The Bum's Sports Page For Saturday August 8th Best Bets-Trends-News !

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Giants (59-50) at Cubs (60-48)
Game: 3
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: August 08, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

Kyle Schwarber is finally making Wrigley Field his own Friendly Confines and giving Joe Maddon the type of headache managers love.

The seemingly indispensable rookie looks to make another contribution as the Chicago Cubs continue their series Saturday versus the San Francisco Giants.

While the 22-year-old Schwarber is batting .345 with six homers and 20 RBIs through his first 26 games, it took him some time to adjust to hitting in front of the home fans. He had gone 2 for 13 in his first seven appearances at Wrigley before picking an opportune time to break out during this four-game series between NL wild-card hopefuls.

Schwarber hit a three-run homer in Thursday's 5-4 victory and added a two-run tiebreaking single Friday that sparked a five-run fifth and powered the Cubs (60-48) to a 7-3 win, their eighth in the last nine games that also extended their lead for the second wild-card spot over the Giants (59-50) to 1 1/2 games

"It's a nice compliment," Schwarber said about Maddon making room for him by dropping Starlin Castro. "I'm going to do whatever I can to help this team win."

It was the fourth time Maddon used Schwarber in left field, a position where he may get more consistent playing time since starting catcher Miguel Montero is healthy again and backup David Ross serves as Jon Lester's personal backstop. While three may be a crowd at the position, Maddon is riding the hot hand as Chicago chases its first playoff berth since 2008.

"At the end of the day it's about the Cubs winning," Maddon told MLB's official website prior to Friday's game. "Schwarber is the impetus regarding this maneuver, more than Starlin. We have to include Kyle right now."

Schwarber is hitting .381 with a 1.157 OPS against right-handers and will get his first crack at Giants veteran Matt Cain (2-2, 4.91 ERA), who is still trying to find his footing after undergoing elbow surgery last year. He's yielded eight runs and 18 hits in 11 innings spanning his last two starts, and opponents are hitting .303 against him in the six he's made since his return.

Cain, though, is 6-2 with a 2.38 ERA in 15 lifetime starts versus Chicago - his lowest ERA against any NL team. He has not recorded a decision in his last five starts at Wrigley dating back to 2008, and his only victory there came in his first outing in 2006.

Montero may be the odd man out Saturday since he's a .204 lifetime hitter versus Cain in 54 at-bats, and Anthony Rizzo is 1 for 16 with seven strikeouts.

San Francisco has dropped four of its last six and may need a deep outing from Cain after Ryan Vogelsong struggled as a fill-in starter for the injured Mike Leake on Friday. Its bullpen has logged eight innings in the first two games, and after throwing four shutout innings Thursday, the relievers were reached for four runs Friday.

"There's a lot of baseball left and that's enough said," manager Bruce Bochy said. "This is a tough group and we'll find a way to come out of this."

Kyle Hendricks (5-5, 3.67) is trying to win back-to-back starts after limiting Milwaukee to one run in seven-plus innings of a 4-2 victory last Saturday. It was a strong bounce-back effort by the right-hander, who had yielded nine runs in 11 innings over his previous two outings.

Hendricks is making his first appearance versus San Francisco.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Giants at Cubs
Thu, Aug 6 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Giants at Cubs
Fri, Aug 7 Final 3 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Giants at Cubs
Sat, Aug 8 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Giants at Cubs
Sun, Aug 9 - 2:20PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Dodgers (62-47) at Pirates (63-44)
Game: 2
Venue: PNC Park
Date: August 08, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

The Pittsburgh Pirates have thrived against NL West teams the past two seasons and have proved one of the most challenging opponents for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Francisco Liriano will try to lead the Pirates to another win over the Dodgers on Saturday and their 14th in 17 home games.

Pittsburgh (63-44) is 32-14 against the West, including 12-2 this season following a 6-5 win in 10 innings Friday in its first meeting with Los Angeles in 2015. The Pirates scored four runs off Clayton Kershaw while ending his scoreless streak at 37 innings, and Pedro Alvarez's bases-loaded single pushed them to 6-2 versus the Dodgers since the beginning of 2014.

Los Angeles (62-47) lost for the second time in eight games and dropped to 23-30 against NL Central teams in the past two seasons, compared with a 79-46 record against division rivals and a 35-26 mark versus the NL East.

Liriano (7-6, 2.92 ERA) is out to bolster his team's postseason chances during a challenging stretch of its schedule. Pittsburgh has a five-game lead for the league's first wild-card spot but Friday started a nine-game run against the NL's three division leaders.

Liriano is 3-0 with a 2.03 ERA in his last five starts but wasn't at his sharpest in his latest official outing, a 10-4 win in Minnesota on July 29. The left-hander gave up a season-high 10 hits and three runs in 5 2-3 innings, but didn't walk any batters after giving up a combined seven free passes in his previous two games.

He pitched two innings Monday against the Chicago Cubs before the first of two rain delays that totaled nearly 3 1/2 hours and washed out that game.

That leaves Liriano to seek his third win in as many starts while facing a team he's thrived against. He's 3-0 with a 1.37 ERA in as many starts versus the Dodgers and went 2-0 with a 0.71 ERA last season.

Liriano is also 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA in his last five home starts but might have to outduel Mat Latos (4-7, 4.29) in this one. The right-hander, acquired from Miami on July 30, gave up one run in six innings in his Dodgers debut Sunday, a 5-3 win against the Angels.

Latos has a 2.79 ERA in his eight starts since returning from a left knee injury June 13, and a 1.73 mark in his four since the beginning of July.

"(My health is) ten times better," Latos told MLB's official website. "It's hard to explain. Imagine having a lot of fluid in your knee, a lot of pain. That's my landing foot so I'm putting all my weight on that knee. It's allowed me to clear that front side and drive the ball down."

Latos didn't fare well in his only matchup with Pittsburgh last year, giving up four runs in five innings in a 6-5 win for Cincinnati on July 11.

Latos is 5-1 with a 3.13 ERA in 12 career starts against the Pirates. He's 3-0 with a 2.87 ERA in his six in Pittsburgh but hasn't pitched there since Sept. 20, 2013.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Pirates
Fri, Aug 7 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Dodgers at Pirates
Sat, Aug 8 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Dodgers at Pirates
Sun, Aug 9 - 8:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rangers (54-54) at Mariners (51-59)
Game: 2
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: August 08, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

Texas' inability to contain a sizzling Nelson Cruz led to another loss to the Seattle Mariners, but the Rangers could soon get some help in the next matchup from a familiar face.

After being re-acquired from Boston, Mike Napoli is hoping to arrive in time for Saturday's game in Seattle and the Rangers' attempt at an eighth win in 10 games.

Cruz hit one of Seattle's three home runs off Cole Hamels in a 4-3 victory Friday and Texas' sixth consecutive loss to the Mariners (51-59). Cruz tied the game in the sixth with his 32nd, one fewer than major league leader Mike Trout, and extended his MLB-best hit streak to 17 games.

"You want to get it done, especially when you're (trailing) and you're tired," Cruz said. "To be able to do it when it matters is definitely good."

Cruz is batting .421 with 11 homers during his run and has gone deep in six of the last seven games. He's 14 for 30 (.467) with four homers in the seven games against Texas this season.

Before having a four-game win streak snapped, the Rangers (54-54) picked up Napoli from Boston for a player to be named and cash. Napoli's averages dipped in each of his three seasons with the Red Sox - down to .207 this year - but he was batting .281 in his past 17 games.

His 13 homers and 40 RBIs were his fewest since 2007.

Before signing with Boston, Napoli played from 2011-12 in Texas and had his best season in that initial campaign, batting .320 with 30 homers. He had 24 home runs in 2012 but batted just .227.

Napoli was primarily a catcher in his first stint with the Rangers but is slated to serve as a first baseman or designated hitter this time. He's expected to start mainly against left-handed pitchers, and will see rookie southpaw Mike Montgomery (4-4, 3.07 ERA) if his expected morning flight from Boston arrives on time.

Napoli's .845 OPS against left-handers was second-best among Red Sox hitters who had played at least 42 games. Texas' .239 average versus lefties is 13th in the AL.

"He is a guy who always hits lefties. It's an area where we have struggled this year,' general manager Jon Daniels said. "He is a guy we know. We know he's going to fit our culture. He has a winning makeup."

Montgomery will seek to end a five-game winless drought in his first appearance against the Rangers. He's allowed four runs over 12 2-3 innings in his last two games but has gotten a combined four runs of support.

He yielded one run in six innings last Saturday in Minnesota, but Carson Smith gave up two runs in the ninth in a 3-2 loss.

Montgomery will next try to lead Seattle to its first seven-game win streak against Texas since 1995 and its sixth victory in eight overall contests.

Martin Perez (1-2, 6.64) looks to build on his first win since returning from Tommy John surgery, a 2-1 victory over San Francisco on Sunday. The left-hander yielded one run and two hits in 8 1-3 innings after getting tagged for eight runs in one-plus inning in a 21-5 drubbing to the New York Yankees on July 28.

Perez is 2-1 with a 3.22 ERA in four starts against Seattle with his most recent Aug. 28, 2013. Cruz has never faced him, but Kyle Seager is 6 for 14 with two homers.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rangers at Mariners
Fri, Aug 7 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rangers at Mariners
Sat, Aug 8 - 4:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Rangers at Mariners
Sun, Aug 9 - 4:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mets (59-50) at Rays (54-56)
Game: 2
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: August 08, 2015 6:10 PM EDT

Noah Syndergaard has enjoyed an electric rookie season for the New York Mets, though they're still waiting for his success at Citi Field to translate elsewhere.

He seeks his first road victory Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Syndergaard (6-5, 2.66 ERA) is 4-1 with a 1.80 ERA in his last nine games. Sunday's 5-2 win against Washington marked the second straight outing in which he fanned nine over eight innings. The two runs he allowed to the Nationals came on solo homers, including one on his fifth pitch, but he retired the next 10 batters and didn't issue a walk for the second consecutive start.

His 5.0 strikeout-to-walk ratio is the best in franchise history among Mets rookies with at least 10 starts. The second-highest is Dwight Gooden's 3.8 mark from 1984.

"This guy knows what he's doing out there," manager Terry Collins told MLB's official website. "He's got a feel for it."

Those last two outings were at home, though, where he's 6-1 with a 1.57 ERA in eight contests. On the road, he's 0-4 with a 4.34 mark. Citi Field has been one of baseball's most pitcher-friendly parks this year - the 3.47 ERA there is second-lowest in the majors, narrowly trailing Tropicana Field (3.46).

The Rays' offensive approach could also help Syndergaard's cause. They're striking out every 4.5 plate appearances, and the nine they had in Friday's 4-3 loss to open this series gives them 79 in the last eight games.

New York (59-50) extended its lead over Washington in the NL East to 2 1/2 games with its seventh consecutive win. The Mets, who have trailed in four games during their winning streak, went ahead in the ninth on Wilmer Flores' two-out single after Tampa Bay (54-56) took the lead on Evan Longoria's eighth-inning home run.

Collins' club allowed fewer than four runs for the ninth time in 12 games and is seeking a fifth consecutive road win for the first time since July 25-29, 2011.

"Tonight was pure character,' he said. "I can't say enough. They know these games are big."

The Rays had three solo homers with James Loney and Grady Sizemore also going deep. Longoria is batting .467 during a seven-game hitting streak, while Asdrubal Cabrera is 12 for 21 in his last five.

Another low-scoring game could be in order with Nathan Karns (6-5, 3.37) on the mound for Tampa Bay. He owns a 3-2 record and 2.73 ERA in his last nine outings and has been particularly tough to hit in the last three with opponents are batting .161.

He struck out seven over 5 1-3 innings and gave up a two-run homer in Tampa Bay's 5-4 win against the Chicago White Sox on Monday.

This marks Karns' first appearance against the Mets. He won both previous interleague starts this year, limiting Miami and Philadelphia to one earned run and five hits over 12 innings.

Michael Cuddyer could return this weekend for New York after going 0 for 3 with an intentional walk in a rehab game for Class-A St. Lucie on Friday. He hasn't played since July 21 due to left knee inflammation and was hitting .193 over his last 19 games.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mets at Rays
Fri, Aug 7 Final 4 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mets at Rays
Sat, Aug 8 - 6:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Mets at Rays
Sun, Aug 9 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Red Sox (49-61) at Tigers (53-56)
Game: 2
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: August 08, 2015 7:08 PM EDT

The baseball season is clearly in the dog days of summer for non-contending teams that have spent more than half a calendar year together with minimal postseason hopes to provide motivation.

The Detroit Tigers don't seem to be handling this unfamiliar situation too well.

The Tigers look to even this three-game home series with the Boston Red Sox on Saturday night after a fight between two of their players in the dugout was the major story of the opener.

These teams look to be finishing up disappointing campaigns. Detroit (53-56) is 11 1/2 games out in the AL Central with six teams ahead of it in the wild-card race while Boston (49-61) is 13 games out in the East.

The Tigers will likely see their streak of reaching the postseason end at four years, and their 7-2 loss Friday was marred by an altercation between catcher James McCann and shortstop Jose Iglesias in the sixth inning that third baseman Nick Castellanos helped break up.

'You spend seven months with each other, there's going to be disagreements and sometimes it leads to pushing and shoving,' beleaguered manager Brad Ausmus said.

'I've seen it dozens of times during my playing career. It's generally just because they care about winning and losing and that's what it was tonight.'

The Red Sox served further notice that they are looking to the future by trading Mike Napoli to Texas on Friday for a player to be named or cash. Napoli batted .207 in 98 games.

Pablo Sandoval was originally given Friday off but replaced Napoli in the lineup and went 1 for 3 with a walk. David Ortiz homered while Xander Bogaerts and Rusney Castillo each had three hits in Boston's second win in 11 road games.

Detroit's J.D. Martinez drilled his 30th homer - his third in the last seven games.

Saturday's pitching matchup features starters with identical 4.55 ERAs who met twice last year for underachieving NL teams. Now Alfredo Simon and Wade Miley are in similar circumstances after switching leagues.

They went 1-1 in their 2014 matchups, with Simon (10-6) posting a 3.38 ERA for Cincinnati and Miley (8-9) at 2.84 for Arizona.

Simon has allowed five runs over 11 2-3 innings in winning consecutive road outings, yielding one run in six innings to earn a 5-1 victory over the Red Sox on July 25 in his first start against them in nearly four years. Ortiz is 2 for 8 with four walks against him and Hanley Ramirez is 3 for 6.

The right-hander, who had this start pushed back three days by groin issues that cropped up the last time he faced the Red Sox, is 0-1 with a 7.64 ERA in his last three home outings.

Boston has dropped five straight starts by Miley, who is 0-2 with a 4.58 ERA in his last six. He has allowed two runs or fewer in three of his last four.

The left-hander has never faced Detroit, with Ian Kinsler 0 for 3 against him. He may be wary of Iglesias, a .372 hitter versus southpaws.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Red Sox at Tigers
Fri, Aug 7 Final 7 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Red Sox at Tigers
Sat, Aug 8 - 7:08PM EDT

GAME 3
Red Sox at Tigers
Sun, Aug 9 - 1:08PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rockies (46-61) at Nationals (56-52)
Game: 2
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: August 08, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Facing their largest deficit in nearly three months, the Washington Nationals are hoping Stephen Strasburg's return from the disabled list can kick-start a playoff push.

Chasing down NL East-leading New York will be more manageable, however, if Strasburg can dominate like he did right before landing on the DL and not pitch like he did in the season's first two months.

Strasburg takes the ball for the first time since Independence Day as the Nationals try to bounce back from a discouraging loss to the last-place Colorado Rockies on Saturday night.

Washington (56-52) was well on its way to a win Friday with a 4-1 lead in the eighth inning before Carlos Gonzalez hit a grand slam off former closer Drew Storen, sending the Nationals to a 5-4 loss. It was the sixth defeat in eight games for Washington, which fell 2 1/2 games out of the division lead for the first time since May 12.

'I guarantee none of the teams in our division feel sorry for us. The Mets are happy,' Danny Espinosa said. " ... For us, we've just got to keep going, keep plugging and go day-to-day and try to get wins.'

A win Saturday will come much easier if Strasburg (5-5, 5.16 ERA) can pick up where he left off before getting injured.

Strasburg recorded a 6.55 ERA in his first 10 starts with the Nationals losing seven times before going to the DL on May 30 due to neck tightness. At the time of his injury, his ERA was the second-highest among the 116 pitchers with at least 45 innings thrown.

A five-week stint on the DL seemed to work wonders as he came off pitching like an All-Star.

The right-hander posted a 1.50 ERA with 15 strikeouts over 12 innings in winning his first two starts and was again pitching well in his third. He had allowed one hit over 3 2-3 scoreless innings against San Francisco on July 4 before hurting his side. He went on the DL the next day with a strained left oblique.

Strasburg was getting knocked around before his first injury, as opponents had a .497 slugging percentage, and struck out 20.7 percent of the batters he faced. The top pick of the 2009 draft was once again overpowering batters after coming off the DL, striking out 30.0 percent of hitters and holding batters to a .232 slugging percentage.

Replicating that kind of success won't be easy against a Rockies team which is averaging an NL-best 4.6 runs and is second in the majors in slugging at .442.

Gonzalez is 7 for 18 with two homers, two doubles and seven RBIs in his last five games and leads the league with 19 home runs since June 1. Nolan Arenado is second on that list with 14 but is 0 for 5 lifetime against Strasburg.

DJ LeMahieu, fifth in the NL with a .319 average, is 4 for 9 with a homer lifetime in their matchups.

"Our guys fight to the final out,' Colorado manager Walt Weiss said. 'We've had some really tough losses ... but our guys continue to fight."

Strasburg went 1-1 with a 3.46 ERA against the Rockies (46-61) last season. He is 2-1 with a 1.74 ERA in three career home starts against them.

Colorado rookie Eddie Butler (3-8, 5.45) is being pushed up a day to make his first appearance against Washington in his fourth start since being recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque.

The right-hander is 0-2 with a 7.80 ERA since a seven-week stay in the minors and yielded three homers over four innings in Monday's 8-7 loss to Seattle.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rockies at Nationals
Fri, Aug 7 Final 5 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rockies at Nationals
Sat, Aug 8 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Rockies at Nationals
Sun, Aug 9 - 1:35PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Twins (55-54) at Indians (49-59)
Game: 2
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: August 08, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

For the Minnesota Twins, anywhere would've been better than Toronto. Few places have been more enjoyable for visiting teams lately than Cleveland.

The Twins try to win two straight for the first time in two weeks Saturday night when they continue this three-game series against the last-place Indians.

Minnesota (55-54) probably couldn't wait to leave Toronto after it was outscored 26-12 in four consecutive defeats, giving it 14 losses in 18 games. That stretch dropped the Twins from the top of the wild-card race to three games behind the second spot.

It looked like Minnesota would easily end its five-game skid after scoring six runs in the third inning in Friday's series opener. The Indians, though, answered back with four runs in the bottom half and went ahead 9-7 with five more runs in the fourth.

After forging a 9-all tie with a run in the fifth and sixth, the Twins finally regained the lead on Torii Hunter's homer in the ninth and held on for the 10-9 win.

'This is not my first rodeo,' Hunter said. 'I know how to bear down and get it done. That's what I did. I really wanted to help this ballclub out.'

Hunter fell a triple shy of the cycle and finished with three RBIs. Brian Dozier also homered and Eddie Rosario had a pair of triples for the Twins, who avoided falling under .500 for the first time since they were 11-12 on May 1.

Friday's loss was the fifth in six games for Cleveland (49-59), which has lost nine of 10 at home to fall to a major league-worst 20-33. The Indians are a season-high 10 games under .500.

Cleveland continued to overhaul its roster Friday, acquiring third baseman Chris Johnson from Atlanta in exchange for outfielders Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher. This trade follows the recent deals that shipped Brandon Moss, David Murphy and Marc Rzepczynski out of Cleveland.

'We can stay neutral or we can go backwards,' manager Terry Francona said. 'None of those are very good options. Or we can take what's been thrown at us and try to get better, and learn and figure out how we want to be as a team. We want to move forward.'

Michael Brantley had three RBIs and has hit safely in 10 straight starts, batting .368 in those games. Brantley, though, is hitting .192 in 26 at-bats against Ervin Santana (2-2, 3.89 ERA), who looks to continue his excellent work on the road.

Santana is 2-1 with a 1.52 ERA in four starts away from home, pitching at least 7 2-3 innings in three of those games. The right-hander rebounded from his worst performance of the season with a much better outing in a 5-1 loss at Toronto on Monday, allowing three runs over six innings.

Although he's 3-9 with a 4.09 ERA in 17 starts against the Indians, Santana has posted a 1.61 ERA in the last four meetings.

Trevor Bauer (8-8, 3.98) seeks to end a personal three-game losing streak and record his first win in a month. The right-hander is 0-3 with a 4.91 ERA in his last four starts, but has allowed only three runs and nine hits over 15 2-3 innings in his past two.

Bauer more then held his own matched up with Oakland ace Sonny Gray on Sunday, yielding one run and four hits over 6 2-3 innings in a 2-1, 10-inning loss.

The Twins have been a difficult matchup for Bauer, who is 0-3 with a 6.07 ERA in five starts. He was tagged for five runs and nine hits over five-plus innings in a 9-3 home loss May 8.

Hunter is 6 for 12 with two homers and two doubles against Bauer.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Twins at Indians
Fri, Aug 7 Final 10 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Twins at Indians
Sat, Aug 8 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Twins at Indians
Sun, Aug 9 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: White Sox (51-56) at Royals (64-44)
Game: 2
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: August 08, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

As the Kansas City Royals continue to find comfort at home, the Chicago White Sox have struggled no matter where they've played of late.

The Royals will try for a sixth consecutive home victory over the White Sox on Saturday night.

Kansas City (64-44) dropped six of the last eight to conclude a 4-6 road trip but bounced back with Friday's 3-2 victory over Chicago. Edinson Volquez threw seven strong innings and Lorenzo Cain had two hits to help the Royals win for the 12th time in their last 15 at Kauffman Stadium.

"(To) bounce back (Friday) and get a win against a division team is huge," Cain said.

Kansas City is 35-18 at home, where it's held the White Sox (51-56) to 11 runs during a five-game winning streak that dates to last season.

"(It's) always been a tough team for us to play," said Chicago manager Robin Ventura, whose club fell to 3-8 against the Royals this season after losing for the sixth times in the last eight games.

Cain is hitting .233 with one RBI in his last 11 road contests but .387 with 13 RBIs in his last 16 at home. The veteran is batting .409 with eight RBIs while hitting safely in all 11 games against Chicago this season.

He's 3 for 5 this year off Jeff Samardzija (8-6, 4.35 ERA), who has a 6.23 ERA in losing two starts against the Royals in 2015.

The right-hander completed at least seven innings in 10 straight starts before matching a season high with nine runs allowed in 4 2-3 innings of Sunday's 12-3 loss to the New York Yankees.

"If you are not sharp and on top of it, you are going to pay for it," Ventura told MLB's official website.

It doesn't seem likely Samardzija will have leadoff hitter Adam Eaton behind him Saturday after the center fielder jammed his left shoulder making a catch in the opener. Though Eaton is 2 for 13 with seven strikeouts in the last four games, he's hit .432 with a .528 on-base percentage in his last 12.

'It was enough to take him out," Ventura said about Eaton, who is day to day. "He couldn't really do anything. He knew right away. It was enough that we were going to have to get him checked out."

Trayce Thompson, brother of Golden State All-Star guard Klay Thompson, could make his first start in place of Eaton after recording two hits and scoring on Jose Abreu's double in his second career game Friday.

Batting .344 with 19 RBIs in his last 17 games, Abreu came through but the White Sox went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position in the opener.

They'll hope to rebound against Jeremy Guthrie (7-7, 5.65), who remains in Kansas City's rotation despite going 0-2 with a 7.27 ERA and yielding 30 hits in three starts since the All-Star break. Due to an off day the right-hander hasn't pitched since July 29 when he gave up eight runs and three homers in 5 1-3 innings of a 12-1 loss at Cleveland.

'It just unraveled for me and was not a good outing when you look back at it,' Guthrie said.

Though the Royals pulled out a 7-6, 13-inning win at Chicago on July 18, Guthrie allowed three runs and nine hits in five innings.

Melky Cabrera is batting .364 with five doubles, a triple and a home run in 44 at-bats against Guthrie.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
White Sox at Royals
Fri, Aug 7 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
White Sox at Royals
Sat, Aug 8 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
White Sox at Royals
Sun, Aug 9 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cardinals (70-39) at Brewers (47-64)
Game: 2
Venue: Miller Park
Date: August 08, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Randal Grichuk was drafted one spot before Mike Trout six years ago. While he hasn't become one of the game's best players, he's blossoming into a star in his own right for the St. Louis Cardinals.

He and St. Louis' dominant pitching staff seek a fourth straight victory Saturday night against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

The Los Angeles Angels selected Grichuk 24th overall in 2009 and picked Trout next. They dealt Grichuk, along with Peter Bourjos, to St. Louis after the 2013 season in exchange for Fernando Salas and David Freese, a deal that's looking better for the Cardinals by the day.

Grichuk, who never posted a minor league OPS better than .805 for a season at a level above Class-A, currently leads all rookies with at least 50 games played with a .913 OPS and is batting .350 with seven homers, seven doubles and 19 RBIs in his last 20 games.

Freese has hit .252 with a .389 slugging percentage since the deal after posting .286 and .427 marks over five seasons for St. Louis, while Salas owns a 4.35 ERA in 48 relief appearances this year.

Grichuk had a three-run shot during a six-run fifth inning in Friday's 6-0 win against the Brewers. Matt Carpenter also stayed locked in, doubling twice to improve his average to .381 over the last 11 games.

The Cardinals (70-39) have been able to get by without big innings given their excellence on the mound. They've allowed eight runs in the last five games with Friday being their second straight shutout. The bullpen has been especially impressive, allowing one run and six hits over 19 innings in the last five contests, and posting a 1.26 ERA since July 21.

"They are pitching well and you know it's going to be a low-scoring game for you to win," Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said.

Jaime Garcia (3-4, 1.98 ERA) looks to continue the staff's run after limiting Colorado to one run and two hits over five-plus innings in a 3-2 victory on Sunday, though he also yielded four walks.

He's walked six over 11 innings in two games since returning from a strained groin, an uncharacteristic number for a player who averaged 1.3 walks per nine innings in seven starts before the injury.

Garcia was a tough-luck loser against Milwaukee on June 1, allowing one run and three hits over seven innings in a 1-0 defeat. He's still 6-4 with a 2.81 ERA in 13 career starts in the series, however.

The Brewers (47-64) had scored 22 runs while winning three straight before being stifled Friday. Ryan Braun was yanked after seven innings for the second time in a lopsided loss in five days, though he extended his hitting streak to six games with a single. He's hitting .205 with six strikeouts in 39 at-bats against Garcia.

Rookie Shane Peterson is batting .423 in his last eight games after going 3 for 4.

Wily Peralta, (2-6, 4.55) is also making his third start since coming back from injury. He'll be looking to bounce back from his toughest outing of the season, having given up six runs, eight hits and three walks over 3 1-3 innings in a 13-5 loss to San Diego on Monday.

"I'm hoping it's just a one-time thing," Counsell said.

Peralta is 4-6 with a 4.43 ERA in 11 starts against St. Louis, including an 0-3 mark in the last four meetings while receiving four runs of support in 24 innings.

Carpenter is batting .444 off Peralta in 27 at-bats, while Jason Heyward is 6 for 14.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cardinals at Brewers
Fri, Aug 7 Final 6 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Cardinals at Brewers
Sat, Aug 8 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Cardinals at Brewers
Sun, Aug 9 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Marlins (43-67) at Braves (50-60)
Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: August 08, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

While they've been mediocre against the rest of the NL East, the Atlanta Braves continue to thrive against the Miami Marlins.

The Braves seek another win over Miami on Saturday night but face the only current Marlins starter to have beaten them this season, Tom Koehler.

Atlanta (50-60) is 24-24 against its division rivals but improved to 9-2 against Miami with a 6-3 victory Friday. The Marlins (43-67) took a short-lived lead by scoring three runs in the seventh, and the Braves responded with four in their half.

Nick Markakis hit a two-run single, and Atlanta took advantage of two errors, giving Miami nine in the past 10 games. Markakis went 3 for 4 to extend his hitting streak to an NL-best 14 games.

Atlanta, which has not won three straight in more than a month, has a tough task in solving Koehler (8-8, 3.71 ERA), who is 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA in his last four starts against the Braves and 1-0 with a 2.50 ERA in his last three in Atlanta. He picked up one of Miami's two wins over the Braves on April 14 by allowing two runs in 5 1-3 innings in an 8-2 win at Turner Field.

Koehler, however, has hardly been at his best lately, allowing a combined 12 runs in 10 1-3 innings in back-to-back losses. He matched a season high by giving up seven in 4 1-3 innings in a 12-1 drubbing to the New York Mets on Monday.

That triggered the Marlins' current five-game losing streak. They've also dropped 12 of 14 overall and 20 of 25 on the road.

"It's certainly not indicative of what he's done this year, just a bad game. Unfortunately, you're going to have some of those," manager Dan Jennings said.

Mike Foltynewicz (3-3, 5.40) also struggled in his latest outing Monday, his second since being called up from the minors. The right-hander gave up six runs on a career-high four homers in his six innings against San Francisco but avoided a loss as the Braves rallied for a 9-8 victory in 12 innings.

Foltynewicz, making his first appearance against the Marlins, gave up a pair of solo homers in his six innings July 29 in a 2-0 loss in Baltimore.

The Braves could have Michael Bourn and Nick Swisher in uniform for this game after acquiring the two players from Cleveland on Friday for Chris Johnson.

"I think with the addition of these two players, we're getting winning players with good makeups," Braves president John Hart told MLB's official website. "They've been around winners and they play the game the right way. I think these guys will fit what we're doing."

Bourn, who played 208 games for Atlanta from 2011-12, is batting .400 (14 for 35) in his last 11 games after hitting .224 in his first 84. Swisher has been rehabbing from inflammation on one of his surgically repaired knees and is batting .198 in 30 games this season.

Markakis, hitting .361 during his streak, is 3 for 6 lifetime against Koehler. A.J. Pierzynski, batting .426 during a 12-game run, is 5 for 9 with two homers.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Marlins at Braves
Thu, Aug 6 Final 8 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Marlins at Braves
Fri, Aug 7 Final 3 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Marlins at Braves
Sat, Aug 8 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Marlins at Braves
Sun, Aug 9 - 5:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Reds (48-59) at Diamondbacks (53-55)
Game: 2
Venue: Chase Field
Date: August 08, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Welington Castillo might have found a home with an Arizona Diamondbacks team that's trying to remain relevant in the final two months of the season.

Perhaps the club's biggest surprise this season, Castillo should have a chance to continue his recent power surge and help the Diamondbacks move within one game of .500 on Saturday night against the visiting Cincinnati Reds.

Castillo belted his career-high 14th home run and Chase Anderson pitched seven strong innings in his return from the disabled list to lead Arizona (53-55) to a 2-0 victory Friday. Though the Diamondbacks are 8 1/2 games back of first place in the NL West and seven out of the final wild-card spot, they've won nine of the last 13 and improved to 10-1 when Castillo homers.

"The most important thing is this team is giving me the opportunity to be out there every day and have a chance to be better and better every time," he told MLB's official website.

Playing for his third team this season, Castillo is batting .394 with seven home runs and 10 RBIs in his last 10 games. A former prized catching prospect with the Chicago Cubs, Castillo has hit all but two of his homers after being acquired by Arizona in the June 3 trade that sent Mark Trumbo to Seattle and is batting .299 with 25 RBIs in 43 games with the Diamondbacks.

"It's just getting the at-bats. He has a good swing," manager Chip Hale said. "If a pitcher makes a mistake, he's able to cash in."

Castillo also has built a good rapport with Diamondbacks pitchers, including rookie Robbie Ray (3-6, 3.01 ERA) despite him being 0-3 with a 4.44 ERA in five starts at home.

The left-hander also has gone 0-2 with a 4.98 ERA in four starts since winning at Texas on July 7, but makes his first appearance against a Cincinnati team that's been limited to 10 hits while being shut out in its last two contests.

Looking to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat, the Reds (48-59) were last blanked in three straight games April 18-21, 1989.

Though Cincinnati has totaled 14 runs while losing five of the last seven, Joey Votto's .468 batting average in his last 20 games is the highest in the majors since the All-Star break.

Teammate Todd Frazier, however, is hitting .114 with 14 strikeouts in the last 11 contests.

Cincinnati's Keyvius Sampson (0-1, 4.50) retired the first seven batters he faced during his first career start Sunday against Pittsburgh and yielded three runs and struck out six with a walk in five innings of a 3-0 defeat.

"I know there is always room to improve," he told MLB's official website. "Just going to work on things and be more consistent as far as my breaking stuff."

The right-hander was the 12th different pitcher to start for the Reds this season, and the fifth consecutive rookie to do so for Cincinnati. The latter hadn't happened since September 1935.

"He showed good stuff and he was around the plate," manager Bryan Price said. "He showed a four-pitch mix around the plate. I thought he had great composure for a guy making his (starting) debut. I was very impressed with the way he threw the baseball, and we look forward to seeing a lot more of Keyvius."

The Reds won't need to worry about facing veteran reliever Oliver Perez, whom the Diamondbacks dealt to Houston following Friday's game for a minor leaguer.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Reds at Diamondbacks
Fri, Aug 7 Final 0 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Reds at Diamondbacks
Sat, Aug 8 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Reds at Diamondbacks
Sun, Aug 9 - 4:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Phillies (43-67) at Padres (52-58)
Game: 2
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: August 08, 2015 8:40 PM EDT

No pitcher in the majors issues more walks than the San Diego Padres' Tyson Ross.

No NL club has more trouble drawing walks than the Philadelphia Phillies.

One of those trends won't hold up Saturday night when Ross tries to win three straight starts for the first time this season as he faces the visiting Phillies in the middle game of this series.

Ross (8-8, 3.37 ERA) has walked 63 hitters with a major league-worst ratio of 4.24 per nine innings. He has pitched effectively his last two times out, yielding four runs over 11 innings in victories though he has issued six walks.

Philadelphia's lack of plate discipline may prove to be his biggest asset Saturday. The Phillies (43-67) have walked 250 times.

Ross is 0-1 with a 5.40 ERA in four appearances - two starts - against Philadelphia. Chase Utley is 1 for 5 against him, Carlos Ruiz is 2 for 4 and Domonic Brown is hitless in four at-bats.

The right-hander, 3-5 with a 4.47 ERA in nine home starts, has seen his lack of control be an asset at times. Batters swing and miss at 30.8 percent of his pitches for one of baseball's best marks.

Ross has received 20 runs of support in his last two outings. That's seven more than the Padres (52-58) gave him in his six prior.

"It's huge any time you get guys swinging like that," Ross said. "It motivates you to get quick outs and pitch deep into the game."

Backup Austin Hedges, a .176 hitter, could be his batterymate since he has caught Ross eight times - more than any other starter.

The Phillies welcomed the return Friday of Utley, who went 1 for 5 in his first action since June 22 after being out due to right ankle inflammation. Cesar Hernandez had been playing second base in his absence, batting .387 in a seven-game hitting streak that ended when he struck out in his only official at-bat in a 4-3, 12-inning win.

Cameron Rupp's homer in the 12th was the difference for Philadelphia, which is a major league-best 14-5 since the All-Star break. Brown, Ryan Howard and Cody Asche also went deep for the Phillies, who rallied from a 3-0 deficit.

'We're being aggressive,' Rupp said. 'We're having good at-bats. When pitchers make mistakes, we're ready for them.'

Brown has homered in consecutive games, with four homers and 11 RBIs in his last eight. He is hitting .345 with three home runs in his last seven games at Petco Park.

San Diego has totaled 10 runs and batted .210 while losing four straight. Matt Kemp is 2 for 15 in that stretch, Yonder Alonso is 2 for 13 and Jedd Gyorko is 1 for 13.

The Padres have a 13-10 record when they face left-handed starters as they get their first look at Phillies rookie Adam Morgan (2-3, 4.46), who was charged with four runs over five innings in Sunday's 6-2 loss to Atlanta. Philadelphia had captured his previous three outings.

Morgan is 1-2 with a 4.76 ERA in three road starts.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Phillies at Padres
Fri, Aug 7 Final 4 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Phillies at Padres
Sat, Aug 8 - 8:40PM EDT

GAME 3
Phillies at Padres
Sun, Aug 9 - 4:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Orioles (55-53) at Angels (58-50)
Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: August 08, 2015 9:05 PM EDT

Mike Trout celebrated his birthday in a big way, and the Los Angeles Angels hope it was a sign of more things to come after their recent slump.

Facing a struggling Ubaldo Jimenez could be conducive for another big offensive performance Saturday night against the Baltimore Orioles at Angel Stadium.

Trout, who turned 24, had been 1 for 20 with seven strikeouts over his previous five games before going 2 for 3 with his major league-leading 33rd homer and two walks in an 8-4 win in Friday's series opener. Trout is already three shy of last year's career-high home run total and has gone yard in six of his last 11 home games against Baltimore.

The AL wild card-leading Angels (58-50) had scored three runs or fewer seven times during a 1-9 stretch, but have since won three of four while scoring 17 runs in the victories. Friday was a balanced effort with five players besides Trout driving in a run, including three RBIs and two doubles between Nos. 8 and 9 hitters Johnny Giavotella and Chris Iannetta.

Jimenez (8-7, 4.04 ERA) is 1-4 in his last six starts and has been shelled in the last four, allowing a .309/.378/.605 slash line while serving up six homers in 18 2-3 innings. He had been yielding 0.72 home runs per nine innings prior to that stretch, which would have been his lowest mark since 2010.

The right-hander gave up six runs over 4 2-3 innings in Sunday's 6-1 loss to Detroit.

"He was wild in the strike zone again," manager Buck Showalter told MLB's official website. "He had trouble getting the ball where he wanted to get it, especially with some counts in his favor."

Jimenez has lost all five previous starts against the Angels with a 5.34 ERA, though that was inflated by his last trip to Anaheim in 2012 when he gave up eight runs in four innings of a 9-6 loss with Cleveland. He's actually posted quality starts in three of his last four matchups, and permitted two runs in seven innings in a 6-1 loss May 16.

Trout is 3 for 9 with a double against Jimenez.

The Orioles (55-53) could use a lengthy outing from Jimenez after Kevin Gausman allowed six runs in 5 2-3 innings, the sixth time in eight games they've gotten fewer than six innings from their starter.

Garrett Richards (11-8, 3.46) is also seeking his first win against this opponent, having gone 0-2 with a 6.16 ERA in three starts against Baltimore. He surrendered seven runs over 4 1-3 innings in the first in 2012. The offense faltered behind him May 17 when he limited the Orioles to two runs over 7 2-3 innings in a 3-0 loss.

Richards is looking to improve to 8-2 at home, where he owns a 2.36 ERA in 10 outings. Monday's 5-4 win over Cleveland, in which he surrendered four runs in 7 1-3 innings, marked just the second time he failed to deliver a quality start in his last 18 games at Angel Stadium. His 11 strikeouts tied a career high, however.

Jimenez has one quality start in his last five road outings and owns a 5.25 ERA in 12 this year.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Orioles at Angels
Fri, Aug 7 Final 4 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Orioles at Angels
Sat, Aug 8 - 9:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Orioles at Angels
Sun, Aug 9 - 3:37PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Armadillo's Write-Up

Saturday, August 8

National League
Giants @ Cubs
Cain is 1-1, 5.32 in his last four starts (over 3-0-1).

Hendricks is 1-1, 5.00 in his last three starts; six of his last eight went under.

Giants won four of last seven games with Chicago; seven of last 11 in series stayed under the total. SF lost four of last six games; over is 5-1-1 in last seven. Cubs won eight of their last nine games (under 5-3-1).

Dodgers @ Pirates
Latos is 1-2, 1.73 in his last four starts (under 3-1); he got 10 runs of support in the four games.

Liriano is 3-0, 2.37 in his last six starts; four of his last five went over.

Dodgers lost seven of last nine games with Pittsburgh; over is 7-3 in last ten series games. LA won six of its last eight games (over 5-2-1). Pirates won seven of last ten games; three of last five stayed under.

Rockies @ Nationals
Butler is 0-3, 8.41 in his last four starts; under is 4-0-1 in his last five.

Strasburg comes off DL here; he was 2-0, 1.15 in his last three starts before he pulled an oblique muscle- three of his last four starts stayed under.

Colorado lost five of its last seven games with Washington; Rockies lost six of last nine games; five of their last six went over. Nationals lost six of last seven games, with last five going over the total.

Marlins @ Braves
Koehler is 1-4, 6.14 in his last five starts; over is 5-2-1 in his last eight.

Foltynewicz is 0-1, 6.00 in his last two starts; four of his last five went over.

Braves won four of last six games (over 6-0-2 in last eight). Marlins lost 12 of last 14 games (over 6-1 in last seven). Atlanta won nine of last eleven games with Miami; six of last seven went over the total.

Cardinals @ Brewers
Garcia is 2-1, 1.41 in his last five starts; six of his last seven stayed under.

Peralta is 1-2, 6.38 in his last five starts; over is 4-1-1 in his last six.

Cardinals won seven of last nine games with Milwaukee (under 6-3); they won four of last five games overall (under 5-0). Brewers won three of last four games; under is 4-1 in their last five.

Reds @ Diamondbacks
Sampson allowed three hits, three runs in five IP (79 PT) in his first MLB start.

Ray is 0-2, 5.94 in his last three starts; under is 4-2-1 in his last seven.

Cincinnati won six of last ten games with Arizona (under 7-2 in last nine); Reds lost four of last five games; under is 9-1-1 in their last 11. Arizona won eight of last twelve games; eight of its last ten went over.

Phillies @ Padres
Morgan is 1-1, 5.28 in his last four starts (under 3-0 in road starts).

Ross is 3-1, 3.30 in his last five starts; three of his last four went over.

Phillies are 14-5 in their last 19 games-- over is 4-1-2 in their last seven. San Diego lost last four games, allowing 26 runs; nine of their last ten went over. Philly lost three of last five games with the Padres (over 4-1 in last five)

American League
Red Sox @ Tigers
Miley is 0-2, 4.70 in his last five starts; over is 6-4 in his last ten.

Simon is 2-0, 3.86 in his last two starts; eight of his last ten went over.

Red Sox won four of last five games with Detroit; under is 5-3-2 in last ten series games. Boston lost three of last five games overall (under 3-1-1). Tigers won three of last five games (under 3-1-1).

Blue Jays @ Bronx
Price is 3-2, 2.45 in his last six starts; four of his last five stayed under.
Nova is 3-0, 2.65 in his last three starts; under is 4-1-1 in his last six.
Blue Jays won six in row, nine of last ten games; they scored 20 runs in last three games, with four of their last six going under. Toronto won four of last fvie games with Bronx, which won four of its last seven (under 6-2 in last 8).

Twins @ Indians
Santana is 0-2, 8.49 in his last two starts; three of his last four went under.

Bauer is 0-3, 4.91 in his last four starts; six of his last seven stayed under.

Minnesota won four of last five games with Cleveland; eight of last ten in series went over total. Twins lost five of last six games, outscored 39-23; five of their last eight games stayed under. Indians lost five of their last six games; six of their last eight stayed under.

White Sox @ Royals
Samardzija is 2-2, 5.86 in his last four starts; his last three went over.

Guthrie is 0-2, 7.79 n his last three starts; three of his last four went over.

Chicago lost four of last five games with Kansas City; under is 7-1-1 in last nine series games. White Sox lost six of last eight games overall; 10 of their last 11 went over the total. Royals lost six of last nine games; four of their last five stayed under.

Orioles @ Angels
Jimenez is 1-3, 10.61 in his last four starts (over 3-1).

Richards is 3-1, 2.53 in his last four home starts; four of his last six starts overall went over.

Orioles lost four of last five games with the Angels; eight of last ten went under the total. Baltimore is 7-4 in its last 11 games; over is 5-2-1 in its last eight. Halos lost seven of last ten games (over 7-4 in last 11).

Astros @ A's
McHugh is 4-0, 3.24 in his last four starts; six of his last seven went under.

Chavez is 0-2, 7.98 in his last three starts; nine of his last ten went over.

Houston won seven of last nine games with Oakland; five of last eight went over the total. Astros lost four of last five games overall; they're 3-14 in last 17 road games. A's lost ten of last 15 games (under 10-5).

Rangers @ Mariners
Perez is 1-5, 9.36 in his last seven starts; under is 3-1 in his last four on road.

Montgomery is 0-2, 6.84 in his last five starts; under is 5-2-2 in his last nine.

Seattle won its last six games with Texas; seven of last nine stayed under. Mariners won four of last five games; their last four went over. Rangers are 7-2 in last nine games; three of their last five stayed under.

Interleague
Mets @ Rays
Syndergaard is 4-1, 1.44 in his last seven starts (under 5-1-1).

Karns is 2-0, 1.65 in his last three starts.

Mets won six of last eight games with Tampa Bay; last five games in series went over total. New York won its last seven games, allowing 16 runs; four of last five went over. Tampa Bay won three of its last five; six of their last seven games went over the total.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
SF-Chi-- Cain 3-3; Hendricks 11-10
LA-Pitt-- Latos 7-10, 1-0; Liriano 10-10
Col-Wash-- Butler 6-8; Strasburg 6-7
Mia-Atl-- Koehler 10-10; Foltynewicz 5-6
StL-Mil-- Garcia 4-5; Peralta 4-7
Cin-Az-- Sampson 0-1; Ray 4-8
Phil-SD-- Morgan 4-3; Ross 12-11

Bos-Det-- Miley 10-12 (0-5 last 5); Simon 12-8
Tor-NY-- Price 16-6, 1-0; Nova 4-3
Min-Clev-- Santana 3-3; Bauer 9-12 (0-4 last 4)
Chi-KC-- Samardzija 11-11; Guthrie 12-8
Balt-LAA-- Jimenez 10-11; Richards 12-8
Tex-Sea-- Perez 2-2; Montgomery 4-8 (0-5 last 5)
Hst-A's-- McHugh 15-7; Chavez 5-14 (3-6 last 9)

NY-TB-- Syndergaard 8-7; Karns 10-11

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
SF-Chi-- Cain 2-6; Hendricks 4-21
LA-Pitt-- Latos 6-17; Liriano 2-21
Col-Wash-- Butler 8-15; Strasburg 3-13
Mia-Atl-- Koehler 4-20; Foltynewicz 5-11
StL-Mil-- Garcia 2-9; Peralta 3-11
Cin-Az-- Sampson 0-1; Ray 2-12
Phil-SD-- Morgan 1-7; Ross 6-23

Bos-Det-- Miley 7-22 (3 of last 3); Simon 3-20
Tor-NY-- Price 4-22; Nova 1-7
Min-Clev-- Santana 0-6; Bauer 3-21
Chi-KC-- Samardzija 11-22; Guthrie 4-20
Balt-LAA-- Jimenez 6-21; Richards 3-20
Tex-Sea-- Perez 0-4; Montgomery 2-12
Hst-A's-- McHugh 7-22; Chavez 5-19

NY-TB-- Syndergaard 4-15; Karns 8-21

Umpires
LA-Pitt-- Last five Morales games went over total.
SF-Chi-- Three of last four Culbreth games went over.
Col-Wsh-- Over is 4-1-1 in last six O'Nora games.
StL-Mil-- Three of last four Hirschbeck games went over.
Mia-Atl-- Under is 9-4-1 in last 14 Wendelstedt games.
Cin-Az-- Last three Vanover games went over the total.
Phil-SD-- Under is 8-3-1 in last twelve Nauert games.

Tor-NY-- Nine of last twelve Gibson games stayed under.
Hst-A's-- Favorites are 14-5 in last nineteen Nelson games.
Tex-Sea-- Underdogs won nine of last ten Iassogna games.
Bos-Det-- Six of last seven TBarrett games stayed under.
Chi-KC-- Over is 8-3-1 in last twelve Diaz games.
Min-Clev-- Underdogs are 11-6 in last 17 Everitt games.
Balt-LAA-- Underdogs are 7-5 in last twelve Davis games.

NY-TB-- Favorites won last four TWelke games.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Saturday, August 8

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Trend Report
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1:05 PM
TORONTO vs. NY YANKEES
Toronto is 4-2 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
Toronto is 6-19 SU in their last 25 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
NY Yankees are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing Toronto
NY Yankees are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games at home

4:05 PM
LA DODGERS vs. PITTSBURGH
LA Dodgers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh
LA Dodgers are 6-2 SU in their last 8 games
Pittsburgh is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games at home
Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers

4:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. OAKLAND
Houston is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing Oakland
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Houston's last 14 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oakland's last 5 games when playing at home against Houston
Oakland is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing Houston

4:05 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. CHI CUBS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 6 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
San Francisco is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games
Chi Cubs are 8-1 SU in their last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Chi Cubs's last 6 games when playing at home against San Francisco

4:10 PM
TEXAS vs. SEATTLE
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Texas's last 9 games when playing Seattle
Texas is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Seattle's last 9 games when playing Texas
Seattle is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Texas

6:10 PM
NY METS vs. TAMPA BAY
NY Mets are 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
The total has gone OVER in 5 of NY Mets's last 5 games when playing Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing NY Mets
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Tampa Bay's last 7 games

7:05 PM
COLORADO vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Colorado's last 15 games when playing on the road against Washington
Colorado is 5-14 SU in its last 19 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games at home
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Colorado

7:08 PM
BOSTON vs. DETROIT
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Detroit
Boston is 7-15 SU in its last 22 games
Detroit is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Boston
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Boston

7:10 PM
MIAMI vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 6 games on the road
Miami is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Atlanta
Atlanta is 5-11 SU in its last 16 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Atlanta's last 5 games

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

7:10 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Chi White Sox's last 11 games
Chi White Sox are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing Kansas City
Kansas City is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Chi White Sox
Kansas City is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:10 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. MILWAUKEE
The total has gone OVER in 8 of St. Louis's last 11 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Milwaukee's last 11 games when playing at home against St. Louis
Milwaukee is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games at home

8:10 PM
CINCINNATI vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Cincinnati's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cincinnati's last 7 games when playing on the road against Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona's last 6 games when playing Cincinnati
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games at home

8:40 PM
PHILADELPHIA vs. SAN DIEGO
Philadelphia is 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games ,when playing on the road against San Diego
Philadelphia is 1-3-1 SU in its last 5 games ,
San Diego is 6-16-1 SU in its last 23 games ,when playing at home against Philadelphia
San Diego is 3-6-1 SU in its last 10 games ,when playing Philadelphia

9:05 PM
BALTIMORE vs. LA ANGELS
Baltimore is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Baltimore is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of LA Angels's last 11 games when playing at home against Baltimore
LA Angels are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Baltimore