouting reports,'' Goldschmidt said, ''so I think it could be too easy to try to use that stuff and you could be in the box overthinking. So for me, there's some research you can do but for the most part just try to see the ball and hit the ball. I just try to see it out of his hand and look for something in the middle of the plate and put a big swing on it.''

The same philosophy spreads to his statistics. He vows that he never looks at them, even though they are posted well within eyesight in the ballpark.

''I make a conscious decision to not look at any of those stats,'' Goldschmidt said. ''Stats are what's happened in the past. They're not going to have any bearing on what's going to happen tonight.''

Except the law of averages indicates good things often happen with Goldschmidt at the plate. His teammates know it and expect it.

When Goldschmidt homered and made a pair of diving stops in a win over the Los Angeles Angels recently, pitcher Chase Anderson said simply, ''Goldy does Goldy things.''

His home runs can be almost Giancarlo Stanton-like, but he is far from just a power hitter.

Goldschmidt hits to all fields, obviously for a high average, and declines to participate in the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game.

''I just try to hit,'' he said. ''If I go up there trying to hit a homer or double, it's usually a strikeout or a groundball. I just try to hit a hard line drive and hopefully they don't catch it, and if you get under it and it goes out, all the better.''

A broken hand cut short his 2014 season. Healthy this year, he has been better than ever before. And before, he was terrific.

Goldschmidt's lack of notoriety partly stems from where he plays. Phoenix is not a small market. It's the sixth-largest city in the country. But it's the desert southwest and no major media center.

And his Diamondbacks, while vastly improved from the worst record in baseball a year ago and hovering around .500, have not known playoff success in years.

Then, of course, there's his low-key personality. Hard to imagine Goldschmidt lingering to admire a home run or even thumping his chest in bravado.

Although manager Chip Hale said Goldschmidt is not so quiet around the team, assuming a leadership role that he knows must go with his on-field success.

''He's more vocal than I think people think with his teammates,'' the first-year manager said. ''If something needs to be said, if somebody's not hustling, he'll say something. Sometimes I've heard him say, `Let's worry about hitting and not what the umpire is calling.' I think he's become even more and more that way since he's realized that's something he needs to do.''

Goldschmidt is in his fourth full major league season, rising quickly through the ranks after being an eighth-round draft pick.

Hard to imagine there were concerns about his lack of speed and defensive ability.

''I don't think the eighth round is so low,'' he joked. ''I know a lot of guys who were drafted lower.''

Not many with this kind of resume.

Goldschmidt remains a big bargain, by baseball standards. He is in the third season of a five-year, $32 million contract with a $14.5 million club option for 2018.

That's certainly plenty for Goldschmidt and his budding family and, at age 27, there could still be a much bigger deal available sometime down the road.

Goldschmidt's wife, Amy, is due with the couple's first child, a boy, in late summer.

Now there's something maybe he can get excited about.

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ESPN says it obtained notebook documenting Rose 1986 bets

June 22, 2015

BRISTOL, Conn. (AP) - ESPN says it obtained a notebook that shows Pete Rose bet on Cincinnati Reds games during his last season as an active player in 1986.

The career hits leader agreed to a lifetime ban from baseball in 1989 after an investigation by John Dowd, a lawyer retained by Major League Baseball, concluded he bet on the Reds to win from 1985-87 while he was a player and manager.

Rose repeatedly denied the allegations before admitting in a 2004 autobiography he bet on Cincinnati to win while he managed the team. Rose became player-manager in 1984 and managed the team until the suspension in August 1989.

ESPN's ''Outside the Lines'' said it obtained a notebook seized by U.S. Postal Inspection Service in October 1989 from Rose associate Michael Bertolini, which reflect betting records from March to July 1986. The documents are under seal and stored in the National Archives' New York office, ESPN said.

Rose applied for reinstatement to baseball in September 1997 and met in November 2002 with Commissioner Bud Selig, who never ruled on the application. Rose applied again after Selig was succeeded by Rob Manfred in January.

Rose is ineligible for the Hall of Fame as long as he is on the permanently suspended list.

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Tigers' Cabrera overtakes Royals' Hosmer in All-Star vote

June 22, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) - Some later-voting fans aren't on the Kansas City Royals' All-Star bandwagon.

Detroit first baseman Miguel Cabrera has overtaken Kansas City's Eric Hosmer in the latest results of All-Star fan voting, leaving seven Royals on track to start the game next month.

The leads of Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas and designated hitter Kendrys Morales narrowed in numbers released Monday.

The game is July 14 at Cincinnati. Major League Baseball says the record for the most starters from one team is held by the 1939 New York Yankees with six, including Joe DiMaggio.

Cabrera, a nine-time All-Star, has 9.3 million votes and leads Hosmer by 1.38 million. A week ago, Hosmer was head by 470,000. Cabrera's vote total of 9.3 million is second overall in the AL to Royals catcher Salvador Perez's 10.2 million.

''I even voted once for Miggy yesterday,'' Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. ''If he finishes one vote ahead of Hosmer, you guys better remember that.''

Kansas City second baseman Omar Infante, hitting .229 with 18 RBIs, extended his lead over major league batting champion Jose Altuve of Houston from 300,000 to 435,000.

''I'm surprised,'' Infante said. ''I have to keep playing. I know I don't have the numbers be in the All-Star Game, but if the fans vote for me, I have to appreciate that.''

Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar also leads. The Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout moved into the outfield lead, trailed by Kansas City's Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon. Detroit's Yoenis Cespedes is about 1.9 million votes behind for the third and final starting spot.

Moustakas' edge over Toronto's Josh Donaldson was 33,000 votes, down from 600,000 in totals announced June 15. Morales' margin was 285,000, down from nearly 550,000.

In 1939, the Yankees' starters were DiMaggio in center field, catcher Bill Dickey, second baseman Joe Gordon, third baseman Red Rolfe, pitcher Red Ruffing and left fielder George Selkirk.

Fans elected seven Reds to start the 1957 game in St. Louis. But concluding half the fan ballots came from Cincinnati, baseball commissioner Ford Frick added Willie Mays and Hank Aaron to the NL lineup in place of Reds outfielders Gus Bell and Wally Post.

Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said last week at Fenway Park that it was too early to draw conclusions.

''We'll see how it all turns out,'' he said. ''We are responsive and open to change if we get a result that is not consistent with the goals of the system that is in place.''

Voting runs through July 2, and starters are likely to be announced July 5.

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Nova to return from Tommy John surgery; Teixeira out

June 22, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) - The Yankee are going to activate right-hander Ivan Nova from the disabled list Wednesday to make his first start since Tommy John surgery almost 14 months ago.

Mark Teixeira was out of the starting lineup for Monday's game against Philadelphia because of a stiff neck that has been bothering him for 10 days. Teixeira had an MRI early Monday, but the results were not yet available.

Manager Joe Girardi was not sure whether Teixeira would be available to pinch hit.

Girardi said Nova was ready to return to the Yankees despite a rough final rehabilitation outing for the 28 year old, who is 40-22 in five big seasons.

In a stretch of 20 games in 20 days, the Yankees will use six starters through this turn in the rotation, ensuring Adam Warren will at least make one more start on Thursday before a possible return to the bullpen. He is 5-4 with a 3.62 ERA in 13 starts.

Also, the Yankees selected the contracts of right-handers Diego Moreno and Nick Rumbelow from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. New York had used 20 pitchers in June, its most for one month excluding September, when rosters expand.

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All-Star Fan Voting

June 22, 2015

CATCHERS

1. Salvador Perez, Royals, 10,199,151

2. Russell Martin, Blue Jays, 4,736,279

3. Stephen Vogt, A's, 4,368,609

4. Alex Avila, Tigers, 1,587,868

5. Brian McCann, Yankees, 1,548,747

FIRST BASE

1. Miguel Cabrera, Tigers, 9,342,149

2. Eric Hosmer, Royals, 8,013,745

3. Prince Fielder, Rangers, 2,391,736

4. Justin Smoak, Blue Jays, 1,769,661

5. Albert Pujols, Angels, 1,375,167

SECOND BASE

1. Omar Infante, Royals, 6,521,733

2. Jose Altuve, Astros, 6,086,193

3. Ian Kinsler, Tigers, 3,046,386

4. Jason Kipnis, Indians, 2,933,981

5. Devon Travis, Blue Jays, 2,157,286

THIRD BASE

1. Mike Moustakas, Royals, 9,037,844

2. Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays, 9,004,876

3. Nick Castellanos, Tigers, 1,789,921

4. Manny Machado, Orioles, 1,364,207

5. Adrian Beltre, Rangers, 1,239,508

SHORT STOPS

1. Alcides Escobar, Royals, 8,739,920

2. Jose Iglesias, Tigers, 6,122,972

3. Jose Reyes, Blue Jays, 3,499,760

4. Jed Lowrie, Astros, 1,367,386

5. Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox, 1,343,991

OUTFIELD

1. Mike Trout, Angels, 9,148,142

2. Lorenzo Cain, Royals, 9,079,146

3. Alex Gordon, Royals, 7,810,995

4. Yoenis Cespedes, Tigers, 5,929,670

5. Alex Rios, Royals, 5,658,024

6. Jose Bautista, Blue Jays, 5,299,960

7. Adam Jones, Orioles, 4,827,069

8. Michael Brantley, Indians, 2,840,820

9. J.D. Martinez, Tigers, 2,401,441

10. Josh Reddick, A's, 2,324,555

11. Jacoby Ellsbury, Yankees, 2,323,786

12. Rajai Davis, Tigers, 2,121,599

13. Hanley Ramirez, Red Sox, 1,429,619

14. Torii Hunter, Twins, 1,320,494

15. Carlos Beltran, Yankees, 1,272,963

DESIGNATED HITTER

1. Kendrys Morales, Royals, 7,584,560

2. Nelson Cruz, Mariners, 7,298,451

3. Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays, 3,010,436

4. Victor Martinez, Tigers, 2,195,284

5. Alex Rodriguez, Yankees, 1,590,342



NATIONAL LEAGUES

CATCHERS

1. Buster Posey, Giants, 4,345,579

2. Yadier Molina, Cardinals, 3,930,399

3. Francisco Cervelli, Pirates, 1,101,593

4. Derek Norris, Padres, 1,014,286

5. Yasmani Grandal, Dodgers, 1,014,032

FIRST BASE

1. Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks, 3,562,399

2. Adrian Gonzalez, Dodgers, 2,699,729

3. Matt Adams, Cardinals, 1,725,108

4. Anthony Rizzo, Cubs, 1,646,781

5. Brandon Belt, Giants, 1,557,407

SECOND BASE

1. Dee Gordon, Marlins, 3,481,830

2. Kolten Wong, Cardinals, 3,124,973

3. Joe Panik, Giants, 1,860,589

4. Howie Kendrick, Dodgers, 1,269,476

5. Yunel Escobar, Nationals, 1,129,737

THIRD BASE

1. Matt Carpenter, Cardinals, 4,455,782

2. Kris Bryant, Cubs, 2,198,522

3. Todd Frazier, Reds, 1,939,573

4. Nolan Arenado, Rockies, 1,699,515

5. David Wright, Mets, 890,605

SHORTSTOPS

1. Jhonny Peralta, Cardinals, 4,020,531

2. Brandon Crawford, Giants, 2,785,818

3. Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies, 1,958,502

4. Starlin Castro, Cubs, 1,454,618

5. Zack Cozart, Reds, 975,989

OUT FIELDERS

1. Bryce Harper, Nationals, 6,059,827

2. Matt Holliday, Cardinals, 3,739,181

3. Nori Aoki, Giants, 2,995,899

4. Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins, 2,922,350

5. Andrew McCutchen, Pirates, 2,148,625

6. Justin Upton, Padres, 1,772,347

7. Jason Heyward, Cardinals, 1,695,246

8. Joc Pederson, Dodgers, 1,679,470

9. Angel Pagan, Giants, 1,628,035

10. Hunter Pence, Giants, 1,594,977

11. Jon Jay, Cardinals, 1,492,454

12. Ryan Braun, Brewers, 1,145,248

13. Yasiel Puig, Dodgers, 1,084,249

14. Corey Dickerson, Rockies, 952,107

15. Starling Marte, Pirates, 925,384

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MLB betting cheat sheet: A tale of two teams in the city that doesn’t sleep

Jun 22, 2015

Here's a comprehensive look at betting notes for this week’s major-league schedule:

Mets not so amazin’

Once 10 games over .500 at 13-3, the New York Mets are one loss away from an even record at 36-36 after losing five in a row, mainly because their bats have gone to sleep. New York has scored a mere six runs in its last five games. The team has not crossed the plate more than four times in any outing since June 14.

Mr. 3000

Alex Rodriguez’s 3000th hit last Friday did not exactly come out of nowhere. This has been a season of surprising consistency for the New York Yankees’ slugger. Rodriguez (.282, 14 HR, 40 RBI) has been in especially fine form of late. He is on a five-game hitting streak and his average has climbed from .267 since last Wednesday. The Yankees are 4-0 O/U in their last four overall.
Pitching Notes

* He is not quite on a Max Scherzer stretch of two games, but St. Louis' Cardinals' southpaw Jaime Garcia has not given up a single run in any of his last two outings. In 28 innings over four June starts, Garcia has surrendered three earned runs. He will toss again at the Miami Marlins on Wednesday.

* After two disastrous outings in his last three, Seattle Mariners' ace Felix Hernandez baffled the San Francisco Giants for no runs in eight innings last Wednesday. He will take the mound against the visiting Kansas City Royals on Monday. King Felix is 6-2 with a 2.59 ERA at home compared to a 3.86 mark on the road.

Hitting Notes

* The three home runs hit by Detroit Tigers' right fielder J.D. Martinez on Sunday were by no means his first instances of success in 2015. Martinez (.275, 16 HR, 41 RBI) has hit safely in seven of his last eight games with five multi-hit performances in that span. The over is 4-0 in Detroit's last four overall.

* The Milwaukee Brewers have lost eight of their last nine games. During this stretch they have scored two runs or fewer on five occasions. Outfielder Ryan Braun is batting .209 this month and third baseman Aramis Ramirez has a .197 average in June.

Totals Streak

Tampa Bay Rays (28-40-3 O/U): The Rays have been a consistently strong under play and they have certainly delivered in that department of late. All three of their games at the Cleveland Indians this past weekend stayed under the total and the under is 4-1 in their last four overall. Tampa Bay has allowed only one run in each of its last three outings and it has limited opponents to one run or fewer in five of its last seven games.

Injury Notes

* Atlanta Braves' first baseman Freddie Freeman has not played since last Wednesday because of a wrist injury. With 12 dingers and 41 RBIs to go along with a .299 average, Freeman is Atlanta’s biggest power threat at the plate. Stay tuned for results of an MRI that is scheduled for Monday.

* Toronto Blue Jays' second baseman Devon Travis is expected to make his return sometime this week. Travis has not played since May 16 due to a shoulder problem. Toronto must be eagerly anticipating the comeback, because Travis was hitting .271 with seven homers and 26 RBIs through 36 games.

Rocky road for Kendrick

Kyle Kendrick and the Colorado Rockies will host the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday, and that may not be a good thing. Colorado, which is 3-9 in its last 12 overall, is 0-4 in Kendrick’s last four starts and 0-4 in his last four home starts. The veteran righty is 2-9 with a 5.95 ERA this season.

[StarDust Bum]

Total hits the board for Dodgers-Cubs game

Oddsmakers have posted a total of 7 for Tuesday's meeting between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

Weather shouldn't play much of a factor in this one as forecasts are calling for temperatures in the high-60s and wind blowing from rightfield to leftfield at around six miles per hour.

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Archer dominant versus Blue Jays this season

Tampa Bay Rays ace Chris Archer heads into Tuesday's start against the Toronto Blue Jays on a five-game win streak and will welcome the sight of the opposing hitters.

Archer has stymied the Jays' bats this season, allowing just four hits over 14 scoreless innings in two starts. The righty has fanned 18 in the process with the Rays prevailing 4-2 (April 16) and 5-1 (April 26) in his starts.

Archer and the Rays are -158 while the Jays, who are scheduled to counter with knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, are 146. Oddsmakers have the total pegged at 7.

[StarDust Bum]

Hitters' wind at Yankee Stadium Tuesday

Jun 23, 2015

According to weather forecasts, wind will blow out to center field at around 13 miles per hour when the New York Yankees host the Philadelphia Phillies at Yankee Stadium Tuesday.

There is also a chance of thunderstorms before and during the ball game.

CC Sabathia is probable to start for the Yankees (-230) while the Phils (+210) are set to counter with Sean O'Sullivan.

[StarDust Bum]

Tigers' Price at his best with five days' rest

Jun 23, 2015

The Detroit Tigers are 5-0 in David Price's five starts after getting five days' rest this season. Price and the Tigers are in that spot when they visit the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field Tuesday evening.

The lefty has tossed 40 innings and has registered three complete games in such instances. In those five starts, Price has allowed just nine runs while fanning 32 batters.

The Tigers are presently +102 at the Indians, who counter with Danny Salazar as -110 faves.