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Preseason Week 1 Pointers

August 11, 2015

The pro football preseason kicked off this past weekend in the Hall of Fame game as the Vikings battled the Steelers. Remember that each season is different, with players changing teams, new coaches and assistants coming aboard, and star college players joining the pros as highly touted rookies. August football offers fans their first peak at all the new additions.

It's a short week for the Steelers, heading to Jacksonville to play the Jaguars. The Steelers didn’t care much about preseason last August, going 1-3 SU/ATS. In their two road games, they lost 20-16 and 31-21.

The extra work will probably be good for Minnesota as they excelled last preseason under a new coaching staff, going 4-0 SU/ATS. Minnesota still had a losing record during the regular season, finishing third in the NFC North. Last preseason they were trying to establish a quarterback, but this year Matt Cassel is gone and they’ve hitched their wagon to Teddy Bridgewater, so preseason will mean a backup battle Shaun Hill and Mike Kafka.

The defending champion Patriots open the preseason against the Packers. It would have been a Super Bowl rematch if the Packers hadn’t muffed an onside kick. And you won’t see much of Aaron Rodgers against Tom Brady, as Bill Belichick rarely uses franchise Tom in Week 1.

The Dolphins are at Chicago as the Bears introduce a new head coach. John Fox was quietly shown the door in Denver and made changes to the Bears on both sides of the line. Offensive coordinator Adam Gase is aboard who ran the offense with Fox at Denver. He gets to work rookie WR Kevin White into the new offense -- and good luck to both working with turnover-prone QB Jay Cutler. New defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has a boatload of work to do overhauling a Chicago defense that was dismal in 2014, ranked 30th against the pass, 17th against the run, and the second most points allowed (27.6 ppg).

Carolina heads to Buffalo this weekend. Carolina is a veteran team off of two-straight playoff appearances, so they have little to prove. The Bills, however, introduce bombastic coach Rex Ryan to the home fans, which is always a treat. Ryan walks in to a great situation (9-7 SU/ATS) though his team is going to look similar to the Jets: Great defense, weak O and no QB.

The WR corps is young and fast with Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods and Percy Harvin. But who cares about offense when you have a defense this talented? That’s probably what sexy Rexy is thinking as Buffalo rolled up 54 sacks last year, 57 two years ago, leading the NFL. DT Marcell Dareus (10 sacks) and DE Mario Williams (14.5) are a handful along with LB Jerry Hughes (9.5 sacks). Wonder if Rex will unleash the blitzing hounds in August? He probably can’t help himself.

The Rams have a long Week 1 preseason road trip out to Oakland. St. Louis has little to prove but the Raiders have a new coach in Jack Del Rio, his first gig since getting axed in Jacksonville. The Raiders have gone through 12 consecutive losing seasons. Del Rio says he wants to bring back the mentality and swagger from the early Raider dynasty. New WR Amari Cooper is aboard and last preseason the Raiders played their best football winning both home games over the Lions (27-26) and Seahawks (41-31).

Speaking of Seattle they open the preseason at home this week against the Broncos, the team they crushed in the Super Bowl two years ago. Fans probably forget they opened the preseason last August and the Broncos won at home, 21-16. However, Pete Carroll has his teams ready to play at home, even in August, as last preseason they crushed the Chargers (41-14) and Bears (34-6) at home.

The Washington Redskins open the preseason at Cleveland this weekend. Oddly, the Redskins have been great in preseason the last two years but terrible when the games count. Two years ago the Skins were 4-0 SU/ATS last preseason, then went 3-13 SU, 5-11 ATS during the 2013 campaign. Last August, they went 3-1 SU/ATS, then went 4-12 during the regular season!

Minnesota already has a game under its belt Saturday when they host the Bucs, while Tampa Bay gets its first look at rookie QB Jameis Winston. He ran a pro-style offense at Florida State, a similar system under Tampa Bay OC Dirk Koetter. The coaching staff said this offseason they want to play a faster tempo on offense, so let’s see if they start preseason that way. Nothing can hurt after ranking 27th in yards in 2014. After Winston the QB rotation has Mike Glennon and Seth Lobato – not exactly Waterfield and Van Brocklin off the bench.

The Rams heading to Oakland is the only Week 1 contest with a long travel time. A year ago there was only one when the 49ers flew to Baltimore – and got smoked, 23-3. Two years ago there was only one, when the Cardinals flew to Green Bay, but it didn’t seem to matter as Arizona rolled, 17-0. Three years ago, the Packers were at San Diego in Week 1 of the preseason, Tennessee headed to Seattle, while the Vikings headed to the Bay Area to play San Francisco. Tennessee looked jet-lagged in a 27-17 defeat as did the Vikings in a 17-6 loss to the 49ers and the Packers got beat up at San Diego, 21-13.

Also keep an eye on home field. In one recent season home teams went 21-10-1 against the spread the first two weeks of preseason. Two years later the home team went 10-5 SU/ATS the first week of exhibition play. There are edges in preseason football, you just have to know where to look and what to look for, even in August.

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Preseason Week 1 Essentials

August 10, 2015

The NFL preseason gets a bad rap.

Sure, most veterans take only one game seriously and we’ll all be ready to be done with it before the month is up, but don’t sleep on its charms.

In the Hall of Fame game alone, Steelers LB Ryan Shazier and RB/WR Dri Archer attempted to atone for rough rookie years by attacking the first available opportunity. Minnesota showcased impressive depth and saw intriguing rookie WR/KR Stefon Diggs back up what he’s been doing in practices with an electrifying punt return on Sunday’s most memorable play.

There will be reasons to tune in for every single preseason contest even if you abstain from getting in any action.

It’s a misconception that trying to profit of the preseason is akin to throwing darts. You can do well if you isolate games where the coaching staffs have different agendas in regards to playing time or what they’re schematically looking to accomplish, not to mention general mismatches in terms of personnel depth.Here’s how Week 1 shakes out:

Thursday, Aug. 13

New Orleans at Baltimore (BAL -3/37.5): The Saints have taken the cautious approach with Marques Colston, Brandin Cooks and newly acquired C.J. Spiller, so they’re all likely out. Drew Brees didn’t play in last year’s preseason opener, yet New Orleans still beat St. Louis 26-24 behind Luke McCown, who returns as the primary backup. Baltimore welcomes Matt Schaub to the party, looking to ease concerns about his uneven play in camp thus far. The Ravens were 4-0 last preseason.

Green Bay at New England (NE -3/38): A focused Tom Brady has been brilliant in practice, clearly locking in early in an attempt to press forward. Despite that, this preseason is all about getting Jimmy Garoppolo ready to play in Week 1. Bill Belichick’s strategy will reveal itself some here, but it’s worth noting that the Patriots have had more players unavailable due to injury than most at this early stage and just cut veteran backup QB Matt Flynn, opting for Ryan Lindley. The Packers have lost their preseason opener in five consecutive seasons.

N.Y. Jets at Detroit (DET -3/37): The Todd Bowles era gets underway, but his Jets defense has already had bad luck with injuries and off-field issues. QB Geno Smith has looked sharper, but don’t expect more than a cameo from him and new No. 1 WR Brandon Marshall. The Lions saw Matthew Stafford dominate this weekend’s scrimmage with brilliant throws, but backups Kellen Moore and Dan Orlovsky combined for three picks and no touchdowns. They’ll do the bulk of the work here.

Miami at Chicago (PK/37): Quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s continued improvement has been a positive sign considering the Dolphins just gave him more guaranteed money in the hope he’ll be their most productive quarterback since Dan Marino. The Bears are counting on Jay Cutler bouncing back from last season’s implosion and won’t expose him much, if at all, this early. Still, with coordinator Adam Gase installing a new offense and Vic Fangio implementing a 3-4 defense, we’ll see whether this bunch acclimates to change quickly.

Washington at Cleveland (CLE -2/37.5): Controversially divisive signal-callers Robert Griffin III and Johnny Manziel get more attention and scrutiny than even Tim Tebow, so this one is must-see TV. Both are expected to play, but it’s likely that Manziel gets much more time here since RGIII is slated to start opposite Josh McCown. Manziel put together an improved, eye-opening performance in this past weekend’s scrimmage.

Dallas at San Diego (SD -3.5/37.5): Count on Tony Romo and Philip Rivers wearing baseball caps throughout the duration of this one. Young players will be on the field for both sides throughout most of this one, so not even veteran backups Brandon Weeden nor Kellen Clemens should see much action. Instead, this QB battle will pit San Diego’s Chase Rettig and Brad Sorensen against Dallas’ Dustin Vaughan and Jameill Showers. The Chargers beat the Cowboys 27-7 in last year’s preseason opener.


Friday, Aug. 14

Tennessee at Atlanta (ATL -2.5/38): The Falcons are nursing multiple injuries and have no desire to expose Matt Ryan, so this is all about Marcus Mariota’s debut. Having drawn rave reviews so far, he can really get them riled up in Nashville if he’s sharp out of the gate.

Carolina at Buffalo (BUF -2.5/35.5): While Cam Newton may not play for the Panthers, new Bills coach Rex Ryan is going to need EJ Manuel, Matt Cassel or Tyrod Taylor to break through. None has managed to gain much separation thus far.

Pittsburgh at Jacksonville (PK/36): After scoring just three points against the Vikings, offensive coordinator Todd Haley should have Ben Roethlisberger available. Backup Bruce Gradkowski remains out with a shoulder injury, so the Jags should still get a heavy dose of Landry Jones, who lacked a pocket presence and command of the offense on Sunday. Word is Jacksonville QB Blake Bortles has looked impressive in camp thus far.

N.Y. Giants at Cincinnati (CIN -3/37.5): Veteran head coach Tom Coughlin led New York to 5-0 preseason mark in 2014, but then saw his team collapse to a 6-10 disaster. He may not be too interested in keeping the streak as a result, but it’s likely that winning this opener will hinge on the shoulders of new acquisition Ricky Stanzi, out to prove he should stick as the team’s third QB. The Bengals are looking for ex-Alabama star A.J. McCarron to continue displaying growth and lock up the top backup job to Andy Dalton.

St. Louis at Oakland (OAK -1/35.5): The two franchises who once shared Los Angeles are thrown together to open their seasons amid speculation that relocation may be in the immediate future. Improvement should also be in the cards, as both teams have promising young talent that should be on display here.

Denver at Seattle (SEA -5.5/36): Expect Peyton Manning to play at least a series against the two-time defending NFC champs, who provide a nice early measuring stick. Brock Osweiler is one of the more competent backup QBs and helped end Seattle's nine-game preseason winning streak in last year's opener. The Seahawks are 10-2 in preseason play over the past three seasons, which is why they opened up as the biggest chalk of Week 1.


Saturday, Aug. 15

San Francisco at Houston (HOU -3/35): The 49ers are basically starting over under new head coach Jim Tomsula, moving on from Jim Harbaugh, Frank Gore and multiple key defensive leaders. Houston has to pick a starter between QBs Ryan Mallett and Brian Hoyer. Promising third-stringer Tom Savage is likely to get the bulk of the snaps here.

Tampa Bay at Minnesota (N/A): Second-year QB Teddy Bridgewater looked sharp in his lone series, so with Adrian Peterson expected to sit out the entire preseason, all eyes will be on his continued development. Jameis Winston has the Bucs excited thus far in camp, particularly in red-zone drills. There will be lots of eyes on this one.

Kansas City at Arizona (AZ -2.5/36): The Chiefs are looking for new offensive weapons to step up, but Andy Reid has never put much emphasis on these exhibition games beyond the third one. Bruce Arians is 2-for-2 in preseason openers, but has dealt with a host of injuries. Since Tyrann Mathieu already almost broke Carson Palmer in practice, it's hard to imagine the 35-year-old coming back from a second ACL tear plays much this month. Drew Stanton has the backup job locked up, but Chandler Harnish, Logan Thomas and rookie Phillip Sims are looking to stick as No. 3.


Sunday, Aug. 16

Indianapolis at Philadelphia (PHI -3.5): With the spotlight to themselves, we’ll get to see what the heavily scrutinized Chip Kelly and Chuck Pagano bring to the table in this first installment. The Eagles want to play fast above all else and averaged an NFL-best 32.7 points per game last preseason. Sam Bradford is likely to make his first in-game appearance since tearing his ACL in the third of last year’s exhibitions. Mark Sanchez, Matt Barkley and Tebow will entertain the country one way or another. Count on that.

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Thursday's Preseason Tips

August 13, 2015

Saints at Ravens (-3, 38) – 7:30 PM EST

New Orleans
Head Coach: Sean Payton (19-14 SU, 21-12 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback Rotation: Drew Brees, Luke McCown, Garrett Grayson (Rookie), Ryan Griffin

The Saints have cruised to a 4-0 SU/ATS record in their last four preseason openers, while New Orleans owns a solid 7-2 SU record in exhibition openers since Brees signed in the Big Easy back in 2006. New Orleans scored at least 23 points in three of four preseason contests in 2014, while losing to Baltimore in the finale, 22-13 as three-point home favorites.

Baltimore
Head Coach: John Harbaugh (19-9 SU, 17-11 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback Rotation: Joe Flacco, Matt Schaub, Bryn Renner (Rookie)

The Ravens put together a perfect 4-0 preseason in 2014, which included a pair of home wins over the Redskins and 49ers. Baltimore cashed the ‘over’ in all four exhibition games in 2013, but the ‘under’ went 3-1 last preseason. The Ravens have scored at least 21 points in eight consecutive preseason games.

Jets at Lions (-4, 36) – 7:30 PM EST

New York
Head Coach: Todd Bowles (No preseason record)
Quarterback Rotation: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Bryce Petty (Rookie), Jake Heaps (Rookie)

Geno Smith’s broken jaw in a locker room skirmish made all the headlines even before the Jets played their first preseason game. The Jets’ quarterback is out for six-to-10 weeks, as Ryan Fitzpatrick is the front-runner for the starting job. Bowles enters his first season as head coach of the Jets, who split four preseason games last season, while covering just once. The Jets make their first trip to the Motor City since the opener of the 2013 preseason, losing to the Lions, 26-17 as a four-point underdog.

Detroit
Head Coach: Jim Caldwell (5-11 SU, 7-9 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback Rotation: Matthew Stafford, Dan Orlovsky, Kellen Moore, Garrett Gilbert

Caldwell compiled his best preseason record in four seasons as head man of the Colts and Lions, going 3-1 SU/ATS in 2014. In the three wins, the Lions allowed only one touchdown and 24 points, while cashing the ‘under’ in three of four preseason contests. Since 2013, Detroit has won four straight preseason games at Ford Field.

Packers at Patriots (-2 ½, 37 ½) – 7:30 PM EST

Green Bay
Head Coach: Mike McCarthy (18-18 SU, 18-18 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback Rotation: Aaron Rodgers, Scott Tolzien, Matt Blanchard (Rookie), Brett Hundley (Rookie)

The Packers take the field for the first time since getting shocked by the Seahawks in the NFC Championship. Green Bay dropped its preseason opener at Tennessee in 2014, but won its final three exhibition games, all by double-digits. The Packers are 0-5 in their last five preseason openers with the last victory in Game 1 of the exhibition season coming in 2009 against the Browns.

New England
Head Coach: Bill Belichick (44-37 SU, 40-34-7 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback Rotation: Jimmy Garoppolo, Ryan Lindley

Tom Brady is not expected to play in the preseason opener, as Jimmy Garoppolo will likely get the start at quarterback for the Patriots. Obviously, Garoppolo will see plenty of playing time during the preseason with Brady’s four-game suspension looming. The Patriots are riding a four-game home winning streak in the preseason, while scoring at least 25 points in each of those victories.

Redskins at Browns (-2, 37 ½) – 8:00 PM EST

Washington
Head Coach: Jay Gruden (3-1 SU, 2-2 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback Rotation: Robert Griffin III, Colt McCoy, Kirk Cousins

All of the promise from the 2014 preseason didn’t translate into success for the 2014 regular season in Washington. The Redskins won three of four exhibition games, including a 24-23 victory over the Browns at FedEx Field in Week 2 of the 2014 preseason. Since Robert Griffin III arrived in D.C. in 2012, the Redskins have fared extremely well in the preseason, winning 10 of 12 games.

Cleveland
Head Coach: Mike Pettine (1-3 SU, 2-2 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback Rotation: Josh McCown, Johnny Manziel, Thaddeus Lewis (Rookie), Connor Shaw

The quarterback battle heats up again in Cleveland as Josh McCown looks to be the front-runner for the starting job. Cleveland dropped three of four preseason games in Pettine’s first season, which included a pair of one-point losses to the Lions and Redskins. Prior to Pettine’s arrival, the Browns went 3-1 to the ‘over’ in 2013, but posted a 3-1 mark to the ‘under’ in his preseason debut.

Dolphins at Bears (-1 ½, 37) – 8:00 PM EST

Miami
Head Coach: Joe Philbin (5-8 SU, 3-9-1 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback Rotation: Ryan Tannehill, Matt Moore, Josh Freeman, McLeod Bethel-Thompson

Philbin put together his best preseason in three seasons as the coach of the Dolphins in 2014, posting a 3-1 record. After Miami lost its opener at Atlanta, the ‘Fins won the final three games, while going 3-0-1 to the ‘under’ last postseason. In Philbin’s tenure, the Dolphins have yet to win in their first preseason game, as Miami is 2-5 SU in seven exhibition contests away from South Florida since 2012.

Chicago
Head Coach: John Fox (28-24 SU, 24-27-1 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback Rotation: Jay Cutler, Jimmy Clausen, Shane Carden (Rookie)

It’s a new season for the Bears, who hope to put a five-game skid to finish off 2014 behind them. Chicago won both preseason games at Soldier Field last season, while compiling a 4-1 SU record in their last five preseason home contests. In Fox’s last three seasons as head coach of the Broncos, Denver won each of its three preseason openers.

Cowboys at Chargers (-4, 38) – 10:00 PM EST

Dallas
Head Coach: Jason Garrett (7-10 SU, 5-11-1 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback Rotation: Tony Romo, Brandon Weeden, Dustin Vaughan, Jameill Showers (Rookie)

The Cowboys didn’t show much in the 2014 preseason, failing to win a game in four tries, including a 27-7 setback at San Diego in the opener. Dallas has dropped five straight true road games in the preseason, with the only win away from Cowboys Stadium coming in the Hall of the Fame game over the Dolphins in 2013.

San Diego
Head Coach: Mike McCoy (3-5 SU, 3-4-1 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback Rotation: Philip Rivers, Kellen Clemens, Brad Sorensen, Chase Rettig (Rookie)

The Chargers haven’t been a great team to back in McCoy’s short tenure in the preseason. San Diego dropped a pair of home games by double-digits in his first season in 2013, while splitting four games in 2014. Six of the last eight preseason games played by the Lightning Bolts have been decided by 10 points or more, so don’t expect close contests when betting on San Diego in August.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rockies (47-65) at Mets (62-52)
Game: 4
Venue: Citi Field
Date: August 13, 2015 12:10 PM EDT

Noah Syndergaard has been markedly better at Citi Field than on the road during a scintillating rookie campaign.

Fortunately for the New York Mets, his next turn has him going at home Thursday against the Colorado Rockies, whose offense remains suppressed in Queens.

Syndergaard (6-6, 3.01 ERA) is 6-1 with a 1.57 ERA in eight home games, completing eight innings each time during a four-start winning streak there. He's struck out 47 batters over his last 38 innings at Citi Field spanning five outings.

Pitching anywhere else, however, has been an entirely different story for the 22-year-old. He gave up five runs and eight hits over four innings in a 5-4 loss at Tampa Bay on Saturday, falling to 0-5 on the road with a 5.01 ERA.

The 3.44 disparity between Syndergaard's home and road ERAs is the fourth-largest among pitchers who have logged at least 90 innings.

"I feel just as comfortable as when I'm home," he told MLB's official website. "You've got the home crowd there so it makes it a little bit easier to pitch, but I don't feel any different between home and road.

"It's just something that I'm going to have to learn to deal with."

A more aggressive approach may be one of the key differences for Syndergaard at Citi Field. He's walked six in 57 1-3 innings there compared to 16 over 41 1-3 on the road.

Luck also appears to be playing a big role. Opponents are hitting .255 on balls in play against the right-hander in Flushing and .358 elsewhere.

Colorado (47-65) was stifled yet again in the Mets' 3-0 victory Wednesday, fanning 10 times during Jacob deGrom's seven innings. New York (62-52) has won 11 of the last four overall meetings and has held the Rockies to seven runs during a nine-game winning streak in the series at Citi Field.

"They're shutting us down, and that's why they're winning the games," said Carlos Gonzalez, who is 1 for 11 through the first three games of this series after batting .396 during his previous 25.

The Mets own their best 59-game home record at 41-18 and can move 11 games over .500 for the first time since being 43-32 on June 27, 2010. They're also in position for their fourth sweep in their last seven home series of at least three games after sweeping only two series at Citi Field all of last year.

Lucas Duda missed his second consecutive game due to a stiff back, but said he was hopeful he'd be in Thursday's lineup. Duda's 21 homers and 55 RBIs lead the club and he has hit safely in all 11 career matchups with Colorado while batting .359.

Meanwhile, the Rockies have dropped 23 of 31 on the road and 10 of 14 overall.

Thursday's pitching matchup doesn't appear favorable with rookie Eddie Butler (3-9, 5.50) going 0-4 with a 7.86 ERA in his last five starts.

Unlike Syndergaard, he's likely happy to get away from his home park after posting a 7.28 ERA in six starts at Coors Field.

"We feel like there's still some more growth out in front of him," manager Walt Weiss said. "He's got the weapons. It's a matter of just becoming more polished as a pitcher."


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rockies at Mets
Mon, Aug 10 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rockies at Mets
Tue, Aug 11 Final 0 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Rockies at Mets
Wed, Aug 12 Final 0 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Rockies at Mets
Thu, Aug 13 - 12:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Athletics (51-64) at Blue Jays (63-52)
Game: 3
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: August 13, 2015 12:37 PM EDT

The Toronto Blue Jays have seized first place behind a meteoric surge.

On a roll of his own, Mark Buehrle will try to help them match a club record for the second time this season Thursday against the visiting Oakland Athletics.

Trailing the New York Yankees by 6 1/2 games in the AL East after Aug. 1, Toronto (63-52) has outscored opponents 55-20 while winning 10 straight since. The Blue Jays climbed atop the division by one half-game after Wednesday's 10-3 victory coupled with the Yankees' loss to Cleveland. They hadn't been in first place since a 9-7 record after April 23 tied them with Boston and New York.

"It's great, don't get me wrong, but I think everyone in this club wants to be in first place on Game 162," Chris Colabello said after hitting his 11th home run. "That's what's important."

The Blue Jays can become the first team since the then-Florida Marlins in 2006 to match its best-ever winning streak twice in the same year. They also won 11 in a row June 2-14.

Buehrle (12-5, 3.34 ERA) is 7-1 with a 2.31 ERA in 13 starts since May 29, throwing at least seven innings in nine of 10. He surrendered multiple homers for the first time in 10 games Thursday, but limited Minnesota to three runs - all on those two shots - over seven innings in a 9-3 victory.

Buehrle's ERA is his lowest since 2005 when he went 16-8 for the Chicago White Sox.

Toronto's high-powered offense has been a superb complement to his trademark pitch-to-contact style. Opponents are making contact on a major league-high 24.6 percent of Buehrle's pitches, but he has been backed by a career-high 7.24 run support average.

"I don't know if it's the guys we brought in here, or the way we're playing right now, it's just that feeling that if we get down two runs in the first or second inning, just try to hold the other team down because we know we're going to score runs," he told MLB's official website. "Especially with this offense, we can put up a bunch of runs."

Buehrle held Oakland (51-64) to one run over seven innings in a 7-1 road victory July 21, improving to 5-1 with a 2.51 ERA in his last seven meetings.

Toronto continued to flex its offensive muscle Wednesday, also getting a home run from Justin Smoak. The Blue Jays have gone deep 18 times during their winning streak, even with Edwin Encarnacion missing the last three games due to a finger injury. Encarnacion, who is hitting .400 during an 11-game hitting streak, could return Thursday.

Sonny Gray (12-4, 2.06) looks like a challenging hurdle for Toronto, though, logging three complete games in his last six starts. He went the distance and limited Houston to five hits in a 3-1 victory Friday.

"I don't think it matters who he goes against," catcher Josh Phegley said. "He's just out to prove he's one of the best pitchers in the American League."

Gray can improve to 9-1 on the road, where he owns a major league-leading 1.64 ERA in 12 outings.

He's 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in three career starts against Toronto, and gave up two runs over seven innings in a 4-3, 10-inning home victory July 22.

Jose Bautista is 5 for 10 against Gray while Encarnacion is 1 for 9.

Oakland is averaging 2.9 runs over its last 19 contests.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Athletics at Blue Jays
Tue, Aug 11 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Athletics at Blue Jays
Wed, Aug 12 Final 3 to 10
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Athletics at Blue Jays
Thu, Aug 13 - 12:37PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rangers (55-57) at Twins (57-56)
Game: 3
Venue: Target Field
Date: August 13, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

If the Texas Rangers are to salvage something positive to conclude a rough trip, they must do so minus their new ace.

With Cole Hamels resting a sore left groin, rookie Chi Chi Gonzalez tries to end his recent major league struggles and help the Rangers avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Twins on Thursday.

Excluding Saturday's 11-3, 11-inning win over Seattle, Texas (55-57) has totaled eight runs while losing the other four on this six-game trip. However, pitching was the problem during Wednesday's 11-1 defeat. Nick Martinez allowed seven runs before he was lifted in the fourth as the Twins (57-56) did all their scoring over the first five innings to post back-to-back wins after losing 16 of the previous 21.

"This one is not typical," Texas manager Jeff Banister said. "They do happen, but it's one we don't need at this time of year.'

Trying to keep pace in the AL wild-card race, the Rangers were last swept in a road series Sept. 1-3 at Kansas City. They haven't been swept at Minnesota since 2010.

This was supposed to be Hamels' turn in the rotation but the club hopes it will be the only start he misses.

"I understand the situation, where the team is at and what I want to do here," Hamels told MLB's official website. "I want to play a good part in this, but if I'm not able to do that close to 100 percent, I don't want to jeopardize the team or the bullpen. So we'll play it out, be smart and miss a game."

Enter Gonzalez (2-4, 3.74 ERA), who was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock to take a big league mound for the first time since July 3 when he allowed six runs in 1 2-3 innings of an 8-2 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. The right-hander has a 10.13 ERA while losing his last three starts after going 2-1 with an 0.90 ERA in the first four of his career.

He went 2-2 with a 4.00 ERA in five starts since being demoted to Round Rock last month.

"I'm sure if I do anything well, it will give them a tough reason to send me back," Gonzalez said. "I just want to be successful and do well and leave that in their hands. I haven't heard anything so I will just go out there and do my job."

It's uncertain if Gonzalez will have Josh Hamilton behind him after the former AL MVP was scratched from Wednesday's lineup with a sore left knee. Hamilton is batting .350 in his last five contests, and is 4 for his last 9 with a home run and two doubles against Ervin Santana (2-3, 5.40).

The right-hander went 2-0 with a 2.60 ERA in his first four starts back from an 80-game suspension but has a 10.93 ERA while dropping the last three. He gave up eight runs for the second time in his last three starts plus 10 hits in 2 1-3 innings of Saturday's 17-4 loss at Cleveland.

'I'm not worried, I know I'm a good pitcher,' Santana said. 'I'm just going to forget about it and get them the next time.'

Prince Fielder (6 for 16) and Mike Napoli (7 for 19) have both handled Santana well, hitting three homers apiece.

After homering twice and recording six RBIs on Wednesday, Twins rookie Miguel Sano is 5 for 6 in the series and batting .385 with 11 RBIs in the last seven contests.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rangers at Twins
Tue, Aug 11 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rangers at Twins
Wed, Aug 12 Final 1 to 11
Boxscores

GAME 3
Rangers at Twins
Thu, Aug 13 - 1:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Brewers (48-67) at Cubs (64-48)
Game: 3
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: August 13, 2015 2:20 PM EDT

Brimming with confidence and sending Jon Lester to the mound, the Chicago Cubs appear poised to continue their surge.

As the left-hander looks to win a fourth straight decision, the Cubs try to sweep this three-game series from the lowly Milwaukee Brewers with a season-high seventh straight victory Thursday at Wrigley Field.

After Hector Rondon blew a save in the ninth inning, Miguel Montero homered in the 10th to give Chicago (64-48) its 12th win in the last 13 games, 3-2 on Wednesday. Owners of a 4 1/2-game lead for the NL's second wild-card spot, the Cubs last won seven straight in 2011.

'When we come to the ballpark now, we know we're going to win,' said Montero, who is 3 for 12 in four games since missing almost a month with a sprained left thumb.

The Cubs, 1 1/2 games behind Pittsburgh for the top wild-card spot, were limited to four hits for the second time in the last three games but continue to get strong pitching. Chicago's posted a 2.46 ERA over the last 13 contests and has struck out 22 while walking two in the first two of this set.

"Guys have energy, guys have excitement to be in this position," Lester told MLB's official website. "You've got that excitement of every single day, we've got a chance."

Lester (7-8, 3.22 ERA) allowed two runs in seven innings of Friday's 7-3 victory over San Francisco to improve to 3-0 with a 1.84 ERA in four starts since the All-Star break.

"Right now, he's turning into the metronome that he is," manager Joe Maddon said about Lester, who has completed at least seven innings in his last seven starts. "You're going to see those kind of performances and it doesn't surprise me."

Lester enjoyed one of his best outings as a Cub on May 1, when he gave up three hits in seven innings of a 1-0 home victory over Milwaukee.

Ryan Braun, who is 3 for 10 with a double against Lester, hit his 250th homer as the Brewers (48-67) dropped their sixth straight to Chicago.

"(The Cubs are) on a roll right now," Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. "At times, you play teams during different stretches, and this is a team that's playing well, playing with a lot of confidence right now. Everything is going their way. We have to upset that somehow."

Dealing with a lower-back issue, Braun had three hits Wednesday after going 0 for 9 in the previous three contests. His next home run will tie him with Robin Yount for the franchise lead.

Making his fourth career start, Tyler Cravy (0-3, 5.40) looked strong Friday until he allowed all six runs in his fifth and final inning of a 6-0 defeat to St. Louis. It was the right-hander's first major league appearance in a month after being recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs to replace the demoted Kyle Lohse in the rotation.

"Obviously, I'm thankful for the opportunity," Cravy said. "I'll just go out every fifth day or whenever they want me to go out there and give it everything I've got that day. I'm not going to hold anything back, really. Just throw each day like it's your last."

He'll try to handle rookie Kris Bryant, who is batting .310 in his last nine games and has hit 13 of his 16 home runs at Wrigley.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Brewers at Cubs
Tue, Aug 11 Final 3 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Brewers at Cubs
Wed, Aug 12 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Brewers at Cubs
Thu, Aug 13 - 2:20PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Yankees (61-51) at Indians (53-59)
Game: 3
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: August 13, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The New York Yankees are out of first place for the first time since July 1 thanks to some silent bats.

Starter Nathan Eovaldi usually gets plenty of support and hasn't lost since June 16.

He'll try to help the Yankees avoid their first three-game sweep at Cleveland in nearly 45 years as well as a sixth straight defeat Thursday night.

New York (61-51) fell 2-1 on Wednesday and has batted .148 with six total runs on its slide, which is one shy of its worst set May 17-24. The Yankees have dropped into second place, one-half game behind a Toronto club that has won 10 in a row and will host New York this weekend for a three-game set. They led the division by seven games July 28.

"It's hard to believe," slugger Alex Rodriguez said. "We can't control what they (Toronto) do over there or what any team does in the American League East. We have to worry about what we're doing."

Rodriguez is 2 for 21 during the skid, Mark Teixeira is 3 for 21 and Brett Gardner 3 for 17, while Brian McCann's homer Wednesday marked his only hit in his last 18 at-bats.

Jacoby Ellsbury sat out because he is hitless in 19 at-bats as part of a 3-for-32 slump with 12 strikeouts.

Cleveland (53-59) can finish its first three-game sweep of New York since April 7-9, 1989, in the Bronx. The last time the Indians swept three at home from the Yankees was Sept. 11-13, 1970.

Eovaldi (11-2, 4.15 ERA) has the majors' second-best run support average at 7.42. He is 6-0 with a 2.87 ERA in his last nine outings after allowing one run in 6 1-3 innings in Friday's 2-1, 10-inning defeat to the Blue Jays that triggered this slide.

The right-hander faced Cleveland with Miami two years ago. Chris Johnson is hitless in 12 at-bats against him and is the only Indians batter with more than three at-bats in the matchup.

Eovaldi owns the fastest average fastball by a starter in the AL at 97.3 mph, according to MLB's official website.

The Indians' Trevor Bauer (9-8, 4.06) earned his first win in five starts Saturday by allowing four runs over 6 1-3 innings in a 17-4 home rout of Minnesota. He went 0-3 with a 4.91 ERA in his previous four outings - a stretch in which Cleveland supported him with a total of three runs.

The right-hander is 1-2 with a 3.78 ERA in three starts versus New York. McCann is 3 for 6 in the matchup and Gardner has a double in nine at-bats.

The Indians are seeking their first five-game win streak since June 29-July 3. They are batting .365 with 41 runs in their last five entering the finale of this six-game homestand.

Two key hitters are expected back in Cleveland's lineup after resting Wednesday. Michael Brantley is 11 for 20 on this homestand and Yan Gomes has seven RBIs in his last four games.

Johnson is 8 for 13 in four games with the Indians, who acquired him Friday from Atlanta. Francisco Lindor is batting .429 over a seven-game hitting streak and Jose Ramirez is at .406 over his seven-game run.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Yankees at Indians
Tue, Aug 11 Final 4 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Yankees at Indians
Wed, Aug 12 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Yankees at Indians
Thu, Aug 13 - 7:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Pirates (65-46) at Cardinals (73-40)
Game: 3
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: August 13, 2015 7:15 PM EDT

Continued success at home against the Pittsburgh Pirates has enabled St. Louis to pad its lead in the NL Central.

The Cardinals can complete a three-game sweep with a ninth consecutive home victory over the second-place Pirates on Thursday night.

With Wednesday's 4-2 victory, St. Louis (73-40) is 17-7 since the All-Star break and owns a seven-game division lead over Pittsburgh, which averaged 7.8 runs while winning four straight prior to totaling five in the first two of this set.

Pittsburgh (65-46), which has a 1 1/2-game advantage over the surging Chicago Cubs for the top wild-card spot, has dropped seven consecutive series at Busch Stadium while losing 18 of its last 21 regular-season contests there.

"We're playing a tough team that really magnifies any mistakes that you make," said Wednesday's losing pitcher Gerritt Cole. "Nobody wants to come out and not play sharp against these guys, especially."

The Cardinals might have a good chance to extend that success while trying to win a seventh consecutive regular-season home game against the Pirates that Lance Lynn (9-6, 2.76 ERA) has started. He's gone 1-0 with a 2.75 ERA in his last three against Pittsburgh at Busch after yielding a run and striking out 10 during a 2-1, 10-inning victory May 1.

After the right-hander fell to 6-2 and saw his ERA rise to 2.15 at home by giving up four runs in five-plus innings against Colorado on Aug. 1, Lynn struck out seven and overcame four walks through six of a 6-0 victory at Milwaukee on Friday.

"He gave us a bunch of zeros, which is good, but it was not, I think, the kind of good you expect to see from him," manager Mike Matheny said. "Once again, he fought with fastball command."

Lynn has walked 10 in his last three outings but just two in his two starts against Pittsburgh this season.

The Pirates, however, might feel a little more confident since they've won their last seven games started by Francisco Liriano (7-6, 3.13).

The left-hander is 3-0 with a 2.85 ERA and received an average 6.37 runs of support in his last seven outings but needs to improve after yielding four runs and seven hits in three innings of a 6-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday.

Liriano helped his cause with a three-run homer in the second inning but also felt a slight twinge near his right armpit on the swing. He didn't believe that contributed to his pitching performance.

"Just one of those days," Liriano said. "Mechanics were off. I was rushing too much and trying to do too much.

"Put this one behind me and try to move forward."

Liriano is 0-1 with a 3.48 ERA in three 2015 starts against the Cardinals but allowed a run and three hits in eight innings of a 2-1, 11-inning loss at St. Louis on May 2.

Jhonny Peralta is batting .455 in the last five games against Pittsburgh and has homered for both of his hits over seven at-bats against Liriano this year.

Pittsburgh's Andrew McCutchen is batting .395 with five homers and 15 RBIs in the last 12 games but .146 during the regular season against Lynn.

Starling Marte is hitting .381 in 21 regular-season at-bats against Lynn, but could sit after feeling discomfort in his left hand Wednesday.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Pirates at Cardinals
Tue, Aug 11 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Pirates at Cardinals
Wed, Aug 12 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores

GAME 3
Pirates at Cardinals
Thu, Aug 13 - 7:15PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Angels (59-54) at Royals (68-45)
Game: 1
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: August 13, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The Los Angeles Angels may be in the wrong place and facing the wrong opponent to avoid their longest road skid in 46 years, though they could be facing the right pitcher.

They have dropped nine straight on the road and seven in a row overall to the AL-best Kansas City Royals, who will send the woeful Jeremy Guthrie to the mound in Thursday night's opener of a four-game set.

Los Angeles (59-54) totaled four runs and batted .196 in a three-game sweep by the Chicago White Sox following Wednesday's 3-2, 13-inning defeat. The Angels are enduring their longest road slide in 22 years after going 1 for 32 with runners in scoring position in the series, including 0 for 15 in the finale.

"We lost that game long before the 13th inning," manager Mike Scioscia said. "We had a lot of opportunities."

A loss Thursday would mark the franchise's fourth double-digit road skid and first since a club-record 14-game stretch April 29-June 8, 1969.

Los Angeles returns to Kansas City for the first time since losing 8-3 in Game 3 of the division series as the Royals completed a sweep. They then swept three games in Anaheim from April 10-12 to run their overall win streak in this series to seven.

Kansas City (68-45) has the AL's best home record at 39-19, though its seven-game win streak there ended with Wednesday's 7-4 loss to Detroit. Manager Ned Yost took the blame for allowing Edinson Volquez to begin the eighth inning with a two-run lead only to see the starter fail to retire the four hitters he faced.

The Royals bullpen has a league-best 2.29 ERA.

"That's my fault, too," Yost said. "I've got a pretty hard fast rule that I don't let my starter get beat in the eighth inning and I did it there."

Yost likely won't give such leeway to Guthrie (8-7, 5.84 ERA), who has the league's worst ERA and is allowing batters to hit .320 for baseball's worst mark. The right-hander has an 8.50 ERA in his last three outings, getting credit for Saturday's 7-6 win over the White Sox despite surrendering six runs over 5 2-3 innings.

Guthrie gave up four runs in seven innings to earn a 6-4 win over the Angels on April 11 after going 0-3 with a 4.75 ERA in his previous five starts against them.

Mike Trout is 6 for 16 with a homer versus Guthrie and Kole Calhoun 4 for 7 with two homers. Albert Pujols is 3 for 17 in the matchup.

Angels starter Garrett Richards (11-9, 3.51) has a 4.84 road ERA compared to a 2.53 at home. He has a 4.19 ERA in eight appearances against the Royals, including two starts.

Alex Rios is 5 for 21 versus the right-hander and Kendrys Morales 2 for 13.

The Royals bullpen could get stronger since Wade Davis may be available after missing the past six games with back stiffness. Davis has never allowed a homer in 65 home games as a reliever with Kansas City.

Drew Butera will get another start at catcher since Salvador Perez is expected to miss a second straight game with a sore left wrist.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Angels at Royals
Thu, Aug 13 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Angels at Royals
Fri, Aug 14 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Angels at Royals
Sat, Aug 15 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Angels at Royals
Sun, Aug 16 - 8:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Reds (50-62) at Dodgers (64-50)
Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: August 13, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Mat Latos offered some harsh criticism for the Reds in spring training before cooler heads eventually prevailed when he visited Cincinnati months later.

The right-hander is likely still relishing his first matchup with his former club, however, and takes the mound in Thursday's series opener between the Los Angeles Dodgers and visiting Reds.

Latos (4-8, 4.67 ERA) went 28-11 over 65 starts for the Reds from 2012-13, but endured a tumultuous final season last year. He was limited to 16 starts due to making his debut June 14 following knee surgery and having his season cut short in September due to a bone bruise on his elbow.

The right-hander implied in an interview in February that he was rushed back after surgery, and described the 2014 clubhouse scene as a "circus." The Reds went 25-42 after the All-Star break and missed the playoffs for the first time in three years.

Latos, traded to Miami in December for Anthony DeSclafani and Chad Wallach, missed out on facing Cincinnati when the Marlins visited Great American Ball Park in June, though he took the opportunity to amend his words from spring training.

"It's done and over with, really," he said. "There was some stuff that I said that really shouldn't have come out of my mouth. You just take it in stride and do what you've got to do."

Reds manager Bryan Price, who initially fired back in February, shared similar feelings.

"I'm not going to get into any of the spring training stuff," he said. "We wish Mat well. I'd like to put that stuff behind us."

Latos, acquired by Los Angeles on July 30, is trying to bounce back from a difficult second start for his new club. He surrendered six runs over four-plus innings in Saturday's 6-5 loss at Pittsburgh, six days after holding the Angels to one run in six innings in his Dodgers debut.

He gave up two home runs against the Pirates, including the first of opposing pitcher Francisco Liriano's career, while snapping his quality start streak at five.

"Whatever he was doing, it wasn't working today," manager Don Mattingly told MLB's official website.

Latos went 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA in three starts against the Reds while with San Diego from 2009-11.

Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw have given him a tough act to follow after combining for 14 innings in Los Angeles' back-to-back shutouts against Washington. Kershaw flirted with a perfect game in Wednesday's 3-0 victory, retiring the first 16 batters he faced.

Cincinnati (50-62) won 7-3 at San Diego on Wednesday, just its second victory in eight games. Joey Votto was 3 for 4 with his 20th homer after batting .133 with five multi-strikeout games in his previous 10 contests.

Keyvius Sampson (1-1, 3.00) seeks his second career victory after holding Arizona to one run over six innings in a 4-1 road win Saturday. He's only allowed seven hits in 12 innings with 12 strikeouts.

"I'm here now just trying to buy more starts," he said. "That's all I'm doing day by day ... I don't know, until they tell me I have to throw a bullpen in two days I'm still on the bubble as far as my head. My attitude is the next (start) could be the last one so you want to leave it all out there."


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Reds at Dodgers
Thu, Aug 13 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Reds at Dodgers
Fri, Aug 14 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Reds at Dodgers
Sat, Aug 15 - 9:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Reds at Dodgers
Sun, Aug 16 - 4:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Nationals (58-55) at Giants (60-53)
Game: 1
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: August 13, 2015 10:15 PM EDT

The San Francisco Giants and Washington Nationals are both in second place and time is starting to wind down.

Both clubs are currently out of the postseason and start a four-game series Thursday night when the Nationals visit San Francisco for the first time since last year's playoffs.

San Francisco (60-53) is 3 1/2 games out in the NL West and Washington (58-55) faces the same deficit in the East. They meet at AT&T Park for the first time since the Giants ended the Nationals' season with a 3-2 victory in Game 4 of a division series last year.

Ryan Vogelsong (7-8, 4.26 ERA) started that game for the winners, allowing one run in 5 2-3 innings but left without a decision. He is 1-2 with a 7.09 ERA in six regular-season outings versus the Nationals, yielding one run in four innings before he was ejected from a 3-1 loss July 5.

The right-hander made his first start since July 11 on Friday and gave up three runs over four innings in a 7-3 loss at the Chicago Cubs. Vogelsong is in the rotation for the injured Mike Leake.

Ian Desmond is 5 for 14 against Vogelsong including the postseason, Bryce Harper is 3 for 11 and Jayson Werth is 3 for 10.

Washington figures to be eager to oppose Vogelsong after facing the duo of Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw in shutout losses to the Los Angeles Dodgers the last two days.

Harper sat out a game due to a sore left knee and returned and went 0 for 4 on Wednesday as his 10-game hitting streak in which he batted .361 ended. He has hit solo homers in his last three games in San Francisco, including both in the playoffs.

The Nationals will start Stephen Strasburg (6-5, 4.76), who is 3-0 with a 2.76 ERA in six regular-season starts versus the Giants including 3 2-3 innings of one-hit ball before he exited with a left oblique strain in a 9-3 rout July 4. He's 2-0 with a 1.89 ERA in three outings at AT&T Park.

The right-hander, who lost the division series opener at home to San Francisco, pitched for the first time since that July outing Saturday and allowed one run in seven innings with a season-high 12 strikeouts and no walks to earn a 6-1 win over Colorado.

"He's one of the best in baseball when he's out there doing his thing, painting 98 on the black, reaching 99 sometimes," Harper said.

Brandon Crawford is 5 for 13 off Strasburg, including the postseason, while Buster Posey is 5 for 17 and Hunter Pence is 4 for 16.

Those are the hitters the Giants will have to count on since they will likely be missing left fielder Nori Aoki along with center fielder Angel Pagan (patella tendinitis) and second baseman Joe Panik (lower back inflammation), who are already on the disabled list.

Aoki, hit in the head by a pitch Sunday in Chicago, left Wednesday's 2-0 defeat to Houston after four innings because of dizziness. He will be evaluated for a concussion.

"We'll know more tomorrow but he showed symptoms,' manager Bruce Bochy said. 'My guess is we'll have to be careful here."

The Giants have dropped five of six and have totaled three runs in their last three games.


SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Nationals at Giants
Thu, Aug 13 - 10:15PM EDT

GAME 2
Nationals at Giants
Fri, Aug 14 - 10:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Nationals at Giants
Sat, Aug 15 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Nationals at Giants
Sun, Aug 16 - 4:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

LEADING OFF: Strasburg back in top form; A's ace Gray starts

August 13, 2015

A look at what's happening all around the major leagues today:


BACK IN FORM

Washington right-hander Stephen Strasburg tries to build off a dominant return from a month-plus stint on the disabled list. In his first start back, the 27-year-old set a season high with 12 strikeouts over seven innings, topping his previous best of nine. He has a 4.76 ERA in 14 starts this season - more than 1 1/2 runs worse than his career ERA. The Nationals kick off a four-game series at San Francisco, which will send out Ryan Vogelsong.

SUPER STOPPER

The Athletics are in last place in the AL West, but they're 15-7 on days when Sonny Gray (12-4) starts, including four straight victories and wins in six of his past seven outings. Oakland faces the surging Blue Jays and Mark Buehrle (12-5), who is 6-1 in his past 12 starts.

HIGH HOPES

In a matchup of touted rookies, Rockies right-hander Eddie Butler (3-9, 5.50 ERA) faces Noah Syndergaard (6-6, 3.01) and the Mets in the finale of a four-game series at Citi Field. Syndergaard has impressed at home, where he is 6-1 with a 1.57 ERA in eight starts while compiling 60 strikeouts and only six walks. Butler has struggled overall, going 0-3 with a 7.29 ERA in four outings since getting recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on July 19. ''He's got the weapons. It's a matter of just becoming more polished as a pitcher,'' Colorado manager Walt Weiss said.

LIKE AN ACE

Jon Lester (7-8) is on a roll for the Cubs. He's gone at least seven innings in each of his last seven starts and has allowed two or fewer runs in six. Tyler Cravy makes his fourth career start for Milwaukee.

[StarDust Bum]

Sonny Gray scratched from start with back spasms

August 13, 2015

TORONTO (AP) Oakland Athletics right-hander Sonny Gray has been scratched from his start against the Toronto Blue Jays because of back spasms.

Right-hander Jesse Chavez will start against his former team in place of Gray on Thursday afternoon. Chavez pitched in nine games for Toronto in 2012. He is 6-11 with a 3.73 ERA.

Gray is the AL ERA leader at 2.06 and will miss his start against the highest scoring offense in baseball. Toronto, which has won 10 straight, leads the major leagues with 611 runs this season. The New York Yankees are second with 534.

Gray is 12-4 in 23 starts and has lost just once in his past 10 outings.

[StarDust Bum]

Baseball Capsules

August 13, 2015

SEATTLE (AP) Hisashi Iwakuma has become the second Japanese-born pitcher in major league history to throw a no-hitter, leading the Seattle Mariners to a 3-0 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday.

Iwakuma struck out seven and walked three in throwing the first no-hitter by an American League pitcher in nearly three years. He joins Hideo Nomo, who threw two no-nos, as the only Japanese-born pitchers to accomplish the feat.

Iwakuma is the fourth pitcher to throw a no-hitter this season, joining Philadelphia's Cole Hamels - prior to his trade to Texas - Washington's Max Scherzer and San Francisco's Chris Heston.

Iwakuma is the first American League pitcher to throw a no-hitter since teammate Felix Hernandez tossed a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Aug. 15, 2012. Baltimore starter Kevin Gausman (2-4) took the loss.

DODGERS 3, NATIONALS 0

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Clayton Kershaw tied Sandy Koufax's franchise record of six straight 200-strikeout seasons while tossing eight scoreless innings, and NL West-leading Los Angeles defeated Washington.

Kershaw (10-6) took a perfect game bid into the sixth inning, when Michael Taylor doubled to deep center field. Kershaw retired the next two batters on grounders to end the inning.

The 27-year-old left-hander struck out the side in the second to equal the mark set by Koufax from 1961-66. Koufax and Tom Seaver (1968-76) are the only pitchers in modern NL history to accomplish the feat in six or more consecutive seasons.

Kenley Jansen retired the side in the ninth to earn his 22nd save in 23 chances.

Jordan Zimmermann (8-8) nearly matched Kershaw, giving up two hits and one run in seven innings. He struck out a season-high nine, including Adrian Gonzalez three times, and walked one.

BLUE JAYS 10, ATHLETICS 3

TORONTO (AP) - Toronto surged to the top of the AL East with its 10th straight win, beating Oakland behind a pair of three-run homers from Chris Colabello and Justin Smoak.

The Blue Jays trailed the Yankees by six games on July 31. But after making several bold trades, they have gone on a streak that included a sweep of New York, losing only once since Troy Tulowitzki joined the team to move a half-game up in the division.

Josh Donaldson had two hits and two RBIs, boosting his major league-leading total to 85.

R.A. Dickey (7-10) won his won his fourth straight decision, allowing three runs and six hits in six innings.

Right-hander Aaron Brooks (1-1) was hit hard by the Blue Jays for the second time in his career.

Toronto, which won 11 straight in June, is the first team with two winning streaks of 10 games or more in single season since Atlanta in 2013. The last AL team to do it was Kansas City in 1977.

INDIANS 2, YANKEES 1

CLEVELAND (AP) - Danny Salazar pitched neatly into the eighth inning, and Cleveland dropped New York out of first place in the AL East.

The Yankees, who have lost five straight, trail surging Toronto by a half-game in the division and fell out of the top spot for the first time since July 2. New York has scored six runs in its losing streak.

Abraham Almonte's RBI single broke a 1-all tie in the sixth and Cleveland won its fourth straight.

Salazar (10-6) was pulled after issuing one-out walks to Brett Gardner and Chase Headley in the eighth, but Cody Allen got Alex Rodriguez to hit into a double play to end the inning. Salazar gave up one run in 7 1/3 innings.

Cody Allen earned his 23rd save.

CC Sabathia (4-9) allowed two runs in six innings.

METS 3, ROCKIES 0

NEW YORK (AP) - Jacob deGrom conceded only two hits and struck out 10 in seven innings, pitching New York past Colorado.

Yoenis Cespedes hit his first home run for the surging Mets, who have won 10 of 12. Juan Uribe stroked an RBI double in the fourth and Michael Cuddyer followed with a run-scoring single on a night when both players reached 1,500 career hits.

Surprise leaders in the NL East, the Mets (62-52) matched their season high at 10 games over .500. They handed Colorado its ninth defeat in a row at Citi Field since 2013 - after the Rockies won eight straight at the ballpark the previous two years.

New York improved to 41-18 at home, surpassing its 2014 win total (40) in the cozy stadium.

Last season's NL Rookie of the Year, deGrom (11-6) entered with the second-lowest ERA in the National League at 2.13. He finished with his eighth career double-digit strikeout game and fourth this season. Jeurys Familia got his 32nd save.

Jorge De La Rosa (7-5) gave up two runs and four hits over six innings for the last-place Rockies.

CARDINALS 4, PIRATES 2

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Yadier Molina tripled in the go-ahead run in the sixth inning when right fielder Gregory Polanco missed an attempted shoe-top catch and Michael Wacha got his 14th win to tie for the major league high as St. Louis beat Pittsburgh.

The game didn't live up to the anticipated marquee pitching matchup between Wacha (14-4) and Gerrit Cole (14-6), both of whom were gone by the seventh inning. Seattle's Felix Hernandez also has 14 wins.

St. Louis gift-wrapped a run, too, when center fielder Randal Grichuk badly misplayed an attempted diving catch on Andrew McCutchen's RBI triple that tied it at 2 in the fifth. Grichuk landed early and bounced as the ball rolled past him to the wall.

Kevin Siegrist worked two perfect innings and Trevor Rosenthal finished for his 35th save in 37 chances.

CUBS 3, BREWERS 2, 10 INNINGS

CHICAGO (AP) - Miguel Montero homered in the bottom of the 10th inning to give Chicago a victory over Milwaukee for the Cubs' sixth straight win and 12th in 13 games.

Montero, who allowed a couple wild pitches to get past him in the ninth as the Brewers rallied to tie the score, led off the 10th with a solo blast to left field off Michael Blazek (5-3).

Tommy Hunter (3-2) pitched a scoreless 10th to get the win.

Kris Bryant homered and Anthony Rizzo made a circus catch falling into the stands to lead the keep the Cubs surging.

Ryan Braun went 3 for 4 with a home run for the Brewers.

ASTROS 2, GIANTS 0

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Colby Rasmus homered to lead off the seventh inning to help Scott Feldman earn his first win in more than two months, and Houston held on to beat San Francisco.

Jed Lowrie also homered for the Astros, who stumble back to Minute Maid Park with a slimmer AL West division lead after going 2-7 on their nine-game road trip.

Feldman (5-5) missed 45 games earlier this season with a torn meniscus and had been winless in four starts since coming off the disabled list in July. He combined with four relievers on the five-hit shutout.

The Astros right-hander - winless since May 26 - gave up four hits over six innings, walked one and struck out four while allowing only one runner past second base.

Luke Gregerson pitched the ninth for his 23rd save.

Giants starter Chris Heston (11-7) allowed one run and over 6 1/3 innings.

WHITE SOX 3, ANGELS 2, 13 INNINGS

CHICAGO (AP) - Avisail Garcia's line-drive double to the wall with one out in the 13th inning drove in Jose Abreu from first base and lifted Chicago to a win over Los Angeles to finish a three-game sweep.

Matt Albers (2-0), Chicago's sixth reliever, pitched two scoreless innings for the win.

Cesar Ramos (2-1), the Angels' sixth pitcher out the bullpen, gave up a single to Abreu and then Garcia's double to left-center as Los Angeles dropped its ninth straight on the road.

This one went to extra innings when Abreu botched a play at first in the ninth, allowing Angels pinch runner Taylor Featherston to race home from third and tie the game at 2 on Conor Gillaspie's grounder to first.

TIGERS 7, ROYALS 4

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Ian Kinsler doubled home two runs and Detroit batted around in a four-run eighth inning to defeat Kansas City.

The loss snapped the Royals' eight-game home winning streak, their longest since winning their first 11 games in 2003 at Kauffman Stadium.

Royals right-hander Edinson Volquez (11-7) had retired 13 straight batters entering the eighth, which James McCann led off with a single. Volquez walked Anthony Gose, and Jose Iglesias had an infield single to load the bases with none out.

Kinsler doubled down the left field line to score McCann and Gose to finish Volquez's night. J.D. Martinez's single scored Iglesias. Kinsler scored on Collins' fielder's choice grounder as Detroit sent 10 to the plate in the inning.

Neftali Feliz (2-3), the former Texas Rangers closer, picked up the victory, retiring all three batters he faced. Bruce Rondon worked the ninth to log his second save.

TWINS 11, RANGERS 1

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Aaron Hicks had four of Minnesota's 17 hits, Miguel Sano homered twice and Mike Pelfrey picked up his first win since June as the Twins routed Texas.

Sano's second home run drove in three in the fourth inning and reached the upper deck down the left field line. It gave the Twins a 7-0 lead.

Hicks got the Twins going with a leadoff homer in the first. He jumped on a 2-0 fastball from Nick Martinez (7-7) and drove it 432 feet off the facing of the upper deck in right-center for his seventh homer of the season.

Pelfrey (6-7) had gone 0-5 with 6.22 ERA in his last 10 starts, but he was sharp on Wednesday, scattering four hits and one walk while striking out four in seven innings.

REDS 7, PADRES 3

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Rookie Raisel Iglesias pitched six strong innings and Joey Votto scored the go-ahead run on a balk by James Shields and later homered to lead Cincinnati to a victory against San Diego.

Iglesias (3-4) retired 16 straight from the end of the first inning through the sixth to help the Reds avoid a three-game sweep. He allowed three runs and six hits while striking out eight and walking one. He had lost four of his previous five decisions.

Votto hit a two-run homer - his 20th - off Frank Garces with one out in the ninth. Votto had three hits and drove in three runs.

Shields (8-5), who signed a $75 million, four-year contract as a free agent in February, has just one win in his last 13 starts.

PHILLIES 7, DIAMONDBACKS 6

PHOENIX (AP) - Cameron Rupp homered and drove in a career-high four runs and Philadelphia avoided a series sweep with a win over Arizona.

Rupp capped a four-run sixth with a three-run shot off Arizona reliever Keith Hessler, who did not allow a batter to reach base in his two previous outings. Rupp's homer broke a 4-all tie.

Rupp drove in another run with a sacrifice fly. Cody Asche scored on Rupp's double-play grounder - not an RBI - in the fourth inning.

Phillies rookie Aaron Nola pitched five innings for the win. Nola (3-1) allowed four runs and nine hits for his third win in four starts.

The Phillies bullpen almost gave up the lead. Arizona scored once in both the seventh and eighth innings before Ken Giles got the last out in the eighth and three in the ninth for his seventh save. Chase Anderson (5-5) took the loss.

RAYS 9, BRAVES 6

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Curt Casali capped a six-run seventh inning with a two-run homer and Tampa Bay rallied for a victory over Atlanta.

Casali had just one hit in 26 at-bats since consecutive two-homer games against Detroit on July 27-28.

Tampa Bay has won four in a row, including three when trailing 3-0. The Rays also had comeback wins Saturday and Sunday over the New York Mets.

Pedro Ciriaco homered for the first time in more than two years and tied a career high with four RBIs for the Braves, who have lost 14 of 20.

The Rays scored five times off reliever Matt Marksberry (0-1) in the decisive seventh.

Alex Colome (5-4) got the win and Brad Boxberger picked up his 29th save.

MARLINS 14, RED SOX 6

MIAMI (AP) - Rookie J.T. Realmuto drove in six runs, including five in a franchise record-tying 10-run sixth inning, which helped Miami complete a two-game sweep in a series between last-place teams by beating Boston.

Realmuto hit an RBI single in the sixth to put the Marlins ahead 5-4, and then hit his first career grand slam later in the inning to make the score 14-4.

He's the first Marlins player to drive in five runs in an inning.

David Ortiz drove in three with two homers for Boston.

Realmuto also drove in a run with his sixth triple, the most by a rookie catcher since Carlton Fisk of the Red Sox in 1972, according to STATS. Needing a double in the eighth to hit for the cycle, he struck out.

Rodriguez (6-5) allowed eight runs in five-plus innings. Rookie Kyle Barraclough (1-0) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for his first major-league victory.