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**StarDust Bum** · 09-07-2015, 12:40 PM

MLB RUNLINE

MLB > (929) LA DODGERS@ (930) LA ANGELS | 2015-09-07 21:05:00 - 2015-09-07 21:05:00
Play AGAINST LA DODGERS after 3 or more consecutive wins
The record is 2 Wins and 14 Losses for the last two seasons (-16.8 units)

MLB > (919) TORONTO@ (920) BOSTON | 2015-09-07 13:35:00 - 2015-09-07 13:35:00
Play AGAINST BOSTON when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season
The record is 8 Wins and 32 Losses for the last two seasons (-27.8 units)

MLB > (927) MINNESOTA@ (928) KANSAS CITY | 2015-09-07 20:10:00 - 2015-09-07 20:10:00
Play AGAINST KANSAS CITY as a home favorite when the run line price is +100 to +115
The record is 4 Wins and 24 Losses for the since 1992 (-19.7 units)

MLB > (925) TEXAS@ (926) SEATTLE | 2015-09-07 18:40:00 - 2015-09-07 18:40:00
Play ON TEXAS in games played on a grass field
The record is 46 Wins and 18 Losses for the this season (+21 units)

MLB > (901) NY METS@ (902) WASHINGTON | 2015-09-07 13:05:00 - 2015-09-07 13:05:00
Play ON NY METS in day games
The record is 63 Wins and 31 Losses for the last two seasons (+33.35 units)

MLB > (909) SAN FRANCISCO@ (910) ARIZONA | 2015-09-07 16:10:00 - 2015-09-07 16:10:00
Play AGAINST ARIZONA when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season
The record is 7 Wins and 16 Losses for the this season (-15.05 units)

**StarDust Bum** · 09-07-2015, 12:41 PM

MLB TOTALS

MLB > (911) COLORADO@ (912) SAN DIEGO | 2015-09-07 16:10:00 - 2015-09-07 16:10:00
Play OVER SAN DIEGO on the total against right-handed starters
The record is 62 Overs and 38 Unders for the this season (+23.65 units)

MLB > (923) HOUSTON@ (924) OAKLAND | 2015-09-07 16:05:00 - 2015-09-07 16:05:00
Play OVER OAKLAND on the total against division opponents
The record is 36 Overs and 18 Unders for the this season (+17.7 units)

MLB > (907) CHICAGO CUBS@ (908) ST LOUIS | 2015-09-07 14:15:00 - 2015-09-07 14:15:00
Play UNDER ST LOUIS on the total in day games
The record is 4 Overs and 17 Unders for the this season (+12.05 units)

MLB > (913) ATLANTA@ (914) PHILADELPHIA | 2015-09-07 19:05:00 - 2015-09-07 19:05:00
Play OVER PHILADELPHIA on the total against right-handed starters
The record is 61 Overs and 38 Unders for the this season (+21.7 units)

MLB > (903) MILWAUKEE@ (904) MIAMI | 2015-09-07 13:10:00 - 2015-09-07 13:10:00
Play UNDER MIAMI on the total at home when the total is 8 to 8.5
The record is 1 Overs and 11 Unders for the this season (+9.85 units)

MLB > (929) LA DODGERS@ (930) LA ANGELS | 2015-09-07 21:05:00 - 2015-09-07 21:05:00
Play OVER LA DODGERS on the total when playing on Monday
The record is 21 Overs and 7 Unders for the last two seasons (+14.1 units)

MLB > (901) NY METS@ (902) WASHINGTON | 2015-09-07 13:05:00 - 2015-09-07 13:05:00
Play OVER WASHINGTON on the total as a home favorite of -175 to -200
The record is 8 Overs and 0 Unders for the this season (+8.1 units)

**StarDust Bum** · 09-07-2015, 12:48 PM

MLB TOP POWERLINES

MLB > (915) TAMPA BAY @ (916) DETROIT | 2015-09-07 13:05:00 - 2015-09-07 13:05:00
Line: TAMPA BAY BTB PowerLine: TAMPA BAY203
Edge On: TAMPA BAY (73)

MLB > (901) NY METS @ (902) WASHINGTON | 2015-09-07 13:05:00 - 2015-09-07 13:05:00
Line: NY METS BTB PowerLine: NY METS-153
Edge On: NY METS (42)

MLB > (903) MILWAUKEE @ (904) MIAMI | 2015-09-07 13:10:00 - 2015-09-07 13:10:00
Line: MIAMI-131 BTB PowerLine: MIAMI-154
Edge On: MIAMI (23)

MLB > (919) TORONTO @ (920) BOSTON | 2015-09-07 13:35:00 - 2015-09-07 13:35:00
Line: TORONTO BTB PowerLine: TORONTO149
Edge On: TORONTO (13)

MLB > (921) CLEVELAND @ (922) CHI WHITE SOX | 2015-09-07 14:10:00 - 2015-09-07 14:10:00
Line: CLEVELAND BTB PowerLine: CLEVELAND-159
Edge On: CLEVELAND (21)

MLB > (907) CHICAGO CUBS @ (908) ST LOUIS | 2015-09-07 14:15:00 - 2015-09-07 14:15:00
Line: CHICAGO CUBS BTB PowerLine: CHICAGO CUBS106
Edge On: CHICAGO CUBS (45)

MLB > (923) HOUSTON @ (924) OAKLAND | 2015-09-07 16:05:00 - 2015-09-07 16:05:00
Line: HOUSTON BTB PowerLine: HOUSTON226
Edge On: HOUSTON (78)

MLB > (909) SAN FRANCISCO @ (910) ARIZONA | 2015-09-07 16:10:00 - 2015-09-07 16:10:00
Line: SAN FRANCISCO BTB PowerLine: SAN FRANCISCO132
Edge On: SAN FRANCISCO (28)

MLB > (925) TEXAS @ (926) SEATTLE | 2015-09-07 18:40:00 - 2015-09-07 18:40:00
Line: TEXAS BTB PowerLine: TEXAS127
Edge On: TEXAS (12)

MLB > (913) ATLANTA @ (914) PHILADELPHIA | 2015-09-07 19:05:00 - 2015-09-07 19:05:00
Line: PHILADELPHIA-140 BTB PowerLine: PHILADELPHIA-162
Edge On: PHILADELPHIA (22)

MLB > (927) MINNESOTA @ (928) KANSAS CITY | 2015-09-07 20:10:00 - 2015-09-07 20:10:00
Line: MINNESOTA BTB PowerLine: MINNESOTA-133
Edge On: MINNESOTA (34)

MLB > (929) LA DODGERS @ (930) LA ANGELS | 2015-09-07 21:05:00 - 2015-09-07 21:05:00
Line: LA DODGERS BTB PowerLine: LA DODGERS232
Edge On: LA DODGERS (60)

**StarDust Bum** · 09-07-2015, 12:51 PM

Preview: Rays (67-69) at Tigers (62-74)
Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: September 07, 2015 1:08 PM EDT

Fighting to stay in the wild-card race, the Tampa Bay Rays are hoping Drew Smyly can help their cause while getting the better of his former team.

Smyly faces the Detroit Tigers for the first time Monday since he was dealt last year when the teams begin a three-game series.

The Rays (67-69) remained 4 1/2 games behind Texas for the second wild-card spot after losing 6-4 to the New York Yankees on Sunday. Chris Archer made two huge mistakes - giving up back-to-back homers to Brian McCann and Alex Rodriguez - that erased a 3-0 lead and sent Tampa to its third loss in four games.

'I didn't execute in the biggest moment of the game,' Archer said. 'Am I disappointed? Of course. We need to win every single game.'

Smyly (2-2, 3.11 ERA), who was drafted in the second round by the Tigers in 2010 and made his debut in 2012, gets a chance to right the Rays and also put together strong consecutive outings for the first time since missing more than three months due to a torn labrum. The left-hander had his best start among the four he's had since coming back, matching a season high with 10 strikeouts and limiting Baltimore to four hits in seven shutout innings of an 11-2 victory Tuesday.

"I'm looking forward to it for sure," Smyly told MLB's official website. "It's exciting. I played there for three years, loved every bit of it. They've got great fans. Hopefully they'll support me when I come back."

In his two victories since coming back, Smyly hasn't allowed a run in 12 2-3 innings. In his other two outings, he's yielded nine runs and 15 hits in 8 1-3 innings while going 0-1.

Tigers counterpart Randy Wolf (0-3, 6.11) is also hopeful for support - of the offensive kind. The Tigers have failed to score in each of his three starts since being called up last month, and the left-hander was drilled for eight runs in 3 2-3 innings of a 12-1 defeat at Kansas City on Wednesday.

Wolf has dropped five straight starts dating back to a 3-1 victory over Tampa Bay on June 2, 2014, when he limited the Rays to one run in six innings.

Detroit's late-season swoon continued with a 4-0 defeat to Cleveland on Sunday, its third shutout loss while dropping 13 of the last 16. The last-place Tigers, who have matched a season worst by falling 12 games under .500 at 62-74, are 10-19 versus the AL East, getting outscored 182-111 in those games.

"We hit some balls decent, barreled some balls," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "Ball didn't seem to be traveling for us."

Ian Kinsler, who made a pinch-hit appearance Sunday, is 3 for 7 with a homer versus Smyly. Miguel Cabrera has gone 10 games without a homer and is hitting .194 in that span.

Rays second baseman Logan Forsythe is hitting .538 with a 1.379 OPS during a seven-game hit streak.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rays at Tigers
Mon, Sep 7 - 1:08PM EDT

GAME 2
Rays at Tigers
Tue, Sep 8 - 7:08PM EDT

GAME 3
Rays at Tigers
Wed, Sep 9 - 7:08PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-07-2015, 12:52 PM

Preview: Orioles (65-71) at Yankees (76-59)
Game: 1
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: September 07, 2015 1:05 PM EDT

While Brian McCann has surprisingly emerged as the New York Yankees' leader in RBIs, fellow catcher Matt Wieters is enduring another frustrating year for the Baltimore Orioles.

McCann homered twice over the weekend while Wieters missed two weekend games ahead of Monday's three-game series opener at Yankee Stadium.

New York (76-59) captured two of three from Tampa Bay to begin its 10-game homestand. McCann homered in both of his starts, with his three-run shot in Sunday's 6-4 victory giving him 86 RBIs - his most since a career-high 94 in 2009.

"He's been such a run producer for us all year long," manager Joe Girardi said. "And to get that kind of production out of a catcher doesn't happen very often, just because of what they go through physically."

The former catcher Girardi has done his part to keep McCann fresh by occasionally starting backup John Ryan Murphy, who is mired in a 5-for-26 slump.

Wieters has been limited to 87 games over the last two years after season-ending elbow surgery in 2014. He sat out the final two games of a weekend set in Toronto with a left wrist injury suffered in Friday's 10-2 victory.

Manager Buck Showalter is hopeful Wieters can return Monday. The catcher is hitting .170 in his last 14 games.

"He's better today, it felt better so that was good to hear the improvement and the X-ray was negative so we're hoping," Showalter said.

The Yankees remained 1 1/2 games behind the first-place Blue Jays after a weekend in which Alex Rodriguez also went deep twice. He entered the Rays series homerless in 10 straight, and is now two shy of his first 30-homer campaign since 2010.

Rodriguez is also two hits away from tying Rod Carew (3,053) for 23rd on the all-time list.

New York is 8-5 against Baltimore (65-71), including 6-1 at home. The Yankees will give the ball to Michael Pineda (10-8, 4.07 ERA), who makes his third start after spending a month on the disabled list with a strained right forearm.

Pineda was charged with five runs over 4 1-3 innings in a 6-2 loss to Houston in his first start back Aug. 26 before recovering Tuesday to limit Boston to one run in six innings to earn a 3-1 road win and end a personal three-game slide.

The right-hander is 2-1 with a 5.60 ERA in three starts versus Baltimore in 2015. Jimmy Paredes is 4 for 6 against him this year, Manny Machado is 4 for 8 and Adam Jones 4 for 9.

The last time he faced Baltimore at home, he struck out a career-high 16 on May 10.

The Orioles will start Wei-Yin Chen (8-7, 3.36), who allowed five runs in 4 2-3 innings in last Monday's 6-3 loss to Tampa Bay after going 3-0 with a 2.90 ERA in his previous five outings.

Chen is 1-1 with a 2.79 ERA in three 2015 starts against New York. Chris Young is 4 for 7 with a homer in those games against the left-hander and Chase Headley 3 for 6.

Young is mired in a 4-for-40 slump, including 2 for 22 off left-handers. He bats .323 against southpaws compared to .182 against righties.

Orioles slugger Chris Davis leads the majors with 40 homers and has reached 100 RBIs for the second time. He's 3 for 14 with two homers off Pineda.

Baltimore has dropped 14 of 17.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Orioles at Yankees
Mon, Sep 7 - 1:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Orioles at Yankees
Tue, Sep 8 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Orioles at Yankees
Wed, Sep 9 - 7:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-07-2015, 12:54 PM

Preview: Mets (75-61) at Nationals (71-65)
Game: 1
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: September 07, 2015 1:05 PM EDT

Though they've gotten this homestand off to a perfect start, the Washington Nationals still have some work to do on Labor Day.

The preseason NL East favorites begin a possible make-or-break three-game series Monday with the division's current front-runners, the New York Mets.

New York (71-65) caught the Nationals in the standings with a momentum-shifting home sweep July 31-Aug. 2 and has since taken off, with that series and several aggressive moves at the trade deadline sparking a 23-11 run that's opened up a four-game lead on its chief rival.

The sweep began a dismal 4-13 stretch for Washington (71-65), but the club has recovered with wins in 13 of its last 19 and enters the series on a five-game win streak following a four-game home sweep of downtrodden Atlanta.

"Certainly it's tightening up," Mets manager Terry Collins said after his team's 4-3 loss to Miami Sunday.

Washington battered the Braves' pitching for 36 runs in the series and hit seven homers, including three in Sunday's 8-4 victory.

Bryce Harper has homered in three straight and is batting .421 over his last 18 games. Ryan Zimmerman is hitting .439 with six homers and 18 RBIs over a 10-game streak.

"I've been saying all along at some point we're going to make a run. Hopefully this is it," outfielder Jayson Werth said. "We've got our (top) guys going."

The resurgent offense will attempt to help out struggling Max Scherzer (11-11, 2.89), something it failed to do in the staff ace's two prior season meetings with New York.

Scherzer yielded one earned run over 14 2-3 innings in those starts but lost both after receiving only one run of support. He hasn't won at all in six consecutive outings and is 0-3 with a 6.14 ERA in his past four.

The All-Star surrendered 11 hits in six innings Wednesday but held St. Louis to two runs in a 4-3 Washington win.

Scherzer's winless drought has gone on even longer at Nationals Park. Since no-hitting Pittsburgh June 20, he's 0-3 with a 5.16 ERA in five home starts and allowed four runs or more in three of those outings.

The Mets, who dropped two of three in Miami to narrow the gap, send out a slumping pitcher of their own in Jon Niese (8-10, 4.17). The left-hander has permitted 18 runs and 23 hits over a three-start stretch and was reached for six in five innings of Tuesday's 14-8 loss to Philadelphia.

Niese also has lost four straight starts against Washington and is winless in five since tossing 7 1-3 scoreless innings at Nationals Park on Aug. 18, 2012.

The Mets have won each of Niese's last five road starts even though he's allowed 12 runs over 11 1-3 innings in his past two.

New York scored 23 runs in those games and will field a considerably different lineup than Scherzer faced May 1. David Wright and Travis d'Arnaud have returned from injuries and the offense has gotten a needed power boost from Yoenis Cespedes' acquisition and rookie Michael Conforto's promotion.

Cespedes homered for the fourth time in five games Sunday and is 10 for 23 during that span. D'Arnaud is batting .415 with three homers and 15 RBIs over his last 12.

The Mets are 7-6 against Washington in 2015 and have split six games at Nationals Park. The teams conclude the season with three at Citi Field beginning Oct. 2.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mets at Nationals
Mon, Sep 7 - 1:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Mets at Nationals
Tue, Sep 8 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Mets at Nationals
Wed, Sep 9 - 7:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-07-2015, 12:55 PM

Preview: Brewers (60-76) at Marlins (57-80)
Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: September 07, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

Neither Justin Nicolino of the Miami Marlins nor fellow rookie Zach Davies of the Milwaukee Brewers are known for overpowering stuff.

These inexperienced starters will be looking to rely on their location and guile Monday when these clubs open a three-game set in Miami.

Nicolino (3-2, 3.07 ERA) will make his eighth career start and Davies (0-0, 8.31) his second.

The Marlins starter is seeking his first victory at home, where he's 0-2 with a 5.01 ERA compared to 3-0 with a 0.87 ERA on the road. The left-hander continued his road success Tuesday by throwing seven scoreless innings in a 7-1 rout of Atlanta.

With only 15 strikeouts in 44 innings, it's clear that velocity isn't the reason the 23-year-old Nicolino has posted a 1.98 ERA in his last four outings.

"The thing about Nico, the thing he can do, and he does so well, he knows how to pitch," manager Dan Jennings told MLB's official website.

The 22-year-old Davies (0-0, 8.31) also doesn't throw hard and is known more for a changeup similar to former Brewers starter Shaun Marcum. Davies and batterymate Jonathan Lucroy spent time Friday watching video on Marcum.

That came two days after Davies surrendered four runs in 4 1-3 innings in a 9-4 victory over Pittsburgh with three walks and three strikeouts in his big-league debut. The right-hander said he wants to be more aggressive in this outing.

"Throwing pitches a little off, a little low, making sure I'm going after them and that I know I'm confident in my pitches," he said.

Nicolino's strong four-start stretch began Aug. 17, when he limited Milwaukee (60-76) to two runs in 6 2-3 innings of a 6-2 victory even though Ryan Braun was 2 for 2 with a walk against him.

Braun is batting .386 over a 17-game road hitting streak against Miami, going 11 for 26 in six games at Marlins Park - the only current NL stadium in which he has yet to homer.

These teams have turned in encouraging play down the stretch. Milwaukee's six-game win streak ended with Sunday's 6-3 loss at Cincinnati while Miami has won five of six.

The Marlins (57-80) took two of three in walk-off fashion from the NL East-leading New York Mets after Martin Prado's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning of Sunday's 4-3 victory.

Prado went 7 for 14 in the series, also driving in the winning run Friday. He is batting .405 in a nine-game hitting streak at home.

'It's all about momentum," he said. "I feel good about my swing and I was in a good spot, and when things are going like that you feel like you have a pretty good chance to win.'

Braun is 10 for 23 in his last six games while Elian Herrera was 5 for 14 with two homers in the Reds series.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Brewers at Marlins
Mon, Sep 7 - 1:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Brewers at Marlins
Tue, Sep 8 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Brewers at Marlins
Wed, Sep 9 - 7:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-07-2015, 12:57 PM

Preview: Pirates (81-54) at Reds (56-79)
Game: 1
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: September 07, 2015 1:10 PM EDT

With his rotation spot in question, Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Jeff Locke will have to secure it during a month that's been notoriously bad for him in his career.

Locke looks for a better result in his second September start as the Pirates open a three-game road series against the last-place Cincinnati Reds on Monday.

The Pirates (81-54) trail St. Louis by 5 1/2 games in the NL Central despite taking two of three from the Cardinals over the weekend, but they're three ahead of the Chicago Cubs and 10 1/2 up on Washington in the wild-card standings.

It remains to be seen what role Locke will play if Pittsburgh makes it to October.

Locke (7-9, 4.66 ERA) coughed up five runs in 3 2-3 innings of Wednesday's 9-4 loss to Milwaukee, and he is 2-3 with a 6.26 ERA since July 24. He has pitched six innings or more just once during that span, allowing 49 hits - seven of them home runs - in 41 2-3 innings while opponents have hit .292 against him.

Locke may find it difficult to regroup in September, a month in which he's gone 2-13 with a 6.60 ERA during his five-year career.

With A.J. Burnett on the verge of returning from an elbow injury, each start becomes more pressing for Locke, whose second-half ERA is 5.88.

"You don't take the mound saying, 'Gee, this could be the last one,'" Locke said. "You go out there and try to win the game for your team."

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle wasn't ready to talk about Locke's immediate future after his brief outing against the Brewers.

"I'm not going to get into that right after a guy goes 3 2-3 innings," Hurdle told MLB's official website. "Those are conversations we'll have internally. We continue to look at ways to make our team stronger all the time. Adjustments in any spot ... those are ongoing conversations."

The Reds (56-79) have lost 17 of 22 and sit last in the Central, but they're 9-4 against Pittsburgh this year and have given Locke trouble in three games. They have 21 hits and 11 runs - nine earned - in 16 innings against him, though that only amounted to one Cincinnati win.

Todd Frazier is 9 for 23 with two home runs against Locke, who is 3-2 with a 3.46 ERA against the Reds in 10 career starts.

Cincinnati's Anthony DeSclafani (7-10, 3.87) has trudged through his own struggles, failing to reach the sixth in two of his last three starts with a 5.09 ERA. The right-hander has lost three of his last four, and the Reds have dropped each of his last five.

He cruised into the sixth with a 3-1 lead Tuesday against the Cubs, but he only recorded two outs and was charged with two runs in the inning. DeSclafani allowed four hits and three runs overall and didn't factor into the decision of a 5-4 loss.

"I ran into some trouble," he said. "I just have to make better pitches."

Brandon Phillips has three games with three or more hits in his last four for the Reds, including a 3-for-4 day with a two-run homer in Sunday's 6-3 win over Milwaukee.

Burnett hasn't pitched since July 30 but could return as soon as Wednesday, while Pittsburgh first baseman Travis Ishikawa (lower back strain) is expected to come off the disabled list Monday.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Pirates at Reds
Mon, Sep 7 - 1:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Pirates at Reds
Tue, Sep 8 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Pirates at Reds
Wed, Sep 9 - 7:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-07-2015, 12:59 PM

Preview: Blue Jays (78-58) at Red Sox (64-72)
Game: 1
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: September 07, 2015 1:35 PM EDT

Mark Buehrle got an extra day of rest to combat fatigue after his latest outing, and his recent success against the Boston Red Sox perhaps made that decision a little easier for Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons.

The left-hander will seek to win his fourth consecutive start against the Red Sox, who might not have a red-hot David Ortiz on Monday.

Buehrle (14-6, 3.53 ERA) gave up two runs over six innings of a 9-2 victory over Detroit on Aug. 30 - his first win in three outings - but told the Blue Jays he felt tired after that game. In response, Gibbons switched his spot in the rotation with Marco Estrada, giving the veteran a chance to start the series opener at Fenway Park.

"I think it's a little bit of everything. It's just that time of year. I don't know if it's dead arm or whatever," Buehrle told MLB's official website. "I'm going out there trying to give everything I've got."

Buehrle likely doesn't mind as he's 3-0 with a 1.83 ERA in his last three starts at Fenway and 3-0 with a 1.74 ERA in his past three overall against the Red Sox. He yielded one run over seven innings in an 11-2 home win July 1.

Buehrle could see similar support after the Blue Jays' high-scoring lineup appeared to get back on track with Sunday's 10-4 win over Baltimore. Toronto had averaged 3.8 runs in its previous five games, well below its MLB-best mark of 5.5 per game.

Jose Bautista hit his 33rd home run and an RBI double in the Jays' 28th win in 35 games. Toronto (78-58) is the first team since the 2004 Houston Astros to reach 20 games above .500 after previously having a losing record following the All-Star break.

The Blue Jays, 1 1/2 games ahead of the New York Yankees in the AL East, will try to pad that lead by working toward another sweep at Fenway. They took three straight there June 12-14 but are just 7-6 in this season's series.

Buehrle and his teammates might not have to face Ortiz after he was forced to leave Sunday's 6-2 win against Philadelphia because of tightness in his right calf. Ortiz hit his fifth homer in nine games, the 497th of his career and his 200th at Fenway to help Boston (64-72) complete a three-game sweep.

Ortiz is also batting .393 with nine extra-base hits and 10 RBIs in his last nine contests. He's hit four homers in his past six against Toronto but has four hits in his last 21 at-bats against Buehrle with a solo home run.

"We're trying to figure out how he did it, whether it was during the swing or whether it was when he was running the bases," interim manager Torey Lovullo said. "We thought it was the best thing to take him off the field and re-evaluate him (Monday) morning."

Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia is not slated to return from the disabled list (hamstring) until Tuesday at the earliest.

Those absences could hinder Rick Porcello's chances of getting improved support. The right-hander has received a combined four runs in his last five starts, going 1-3 despite a 2.79 ERA.

Porcello (6-12, 5.21) gave up three runs - one earned - in eight innings Tuesday in a 3-1 loss to the Yankees.

He was tagged for seven runs in two innings while pitching opposite Buehrle on July 1 and yielded one run and two hits over seven innings in a 4-1 win at Fenway on April 29.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Blue Jays at Red Sox
Mon, Sep 7 - 1:35PM EDT

GAME 2
Blue Jays at Red Sox
Tue, Sep 8 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Blue Jays at Red Sox
Wed, Sep 9 - 7:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-07-2015, 01:00 PM

Preview: Indians (66-69) at White Sox (65-70)
Game: 1
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: September 07, 2015 2:10 PM EDT

Michael Brantley and Jason Kipnis are enjoying strong seasons as the Cleveland Indians' best players.

Neither has fared well against Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale.

There's little at stake in this week's three-game set in Chicago between AL Central rivals, though watching Sale operate against Brantley and Kipnis should provide entertainment in Monday's opener.

Cleveland (66-69) and Chicago (65-70) are essentially out of contention, though both are playing well. The Indians have won eight of 11 and the White Sox are seeking a fifth straight win.

Brantley leads baseball with a .376 average since the start of August. Kipnis is one of the majors' leaders with 17 games with at three hits and has a .311 average that is second on the team to Brantley's .319 mark.

They will have their hands full Monday. Brantley is 4 for 29 with 12 strikeouts against Sale (12-7, 3.29 ERA) while Kipnis is 4 for 17 in this matchup.

Sale leads the majors in strikeouts per nine innings at 12.11, with a career-high 239 to lead the AL. He has thrown 14 scoreless innings over his last two starts at home.

He can become the first pitcher in 13 years with 14 starts with at least 10 strikeouts since Arizona's Curt Schilling had that many in 2002 and teammate Randy Johnson had 15 such outings.

The left-hander is 3-0 with a 2.34 ERA in his last five starts with 53 strikeouts over 34 2-3 innings. Sale gave up four runs in 6 1-3 innings in Tuesday's 8-6 defeat at Minnesota, throwing at least 110 pitches for the fourth straight outing.

Chicago begins a 10-game homestand after totaling 25 runs and batting .351 while sweeping three from AL-leading Kansas City over the weekend. Alexei Ramirez is 10 for 17 in this win streak, going 8 for 14 with five RBIs in the Royals series.

Leadoff hitter Adam Eaton was 8 for 15 with two homers and five RBIs over the weekend although he is dealing with shoulder discomfort.

'Yeah, it's good to win in general, but Kansas City's a high-quality baseball team,' Eaton said. 'It's good to take three from a very, very good team.'

Eaton is 2 for 11 against Cleveland starter Trevor Bauer (10-11, 4.56) while Ramirez is 4 for 13 with a homer.

Bauer fell to 0-3 with a 7.65 ERA in five road starts since the All-Star break after being tagged for five runs over 1 1-3 innings in Wednesday's 5-1 defeat at Toronto.

The right-hander is 2-1 with a 3.08 ERA in four 2015 outings versus Chicago. Slugger Jose Abreu is 7 for 16 in his career with a double and no homers against Bauer.

Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor is hitting .400 in his last 14 games, including a go-ahead, two-run triple in the sixth inning of Sunday's 4-0 victory at Detroit.

"I was just looking for that pitch to drive it, and eventually I got it and I thank the Lord I got it," Lindor said. "I was capable of helping the team win today and that's what it's all about."

Mike Olt went 2 for 4 on Sunday in his White Sox debut after being acquired off waivers the day before from the Chicago Cubs. His new team averages a major league-low 3.46 runs at home.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Indians at White Sox
Mon, Sep 7 - 2:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Indians at White Sox
Tue, Sep 8 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Indians at White Sox
Wed, Sep 9 - 8:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-07-2015, 01:02 PM

Preview: Cubs (78-57) at Cardinals (87-49)
Game: 1
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: September 07, 2015 2:15 PM EDT

Winning in St. Louis may not be enough to catch the NL Central-leading Cardinals, but Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon knows the value of road victories during a playoff push.

The Cubs will try to win a series in St. Louis for the first time in two years, while the Cardinals look to separate from the pack in Monday's series opener at Busch Stadium.

The Cubs (78-57), who have won three straight and sit 7 1/2 games ahead of Washington for the NL's second wild-card spot, are 12-32 in St. Louis since the beginning of 2011 and have lost six of seven there this season.

Most teams haven't been playing well this year at Busch Stadium, where the Cardinals have built a major league-best 49-22 record. The Cubs are one of the few clubs planning to make a postseason run, and it will likely need to go through St. Louis.

"I've been through this before, when you're playing really good teams like that, you eventually have to beat them in their own ballpark," Maddon told MLB's official website. "If we grab a lead, we gotta learn how to hold onto it there. That's the next level mentally for us."

Chicago lost three of four at Busch from May 4-7 and was swept there June 26-28. The club hasn't won a series there since taking two of three from Aug. 9-11, 2013.

The Cubs' only win in St. Louis this year came against Lance Lynn in a 6-5 victory after they shelled the right-hander for eight hits and five runs over six innings.

Lynn (11-8, 2.80 ERA) is coming off a mild right ankle sprain that forced him to miss his previous scheduled start in Pittsburgh. He suffered the injury during a 6-0 victory in San Francisco on Aug. 29 that began a four-game win streak for St. Louis.

The Cardinals (87-49), though, have lost three of four, including two of three to second-place Pittsburgh over the weekend, to trim their division lead to 5 1/2 games.

"We've had a lot of close games and series that could go one way or the other," manager Mike Matheny said. "That's how it's going to be as we continue to play them."

Lynn is 6-4 with a 2.53 ERA at home this season and was on a roll before his injury, posting a 5-3 record and 2.63 ERA since July 17. He won his last two starts by giving up just two runs in 13 innings against Arizona and San Francisco.

Dan Haren will oppose Lynn looking to help the Cubs improve on a 35-29 road record, which is second-best in the NL behind St. Louis (38-27).

Haren (8-9, 3.89) has only recorded six innings in one of his six starts since coming to the Cubs in a deadline trade with Miami. The right-hander has a 1-2 record and 5.87 ERA with Chicago and has given up nine home runs.

Haren has allowed a homer in nine straight starts and has allowed a major league-leading 30 this season. He draws a favorable matchup in that category, though, as the Cardinals are tied for 11th in the NL with 113 home runs.

"I'm going to give up home runs," Haren told MLB's official website. "I pitch to contact."

Kris Bryant's 495-foot solo homer Sunday gave him 86 RBIs, tying Billy Williams (1961) and Geovany Soto (2008) for the Cubs' rookie record. Bryant is hitting .346 with three home runs and nine RBIs in seven games since Aug. 30.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cubs at Cardinals
Mon, Sep 7 - 2:15PM EDT

GAME 2
Cubs at Cardinals
Tue, Sep 8 - 8:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Cubs at Cardinals
Wed, Sep 9 - 1:45PM EDT

**Udog** · 09-07-2015, 01:04 PM

Hey, Bum! Congrats on your modship! At the top of the page, under the thread title, you'll see an "administrative" button. That's a drop-down menu of mod functions. That's where you can sticky your thread.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-07-2015, 01:04 PM

Preview: Astros (75-62) at Athletics (58-79)
Game: 1
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: September 07, 2015 4:05 PM EDT

The Houston Astros continue to show the way in the AL West. How they fare on an upcoming road trip may determine if they can remain on top.

Houston begins a 10-game trek against division opponents with Monday's matchup with a sagging Oakland Athletics team that will try to take Mike Fiers out of an outstanding groove.

The Astros start the three-city tour with a three-game lead on surging Texas and visit the Rangers for four critical games after a stop in Anaheim that follows this three-game set. Houston (75-62) gained a little distance on the Rangers with Sunday's 8-5 come-from-behind win over Minnesota coupled with a Texas loss to the Angels.

Houston scored all its runs after the sixth inning - highlighted by Jed Lowrie's go-ahead grand slam in the seventh - to give Dallas Keuchel his AL-leading 17th win.

While Keuchel has emerged as the unquestioned ace, Fiers (2-0, 2.25 ERA) has given the rotation another strong option since being obtained along with outfielder Carlos Gomez from Milwaukee on July 30.

The right-hander has posted a 0.67 ERA in four starts following the trade, highlighted by a 10-strikeout, 134-pitch no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Aug. 21. Fiers showed no effects from the heavy workload next time out, limiting Minnesota to a run and three hits through six-plus innings in a 4-1 win on seven days' rest.

"I felt great," Fiers told MLB's official site. "To get that extra rest after throwing so many pitches helped me out a lot."

Fiers' terrific stretch began in Oakland on Aug. 9, when he allowed Danny Valencia's solo homer among five hits over 6 2-3 innings in his first appearance against the A's.

Oakland (58-79) took three of four in that series but has floundered since, going an AL-worst 7-17 and suffering a fifth straight loss with Sunday's 3-2 defeat to Seattle.

Billy Butler finished 2 for 4 with a solo homer and has been one bright spot during the A's swoon, batting .519 over his last 10 games.

Oakland has homered in 12 consecutive games, the majors' longest active streak. However, Fiers hasn't allowed any in three straight starts.

The A's have won each of Felix Doubront's three starts since he joined the rotation in mid-August. The journeyman left-hander is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA over that span, collecting his first victory with his new team after allowing four runs across six-plus innings in Monday's 11-5 decision over the Angels.

Doubront (2-1, 3.99), one of a club record 28 pitchers used by Oakland this season, also won his lone career meeting with Houston, permitting three runs in 6 2-3 innings with Boston on April 27, 2013.

Colby Rasmus, the only current Astro with more than five at-bats against Doubront, is 7 for 17 with a homer in the matchup.

A's catcher Stephen Vogt is doubtful for the opener after being struck in the groin by a foul ball Sunday. Josh Reddick was out of Sunday's lineup due to illness but pinch hit in the seventh inning.

Houston is 7-6 against the A's this season.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Astros at Athletics
Mon, Sep 7 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Astros at Athletics
Tue, Sep 8 - 10:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Astros at Athletics
Wed, Sep 9 - 10:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-07-2015, 01:05 PM

Preview: Rockies (56-80) at Padres (65-72)
Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: September 07, 2015 4:10 PM EDT

Ian Kennedy's record would be a lot more respectable if the San Diego Padres were providing even an iota of run support for the veteran right-hander.

The Padres may be able to buck that trend in his upcoming start considering their two largest scoring outbursts of the season came against the Colorado Rockies.

Kennedy looks to avoid matching a career worst for losses when he takes the hill Monday in the opener of a four-game set against the Rockies at Petco Park.

Kennedy (8-12, 3.88 ERA) has been mostly consistent this season but owns a slew of hard-luck losses to show for it. Behind the third-lowest run-support average in the majors (3.18), Kennedy has won two straight starts only twice this year.

Although he has allowed one of the highest home run totals in baseball with 27 - one shy of his career worst - Kennedy's 1.24 WHIP is his best in four years and his 9.02 strikeouts per nine innings rank among the top 20 in the big leagues.

In his 25 outings, the Padres have backed Kennedy with more than three runs only four times, a big reason why he's 7-5 across 15 quality starts. He's been outstanding in his previous four with a 1.71 ERA, 37 strikeouts and an opponents' batting average of .189, but he's gone 1-2 with just five total runs of support over 26 1-3 innings.

Kennedy struck out a season-high 12 while outdueling Texas' Cole Hamels on Wednesday and departed with a 3-2 lead after seven before the Padres lost 4-3 in 10.

"It goes unnoticed how great he was," Padres interim manager Pat Murphy said of Kennedy after that outing. "Great performance, great performance battling their No. 1."

San Diego (65-72), which dropped three of four to the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend to fall to 2-5 on an 11-game homestand, may find the inspiration to give Kennedy some breathing room in its mastery of the Rockies (56-80) this year.

The Padres have dominated the season series with 112 hits and 77 runs while taking nine of the first 12 matchups, including all five at home. In two of their wins, they scored a season-best 14 runs, and Kennedy was the beneficiary in a 14-3 home win May 1.

San Diego, however, also failed to support Kennedy in a 5-0 loss at Coors Field on Aug. 16 in which he allowed four runs - one earned - and fanned eight in 6 2-3 innings.

The Rockies have dropped four of seven after splitting a four-game weekend series against San Francisco to close a 4-4 homestand. They now hit the road for a 10-game trip looking to win back-to-back away games for only the second time since the end of May.

Kyle Kendrick (4-12, 6.29 ERA) may not be the best arm to get them there despite tossing four solid innings in his first start in a month his last time out. Kendrick gave up one run and three hits in a 5-3 loss to Arizona on Tuesday after spending time on the disabled list for shoulder inflammation in his pitching arm.

The right-hander is 0-1 with a 7.50 ERA in two starts against the Padres this year.

Rockies slugger Nolan Arenado, who is tied for the NL lead with 36 homers, had his home run streak snapped at a team-record six games in Sunday's 7-4 loss to the Giants.

"It was a pretty cool streak. It's hard to think about it because I never thought about it at the plate," he told MLB's official website. "When I was hitting the homers, it never crossed my mind."

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rockies at Padres
Mon, Sep 7 - 4:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Rockies at Padres
Tue, Sep 8 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Rockies at Padres
Wed, Sep 9 - 9:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Rockies at Padres
Thu, Sep 10 - 3:40PM EDT

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