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**StarDust Bum** · 06-28-2015, 12:38 AM

Preview: White Sox (32-41) at Tigers (38-36)
Game: 4
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: June 28, 2015 1:08 PM EDT

The Chicago White Sox got a bit of reprieve from trying to figure out a way to stop Detroit Tigers sluggers Miguel Cabrera and J.D. Martinez.

With rain expected to be out of the way by Sunday in Detroit, it will be back to the drawing board for White Sox manager Robin Ventura in the finale of the abbreviated series.

Thanks to a chilly, rainy day, Saturday's game was postponed more than two hours before the scheduled first pitch. The game will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader Sept. 21.

That provided a nice break for White Sox pitchers, who saw Cabrera collect three doubles in Detroit's 5-4 win Friday.

'He's the best hitter in baseball,' Ventura said. 'You know you aren't going to stop him, so you just try to keep the ball in the yard when he's pitching. He's the rare guy that, when he hits a single off of you, you just shrug and work with it.

'Unfortunately, he didn't hit many singles at all. He never hits many singles.'

Cabrera hasn't only been doing that to the White Sox (32-41), batting .479 with three homers and 14 RBIs in his last 13 games.

He hasn't been alone. In that same stretch, Martinez has hit .347 with nine homers and 19 RBIs.

'Honestly, it just feels like I'm getting maybe one hit a game but it just happens to be a home run,' said Martinez, who hit the go-ahead homer in the eighth inning Friday. 'So it's kind of one of those things right now where I can't explain it.'

Martinez got off to a slow start, his batting average dropping below .220 in early May. It led many to wonder if last year's .315 average and 23 homers were a fluke.

He ended that talk by hitting .313 over his next 43 games, including 13 homers. He has 19 overall.

'He's put very consistent swings on the ball in the last few weeks,' manager Brad Ausmus said. 'He went through a stretch early in the season, I think it was in May, where he really scuffled for about 40 at_bats and now we're seeing the complete opposite.'

Both teams fiddled with their rotations as the result of the unexpected off day, especially with each club being off Monday.

John Danks had been set to face Kyle Ryan on Saturday, but neither will pitch in this game. Instead, scheduled Sunday starters Jeff Samardzija and David Price will stay in their spots in the rotation.

Cabrera and Martinez are each 2 for 10 against Samardzija (5-4, 4.53 ERA) this season, though Martinez does have a homer. Samardzija is 1-1 with a 3.63 ERA in three games against Detroit (38-36) in 2015.

The right-hander gave up two runs in seven innings of Tuesday's 6-2 victory at Minnesota. He's 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in his last three starts after posting a 10.95 ERA in losing his first two June outings, which includes a game against the Tigers.

Price has gone 1-0 with a 1.06 ERA in two starts against Chicago this season and has regularly frustrated Jose Abreu (1 for 14), Gordon Beckham (3 for 29) and Adam LaRoche (2 for 12). However, Adam Eaton, 8 for 18 with a pair of homers in his last four games, is 7 for 16 in their matchups.

The left-hander yielded a run and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings of Tuesday's 7-3 win at Cleveland, giving him a 4-1 record and 1.22 ERA in his last six starts.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
White Sox at Tigers
Thu, Jun 25 Final 8 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
White Sox at Tigers
Fri, Jun 26 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
White Sox at Tigers
Sat, Jun 27 - 4:08PM EDT ( RAIN OUT )
Recaps

GAME 4
White Sox at Tigers
Sun, Jun 28 - 1:08PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-28-2015, 12:42 AM

Preview: Rangers (38-37) at Blue Jays (40-36)
Game: 3
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: June 28, 2015 1:07 PM EDT

Chi Chi Gonzalez's promising major league debut was one of many effective efforts for the Texas Rangers' rotation in a three-week span.

Gonzalez's first troublesome performance this past week was also the first of some difficult outings for Rangers starters, which they are hoping have come to an end.

Gonzalez will try to follow Yovani Gallardo's sterling effort against the Toronto Blue Jays in Sunday's series finale at Rogers Centre.

Gonzalez (2-2, 2.27 ERA) earned an 8-0 win over Boston in his debut May 30 while pitching 5 2-3 innings. He went 2-1 with a 0.90 ERA in his first four starts, and thanks in part to his efforts, Texas' rotation had a major league-best 2.15 ERA in 23 games from May 28-June 21.

That ended when the right-hander gave up six runs in 5 2-3 innings in an 8-6 loss to Oakland on Tuesday.

"Don't repeat that," Gonzalez told MLB's official website about his solution for his next start and his first against Toronto. "Just look at my success and not reflect on the negative as much."

Rangers starters gave up a combined 20 runs in 16 innings in the next three games while extending the team's losing streak to a season-high six. Texas (38-37) snapped that with a 4-0 victory Saturday as Gallardo yielded three singles and two walks in 8 1-3 innings.

"It was a great win for us, period," Gallardo said. "Obviously the last week we haven't played the way we wanted to."

The Blue Jays (40-36) had 13 hits - including four home runs - in a 12-2 rout in Friday's series opener, their 17th win in 23 games.

Drew Hutchison (7-1, 5.33) will try to deliver another victory while winning his fifth consecutive decision. He gave up three runs in five innings on Monday in Tampa Bay and got plenty of assistance as usual in an 8-5 victory.

The Blue Jays' 8.27 run support average for Hutchison is one of the best in the majors among qualifying players. They've won in each of his last four starts, including a 13-10 victory in Boston in which he gave up eight runs in 2 1-3 innings.

"Probably did a good job of grinding and giving our offense a chance," Hutchison said Monday. "As they've been all year, they were huge."

The righty is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA in two starts against Texas and tossed a three-hitter - the first of his two career shutouts - in his lone matchup last year, a 2-0 victory May 16. He registered his other shutout May 25 against the visiting Chicago White Sox to start his current winning streak.

Hutchison is 3-0 with a 0.43 ERA in his last three home starts and 9-1 with a 1.95 ERA in his past 12 there.

Gonzalez has allowed one run in 16 innings in his first two road starts.

Prince Fielder singled in his first two at_bats Saturday for his fourth straight two-hit game. He leads the majors with 32 multihit games.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rangers at Blue Jays
Fri, Jun 26 Final 2 to 12
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rangers at Blue Jays
Sat, Jun 27 Final 4 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Rangers at Blue Jays
Sun, Jun 28 - 1:07PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-28-2015, 12:44 AM

Preview: Nationals (41-33) at Phillies (26-49)
Game: 3
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: June 28, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

Matt Williams was not pleased with Saturday's events, but they could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the banged-up Nationals.

Washington looks for an eighth consecutive victory Sunday when it opens a doubleheader against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

The teams began play Saturday despite heavy rain in the forecast. The game entered a delay only 32 minutes in, and was finally postponed nearly 90 minutes later.

That turn of events saw both teams waste their starting pitchers, including Gio Gonzalez for Washington.

"It's extremely frustrating," Williams said. "It burned up our pitching. I'm not very happy about it."

Washington (41-33) is riding its longest winning streak since a 10-game run Aug. 12-21. The Nationals have also won seven of the last nine meetings while limiting Philadelphia to 25 runs.

Though they're the hottest team in baseball, the extra day should be helpful for Bryce Harper, Denard Span and Yunel Escobar - none of whom were in Saturday's lineup. Harper, tied for second in baseball with 24 home runs, had missed the last two games with a sore hamstring. He and Span, who was scratched Friday due to back spasms, are day to day. Escobar left Friday's game with a bruised hand after being hit by a pitch.

Washington's disabled list is already crowded with Anthony Rendon (quadriceps), Jayson Werth (wrist) and Ryan Zimmerman (plantar fasciitis) out.

Michael Taylor has helped prop up the Nationals' offense in wake of the recent attrition, going 11 for 27 during the winning streak with four doubles.

Starting the first game will be Stephen Strasburg (4-5, 5.90 ERA) after one of his best outings of the season in his return from a strained trapezius muscle. He limited Atlanta to four hits over five shutout innings in a 3-1 victory Tuesday.

"Obviously I've been working really hard to get things going in the right direction," he said.

Strasburg, still seeking his first quality start on the road, had been 1-3 with a 10.13 ERA in the five starts immediately preceding his three-week disabled list stint.

"Talking to a lot of guys in the clubhouse while I was away really kind of shed some light, what my strengths, what my weaknesses are," he said. "And I really just tried to pitch to my strengths."

While the right-hander threw 94 pitches versus Atlanta, Williams said he wouldn't have a pitch limit for this outing.

Strasburg is 5-2 with a 2.48 ERA in 13 starts versus Philadelphia, though he gave up six runs and seven hits in 3 2-3 innings of an 8-1 home loss on May 23.

The Phillies (26-49) have dropped 23 of 30, including a 5-2 series-opening loss Friday hours after manager Ryne Sandberg resigned. Philadelphia's pitching staff owns a 7.36 ERA over the last 10 games with no quality starts.

Game 1 starter Kevin Correia (0-1, 4.30) comes off his worst showing in three outings since being signed June 8. He gave up five runs and eight hits over four innings Monday against the Yankees, though Philadelphia won 11-8.

For the second game, the Phillies will recall right-hander Severino Gonzalez (2-2, 8.69) from Triple-A. Gonzalez hasn't pitched for the big league club since giving up six runs over 2 2-3 innings of a 7-5 loss to San Francisco on June 6.

The Nationals didn't announce their second starter, but Tanner Roark (3-2, 3.25) looks likely. Roark is 3-0 with a 3.86 ERA in five starts and hasn't pitched since throwing two scoreless innings of relief Tuesday versus Atlanta.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Nationals at Phillies
Fri, Jun 26 Final 5 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Nationals at Phillies
Sat, Jun 27 - 3:05PM EDT ( RAIN OUT )
Recaps

GAME 3
Nationals at Phillies
Sun, Jun 28 - 4:35PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-28-2015, 12:45 AM

Preview: Dodgers (42-34) at Marlins (31-45)
Game: 3
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: June 28, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

The Miami Marlins proved for the moment that they can win without slugger Giancarlo Stanton. Doing so against Zack Greinke might be a tall order, especially if the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers can provide him with some run support.

Though the majors' ERA leader hasn't allowed a run in his last two starts, he'll try again to earn his first win in almost eight weeks Sunday.

Hours after announcing baseball's home-run leader would miss four to six weeks with a broken hand suffered a night earlier, Miami (31-45) bested Clayton Kershaw to snap a five-game skid with Saturday's 3-2 victory.

'To get a win on a day where we lose arguably the frontrunner for the MVP is big, and it shows the character of the guys, and hopefully it's a momentum-builder,' pitcher Tom Koehler said after he helped the Marlins to their second victory in 10 games.

Christian Yelich had four hits, Koehler threw seven solid innings and Miami benefited from two Los Angeles errors while not recording a RBI. Yelich was 2 for 15 in his previous four contests.

'It's being opportunistic and when those situations present themselves, if you're doing things the right way and execute, then sometimes the breaks go your way,' said manager Dan Jennings, whose team has struck out 28 times in the first two of the series and failed to score more than three runs for a sixth consecutive contest.

Miami prevailed against Kershaw, who fell to 5-6 one season after winning both the NL Cy Young Award and MVP. Things could be tougher versus Greinke (5-2, 1.70 ERA) after he yielded only a Marcell Ozuna home run in seven innings of a 5-3 win May 11.

That outing came right after Greinke won the last of five straight starts May 5 at Milwaukee and began a nine-start stretch in which he's 0-2 but has yielded more than one run twice and none over 13 innings of the last two. The right-hander gave up three hits in six innings of a 1-0, 10-inning loss to the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.

Greinke received an average of 6.02 runs of support while going 5-0 in his first six starts, but 1.79 in the last nine.

'I don't worry about it and just think our team's good and by the end of the year, if everyone does their job, we're going to be all right,' said Greinke, whose only run of support over his last three came June 13 at San Diego.

The Dodgers (42-34) totaled 16 runs during a three-game winning streak that ended Saturday. Justin Turner, who homered for one of his two hits, is batting .345 with five home runs and 10 RBIs in the last nine contests.

Los Angeles gets its first look at rookie Jose Urena (1-3, 4.34), who hopes to be more efficient after recording seven walks in his last two starts. Three came Tuesday when he allowed all three of his runs in the fourth of the five innings he lasted while not factoring in the decision of a 4-3 loss to St. Louis.

The right-hander should see Yasiel Puig (callus) in the starting lineup for the first time in five games. Puig is 2 for 17 in his last six road contests.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Marlins
Fri, Jun 26 Final 7 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Dodgers at Marlins
Sat, Jun 27 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Dodgers at Marlins
Sun, Jun 28 - 1:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-28-2015, 12:49 AM

Preview: Reds (34-38) at Mets (38-37)
Game: 3
Venue: Citi Field
Date: June 28, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

The six-man rotation is back for the New York Mets, but this time it'll include prized prospect Steven Matz.

Before the left-hander makes his major league debut in the finale of this three-game series, the Mets and Cincinnati Reds have some unfinished business Sunday.

Heavy rain led umpires to suspended Saturday's matchup between New York (38-37) and Cincinnati (34-38) with the score tied 1-all after six innings. They'll pick up where they left off, but the weather forecast calls for scattered thunderstorms at the time of the resumption.

That could further delay Matz's debut, which comes about 50 miles from his hometown of Stony Brook. He estimates he could have close to 100 family members and friends in attendance.

"Not sure what's going to go through my mind until it actually happens," said Matz, a second-round pick in 2009 who underwent Tommy John surgery a year later. "I'm really excited to be here."

He isn't the only one, as anticipation of his debut has grown due to his 7-4 record, 2.19 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 90 1-3 innings in 15 games with Triple-A Las Vegas in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League this year.

That's enough for the Mets to return to a six-man rotation after a brief experiment ended earlier this month with Dillon Gee being designated for assignment. It's unclear how long the setup will last.

"He knows he's got good stuff," manager Terry Collins said of Matz, who grew up a Mets fan. "I think he's got great confidence right now - and he should. I mean, as I've said before, to do what he did in probably the best hitters' league in all of the minor leagues, he should be able to have success here. But he's going to have - like everybody else - he's going to have a tough night, and we'll help him get through those."

Matz may have a chance to help New York to a fourth straight win after dropping a season-high seven games in a row. However, the Mets are batting .174 with 14 runs over the last 10 games, including Saturday's suspended contest.

Curtis Granderson, however, is 11 for 24 with five solo homers over the past seven games. He had five homers over the previous 38 games, but has hit one out in each of the first two of this series while adding a double Saturday.

'He's swinging great. If we didn't have him, we'd have a tough time scoring,' manager Terry Collins said. 'I just hope he stays hot for a while because we've got to get the other guys going.'

Granderson is 9 for 26 with five homers, two doubles and 10 RBIs in his last seven meetings with the Reds.

After attempting to win for the seventh time in 10 games, Cincinnati turns to Josh Smith after he struggled greatly in his major league debut Tuesday. The right-hander gave up four runs with six walks in three-plus innings before escaping without a decision in a 7-6 loss at Pittsburgh. He walked 13 over 74 innings in 13 starts in the minors before being called up earlier in the day.

"We were in a spot there where we're breaking in a new kid and Josh struggled a little bit with his command," manager Bryan Price told MLB's official website. "That will certainly get better the more experience he gets, because he's a strike-thrower."

Joey Votto and Todd Frazier are a combined 1 for 14 in this series. Votto is 1 for 26 in his last seven games against the Mets, while Frazier is 10 for 29 with two homers in the past eight.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Reds at Mets
Fri, Jun 26 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Reds at Mets
Sat, Jun 27 - 1 TO 1 TOP 7 RAIN OUT
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Reds at Mets
Sun, Jun 28 - 2:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-28-2015, 12:51 AM

Preview: Red Sox (33-43) at Rays (42-34)
Game: 3
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: June 28, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

Chris Archer has a chance to match his career-high win total before June ends. With the season he's having, there's a strong possibility the Tampa Bay right-hander will have some more prestigious personal accomplishments headed his way.

The Rays try to avoid a second consecutive series loss Sunday when Archer puts his personal six-game win streak on the line against the Boston Red Sox.

With Matt Moore, Alex Cobb, Drew Smyly and Jake Odorizzi on the disabled list, Tampa Bay (42-34) desperately needs Archer to lead its patchwork rotation. After showing flashes of brilliance in his first two full seasons, Archer (9-4, 2.01 ERA) has picked an opportune time to break out as one of baseball's best pitchers.

He leads the league in ERA and ranks among the leaders in strikeouts (123), innings (103) and opponent batting average (.198). Archer has gone 6-0 with a 1.61 ERA in nine starts since his last loss on May 7. He's walked 10 and struck out 73 in that span.

The first-place Rays have won eight of those nine games. He allowed one earned run or fewer for the 10th time in 16 starts Tuesday, limiting Toronto to three hits over eight innings in a 4-3 victory.

He drew high praise from Blue Jays starter R.A. Dickey after that game.

'Chris is going to be good for a very long time. He's one of the best pitchers, not just in the American League, but the whole league,' Dickey said.

The Red Sox (33-43) are one of the few teams that have been a problem for Archer, who is 1-5 with a 5.18 ERA in eight meetings. He did, however, hold Boston to an unearned run over 5 2-3 innings while striking out nine in a 1-0 loss on April 21.

Tampa Bay received yet another strong outing from a starting pitcher Saturday, as rookie Matt Andriese and three relievers combined on a three-hitter in a 4-1 victory. Evan Longoria, Jake Elmore and Rene Rivera all homered to help the Rays avoid their first three-game skid this month.

The three home runs matched the team's total from the previous six games.

Tampa Bay's rotation leads the AL with a 3.05 ERA, posting a 1.84 mark over the past 10 games.

Boston, which owns a league-worst 4.45 ERA, has received quality starts in the first two games of this series, but getting another could be difficult with Justin Masterson on the mound after he spent six weeks on the disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis.

Masterson (2-2, 6.37) hasn't pitched since allowing six runs over 2 1-3 innings in a 9-2 loss at Oakland on May 12. He hasn't won since April 20 and is 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA in his past two outings.

The right-hander dropped to 2-7 with a 7.16 ERA in 11 starts against the Rays after he was reached for four runs, seven hits and six walks while failing to escape the fifth in a 5-3 loss on May 6.

Longoria hit one of his two homers off Masterson in that game and is 8 for 25 lifetime in this matchup. He's batting .393 with three home runs and four doubles in his last seven against Boston.

David Ortiz, Pablo Sandoval and Mike Napoli are a combined 14 for 84 (.167) with two RBIs this season against the Rays.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Red Sox at Rays
Fri, Jun 26 Final 4 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Red Sox at Rays
Sat, Jun 27 Final 1 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Red Sox at Rays
Sun, Jun 28 - 1:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-28-2015, 12:54 AM

Preview: Indians (33-39) at Orioles (39-34)
Game: 3
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: June 28, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

Chris Tillman is cashing in on a run-support binge. Now set to pitch with two extra days of rest, the fortunate right-hander will start the second game of a split-admission doubleheader against the visiting Cleveland Indians on Sunday after Saturday's game was postponed due to rain.

Tillman (5-7, 6.22 ERA) is 3-0 with a 6.98 ERA in his last four starts. The only game he didn't win in that span was the one in which he didn't last long enough, allowing six runs in 1 1-3 innings of Sunday's 13-9 win at Toronto.

The brevity of the outing resulted in his first start without a walk this season, but he's issued at least three in five of his previous six starts.

"I'm falling behind - and even the guys I get ahead (of), it's right back in their favor almost immediately," Tillman told MLB's official website. "I've got to do a better job of keeping me on the offensive, instead of defending against their swings."

Tillman, who has been worse at home with a 2-4 record and 6.81 ERA that's among the worst in baseball, has a season run-support average of 6.5. It's spiked significantly in the June unbeaten streak at 14.9 per game.

More good news is four of his worst starts have come against one opponent - Toronto - and the best start in the recent inconsistent span came in Cleveland. Tillman gave up two runs in 6 1-3 innings of a 5-2 win June 5 to give him a 3-2 mark and 4.73 ERA in six starts against the Indians.

Jason Kipnis is 3 for 8 with a home run off Tillman while Ryan Raburn (0 for 8) and Brandon Moss (1 for 12) have struggled in the matchup.

Kipnis is batting .400 during a career-best 20-game hitting streak and .373 in a 16-gamer against Baltimore. Raburn, Moss and Carlos Santana homered in Friday's 4-3 loss as the Indians (33-39) allowed Baltimore (39-34) to reach five games over .500 for the first time this year.

The Orioles were six games under entering play June 4 but have gone an MLB-best 16-5 since to get within 1 1/2 games of first-place Tampa Bay.

Jimmy Paredes has batted .396 in his last 12 games, Manny Machado is at .429 in eight and J.J. Hardy has hit .341 in 10 after spending his first 34 at .217 or worse. The recent success has come with Adam Jones (sore right shoulder) missing the last five games and eight of 10, which could result in a stint on the DL.

The Orioles have taken three of four in the season series while limiting the Indians to 2.5 runs per game.

Ubaldo Jimenez (6-3, 3.40) is slated to start the opener for Baltimore. The right-hander gave up three runs in five innings of a 6-4 victory over Boston on Tuesday to win his third straight start.

The former Indian, however, has lasted only five innings in three of his last four outings. The first of those came June 6 against Cleveland, when he gave up one run and walked six in a 2-1 road defeat. He had allowed 11 runs in 8 1-3 innings of his first two matchups with them - both losses.

Trevor Bauer (6-4, 3.86) will oppose Jimenez. The right-hander has sandwiched two awful starts around one strong one in his past three, giving up 13 runs in 6 2-3 innings of losses to Seattle on June 10 and Detroit on Monday.

In between, Bauer threw seven innings and gave up four hits in a 6-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs on June 16.

'At some point balls that are bloops are going to fall and they all just seemed to fall tonight,' he said after the 8-5 loss to the Tigers. 'I think of the nine hits off me, two were hit hard. Makes it tough against a lineup like that when the weak-contact stuff falls and you've got to keep trying to pitch around having guys all over the bases.'

Bauer, though, has contributed to his problems with 19 walks in his past five outings. He's issuing 4.4 per nine innings - second in the majors.

Cleveland will call up Toru Murata to make his major league debut in the second game. The right-hander, 30, was 5-3 with a 2.79 ERA in 14 games - 13 starts - at Columbus, and he'll count as the Indians' 26th man.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Indians at Orioles
Fri, Jun 26 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Indians at Orioles
Sat, Jun 27 - RAIN OUT.....DH SUNDAY
Recaps

GAME 3
Indians at Orioles
Sun, Jun 28 - 7:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-28-2015, 12:56 AM

Preview: Twins (40-34) at Brewers (28-48)
Game: 3
Venue: Miller Park
Date: June 28, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

Torii Hunter's numbers suggested he enjoyed playing at Milwaukee throughout his first tenure with the Twins. Not much has changed eight years later.

Hunter looks to build on an impressive power display and lead the Minnesota Twins to a series victory Sunday against the Brewers.

Spending the first 11 years of his career with the Twins, Hunter had plenty of experience against the Brewers given the teams' annual interleague clashes. Stints with the Los Angeles Angels and Detroit kept him from playing in Milwaukee for eight years, though.

He was 0 for 4 in Friday's 10-4 loss, his first game there since May 20, 2007, then homered twice and doubled in a 5-2 victory Saturday. Hunter, who had been hitting .163 in his previous 14 games, is a career .318 hitter with 10 homers in 23 games at Miller Park.

"(Friday), I felt good," the 39-year-old Hunter said after his 1,300th game as a Twin. "I was 0 for 4, but I swung the bat pretty well. I took the positive from that and just carried it over to today. I got lucky. I just happened to hit the ball where nobody was at which was out of the park."

The two homers pushed him past Gary Gaetti for seventh on the Twins' all-time list with 202. Kirby Puckett ranks sixth with 207.

Eduardo Escobar also hit a three-run shot for the Twins (40-34), who had dropped four of six primarily due to bad pitching. Kyle Gibson limited Milwaukee to two runs over 6 2-3 innings, though, while Glen Perkins threw a perfect ninth for his 24th save in as many chances.

The Brewers (28-48) have scored four runs or fewer 11 times during a 4-10 stretch, though Adam Lind is 11 for 24 over his last seven games.

Limiting walks figures to be crucial for Milwaukee's Mike Fiers (3-7, 4.39 ERA). He's 1-4 with a 7.11 ERA in five starts when walking three or more, and 2-3 with a 3.13 mark in 10 outings otherwise - and he was backed with a total of three runs of support in the losses.

He yielded two walks along with two runs and four hits over six innings Tuesday against the Mets, not recording a decision.

The Twins are one of the AL's worst teams in terms of drawing walks with one every 15.3 plate appearances, though they had four Saturday.

Milwaukee would like to see Fiers, who threw 103 pitches Tuesday, be more efficient so he can go deeper into games. He has completed more than 6 1-3 innings only once after pitching at least seven innings five times in 10 starts last year.

Fiers gave up two runs over 4 1-3 innings in a 2-0 loss at Minnesota on June 7, raising his ERA against the Twins to 1.88 in three career matchups.

Hunter is 1 for 2 off the right-hander.

Tommy Milone (4-1, 3.59) is 2-0 with a 2.52 ERA in four starts since being called back up from Triple-A Rochester, though he allowed a season-high 10 hits over six innings of a 13-2 win over the White Sox on Monday.

The left-hander won his only previous start against the Brewers, limiting them to two runs over seven innings of a 10-2 road victory for Oakland on June 3, 2013.

The Brewers are hitting a major league-worst .219 versus lefties.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Twins at Brewers
Fri, Jun 26 Final 4 to 10
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Twins at Brewers
Sat, Jun 27 Final 5 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Twins at Brewers
Sun, Jun 28 - 2:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-28-2015, 12:58 AM

Preview: Braves (35-40) at Pirates (42-32)
Game: 3
Venue: PNC Park
Date: June 28, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

Andrew McCutchen's latest hit-by-pitch struck a nerve with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

That's bad news for the Atlanta Braves, whose current losing streak is their longest of the season.

Seeking their sixth home sweep, the Pirates may be without the former MVP Sunday afternoon as they try to send the Braves to a sixth straight defeat.

McCutchen exited Saturday's contest in the first inning after taking a pitch off the left elbow. Pittsburgh responded with five runs immediately after McCutchen's injury en route to an 8-4 win in which Pedro Alvarez, Francisco Cervelli and Jordy Mercer each had a pair of RBIs.

But even after the Pirates' 15th home win in their last 19 games, McCutchen didn't hide his feelings about being plunked for the eighth time this season and second in as many days.

Pittsburgh batters have been hit a major league-high 40 times after leading baseball in that category the last two seasons.

'I'm not the only one ticked off,' McCutchen said. 'We're all ticked off. It's not just me. It's anyone that gets hit and comes out of the game. That's something we don't like.'

X-rays were negative but McCutchen is questionable for the series finale. Manager Clint Hurdle certainly hopes he can keep that bat in the lineup, as McCutchen has reached safely in six straight while touting a .438 average with a homer and four doubles.

"It is (frustrating), there's no doubt," Hurdle said. "It gets everybody a little bowed up."

Even without McCutchen the Pirates' outfield still has Starling Marte, who continued his mastery of the Braves (35-40) with three hits and three runs on Saturday. Marte is 13 for 31 (.419) with nine RBIs in his last eight meetings with Atlanta.

The Braves now turn to Alex Wood (4-5, 3.44 ERA), who has lost his last three decisions starting with a 3-0 defeat against Pittsburgh (42-32) on June 7 in which he allowed three runs over five innings. The left-hander has a 1.18 WHIP in three career starts against the Pirates, but has received only four total runs of support while going 0-2.

The Braves have been producing offensively at a similar clip over their last six games, scoring nine total runs. They're 3-10 on the road this month.

Jace Peterson's slump had been the most notable of Atlanta's individual struggles, as the second baseman had gone 0 for 17 over his previous four games before breaking out with two hits and three RBIs Saturday.

"This game is about confidence. Believe it or not, these guys live from at-bat to at-bat," manager Fredi Gonzalez told MLB's official website. "Here's a young guy that doesn't let anything else affect him. ... Hopefully this will catapult him into a nice streak."

Peterson could get his first look at Jeff Locke (4-3, 4.73), who allowed four runs in 6 1-3 innings of a 5-4 Atlanta win on June 6. That lowered his ERA in five career starts against the Braves to 6.08.

The left-hander lasted only four innings Tuesday against Cincinnati, allowing 11 baserunners and four runs - two earned - before the Pirates rallied to win 7-6. Locke has been at his best at home, though, posting a 3.17 ERA that's in stark contrast to his 7.28 mark on the road.

Chris Johnson is 5 for 12 with two homers and two doubles against Locke in his career, and his .388 average off lefties since 2013 is by far the best in the majors.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Braves at Pirates
Fri, Jun 26 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Braves at Pirates
Sat, Jun 27 Final 4 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Braves at Pirates
Sun, Jun 28 - 1:35PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-28-2015, 01:00 AM

Preview: Yankees (41-34) at Astros (43-34)
Game: 4
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: June 28, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

The Houston Astros are gaining confidence in Collin McHugh. The New York Yankees would love to restore their faith in Michael Pineda.

With McHugh looking to build on one of his best performances of the season, Pineda will try to bounce back from the worst of his career and help the Yankees cap this four-game series with a third straight win Sunday.

Houston (43-34) is atop the AL West but has lost six of nine, and turning to the pitcher with the highest ERA among the starting staff may not seem to be an ideal way to recover - especially considering that McHugh (8-3, 4.80 ERA) has a 6.82 ERA at home.

McHugh, however, has won his last two starts on the road behind a 3.21 ERA. He yielded two runs and scattered nine hits Tuesday while going a season-high eight innings of a 13-3 win in Anaheim.

"We have a lot of confidence in him," manager A.J. Hinch told MLB's official website. "We want to see him be more aggressive and he's been more aggressive. He pitched with a lead and he should come out of this with a lot of confidence having gone eight innings, and I think his highest pitch total of the season (114).

"We maintain a pretty good balance around here with our guys and our guys respond favorably."

While McHugh is picking it up lately, Pineda (8-4, 4.25) has been awful in two of his last three starts sandwiched around 6 2-3 innings of one-hit ball against Miami. He gave up six runs in 4 1-3 innings at Baltimore on June 12, then was hammered for career highs of eight runs and 11 hits in 3 1-3 of Monday's 11-8 loss to major league-worst Philadelphia.

The right-hander had a 2.72 ERA after seven starts for the Yankees (41-34), but is 3-4 with a 6.10 ERA in his seven since throwing a season-high 111 pitches at Baltimore on May 10 - fueling speculation that he's fatigued.

"It's hard to tell. His last time out, he was as good as he was probably at any time," pitching coach Larry Rothschild said. "I don't know that we can have the answer to that. I don't think that's the case, but there's no way to know if it is or isn't."

New York's six-run lead in the second inning Saturday was erased before the Yankees emerged with a 9-6 victory.

"It was one of those old-fashioned slugfests," said Mark Teixeira, who had a go-ahead, two-run double in the eighth. "Whoever was going to get the big hit at the end of the game was going to win, and we did."

Chris Young is 17 for 37 (.459) with 10 RBIs and 11 runs over the past 10 games. He has six hits in this series and has homered in each of the last two games to plate five runs.

Young is a .407 career hitter in Houston and .336 overall versus the Astros, his highest average against any opponent with at least 60 at_bats.

Brian McCann has a .324 average with 19 RBIs in 20 career games at Minute Maid Park after collecting two hits Saturday, including a grand slam. He's 10 for 27 with three homers and nine RBIs in the past seven contests.

The Astros' Carlos Correa is 8 for 24 with two homers and three doubles while driving in eight runs in his last five games. The rookie shortstop came a triple shy of the cycle Saturday.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Yankees at Astros
Thu, Jun 25 Final 0 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Yankees at Astros
Fri, Jun 26 Final 3 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Yankees at Astros
Sat, Jun 27 Final 9 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Yankees at Astros
Sun, Jun 28 - 2:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-28-2015, 01:03 AM

Preview: Mariners (34-40) at Angels (37-37)
Game: 3
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: June 28, 2015 3:35 PM EDT

Considering how things have gone in June, Felix Hernandez should be in for a solid performance during his final start of an inconsistent month.

Facing the Los Angeles Angels could also help.

Hoping to have the Seattle Mariners star second baseman behind him, the right-hander can bounce back from another rough outing by continuing his success against the host Angels on Sunday.

Hernandez (10-4, 3.24 ERA) went 8-1 with a 1.91 ERA in 10 starts through April and May, but is 2-3 with a 6.75 ERA in June. While alternating losses and wins, he's allowed a run and six hits in 15 innings of both victories but 19 runs and 20 hits over 11 2-3 innings of those defeats.

Hernandez followed a four-hit, eight-inning effort during a 2-0 win over San Francisco on June 17 by yielding four runs and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings of a 4-1 loss to Kansas City on Monday.

"I didn't have my best stuff," Hernandez told MLB's official website. "I made good pitches and they'd get a base hit. Sometimes that happens."

Hernandez was flat out dismal in his only road start this month on June 12, allowing eight runs, five hits and two walks in two-thirds of an inning during a 10-0 loss at Houston.

However, Seattle (34-41) has won Hernandez's last eight starts versus Los Angeles and he's posted an 0.64 ERA to go 4-0 in his last six meetings. In winning both against Los Angeles (38-37) this year, Hernandez has yielded a solo homer and lasted seven innings in each, and totaled 18 strikeouts with two walks.

'He's had our number lately,' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.

Robinson Cano could be available for Seattle after he was hit in the head by a stray ball while sitting in the dugout before the seventh inning of Saturday's 4-2 defeat. Cano felt dizzy and was taken to the clubhouse but no signs of a concussion were found.

"The Angels doctors checked him out and our staff checked him out," manager Lloyd McClendon said of Cano, who had a sizable welt on his head. "From what we've been told, he should be ready to go (Sunday)."

Though Cano is 1 for 7 in the series, a Mariners club that's totaled 17 runs and hit .216 while losing four of six likely can't afford to be without him for too long.

Los Angeles' Mike Trout is 4 for 7 in the series, and is batting .364 with three homers, three doubles and two triples versus Hernandez.

Teammate Hector Santiago (4-4, 2.68) is 0-1 with a 4.57 ERA in four starts this month, but gave up a homer and one other hit in six innings of a 4-3 win over Houston on Monday.

"Hector's shown a lot of resiliency," Scioscia said of one of the team's biggest surprises. "He's got great deception. He's got really good life on his pitches. He's really having, quietly, a tremendous year for us."

The left-hander's only two starts against the Mariners came last season when he posted a 7.71 ERA in a pair of losses.

Batting .360 versus Seattle this season, Erick Aybar could be in the Angels lineup after he was relegated to a pinch-hitting role Saturday because of hamstring tightness.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mariners at Angels
Fri, Jun 26 Final 3 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mariners at Angels
Sat, Jun 27 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Mariners at Angels
Sun, Jun 28 - 3:35PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-28-2015, 01:05 AM

Preview: Royals (43-28) at Athletics (34-43)
Game: 3
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: June 28, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

A surge of strong play away from home has vaulted the Kansas City Royals to the top of the American League.

They will look to complete their third road sweep this month Sunday against the last-place Oakland Athletics.

Kansas City (43-28) continued its outstanding play away from home with Saturday's 3-2 victory, its ninth in the last 12 road games. It was also the Royals' 43rd win overall, tying them for the league lead with a Houston team that has played six more games.

Kendrys Morales knocked in two runs to support Chris Young's six strong innings, while Kansas City's bullpen lowered its ERA to 1.17 over the last five games.

The win pushed the Royals 15 games over .500 for the first time before the All-Star break since they were 47-32 on July 5, 1980.

'I was sitting there thinking about that in the ninth inning, this would be a chance to get our high-water mark to 15 over,' manager Ned Yost said. 'If I would say I'm not excited about being 15 over, I'd be lying. It's great, but we want to continue to keep going, keep going, keep going.'

Now Yost's team will try to record is first sweep in Oakland since 2008 behind Jeremy Guthrie (5-5, 5.90 ERA), who accounted for one of Kansas City's rare recent road losses. He matched a season high with six runs allowed and nine hits over five innings of a 7-0 defeat in Seattle on Tuesday.

Opponents are hitting .308 against the right-hander this season with an .854 OPS, both of which rank among the worst in the majors.

Guthrie, who is two strikeouts shy of 1,000, is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in his last two starts against Oakland (34-43). He surrendered three home runs - two to Steven Vogt - over six-plus innings before leaving without a decision in a 6-4 win over the A's on April 17.

Vogt is 5 for 8 lifetime in this matchup.

The A's enjoyed a hot stretch of their own prior to dropping the last two, winning five straight and nine of 11. Vogt paced the offense over that stretch with a .447 average and 13 RBIs, while Brett Lawrie and Ben Zobrist combined to drive in 21.

Those three have combined to go 2 for 20 this series, and the A's have only four hits in each game, tied for their second-lowest total of the year.

"We've been playing great baseball the past couple weeks," said Scott Kazmir. "To fall two straight like this to a team like that is tough."

Sam Fuld has been one of the team's few bright spots with two doubles during the series and a stolen base Saturday that led to Oakland's first run of the game.

"We're not panicking as a group offensively," Fuld said. "We realize against a staff like this it's tough getting runs."

Jesse Chavez (4-6, 2.90) will go for Oakland hoping to rebound following his worst start of the year. The right-hander allowed five runs and eight hits over five innings Tuesday at Texas but was credited with an 8-6 victory.

He is 2-1 with a 4.88 ERA in his last four starts after going 2-5 with a 2.38 ERA in his first eight.

Chavez has pitched 10 2-3 scoreless innings over five relief appearances against the Royals.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Royals at Athletics
Fri, Jun 26 Final 5 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Royals at Athletics
Sat, Jun 27 Final 3 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Royals at Athletics
Sun, Jun 28 - 4:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-28-2015, 01:07 AM

Preview: Rockies (33-41) at Giants (41-35)
Game: 3
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: June 28, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

Madison Bumgarner was nearly perfect the last time he faced the Colorado Rockies. He's been awfully good lately, too.

The San Francisco Giants hope he can replicate last year's dominant outing - and his recent success - in Sunday's series finale with the visiting Rockies.

Bumgarner (7-4, 3.04 ERA) struck out 13 and allowed one hit in a 3-0 home victory versus Colorado on Aug. 26. The left-hander retired the first 21 batters he faced before Justin Morneau's eighth-inning double.

He improved to 9-3 in his last 15 starts against the Rockies and 5-1 with a 2.11 ERA in nine career matchups at AT&T Park.

Bumgarner has had some tough luck of late, though, losing twice in three starts despite a 1.93 ERA and 30 strikeouts over 23 1-3 innings. He received no run support in back-to-back outings and got two against San Diego on Tuesday, when he struck out a career-high 14 and gave up two runs over 7 1-3 in the Giants' 11-inning loss.

"That's a tough one to lose," manager Bruce Bochy said. "Bum threw so well again. That's what makes it tough, to get that kind of pitching and can't come away with a win."

The Rockies (33-41) have wreaked havoc on opposing pitchers lately, hitting .319 while averaging 7.7 runs over the last six games - including a 17-hit effort in Friday's 8-6 victory. They scored three first-inning runs Saturday before losing 7-5.

Nolan Arenado doubled to extend his hitting streak to 14 games, during which he's 20 for 54 with 13 extra-base hits and 18 RBIs. He also matched a franchise record by tallying a hit and scoring a run for the 11th straight game. Troy Tulowitzki and Charlie Blackmon are both 16 for 44 during 11-game hitting streaks.

Carlos Gonzalez is 14 for 40 with five homers and three doubles off Bumgarner, while Tulowitzki is 10 for 26 with two of each.

San Francisco (41-35) went ahead Saturday on Andrew Susac's three-run double in the seventh inning while Buster Posey was 2 for 3 with two RBIs, upping his total to nine over his last four games. Matt Duffy finished a triple shy of the cycle and is hitting .356 with 10 RBIs in his last 11 games.

Kyle Kendrick (3-9, 5.96) has struggled in his last three starts against the Giants, going 0-2 with an 8.68 ERA. He gave up four runs and walked three in 6 1-3 innings of an 11-8 loss May 22 in Denver.

Kendrick has allowed a major league-high 21 home runs. Baseball's highest total last season was 29 by Marco Estrada.

He was the winner in Tuesday's 10-5 victory over Arizona despite giving up three homers and four runs in six innings. He has just two quality starts in his last seven outings.

"They hit a few longballs on him, but he hung in there," manager Walt Weiss told MLB's official website.

Casey McGehee, Brandon Belt and Justin Maxwell all have homered against Kendrick, while Posey is 6 for 12 off the right-hander.

San Francisco may have to adjust its rotation moving forward after Tim Lincecum left in the second inning Saturday when he took D.J. LeMahieu's liner off his right elbow.

"He got hit pretty good," Bochy said. "He might need a break."

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rockies at Giants
Fri, Jun 26 Final 8 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rockies at Giants
Sat, Jun 27 Final 5 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Rockies at Giants
Sun, Jun 28 - 4:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-28-2015, 01:23 AM

Preview: Cubs (39-33) at Cardinals (49-24)
Game: 3
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: June 28, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

While manager Joe Maddon believes the Chicago Cubs can compete with the best in baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals continue to show just how far the gap between these rivals might be.

They can complete a series sweep of the struggling Cubs by winning nine straight at home for the first time in six seasons Sunday night.

Though Chicago (39-34) has led in four of the six games it's lost to St. Louis, Saturday's 8-1 defeat marked the fourth time the North Siders fell by at least three runs in those meetings. Rookie Xavier Scruggs went 3 for 4 with three RBIs and Kolten Wong drove in a pair of runs as the Cardinals (50-24) improved to 6-2 against the third-place Cubs, who are 10 1/2 games behind the major league leaders in the NL Central.

The Cardinals have batted .278, averaged 5.1 runs and posted a 0.71 ERA bullpen ERA versus Chicago in 2015.

"We have to get over the hump, and it's more a mental hump than a physical hump," Maddon told MLB's official website. "I believe in our guys, I believe our guys can play with these guys. I know their record is better than ours. There's a long way to go and we're going to get it done here."

The Cubs might be talented enough to remain a serious wild-card contender, but they don't appear on par with the Cardinals. Then again, neither does the rest of baseball.

St. Louis' five-game winning streak is its fifth of at least that many this season. The Cardinals have won 23 of 31 and are a major league-best 28-7 at home, where they've outscored their opponents 32-13 in the last eight. They last won nine straight there in April 2009.

Perhaps most impressively, they're the first team to win 50 games before playing 75 since the 2005 White Sox - who won the World Series.

'We're not completely oblivious to (the record), but we're not spending a lot of time on it,' manager Mike Matheny said. 'It's nice watching the bulk of these guys have success.'

Chicago has been outscored 20-5 while matching a season-high four-game slide, and is 3 for 23 with runners in scoring position over the last three.

Cubs starters have a 6.05 ERA during a skid that began one day after Jason Hammel (5-2, 2.65 ERA) allowed two hits over 7 2-3 innings of Tuesday's 1-0, 10-inning defeat over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He's 2-0 with a 2.01 ERA in June and hasn't factored in the decision of three consecutive outings.

However, the right-hander needs to improve after going 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA in two starts against the Cardinals in 2014.

Jason Heyward is 8 for 14 against Hammel and batting .419 versus Chicago this season. Wong is hitting .385 with 10 RBIs during a 14-game home hitting streak against the Cubs.

Though Carlos Martinez (8-3, 2.89) gave up seven runs, nine hits and walked four in 3 2-3 innings of a 10-9 home win over Chicago on May 4, he's 5-2 with a 1.55 ERA in his last eight starts. The right-hander allowed three runs over the first two innings Tuesday, but lasted seven and struck out nine in a 4-3 victory at Miami.

This will be Martinez's first appearance since May 31 at Busch Stadium, where he's yielded six hits over 14 scoreless innings to go 1-0 in his last two starts.

Miguel Montero and Chris Denorfia are a combined 5 for 7 versus Martinez.

Rookie Kris Bryant went 1 for 1 with two walks against Martinez but is 4 for 30 with 12 strikeouts in the last nine games.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cubs at Cardinals
Fri, Jun 26 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Cubs at Cardinals
Sat, Jun 27 Final 1 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Cubs at Cardinals
Sun, Jun 28 - 8:05PM EDT

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