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**StarDust Bum** · 08-23-2015, 04:00 AM

MLB RUNLINE

MLB > (967) KANSAS CITY@ (968) BOSTON | 2015-08-23 13:35:00 - 2015-08-23 13:35:00
Play AGAINST BOSTON using the in All games when playing with a day off
The record is 1 Wins and 14 Losses for the this season (-15.65 units)

MLB > (963) NY METS@ (964) COLORADO | 2015-08-23 16:10:00 - 2015-08-23 16:10:00
Play ON NY METS using the in All games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season
The record is 13 Wins and 3 Losses for the this season (+11.65 units)

MLB > (971) TORONTO@ (972) LA ANGELS | 2015-08-23 15:35:00 - 2015-08-23 15:35:00
Play ON TORONTO using the in All games when playing with a day off
The record is 12 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+11.8 units)

MLB > (955) SAN FRANCISCO@ (956) PITTSBURGH | 2015-08-23 13:35:00 - 2015-08-23 13:35:00
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 > (965) TEXAS@ (966) DETROIT | 2015-08-23 13:05:00 - 2015-08-23 13:05:00
Play ON TEXAS using the in All games in road games
The record is 46 Wins and 17 Losses for the this season (+21.05 units)

**StarDust Bum** · 08-23-2015, 04:01 AM

MLB TOTALS

MLB > (963) NY METS@ (964) COLORADO | 2015-08-23 16:10:00 - 2015-08-23 16:10:00
Play OVER NY METS on the total in Road games in August games
The record is 17 Overs and 2 Unders for the last two seasons (+15.3 units)

MLB > (953) PHILADELPHIA@ (954) MIAMI | 2015-08-23 13:10:00 - 2015-08-23 13:10:00
Play OVER MIAMI on the total in All games in August games
The record is 15 Overs and 3 Unders for the this season (+13.3 units)

MLB > (955) SAN FRANCISCO@ (956) PITTSBURGH | 2015-08-23 13:35:00 - 2015-08-23 13:35:00
Play OVER SAN FRANCISCO on the total in All games in road games
The record is 38 Overs and 20 Unders for the this season (+17.7 units)

MLB > (957) MILWAUKEE@ (958) WASHINGTON | 2015-08-23 13:35:00 - 2015-08-23 13:35:00
Play OVER WASHINGTON on the total in Home games in August games
The record is 18 Overs and 5 Unders for the last two seasons (+12.8 units)

MLB > (961) ST LOUIS@ (962) SAN DIEGO | 2015-08-23 16:10:00 - 2015-08-23 16:10:00
Play OVER SAN DIEGO on the total in All games in games played on a grass field
The record is 70 Overs and 49 Unders for the this season (+20.35 units)

**StarDust Bum** · 08-23-2015, 04:17 AM

RECAPPING YESTERDAY'S ACTION:

MLB: 5 - 7 - 0

WNBA: 0 - 0 - 0

CFL: 1 - 1

NFL: 7 - 5 - 0

WNBA JUNE/ JULY RECORD/ AUGUST :

*****...............................20 - 22 - 2
DOUBLE PLAY....................47 - 40 - 1
TRIPLE PLAY......................24 - 16
SLAM DUNK.......................30 - 22

MLB RECORD FOR JUNE/JULY/AUGUST:

*****.............................110 - 129 - 1 .....................,........- 9.16
double play......................172 - 178 - 2 ..............................- 14.70
triple play........................89 - 85 - 2 .................................. - 27.10
grand slam......................99 - 98 - 4.....................,.,............- 22.91
double grand slam.............13 - 14.......................................- 11.20
underdog of the year..........0 - 1 ..........................................- 8.00

CFL JUNE/JULY/ AUGUST RECORD:

SINGLE PLAY.................................1 - 2
DOUBLE PLAY................................8 - 14
TRIPLE PLAY..................................11 - 4
BLOW OUT.....................................4 - 3

NFL PRESEASON RECORD:

SINGLE PLAY..................................... 12 - 7
DOUBLE PLAY.................................... 7 - 11
TRIPLE PLAY ..................................... 3 - 6 - 1
BLOW OUT......................................... 1 - 1

**StarDust Bum** · 08-23-2015, 04:21 AM

Baseball Capsules

August 23, 2015

HOUSTON (AP) Scott Kazmir pitched six solid innings, Jose Altuve and Luis Valbuena homered and the Houston Astros defeated Zack Greinke and the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-1 Saturday night.

A night after teammate Mike Fiers pitched a no-hitter against the Dodgers, Kazmir (7-8) didn't permit a runner until Jimmy Rollins singled to start the fourth inning.

The Astros won a matchup of division leaders and ended an eight-game winning streak by Greinke (13-3).

Kazmir rebounded from his worst start with the Astros, giving up one run and six hits while striking out eight.

Relievers Will Harris and Pat Neshek each pitched a perfect inning and Luke Gregerson worked the ninth for his 24th save.

METS 14, ROCKIES 9

DENVER (AP) -The New York Mets roughed up the Colorado Rockies by the exact same score for the second straight day, with Juan Uribe homering to start an eight-run burst in the third inning.

The NL East leaders got a season high-tying 21 hits, including 10 for extra bases. Every New York starter had at least one hit, with pitcher Jonathon Niese (8-9) delivering a two-run single in the big third.

Coming off his first career shutout, Chris Rusin (4-6) went two-plus innings and allowed 11 runs and 12 hits, eight of them doubles.

BLUE JAYS 15, ANGELS 3

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Josh Donaldson went 4 for 5 with a three-run homer, driving in six runs and propelling Toronto to its 18th victory in 22 games.

Jose Bautista had a two-run triple during a seven-run fourth inning by the streaking Blue Jays. They followed up their 9-2 win at the Big A on Friday with the highest-scoring performance in three years by the majors' most productive offense.

Amid ''M-V-P!'' chants from the visitors' fans in Mike Trout's home stadium, Donaldson drove in six runs in a three-inning span, giving him 100 RBIs for the first time in his career.

He sent his 34th homer deep into the bullpens beyond left field in the third inning before delivering a two-run single in the fourth and an RBI double in the fifth.

PIRATES 3, GIANTS 2

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Starling Marte hit a solo home run off George Kontos with two outs in the ninth inning, lifting Pittsburgh over San Francisco.

Jung Ho Kang hit a pair of solo homers for the Pirates in the matchup of playoff contenders.

Marte sent the first pitch he saw from Kontos (2-2) into the sun-drenched seats in left field for his second career walkoff hit. Mark Melancon (3-1) needed six pitches to get through the top of the ninth.

YANKEES 6, INDIANS 2

NEW YORK (AP) - Luis Severino earned his first major league win, getting all the support he needed in the first inning on a pair of home runs from Brett Gardner and Brian McCann as the New York Yankees beat Cleveland.

Making his fourth career start, the 21-year-old Severino (1-2) gave up a one-out homer in the first to fellow rookie Francisco Lindor, but yielded only two singles and four walks in the remainder of his gritty innings.

Danny Salazar (11-7) took the loss.

The Yankees retired the No. 20 of former catcher Jorge Posada before the game.

ROYALS 6, RED SOX 3

BOSTON (AP) - Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer, Yordano Ventura pitched six effective innings and AL Central-leading Kansas City ended Boston's four-game winning streak.

Ventura (8-7) gave up one run and six hits, striking out six. He improved to 4-0 in his last six starts.

Greg Holland got Travis Shaw to pop out with the bases loaded for final out, earning his 28th save.

Mookie Betts hit a solo homer and David Ortiz had two singles and three walks for the Red Sox.

Leading 2-0 in the sixth, the Royals chased Matt Barnes (3-4) when Perez homered.

TWINS 3, ORIOLES 2

BALTIMORE (AP) - Byron Buxton picked up his first major league RBI with a tiebreaking single in the seventh inning and Minnesota beat Baltimore.

After overcoming a two-run deficit in the eighth on Friday night, Minnesota handed Chris Tillman (9-8) his first loss since May 31.

The Twins have won seven straight over Baltimore dating to last season. They are 6-0 against the Orioles this season.

Casey Fien (4-5) pitched 1 1-3 innings to earn his second win in two nights. He entered in the sixth and struck out Manny Machado with the bases loaded and two outs.

Kevin Jepsen got three straight outs for his eighth save.

RANGERS 5, TIGERS 3

DETROIT (AP) - Yovani Gallardo took a shutout into the seventh inning, and Texas spoiled Randy Wolf's return to the majors by defeating Detroit.

Gallardo (10-9) allowed eight hits in six-plus innings. The Tigers didn't score until Ian Kinsler's three-run homer with two outs in the ninth.

Wolf (0-1) gave up three earned runs and nine hits in seven innings in his first major league start since June 2014. Wolf, who turned 39 on Saturday, was acquired by Detroit in a trade with Toronto on Thursday.

CUBS 9, BRAVES 7

CHICAGO (AP) - Miguel Montero and Jorge Soler hit back-to-back home runs and the eighth inning and the Chicago Cubs beat Atlanta for their third straight win.

Nick Swisher homered from both sides of the plate in the Braves' sixth loss in a row.

Montero and Soler connected off Edwin Jackson (2-2), released by the Cubs last month. Addison Russell and Anthony Rizzo homered earlier for Chicago.

Swisher connected left-handed and right-handed in the same game for the 14th time, tying Mark Teixeira for most ever.

Pedro Strop (2-6) got the win. Hector Rondon pitched the ninth for his 23rd save in 27 chances.

NATIONALS 6, BREWERS 1

WASHINGTON (AP) - Anthony Rendon homered and doubled to drive in two runs, rookie Joe Ross allowed one run in seven innings and Washington beat Milwaukee.

Michael Taylor hit a home run for the third straight night, connecting on a two-run shot for Washington, which had lost eight of 10.

Ross (4-5), 0-2 with a 9.35 ERA in his two previous starts, gave up six hits, struck out four and didn't walk a batter.

Taylor Jungmann (7-5) endured his worst outing of the season. He went four innings, allowing five runs and seven hits.

DIAMONDBACKS 11, REDS 7

CINCINNATI (AP) - Paul Goldschmidt hit a pair of two-run homers, Ender Inciarte homered Arizona handed Cincinnati its eighth straight loss.

Goldschmidt, who hadn't homered since July 27, had the seventh multihomer game of his career and finished with four hits and three runs.

All-Star center fielder A.J. Pollock followed his back-to-back four-hit games by going 3 for 5 and scoring two runs for Arizona.

Zack Godley (4-0) allowed one run in 3 2-3 innings. Daniel Hudson got two outs for his second save.

Anthony DeSclafani (7-9) took the loss.

PHILLIES 4, MARLINS 2

MIAMI (AP) - Aaron Altherr and Darin Ruf hit back-to-back solo home runs in the ninth inning, sending Philadelphia past Miami.

Altherr broke the tie with a homer off A.J. Ramos (1-4). Ruf followed with a homer on the next pitch to give the Phillies consecutive homers for the first time this season.

Elvis Araujo (2-1) got the final out of the eighth inning to earn the win. Ken Giles pitched a perfect ninth for his ninth save in 12 chances.

PADRES 8, CARDINALS 0

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Ian Kennedy combined with five relievers on an eight-hitter and Matt Kemp and Justin Upton keyed a seven-run seventh inning, leading San Diego over St. Louis.

The Padres, who have won nine of 11, tied their season high with their fifth straight win.

Kennedy (8-11) allowed the first two runners to reach base in the seventh before three relievers each struck out a batter.

Carlos Martinez (12-6) lost his second straight start.

RAYS 5, ATHLETICS 4

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Asdrubal Cabrera homered and then hit a two-run double in the ninth inning, and Tampa Bay rallied past Oakland.

The Rays got just five hits off A's starter Sonny Gray before coming back for their first win this season when trailing going into the ninth.

Daniel Nava, a replacement after James Loney was ejected, drew a one-out walk against switch-pitcher Pat Venditte (0-2). Logan Forsythe doubled and Cabrera, who hit a solo shot in the seventh, doubled on the first pitch from Drew Pomeranz.

Alex Colome (6-4) recorded six outs for the win.

WHITE SOX 6, MARINERS 3, 10 INNINGS

SEATTLE (AP) - Chicago scored two runs in the ninth inning to tie the game and then took advantage of the Seattle bullpen's wildness for a three-run 10th to beat the Mariners.

After tying the game against Carson Smith on Alexei Ramirez's RBI single and pinch-hitter Adam LaRoche's groundout, Tyler Saladino walked to open the 10th against Danny Farquhar (0-4), who failed to retire any of the four batters he faced.

Jose Abreu followed with a double off the wall in right-center. Melky Cabrera was walked intentionally to load the bases and Garcia walked to force in a run that made it 4-3.

Edgar Olmos relieved and after an out, Cabrera scored on a passed ball by Mike Zunino to make it 5-3. Ramirez reached on a fielding error by second baseman Robinson Cano to reload the bases and Garcia then scored on Carlos Sanchez's fielder's choice.

Nate Jones (1-0) pitched the ninth and David Robertson worked the 10th for his 25th save.

**StarDust Bum** · 08-23-2015, 04:23 AM

LEADING OFF: Bird big for Yanks, Hamels goes for Rangers

August 22, 2015

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

CAN'T TOUCH CLAYTON

Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw has won five straight decisions and tries for a sixth at Houston. The left-hander has a 0.82 ERA over his past seven starts, including two complete-game shutouts and three scoreless, eight-inning performances. Rookie Lance McCullers goes for the Astros for the first time since being demoted following a rocky Aug. 3 start at Texas. He was given a few weeks to rest and then made one appearance with Double-A Corpus Christi before being recalled. His 3.17 ERA is tied for fifth best among qualified rookie starters.

BOOST FROM BIRD

Greg Bird and the Yankees face the Indians seeking their eighth win in 11 games since snapping a five-game losing streak. The turnaround coincided with Bird's big league debut on Aug. 13, and New York is 6-2 when Bird has played. The first baseman has a .276 average with two homers and six RBIs.

CAN COLE FUEL THE FIRE?

Cole Hamels looks to bolster the Rangers' position in the AL wild card race at Detroit. Texas has gone 14-7 since acquiring the left-hander as surprising buyers at the non-waiver trade deadline, but it has so largely without help from Hamels. The longtime Phillies hurler has gone just 1-2 with a 5.23 ERA in three outings with the Rangers.

GIANT DANGER

The Giants wrap a pivotal four-game series in Pittsburgh trying to remain in the NL wild card race. The Pirates walked off Saturday with a 3-2 win on Starling Marte's two-out, ninth-inning homer to take a 2-1 series lead and put eight games between the wild card-leading Bucs and the Giants in the standings. San Francisco also trails the Cubs by five games for the second wild card spot.

STARTING SLOW

Kevin Gausman was moved to a starting role in June, but he'll search for just his second win since April when the Orioles finish a four-game series against Minnesota. In nine starts since June 20, Gausman is 1-5 with a 4.47 ERA.

**StarDust Bum** · 08-23-2015, 04:36 AM

Fiers: No foreign substances during no-hitter

Aug 22, 2015

Houston Astros pitcher Mike Fiers denied having a foreign substance in his glove while pitching a no-hitter on Friday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Social media chatter suggested that something shiny could be seen on the right-hander's glove when television cameras zoomed in on him during his first career no-hitter and first complete game.

"I mean, you can try to pick out a lot of things through a lot of games," Fiers said Saturday. "I don't know what they are talking about. It could be a different lighting or camera angle or a lot of things. I don't know."

Fiers, who threw 134 pitches in the Astros' 3-0 victory, was acquired last month from the Milwaukee Brewers before the trade deadline.

Fiers said no one from the Major League Baseball offices has contacted him. Astros manager A.J. Hinch and Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said they didn't notice anything on Fiers' glove

"Last night was about Mike Fiers being a really good major league pitcher, and he had a great accomplishment," Hinch said. "Anything that takes away from that is unfortunate, unless there's this massive proof."

Using a foreign substance on a ball to improve grip is a violation of MLB rules. New York Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda was suspended for 10 games last season for using pine tar against the Boston Red Sox.

"I think if you talk about stuff like that, it seems like you're whining," Mattingly said. "I think a lot of guys use it. It's kind of accepted unless it's just blatantly obvious that somebody's doing it. I had no idea during the game; nobody said anything to us."

**StarDust Bum** · 08-23-2015, 11:34 AM

Preview: Rangers (63-59) at Tigers (59-63)
Game: 4
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: August 23, 2015 1:08 PM EDT

As the Texas Rangers make their push toward the postseason, Cole Hamels knows he must be better than he's looked for his new team.

The left-hander tries a fourth time to earn his first victory with the Rangers on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.

Texas (63-59) is 15-7 since news broke that Hamels (0-1, 5.23 ERA) was acquired from Philadelphia, but the three-time All-Star hasn't looked nearly as dominant as the pitcher who tossed a no-hitter at Wrigley Field in his final start for the Phillies on July 25. Though Hamels has lasted at least six innings in each outing for the Rangers, he's recorded one quality start and allowed five homers.

'Being able to go out there and make quality pitches is something that I haven't been able to do here for the past couple of weeks,' he said. 'That's something I definitely have to work on.'

His sense of urgency might be greater after the Rangers moved into the AL's second wild-card spot with Saturday's 5-3 win over Detroit and a loss by the Los Angeles Angels to Toronto.

After his turn in the rotation was skipped due to a sore groin, Hamels gave up three runs, seven hits, walked four and struck out eight in seven innings of Monday's 4-3 victory over Seattle. Though the veteran expected more of himself, manager Jeff Banister liked Hamels' grit.

"That's the mark of a veteran pitcher ... a true mark of a guy who knows how to pitch," Banister told MLB's official website. "After coming back from his groin issue, to do what he did to limit the damage, he kept the game in a spot where we could do what we did. That was really a solid job."

Hamels, whose only other start against Detroit (59-63) came in 2013, tries to help Texas take this four-game set with a third consecutive victory. Yovani Gallardo threw six scoreless innings and Adrian Beltre had three hits Saturday.

'This is when baseball gets fun,' Gallardo said. 'It's fun to go out there and compete and know the fact that it's a must-win every time. It's a must-win every day.'

Beltre was 1 for 16 in the previous four games before breaking out.

With a homer for one of his two hits, teammate Rougned Odor is batting .381 in the last six contests.

Odor, Mitch Moreland and Robinson Chirinos each hit solo homers off Matt Boyd (1-3, 7.66) on June 27 when the left-hander gave up four runs and nine hits over 6 2-3 innings during a 4-0 loss in his major league debut while pitching for Toronto. Part of the July 30 deal that sent David Price to the Blue Jays, Boyd pitched 2-3 innings of relief in Wednesday's 15-8 rout of the Chicago Cubs, but is ready to make his sixth career start.

He has yielded eight runs and 15 hits over 10 1-3 innings to go 0-1 in his last two starts - both on the road - after he allowed a run in seven innings of a 2-1 home victory over Kansas City on Aug. 5 in his Detroit debut.

Since going 0 for 3 in his return Aug. 14 from missing more than a month with a calf strain, Detroit star Miguel Cabrera is batting .556 with a homer and seven doubles in the seven games that have followed. He's 6 for 8 with a home run and two doubles against Hamels but hasn't faced him since 2007.

Teammate Ian Kinsler is hitting .478 with two homers and six RBIs in the last five games.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rangers at Tigers
Thu, Aug 20 Final 0 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rangers at Tigers
Fri, Aug 21 Final 2 to 0
Boxscores

GAME 3
Rangers at Tigers
Sat, Aug 22 Final 5 to 3
Recaps

GAME 4
Rangers at Tigers
Sun, Aug 23 - 1:08PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 08-23-2015, 11:36 AM

Preview: Indians (57-65) at Yankees (68-54)
Game: 4
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: August 23, 2015 1:05 PM EDT

CC Sabathia has never endured a winless stretch of more than six starts during any of his 15 major league seasons.

The team with which he recorded half of his 212 victories can change that.

Only two active pitchers have more career wins, but only two have a worse ERA than Sabathia this season going into the New York Yankees' matchup Sunday with the Cleveland Indians - one of the few teams which hasn't battered him in recent years.

Starting the pitcher with the worst ERA on its active roster wouldn't seem to boost New York's chances of forging a four-game split with the Indians in the Bronx.

Sabathia (4-9, 5.24 ERA), though, is 3-1 with a 2.15 ERA over his last four starts against Cleveland, where he won 106 games from 2001-08. In the lone matchup this season, the left-hander yielded two runs despite allowing nine hits in six innings of a 2-1 defeat Aug. 12. That's one of only nine quality starts in Sabathia's 23 games this year, and he failed to get another one Tuesday when he gave up four runs in 6 2-3 innings of an 8-4 win over Minnesota.

However, it did mark his third straight start without allowing a run through the first four innings.

"It seemed like the sixth and seventh, the innings started to get a little harder for him as his pitch count started to mount but I thought he pitched a really good game," manager Joe Girardi said.

The loss to Cleveland (57-65) is his only one in six starts since the All-Star break - he's received one run of support in five of them - but he hasn't won any of the others to equal his longest winless streak in any single season. Sabathia entered the year second among active players in wins but has been passed by Bartolo Colon (214) and tied by Mark Buehrle (212). Tim Hudson is first with 220.

Counterpart Trevor Bauer (9-10, 4.62) has been significantly worse since the break, going 1-5 with a 7.05 ERA in seven games, and the last two were particularly awful. He was tagged for six runs and seven hits in 3 1-3 innings against the Yankees on Aug. 13, then was charged with five runs in 1 2-3 innings of Tuesday's 9-1 loss to Boston.

"He's fighting it right now. I think we all know that," manager Terry Francona said. "... I think right now he's probably second-guessing himself a little bit."

The right-hander is 1-3 with a 5.85 ERA in four starts versus the Yankees (68-54). Brian McCann is 4 for 8 against Bauer and homered off him last week.

McCann snapped an 0-for-11 slump with a first-inning homer Saturday, and Brett Gardner added a two-run shot as New York won 6-2 after being held to five runs through the first two games of this series.

Saturday's performance came after the Yankees retired Jorge Posada's No. 20 and unveiled his plaque in Monument Park. There will be another such ceremony Sunday for Andy Pettitte's No. 46.

Yankees slugger Mark Teixeira is likely to miss a sixth consecutive game after fouling a ball off his right leg Monday.

Michael Brantley, batting .424 in his last 14 games despite going hitless Saturday, is 1 for 11 with six strikeouts against Sabathia.

Rookie Francisco Lindor was a triple shy of the cycle following a 4-for-23 slump for the last-place Indians, who have a 4-2 lead in this season series.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Indians at Yankees
Thu, Aug 20 Final 3 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Indians at Yankees
Fri, Aug 21 Final 7 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Indians at Yankees
Sat, Aug 22 Final 2 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Indians at Yankees
Sun, Aug 23 - 1:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 08-23-2015, 11:38 AM

Preview: Phillies (49-74) at Marlins (50-73)
Game: 4
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: August 23, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

The Philadelphia Phillies are counting on Aaron Nola to be part of their rebuilding plan. For now, he has a chance to help them take a step toward a modest goal.

The rookie seeks his fourth straight win as the visiting Phillies try to move out of sole possession of last place in the NL East on Sunday with a sweep of the Miami Marlins.

Philadelphia (49-74) was 10 games behind Miami (50-73) with the worst record in the majors at the All-Star break. Since then, though, the club has posted the third-best record in the NL at 20-12.

The Phillies opened the season's second half with a three-game home sweep of the Marlins and have taken two of the first three in this series after Saturday's 4-2 victory.

Aaron Altherr and fellow rookie Darnell Sweeney hit their first career home runs, while Darin Ruf added his fifth of the season to help Philadelphia rally from a two-run hole in the final two innings. Altherr and Ruf hit back-to-back solo shots in the ninth.

"Having my parents and my brothers and sisters here was definitely a great feeling to be able to do that in front of them," Sweeney said. "It's a dream and a storybook ending."

The Phillies now have a chance to move into a tie with Miami in the finale if they can record back-to-back wins for the first time since a three-game run Aug. 7-9.

Nola has displayed excellent command in his first season, but he's looking to regroup after issuing a season-high four walks in Tuesday's 8-5 home loss to Toronto. It was his highest walk total in 35 pro starts this year - 29 of which came in the minors.

The 2014 first-round pick, who did not factor in that decision after allowing three runs in five innings, had walked just six over 29 2-3 innings in his previous five starts.

Still, Nola (3-1, 4.41 ERA) has won three consecutive decisions since a 1-0 loss to visiting Tampa Bay in his debut July 21. Though he has a 5.30 ERA in three road outings, the Phillies have won each of those contests while giving him 21 total runs of support.

Nola gets his first look at a Miami club that has totaled three runs and 11 hits in its last two after batting .317 and averaging 7.4 runs while winning four of five.

Derek Dietrich accounted for the team's scoring Saturday with a two-run double in the third. He's 10 for 23 with two homers, three doubles and nine RBIs over his last seven.

Dee Gordon, who leads the majors with a .336 average, went hitless for only the third time in 19 games this month. He was hitting .448 in his prior seven versus Philadelphia.

Miami rookie Adam Conley (1-0, 5.82) has struggled since joining the rotation earlier this month and has posted a 7.90 ERA over his last four appearances overall.

The left-hander gave up four runs and nine hits in 3 2-3 innings Tuesday at Milwaukee. He had six strikeouts in three scoreless innings before unraveling in the 9-6 win.

He could have trouble against a Philadelphia offense that has hit .301 with 6.0 runs per game over its last five. Andres Blanco is hitting .385 with three home runs and three doubles in his past seven.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Phillies at Marlins
Thu, Aug 20 Final 7 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Phillies at Marlins
Fri, Aug 21 Final 7 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Phillies at Marlins
Sat, Aug 22 Final 4 to 2

GAME 4
Phillies at Marlins
Sun, Aug 23 - 1:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 08-23-2015, 11:40 AM

Preview: Diamondbacks (61-61) at Reds (51-70)
Game: 4
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: August 23, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

Chase Anderson's about-face from being one of the Arizona Diamondbacks' most consistent starters to their most unreliable resulted in an unforeseen demotion to the minors to work out his issues.

That was the plan, anyway.

An injury within the rotation has given Anderson a second chance, and he'll try to make the most of it as the visiting Diamondbacks seek a four-game sweep of the slumping Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.

Anderson (5-5, 4.51 ERA) posted a 2.84 ERA through his first 13 starts, but he's gone 2-4 with a 7.65 mark while allowing at least five runs in four of his last eight. He's given up 12 runs - 10 earned - in 9 2-3 innings over his previous two.

The Diamondbacks sent Anderson to Triple-A Reno after he was roughed up by Pittsburgh on Tuesday, but they were allowed to recall him before the minimum 10 days after placing Jeremy Hellickson on the disabled list Thursday.

"(Anderson) was our best pitcher early on, and we know he has the ability to locate better," manager Chip Hale told MLB's official website. "We know he has the ability to pitch down in the zone like we've asked, so he's just going to have to do it here. Obviously, we wanted to try to give him a start or two (in the minors), but that's the way it goes."

The right-hander's best start since the All-Star break came against the Reds (51-70) on Aug. 7, when he allowed four hits and struck out seven in seven innings of a 2-0 victory. Anderson also was sharp in his only other start against Cincinnati, giving up one run and three hits with eight strikeouts in seven innings of a 2-1 road win July 28, 2014.

Todd Frazier (0 for 6) and Jay Bruce (0 for 5) have struck out four times apiece when facing Anderson, who opposed Raisel Iglesias (3-4, 4.21) earlier this month. The Reds rookie gave up one run and three hits in six innings in that outing, part of a four-start stretch during which he's gone 2-1 with a 2.10 ERA.

The right-hander had one of the best starts of his short career Tuesday, allowing three hits in seven scoreless innings of Cincinnati's 3-1, 13-inning loss to Kansas City.

Iglesias has pitched at least into the sixth in eight of his 11 starts after defecting from Cuba, where he pitched mostly in relief.

"I've changed the way I work out," Iglesias said after not allowing any Royals baserunners past second. "I have watched how other (starting) pitchers attack teams and I do the same thing."

Iglesias is running into a Diamondbacks offense that has scored 22 runs with 42 hits through the first three of this series. Paul Goldschmidt broke a 2-for-25 slump by hitting a pair of two-run homers and finishing with four hits in Saturday's 11-7 victory.

"That's just kind of how the game goes," Goldschmidt said. "Stuff comes in spurts. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. I was just trying to get to feeling good and get in a good position to swing."

Ender Inciarte led off the game with a homer, while A.J. Pollock - batting .481 over his last 11 - went 3 for 5 for Arizona (61-61), which again tries to move over .500 for the first time since being 8-7 on April 23.

The Diamondbacks are seeking their first sweep of the Reds since June 20-23, 2003, while Cincinnati looks to avoid a season high-tying ninth consecutive defeat.

Frazier had two doubles and an RBI single Saturday, giving him six hits in the series to match the amount he had over his previous seven games.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Reds
Thu, Aug 20 Final 5 to 4
Recaps

GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Reds
Fri, Aug 21 Final 6 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Reds
Sat, Aug 22 Final 11 to 7
Boxscores

GAME 4
Diamondbacks at Reds
Sun, Aug 23 - 1:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 08-23-2015, 11:41 AM

Preview: Twins (62-61) at Orioles (62-60)
Game: 4
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: August 23, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

The Minnesota Twins entered this series at Baltimore spiraling out of contention in the AL wild-card race. That's changed dramatically.

The Twins look to further tighten the chase as they try to sweep this four-game set and continue their recent dominance of the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday.

A 9-21 stretch dropped Minnesota (62-61) four games off the pace in the crowded race for the second wild-card spot. The Twins have since cut that deficit to 1 1/2 behind Texas, while the Los Angeles Angels trail by one-half game with Baltimore (62-60) and Tampa Bay in the hunt at one and two back, respectively.

Minnesota will continue having a direct impact on the race when it opens a three-game series at Tampa Bay on Tuesday. Before that, the Twins will try to sweep a series at Camden Yards for the first time since a four-game set from Aug. 23-26, 2007.

"We have an opportunity to do something that doesn't happen very often," manager Paul Molitor said. "Just three days ago we were a couple games below .500. You keep pushing and trying to hang around."

Minnesota won its seventh straight against the Orioles with Saturday's 3-2 victory, as rookie Byron Buxton notched his first RBI on a go-ahead single in the seventh to complete a rally for the second straight night.

"When all the hard work you put in in the cage results in a base hit to win the game, that's all you can ask for," said the 21-year-old center fielder, who has five hits in this series. "I received a lot of support to put me in such a position."

The Twins will try to win four straight for the first time since July 10-17 as they give the ball to Mike Pelfrey (6-7, 3.62 ERA). He's 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA over his last five starts, yielding two runs or fewer in four of them. The right-hander has given up two runs in 12 1-3 innings over his last two outings.

Pelfrey is 2-0 with a 4.08 ERA in three career starts against the Orioles, but this will be his first at Camden Yards since a win with the New York Mets on June 13, 2010.

The Orioles opened this 10-game homestand with four straight wins before dropping four of the last five.

"We haven't been playing baseball. They've been beating us, outhitting us in key situations," said third baseman Manny Machado, who is 2 for 12 during the three-game skid

Baltimore has lost all six meetings against Minnesota this season, scoring three runs or fewer in each while posting a 6.54 ERA.

Kevin Gausman (2-5, 4.48) has played a role in that lofty number, allowing a career-high eight runs over 3 2-3 innings in an 8-3 road loss July 7. He's 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in two starts against the Twins.

Joe Mauer is 4 for 5 with a triple against him and is hitting .393 in his last 16 meetings with Baltimore.

Kurt Suzuki is 3 for 7 off Gausman and 8 for 16 with five RBIs in his past four against the Orioles.

Gausman is trying to avoid losing a fourth straight start for the first time. He has a 5.79 ERA in his previous three, though the last two were quality starts.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Twins at Orioles
Thu, Aug 20 Final 15 to 2
Recaps

GAME 2
Twins at Orioles
Fri, Aug 21 Final 4 to 3
Boxscores

GAME 3
Twins at Orioles
Sat, Aug 22 Final 3 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Twins at Orioles
Sun, Aug 23 - 1:35PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 08-23-2015, 11:43 AM

Preview: Royals (74-48) at Red Sox (56-67)
Game: 4
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: August 23, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

Despite owning the AL's best record over the past two seasons, the Kansas City Royals have had trouble against the team with the worst.

The Royals are looking to salvage a split of this four-game series with the last-place Boston Red Sox on Sunday.

Kansas City (74-68), which won the AL pennant last season, has gone 163-121 since the start of 2014. However, the Royals have posted a 3-10 mark against a Boston club which has a 127-157 record in the same span.

The Royals ended a five-game slide at Fenway Park on Saturday with a 6-3 win, doubling their scoring output and getting two more hits (12) than in the first two games combined.

With a commanding 12 1/2-game lead on Minnesota in the AL Central, the Royals are contemplating benching Alex Rios and Omar Infante. The duo is desperately in need of improvement offensively with Alex Gordon (groin) nearing a return from the disabled list.

Rios is hitting .242 but had a season high-tying three hits Saturday, giving him a .381 average in six season meetings against the Red Sox. Infante, meanwhile, is trying to build on his single Saturday that snapped an 0-for-31 slump.

"We need some (production from them)," manager Ned Yost told MLB's official website. "We need to get (Infante) and Rios going a little bit. Both are having years that they are not accustomed to."

That's not the case for Edinson Volquez (11-7, 3.20 ERA), who leads the Royals in wins. However, he's won only one of three decisions with a 3.12 ERA over his last four starts. The right-hander didn't get any help nor a decision Tuesday despite allowing one run with seven strikeouts in six innings of a 3-1 win at Cincinnati.

Volquez is 1-0 with a 3.44 ERA in three career starts against the Red Sox after yielding four runs and eight hits in 5 1-3 innings of a 7-4 win June 20.

The Red Sox (56-67), occupying the AL East basement, had a four-game winning streak snapped by Kansas City.

Mookie Betts has a .467 average with three homers, seven RBIs and 14 runs in 10 career meetings with the Royals. His solo shot Saturday also extended his overall hitting streak to eight games, a stretch in which he's batting .359 with eight RBIs.

He's 2 for 2 with a homer off Volquez, while Xander Bogaerts is seeing him for the first time.

Bogaerts is hitting .353 with six RBIs in the past seven games and has collected five hits in this series. The shortstop is a .348 hitter with 10 RBIs in 11 career games against Kansas City.

Boston turns to Eduardo Rodriguez (7-5, 4.48), who has allowed three runs or fewer in four of his last five starts. However, he has a 4.22 ERA in that stretch since he was hammered for eight runs in five innings of a 14-6 loss at Miami on Aug. 12.

The 22-year-old rookie left-hander followed that up six days later by yielding one run in eight innings of a 9-1 win over Cleveland - his longest outing of the season.

Rodriguez earned a 7-3 win at Kansas City on June 19, allowing one run in 6 1-3 innings. He held Lorenzo Cain, Mike Moustakas and Salvador Perez hitless in nine combined at-bats. Rios and Infante have a hit apiece against him.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Royals at Red Sox
Thu, Aug 20 Final 1 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Royals at Red Sox
Fri, Aug 21 Final 2 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Royals at Red Sox
Sat, Aug 22 Final 6 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Royals at Red Sox
Sun, Aug 23 - 1:35PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 08-23-2015, 11:45 AM

Preview: Brewers (53-71) at Nationals (61-61)
Game: 3
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: August 23, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

Although a lack of offense has played a key role in their slide, the Washington Nationals hope they've put an end to those struggles behind an unlikely source.

Michael A. Taylor can do something no rookie has done in club history as the Nationals try to win consecutive series for the first time in two months Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Washington batted .175 while totaling 74 strikeouts and 17 runs in its losses during a 2-8 stretch that dropped it five games back in the NL East before Saturday's 6-1 home victory.

Taylor, who is filling in for injured outfielder Denard Span, is doing his best to provide a spark for the team's slumping attack. He hit an estimated 490-foot home run Thursday at Colorado and homered for a third consecutive game as the Nationals evened this series Saturday.

Now he has a chance to become the first National to go deep in four straight games since Adam LaRoche in 2012. The franchise has never had a rookie do it, including its time as the Montreal Expos.

'Mentally, I'm just trying to tone things down a little bit at the plate,' Taylor said. 'Just trying to be more consistent making contact instead of trying to crush baseballs.'

Washington, the preseason division favorite, hasn't won consecutive series since late June and last won two straight at home during a nine-game run from June 19-July 5.

Another strong offensive performance seems likely with Matt Garza starting the finale Sunday for Milwaukee. Garza is 0-3 with a 6.27 ERA in seven career meetings against the Nationals.

The right-hander has allowed 12 runs and 13 hits over 2 1-3 innings in a pair of outings at Nationals Park. He recorded one out while giving up five runs in his most recent start there in July 2014.

Garza (6-13, 4.98 ERA) didn't get much help from his defense (four errors) June 11 when he yielded five runs - one earned - over six innings and did not factor in a 6-5 win over Washington.

He had gone 2-2 with a 2.56 ERA over his previous five starts overall before regressing to his early-season form by giving up five runs over five innings in Monday's 6-2 loss to Miami.

"I haven't been getting away with anything this year," he told MLB's official website.

Jayson Werth is 6 for 14 with a home run when facing Garza. Yunel Escobar has gone 1 for 10 in the matchup, and he's day-to-day due to a hyper-extended neck.

After allowing one run while working into the seventh inning in each of his previous two starts, Jordan Zimmermann gave up six runs - four earned - over six in Tuesday's 15-6 win at Colorado. He could bounce back at Nationals Park, where he has a 2.44 ERA in 13 starts.

Zimmermann (9-8, 3.44) had been 4-0 with a 2.35 ERA in five career starts versus Milwaukee (53-71) before surrendering six runs and nine hits over 3 1-3 innings in an 8-4 road loss June 12.

Scooter Gennett went 2 for 2 with a double off the right-hander, while Jean Segura is 5 for 13 with a triple and a double lifetime in the matchup. Segura had two hits and Khris Davis hit his 15th home run Saturday but the Brewers lost for the 10th time in 13 road games.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Brewers at Nationals
Fri, Aug 21 Final 10 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Brewers at Nationals
Sat, Aug 22 Final 1 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Brewers at Nationals
Sun, Aug 23 - 1:35PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 08-23-2015, 11:47 AM

Preview: Dodgers (67-55) at Astros (68-56)
Game: 3
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: August 23, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

Even if Clayton Kershaw continues to throw the ball as well as he has over the last seven weeks, it might not matter if the Los Angeles Dodgers can't produce at the plate.

Undefeated in his last eight starts, Kershaw hopes to get more support than his teammates have provided their pitchers of late and help the Dodgers snap their longest road skid in seven years Sunday against the Houston Astros.

Kershaw (10-6, 2.34 ERA) is 5-0 with an astonishing 0.87 ERA in eight starts since posting a solid 3.15 mark while dropping three consecutive outings June 17-27. During this undefeated stretch, Kershaw has not yielded a run in five starts, recorded two complete games and struck out 72 while walking seven.

"He puts a lot into every start, like a Sunday in the NFL when he pitches," manager Don Mattingly told MLB's official website. "When he's out there it's full bore, he has a lot invested. He's pitching to win."

The left-hander, who last faced Houston in 2012, gave up a run in seven innings and was in position to win Tuesday until the bullpen blew a three-run lead in a 5-4, 10-inning defeat at Oakland.

Though the Dodgers (67-55) have scored at least three runs with Kershaw on the mound in his last seven outings, they've dropped four straight for the second time this month and totaled nine runs with 23 hits in their last five.

One night after being no-hit by Mike Fiers, Los Angeles recorded seven hits but went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position Saturday to drop seven straight on the road for the first time since a 10-game skid in August 2008.

"It's good to get a hit, just obviously to break that string," Mattingly said. "Obviously getting a hit maybe relieves it a little bit. But other than that, I think you know you have to score."

Justin Turner's RBI single in the sixth Saturday snapped the Dodgers' 20-inning scoreless stretch. Chase Utley, meanwhile, doubled for his only hit in eight at-bats since being acquired from Philadelphia this week.

Houston (68-56) has not scored more than three runs in the last six games, but has yielded six runs and posted a 1.08 ERA while winning four of the previous five.

The Astros will hand the ball to Lance McCullers (5-4, 3.17), who was recalled from Double-A Corpus Christi after being sent there to rest after allowing six runs and seven hits in one-third of an inning during a 12-9 loss at Texas on Aug. 3. The right-hander, however, is 4-0 with a 1.50 ERA in seven starts at home, where he last pitched July 29.

Jose Altuve had two of the Astros' three hits Saturday against Zack Greinke and is batting .391 in the last 15 games. His homer in the sixth gave Houston nine players with at least 10 this season, tying the club record set in 2000.

"It's not a goal, but it's something that is pretty special because it's the first time I have done it," the All-Star second baseman said.

Teammate Carlos Gomez is hitting .184 with 17 strikeouts in 20 games since he was acquired by Houston. He has a .188 average with two doubles and a home run in his last 16 at-bats against Kershaw.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Astros
Fri, Aug 21 Final 0 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Dodgers at Astros
Sat, Aug 22 Final 1 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Dodgers at Astros
Sun, Aug 23 - 2:10PM EDT

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