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**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2015, 02:20 AM

MLB RUNLINE

MLB > (961) SAN FRANCISCO@ (962) COLORADO | 2015-09-06 16:10:00 - 2015-09-06 16:10:00
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 > (951) NY METS@ (952) MIAMI | 2015-09-06 13:10:00 - 2015-09-06 13:10:00
Play ON NY METS using the in Road games in day games
The record is 15 Wins and 2 Losses for the this season (+12.9 units)

MLB > (953) MILWAUKEE@ (954) CINCINNATI | 2015-09-06 13:10:00 - 2015-09-06 13:10:00
Play AGAINST MILWAUKEE using the in Road games when playing against a team with a losing record
The record is 8 Wins and 16 Losses for the this season (-16.15 units)

MLB > (955) ATLANTA@ (956) WASHINGTON | 2015-09-06 13:35:00 - 2015-09-06 13:35:00
Play AGAINST ATLANTA using the in Road games when playing against a team with a winning record
The record is 11 Wins and 20 Losses for the this season (-17.45 units)

MLB > (963) LA DODGERS@ (964) SAN DIEGO | 2015-09-06 16:10:00 - 2015-09-06 16:10:00
Play AGAINST LA DODGERS using the in Road games vs. right-handed starters
The record is 17 Wins and 34 Losses for the this season (-20.9 units)

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2015, 02:22 AM

MLB TOTALS

MLB > (963) LA DODGERS@ (964) SAN DIEGO | 2015-09-06 16:10:00 - 2015-09-06 16:10:00
Play OVER LA DODGERS on the total in All games in September games
The record is 21 Overs and 6 Unders for the last two seasons (+15.65 units)

MLB > (957) PITTSBURGH@ (958) ST LOUIS | 2015-09-06 20:05:00 - 2015-09-06 20:05:00
Play UNDER ST LOUIS on the total in Home games against right-handed starters
The record is 13 Overs and 34 Unders for the this season (+18.7 units)

MLB > (951) NY METS@ (952) MIAMI | 2015-09-06 13:10:00 - 2015-09-06 13:10:00
Play OVER NY METS on the total in Road games when playing against a team with a losing record in the second half of the season
The record is 12 Overs and 2 Unders for the this season (+10.2 units)

MLB > (953) MILWAUKEE@ (954) CINCINNATI | 2015-09-06 13:10:00 - 2015-09-06 13:10:00
Play UNDER MILWAUKEE on the total in Road games when playing on Sunday
The record is 7 Overs and 26 Unders for the last three seasons (+17.95 units)

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2015, 02:23 AM

MLB TOP POWERLINES

MLB > (965) CLEVELAND @ (966) DETROIT | 2015-09-06 13:05:00 - 2015-09-06 13:05:00
Line: CLEVELAND BTB PowerLine: CLEVELAND100
Edge On: CLEVELAND (25)

MLB > (967) TAMPA BAY @ (968) NY YANKEES | 2015-09-06 13:05:00 - 2015-09-06 13:05:00
Line: NY YANKEES+115 BTB PowerLine: NY YANKEES112
Edge On: NY YANKEES (3)

MLB > (953) MILWAUKEE @ (954) CINCINNATI | 2015-09-06 13:10:00 - 2015-09-06 13:10:00
Line: MILWAUKEE BTB PowerLine: MILWAUKEE140
Edge On: MILWAUKEE (15)

MLB > (955) ATLANTA @ (956) WASHINGTON | 2015-09-06 13:35:00 - 2015-09-06 13:35:00
Line: ATLANTA BTB PowerLine: ATLANTA-169
Edge On: ATLANTA (61)

MLB > (959) ARIZONA @ (960) CHICAGO CUBS | 2015-09-06 14:20:00 - 2015-09-06 14:20:00
Line: ARIZONA BTB PowerLine: ARIZONA-135
Edge On: ARIZONA (5)

MLB > (961) SAN FRANCISCO @ (962) COLORADO | 2015-09-06 16:10:00 - 2015-09-06 16:10:00
Line: SAN FRANCISCO BTB PowerLine: SAN FRANCISCO182
Edge On: SAN FRANCISCO (22)

MLB > (963) LA DODGERS @ (964) SAN DIEGO | 2015-09-06 16:10:00 - 2015-09-06 16:10:00
Line: LA DODGERS BTB PowerLine: LA DODGERS114
Edge On: LA DODGERS (4)

MLB > (957) PITTSBURGH @ (958) ST LOUIS | 2015-09-06 20:05:00 - 2015-09-06 20:05:00
Line: ST LOUIS-110 BTB PowerLine: ST LOUIS-119
Edge On: ST LOUIS (9)

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2015, 02:27 AM

Baseball Capsules

September 6, 2015

MIAMI (AP) Bartolo Colon pitched a nine-hitter and made a nifty behind-the-back toss on a grounder, and the New York Mets hit three homers in a 7-0 victory over the Miami Marlins on Saturday night.

Colon (13-11) struck out two and walked none while throwing 100 pitches and extending his scoreless innings streak to 25. The 42-year-old right-hander became the oldest Mets pitcher to throw a shutout. He topped Miguel Batista, who threw one at age 40 in 2011.

It was Colon's 36th career complete game and 13th career shutout. He last accomplished both feats during the 2013 season. It was also the 12th shutout for Mets pitchers this season.

Travis d'Arnaud and Wilmer Flores hit back-to-back homers in a four-run first inning and Juan Lagares went deep in a three-run second to help the Mets win at Miami for the 10th time in the last 15 games.

Brad Hand (4-5) gave up all seven runs and six hits in 1 2/3 innings to fall to 0-5 in his career against the Mets.

BLUE JAYS 5, ORIOLES 1

TORONTO (AP) - David Price earned his 100th career victory, Jose Bautista hit his 32nd home run of the season and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-1 on Saturday.

The AL East-leading Blue Jays bounced back from a 10-2 loss to Baltimore on Friday night. Toronto hasn't dropped two in a row since Aug. 14-15 against the Yankees.

Price (14-5) allowed one run and three hits in seven innings. He's 5-1 with a 2.15 ERA since joining Toronto in a July 30 trade with Detroit, and 100-56 overall in eight seasons.

Bautista hit a solo home run off Mike Wright (2-4) in the first and made it 2-0 with an RBI double in the third.

RAYS 3, YANKEES 2

NEW YORK (AP) - Didi Gregorius lined out with the bases loaded to end the eighth inning and whipped his bat toward the dugout, a telling sign of frustration for the Yankees during a costly loss.

Asdrubal Cabrera hit a two-run single and Kevin Kiermaier had an RBI single as Tampa Bay handed Nathan Eovaldi (14-3) his first loss since mid-June, snapping the right-hander's nine-game winning streak.

Rays third baseman Evan Longoria left the game with a bruised right forearm, three innings after he was hit by a pitch.

New York, which leads the AL wild-card race, fell 1 1/2 games behind first-place Toronto in the AL East. The Blue Jays beat Baltimore 5-1.

The Yankees had won three straight and six of seven - but they've dropped six of nine at home.

Xavier Cedeno (4-1) struck out four in 1 2/3 hitless innings, and Brad Boxberger got three quick outs for his AL-high 34th save in 39 chances.

BREWERS 8, REDS 6, 1st game

BREWERS 7, REDS 3, 2nd game

CINCINNATI (AP) - Rookie Shane Peterson hit his first career home run, Elian Herrera added his second homer of the day and Ariel Pena got the win in his major league debut as Milwaukee completed a sweep of their day-night doubleheader against Cincinnati.

Peterson led off the sixth inning with a 366-foot drive into the right field seats for his second RBI of the game, helping the Brewers extend their winning streak to six games with their first doubleheader sweep since taking two from the Cubs on July 30, 2013, in Chicago. Milwaukee won the opener of the day-night doubleheader 8-6.

Herrera broke the second game open in the ninth with his seventh homer of the season, a three-run shot.

Pena (1-0) allowed two runs over three innings in relief of Wily Peralta after a one-hour, 33-minute thunderstorm delay.

Keyvius Sampson (2-3) gave up three runs in three innings.

In the first game, Herrera hit a tiebreaking home run on reliever J.J. Hoover's first pitch of the eighth inning.

The Reds made it 6-all in the seventh against Jeremy Jeffress (5-0) on Skip Schumaker's bases-loaded double-play ball. Herrera then greeted Hoover (7-1) with his first homer since Aug. 9.

Will Smith pitched the eighth and Francisco Rodriguez picked up his 34th save despite allowing one-out singles by Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips, who finished with four hits.

CUBS 2, DIAMONDBACKS 0

CHICAGO (AP) - Jake Arrieta pitched eight innings of four-hit ball for his major league-best 18th win to lead the Cubs.

Arrieta also struck out seven in his first start since he threw his first career no-hitter against the Dodgers last Sunday. It was the seventh consecutive victory for the right-hander, who has allowed just two earned runs in 50 1/3 innings during his win streak.

Arrieta (18-6) allowed two hits in the first, but struck out Jarrod Saltalamacchia to end the inning. Hector Rondon yielded two hits in the ninth before finishing for his 26th save in 30 chances.

Robbie Ray (3-11) struck out eight in five innings. The left-hander allowed two runs and four hits, but dropped to 0-7 with a 5.23 ERA in 10 starts since his last victory on July 7.

RED SOX 9, PHILLIES 2

BOSTON (AP) - David Ortiz hit his 496th career home run, reaching 30 in a season for a team-record ninth time as Boston beat Philadelphia.

The 39-year-old Ortiz surpassed Hall of Famer Ted Williams' eight 30-homer seasons with the Red Sox. Big Papi set the mark with a drive that hooked around the Pesky Pole, capping an eight-run fourth inning.

Xander Bogaerts hit a three-run double during Boston's big burst.

Wade Miley (11-10) five hits in posting his first career complete game. He retired the first 12 batters in his 130th career start.

Alec Asher (0-2) was tagged for seven runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings in his second major league start.

CARDINALS 4, PIRATES 1

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Jaime Garcia pitched seven scoreless innings, Matt Carpenter homered and St. Louis beat Pittsburgh.

Garcia (8-4) struck out a season-high nine, walked one and allowed four hits for his 50th career win to help the Cardinals push their lead over the Pirates to 6 1/2 games in the NL Central..

Kevin Siegrist followed with a scoreless eighth before Trevor Rosenthal gave up a two-out run in the ninth.

Carpenter's 21st homer was a two-run shot in the seventh and put the Cardinals ahead 4-0.

Pittsburgh starter Charlie Morton (8-7) went six innings and allowed two runs, one earned, and four hits.

TIGERS 6, INDIANS 0

DETROIT (AP) - Alfredo Simon pitched seven strong innings and J.D. Martinez homered as slumping Detroit beat Cleveland.

Simon (12-9) became the first Tigers pitcher besides Justin Verlander to win a game since his own one-hit shutout of the Rangers on Aug. 20. This time, he didn't allow a hit until the sixth and only gave up two hits while walking four.

Simon allowed 14 runs in 9 1-3 innings in two starts between his wins over Texas and Cleveland. Despite his winning record, he is tied for the major league lead with seven starts allowing six-plus runs.

The Tigers had lost seven of its previous eight games and were outscored 71-21 in that stretch.

Danny Salazar (12-8) lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on eight hits and a walk.

TWINS 3, ASTROS 2

HOUSTON (AP) - Eddie Rosario hit a tiebreaking two-run triple in the ninth inning and Minnesota held on to beat Houston.

Ervin Santana (4-4) gave up just one run and six hits over eight innings to help the Twins bounce back after an 8-0 loss in the series opener the previous night.

With the score tied 1-1, Brian Dozier singled off Houston closer Luke Gregerson (7-3) to open the ninth, and moved to second on Joe Mauer's grounder. Trevor Plouffe was hit by a pitch with two outs, and Rosario followed with his hit to right field that a diving George Springer got a glove on but couldn't hold.

Kevin Jepsen gave up a leadoff homer to Jed Lowrie in the bottom of the ninth but finished up for his 11th save.

NATIONALS 8, BRAVES 2

WASHINGTON (AP) - Bryce Harper had three hits, including his 33rd home run, and Gio Gonzalez tossed six scoreless innings to lead Washington to its fourth straight win.

The Nationals remained five games back of the NL East-leading Mets, who beat the Marlins 7-0.

Harper's two-run blast, which doubled as his 500th career hit, capped a four-run third inning against Atlanta starter Shelby Miller (5-13). The National League batting leader also doubled twice.

Gonzalez (10-7) held the Braves hitless through five innings. He allowed two hits with 10 strikeouts and four walks for his first victory since Aug. 10.

Ryan Zimmerman also drove in two runs. Ian Desmond added three hits.

The Braves extended their season-high losing streak to 11 games. Miller, an All-Star this season, has dropped 12 straight decisions and gone 20 starts without a win.

WHITE SOX 6, ROYALS 1

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Jose Quintana pitched seven scoreless innings and Alexei Ramirez hit a three-run homer for Chicago.

Quintana (8-10) defeated the Royals for the first time in 17 career starts after losing his first six decisions. Quintana, who is 4-1 in nine starts since July 24, yielded five doubles - including two to Kendrys Morales. He struck out four and walked none.

Ramirez homered - his eighth hit in nine at-bats - in the fourth inning with Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia aboard. Ramirez was down in the count 1-2 before parking a Danny Duffy curveball over the left-center wall.

Geovany Soto hit a solo homer in the seventh, his fifth home run in 21 games

Duffy (7-7) was pulled after seven innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, while striking out seven and walking two.

GIANTS 7, ROCKIES 3

DENVER (AP) - Jake Peavy doubled twice and pitched into the sixth inning, and San Francisco snapped a seven-game losing streak.

Angel Pagan and Gregor Blanco went deep for the Giants, who had 15 hits.

Nolan Arenado homered for the sixth straight game to set a Rockies franchise record. It matched the longest streak in the majors since Chris Davis did it with Baltimore in 2012.

Peavy (5-6) doubled and scored in a two-run fifth and then had an RBI double in the sixth to give the Giants a 5-1 lead. It was the 12th multi-hit game of his career and the first time he has doubled twice.

Chad Bettis (6-5) gave up four runs and eight hits in 4 1/3 innings.

DODGERS 2, PADRES 0

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Alex Wood pitched seven strong innings, and Carl Crawford and Joc Pederson had run-scoring hits to lead the Dodgers.

Wood (10-9) gave up three hits, walked four and hit a batter while striking out four in his eighth start for the Dodgers since coming over in a trade from Atlanta.

Crawford's RBI double in the fourth was enough for Los Angeles to win for the 10th time in 12 games and improve to a season-high 19 games over .500.

Kenley Jansen got the last three outs for his 29th save in 31 chances.

Tyson Ross (10-10) gave up a run and five hits in six innings. He walked two and struck out three.

Pederson added an RBI single in the eighth.

RANGERS 2, ANGELS 1

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Derek Holland allowed three hits over eight innings and Rougned Odor hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the eighth to lead Texas.

Holland (3-1) struck out five and walked two. He yielded just one hit through his last 6 1/3 innings in his fifth start of the season, six days after throwing a three-hit shutout against Baltimore and striking out 11.

The left-hander spent most of the season on the disabled list with a shoulder strain after getting injured in his season debut on April 10 against Houston.

One-out singles by Mitch Moreland and Elvis Andrus against Joe Smith (4-5) put runners at the corners and Odor followed with his scoring flyball to left-center.

Shawn Tolleson pitched a perfect ninth for his 29th save in 31 attempts.

MARINERS 8, ATHLETICS 3

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Felix Hernandez pitched eight strong innings, Robinson Cano drove in two runs, and Seattle won its fourth straight.

Logan Morrison and Shawn O'Malley each homered as the Mariners matched their season-best win streak from May 8-12, which included a three-game sweep of the A's. Mark Trumbo, Kyle Seager and Brad Miller also drove in runs.

Mark Canha hit a home run and Billy Butler had two RBIs for the A's, who lost their fourth straight. Stephen Vogt went 2 for 3 against Hernandez and is hitting .524 (11-for-21) against him.

Hernandez (16-8) allowed three runs and six hits in his eight innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out nine.

A's starter Jesse Chavez (7-14) allowed five runs on six hits in two-plus innings, his shortest outing of the year.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2015, 02:31 AM

Preview: Rays (67-68) at Yankees (75-59)
Game: 3
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: September 06, 2015 1:05 PM EDT

A New York Yankees offense that's been seemingly all or nothing the past two weeks has mostly been the latter when facing Chris Archer.

The Tampa Bay Rays ace looks to maintain his excellence against the Yankees and deal New York a second straight costly loss in Sunday's series finale.

The Yankees have dropped seven of eight career meetings with Archer (12-10, 2.78 ERA), who's 5-0 with a 1.78 ERA in those games. The lone win came July 3 at Yankee Stadium, though Archer exited in the seventh inning with a 3-0 lead that evaporated on Brian McCann's three-run homer off Kevin Jepsen in the eighth.

Road success has been a recurring theme during Archer's All-Star season. He's 9-3 with a 2.48 ERA in 13 away starts and been dominant his last two, tossing a one-hit shutout Aug. 20 against Houston and pitching six scoreless innings in Monday's 6-3 win over Baltimore.

He'll take on a New York lineup that's managed nine hits in splitting the first two games of this series. The Yankees rode three homers to a 5-2 victory in the opener but stranded nine, including leaving the bases loaded in the eighth inning, in Saturday's 3-2 loss that snapped a three-game win streak.

'I like the approach, I like the at-bats, we just didn't get the results we wanted," manager Joe Girardi said.

The Yankees have homered 15 times over a 6-2 stretch but 14 of them have come in four games. They've scored three or fewer runs in the other four.

Archer has allowed one home run in 35 career innings at Yankee Stadium and has handled most of New York's sluggers. McCann is 2 for 14 off him and Carlos Beltran 2 for 12, with Alex Rodriguez 0 for 6 with three walks.

Jacoby Ellsbury, 12 for 18 with a home run against Archer, did not start Saturday due to an upset stomach but entered in the seventh inning.

Having fallen 1 1/2 games behind Toronto for the AL East lead, New York (75-59) hopes Ivan Nova (5-7, 4.50) can get back on track in the finale.

Nova has posted a 7.80 ERA in losing three consecutive starts after going 4-1 with a 3.68 ERA in his first five after the All-Star break. The right-hander surrendered three runs on a pair of homers in six innings of Monday's 4-3 defeat at Boston.

The Rays (67-68), winners of four of six, have been a nemesis for Nova in recent years, as he's 0-5 with a 4.71 ERA in six matchups after winning six of his first seven decisions against them. Among those losses was an 8-1 home defeat July 5 in which Nova allowed three earned runs in five innings.

Evan Longoria, who's 10 for 32 with three home runs off Nova and has four homers in five games, hopes to play after leaving Saturday's contest due to being hit by a pitch in his right forearm.

'It actually feels a lot better now after some treatment and ice. I'm fairly certain I'll be able to go,' he said.

Tampa Bay, 13-6 at Yankee Stadium from 2013-14, has lost two of three in each of its two previous visits this season.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rays at Yankees
Fri, Sep 4 Final 2 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rays at Yankees
Sat, Sep 5 Final 3 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Rays at Yankees
Sun, Sep 6 - 1:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2015, 02:33 AM

Preview: Orioles (65-70) at Blue Jays (77-58)
Game: 3
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: September 06, 2015 1:07 PM EDT

Stopping Toronto's prolific lineup has proved challenging for most pitchers, and the Blue Jays have been incredibly rough on Chris Tillman.

They'll try for another high-scoring performance against the Baltimore Orioles right-hander Sunday at Rogers Centre while padding their slim AL East lead.

Toronto has scored 84 more runs than any other team in baseball but has quieted down lately with an average of 3.8 in the last five games, down from its season average of 5.4. The Blue Jays have homered just twice in that span but still lead the majors with 185 after Jose Bautista hit his 32nd of the season in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Orioles.

Bautista added an RBI double as Toronto (77-58) rebounded from Friday's 10-2 loss to Baltimore and moved 1 1/2 games ahead of New York in the East with the Yankees' 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay.

"We did a lot of good things. They threw some pretty good arms at us," manager John Gibbons said. "It wasn't an easy win by any means. We got it handed to us (Friday) and bounced back pretty good."

With a win in the finale, the Blue Jays would be the first team to be under .500 after the All-Star break and eventually reach 20 games over .500 since the 2004 Houston Astros, who were 61-62 on Aug. 22 before finishing 92-70.

The offense could really break out against the struggling Tillman, who is 0-3 with a 15.00 ERA in four starts versus the Blue Jays this season. Tillman (9-10, 4.87 ERA) has lost three straight outings overall with a 7.27 ERA after giving up seven runs in 4 2-3 innings Tuesday in an 11-2 loss to Tampa Bay.

He's 1-2 with a 12.46 ERA in his last four starts in Toronto and has allowed 13 runs in 5 2-3 innings in his two in 2015.

"(I) definitely have to make an adjustment against these guys moving forward. They seem to see the ball well (off me), and (I've) just got to get better," Tillman told MLB's official website after giving up six runs in 1 1-3 innings when he last faced the Blue Jays on June 21.

While Toronto has won 27 of 34, the Orioles have dropped 13 of 16 to put their playoff hopes in serious doubt. Baltimore (65-70) has lost nine of 11 on the road while Toronto has taken 18 of 23 at home.

Marco Estrada (11-8, 3.16) will start instead of Mark Buehrle because Toronto wanted to give the veteran left-hander an extra day of rest.

Estrada will face the Orioles for the first time since a no-hit bid June 19. He was pulled after giving up his only hit - Jimmy Paredes' single to lead off the eighth inning - and was charged with one run in the 5-4 victory.

The right-hander is 4-2 with a 2.28 ERA in his last seven starts after yielding two runs in seven innings of a 10-inning win over Cleveland on Tuesday. That performance continued his strong pitching at home, where he's 3-1 with a 1.89 ERA in his last five starts.

Paredes is 3 for 4 against Estrada in 2015 while Adam Jones and Steve Pearce are a combined 0 for 11. Chris Davis has one home run in five career at-bats versus Estrada and had five in three games before being held to a single in three at-bats Saturday.

Kevin Pillar is 4 for 8 with two home runs and a double against Tillman this season. Ryan Goins, batting .389 in his last 10 games, is 4 for 4.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Orioles at Blue Jays
Fri, Sep 4 Final 10 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Orioles at Blue Jays
Sat, Sep 5 Final 1 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Orioles at Blue Jays
Sun, Sep 6 - 1:07PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2015, 02:34 AM

Preview: Mets (74-60) at Marlins (56-79)
Game: 3
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: September 06, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

Healthy again, Steven Matz is ready to pick up where he left off for the New York Mets.

Looking to continue the success he enjoyed before being injured in July, the touted Mets prospect returns to the mound Sunday against Miami at Marlins Park.

Called up June 28 to make his big league debut, Matz (2-0, 1.32 ERA) allowed two runs in 13 2-3 innings over his two starts before a partially torn lat muscle landed him on the disabled list July 10. Once he healed, New York's second-round pick in 2009 went 1-0 with 1.20 ERA in four rehab starts for Class A St. Lucie and Double A-Binghamton. The left-hander didn't yield a run in his final 11 1-3 innings.

"I think he's going to be fine," New York manager Terry Collins told MLB's official website. "I think his stuff speaks for itself."

Matz, who gave up two hits and struck out eight in six innings of an 8-0 win at Dodger Stadium in his most recent major league start July 5, believes he's capable of strutting his stuff again.

"I was a little worried about having the time off with my sharpness, but I feel like I was able to get that back during my rehab stint," Matz said. "I'm just going to take it day by day, week by week, start by start and go from there, and then let the rest kind of fall into place."

He's taking the place of fellow rookie Noah Syndergaard, whose turn in the rotation is being skipped.

"I'll do whatever they ask," Matz said.

He won't be the only pitcher at Marlins Park returning to a major league mound Sunday.

Jarred Cosart (1-4, 5.36) last pitched for Miami on July 4 when he allowed seven runs, two homers and walked three in 1 2-3 innings of a 7-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs. The Marlins (56-80) optioned the right-hander to Triple-A New Orleans that same night, and he also spent time with Class A Jupiter before earning this September call-up.

Cosart, who also spent time on the DL this season with vertigo, is just glad to be in the majors again.

"I'm just happy to be healthy," said Cosart, who will be making his ninth start of 2015. "Whatever they want me to do. I don't think this is something that is going to make or break anything moving forward. Obviously, I'd like to have a good last month, whatever my role is, whatever my job is."

Cosart has a 3.38 ERA without a decision in two starts against the Mets (75-60) this season. His best outing of 2015 came against them April 27 when he allowed two hits over eight scoreless innings in a 3-1 victory.

Wilmer Flores and Juan Lagares are a combined 7 for 15 against Cosart. Each homered Saturday as New York scored all its runs in the first two innings to even this three-game set with a 7-0 victory.

Lagares is batting .340 with that home run and nine RBIs in 14 games against the Marlins this season.

Martin Prado is hitting .408 in his last 12 games for Miami, which had its four-game winning streak snapped.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mets at Marlins
Fri, Sep 4 Final 5 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mets at Marlins
Sat, Sep 5 Final 7 to 0
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Mets at Marlins
Sun, Sep 6 - 1:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2015, 02:37 AM

Preview: Brewers (59-75) at Reds (55-78)
Game: 3
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: September 06, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

Jimmy Nelson knew he wasn't pitching up to his capabilities and made enough changes to get things turned around.

The Milwaukee Brewers have followed suit.

Milwaukee seeks a seventh straight victory as it sends Nelson to the hill against the host Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.

Nelson (11-10, 3.70 ERA) had a 5.24 ERA over his previous four starts before allowing one run in seven innings of Tuesday's 7-4 win over Pittsburgh. He didn't walk any after issuing a career-high eight free passes in a loss to Cleveland in his previous start Aug. 26.

'Obviously, I was better than in my last couple of outings," Nelson said. 'You'd rather have no walks and give up a few more hits here and there because sometimes a lot of those hits can turn into outs."

The right-hander's previous career high for walks was five against the Reds on April 27, when he allowed seven runs in 2 1-3 innings of a 9-6 loss. Nelson has a 6.19 ERA in three starts against Cincinnati this season despite beating the Reds 7-3 on July 4 the last time he faced them.

Milwaukee (60-75) has won eight of the last nine meetings with Cincinnati (55-79) after sweeping Saturday's day-night doubleheader. Elian Herrera hit a solo homer in an 8-6 victory in the opener and added a three-run shot in a 7-3 win in the nightcap.

"(Herrera) is getting better as a player," manager Craig Counsell said. "I really think that. He's doing a nice job. He's played himself into an everyday role. He's earned it, and it's to his credit. He keeps producing."

Shane Peterson hit his first career homer in the second game for the Brewers, who have won six in a row for the first time since a season-best eight-game run from June 28-July 5.

The doubleheader lasted nearly eight hours, including a rain delay of an hour and half.

'It was a long day, but a good day,' Counsell said. 'We played well.'

One of the few bright spots for the Reds was Joey Votto, who went 3 for 7 on the day and extended his hitting streak to eight games. He's batting .519 with three homers during that run, which began against the Brewers on Aug. 28.

Votto leads the majors with a .400 average and 1.309 OPS since the All-Star break.

Cincinnati has dropped 13 of 14 at home and hopes to get more out of Michael Lorenzen (3-8, 5.66) in this contest.

Lorenzen's struggles continued Monday after he allowed five runs in 4 2-3 innings of Cincinnati's 13-6 win over the Chicago Cubs. It marked his first start with the Reds since he was sent to the minors after he gave up seven runs in 1 1-3 innings against San Diego on Aug. 11.

The right-hander is 0-4 with a 12.00 ERA over his last six major league outings, allowing at least five runs four times while failing to get through five innings on three occasions.

Lorenzen made his major league debut against the Brewers on April 29 and has allowed six runs over nine innings while dropping both of his starts to Milwaukee, with the other coming July 3.

Ryan Braun is 3 for 5 with a homer off Lorenzen.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Brewers at Reds
Fri, Sep 4 - Final 8 to 6
Recaps

GAME 2
Brewers at Reds
Sat, Sep 5 Final 7 to 3

GAME 3
Brewers at Reds
Sun, Sep 6 - 1:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2015, 02:38 AM

Preview: Phillies (53-83) at Red Sox (63-72)
Game: 3
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: September 06, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

Young and old have combined to make the Boston Red Sox one of the hottest teams in baseball since mid-August.

While the end result isn't a pennant to chase, the Red Sox seek their first sweep of at least three games since early June against the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.

A youthful core has helped Boston to an 11-6 record since Aug. 18 after it outscored visiting Philadelphia by a combined 16-7 to open this series with a pair of victories. Boston hasn't swept a three-game set since a home series against Oakland from June 5-7.

The Red Sox (63-72) have 24 hits in the series and are now 27-12 against the Phillies since the beginning of 2004. Four young hitters led the way as Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Brock Holt combined to hit .483 with six doubles, a home run and seven RBIs in the first two games.

"Those young guys have been playing really good baseball for a month now," interim manager Torey Lovullo told MLB's official website. "It's been a lot of fun for us to watch. They're playing wide-open, comfortable, confident baseball that's helping us win games."

And then there's 39-year-old David Ortiz, who had a double and RBI in the opener before hitting his 496th home run Saturday. The homer capped Boston's eight-run fourth and gave Ortiz a club-record nine 30-homer seasons. He passed Ted Williams' previous mark and moved closer to becoming the 27th player with 500 career home runs.

He is hitting .376 with eight homers and 21 RBIs in 24 games since Aug. 8.

"You know we're all engaged every time he comes to the plate," Lovullo said. "It's an exciting time for every one of us."

Ortiz will try to help back another rookie on the mound in the series finale.

Eduardo Rodriguez (8-5, 4.25 ERA) has been strong in his last three outings - all of them at home - with a 2-0 record and 1.89 ERA, though opponents are hitting .274 against him with a pair of home runs.

The left-hander lasted just five innings Monday, but he held the New York Yankees to seven hits and two runs - one earned - in a 4-3 win. He's allowed three earned runs or fewer in six of his last seven starts.

Jerad Eickhoff has had similar success on the mound in his first big-league stint and will try to end a poor stretch for Philadelphia's starters. The Phillies (53-83) have lost five of six with their rotation going 0-5 with an 8.62 ERA in that stretch.

Eickhoff (1-2, 2.84) was part of the deal that sent Cole Hamels to Texas at the trade deadline and has made his case to stick with the Phillies' front five next year.

The right-hander has three quality starts since getting called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Aug. 21, allowing 15 hits and seven runs - six earned - over 19 innings.

However, he's dropped back-to-back starts against the New York Mets, the latest a 3-1 loss Monday in which he allowed three runs over seven innings. Two of the four hits Eickhoff gave up were the first two homers he's surrendered in the big leagues.

"I could always be better," he said. "I'm just trying to improve each start and take something from each team and make the most of it. I'm still attacking like I would at Double- and Triple-A, wherever."

Boston placed Hanley Ramirez on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a sore right shoulder, while Pablo Sandoval was out of the lineup for the second straight day with back tightness.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Phillies at Red Sox
Fri, Sep 4 Final 5 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Phillies at Red Sox
Sat, Sep 5 Final 2 to 9
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Phillies at Red Sox
Sun, Sep 6 - 1:35PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2015, 02:40 AM

Preview: Braves (54-81) at Nationals (69-65)
Game: 4
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: September 06, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

It remains to be seen if the Washington Nationals dug too deep a hole during an August swoon to catch the New York Mets in the NL East race.

At least they still have hope after a strong start to September.

The Nationals look to complete a four-game sweep of Atlanta while dealing the Braves their longest road losing streak in 92 years Sunday.

Washington (70-65) sat alone atop the East before the Mets forced a tie by sweeping a three-game series July 31-Aug. 2 in Queens. The Nationals went 12-17 in August and sit five games back of New York despite winning their last four.

They're looking to extend their longest streak since a season-best eight-game run June 19-28 after beating the Braves 8-2 on Saturday. Bryce Harper hit a two-run homer for his 500th career hit and also doubled twice, improving his average to .415 over his last 17.

Harper's .337 average leads the NL. He'll be 22 years, 353 days old when the season ends and could become the youngest to win the NL batting title since Hank Aaron did it at 22 years, 238 days in 1956.

"The guy is amazing. It's incredible to see him go out there and play the game he plays," winning pitcher Gio Gonzalez said. "It's almost like he's got the cheat codes."

The Nationals have averaged eight runs during their winning streak and hope to provide similar support for rookie Joe Ross (5-5, 3.50 ERA).

Ross won his previous two starts while allowing one earned run in 13 innings, but he walked six and gave up three runs in just 2 2-3 of Washington's 8-5 loss to St. Louis on Tuesday - the shortest of his 12 outings.

"I was just kind of sweaty and trying to wipe my hand off," Ross said after pitching in the 89-degree heat. "My pants were kind of sweaty and then I was just having a tough time finding the zone."

The right-hander could face the same problems with temperatures expected to be in the mid-80s by first pitch.

Manny Banuelos (1-3, 3.33) simply is happy to be back on a major league mound, and it appears he'll have more time to prove himself despite struggling in his last outing.

Banuelos spent more than a month on the disabled list with left elbow inflammation before being activated Tuesday and allowing three runs while throwing 52 pitches in just 2 2-3 innings of a 7-1 loss to Miami.

The rookie left-hander went 1-2 with a 2.49 ERA in four starts and one relief appearance before experiencing tightness and going on the DL on July 24. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said Banuelos should get regular opportunities to start down the stretch.

"I'm really happy to be here and I'm very excited to get experience," Banuelos told MLB's official website. "I just want to compete and help my team win."

Banuelos had an impressive major league debut July 2 against the Nationals, allowing two hits and striking out seven in 5 2-3 scoreless innings of Atlanta's 2-1 victory.

Wins have been few and far between for the Braves (54-82), who are 28 games under .500 for the first time since finishing 65-97 in 1990. They're on the verge of dropping 13 straight road games for the first time since 1923, and they haven't lost 12 in a row overall in a single season since 1942.

Atlanta has lost nine consecutive meetings in Washington.

"It's frustrating and it's tough," outfielder Nick Swisher said. "We've got (26) games left and we've got to make a run because you don't want this going into the offseason."

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Braves at Nationals
Thu, Sep 3 Final 1 to 15
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Braves at Nationals
Fri, Sep 4 Final 2 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Braves at Nationals
Sat, Sep 5 Final 2 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Braves at Nationals
Sun, Sep 6 - 1:35PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2015, 02:42 AM

Preview: White Sox (63-70) at Royals (82-52)
Game: 3
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: September 06, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

While the Kansas City Royals need Johnny Cueto to turn things around on the mound, they also must find a way to score more runs against the Chicago White Sox.

With Cueto in danger of losing a career-worst fourth straight start, the Royals look to avoid being swept in a home series for the first time in more than a year Sunday against the White Sox.

Cueto (2-4, 4.21 ERA) went 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA in his first four starts since coming over from Cincinnati on July 26, but has an 8.47 mark while losing his last three. The right-hander wasn't that bad Tuesday but still allowed four runs and nine hits in six innings of a 6-5 loss to Detroit.

"This is obviously part of the game," Cueto said. "Every player has a streak like this. I'm not concerned because I'm well aware that this is going to turn around and I'm going to help this team."

The ever-confident Cueto yielded four runs and homers to Jose Abreu and Alexei Ramirez in 8 1-3 innings of a 10-4 win over Chicago (64-70) on May 9 while with the Reds.

Batting .536 with six RBIs in his last seven games, Ramirez belted a three-run homer in the fourth inning of Saturday's 6-1 victory.

Though the Royals (82-53) remain in excellent shape to win the AL Central, they've dropped four of six and been outscored 18-2 in the last two games after scoring 27 against Detroit in the two before that. The White Sox, trying to remain relevant in the wild-card race, totaled 21 runs while dropping seven straight at Kauffman Stadium prior to this set.

"It's really fun when you get runs," Saturday's winner Jose Quintana said.

After its string of nine straight winning home series ended Saturday, Kansas City will try to avoid being swept at Kauffman for the first time since Aug. 29-31 of last year by Cleveland. The Royals have scored one run in 16 innings against starters John Danks and Quintana in this series and went 2 for 14 with runners in scoring position Saturday.

Since going 4-3 with a 4.73 ERA in 10 starts over the previous two seasons, Erik Johnson makes his 2015 debut for Chicago. The right-hander earned International League Most Valuable Pitcher honors after going 11-8 with a 2.37 ERA and 136 strikeouts for Triple-A Charlotte this season.

"It has really been a real solid year for him and put him back on the map as a prospect," White Sox general manager Rick Hahn told MLB's official website.

Johnson, meanwhile, just plans to go about his business in the majors the way he did for his minor league club.

"For me, everything that's in my corner, everything I can control with my routine, I'm going to do," said Johnson, who is 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA against Kansas City.

Mike Moustakas, who homered for his only hit in four at-bats against Johnson, is expected to be in the Royals' lineup after not starting the last five games.

Teammate Alex Gordon is 5 for 9 with three RBIs in three games since missing almost two months with a groin injury.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
White Sox at Royals
Fri, Sep 4 Final 12 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
White Sox at Royals
Sat, Sep 5 Final 6 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
White Sox at Royals
Sun, Sep 6 - 2:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2015, 02:44 AM

Preview: Diamondbacks (65-71) at Cubs (77-57)
Game: 3
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: September 06, 2015 2:20 PM EDT

The Chicago Cubs won again behind a superlative performance from ace Jake Arrieta their last time out. Kyle Hendricks hasn't been anywhere near as good lately, but his starts have generally resulted in victories for his team since the end of July.

That wasn't the case in Hendricks' past two outings, however, and he'll look to end that trend and his four-start winless streak as the right-hander opposes Rubby De La Rosa and the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.

Arrieta continued his spectacular pitching Saturday, following up a no-hitter with eight innings of four-hit ball in a 2-0 victory, his major league-best 18th. Arrieta also struck out seven to win his seventh consecutive start.

The victory was the second straight and fourth in six games for Chicago (77-57), which appears to be in full control of the second wild-card berth and is pushing Pittsburgh for the top one.

Manager Joe Maddon wants the Cubs to 'live in the moment' and not get caught up watching the standings. 'A bunch of one-game winning streaks would be kind of nice right now,' he said.

The Cubs have won 16 of 20 at Wrigley Field to give them a 42-28 record there after winning 41 home games last season.

Arrieta starts have amounted to guaranteed wins for his team over the past month, and that was also the case in five consecutive Hendricks outings from July 27-Aug. 21 - a stretch in which he posted a 5.61 ERA but saw the Cubs win each time by scoring 32 runs.

That formula proved unsustainable in Hendricks' past two games, as he gave up seven runs in 11 innings of Chicago defeats Aug. 26 and Monday.

Maddon said Hendricks (6-6, 4.15 ERA) had "good stuff" his last time out in a 13-6 home loss to Cincinnati, as he gave up three earned runs in five innings, scattering five hits while walking three and striking out four. Hendricks, though, hasn't lasted more than six innings in the past four starts, walking three in three of those and recording a 6.98 ERA in that span.

Hendricks, who's issued 19 bases on balls over his previous eight, has never faced Arizona.

Anthony Rizzo went 1 for 4 on Saturday, a day after hitting a grand slam, and is 5 for his last 11. He's batted .343 with six home runs and 15 RBIs in his past nine games against Arizona.

The Diamondbacks (65-71) lost their third straight Saturday, but De La Rosa (12-6, 4.46) appears to give them a good chance to avoid a third consecutive loss in the season series and fourth in six meetings this year. The right-hander has gone 6-1 with a 3.32 ERA in his last nine outings.

De La Rosa, though, faced the Cubs for the first time May 23 and gave up four runs in six innings of a 9-6 home loss. Rizzo's three-run homer in the ninth off Enrique Burgos broke a tie and gave him a career high-tying six RBIs in the game.

Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt had two hits in his return to the lineup after missing two games to be with his wife, Amy, in Phoenix as she gave birth to their first child. Goldschmidt, a .388 hitter with seven home runs and 24 RBIs in 23 career games against Chicago, has batted .439 in the series since the start of last season.

' ... the bullpen did a really good job of holding them down," Diamondbacks manager Chip Hale said after Saturday's game. "It's a step in the right direction.'

Dexter Fowler is 3 for 8 with two walks against De La Rosa.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Cubs
Fri, Sep 4 Final 5 to 14
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Cubs
Sat, Sep 5 Final 0 to 2
Boxscores

GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Cubs
Sun, Sep 6 - 2:20PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2015, 02:49 AM

LEADING OFF: Posey banged up, Matz off DL, Davis surging

September 5, 2015

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

BATTERED BATTER

San Francisco's All-Star catcher Buster Posey took Saturday off to rest but should return for Sunday's game. Manager Bruce Bochy said Posey was tired and ''a little beaten up'' and needed a day. Posey's health is key if the Giants are going to climb back into the postseason chase.

MATZ EFFECT

Steven Matz comes off the DL and makes his first start in two months after dealing with a partially torn muscle near his armpit. The touted Mets prospect won his first two big league starts behind a 1.32 ERA before the injury. The left-hander's September performance will influence what role he fills if New York makes the playoffs.

CRUSH DAVIS

Chris Davis looks to get back on the homer horse for the Orioles as they wrap a three-game set at Toronto. Davis hit five homers in a three-game span from Tuesday to Friday, but went without a long ball against David Price on Saturday. The first baseman has 40 home runs on the season, the second-highest output of his career.

MATT MUSCLES UP

The first-place Cardinals will try to earn a series win over second-place Pittsburgh, and more surprising thump from second baseman Matt Carpenter would help. The 29-year-old entered his season with 25 homers in 436 career games, but has nearly doubled that total with 21 long balls in 129 contests this season. Carpenter hit a two-run shot in Saturday's 4-1 win as St. Louis stretched its NL Central lead to 6 1/2 games.

RETURN TO FORM

Justin Verlander goes for his third straight victory as the Tigers host the Indians. The 2011 Cy Young and MVP award winner has once again been one of baseball's best pitchers of late, posting a 0.76 ERA in his last five starts and reaching as high as 97 mph in the seventh inning of his last outing, a 6-5 win over Kansas City. The performance has marked a huge turnaround for Verlander, who had a 5.05 ERA through his first nine starts this season.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-06-2015, 02:52 AM

Standings

Regular Season Standings · Wild Card Standings

AMERICAN - EAST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Toronto Blue Jays 77 58 .570 0 46-25 31-33 7-3 W-1
New York Yankees 75 59 .560 1 38-27 37-32 6-4 L-1
Tampa Bay Rays 67 68 .496 10 33-35 34-33 5-5 W-1
Baltimore Orioles 65 70 .481 12 38-27 27-43 3-7 L-1
Boston Red Sox 63 72 .467 14 36-34 27-38 6-4 W-2

AMERICAN - CENTRAL
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Kansas City Royals 82 53 .607 0 47-24 35-29 5-5 L-2
Minnesota Twins 70 65 .519 12 42-26 28-39 6-4 W-1
Cleveland Indians 65 69 .485 16 29-34 36-35 7-3 L-1
Chicago White Sox 64 70 .478 17 33-32 31-38 5-5 W-3
Detroit Tigers 62 73 .459 20 31-36 31-37 3-7 W-1

AMERICAN - WEST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Houston Astros 74 62 .544 0 47-24 27-38 5-5 L-1
Texas Rangers 71 63 .530 2 32-32 39-31 7-3 W-1
Los Angeles Angels 68 67 .504 5 40-28 28-39 4-6 L-1
Seattle Mariners 65 71 .478 9 29-36 36-35 7-3 W-4
Oakland Athletics 58 78 .426 16 31-40 27-38 3-7 L-4

NATIONAL - EAST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
New York Mets 75 60 .556 0 45-24 30-36 6-4 W-1
Washington Nationals 70 65 .519 5 40-26 30-39 7-3 W-4
Miami Marlins 56 80 .412 19 31-37 25-43 5-5 L-1
Atlanta Braves 54 82 .397 21 33-32 21-50 0-10 L-11
Philadelphia Phillies 53 83 .390 22 30-35 23-48 3-7 L-3

NATIONAL - CENTRAL
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
St. Louis Cardinals 87 48 .644 0 49-21 38-27 7-3 W-1
Pittsburgh Pirates 80 54 .597 6 46-21 34-33 5-5 L-1
Chicago Cubs 77 57 .575 9 42-28 35-29 4-6 W-2
Milwaukee Brewers 60 75 .444 27 33-39 27-36 7-3 W-6
Cincinnati Reds 55 79 .410 31 29-37 26-42 3-7 L-2

NATIONAL - WEST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Los Angeles Dodgers 77 58 .570 0 47-21 30-37 8-2 W-2
San Francisco Giants 70 66 .515 7 38-27 32-39 3-7 W-1
Arizona Diamondbacks 65 71 .478 12 31-35 34-36 3-7 L-3
San Diego Padres 65 71 .478 12 33-34 32-37 3-7 L-2
Colorado Rockies 56 79 .415 21 31-39 25-40 5-5 L-1

Updated Sun Sep 6 2:34 AM EDT

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