The Bum's June MLB POD'S and Stats,News !

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Saturday, June 22

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Trend Report
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12:05 PM
COLORADO vs. WASHINGTON
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing Washington
Colorado is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 8 of Washington's last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 5 games when playing Colorado

1:05 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. NY YANKEES
Tampa Bay is 5-11 SU in their last 16 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games when playing on the road against NY Yankees
NY Yankees are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games
NY Yankees are 5-2 SU in their last 7 games at home

1:07 PM
BALTIMORE vs. TORONTO
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Baltimore's last 5 games when playing Toronto
Baltimore is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Toronto
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Toronto's last 8 games
Toronto is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games

2:10 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. KANSAS CITY
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chi White Sox's last 8 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Chi White Sox's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Kansas City's last 5 games at home
Kansas City is 12-6 SU in their last 18 games when playing Chi White Sox

4:05 PM
NY METS vs. PHILADELPHIA
NY Mets are 10-4 SU in its last 14 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
The total has gone OVER in 12 of NY Mets's last 16 games when playing on the road against Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 4-10 SU in its last 14 games when playing at home against NY Mets
The total has gone OVER in 16 of Philadelphia's last 23 games when playing NY Mets

4:05 PM
HOUSTON vs. CHI CUBS
The total has gone UNDER in 16 of Houston's last 23 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
Houston is 4-12 SU in their last 16 games when playing on the road against Chi Cubs
Chi Cubs are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games at home
Chi Cubs are 9-4 SU in their last 13 games when playing Houston

4:05 PM
MIAMI vs. SAN FRANCISCO
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of San Francisco's last 13 games when playing Miami
San Francisco is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games

4:10 PM
ATLANTA vs. MILWAUKEE
Atlanta is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Atlanta is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Milwaukee
Milwaukee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing at home against Atlanta

7:15 PM
BOSTON vs. DETROIT
Boston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston's last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Detroit's last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Detroit's last 11 games when playing Boston

7:15 PM
TEXAS vs. ST. LOUIS
Texas is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Texas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of St. Louis's last 5 games at home
St. Louis is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home

7:15 PM
LA DODGERS vs. SAN DIEGO
LA Dodgers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Diego's last 7 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers

7:15 PM
CINCINNATI vs. ARIZONA
Cincinnati12-2-1 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Arizona
Cincinnati4-0-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Arizona
Arizona is 2-12-1 SU in its last 15 games ,when playing at home against Cincinnati
Arizona is 0-4-1 SU in its last 5 games ,when playing Cincinnati

7:15 PM
MINNESOTA vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Minnesota's last 7 games on the road
Minnesota is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Minnesota
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

10:05 PM
PITTSBURGH vs. LA ANGELS
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games when playing LA Angels
Pittsburgh is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of LA Angels's last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
LA Angels are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games

10:10 PM
OAKLAND vs. SEATTLE
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Oakland's last 6 games when playing Seattle
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oakland's last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Seattle's last 15 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Seattle's last 6 games

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Saturday, June 22

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Life after hoops: Catch up on MLB's best/worst bets
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The NBA season is over and NHL is soon to follow. Now what are you betting on?

If you’ve been ignoring baseball for hoops and hockey, let us get you caught up on what you missed through the first three months of the MLB season.

Bucs bets are the best

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been in this position the past few seasons, stringing together a nice stretch of games at discount moneylines and jumping to the top of the MLB breadwinners. However, there is usually a tipping point for the Bucs. Last year it was September, when the Pirates went 7-21.

Pittsburgh has won +17.67 units on the moneyline and +17.35 units on the runline (baseball’s version of the spread), but bettors are waiting for the other shoe to drop. The All-Star break has been a reliable yield sign for Bucs backers, with the club going 87-140 following the Mid-Summer Classic over the past three seasons.

Live and Die in L.A.

Despite having massive payrolls, rosters packed with All-Star talent and some of the best baseball weather in the world, Los Angeles’ MLB clubs just plain stink. And if you’ve been betting either the Angles or the Dodgers, that’s the smell of money burning.

Los Angeles’ two teams are currently ranked as the two worst bets in the majors, with the Dodgers eating up -19.55 units and the Halos wasting -19.34 units heading into Friday. The pair are a combined 63-81 and still command hefty price tags on the moneyline based on name alone.

AL West totally awesome

The American League West is home to the best over and under teams in the big leagues.

While the Angels are draining bankrolls on the moneyline, they’re making a mint for over backers with a 42-30-1 over/under mark heading into Friday. The Halos rank 10th in scoring (4.55 runs per game) but allow 4.30 runs against (26th) an outing.

On the other end of the scale, the Texas Rangers have become the best under play in baseball with a 26-43-4 over/under count. The Rangers have actually leaned toward the over versus AL West rivals, going 15-14-3 O/U, but are 11-29-1 over/under (72 percent under) against the rest of the majors.

Brewers bust on runline

Good thing there’s plenty of beer in Miller Park. The Brewers are one of the worst bets in baseball, burning through more than 15 units on the moneyline but doing real damage to runline fans. Milwaukee is a costly -20.23 units against MLB’s version of the spread with a 27-44 ATS record.

Things aren’t getting any better for the Brew Crew either. Milwaukee just dropped a series to the lowly Houston Astros and could be without slugger Ryan Braun for longer than expected after injuring his thumb. The Brewers welcome the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves this weekend.

[StarDust Bum]

Yesterday TOP 4 POD"S GO 4 - 0..........5 -4 Overall.

Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

06/21/13 18-*11-*0 62.07% +*3920 Detail
06/20/13 15-*8-*1 65.22% +*2935 Detail
06/19/13 16-*16-*0 50.00% -*365 Detail
06/18/13 13-*16-*3 44.83% -*1845 Detail
06/17/13 12-*11-*1 52.17% +*695 Detail
06/16/13 16-*10-*2 61.54% +*2760 Detail
06/15/13 14-*14-*2 50.00% -*685 Detail
06/14/13 14-*16-*0 46.67% -*970 Detail
06/13/13 11-*6-*0 64.71% +*2630 Detail
06/12/13 21-*7-*0 75.00% +*6755 Detail
06/11/13 15-*15-*0 50.00% -*930 Detail
06/10/13 10-*9-*1 52.63% +*530 Detail
06/09/13 11-*16-*0 40.74% -*3630 Detail
06/07/13 9-*14-*0 39.13% -*3335 Detail
06/06/13 9-*11-*0 45.00% -*1335 Detail
06/05/13 16-*14-*0 53.33% +*750 Detail
06/04/13 9-*21-*0 30.00% -*6465 Detail
06/03/13 12-*6-*0 66.67% +*3305 Detail
06/02/13 15-*12-*0 55.56% +*1920 Detail
06/01/13 15-*17-*0 46.88% -*1365 Detail

Totals 271-*250-*10 52.02% +5275


Saturday, June 22

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Colorado - 12:05 PM ET Colorado +108 500 POD # 4
Washington - Under 7.5 500

Tampa Bay - 1:05 PM ET Tampa Bay +138 500 POD # 5
NY Yankees - Over 8 500

Baltimore - 1:07 PM ET Baltimore -114 500
Toronto - Over 9.5 500

Chi. White Sox - 2:10 PM ET Chi. White Sox +123 500 POD # 1
Kansas City - Under 8.5 500

Houston -4:05 PM ET Houston +128 500 POD # 6
Chi. Cubs -

Miami - 4:05 PM ET Miami +137 500 POD # 2
San Francisco - Over 7.5 500

NY Mets - 4:05 PM ET NY Mets +108 500 POD # 3
Philadelphia - Under 8.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

Evening Pod's:


Cincinnati - 7:15 PM ET Arizona -121 500
Arizona - Under 8 500

Boston - 7:15 PM ET Boston +166 500 POD # 1
Detroit - Under 9 500

Minnesota - 7:15 PM ET Cleveland -149 500
Cleveland - Over 8.5 500

LA Dodgers - 7:15 PM ET San Diego -106 500
San Diego - Under 7.5 500

Texas - 7:15 PM ET Texas +163 500 POD # 2
St. Louis - Under 8 500

Pittsburgh - 10:05 PM ET Pittsburgh +108 500 POD # 3
LA Angels - Over 7.5 500

Oakland - 10:10 PM ET Oakland -119 500
Seattle - Over 7.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

Around the Horn - Sunday

June 22, 2013


NATIONAL LEAGUE

Colorado at Washington - 1:35 PM EST (Game 4/4)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Colorado Rockies De La Rosa (7-4, 3.21 ERA) 37-38 1-5 L6 away

Washington Nationals Detwiler (2-5, 3.34 ERA) 37-36 4-1 L5 off home loss

-- Nationals beat Rockies, 5-1 on Thursday
-- Nationals beat Rockies, 2-1 on Friday
-- Rockies beat Nationals, 7-1 on Saturday



N.Y. Mets at Philadelphia - 1:35 PM EST (Game 3/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

New York Mets Harvey (6-1, 2.16 ERA) 29-42 2-5 L7 as away favorite

Philadelphia Phillies Lannan (0-1, 5.49 ERA) 36-39 7-2 L9 home

-- Mets beat Phillies, 4-3 on Friday
-- Phillies beat Mets, 8-7 on Saturday



Atlanta at Milwaukee - 2:10 PM EST (Game 3/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Atlanta Braves Maholm (7-6, 3.57 ERA) 43-33 1-5 L6 as favorite

Milwaukee Brewers Figaro (1-1, 3.88 ERA) 31-42 5-0 L5 home vs. ATL

-- Brewers beat Braves, 2-0 on Friday
-- Brewers beat Braves, 2-0 on Saturday



Miami at San Francisco - 4:05 PM EST (Game 4/4)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Miami Marlins Eovaldi (0-0, 3.00 ERA) 24-50 UNDER 7-2 L9 away

San Francisco Giants Cain (5-3, 4.55 ERA) 38-36 UNDER 5-1 L6 on Sundays

-- Marlins beat Giants, 2-1 on Thursday
-- Marlins beat Giants, 6-3 on Friday
-- Giants beat Marlins, 2-1 on Sunday



Cincinnati at Arizona - 4:10 PM EST (Game 3/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Cincinnati Reds Latos (6-1, 3.20 ERA) 44-32 OVER 5-2 L7 away

Arizona Diamondbacks Delgado (0-0, 4.00 ERA) 41-33 8-3 L11 home

-- Diamondbacks beat Reds, 11-5 on Friday
-- Diamondbacks beat Reds, 4-3 on Saturdday



Los Angeles at San Diego - 4:10 PM EST (Game 4/4)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Los Angeles Dodgers Capuano (2-4, 4.62 ERA) 31-42 0-5 L5 off road win

San Diego Padres Cashner (5-3, 3.56 ERA) 38-37 5-1 L6 vs. LHP

-- Padres beat Dodgers, 6-3 on Thursday
-- Padres beat Dodgers, 5-2 on Friday
-- Dodgers beat Padres, 6-1 on Saturday



AMERICAN LEAGUE

Minnesota at Cleveland - 1:05 PM EST (Game 3/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Minnesota Twins Pelfrey (3-6, 6.11 ERA) 33-38 4-11 L15 away vs. division

Cleveland Indians Carrasco (0-2, 8.40 ERA) 38-35 4-1 L5 home Game 3's

-- Indians beat Twins, 5-1 on Friday
-- Indians beat Twins, 8-7 on Saturday



Baltimore at Toronto - 1:05 PM EST (Game 3/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Baltimore Orioles Garcia (3-4, 4.80 ERA) 42-33 UNDER 6-3 L9 away

Toronto Blue Jays Johnson (0-2, 4.38 ERA) 37-36 9-2 L11 home

-- Blue Jays beat Orioles, 7-6 on Friday
-- Blue Jays beat Orioles, 4-2 on Saturday



Boston at Detroit - 1:10 PM EST (Game 4/4)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Boston Red Sox Doubront (4-3, 4.38 ERA) 45-32 8-2 L10 off loss

Detroit Tigers Verlander (8-5, 3.72 ERA) 41-32 1-5 L6 off win

-- Tigers beat Red Sox, 4-3 on Thursday
-- Red Sox beat Tigers, 10-6 on Friday
-- Tigers beat Red Sox, 10-3 on Saturday



Tampa Bay at N.Y. Yankees - 2:05 PM EST (Game 4/4)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Tampa Bay Rays Archer (1-3, 5.03 ERA) 38-37 3-6 L9 away vs. division

New York Yankees Nova (2-1, 5.16 ERA) 41-33 6-2 L8 home

-- Rays beat Yankees, 8-3 on Thursday
-- Yankees beat Rays, 6-2 on Friday
-- Yankees beat Rays, 7-5 on Saturday



Chicago at Kansas City - 2:10 PM EST (Game 3/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Chicago White Sox Axelrod (3-4, 4.39 ERA) 31-41 1-4 L5 away Game 3's

Kansas City Royals Shields (2-6, 2.72 ERA) 34-38 1-6 L7 vs. division

-- White Sox beat Royals, 9-1 on Friday
-- White Sox beat Royals, 3-2 on Saturday



Oakland at Seattle - 4:05 PM EST (Game 3/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Oakland Athletics Parker (6-6, 4.30 ERA) 44-31 2-5 L7 away Game 3's

Seattle Mariners Bonderman (1-1, 3.28 ERA) 32-43 UNDER 6-2-1 L9 home Game 3's

-- Athletics beat Mariners, 6-3 on Friday



INTERLEAGUE

Houston at Chicago (N) - 2:20 PM EST (Game 3/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Houston Astros Lyles (4-1, 3.22 ERA) 29-47 5-2 L7 vs. NL

Chicago Cubs Samardjiza (4-7, 3.35 ERA) 30-43 UNDER 7-0 L7 overall

-- Cubs beat Astros, 3-1 on Friday
-- Astros beat Cubs, 4-3 on Thursday



Pittsburgh at Los Angeles (A) - 3:35 PM EST (Game 3/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Pittsburgh Pirates Morton (1-1, 1.74 ERA) 44-30 5-0 L5 vs. AL

Los Angeles Angels Blanton (1-10, 5.62 ERA) 33-41 OVER 4-1 L5 home Game 3's

-- Pirates beat Angels, 5-2 on Friday



Texas at St. Louis - 8:05 PM EST (Game 3/3)

Teams Pitcher Notes Team Record Betcha Didn't Know

Texas Rangers Tepesch (3-6, 4.84 ERA) 43-32 3-6 L9 vs. RHP

St. Louis Cardinals Wainwright (10-4, 2.37 ERA) 47-28 UNDER 5-1 L6 home

-- Rangers beat Cardinals, 6-4 on Friday
-- Rangers beat Cardinals, 4-2 on Saturday

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Red Sox (45-31) at Tigers (40-32)
Game: 4
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: June 23, 2013 1:08 PM EDT


Justin Verlander was hardly at his best last time out and a matchup with the Boston Red Sox wouldn't appear to give him the best chance to bounce back.

The Detroit Tigers ace hasn't been sharp in his last two games against Boston, but he has been nearly flawless in his past two home starts versus the Red Sox. He'll try to produce another such outing at Comerica Park in Sunday's series finale.

After winning four straight starts, Verlander (8-5, 3.72 ERA) suffered a 5-2 loss to Baltimore on Tuesday. The right-hander gave up five runs - on a pair of homers - and walked four while needing 102 pitches to get through five innings.

"There's ups and downs, peaks and valleys," he told the team's website. "Tonight was just one of those nights where two long balls hurt me. Who knows what happens if I'm able to execute those (home run) pitches a little bit better? I'm not saying that I regressed. It's just one of those games."

In his attempt to get back on track, Verlander will face one of two teams he's gone 0-2 or worse against over the past two seasons. He's also 0-2 against Tampa Bay in that stretch.

He has posted a 6.55 ERA in his back-to-back defeats to Boston but hasn't given up a run in his last 16 2-3 innings at Comerica against the Red Sox.

In his only home matchup with Boston last season, he gave up two hits and one walk over eight innings while striking out seven in a 3-2 victory April 5.

Verlander would like to get some help from an offense that scored its most runs in 17 games Saturday. Victor Martinez kicked off a 10-3 rout of Boston with a first-inning grand slam, and Austin Jackson, Torii Hunter and Andy Dirks combined for nine of their team's 15 hits.

"The four runs given back in the first set the tone for the entire evening," Boston manager John Farrell said.

Felix Doubront (4-3, 4.38) will try to limit the Tigers on Sunday and help his team improve on a 2-5 road record since June 12. The Red Sox (45-32) have a 5.17 ERA in those games but Doubront will head into this start after throwing eight scoreless innings Tuesday.

The left-hander did not get a decision in Boston's 3-1 win over Tampa Bay but said he picked up some confidence.

"I needed this. I needed this to get more confident, trust more in my pitches," he told the team's website. "I'll go the next game and try to do the same and stay on one page, this page. And stay like that. I'm going to get better results and win games and help the team to win."

Doubront won his only start against Detroit on May 28, 2012, allowing two solo homers and two other hits in six innings of a 7-4 victory. Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts versus Doubront in that game.

Boston's David Ortiz has three doubles, a home run and a single in his last 12 at_bats against Verlander. Ortiz has homered twice in this series and his 18 at Comerica Park are the most by an opposing player.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Red Sox at Tigers
Thu, Jun 20 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Red Sox at Tigers
Fri, Jun 21 Final 10 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Red Sox at Tigers
Sat, Jun 22 Final 3 to 10
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Red Sox at Tigers
Sun, Jun 23 - 1:08PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Orioles (42-33) at Blue Jays (37-36)
Game: 3
Venue: Rogers Centre
Date: June 23, 2013 1:07 PM EDT


With his triceps and blister issues seemingly behind him, Josh Johnson will try to help the red-hot Toronto Blue Jays continue their stunning turnaround.

The Blue Jays look to match a franchise record with their 11th straight victory Sunday when they host the Baltimore Orioles in the finale of this three-game series.

Toronto (37-36) rallied late for the second straight day as Jose Bautista's two-run homer in the eighth inning lifted the Blue Jays to Saturday's 4-2 victory.

Rajai Davis singled home the winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth in a 7-6 win Friday.

"It's been a great run and hopefully we can continue,' said Bautista, whose team moved out of sole possession of last place in the AL East for the first time since late April.

The Blue Jays, above .500 for the first time since July 29, now turn to Johnson (0-2, 4.38 ERA) as they look to equal their franchise-best streak set in 1987 and matched in 1998.

The right-hander took two extra days off to let a bothersome blister heal before striking out a season-high 10 over 7 1-3 innings in a 2-0 win over Colorado on Monday.

"Definitely the most comfortable I've been,' said Johnson, who also missed 31 games with a sore right triceps. "Just being able to get extension on all my pitches, not have to worry about the triceps or anything like that.'

Johnson, who has never faced the Orioles (42-33), is 0-1 with a 1.86 ERA and 20 strikeouts over 19 1-3 innings in three starts since returning from the disabled list.

However, he remains winless in seven starts with Toronto, having received only 13 runs of support.

The Blue Jays have been outstanding offensively during the winning streak, averaging 5.7 runs per game while hitting 18 homers and batting .333 with runners in scoring position.

They'll try to continue that production against scheduled starter Freddy Garcia (3-4, 4.80), who hopes to prevent Baltimore's first three-game losing streak since a season-high six-game slide May 14-20.

After going 1-2 with an 8.16 ERA in his last three starts, Garcia allowed two hits in one inning of scoreless relief in Wednesday's 13-3 win at Detroit.

Garcia has won his last two starts in Toronto, giving up four earned runs and 14 hits over 11 innings. He went five innings and yielded two earned runs and nine hits in Baltimore's 6-5 win there May 25.

Emilio Bonifacio homered off the right-hander in that contest, but enters this meeting in a 1-for-17 slump overall.

Adam Lind is 7 for 11 with two homers off Garcia and 20 for 40 with two home runs in his last 11 games against Baltimore.

Munenori Kawasaki, who provided a game-tying home run in the seventh inning Friday, is 9 for 19 with eight RBIs in his last five games versus the Orioles.

Baltimore slugger Chris Davis, the major league leader with 27 home runs, is 2 for 7 with a three-run homer in this series. He's never faced Johnson.

Teammate Nate McLouth is batting .419 during an eight-game hit streak versus Toronto, but is 1 for 11 with five strikeouts against Johnson.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Orioles at Blue Jays
Fri, Jun 21 Final 6 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Orioles at Blue Jays
Sat, Jun 22 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Orioles at Blue Jays
Sun, Jun 23 - 1:07PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Twins (33-37) at Indians (37-35)
Game: 3
Venue: Progressive Field
Date: June 23, 2013 1:05 PM EDT


It hasn't always been easy, but the Cleveland Indians have managed to find ways to win of late.

Trying for a fifth consecutive victory, the Indians look to complete a sweep of the visiting Minnesota Twins on Sunday.

Michael Bourn had three hits with three RBIs as Cleveland (38-35) took advantage of five walks to score six times in the first inning, then hung on for an 8-7 win over Minnesota on Saturday.

Though the Indians have won eight of 10 since a season-high eight-game slide, it's been a challenge to succeed at times during the stretch.

They scored in bottom of the ninth for a 2-1 win over Washington on June 14; rallied from a pair of two-run deficits to beat Kansas City 4-3 on Tuesday and came back from two down to beat the Royals 6-3 the next game. Cleveland had to sweat out Saturday's contest which it led 8-3 after five innings.

"We won the game,' Vinnie Pestano said after he converted his third straight save opportunity despite allowing two ninth-inning runs.

"That's the bottom line. If I go out there and give up five runs and we win by one, we win by one.'

Bourn is batting .429 (9 for 21) in six games, including 5 for 8 in this series.

Making his return from serving a seven-game suspension for throwing at the New York Yankees' Kevin Youkilis earlier this season, scheduled Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco (0-2, 8.40 ERA) allowed a run and four hits in 7 1-3 innings but did not factor in the decision of a 2-1 loss to Kansas City on Monday.

Carrasco, who missed all last season while recovering from elbow surgery, is 0-7 with an 8.08 ERA in nine starts since his last win June 29, 2011. However, his latest performance provides a reason to believe that drought could soon end.

"That was what we were hoping for,' manager Terry Francona said. "That kind of performance.'

The right-hander has posted a 1.82 ERA while going 1-1 in four starts versus Minnesota (33-38), which looks to avoid a fifth straight road loss and first sweep of at least three games at Cleveland since Sept. 15-17, 2008.

Chris Parmelee had three hits, including two solo homers, Joe Mauer hit his eighth and Justin Morneau added two hits Saturday for a Twins team that swept the Chicago White Sox prior to this set.

"Nobody should be hanging their heads,' said Parmelee, who had four hits in his previous 27 at_bats before Saturday. "Our pitching wasn't there at the beginning, but we went out and played extremely well.

"We've got a day game coming up, and we'll come back and get them (Sunday).'

Mauer is batting .391 with two homers and four RBIs in five games.

Scheduled Minnesota starter Mike Pelfrey (3-6, 6.11) is 0-3 with a 5.95 ERA in eight starts since he allowed a run and four hits while striking out seven in six innings of a 4-2 victory at Cleveland on May 5.

The right-hander has not factored in his last three decisions, though the Twins won the last two. He gave up four runs and a season-high 10 hits over six-plus innings during Tuesday's 7-5 win over the Chicago White Sox.

Pelfrey has a 4.66 ERA in those three June starts after he posted a 6.66 ERA over his first 11.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Twins at Indians
Fri, Jun 21 Final 1 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Twins at Indians
Sat, Jun 22 Final 7 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Twins at Indians
Sun, Jun 23 - 1:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rockies (38-38) at Nationals (37-37)
Game: 4
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: June 23, 2013 1:35 PM EDT


His record certainly doesn't reflect it, but Jorge De La Rosa has been a better pitcher on the road in his six years with the Colorado Rockies.

Never has that been more true than in his past three starts away from Denver.

De La Rosa has given up a grand total of one run in a fantastic stretch he'd love to continue Sunday as the visiting Rockies try to salvage a split of this four-game set with the Washington Nationals.

De La Rosa (7-4, 3.21 ERA) is 30-12 at home since arriving in Colorado in 2008, while he's 16-20 away from Coors Field.

At home, though, he's had the highest run-support average in the majors in that span (7.26 per nine innings). That's three runs more than he's received on the road (4.24), the big reason for a record that doesn't reflect his ERA (4.05) and opponents' OPS (.718) being considerably lower outside of Denver.

The left-hander has never had a better road stretch than this that began May 12, yet he has only one win to show for it. De La Rosa has pitched exactly seven innings in his past three starts away from home, giving up a total of eight hits and one run.

He only gave up one hit Monday in Toronto, a sixth-inning single, before being forced to exit after seven with a bruise on the tip of his thumb. The Blue Jays scored the game's only two runs in the eighth, but De La Rosa expects to be fine.

His sense of humor certainly is. De La Rosa, who had been bothered by a cut on his hand in his previous two starts, joked "my hand hates me."

"It's not anything that's going to be an issue with his next start,' manager Walt Weiss said of the bruise. "It just made him uncomfortable (Monday).'

De La Rosa didn't make the Nationals (37-37) particularly uncomfortable at Coors Field on June 12, giving up three runs and four hits over 5 1-3 innings. But aside from being on the road Sunday, he has something else going for him. At 4-0 with a 1.11 ERA in five starts, De La Rosa has been brilliant during daytime outings.

Colorado (38-38) finally got its dormant offense going in Saturday's matinee. After totaling seven runs during a five-game skid to begin this road trip, the Rockies broke out with three in the first inning en route to a 7-1 victory.

"It's all about winning games," Weiss said. "You don't want to dwell too much on what's happened the previous four or five days or the previous week. You show up the next day and try to win a ballgame."

Colorado wore its batting practice jerseys at starter Jhoulys Chacin's request Saturday to try to emerge from its hitting slump, and Weiss said the attire likely won't change in the finale.

One player who certainly isn't slumping is Michael Cuddyer, who singled in his first at-bat Saturday to extend his hitting streak to 20 games - tied for the majors' longest this season. Cuddyer has reached base safely in 39 straight games, breaking the Rockies record set by Matt Holliday in 2007.

"Balls are just falling in,' said Cuddyer, batting .349 since the streak began May 28. "That's just the way the game is going for me. At least once a day, it's finding the outfield grass.'

Cuddyer has a double in two at_bats against Ross Detwiler (2-5, 3.34), who will take the ball for Washington. The left-hander gave up three runs over five innings June 13 at Colorado as the Nationals rallied for a 5-4 win.

Detwiler, 6-3 with a 2.16 ERA in 12 home starts since the 2012 All-Star break, allowed four runs over six in a 4-2 loss at Philadelphia on Tuesday.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rockies at Nationals
Thu, Jun 20 Final 1 to 5
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rockies at Nationals
Fri, Jun 21 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Rockies at Nationals
Sat, Jun 22 Final 7 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Rockies at Nationals
Sun, Jun 23 - 1:35PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mets (29-41) at Phillies (35-39)
Game: 3
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: June 23, 2013 1:35 PM EDT


Though the Philadelphia Phillies are coming off a big day at the plate, a repeat performance seems unlikely against the New York Mets' Matt Harvey.

Harvey tries to quiet the Phillies in the conclusion of a three-game set Sunday at Citizens Bank Park.

After dropping Friday's opener 4-3, Philadelphia (36-39) bounced back with Saturday's 8-7 victory. The Phillies, who blew a six-run lead before Kevin Frandsen led off the ninth inning with a pinch-hit walkoff homer, also got two home runs from Ryan Howard and one from Michael Young.

"He's ready to go when his number is called," Howard said of Frandsen. "He's been that guy that wants to step up. It's no surprise."

Howard drove in a season-high four runs Saturday and is batting .471 with three homers and 10 RBIs during a nine-game stretch. Young is hitting .382 with two home runs in his last 13 contests.

While Philadelphia has hit .320 with runners in scoring position during a 7-2 run at home, Charlie Manuel's club hasn't had any success against Harvey (6-1, 2.16 ERA). The hard-throwing right-hander allowed three hits and struck out nine over seven innings of one-run ball in a 7-2 road win over the Phillies on April 8, improving to 2-0 with a 1.77 ERA in three starts in the series.

"When you come to Philly, you're usually (fired up) higher than usual," Harvey said afterward.

Harvey has shut down Howard (0 for 7 with five strikeouts), Domonic Brown (0 for 5), John Mayberry (0 for 5) and Young (0 for 3), but Jimmy Rollins is 3 for 8 with a homer and two doubles in their matchups.

Having received an average of just 2.64 runs of support in his last 11 starts, Harvey earned his first win in over a month Tuesday in a 4-3 victory at Atlanta. The emerging ace, who carried a no-hitter into the seventh before Jason Heyward led off the inning with a fluky infield single, gave up three runs and three hits in seven innings while striking out a career-high 13.

"It's definitely one of those games where I thought (a no-hitter) was possible a little bit more than the other ones," Harvey told MLB's official website. "I was striking out a lot of guys, and they weren't putting the ball in the outfield too often. Anytime that's going on, you think in the back of your mind that this is possible."

Harvey has now taken three no-hit bids into the seventh this year.

"Guys like that, with that kind of stuff, they're going to flirt with no-hitters from time to time," Heyward said. "It's not going to be a surprise to anybody."

The Phillies counter with John Lannan (0-1, 5.49). The left-hander yielded two runs and six hits over five innings during Monday's 5-4 walkoff win over Washington, his first start back after missing two months due to a strained quadriceps tendon.

"Just getting back in the swing of things. It felt awesome," he said. "It's been a lot of time and a lot of hard work. I'm happy to be back."

Lannan has been outstanding in his last six outings against the Mets (29-42), going 4-1 with a 1.69 ERA. However, he's only faced them once since 2010, throwing 5 2-3 innings of five-hit ball in a 2-0 road win Sept. 12, while with Washington.

The Phillies have taken 10 of 12 from New York, including six of the last seven by a 44-22 margin. Howard is hitting .350 with six homers, 20 RBIs and 11 runs in his last 10 games in the series.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Mets at Phillies
Fri, Jun 21 Final 4 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Mets at Phillies
Sat, Jun 22 Final 7 to 8
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Mets at Phillies
Sun, Jun 23 - 1:35PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rays (38-37) at Yankees (41-33)
Game: 4
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: June 23, 2013 2:05 PM EDT


With the New York Yankees showing signs of breaking out of their monthlong offensive slump, Ivan Nova might be making his return at an opportune time.

The right-hander will try to remain unbeaten against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on Sunday when New York looks to finish this four-game series with a third straight win.

While they rank near the bottom of the major leagues with a .219 batting average and 70 runs scored in June, the Yankees (41-33) have started to heat up with 13 runs and 18 hits in their last two victories.

Vernon Wells, batting .118 over his previous 30 games, came off the bench to hit a three-run double that keyed a four-run seventh inning as New York rallied for a 7-5 win Saturday

"It was good to hit a ball and it not land in somebody's glove,' Wells said. "And it came at a great time.'

Rookie Zoilo Almonte, called up from Triple-A on Tuesday, has sparked the team's scoring surge, going 5 for 7 with a homer and four RBIs in this series.

The Yankees now look to win three straight for the first time since a four-game run June 3-6.

Since a rainout against the Los Angeles Dodgers forced Hiroki Kuroda and Phil Hughes to pitch in Wednesday's doubleheader, Nova (2-1, 5.16 ERA) is expected to make his first start for the Yankees since April 26.

Nova had a 2.04 ERA over three starts with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He's 1-1 with a 6.48 ERA in four starts with New York.

Nova, though, has been tough on the Rays (38-37), going 4-0 with a 1.83 ERA in five career home starts.

He's done a particularly nice job against Ben Zobrist (2 for 18), Matt Joyce (2 for 17), Jose Molina (2 for 15) and Yunel Escobar (2 for 13).

Sean Rodriguez has had the most success when facing Nova with five hits - including a homer and two doubles - in 12 career at_bats, while Desmond Jennings was 4 for 9 with a double and triple last season.

Nova will get his first look at Rays rookie Wil Myers, who had three hits and a sixth-inning grand slam that gave Tampa Bay a brief 5-3 lead Saturday.

"It was just awesome to be down two strikes and the crowd cheering and to be able to put a swing like that on it,' Myers said. "Just a cool experience.'

Evan Longoria has also done some damage in this series, going 4 for 10 with three homers.

The Rays have dropped 10 of 14, largely due to a starting rotation that has a 6.24 ERA during that span. They're hoping to earn a series split with Chris Archer (1-3, 5.03) taking the ball.

The Yankees have never faced Archer, though a patient approach likely would serve them well. Archer has worked into the sixth inning only once in his four starts due to high pitch counts and 14 walks in 19 2-3 innings.

The right-hander threw a career-high 109 pitches in 4 2-3 on Tuesday, allowing five free passes and four runs, in a 5-1 loss at Boston.

He's 0-5 with a 6.23 ERA on the road in his career.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Rays at Yankees
Thu, Jun 20 Final 8 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Rays at Yankees
Fri, Jun 21 Final 2 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Rays at Yankees
Sat, Jun 22 Final 5 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Rays at Yankees
Sun, Jun 23 - 2:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: White Sox (30-41) at Royals (34-37)
Game: 3
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: June 23, 2013 2:10 PM EDT


Runs have been tough to come by for the Kansas City Royals, and they've been almost nonexistent whenever they've had James Shields on the mound.

The Royals will attempt to turn things around at the plate and avoid a fifth straight loss Sunday against a Chicago White Sox team hoping to end a disappointing road trip on a positive note.

After Kansas City (34-38) failed to come through with the go-ahead run on third and one out in the bottom of the eighth inning Saturday, Alejandro De Aza drove in Jordan Danks with a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth to give Chicago (31-41) a 3-2 victory.

"It seems like we're always on the losing end of one-run games, so fundamentally to get a sac fly to get the winning run, it's a good feeling,' said Jeff Keppinger, who had three hits. "Hopefully we can build off it.'

The Royals haven't been feeling good offensively. They've totaled nine runs while hitting .207 with runners in scoring position over their four-game losing streak.

Lorenzo Cain (1 for 15), Salvador Perez (2 for 15), Alex Gordon (0 for 11) and Billy Butler (1 for 10) have fallen on difficult times during the skid.

"We're all scratching our heads,' manager Ned Yost said. "The consistency of our offense has been a little bit mind-boggling.'

Shields (2-6, 2.72 ERA) has certainly been haunted by the lack of scoring, getting none over his last two starts. His 2.80 run-support average is among the lowest in the major leagues, and he's received 11 total runs of support over a nine-start winless stretch since beating Tampa Bay on April 30.

Despite struggling to score, the Royals have actually won each of Shields' last four starts. The right-hander has allowed two runs or less in each, and has pitched at least six innings in 29 straight starts. He yielded one run in six innings in Kansas City's 2-1 comeback win over Cleveland on Monday.

Although he's 3-4 with a 4.11 ERA in 13 career starts against the White Sox, Shields has struck out 15 and allowed one run over 14 innings in two meetings this season. He's 0-1, though, thanks to a Kansas City offense that has given him one run.

The AL Central-worst White Sox look to avoid their seventh loss on a 10-game swing by earning their first road sweep since Sept. 14-16 at Minnesota.

Dayan Viciedo is batting .310 during a seven-game hit streak and 4 for 8 all-time when facing Shields, while Alexei Ramirez has a .379 average and two homers in 29 career at_bats in this matchup.

Sluggers Paul Konerko and Adam Dunn haven't been able to figure out Shields, going a combined 5 for 46 with 17 strikeouts lifetime against him.

Chicago hopes right-hander Dylan Axelrod (3-4, 4.39) can regroup after getting tagged for 11 runs and 18 hits - four homers - over 10-plus innings in his last two outings. He threw a season-high 114 pitches while allowing a career-worst 10 hits and five runs before leaving without a decision in a 7-5 loss at Minnesota on Tuesday.

Axelrod, though, pitched well in his only career start against the Royals on May 4, yielding two runs in a season-high 7 2-3 innings in a 2-0 road loss.

Eric Hosmer, who had three hits off Axelrod last month, and Mike Moustakas have been bright spots for the Royals, going a combined 13 for 29 during the losing streak.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
White Sox at Royals
Fri, Jun 21 Final 9 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
White Sox at Royals
Sat, Jun 22 Final 3 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
White Sox at Royals
Sun, Jun 23 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Braves (43-32) at Brewers (30-42)
Game: 3
Venue: Miller Park
Date: June 23, 2013 2:10 PM EDT


Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez believes it's only a matter of time until his club breaks out of its offensive slump, but the most recent results haven't been encouraging.

The Braves will try to avoid a third straight shutout and their ninth consecutive loss at Miller Park on Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers.

After consecutive 2-0 losses in the series' first two games - Saturday marking the major league-leading 11th time the Braves (43-33) have been shut out - they haven't scored since the third inning of Thursday's 4-3 loss to the Mets. They've produced only 28 runs through a 4-8 stretch.

Saturday's defeat was Atlanta's fifth in six games and it was the eighth time in the last 12 contests the club failed to hit a home run. The Braves' 93 homers are among the most in baseball and they've proven to rely heavily on that power.

They're 4-24 in games in which they don't homer compared to 39-9 when hitting at least one.

Numerous players are dealing with individual struggles, with Jason Heyward 5 for 28, Freddie Freeman 2 for 20, Brian McCann 1 for 16 and Justin Upton - who got an off-day Saturday - 4 for his last 30. All four, who have 34 home runs on the season, are homerless during those respective slumps.

"We're getting on base, but when we do hit the ball hard, it's at somebody or somebody makes a good play," Gonzalez said. "I feel like, at any moment, some of the at_bats that you're seeing, at any moment you're going to turn that around."

Facing Milwaukee starter Donovan Hand - who was making his first big league start Saturday - didn't provide an antidote, as Atlanta managed two hits off the rookie in 4 2-3 innings and four total.

Sunday will be the second straight game in which the Braves face a starter they haven't seen before as Alfredo Figaro (1-1, 3.88 ERA) gets the nod for Milwaukee (31-42). Perhaps Gonzalez's club can rediscover its power as Figaro has surrendered five home runs in four starts spanning 21 2-3 innings and allows 1.52 homers per nine innings for his career.

A three-run shot from Carlos Pena chased Figaro from his start at Houston on Tuesday after 4 1-3 innings, which he needed 94 pitches to get through. He was charged with five runs in the 10-1 defeat.

Figaro needed 88 pitches to throw seven shutout innings in his previous outing at Miami.

"Maybe it was the day off yesterday; I didn't do anything. Maybe that's why," said Figaro, normally a long reliever, but has taken over a spot in the rotation after Mike Fiers was demoted to Triple-A earlier this month. "But you have to compete. It's no excuse to say I didn't have energy; I have to compete and try to do my job."

Paul Maholm (7-6, 3.57) tries to end a six-game losing streak against the Brewers as he starts for Atlanta, which has been a bad omen for team's offense lately. The left-hander has received three runs of support over his last three outings, going 0-2 despite a 3.15 ERA. Atlanta supported him with an average of 6.14 runs through his first 12 starts as he went 7-4.

He's 3-11 with a 5.12 ERA in 22 starts against Milwaukee, which he hasn't beaten since Aug. 19, 2009, while with Pittsburgh. Maholm owns a 6.34 ERA while losing six of his last seven starts versus the Brewers.

Carlos Gomez is 8 for 18 off Maholm with a .722 slugging percentage.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Braves at Brewers
Fri, Jun 21 Final 0 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Braves at Brewers
Sat, Jun 22 Final 0 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Braves at Brewers
Sun, Jun 23 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Astros (28-47) at Cubs (30-42)
Game: 3
Venue: Wrigley Field
Date: June 23, 2013 2:20 PM EDT


Some strong pitching performances have carried the lowly Houston Astros on one of their best stretches of the season.

Jordan Lyles will try to provide another in Sunday's series finale against the Chicago Cubs while extending his career-best win streak to four games.

Houston (29-47) has registered a 2.10 team ERA with a 1.37 bullpen ERA while winning seven of 10 games. The Astros had a major league-worst 4.93 ERA in their first 66 games.

Houston's pitchers kept the game close enough Saturday for a 4-3 comeback win in Chicago. J.D. Martinez got the rally started with a three-run homer in the sixth inning and former Cub Ronny Cedeno's squeeze bunt in the final frame brought home Justin Maxwell with the winning run.

"In order to play these types of close games, you have to play good baseball," manager Bo Porter said. "What I love about our ballclub is even though we make some mistakes, they don't hang their head. They keep battling, they keep fighting and we find a way to either get ourselves back into the game or make it a ballgame every night."

Lyles (4-1, 3.22 ERA) will try to help Houston win the series between last-place clubs by improving on his 3-0 record and 1.61 ERA in his last seven starts. He might have a good chance at accomplishing that task as the Cubs (30-43) are batting .201 during a 2-5 stretch and are 1 for 16 with runners in scoring position in their last four games.

They went 1 for 7 in such situations Saturday and failed to score in the eighth despite having three players in scoring position. Alfonso Soriano was picked off after a one-out double, and Darwin Barney flied out with the bases loaded.

"It's a broken record. We just can't seem to get that hit to break the game open in those situations. We get guys on and we just can't get them in," manager Dale Sveum said.

Sveum gives the ball to Jeff Samardzija (4-7, 3.35), who is trying to build on his best start of the month.

He allowed two runs over 8 1-3 innings in a 4-2 win in St. Louis on Tuesday after going 0-1 with a 5.89 ERA in his first three June starts. Prior to Tuesday, Samardzija was 0-5 with an 8.49 ERA in eight June starts dating back to last season.

"I really want to knock this June bugaboo," the right-hander said. "I've been working really hard and I like where I am today."

Samardzija, who is 0-1 with a 6.75 ERA in two home starts this month, is 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA in two career starts against the Astros. The Cubs are 3-8 at Wrigley Field in June after winning eight of their previous 12 there.

Lyles, who is 1-0 with a 2.50 ERA in three career starts against the Cubs, has gone seven innings in each of his last three starts and gave up one run to Milwaukee in Tuesday's 10-1 home win.

Starlin Castro, who is 1 for 8 lifetime against Lyles, is batting .138 in June.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Astros at Cubs
Fri, Jun 21 Final 1 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Astros at Cubs
Sat, Jun 22 Final 4 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Astros at Cubs
Sun, Jun 23 - 2:20PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Marlins (24-49) at Giants (37-36)
Game: 4
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: June 23, 2013 4:05 PM EDT


For much of the season, Matt Cain didn't look like the three-time All-Star that had won 55 games over the last four years. Now he seems to be returning to form.

The San Francisco Giants hope for another strong outing from Cain on Sunday as they host the Miami Marlins and Nathan Eovaldi, who tries to build on an encouraging season debut.

Cain (5-3, 4.55 ERA) compiled a 5.45 ERA through his first 12 starts, surrendering six or more runs four times. For a pitcher who entered the season allowing 0.76 homers per nine innings, the right-hander was plagued by the long ball, giving up 13 in a span of seven starts from April 12-May 16.

He has served up only two homers in six starts since, and owns a 1.31 ERA over his last three outings. He struck out a season-high 10 and retired 15 straight at one point while throwing seven innings in the Giants' 5-4 win over San Diego on Tuesday. He gave up two runs on a pair of homers and didn't issue a walk for the third time this season.

"Cain had probably more than we've seen in a long time, a wide assortment of pitches," Padres manager Bud Black told the Giants' official website. "He was really mixing his pitches and we couldn't solve him."

After sitting on the disabled list since spring training due to right shoulder inflammation, Eovaldi (0-0, 3.00) limited Arizona to two runs - both on a Martin Prado homer - and three hits over six innings in a game Miami lost 3-2 on Tuesday.

"It felt good getting back on the mound," said Eovaldi, who gave up a career-worst eight runs over five innings in his only start against the Giants last June, with the Los Angeles Dodgers. "This is the best my fastball has felt, locating it and everything. With my offspeed, it's still a little timing issue and I'm rushing it a little bit."

The 23-year-old, who came to Miami in last year's Hanley Ramirez trade, didn't have any problem firing his fastball despite missing so much time, hitting 99 mph.

"I had seen his game reports in the minor leagues and he touched 100 a few times," manager Mike Redmond said. "I was pleasantly surprised by him being able to sustain and maintain that fastball through the course of his 85 pitches."

Redmond was tossed for the first time in his managerial career in Saturday's 2-1 loss to the Giants (38-36). Hector Sanchez's game-winning single in the 11th ended the Giants' nine-game home losing streak to the Marlins.

Miami (24-50) held a 1-0 lead in the fifth when Gregor Blanco's drive to center field was snatched off the bounce by a fan. The home-plate umpire awarded Barry Zito, who had been on first base, home for the tying run, a decision Redmond disagreed with.

"I thought initially it was a ground-rule double. He called fan interference," Redmond said. "I just didn't think Barry Zito would have scored from first."

Brandon Crawford was 0 for 4 after not starting in the last three games with two sprained fingers, while Andres Torres sat out after injuring his right knee on a slide in San Francisco's 6-3 loss Friday. Manager Bruce Bochy said Torres may be able to play Sunday.

Logan Morrison (4 for 14) and Chris Coghlan (3 for 11) are the only Marlins hitting better than .250 with more than two at_bats against Cain. Two of Giancarlo Stanton's three hits in 12 at_bats are home runs.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Marlins at Giants
Thu, Jun 20 Final 2 to 1
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Marlins at Giants
Fri, Jun 21 Final 6 to 3
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Marlins at Giants
Sat, Jun 22 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 4
Marlins at Giants
Sun, Jun 23 - 4:05PM EDT