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**StarDust Bum** · 09-14-2015, 02:48 AM

LEADING OFF: Lone Star showdown, Arenado airs 'em out

September 13, 2015

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

BIGGEST IN TEXAS

The Lone Star State hosts the day's biggest matchup as the Astros and Rangers begin a four-game series in Arlington that will help decide the AL West. Houston leads Texas by 1 1/2 games after both teams won Sunday, with the Astros using a five-run ninth to top the Angels 5-3 while the Rangers blew out the A's. Scott Kazmir (7-10, 2.63) goes for Houston while Cole Hamels (9-8, 3.76) pitches on five days' rest for the Rangers.

STICKING AROUND

While the Texas teams battle for the top spot in the AL West, the third-place Angels will try to stay relevant as they open a three-game series at Seattle. Mike Trout homered Sunday and has two in seven games after going a career-long 27 games without a long ball. Garrett Richards (13-10, 3.71) throws for Los Angeles - which is 4 1/2 games behind Houston - against Taijuan Walker (10-8, 4.70).

MORE BOUNTY FOR OLD MEN

David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez both look to continue historic seasons against AL East rivals. Ortiz slugged his 500th homer on Saturday and now has 34 homers on the season with Boston. Meanwhile, Rodriguez was honored in New York on Sunday for achieving his 3,000th hit earlier in the season and now has 31 homers. They are just the second pair of sluggers 39 or older to hit 30-plus homers in the same season - Barry Bonds (45) and Steve Finley (36) were the first in 2004. The Red Sox open a series at Baltimore while the contending Yankees travel to Tampa Bay.

COORS CRUSH

Nolan Arenado seeks to build on his NL-leading 38 homers and 110 RBIs as the Rockies face the first-place Dodgers in the first of three games. No Rockies player has led the NL in homers since Larry Walker did it in 1997, and Matt Holliday was the last to win the RBI crown, accruing 137 in 2007. Rookie Jon Gray (0-0, 5.17) will pitch against the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw (13-6, 2.15).

WELL PENNED

The Phillies' Ken Giles is likely due an off day after his pair of scoreless appearances helped Philadelphia salvage a four-game split with the Cubs over the weekend. After picking up the win with 1 1-3 hitless innings Saturday, Giles notched his 13th save in a 7-4 win Sunday. Giles has allowed just two earned runs in his last 26 appearances (0.64 ERA). The Phillies will send rookie Aaron Nola (6-2, 3.56) against the Nationals' Jordan Zimmermann (12-8, 3.32).

**StarDust Bum** · 09-14-2015, 02:50 AM

Preview: Red Sox (67-74) at Orioles (68-73)
Game: 1
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: September 14, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Eduardo Rodriguez's rookie season has included some terrible starts, but the form he's shown in his previous four offers the most convincing evidence he's growing out of it.

The 22-year-old has a shot to accomplish in 19 starts what it took veteran Wade Miley 25 and Joe Kelly 24 to do - reach 10 wins - in Monday night's series opener against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards.

Rodriguez (9-5, 4.05 ERA), acquired from Baltimore at last season's deadline for Andrew Miller, gave up a run and eight hits with seven strikeouts in seven innings of a 6-2 home win over Philadelphia on Sept. 6, moving the left-hander to 3-0 with a 1.73 ERA in his last four outings with four walks over 26 innings.

"We can go back to May and June, he would have a bump in the road and give up five runs and come out of the game," interim manager Torey Lovullo told MLB's official website. "That hasn't happened in a long time. That's maturity."

One of those blowups came during an 8-6 home loss to the Orioles on June 25 in which he gave up six runs and seven hits in 3 2-3 innings. He's 0-1 with a 5.59 ERA in two starts in the series, with J.J. Hardy going 2 for 4 and Matt Wieters 2 for 5 with a homer.

Rodriguez has also given up 17 runs in 13 2-3 innings over three straight road losses.

The Red Sox (68-74) have a shot at dragging Baltimore (69-73) back into a tie in the AL East cellar, and the same goes for Tampa Bay as it begins a series with the New York Yankees.

Boston won the last two of a three-game series in Tampa over the weekend, including Sunday's 2-0 victory to get within a victory of moving five games under .500 for the first time since entering the All-Star break at 42-47.

Mookie Betts was 3 for 6, extending his career-best hitting streak to 18 games. He's batting .395 during the club's longest streak since Jacoby Ellsbury's 19-game run in 2013.

Baltimore, which has won seven of eight over Boston with five straight at home, seems to again have it together at Camden with three wins in four games after a six-game losing streak. The Orioles took two of three over the weekend against Kansas City, and Sunday's 8-2 win gave them 28 runs with a .327 average in the series.

Chris Davis hit his MLB-leading 42nd home run and is batting .444 with seven homers and 14 RBIs in 11 games this month. Adam Jones is 4 for 8 with two home runs and seven RBIs in his last two, and he says the Orioles still have the playoffs in mind despite sitting six games out of the second wild-card spot with four teams to catch.

"We're not mathematically eliminated, so there's still something to play for," Jones said.

Kevin Gausman is 0-4 with a 4.99 ERA in seven starts since last winning Aug. 1, though he wasn't bad in Tuesday's 2-1 win at the Yankees. The right-hander gave up a run and six hits in five innings to go without a decision for the third time in four starts.

Gausman (2-6, 4.43) hasn't faced Boston as a starter this season, but he's 1-0 with a 2.66 ERA in three career starts and five relief efforts. David Ortiz is 4 for 8 with two home runs against him, and Ryan Hanigan is 2 for 5 with a homer.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Red Sox at Orioles
Mon, Sep 14 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Red Sox at Orioles
Tue, Sep 15 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Red Sox at Orioles
Wed, Sep 16 - 7:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-14-2015, 02:52 AM

Preview: Nationals (72-70) at Phillies (55-88)
Game: 1
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: September 14, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

The Washington Nationals are happy Bryce Harper isn't showing signs of a concussion after a scary collision.

The NL batting leader's status is uncertain for the opener of a three-game road series against the Philadelphia Phillies, who are starting impressive rookie Aaron Nola on Monday night.

Harper, who has a .333 average and leads the majors with a .648 slugging percentage, was removed from Sunday's 5-0 win at Miami for precautionary reasons after colliding with Marlins second baseman Derek Dietrich while running the bases.

'I tried to get up on my own, but I felt pretty dizzy,' Harper said. 'Once I rolled I just said that I didn't feel right. I was looking up into the stadium and I just didn't feel good at all."

Harper does not have a concussion, though the Nationals (72-70) are unsure of his status.

"When we got out there, he reported a little bit of dizziness, so as a precaution we took him out,"manager Matt Williams said. "All tests after and since have been really good, no signs of a concussion so we'll keep evaluating him through the night and see how he is tomorrow."

Matt den Dekker replaced Harper and hit his third homer and Anthony Rendon had three hits to support Max Scherzer, who went eight innings as Washington stopped a five-game slide that has effectively ended its hopes of winning the NL East.

Washington has an 8-5 mark against Philadelphia (56-88) as it gets its first look at Nola (6-2, 3.56 ERA), who struck out seven in seven innings Tuesday for a 5-0 win over Atlanta that improved his record to 3-1 with a 2.10 ERA in five home starts.

"His ability to locate his fastball down in the zone on both sides of the plate is his strong suit," interim manager Pete Mackanin said.

The right-hander is about 15-20 innings short of his limit with a total of 170 pitched so far, including the minor leagues. He is scheduled for three more starts.

"It's obviously been my longest year so far," Nola told MLB's official website, "but I really feel good. My body and arm feel really good. Every time I go out I just try to go as long as I can."

He'll be opposed by Jordan Zimmermann (12-8, 3.32), who has a 4.67 ERA on the road compared to 2.47 at home. Zimmermann was in line to win his fifth straight start Tuesday after allowing one run in 5 2-3 innings before his bullpen blew a six-run lead in an 8-7 loss to the New York Mets.

The right-hander is 4-2 with a 2.33 ERA in his last six outings versus Philadelphia. Ryan Howard is 3 for 22 in this matchup.

Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez's status is uncertain after he dislocated his thumb in Sunday's 7-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Philadelphia continues to use young players, with left fielder Aaron Altherr going 2 for 3 on Sunday. Altherr is the first major leaguer born in Germany since Bob Belloir played shortstop for Atlanta in 1978, and 12 of his 19 hits have gone for extra bases.

'I just try to put the barrel on the ball,' Altherr said. 'I'm trying to show them I can play here.'

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Nationals at Phillies
Mon, Sep 14 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Nationals at Phillies
Tue, Sep 15 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Nationals at Phillies
Wed, Sep 16 - 7:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-14-2015, 02:54 AM

Preview: Marlins (61-82) at Mets (81-61)
Game: 1
Venue: Citi Field
Date: September 14, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

When the New York Mets last saw the Miami Marlins, they lost two of three as their NL East lead was cut to four games.

One week later, New York has yet to lose since and the postseason is a near certainty.

The Mets expect to have Yoenis Cespedes back in the lineup on Monday night when they seek an eighth straight win in the opener of this three-game home series with the Marlins.

New York (82-61) started a 10-game trip by losing two of three to Miami from Sept. 4-6 before heading to Washington, which was four games back. The Mets swept three games from the second-place Nationals before sweeping four in Atlanta, with their division lead now at 9 1/2.

'It's really hard to imagine that we would be sitting where we are right now,' manager Terry Collins said. 'Even though we thought we had a good team, this is far above what we expected.'

New York faced a three-run deficit in the ninth inning Sunday with the red-hot Cespedes out of the lineup. Daniel Murphy hit a tying three-run homer and the Mets scored three times in the 10th for a 10-7 victory.

Cespedes struck out as a pinch hitter. He's batting .392 with eight homers and 18 RBIs in his last 11 starts, going deep in each of the last two.

The slugger initially declined Collins' offer for extra rest Saturday night, then changed his mind. It marked the second time he hasn't started since he was acquired from Detroit on July 31.

Cespedes has hit safely in all nine career games against Miami (61-82) with a .364 average, two homers, nine RBIs and 14 runs scored.

The Mets also rested shortstop Wilmer Flores and catcher Travis d'Arnaud on Sunday.

New York has never faced left-handed Miami starter Justin Nicolino (3-3, 3.72 ERA), who could be a formidable opponent since he is 3-0 with a 0.87 ERA in three road starts.

Nicolino wasn't as sharp in his last outing Monday at home against Milwaukee, surrendering five runs over 4 1-3 innings in a 9-1 defeat.

"I was just leaving too many pitches up in the zone," Nicolino said.

The Mets are 18-13 when facing lefty starters.

Miami starts a seven-game trip after going 6-3 on a homestand that began with the New York series that featured two walk-off wins. Sunday's 5-0 loss to Washington that ended a four-game win streak did little to dampen the club's mood.

'We won three series to go 6-3, and I'm very proud of the way these guys have played over these last three or four weeks,' manager Dan Jennings said. 'I liked the effort and the energy and playing smart, aggressive baseball.'

Martin Prado batted .406 on the homestand, going 7 for 14 against the Mets. Miami is 6-10 in the season series.

The Mets are starting Logan Verrett (1-0, 1.93) on Monday in place of Matt Harvey, whose innings are being limited. Verrett's first career start was an eight-inning effort in which he yielded one run in a 5-1 victory at Colorado on Aug. 23.

The right-hander, who was called up Tuesday from Triple-A Las Vegas, has never faced Miami.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Marlins at Mets
Mon, Sep 14 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Marlins at Mets
Tue, Sep 15 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Marlins at Mets
Wed, Sep 16 - 7:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-14-2015, 02:56 AM

Preview: Yankees (78-64) at Rays (69-72)
Game: 1
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: September 14, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

The New York Yankees damaged their AL East title hopes with a poor homestand.

Now they start a road trip with a pitcher who is among the worst in baseball and a hitter who has been abysmal since the All-Star break.

CC Sabathia is enduring a career-worst, eight-start winless stretch and Jacoby Ellsbury is in a major slump ahead of Monday night's opener of a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

New York (78-64) ended a five-game slide and avoided a four-game sweep with Sunday's 5-0 victory over Toronto that cut the Blue Jays' lead atop the East to 3 1/2 games.

"You look at the weekend, it's not what we want," manager Joe Girardi said. "We really had a chance to win two games but we came out of here with one."

The Yankees went 4-6 on a homestand preceding this nine-game trip, but were 5-1 on their last road stretch.

"You can't afford to lose four in this situation and now we've got to go have a good road trip," Girardi said. "We did not have a great homestand, but we had a good road trip the last time, we need to have another one."

Sabathia (4-9, 5.16 ERA) will get the start after going 0-1 with a 4.43 ERA in eight outings since the All-Star break. He pitched Wednesday for the first time since Aug. 23, wearing a new, tighter brace that better holds the ligaments in place in his surgically repaired right knee, and gave up three runs over 4 2-3 innings in a 5-3 loss to Baltimore.

"The brace held up, and I feel confident going out there from here forward," said Sabathia, whose ERA is one of baseball's worst.

The left-hander is 6-13 with a 4.47 ERA in 26 starts against Tampa Bay (69-73) since joining the Yankees in 2009. New York is 3-10 in his starts at Tropicana Field.

Evan Longoria is a .393 hitter with six homers off Sabathia and Logan Forsythe is 6 for 12 with two home runs. James Loney is 5 for 23 in the matchup, J.P. Arencibia is 2 for 20 and Brandon Guyer 1 for 17.

Ellsbury is hitless in his last 17 at-bats and has been one of baseball's worst hitters since the All-Star break with a .208 average. He is batting .104 with no extra-base hits in his last 12 games.

"We need to get him going," Girardi said.

Ellsbury is a .383 hitter in 2015 against Tampa Bay and 3 for 4 with a homer off Monday's starter Erasmo Ramirez.

Ramirez (10-5, 3.96) is 0-1 with a 6.20 ERA in his last four outings and has failed to record an out past the fifth in three straight.

The right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in two starts and three relief appearances in 2015 against New York. Chase Headley is 1 for 13 against him, Stephen Drew is 0 for 9 and Chris Young 1 for 7.

The Yankees are 10-6 against the Rays, who dropped their fifth in seven games with Sunday's 2-0, 13-inning home loss to Boston. Tampa Bay has lost 11 straight in extra innings.

"I don't know what to say about that," right fielder Steven Souza Jr. said of the extra-inning woes. "It's nuts."

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Yankees at Rays
Mon, Sep 14 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Yankees at Rays
Tue, Sep 15 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Yankees at Rays
Wed, Sep 16 - 7:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-14-2015, 02:58 AM

Preview: Astros (76-66) at Rangers (74-67)
Game: 1
Venue: Globe Life Park in Arlington
Date: September 14, 2015 8:05 PM EDT

Bragging rights usually were at stake in past years when the Houston Astros would meet the Texas Rangers.

There's much more on the line this time.

The biggest series in the history of this rivalry gets underway Monday night in Arlington, where the charging Rangers attempt to cut into the Astros' slim lead atop the AL West.

Texas (75-67) trailed Houston (77-66) by eight games before a three-game sweep of their Lone Star State rivals at Globe Life Park in early August began a 24-14 stretch that has pulled the Rangers within 1 1/2. The Astros, who have held at least a share of first place since July 28, are 17-20 over that same span.

"Obviously, we want to face the team that is in front of us," Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre said. "We're looking forward to getting our chance to climb up to where we want to be."

The margin would have been further reduced if not for Houston's improbable rally Sunday in Anaheim, where it scored five times with two outs in the ninth inning for a 5-3 victory over the Angels. Preston Tucker's homer was the first of five straight hits off Huston Street, capped by Jed Lowrie's pinch-hit three-run shot.

"It's about as dramatic of a momentum shift or comeback as you're going to see," Lowrie said. "But what's made this team great all year is that we've literally fought to the last pitch."

Texas kept pace by matching a season high with four homers, including two by Beltre, in a 12-4 rout of Oakland. Shin-Soo Choo added a two-run blast and finished 3 for 4 with three runs scored.

The Astros, second in the majors with 195 homers, have hit nine in four games and 17 over their last nine, with Lowrie launching three in his past eight. Carlos Gomez has two on this road trip but was scratched from Sunday's lineup with a sore left side.

That level of proficiency will be tested by Cole Hamels (3-1, 4.07), who hasn't allowed a homer in five straight starts after permitting five in his first two with Texas.

The Rangers have prevailed in each of those previous five outings, including Tuesday's 9-6 triumph at Seattle in which Hamels surrendered four runs in seven innings to win a third consecutive decision.

Hamels hasn't faced Houston since a 12-6 win while with Philadelphia on Sept. 14, 2012 - his only victory in his past six meetings with the Astros. The key trade deadline pickup is 1-3 with a 6.31 ERA over that span.

He'll have to be careful with Evan Gattis, who's 3 for 9 with two homers against him.

While Hamels has been stingy with the long ball, Scott Kazmir (7-10, 2.63) has allowed seven in 40 innings while going 1-5 with a 4.28 ERA over a seven-start stretch. The fellow midseason acquisition was reached for two homers and four runs in six innings of Tuesday's 4-0 loss to his former Oakland team.

Kazmir also has lost four straight road starts, a sequence that began with a 4-3 defeat at Texas on Aug. 5. He allowed just one earned run in 5 2-3 innings, however, and is 2-1 with a 1.35 ERA in four season matchups with Texas.

Choo is 7 for 22 with a homer against Kazmir, but Beltre (1 for 8 this season) and Prince Fielder (2 for 18 career) have struggled, though Fielder homered off him May 1 in Arlington.

Houston, 29-42 on the road and 2-4 on this 10-game trip, is 7-20 at Globe Life Park since 2012 and has lost 11 of its last 15 overall against Texas. The Rangers are 8-4 in the season series.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Astros at Rangers
Mon, Sep 14 - 8:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Astros at Rangers
Tue, Sep 15 - 8:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Astros at Rangers
Wed, Sep 16 - 8:05PM EDT

GAME 4
Astros at Rangers
Thu, Sep 17 - 8:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-14-2015, 03:00 AM

Preview: Athletics (61-81) at White Sox (67-73)
Game: 1
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: September 14, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Sonny Gray has consistently been among the majors' best road pitchers this season, while John Danks has excelled on his home mound in the second half.

The two face off Monday night when Danks' Chicago White Sox begin a four-game series with the Oakland Athletics.

Though both teams are well behind in the playoff chase and nearing the end of disappointing seasons, each of Monday's starters delivered positive results in their last outing.

Danks (7-12, 4.60 ERA) takes his first turn since throwing a season-high 121 pitches during a complete game in a 12-1 win at Kansas City Sept. 4. The veteran left-hander had posted a 6.50 ERA in losing his previous three starts.

"He had a little extra giddy up on the fastball, it felt like," catcher Tyler Flowers told MLB's official website. "He had pretty good command of that pitch."

Only one of those defeats came at U.S. Cellular Field, where Danks is 2-1 with a 1.14 ERA in five starts after the All-Star break.

Gray (13-7, 2.28) ended a winless stretch of his own by tossing seven innings in Tuesday's 4-0 victory over Houston. The All-Star had been 0-3 with a 4.32 ERA over his prior four starts.

The Oakland ace sports the AL's second-lowest ERA and owns a 1.72 mark on the road, tied with the Cubs' Jake Arrieta for tops in the majors.

Gray, who's 8-3 in 14 road starts, yielded two earned runs in seven innings to win his lone U.S. Cellular Field appearance on Sept. 8, 2014.

He'll face a White Sox lineup that was held to five hits by Kyle Gibson and two relievers in Sunday's 7-0 loss to Minnesota that dropped Chicago (67-74) to 2-4 on its 10-game homestand. Jose Abreu went 1 for 13 for the series after homering in two straight games.

Oakland (61-82) has dropped eight of 11 and ensured its first losing season since 2011 with Sunday's 12-4 defeat at Texas. A's pitchers surrendered four homers, with Felix Doubront allowing three in 4 1-3 innings.

'We're just trying to win as many games as we can,' manager Bob Melvin said.

Oakland starters have a combined 7.20 ERA in four games following Gray's gem.

The A's also haven't had much success in this series, losing seven of the last eight matchups and suffering a three-game sweep at home in mid-May. Danks won the middle game of that series by yielding two runs and three hits over seven innings in Chicago's 4-3 victory.

Danks is 7-3 with a 2.40 ERA in 12 starts against Oakland, including a 5-2 mark with a 2.24 ERA in eight at home.

Danny Valencia, who had a two-run triple Sunday and has 14 RBIs over his last 11 games, is 8 for 27 with a homer off Danks.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Athletics at White Sox
Mon, Sep 14 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Athletics at White Sox
Tue, Sep 15 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Athletics at White Sox
Wed, Sep 16 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Athletics at White Sox
Thu, Sep 17 - 2:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-14-2015, 03:02 AM

Preview: Tigers (64-76) at Twins (73-68)
Game: 1
Venue: Target Field
Date: September 14, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The Minnesota Twins signed Torii Hunter away from the Detroit Tigers under the assumption that he'd give the rebuilding club a veteran presence in the clubhouse.

Instead, he's starting to become a driving force during the team's surprising playoff push.

The veteran outfielder hopes to keep swinging a hot bat while ending his struggles against his former club on Monday night when the Twins open a 10-game stay against Detroit.

Hunter batted .295 with 34 home runs and 167 RBIs in helping the Tigers reach the postseason the past two years. He then decided to return to Minnesota in December, signing a one-year deal with the organization in which he played for over his first 11 seasons.

Not much was expected from the Twins as Hunter figured to help mold some of the team's younger players. However, they're threatening to make their first playoff appearance since 2010.

Hunter hit a three-run homer off Chris Sale and went 2 for 4 with four RBIs in Sunday's 7-0 win over the Chicago White Sox. Minnesota finished 5-4 on its road swing and remained one game behind Texas, which holds the AL's second wild card.

'I've been in this position before,' the 40-year-old Hunter said. 'I know what it takes.'

Hunter provided a spark on the trip, going 10 for 25 over his last six games. However, he's in a 1-for-35 slump at Target Field and is 5 for 41 against the last-place Tigers (65-77).

Manager Paul Molitor said he'll play Hunter as much as possible down the stretch. That could include the opener since he homered and walked in his two plate appearances against Detroit's scheduled starter Kyle Lobstein (3-7, 5.31 ERA) in a 6-2 home win May 13.

The Twins (74-68) are going after their fifth straight home series win and seventh victory in nine games at Target Field. They've dropped eight of 13 in the season series with Detroit, but totaled 24 runs and 35 hits in winning the last three of a four-game home set in July.

Lobstein is making his 11th career start and third since missing more than three months with a shoulder injury. He's allowed 11 runs and 15 hits over 10 innings in dropping his last two.

The left-hander also has gone 0-2 with a 15.43 ERA in two career starts against the Twins.

Minnesota rookie Eddie Rosario matched a season high with three hits Sunday, while Brian Dozier, Miguel Sano and Trevor Plouffe had two apiece. Plouffe is 8 for 14 over his last four games.

The Twins are turning to rookie right-hander Tyler Duffey (2-1, 4.18). Since a rocky MLB debut, he's gone 2-0 with a 2.67 ERA in his last five outings.

He'll get his first look at a Detroit team that snapped a four-game road skid by salvaging a 9-2 win in the finale of Sunday's doubleheader at Cleveland. The Tigers are trying to win back-to-back road games for only the third time since July 9.

J.D. Martinez went 5 for 9 with two doubles and three RBIs Sunday.

Miguel Cabrera, who leads the majors with a .341 average, is batting .396 with 10 RBIs in his last 11 games at Minnesota. However, he's hitting .129 with one extra-base hit over his last eight overall.

'Miggy is human, you know,' manager Brad Ausmus said.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Tigers at Twins
Mon, Sep 14 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Tigers at Twins
Tue, Sep 15 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Tigers at Twins
Wed, Sep 16 - 8:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-14-2015, 03:04 AM

Preview: Padres (67-76) at Diamondbacks (68-74)
Game: 1
Venue: Chase Field
Date: September 14, 2015 9:40 PM EDT

One of baseball's worst teams over the past few weeks, the San Diego Padres are in position to fall more than 10 games below .500 for the first time this season.

Third place in the NL West is also on the line against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night at Chase Field in the opener of a three-game series.

The Padres (67-77) have dropped four straight, including a three-game sweep in San Francisco over the weekend after Sunday's 10-3 loss tagged them with 27 runs allowed in the series. The pitching staff has been terrible with a 5.31 ERA over a 6-15 span, which has them in danger of dropping more than 10 under .500 for the first time since Sept. 17, 2014. Dating to Aug. 23, only Atlanta (3-18) has been worse.

"They schooled us this weekend," interim manager Pat Murphy said. "We helped them. We walked 19 in three games. I mean, they schooled us in every facet of the game."

San Diego needs James Shields to turn that around, though he too has struggled with control. Shields (11-6, 3.90 ERA) earned the decision in Wednesday's 11-4 home win over Colorado after giving up four runs and eight hits with four walks in six innings.

The right-hander has walked 10 in 11 innings over his last two starts, and he's 2-0 with a 4.00 ERA in his last three in large part because of a 10.00 run support average.

Shields is 1-2 with a 7.94 ERA in three career starts at Arizona with nine earned runs allowed over 12 innings in two starts this season. Paul Goldschmidt (3 for 5), A.J. Pollock (3 for 6), David Peralta (2 for 5) and Chris Owings (1 for 3) have all homered off Shields, and Aaron Hill is 11 for 38 with four home runs.

He's up against Jeremy Hellickson, who is returning from the 15-day disabled and could win a third straight start for the second time this season. Hellickson (9-8, 4.60) has been out since Aug. 17 with a left hamstring strain, but the right-hander gave up one earned run in 13 1-3 innings over his two previous outings.

With another strong start, Hellickson would drop his ERA below his season-best of 4.58 after his third start April 19, but it'll take quite an improvement against the Padres. Hellickson is 1-2 with a 7.67 ERA in five career matchups, including four this season.

Justin Upton (5 for 10 with two home runs) and Wil Myers (3 for 7 with a home run) have hit him well, though Derek Norris is 1 for 13.

The Diamondbacks (68-75), who are 1 1/2 games up on San Diego in the division, have barely been better than the Padres lately, dropping 14 of 20 after falling in the final two of a three-game home series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In Sunday's 4-3 loss, they managed five hits and a ninth-inning rally from 4-0 down fell just short. Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a three-run homer and has gone deep in three straight games, but he's 0 for 14 against Shields.

Goldschmidt twisted his right ankle catching a pop-up and remained in the game after having it taped, but his manager said his status will be determined Monday.

"Sometimes those type of things the next day swell up a little bit so we'll check him (Monday) before we post the lineup," Chip Hale said.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Padres at Diamondbacks
Mon, Sep 14 - 9:40PM EDT

GAME 2
Padres at Diamondbacks
Tue, Sep 15 - 9:40PM EDT

GAME 3
Padres at Diamondbacks
Wed, Sep 16 - 9:40PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-14-2015, 03:05 AM

Preview: Angels (72-69) at Mariners (69-74)
Game: 1
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: September 14, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Both the Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners were pegged as preseason playoff contenders. Time's almost up on one, and it may be running out on the other.

The Angels look to rebound from a potentially devastating loss as they begin a critical road trip Monday night against the Mariners.

Los Angeles (72-70) appeared to be climbing in both the AL West and wild-card standings after winning the first two games of its weekend series with division-leading Houston. The Angels were one strike away from a sweep Sunday before usually dependable closer Huston Street allowed five ninth-inning runs in a stunning 5-3 loss.

The Angels fell three games behind Texas for the second wild card and 4 1/2 back of the Astros.

Los Angeles still has a chance to gain ground on two of its competitors on this nine-game trip. It concludes the trek with three games in Houston after three at Minnesota, which is two in front of the Angels in the wild-card race.

'We've got to turn the page on this one,' manager Mike Scioscia said. 'Sometimes that page is heavy, like it was (Sunday), but we have to turn it. Huston has been there for us all year, and we'll need him again.'

Seattle (69-75) is more of a longshot, trailing the Rangers by seven games, and failed to help its very slim hopes by losing two of three at home to lowly Colorado this weekend. The Mariners didn't record an extra-base hit and had just five total in Sunday's 3-2 defeat.

They'll attempt to bounce back behind Taijuan Walker (10-8, 4.70 ERA), who is coming off a dismal performance. In Tuesday's 9-6 home loss to Texas, he permitted three homers and five earned runs over three-plus innings to match his shortest outing of the season.

"He threw up a clunker," Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon told MLB's official website. "He wasn't very good."

Walker had yielded three homers total over a seven-start unbeaten sequence preceding that game, compiling a 3-0 record and 3.26 ERA.

The right-hander is 1-1 with a 5.25 ERA in two prior season matchups with the Angels, who reached Walker for six earned runs in five innings of a 10-3 victory at Safeco Field July 12.

Mike Trout, who hit his 35th home run Sunday, is 4 for 5 with a homer off Walker. David Freese (4 for 6 with two doubles) and Erick Aybar (3 for 4 with two doubles) also have had success.

C.J. Cron is 0 for 2 against Walker but homered twice Sunday and finished 4 for 6 with three homers in the final two games against Houston.

Garrett Richards (13-10, 3.71) draws the assignment for Los Angeles in search of a fourth consecutive quality start. The right-hander is 1-0 with a 3.05 ERA during that stretch and matched a season high with 11 strikeouts over 7 2-3 innings Wednesday while holding the Dodgers to two runs and four hits.

Richards is 4-2 with a 2.24 ERA in eight career starts against Seattle and had won three straight decisions prior to allowing a season-high 12 hits and four runs in 5 1-3 innings of a 7-2 road loss July 9.

The Angels are 8-5 in the season series and won four of seven meetings in Seattle.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Angels at Mariners
Mon, Sep 14 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Angels at Mariners
Tue, Sep 15 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Angels at Mariners
Wed, Sep 16 - 10:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-14-2015, 03:07 AM

Preview: Rockies (59-83) at Dodgers (81-60)
Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: September 14, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

Though it seemed like a long shot during some of his early-season struggles, Clayton Kershaw has pitched himself back into the NL Cy Young conversation.

There's reason to believe he can pad his resume against the NL West's bottom feeders.

The left-hander faces the Colorado Rockies on Monday night looking to win his ninth straight decision and help the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers win their 16th in 20 games.

Kershaw (13-6, 2.15 ERA) was having a subpar season by his own lofty standards after losing his third straight start in late June to fall to 5-6 with a 3.20 ERA.

The team's co-ace, however, has since returned to his lights-out form by going 8-0 with an 0.96 ERA over his past 12 starts. He won his third straight outing Tuesday, allowing one earned run over seven innings in a 6-4 win at the Los Angeles Angels.

Seeking his second straight Cy Young, Kershaw has snuck up on teammate Zack Greinke, who leads the majors with a 1.61 ERA, and Chicago's Jake Arrieta and his MLB-high 19 wins.

"Clayton's in a groove, that's for sure," catcher A.J. Ellis told MLB's official website.

The 27-year-old, who has a baseball-best 259 strikeouts, looks to keep it going as he tries to help Los Angeles to its fourth straight win and 19th in 24 home games in the opener of this 10-game stay.

The Dodgers wrapped up a 7-3 trip with Sunday's 4-3 victory at Arizona. They own a half-game lead on the East-leading New York Mets for home-field advantage in a potential NL division series matchup.

Kershaw is 8-0 with a 2.62 ERA over his last nine meetings with the Rockies and 8-2 with a 1.60 mark in 13 career matchups at Chavez Ravine. He's gone 3-0 with a 3.91 ERA in four 2015 starts.

The Dodgers have won nine of 13 in the season series and had earned nine straight victories at home before splitting a four-game set in mid-May. Los Angeles has limited Colorado (60-83) to a .202 average and 3.0 runs per game in its past 13 at Dodger Stadium.

Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon have each homered off Kershaw this season, but they're a combined 5 for 23 with seven strikeouts in the matchup. Carlos Gonzalez is batting .182 with two homers and 17 strikeouts in 33 lifetime at-bats against him.

Arenado leads the NL with 38 home runs, while Gonzalez is second with 37.

The last-place Rockies improved to 7-26 against left-handed starters and 4-3 on a 10-game road swing with Sunday's 3-2 win over Seattle, which started southpaw James Paxton.

Former first-round pick Jon Gray (0-0, 5.17), who faces Los Angeles (82-60) for the first time, is still seeking his first big-league win in his eighth start. He gave up two hits and struck out six over five shutout innings in Tuesday's 2-1 loss at San Diego.

"I think if I can feed off of this," the right-hander said. "It's coming pretty soon."

Gray may have to be careful with Adrian Gonzalez, who is 5 for 9 in his last two games. Gonzalez is also batting .429 with 20 RBIs in his last 14 against the Rockies.

Colorado is expected to have Jose Reyes back after a four-game absence due to a strained Achilles. The shortstop hasn't faced the Dodgers since 2013 while with Toronto.

Los Angeles' Jimmy Rollins will test his injured hand Monday, while Carl Crawford could return to the lineup after leaving Saturday's game with hamstring tightness.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rockies at Dodgers
Mon, Sep 14 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Rockies at Dodgers
Tue, Sep 15 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Rockies at Dodgers
Wed, Sep 16 - 10:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-14-2015, 03:09 AM

Preview: Reds (60-81) at Giants (74-68)
Game: 1
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: September 14, 2015 10:15 PM EDT

The San Francisco offense has gone nuts in the last three games despite plenty of injuries, and it shouldn't have a tough time keeping it going in a series against three Cincinnati pitchers that have been incapable of limiting much of anyone.

The Reds' Keyvius Sampson will take the first shot at changing that Monday night at AT&T Park, where the Giants have started a nine-game homestand with three straight wins.

San Francisco (75-68) won 10-3 Sunday to complete a sweep of San Diego with 27 runs scored and a .340 average. Buster Posey was 2 for 3 with two RBIs and is batting .479 in his last 14 games, boosting his average to .329 and putting him in position to contend for the batting title and potentially top his career-best .336 mark from 2012.

The pitching staff has also been impressive for an entire turn through the rotation, posting a 1.64 ERA and .145 opponent batting average in the last five games. That started with Tim Hudson limiting Arizona to a run in six innings of Tuesday's 6-2 road win.

The right-hander, retiring at season's end, was starting for the first time since July 26, and dating to that win over Oakland, he's gone 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA in 13 1-3 innings of two starts and two relief efforts.

"That just goes to show you how much feel he has for pitching," Posey told MLB's official website of the success despite a sporadic workload.

Hudson (7-8, 4.51 ERA) is 2-1 with a 2.48 ERA in his last four starts against the Reds while completing at least seven innings in each. The 40-year-old hasn't allowed much to Brandon Phillips (4 for 27), Skip Schumaker (3 for 20) and Joey Votto (2 for 14).

San Francisco is trying to make a run with Brandon Crawford (calf, side), Joe Panik (back), Hunter Pence (strained left oblique), Nori Aoki (concussion) and Gregor Blanco (concussion) all out of the lineup.

With the Reds (60-82) and Arizona now coming to town followed by six on the road against the Padres and Oakland, the Giants have a favorable schedule leading into a crucial four-game set with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but they're going to need some help to make up one of two substantial deficits with 19 games remaining. They're 7 1/2 games back of both the Dodgers in the NL West and Chicago Cubs for the second wild card.

Sampson (2-4, 6.94) is 0-3 with a 10.24 ERA in his last five starts, allowing a .393 opponent batting average and 5.59 walks per nine innings. The rookie surrendered five runs and five hits in 5 1-3 innings of Wednesday's 5-4 home loss to Pittsburgh.

The Reds are also coming off an impressive series, but winning three of four at home over MLB-leading St. Louis ended with Sunday's 9-2 loss.

Todd Frazier homered and is 6 for 17 with three homers in his last five games. With a career-high 33 for the season, he's one off of Jay Bruce's 2012 total and four back of Votto's 2010 mark for the franchise's high since Adam Dunn hit 40 in each season from 2005-07.

"We played a good Cardinal team and took three out of four," Frazier said. "We'll take that any day of the week. We helped a couple teams. We made the race a little closer. It's hard to take four from any team."

They did it the last time they visited San Francisco in June 2014, have won five straight at AT&T and haven't lost a series there since 2010. The Giants, however, took three of four in Cincinnati from May 14-17, concluding with 30 runs in three straight wins.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Reds at Giants
Mon, Sep 14 - 10:15PM EDT

GAME 2
Reds at Giants
Tue, Sep 15 - 10:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Reds at Giants
Wed, Sep 16 - 10:15PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-14-2015, 03:12 AM

Preview: Royals (84-57) at Indians (69-70)
Game: 1
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: September 14, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Much like the rest of the scuffling Kansas City Royals, Edinson Volquez is hoping to find a rhythm over the final three weeks before getting a shot in the postseason.

The right-hander believes he's fixed a flaw in his mechanics and will try to help the Royals avoid their eighth loss in 10 games Monday night in the first of four against the Indians in Cleveland.

Kansas City has a comfortable 10-game lead in the AL Central as it seeks its first division title since winning the West in 1985. The club, however, hasn't played well of late, scoring two runs or fewer five times over the last nine while their starters have posted a 6.53 ERA.

Volquez has alternated between good and bad outings over his past seven. He felt progress was made Tuesday when he gave up two runs over seven innings in a 4-2 home win over Minnesota.

"(Pitching coach Dave Eiland) fixed me," he told MLB's official website. "I hope to continue to do what I did and be consistent with that. I think my windup was too long."

Volquez (13-7, 3.49 ERA) had been 1-2 with an 11.48 ERA in four starts versus Cleveland before overcoming five walks to allow three runs over six innings in a 9-4 road win July 27.

Carlos Santana homered off the right-hander in that contest. Michael Brantley is 4 for 5 lifetime in the matchup, while Lonnie Chisenhall has tripled and walked the two times he's faced him.

The Indians have hit .270 and averaged 5.1 runs while winning 12 of 17, but they finished with just five hits in a 9-2 loss to visiting Detroit in the finale of Sunday's doubleheader. They're 4 1/2 games back of the AL's second wild card and still need to jump over three other clubs.

"Wins are at a premium for us right now," said Trevor Bauer, the losing pitcher in Game 2.

Jason Kipnis went 0 for 5 in the opener, leaving him with a .182 average over his last 25 games. The All-Star went 9 for 13 when Cleveland lost two of three at home to the Royals in late July.

The Indians are turning to Carlos Carrasco (12-10, 3.70), who will make his second start since coming off the disabled list due to shoulder inflammation. He yielded four runs and two homers while walking three over 2 2-3 innings in Tuesday's 7-4 loss at the Chicago White Sox.

Despite the result, manager Terry Francona was encouraged by Carrasco's velocity and movement.

"In the big picture, it's really good," Francona said.

Although he's 0-3 with a 5.25 ERA in four home starts versus the Royals (84-58), Carrasco has posted a 2.57 mark in winning a pair of road meetings this season. Alex Rios (1 for 12), Alex Gordon (2 for 23), Mike Moustakas (2 for 13) and Salvador Perez (3 for 16) have struggled against him.

Eric Hosmer is 5 for 15 with a triple and two doubles versus Carrasco. He's also batting .424 with five home runs and 20 RBIs in his last 14 versus Cleveland (70-71).

Perez and Ben Zobrist had two hits apiece in Sunday's 8-2 loss at Baltimore. Perez has gone 4 for 8 with two doubles in his last two and Zobrist is 7 for 18 over his last four.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Royals at Indians
Mon, Sep 14 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Royals at Indians
Tue, Sep 15 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Royals at Indians
Wed, Sep 16 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Royals at Indians
Thu, Sep 17 - 7:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-14-2015, 03:15 AM

Standings

Regular Season Standings

AMERICAN - EAST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Toronto Blue Jays 82 61 .573 0 47-25 35-36 6-4 L-1
New York Yankees 78 64 .549 3 41-32 37-32 4-6 W-1
Baltimore Orioles 69 73 .486 12 40-28 29-45 6-4 W-1
Tampa Bay Rays 69 73 .486 12 34-37 35-36 3-7 L-2
Boston Red Sox 68 74 .479 13 39-35 29-39 7-3 W-2

AMERICAN - CENTRAL
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Kansas City Royals 84 58 .592 0 48-27 36-31 3-7 L-1
Minnesota Twins 74 68 .521 10 42-26 32-42 5-5 W-1
Cleveland Indians 70 71 .496 13 31-35 39-36 6-4 L-1
Chicago White Sox 67 74 .475 16 35-36 32-38 6-4 L-1
Detroit Tigers 65 77 .458 19 33-38 32-39 4-6 W-1

AMERICAN - WEST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Houston Astros 77 66 .538 0 48-24 29-42 4-6 W-1
Texas Rangers 75 67 .528 1 34-33 41-34 5-5 W-1
Los Angeles Angels 72 70 .507 4 44-31 28-39 6-4 L-1
Seattle Mariners 69 75 .479 8 32-40 37-35 6-4 L-1
Oakland Athletics 61 82 .427 16 33-42 28-40 3-7 L-1

NATIONAL - EAST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
New York Mets 82 61 .573 0 45-24 37-37 8-2 W-7
Washington Nationals 72 70 .507 9 41-29 31-41 5-5 W-1
Miami Marlins 61 82 .427 21 36-39 25-43 7-3 L-1
Atlanta Braves 56 88 .389 26 33-36 23-52 2-8 L-4
Philadelphia Phillies 56 88 .389 26 33-39 23-49 3-7 W-2

NATIONAL - CENTRAL
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
St. Louis Cardinals 89 54 .622 0 50-24 39-30 3-7 W-1
Pittsburgh Pirates 86 56 .606 2 49-22 37-34 7-3 W-3
Chicago Cubs 82 60 .577 6 43-28 39-32 7-3 L-2
Milwaukee Brewers 62 81 .434 27 33-39 29-42 4-6 L-3
Cincinnati Reds 60 82 .423 28 34-40 26-42 5-5 L-1

NATIONAL - WEST
Team Win Loss Percent GB Home Away Last 10 Streak
Los Angeles Dodgers 82 60 .577 0 47-21 35-39 7-3 W-2
San Francisco Giants 75 68 .524 7 41-27 34-41 6-4 W-3
Arizona Diamondbacks 68 75 .476 14 34-38 34-37 3-7 L-2
San Diego Padres 67 77 .465 16 35-37 32-40 2-8 L-4
Colorado Rockies 60 83 .420 22 31-40 29-43 5-5 W-1

Updated Mon Sep 14 2:04 AM EDT

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