The Bum's Sports Page For Thursday July 9th Best Bets-Trends-News !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rays (43-43) at Royals (48-33)
Game: 4
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: July 09, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

Just when the Kansas City Royals' rotation is getting healthy, the AL leaders lost Alex Gordon to an injury.

Yordano Ventura makes his first start in nearly a month as the Royals look to overcome the absence of one of their All-Stars and go claim a fifth straight win Thursday against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Kansas City (49-33) beat Tampa Bay 9-7 on Wednesday, but it will attempt to complete a four-game sweep without Gordon.

The left fielder collapsed to the ground with a strained groin chasing Logan Forsythe's inside-the-park homer in the fourth inning.

"He heard it pop, which isn't good," manager Ned Yost said. "The doctors didn't think it detached from the bone, which is a good thing. But it kind of took the wind out of the sails."

Yost told MLB's official website Gordon underwent an MRI on Wednesday night.

The Royals will be at full strength on the mound once Jason Vargas returns from a left hip flexor sprain after the All-Star break.

Ventura (3-6, 4.68 ERA), meanwhile, is back in the rotation after a bout with ulnar neuritis, a condition in the arm that causes weakness in the hand. That limited him to three innings of a loss at St. Louis on June 12.

He gave up four runs with nine strikeouts and six walks in two rehab starts in the minors.

"He's ready," Yost told MLB's official website. "He's ready to go."

Ventura, however, is 1-6 with a 5.17 ERA over his last 10 starts, losing three of four at home behind a 5.75 ERA.

He's allowed four runs in 11 innings while not getting a decision in two starts against the Rays (43-44), but all of that damage came on a grand slam by Kevin Kiermaier in a 5-4 road win July 9, 2014.

Jarrod Dyson replaced Gordon on Wednesday and hit a two-run inside-the-park homer. He has two hits and four runs in two games during this series and is 8 for 24 in his last 10 contests, increasing his season mark 20 points to .273.

Lorenzo Cain is 14 for 26 with five doubles and six RBIs in his last seven games after finishing a triple shy of the cycle with three RBIs on Wednesday.

One of six Royals named to Tuesday's All-Star Game, Cain is hitting .391 over his last 11 meetings with Tampa Bay.

The Rays - batting .215 while losing 10 of 11 games - squandered a 14-hit effort Wednesday.

Nathan Karns (4-4, 3.21) would appreciate any offensive help as he faces the Royals for the first time.

The right-hander has a 1.78 ERA and 10.09 strikeouts per nine innings over his last five starts but he's 1-1 since he's been backed by two total runs - none in the last three games.

Karns gave up two scores in the opening inning Saturday before tossing six scoreless, striking out a career-high 10 and not figuring in the decision of a 3-2 loss to the New York Yankees.

"You know sometimes curveball better in one inning, changeup the other," Karns told MLB's official website. "Overall just the ability to be able to mix it up throughout the game and keep all three pitches throughout the game I think was what worked for me, and ultimately throwing strikes."

Karns is 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA in six road starts.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rays at Royals
Mon, Jul 6 - 8:10PM EDT ( rain out )
Recaps

GAME 2
Rays at Royals
Tue, Jul 7 Final 1 to 7 5 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Rays at Royals
Wed, Jul 8 - Final 7 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Rays at Royals
Thu, Jul 9 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cardinals (54-30) at Pirates (49-34)
Game: 1
Venue: PNC Park
Date: July 09, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

The Pittsburgh Pirates have clawed their way back into what seemed to be a runaway divisional race, and following yet another series sweep, have a chance to pull even closer in the NL Central.

They open a critical four-game set Thursday night with the St. Louis Cardinals, who seem to have finally recaptured some momentum following a lackluster stretch.

St. Louis (54-31) owns a 4 1/2-game lead over Pittsburgh (50-34), but has watched its sizable advantage diminish with six losses in the last 10 games. The Cardinals were swept in a doubleheader Tuesday but rallied Wednesday on Jhonny Peralta's two-out, two-run go-ahead home run in the ninth inning of a 6-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

"Any win against the division is huge for us," Michael Wacha told MLB's official website. "That homer was pretty big for us. It gives us a little happy flight going into Pittsburgh, and hopefully we can take care of business there."

The Pirates, who trailed St. Louis by nine games on June 29, have experienced no such adversity, piling up an MLB-best 32 wins since May 22. They have won five straight and matched a franchise record with their 10th sweep Wednesday, beating San Diego 5-2.

Andrew McCutchen is 6 for 15 with four RBIs over Pittsburgh's current winning streak, and the Pirates' pitching staff has posted a 2.02 ERA.

"They played so well for so long, and it just goes to show how our guys persevered," manager Clint Hurdle said. "They stayed the course, kept taking care of today's game, and it has gotten us here."

St. Louis' Carlos Martinez (9-3, 2.70 ERA) could derail that run, as the right-hander has a 6-1 record and 1.35 ERA over his last nine starts. But looking to make his final case to make the All-Star team, Martinez is facing one of the few teams who hit him hard this season.

Martinez, who is one of five players contending for the NL's All-Star Final Vote, allowed a season high-tying seven runs in 5 1-3 innings of a 7-5 loss to Pittsburgh on May 9.

"Carlos is really just getting on the map here," manager Mike Matheny said of his 23-year-old starter. "I think the fact that he's in those discussions right now is a huge compliment to him. You never know how this can play out."

Martinez will face Jeff Locke (5-4, 4.15), who is coming off the best start of his career. The left-hander yielded two hits and struck out six over eight innings of a 1-0 win against Cleveland on Saturday - his first scoreless start of seven or more innings since June 19, 2013.

For Locke, that dominant showing proved he belongs in a rotation that features three pitchers - A.J. Burnett, Gerrit Cole and Francisco Liriano) with a sub-3.00 ERA.

"Everyone in the rotation has done it most of the season, and you never want to feel like you're the weak link," Locke said. "You want to put forth the best effort."

Locke has led Pittsburgh to a victory in four of his six career starts against the Cardinals and pitched 6 2-3 solid innings while not factoring into the decision of a 4-3 win May 10.

Neil Walker is 3 for 10 with two home runs and a triple against Martinez, and Gregory Polanco is 4 for 5.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cardinals at Pirates
Thu, Jul 9 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Cardinals at Pirates
Fri, Jul 10 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Cardinals at Pirates
Sat, Jul 11 - 7:15PM EDT

GAME 4
Cardinals at Pirates
Sun, Jul 12 - 8:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Reds (38-44) at Marlins (35-49)
Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: July 09, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Jose Fernandez shook off a lackluster opening inning and put himself on the verge of a modern-era record in his highly anticipated return from Tommy John surgery for the Miami Marlins last week.

In his encore, Fernandez will try to improve to 14-0 in his own park Thursday night against the Cincinnati Reds.

Fernandez gave up a pair of runs in the first inning in his first major league start in nearly 14 months last Thursday against San Francisco, but he settled down to allow one in his final five innings in a 5-4 victory.

The right-hander also hit his second career homer in his first win since April 29, 2014, and joined David Palmer as the only pitchers since 1914 with a 13-0 home record. Palmer accomplished that feat from 1979-84 for the Montreal Expos.

Fernandez's three earned runs and seven hits allowed were his most in 21 starts in Miami.

"We got a win. I think that's all I can ask for. I'm healthy. That's all I can ask for," he said. "Obviously, I would have love to have pitched a little better. ... Hopefully, the next one will be better, but it's exciting I got the first one out of the way."

While seeking to make history, Fernandez (1-0, 4.50 ERA) will try to lead Miami (35-50) to a fourth consecutive home win and end its four-game overall losing streak. The Marlins wrapped up their two-game stay in Boston with a 6-3 defeat Wednesday and made three errors to finish with five in the series, one more than in their previous nine games.

"Just sloppy," manager Dan Jennings said. "It's really uncharacteristic of who we've been. We have to do a better job of taking care of the ball. There's no excuse for that."

Fernandez will face a Reds team that's totaled 15 runs in its first six games this month. However, Cincinnati (38-44) claimed a 5-0 win in Washington on Tuesday before Wednesday's finale was rained out.

"We've had some really strange issues," manager Bryan Price said. "I think we've done fairly well dealing with the challenges. ... I don't think it's been an issue - certainly not an excuse for being six games under .500."

The rainout means that Michael Lorenzen (3-3, 3.58) will likely get an extra day of rest, but the Reds might choose to call up David Holmberg for his season debut.

"We'll get together collectively and discuss our options," Price told MLB's official website. "There could be a lot of moving parts in this. A lot of things that may change because of this. We'll see."

Lorenzen is 2-1 with a 2.78 ERA in his last four starts but lasted just four innings in a 12-1 loss to Milwaukee on Friday, his first since June 11. The rookie was a 5-2 winner against Miami on June 21, yielding two runs in seven innings, and helped Cincinnati take two of three in that visit from the Marlins.

The Reds have won seven of their last eight games in Miami and claimed three of four in their most recent trip July 31-Aug. 3.

Fernandez gave up two runs in seven innings in his only home start against Cincinnati, a 5-3 loss in 10 innings May 16, 2013. He's 0-1 with a 5.73 ERA in two lifetime matchups.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Marlins at Red Sox
Tue, Jul 7 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Marlins at Red Sox
Wed, Jul 8 - Final 3 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Reds at Marlins
Thu, Jul 9 - 7:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Astros (49-37) at Indians (39-44)
Game: 4
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: July 09, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Cody Anderson won't be able to set a record for the lowest ERA through four starts, though what he is doing is quite impressive.

The rookie right-hander has been mowing down major league hitters and faces the team with baseball's most homers for the first time in Thursday night's home contest against the Houston Astros.

Anderson (1-1, 0.76 ERA) is the first pitcher to throw at least 7 2-3 innings in each of his first three starts since Pittsburgh's Tim Wakefield did it in 1992. He's the first to pitch at least seven innings in three in a row since Oakland's Rich Harden in 2003.

"I'm just going out focusing on what I have to do to help our team win," Anderson said. "I'm just trying to do the best I can and then use tomorrow to get better."

A shutout Thursday would lower his ERA to 0.56. The lowest mark in the majors for a pitcher in his first four starts since 1914 is shared by Detroit's Bernie Boland, the New York Yankees' Cliff Markle and the Los Angeles Dodgers' Fernando Valenzuela at 0.25.

Anderson went the distance for the first time Saturday as he threw a six-hitter in a 1-0 loss at Pittsburgh. He is limiting hitters to a .171 average.

Cleveland pitchers have recorded 780 strikeouts - 31 in this series - to lead baseball while Houston (49-38) hitters have struck out 816 times to top the majors.

"These guys have good pitching," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "Our guys, we haven't been able to scratch out enough."

The Astros, though, also have a major league-best 121 homers and look to add to that total and split this four-game set. They opened it with Monday's 9-4 victory before totaling two runs the next two nights.

Houston could have Luis Valbuena back in the lineup after the third baseman missed the last three games with a sprained big toe. Valbuena, who leads the team with 19 homers, is fourth-worst in the majors with a .203 average.

This would mark Valbuena's first game in Cleveland since he played for the Indians from 2009-11.

Teammate Chris Carter is second-worst with a .190 average and mired in a 3-for-39 slide in his last 10 road games while failing to go deep. He's also hitless in his last 12 at-bats.

Evan Gattis matched Carter with his 15th homer in Wednesday's 4-2 defeat. Gattis is batting .371 during a nine-game hitting streak.

Cleveland (40-44) has captured seven of 10. Michael Brantley is 4 for 7 with a homer and four runs scored in his last two games.

The Astros will recall Brett Oberholtzer (2-1, 4.32) from Triple-A Fresno - his seventh call-up from Triple-A not including rehab stints since 2013 - to start. He was sent there after allowing six runs over 1 1-3 innings in a 9-6 loss to the New York Yankees on June 27 in which he did not get a decision.

The left-hander is 0-3 with a 2.21 ERA in three starts against the Indians in which the Astros have totaled two runs. Lefty-swinging Michael Bourn is 1 for 11 against him and could be rested for this game while Mike Aviles is 2 for 10 in this matchup.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Astros at Indians
Mon, Jul 6 Final 9 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Astros at Indians
Tue, Jul 7 Final 0 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Astros at Indians
Wed, Jul 8 - Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Astros at Indians
Thu, Jul 9 - 7:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Tigers (43-41) at Twins (46-39)
Game: 1
Venue: Target Field
Date: July 09, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

David Price got back on track quickly after one of his least effective performances in the past two months and will try to keep his win streak intact in his final start before the All-Star break.

A matchup with Minnesota could help Price, given his recent outings against the Twins, and he'll try to deny them a fourth consecutive win Thursday night.

Price (8-2, 2.54 ERA) was charged with four earned runs for the first time in 10 starts since May 8 in a 5-4 win against the Chicago White Sox on June 28, but he rebounded with an 8-3 victory versus Toronto on Saturday by yielding one run - on a solo homer - in seven innings.

"I felt good. That's a tough team. They score runs in bunches so I'm definitely very happy with the outcome," the left-hander said.

Price will head to his fifth All-Star Game next week but first will try to earn a fifth consecutive win. He enters this matchup with a 1.90 ERA during his win streak - which has covered six outings - and also has a 1.21 ERA in beating the Twins (46-39) in three straight starts.

He began this season coming one out shy of a shutout in a 4-0 victory April 6 and yielded three runs in 6 1-3 innings in a 5-4 win at Target Field on April 27. Price is 6-1 with a 2.31 ERA in his last eight starts versus the Twins.

With Price's help, the Tigers (43-41) are 7-2 against their AL Central rivals this year and took two of three in their only other visit to Minnesota from April 27-29.

The Tigers head into this series batting .328 and averaging 6.0 runs in their last 12 games despite Miguel Cabrera going on the disabled list Saturday. The first baseman is expected to miss at least six weeks because of a strained left calf.

Detroit had 11 hits in a 5-4 victory over Seattle on Wednesday - its fourth in six games - and Jefry Marte had the first two of his career, a solo homer and an RBI double.

The Twins, meanwhile, completed a three-game sweep of visiting Baltimore with a 5-3 victory Wednesday as Brian Dozier's two-run homer highlighted a three-run sixth and Eric Fryer added a two-run double an inning later.

Dozier, one of five candidates for the AL's final All-Star spot, has a league-best 47 extra-base hits and is among MLB's leaders with 64 runs.

"I hope people are paying attention," manager Paul Molitor said. "You just couldn't ask for more for a first-half performance. I hope he gets rewarded."

Minnesota hasn't won four in a row since matching a season high with five consecutive victories May 23-27, and Mike Pelfrey (5-5, 3.94) will likely need an improved performance to get the Twins there.

The right-hander is 0-3 with an 8.51 ERA in his last five starts and failed to pitch past the fifth inning for the third time in that stretch Saturday, giving up three runs in four-plus innings in a 5-3 win at Kansas City.

Pelfrey was charged with five runs and 10 hits in 4 2-3 innings in a 13-1 loss in Detroit on May 14. He was 2-0 with a 2.29 ERA in his previous three matchups, including a 3-2 home victory April 28.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Tigers at Twins
Thu, Jul 9 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Tigers at Twins
Fri, Jul 10 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Tigers at Twins
Sat, Jul 11 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Tigers at Twins
Sun, Jul 12 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Blue Jays-White Sox Preview

(AP) -- Having finally scored a bevy of runs at home following a record streak, the Chicago White Sox might keep rolling when they face one of the worst road pitchers in the majors.

The White Sox will get a matchup against R.A. Dickey to finish off their four-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday.

Chicago (38-44) had scored four runs or fewer in a team-worst 24 consecutive home games dating back to May 10 before a 7-6 victory in 11 innings Wednesday. Adam Eaton finished off his team's sixth win in eight contests with his sixth homer of the season and had the tying infield single in the sixth.

"In the past week and a half, we've been playing better baseball," Eaton said. "We've been battling and scoring more runs lately, but at least our pitching has been there."

The White Sox will next get to face Dickey, 0-6 with a 6.04 ERA in eight road starts for the worst record there among qualifying starters. He allowed five runs - four in the first inning - and matched a career high by giving up 11 hits over 5 2-3 innings in an 8-3 loss in Detroit on Saturday, his third in a row.

"Sometimes that's the nature of the game. You have a rough first inning, sometimes you have rough fifth innings," Dickey told MLB's official website.

Dickey (3-9, 5.02 ERA) is 2-3 with an 8.69 ERA in six career starts against the White Sox, and his 8.21 ERA in 10 lifetime appearances versus Chicago is his worst against any opponent. He dropped to 0-2 with a 9.56 ERA in his past three matchups May 26.

The knuckleballer gave up five runs in five innings but the Blue Jays were leading when he exited that 10-9 victory. Dickey is 1-2 with a 13.50 ERA in three lifetime road starts against the White Sox with the most recent June 10, 2013.

In his next one, he'll try to keep Toronto (44-43) from dropping to .500 for the first time since it was 30-30 on June 9. The Blue Jays, losers in seven of 10, will face Jeff Samardzija (5-4, 4.33), who is reportedly drawing some trade interest from Toronto.

The right-hander yielded one run in 7 2-3 innings and matched a season high with nine strikeouts Saturday against Baltimore but did not get a decision in a 3-2 home win.

Samardzija has a 3.00 ERA in his last five games and has pitched at least seven innings in six straight, but he has one victory in that stretch, a 6-2 win in Minnesota on June 23. He's gotten a 4.00 run support average in his last five games but has received a combined four runs in 14 2-3 innings in his last two at home.

Samardzija, 1-0 with a 0.64 ERA in two starts against the Blue Jays, gave up one unearned run in seven innings in Toronto on May 27 but did not get a decision in a 5-3 win.

Jose Abreu will try to help him come away with a victory this time while extending a 10-game hit streak. Abreu's three home runs in six career at-bats off Dickey are his most against any pitcher.

Alexei Ramirez, 5 for 13 (.385) with two homers in this matchup, is batting .435 (10 for 23) in a seven-game hit streak to start this month.

Toronto's Russell Martin has four hits in his last nine at-bats against Samardzija, including a pair of doubles, but is 2 for 29 in his past 10 games.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Blue Jays (44-43) at White Sox (38-44)
Game: 4
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: July 09, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

Having finally scored a bevy of runs at home following a record streak, the Chicago White Sox might keep rolling when they face one of the worst road pitchers in the majors.

The White Sox will get a matchup against R.A. Dickey to finish off their four-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday.

Chicago (38-44) had scored four runs or fewer in a team-worst 24 consecutive home games dating back to May 10 before a 7-6 victory in 11 innings Wednesday. Adam Eaton finished off his team's sixth win in eight contests with his sixth homer of the season and had the tying infield single in the sixth.

"In the past week and a half, we've been playing better baseball," Eaton said. "We've been battling and scoring more runs lately, but at least our pitching has been there."

The White Sox will next get to face Dickey, 0-6 with a 6.04 ERA in eight road starts for the worst record there among qualifying starters. He allowed five runs - four in the first inning - and matched a career high by giving up 11 hits over 5 2-3 innings in an 8-3 loss in Detroit on Saturday, his third in a row.

"Sometimes that's the nature of the game. You have a rough first inning, sometimes you have rough fifth innings," Dickey told MLB's official website.

Dickey (3-9, 5.02 ERA) is 2-3 with an 8.69 ERA in six career starts against the White Sox, and his 8.21 ERA in 10 lifetime appearances versus Chicago is his worst against any opponent. He dropped to 0-2 with a 9.56 ERA in his past three matchups May 26.

The knuckleballer gave up five runs in five innings but the Blue Jays were leading when he exited that 10-9 victory. Dickey is 1-2 with a 13.50 ERA in three lifetime road starts against the White Sox with the most recent June 10, 2013.

In his next one, he'll try to keep Toronto (44-43) from dropping to .500 for the first time since it was 30-30 on June 9. The Blue Jays, losers in seven of 10, will face Jeff Samardzija (5-4, 4.33), who is reportedly drawing some trade interest from Toronto.

The right-hander yielded one run in 7 2-3 innings and matched a season high with nine strikeouts Saturday against Baltimore but did not get a decision in a 3-2 home win.

Samardzija has a 3.00 ERA in his last five games and has pitched at least seven innings in six straight, but he has one victory in that stretch, a 6-2 win in Minnesota on June 23. He's gotten a 4.00 run support average in his last five games but has received a combined four runs in 14 2-3 innings in his last two at home.

Samardzija, 1-0 with a 0.64 ERA in two starts against the Blue Jays, gave up one unearned run in seven innings in Toronto on May 27 but did not get a decision in a 5-3 win.

Jose Abreu will try to help him come away with a victory this time while extending a 10-game hit streak. Abreu's three home runs in six career at-bats off Dickey are his most against any pitcher.

Alexei Ramirez, 5 for 13 (.385) with two homers in this matchup, is batting .435 (10 for 23) in a seven-game hit streak to start this month.

Toronto's Russell Martin has four hits in his last nine at-bats against Samardzija, including a pair of doubles, but is 2 for 29 in his past 10 games.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Blue Jays at White Sox
Mon, Jul 6 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Blue Jays at White Sox
Tue, Jul 7 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Blue Jays at White Sox
Wed, Jul 8 Final 6 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Blue Jays at White Sox
Thu, Jul 9 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Braves (42-43) at Rockies (35-49)
Game: 1
Venue: Coors Field
Date: July 09, 2015 8:40 PM EDT

The Atlanta Braves have played some of their best baseball in recent weeks thanks in large part to an increase in offensive production.

That figures to only continue at hitter-friendly Coors Field on Thursday night when the Braves open a four-game series with the slumping Colorado Rockies.

Atlanta (42-43) had averaged just 2.1 runs in 14 games since Freddie Freeman landed on the DL with a right wrist injury, but the team has gathered some offensive momentum since, scoring 4.6 runs per game in five contests.

That production was good enough for the Braves to take the first two in their three-game set with Milwaukee before a 6-5 defeat Wednesday.

Cameron Maybin has hit safely in eight straight while touting a .394 average in that span and Kelly Johnson has two homers and seven RBIs in his last five, as the Braves have won seven of 10.

Alex Wood (6-5, 3.34 ERA) enjoyed the bulk of that offensive support Saturday when he allowed four runs in six innings in a 9-5 win over Philadelphia. The left-hander preceded that outing with 7 1-3 shutout innings at Pittsburgh on June 28 - what Wood called "the best start of the year" - but was far less prideful of his most recent performance.

'Pretty ugly,' Wood told MLB's official website. 'Probably the worst I've had in terms of command of all my pitches.'

Wood has never pitched at Coors Field, and will oppose a Rockies lineup that has struggled to score lately. Colorado (35-49) tied for MLB's third-best offense with 4.6 runs per game through June 26, but the Rockies have since averaged just 2.6 runs while losing nine of their last 11.

Following a 3-7 road trip, Colorado was swept in a brief two-game home set with the Los Angeles Angels, losing 3-2 on Wednesday.

Nolan Arenado had three hits in the loss to remain a bright spot despite the club's struggles. The All-Star is hitting .326 with nine home runs and 21 RBIs in his last 23 games.

Troy Tulowitzki had a single Wednesday to extend his hitting streak to 20 games, matching Cleveland's Jason Kipnis for the longest in the majors this season. Tulowitzki has also reached base in 35 consecutive games.

On the mound for Colorado will be Kyle Kendrick (3-10, 6.00), who has allowed 23 home runs - most among qualifying starters - and ranks toward the bottom of baseball in ERA, WHIP (1.45) and strikeouts per nine innings (4.76).

Those numbers only grow uglier at home, where the right-hander has a 6.70 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and 4.10 strikeouts per nine, though he did win his last outing with four runs allowed over six innings in a 10-5 victory over Arizona on June 23.

Kendrick last faced Atlanta while with Philadelphia, and he beat the Braves with seven shutout innings on Sept 2.

The Braves have won 16 of 21 against the Rockies, but dropped the last two meetings at Coors Field.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Braves at Rockies
Thu, Jul 9 - 8:40PM EDT

GAME 2
Braves at Rockies
Fri, Jul 10 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Braves at Rockies
Sat, Jul 11 - 4:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Braves at Rockies
Sun, Jul 12 - 4:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Angels (46-38) at Mariners (39-46)
Game: 1
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: July 09, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez has an ERA under 1.00 in his last nine starts against the Los Angeles Angels.

Garrett Richards can say the same about his ERA in his last five outings versus the Mariners.

A premier pitching duel between Hernandez and Richards is on tap for Thursday night's opener of a four-game series at Safeco Field.

Hernandez (10-5, 3.02 ERA) is 5-0 with a 0.93 ERA in his last nine outings against Los Angeles, with the Mariners (39-46) winning the first eight of that stretch. He is 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA in three starts versus the Angels this year, with Albert Pujols 2 for 8 against him and Mike Trout 1 for 7 with a homer.

Trout batted .367 against Hernandez before this season while Pujols is 10 for 45 with 12 strikeouts overall in this matchup.

Three Los Angeles regulars are hitless against "King Felix" this year. Kole Calhoun is 0 for 8 and David Freese and Chris Iannetta are each 0 for 6.

The Angels were ecstatic after ending their eight-game slide when facing Hernandez in a 3-2, 10-inning win June 28. He struck out eight in six scoreless innings.

"He's got some of the best stuff I've ever seen," Calhoun said. "So anytime you can win a game that Felix starts, it's a good day."

Since becoming the AL's first 10-game winner June 17, Hernandez is 0-2 with a 2.75 ERA in three starts. The right-hander allowed two runs and a season-high 10 hits over seven innings in Saturday's 2-0 loss at Oakland.

He'll up against a formidable opponent in Richards (9-5, 3.35), who is 3-0 with a 0.97 ERA in his last five outings against Seattle, including 2-0 with a 1.84 ERA in two this year. Logan Morrison is 3 for 6 against Richards this year while teammates Seth Smith, Brad Miller, Nelson Cruz and Dustin Ackley all have career averages of .214 or worse in this matchup.

Richards has thrown 14 1-3 consecutive scoreless innings at Seattle. He improved to 4-1 with a 2.04 ERA in his last five outings after allowing one run over 7 2-3 innings in Friday's 8-2 victory at Texas.

Los Angeles seeks a season-high sixth straight win after sweeps in Texas and Colorado. Trout homered twice in Wednesday's 3-2 victory over the Rockies and Erick Aybar continued his torrid hitting by going 2 for 4.

'It's one of those nights,' Trout said. 'I got some pitches to hit and barreled them up.'

Aybar, a .220 hitter versus Hernandez, is 11 for 21 with four doubles in this win streak during which the Angels have averaged 9.2 runs and gone 25 for 56 (.446) with runners in scoring position.

Seattle, meanwhile, is batting a major league-low .205 with runners in scoring position this season after going 0 for 14 in Wednesday's 5-4 home loss to Detroit.

'You certainly would like to be more efficient in those spots,' said Trent Jewett, filling in as Mariners manager with Lloyd McClendon away from the team to attend his sister's funeral. 'We obviously had plenty of opportunities to push a lot more across.'

McClendon is expected to rejoin the team for this series.

Center fielder Austin Jackson, who is 1 for 13 against Richards, left with back spasms and is unlikely to play Thursday.

Aybar is hitting a team-best .385 in the season series with the Angels winning six of nine matchups.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Angels at Mariners
Thu, Jul 9 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Angels at Mariners
Fri, Jul 10 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Angels at Mariners
Sat, Jul 11 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Angels at Mariners
Sun, Jul 12 - 4:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Phillies (29-58) at Dodgers (48-38)
Game: 4
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: July 09, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Zack Greinke doesn't care about potentially starting the All-Star Game for the first time. Instead, he's looking to continue the most dominant stretch of his career Thursday night against the lowly Philadelphia Phillies.

Greinke (7-2, 1.48 ERA) owns the lowest ERA in the majors, and his 0.89 WHIP and .200 batting average against are among the lowest qualifying in each category.

The right-hander has also tossed a career-high 27 2-3 scoreless innings - the longest such streak by a Dodgers pitcher since Clayton Kershaw had a 41-inning run last year - while going 2-0 over his last four starts.

"It's been pretty good," Greinke said of his first half of the season. "Mainly just trying to stay one pitch at a time."

Another gem in the finale of this four-game set for Los Angeles (48-38) could make Greinke the NL starter in Tuesday's Midsummer Classic.

"I don't really think about it," he said.

Greinke looked deserving of the honor Saturday, scattering four hits in seven innings while outpitching Matt Harvey in a 4-3 win over the New York Mets.

"He's doing what he always does," manager Don Mattingly said. "He knows exactly where he wants to go with every guy. Zack has got the weapons and he does his homework."

Greinke has won three straight starts against the Phillies (29-58), allowing two runs with 14 strikeouts in 14 1-3 innings over his last two.

Kershaw - whose All-Star status is subject to a final vote - tossed an eight-hitter with 13 strikeouts in Tuesday's 5-0 victory.

Jimmy Rollins, the 2007 NL MVP and three-time All-Star with the Phillies, is 4 for 12 with five RBIs and four runs in his first series against his former team after connecting for a three-run homer and a double Tuesday.

Philadelphia owns the worst record in baseball and has lost 11 of 14 games thanks in large part to a 7.07 ERA from its rotation. The starters have failed to complete at least six innings nine times in that span.

The Phillies' bullpen is one of those most used in the majors at 281 2-3 innings, 31 2-3 more than at this point last year.

"We just can't afford to use the bullpen," manager Pete Mackanin told MLB's official website. "We've got to get more length."

Expecting that from Severino Gonzalez (3-2, 8.28) is a stretch since he's yet to complete six innings in any of his six starts.

Still, rebuilding Philadelphia felt it was more valuable to have the rookie right-hander back in the rotation after Kevin Correia was designated for assignment Tuesday.

Gonzalez's last appearance came as the 26th player due to a doubleheader against Washington on June 28. He gave up four runs - three on two homers - and struck out seven in 5 1-3 innings of an 8-5 win as the teams split the twinbill.

Gonzalez allowed five runs and two homers while hitting two batters in seven innings of his most recent start for Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Friday.

Freddy Galvis, Rollins' replacement at shortstop for the Phillies, is 17 for 39 (.436) during a career-high 10-game hitting streak.

Domonic Brown has three hits in the last two games, lifting his season average 20 points to .205. His lone hit in nine at-bats versus Greinke is a solo homer.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Phillies at Dodgers
Mon, Jul 6 Final 7 to 10
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Phillies at Dodgers
Tue, Jul 7 Final 7 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Phillies at Dodgers
Wed, Jul 8 Final 0 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Phillies at Dodgers
Thu, Jul 9 - 10:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday's Tip Sheet

July 9, 2015

Cardinals at Pirates – 7:05 PM EST

The premiere matchup of the weekend takes place at PNC Park as the top two teams in the National League hook up for four games. The Cardinals escaped Chicago with a four-game split following Jhonny Peralta’s two-run homer in the ninth inning of Wednesday’s 6-5 victory. St. Louis blew a 4-0 lead, but managed to win its seventh road game in the past 10 tries.

The Pirates pulled off a three-game home sweep of the Padres, rallying past San Diego for the third straight night in Wednesday’s 5-2 victory as -130 favorites. Pittsburgh has won eight of its previous nine games, sending out southpaw Jeff Locke (5-4, 4.15 ERA) to the mound for tonight’s opener. The Bucs own a 4-1 record in Locke’s last five outings, including a 1-0 victory over Cleveland in his past start, tossing eight scoreless innings. Pittsburgh has won each of Locke’s three career home starts against St. Louis, including a 4-3 triumph back in May.

Carlos Martinez (9-3, 2.70 ERA) has been fantastic since entering the Cardinals’ rotation full-time with St. Louis are 8-1 in his past nine starts. The Redbirds own a 7-0-1 mark to the ‘under’ in Martinez’s last eight outings, with opponents scoring two runs or less seven times in this stretch. Martinez allowed seven earned runs in 5.1 innings the last time he faced the Pirates at PNC Park in May, as the Cardinals lost, 7-5.

Tigers at Twins – 8:05 PM EST

Not many people would have predicted that Minnesota would own a better record than Detroit at this point of the season. The Twins own a 2 ½-game advantage over the Tigers heading into their four-game set at Target Field after Minnesota pulled off a three-game home sweep of Baltimore. Detroit continues its road trip after taking two of three at Seattle, while continuing their amazing ‘over’ streak, cashing in 19 straight games following Wednesday’s 5-4 victory.

David Price (8-2, 2.54 ERA) has turned into nearly an automatic victory every time he pitches for Detroit, as the Tigers have compiled an incredible 14-3 record when the southpaw starts. Price dominated a solid Toronto lineup in his previous outing, yielding eight hits and one earned run in seven innings of an 8-3 home victory. The Tigers have beaten the Twins seven of nine times this season, while Price is 2-0 against Minnesota.

Mike Pelfrey (5-5, 3.94 ERA) is winless in his last five starts for Minnesota, even though the Twins beat the Royals in his past outing as a +145 road underdog. Pelfrey’s numbers away from Target Field are horrible (6.02 ERA), but he has pitched much better at home, with the Twins owning a 6-1 record when the right-hander takes the mound at Target Field. Pelfrey has split a pair of starts against Detroit this season, including a 3-2 home underdog victory on April 28.

Phillies at Dodgers – 10:05 PM EST

Los Angeles got things back on track following Tuesday’s 7-2 loss to Philadelphia, as Clayton Kershaw tossed a complete-game shutout in last night’s 5-0 rout of the Phillies. The Dodgers easily cashed as hefty -335 favorites, while L.A. improved to 6-0 in its past six games off a loss. Los Angeles is seeking consecutive home wins for the first time since early June when the Dodgers swept the Diamondbacks.

After Kershaw kept the Phillies scoreless, the Dodgers turn to their second ace in the series finale. Zack Greinke (7-2, 1.48 ERA) hasn’t allowed a run in his last four outings, while coming off a 4-3 win over the Mets in his past start as a -170 favorite. New York rallied late from a 4-0 deficit to score three runs off the Los Angeles bullpen, while snapping a five-game ‘under’ streak when Greinke takes the mound. The Dodgers are 4-1 in Greinke’s five starts as a favorite of at least -200 this season, while being listed as a favorite higher than -300 for the first time in his career.

Severino Gonzalez (3-2, 8.28 ERA) has a tall task for Philadelphia, going for his second straight win. The right-hander beat the Nationals as a +145 home underdog in his previous outing on June 28, in spite of allowing four earned runs in 5.1 innings. In spite of Philadelphia’s woes on the highway, the Phillies are 2-2 in Gonzalez’s two away starts, beating the Rockies and Marlins as a road underdog.

Angels at Mariners – 10:10 PM EST

The AL West race has gotten interesting of late as the Angels are riding a five-game winning streak following a two-game sweep of Colorado. Los Angeles has trimmed the division deficit to 1 ½ games behind Houston, while winning nine of its past 10 contests. The Mariners continue their homestand after losing two of three to the Tigers. Seattle has dropped six of nine meetings with Los Angeles, but in two of their wins, the M’s have relied on the arm of their ace.

Felix Hernandez (10-5, 3.02 ERA) is winless in his past three starts, which includes a no-decision in a 3-2 extra-innings loss to the Angels on June 28. Hernandez gave up only one hit in six innings, as the Mariners’ offense hasn’t helped out the former Cy Young winner, scoring two runs or less in each of his past seven outings. Seattle is 6-3 in Hernandez’s nine starts at Safeco Field, but has allowed at least four earned runs in three of his past five home outings.

The Angels look to stay hot behind Garrett Richards (9-5, 3.35 ERA), who has won four of his past five starts. Richards has pitched into the eighth inning in each of his last two outings, including allowing two earned runs in 7.2 innings of a 4-2 home victory over the Mariners on June 27 as a -140 favorite. The Angels own a 3-1 record in Richards’ four starts as a road underdog, while giving up one hit in seven innings of a 2-0 victory at Safeco Field last April.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Thursday, July 9


National League
Cardinals @ Pirates
Martinez is 6-1, 1.50 in his last nine starts; under is 7-0-1 in his last eight.

Locke is 2-1, 2.17 in his last five starts, four of which stayed under.

St Louis won seven of last nine games with Pittsburgh; home side won nine of last ten series games. Cardinals won four of last six games, with last three going over total. Pirates won eight of last nine games; under is 4-1-1 in their last six games.

Reds @ Marlins
Lorenzen is 2-1, 3.18 in his last four starts, three of which stayed under. If the Reds use Holmberg here-- this would be his first '15 start. Holmberg was 2-2, 5.08 in his first six MLB starts ('13 and '14)- he is 4-6, 4.78 in 15 AAA starts so far this season.

Fernandez allowed three runs in six IP (89 PT) in his first '15 start.

Cincinnati lost seven of last 11 games overall; five of their last nine went over. Marlins lost last four games, outscored 19-8; under is 3-1-1 in their last five- they lost three of last four games with the Reds- five of last six series games stayed under.

Braves @ Rockies
Wood is 2-1, 3.08 in his last four starts; under is 5-2-1 in his last eight.

Kendrick is 1-2, 6.45 in his last four starts, three of which went over.

Braves won six of last eight games (under 5-2-1); they won seven of last ten games with Colorado, which lost nine of last 11 games (over 3-1 last four).

Phillies @ Dodgers
Gonzalez is 1-1, 9.49 in his last three starts; five of his six starts went over.

Greinke is 2-1, 0.64 in his last six starts, five of which stayed under; he hasn't allowed a run in his last four starts (27.2 IP).

Philly lost eight of last ten games; over is 7-3-1 in their last 11 . Phillies are 6-5 in last 11 games with Dodgers; under is 8-4-1 in last 13 series games. LA is 6-5 in last 11 home games; six of their last nine home games went over.

American League
A's @ Bronx
Chavez is 1-2, 6.35 in his last three starts; his last five went over.

Tanaka is 0-2, 7.04 in his last four starts, last three of which went over.

Oakland won six of last eight games with Bronx; five of last seven went over the total. A's are 5-7 in last 12 games; six of their last eight games stayed under. Bronx is 4-2 in last six games; under is 6-2-1 in their last nine.

Astros @ Indians
Oberholtzer is 2-0, 4.64 in his last four starts; four of his last five went over.

Anderson is 1-1, 0.76 in his first three MLB starts, two of which stayed under the total- Indians scored eight runs in the three games.

Houston lost nine of last 11 games with Cleveland; 12 of last 13 series games stayed under. Astros are 9-19 in last 28 road games. Indians lost three of last five games; four of their last six stayed under the total.

Tigers @ Twins
Price is 4-0, 1.90 in his last six starts, five of which went over.

Pelfrey is 0-3, 8.43 in his last five starts; under is 5-2-2 in his last nine.

Twins won four of last five games; under is 5-1-2 in their last eight games; they lost eight of last ten games with Detroit (under 6-4). Tigers won four of last six games; their last 18 games all went over the total.

Rays @ Royals
Karns is 1-1, 1.78 in his last five starts, four of which stayed under.

Ventura comes off DL to start here; he is 0-3, 4.95 in his last four starts; in his last six starts, under is 5-0-1.

Tampa Bay lost nine of last 11 games with Kansas City; over is 8-3-2 in last 13 series games. Rays lost ten of last 11 games (over 9-1-1). Royals won five of last six games; with last three going over the total.

Blue Jays @ White Sox
Dickey is 0-3, 5.30 in his last three starts; over is 5-3-2 in his last ten.

Samardzija is 1-0, 2.79 in his last four starts; over is 4-2-1 in his last seven.

Toronto lost seven of last ten games; six of their last eight went over total. Jays lost eight of last 12 games with Chicago; under is 7-4 in last 11 series games. White Sox won six of last eight games; four of their last six stayed under the total.

Angels @ Mariners
Richards is 4-1, 2.29 in his last five starts; under is 3-1 in his last four.

Hernandez is 1-2, 1.95 in his last four starts; eight of his last ten went under.

Angels played late into night in Denver Wednesday, could be tired here vs King Felix. Halos won five in row, nine of last ten games; four of their last five went over. Angels also won six of last eight games with Seattle- last four series games stayed under the total. Mariners are 4-0 in game following their last four losses; four of their last six games overall went over.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
StL-Pitt-- Martinez 13-3; Locke 9-7
Cin-Mia-- Lorenzen 5-6; Fernandez 1-0
Atl-Colo-- Wood 7-10; Kendrick 4-13
Phil-LA-- Gonzalez 3-3; Greinke 11-6

A's-NY-- Chavez 4-10; Tanaka 7-3
Tor-Chi-- Dickey 7-10; Samardzija 8-9
TB-KC-- Karns 7-10; Ventura 4-8
Hst-Clev-- Oberholtzer 4-3; Anderson 2-1
Det-Min-- Price 14-3; Pelfrey 10-6
LAA-Sea-- Richards 10-5; Hernandez 11-6

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
StL-Pitt-- Martinez 2-16; Locke 4-16
Cin-Mia-- Lorenzen 4-11; Fernandez 1-1
Atl-Colo-- Wood 5-17; Kendrick 11-17
Phil-LA-- Gonzalez 4-6; Greinke 5-17

A's-NY-- Chavez 2-14; Tanaka 3-10
Tor-Chi-- Dickey 4-17; Samardzija 8-17
TB-KC-- Karns 6-17; Ventura 4-12
Hst-Clev-- Oberholtzer 3-7; Anderson 0-3
Det-Min-- Price 3-17; Pelfrey 2-16
LAA-Sea-- Richards 1-15; Hernandez 4-17

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, July 9

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trend Report
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1:05 PM
OAKLAND vs. NY YANKEES
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Oakland's last 7 games when playing NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Oakland's last 8 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of NY Yankees's last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of NY Yankees's last 12 games at home

2:10 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Tampa Bay's last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing Kansas City
Kansas City is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Tampa Bay
Kansas City is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay

2:10 PM
TORONTO vs. CHI WHITE SOX
Toronto is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Toronto's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 12 of Chi White Sox's last 14 games at home
Chi White Sox are 8-4 SU in their last 12 games when playing Toronto

7:05 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone OVER in 7 of St. Louis's last 10 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 6 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games at home

7:10 PM
HOUSTON vs. CLEVELAND
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Houston

7:10 PM
CINCINNATI vs. MIAMI
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 6 games when playing Miami
Cincinnati is 7-17-1 SU in its last 25 games ,on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Miami's last 6 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games at home

8:10 PM
DETROIT vs. MINNESOTA
Detroit is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games on the road
Minnesota is 2-8 SU in its last 10 games when playing Detroit
Minnesota is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

8:40 PM
ATLANTA vs. COLORADO
Atlanta is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing on the road against Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 6 games when playing on the road against Colorado
Colorado is 1-5-1 SU in its last 7 games ,
Colorado is 5-17 SU in its last 22 games when playing Atlanta

10:10 PM
LA ANGELS vs. SEATTLE
LA Angels4-0-1 SU in their last 5 games
LA Angels are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Seattle
Seattle is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 5 games at home

10:10 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. LA DODGERS
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Philadelphia's last 10 games on the road
Philadelphia is 4-17 SU in its last 21 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Thursday, July 9


MLB roundup: Gomez homers twice as Brewers rally

MILWAUKEE -- Carlos Gomez hit two home runs -- including a three-run, go-ahead shot in the eighth inning -- as the Milwaukee Brewers rallied for a 6-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.

The Brewers trailed 4-0 after the Braves hit two home runs in the third inning -- a three-run shot by Cameron Maybin and a solo blast by Kelly Johnson.

Khris Davis hit a two-run homer for the Brewers in the fourth inning, and Gomez hit a solo homer in the sixth inning and the winner in the eighth. It was the third multi-home run game of Gomez's career and his first in nearly two seasons.

Mets 4, Giants 1

SAN FRANCISCO -- All-Star Jacob deGrom pitched eight shutout innings and combined with two relievers on a five-hitter as New York beat San Francisco.

Eric Campbell singled and scored off right-hander Jake Peavy in the seventh inning, then belted a two-run, game-clinching home run off reliever Jean Machi in the ninth, enabling the Mets to win two out of three in a series that featured two shutouts.

DeGrom (9-6) became just the NL's seventh nine-game winner, and he lowered his ERA to 2.14, the fifth-best mark in the league.

Twins 5, Orioles 3

MINNEAPOLIS -- Brian Dozier's sixth-inning home run kick-started the Twins' offense as Minnesota earned its first sweep of Baltimore since 2007.

One of five players competing in the American League's Final Vote campaign for the last spot in next week's All-Star Game, Dozier had two hits and stole two bases. His two-run blast in the sixth off Bud Norris gave Minnesota a 2-1 lead. It was his 18th homer of the season, the most among big-league second basemen.

Joe Mauer followed with a solo home run into the seats in left field, the first time this season Minnesota hit back-to-back home runs.

Tigers 5, Mariners 4

SEATTLE -- Rookie Jefry Marte went 2-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs and Nick Castellanos delivered the go-ahead sacrifice fly in the seventh inning as Detroit beat Seattle.

Castellanos also hit an RBI single in the first inning, and Marte homered in the fourth inning to put Detroit up 4-2.

Dustin Ackley drove in two runs for Seattle, and Mark Trumbo went 3-for-5 and scored twice.

Indians 4, Astros 2

CLEVELAND -- David Murphy's two-run double in the eighth inning broke at 2-2 tie and lifted Cleveland past Houston.

With one out in the bottom of the eighth, Francisco Lindor doubled off Joe Thatcher (1-3). Michael Brantley drew a walk. Murphy then ripped a line drive over the head of right fielder Preston Tucker. The ball bounced off the wall for a double, driving in both runners and giving Cleveland a 4-2 lead.

Trevor Bauer (8-5) gave up two runs on six hits, with nine strikeouts and no walks to get the win. Cody Allen pitched the ninth inning to pick up his 17th save.

Red Sox 6, Marlins 3

BOSTON -- Rick Porcello snapped a career-worst seven-game losing streak with a little help from his offense, and Boston stretched its winning streak to a season-high four games with a win over Miami.

Porcello (5-9) lasted six innings, allowing two runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out four as Boston swept the two-game series.

David Ortiz had two hits, including a two-run homer in the Red Sox's four-run third inning. Koji Uehara picked up his 21st save by throwing a scoreless ninth inning.

Pirates 5, Padres 2

PITTSBURGH -- Gregory Polanco delivered his second winning hit in as many games, driving home Travis Ishikawa from first base with a two-out single off the right field wall in the eighth inning to give Pittsburgh a victory over San Diego.

Pittsburgh won its fifth straight, and San Diego lost its fifth in a row. It was also Pittsburgh's 22nd come-from-behind win of the season.

Padres starter Andrew Cashner was in control through six innings, allowing just one hit as San Diego clung to a 2-1 lead. However, Pittsburgh broke through in the seventh to tie the score after Neil Walker led off with a double, advanced to third on Jung Ho Kang's fly ball and scored on Francisco Cervelli's groundout.

Yankees 5, A's 4

NEW YORK -- Mark Teixeira hit solo home runs in consecutive at-bats, and New York held off Oakland.

Teixeira recorded his 39th career game with at least two home runs and second this season but did not get a chance at a third home run when he was intentionally walked with two outs in the seventh.

Both home runs came off reliever Evan Scribner (2-2), who came on after Oakland starter Scott Kazmir exited with left triceps tightness in the third inning.

Cardinals 6, Cubs 5

CHICAGO -- Jhonny Peralta's two-run homer in the ninth helped lift St. Louis to a come-from-behind victory over Chicago.

The victory salvaged a 2-2 series split for the Cardinals while the Cubs saw a two-game winning streak snapped.

Peralta lined a 1-2 pitch off reliever Pedro Strop into the left-field basket for his 12th homer of the year and scored pinch runner Pete Kozma.

White Sox 7, Blue Jays 6 (11 innings)

-- CHICAGO – Adam Eaton drilled a walk-off solo homer on the second pitch in the 11th inning to give Chicago a victory against Toronto at U.S. Cellular Field.

Eaton's sixth homer of the season came off right-handed closer Roberto Osuna, who had picked up his fourth save the night before after cementing the closer's role for Toronto.

Chicago finally had a big night offensively at home. The White Sox finished with 16 hits and scored more than four runs in front of their home fans for the first time since May 9, a string of 24 straight games.

Diamondbacks 7, Rangers 4

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Arizona took advantage of scoring opportunities with two outs to beat Texas and complete a two-game sweep of the interleague series.

The Diamondbacks scored all seven of their runs with two outs, with homers from A.J. Pollock and Welington Castillo the big blows.

Pollock's three-run homer capped a five-run second inning against Texas starter Matt Harrison, who was making his first big-league start since last May because of a back issue that led to spinal fusion surgery.

Royals 9, Rays 7

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Lorenzo Cain and Jarrod Dyson homered and Alcides Escobar stroked four hits as Kansas City held on to beat skidding Tampa Bay.

The victory, however, may have been costly for the Royals as All-Star left fielder Alex Gordon was carted from the field in the fourth inning with a left groin injury. He was taken for a MRI to determine the severity of the injury.

Rays right-hander Chris Archer (9-6), who was a candidate to start the All-Star game, had his worst outing of his career, giving up a career-high nine runs and 12 hits in six innings. Archer entered the game 6-0 with a 0.77 ERA in seven road starts this season. He had allowed three or fewer earned runs in a club-record 20 straight road starts.

Dodgers 5, Phillies 0

LOS ANGELES -- Clayton Kershaw pitched a complete-game shutout, leading Los Angeles to a shutout victory over Philadelphia at Dodger Stadium.

Catcher A.J. Ellis and shortstop Jimmy Rollins homered as the National League West-leading Dodgers bounced back from a 7-2 thrashing by the Phillies on Tuesday. Ellis went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, while Rollins was 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

Kershaw (6-6), who hasn’t allowed a run by the Phillies in 31 innings, struck out 13 and scattered eight hits. It was Kershaw’s first win since he blanked the St. Louis Cardinals for eight innings in an 8-0 romp by Los Angeles on June 6.

Angels 3, Rockies 2

DENVER -- A single by Johnny Giavotella with two outs and the bases loaded in the ninth gave Los Angeles a win over Colorado and a sweep of their two-game series.

Giavotella, who has thrived in late-inning situations, singled off closer John Axford (1-2). The game-winning rally began when David Freese singled with one out.

Joe Smith (3-2) pitched the eighth and former Rockies closer Huston Street earned his 24th save in 26 opportunities this season.

Reds at Nationals, ppd. (rain)

WASHINGTON -- The series finale between Cincinnati and Washington was rained out. A makeup date was not immediately announced.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Thursday, July 9


St. Louis @ Pittsburgh

Game 901-902
July 9, 2015 @ 7:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
St. Louis
(Martinez) 14.951
Pittsburgh
(Locke) 16.448
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Pittsburgh
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Pittsburgh
-110
7
Dunkel Pick:
Pittsburgh
(-110); Under

Cincinnati @ Miami

Game 903-904
July 9, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Cincinnati
(Holmberg) 13.895
Miami
(Fernandez) 15.427
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Miami
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Miami
-160
7
Dunkel Pick:
Miami
(-160); Under

Atlanta @ Colorado

Game 905-906
July 9, 2015 @ 8:40 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Atlanta
(Wood) 14.572
Colorado
(Kendrick) 16.104
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Colorado
by 1 1/2
12
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Atlanta
-115
10 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Colorado
(-105); Over

Philadelphia @ LA Dodgers

Game 907-908
July 9, 2015 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Philadelphia
(Gonzalez) 15.725
LA Dodgers
(Greinke) 14.779
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Philadelphia
by 1
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
LA Dodgers
-400
7
Dunkel Pick:
Philadelphia
(+320); Over

Oakland @ NY Yankees

Game 909-910
July 9, 2015 @ 1:05 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Oakland
(Chavez) 15.078
NY Yankees
(Tanaka) 16.618
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
NY Yankees
by 1 1/2
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
NY Yankees
-145
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
NY Yankees
(-145); Under

Toronto @ Chicago White Sox

Game 911-912
July 9, 2015 @ 2:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Toronto
(Dickey) 14.594
Chicago White Sox
(Samardzija) 16.919
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Chicago White Sox
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Chicago White Sox
-110
8 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Chicago White Sox
(-110); Under

Tampa Bay @ Kansas City

Game 913-914
July 9, 2015 @ 2:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Tampa Bay
(Karns) 13.780
Kansas City
(Ventura) 15.816
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Kansas City
by 2
8
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Kansas City
-140
7
Dunkel Pick:
Kansas City
(-140); Over

Houston @ Cleveland

Game 915-916
July 9, 2015 @ 7:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Houston
(Oberhltzr) 14.396
Cleveland
(Anderson) 18.174
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Cleveland
by 4
6
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Cleveland
-135
7 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Cleveland
(-135); Under

Detroit @ Minnesota

Game 917-918
July 9, 2015 @ 8:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Detroit
(Price) 14.892
Minnesota
(Pelfrey) 13.346
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Detroit
by 1 1/2
9
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Detroit
-150
8
Dunkel Pick:
Detroit
(-150); Over

LA Angels @ Seattle

Game 919-920
July 9, 2015 @ 10:10 pm

Dunkel Rating:
LA Angels
(Richards) 15.400
Seattle
(Hernandez) 16.846
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Seattle
by 1 1/2
7
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Seattle
-130
6 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Seattle
(-130); Over