The Bum's MLB April's News-Notes-Trends & Best Bets !!

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Pirates (14-10) at Brewers (12-10)

Game: 1
Venue: Miller Park
Date: April 29, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


After taking over the top spot in the NL Central for the first time since July, the Pittsburgh Pirates hope to end their losing streak against the Milwaukee Brewers with Wandy Rodriguez to the mound.

That won't be easy considering their track record against Yovani Gallardo.

The Brewers look for an eighth straight win over Pittsburgh in Monday's opener as they try to improve to 14-1 in Gallardo's starting career against the Pirates.

Following a 1-5 start, the Pirates (15-10) have played like a completely different club while reaching 15 wins in April for the first time since 1992.

They rolled to a 9-0 victory at St. Louis on Sunday for their ninth win in 12 games, surpassing the Cardinals for first place.

"It helps us believe we have the team we think we have,' said catcher Russell Martin, who had two of the team's four homers on Sunday. "The key is to be consistent and do it every day, and we've been doing it every day.'

Now surging Pittsburgh gives the ball to Rodriguez (2-0, 1.66 ERA) as it attempts to snap a four-game skid in Milwaukee and improve to 6-2 on a 10-game road trip.

After allowing just one earned run over 16 innings in his first three starts, Rodriguez didn't have his best stuff on Wednesday when he gave up his first two homers and three runs over 5 2-3 innings in a 5-3 win at Philadelphia.

"He wasn't as sharp as the last two times,' manager Clint Hurdle said. "The cold weather was gone and the ball was traveling well. He gave us what we needed.'

Rodriguez is 3-7 with a 5.88 ERA in 12 career starts at Miller Park, but he's 1-1 with a 2.66 ERA over his last three in Milwaukee. This will be his first with the Pirates.

The Brewers (12-11) had plenty of trouble with another left-hander on Sunday. They managed only four hits and struck out 12 times against Clayton Kershaw in a 2-0 loss in Los Angeles.

After dropping three of four to close out their six-game road trip, they return home looking to extend a six-game winning streak at Miller Park in the opener of a nine-game stay.

Perhaps Gallardo (2-1, 4.97) can help them get off to a good start. Milwaukee is 13-1 in games he's started against Pittsburgh, and the right-hander is 9-1 with a 2.35 ERA in those outings.

Gallardo had a 6.61 ERA through three starts in 2013, but won his second straight Tuesday at San Diego after holding the Padres to three runs in 6 2-3 innings. He did, however, walk five after allowing only four free passes in his first four starts.

"It was a struggle,' manager Ron Roenicke said. "His command, ball-strike ratio in the first three innings - that wasn't him. But I was glad to see somewhere in there that he got it together. If he can keep us in ballgames and win ballgames when he's struggling it's going to be a nice thing when he gets going.'

Gallardo has been tough on Pedro Alvarez (0 for 12, seven strikeouts) and Clint Barmes (1 for 15), while Gaby Sanchez has six hits - including a homer - in 16 at_bats.

Martin, who has doubled and walked twice in three plate appearances against Gallardo, has been heating up after a poor start. He has a .500 on-base percentage, five homers and four doubles in his last 10 games.

Milwaukee star Ryan Braun has batted .359 with five doubles and four home runs in 39 career at_bats against Rodriguez.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Reds (13-12) at Cardinals (14-9)

Game: 1
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: April 29, 2013 8:15 PM EDT


The Cincinnati Reds didn't face Adam Wainwright in their visit to Busch Stadium earlier this month. They won't be so fortunate this time around.

Wainwright will try to help the St. Louis Cardinals avoid a season-high third consecutive loss on Monday night when these NL Central foes renew their rivalry.

Trying to build off a season-opening 4-2 homestand, the Reds (14-12) dropped two of three at Busch from April 8-10. St. Louis took the final two games of that series by a combined 15-1 score, but its home opener was spoiled with the bullpen giving up nine ninth-inning runs in a 13-4 defeat.

With closer Jason Motte possibly facing reconstructive elbow surgery, St. Louis' bullpen continues to falter. That group has a major league-worst 5.94 ERA after surrendering 11 runs in a pair of losses over the weekend to Pittsburgh, which moved one-half game in front of the Cardinals (14-10) for the Central lead.

"Yeah, it's hard to be positive, but at the same time you have to do everything you can to fight every single day and I'm doing that,' Mitchell Boggs said after getting charged with three runs in the ninth inning of Sunday's 9-0 loss.

Cardinals starters lead the majors with a 2.18 ERA and Wainwright (4-1, 1.93 ERA) is a big reason why. The right-hander has a chance to match a career high with five consecutive winning starts, last accomplished Aug. 26 in an 8-2 victory in Cincinnati.

St. Louis' ace was two outs shy of his second complete game of the season on Tuesday, a 2-0 road win over Washington.

"I'm disappointed I didn't finish it, but at the same time, I knew I threw a quality game and we won the game," Wainwright told the Cardinals' official website. "So I can't really hang my head."

He felt the same way about walking his first batter of the season.

The Reds have an NL-best 106 walks after drawing four in Sunday's 5-2 win in Washington. Cincinnati had lost three straight and eight in a row on the road since the Cardinals' home opener.

Monday's scheduled starter Mat Latos (1-0, 2.16) left that game after giving up four runs in six innings. The right-hander owns a 10.23 ERA in five starts in St. Louis, but he's yielded just one run in each of his last two starts there.

Latos didn't allow any in Wednesday's 1-0 win over the Chicago Cubs, extending his scoreless innings streak to 11 despite not getting much out of his secondary pitches.

"It was just a matter of hitting my spots and being able to make key pitches when I needed to," Latos told the Reds' official website.

That could be key against center fielder Jon Jay, whose .450 batting average (9 for 20) off Latos is the highest among those that have faced him more than 15 times.

Yadier Molina (8 for 20) and Carlos Beltran (three homers) have also enjoyed success off Latos.

Brandon Phillips has faced Wainwright more than any other current Red, going 9 for 34 with a homer.

Jay Bruce, who has six hits - including a home run - in 18 at_bats off Wainwright, could be batting out of the sixth spot again after getting two hits on Saturday when manager Dusty Baker dropped him from the five-hole for the first time this season.

Joey Votto, 1 for 17 off Wainwright, went 4 for 10 at Busch from April 8-10 as the Reds failed to win their fourth series in St. Louis since 2003.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Giants (13-11) at Diamondbacks (14-10)

Game: 1
Venue: Chase Field
Date: April 29, 2013 9:40 PM EDT


While Matt Cain is looking to end his longest season-opening drought in five years, the San Francisco Giants are trying to avoid their longest losing streak in almost three.

That might be a difficult task against Ian Kennedy, who hasn't lost to the Giants in nine straight starts.

Cain and the defending World Series champs will try to snap a five-game losing streak on Monday night when they open a three-game series against Kennedy and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

After a 9-4 start, slumping San Francisco (13-12) dropped its eighth in 12 games with a 6-4 loss at San Diego on Sunday.

"We haven't been playing so well,' manager Bruce Bochy said. "We've been making mistakes that have hurt us in this little streak we are in.'

The Giants haven't lost six in a row since suffering seven straight defeats from June 26-July 2, 2010, and turn to Cain to get them back on track.

Cain (0-2, 6.59 ERA), though, is still searching for his first victory after pitching inconsistently over his first five starts. It's the longest he's gone winless to open a season since 2008, when he didn't get his first victory until his sixth start.

After allowing seven runs in six innings in a 7-2 loss at Milwaukee on April 18, Cain gave up three earned and five hits over six innings in a 6-4, 11-inning loss to Arizona on Tuesday.

"I thought he regrouped and threw the ball well," said Bochy, whose club dropped two of three to the Diamondbacks.

Cain has pitched well in this series, winning nine of 11 decisions with a 2.95 ERA over his last 14 starts.

The three-time All-Star, however, will have to do a better job keeping the ball in the park. He's allowed six home runs over his last three starts, including Paul Goldschmidt's two-run blast in the last meeting.

Arizona (15-10) appears to be playing with some confidence heading into this meeting after beating Colorado 4-2 at home on Sunday to take three of four from the Rockies.

The Diamondbacks have won five of six overall to move into a tie with Colorado atop the NL West.

Although Kennedy (1-2, 4.70) hasn't won since opening day, another game against the Giants could help the right-hander get back in the win column.

Kennedy is 5-0 with a 2.14 ERA over his last nine starts in this series, surrendering a run and four hits in six-plus innings in a 3-2, 10-inning win at San Francisco on Wednesday.

His 2.33 ERA against the Giants ranks third among active pitchers with a minimum of 10 starts, behind Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw (1.28) and Cincinnati's Mat Latos (2.19).

Kennedy will try to cool off Buster Posey after the reigning NL MVP extended his hitting streak to nine games with a two-run homer on Sunday. He's batting .400 with three home runs and nine RBIs during that stretch.

While Pablo Sandoval - who went 4 for 5 on Sunday - has batted .346 in 35 career games in Arizona, he's just 7 for 33 (.212) against Kennedy.

Goldschmidt leads the Diamondbacks with five homers and 18 RBIs, but he's just 4 for 16 with four strikeouts facing Cain.

Gerardo Parra, a .220 hitter against Cain, has a .340 average over a career-best 13-game hitting streak.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Angels (9-14) at Athletics (13-12)

Game: 1
Venue: O.co Coliseum
Date: April 29, 2013 10:05 PM EDT


There hasn't been much of a home-field advantage in recent meetings between the Oakland Athletics and the Los Angeles Angels.

The home team has taken just five of the last 21 meetings heading into Monday night's opener of a three-game set at the O.co Coliseum.

The trend of visiting teams enjoying success between these AL West rivals continued in the first 2013 series, as Oakland (14-12) outscored Los Angeles 28-11 in a three-game road sweep from April 9-11.

The Angels (9-15), however, went 6-3 at the Coliseum last season.

Neither club is playing well entering this set, with Oakland losing eight of 10 and Los Angeles five of seven.

The Athletics should be boosted by Yoenis Cespedes, who returned in heroic fashion Sunday in a 9-8, 10-inning win over Baltimore in his first action since April 12 after being out with a strained muscle in his left hand.

Cespedes hit a tying, two-run homer in the ninth inning as Oakland ended a four-game slide. The A's have won nine straight with the Cuban slugger in their lineup this season and are 5-10 without him.

"He's very impactful, obviously,' manager Bob Melvin said. "That home run was kind of what he's all about. We need him in the lineup and he showed today why.'

Cespedes also showed why earlier this year against the Angels, going 5 for 13 with three walks and four runs scored.

Brandon Moss was 7 for 13 with nine of his 16 RBIs in that series while Josh Donaldson was 6 for 14. Donaldson is 12 for 22 over his last seven games.

The Angels are searching for answers at the plate after hitting .208 with six walks and 36 strikeouts while losing three of four in Seattle, capped by Sunday's 2-1 defeat.

Mike Trout went 3 for 14 with no runs scored and Albert Pujols was 2 for 15 as his homerless stretch reached 19 games.

Those players have enjoyed vastly different results against Oakland starter Daniel Straily (1-0, 2.70 ERA), with Trout going 4 for 7 and Pujols 0 for 6.

Straily is replacing Brett Anderson, who will be skipped due to lingering soreness in his right ankle. This is the right-hander's second outing - he allowed two runs over 6 2-3 innings in an 8-3 win over Houston on April 5 to replace the suspended Bartolo Colon before being sent to the minors the next day.

Straily went 1-0 with a 6.35 ERA in two 2012 outings against the Angels.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia rested his bullpen Sunday as Jason Vargas went the distance. That could pay dividends, since Scioscia may not know what to expect out of starter Tommy Hanson (2-1, 4.24) on Monday.

Hanson will return from the bereavement list. He was in Georgia due to the death of his stepbrother, and said that he was able to throw.

"It's not the same as getting bullpens in and working out," Hanson told the Angels' official website. "I worked out at a hotel gym and did some shoulder stuff and ran, and a little bit of core stuff."

The right-hander, who last pitched April 19, has never faced Oakland.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Orioles (15-9) at Mariners (10-16)

Game: 1
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: April 29, 2013 10:10 PM EDT


An offensive surge has led to a strong start to their trip, but the Baltimore Orioles' outstanding work on the mound has keyed their recent dominance over the Seattle Mariners.

The Orioles open a three-game series on Monday night looking for their ninth straight win against the Mariners and sixth in a row at Safeco Field.

Baltimore (15-10) will try to bounce back after failing to close out its first four-game sweep in Oakland since 1987 on Sunday. The Athletics tied it with two in the ninth and scored the winning run on Manny Machado's throwing error in the 10th inning for a 9-8 victory.

Nate McLouth and Machado each had four hits and Chris Davis hit his league-leading ninth home run as the Orioles continued their offensive tear. They hit .315 with 11 doubles, five homers and scored 28 runs while winning three of four in Oakland to start a season-high 11-game road trip.

Zach Britton makes his season debut for Baltimore after going 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA in three starts at Triple-A Norfolk. The left-hander allowed one run over six innings in his last start for the Tides on Thursday.

Britton, who went 5-3 with a 5.16 ERA in 11 starts last season, has no record and a 2.57 ERA in two career starts against the Mariners, walking two and striking out 11.

He allowed three hits over nine shutout innings in a 2-1, 12-inning win over Seattle on May 12, 2011.

Baltimore pitchers have posted a 1.84 ERA during the team's eight-game winning streak in this series.

This time, the Mariners (11-16) are looking to build off their first series victory after taking three of four from the Los Angeles Angels with a 2-1 home win on Sunday.

Jason Bay and Michael Morse each hit their first home runs since April 9.

"We wanted to win this series bad," Morse told the team's official website. "We're going to have a lot of these one-run games, and to come out on top like that means a lot for the character of this team."

Former Oriole Joe Saunders (1-3, 6.33 ERA) takes the mound after allowing eight runs and 11 hits - including a pair of homers - over five-plus innings in a 10-3 loss at Houston on Wednesday.

"Just a bad day. That is all I care to say,' said Saunders, who has given up 15 runs and 20 hits in his last two starts. "We'll just turn the page on it, go get them next time and forget about this one.'

Saunders surrendered two runs over 11 1-3 innings in two starts for Baltimore in the 2012 playoffs and has won all five of his despite a 4.73 ERA in seven career starts against the Orioles.

Baltimore, though, has 11 home runs and 16 doubles against left-handers, ranking near the top of the majors in each category.

Matt Wieters has a homer, single and a walk in three career plate appearances against Saunders, though Davis is 2 for 13 with a homer and six strikeouts in this matchup.

Machado is hitting .433 over his seven-game hitting streak, while former Mariner Adam Jones is batting .342 during his nine-game tear.

Seattle's Dustin Ackley has batted .406 in a nine-game hit streak, but he's batting .205 in 39 career at_bats against the Orioles.

The Mariners rank near the bottom of the majors with a .212 batting average against left-handers.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Twins (11-10) at Tigers (13-10)

Game: 1
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: April 29, 2013 7:08 PM EDT


Miguel Cabrera is surging for the Detroit Tigers while Joe Mauer is enduring a very rare drought without a hit for the Minnesota Twins.

These superstars will be in the spotlight Monday night when the Tigers look for a fourth straight victory in the opener of a three-game home set against the surprising Twins.

The red-hot Cabrera brings a 12-game hitting streak into this contest. The reigning AL MVP is hitting .420 with 15 RBIs during this run after he went 2 for 4 with a three-run homer on a 3-0 count in Sunday's 8-3 victory over Atlanta, as Detroit (13-10) completed a three-game sweep.

"You've got to make sure 'Skip' gives you the sign to swing. That's when you decide to swing or not swing,' Cabrera said.

Cabrera hit .380 with six homers and 26 RBIs last season against Minnesota (11-10), and went 3 for 13 with four RBIs as Detroit lost two of three on the road against the Twins to open the season.

That's the only series so far between these AL Central division rivals, with Mauer going 4 for 13 in those contests.

Mauer, however, was 0 for 15 as the Twins split four games with Texas capped by Sunday's 5-0 victory. It's the first time he has gone four straight games without a hit since Aug. 15-19, 2007, and he's never gone five in a row without one.

The team-oriented catcher, however, was more concerned with the fact that the Twins have won seven of 10 entering this 10-game trip.

"We've been playing good baseball," Mauer told the Twins' official website. "Even the games we've lost, we've been right there losing a couple one-run games. Guys are fighting, and we're getting good pitching performances, so we'll try to keep doing that."

Mauer has to like his chances of ending his drought Monday since he is 8 for 20 against Tigers starter Max Scherzer (2-0, 4.13 ERA) while Cabrera is 3 for 11 against Twins starter Mike Pelfrey (2-2, 7.94).

Scherzer is tied for the major league lead with the Rangers' Yu Darvish with 13.50 strikeouts per nine innings, and he's 9-1 with a 2.54 ERA in his last 18 starts - including three in the postseason.

The right-hander allowed a season-high five runs over five innings Wednesday to gain credit for a 7-5 victory over Kansas City.

He's 0-1 with a 7.25 ERA in four home starts versus the Twins. Scherzer will also have to be wary of Justin Morneau, who is 5 for 10 with three homers in their matchups.

Pelfrey would have a worse record if not for a run-support average of 8.47 - the highest among Twins starters. The right-hander gave up five runs over 4 2-3 innings Tuesday in an 8-5 loss to Miami.

He'll be concerned about facing Omar Infante, who is 15 for 30 against him and 12 for 25 over his last six games.

No player in the majors has more hits out of the No. 9 slot than Infante's 23.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Nationals (13-12) at Braves (15-9)

Game: 1
Venue: Turner Field
Date: April 29, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


The Atlanta Braves continued their recent dominance of the Washington Nationals earlier this month, including a win over ace Stephen Strasburg.

With their fast start a distant memory, the Braves hope a return home for a four-game series with their NL East rival can get them untracked.

Atlanta attempts to avoid its longest slide in 11 months and set a franchise record for its longest winning streak over the Nationals on Monday night.

The Braves (15-9) outscored Washington 18-5 while winning all three games in the nation's capital from April 12-14, including a 3-1 win over Strasburg in the middle game of that set. That's part of their seven-game winning streak, matching the longest by either team in the all-time series.

Atlanta did it May 20-July 5, 1997, when the Nationals were the Montreal Expos.

The Braves' latest sweep of Washington (13-12) was part of a 12-1 start to the season, but they've cooled off significantly by losing eight of 11. They concluded a 3-7 road trip by falling 8-3 at Detroit on Sunday, their fourth consecutive loss.

Atlanta, which hasn't dropped five in a row since an eight-game skid May 21-28, is playing the next seven at home, where it's 6-2.

"It was a tough road trip. You can tell it wore on us," said second baseman Dan Uggla, 4 for 26 with one homer and four RBIs during the trip.

Strasburg (1-4, 3.16 ERA) will try to add to the Braves' recent woes by ending his own.

The right-hander has lost a career-high four straight starts behind a 4.07 ERA. However, he's been backed by just six total runs of support.

He can't be blamed for April 13 loss to Atlanta after he surrendered two unearned runs with seven strikeouts in six innings.

The same can't be said about his three outings at Turner Field, where he's 1-2 with a 6.28 ERA.

Strasburg struggled early Wednesday, giving up three runs in the first inning before settling down and tossing six scoreless with seven strikeouts in a 4-2 loss to St. Louis.

Washington is trying to rebound from Sunday's 5-2 loss to Cincinnati after winning the first three games of the series.

Adam LaRoche, a member of the Braves in 2009, is hitless in his last 26 at_bats, dropping his average 65 points to .135.

"I've got one of two options here," the first baseman said. "I can either keep my head up, keep swinging or I can pack up and go home. I'm not ready to go home yet."

He's 1 for 10 versus Atlanta this year, and will be facing Julio Teheran (1-0, 5.48), who is coming off probably the best performance of his career.

The right-hander, widely considered among the best young arms in baseball, allowed one run and eight hits in seven innings of Tuesday's 10-2 win at Colorado.

Teheran didn't get a decision in his only meeting with Washington on April 12, when he was reached for four runs with three walks in six innings of a 6-4 victory.

Despite the losing streak to the Braves, the Nationals are adamant they'll prove to be better over the course of the season.

"I still don't think that they are better than us," second baseman Danny Espinosa told the team's official website following a 9-0 loss to the Braves on April 14. "It doesn't last forever. So I'm not worried about it. I'm going to be real confident the next 16 games."

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Indians (9-13) at Royals (13-9)

Game: 4
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: April 29, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


After each team took turns in coming up with big efforts at the plate in a doubleheader split, it could be time for the Kansas City Royals to do so in Monday night's series finale with the Cleveland Indians.

The Royals try to add to the woes of beleaguered Indians starter Ubaldo Jimenez when these teams complete a four-game set at Kauffman Stadium.

Friday's rainout created Sunday's doubleheader, with Kansas City (13-9) winning 9-0 in the opener before Cleveland (9-13) bounced back with a 10-3 rout in the nightcap.

The winless Jimenez (0-2, 10.06 ERA) has had a full week off to try to fix his problems since yielding four runs in five-plus innings in last Sunday's 5-4 victory at Houston.

That effort marked improvement after the right-hander allowed seven runs in each of his previous two outings.

Jimenez is allowing left-handers to bat .316 with all four home runs against him while right-handed hitters are just 4 for 24 (.167).

There is hope for him Monday since he has fared well versus several Royals regulars, with Jeff Francoeur 5 for 27 against him, Alcides Escobar 2 for 13, Billy Butler 3 for 12 and Alex Gordon 2 for 12.

Jimenez is 2-2 with a 4.43 ERA in four career starts against Kansas City.

Wade Davis (2-1, 3.20) will start Monday for the Royals after he was tagged for seven runs over 3 2-3 innings in Wednesday's 7-5 loss at Detroit. He entered that outing with 12 consecutive scoreless innings.

The right-hander has posted a 2.70 ERA in winning both career starts against the Indians, back in 2010 while with Tampa Bay. Davis made four relief appearances against them last year, allowing two runs over 5 1-3 innings.

He has limited Mark Reynolds to three hits in 15 at_bats, although two were home runs. Nick Swisher is 2 for 13 against Davis.

Reynolds is 3 for 12 in this series and Swisher is 2 for 9, but Carlos Santana is 7 for 13.

Former Royals infielder Mike Aviles hit a three-run homer and finished with a career-high five RBIs in the second game while Santana added four hits as Cleveland went 4 for 9 with runners in scoring position after going 0 for 8 in the opener.

"That's why it's game to game,' manager Terry Francona said. "We got leadoff runners on and we kind of go down the line. We got a lead, which also helps, and then we added on."

The Royals committed three errors that helped lead to four unearned runs as their three-game win streak ended.

"We played crummy,' manager Ned Yost said. "We didn't play good. We didn't play good defensively. We didn't make smart decisions on the base paths. It happens. You have games like this. The important thing is you forget it and come back tomorrow ready to go.'

Gordon went 10 for 26 with three homers and eight RBIs in a six-game span before going hitless in four at_bats in Sunday's nightcap.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rockies (15-10) at Dodgers (12-12)

Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: April 29, 2013 10:10 PM EDT


A rough stretch may get even tougher for the Colorado Rockies, and a three-game series with the resurgent Los Angeles Dodgers isn't the only reason.

The Rockies may be without shortstop Troy Tulowitzki as they go for just their third win in nine games in Monday night's opener.

Colorado (15-10) opened the season by winning 13 of 17, batting .318 with runners in scoring position while hitting 27 homers and averaging 5.9 runs.

The Rockies haven't been nearly that productive while dropping six of eight, scoring 3.4 per contest and batting .227 with runners in scoring position - .179 while dropping three of four at Arizona over the weekend.

They managed 12 runs in that series, losing Sunday's finale 4-2.

"As long as you continue to go out on a day in and day out basis and play good hard baseball and continue to do the right things, it will definitely work out," said starter Jon Garland, Sunday's losing pitcher. "We have already seen what we are able to do when we get some guys hot offensively and we are throwing the ball good."

Possibly doing that without Tulowitzki will likely be a tougher challenge.

The two-time All-Star will be re-evaluated after leaving Sunday's game with a strained left shoulder after an awkward slide home in the first inning. He was easily tagged out, and remained in the game for two more innings before being replaced by Jonathan Herrera.

"I didn't know he got hurt on the play," manager Walt Weiss said. "It sounds like he jammed his shoulder sliding into the plate."

Tulowitzki has a .308 average with six homers and a team-high 22 RBIs. He's hitting .347 with 22 RBIs and a .653 slugging average over his last 25 meetings with Los Angeles (12-12).

Colorado has dropped four straight overall to the Dodgers, and at Chavez Ravine with Tulowitzki on the disabled list with a groin injury.

The Rockies certainly felt that absence during those four defeats in Los Angeles, getting outscored 24-5 while hitting .220.

Facing Ted Lilly may not help, either.

The left-hander is 10-2 with a 3.92 ERA in 14 career starts versus Colorado, going 6-0 with a 2.86 ERA over the last seven.

Lilly is also coming off an impressive performance in his first start in 11 months after undergoing shoulder surgery. He yielded one run with seven strikeouts in five innings of Wednesday's 7-3, 10-inning loss to the Mets.

"I was definitely under the impression I had to prove myself at this level, and understandably, coming off shoulder surgery, prove to myself, too," Lilly told the team's official website.

Lilly's outing is part of the rotation's 2.81 ERA over the last seven games, helping the Dodgers to five wins.

Carl Crawford is facing the Rockies for the first time since 2009 with Tampa Bay, and he's trying to continue his home success. The left fielder is batting .391 with 11 runs scored at Dodger Stadium, hitting three homers over the past three games there.

He connected for a pair of solo homers Sunday - one on the first pitch of the game - in a 2-0 win over Milwaukee.

Colorado is expected to turn to Tyler Chatwood, who is also trying to improve upon his season debut. The right-hander gave up five runs with three walks in six innings before leaving without a decision in a 6-5 win over Atlanta on Wednesday, when he replaced the injured Jhoulys Chacin in the rotation.

Chatwood is 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA in two starts at Chavez Ravine.

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Monday

April 29, 2013


SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Padres are 0-11 since May 08, 2009 on the road after a win in which they allowed 5+ walks and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $1100 when playing against.


OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Tigers are 0-10 OU since September 11, 2011 as a favorite after a win in which they left fewer than 10 men on base for a net profit of $1005 when playing the under.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- When Yovani Gallardo starts the Brewers are 10-0 since August 20, 2010 at home vs a team that won their starters last two starts for a net profit of $1000.

MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

-- Andy Pettitte has produced a team record of 13-0 (+$1,320) since November 2009 coming off a start where he threw at least 100 pitches.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Diamondbacks are 10-0 since September 20, 2005 at home within 20 cents of pickem vs a team that has lost at least their last three games and it is the first game of a series for a net profit of $1030.

-- When Andy Pettitte starts the Yankees are 10-0 since August 31, 2009 as a 140+ favorite after more strike outs than hits allowed for a net profit of $1000.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Cleveland at Kansas City
The Indians look to build on their 7-2 record in Ubaldo Jimenez' last 9 starts as a road underdog of +110 to +150. Cleveland is the pick (+125) according to Dunkel, which has the Indians favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+125). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, APRIL 29

Game 901-902: Washington at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Washington (Strasburg) 14.596; Atlanta (Teheran) 15.011
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Washington (-145); 7
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (+125); Under

Game 903-904: NY Mets at Miami (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NY Mets (Harvey) 14.563; Miami (Fernandez) 13.452
Dunkel Line: NY Mets by 1; 7
Vegas Line: NY Mets (-170); 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Mets (-170); Over

Game 905-906: San Diego at Chicago Cubs (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Richard) 15.492; Cubs (Samardzija) 14.625
Dunkel Line: San Diego by 1; 7
Vegas Line: Chicago Cubs (-155); No Run Total
Dunkel Pick: San Diego (+135); N/A

Game 907-908: Pittsburgh at Milwaukee (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Rodriguez) 15.792; Milwaukee (Gallardo) 16.480
Dunkel Line: Milwaukee by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-140); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Milwaukee (-140); Over

Game 909-910: Cincinnati at St. Louis (8:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati (Latos) 15.827; St. Louis (Wainwright) 15.337
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-135); 7
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (+115); Over

Game 911-912: San Francisco at Arizona (9:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco (Cain) 15.086; Arizona (Kennedy) 16.412
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1 1/2; 7 1/2
Vegas Line: Arizona (-110); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (-110); Under

Game 913-914: Colorado at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Chatwood) 15.892; LA Dodgers (Lilly) 15.365
Dunkel Line: Colorado by 1/2; 8 1/2
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-145); 8
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+125); Over

Game 915-916: Houston at NY Yankees (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Harrell) 12.862; NY Yankees (Pettitte) 15.510
Dunkel Line: NY Yankees by 2 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-240); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NY Yankees (-240); Under

Game 917-918: Minnesota at Detroit (7:08 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota (Pelfrey) 15.846; Detroit (Scherzer) 17.510
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Detroit (-230); 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-230); Over

Game 919-920: Cleveland at Kansas City (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Jimenez) 15.868; Kansas City (Davis) 14.834
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Kansas City (-145); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+125); Under

Game 921-922: LA Angels at Oakland (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: LA Angels (Hanson) 14.894; Oakland (Straily) 14.516
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Oakland (-120); 8
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (+100); Over

Game 923-924: Baltimore at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore (Britton) 15.772; Seattle (Saunders) 13.857
Dunkel Line: Baltimore by 2; 7
Vegas Line: Seattle (-110); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (-110); Under
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MLB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Monday, April 29

Hot pitchers
-- Mets are 5-0 when Harvey starts (4-0, 1.54).
-- Wainwright is 4-0, 1.44 in his last four starts. Latos is 1-0, 0.64 in his last couple starts.
-- Pirates are 4-0 when Rodriguez starts (2-0, 2.08). Gallardo is 2-0, 2.84 in his last couple starts.
-- Lilly allowed one run in five IP at Citi Field in his first '13 start.

-- Former Astro Pettitte is 3-1, 2.54 in four starts this season. Harrell is 2-0, 1.96 in his last three starts.
-- Scherzer is 1-0, 3.79 in his last three starts.
-- Straily won his only '13 start, allowing two runs in 6.2 IP. Hanson is 2-1, 4.24 in his first three '13 starts.

Cold pitchers
-- Strasburg is 0-4, 5.55 in his last four starts. Teheran is 0-0, 6.55 in four starts; Brave bullpen won all four games.
-- Fernandez is 0-2, 9.00 in his last couple starts.
-- Samardzija is 0-4, 4.38 in his last four starts. Richard is 0-2, 8.47 in his four starts this season.
-- Giants are 0-5 when Cain starts (0-2, 8.74 in last four). Kennedy is 0-2, 5.32 in his last four starts.
-- Chatwood allowed five runs in six IP in his first '13 start.

-- Pelfrey is 1-2, 10.95 in his last three starts.
-- Jimenez is 0-2, 14.73 in his last three starts. Davis has a 5.12 RA in his first four starts this season.
-- Saunders is 0-2, 13.97 in his last two starts. Britton was 0-2, 12.27 in his last two starts LY; this is his first '13 start.

Totals
-- Six of last eight Washington games stayed under the total.
-- Eleven of last sixteen Met games went over the total.
-- Eleven of last fifteen Cub games stayed under the total.
-- Last five Pittsburgh games went over the total.
-- Five of last seven St Louis home games went over total.
-- 12 of last 14 Arizona games stayed under the total.
-- Six of last seven games at Dodger Stadium went over the total.

-- Over is 3-1-1 in last five Houston games.
-- Ten of last thirteen Detroit games went over the total.
-- Five of last six Kansas City games went over the total.
-- 21 of last 25 Oakland games went over the total.
-- Four of last five Baltimore games went over the total.

Hot teams
-- Washington won three of its last four games.
-- San Diego won its last four games by total of five runs. Cubs won three of their last four games.
-- Pirates won 14 of their last 19 games. Brewers won 10 of their last 13.
-- Arizona won six of its last eight games.
-- Dodgers won five of their last seven games.

-- Bronx won 14 of its last 19 games.
-- Detroit won four of its last five games. Twins won seven of last ten.
-- Royals won six of their last nine games.
-- Orioles won eight of their last eleven games.

Cold teams
-- Atlanta lost seven of its last nine games.
-- Mets lost nine of their last twelve games. Miami lost ten of its first thirteen home games.
-- Reds lost three of their last four games. St Louis lost its last two games, outscored 14-3.
-- San Francisco lost its last six games on the road.
-- Colorado lost six of its last eight games.

-- Houston lost eleven of its last fourteen games.
-- Indians lost eight of their last twelve games.
-- Oakland lost eight of its last ten games. Angels lost five of last seven games foreign soil.
-- Mariners lost 12 of their last 19 games.
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MLB

Monday, April 29

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Trend Report
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7:05 PM
MINNESOTA vs. DETROIT
Minnesota is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Detroit
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games when playing Detroit
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 5 games
Detroit is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. NY YANKEES
Houston is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
Houston is 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
NY Yankees are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games at home
NY Yankees are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Houston

7:10 PM
WASHINGTON vs. ATLANTA
Washington is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 9 games when playing on the road against Atlanta
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Atlanta's last 9 games when playing at home against Washington
Atlanta is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home

7:10 PM
NY METS vs. MIAMI
NY Mets are 10-3 SU in its last 13 games when playing Miami
NY Mets are 1-5 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 18 of Miami's last 25 games when playing at home against NY Mets
Miami is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against NY Mets

8:05 PM
SAN DIEGO vs. CHI CUBS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Diego's last 6 games
San Diego is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
Chi Cubs are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games
Chi Cubs are 7-14 SU in their last 21 games

8:10 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. MILWAUKEE
Pittsburgh is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Pittsburgh's last 12 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Milwaukee's last 13 games at home
Milwaukee is 10-3 SU in its last 13 games

8:10 PM
CLEVELAND vs. KANSAS CITY
Cleveland is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
Cleveland is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games
Kansas City is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Cleveland
Kansas City is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games

8:15 PM
CINCINNATI vs. ST. LOUIS
Cincinnati is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cincinnati's last 6 games when playing on the road against St. Louis
St. Louis is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games at home

9:40 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. ARIZONA
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Francisco's last 7 games on the road
San Francisco is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Arizona
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona's last 5 games
Arizona is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

10:05 PM
LA ANGELS vs. OAKLAND
The total has gone OVER in 14 of LA Angels's last 20 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Angels's last 6 games when playing Oakland
Oakland is 2-6 SU in their last 8 games when playing at home against LA Angels
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Oakland's last 8 games

10:10 PM
BALTIMORE vs. SEATTLE
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Baltimore's last 5 games
Baltimore is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Seattle
Seattle is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Seattle's last 6 games at home

10:10 PM
COLORADO vs. LA DODGERS
Colorado is 8-17 SU in its last 25 games on the road
Colorado is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games when playing on the road against LA Dodgers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games when playing Colorado
LA Dodgers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Colorado

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MLB

Monday, April 29

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Monday's streaking and slumping starting pitchers
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Two starters on bad teams are pitching very well and could generate good profit for those looking for a live underdog.

Here's a look at Monday's streaking and slumping starters:

Streaking

Lucas Harrell, Houston Astros (2-2, 4.08 ERA)

Don't let Harrell's numbers fool you. His stats are skewed because of a horrendous outing against Oakland on April 7, when he gave up eight earned runs in 4 1/3 innings. In his four other starts, Harrell has given up five earned runs and only two home runs. The Astros have won their last two with Harrell on the mound.

Jeff Samardzija, Chicago Cubs (1-4, 3.03 ERA)

Samardzija is another guy who is pitching gems without getting wins. The Cubs have lost all of his last four starts. But Samardzija has given up only 11 earned runs in his five starts, has struck out an average of 7.8 batters per game, and walked only 10 opponents. The under is 4-1 in his starts.


Slumping

Mike Pelfrey, Minnesota Twins (2-2, 7.94 ERA)

Pelfrey is struggling in his first month in the American League. In his last three starts, Pelfrey's been rocked for an 11.57 ERA and has only five strikeouts. The over is 4-0 in Pelftey's outings.

Matt Cain, San Francisco Giants (0-2, 6.33 ERA)

Cain looks nothing like the pitcher that had a 3.60 ERA in the 2012 playoffs, pacing the Giants to the World Series. He has given up at least one home run in each of his last three starts, and has made it to the seventh inning once. San Francisco is 0-5 in Cain's starts.

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Monday, April 29

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MLB weather watch: Rain in New York and Seattle
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Houston Astros vs. New York Yankees (-237, 8)
Site: Yankee Stadium

A 50 percent chance of rain with winds blowing from right to left at 10 mph. The Yankees were 16-11 in 2012 when the wind blew from right to left at home.

San Diego Padres vs. Chicago Cubs (-151, NA)
Site: Wrigley Field

Winds will blow out to left field at 12 mph.

Cleveland Indians vs. Kansas City Royals (-131, 9)
Site: Kauffman Stadium

Winds will blow out to left field at 13 mph.

Cincinnati Reds vs. St. Louis Cardinals (-131, 7)
Site: Busch Stadium

Winds will blow out to left field at 13 mph. The under was 5-2 in 2012 at Busch Stadium when the wind blew out to left.

Baltimore Orioles vs. Seattle Mariners (+101, 8)
Site: Safeco Field

There's a 60 percent chance of rain in Seattle.