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**StarDust Bum** · 09-25-2015, 03:16 AM

LEADING OFF: Cole vs Lester; Texas showdown; Syndergaard up

September 24, 2015

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

LET'S SETTLE THIS NOW

Gerrit Cole (17-8, 2.64 ERA) gets the start when Pittsburgh opens a pivotal three-game series in Chicago against the Cubs, who could clinch their first postseason berth in seven years before the night is through. The playoff-bound Pirates are trying to catch first-place St. Louis in the NL Central or at least hang onto the top NL wild card. Chicago is 3 1/2 games behind Pittsburgh. Cole is 6-1 with a 3.10 ERA in eight career starts against the Cubs, who turn to lefty Jon Lester (10-11, 3.46).

HOW THE WEST IS WON?

The first-place Rangers can all but put away the Astros in the AL West this weekend when the teams play three times in Houston. With Adrian Beltre leading the offensive charge, Texas has scored eight or more runs in six of its past eight games. Houston, meanwhile, has lost seven of its last eight series against division opponents. Trailing the Rangers by 3 1/2 games, the Astros send out Scott Kazmir (7-10) against Yovani Gallardo (12-11).

KEEP IT DOWN

Mets rookie Noah Syndergaard tries to break his recent habit of giving up homers. He's allowed two long balls in four of his last eight starts, and he's pitching at Great American Ball Park - one of the most homer-friendly stadiums in the majors. Syndergaard won his only previous outing against the Reds, allowing one run in eight innings of a 2-1 victory June 26 at Citi Field.

CC LOOKS A-OK

CC Sabathia (5-9, 4.80 ERA) looks to build on his late-season resurgence as the Yankees continue a four-game series against the White Sox. Since missing 2 1/2 weeks with a knee injury, Sabathia has allowed one earned run or fewer in three straight outings. He earned his first win since July 8 last time out against the Mets. Rookie left-hander Carlos Rodon (8-6, 3.78) is up for Chicago.

UNBEATABLE

Marlins ace Jose Fernandez (5-0) has never lost in Miami. He tries to improve to a major league-record 17-0 at home to start his career when he faces the Atlanta Braves.

NOT OVER THE HILL

Rich Hill (1-0, 1.92 ERA) takes his third turn in Boston's rotation since going six years between big league starts. The 35-year-old lefty went from an independent league back to the majors this season and became the first Red Sox pitcher to strike out at least 10 batters in his first two starts with the team. Wei-Yin Chen (10-7, 3.36) goes for Baltimore.

**StarDust Bum** · 09-25-2015, 03:22 AM

Preview: White Sox (72-80) at Yankees (83-68)
Game: 2
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: September 25, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

A brace for his aching knee is helping CC Sabathia get through the final days of the regular season and ideally a long postseason run for the New York Yankees.

Looking to continue the success he's enjoyed since ending his recent stint on the disabled list, the hefty lefty tries to help the Yankees to a 10th consecutive home victory over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.

Dealing with bone-on-bone arthritis in his right knee, the 35-year-old Sabathia (5-9, 4.80 ERA) wasn't sure he would be able to return this season after knee problems landed him on the DL on Aug. 24. However, the brace has helped Sabathia go 1-0 with a 1.04 ERA in three starts since returning to action Sept. 9.

"It made me feel that if he's going to buy into wearing the brace, he's got a chance," manager Joe Girardi told MLB's official website. "And that's exactly what's happened."

Sabathia, who allowed a run and fanned seven in six innings of Sunday's 11-2 win over the Mets, simply doesn't want to hinder a team that's in position to reach the postseason for the first time since 2012.

"That's what drives me more than anything else, not letting the team down," he said. "This feels good. If anybody knows me, it hurts me more to let the team down than myself. First of all, to be healthy, and then for me to go out and help the team get wins, it feels good."

Facing the White Sox for the first time since 2013, Sabathia looks to help the AL wild card-leading Yankees (84-68) win 10 consecutive home contests over Chicago (72-81) for the first time since an 11-game run from 1941-42.

Carlos Beltran's three-run homer off Chris Sale in the third was the difference in Thursday's 3-2 victory. It was New York's first home game since the passing of Hall of Famer Yogi Berra.

"It's been a tough couple of days for us," said Girardi, whose team is three games behind first-place Toronto in the East. "Yogi meant so much to the organization, to the city, to all of us."

Beltran has three home runs and 10 RBIs in the last six games.

"I'm enjoying the moment because I'm getting good results," he said.

Beltran had two doubles in as many at-bats against Carlos Rodon (8-6, 3.78) on July 31 when the rookie left-hander yielded eight runs, eight hits and four walks in three-plus innings of a 13-6 defeat.

Despite that outing, Rodon has been a bright spot during Chicago's dismal season and is 4-2 with a 1.66 ERA in his last seven starts. He gave up one run for a second straight outing Saturday and lasted 7 2-3 innings in a 4-3 victory at Cleveland.

"As he goes deeper into the game and gets in a tough spot, he just seems to find another level to be able to get people out," manager Robin Ventura said.

Chicago has totaled 24 runs during its nine-game skid in the Bronx, and 22 while dropping six of its last nine overall.

Jose Abreu is 2 for 19 with eight strikeouts in the last five games. Leadoff hitter Adam Eaton, however, is batting .404 in the last 12.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
White Sox at Yankees
Thu, Sep 24 Final 2 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
White Sox at Yankees
Fri, Sep 25 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 3
White Sox at Yankees
Sat, Sep 26 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 4
White Sox at Yankees
Sun, Sep 27 - 1:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-25-2015, 03:26 AM

Preview: Rays (74-78) at Blue Jays (87-65)
Game: 1
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: September 25, 2015 7:07 PM EDT

The fate of the AL East race rests in the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays, who control their own destiny as they seek their first division title in 22 years.

The Tampa Bay Rays have a chance to play spoiler.

R.A. Dickey seeks his first victory in five tries against the Rays this season as the Blue Jays begin their final regular-season home series Friday night.

Six of Toronto's final 10 games will be against Tampa Bay as the clubs also finish the regular season against each other Oct. 2-4 in Florida. The Blue Jays (87-65) hold a three-game lead over New York atop the East with no head-to-head meetings remaining after it took two of three from the Yankees with Wednesday's 4-0 win.

Russell Martin hit a three-run homer in the seventh and Josh Donaldson had three hits for the Jays, who are on the verge of winning 88 games for the first time since 1998. They haven't won their division since the last of three straight titles in 1993, when they went on to win a second consecutive World Series.

"The park is sold out, the crowd is electric - it makes those moments stand out even more," Martin said after his 21st homer tied a career high. "If the crowd wasn't as loud, it wouldn't feel the same. Definitely a good feeling for me. I know the boys enjoyed it."

Dickey (10-11, 4.05 ERA) will look to help Toronto inch closer to the division title by beating the Rays (75-78). He's 0-3 with a 4.94 ERA in four starts against them this season but allowed one run in six innings the last time he faced them July 18.

That began a seven-start home stretch for Dickey during which he's 5-0 with 1.85 ERA. The right-hander put together an efficient outing Saturday against Boston, allowing two runs in six-plus innings before the Blue Jays fell 7-6.

Tampa Bay enters this series seeking its first four-game road winning streak since a season-high five-game run in June. Evan Longoria went 3 for 4 with a solo homer - his 20th - in a three-run sixth to lead the Rays to a 4-2 victory over Boston on Thursday.

Longoria is batting .440 during a six-game hitting streak.

"Let's just keep him hitting," manager Kevin Cash said. "We've said it all year long. When he's hitting, that's what shapes our lineup."

Eddie Mathews, Chipper Jones and Scott Rolen are the only other third basemen in history to have reached 20 homers in seven of their first eight seasons.

"It's pretty cool," Longoria said. "It's one of those things where I'll just be able to look back in my career and tell my kids about it, and I just reflect about it when I get a chance to. The names are awesome to be in that group."

Longoria, though, is batting just .143 in seven games at Toronto this season, and he'll look to improve on that as Jake Odorizzi (8-8, 3.38) takes the hill for the Rays.

Odorizzi allowed three runs in 12 innings while winning his previous two starts before giving up four in 5 2-3 innings of Tampa's 7-6 comeback win over Baltimore on Sunday.

The right-hander went 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA in his first four starts against the Blue Jays - including tossing eight solid innings of a 2-1 win at Toronto on April 13 - before walking a career high-tying five in 4 1-3 innings of a 6-2 defeat July 17.

Donaldson and Justin Smoak homered off Odorizzi in that contest.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rays at Blue Jays
Fri, Sep 25 - 7:07PM EDT

GAME 2
Rays at Blue Jays
Sat, Sep 26 - 1:07PM EDT

GAME 3
Rays at Blue Jays
Sun, Sep 27 - 1:07PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-25-2015, 03:28 AM

Preview: Phillies (57-95) at Nationals (78-74)
Game: 1
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: September 25, 2015 7:05 PM EDT

Jordan Zimmermann hasn't lost in his last seven starts, and Jerad Eickhoff hasn't won in his last five. Who's been the better pitcher recently isn't quite as black and white.

The Washington Nationals veteran takes on the Philadelphia Phillies rookie Friday night as the clubs open a three-game series at Nationals Park.

Zimmermann (13-8, 3.49 ERA) is 5-0 dating to Aug. 18, but that's come with a 4.04 ERA. The right-hander gave up two runs and six hits in six innings of Saturday's 5-2 win over Miami for his latest victory in a 5-0 span over 10 home starts with a 2.29 ERA. In 18 starts at Nationals Park, Zimmermann is 8-3 with a 2.50 ERA as opposed to 5-5 with a 5.02 mark in 13 on the road.

Eickhoff (1-3, 3.16 ERA), meanwhile, has gone 0-3 with a 3.77 ERA since winning his major league debut on Aug. 21, and his last two starts might have been his best. The right-hander gave up five hits in seven scoreless innings of Saturday's 2-1 loss in Atlanta. He's allowed a run with a .163 opponent batting average in 14 innings over his last two starts.

"He gets after it. That's what we're looking for," manager Pete Mackanin told MLB's official website. "He did a great job. He probably could have gone back out. But here's a young guy that hasn't pitched this late in a season, and I didn't want him to (give up) a walk and a bloop, and it ruins a good performance. Get him out on a positive note."

Eickhoff hasn't faced Washington, but Zimmermann has struggled this year against the Phillies, going 0-1 with a 5.84 ERA in two starts.

Cody Asche is 6 for 15 with a homer and a double against him, but Carlos Ruiz is 4 for 22 and Cameron Rupp is 1 for 7.

The Nationals (78-74) are coming off Thursday's 5-4 home loss to Baltimore, the end of a three-game sweep that essentially finalized Washington's postseason exclusion with a seventh loss in its last 10 home games.

"It's not great," said manager Matt Williams, whose club fell 7 1/2 games back of the New York Mets with 10 to play. "It's not where we want to be, but tomorrow is a game and we have to play that game and we have to win that game, so it is what it is. We need to be prepared for tomorrow."

Yunel Escobar has continued to hit regardless, going 3 for 3 with two RBIs to give the third baseman a .421 average in his last 24 games. His average is up to .326 and within 13 points of teammate Bryce Harper for the NL lead.

Harper didn't have a hit in six at-bats in the Baltimore series but walked seven times. His 122 for the season are two away from matching Bobby Abreu's 2006 total for fifth in the 11 seasons since Barry Bonds walked an MLB-record 232 times in 2004.

Washington has won 11 of the last 14 in the series and three straight, and the Phillies are unsurprisingly struggling more than the Nationals.

After Thursday's 1-0 loss in Miami, Philadelphia (57-96) has lost eight of nine and fallen within a game of 40 games under .500 for the first time since being 32-72 in 1997. Another loss would also match its 2000 and 1972 totals for its highest since losing 99 games in 1969.

Over the last eight games, the Phillies are averaging 1.8 runs and batting .171.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Phillies at Nationals
Fri, Sep 25 - 7:05PM EDT

GAME 2
Phillies at Nationals
Sat, Sep 26 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Phillies at Nationals
Sun, Sep 27 - 1:35PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-25-2015, 03:30 AM

Preview: Orioles (76-76) at Red Sox (72-79)
Game: 1
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: September 25, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Adam Jones has insisted the Baltimore Orioles won't stop trying to hunt down a postseason berth until someone tells them they've been eliminated.

The club has maintained that mindset even without the All-Star center fielder in the lineup.

With Jones and closer Zach Britton still day-to-day, the visiting Orioles look to continue their last-ditch effort to make the playoffs Friday night against the last-place Boston Red Sox.

Jones had 13 RBIs over a nine-game stretch before sitting out the past three with a back injury. He's hoping to return in this series after an MRI on Thursday only showed inflammation.

"Just decided to make sure that structurally everything is OK," manager Buck Showalter told MLB's official website. "He's getting better every day, but not at the rate you would hope."

Junior Lake and Ryan Flaherty went a combined 1 for 8 in his stead as Baltimore boosted its slim postseason hopes with a three-game sweep at Washington. Matt Wieters had the decisive two-run homer in the eighth inning of Thursday's 5-4 win.

Darren O'Day saved all three games in place of Britton, who is dealing with a sore lat muscle. Britton, fourth in the AL with 34 saves, also has no structural damage after undergoing an MRI on Tuesday.

After a 3-15 stretch diminished their playoff chances, the Orioles (76-76) have won 10 of 14 to close within 3 1/2 games of the AL's second wild-card spot. Houston, Minnesota and the Los Angeles Angels, however, remain ahead of them with 10 games left.

"We feel good, but it doesn't matter what we've done in the last 15 (games)," Wieters said. "We need to carry it out for the next ... 10 that we have left."

Baltimore has won nine of 11 against the Red Sox. Jones has hit .333 in 13 games against them this season and .410 in his last 14 at Fenway Park.

Boston (72-80) is coming off three straight home losses to Tampa Bay, getting held to two runs in each.

Rich Hill will make his first start at Fenway since May 2013 when he was with Cleveland. The left-hander, back in the majors after spending time in the independent league earlier this season, was on the road as he became the first Boston pitcher to have 10-plus strikeouts in his first two starts of the season.

After allowing one hit in seven scoreless innings at Tampa Bay on Sept. 13, Hill (1-0, 1.93 ERA) held high-scoring Toronto to three runs over seven on Sunday to earn his first victory as a starter since June 19, 2009, when he was with the Orioles.

"It's something that you don't expect for somebody that's resurrected his career as a starter," interim manager Torey Lovullo said. "It's been a tremendous lift."

Baltimore goes with Kevin Gausman (3-6, 4.26), who hopes to match his performance Sept. 14 against Boston when he allowed a season-low two hits and struck out seven over six innings in a 2-0 home win. That was his first victory in four career starts against the Red Sox despite a 2.08 ERA with 22 strikeouts over 21 2-3 innings.

The right-hander, however, is 0-5 with a 6.20 ERA in eight road starts.

David Ortiz is 4 for 10 with two home runs against Gausman, and he accounted for Boston's scoring Thursday with a two-run homer. Ortiz's 36 homers are his most in a season since having 54 in 2006, and his 502 lifetime are two shy of Orioles great Eddie Murray for 26th place all-time.

Hanley Ramirez will miss the rest of the season due to shoulder inflammation, and Pablo Sandoval is out because of a bout with pneumonia.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Orioles at Red Sox
Fri, Sep 25 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Orioles at Red Sox
Sat, Sep 26 - 4:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Orioles at Red Sox
Sun, Sep 27 - 1:35PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-25-2015, 03:33 AM

Preview: Braves (62-91) at Marlins (65-87)
Game: 1
Venue: Marlins Park
Date: September 25, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

Although they've been unstoppable at Marlins Park, the Atlanta Braves could finally meet their match taking on a pitcher that hasn't lost there in three seasons.

Miami's Jose Fernandez looks to set a MLB record for consecutive home wins to begin a career Friday night when the Marlins tries for their first victory there in the season series.

Fernandez (5-0, 2.18 ERA) has gone a remarkable 16-0 with a 1.11 ERA in 25 career starts at Marlins Park. Now he has an opportunity to surpass Johnny Allen (1932-33) and LaMarr Hoyt (1980-82) as the only pitchers since 1900 to win their first 17 decisions at home.

"I think that means a lot to my teammates," Fernandez told MLB's official website. "They're the ones who hit. They get the runs. I think it's just another number. It's just another win."

The 2013 NL Rookie of the Year is making his third start since missing six weeks because of a biceps strain. Since returning, he's 1-0 with a 1.69 ERA while facing Washington both times.

The right-hander has gone 3-1 with a 1.32 ERA in five career starts against the Braves. Of course he's won both meetings at Marlins Park, yielding one run and seven hits over 15 innings.

Freddie Freeman, who is 3 for 12 with a home run and a double in the matchup, is expected to be in the lineup despite dealing with a sore right wrist. He homered, doubled and had a career high-tying five RBIs in Wednesday's 6-3 road win over the New York Mets after entering as a pinch-hitter.

'The wrist has been bothering me for a couple of weeks now and it's definitely worse,' the two-time All-Star said. 'I just have to muster up and play through it.'

Freeman will try to extend an 11-game hitting streak at Miami (66-87), where Atlanta (62-91) is trying to win seven in a row for the first time in franchise history. The club has hit .294 and averaged 5.3 runs there this season while the pitching staff has posted a 1.17 ERA.

Former Marlin outfielder Cameron Maybin was 5 for 11 in the last three-game sweep in mid-May.

Atlanta's Ryan Weber (0-1, 3.26), who began this season at Double-A, hopes to continue making an impression after lasting at least six innings in each of his first three starts. However, he's still seeking his first victory after getting a total of three runs from the offense.

The 25-year-old right-hander is coming off his best outing after giving up one run and two hits over seven innings Saturday in a 2-1 home win over Philadelphia.

"He does a lot of good stuff," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "And I say let's slow play it because he's a young kid. You don't want to all of the sudden name him Greg Maddux."

He'll face a Miami team seeking its third straight win after J.T. Realmuto's RBI triple in the seventh inning was the difference in Thursday's 1-0 home victory over Philadelphia.

Shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria is expected to return after missing 19 games with a hamstring injury. Miguel Rojas will likely slide over to third base with Martin Prado nursing a sore left wrist.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Braves at Marlins
Fri, Sep 25 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Braves at Marlins
Sat, Sep 26 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Braves at Marlins
Sun, Sep 27 - 1:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-25-2015, 03:35 AM

Preview: Mets (85-67) at Reds (63-88)
Game: 2
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: September 25, 2015 7:10 PM EDT

With Daniel Murphy heating up and Yoenis Cespedes providing a sorely needed presence in the middle of the order, the New York Mets are showing signs of piecing together an offense capable of competing in October.

The pitching has been there for the most part, though Noah Syndergaard hasn't shown it in recent starts. One thing that's certain is the club's success on the road of late, and the rookie right-hander takes the mound for the second-to-last time before the postseason Friday night in Cincinnati looking to help the Mets earn a ninth straight away win.

The Mets (86-67) won 6-4 on Thursday to open this four-game series with their 10th victory in their last 12 against the Reds (63-89) and reduce their magic number to three.

New York, winner of 16 of 18 on the road with 7.9 runs per game and a .303 average, last won nine straight away games June 7-23, 2006.

Cespedes is batting .389 in his last five after going 0 for 16 in his previous four. David Wright has driven in a run in four straight games from the No. 2 hole and is batting .343 in his last nine, but it's Murphy who's gained his manager's attention by batting .462 with seven extra-base hits in his last seven games.

"He's locked in," Terry Collins said. "When that guy gets hot, nobody can get him out. And it's coming at the best time for us, too."

Syndergaard (8-7, 3.39 ERA) has given up at least three runs in six of his last seven starts, going 2-2 with a 5.09 ERA after surrendering five runs and seven hits in six innings of Saturday's 5-0 home loss to the Yankees. Three of the runs came in the first.

"It was my own fault," Syndergaard told MLB's official website. "I think I threw 98 percent fastballs the first inning. I could have been a little bit more selective with my pitches."

The rookie has been worse on the road for most of the season, going 1-5 with a 4.47 ERA as opposed to 7-2 with a 2.57 mark at home. One of those was a 2-1 victory over Cincinnati on June 26 in which Syndergaard allowed a run and five hits over eight innings.

He's up against Anthony DeSclafani, who had an impressive stretch disrupted in Sunday's 8-4 loss in Milwaukee. DeSclafani (9-11, 3.79) allowed five runs - four earned - and eight hits in 4 1-3 innings after going 2-1 with a 2.08 ERA in his previous four.

DeSclafani hasn't faced the Mets this season, but he gave up 10 runs in 4 2-3 innings over two appearances last year with Miami. Murphy (2 for 3) and Kelly Johnson (2 for 5) have both homered off him.

In his two seasons in the majors, the right-hander has been considerably worse in a home environment (5-9, 5.52 ERA) than on the road (6-4, 2.86).

The Reds are on the cusp of losing 90 games for the first time since going 72-90 in 2007. They're 12-27 with a 5.66 starting ERA dating to Aug. 14, and their five-game skid is just over halfway to the nine-game slide that began this 39-game stretch of futility.

"It's still a pretty embarrassing year," Jay Bruce said. "You've just got to make the best of it."

Joey Votto at least continues to impress. The first baseman is batting .375 with a .556 on-base percentage since the All-Star break - both MLB highs. He's reached base in 41 straight games, which ties a career high and is two behind Joe Mauer's active streak.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mets at Reds
Thu, Sep 24 Final 6 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mets at Reds
Fri, Sep 25 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Mets at Reds
Sat, Sep 26 - 4:10PM EDT

GAME 4
Mets at Reds
Sun, Sep 27 - 1:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-25-2015, 03:38 AM

Preview: Rangers (83-69) at Astros (80-73)
Game: 1
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: September 25, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The Texas Rangers have won seven straight over the second-place Houston Astros and can take a major step toward their first AL West title in four years this weekend.

They may have the right person on the mound to start this three-game series.

Yovani Gallardo has beaten the Astros more than any other club and will get the ball Friday night in Houston.

Texas (83-69) has a magic number of seven to capture the West after sweeping three games in Oakland to start this six-game trip following Thursday's 8-1 victory. The Rangers have won nine of 11, including a four-game home sweep of the Astros from Sept. 14-17.

'They've got some great energy right now, superior focus and they're on a mission,' manager Jeff Banister said. 'Each one of them knows where we want to go. We're not there yet so they maintain that focus.'

Texas trailed by eight games in the West race Aug. 2. Now Houston (80-73) may be better served by focusing on holding off Minnesota and Los Angeles for the second wild card.

The Astros are losers of seven of 10 after Wednesday's 6-5 defeat to the Angels.

'We're right in the thick of this,' manager A.J. Hinch said. 'We're in the thick of the division; we're in the thick of the wild card with our sights set on a really big series against Texas.

'I downplay everything for five months, five-and-a-half months to get to this series. There's no downplaying it. I'm not going to sit in front of you and say it's not an important series.'

Gallardo (12-11, 3.41 ERA) is tied with Philadelphia's Aaron Harang for the most wins against the Astros among active pitchers, going 15-4 with a 3.09 ERA. He is 2-1 with a 6.14 ERA in three 2015 matchups.

"I know these next three games are going to be very important," Gallardo told MLB's official website. "For me, I have done it before, but you still have to make pitches no matter what the situation. It will be more exciting, that's for sure, than other games."

Houston has some lefty-swinging hitters who have fared well against the right-hander in Jason Castro (.350), Luis Valbuena (.321) and Colby Rasmus (.318).

Gallardo has failed to get out of the sixth inning in five consecutive starts, allowing three runs in five-plus innings in Friday's 3-1 home defeat to Seattle.

His mound opponent, Scott Kazmir (7-10, 2.73), turned in his shortest start with the Astros by allowing three runs in 3 2-3 innings in Saturday's 10-6 win over the Athletics. Kazmir is 0-2 with a 4.50 ERA in his last five starts.

The left-hander is 2-1 with a 1.60 ERA in five starts this year versus the Rangers. Prince Fielder, Shin-soo Choo, Delino DeShields and Adrian Beltre are a combined 5 for 39 against him in 2015.

DeShields is 7 for 14 with six RBIs in his last four games. Beltre was 6 for 14 with eight RBIs in the Oakland series.

"The main thing is not putting pressure on ourselves," DeShields said. "It's really ours to lose."

The Astros' Carlos Gomez has missed the last 11 games with an intercostal strain and is unlikely to play this weekend.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rangers at Astros
Fri, Sep 25 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Rangers at Astros
Sat, Sep 26 - 1:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Rangers at Astros
Sun, Sep 27 - 2:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-25-2015, 03:40 AM

Preview: Dodgers (87-65) at Rockies (63-90)
Game: 1
Venue: Coors Field
Date: September 25, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

Mike Bolsinger knows that the way he is pitching, he won't be a part of the Los Angeles Dodgers' postseason rotation and may not be on the roster.

The right-hander will try to shake off some recent woes Friday night in the opener of a three-game road series with the Colorado Rockies.

Los Angeles (87-65) is closing in on a third straight NL West title that will likely come during this seven-game trip. The Dodgers still have plenty of incentive to play well through the end of the season with a slight lead over the New York Mets for home-field advantage in the division series.

Numerous players are auditioning to be a part of Los Angeles' playoff plans, with rookie Corey Seager stating his case by batting .353 in 19 games since being called up Sept. 3 from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

The Dodgers called up Bolsinger (6-4, 3.26 ERA) two days earlier, and he's 1-1 with a 6.23 ERA in three starts since returning to the majors. He lasted 4 1-3 innings and gave up four runs in Sunday's 4-3 home loss to Pittsburgh.

'I don't think it's mechanics,' Bolsinger said. 'It's just my timing and feel for my pitches is just off. I just don't feel it. That feel is just not there. The curveball used to be sharper. Now it's more loopy, and I'm leaving it up in the strike zone.'

Bolsinger is 1-0 with a 3.27 ERA in two 2015 starts versus the Rockies, holding Nolan Arenado hitless in five at-bats.

Los Angeles is 11-5 against Colorado (63-90), going 4-2 on the road.

The Dodgers sent Seager to the bench and welcomed back third baseman Justin Turner in Thursday's 6-3 victory over Arizona. Turner missed four games with a knee injury and went 0 for 2 with a walk before being removed after five innings.

"We've got a little bit of a plan, but it's not necessarily just five innings, it'll be the number of games consecutive, all that kind of the same stuff, just trying to get him back on his feet, keep the swelling out, keep him sharp," manager Don Mattingly said.

Colorado reached the 90-loss plateau for the third time in four years after losing its fifth straight, 5-4 at home to Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Arenado had two doubles and two RBIs. He's among baseball's leaders with 38 doubles and a .369 average with runners in scoring position.

The Rockies stole six bases in the four-game series with the Pirates.

"We put some runners in motion," manager Walt Weiss said. "We felt like we had an opportunity to do that so we were a little more aggressive on the bases."

Colorado will give David Hale (4-5, 6.32) his first start since Aug. 23 in place of Yohan Flande, who left his last outing with a knee injury. Colorado dropped Hale's last seven starts, with the right-hander going 0-5 with a 7.45 ERA.

The right-hander has made one start and four relief appearances in his career against the Dodgers, posting a 3.86 ERA. The Los Angeles hitter he has faced the most is Jimmy Rollins, who is 4 for 9 in this matchup.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Dodgers at Rockies
Fri, Sep 25 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Dodgers at Rockies
Sat, Sep 26 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Dodgers at Rockies
Sun, Sep 27 - 4:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-25-2015, 03:42 AM

Preview: Brewers (64-88) at Cardinals (96-56)
Game: 2
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: September 25, 2015 8:15 PM EDT

While Carlos Martinez has enjoyed a successful first full season as a starter for the St. Louis Cardinals, he's struggled at home of late.

The right-hander can turn things around at Busch Stadium with another dominating start against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night.

After contributing almost exclusively out of the bullpen for St. Louis (97-56) each of the past two years, Martinez (14-7, 3.01 ERA) has the second-most wins on the team and would appear to be in good position for a spot in the NL division series' rotation.

"I always want to give my team the best chance to win a game," he told MLB's official website. "That's all I'm worried about all the time."

Following a five-start stretch where he went 1-3 with a 5.60 ERA, Martinez is 1-0 with a 1.84 ERA in two starts that both came on the road. The first came at Milwaukee on Sept. 15 when he allowed a Khris Davis homer, three other hits and struck out nine in eight innings of a 3-1, 10-inning victory

"He gets the excitement around this (time of year), and being here, and he feeds off that stuff," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said about Martinez, who has yielded only that home run and fanned 17 in 15 innings against the Brewers this season.

Matheny, though, would like to see Martinez fare better at home, where he went 5-2 with a 2.28 ERA in his first nine starts but is 1-2 with a 6.11 ERA in the last five.

Davis is 4 for 10 with that homer and two doubles against Martinez, who tries to lead St. Louis to a sixth consecutive victory following Thursday's 7-3 win over the Brewers (64-89).

Jhonny Peralta and Stephen Piscotty hit back-to-back homers and combined for seven RBIs as the major league-leading Cardinals won for the ninth time in the last 11 games to remain four ahead of Pittsburgh in the NL Central.

'I love it. With the fans and crowd here, once you get a little taste of that, you're not playing for your numbers,' Piscotty said. 'You're playing for those moments.'

The number haven't been bad for Piscotty, who homered for the sixth time and is batting .313 with 37 RBIs in 58 games since making his major league debut July 21.

He's has seven RBIs in six games against Milwaukee. However, Piscotty went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts against Ariel Pena (2-0, 3.50) when the right-hander yielded a run in five innings against Martinez and the Cardinals last week.

Though Pena has walked 10 and not completed more than five innings in any of his three career starts this month, he hasn't allowed more than two runs in any of those contests.

"He's certainly representing himself well," manager Craig Counsell said. "He's given us a chance to win in all three starts."

Jonathan Lucroy delivered a pinch-hit single Thursday in his first action since suffering a concussion Sept. 8. Counsell said Lucroy won't catch again this season but could play first base and pinch hit at some point of the next week.

"It's the type of injury where you want to feel like you're back to normal," Counsell said.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Brewers at Cardinals
Thu, Sep 24 Final 3 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Brewers at Cardinals
Fri, Sep 25 - 8:15PM EDT

GAME 3
Brewers at Cardinals
Sat, Sep 26 - 7:15PM EDT

GAME 4
Brewers at Cardinals
Sun, Sep 27 - 2:15PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-25-2015, 11:10 AM

Preview: Pirates (93-60) at Cubs (89-63)
Game: 1
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: September 25, 2015 2:20 PM EDT

A party atmosphere has been promised by manager Joe Maddon once the Chicago Cubs clinch a playoff spot, and they can do so Friday at Wrigley Field.

The postseason-bound Pittsburgh Pirates are looking to use this weekend to ensure they won't open the playoffs there.

The Cubs can clinch their first playoff berth since 2008 by ending the Pirates' six-game win streak to start this three-game set in a potential NL wild-card game preview.

Chicago (89-63) will punch its postseason ticket with a victory, and Maddon has said there will be a huge celebration.

"The word party has taken on a negative connotation in our country these days," Maddon said. "It's really bumming me out. There's nothing wrong with having a good party. There's not a thing wrong with it."

The Cubs, winners of seven of nine, hold the NL's second wild card and are 3 1/2 games behind the Pirates in the race for home-field advantage in the one-game matchup.

Pittsburgh (93-60) still has faint Central title hopes, sitting four games behind St. Louis and with three against the Cardinals next week, but are in better position to host the wild-card game for the third straight year. They showed how serious they are taking this series by not using outfielder Gregory Polanco in Thursday's 5-4 win at Colorado and giving Aramis Ramirez a second straight day off.

Polanco has a knee problem and Ramirez a groin injury. Manager Clint Hurdle said he didn't want to use them extensively with four games in the altitude of Denver.

"This is not about rest at all," Hurdle told MLB's official website. "This is about injury prevention or maintenance of a physical area."

Starling Marte went 13 for 20 with seven RBIs in the series sweep. It's the most hits in a four-game set for a Pirates player since Pie Traynor had 13 in 1928.

"Thirteen hits in a four-game series? Very impressive," Hurdle said.

Marte is hitting a team-best .340 in the season series while the Cubs are led by Miguel Montero's .412 average with Anthony Rizzo at .400. Chicago has taken 10 of 16 from Pittsburgh.

The Pirates will start the pitcher who would likely start the wild-card game in Gerrit Cole (17-8, 2.64 ERA), who has posted the most victories by a Pittsburgh pitcher since John Smiley's 20-8 campaign in 1991.

The right-hander is 6-1 with a 3.10 ERA in eight career starts against Chicago, including 4-1 with a 3.00 ERA in five on the road. Rizzo is 5 for 14 in this matchup.

Cole is 8-1 with a 2.07 ERA in 11 day starts.

The Cubs will start left-hander Jon Lester (10-11, 3.46), who is 2-1 with a 1.64 ERA in three starts against the Pirates this year with 21 strikeouts in 22 innings. Ramirez is 5 for 11 against him while Andrew McCutchen is 1 for 10.

Lester fired a five-hitter at Pittsburgh for his only complete game of the season in a 2-1 win Sept. 15, hours after Cole allowed four runs in six innings in the opening game of a doubleheader.

Chicago slugger Kris Bryant is two RBIs shy of becoming the first rookie to reach 100 in the NL since Washington's Ryan Zimmerman had 110 in 2006. He has already set the franchise rookie record with 26 homers.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Pirates at Cubs
Fri, Sep 25 - 2:20PM EDT

GAME 2
Pirates at Cubs
Sat, Sep 26 - 1:05PM EDT

GAME 3
Pirates at Cubs
Sun, Sep 27 - 8:05PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-25-2015, 11:14 AM

Preview: Diamondbacks (73-80) at Padres (72-81)
Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: September 25, 2015 10:10 PM EDT

The NL leaders in wins since the All-Star break are calculable: Jake Arrieta and Zack Greinke with 10 followed by Madison Bumgarner and Clayton Kershaw at nine.

After that, a group of three stands at seven, and among them is Arizona's Rubby De La Rosa.

The right-hander entered the season with eight career victories, which he can match in 13 starts since the break Friday night in San Diego as the Diamondbacks and Padres begin a three-game series.

De La Rosa (13-8, 4.60 ERA) is 7-3 with a 3.88 ERA in his last 12 starts, matching Jake Peavy and Michael Wacha for fifth-most wins in the NL in that time. The 26-year-old gave up a hit with four walks in 5 2-3 innings of last Friday's 2-0 victory in San Francisco.

"He spotted his fastball and I thought he used his sinker a lot more tonight," manager Chip Hale told MLB's official website. "He mixed his pitches. He threw a lot of sliders. He kept his composure out there."

That's always been the case against the Padres with a 3-0 record and 1.38 ERA in four starts with the wins coming in three this season. De La Rosa has silenced Justin Upton (0 for 10), Matt Kemp (1 for 10) and Derek Norris (1 for 9), but Wil Myers (4 for 9) and Yangervis Solarte (4 for 10) have had some success.

De La Rosa is up against Casey Kelly, who makes his first big league start this season. Kelly (0-0, 4.50 ERA) gave up a run and five hits in two innings of relief in Saturday's 10-2 loss in Colorado for his first MLB appearance since making six starts in 2012 and going 2-3 with a 6.21 ERA.

The right-hander was 2-10 with a 5.16 ERA in 31 games - 17 starts - with Double-A San Antonio and Triple-A El Paso this season. The 25-year-old was awful in losing his only start against Arizona in 2012, giving up six runs and eight hits in 2 1-3 innings.

The Padres (72-81) are a game back of the Diamondbacks for third place in the NL West after taking the last two of a three-game home series with San Francisco. In Thursday's 5-4 win, Norris was 3 for 4 with a home run and two doubles, tripling his extra-base hit output from his previous 10 games.

It was the third win in four games and second straight walk-off victory for San Diego, which is one defeat shy of a fifth straight losing season.

"It's too late this year," interim manager Pat Murphy said. "... I think if you look at the guys for the future, they're sending the message that, 'Hey, there's a lot to play for.'"

After Thursday's 6-3 loss, the Diamondbacks (73-80) settled for a split with the Los Angeles Dodgers after winning the first two. They're 4-3 on a 10-game road trip, and another loss would ensure them a fourth straight season without a winning record.

Since they last went over .500 at 62-61 on Aug. 23, they've won 11 of 30.

"We had high expectations going into this year, but we let some games get away," said Paul Goldschmidt, 7 for 16 with three home runs in his last four games. "We have a young team, but hopefully with some more experience, we can keep improving. ... Obviously, we want to be up there with the Dodgers and winning the division. We're not there yet, so we have to try to find ways to keep getting better."

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Padres
Fri, Sep 25 - 10:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Padres
Sat, Sep 26 - 8:40PM EDT

GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Padres
Sun, Sep 27 - 4:10PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-25-2015, 11:16 AM

Preview: Twins (78-74) at Tigers (71-81)
Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: September 25, 2015 7:08 PM EDT

Though the Detroit Tigers' run of reaching the postseason with four straight division titles has ended, they can potentially spoil the Minnesota Twins' pursuit of the playoffs.

That starts Friday night when the Tigers try to continue their home success against the Twins.

This is strange territory for Detroit (71-81), which won at least 88 games while ruling the AL Central the past four seasons. However, key injuries and the AL's worst bullpen have put the Tigers at the bottom of the division entering their final home set.

"Not making the playoffs is failing," veteran Victor Martinez said.

While Detroit must live with that self-proclaimed failure, it ultimately could have a say as to whether Minnesota (78-74) reaches the postseason.

Both the Twins and the Los Angeles Angels are 1 1/2 games behind Houston for the final wild-card spot. Minnesota didn't help its cause by going 4-6 on a homestand that concluded with Thursday's 6-3 defeat to Cleveland.

"We won the series (with the Indians), which is good, but we've got to look forward to (Friday) and try to get another win," said Joe Mauer, who set a franchise record by reaching base safely in 43 straight games in the finale.

That home stay began by losing two of three to the Tigers, who fared well in that series and have been even better while outscoring Minnesota 39-9 to take five of the first six meetings at Comerica Park.

After sitting out Wednesday's 7-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox with back soreness, Miguel Cabrera is likely to be in the Tigers' lineup for the opener.

"If we were fighting for a playoff spot, he'd be playing (Wednesday)," said embattled Detroit manager Brad Ausmus, whose club has won six of nine. "But with (the day off Thursday), I'd rather knock it out and have him be ready for the series we have left against teams in contention."

Cabrera leads the AL with a .337 batting average but is hitting .244 against the Twins this season. He did homer twice in a 13-1 rout of Minnesota in the most recent meeting at Detroit on May 14. Cabrera is 1 for 6 this season against Mike Pelfrey (6-10, 4.16 ERA), who has gone 1-2 with a 4.19 ERA versus Detroit in 2015.

The right-hander has been even worse while going 0-3 with a 7.23 ERA in his last five outings. He's 0-6 with a 6.87 ERA in 12 road starts since winning at Cleveland on May 8.

Teammate Brian Dozier went 5 for 12 with a homer as Minnesota took two of three from Cleveland, but he's 1 for 16 in the last four against Detroit.

Dozier and the Twins will get their first look at Matt Boyd (1-5, 7.40), who has gone 0-3 and recorded two quality starts in seven outings since earning his only major league victory against Kansas City on Aug. 5 in his Tigers debut.

However, the left-hander yielded a pair of solo home runs, one other hit and struck out six in six innings of a 6-5, 11-inning victory over the Royals on Saturday.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Twins at Tigers
Fri, Sep 25 - 7:08PM EDT

GAME 2
Twins at Tigers
Sat, Sep 26 - 7:08PM EDT

GAME 3
Twins at Tigers
Sun, Sep 27 - 1:08PM EDT

**StarDust Bum** · 09-25-2015, 11:18 AM

Preview: Indians (75-76) at Royals (89-63)
Game: 1
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: September 25, 2015 8:10 PM EDT

The Kansas City Royals took the AL Central lead in early June and never looked back on their way to clinching their first division championship since 1985.

That's also the year they won their only World Series, and they know there's still a long road ahead to get back to a second consecutive Fall Classic.

Edinson Volquez hasn't pitched all that well against the visiting Cleveland Indians, but he'll look to help the Royals win a third straight game for the first time in nearly a month Friday night.

Kansas City (89-63) held a double-digit lead atop the Central for most of the second half, and it wrapped up its first division title in 30 years Thursday with a 10-4 win over Seattle and Minnesota's 6-3 loss to Cleveland.

"I've felt all along we would win this division. I've got my eyes on a much bigger prize," manager Ned Yost said. "This is the first step of it."

The accomplishment comes one year after the Royals rode a wild-card berth all the way to the World Series, where they lost to San Francisco in seven games.

"We understand that we're not done," center fielder Lorenzo Cain said. "We've got a lot of unfinished business to take care of."

Kansas City's next goal is to secure home-field advantage throughout the postseason. The AL pennant winner will have that edge in the Fall Classic due to the NL losing the All-Star Game, and the Royals hold a two-game edge on Toronto for the AL's best record despite being 7-12 since Sept. 4.

They now look to win three in a row for the first time since Aug. 27-29 behind Volquez (13-8, 3.62 ERA). He has allowed seven runs and 14 hits while walking seven in 11 innings over his last two starts, and he's given up at least four runs in half of his last eight outings.

Volquez has had his issues against the Indians, going 1-1 with a 6.43 ERA in three starts this season. He's walked 14 in 14 innings while also surrendering 15 hits.

Michael Brantley has gone 4 for 6 off Volquez in those outings but has sat out the last two games with a jammed right shoulder. Manager Terry Francona said he's getting close to returning but that playing in this contest might be a stretch.

Jason Kipnis led off Thursday's victory with a homer and Carlos Santana added a three-run shot as the Indians (75-76) salvaged the finale of a three-game series. They still hold slim playoff hopes as they trail Houston by four games for the second wild card, but they'd have to hop four teams in the standings.

"You're trying to win every game no matter the circumstance," said Lonnie Chisenhall, who drove in two runs. "I know we've got a chance and have something to play for."

Carlos Carrasco (13-11, 3.62) takes the ball looking to help improve those chances. He has a 2.19 ERA and a .167 opponents' batting average over his last eight starts with 63 strikeouts in 53 1-3 innings.

That includes allowing one run while striking out nine in six innings of an 8-3 win over the Royals on Sept. 14. The right-hander, though, lost to the Chicago White Sox on Saturday as he gave up three runs - two earned - in five-plus innings of a 4-3 defeat.

Carrasco has won all three of his starts against the Royals this season with a 2.25 ERA, striking out 23 in 20 innings.

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Indians at Royals
Fri, Sep 25 - 8:10PM EDT

GAME 2
Indians at Royals
Sat, Sep 26 - 7:10PM EDT

GAME 3
Indians at Royals
Sun, Sep 27 - 2:10PM EDT

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