CnoThe Bum's MLB May's News-Notes-Trends & Best Bets !!

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Preview: Athletics (16-13) at Yankees (17-10)

Game: 1
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: May 03, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


After his winningest April, CC Sabathia will try to give another boost to the injury-plagued New York Yankees with a victorious start to May.

A matchup with the Oakland Athletics might help him do just that.

The left-hander will try to add to his recent success against the A's while helping the Yankees improve to 7-1 on their homestand Friday night.

Sabathia (4-2, 3.35 ERA) picked up a fourth win in April for the first time in his career after lasting eight innings against visiting Toronto on Saturday. He gave up four runs and a season-high nine hits - including the fifth and sixth homers he's allowed in the past three starts - but the Yankees (17-10) rallied for a 5-4 victory.

"The way he competes when he doesn't have his (best) stuff is probably as impressive as anything," manager Joe Girardi said. "That's how you become a 20-game winner."

Sabathia has pitched at least seven innings in each of his last five starts, aiding a team that's without Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson and Kevin Youkilis among nine players on the disabled list.

Despite an impressive record on this homestand, the Yankees are hardly blowing teams out. New York has outscored its opponents by just two runs - 32-30 - in the past seven games and has won nine of its last 11 by two runs or fewer.

The Yankees took advantage of Lyle Overbay's guile on the basepaths in Wednesday's 5-4 victory over Houston. Overbay made the Astros tag him at second on a double-play grounder in the sixth inning, allowing Eduardo Nunez to score the go-ahead run before the final out.

"We've played well so far," Ben Francisco said. "We've gotten great starting pitching. Our lineup has been doing the job, getting enough runs, and our bullpen has been unbelievable. That's a recipe for success."

Sabathia has possessed the right ingredients in his last 11 starts against Oakland (16-13), going 6-1 with a 2.47 ERA. He's 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in the past six and has posted a 1.16 ERA in his last three at home in the series.

In this start, Sabathia will face a team that's won three of four but also has lost five of six on the road. The Yankees have won 11 of 13 at home and are 16-6 overall since their 1-4 start.

A.J. Griffin (2-2, 4.65) will try to help his club snap out of its recent road funk by ending his own woes. The right-hander gave up a combined 13 runs over 11 innings in his last two starts after going 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in his first three.

After allowing a career-high nine runs in Boston on April 22, Griffin's troubles against Baltimore on Saturday all came in the fourth inning. He gave up all four runs in that frame of a 7-3 loss, including two homers.

"(Griffin) pitched well pretty much every inning but one," manager Bob Melvin told the team's official website. "The big inning has been our Achilles' heel recently."

Griffin went 1-0 with a 5.23 ERA in two starts against New York last season. He gave up four runs over 4 1-3 innings in his only game at Yankee Stadium.

Ichiro Suzuki, 13 for 31 (.419) over his last eight games, is 1 for 3 against Griffin. Jed Lowrie is 5 for 15 against Sabathia while Yoenis Cespedes, Josh Donaldson and Brandon Moss are a combined 0 for 17.

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Preview: Mariners (13-17) at Blue Jays (10-18)

Game: 1
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: May 03, 2013 7:07 PM EDT


After getting off to a so-so start, Felix Hernandez is back to being a dominant pitcher for the Seattle Mariners. That has hardly been the case when he's faced the Toronto Blue Jays in his career.

Hernandez has been pounded in his last two starts against Toronto, but he enters Friday night's opener of a three-game series on his best run of 2013.

The right-hander went 1-2 with a 3.05 ERA in his first three outings this season before turning things around over his last three. He's 2-0 with a 0.82 ERA over that span, allowing 15 hits and two walks while striking out 28 in 22 innings.

Hernandez (3-2, 1.90 ERA) gave up one earned run and five hits in eight innings to beat the Los Angeles Angels 3-2 on Saturday.

"Like always, he throw an invisible ball. It's unbelievable," catcher Jesus Montero said. "He settled in so great."

Hernandez's pitches haven't been so invisible to the Blue Jays. He's gone 3-4 with a 5.13 ERA in nine starts against them - easily his highest ERA versus a team he's faced more than once - and his last two matchups have been particularly one-sided.

Hernandez has allowed seven runs in each outing while giving up 22 hits over 10 innings. He lasted four innings and lost 8-3 at Toronto on Sept. 13 in his last start in the series.

He'll be looking to end those struggles while helping the Mariners (13-17) stay hot. They beat Baltimore 8-3 on Wednesday for their fifth victory in seven games following a 2-7 stretch.

"I feel like our guys have taken significant steps and what you are seeing now is more the norm in regard to what our guys are capable of," manager Eric Wedge said. "The way we're going to go about doing it is to be a complete team and to be able to count on all areas of our club."

Michael Morse hit his third homer in four games, a two-run shot, to become the first Mariner to have nine home runs in the team's first 30 games since Mike Cameron in 2002. Morse is 6 for 15 with four RBIs in the past four games.

Seattle now plays five straight and 14 of 17 on the road, where it has lost seven of eight.

The Mariners were scheduled to face Josh Johnson on Friday night, but the Blue Jays (10-19) placed him on the 15-day disabled list Thursday because of inflammation in his right triceps.

Ricky Romero will take his place after struggling in spring training and beginning the season in the minors to work on his mechanics. The left-hander was an All-Star in 2011, but he went 9-14 with a 5.77 ERA in 32 starts last season.

Romero, who made one start for Class A Dunedin and allowed one run in seven innings, is 1-3 with a 3.88 ERA in eight starts against the Mariners.

"Everything we've seen, it's been really good," manager John Gibbons told the Blue Jays' official website. "... He's had a lot of work, he just hasn't had a lot of game action."

Toronto lost for the sixth time in seven games Thursday, 3-1 to Boston at home. The Blue Jays also scored once in falling to the Red Sox on Wednesday.

Seattle had won five in a row against the Blue Jays until they roughed up Hernandez in September.

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Preview: Twins (12-12) at Indians (12-13)

Game: 1
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: May 03, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


While he isn't a household name, Ryan Raburn is leading the charge for the surging Cleveland Indians.

The Indians try to extend their winning streak to five for the first time in two years Friday night when they open a three-game set against the visiting Minnesota Twins.

After back-to-back two-homer games, Raburn had his second four-hit contest in three days and drove in another two runs as Cleveland (12-13) completed a two-game sweep of Philadelphia with Wednesday's 6-0 win. Having only appeared in 16 games, Raburn has made the most of increased playing time with Nick Swisher (shoulder) and Michael Bourn (finger) out due to injury.

While Bourn remains sidelined, Swisher could return following a two-game absence.

"When you plug a guy in, whether it's injury or a doubleheader or whatever, and he gets this hot, that's such an added bonus," manager Terry Francona said of Raburn, who's 11 for 13 with nine RBIs over the last three games. "You can't flip a switch on when a guy plays, but he's been so hot. We've been able to hit him all over the lineup."

Raburn isn't the only one locked in. Hitting a major league-best .395, Carlos Santana is 10 for 18 with a homer, five walks, five runs scored and four RBIs over the last five games. Asdrubal Cabrera has also come up big over that stretch, going 9 for 20 with seven RBIs.

The Indians, who have outscored opponents 39-5 during their run, haven't won five straight since a seven-game winning streak April 26-May 3, 2011.

"Their whole team is swinging the bat so well, you just have to credit them," Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee said.

Cleveland will try to keep things going against Pedro Hernandez (1-0, 2.35 ERA). The 24-year-old left-hander scattered five hits over five scoreless innings Saturday, earning his first big league win in a 7-2 victory over Texas.

"Hernandez was fantastic," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "We got exactly what we wanted out of him, a nice performance by him."

The Indians counter with Justin Masterson (4-2, 3.12), who's gone 1-2 with a 6.38 ERA over his last three starts. The right-hander struck out a season-high nine but otherwise struggled in the opener of Sunday's day-night doubleheader against Kansas City, allowing seven runs over 6 1-3 innings of a 9-0 loss.

"I ended up hanging some pitches up there and not finishing through a couple," he said. "Hopefully this is one of the outliers of the season. You're bound to have something like this."

Masterson went 1-3 with a 6.75 ERA against the Twins (12-12) last year. He was especially bad in a 12-5 road loss July 28, yielding a career-high 10 runs over 5 2-3 innings.

Masterson, though, has had his way with Joe Mauer, limiting him to four hits in 23 at_bats since 2010. He's also made things difficult on Ryan Doumit and Josh Willingham, who are a combined 3 for 23 in their matchups.

While Mauer was batting .393 on April 20, his average has since dropped to .287 thanks to a 3-for-33 slump. The five-time All-Star is a career .339 hitter versus Cleveland.

After playing in all 23 games, Mauer was given the day off Wednesday as Minnesota won 6-2 at Detroit. Chris Parmelee went 2 for 4 with a homer and two RBIs.

"We're relying on what's going to make us win," winning pitcher Scott Diamond told MLB's official website. "That's our defense and moving runners. It's a good thing we're focusing on the right things."

The Twins have hit .292 and outscored the Indians 103-56 during a 12-3 run in the series. They have won six of eight in Cleveland.

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Preview: Marlins (8-20) at Phillies (12-16)

Game: 2
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: May 03, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


A visit from the Miami Marlins might be what the Philadelphia Phillies need to get on track and string together some victories at home.

Coming off a strong offensive performance in the series opener, the Phillies try for a fifth straight home victory over the lowly Marlins on Friday night.

Domonic Brown homered for one of his three hits and Kyle Kendrick threw seven solid innings as Philadelphia (13-16) avoided a third straight defeat with a 7-2 win over Miami on Thursday. Ryan Howard added a solo shot for the Phillies, who snapped a three-game home skid to improve to 7-8 at Citizens Bank Park.

Philadelphia has won 10 of 13 overall and 17 of 22 at home against the Marlins (8-21).

Batting .394 (13 for 33) with three home runs and six RBIs during a nine-game home hitting streak, Howard is 7 for 14 while the Phillies have won three of four versus Miami this season.

Brown is batting .387 (12 for 31) with two homers and seven RBIs in his last eight games. He's hit .322 with two homers and nine RBIs in 16 overall against the Marlins.

"He's got the talent to be a good hitter," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "He can not only be a high average hitter, but a power hitter, too."

Scheduled to make his third career start, Philadelphia's Jonathan Pettibone (1-0, 4.35 ERA) looks to build on his first career victory. He allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings of a 9-4 road win over the New York Mets on Saturday.

The right-hander has managed to avoid the big inning and is expected to remain in the rotation for the injured John Lannan.

"He deserves to pitch some more," Manuel said. "He kept his composure. ... He got in a tight jam (in the fourth inning) but he wiggled his way out of it. That was good."

The Marlins counter with Ricky Nolasco (2-2, 3.82), who has allowed three runs in each of his last two outings. On Sunday, the right-hander gave up four hits in a season-high seven innings of a 6-4 win over the Chicago Cubs.

Nolasco, who gave up a run in six innings of a 3-1, 10-inning home loss to the Phillies on April 12, is 6-1 with a 2.98 ERA in seven starts at Citizens Bank Park.

Center fielder Justin Ruggiano homered Thursday for the Marlins, who have dropped two straight since a season-high three-game winning streak. Ruggiano is 6 for 16 (.375) in the last four games, and he's batting .316 (6 for 19) with two home runs and five RBIs in seven career contests at Citizens Bank Park.

Ex-Phillie Juan Pierre became the 14th major leaguer to steal 600 bases Thursday. In his 14th season, Pierre is the eighth player since 1920 to record at least 1,000 runs, 2,000 hits and 600 steals.

"We got the base for him," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "He's a tremendous competitor and has had an amazing career."

Pierre is nine of 10 in stolen bases this season.

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Preview: Rays (12-15) at Rockies (17-11)

Game: 1
Venue: Coors Field
Date: May 03, 2013 8:40 PM EDT


While Matt Moore turned heads with superb outing after superb outing last month, cruising through his first start in May likely won't be as easy.

Looking to remain perfect on the season, Moore takes on one of baseball's most potent offenses as the Tampa Bay Rays and Colorado Rockies open a three-game set Friday night at hitter-friendly Coors Field.

Moore (5-0, 1.13 ERA) has been lights out in winning each of his first five starts, posting a major league-leading .121 opponents batting average and the AL's second-lowest ERA.

After allowing one run and striking out nine over a career high-tying eight innings in a 5-1 win over the New York Yankees on April 22, Moore scattered three hits and struck out nine over six innings of one-run ball Saturday in a 10-4 road victory over the Chicago White Sox.

"He's built on each outing," manager Joe Maddon said. "I know the last game he pitched eight (innings), but he has been just as good and maybe a little bit better."

The emerging left-hander became the sixth pitcher under the age of 24 to go 5-0 in April, joining Fernando Valenzuela, Babe Ruth, Greg Swindell, Dwight Gooden and Dontrelle Willis. Only Valenzuela posted a lower ERA.

"When he gets a feel for his fastball and knows where it's going, heads up, because he really feels good about the other stuff," Maddon told MLB's official website. "Fastball command makes the world go round for a pitcher. It's getting better, and as it gets better, he's going to get even better beyond the numbers you're seeing right now."

Moore could be in for his stiffest test to date against the NL West-leading Rockies (17-11). Besides hitting a league-best .283, Colorado ranks first with 148 runs and is near the top with 36 homers.

The Rockies have proven especially formidable in Denver, where they've won nine of 12 while batting .311 with runners in scoring position.

Colorado returns home after dropping three of four to Arizona and taking two of three from the Los Angeles Dodgers, including Wednesday's 7-3 win. Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitzki and Michael Cuddyer each had two hits and two RBIs as Colorado overcame a shaky effort from starter Juan Nicasio.

"That's the beauty of having an offense like we have," manager Walt Weiss said. "We can outslug some things. You can't do that all the time, but we have the capability. ... We can hit with anybody."

The Rockies' bullpen has also come up big, allowing three unearned runs and striking out 33 over 30 2-3 innings over the last eight games.

"Our bullpen is throwing the ball really well," Weiss added. "If our starting pitching can give us a chance, with the way our bullpen is throwing and the way our offense can score runs, we're going to win some games."

The Rockies now turn to Jeff Francis (1-2, 7.29), against whom opponents are batting .348. The left-hander had gone 0-2 with a 12.60 ERA over his previous three starts before allowing two runs and four hits over five innings Saturday in a 3-2, 10-inning loss at Arizona.

Francis is 0-1 with a 5.25 ERA over two starts versus Tampa Bay (12-15). While James Loney is 1 for 17 against Francis, he's 22 for 42 (.524) with a homer and nine RBIs over his last 14 games.

The Rays dropped back-to-back games at Kansas City before Thursday's series finale was postponed due to weather. They are 4-11 on the road, their poorest start since opening a franchise-worst 4-28 in 2005.

Tampa Bay is 2-7 at Colorado but hasn't visited since 2009.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Diamondbacks (15-13) at Padres (11-17)

Game: 1
Venue: PETCO Park
Date: May 03, 2013 10:10 PM EDT


After being swept in their last series, the Arizona Diamondbacks have few things to blame other than suspect relief pitching. They'll hope the bullpen will have patched up its struggles prior to meeting the upstart San Diego Padres Friday night in the opener of a three-game set at Petco Park.

The Diamondbacks (15-13) squandered a lead in each contest while losing three straight at home to San Francisco. The bullpen gave up seven hits, seven walks and eight earned runs in six innings during the series.

Wednesday's 9-6 defeat saw Arizona score more than four runs for the first time in eight contests and also marked its major league-leading 10th blown save as David Hernandez surrendered a three-run homer in the eighth. Hernandez walked two before giving up the home run.

"This is a tough time. It's a tough game," manager Kirk Gibson said. "We just have to pick ourselves up."

Thursday marked the Diamondbacks' first off day since April 15, providing a valuable rest for the bullpen - which worked 46 2-3 innings over 16 games in as many days since then.

Heavy work for Arizona's relievers could be necessary again if left-hander Wade Miley (2-0, 2.37 ERA) produces an outing similar to his last one. Miley didn't allow a run against Colorado on Saturday but lasted 4 1-3 innings after walking a career-high seven.

He had walked seven in 26 innings over his first four starts and averages 2.3 per nine innings for his career.

"I just didn't have it tonight and that was pretty much the bottom line," said Miley, whose team still managed a 3-2 win in 10 innings.

The Diamondbacks run into a Padres squad that completed a late comeback Thursday to salvage a road split against the Cubs and post its sixth victory in eight games.

Yonder Alonso's pinch-hit bloop single with two outs brought home the first of four runs in an eighth inning that also saw two infield singles and a passed ball, leading to a 4-2 win for the Padres (11-17).

"It's one of those things where, regardless of what the situation is with the outs or what the score is, you can always take advantage of the mental lapses that go on the field," outfielder Kyle Blanks said.

Starting for the Padres will be Jason Marquis (2-2, 4.20), who has also struggled with walks. Marquis issued four in three of his five starts, including Sunday against San Francisco. He still limited the Giants to two runs and six hits in 6 2-3 innings to pick up the victory.

Marquis and Miley will look to shake off recent history against each other's teams, as Marquis is 0-4 with a 6.39 ERA in his last seven starts against Arizona while Miley is 1-2 with a 6.08 ERA in four starts versus San Diego.

Martin Prado is 13 for 33 (.394) in his last eight games against the Padres, while Chris Denorfia is hitting .433 in his last nine versus the Diamondbacks.

Nick Hundley is riding a seven-game hitting streak with six RBIs, but he's 1 for 17 over his last six against Arizona.

San Diego was the only NL West team the Diamondbacks posted a sub-.500 record against in 2012, with the Padres winning 11 of 18 meetings.

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Preview: Dodgers (13-14) at Giants (16-12)

Game: 1
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: May 03, 2013 10:15 PM EDT


Clayton Kershaw has routinely mowed down baseball's best hitters since his arrival in the major leagues. His next start could prove to be one of his most challenging - but not because of the competition.

Kershaw will take the mound Friday night for the first time since the death of his father as the Los Angeles Dodgers meet the San Francisco Giants in the opener of a three-game set at AT&T Park.

Kershaw (3-2, 1.73 ERA) was placed on the team's bereavement list Monday as he traveled to his home state of Texas, but he plans be in San Francisco in time for Friday's game.

The left-hander has been dominant in 17 career starts against the Giants, going 9-4 with a 1.29 ERA. He's allowed a total of eight earned runs in his last nine, and pitched a four-hit shutout - while also homering for the game's first run - in a 4-0 opening day win.

Kershaw was dominant again in his latest start for the Dodgers (13-14), throwing eight innings of four-hit ball against the Brewers while striking out 12 in a 2-0 win Sunday. He also didn't issue a walk, a good sign after he gave up five earned runs and eight walks over 10 1-3 innings in his previous two outings.

"It was good to see Kershaw back to his old self," outfielder Carl Crawford said. "He struggled his last two outings, so to get him back on track is a plus for us."

Los Angeles could especially use another strong start from Kershaw as it struggles to find any consistency after splitting its last eight games. The Dodgers were let down Wednesday by Josh Beckett, who gave up five runs in four innings of a 7-3 home loss to the Rockies.

The Giants (16-12), meanwhile, have plenty to feel good about after a three-game road sweep of Arizona that ended a five-game skid. San Francisco trailed in all three contests, with a 9-6 win Wednesday marking the club's ninth come-from-behind victory already this season.

Brandon Belt homered twice in the series with six RBIs, while Pablo Sandoval has hit safely in five straight games while batting .522.

"These guys have been amazing with these comebacks," manager Bruce Bochy said. "They come through when we need them."

The Giants' rotation had a 5.06 ERA in its most recent turn, a stretch they'd like to forget about as they hand the ball to Barry Zito (3-1, 3.29). He has thrown seven scoreless innings in three of his five starts, but couldn't get past the fourth frame in his latest outing.

The left-hander pitched three spotless innings Saturday at San Diego before being charged with six runs - all but one unearned - in the next frame.

"He just couldn't get the last out in the fourth," Bochy said. "That's what killed us. He was cruising until then."

Zito went 3-2 with a 2.64 ERA against the Dodgers last season, posting a 1.93 ERA in three home outings. Matt Kemp went 4 for 8 in their matchups, though, and is a .436 lifetime hitter with three homers off Zito.

The only three Giants hitting better than .200 with more than six at_bats against Kershaw are Marco Scutaro (.357), Angel Pagan (.308) and Sandoval (.303). He's baffled Hunter Pence (1 for 26) and Buster Posey (6 for 36).

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Preview: Nationals (15-14) at Pirates (16-12)

Game: 1
Venue: PNC Park
Date: May 03, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


While their injury issues have played a role in their recent slump, the Washington Nationals could get a boost offensively in the opener of a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Ryan Zimmerman will likely return to the lineup on Friday night as he looks to help the Nationals win their third straight on a seven-game road trip.

After hitting .282 with 25 homers and 95 RBIs in 2012, Zimmerman was batting .226 with one homer and 11 RBIs before suffering a hamstring injury that has forced him to miss the last 14 games.

Without the star third baseman, Washington has scored 37 runs while batting .197 with nine homers.

The Nationals (15-14) scored three times over the first two innings Thursday before coming up empty the rest of the way in a 3-1 victory that gave them a four-game split in Atlanta.

Bryce Harper was able to play after bruising his left shoulder a day earlier, but Jayson Werth could miss this series after leaving for a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning. Werth had missed the previous two games with a strained right hamstring and bruised left ankle.

Zimmerman, though, is expected to be in the lineup after going 0 for 3 in his final rehab game with High-A Potomac on Wednesday.

"Hopefully, we're getting close to being full strength," manager Davey Johnson told the league's official website. "Zim came through Wednesday's rehab game all right. He's going to work out, and then he will join us on Friday."

Although Zimmerman is batting .375 (24 for 64) in 16 games at PNC Park, he's hitless in six at_bats against Pittsburgh's A.J. Burnett (2-2, 2.83 ERA).

The Pirates (16-12), who have won three straight at home, send the veteran right-hander to the mound as they look to build on a 6-4 trip.

After losing two of his first three starts, Burnett has started to find his groove with a 2-0 record and 2.00 ERA over his last three.

Burnett, who ranks among the major league leaders with 48 strikeouts in 35 innings, allowed two runs and struck out 10 over eight innings as Pittsburgh rallied for a 5-4 win over Washington at PNC Park on May 8.

Adam LaRoche is in the middle of a 2-for-38 slump but has six hits, including a homer and two doubles, in 18 at_bats against Burnett.

Denard Span, who went 3 for 4 with two RBIs on Thursday, is 7 for 21 when facing Burnett.

Washington will counter with left-hander Ross Detwiler (1-2, 2.03), who has given up two runs over 13 innings in a pair of road starts.

He'll try to bounce back from his worst outing of the season as he allowed four runs and a career high-tying 11 hits in five innings of a 5-2 loss to Cincinnati on Sunday.

In his only start at PNC Park, Detwiler surrendered three runs and seven hits over six innings in a 4-2 loss May 9.

Andrew McCutchen is hitting .442 with 10 homers and 21 RBIs in 23 games versus the Nationals and has singled in each of his three at_bats against Detwiler.

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Preview: Mets (11-15) at Braves (17-11)

Game: 1
Venue: Turner Field
Date: May 03, 2013 7:30 PM EDT


The Atlanta Braves' all-or-nothing offense has provided closer to nothing of late, though that hasn't been case when the New York Mets have visited Turner Field.

The NL East-leading Braves will try to get back on track and beat the Mets for the eighth time in nine home games in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night.

After getting shut out with only two hits a day earlier, Atlanta (17-11) was held to five hits on Thursday in a 3-1 home loss to Washington as it settled for a split of its four-game set.

Only three base runners reached scoring position over the last two games, and Dan Uggla's home run in the seventh on ended a streak of 18 consecutive scoreless innings for the Braves.

Atlanta ranks near the top of the majors in home runs (39) as well as strikeouts (259), but has just four homers and 84 strikeouts while dropping six of eight.

The Braves, who still lead the NL East by 2 1/2 games, may be able to bounce back in this series since they've batted .292 with nine home runs and 52 RBIs while winning seven of eight meetings at Turner Field.

They hope to continue that trend versus right-hander Shaun Marcum, who makes his second start for the Mets (11-15) after beginning the season on the DL with a neck injury and right biceps tendinitis.

Marcum (0-2, 7.94 ERA) allowed three runs and five hits in only four innings in a 9-4 loss to Philadelphia on Saturday before giving up two runs in 1 2-3 innings of relief against Miami two days later.

He's pitched well in his career against the Braves, striking out 18 and allowing five runs over 20 innings in three starts.

Chris Johnson, Atlanta's top hitter at .369, is 1 for 12 with five strikeouts lifetime against Marcum.

After ending a season-worst six-game losing streak on Wednesday, New York looks to win consecutive games for the second time in 12 road contests.

The Mets have their own issues offensively, scoring 29 runs and batting .194 in their last 10 games.

"The most frustrating thing about the past six days is we've been in the games," manager Terry Collins said. "We've given ourselves a chance, we just haven't been able to create any offense.

Collins' club is hoping to catch Atlanta starter Mike Minor (3-2, 3.13) at an opportune time as he tries to recover from his worst outing of the season.

The left-hander gave up a total of five runs while winning three of his first four starts before allowing six runs and six hits - including two homers - in an 8-3 loss at Detroit on Sunday.

The Braves have won five of Minor's six career starts against the Mets, though he has a 6.03 ERA in this series. He limited New York to just three hits over 6 1-3 innings in a 2-0 win on Sept. 29.

John Buck, who leads the Mets with nine homers and 27 RBIs, is hitless in eight career at_bats against Minor.

The Braves have won 12 of 14 overall against the Mets.

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Preview: Cardinals (17-11) at Brewers (14-13)

Game: 2
Venue: Miller Park
Date: May 03, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


Although they've been one of the top hitting teams in the majors at home, the Milwaukee Brewers are being tested by the St. Louis Cardinals' red-hot starting pitchers.

It doesn't figure to get any easier against a 22-year-old rookie who dominated them earlier this season.

Shelby Miller will try to provide the NL Central -leading Cardinals with yet another outstanding start on Friday night when they go for two in a row in this four-game series at Miller Park.

Jake Westbrook continued the run of gems by St. Louis (17-11) starters on Thursday when he allowed one run over six innings before the bullpen held off a late Milwaukee rally in a 6-5 victory.

While the Brewers (14-13) rank among the league leaders with 26 homers and 88 runs at home, they're facing a rotation that has allowed three earned runs or less in 20 of 23 games and leads all of baseball with a 2.09 ERA.

Milwaukee has managed one run in 29 innings against St. Louis starters while dropping three of the four meetings. The Brewers now try to avoid a third straight home defeat as they face another tough test against Miller (3-2, 2.05 ERA).

The hard-throwing right-hander struck out eight while giving up one hit over seven innings in a 2-0 win over Milwaukee on April 12.

Miller, though, will try to rebound from his worst outing in five starts after yielding three runs and seven hits - including two homers - over 5 2-3 innings in a 9-0 loss to the Pirates on Sunday.

"I probably can't even count on my fingers how many balls I threw down in the zone,' said Miller, who ranks among the NL leaders in ERA.

This time, Miller will have to slow down Milwaukee's Carlos Gomez, who went 2 for 4 in the opener to extend his hitting streak to nine games. He's 17 for 33 (.515) with three homers, four doubles and six RBIs over that span.

Ryan Braun has also been heating up with eight hits in 18 at_bats in his last four games.

Third baseman Aramis Ramirez, who has missed 22 games with a strained left knee, is expected to return on Friday. He's batting .388 during a 14-game hitting streak at Miller Park.

Although it hasn't translated to many wins, Kyle Lohse (1-2, 2.53) has pitched well for Milwaukee after winning 16 games for the Cardinals last season.

The right-hander, who signed a three-year, $33 million contract as a free agent on March 25, hasn't allowed more than three runs in each of his first five starts.

He'll make his second start against his former club after giving up two runs and six hits over seven innings in a 2-0 loss to Miller on April 12 at St. Louis.

"He's a huge addition to our pitching staff,' manager Ron Roenicke said. "That's not a knock on our young guys, but having him on the staff along with Yo (Yovani Gallardo), I think that makes us a very good team.'

Carlos Beltran should be happy to get another look at Lohse since he's 23 for 42 (.548) with four homers in this matchup.

Yadier Molina will try to continue his recent tear after going 8 for 15 over his last four games. He's 4 for 7 with a homer and double against his former battery mate.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Red Sox (20-8) at Rangers (17-11)

Game: 1
Venue: Rangers Ballpark in Arlington
Date: May 03, 2013 8:05 PM EDT


Mike Napoli played a major role as the Texas Rangers won an AL championship in 2011 and appeared in the playoffs in each of his two seasons. When he sought a multiyear deal in free agency, though, the team wasn't prepared to commit given his injury history.

The Boston Red Sox took a chance on him, and that risk has paid off so far.

Napoli faces his former team for the first time as Boston visits Texas in the opener of a three-game series Friday night.

After batting .275 with 54 homers and 131 RBIs in 221 regular-season games with the Rangers, Napoli agreed to a three-year, $39 million contract with the Red Sox during the offseason.

During his physical, though, a hip issue was discovered and he signed a one-year deal with a $5 million base salary and incentives that could make the total value of the deal reach up to $13 million.

Napoli battled injuries and missed 103 games while with Texas, though he hasn't missed a single contest this season. He's hitting .283 with team highs of six homers and 31 RBIs after going 1 for 5 in Thursday's 3-1 victory over Toronto.

Boston (20-8), off to its best start since opening 20-7 in 2002, has won seven of eight and scored fewer than six runs for the first time in that stretch Thursday.

Napoli is 3 for 6 with a homer in his career off former teammate Derek Holland, who seeks his fifth straight victory over the Red Sox.

Holland (1-2, 3.38 ERA) posted a 1.64 ERA over his first three starts, but he allowed six runs in 5 2-3 innings of Texas' 7-6 win over the Los Angeles Angels on April 22. He pitched better Saturday by allowing three earned runs and five hits in seven innings, though he suffered a 7-2 loss at Minnesota.

The left-hander has been stellar when facing the Red Sox recently, winning each of his last four starts against them while posting a 2.22 ERA. Holland allowed three runs and struck out seven in 7 2-3 innings of a 5-3 victory in the latest matchup July 25.

Texas (17-11) has dropped four of five after falling 3-1 to the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, scoring two or fewer runs in each defeat. The lone run in its last contest came on a second-inning homer from Adrian Beltre, who hit .321 with 28 homers and 102 RBIs for Boston in 2010.

Beltre, hitting .215, is 3 for 24 over his last six games, with each hit being a home run. His only hit in his last 12 at_bats versus the Red Sox left the ballpark.

"He's going to be the run producer," manager Ron Washington said. "What you see now, you won't see through the season."

Felix Doubront (3-0, 4.24) is scheduled to take the mound looking to help Boston win for the third time in 10 meetings with Texas.

Doubront has won his last three starts after giving up three runs and four hits while striking out eight in 6 2-3 innings of Saturday's 8-4 win over Houston. He walked three, threw a wild pitch and allowed two runs in the first inning before settling down.

"I'm just waiting for that moment that I can put it all together to get more efficient," Doubront said.

The left-hander hasn't been very good against Texas, though, going 0-2 with a 10.32 ERA in two starts and three relief appearances. He allowed six runs and eight hits in five innings of a 9-1 loss in his most recent start against the Rangers on July 23.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: White Sox (12-15) at Royals (15-10)

Game: 1
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: May 03, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


When Jeremy Guthrie beat the Chicago White Sox back in August, there's no way he could have realized it would be the beginning of an unbeaten streak that's only been seen one other time in Kansas City Royals history.

Now he can't stop hearing about it.

Guthrie looks to extend his streak to 17 starts without a loss as the Royals host the White Sox in the opener of a three-game series Friday night.

After allowing six hits and striking out five in 6 2-3 innings of a 9-0 win over Cleveland on Sunday, Guthrie improved to 8-0 with a 2.44 ERA over his last 16 starts. The unbeaten streak, which began with a 2-1 win over the White Sox on Aug. 8, ties the Royals' franchise record set by Paul Splittorff spanning the 1977 and 1978 seasons.

``I knew it's been a number of starts in a row, because people kept reminding me of it,' said Guthrie, who is 3-0 with a 3.06 ERA in five starts in 2013. ``Ultimately, it means a lot because hopefully the guys behind me when I go out are confident that we have a chance to win the game.'

Guthrie, who hasn't won more than 11 games in his career and hasn't had a winning season since 2007, has seemed to rejuvenate his career in Kansas City after being acquired from Colorado in July.

``I have the kind of confidence I want to go into each start (thinking) that good stuff or not, I can keep us in it and give us a chance to win the game," Guthrie said.

The right-hander has been stellar against the White Sox since being traded to the Royals, going 2-0 with a 0.50 ERA as Kansas City has won each of his five starts. He's allowed two earned runs in 35 2-3 innings while striking out 28 and walking just three.

Guthrie will look to help Kansas City (15-10) earn a third straight victory after its series finale versus Tampa Bay on Thursday was postponed due to snow. The Royals led 1-0 after 3 1/2 innings and wanted to finish out the contest.

"I can't control the weather. I've tried before and it never worked," manager Ned Yost said. "You just deal with it.'

Injuries have been an issue for the White Sox, though they took the final two of a three-game set at Texas with Thursday's 3-1 victory. Scheduled starter Jake Peavy was scratched earlier in the day because of back spasms, but Tyler Flowers hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning to provide all the offense Chicago (12-15) would need.

Hector Santiago was scheduled to pitch in this contest but had to be moved up to replace Peavy, putting Dylan Axelrod in line to start Friday. Gavin Floyd is on the disabled list with a flexor muscle strain in his right arm.

``I think every day you go through the list and figure out who's available, and the training room's full,' manager Robin Ventura said. ``It's just part of the playing the game. You just deal with it.'

Axelrod (0-1, 3.95) has given up six runs while pitching six innings in each of his last three starts. He didn't get a decision in any of those outings, though, including after giving up three runs to Tampa Bay in Chicago's 8-3 loss Sunday.

The right-hander has never started against Kansas City, though he earned the victory after pitching two scoreless innings of relief in a 9-8 win July 13.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Tigers (16-11) at Astros (8-21)

Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: May 03, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


Despite dealing with some wildness, Doug Fister is off to the best start of his career.

The undefeated right-hander looks for a fifth victory Friday night while trying to help the visiting Tigers hand the lowly Houston Astros a fourth consecutive loss.

Facing Houston for the first time, Fister (4-0, 2.38 ERA) fared much better this April than last year when a rib injury limited to one start during the month. Healthy and confident, Fister allowed nine earned runs and one homer in 34 innings of his first five 2013 outings.

He gave up three runs and struck out a season-high eight in seven innings of an 8-3 win over Atlanta on Sunday in his 100th career start.

However, Fister leads the majors with eight hit batters - twice as many as any other pitcher. Teammate Justin Verlander in 2007 and Frank Lary in 1960 each hit 19 in a season to share the team's post-World War II record.

Fister insists he's not trying to purposely plunk anybody despite hitting 35 batters since breaking into the majors in 2009.

"Unfortunately, I think it's more mechanics for me," he told the Tigers' official website. "Not staying back at times, my arm kind of drags and the sinker gets away from me. For me, it's never intentional to hit a guy. I'm looking over and making sure that they know that it's not intentional.

"Yes, I'm trying to go inside and trying to keep the sinker down and in. But by no means is it ever intentional."

Houston (8-21) batters have been hit nine times, but lead the majors with 294 strikeouts. The Astros and Tigers each fanned 18 times in Detroit's 7-3, 14-inning win Thursday.

Tigers pitchers have recorded a major league-high 281 strikeouts, and 10 or more in seven straight games.

Don Kelly had the go-ahead single in the 14th and Austin Jackson added three hits Thursday as Detroit (16-11) snapped a four-game road skid by winning for the sixth time in seven overall.

"To keep battling and come out with a win is just awesome," said Kelly, who did not start but went 2 for 3. "Games like this, you try to find a way win and keep grinding it out."

Jackson is batting .344 (11 for 32) during an eight-game hitting streak.

Teammate Miguel Cabrera added two more hits, including his 1,000th as a Tiger, to raise his average to .373.

Houston's Bud Norris (3-3, 4.20) makes his first start against the Tigers when he takes the mound.

Plagued by inconsistency, Norris has a 1.53 ERA in the games he's won and an 8.03 ERA in those losses. After he gave up one run in five innings of a 3-2 win over Seattle on April 23, the right-hander yielded five - three earned - in six innings of a 6-1 loss at Boston on Sunday.

Ex-Tiger Carlos Pena homered and had two of the six hits for Houston, which has dropped seven of eight. Pena has gone 9 for 20 in five games to raise his average from .188 to .240.

He's 0 for 6 versus Fister.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Orioles (17-12) at Angels (10-18)

Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: May 03, 2013 10:05 PM EDT


Based on the way Baltimore played in its series opener against the Los Angeles Angels, the Orioles seem poised to end their recent struggles in Anaheim.

The Orioles look to win consecutive road games against the Angels for the first time in almost three years Friday night.

Nate McLouth hit a two-run homer and Chris Tillman pitched eight scoreless innings in Baltimore's 5-1 win at Los Angeles on Thursday. The Orioles (17-12) are 5-3 on an 11-game western trip but had dropped three of the previous four.

"We're starting to come together," said Orioles first baseman Chris Davis, who is batting .345 with seven homers and 20 RBIs on the road. "We're looking forward to getting back out there (Friday). It's been a long road trip for us and we need to just continue to focus."

The victory was Baltimore's third in 11 games at Anaheim. The Orioles, who were shut out in their previous two road contests against the Angels (10-18), last won back-to-back contests there during a three-game sweep Aug. 27-19, 2010.

McLouth is batting .429 (18 for 42) with three homers and nine RBIs in his last 12 games.

Teammate Manny Machado has batted .426 (20 for 47) with seven RBIs during a hitting streak that reached 11 games with two hits Thursday.

Miguel Gonzalez (2-1, 4.60 ERA) takes the mound for the Orioles after he allowed four runs in the sixth inning and never made it out of the frame in Sunday's 9-8, 10-inning loss at Oakland.

"I tried to do too much,' said Gonzalez, who allowed two baserunners through the first five innings. "A couple of pitches I was forcing it instead of just letting it go."

In his only previous outing versus Los Angeles, the right-hander gave up a solo homer to Mark Trumbo and two other hits in seven innings of a 3-2 win July 6.

Trumbo went 0 for 3 with a walk Thursday for the Angels, who managed four hits while losing for the seventh time in nine games. Albert Pujols homered in the ninth for his first hit in 12 at_bats over three games.

The Angels missed a prime chance to score in the first inning when Mike Trout was thrown out at the plate.

"Obviously we're not on any kind of a roll, so the small things become that much more important," Trumbo said.

Trying for a sixth time to earn his first win with his new team, Los Angeles' Jason Vargas (0-3, 4.85) looks for a third consecutive strong outing.

The left-hander allowed five runs in 15 innings while he's gone 0-1 in his last two starts after he yielded 10 over nine frames of his previous two. Pitching in his former home at Safeco Field on Sunday, Vargas gave up two homers and struck out seven in eight innings of a 2-1 loss to the Mariners.

"Just a couple mistakes there late and (Seattle's Jason) Bay and (Michael) Morse didn't miss them and that ended up being the ballgame, but he pitched a great game,' Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "If he pitches like that he'll win a lot of games for us.'

Vargas is 1-2 in six starts versus Baltimore despite a 2.03 ERA.

[StarDust Bum]

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

05/03/13 0-*2-*0 0.00% -*1060 Detail
05/02/13 6-*7-*0 46.15% -*1090 Detail
05/01/13 19-*11-*0 63.33% +*4395 Detail

Totals 25-*20-*0 55.56% +2245


Friday, May 3

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Minnesota - 7:05 PM ET Cleveland -154 500
Cleveland - Over 8.5 500

Miami 0 Bot 0 Philadelphia -174 500
Philadelphia 0 Under 7.5 500

Oakland 0 Bot 0 Oakland +132 500 POD # 1
NY Yankees 0 Over 8 500

Washington 0 Bot 0 Pittsburgh -135 500
Pittsburgh 0 Over 7 500

Seattle - 7:07 PM ET Toronto +116 500 POD # 4
Toronto - Under 7.5 500

NY Mets - 7:30 PM ET NY Mets +174 500 POD # 3
Atlanta - Over 7 500

Boston - 8:05 PM ET Boston +118 500 POD # 2
Texas - Over 9 500

Detroit - 8:10 PM ET Detroit -185 500
Houston - Over 8 500

St. Louis - 8:10 PM ET Milwaukee -110 500
Milwaukee - Under 8 500

Tampa Bay - 8:40 PM ET Tampa Bay -126 500
Colorado - Under 9 500

Baltimore - 10:05 PM ET Baltimore +120 500
LA Angels - Over 8.5 500

Arizona - 10:10 PM ET Arizona -116 500
San Diego - Under 7.5 500

LA Dodgers - 10:15 PM ET LA Dodgers -133 500
San Francisco - Over 6.5 500