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

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MLB

Sunday, April 21

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MLB weather report: Windy in Chicago
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Relatively favorable conditions are expected throughout the bigs on Sunday.

Here is a look at the notable weather:

Minnesota Twins at Chicago White Sox (-145, 8.5)

Site: U.S. Cellular Field

Forecasts call for mostly cloudy skies with temperatures in the low-50s at first pitch. Winds will blow in from right field at 17 mph. The under was 5-2 in 2012 when winds blew in from right field at U.S. Cellular.

Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers (-162, 10)

Site: Rangers Ballpark

Mostly sunny skies with temperatures in the high-60s. Winds will blow in from right field at 10 mph.

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MLB

Sunday, April 21

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Sunday Night Baseball: Cardinals at Phillies
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The Cardinals and Phillies take center stage on Sunday Night Baseball.

St. Louis Cardinals at Philadelphia Phillies (+104, 8.5)

GO WEST YOUNG MAN

Jake Westbrook's pristine start to the season was saved by the weather after his last outing against the Pirates was rained out; the righty gave up four early runs to Pittsburgh. Westbrook has not allowed an "official" earned run this season. He is just 1-1, though, as the unearned run he allowed against the Giants ultimately led to a loss. The Cardinals' starter faced the Phillies twice last season, getting rocked at home as he gave up six runs on May 24. He bounced back on August 11 against Philadelphia, allowing only a single run on four hits in just over seven innings of work.

CAN KENDRICK GET IT DONE?

Kyle Kendrick has been solid this season aside from his first start where he allowed five runs and eight hits in just over five innings pitched against the Royals. He followed that up with two solid outings against the Mets and Reds where he allowed two runs and 10 hits total. One of Kendrick's best starts last season came in St. Louis on May 26. He tossed a complete-game shutout, yielding seven hits.

INJURY REPORT

The Cardinals and Phillies are both almost at full strength. St. Louis is without Rafael Furcal who underwent Tommy John surgery back in March. The Cardinals are also without pitchers Chris Carpenter and Jason Motte. Carpenter is dealing with a nerve condition in his throwing hand, arm, and shoulder. Motte's status is unknown as he deals with a torn ligament.

On the Philadelphia side, Ryan Howard is day-to-day with a tight right groin injury. Catcher Carlos Ruiz is almost done with his 25-game suspension, which will help a lineup that has struggled scoring at times. John Lannan is on the DL with a knee injury while Delmon Young is close to recovering from microfracture surgery on his ankle.

TRENDS

* The over is 5-2 in the Cardinals’ last seven Sunday games.
* Cardinals are 5-0 in Westbrook's last five road starts vs. a team with a losing record

* Phillies are 5-2 in Kendrick’s last seven home starts
* The under is 9-3-1 in Kendrick’s last 13 starts on grass.

HITTERS TO WATCH

Michael Young 11-for-27 vs. Westbrook
Jimmy Rollins 6-for-15 vs. Westbrook
Matt Holliday 2-for-18 vs. Kendrick
Carlos Beltran 7-for-26 vs. Kendrick

[StarDust Bum]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

04/20/13 17-*15-*0 53.13% +*555 Detail
04/19/13 9-*3-*0 75.00% +*3030 Detail
04/18/13 11-*6-*1 64.71% +*2720 Detail
04/17/13 10-*13-*1 43.48% -*1265 Detail
04/16/13 14-*11-*1 56.00% +*1560 Detail
04/15/13 12-*4-*0 75.00% +*3650 Detail
04/14/13 15-*13-*0 53.57% +*530 Detail
04/13/13 14-*16-*0 46.67% -*1510 Detail
04/12/13 10-*6-*0 62.50% +*2555 Detail
04/11/13 5-*6-*1 45.45% -*460 Detail
04/10/13 15-*10-*1 60.00% +*2240 Detail
04/09/13 14-*14-*0 50.00% -*440 Detail
04/08/13 12-*7-*1 63.16% +*2080 Detail
04/07/13 15-*13-*2 53.57% +*840 Detail
04/06/13 11-*18-*0 37.93% -*4805 Detail
04/05/13 17-*12-*0 58.62% +*2035 Detail
04/04/13 15-*7-*0 68.18% +*4160 Detail
04/03/13 15-*15-*0 50.00% -*350 Detail
04/02/13 8-*6-*0 57.14% +*1305 Detail
04/01/13 10-*13-*0 43.48% -*1935 Detail

Totals 249-*208-*8 54.49% +16495

[StarDust Bum]

Sunday, April 21

Game Score Status Pick Amount

NY Yankees - 1:07 PM ET NY Yankees +129 500
Toronto - Over 8.5 500

Miami - 1:10 PM ET Miami +219 500 POD # 1
Cincinnati - Under 8.5 500

Washington - 1:10 PM ET Washington -138 500
NY Mets - Under 7.5 500

LA Dodgers - 1:35 PM ET Baltimore -125 500
Baltimore - Over 9 500

Kansas City - 1:35 PM ET Boston -148 500
Boston - Under 8.5 500

Atlanta - 1:35 PM ET Pittsburgh +154 500 POD # 2
Pittsburgh - Over 7.5 500

Oakland - 1:40 PM ET Oakland -116 500
Tampa Bay - Under 8 500

Minnesota - 2:10 PM ET Chi. White Sox -138 500
Chi. White Sox - Over 8.5 500

Chi. Cubs - 2:10 PM ET Milwaukee -131 500
Milwaukee - Under 9 500

Cleveland - 2:10 PM ET Houston +107 500
Houston - Over 9 500

Seattle - 3:05 PM ET Seattle +151 500 POD # 4
Texas - Over 9.5 500

Detroit - 3:35 PM ET LA Angels -106 500
LA Angels - Over 8 500

San Diego - 4:05 PM ET San Francisco -139 500
San Francisco - Under 7.5 500

Arizona - 4:10 PM ET Colorado -127 500
Colorado - Under 10.5 500

Kansas City - 7:00 PM ET Kansas City +129 500 POD # 3
Boston - Over 8.5 500

St. Louis - 8:05 PM ET Philadelphia +106 500
Philadelphia - Over 8.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

Diamond Trends - Monday

April 22, 2013

SU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Orioles are 10-0 since August 14, 2012 as a favorite it is the first game of the series for a net profit of $1000.


OU TREND OF THE DAY:

-- The Reds are 0-16-1 OU since September 01, 2012 as a 140+ favorite vs a divisional foe that is behind them in the divisional standings for a net profit of $1600 when playing the under.

PITCHER TREND OF THE DAY:

-- When Ricky Nolasco starts the Marlins are 0-10 OU since April 22, 2008 on the road after giving up no walks at home for a net profit of $1000 when playing the under.

MLB BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

-- The Nationals are 0-10 OU since August 24, 2011 when they were shutout last game while allowing less than nine runs.

ACTIVE TRENDS:

-- The Angels are 0-10 since May 28, 2010 as a home dog vs a team that has won at least their last two games for a net profit of $1000 when playing against.

-- When Ricky Nolasco starts the Marlins are 9-1 since May 31, 2008 as a 140+ dog after the team lost their last two games for a net profit of $1355.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Athletics (12-7) at Red Sox (12-6)

Game: 1
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: April 22, 2013 6:35 PM EDT


With their city continuing to heal, the Boston Red Sox will try to provide another small bit of positivity by ending a lengthy skid to the Oakland Athletics.

The Red Sox, though, might have a challenge as they try to snap that eight-game series losing streak as they'll face a red-hot A.J. Griffin in Monday night's opener at Fenway Park.

Monday will mark one week since the marathon bombings, and the Red Sox have tried to do their part to lift up their city's spirits. In their first home game since that tragedy, Boston (12-6) beat Kansas City 4-3 on Saturday but couldn't keep their momentum going in a Sunday doubleheader.

The Red Sox blew leads in both games, including one that was a makeup for Friday's postponement.

In his first two at_bats during the opener of that doubleheader, Jonny Gomes used a bat with the words "Boston Strong" and the names of the four people killed in the bombings and its aftermath. He planned to auction off the bats and two others for charity.

"I've got four (bats). Two more coming and I'll have the whole team sign them, and then I'll auction them off and hopefully raise some funds for where it's needed," Gomes told the team's official website.

After missing their chance to extend a seven-game win streak, the Red Sox will try to get back on track against Oakland (12-7), which struggled at the plate in the opening series of its six-game road trip. The A's headed into Tampa Bay with the AL's best record, but hit .179 and went 3 for 25 with runners in scoring position while being outscored 17-4 in the sweep.

Oakland hit three singles and was 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position in Sunday's 8-1 loss.

"You just move on. Don't dwell on it. You've got to take your losses, take your lumps just like you take your wins,' first baseman Brandon Moss said. "It would be stupid for us to get down on ourselves after three losses, especially when they pitched as well as they did."

The A's have hit .356 with runners in scoring position and .297 overall during their eight straight wins against Boston, their longest streak in the series since 1932. Oakland has also outscored the Red Sox 54-15 during that run, and Griffin (2-0, 2.25 ERA) will try to extend it Monday.

The right-hander has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his three starts. He allowed two runs over six innings and struck out a season-high eight Tuesday as the A's beat Houston 4-3.

Griffin is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in his two starts against Boston but has never pitched at Fenway. He might not have a problem as he's 5-1 with a 2.61 ERA in his first eight road starts in the majors.

Felix Doubront (1-0, 4.50), meanwhile, will try to end his struggles against Oakland. The left-hander is 0-2 with a 12.86 ERA in his two starts versus the A's - his worst showing against any AL opponent - but heads into this outing with some momentum after earning his first win of the season.

Doubront gave up two runs and four hits over five innings while striking out seven in a 7-2 victory in Cleveland on Tuesday.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Blue Jays (8-11) at Orioles (10-8)

Game: 1
Venue: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Date: April 22, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


After having their brief winning streak snapped, the Baltimore Orioles look get back on track and continue their recent home dominance over the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Orioles will try for their eighth win in 10 home meetings with the Blue Jays in the opener of a three-game series Monday night.

Although Adam Jones homered and Chris Davis stayed hot, the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied from a three-run deficit for a 7-4 win on Sunday that snapped Baltimore's three-game winning streak. The Orioles (10-8) pounded out 10 hits - giving them 42 over their last four games - but were held scoreless over the final six innings after totaling 23 runs during their win streak.


Now Baltimore hopes to bounce back against a Toronto team it outscored 45-25 while winning seven of nine meetings at Camden Yards last season.

The Blue Jays (8-11) will have a new look this time after making several big moves in the offseason, but are struggling to meet expectations.

Toronto, which has lost four of six, is last in the AL East despite salvaging its finale against the New York Yankees with an 8-4 comeback win on Sunday.

J.P. Arencibia hit his seventh homer and Melky Cabrera added three hits as the Blue Jays scored four runs in the sixth inning and two in the seventh.

"Maybe today is something that'll get us going," manager John Gibbons said.

They'll try to win consecutive games for only the second time this season behind left-hander J.A. Happ, who makes his first career start at Camden Yards.

After tossing 5 1-3 shutout innings against Boston to win his season debut, Happ (2-1, 5.06 ERA) has allowed nine runs and 11 hits over 10 2-3 innings in his last two starts. He surrendered five runs - including a pair of home runs - in 5 2-3 innings in a 7-0 home loss to the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

"I felt I was making pitches, making several in a row and they'd make you pay," Happ said. "So it's frustrating in that sense to put us down early."

Happ allowed three runs and struck out nine in five innings in a 4-0 loss to Baltimore last September.

He'll have find a way to contain Jones, who is 4 for 6 lifetime against the left-hander. Jones also batted .426 (29 for 68) with seven homers in 18 games against Toronto last season.

Davis, who is 9 for 15 over his last four games, also crushed Toronto with a .393 average (24 for 61) and nine homers in 2012.

Baltimore will try to provide some run support for Chris Tillman (0-1, 7.07), who has had a difficult time regaining the form that helped him go 9-3 with a 2.93 ERA in 15 starts last season. Opponents have a .403 on-base percentage against the right-hander.

Jose Bautista, who played in the field Sunday for the first time since April 14 after serving as the designated hitter while battling a back injury, has four hits - including a double and two homers - in nine career at_bats off Tillman.

Adam Lind, however, is just 3 for 14 with four strikeouts in this matchup.

The Blue Jays had plated 22 runs and hit .206 during an eight-game stretch before scoring eight and going 11 for 31 Sunday.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cardinals (10-8) at Nationals (10-8)

Game: 1
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: April 22, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


While the Washington Nationals are coming off a frustrating loss, how they feel surely pales in comparison to what they went through in October.

In a rematch of their 2012 NL division series, Washington tries to get some revenge against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals in the opener of a three-game set Monday night.

The Nationals (10-8) led 6-0 after three innings and were one strike away from the NLCS. However, Drew Storen gave up a tie-breaking two-run single to Pete Kozma as St. Louis (10-8) stormed back from two down in the ninth inning to win 9-7 in Game 5.

That loss didn't appear to have any lasting effect on Washington, which jumped out to a fast start by opening 7-2. The Nationals, though, have since dropped six of nine, including two of three to the New York Mets over the weekend. They were limited to four singles in a 2-0 loss Sunday.

Leadoff hitter Denard Span is batting .174 in his last six games while Jayson Werth has gone 2 for 14 in the last four.

"We're OK. It's early. We are a good ball club. We're going home. We'll bounce back. But we definitely let this one get away from us," Werth said. "I couldn't tell you what our record is. Things could be a lot worse. We're all right. We are a good team. We'll get it together. We have too much talent. We'll be all right."

The Nationals could have a hard time bouncing back against highly touted Cardinals starter Shelby Miller (2-1, 1.96 ERA), who's struck out 18 over his first three starts spanning 18 1-3 innings. The right-hander gave up two runs over six innings in a 5-0 loss at Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

"You've got to tip your hat to Miller," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle told MLB's official website. "You saw why the numbers are what they are. We thought we had him in a place where we might be able to make him move, and he collected himself."

The Nationals' Dan Haren (1-2, 8.10 ERA) can't seem to get on track. He gave up seven runs - three earned - in 4 1-3 innings of an 8-2 loss at Miami on Tuesday.

"I feel good, so it's just a matter of translating good numbers out there," said Haren, against whom opponents are batting .388. "Baseball is a crazy game. As bad as it is going now, it can change in an instant. I just have to remain positive."

Haren, who began his career in St. Louis, is 4-0 with a 3.65 ERA in five career starts against the Cardinals.

St. Louis split a four-game series at Philadelphia that ended Sunday, falling 7-3 in the finale. Jake Westbrook threw six-plus strong innings but Mitchell Boggs gave up four runs in the eighth.

'He's a big part of our club. He'll get over it," said manager Mike Matheny, whose bullpen has compiled a major league-worst 5.69 ERA. 'I don't see it as mechanical so much as it is about confidence."

Carlos Beltran stayed hot with two hits Sunday but saw his three-game home run streak come to an end. He's batted .438 over the last four games.

Matt Holliday figures to be back in the lineup after getting the night off Sunday. The slugging left fielder is a career .328 hitter versus Washington in the regular season.

The Cardinals have been outscored 74-31 in dropping eight of nine regular-season matchups at Washington.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Pirates (10-8) at Phillies (8-11)

Game: 1
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: April 22, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


After slowing down one of the hottest teams in the majors, the Pittsburgh Pirates are on the verge of their longest win streak of the season.

A.J. Burnett will try to deliver that fourth straight victory while building on a superb outing Monday night against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Pittsburgh has won nine of 12 since its 1-5 start and took three of four over Atlanta to wrap up this past week. The Braves entered that series with baseball's best record (12-2) and won 6-4 in Thursday's series opener at PNC Park.

The Pirates (10-8) then outscored Atlanta 13-3 over the final three games and Clint Barmes broke out of an 0-for-14 slump in a 4-2 win Sunday with a pair of RBI singles, including the tiebreaking one in the sixth inning.

"We're capable of playing very good baseball, and we just did that on this (nine-game) homestand," manager Clint Hurdle told the team's website.

Hurdle's team will try to keep rolling on a 10-game road trip and Burnett (1-2, 2.63 ERA) will attempt to help with another stellar effort.

The veteran right-hander gave up his lone hit to St. Louis in the seventh inning Wednesday in a 5-0 victory. Burnett also walked none and fanned eight, and ranks first in the NL with 35 strikeouts.

"I'll take that every time out," Hurdle said. "That's the rhythm when he's the beast that he can be, that's the rhythm you see. ... You couldn't ask for any more than we got out of him."

Burnett won his only start against Philadelphia (8-11) in 2012 after going 2-6 with an 8.92 ERA in his previous eight matchups, including two in the 2009 World Series while with the New York Yankees. He gave up three runs in 6 2-3 innings and struck out seven in a 5-4 victory at Citizens Bank Park on June 28.

In this matchup, Burnett is slated to pitch opposite Jonathan Pettibone, who is making his major league debut. The right-hander is taking the place of the injured John Lannan in the rotation.

The 22-year-old Pettibone, one of the Phillies' top prospects and son of former major leaguer Jay Pettibone, went 13-8 with a 3.10 ERA in 26 starts at two different levels in 2012. He was 0-1 with a 9.64 ERA in two starts at Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season.

"Hopefully he's got enough weapons and guile to pitch well for us," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told the team's website. "He's got a pretty good arsenal. We'll see how he competes."

Philadelphia had dropped six of eight after a season-high three consecutive victories April 9-12 before winning 7-3 in Sunday's series finale with St. Louis. Ben Revere singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and Erik Kratz followed with a three-run homer.

"We're not quite there yet. Hopefully, tonight got it started," manager Charlie Manuel said.

Michael Young also extended his hit streak to 12 games. Young is 9 for 36 (.250) with six strikeouts against Burnett but is hitting .391 (18 for 46) in 12 all-time games versus the Pirates.

Pittsburgh's Travis Snider has also been locked in at the plate, batting .429 (12 for 28) with six doubles during an eight-game hitting streak.

The Pirates haven't won four straight since July 25-28.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cubs (5-12) at Reds (11-8)

Game: 1
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: April 22, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


Now that Joey Votto is breaking out of his early power slump, the next priority for Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker is getting Jay Bruce to find his home run stroke.

Votto looks to build on a big weekend while Bruce tries to shake out of his funk for the surging Reds in Monday's opener against the slumping Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park.

After hitting one home run in his first 17 games, Votto homered for the second straight day Sunday in a 10-6 win over Miami, the sixth victory in seven games for Cincinnati (11-8). Votto, who didn't homer in his final 40 games of 2012, is 7 for 11 in his last two contests, raising his batting average to .328 and his on-base percentage to .522 - just shy of teammate Shin-Soo Choo's major league-best .523.

"I told you he was going to hit,' Baker said. "If you can hit, you'll hit. You don't just stop hitting.'

Baker's philosophy doesn't relate to Bruce, however.

Bruce led the Reds with 34 homers and 99 RBIs last season, but is still seeking his first home run of 2013. He has 26 strikeouts with eight RBIs, with just three coming in the last 12 games.

"Now we have to get Bruce going with a couple of home runs and some RBIs," Baker told the Reds' official website. "Jay is in that position where he gets a lot of opportunities ... The guys hitting in front of him are on base."

Bruce hit .381 with a homer in six home games against the Cubs last season, and that blast came off scheduled starter and former teammate Travis Wood (1-1, 1.83 ERA).

Wood was tagged for seven run in five innings in his return to Cincinnati last August, but has been sharp this season for the Cubs (5-12).

The left-hander has one of the league's lowest ERAs and is limiting opponents to a .191 batting average, but has been backed by two total runs of support.

Wood isn't the only pitcher the Cubs, losers of six of seven, aren't hitting for. In getting swept in Milwaukee over the weekend, Chicago plated three runs in the final two games and went 1 for 17 with runners in scoring position in the series.

"Once again, we only had five hits and one of them was a two-run homer and we didn't score in the other eight innings,' manager Dale Sveum said after Sunday's 4-2 defeat. "We were o-fer with men in scoring position. It's just a broken record every day.'

They'll try to get things turned around against Mike Leake (1-0, 4.26), who allowed three hits and didn't walk a batter in seven shutout innings in Wednesday's 11-2 win over Philadelphia. The right-hander, who yielded nine runs over 12 innings in his first two starts, struck out seven, walked none and matched a career best with three hits of his own.

"I needed a good performance more than the three hits, but it helped,' he said. "I was mixing and matching, going after them and staying convicted to your pitch rather than being scared. It's an attitude thing for me."

Leake went 0-1 with a 6.11 ERA in three starts against the Cubs last season - all at Wrigley Field. He is 3-0 with a 2.12 ERA in four starts against them at Great American Ball Park.

Starlin Castro, batting .333 during a 13-game hitting streak, is 11 for 28 (.393) lifetime against Leake.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Yankees (10-7) at Rays (8-10)

Game: 1
Venue: Tropicana Field
Date: April 22, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


While CC Sabathia has returned to All-Star form after a rough first outing, Matt Moore has been excellent in his three starts as well.

The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays will each send an outstanding left-hander to the mound on Monday night when they open a three-game series at Tropicana Field.

Despite all its injuries, New York (10-7) appeared to be on the verge of its 10th win in 12 games on Sunday before Toronto rallied with four runs in the sixth inning and two in the seventh for an 8-4 victory.

Chris Stewart hit a solo homer for the Yankees, who still came away with their fourth straight series win following a 1-4 start.

"Our goal is to take every series and if you can do that, you're going to be in good shape come September,' manager Joe Girardi said. "It's not the way you want to leave but we won two out of three here."

Now they'll turn to Sabathia (3-1, 2.57 ERA) as he looks to claim his fourth straight win after losing 8-2 to Boston in the season opener.

The six-time All-Star has struck out 15 and walked only one in his last two starts and has given up just four earned runs over 23 innings while winning his last three.

Sabathia, though, hasn't fared as well against the Rays. He's 3-8 despite a 3.67 ERA in his last 18 starts in this series overall and 1-4 with a 4.01 ERA in his previous eight at Tropicana Field.

Evan Longoria has done some damage against Sabathia, batting 14 for 39 (.359) with three doubles and five homers.

After having 10 or more hits only once in its first 13 games, Tampa Bay (8-10) had that many for the fourth time in five games and completed a sweep of Oakland with an 8-1 victory on Sunday.

"It's very encouraging," Ben Zobrist told the league's official website. "It's certainly something we want to build on."

The Rays have scored at least six runs in four of their last five and will try to keep their hot hitting going for Moore (3-0, 1.00), who seeks his fifth straight win dating back to last season.

Moore gave up his first two runs of the season on five hits and struck out seven over 6 2-3 innings in a 6-2 win at Baltimore on Wednesday.

Despite issuing 11 walks, he has struck out 20 and allowed just eight hits over 18 innings.

Moore might not be too thrilled to see the Yankees, though. He allowed 11 runs over 9 1-3 innings in two September losses to New York.

While Vernon Wells has batted 7 for 15 with two homers in his last three games, he may have a tough time in this contest since he's 1 for 6 with two strikeouts against Moore.

After hitting just .219 over their first five games, the Yankees have batted .293 with 21 homers and 71 runs over their last 12.

The Rays have won 11 of 13 meetings in St. Petersburg dating back to the 2011 season.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Indians (7-10) at White Sox (7-11)

Game: 1
Venue: U.S. Cellular Field
Date: April 22, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


Justin Masterson has accounted for nearly half of the Cleveland Indians' victories, including a performance that impressed Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura less than two weeks ago.

Chicago's losing streak could hit four if it can't solve Masterson again as Cleveland visits the city's South Side to open a three-game set Monday night.

The Indians (7-10) haven't gotten off to a fantastic start under new manager Terry Francona, but they've won two straight following a five-game losing streak after beating Houston 19-6 on Saturday and 5-4 on Sunday.

Mark Reynolds homered in both contests to give him seven on the season while extending his hitting streak to five. He went 5 for 10 in the series and was moved back to the fifth spot in the order Sunday after hitting seventh the previous two games.

"I don't care where I hit, as long as I've got a jersey and I'm in the lineup," Reynolds told the team's official website.

Prior to winning the final two games versus the Astros, the Indians had not won since taking the first two of a three-game home set with Chicago on April 12 and 13. Masterson (3-1, 1.67 ERA) tossed a five-hitter in the series opener to help Cleveland earn a 1-0 victory.

"This is as good as I think I've ever seen him," Ventura said after that contest. "He was great. And that's the story - he was great. His ball was moving all over the place.'

The right-hander, who is 5-5 with a 2.51 ERA and owns three of his five career complete games in 16 starts versus Chicago, had allowed one run in 22 innings - including a career-high 19 consecutive scoreless - while winning his first three starts. He allowed four runs and 11 hits in five innings of a 6-3 loss to Boston in his last outing Wednesday, though.

Masterson will look to bounce back against the White Sox, who have scored five runs during their three-game skid.

Chicago (7-11) got six solid innings from Gavin Floyd on Sunday, but the bullpen came apart in the seventh in a 5-3 loss to Minnesota. It had won four of its first six games of the season while playing at home, but the Twins took both games as the White Sox also fell 2-1 in 10 innings Saturday.

Adam Dunn, hitting .310 with a homer lifetime off Masterson, ended a 0-for-31 slump with a homer in the seventh inning Sunday. He's hitting just .108 with 26 strikeouts, and three of his seven hits are home runs.

"It's still early, you don't want to keep losing games like this, but we're not worried,' said outfielder Alex Rios, who hit safely in 15 of his first 16 before going a combined 0 for 6 versus the Twins. "We're a talented team and we're going to be able to compete in this division and in other divisions. We just have to put a few good at_bats together and we'll be fine. We'll get out of this.'

White Sox starting pitchers have a 1.65 ERA over the last five, a stretch that began when scheduled starter Dylan Axelrod gave up two runs in six innings of Chicago's 4-3 win over Toronto on Tuesday.

Axelrod (0-1, 4.70) has no record with a 6.35 ERA in one start and one relief appearance lifetime versus Cleveland.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Marlins (4-15) at Twins (8-7)

Game: 1
Venue: Target Field
Date: April 22, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


The Minnesota Twins and Miami Marlins both finished at the bottom of their respective divisions in 2012. While things appear to be looking up for the Twins, the Marlins may be even worse off.

Minnesota can match its longest winning streak from 2012 with a victory Monday night against Miami as the teams begin a two-game series at Target Field.

A 5-3 road win against the White Sox on Sunday gave the Twins (8-7) their fourth straight victory, putting them on the verge of equaling their five-game streak from June 30-July 3, 2012.

Josh Willingham - who has at least one RBI in each game during the streak - provided a big three-run double in Minnesota's four-run seventh inning. Before that, the struggling Aaron Hicks - 0 for 19 over his last seven games - had an RBI single to tie the score at 2.

"I'd put us up against anybody right now," starter Scott Diamond, who gave up two runs over six innings, told the team's official website. "I think we're playing pretty confidently. As long as we can execute our pitches and continue to work, I think we're gonna be better than everybody thinks we are."

Minnesota's pitching has been strong during the four-game run, compiling a 2.19 ERA while allowing 30 hits over the last 37 innings. Kevin Correia (1-1, 2.95 ERA) figures to give the staff a good shot to continue that trend, as he's gone at least seven innings in all three of his starts while limiting opponents to three earned runs or fewer.

Correia will have to overcome some past struggles against the Marlins, though. He's 3-4 with an 8.01 ERA in eight starts versus Miami.

Facing this Marlins lineup, however, may not prove to be particularly daunting. Miami (4-15) is off to its worst start in franchise history hampered by an abysmal offense, though Giancarlo Stanton finally recorded his first RBI in a 10-6 loss at Cincinnati on Sunday.

"It doesn't give any excuse to my terrible play before that," said Stanton, who was 4 of 18 with eight strikeouts in the four-game series against the Reds and is batting .188 overall. "I can only look forward. I could have hit left-handed and done as well."

Stanton's struggles are far from the only thing weighing down Miami's offense. The Marlins rank last in baseball in batting average (.212) and slugging percentage (.266) and are tied with the White Sox for the worst on-base percentage (.271). Their six home runs are also the fewest in the majors.

"We haven't hit well enough to overcome those mistakes," said manager Mike Redmond, who played for the Twins from 2005-09. "Hopefully, this gets Stanton something to build on."

Making the start for Miami will be Ricky Nolasco (0-2, 3.86), who has felt the brunt of the inept offense while getting 1.54 runs of support per nine innings.

Nolasco has never faced the Twins, while teammates Juan Pierre and Miguel Olivo are 8 of 19 and 6 of 10 off of Correia, respectively.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mariners (7-13) at Astros (5-13)

Game: 1
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: April 22, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


Felix Hernandez couldn't have been much better in his latest outing, but even being perfect would hardly be a guarantee that the Seattle Mariners' offense will provide much assistance.

Hernandez looks to build on his latest dominant performance while hoping he can get some more run support Monday night as the Mariners visit Houston for the first of three with the AL-worst Astros.

Hernandez (1-2, 2.20 ERA) gave up one unearned run and four hits while striking out 12 over eight innings Wednesday against Detroit, but he left with the score tied at 1 in a game the Tigers went on to win in 14 innings.

"I was trying to match it up and do my job," Hernandez said. "With that kind of lineup, you've got to be aggressive and be in attack mode. And that's what I did today."

Getting little help is nothing new for the right-hander. Hernandez is 92-24 with a 2.95 ERA in the 153 career starts in which he's been given at least two runs of support. Seattle, though, has provided him with one run or none 89 times - nearly 37 percent of his career outings.

He got one run of support in his previous appearance against the Astros, giving up four and 12 hits over six innings in a 6-1 loss in Houston in June 2007.

The Mariners (7-13) have scored one run for him twice and two runs in Hernandez's other two starts this season, but the former Cy Young Award winner isn't the only pitcher they're struggling to support. Seattle averages an AL-low 3.05 runs per game, and it's totaled just 13 in its last eight after Sunday's 11-3 loss in Texas.

The Mariners struck out 11 times, giving them 63 over the last five games. Only Houston (173) has whiffed more times this season than Seattle (167).

"I'm just upset, to say the least, to our approach with two strikes, it's something that's been addressed, something that has to be better,' manager Eric Wedge said. "The strikeouts are ridiculous. ... We kind of crashed as a team offensively.'

The Astros (5-13) would be averaging just over three runs if not for two explosive performances at Safeco Field earlier this month. Houston totaled 24 runs and 38 hits in those contests to take two of three.

Brad Peacock (1-1, 5.27) was the beneficiary in that series finale, allowing three runs and four hits - including homers to Franklin Gutierrez and Kelly Shoppach - in an 8-3 victory. Peacock followed up his first win in an Astros uniform by giving up three runs over 4 1-3 Tuesday in a 4-3 loss at Oakland.

"The first couple of innings I was getting the ball down, and then I did the opposite,' Peacock said. "I felt like I had some of my best stuff tonight. This is still my first go-round.'

The trip to Seattle remains the Astros' lone series victory in their inaugural AL season. Houston had a chance to win another Sunday, but fell 5-4 to Cleveland.

After hitting .300 with runners in scoring position over their previous eight games, the Astros went 1 for 23 in those situations in their series against the Indians.

"We need to keep having those good situational at_bats,' catcher Jason Castro said. "That is going to be what's key for us moving forward is for us to capitalize. Obviously, it's nice to get hits with nobody is on because that's how it starts. When guys are in position, get guys over and get them in any way you can.'

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Braves (13-5) at Rockies (13-5)

Game: 1
Venue: Coors Field
Date: April 22, 2013 8:40 PM EDT


The slumping Atlanta Braves have cooled off quite a bit since getting off to a blazing start.

Coming off their first home loss, the Colorado Rockies are looking to get back on track, too.

Tied for the best record in baseball, the Braves try to continue their recent success against the Rockies as these clubs open a three-game set Monday night at Coors Field.

After averaging 5.2 runs while opening 12-1, Atlanta (13-5) has come back down to earth in dropping four of five. Having scored just nine runs while batting .195 over that stretch, the Braves are coming off their third straight loss, 4-2 at Pittsburgh on Sunday.

"We're just not capitalizing on our opportunities offensively," said manager Fredi Gonzalez, whose team dropped to 0-5 when going without a homer. "We're not getting that big hit when we need it. We're not catching any breaks either, like a broken-bat hit or a pitch going to the backstop. It'll turn around, though."

The Braves could get a boost from cleanup hitter Freddie Freeman, who's expected to be activated from the disabled list after going 5 for 10 with two doubles during a three-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett. Freeman was 7 for 17 with a homer and seven RBIs before suffering a strained right oblique April 6. Dan Uggla should also be available after sitting out Sunday due to a strained left calf.

Despite their recent woes, the Braves still lead the majors with 29 long balls, one ahead of Colorado (13-5). The Rockies also have a major league-best .482 slugging percentage and rank second with 104 runs.

Colorado had opened a franchise-best 8-0 at home and won eight straight overall before falling 5-4 to Arizona in Sunday's series finale. Troy Tulowitzki went 2 for 4 with his sixth homer, but the Rockies gave up three runs over the last two innings - including two in the ninth - with closer Rafael Betancourt unavailable after pitching the previous two days

"This is a good team and we battle every single game," said Carlos Gonzalez, batting a team-high .364. "If you're going to lose your winning streak, it's better to do it the way we did today, playing good baseball. We just had one bad inning at the end."

Colorado could have a hard time regrouping versus Atlanta, which has taken 12 of 15 in the series, including seven of the last eight. The Braves are batting .327 and have scored 38 runs during a four-game winning streak in Denver.

Atlanta now gives the ball to Mike Minor (2-1, 0.95 ERA), who's struck out 16 and walked just one over his first three starts spanning 19 innings. The left-hander gave up one run and five hits over six frames but was saddled with a hard-luck loss in Wednesday's 1-0 defeat to Kansas CIty.

While Minor was tagged for a career-high eight runs over five innings at Colorado on May 5, he struck out seven over seven innings of one-hit ball Sept. 5, in his only other start in the series.

The Rockies counter with Jeff Francis (1-1, 8.25), who's allowed 15 runs - 10 earned - 16 hits and six walks over his last two starts spanning just six innings. The left-hander is 3-2 with a 6.49 ERA over five career outings against the Braves, but he hasn't faced them since 2007.

Francis will need to be cautious with Justin Upton, who's gone 8 for 22 with two homers in their matchups. The slugging left fielder, who leads the majors with nine homers, is batting .341 with five long balls and 16 RBIs over his last 25 games against the Rockies.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rangers (12-6) at Angels (7-10)

Game: 1
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: April 22, 2013 10:05 PM EDT


Derek Holland's solid start hasn't necessarily surprised Ron Washington, but the Texas Rangers' manager is excited to see consistent improvement in his left-hander.

Los Angeles Angels skipper Mike Scioscia likely wishes he could say the same about Joe Blanton.

Hot-hitting Texas seeks a fourth consecutive victory while ending the host Angels' three-game winning streak in the opener of a three-game series Monday night.

After going 16-5 with a 3.95 ERA in 2011, Holland's numbers slipped last season as he finished 12-7 with a 4.67 ERA. Washington, though, maintained his confidence in Holland heading into this season, and he hasn't disappointed so far while going 1-1 with a 1.64 ERA.

He gave up only two hits while striking out six in seven scoreless innings of a 4-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday. He's gone at least seven innings in each of his three starts, including allowing two runs in seven frames of Texas' 3-2 win over the Angels on April 5.

"Derek is certainly proving not only to us but to himself that he can be consistent," Washington told the team's official website. "It's nice to see him out there using all his pitches and throwing them for strikes. His breaking ball has much more depth.

"He's much better to me. He's a more polished pitcher. His stuff is consistent and has been consistent since Day 1 of spring training."

Despite his solid performance the last time he faced Los Angeles, the left-hander is 2-2 with a 6.09 ERA over his last five starts versus the Angels. He could be the benefactor, though, of the recently hot Texas offense, which came alive in a big way in Sunday's 11-3 win over Seattle to complete a three-game sweep.

The Rangers (12-6) led the majors in runs scored last season, but the offense sputtered at times before outscoring the Mariners 23-3. Nelson Cruz hit a grand slam while Mitch Moreland, Adrian Beltre and Leonys Martin also homered.

"We definitely took a step forward with the runs we put up over the three games,' Moreland said. "If we can keep doing that, and keep taking care of business, and our pitching keeps throwing like they are, I think we'll be all right.'

Texas looks to keep rolling as it faces the struggling Blanton, who hasn't gotten off to a very good start in his first season with the Angels.

Blanton has dropped each of his first three outings while posting a dismal 8.59 ERA. He's given up 15 runs in 14 2-3 innings, including four in 4 2-3 of an 8-2 loss to Minnesota last Monday.

"He hasn't been able to command counts the way he can, he hasn't been in good zones as often as he needs to be," Scioscia told the team's official website. "It's in him to be a better pitcher. He'll get there."

The right-hander is 6-2 with a 5.01 ERA in his last nine starts versus the Rangers, though he hasn't faced them since 2008.

Los Angeles (7-10) is coming off a three-game sweep of defending AL champion Detroit, as Mark Trumbo homered leading off the bottom of the 13th on Sunday.

"It was pretty well chronicled that we struggled early on. But three wins against a team of this caliber is an excellent sign,' Trumbo said.

Former Ranger Josh Hamilton, hitting .176, went 0 for 5 on Sunday and has just one hit in his last 21 at_bats. He went 3 for 13 against his former team as Texas took two of three from April 5-7.