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**StarDust Bum** · 08-04-2015, 10:21 AM

Preview: Red Sox (47-59) at Yankees (59-45)
Game: 1
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: August 04, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

The New York Yankees' big bats allowed them to post a winning record on a grueling road trip and maintain a solid lead in the AL East.

That might be bad news for the Boston Red Sox, who will send a rookie to the mound for his major league debut as these archrivals open a three-game series at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night.

New York (59-45) completed a season high-tying 10-game trip with a 12-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, giving it a 6-4 mark in that stretch. The Yankees have scored 77 runs in the last nine games.

The Nos. 7-9 hitters in the lineup - Chase Headley, Didi Gregorius and Stephen Drew - went 7 for 12 with eight runs and six RBIs on Sunday.

"When the bottom of the order is as productive as it's been the last week or so, it just makes our entire team better," first baseman Mark Teixeira, who homered for the fifth time in four games, told MLB's official website. "You can score a lot of runs that way."

Gregorius has gone 12 for his last 25 and was 14 for 32 (.438) with 12 RBIs on the trip. Headley is batting .439 with 13 runs and 11 RBIs in an 11-game hitting streak while Drew finished a home run short of the cycle Sunday.

'This whole road trip, from top to bottom, everybody was doing their job,' Gregorius said. 'Everybody's getting on base. Everybody's scoring, so that's what we want.'

Masahiro Tanaka (7-4, 3.80 ERA) looks to be the latest pitcher to benefit from the offensive largesse. The right-hander struggled in a four-run, six-inning performance in a 5-2 loss to Texas on Wednesday.

While generally solid over the past six weeks, Tanaka hasn't rediscovered the form of his first seven starts in which he posted a 2.49 ERA. Though he didn't allow a home run his last time out, he's given up 15 in 14 starts this season - matching his total in 20 starts last year - and 11 in the past seven outings.

He faced Boston once this season, going five innings and giving up three earned runs in a 14-4 home victory April 12.

That was the first loss in a 1-6 stretch in the season series for the Red Sox (47-59), who had won three in a row before falling 4-3 to Tampa Bay at home Sunday. The Rays' two-run, eighth-inning rally spoiled Boston's bid for its first sweep of a series of three or more games since early June.

The Red Sox had given up 43 runs in the previous seven games, and their 4.52 ERA is among the worst in the major leagues.

Rick Porcello had struggled to a 5.81 ERA before heading to the disabled list with soreness in his triceps Sunday. Taking his spot in the rotation Tuesday will be Henry Owens, a 23-year-old left-hander who posted a 3.16 ERA at Triple-A Pawtucket.

He's struggled with location at times, averaging 4.1 walks per nine innings. The Yankees are drawing 3.3 per game, among the most in the majors, and 5.3 in the past six contests.

"One, we wanted to insert another starter and not move guys up," manager John Farrell said of Owens taking Porcello's spot. "We wanted to provide an extra day of rest. So Tuesday is Henry's day. It's going to be probably the biggest stage he's going to make his debut on, (as) the schedule has it. But ideally having another left-hander go against that lineup in that ballpark (would give us an edge)."

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Red Sox at Yankees
Tue, Aug 4 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Red Sox at Yankees
Wed, Aug 5 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Red Sox at Yankees
Thu, Aug 6 - 7:05PM EDT

--------------------

MLBA HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 12, 2015 Score ATS Results
NYY « 8 Cover: +100
BOS 6 Over: 14
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Jul 11, 2015 Score ATS Results
NYY 3 Under: 8
BOS « 5 Cover: +100
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Jul 10, 2015 Score ATS Results
NYY « 5 Cover: +100
BOS 1 Under: 6
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May 3, 2015 Score ATS Results
NYY « 8 Cover: +130
BOS 5 Over: 13
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May 2, 2015 Score ATS Results
NYY « 4 Cover: +119
BOS 2 Under: 6
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May 1, 2015 Score ATS Results
NYY 3 Under: 6
BOS « 3 Cover: +100
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Apr 12, 2015 Score ATS Results
BOS 4 Over: 18
NYY « 14 Cover: +100
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Apr 11, 2015 Score ATS Results
BOS « 8 Cover: +103
NYY 4 Over: 12
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Apr 10, 2015 Score ATS Results
BOS « 6 Cover: +100
NYY 5 Over: 11
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Mar 13, 2015 Score ATS Results
NYY « 5 Cover: +125
BOS 3 Over: 8
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**StarDust Bum** · 08-04-2015, 10:26 AM

Preview: Twins (54-51) at Blue Jays (55-52)
Game: 2
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: August 04, 2015 7:07 PM EDT

Although a lack of scoring has led to their recent slump, the Minnesota Twins have unsurprisingly found a way to break through offensively when Phil Hughes is pitching.

The right-hander looks to win a career-high seventh straight decision as the visiting Twins try to keep the surging Toronto Blue Jays from moving past them in the wild-card chase Tuesday night.

Minnesota (54-51) led the wild-card race July 17 before dropping 11 of 15 to fall into a virtual tie for the second wild-card spot. It's 8 1/2 games back in the AL Central.

The Twins have scored six runs in the last four games overall and nine while dropping five of six on the road.

Torii Hunter hit a second-inning home run Monday but Minnesota managed three hits off David Price - who was making his debut for Toronto (55-52) - in a 5-1 loss.

"One solo home run is not going to do it," Hunter told MLB's official website. "Those guys know how to hit over there. Josh Donaldson is as hot as a firecracker."

Offense hasn't been a problem for the Twins whenever Hughes has taken the ball - just as it wasn't for the New York Yankees, his first team. The right-hander's run-support average of 5.65 is the sixth highest in baseball among active players since his debut April 26, 2007.

The Twins have given him 7.3 runs per game in his last eight starts, during which he's gone 6-0 with a 3.06 ERA to tie for the longest active winning streak in the majors.

Hughes (10-6, 4.11 ERA) particularly benefited from that perpetual offensive largesse Thursday when he gave up a season high-tying five runs and 10 hits - two home runs - over five innings of a 9-5 home win over Seattle.

After going 0-2 with a 9.18 ERA in his previous four starts at Toronto, Hughes didn't allow a run while striking out nine over seven innings of a 7-2 win at Rogers Centre last June 11. He's gone 6-7 with a 4.69 ERA against the Blue Jays in 29 appearances - his most versus any team.

Hughes has done a nice job against Donaldson, who is 2 for 11 with four strikeouts in the matchup. Donaldson hit a tiebreaking home run in the fifth inning Monday and is 10 for 25 with three home runs, four doubles and nine RBIs over his last six games.

The two-time All-Star is also batting .405 with five home runs, 12 doubles and 19 RBIs in a 21-game hitting streak against the Twins. It's the longest active hit streak in the majors against an opponent.

Toronto is batting .302 with 10 homers while averaging 6.0 runs during its 5-1 stretch. The Blue Jays are also the highest-scoring team in baseball at home, averaging 5.6 runs.

Marco Estrada (8-6, 3.53) has also thrived at home recently, going 4-1 with a 2.40 ERA in his last five such outings. He's posted a 2.66 ERA in his last eight starts overall.

After allowing a season high-tying five runs over four innings of a 5-2 loss at Seattle on July 24, Estrada bounced back by allowing two over 5 2-3 in Thursday's 5-2 home win over Kansas City.

He's struggled against Minnesota, going 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in four career starts.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Twins at Blue Jays
Mon, Aug 3 Final 1 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Twins at Blue Jays
Tue, Aug 4 - 7:07PM EDT

GAME 3
Twins at Blue Jays
Wed, Aug 5 - 7:07PM EDT

GAME 4
Twins at Blue Jays
Thu, Aug 6 - 7:07PM EDT

------------------------

MLBA HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 3, 2015 Score ATS Results
MIN 1 Under: 6
TOR « 5 Cover: +100
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May 31, 2015 Score ATS Results
TOR 5 Over: 11
MIN « 6 Cover: +116
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May 30, 2015 Score ATS Results
TOR 2 Under: 5
MIN « 3 Cover: +100
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May 29, 2015 Score ATS Results
TOR « 6 Cover: +102
MIN 4 Over: 10
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Mar 24, 2015 Score ATS Results
TOR 5 Over: 11
MIN « 6 Cover: +100
Tools:

Mar 10, 2015 Score ATS Results
MIN « 5 Cover: +110
TOR 3 Over: 8
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Jun 11, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN « 7 Cover: +139
TOR 2 Push: 9
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Jun 10, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN « 4 Cover: +160
TOR 0 Under: 4
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Jun 9, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIN 4 Under: 9
TOR « 5 Cover: +100
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Apr 17, 2014 Score ATS Results
TOR 5 Over: 14
MIN « 9 Cover: +119
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**StarDust Bum** · 08-04-2015, 10:29 AM

Preview: Diamondbacks (51-53) at Nationals (54-50)
Game: 2
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: August 04, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Every time Max Scherzer takes the mound against the Arizona Diamondbacks, it's a reminder that the club dealt him away back in 2009.

Instead of worrying about the ace they no longer have, the Diamondbacks no doubt hope that Patrick Corbin develops into that role over time.

These starters meet for the first time, with Scherzer hoping to help his Washington Nationals end a four-game losing streak Tuesday night at home.

Scherzer (11-8, 2.22 ERA) was a 2006 first-round pick by Arizona (51-53) who pitched two seasons with the club before it dealt him to Detroit before 2010 in a three-team deal that also included the New York Yankees. The right-hander made his first start at Chase Field since the trade in an 11-1 rout May 11, yielding one run in seven innings as he was staked to a 10-run lead before beginning his second inning. He is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA against the Diamondbacks.

He only faced Paul Goldschmidt once in May with the slugger popping out in the first before he was removed from the blowout.

Goldschmidt leads the NL with a .339 average, with Washington's Bryce Harper second at .330. Harper leads the majors with a 1.121 OPS with Goldschmidt second in the league at 1.040.

The Arizona hitter Scherzer has faced the most is Aaron Hill, who is 2 for 14 in this matchup. Scherzer pitched seven innings of three-hit ball in Thursday's 1-0 victory at Miami.

Scherzer is second in the majors in opponent batting average (.193) and WHIP (0.83) and fifth in ERA and strikeouts (172). He is 0-2 with a 5.06 ERA in two home starts since his June 20 no-hitter, with the Nationals (54-50) shut out both times.

He'll try to give the home fans some joy after Washington fell 6-4 in Monday's four-game series opener. The Nationals, losers of 11 of 16, fell one game behind the New York Mets for first place in the NL East.

'At this point it feels like second place and that's where we're at,' manager Matt Williams said. 'We'll try and get back to where we want to be starting tomorrow.'

Washington is 13-8 when facing a left-handed starter, and Corbin (2-3, 3.21) presents a formidable opponent as he makes his sixth start since returning from Tommy John surgery. A 14-game winner in 2013, Corbin is limiting hitters to a .221 average after ending a three-start slide by giving up one run in six innings as he outdueled Felix Hernandez in Wednesday's 8-2 victory at Seattle.

Corbin, averaging 9.32 strikeouts per nine innings compared to 10.32 for Scherzer, is 1-1 with a 4.26 ERA in three starts against the Nationals. Harper is 2 for 6 against him while Ryan Zimmerman is 2 for 9.

He'll face a struggling offense that has totaled nine runs in this slide. Diamondbacks rookie Zack Godley pitched six scoreless innings Monday.

'We're going through a spell right now where we're not scoring many runs,' said Zimmerman, whose home run began a four-run ninth inning. 'We've gone up against some good pitchers but that's not an excuse.'

David Peralta has 10 hits in his last 23 at-bats and hit one of Arizona's four homers. Nick Ahmed also went deep and had a career-high four hits.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Nationals
Mon, Aug 3 Final 6 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Nationals
Tue, Aug 4 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Nationals
Wed, Aug 5 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Diamondbacks at Nationals
Thu, Aug 6 - 4:05PM EDT

-------------------------------

MLB HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 3, 2015 Score ATS Results
ARI « 6 Cover: +110
WAS 4 Over: 10
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May 13, 2015 Score ATS Results
WAS « 9 Cover: +100
ARI 6 Over: 15
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May 12, 2015 Score ATS Results
WAS 6 Over: 20
ARI « 14 Cover: +130
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May 11, 2015 Score ATS Results
WAS « 11 Cover: +100
ARI 1 Over: 12
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Aug 21, 2014 Score ATS Results
ARI 0 Under: 1
WAS « 1 Cover: +100
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Aug 20, 2014 Score ATS Results
ARI 2 Under: 5
WAS « 3 Cover: +100
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Aug 19, 2014 Score ATS Results
ARI 1 Over: 9
WAS « 8 Cover: +100
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Aug 18, 2014 Score ATS Results
ARI 4 Over: 9
WAS « 5 Cover: +100
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May 14, 2014 Score ATS Results
WAS « 5 Cover: +109
ARI 1 Under: 6
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May 13, 2014 Score ATS Results
WAS 1 Under: 4
ARI « 3 Cover: +125
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**StarDust Bum** · 08-04-2015, 10:31 AM

Preview: Dodgers (60-45) at Phillies (41-65)
Game: 1
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: August 04, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Tuesday night will bring a new vantage point for Jimmy Rollins at Citizens Bank Park, though in a sense things will feel the same.

Rollins will sit in the opposite dugout in Philadelphia for the first time after spending the first 15 years of his career with the Phillies when his Los Angeles Dodgers come to town for a three-game series.

Rollins won five straight NL East titles from 2007-2011 in Philadelphia and a World Series in 2008 before being traded to Los Angeles in December. He's the Phillies' all-time leader in hits (2,306) and doubles (479) while ranking second behind Mike Schmidt in games (2,090) - including a record 803 at Citizens Bank Park.

Philadelphia (41-65) visited Los Angeles (60-45) in early July, with the Dodgers taking three of four. Rollins went 5 for 15 with a homer, two doubles and five RBIs.

Rollins spoke of his time in Philadelphia prior to that series.

'I didn't leave anything behind,' said Rollins, who holds a .216 batting average - 27 points below his previous career low. 'It helps probably having the first chance to face these guys here in Los Angeles as opposed to going back to Philadelphia. I had to leave all that in the past and be able to move forward and accept who I am as being a Dodger. This is where I am today.'

Fast forward to August and the Dodgers have won four straight and are in first place in the NL West after completing a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels over the weekend. They will try to cool down a last-place Phillies team that has won 12 of 15 since the All-Star break.

The Dodgers will start another familiar player to Phillies fans in Alex Wood (7-6, 3.54 ERA). The left-hander, making his team debut after being acquired from Atlanta as part of a 13-player deal that also included Miami on July 30, has 12 career appearances against Philadelphia - including seven starts.

Three of those starts came this season, producing mixed results in a 1-1 record and 3.94 ERA. Wood pitched 5 2-3 scoreless innings April 24 before allowing seven runs and 19 hits in 10 1-3 innings in the last two.

Wood is 3-2 with a 3.10 ERA as a starter against the Phillies, with the Braves losing 1-0 in each of his last two at Philadelphia. He allowed one run in 13 2-3 innings in those outings.

Carlos Ruiz is 6 for 9 when facing Wood, who has also had trouble with Freddy Galvis (6 for 10), Darin Ruf (5 for 12) and Jeff Francoeur (4 for 10).

Wood's counterpart will be Jerome Williams (3-8, 6.36), who hasn't won since May 16 while also missing a month with a strained left hamstring. The right-hander is 0-5 with a 7.88 ERA during that stretch, allowing 10 home runs and an opponents' batting average of .355 over eight starts.

The Phillies scored 25 runs in their first three wins of a weekend series with the Braves before losing 6-2 on Sunday.

'On a good note, we took three of four,' interim manager Pete Mackanin said.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Phillies
Tue, Aug 4 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Dodgers at Phillies
Wed, Aug 5 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Dodgers at Phillies
Thu, Aug 6 - 1:05PM EDT

------------------------------

MLB HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 9, 2015 Score ATS Results

PHI 0 Under: 6
LAD « 6 Cover: +100
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Jul 8, 2015 Score ATS Results

PHI 0 Under: 5
LAD « 5 Cover: +100
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Jul 7, 2015 Score ATS Results

PHI « 7 Cover: +230
LAD 2 Over: 9
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Jul 6, 2015 Score ATS Results

PHI 7 Over: 17
LAD « 10 Cover: +100
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May 25, 2014 Score ATS Results

LAD « 6 Cover: +100
PHI 0 Under: 6
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May 24, 2014 Score ATS Results

LAD 3 Under: 8
PHI « 5 Cover: +120
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May 23, 2014 Score ATS Results

LAD « 2 Cover: +100
PHI 0 Under: 2
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Apr 24, 2014 Score ATS Results

PHI « 7 Cover: +155
LAD 3 Over: 10
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Apr 23, 2014 Score ATS Results

PHI 2 Over: 7
LAD « 5 Cover: +100
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Apr 22, 2014 Score ATS Results
PHI « 3 Cover: +165
LAD 2 Under: 5
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**StarDust Bum** · 08-04-2015, 10:37 AM

Preview: Giants (57-48) at Braves (48-58)
Game: 2
Venue: Turner Field
Date: August 04, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

After suffering perhaps their most disappointing defeat of the season in the series opener in Atlanta, the San Francisco Giants have a chance to bounce back against the pitcher with the most losses on the Braves' staff.

Shelby Miller, however, hasn't pitched like someone with a losing record and has been the victim of some of the worst luck in the last century.

Losers of two in a row for the first time in a month, the Giants try to get back on track Tuesday night against Miller, who is seeking his first win in 2 1/2 months.

San Francisco (57-48) looked as if it would easily gain ground on the idle Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday, leading 6-0 after five innings and ahead by two in the ninth.

With two outs in the ninth, though, A.J. Pierzynski hit a two-run homer to tie things up, and after the Giants took the lead in the 12th, 30-year-old rookie Adonis Garcia hit a walkoff two-run shot to hand San Francisco a 9-8 loss.

"To get out to a big lead and let it go to waste and then to battle back in extras and still end up losing, it's definitely disappointing," Brandon Crawford said.

The Giants dropped back-to-back games for the first time since a seven-game skid June 30-July 6 to fall three behind the Dodgers.

The Braves (48-58), meanwhile, won their second in a row following a 1-9 stretch.

"To be down 6-0, it speaks highly of this team," said Jace Peterson, who is 6 for 9 with two homers and six RBIs in the last two games. " ... Hopefully we can keep it going."

San Francisco wasted a two-homer game from Crawford and a home run and three RBIs from Buster Posey.

Crawford is batting .423 with four home runs in his last seven games against the Braves, while Posey is hitting .437 with 16 RBIs in his last 17 contests overall. Crawford is 3 for 8 against Miller (5-8, 2.44 ERA) and Posey 1 for 9 in their matchups.

Miller's record is an anomaly for a pitcher with such a low ERA. His .385 winning percentage is the worst by a pitcher with a sub-2.50 ERA in at least 15 starts since 1917, when Larry Cheney went 7-12 with a 2.38 mark in 24 starts for the Brooklyn Robins and Joe Bush was 10-17 with a 2.42 in 31 starts for the Philadelphia Athletics.

Miller has received zero runs of support in six of his last eight starts and was backed by a total of four in the other two. That's left him with an 0-6 record despite a respectable 3.17 ERA. The All-Star hasn't won since May 17, with the Braves losing 11 of those 13 starts.

The second start of the winless stretch came in San Francisco on May 28, when he permitted a run over seven innings in a 7-0 loss.

Although the lineup hasn't been producing, it isn't entirely to blame. The right-hander has allowed career highs of 11 hits in two of his last four starts - both on the road - and also gave up four runs over six innings in Thursday's 4-1 loss to Philadelphia.

Returning to Turner Field may help given his 1.89 home ERA - ninth-best in the majors.

Jake Peavy (2-4, 4.12) takes the hill at Turner Field for the first time since April 2006 looking to build on his best outing of the season.

Peavy gave up four hits and walked none in six innings of Wednesday's 5-0 win over Milwaukee. The righty has a 2.84 ERA in five starts since coming off the disabled list.

Peavy's former batterymate with the Chicago White Sox has been on a tear at the plate. Pierzynski finished with four hits Monday and is batting .459 in his last nine games.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Giants at Braves
Mon, Aug 3 Final 8 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Giants at Braves
Tue, Aug 4 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Giants at Braves
Wed, Aug 5 - 7:10PM EDT

--------------------------------------

MLB HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 3, 2015 Score ATS Results
SFO 8 Over: 17
ATL « 9 Cover: +125
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

May 31, 2015 Score ATS Results
ATL « 7 Cover: +190
SFO 5 Over: 12
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May 30, 2015 Score ATS Results
ATL « 8 Cover: +135
SFO 0 Over: 8
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May 29, 2015 Score ATS Results
ATL 2 Under: 6
SFO « 4 Cover: +100
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May 28, 2015 Score ATS Results
ATL 0 Over: 7
SFO « 7 Cover: +100
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May 14, 2014 Score ATS Results
ATL 4 Over: 14
SFO « 10 Cover: +100
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May 13, 2014 Score ATS Results
ATL « 5 Cover: +100
SFO 0 Under: 5
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May 12, 2014 Score ATS Results
ATL 2 Under: 6
SFO « 4 Cover: +100
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May 4, 2014 Score ATS Results
SFO « 4 Cover: +120
ATL 1 Under: 5
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May 3, 2014 Score ATS Results
SFO « 3 Cover: +155
ATL 1 Under: 4
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**StarDust Bum** · 08-04-2015, 10:41 AM

B]Preview: Mets (56-50) at Marlins (43-63)
Game: 2
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: August 04, 2015 7:10 PM EDT[/B]

The young pitching trio of Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard has gotten much of the credit for the New York Mets' climb atop the NL East.

The suddenly productive offense has also been a factor, something that's certainly come as a relief to Jonathon Niese.

Niese is looking for some help as he tries to extend his road shutout streak and lead the Mets to a fifth straight win Tuesday night against the Miami Marlins.

New York (56-50) holds the division lead this late in a season for the first time since Sept. 19, 2008, with a one-game edge on Washington.

"It's always nice to be there, but we've got a lot of games to play," manager Terry Collins said.

While the club's staff is among baseball's best with a 3.22 ERA, Harvey, deGrom and Syndergaard have a collective 1.57 mark and 14-6 record over the last 28 combined starts.

Niese (5-9, 3.63 ERA), though, has been no slouch with a 2.78 ERA over his last nine starts, but he's gone 2-3 while receiving no runs of support in four of those outings.

The bats weren't the problem Thursday when the left-hander allowed one run in six innings and departed with a six-run lead before the bullpen blew it in an 8-7 loss to San Diego.

Niese now takes the mound on the road, where he's assembled a career-best streak of 15 2-3 consecutive scoreless innings - 4 1-3 shy of deGrom's team high from last month.

He's won his last two starts in Miami (43-63) despite a 6.75 ERA after tossing 13 shutout innings and not getting a decision in his previous two - both New York defeats.

Confidence in the offense seems to be growing for the Mets, who are averaging 6.0 runs and batting .265 with 18 homers during a 7-2 stretch. Their .236 season average and 3.63 runs per game are still among the worst in the majors.

They pounded out 15 hits, including six doubles, in Monday's 12-1 win over Miami. Yoenis Cespedes doubled on all three of his hits and added four RBIs in his best performance since being acquired from Detroit prior to Friday's trade deadline.

"He was really close to hitting the ball out of the ballpark a couple times," Curtis Granderson said. "It's very impressive to get a chance to watch him swing the bat."

Cespedes is 8 for 20 with seven runs in four career games in Miami.

Granderson also had three hits with two RBIs on Monday, giving him a .351 average while plating nine runs in the past nine games.

Lucas Duda, however, continued to struggle away from Citi Field, striking out in all four at-bats in the opener of this three-game set. He is batting .190 with three homers and nine RBIs on the road compared to .393 with nine homers and 12 RBIs in his last eight home games. Duda, though, is 5 for 14 with a homer and two doubles off Brad Hand.

Another trade has Hand (1-2, 5.12) changing roles again. The left-hander is getting a chance to earn a spot in the rotation after Dan Haren was dealt to the Chicago Cubs prior to the deadline. This comes a week after he was moved into the setup role after Steve Cishek was traded to St. Louis.

Hand is 1-1 with a 6.17 ERA in three starts this season. He gave up six runs and was pulled with two outs in the first of an 11-3 loss at Toronto in his most recent June 8.

He's 0-3 with a 4.35 ERA in four career starts against the Mets.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mets at Marlins
Mon, Aug 3 Final 12 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mets at Marlins
Tue, Aug 4 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Mets at Marlins
Wed, Aug 5 - 7:10PM EDT

---------------------------------------

MLB HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 3, 2015 Score ATS Results
NYM « 12 Cover: +100
MIA 1 Over: 13
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

May 31, 2015 Score ATS Results
MIA 3 Under: 7
NYM « 4 Cover: +100
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May 30, 2015 Score ATS Results
MIA « 9 Cover: +110
NYM 5 Over: 14
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May 29, 2015 Score ATS Results
MIA « 4 Cover: +150
NYM 3 Over: 7
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Apr 29, 2015 Score ATS Results
NYM 3 Over: 10
MIA « 7 Cover: +100
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Apr 28, 2015 Score ATS Results
NYM 3 Under: 7
MIA « 4 Cover: +100
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Apr 27, 2015 Score ATS Results
NYM « 3 Cover: +128
MIA 1 Under: 4
Tools: Boxscores

Apr 19, 2015 Score ATS Results
MIA 6 Over: 13
NYM « 7 Cover: +100
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Apr 18, 2015 Score ATS Results
MIA 4 Over: 10
NYM « 6 Cover: +100
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Apr 17, 2015 Score ATS Results
MIA 1 Under: 5
NYM « 4 Cover: +100
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**StarDust Bum** · 08-04-2015, 10:43 AM

Preview: Cardinals (67-38) at Reds (47-56)
Game: 1
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: August 04, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

After showing signs of an offensive breakout in their most recent series, the St. Louis Cardinals get another shot at a pitcher who played a part in the team's previous slump.

The Cardinals begin a six-game road trip Tuesday night with a three-game set against the Cincinnati Reds, with Anthony DeSclafani taking mound looking to duplicate last week's gem against the Cardinals.

St. Louis (67-38) mustered seven runs over a five-game stretch that culminated in back-to-back home shutouts by the Reds, the second of which was a 1-0 loss Wednesday in which DeSclafani yielded three hits and three walks over seven innings.

The Cardinals got back on track by hitting .326 with six home runs in taking three of four from Colorado over the weekend, with Matt Carpenter accounting for three of the homers.

Carpenter was 7 for 17 with five runs for the series, while Jason Heyward and rookie Stephen Piscotty each went 7 for 14. Piscotty, filling in for injured All-Star Matt Holliday, is batting .462 in an eight-game hitting streak.

Though DeSclafani (6-7, 3.75 ERA) silenced St. Louis' bats in his last start, the rookie has had his problems in hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park this season. The right-hander has lost three straight home outings and gave up six runs in each of his last two, covering 11 2-3 innings, to raise his home ERA to 5.69 to go with a 2-5 record in nine starts.

The Reds are seeking better results from the most experienced member of a rotation that's become very young following the deadline trades of Johnny Cueto and Mike Leake. Cincinnati (47-56) will be starting a rookie for a franchise-record sixth consecutive game, with DeSclafani's 25 starts topping a group that includes Michael Lorenzen, Raisel Iglesias, David Holmberg and Keyvius Sampson.

"After the trades with Johnny and Leake, we are in a situation where one rookie is watching a rookie ahead of him who is watching a rookie ahead of him, so it's a unique dynamic," manager Bryan Price told MLB's official website.

The Reds managed six hits in a 3-0 loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday, giving them a four-game split of the series.

New Cardinal Brandon Moss delivered a pinch-hit walkoff single in the ninth inning of Sunday's 3-2 victory over Colorado. Moss is 3 for 6 against DeSclafani and hit a two-run homer off him July 18 in Cincinnati while with Cleveland.

John Lackey (9-6, 2.78) was the hard-luck loser while matched up against DeSclafani last week, striking out eight over eight innings and surrendering two hits, one of them a solo home run to Jay Bruce.

It was the latest in a run of strong efforts from Lackey, who's gone 5-2 with a 1.71 ERA in his last nine starts and pitched at least 6 2-3 innings in all of them.

"It's not my first time, but yeah I've been throwing the ball pretty good," Lackey told MLB's official website.

Lackey wasn't as effective in his season debut at Great American Ball Park on April 10, allowing four runs on a pair of two-run homers to Joey Votto in six innings of a 5-4 loss. He didn't get the decision and is 2-1 with a 2.78 ERA in six career starts against the Reds.

The Cardinals took two of three in that series and are 6-3 against the Reds this season.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cardinals at Reds
Tue, Aug 4 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Cardinals at Reds
Wed, Aug 5 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Cardinals at Reds
Thu, Aug 6 - 12:35PM EDT

-------------------------------------

MLB HEAD TO HEAD

Jul 29, 2015 Score ATS Results
CIN « 1 Cover: +155
STL 0 Under: 1
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

Jul 28, 2015 Score ATS Results
CIN « 4 Cover: +135
STL 0 Under: 4
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Jul 27, 2015 Score ATS Results
CIN 1 Under: 5
STL « 4 Cover: +100
Tools: Boxscores

Apr 19, 2015 Score ATS Results
CIN 1 Under: 3
STL « 2 Cover: +100
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Apr 18, 2015 Score ATS Results
CIN 2 Under: 7
STL « 5 Cover: +100
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Apr 17, 2015 Score ATS Results
CIN 1 Over: 7
STL « 6 Cover: +100
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Apr 12, 2015 Score ATS Results
STL « 7 Cover: +100
CIN 5 Over: 12
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Apr 11, 2015 Score ATS Results
STL « 4 Cover: +110
CIN 1 Under: 5
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Apr 10, 2015 Score ATS Results
STL 4 Over: 9
CIN « 5 Cover: +116
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Sep 21, 2014 Score ATS Results
CIN « 7 Cover: +170
STL 2 Over: 9
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**StarDust Bum** · 08-04-2015, 10:49 AM

Preview: Astros (60-47) at Rangers (52-53)
Game: 2
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: August 04, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

The Houston Astros didn't get much out of a pair of starting pitchers, including a recently acquired one, in a series-opening loss to Texas.

The Astros will seek to bounce back by extending Rangers right-hander Yovani Gallardo's recent woes Tuesday night.

Lance McCullers recorded just one out while giving up six runs in the first inning and that forced Mike Fiers to make his Houston debut in relief instead of starting Tuesday's game as scheduled. Fiers, acquired from Milwaukee, gave up five of his six runs in the first of his five innings in a 12-9 loss.

Fiers served up a solo homer to Adrian Beltre that allowed the third baseman to become the first player in 82 years to hit for the cycle three times. Behind Beltre's 4-for-5 night, the Rangers (52-53) finished with 15 hits and are batting .325 while averaging 6.5 runs in a 5-1 stretch, all at home.

"(Beltre) has a presence in our lineup," manager Jeff Banister told MLB's official website. "When he is in the middle of our lineup, it gives our guys confidence."

The Astros (60-47) are 11-5 since the All-Star break and started by taking two of three from Texas on July 17-19, but they've dropped nine of 10 on the road. Houston was batting .183 with 13 runs in its prior nine away from home until making Tuesday's game a little more competitive en route to finishing with 13 hits.

"We kept plugging away and we didn't give in, and that's been a big part of our mentality this year - no matter what the deficit, there's always a shot we can come back," catcher Jason Castro said after hitting his third career grand slam.

The Astros, batting .310 with an average of 6.4 runs in their last seven overall contests, limited Gallardo (7-9, 3.39 ERA) to four-plus innings in a 10-0 rout July 19. He was charged with five runs and that started a three-game stretch in which he's gone 0-1 with a 9.64 ERA.

Gallardo, winless in his last six starts, gave up five runs in six innings Thursday in a 7-6 win over the New York Yankees and remained with the Rangers after Friday's trade deadline.

"Now I feel like I am a part of this ballclub and they have shown confidence in me that I can help this ballclub," he said.

Gallardo yielded two runs in 5 2-3 innings in his only start in Arlington against the Astros on April 11. In this one, he's expected to pitch opposite Dan Straily (0-0, 5.06).

The right-hander is being recalled from the minors to make his third start this season, and first since July 8.

Straily is 3-1 with a 4.23 ERA in seven starts against the Rangers with his most recent April 21, 2014.

Beltre is 6 for 17 (.353) lifetime against him. Castro, batting .385 with three homers and 10 RBIs in a seven-game hit streak, is 7 for 18 versus Gallardo with three extra-base hits.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Astros at Rangers
Mon, Aug 3 Final 9 to 12
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Astros at Rangers
Tue, Aug 4 - 8:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Astros at Rangers
Wed, Aug 5 - 8:05PM EDT

----------------------------

MLB HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 3, 2015 Score ATS Results
HOU 9 Over: 21
TEX « 12 Cover: +113
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Jul 19, 2015 Score ATS Results
TEX 0 Over: 10
HOU « 10 Cover: +100
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Jul 18, 2015 Score ATS Results
TEX « 7 Cover: +120
HOU 6 Over: 13
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Jul 17, 2015 Score ATS Results
TEX 2 Under: 5
HOU « 3 Cover: +100
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May 6, 2015 Score ATS Results
TEX « 11 Cover: +118
HOU 3 Over: 14
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May 5, 2015 Score ATS Results
TEX « 7 Cover: +140
HOU 1 Under: 8
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May 4, 2015 Score ATS Results
TEX « 2 Cover: +185
HOU 1 Under: 3
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Apr 12, 2015 Score ATS Results
HOU « 6 Cover: +100
TEX 4 Over: 10
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Apr 11, 2015 Score ATS Results
HOU 2 Under: 8
TEX « 6 Cover: +100
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Apr 10, 2015 Score ATS Results
HOU « 5 Cover: +101
TEX 1 Under: 6
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**StarDust Bum** · 08-04-2015, 10:52 AM

Preview: Rays (53-54) at White Sox (50-54)
Game: 2
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: August 04, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

While Chicago is known as the Windy City, the breeze on the South Side on Tuesday night figures to be coming from major league hitters.

Chris Sale and Chris Archer lead the AL in strikeouts per nine innings, and these nine-game winners figure to present major problems for the lineups of the Tampa Bay Rays and White Sox in the middle game of this series.

Chicago (50-54) and Tampa Bay (53-54) are fighting to stay in the tightly-packed AL wild-card race and their hitters figure to be fighting just to make contact in this contest. Sale (9-6, 3.20 ERA) averages 11.57 strikeouts per nine innings and Archer (9-8, 2.54) averages 10.99.

"You're going to see two elite pitchers from the American League," Rays manager Kevin Cash told MLB's official website. "Two very special pitchers, both do it with big fastballs. Big breaking balls. So it should be a really good matchup."

Sale has an AL-best 177 strikeouts and Archer is third with 173. Of the 35 games in the AL in which a pitcher has struck out 10 or more, Sale has 10 of them and Archer six.

"When I'm out there pitching, I'm not thinking about strikeouts," Archer said. "And neither is Chris Sale. When you get to two strikes and the opportunity presents itself, you make a pitch and go for it if you can."

These starters turned in vastly different performances in their previous outings.

Sale was charged with seven runs over five-plus innings Thursday as Chicago's seven-game win streak ended with an 8-2 loss at Boston. His ERA was 2.41 over his five previous outings.

One day earlier, Archer retired the first 19 Detroit hitters in Tampa Bay's longest bid for a perfect game before he was charged with two runs while striking out 11 in seven innings of a 2-1 defeat.

Archer is 0-4 with a 3.96 ERA in his last six outings and 1-0 with a 3.26 ERA in three career starts versus the White Sox. Jose Abreu is 5 for 9 with a homer against him, while Melky Cabrera is 5 for 20.

Sale is 2-3 with a 3.45 ERA in five starts versus the Rays with 50 strikeouts in 31 1-3 innings. Evan Longoria is 1 for 11 with six strikeouts in the matchup.

Tampa Bay improved to a major league-best 19-11 when facing lefty starters with Monday's 5-4 victory. Mikie Mahtook's RBI single in the ninth inning was the difference.

Chicago has lost four of five after rallying to tie the game in the sixth inning on Abreu's two-run homer and erasing a one-run deficit to take the lead in the seventh.

"We didn't get it done tonight but we still fought back and had a chance," manager Robin Ventura said.

Abreu went 2 for 3 and extended his hitting streak to 14 games, a run in which he is batting .385 with five homers and 18 RBIs. Adam Eaton was 0 for 4 with three strikeouts to snap an 11-game hitting streak on which he batted .455.

The White Sox may debut outfielder Trayce Thompson, who was recalled Monday from Triple-A Charlotte and is the brother of Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rays at White Sox
Mon, Aug 3 Final 5 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rays at White Sox
Tue, Aug 4 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Rays at White Sox
Wed, Aug 5 - 2:10PM EDT

----------------------------------------

MLB HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 3, 2015 Score ATS Results
TAM « 5 Cover: +105
CHW 4 Over: 9
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Jun 14, 2015 Score ATS Results
CHW 1 Under: 3
TAM « 2 Cover: +125
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Jun 13, 2015 Score ATS Results
CHW 4 Over: 9
TAM « 5 Cover: +100
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Jun 12, 2015 Score ATS Results
CHW 5 Over: 12
TAM « 7 Cover: +100
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Sep 21, 2014 Score ATS Results
CHW « 10 Cover: +145
TAM 5 Over: 15
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Sep 20, 2014 Score ATS Results
CHW 1 Under: 4
TAM « 3 Cover: +100
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Sep 19, 2014 Score ATS Results
CHW « 4 Cover: +117
TAM 3 Push: 7
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Apr 28, 2014 Score ATS Results
TAM 3 Over: 10
CHW « 7 Cover: +115
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Apr 27, 2014 Score ATS Results
TAM 2 Over: 11
CHW « 9 Cover: +155
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Apr 26, 2014 Score ATS Results
TAM « 4 Cover: +100
CHW 0 Under: 4
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**StarDust Bum** · 08-04-2015, 10:54 AM

Preview: Padres (52-54) at Brewers (44-63)
Game: 2
Venue: Miller Park
Date: August 04, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The San Diego Padres are surging behind on offense finally showing signs of life.

Now, they'll try to end the best stretch of Jimmy Nelson's career.

Yangervis Solarte looks to build on one of his best performances as the Padres go for a ninth win in 11 tries Tuesday night against Nelson and the Milwaukee Brewers.

San Diego (52-54) is in the NL wild-card chase despite a .240 average that ranks third-worst in the majors. The Padres, though, are batting 40 points higher while connecting for 12 homers with 5.2 runs per game during an 8-2 stretch.

They collected 13 hits and scored six times in the seventh to pull away in Monday's 13-5 win at Milwaukee in the opener of a four-game set.

"Having balance up and down the lineup is huge. When we're all clicking everyone saw what we are capable of," said Jedd Gyorko, who had a homer among his three hits Monday and is batting .458 in the past six games.

Solarte is going for a career-high 10-game hitting streak after connecting for a career-high two homers and matching his personal-best with four RBIs on Monday. He's batting .421 with seven extra-base hits during his run.

"His energy and the spirit about him is just wonderful," manager Pat Murphy said. "You can never estimate how much that means to a club."

Solarte has a .417 average with three homers and nine RBIs while getting at least one hit in each of his seven career meetings with Milwaukee (44-63).

He's 0 for 3 against Nelson (8-9, 3.76 ERA), who is 2-1 with a 0.99 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 27 1-3 innings over his last four starts. The right-hander hasn't allowed a run for 14 straight innings after striking out eight and yielding two hits in seven while not figuring in the decision of Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs.

"It was nice to string together some good outings and be more consistent," Nelson told MLB's official website. "I was able to get ahead, for the most part. Times when I went 1-0, I was able to make a quality pitch."

Nelson allowed four runs - two earned - with seven strikeouts in five innings of a 4-1 loss at San Diego in his only career start against the Padres on Aug. 26.

He enters this one trying to keep the Brewers from losing a seventh straight game for the first time since May 23-30.

The Padres are turning to Andrew Cashner (4-10, 4.13), who is 0-2 with a 5.60 ERA over his last six road starts, giving up a career-high seven runs three times.

The right-hander was hammered for that many in 5 1-3 innings Thursday, but the offense got him off the hook by scoring seven times in the final three innings of an 8-7 win over the New York Mets.

Cashner is 2-1 with a 3.43 ERA in nine games against the Brewers. However, all three of his starts have come at Miller Park, where he's 1-1 with a 5.02 ERA.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Padres at Brewers
Mon, Aug 3 Final 13 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Padres at Brewers
Tue, Aug 4 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Padres at Brewers
Wed, Aug 5 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Padres at Brewers
Thu, Aug 6 - 2:10PM EDT

----------------------------

MLB HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 3, 2015 Score ATS Results
SDG « 13 Cover: +100
MIL 5 Over: 18
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Apr 2, 2015 Score ATS Results
MIL 5 Over: 11
SDG « 6 Cover: +100
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Aug 27, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIL 2 Under: 5
SDG « 3 Cover: +130
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Aug 26, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIL 1 Under: 5
SDG « 4 Cover: +100
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Aug 25, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIL « 10 Cover: +100
SDG 1 Over: 11
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Apr 23, 2014 Score ATS Results
SDG 2 Under: 7
MIL « 5 Cover: +100
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Apr 22, 2014 Score ATS Results
SDG « 2 Cover: +127
MIL 1 Under: 3
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Apr 21, 2014 Score ATS Results
SDG 3 Under: 7
MIL « 4 Cover: +100
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Mar 13, 2014 Score ATS Results
MIL « 8 Cover: +105
SDG 0 Over: 8
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Mar 7, 2014 Score ATS Results
SDG « 6 Cover: +105
MIL 2 Over: 8
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**StarDust Bum** · 08-04-2015, 10:57 AM

Preview: Mariners (49-58) at Rockies (44-60)
Game: 2
Venue: Coors Field
Date: August 04, 2015 8:40 PM EDT

(AP) - The Colorado Rockies are about to introduce a top prospect a week after trading the face of the franchise.

Eight days after dealing All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, top pitching prospect Jon Gray is set to make his major league debut Tuesday night against the Seattle Mariners.

Gray arrived in Denver on Monday after getting word late Sunday that he was being called up from Triple-A Albuquerque.

"It kind of hit me when I got to the ballpark," Gray said. "It's just now coming into effect what it feels like. It was an awesome high."

The 23-year-old was the third overall pick in the 2013 draft. A hard-throwing right-hander, he was 6-6 with a 4.33 ERA in 21 games - 20 starts - for Albuquerque this season. In his last six outings, he's gone 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA and 38 strikeouts.

The Rockies were being patient with Gray, but his performance over the last month pushed up his timetable - which surprised him.

"I wasn't expecting it, especially on this homestand," he said. "They told me, 'Here is your plane ticket, you're heading out and going to the big team.'"

The Rockies (44-60) dealt Tulowitzki since they're on their way to a fifth straight losing season, and Gray is considered one of the cornerstone pieces of the future.

"I guess it is ironic that the face of the franchise has moved on and we've got one of our young kids that we've been anticipating pitching for us making his debut right after it," manager Walt Weiss said. "We felt like we'd see him at some point this year. And that day has arrived."

Gray has moved quickly through the Rockies' system. He was 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA in nine minor league starts in 2013 and was 10-5 with a 3.91 ERA in 24 starts with Double-A Tulsa in 2014.

He struggled early this season with high pitch counts, which didn't allow him to go deep into games. He had only one start that went beyond the seventh inning, but he's shown steady improvement since late June.

Still, the Rockies weren't ready to bring him up before Tuesday.

"He wasn't going to be up here until everybody felt that he was ready," Weiss said. "That trumped the need of where we are at as a team. We wanted to make sure that he is ready to go out there and he is equipped for a major league game. We feel that he is."

Gray will face Nelson Cruz, who is batting .429 with nine homers and 13 RBIs during a 14-game hitting streak. He's homered in four straight games after hitting his 30th of the season in Monday's 8-7 win over Seattle (49-58).

Cruz is 8 for 14 with three homers and six RBIs in four career games against Colorado.

The Mariners are giving Vidal Nuno (0-0, 2.11 ERA) a spot start after trading J.A. Happ to Pittsburgh before Friday's deadline.

All 21 of Nuno's appearances this season have come out of the bullpen. Over the last two years, the left-hander has gone 3-13 with a 4.08 ERA in 31 career starts with the New York Yankees and Arizona.

Nuno, though, allowed four runs in 13 1-3 innings over two starts against Colorado last year, losing his only decision.

"I think he's certainly capable of giving us five innings," manager Lloyd McClendon told MLB's official website. "He's got a rubber arm, he's started before this year. It's nothing foreign to him. We'll go with him as long as we can go. If he's not in trouble, he'll pitch."

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mariners at Rockies
Mon, Aug 3 Final 8 to 7
Boxscores

GAME 2
Mariners at Rockies
Tue, Aug 4 - 8:40PM EDT

GAME 3
Mariners at Rockies
Wed, Aug 5 - 3:10PM EDT

---------------------------------

MLB HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 3, 2015 Score ATS Results
SEA « 8 Cover: +100
COL 7 Over: 15
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Apr 4, 2015 Score ATS Results
SEA « 6 Cover: +100
COL 3 Over: 9
Tools:

Apr 3, 2015 Score ATS Results
COL 4 Over: 9
SEA « 5 Cover: +100
Tools:

Mar 11, 2015 Score ATS Results
COL « 4 Cover: +120
SEA 1 Over: 5
Tools:

Mar 29, 2014 Score ATS Results
SEA 1 Over: 3
COL « 2 Cover: +105
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Mar 28, 2014 Score ATS Results
COL 2 Over: 5
SEA « 3 Cover: +100
Tools: Recaps

**StarDust Bum** · 08-04-2015, 11:00 AM

Preview: Indians (48-57) at Angels (56-49)
Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: August 04, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

Matt Shoemaker had an impressive string of performances in late August last season and has gotten an earlier start this year.

He'll try to provide another scoreless outing Tuesday night for the Los Angeles Angels and take advantage of Jason Kipnis' absence for the Cleveland Indians.

Shoemaker (5-7, 4.24 ERA) was the first Angels pitcher to register three scoreless starts of seven innings or longer since Nolan Ryan in 1976 and 1977 with a stretch that lasted Aug. 21-31. He also produced the second-longest scoreless streak by a Los Angeles rookie at 23 1-3 innings en route to finishing second in the AL rookie of the year vote.

Shoemaker is working on another such streak after back-to-back scoreless starts and didn't get a decision while the Angels lost 3-0 in Houston on Thursday. The right-hander went seven innings for the first time in nine outings since May 26.

"I think he's found some stuff," manager Mike Scioscia told MLB's official website. "He's much closer to what we saw last year than he was at the beginning of the season."

Shoemaker produced those performances knowing full well he may have lost his rotation spot whenever Jered Weaver returned from an ailing left hip - which reportedly could come as early as next week - but C.J. Wilson possibly being lost for the season to an elbow injury may have helped solidify his spot on the staff.

"As soon as (Weaver is) ready, we want him back more than anybody," Shoemaker said. "We know what he can do on the field, and that can really help us."

For now, Shoemaker will try to help the Angels (56-49) regain their momentum following a six-game skid, their longest in two years. Los Angeles snapped that slide by rallying from an early three-run deficit for a 5-4 victory in Monday's series opener.

Conor Gillaspie hit the go-ahead, two-run homer in the sixth in his club's sixth win in the last eight games versus Cleveland (48-57) and fourth in a row in Anaheim. The Indians have lost nine of 12 and three in a row on a seven-game trip that ends Wednesday.

Cleveland, batting .204 with 11 runs so far on the trek, had to put Kipnis on the disabled list Friday because of nagging inflammation in his right shoulder. His career-best .326 average ranked third in the AL.

Carlos Carrasco (11-8, 4.03) will try to make up for his absence in his first start since remaining with the team after Friday's trade deadline. The right-hander, thought to have the interest of at least three clubs, earned his first win in five starts Thursday with a two-hitter in Oakland.

Carrasco was 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in his four starts before that 3-1 victory.

"It looked like it was bothering him a little bit," manager Terry Francona said. "So I just said, 'Hey, man, teams call, because you're coveted. That's a good thing.' But, we're not dying to let our pitching go away, and they know that."

Carrasco will make his first start against the Angels since April 13, 2011, and third overall. He had no record and a 3.46 ERA in the other two.

Shoemaker picked up a 9-3 win in his only start against Cleveland on June 17, 2014, yielding two runs in eight innings while fanning a career-high 10 - a mark he's matched three times since.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Indians at Angels
Mon, Aug 3 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Indians at Angels
Tue, Aug 4 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Indians at Angels
Wed, Aug 5 - 3:35PM EDT

-----------------------------

MLB HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 3, 2015 Score ATS Results
CLE 4 Over: 9
LAA « 5 Cover: +100
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

Mar 25, 2015 Score ATS Results
CLE 3 Over: 7
LAA « 4 Cover: +100
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Mar 20, 2015 Score ATS Results
LAA « 11 Cover: +100
CLE 5 Over: 16
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Sep 8, 2014 Score ATS Results
LAA « 12 Cover: +110
CLE 3 Over: 15
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Jun 19, 2014 Score ATS Results
LAA 3 Under: 8
CLE « 5 Cover: +113
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Jun 18, 2014 Score ATS Results
LAA 0 Under: 0
CLE « 0 Cover: +120
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Jun 17, 2014 Score ATS Results
LAA « 9 Cover: +110
CLE 3 Over: 12
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Jun 16, 2014 Score ATS Results
LAA 3 Under: 7
CLE « 4 Cover: +100
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Apr 30, 2014 Score ATS Results
CLE 1 Under: 8
LAA « 7 Cover: +100
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Apr 29, 2014 Score ATS Results
CLE 4 Over: 10
LAA « 6 Cover: +100
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**StarDust Bum** · 08-04-2015, 11:03 AM

Preview: Orioles (54-51) at Athletics (47-60)
Game: 2
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: August 04, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

Chris Davis is still striking out plenty since the All-Star break. When he's making contact, however, the Baltimore Orioles are very happy with the results.

Davis seeks to continue his hot hitting Tuesday night when he and the visiting Orioles look to add to the woes of winless Oakland Athletics starter Chris Bassitt in the middle game of this series.

The slugger leads the majors with 132 strikeouts, including 22 since the break to tie for eighth in baseball. He's also tied for third in the majors with eight homers in that span after his three-run shot Monday helped the Orioles (54-51) post a 9-2 rout for their eighth win in 10 games.

Davis is hitting .292 in his last 17 games to raise his average to .245.

"Chris got us off to a good start there," manager Buck Showalter said. "He's been a force for us for awhile, he always is."

Davis and the Orioles will get their first look at the luckless Bassitt (0-4, 3.10 ERA), who has posted a 3.00 ERA in his five starts with Oakland (47-60) - a run in which the right-hander has received five runs of total support.

Bassitt went 1-1 with a 3.77 ERA in five starts last year with the Chicago White Sox.

He may have trouble getting much support Tuesday since Baltimore starter Miguel Gonzalez (9-7, 4.28) has posted a 3.04 ERA in winning four straight road starts for the first time.

Gonzalez turned in a 5.68 ERA over one start and one relief appearance against Oakland in 2013. Brett Lawrie is 2 for 18 against him and Billy Butler has a double in eight at-bats.

Those hitters are among several slumping for the Athletics, losers of eight of 11. Lawrie is in a 1-for-13 slide, Butler a 3-for-22 skid and rookie Billy Burns a 4-for-28 slump.

Stephen Vogt, who has a team-high 59 RBIs, doubled off the wall in right in the sixth to snap an 0-for-28 funk, his second-longest hitless stretch.

The A's played without right fielder Josh Reddick, who left a 2-1 win over Cleveland the day before with lower back tightness but could return Tuesday.

Help is on the way since utility man Danny Valencia was claimed off waivers from Toronto and was expected to join the club for this game. Valencia batted .296 with an .838 OPS for the Blue Jays, though he is 0 for 4 against Gonzalez.

Coco Crisp went 2 for 4 in his return from the 60-day disabled list after a neck injury sidelined him since May 19.

"I haven't had that many at-bats from the end of last year, no at-bats really in spring training, so when I came back the first time from elbow surgery I didn't really have the appropriate time," Crisp said. "I wanted to wait and make sure I was myself, and I was able to do that."

The Orioles have committed the majors' fewest errors with 41, going 14 straight road games without one after some stellar defensive plays Monday. The A's have a major league-worst 92 errors after committing five in their last five games.

"Our infield guys put on a clinic," Showalter said. "There are probably four or five plays that are too smooth to get noticed."

MLB HEAD TO HEAD

Aug 3, 2015 Score ATS Results
BAL « 9 Cover: +105
OAK 2 Over: 11
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

Jul 20, 2014 Score ATS Results
BAL 2 Over: 12
OAK « 10 Cover: +100
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

Jul 19, 2014 Score ATS Results
BAL « 8 Cover: +145
OAK 4 Over: 12
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

Jul 18, 2014 Score ATS Results
BAL 4 Over: 9
OAK « 5 Cover: +100
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

Jun 8, 2014 Score ATS Results
OAK « 11 Cover: +100
BAL 1 Over: 12
Tools: Boxscores

Jun 7, 2014 Score ATS Results
OAK 3 Over: 9
BAL « 6 Cover: +118
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

Jun 6, 2014 Score ATS Results
OAK « 4 Cover: +100
BAL 3 Under: 7
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

**StarDust Bum** · 08-04-2015, 11:07 AM

How MLB's biggest trades impacted the World Series futures odds

Aug 04, 2015

The 2015 Major League Baseball trade deadline saw a plethora of activity that concluded with an astounding 29 clubs (where you at, Arizona?) combining to execute a grand total of 43 trades, which equates to one of the wildest player swapping periods in the sport’s rich and lengthy history.

While some teams pushed all of their chips to the middle of the table in the hopes of making a legitimate run at the World Series, others put up the white flag while simultaneously selling off their free-agent-to-be assets in order to build for the future.

Let’s commence today’s column by taking a close look at how the trade deadline impacted World Series futures in Las Vegas for five busy teams before turning an eye to the most and least favorable upcoming schedules.

Note: All odds courtesy of the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.

Toronto Blue Jays (25/1 to 14/1): The Blue Jays approached the trade deadline ranked first in run differential, but 20th in starting pitching ERA. And with General Manager Alex Anthopoulos on the hot seat, it was no surprise whatsoever to see MLB’s lone north-of-the-border club get very aggressive while facing a six-game AL East deficit.

Toronto flipped one of the game’s worst defensive shortstops in Jose Reyes into the .300-hitting defensive upgrade known as Troy Tulowitzki, acquired a frontline ace in David Price, solidified the bullpen thanks to the additions of Mark Lowe and LaTroy Hawkins and got better in left field by trading with Philadelphia for the speedy Ben Revere.

Vegas responded to the overhaul by adjusting Toronto’s odds more aggressively than any other team in the business. Now the big question remaining is whether or not the Blue Jays have what it takes mentally to find their way into the postseason.

Remaining schedule: Just 27 games (13 home, 14 road) against opponents who own a .500 winning percentage or better (13th-easiest in MLB).

Houston Astros (16/1 to 8/1): How about the Houston Astros, an organization that lost more than 105 games in 2011, 2012 and 2013, taking a good, long look at both their division and league at the trade deadline and saying, “Screw it, we can make a run at this thing now!”?

Credit General Manager Jeff Luhnow for giving the fans what they wanted by acquiring a severely-underrated pitcher in Scott Kazmir, who is 1-0 with zero runs surrendered in 14.2 innings pitched since joining the Astros, a back-of-the-rotation arm in Mike Fiers and a top-five centerfielder in Carlos Gomez.

The Astros smell blood in the water as it pertains to the American League West, so you can’t help but admire this club’s aggressive behavior when it mattered most.

Remaining schedule: Only 20 games (9 home, 11 road) against opponents who own a .500 winning percentage of better (11th-easiest in MLB).

New York Mets (16/1 to 14/1): The acquisitions of Juan Uribe, Kelly Johnson and Tyler Clippard were roster upgrades that may have been lacking in fanfare, but the same can’t be said about the addition of both power bat and power arm in former Detroit Tiger Yoenis Cespedes, who brings 19 homers and 65 RBIs to a lineup that desperately needed some pop.

The Mets have now won four straight games since Friday’s trade deadline and are poised to take over the National League East thanks to the current four-game losing streak the Washington Nationals are riding.

And keep this in mind if you’re looking to make a futures wager in the coming days: No team in Major League Baseball faces a more favorable schedule over the final two months of the season than the boys in Orange and Blue.

Remaining schedule: Just 14 games (9 home, 5 road) against opponents who own a .500 winning percentage or better (easiest in MLB).

Kansas City Royals (7/2 to 7/2): No adjustments necessary for the American League’s best team in Kansas City, despite the fact that the Royals gave up the farm for a much-needed ace in Johnny Cueto and a super utility player in Ben Zobrist.

The former Oakland Athletic provides a respectable replacement in left field until Alex Gordon returns from injury and then will transition to upgrade Kansas City’s defense at either the second base or right field positions, while also providing impressive depth at every single position except catcher.

As for Cueto, the former Red owned an impressive 2.70 ERA in hitter-friendly Cincinnati before joining an American League club that will provide him with better defensive support as well as a bigger stadium not nearly as conducive in permitting home runs.

With an 8.5-game lead in the A.L. Central, no team in baseball is better positioned to qualify for the postseason at this particular moment than Kansas City.

Remaining schedule: Only 18 games (11 home, 7 road) against opponents who own a .500 winning percentage or better (sixth-easiest in MLB).

Los Angeles Dodgers (6/1 to 6/1): Built for the preseason but so often a victim of the brightly-lit, big-stage atmosphere of the playoffs, the NL East-leading Dodgers addressed their biggest concern at the deadline by acquiring starting pitching depth in the form of former Marlin Mat Latos and former Brave Alex Wood without surrendering either of their top two prospects in Corey Seager and Julio Urias.

Most were expecting the cash-happy Dodgers to snag one of the market’s premiere aces in Johnny Cueto, David Price or Cole Hamels, but Los Angeles found a way to solidify their World Series chances by making a more under-the-radar type move to help counteract San Francisco’s addition of starting pitcher Mike Leake.

Now, if only the Dodgers can hold off a late Giants charge while finding a way to exorcise their postseason demons.

Remaining schedule: Just 25 games (12 home, 13 road) against opponents who own a .500 winning percentage or better (14th-easiest in MLB).

ON THE HORIZON

Here’s a look at the five teams with the easiest remaining schedules and the five teams with the toughest remaining schedules based on the number of opponents who currently own a .500 record or better.

Toughest

Cincinnati Reds (500/1): 38 games (22 home, 16 road) against opponents with a .500 record or better.

San Francisco Giants (14/1): 30 games (16 home, 14 road) against opponents with a .500 record or better.

Milwaukee Brewers (2000/1): 29 games (12 home, 17 road) against opponents with a .500 record or better.

Detroit Tigers (100/1): 29 games (12 home, 17 road) against opponents with a .500 record or better.

Colorado Rockies (1000/1): 33 games (17 home, 16 road) against opponents with a .500 record or better.

Easiest

New York Mets (14/1): 14 games (9 home, 5 road) against opponents with a .500 record or better.

Washington Nationals (7/1): 19 games (6 home, 13 road) against opponents with a .500 record or better.

San Diego Padres (60/1): 19 games (10 home, 9 road) against opponents with a .500 record or better.

Miami Marlins (1000/1): 26 games (13 home, 13 road) against opponents with a .500 record or better.

Philadelphia Phillies (9999/1): 25 games (19 home, 6 road) against opponents with a .500 record or better.

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