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**StarDust Bum** · 06-30-2015, 02:44 AM

Preview: Rangers (38-38) at Orioles (41-34)
Game: 2
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: June 30, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

The Baltimore Orioles had rarely lost at home in June and Texas had seldom succeeded at Camden Yards of late entering this four-game series, but the Rangers broke out in a big way in the opener.

Looking to add to their major league-high 24 road wins Tuesday night, the Rangers could potentially have Josh Hamilton back in the lineup.

Mitch Moreland hit two home runs, Shin-Soo Choo and Carlos Corporan also homered, and Joey Gallo had a three-run triple in Texas' 8-1 win on Monday.

The Rangers (39-38), who had lost six straight at Baltimore (41-35), had averaged just 2.5 runs during a 2-8 stretch entering this series. But they had few issues offensively against an Orioles team that had outscored opponents 74-25 while winning 10 of its first 11 at Camden Yards in June.

'It seemed that every inning we had something going on,' Moreland said after the Texas won for just the fourth time in its last 11 on the road. 'The kind of game you want to lead a series off with. A pretty complete game.'

Hamilton was held out Monday, but on the final day of June he could return from a hamstring injury that's kept him out since the last day in May. He went 6 for 22 with two homers and two doubles in his first seven games back with Texas.

"I want to be back and I want to play and want to play every day," Hamilton told MLB's official website.

Colby Lewis (7-3, 4.10 ERA) hopes to be the beneficiary of another impressive offensive showing Tuesday.

Since yielding 10 runs in his last start in May, Lewis is 3-0 with a 3.09 ERA in June. The right-hander's Thursday outing against Oakland was his shortest of the month, as he gave up three runs in six innings of Texas' 6-3 loss.

He's gone 15 innings and allowed only four runs in his two road starts this month.

Lewis will be opposed by Miguel Gonzalez (6-4, 3.58), who will make his second start since returning from a DL stint due to a groin strain. The right-hander wasn't particularly sharp Thursday at Boston, allowing four runs in five innings, but got credit for the 8-6 victory.

"I felt really good," Gonzalez said. "My command was good. I felt today with two strikes I was around the zone a little too much, but that's a part of the game. I want to be out there and attack the zone."

Gonzalez is 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA in six home starts, holding opponents to a .186 average. He last faced the Rangers in 2013, limiting Texas to a run over 6 2-3 innings in each of two victories.

Hamilton is 1 for 11 with five strikeouts against Gonzalez.

The Orioles have won their previous seven series but dropped the opener only once. Monday's game was their first without a home run in their last five as they lost for just the second time in their last 13 games against Texas.

The Rangers didn't do much to slow down Manny Machado, though. The 22-year-old doubled to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, during which he's batting .426 with 10 RBIs.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rangers at Orioles
Mon, Jun 29 Final 8 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rangers at Orioles
Tue, Jun 30 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Rangers at Orioles
Wed, Jul 1 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Rangers at Orioles
Thu, Jul 2 - 7:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-30-2015, 02:46 AM

Preview: Pirates (42-33) at Tigers (39-36)
Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: June 30, 2015 7:08 PM EDT

It was not that long ago that Justin Verlander was considered the best pitcher in the game, but his star has diminished over the past couple of seasons with injuries limiting him in this one.

In his return from an ailing back, Verlander will get a close look at the potential heir to that crown when the Detroit Tigers face Gerrit Cole and the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.

The AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner in 2011, Verlander is 28-25 with a 4.05 ERA in 68 starts since the beginning of 2013. The right-hander went on the disabled list for the first time in his career April 8 because of a strained right triceps and in his second start gave up six runs and 10 hits in 6 2-3 innings of a 7-2 loss to the New York Yankees on June 19.

Verlander (0-1, 6.17 ERA) then skipped his next one because of stiffness in his back.

"When you're coming back, there are sometimes some hurdles you've got to get over," Verlander said. "I was pretty close (to getting back into pitching shape) after my last start. My back just tightened up pretty good."

While Verlander hopes to stay healthy, Cole (11-3, 2.16) will try to regain his stellar form following another difficult outing against Cincinnati on Wednesday. The major league wins leader gave up five runs in 4 2-3 innings in a 5-2 loss.

"He's a human being," manager Clint Hurdle told MLB's official website. "He's going to do everything he can to get outs and to win games and pitch well, and sometimes it doesn't work."

Cole is 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA in three starts against the Reds and has a 1.33 ERA versus every other team, including Detroit. The right-hander was charged with one run in six-plus innings in a 5-4 win April 13, his only matchup against the Tigers.

That was Detroit's only loss in its first 10 games and the Tigers (39-36) closed out the series in Pittsburgh with back-to-back wins. They've won eight of the past 10 matchups at Comerica Park.

The Tigers enter this series having batted .306 in their last seven games while producing 46 runs. They had just two hits in seven scoreless innings Sunday against the Chicago White Sox then rallied for a 5-4 victory with James McCann providing the game-ending homer.

Cole will look to contain the Tigers, owners of one of the majors' best averages (.275), while adding to his success on the road. He's 6-1 with a 1.32 ERA in his last seven starts there.

Pittsburgh (42-33) endured a three-game sweep to Washington in its latest road series following a 7-1 stretch away from home. The Pirates took two of three from Atlanta this weekend after dropping five of six and just missed a sweep with a 2-1 defeat Sunday.

Verlander is 25-3 with a 2.89 ERA in 33 interleague starts but had a string of 14 winning decisions snapped with an 11-6 loss in Pittsburgh on Aug. 11. He gave up five runs in the first inning and left with soreness in his shoulder.

Verlander was 4-0 with a 1.97 ERA in his previous four matchups.

Cole is 6-1 with a 2.81 ERA in eight interleague starts and has won all four on the road while posting a 2.39 ERA.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Pirates at Tigers
Tue, Jun 30 - 7:08PM EDT

GAME 2
Pirates at Tigers
Wed, Jul 1 - 7:08PM EDT

GAME 3
Pirates at Tigers
Thu, Jul 2 - 1:08PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-30-2015, 02:48 AM

Preview: Red Sox (34-43) at Blue Jays (41-36)
Game: 2
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: June 30, 2015 7:07 PM EDT

The last time Marco Estrada and Eduardo Rodriguez faced off, both got roughed up in a contest featuring 18 runs. The senior of the two seems to have adjusted for Toronto, while the rookie is still seeking a return to the dominant form he showed upon arriving in the majors with Boston.

Doing so Tuesday night at Rogers Centre might sound like a daunting task, but the Red Sox are looking to secure the first two of a four-game series against a Blue Jays team that isn't presently living up to its offensive capabilities.

Boston (35-43) won 3-1 Monday, holding the suddenly slumping Toronto lineup to five hits. In the last three games, the Blue Jays (41-37) have scored four runs while batting .143. Jose Bautista (0 for 20), Russell Martin (1 for 17) and Jose Reyes (2 for 22) are in six-game slumps, and Ryan Goins is 2 for 22 in his last nine.

"We were bound to cool off," said manager John Gibbons, whose club remains well out in front with an MLB-leading 421 runs scored and had averaged 7.1 over its previous 16 home games. "We were so smoking hot."

The Red Sox are in position to win a season-best three straight for the third time. Alejandro De Aza was 3 for 4 Monday to improve to 9 for 19 with three home runs, a triple and a double in his last five games.

But Estrada (5-3, 3.45 ERA) has been nearly untouchable in his last two starts, taking consecutive no-hitters into the eighth inning. He didn't earn the win in the latest, but after limiting Tampa Bay to two hits over 8 2-3 innings of Wednesday's 1-0, 12-inning victory, the right-hander has surrendered a run and three hits in his last 15 2-3.

"He's been on some kind of roll," Gibbons said.

Estrada hasn't had as much luck against the Red Sox with a 2-1 record and 4.58 ERA in two starts and two relief appearances, but all four came at Fenway Park - including a 13-5 win on June 14 in which he gave up a season-high five runs in five innings.

David Ortiz is 2 for 7 with a home run off him, but Xander Bogaerts (0 for 7), Brock Holt (0 for 6) and Hanley Ramirez (1 for 7) have struggled.

Ramirez has missed five games with a left hand injury, but the Red Sox are hoping to get their home run and RBI leader back during the series.

Rodriguez (3-2, 4.33) is facing the team that ended his three-start honeymoon in the majors. After going 2-0 with a 0.44 ERA and .116 opponent batting average in those starts, the Blue Jays tagged him with nine runs in 4 2-3 innings of the loss against Estrada. Including that start, the left-hander is 1-2 with a 9.82 ERA and .339 OBA in three starts.

That also includes his shortest outing yet in Thursday's 8-6 home loss to Baltimore, as he yielded six runs and seven hits in 3 2-3 innings. His pitching coach has identified one of the problems.

"Once he got in the stretch, balls seemed to find the center of the plate a little bit," Carl Willis told MLB's official website. "We'll get to work on that in the next side session, work from the stretch and find out if there's anything more to it than that."

The one line that's yet to be spoiled is his road performance with a 2-0 record and 0.45 ERA in three starts.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Red Sox at Blue Jays
Mon, Jun 29 Final 3 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Red Sox at Blue Jays
Tue, Jun 30 - 7:07PM EDT

GAME 3
Red Sox at Blue Jays
Wed, Jul 1 - 1:07PM EDT

GAME 4
Red Sox at Blue Jays
Thu, Jul 2 - 7:07PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-30-2015, 02:50 AM

Preview: Brewers (29-48) at Phillies (27-50)
Game: 2
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: June 30, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Andy MacPhail claims he'll develop a plan for the Philadelphia Phillies over the next three months. Cole Hamels may find out soon if he's part of it.

With an overhaul of the Phillies on the horizon, Hamels will once again take the mound with an uncertain future Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Philadelphia (27-51) is headed for a third straight losing season for the first time since 1994-2000, and it's on pace for its first 100-loss season since 1961.

Changes were expected, and the Phillies got their first major one last week when manager Ryne Sandberg resigned. Embattled general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. is in the final year of his contract.

"I'm going to take advantage of the next three months to learn everything I can," said MacPhail, who won two World Series as general manager with Minnesota in 1987 and 1991 and will replace outgoing president Pat Gillick after the season.

"I'm confident we're going to be able to get back," MacPhail said. "It's just a question of when and how efficient we can be to make it happen sooner rather than later."

Part of that is likely to include dealing Hamels (5-6, 3.26 ERA) prior to next month's non-waiver trade deadline.

"It's just kind of normal, going on 12 months," Hamels told MLB's official website of how he copes with the rumors. "It's kind of not even the focus right now. I think I'm trying to do everything I can for this team."

Hamels is 0-3 with a 3.82 ERA over his last five starts, but the Phillies have only backed him with three total runs. The lack of support has been particularly pronounced at home, where he has a 2.30 ERA in seven starts but owns just a 2-2 record due to receiving seven runs.

Run support didn't matter Wednesday, when Hamels was tagged for five runs and eight hits with three walks while hitting a batter in five innings of a 10-2 loss to the New York Yankees - a potential suitor for the 2008 World Series MVP.

Hamels, though, is 5-1 with a 3.00 ERA over his last six starts against the Brewers (30-48).

Philadelphia has lost four of five after falling 7-4 to Milwaukee in the opener of this four-game set between last-place clubs.

The Brewers have won four in a row and six of their last seven at Citizens Bank Park while batting .330 with eight homers and an average of 7.0 runs.

Jonathan Lucroy and Ryan Braun flourish in Philadelphia. Lucroy had four hits and two RBIs on Monday and is 22 for 44 with 12 RBIs and 13 runs scored in 11 career games there, while Braun has a .418 average with 10 homers and 25 RBIs in 23 contests.

Taylor Jungmann (2-1, 2.74) will face the Phillies for the first time. The rookie right-hander had five strikeouts through five scoreless innings while not figuring in the decision of a 2-0 loss to the New York Mets, who had Jacob deGrom limit the Brewers to four hits in eight innings.

"I've battled through some outings," Jungmann said. "A couple of outings I haven't had my best stuff, but I think that's what the game is about, battling."

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Brewers at Phillies
Mon, Jun 29 Final 7 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Brewers at Phillies
Tue, Jun 30 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Brewers at Phillies
Wed, Jul 1 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Brewers at Phillies
Thu, Jul 2 - 6:35PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-30-2015, 02:52 AM

Preview: Nationals (42-34) at Braves (36-40)
Game: 1
Venue: Turner Field
Date: June 30, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Shelby Miller and Jordan Zimmermann locked up in a superb duel last week but neither pitcher could end his winless drought.

For Miller, that has reached seven games, and the right-hander will try for another dominant outing Tuesday night against the Washington Nationals while helping the Atlanta Braves avoid matching their longest losing streak to their NL East rivals.

Miller retired 17 of his first 18 batters and ended up yielding one run and three hits in Washington on Wednesday. He was also in line for the loss when he exited after the seventh inning because Zimmermann had tossed eight scoreless innings.

Zimmermann, however, was denied a win when Drew Storen gave up a run in the ninth in the Nationals' 2-1 victory in 11 innings, one of Washington's eight consecutive wins over the Braves.

Nationals starters combined for 20 scoreless innings in the latest three-game sweep of Atlanta and had a franchise-record streak of 47 1-3 snapped in a 5-2 win in Philadelphia on Friday.

"I thought the whole night both pitchers pitched really, really good baseball," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "I thought it was going to be one of those special nights where maybe both guys get complete games, and one ends up to be a loser, you know, 1-0."

The two pitchers will hook up again with Miller (5-3, 1.94 ERA) seeking his first win since May 17. In seven starts since, he's recorded a solid 2.70 ERA.

Zimmermann (5-5, 3.42) had a 7.63 ERA in losing his three starts prior to last week's matchup and will try for his first victory since June 2. He's 3-1 with a 2.29 ERA in his last eight starts against Atlanta while Miller, who has the majors' third-best ERA, is 2-0 with a 0.85 ERA in five career matchups with Washington (42-34).

"(Miller) has got a good season going so far," Zimmermann said. "He was obviously tough to hit (on Wednesday). We had a rough time but were able to scratch a run across. He puts up zeros, and you want to go out and put up zeros."

The Nationals are heading to Atlanta (36-40) after having a season-best eight-game win streak snapped with an 8-5 loss in Sunday's finale to a doubleheader against Philadelphia.

The Braves ended a season-worst five-game skid with Sunday's 2-1 win in Pittsburgh. They are batting .233 with 11 runs in their last seven contests.

Atlanta is on the verge of dropping nine in a row to the Nationals' franchise for the first time since June 18, 1972-June 5, 1973, when that team was known as the Montreal Expos.

Atlanta has won six of eight at home, and Washington has five wins in its last seven road games.

Bryce Harper is 11 for 25 (.440) with three homers and nine RBIs in his last six games against the Braves, but is 2 for 11 lifetime against Miller. He was forced to miss two games with an ailing hamstring before going 1 for 4 on Sunday.

Danny Espinosa is hitting .433 (13 for 30) and Wilson Ramos is at .407 (11 for 27) in the season series.

Kelly Johnson is batting .371 in his last 10 games against Washington and is 4 for 9 versus Zimmermann this season.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Nationals at Braves
Tue, Jun 30 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Nationals at Braves
Wed, Jul 1 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Nationals at Braves
Thu, Jul 2 - 7:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-30-2015, 02:54 AM

Preview: Giants (42-35) at Marlins (31-46)
Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: June 30, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

This series would mark Casey McGehee's return to face the Miami Marlins if not for the astounding production of Matt Duffy.

Duffy has supplanted McGehee as the San Francisco Giants' starting third baseman and is wielding a hot bat heading into Tuesday night's opener of a three-game set.

McGehee was acquired in the offseason from Miami but his struggles and the rise of Duffy forced San Francisco to designate him for assignment May 24 before the veteran accepted a stint in the minor leagues. McGehee was recalled June 5 and has started once at third base since.

Duffy has a .377 average while hitting safely in 12 of his last 13 games. He went 7 for 13 with seven runs over the weekend against Colorado, homering in victories on Saturday and Sunday.

"He's got a quick bat and he's stronger than you think, he's that wiry strong," manager Bruce Bochy said.

Duffy is known for a cerebral approach at the plate, having read a book by Harvey Dorfman - an author known for his work on the mental aspects of performances. Duffy excels early in the count, hitting .424 on the first pitch, .533 on 0-1 counts and .462 on 1-0 offerings.

"Duffy just to me, he's got such a simple, short stroke that there's not a lot of holes and he's quick, he's one of those fast-twitch guys," slugger Buster Posey said. "He's not the biggest guy but he can create bat speed."

Posey has taken advantage of Duffy hitting in front of him to rank among baseball's leaders in RBIs this month with 26, including 12 in a 4-1 stretch.

The major league leader in slugging percentage this month at .800 is Miami's Giancarlo Stanton, who underwent surgery Sunday on his broken left hand and will miss at least four weeks. He leads the majors with 27 homers and has 67 RBIs.

Miami (31-46) struck out 36 times, walked twice and went 1 for 21 with runners in scoring position in losing two of three to the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend.

"We all know we've lost a big bat in the middle of the order," manager Dan Jennings said. "He won't be there so we're going to have to take better at_bats."

Leadoff hitter Dee Gordon is batting .364 during a 10-game hitting streak and continues to vie for the batting title with a .353 average. Gordon sat out twice with a hamstring strain when these teams split four in San Francisco between May 7-10.

McGehee hit a grand slam in that series and hasn't gone deep since.

The Giants (42-35) will start Ryan Vogelsong (6-5, 4.05 ERA), who looks to post a third straight scoreless start for the first time in his career. He pitched 6 2-3 innings in a 7-0 win at Seattle on June 18 before going six Wednesday in a 6-0 home victory over San Diego.

The right-hander is 3-2 with a 1.67 ERA in six starts against the Marlins. Gordon is a .344 hitter against him.

The Marlins will turn to Mat Latos (2-5, 5.49), who fell to 1-3 with a 7.60 ERA in seven home starts after allowing five runs in seven innings in Wednesday's 6-1 loss to St. Louis.

The right-hander is 4-3 with a 2.11 ERA in 12 starts versus the Giants. Posey is 3 for 13 against him, Brandon Belt is 5 for 12 and Duffy went 0 for 3 on May 10.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Giants at Marlins
Tue, Jun 30 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Giants at Marlins
Wed, Jul 1 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Giants at Marlins
Thu, Jul 2 - 12:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-30-2015, 02:56 AM

Preview: Cubs (39-35) at Mets (40-37)
Game: 1
Venue: Citi Field
Date: June 30, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The New York Mets and Chicago Cubs have struggled offensively of late.

New York, though, has compensated for that sluggishness with elite pitching as it goes for a fifth straight victory Tuesday night when it hosts Chicago.

New York (40-37) has averaged 2.0 runs over its last 11 games, while Chicago (39-35) is at 2.5 in that span with seven runs in the last six.

The Mets are making offense for opponents even tougher to come by, though, giving up four runs during the winning streak. They've also won six straight at home, where they're 29-11 to trail only St. Louis (29-7) in that regard. Pitchers have recorded quality starts in eight of the last nine home games.

Steven Matz limited Cincinnati to two runs over 7 2-3 innings in his major league debut Sunday, a 7-2 victory. He also went 3 for 3 with four RBIs.

New York figures to get an offensive boost with Daniel Murphy expected to return from the disabled list. Murphy, who leads the team with a .283 average, hasn't played since June 4 due to a strained quadriceps.

The Cubs have scored six runs during a season-worst five-game losing streak. They were 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position in a 4-1 loss Sunday at St. Louis, finishing 2 for 27 in the three-game series.

"We have to get back our offensive mojo," manager Joe Maddon said. "You have a young, inexperienced group offensively, and they're being schooled right now a little bit.

"Eventually, it's going to come back to us and we'll benefit from it."

Kris Bryant and Addison Russell have combined to go 6 for 33 with 15 strikeouts during the skid.

Bryant had a big series when the Cubs swept four meetings in Chicago from May 11-14, going 6 for 14 with two homers. Anthony Rizzo went 4 for 10 with four walks and owns a 1.045 OPS in 22 games against New York.

Rizzo is just 2 for 13 against Jonathon Niese (3-7, 4.12 ERA), who is trying to end the longest winless stretch of his career.

Niese is 0-5 with a 5.87 ERA in his last eight outings, though he has strung together four straight quality starts. The left-hander said he was OK after taking a liner off his leg last Tuesday in Milwaukee. He gave up two runs over six innings in New York's 3-2 loss.

Niese is 3-5 with a 5.23 ERA in nine starts against the Cubs. He yielded six runs - four earned - over 6 1-3 innings in a 6-5 loss May 14.

Chicago's Kyle Hendricks (2-4, 4.46) is 1-3 with a 5.88 ERA over his last five starts, losing back-to-back outings for the first time in his career. He surrendered two homers in Wednesday's 5-2 defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers, allowing four runs in five innings.

"My last two starts I've given my team zero chance to win, which is pathetic, really," he said. "I have to do something different."

Hendricks won his lone matchup against the Mets, limiting them to one run and three hits over seven innings in a 4-1 victory at Citi Field on Aug. 18.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cubs at Mets
Tue, Jun 30 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Cubs at Mets
Wed, Jul 1 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Cubs at Mets
Thu, Jul 2 - 1:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-30-2015, 02:58 AM

Preview: Twins (40-35) at Reds (34-40)
Game: 2
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: June 30, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Minnesota Twins have been unable to string together much success over the past month, and it continued in their series opener with the Cincinnati Reds.

They can finally right the ship Tuesday night behind their hottest pitcher, Phil Hughes.

Few pitchers have been better in recent weeks than Hughes (6-6, 4.20 ERA), who has posted a quality start in four straight outings and has allowed one run in eight innings in each of his last two.

The right-hander yielded only eight total hits without any walks over those two starts for a 1.13 ERA after struggling to a 4.96 ERA through his first 11 appearances.

"I hope this momentum carries over and I start rolling again," Hughes told MLB's official website. "It was obviously a tough start to my year, but there's a lot of games ahead of us. We've done a lot good things, and I want to be there at the end and be a good starter for us."

Hughes has been one of the few positives for Minnesota (40-36), which has fallen from first place in the AL Central at the end of May to a 10-17 record in June. The Twins lost again Monday, 11-7 to the Reds (35-40).

Cincinnati's Eugenio Suarez led the way with three hits and three RBIs, while Tucker Barnhart went 4 for 5 and Jay Bruce hit two doubles. The Reds scored only four runs while being swept by the New York Mets over the weekend.

Todd Frazier also contributed his 54th RBI. Frazier, who has driven in 15 runs in his last 12 games, hopes his continued excellence can vault him into the NL All-Star starting lineup.

"I want to be the starter, I want to be that guy," Frazier said. "I want to be the guy who represents Cincinnati and runs out onto the field at third base, see the fans all pumped up."

The Reds will try to win the series with Anthony DeSclafani (5-5, 3.35). The right-hander has been solid with a 2.66 ERA in his last four starts, and surrendered four runs - one earned - while not factoring into the decision of a 5-4 win against Pittsburgh on Thursday.

The majority of DeSclafani's success, however, has come on the road, where he has a 2.45 ERA. He's been far worse at Great American Ballpark, touting a 4.58 ERA while allowing opposing batters an .824 OPS.

DeSclafani has yet to face the Twins, who have averaged 4.8 runs during their road trip despite losing three of four. Brian Dozier and Torii Hunter have combined for five home runs and eight RBIs in that span, while Trevor Plouffe is hitting .333 with a homer.

Dozer hit his 16th homer during Minnesota's six-run fourth inning Monday, but the Twins went hitless the rest of the way.

Billy Hamilton scored three runs had four stolen bases in the win. He now has eight multi-steal games this season and leads MLB with 40.

The Reds are 15-10 when Hamilton swipes at least one base. He's batting .298 with an on-base percentage of .382 in those games, but hitting .181 with a .200 OBP when he fails to record a steal.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Twins at Reds
Mon, Jun 29 Final 7 to 11
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Twins at Reds
Tue, Jun 30 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Twins at Reds
Wed, Jul 1 - 12:35PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-30-2015, 03:00 AM

Preview: Indians (33-41) at Rays (42-35)
Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: June 30, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

A groin injury cut Erasmo Ramirez's last start short, but he'll now get a second chance to beat the Cleveland Indians.

Ramirez will try to re-establish his success in the rotation in order to help the Tampa Bay Rays to their third win in nine games Tuesday night against the visiting Indians.

Ramirez (6-2, 4.23 ERA) has been impressive since becoming a full-time starter last month, going 6-1 with a 2.34 ERA in eight games. The right-hander has a 1.03 ERA while winning all four decisions over his last five starts.

He appeared to be on his way to a fifth straight victory June 20, but the groin issue forced him out after three-plus scoreless innings of a 4-1 win at Cleveland.

"If I continue throwing and (it) maybe gets worse, that means maybe I go on the DL instead of just (being out) a couple of days," Ramirez told MLB's official website. "That was the reason we just stopped throwing."

His last turn in the rotation was skipped, and Tampa Bay (42-36) has dropped six of eight games after winning 14 of 18.

The Rays were nearly on the receiving end of a perfect game Monday, but Grady Sizemore homered off rookie Cody Anderson in the seventh inning of a 7-1 loss to the Indians (34-41) to open this four-game set.

Tampa Bay may appreciate Ramirez going deep into this outing since the bullpen has a 4.97 ERA during this eight-game slump, and the relievers were responsible for five runs in three innings Monday.

He'll have to contend with a Cleveland club that pounded out 13 hits - including one homer and three doubles in the opener - hours after manager Terry Francona held a meeting with his underachieving club to "remind guys of what we stand for."

Jason Kipnis, Michael Brantley and Yan Gomes had three hits and one RBI each on Monday, and they're a combined 4 for 11 (.364) against Ramirez.

Brantley is 9 for 21 in five games, while Kipnis is 9 for 14 with three doubles in four meetings with Tampa Bay. The second baseman's .348 average tied him with Texas' Prince Fielder for second in the AL behind Miguel Cabrera (.350).

Danny Salazar (6-3, 4.06) faces Tampa Bay for the first time and is out to regroup after coming undone in Tuesday's 7-3 loss to Detroit. He allowed one run through four innings, but he was pulled with one out in the fifth after his throwing error to home with the bases loaded led to a six-run inning.

"That kind of (throws) you off a little bit," Salazar said. "You know you could have got that play there and get out of the inning without trouble."

The right-hander has failed to complete the fifth in each of his last two starts, giving up 10 runs and 12 hits in nine innings. He was 2-1 with a 2.90 ERA over his five previous outings.

Salazar's next win will give him a single-season career high.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Indians at Rays
Mon, Jun 29 Final 7 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Indians at Rays
Tue, Jun 30 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Indians at Rays
Wed, Jul 1 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Indians at Rays
Thu, Jul 2 - 12:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-30-2015, 03:02 AM

Preview: Royals (44-28) at Astros (44-34)
Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: June 30, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Dallas Keuchel has leveled out some after a six-start stretch that bordered on incredible to begin the season, but opponents still haven't done much to his stellar home numbers.

Nearly all of the balancing has happened on the road, and the left-hander has a shot at pitching the Houston Astros to a series win over the AL-leading Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park.

Keuchel (9-3, 2.17 ERA) is coming off his third complete game and second shutout of the season, surrendering six hits while striking out a career-high 12 in Thursday's 4-0 home win over the New York Yankees.

What may have been his best start of the season followed what was likely his worst when he allowed five runs and five hits - three home runs - in six innings of a 6-3 loss in Seattle on June 20.

"I wanted to take a step back and relax a little coming out of the gate and find my groove," Keuchel said.

He's an MLB-leading 7-0 with an AL-best 1.39 ERA in nine home starts and he's unbeaten in his last 12 at Minute Maid. It's the top home streak for an Astros pitcher since Brett Myers went unbeaten in his first 16 home starts with the club from April 7, 2010-April 17, 2011.

The reason might be that he's kept the ball in the park, surrendering no home runs in Houston in 86 2-3 innings over the 12-start span.

He's 1-0 with a 4.26 ERA in two career starts against the Royals, both at home. Alex Rios is 8 for 20 against him and Eric Hosmer is 4 for 6, but it seems unlikely he'll face the latter.

Hosmer missed Monday's 6-1 loss along with Alcides Escobar, and the first baseman isn't expected to appear in the series because of a sprained finger. Escobar was out with a bruised finger.

The Astros (45-34) have allowed two runs and seven hits in their last two games, and they've won four straight against the Royals (44-29) by a combined 27-6.

Salvador Perez went deep for a second straight game as Kansas City's four-game winning streak came to an end.

Chris Carter and Jose Altuve homered for the second time in three games for the Astros, who played without Colby Rasmus for a third straight contest because of an infected bug bite. The outfielder won't return Tuesday, though that might not be such a bad thing because he's 0 for 5 with four strikeouts against Danny Duffy.

The Royals are looking to Duffy (2-3, 5.44) to help the rotation improve on a 5.81 ERA over the last 10 games, though he was quite hittable in his first start back from more than a month off because of a shoulder injury.

The left-hander gave up two runs - one earned - and eight hits in 4 2-3 innings of Wednesday's 8-2 win in Seattle. He's 0-3 with a 9.42 ERA over his last four outings, though this was the best of the bunch after he walked 10 batters in his previous two.

"Yeah, the no walks, that's a good starting point," Duffy told MLB's official website. "Got my pitch count up a little too fast but overall it all felt pretty good."

He's 1-1 with a 7.50 ERA in two starts against Houston with Carter and George Springer each going 1 for 2 with a home run and two walks.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Royals at Astros
Mon, Jun 29 Final 1 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Royals at Astros
Tue, Jun 30 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Royals at Astros
Wed, Jul 1 - 8:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-30-2015, 03:04 AM

Preview: White Sox (32-42) at Cardinals (51-24)
Game: 1
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: June 30, 2015 8:15 PM EDT

The surging St. Louis Cardinals have the majors' best record and are in the midst of baseball's best home start since division play began in 1969.

The Chicago White Sox are scuffling, especially on the road, but they have reason to be optimistic with ace Chris Sale pitching against a team not named the Minnesota Twins.

The Cardinals look to win 10 straight at home for the first time in 11 years, while Sale tries to become the second pitcher in history to record at least 10 strikeouts in eight consecutive games in Tuesday night's series opener.

St. Louis (51-24) pushed its winning streak to six by sweeping the Chicago Cubs with a 4-1 victory Sunday. The Cardinals dropped the Cubs 11 1/2 games back in the NL Central and are nine ahead of second-place Pittsburgh - easily baseball's biggest division lead.

"It's important because this was the week we had in front of us," said Jason Heyward, who is batting .395 with four homers, three doubles and 10 RBIs in his last 11 games. ".... A division game, when the outcome is a win for you, you put more distance between you. But we got to take the same mindset every night."

They're certainly playing with a winner's mindset at Busch Stadium, going 29-7 with nine straight victories since losing 1-0 to Milwaukee on June 1. They last won 10 consecutive home games in 2004.

The White Sox (32-42) have lost 10 of 12 on the road and are 4-12 in their last 16 overall. Sunday's 5-4 defeat in Detroit was especially painful after Chicago blew a 4-0 lead in the eighth inning and lost on a walkoff homer.

Sale (6-4, 3.02 ERA) may help take away some of the sting from that loss if he can match Pedro Martinez's 1999 record of eight straight starts with at least 10 strikeouts.

Sale became the first pitcher since Randy Johnson in 2001 to strike out at least 10 in seven consecutive games Wednesday in Minnesota. He has totaled 85 strikeouts with 31 hits and eight walks over 52 innings in his last seven starts and has dominated hitters all season. His 34.4 percent of swings that miss is the best in baseball since Martinez's 35.8 mark in 1999.

'It's cool, but it'd be a lot better if we were winning more games, for sure,' Sale said.

Sale struck out 10 Twins but wasn't particularly sharp, yielding six runs and nine hits in 6 2-3 innings of a 6-1 loss. The left-hander is 1-3 with a 6.46 ERA in four outings against Minnesota and 5-1 with a 1.88 ERA in his 10 other starts.

The three-time All-Star is making his first appearance against the Cardinals and is 3-0 with a 1.72 ERA in his last six interleague outings.

Lance Lynn (5-4, 2.84) has also enjoyed pitching against the opposite league, going 3-1 with a 1.02 ERA in six interleague starts at Busch Stadium. That includes his only outing against the White Sox on June 13, 2012, when he yielded three hits with a career-high 12 strikeouts in 7 1-3 innings of a 1-0 win.

In his first outing since June 7 after a stint on the disabled list for a strained forearm, the right-hander allowed two hits over six scoreless innings in Thursday's 5-1 win at Miami. He has a 1.46 ERA in his last four starts.

Adam LaRoche is 1 for 8 against Lynn and batting .135 in 13 games against the Cardinals since 2013.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
White Sox at Cardinals
Tue, Jun 30 - 8:15PM EDT

GAME 2
White Sox at Cardinals
Wed, Jul 1 - 8:15PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-30-2015, 03:05 AM

Preview: Mariners (34-42) at Padres (37-41)
Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: June 30, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Mike Montgomery has been a revelation for the Seattle Mariners' battered rotation.

They hope the left-hander can continue his success Tuesday night against a San Diego Padres team that has punished rookie starters.

Injuries to Hisashi Iwakuma and James Paxton, who combined for 21 wins last season, left the Mariners short-handed in terms of starting pitching. That prompted the call up of Montgomery (2-2, 2.04 ERA).

He tossed a complete game in his fifth career start last Tuesday against Kansas City, striking out 10 while allowing five hits in the 7-0 win. Montgomery became the first Seattle lefty to strike out 10 with no walks in a shutout.

"I probably had a little more emotion going in than I normally do," said Montgomery, who was drafted by the Royals in the first round in 2008. "I know a lot of those guys. I was with them for five years. It was definitely a little extra added on to it."

While Montgomery might not have the same incentive as he did against his first organization, he posted a 2.73 ERA through his four other outings.

Rookie pitchers haven't fared well versus San Diego, however, going 2-8 with a 6.15 ERA in 12 outings.

Additionally, the Padres (37-41) come off their first series win in six tries, taking two of three from Arizona, though they lost 6-4 on Sunday.

Matt Kemp is 7 for 20 with two homers and five RBIs in five games since moving to the leadoff spot, but he downplayed the significance of that adjustment.

"I keep feeling better, keep grinding, keep working," said Kemp, whose .661 OPS ranks near the bottom of the NL. "The swing is going to come. I can still hit."

San Diego's Ian Kennedy (4-6, 5.09) lost for the first time in five outings Wednesday at San Francisco, but only one of the six runs he allowed in six innings was earned. It was his third straight quality start.

"My fastball command has been a lot better," he told MLB's official website. "Early on, it was hit or miss. One start I would have good command, the next it would run back over the plate and I would give up home runs, a lot of mistakes."

Kennedy has struggled in interleague action, going 5-11 with a 5.49 ERA in 17 starts. He gave up five runs in 4 2-3 innings of an 11-4 loss at Seattle on May 12, surrendering homers to Kyle Seager and Logan Morrison.

The right-hander has actually been worse at pitcher-friendly Petco Park, posting a 6.82 ERA in seven games compared to a 3.38 mark in six on the road.

Seattle (34-42) has dropped five of seven, scoring two runs or fewer in each loss. Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz are both 5 for 25 in that span while Morrison and Seager are 4 for 23 and 4 for 24. Mark Trumbo is 1 for 21.

San Diego third baseman Will Middlebrooks left Sunday after rolling his ankle when he tripped over a bat in the on-deck circle while trying to track down a popup. He was set to be reevaluated Monday, though interim manager Pat Murphy said "it doesn't appear to be a long-term thing."

These clubs split two meetings in Seattle last month.

The Padres are 4-8 against AL teams, allowing 6.9 runs per game.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mariners at Padres
Tue, Jun 30 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Mariners at Padres
Wed, Jul 1 - 3:40PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-30-2015, 03:20 AM

Preview: Yankees (41-35) at Angels (39-37)
Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: June 30, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

Emotions aren't going to be nearly as high for Ivan Nova this time, but the New York Yankees could use a similar performance.

Nova looks to build on his sparkling return from Tommy John surgery as he faces the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night.

Nova allowed three hits before leaving with two outs in the seventh inning of a 10-2 win against Philadelphia on Wednesday in his first start since April 2014.

"I almost cried when I was walking by the tunnel," Nova said. "When I first walked onto the mound, I didn't believe it."

Manager Joe Girardi certainly liked what he saw out of the right-hander, who had a 4.02 ERA in three minor league starts before his return to the rotation.

"I thought his sinker was really good, his curveball was really good, his command of the strike zone ... everything - his pace," Girardi said.

Nova hasn't had a whole lot of success against the Angels even though his team has. He has a 5.45 ERA in six starts in this series, but is 4-2 since he's been backed by an average of 9.0 runs.

New York (41-36), though, is batting .197 and averaging 2.4 runs while losing five of seven on the road, including Monday's 4-1 defeat to Los Angeles (40-37).

Mark Teixeira's struggles haven't been limited to the road, as he's 7 for 39 in 11 overall games. The first baseman has a .153 average in his last 18 games at Los Angeles, including 2 for 21 in the past seven.

Brett Gardner isn't having any such trouble, going 25 for 50 with four homers, seven doubles, 11 RBIs and 15 runs in his past 11 games while hitting safely in his last seven.

Gardner is 11 for 25 in his past six games with the Angels.

While the Yankees are trying to avoid a three-game slide, Los Angeles is aiming for a four-game winning streak for the first time since matching its season high with a five-gamer from May 28-June 1.

The Angels will turn to prized prospect Andrew Heaney again after he allowed one run and four hits in six innings of a 2-1 win in 13 over Houston on Wednesday. The left-hander was recalled hours earlier from Triple-A Salt Lake, getting his season debut in an unexpected move after Matt Shoemaker was pushed back.

Heaney, 24, went 0-3 with a 5.83 ERA in seven games - five starts - with Miami last year and he was a disappointment for Los Angeles with a 7.03 ERA in six spring starts.

"This is the guy that I know our scouting department and (general manager Jerry Dipoto) had hoped we would see in the spring," manager Mike Scioscia told MLB's official website. "He's got real stuff. Hopefully it's the start of something big for us."

Mike Trout is 5 for 13 with two homers in four games after connecting for a solo shot Monday. The reigning AL MVP has homered for each of his last three hits over his last three meetings with the Yankees, doubling his career total against them to go with his .330 average in 25 games.

'Oh, it's always fun to play the Yankees,' Trout said.

He's 4 for 11 with two doubles off Nova.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Yankees at Angels
Mon, Jun 29 Final 1 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Yankees at Angels
Tue, Jun 30 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Yankees at Angels
Wed, Jul 1 - 7:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 06-30-2015, 10:37 AM

Preview: Dodgers (43-35) at Diamondbacks (37-39)
Game: 2
Venue: Chase Field
Date: June 30, 2015 9:40 PM EDT

Rubby De La Rosa has faced off with all four of the Arizona Diamondbacks' divisional opponents in his last four outings.

He's dominated in the last three.

De La Rosa will get his chance at redemption against the fourth on Tuesday night with another look at the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose run of dominance over the Diamondbacks finally ended in the series opener.

De La Rosa (6-3, 4.69 ERA) mowed down San Francisco, San Diego and Colorado from June 14-25, going 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA in that span. Opposing batters hit just .222 over those three contests with a .547 OPS, and De La Rosa walked only one in seven innings while allowing one run Thursday in a 6-4 loss at Colorado.

"I think he did a great job," manager Chip Hale told MLB's official website. "He did a wonderful job."

De La Rosa entered this successful stretch after being shelled in Los Angeles for nine runs in five innings. Andre Ethier and Jimmy Rollins each homered off the right-hander and Howie Kendrick had three hits in the Dodgers' 9-3 win June 8.

The long ball was the issue in De La Rosa's first start against his former team on May 1 as well. He only gave up three hits in five innings, but a Joc Pederson grand slam and a Justin Turner solo shot made sure plenty of damage was done in an 8-0 loss.

The Dodgers (43-35) put up another impressive offensive effort Monday but Arizona (37-39) overcame deficits of 4-0 and 6-4 to win 10-6. Los Angeles had been 26-1 when scoring at least six runs.

"We did a great job answering," Hale said. "I was proud of the guys not giving up."

Nick Ahmed and Yasmany Tomas hit home runs, and Paul Goldschmidt had two RBIs while extending his hitting streak to 10 games. Ethier, Pederson and Yasmani Grandal went deep for the Dodgers, who had won seven straight and 23 of 29 against Arizona.

Carlos Frias (5-5, 4.31) looks to get the Dodgers back on track after a solid five-inning outing in a 4-0 win over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday, his first victory in five outings.

The right-hander, though, continues to struggle with endurance. He has gone more than six innings in only three of 11 starts this season and has not reached 90 pitches in any of his last four appearances.

That could become a problem considering Los Angeles' fatigued bullpen. Six Dodgers relievers combined for 107 pitches and allowed all 10 runs Monday after Mike Bolsinger exited after four innings with flu-like symptoms.

Frias has a 0.75 ERA in two starts against the Diamondbacks this season and he lasted 6 2-3 innings while allowing one run three weeks ago.

Adrian Gonzalez, who has a .933 OPS in 144 meetings with Arizona, has gone hitless against the Diamondbacks in three straight for the first time since the first three of his career.

Goldschmidt is batting .400 with eight home runs and 21 RBIs in his last 15 against the Dodgers.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Diamondbacks
Mon, Jun 29 Final 6 to 10
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Dodgers at Diamondbacks
Tue, Jun 30 - 9:40PM EDT

GAME 3
Dodgers at Diamondbacks
Wed, Jul 1 - 9:40PM EDT

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