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**StarDust Bum** · 08-18-2015, 01:40 AM

MLB RUNLINES

MLB > (925) KANSAS CITY@ (926) CINCINNATI | 2015-08-18 19:10:00 - 2015-08-18 19:10:00
Play ON KANSAS CITY using the in All games when playing with a day off
The record is 28 Wins and 8 Losses for the last two seasons (+26.7 units)

MLB > (913) CLEVELAND@ (914) BOSTON | 2015-08-18 19:10:00 - 2015-08-18 19:10:00
Play AGAINST BOSTON using the in All games when playing with a day off
The record is 6 Wins and 26 Losses for the last two seasons (-24.7 units)

MLB > (929) LA DODGERS@ (930) OAKLAND | 2015-08-18 22:05:00 - 2015-08-18 22:05:00
Play AGAINST LA DODGERS using the in Road games in night games
The record is 10 Wins and 28 Losses for the this season (-20.25 units)

MLB > (909) ATLANTA@ (910) SAN DIEGO | 2015-08-18 22:10:00 - 2015-08-18 22:10:00
Play AGAINST ATLANTA using the in All games when playing on Tuesday
The record is 11 Wins and 31 Losses for the last two seasons (-25.8 units)

MLB > (915) SEATTLE@ (916) TEXAS | 2015-08-18 20:05:00 - 2015-08-18 20:05:00
Play AGAINST TEXAS using the in Home games when playing with a day off
The record is 2 Wins and 16 Losses for the last three seasons (-16.9 units)

MLB > (905) SAN FRANCISCO@ (906) ST LOUIS | 2015-08-18 20:15:00 - 2015-08-18 20:15:00
Play AGAINST SAN FRANCISCO using the in Road games when playing with a day off
The record is 9 Wins and 20 Losses for the last three seasons (-21.6 units)

MLB > (921) TORONTO@ (922) PHILADELPHIA | 2015-08-18 19:05:00 - 2015-08-18 19:05:00
Play ON TORONTO using the in All games in August games
The record is 12 Wins and 3 Losses for the this season (+10.85 units)

**StarDust Bum** · 08-18-2015, 01:41 AM

MLB TOTALS

MLB > (903) MIAMI@ (904) MILWAUKEE | 2015-08-18 20:10:00 - 2015-08-18 20:10:00
Play UNDER MIAMI on the total in All games when the total is 8 to 8.5
The record is 1 Overs and 12 Unders for the this season (+10.9 units)

MLB > (905) SAN FRANCISCO@ (906) ST LOUIS | 2015-08-18 20:15:00 - 2015-08-18 20:15:00
Play OVER SAN FRANCISCO on the total in Road games in games played on a grass field
The record is 37 Overs and 17 Unders for the this season (+19.5 units)

MLB > (923) NY METS@ (924) BALTIMORE | 2015-08-18 19:05:00 - 2015-08-18 19:05:00
Play OVER NY METS on the total in Road games in August games
The record is 14 Overs and 2 Unders for the last two seasons (+12.2 units)

MLB > (913) CLEVELAND@ (914) BOSTON | 2015-08-18 19:10:00 - 2015-08-18 19:10:00
Play OVER BOSTON on the total in All games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season
The record is 14 Overs and 4 Unders for the this season (+10.35 units)

MLB > (919) CHI WHITE SOX@ (920) LA ANGELS | 2015-08-18 22:05:00 - 2015-08-18 22:05:00
Play UNDER LA ANGELS on the total in All games against left-handed starters
The record is 8 Overs and 21 Unders for the this season (+11.95 units)

**StarDust Bum** · 08-18-2015, 01:45 AM

Preview: Blue Jays (65-54) at Phillies (46-72)
Game: 1
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: August 18, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Although there's no debating the impact David Price has made during his short tenure in Toronto, the Blue Jays are getting plenty of contributions from their rotation holdovers as well.

R.A. Dickey tries to continue Toronto's impressive pitching run and a strong one of his own as the Blue Jays visit Citizens Bank Park Tuesday to begin a two-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Blue Jays starters have yielded three earned runs or fewer in a club-record 20 consecutive games, a reason why Toronto (65-54) has won 15 of 18 to currently own a playoff spot in the American League. Drew Hutchison extended the sequence by allowing a run and three hits through 6 2-3 innings in Sunday's 3-1 decision over the Yankees, which avenged a pair of losses to New York that halted Toronto's 11-game win streak.

"You've seen what our offense is capable of all year, and when we pitch well it gives us a great chance to win," Hutchison, who was sent to Triple-A Buffalo on Monday with the Blue Jays able to use a four-man rotation until Aug. 29, told MLB's official site. "We just need to continue to do that and give our offense a chance to go out there and do their thing."

Dickey (7-10, 3.96 ERA) has done his part to help vault Toronto into contention in the AL East. The knuckleballer is 4-0 with a 1.49 ERA in six post All-Star break starts, including an 8-2 home win over the Phillies on July 29 in which he permitted two unearned runs over eight innings.

The 40-year-old wasn't quite as sharp in surrendering three runs through six innings in Wednesday's 10-3 victory over Oakland.

Dickey is 1-7 in 11 road starts but has allowed two or fewer runs while pitching at least seven innings in three straight. Though the veteran has given up four homers in 16 innings while going 1-2 in three outings at Citizens Bank Park, he's won two straight at home over Philadelphia (46-72), which ranks 29th in the majors in scoring (3.67 rpg) and generated just four runs in three straight weekend losses in Milwaukee.

After sweeping a three-game set from San Diego to begin their road trip, the Phillies dropped five of six to the Brewers and Arizona. They stranded 28 runners versus the Brewers, including nine in Sunday's 6-1 loss.

"You go through peaks and valleys obviously during the season,' Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. 'This is one of those valleys right now. "It'll be good to go home even though it's two days, try and get us back on track."

Philadelphia was without Maikel Franco for a fourth straight game due to a bruised left wrist, while Mackanin rested Chase Utley Sunday. Utley, hitting .500 with a homer and five doubles in seven games since returning from an ankle injury, remains the subject of extensive trade rumors as he enters potentially his final home series as a Phillie.

Utley is 4 for 13 against Dickey and Freddie Galvis 3 for 10 with a home run, though Ryan Howard is 4 for 22 with no homers in the matchup.

The Phillies have swung the bats well for Aaron Nola (3-1, 4.25), producing 34 runs while winning the rookie's past four starts. Such was the case Wednesday in Arizona, where Nola was reached for four runs in five innings of Philadelphia's 7-6 triumph.

Nola's lone previous interleague start came July 21 at home to Tampa Bay. The 22-year-old worked six innings in his MLB debut but came out on the short end of a 1-0 decision.

Toronto, which opens an eight-game road trip, has won 9 of 10 against the Phillies and six straight at Citizens Bank Park.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Blue Jays at Phillies
Tue, Aug 18 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Blue Jays at Phillies
Wed, Aug 19 - 7:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 08-18-2015, 01:54 AM

Preview: Twins (59-58) at Yankees (64-52)
Game: 2
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: August 18, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

The New York Yankees insist that CC Sabathia's shouting match outside a Toronto night club this past weekend had nothing to do with pushing his scheduled start back a day.

Regardless of the circumstances behind the change, it's been a frustrating season for the club's former ace, who pitched well in his previous two outings but is still seeking his first win since July 8 against the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.

The Yankees (65-52) were in Toronto for a crucial three-game series over the weekend, and just hours after winning Friday's opener, Sabathia was captured on video - released Monday by TMZ - hollering among a crowd of people.

Sabathia (4-9, 5.23 ERA) said some hecklers got "a little bit" personal about his rugged season but that the taunting wasn't racial.

"I just flipped out, you know. I could have handled it better," the left-hander told reporters before Monday night's 8-7, 10-inning win against the Twins gave New York a one-game lead over idle Toronto atop the AL East.

"Made a bad decision. Sometimes these things happen," added Sabathia, whose replacement Monday, rookie Bryan Mitchell, was hit in the head by a line drive in the second inning and suffered a fractured nose.

It's not difficult to see why Sabathia could be a bit touchy about the season he's having. Besides going 3-4 in eight starts last season, which was cut short by knee surgery, this year marks the first time he's posted a losing record while healthy.

A four-start losing streak at the outset now seems to have been the harbinger for a career-worst season in which he's allowed a .299 opponent batting average and 24 homers in 129 innings - four shy of his career high set in 2013 over 82 more innings.

Sabathia, however, has logged three quality starts over his last five, including the previous two, but received one run of support each time. He has a 2.25 ERA in his last two starts and tied a season best with 110 pitches in Wednesday's 2-1 loss at Cleveland.

Sabathia has dominated the Twins (59-59), going 17-9 with a 3.14 ERA in 35 career starts, but his lone outing against them this year was far from stellar. He gave up five runs in 5 2-3 innings before the Yankees rallied for an 8-5 win July 25.

Joe Mauer has batted just .171 with 16 strikeouts in 41 career at-bats against Sabathia, while Kurt Suzuki is 7 for 33 - though four of those hits have left the yard.

Mike Pelfrey (6-7, 3.70 ERA) will oppose Sabathia looking to win back-to-back starts for only the second time this season.

The right-hander picked up his first victory since June 7 with seven strong innings in Wednesday's 11-1 rout of Texas. He gave up the lone run and four hits with four strikeouts and has now received 18 runs of support over his last two outings.

"Two months ago (the Rangers) kind of kicked my butt pretty good and that was kind of extra motivation coming into today," Pelfrey told MLB's official website.

Pelfrey could certainly find some motivation in how hard several Yankees have hit him in his career. Brian McCann, who had five RBIs Monday, has batted .475 in 40 at-bats with two homers and eight doubles, while Brett Gardner and Alex Rodriguez are both 5 for 13.

Pelfrey is 2-3 with a 5.28 ERA in five career starts against New York, none since May 2011. His ERA in three starts at Yankee Stadium is 7.00.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Twins at Yankees
Mon, Aug 17 Final 7 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Twins at Yankees
Tue, Aug 18 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Twins at Yankees
Wed, Aug 19 - 1:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 08-18-2015, 01:56 AM

Preview: Blue Jays (65-54) at Phillies (46-72)
Game: 1
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: August 18, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Although there's no debating the impact David Price has made during his short tenure in Toronto, the Blue Jays are getting plenty of contributions from their rotation holdovers as well.

R.A. Dickey tries to continue Toronto's impressive pitching run and a strong one of his own as the Blue Jays visit Citizens Bank Park Tuesday to begin a two-game series with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Blue Jays starters have yielded three earned runs or fewer in a club-record 20 consecutive games, a reason why Toronto (65-54) has won 15 of 18 to currently own a playoff spot in the American League. Drew Hutchison extended the sequence by allowing a run and three hits through 6 2-3 innings in Sunday's 3-1 decision over the Yankees, which avenged a pair of losses to New York that halted Toronto's 11-game win streak.

"You've seen what our offense is capable of all year, and when we pitch well it gives us a great chance to win," Hutchison, who was sent to Triple-A Buffalo on Monday with the Blue Jays able to use a four-man rotation until Aug. 29, told MLB's official site. "We just need to continue to do that and give our offense a chance to go out there and do their thing."

Dickey (7-10, 3.96 ERA) has done his part to help vault Toronto into contention in the AL East. The knuckleballer is 4-0 with a 1.49 ERA in six post All-Star break starts, including an 8-2 home win over the Phillies on July 29 in which he permitted two unearned runs over eight innings.

The 40-year-old wasn't quite as sharp in surrendering three runs through six innings in Wednesday's 10-3 victory over Oakland.

Dickey is 1-7 in 11 road starts but has allowed two or fewer runs while pitching at least seven innings in three straight. Though the veteran has given up four homers in 16 innings while going 1-2 in three outings at Citizens Bank Park, he's won two straight at home over Philadelphia (46-72), which ranks 29th in the majors in scoring (3.67 rpg) and generated just four runs in three straight weekend losses in Milwaukee.

After sweeping a three-game set from San Diego to begin their road trip, the Phillies dropped five of six to the Brewers and Arizona. They stranded 28 runners versus the Brewers, including nine in Sunday's 6-1 loss.

"You go through peaks and valleys obviously during the season,' Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. 'This is one of those valleys right now. "It'll be good to go home even though it's two days, try and get us back on track."

Philadelphia was without Maikel Franco for a fourth straight game due to a bruised left wrist, while Mackanin rested Chase Utley Sunday. Utley, hitting .500 with a homer and five doubles in seven games since returning from an ankle injury, remains the subject of extensive trade rumors as he enters potentially his final home series as a Phillie.

Utley is 4 for 13 against Dickey and Freddie Galvis 3 for 10 with a home run, though Ryan Howard is 4 for 22 with no homers in the matchup.

The Phillies have swung the bats well for Aaron Nola (3-1, 4.25), producing 34 runs while winning the rookie's past four starts. Such was the case Wednesday in Arizona, where Nola was reached for four runs in five innings of Philadelphia's 7-6 triumph.

Nola's lone previous interleague start came July 21 at home to Tampa Bay. The 22-year-old worked six innings in his MLB debut but came out on the short end of a 1-0 decision.

Toronto, which opens an eight-game road trip, has won 9 of 10 against the Phillies and six straight at Citizens Bank Park.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Blue Jays at Phillies
Tue, Aug 18 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Blue Jays at Phillies
Wed, Aug 19 - 7:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 08-18-2015, 01:57 AM

Preview: Diamondbacks (57-59) at Pirates (69-46)
Game: 2
Venue: PNC Park
Date: August 18, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Francisco Liriano hasn't had many bouts of wildness this season, and until recently only the front-runner for the NL Cy Young Award had allowed fewer hits per nine innings.

Lately, he's been all over the place.

It hasn't much mattered to the Pittsburgh Pirates, who will try to win a ninth straight Liriano start Tuesday night behind what they hope is a much better performance from their lineup than in the opener against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.

Liriano (8-6, 3.19 ERA) has allowed his fewest walks per nine innings since 2010 at 3.19, and prior to his July 29 start at Minnesota he had given up fewer hits per nine (6.12) than anyone but Zack Greinke.

The basepaths have been crowded in his last three outings, though, as the left-hander has surrendered 23 hits in 14 2-3 innings, and he issued four walks Thursday at St. Louis. But Liriano settled down after a two-run first inning and held the Cardinals to one over the next five in a 10-5 win.

"I tried too hard (early), wasn't executing pitches, walking guys," Liriano told MLB's official website. "After, I calmed myself down and started to make pitches. I still overthrew at times; hopefully, things will get better soon."

They turned out well April 26 in Phoenix, though Liriano certainly tried to make things more complicated. He limited the Diamondbacks (58-59) to two hits over 6 1-3 innings but walked six in an 8-0 win, giving him a 1.46 ERA in two starts against Arizona since joining the Pirates.

Pittsburgh (69-47) has given Liriano 21 runs of support in his last three outings and came into Monday's opener averaging an NL-high five since the All-Star break, yet Pedro Alvarez's homer was the only offense it could produce in a 4-1 loss.

Arizona is putting up 5.06 runs per game in August, just behind the Cubs for the NL's highest average.

'That's a good offensive club,' Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. 'We made some mistakes over the plate. They were able to put the barrel on some balls early.'

Jeremy Hellickson turned in a surprisingly effective outing Monday, and now the Diamondbacks turn to Chase Anderson (5-5, 4.31) for his first road start since the break.

The right-hander spent half of the past month on the disabled list with a triceps injury and came back with seven scoreless innings against Cincinnati on Aug. 7. But he allowed five runs in five innings of Wednesday's 7-6 loss to Philadelphia, giving him a 7.41 ERA in his last seven starts.

"He just didn't have very good stuff," manager Chip Hale said. "One of the things we really like about our starting pitching is when we score runs, they go back out and shut the door, and that just didn't happen today. That's something he's going to have to work on."

Anderson faced the Pirates twice last season at home, allowing four runs in 9 2-3 innings.

One of the two homers he gave up came off the bat of Gregory Polanco, who went 0 for 5 on Monday after posting a 1.067 OPS in a torrid first half of August.

That's still slightly behind another outfielder in this series who's been the NL's hottest hitter this month. Arizona's David Peralta had two more hits Monday and is batting .453 with a 1.196 OPS in 18 games dating to July 28, driving in 21 runs in that span.

Peralta is 8 for 16 with five RBIs in four career games at PNC Park.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Pirates
Mon, Aug 17 Final 4 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Pirates
Tue, Aug 18 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Pirates
Wed, Aug 19 - 7:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 08-18-2015, 01:59 AM

Preview: Indians (54-62) at Red Sox (52-65)
Game: 2
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: August 18, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Before Terry Francona shifts his focus back to the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night, he's expected to support a good friend during the day.

Francona plans to spend time with ailing Boston manager John Farrell, then see if his Indians can secure a series victory over the visiting Boston Red Sox.

When Francona found out Farrell would begin chemotherapy treatment for lymphoma Tuesday, the Cleveland manager said he would be there with his old friend.

'We all don't know exactly how to handle this, but I do know how to be a friend and I care a lot," Francona said.

Farrell, a member of Francona's staff in Boston from 2007-10, announced Friday that he would miss the rest of the season while undergoing cancer treatment. The Red Sox (52-66) are 2-2 with bench coach Torey Lovullo in charge, and prior to Monday's 8-2 loss to the Indians totaled 45 runs, 27 extra-base hits and hit .441 in three against Seattle.

Cleveland (55-62), meanwhile, broke out Monday with 10 hits to match its total while scoring two runs in losing the previous two at Minnesota. Lonnie Chisenhall had a homer with three RBIs and was one of four Indians with two hits.

Chisenhall is batting .462 with seven RBIs in his last eight games.

The Indians also could get a boost if All-Star Jason Kipnis returns from a stint on the disabled list due to shoulder inflammation. He's batting a career-high .326 and is a lifetime .355 hitter in 16 games at Fenway Park.

Boston pitchers have posted an 8.23 ERA and allowed 65 hits, including 12 home runs, in the last five contests.

The Red Sox have won four straight home starts by rookie Eduardo Rodriguez (6-5, 4.83 ERA), who is 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in those contests. However, the left-hander must rebound after giving up eight runs in five-plus innings of a 14-6 defeat at Miami on Wednesday.

He'll be opposed by Trevor Bauer (9-9, 4.35), who is 1-4 with a 6.11 ERA and has yielded 11 of his 23 home runs in six starts since the All-Star break. Two of those homers resulted in four of the six runs he allowed in 3 1-3 innings of Thursday's 8-6 home loss to the New York Yankees.

Those continued struggles also seemed to elevate the right-hander's frustration level, especially with the media.

"I'll figure it out at some point, but right now, I don't know, so it doesn't make any sense to keep asking me about it,' Bauer said. 'Don't ask me about giving up home runs and personal stuff when it doesn't matter."

Bauer went 4-1 with a 1.10 ERA in his first six road starts but is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in the last four.

'I think the one thing that stands out is when he doesn't execute his pitch he has been leaving it in the wrong place,' Francona said. 'A lot of times pitchers, you have to know there is a place to bail out. If you miss can it be a single and with Trevor, that is an ongoing process with him.'

Making his first appearance against Boston, Bauer will try to contain rookie Travis Shaw, who is 8 for 20 with three home runs and six RBIs in the last four games.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Indians at Red Sox
Mon, Aug 17 Final 8 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Indians at Red Sox
Tue, Aug 18 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Indians at Red Sox
Wed, Aug 19 - 7:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 08-18-2015, 02:01 AM

Preview: Royals (71-46) at Reds (51-65)
Game: 1
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: August 18, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The Kansas City Royals are sending a former Cincinnati Reds right-hander to the mound at Great American Ball Park on Tuesday night, though it won't be Johnny Cueto.

The Royals are 4-0 in interleague starts by Edinson Volquez, who will pitch as a visitor to Cincinnati for the second time in his career in the opener of a two-game set.

Kansas City (71-46) and Cincinnati (51-65) completed one of the most notable deals before the trade deadline when the Reds sent Cueto to the Royals on July 26 for pitchers Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb and Cody Reed. Cueto will not pitch in this series and neither will Lamb, who made his big-league debut Friday.

Reds fans will instead get a chance to see Volquez (11-7, 3.27 ERA), whose career with the club from 2008-11 was plagued by injuries and a suspension. His lone start in Cincinnati as a visitor came with San Diego on July 30, 2012, as he allowed five runs in five innings to gain credit for an 11-5 victory.

Volquez is 3-0 with a 2.96 ERA in four interleague outings. He went 0-2 with a 5.82 ERA in three 2014 starts versus the Reds with Pittsburgh.

Jay Bruce is 7 for 14 against him while Joey Votto is 1 for 7 with four walks. Votto is 11 for 23 with two homers and seven RBIs over a six-game hitting streak.

Volquez turned in an odd outing Wednesday in a 7-4 loss to Detroit. He was charged with a season-high six runs in seven-plus innings, although he did retire 13 straight hitters in one stretch.

The Royals capped an 8-2 homestand with Sunday's 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Kendrys Morales' RBI single in the 10th inning. Morales was 5 for 15 in the four-game set.

'He's really, really smart and he knows what he needs to do to try to get the job done,' manager Ned Yost said.

Eric Hosmer is batting .367 with 11 RBIs during an eight-game hitting streak while Lorenzo Cain's eight-game run, in which he batted .455, ended Sunday as he went 0 for 5.

Yost said that Omar Infante will return after being out of the lineup the last two games. The second baseman is hitless in 26 at-bats and batting just .216.

Cincinnati second baseman Brandon Phillips is batting .418 during a 12-game hitting streak at home. His club begins a 10-game homestand after capping a 3-7 trip with a third straight defeat, 2-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday.

This will be Cincinnati's 19th straight game with a rookie starter - which will match the longest such streak since St. Louis did it in September 1997.

Tuesday's rookie is Raisel Iglesias (3-4, 4.70), who is 2-0 with a 3.77 ERA in five home starts. He earned his first road victory Wednesday by limiting San Diego to three runs in six innings in a 7-3 victory, retiring his final 16 hitters.

The Cuban right-hander is 2-1 with a 2.89 ERA in three starts this month, limiting batters to a .156 average. He has never faced the Royals or their hitters.

The Royals outscored the Reds 10-1 in a two-game sweep May 19-20. They lead the series 11-8 and are visiting Cincinnati for the first time since 2010.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Royals at Reds
Tue, Aug 18 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Royals at Reds
Wed, Aug 19 - 7:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 08-18-2015, 02:02 AM

Preview: Tigers (56-61) at Cubs (67-49)
Game: 1
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: August 18, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

Much has changed for the Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers over the past year. That's certainly been the case since they last met two months ago.

The teams, who begin a two-game set Tuesday night at Wrigley Field, have gone in vastly different directions since splitting two meetings in Detroit on June 9 and 10. The Cubs are 36-23 following that series, while the Tigers have gone 25-32 to fall back in the AL wild-card race and become unexpected sellers at the trade deadline.

Both are in unfamiliar territory for mid-August. Chicago (67-49) is in excellent position to make the playoffs for the first time since 2008 while Detroit (56-61) faces an uphill climb to extend its playoff streak to five seasons.

Chicago's rise to the NL's second wild-card spot has been fueled by a 15-2 stretch, highlighted by a nine-game win streak halted with Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

The Cubs were averaging 5.8 runs during their win streak before managing three hits and striking out 18 times - 15 to Chris Sale - on Sunday.

"You're not going to win them all, man. That doesn't happen," Cubs manager Joe Maddon told MLB's official website. "We've been playing really well. We continue to play really well. We just ran into a good pitcher and that was the difference in the game."

Kris Bryant went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts to have a 12-game hit streak end. He's hitting .319 in August while fellow rookie Kyle Schwarber has four home runs and 14 RBI over his last 11 games.

A matchup with Anibal Sanchez (10-10, 4.95 ERA) could have the Cubs back to their slugging ways. After going 7-0 over an eight-start stretch, the right-hander is 0-3 with a 6.94 ERA in his last four.

Sanchez allowed five runs on three homers in last Tuesday's 6-1 loss at Kansas City to continue a troubling season-long trend. His 28 homers surrendered are tied for the most in the majors and he's served up 15 over his last 10 starts.

However, that wasn't an issue when Sanchez threw 7 2-3 scoreless innings to defeat the Cubs on June 9. He tossed a two-hit shutout against Cincinnati six days later in his most recent interleague assignment.

Sanchez has also handled several of Chicago's key hitters. Anthony Rizzo is 2 for 9 off him, Dexter Fowler 2 for 10 with six strikeouts and Miguel Montero 3 for 20 with one home run.

With eight straight wins at Wrigley, the Cubs are in the midst of their longest home winning streak since reeling off 14 in a row in 2008. They turn to Jason Hammel (6-5, 3.10), who is 0-2 despite a 3.19 ERA in nine home starts since notching his lone win at Wrigley on April 27.

Hammel was in line for a win Wednesday after holding Milwaukee to a run in 5 2-3 innings of an eventual 3-2, 10-inning victory.

The right-hander is 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA over his last three starts but owns a 7.66 ERA in five against the Tigers, though hasn't faced them since 2013.

Miguel Cabrera is 4 for 11 against Hammel and went 2 for 3 with a homer and three RBI in Sunday's 6-5 loss at Houston. The All-Star first baseman is 4 for 7 in two games after going hitless Friday in his return from a calf injury that sidelined him six weeks.

'He looks good,' Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. 'I think his timing's still off every now and then but he certainly took some good swings the last two days.'

Detroit is 2-4 on a challenging eight-game trip but has fared well at Wrigley Field, winning seven of eight there and taking two of three in their last visit in 2012. The Tigers have won 10 of 12 overall from the Cubs.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Tigers at Cubs
Tue, Aug 18 - 8:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Tigers at Cubs
Wed, Aug 19 - 8:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 08-18-2015, 02:05 AM

Preview: Marlins (47-70) at Brewers (51-68)
Game: 2
Venue: Miller Park
Date: August 18, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

With his thumb no longer bothering him, Dee Gordon is gaining ground in the race for the NL batting title.

Gordon looks to continue his hot hitting and help the Miami Marlins to another win over the last-place Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.

Gordon was hitting .222 with six RBIs in 11 games after missing the same amount while on the disabled list with a dislocated left thumb.

The All-Star second baseman has shown no signs of it remaining an issue, hitting .406 with six RBIs, six runs and three stolen bases in his last seven games.

Gordon's career-best .331 average leaves him three points back of Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt for the highest in the majors.

His recent offensive surge has coincided with Miami (48-70) winning five of seven games after dropping 13 of the previous 15.

Gordon is a .172 career hitter against the Brewers (51-69), but he had a two-run single before doubling and scoring in Monday's 6-2 win in the opener of this three-game set at Miller Park.

Adeiny Hechavarria added three hits, giving him a .381 average during an 11-game hitting streak that matches his career high set as a rookie from July 1-12, 2013.

The shortstop is batting .452 in eight career games at Milwaukee and his .367 average in 14 overall matchups is his highest against any opponent.

Hechavarria and Gordon will try to continue making things difficult on Tyler Cravy (0-4, 5.92 ERA), who gets another chance to audition for a spot in next year's rotation.

The rookie right-hander has surrendered 10 runs and 12 hits - including three homers - in 9 1-3 innings while losing two starts since being recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs to replace an ineffective Kyle Lohse in the rotation.

Manager Craig Counsell is entertaining the idea of replacing Cravy with Zach Davies, one of the Brewers' top pitching prospects.

"I think we're kind of just going start by start right now," Counsell told MLB's official website. "Davies is a guy we traded for. He could be a possibility. But I think for now we're going with Cravy and letting him show us what he can do."

The Marlins will counter with a rookie of their own in Adam Conley (1-0, 5.00), who gets another turn with Jose Urena on the disabled list due to a bruised left knee.

The rookie left-hander allowed four runs and eight hits in 4 2-3 innings of a 14-6 win over Boston on Wednesday in just his second career start.

Each of Conley's three previous appearances came in relief. He yielded four runs in 7 1-3 innings after being recalled from Triple-A New Orleans for the third time this year.

He'll try to slow Ryan Braun, who is hitting .409 with two homers and eight RBIs in the past six games. He had two hits and one RBI in the opener, giving him a .381 average in the last six matchups.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Marlins at Brewers
Mon, Aug 17 Final 6 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Marlins at Brewers
Tue, Aug 18 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Marlins at Brewers
Wed, Aug 19 - 2:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 08-18-2015, 02:06 AM

Preview: Nationals (58-59) at Rockies (48-68)
Game: 1
Venue: Coors Field
Date: August 18, 2015 8:40 PM EDT

Washington Nationals manager Matt Williams insists his team will bounce back from a losing streak that has matched its longest of the year.

The Nationals likely can't afford stumbling against last-place opposition, though have already lost a series to the Colorado Rockies.

They'll send Jordan Zimmermann and his 5-0 career mark against the Rockies to the mound in Tuesday night's three-game series opener in Denver.

Washington (58-59) has matched a six-game slide from April 22-27 as its worst of the year. The Nationals haven't dropped seven straight since losing eight in a row from Aug. 28-Sept. 5, 2009.

Williams' club has been outscored 36-12 in this skid after Sunday's 5-0 defeat at San Francisco. He said he wouldn't have the team do anything on Monday's off day.

Washington is below .500 for the first time since being 14-15 on May 7. It trails the New York Mets by 4 1/2 games in the NL East.

'It will be good to give the guys a day off, get away from the game,' Williams said. 'You have to look at where we are, look at the big picture. If we win some games we jump right back into this.'

Bryce Harper is 4 for 18 over Washington's last six games, Anthony Rendon is 3 for 22, Ryan Zimmerman is 1 for 19 with 10 strikeouts and Yunel Escobar is 4 for 24.

The Nationals began this 10-game trip after losing two of three to Colorado (48-68) at home from Aug. 7-9. Carlos Gonzalez was 4 for 12 with three homers and six RBIs for the Rockies and Nolan Arenado was 5 for 12 with a homer and three runs.

Zimmermann (8-8, 3.34 ERA) started the opener of that series and allowed one run in 6 2-3 innings as the bullpen blew a three-run lead in the eighth of a 5-4 defeat. He is 5-0 with a 2.10 ERA in eight starts against Colorado, including 2-0 with a 3.74 ERA in four on the road.

The Nationals have lost the last four starts by the right-hander, who is 0-3 with a 3.68 ERA in six since the All-Star break. He gave up one run and two hits in seven innings in Wednesday's 3-0 loss to Los Angeles Dodgers.

Colorado ended a six-game slide with Sunday's 5-0 victory over San Diego as Chris Rusin pitched a five-hitter for his first career shutout.

'You don't get to see that very often, a complete-game shutout here,' manager Walt Weiss said.

DJ LeMahieu's seven-game hitting streak in which he batted .391 ended as he went 0 for 2 with a walk. LeMahieu is 5 for 11 versus Zimmermann and Arenado is 4 for 9 with a homer.

The Rockies will activate right-hander David Hale (3-4, 5.69) and give him his first start since July 4. Hale, who was out with a groin strain, will replace the demoted Eddie Butler in the rotation.

Hale made three appearances with one start against the Nationals last year with Atlanta, totaling 6 1-3 scoreless innings.

Colorado shortstop Jose Reyes has one hit in seven straight games and has hit safely in all six at home with the club.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Nationals at Rockies
Tue, Aug 18 - 8:40PM EDT

GAME 2
Nationals at Rockies
Wed, Aug 19 - 8:40PM EDT

GAME 3
Nationals at Rockies
Thu, Aug 20 - 8:40PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 08-18-2015, 02:08 AM

Preview: Dodgers (67-51) at Athletics (51-68)
Game: 1
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: August 18, 2015 10:05 PM EDT

Clayton Kershaw set such high standards for himself that he had trouble shaking off what he deemed a poor start at the beginning of the season.

It's safe to say that issue is well behind him.

After another scoreless outing, Kershaw looks to help the Los Angeles Dodgers stay hot when he faces the slumping Oakland Athletics on the road Tuesday night.

Kershaw (10-6, 2.39 ERA) had an ERA of 4.32 in his first nine starts after losing to San Francisco on May 21, the latest it stood above 4.00 since 2009.

The reigning NL MVP and Cy Young winner has been a force since, posting a 1.30 ERA in his last 14 starts. Kershaw beat Washington 3-0 on Wednesday by pitching at least eight scoreless innings for the fifth time in six outings, a stretch during which he's gone 5-0 with a 0.75 ERA.

The left-hander's latest stellar effort came after he gave up a homer to the first batter he faced in the Dodgers' 5-4 loss to Pittsburgh on Aug. 7, one of four runs he allowed that snapped his 37-inning scoreless streak.

'I like consistency,' Kershaw said. 'When you start looking around at the Mark Buehrle streaks, the Dan Harens, the guys that don't go on the DL, the guys that are around for a long time, I have a lot of respect for those guys. Hopefully in 10 years or so, I'll be in that category.'

It's taken far less time for him to be considered one of the best pitchers in baseball. Kershaw matched Sandy Koufax's franchise record and became the third pitcher in NL history to record six straight 200-strikeout seasons by racking up eight Wednesday.

The NL West-leading Dodgers (67-51) again have the luxury of pitching Kershaw after Zack Greinke, who won his fourth straight start and hit the tiebreaking homer in the fifth inning of Sunday's 2-1 win over Cincinnati.

Los Angeles, winner of five of six, improved to 113-54 since Greinke signed with the club for the 2013 season when he or Kershaw starts. It is 140-135 in all other contests.

Greinke's home run was the Dodgers' NL-high 146th, which is 12 more than they had all of last season. Adrian Gonzalez homered in Los Angeles' two previous games, and he's homered in both career at-bats against Felix Doubront, who looks to help last-place Oakland (51-69) avoid an eighth straight defeat.

Doubront (1-1, 4.59) has allowed five runs in 10 2-3 innings over two relief appearances since being acquired from Toronto at the trade deadline. He most recently pitched Wednesday against his former team, and he posted a 4.76 ERA in four starts and one relief effort for the Blue Jays.

The left-hander might have to work without much offensive support as the A's were outscored 52-20 on a winless seven-game road trip. Mark Canha and Danny Valencia homered in Monday's 4-2 loss to Baltimore.

Sonny Gray, originally slated to oppose Kershaw before being pushed up after missing Thursday's start with back spasms, allowed three unearned runs as Oakland committed three of its MLB-high 99 errors.

The A's haven't lost eight in a row since a nine-game skid May 22-June 1, 2012.

'When you have your ace on the mound, you want to play clean defensively,' manager Bob Melvin said. 'When you are not scoring many runs, you want to give yourself a chance because you know ... runs are going to be tough to come by.'

The A's missed Kershaw and Greinke when they split two games with the Dodgers on July 28 and 29 at Chavez Ravine.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Athletics
Tue, Aug 18 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Dodgers at Athletics
Wed, Aug 19 - 3:35PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 08-18-2015, 02:11 AM

Preview: Rays (58-59) at Astros (64-54)
Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: August 18, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Despite a rough start to a 10-game road trip, the Tampa Bay Rays appear poised to continue their success in Houston.

They can do so by handing the AL West-leading Astros back-to-back home defeats for the first time in almost two months Tuesday night.

Tim Beckham hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Asdrubal Cabrera also drove in three runs as Tampa Bay (59-59) beat the Astros 9-2 on Monday. The Rays scored one fewer run than they did while being swept in a three-game series at Texas over the weekend.

Trying to keep pace in the wild-card race, Tampa Bay has averaged 6.9 runs while winning 11 of 13 at Minute Maid Park.

'It's very beneficial for us, took three tough losses in Arlington and just needed a big win (Monday),' said the light-hitting Beckham, 2 for 16 in seven games this month. "When I'm in there I just want to be productive and just want to produce any way I can and it was a big win for us.'

The Astros (64-55) are among the best home teams in baseball at 40-20, but they've dropped two of three there after winning 15 of the previous 17. Houston last lost consecutive games at Minute Maid Park on June 26 and 27 to the New York Yankees.

Though Tampa Bay's Jake Odorizzi (6-6, 3.09 ERA) has yielded three hits and struck out 15 over 13 scoreless innings to win his two starts against the Astros that came over the past two seasons, he'll face them for the first time at Houston.

The right-hander went 1-0 with a 2.66 ERA in four starts prior to Wednesday, when he matched season highs with six runs and nine hits allowed in six-plus innings in a 9-6 win over Atlanta. He didn't get the decision.

"To be honest, terrible,' Odorizzi told MLB's official website.

"Funny how that works, but that's baseball. I've had one-run losses, and (Wednesday) I gave up a season-high in runs, and we got a win."

Jose Altuve, 1 for 5 against Odorizzi, has batted .393 in six home games this month.

Scott Feldman (5-5, 4.17) has posted a 2.16 ERA in his last four starts, giving up four hits in six innings of a 2-0 victory at San Francisco on Wednesday.

"I had a pretty good command of all four pitches and that was kind of helpful," he said.

The right-hander is 3-2 with a 2.41 ERA in six starts against the Rays, last facing them in 2013.

Cabrera, 4 for 7 against Feldman, is batting .477 with 10 RBIs in 17 games since coming off the disabled list July 28. Recent Rays acquisition Daniel Nava, who had three hits Monday, is 5 for 10 with a home run when facing Feldman.

Carlos Gomez is 1 for 17 through the first four of Houston's 10-game homestand, and the same in his last four against the Rays.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rays at Astros
Mon, Aug 17 Final 9 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rays at Astros
Tue, Aug 18 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Rays at Astros
Wed, Aug 19 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Rays at Astros
Thu, Aug 20 - 8:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 08-18-2015, 02:13 AM

Preview: Mariners (55-63) at Rangers (59-57)
Game: 2
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: August 18, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

Seattle Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon warned shortly after Hisashi Iwakuma returned from injury last month that the right-hander was getting near the top of his game.

Everyone is listening now.

Six days after pitching an unlikely no-hitter, Iwakuma takes the mound looking to help prevent the Texas Rangers from winning a ninth straight home game Tuesday night.

Iwakuma (4-2, 3.86 ERA) went on the disabled list at the end of April with a right lat strain, then gave up five runs in a loss to Detroit when he returned July 6.

He's gone 4-1 with a 2.47 ERA in seven starts since that outing after holding Baltimore hitless in a 3-0 win Wednesday. It broke a streak of 12 straight no-hitters by NL pitchers and was the first in the AL since teammate Felix Hernandez threw a perfect game against Tampa Bay on Aug. 15, 2012.

Iwakuma became the 17th pitcher since 1914 to throw his first career complete game in a no-hitter and the first since Philip Humber tossed a perfect game against the Mariners on April 21, 2012.

"It's nice to see because I think this is probably the longest stretch I've had him where he's been truly healthy and the ball is coming out and the velocity is back," McClendon said. "He can work down in the zone, he can elevate the fastball. That's what makes him special."

The Mariners (55-64) have lost three of four since Iwakuma's gem, though. Fernando Rodney walked Adrian Beltre with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to give the Rangers a 4-3 victory Monday.

Beltre, batting .478 during a six-game hitting streak, doubled twice and drove in three runs against his former club. Texas (60-57) is on the verge of winning nine consecutive home games for the first time since July 4-23, 2011.

The Rangers also are seeking a sixth straight win overall that would push them four games over .500 for the first time since they were 37-33 after beating the Chicago White Sox on June 21. They trail Baltimore by one game in a tight race for the AL's second wild card.

"We know (Iwakuma) is really hot," manager Jeff Banister told MLB's official website. "We are going to prepare for him and use that game as part of the preparation. You look at the whole body of work, but the last couple starts are most important because that is the way he is trending. We know he is tough and we'll prepare accordingly."

Chi Chi Gonzalez might have to overcome his recent struggles in order for Texas to stay hot. Gonzalez (2-4, 4.22) went 2-0 with a 0.90 ERA over his first four starts, but he's 0-3 with a 9.47 ERA over his last four. He was sent to the minors after giving up six runs in 1 2-3 innings against Los Angeles on July 3.

He returned Thursday in place of the then-injured Cole Hamels and allowed five runs before the Rangers began their winning streak with a 6-5 comeback victory over Minnesota. The rookie right-hander could be making his final start in the rotation after Derek Holland was activated from the disabled list to start Wednesday's series finale.

Texas is just 3-7 against the Mariners this season despite Monday's win. Former Ranger Nelson Cruz is batting .450 with at least one hit in each meeting and has reached base in 28 straight overall, the longest streak in the AL this season.

It's unclear if Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton will play after sitting out two straight and four of the last six with a sore left knee.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mariners at Rangers
Mon, Aug 17 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mariners at Rangers
Tue, Aug 18 - 8:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Mariners at Rangers
Wed, Aug 19 - 2:05PM EDT

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