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

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MLB

Sunday, June 2

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Trend Report
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1:05 PM
TAMPA BAY vs. CLEVELAND
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Tampa Bay's last 5 games when playing on the road against Cleveland
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 6 games at home
Cleveland is 3-6 SU in its last 9 games

1:10 PM
NY METS vs. MIAMI
NY Mets are 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Miami
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of NY Mets's last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Miami's last 5 games at home
Miami is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against NY Mets

1:35 PM
MILWAUKEE vs. PHILADELPHIA
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Milwaukee's last 5 games when playing Philadelphia
Milwaukee is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Philadelphia's last 9 games

1:35 PM
DETROIT vs. BALTIMORE
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Detroit's last 7 games when playing on the road against Baltimore
Detroit is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Baltimore's last 5 games when playing Detroit
Baltimore is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games

1:35 PM
WASHINGTON vs. ATLANTA
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Washington's last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington's last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Atlanta's last 9 games at home
Atlanta is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Washington

1:35 PM
CINCINNATI vs. PITTSBURGH
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cincinnati's last 8 games on the road
Cincinnati is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Pittsburgh's last 11 games when playing Cincinnati
Pittsburgh is 16-6 SU in its last 22 games

2:10 PM
SEATTLE vs. MINNESOTA
Seattle is 4-11 SU in its last 15 games
Seattle is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing on the road against Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Minnesota's last 8 games when playing Seattle
Minnesota is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games when playing Seattle

2:15 PM
SAN FRANCISCO vs. ST. LOUIS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Francisco's last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of San Francisco's last 6 games when playing St. Louis
St. Louis is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home
St. Louis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against San Francisco

2:20 PM
ARIZONA vs. CHI CUBS
Arizona is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Arizona's last 7 games
Chi Cubs are 9-2 SU in their last 11 games when playing at home against Arizona
Chi Cubs are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games at home

3:05 PM
KANSAS CITY vs. TEXAS
Kansas City is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games
Kansas City is 3-7 SU in its last 10 games on the road
Texas is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas's last 5 games at home

3:35 PM
HOUSTON vs. LA ANGELS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Houston's last 7 games
Houston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
LA Angels are 10-4 SU in their last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of LA Angels's last 5 games

4:05 PM
CHI WHITE SOX vs. OAKLAND
Chi White Sox are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing Oakland
Chi White Sox are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Oakland's last 8 games at home
Oakland is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games

4:10 PM
LA DODGERS vs. COLORADO
LA Dodgers are 6-3 SU in their last 9 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 5 of LA Dodgers's last 5 games when playing Colorado
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Colorado's last 5 games when playing at home against LA Dodgers
Colorado is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games

8:05 PM
BOSTON vs. NY YANKEES
Boston is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games on the road
Boston is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Yankees's last 6 games when playing Boston

10:10 PM
TORONTO vs. SAN DIEGO
Toronto is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Toronto's last 10 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of San Diego's last 5 games
San Diego is 15-6 SU in its last 21 games at home

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Sunday, June 2

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Sunday Night Baseball: Red Sox at Yankees
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Sunday Night Baseball comes to New York as the Yankees host the Red Sox.

Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees (-115, 8)

MOLDING WINS FROM CLAY

Clay Buchholz is back after missing a start due to soreness in his right AC joint. The righty is 7-0 with a 1.73 ERA while holding opponents to a .194 batting average. This will be his second start against the Yankees after picking up a win against them on April 3 in New York. In that game, Buchholz allowed one run and six hits in seven innings, striking out four while walking two. The righty has been spectacular on the road, allowing just four total runs in his four starts away from Boston. His one weakness may be a lack of control, but even that hasn't been too bad with exactly three walks in each of his past three outings.

KURODA KEEPING IT GOING

Hiroki Kuroda has been one of the best pitchers for his team this season. The Yankees’ starter is 6-3 with a 2.39 ERA. He got a no-decision his last time out in a pitcher's duel with Matt Harvey when Mariano Rivera blew his first save of the season. Kuroda had a rough outing against Boston at home back on April 3 when he gave up two runs and four hits in just 1 1/3 innings before getting hit by a line drive. The righty has allowed only five earned runs in five starts at home.

INJURY REPORT

The injury situation is steadily improving for the Yankees who just recently got Kevin Youkilis and Mark Teixeira back from injuries. The lineup is still awaiting the return of Curtis Granderson, Alex Rodriguez, and Derek Jeter. They are also without Eduardo Nunez and Francisco Cervelli. Andy Pettitte is going to return from his neck injury on Monday against the Indians. Michael Pineda is also potentially coming back in June as he returns from a shoulder injury. Boston’s list is a lot shorter with Shane Victorino and Will Middlebrooks on the DL. Both are expected back early this month. The loss of Joel Hanrahan to Tommy John surgery could make things interesting for Boston’s bullpen.

TRENDS

The under is 8-2 in Buchholz’s last 10 Sunday starts.
Red Sox are 9-1 in Buchholz’s last 10 starts
The over is 9-4-1 in the Yankees’ last 14 Sunday games.
Yankees are 7-3 in Kuroda’s last 10 starts

HITTERS TO WATCH

Robinson Cano 12-for-28 vs. Buchholz
Lyle Overbay 7-for-25 vs. Buchholz
Stephen Drew 8-for-24 vs. Kuroda
Dustin Pedroia 7-for-15 vs. Kuroda

[StarDust Bum]

MLB

Sunday, June 2

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MLB betting: Cardinals an awesome road bet
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The St. Louis Cardinals have been absolute gold for bettors on the road.

The Cardinals boast a league-best 20-9 road record heading into action Saturday. The next best clubs away from home (Boston, Baltimore) are only five games above .500.

Any $100 bettor would be up $1,083 if they wagered on each of St. Louis’ away games. However, bettors will have to wait until June 7 for the Cards’ next road tilt.

St. Louis hits the road for a 10-game trip down the east coast, beginning in Cincinnati. The Cardinals will then head down the coast for three-game sets with the New York Mets and Miami Marlins.

St. Louis has a combined 7-3 record against the Reds and Mets this season, and has yet to square off with the lowly Marlins.

The Cardinals are averaging 5.06 runs per game and their pitching staff boasts an impressive 2.97 ERA away from Busch Stadium.

Unfortunately, that hasn’t translated to a prevailing over/under trend. St. Louis is 14-13-2 O/U on the road to date.

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Sunday, June 2

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Tampa Bay - 1:05 PM ET Tampa Bay +108 500 POD # 8
Cleveland - Under 9 500

NY Mets - 1:10 PM ET Miami +166 500 POD # 7
Miami - Over 6.5 500

Detroit - 1:35 PM ET Baltimore +106 500 POD # 6
Baltimore -Over 10 500

Washington - 1:35 PM ET Atlanta -185 500
Atlanta - Under 8 500

Cincinnati - 1:35 PM ET Cincinnati -119 500
Pittsburgh - Under 7.5 500

Milwaukee - 1:35 PM ET Milwaukee +156 500 POD # 4
Philadelphia - Under 8 500

Seattle - 2:10 PM ET Seattle +133 500 POD # 5
Minnesota - Over 8.5 500

San Francisco - 2:15 PM ET St. Louis -159 500
St. Louis - Under 8 500

Arizona - 2:20 PM ET Arizona -137 500
Chi. Cubs - Over 7 500

Kansas City - 3:05 PM ET Kansas City +188 500 POD # 2
Texas - Under 8.5 500

Houston - 3:35 PM ET Houston +238 500 POD # 1
LA Angels - Under 8.5 500

Chi. White Sox - 4:05 PM ET Oakland -108 500
Oakland - Under 7 500

LA Dodgers - 4:10 PM ET LA Dodgers +126 500 POD # 3
Colorado - Under 9.5 500

Boston - 8:00 PM ET Boston +104 500
NY Yankees - Under 8 500

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Preview: Indians (30-26) at Yankees (31-25)
Game: 1
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: June 03, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


It's quite simple to pinpoint reasons for the New York Yankees' recent struggles - their lineup is failing to score runs and the pitching staff is having a difficult time preventing them.

Getting Andy Pettitte back could help solve one of those problems.

The 40-year-old comes off the disabled list to face the visiting Cleveland Indians as the Yankees look to avoid an eighth loss in nine games.

New York (31-25) is hitting .217 during its rough stretch and had only two hits in a rain-shortened 3-0 loss to Boston on Sunday that dropped it to 1-4 on its eight-game homestand.

Pitching has been an issue as well, with the staff compiling a 5.05 ERA over the last eight games, and the Yankees hope Pettitte (4-3, 3.83 ERA) can provide a spark. He'll be making his first start since May 16, when he gave up two runs in 4 2-3 innings of a 3-2 loss to Seattle before leaving with a tight left trapezius muscle. He was placed on the disabled list shortly after.

"I think they were being pretty cautious with me as far as the DL, and it was probably good," Pettitte told the team's official website. "I was pretty locked up back there.

"I'm feeling good (now), and I'm looking forward to getting back out there. I just want to take my turn, get out there and do this grind with the guys."

Pettitte was solid the last time he faced the Indians, giving up one run in seven innings of a 14-1 victory April 9. The left-hander is 3-0 with a 1.84 ERA over his last five starts against Cleveland, which will counter with Justin Masterson as he seeks his first road win versus the Yankees.

Masterson (8-3, 3.07) bounced back from a loss to Boston on May 24 by giving up one run and striking out seven in six innings of Wednesday's 5-2 win over Cincinnati. He's 3-1 with a 1.93 ERA in his last four starts after posting a 5.91 ERA over his previous five.

``First of all, you have to have (good) stuff to (get out of jams), but he competes so well,' manager Terry Francona said.

Masterson's current hot stretch began May 13 when he struck out nine in a four-hitter to beat the Yankees 1-0. The right-hander is 4-2 with a 2.08 ERA in seven career starts versus New York, but 0-2 with a 4.34 ERA in three in the Bronx.

The Indians (30-26) haven't fared very well there in recent years, dropping eight of the last nine at Yankee Stadium. They'll be looking to avoid a sixth straight road loss overall after concluding a 3-2 homestand with an 11-3 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday.

Carlos Santana had three hits to snap a 0-for-9 slump, and Mike Aviles drove in a pair of runs, though Francona was ejected in the fifth inning for arguing balls and strikes.

``It was a tough day for all of us, but we know Tito has our back,' outfielder Michael Brantley said. ``Everybody in this locker room has the utmost respect for him, and we know he'll fight for us.'

Asdrubal Cabrera, hitting .158 in his last 10 versus the Yankees, likely will be back in the lineup after getting Sunday off.

Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis are a combined 2 for 23 off Masterson.

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Preview: Marlins (16-41) at Phillies (27-30)
Game: 1
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: June 03, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


The Miami Marlins are on the verge of their longest win streak of the season but could have a formidable challenge on their hands.

The Philadelphia Phillies' Kyle Kendrick has dominated the Marlins in recent matchups and will try to win his 10th straight decision in the series Monday night.

The Marlins (16-41) used some strong pitching performances to win the first two games against the New York Mets this weekend before rallying for an 11-6 victory Sunday.

A day after ending a 16-game hit streak, Marcell Ozuna went 3 for 5 with a career-high four RBIs. Chris Coghlan had four hits and drove in two runs after going 3 for 4 with two RBIs in an 8-1 victory Saturday.

"The last three games have been pretty fun to watch," manager Mike Redmond said. "It's a different atmosphere (in the clubhouse) and definitely guys turned it up the last three days and hopefully we can keep it going."

Miami outscored the Mets 24-8 during its three-game sweep and will next seek its first four-game win streak since June 27-July 1. That run included a three-game home sweep of Philadelphia (27-30).

The Phillies, though, will send out Kendrick (5-3, 3.27 ERA), who has won nine straight decisions over the Marlins and is 8-0 with a 2.24 ERA in his last 10 starts in the series.

Kendrick's nine-game win streak is tied for the second-longest active run against one opponent. Teammate Roy Halladay has won 10 in a row over Baltimore and the New York Yankees' Andy Pettitte has won 10 straight against Kansas City.

Kendrick has a 1.72 ERA in winning his last five matchups with Miami, and gave up two runs in seven innings in his lone meeting this season, a 7-2 victory May 2.

The right-hander heads into this matchup after allowing two runs and four hits in six innings in Wednesday's 4-3 win over Boston. He had a 7.36 ERA in losing his previous two starts.

Philadelphia has won six of 10 games against Miami this season and enters this series after holding on to beat Milwaukee 7-5 Sunday to snap a three-game skid.

Domonic Brown continued his torrid clip with a homer, triple and four RBIs. He is batting .400 with nine home runs and 20 RBIs in his last 13 games.

"The skills and talent are there," manager Charlie Manuel said. "The more consistent he gets, the better he's going to get."

Brown and the Phillies will next try to deny Tom Koehler (0-3, 3.22) his first major league win.

The right-hander has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his five all-time starts - four this season - but has received a combined five runs of support. He gave up three runs over a career-high eight innings Wednesday against Tampa Bay but took the loss in a 3-1 defeat.

This will be his first start against the Phillies, though he gave up three runs in two innings of relief in Philadelphia on May 2.

Michael Young has returned to the Phillies after missing five games to tend to his nine-month old son after the boy was hospitalized. Young's son has been discharged and is doing better. Young is available to come off the bench.

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Preview: Pirates (35-22) at Braves (34-22)
Game: 1
Venue: Turner Field
Date: June 03, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


After watching the Pittsburgh Pirates' lineup show some spark, A.J. Burnett is hoping for similar hitting from his teammates when on the mound.

The Atlanta Braves' Kris Medlen likely has the same wish for some more support as each pitcher tries to end lengthy winless stretches in Monday night's series opener in Atlanta.

The Pirates (35-22) had scored one run in three games before a 5-4 win in 11 innings against Cincinnati on Sunday. Pittsburgh went 2 for 7 with runners in scoring position in that victory, including Travis Snider's game-winning single, after going 0 for 10 in back-to-back shutout losses to the Reds.

"I haven't been getting many big hits lately and I put everything I had into that swing," said Garrett Jones, whose eighth-inning homer tied the game. "It felt pretty good. I wasn't expecting to hit the ball in the river, which was pretty cool, but it was great to come through and give us a chance to win.'

Burnett (3-5, 2.72 ERA) is hoping to see the Pirates duplicate that effort while helping him end a five-game winless stretch. The right-hander has gone 0-3 with a 2.91 ERA in that span and has been given just six runs of support.

Burnett has had similar issues when facing Atlanta (34-22). He's 1-6 with a 3.62 ERA in his last 10 matchups and has been given a combined 10 runs of support.

Burnett is 0-6 with a 4.44 ERA in his last nine starts in Atlanta and 1-8 with a 4.88 ERA in 12 career games there. He's received three runs or fewer in each of those starts.

In this one, he'll pitch opposite Medlen (1-6, 3.48), who is 0-5 with a 3.93 ERA since a 3-2 win over Miami on April 9. The right-hander has gotten a combined 15 runs in those nine starts and three runs in his last four.

Medlen took the loss in a 3-0 defeat to Toronto on Wednesday despite leaving after two innings. He suffered a bruised calf when he took a line drive off his left leg.

"I've been hit by a lot of balls in my life. That's one of the harder ones I've felt," he said. "I knew right away (that he'd have to leave the game), but I at least wanted get through the inning."

Medlen is 1-1 with a 4.08 ERA in three career starts against the Pirates and suffered the loss in his only matchup this season. He gave up three runs over six innings in a 4-2 defeat April 21, the finale of a four-game series in Pittsburgh.

The Braves dropped the final three games in that set, but it appears the Upton brothers might be ready to help Atlanta try to win this series.

B.J. Upton, batting just .156 with five home runs this season, hit a solo homer in a 6-3 win over Washington on Sunday after going 2 for 4 and driving in the winning run in a 2-1 victory in 10 innings the previous day.

"Good for him," manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "His at_bats keep getting better and better and better. That's the B.J. Upton that we want to see. It's good that he's coming along.

"Hopefully he'll run off 10 or 12 games like this."

Justin Upton had three hits in Sunday's win after going 1 for 20 in his previous five games. He's 2 for 2 with a solo homer lifetime against Burnett, but B.J. Upton is 9 for 44 (.205) with 17 strikeouts.

The Braves and Pirates have split their last two series in Atlanta, both four-game sets.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rockies (30-27) at Reds (35-22)
Game: 1
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: June 03, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


The Cincinnati Reds may be thrilled to return home, and a three-game series with the Colorado Rockies may only improve their mood.

An injury to Brandon Phillips, however, isn't helping.

With Phillips expected to miss this entire series, the Reds go for their longest winning streak over the Rockies in more than 12 years Monday night.

Cincinnati (35-22) owns the best home record in baseball at 20-7, and they collectively are hitting 26 points better at home (.267) and scoring 5.5 runs per game there.

The Reds may be hoping a return to Great American Ball Park can provide a spark after they hit .225 while averaging 3.0 runs during a 2-3 road trip, which was capped with Sunday's 5-4, 11-inning loss at Pittsburgh.

Facing the Rockies (30-27) may also help since Cincinnati went 5-1 against them last year, winning five in a row while batting .303 with 14 homers and 43 runs scored.

The Reds last won six straight against Colorado bridging 2000 and 2001.

Matching that streak will have to be done without Phillips, who was hit by a pitch from the Pirates' Tony Watson during Saturday's 2-0 victory. He was held out of the lineup Sunday, and manager Dusty Baker isn't expecting him to be available versus Colorado.

"It's going to be, I anticipate, three or four days," Baker told the team's official website. "We feel very fortunate, even though it's frustrating, that we'll have Brandon back in a few days. ... It could have been really, really devastating. I was just thinking (about being) without Brandon defensively, and offensively - and he's our cleanup hitter."

Phillips is 9 for 19 (.474) with six runs over his last five games, but Zack Cozart may be a likely candidate to pick up the slack.

Cozart is hitting .405 with five doubles and a triple over the past 10 games, getting at least one hit in nine of them. That stretch includes going 8 for 20 with three doubles in five home contests, helping raise his season average 38 points to .246.

Joey Votto may benefit from facing the Rockies since he's a .358 hitter in 30 career meetings, going 12 for 19 with three homers and four RBIs over his past five.

The Reds are expected to turn to Bronson Arroyo (5-5, 3.75), who was roughed up for five runs and eight hits - two homers - in 5 2-3 innings of a 5-2 loss at Cleveland on Wednesday. He had won his three previous starts behind a 1.33 ERA.

Arroyo held Colorado to six hits in 6 2-3 innings of a 3-0 road win July 27. However, he's struggled versus Todd Helton and Carlos Gonzalez. He's allowed Helton to go 8 for 22 (.364) with two homers off him, while Gonzalez is 7 for 14 with a pair of doubles.

The Rockies are looking for a three-game winning streak after taking back-to-back contests from the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning 7-2 on Sunday behind two homers and three RBIs from Dexter Fowler.

Fowler is batting .381 with 17 runs over the past 16 games, but he's 2 for 10 with a homer versus Arroyo.

Tyler Chatwood (3-0, 2.12 ERA) is scheduled to face Cincinnati for the first time, and the right-hander has won both of his road outings while tossing 12 scoreless innings. He struck out a career-high 10 and yielded two runs in six innings while not getting a decision in a 6-3 loss to Houston on Wednesday.

Chatwood is also proving to be capable at the plate, going 5 for 12 with four RBIs.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Athletics (34-24) at Brewers (21-34)
Game: 1
Venue: Miller Park
Date: June 03, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


Pitching has been vital to the Oakland Athletics' surge.

It's been just as important to the Milwaukee Brewers' woes.

The A's are hoping Tommy Milone can keep the success on the mound going as they visit the struggling Brewers for the first time in 16 years Monday night.

Oakland (34-24) has won 14 of 16 behind a 2.45 ERA after compiling a 4.85 ERA - 5.62 from the rotation - while dropping 18 of the previous 26.

"I think it's something where we feed off each other. This team is built around pitching and defense," said Jarrod Parker, who allowed two hits in 6 1-3 innings of Sunday's 2-0 win over the Chicago White Sox to sweep the three-game series.

Parker and the rest of the starters have posted a 2.67 ERA while lasting at least six innings in all but three of those 16 contests.

"We love it down there," closer Grant Balfour said. "It makes our jobs a lot easier."

Oakland has won each of the last three starts by Milone (5-5, 4.04 ERA), though he hasn't been particularly sharp, going 2-0 with a 5.00 ERA. He had lost his five previous outings with a 3.62 ERA, receiving only four total runs of support.

The offense helped the left-hander out Wednesday, when he gave up four runs and two homers with three walks in five innings of a 9-6 win at San Francisco.

This will be the first time Oakland visits Miller Park since the club's last road series with the Brewers came at Milwaukee County Stadium in 1997, the first year of interleague play.

The A's swept the most recent series at home, taking all three meetings June 10-12, 2002.

Improvement on the mound likely will be needed if the Brewers are to prevent a similar fate. Their 4.55 ERA is the worst in the NL, with the rotation compiling a 6.75 mark during a 7-23 slide that has dropped the team to the bottom of the NL Central.

Pitching was a major problem again Sunday, as starter Mike Fiers was tagged for seven runs while recording only five outs before Milwaukee's rally fell short in a 7-5 defeat at Philadelphia.

Now, Marco Estrada (4-3, 4.96) is scheduled to get his turn on the rubber, and he's been feast of famine over his last five starts, going 2-2 with a 5.40 ERA.

The right-hander has surrendered 12 runs in 10 1-3 innings in those defeats, but has a 2.75 ERA in the other three outings - all Brewers wins.

Estrada struggled early at Minnesota on Wednesday, giving up three runs in the opening inning before allowing one over the next six of a 4-1 loss.

"We've all been struggling so you want to go out there and give your team the best chance to win. When you give up three runs in the first inning, it kind of kills you," Estrada said.

He's 0-4 with a 6.18 ERA in eight interleague games - three starts.

Catcher Jonathan Lucroy has been a rare bright spot for the Brewers, hitting .433 with three homers and nine RBIs during an eight-game hitting streak.

Milwaukee will try to avoid losing five straight at home for the third time this season.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Diamondbacks (32-24) at Cardinals (37-19)
Game: 1
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: June 03, 2013 8:15 PM EDT


Lance Lynn has been quite a different pitcher since turning in his shortest outing of the year against the Arizona Diamondbacks in his first 2013 start.

Lynn is unbeaten in his last eight regular-season home outings heading into Monday night's opener of a four-game set for the St. Louis Cardinals in this matchup of division leaders.

NL West-leading Arizona (32-24) took two of three at home from Central-leading St. Louis (37-19) to start the season. Lynn (7-1, 2.91 ERA), seeking to start 8-1 for the second straight season, gave up four runs over four-plus innings in a 10-9, 16-inning defeat April 3.

The right-hander has yielded that many runs just twice over his next 10 outings. He's also 6-0 with a 2.84 ERA in his last eight regular-season starts at Busch Stadium, yielding two runs over seven innings and not receiving a decision in Wednesday's 5-3 home victory over Kansas City.

Lynn will have to be wary of Gerardo Parra, who is 3 for 6 with two triples and a homer against him. Parra went 8 for 16 with four runs scored in the season-opening series against the Cardinals.

The Diamondbacks outfielder is 9 for 23 during a modest six-game hitting streak with consecutive two-RBI efforts to help Arizona take two of three on the road this past weekend from the Cubs.

Paul Goldschmidt is also surging, going 14 for 31 over his last eight games with 10 RBIs and nine runs scored. He leads the NL with 33 road RBIs but is just 7 for 31 overall against St. Louis - 2 for 2 against Lynn.

Despite the hot bats, manager Kirk Gibson is hoping for good weather in St. Louis since his team has been unable to get in any extra hitting outside.

"It's kind of getting to the point where I think we'll look forward to getting to St. Louis," Gibson told the Diamondbacks' official website. "Hopefully we'll get some weather where we can get some early work in and just have a good BP session."

Gibson should have catcher Miguel Montero back in his lineup Monday while St. Louis manager Mike Matheny will likely have Carlos Beltran back. Both veterans had Sunday off.

The Cardinals bring in two players with double-digit hit streaks in David Freese and Matt Carpenter.

Freese has matched a career high with a 12-game run in which he is batting .357 including a two-run homer in Sunday's 4-2 defeat to San Francisco.

"I'm seeing the baseball and trying to consistently hit the ball hard somewhere,' he said. "It's all about the approach at the plate."

Carpenter is even hotter at .391 with 10 runs scored during his 11-game surge.

Those hitters will be up against Diamondbacks starter Trevor Cahill (3-5, 2.88), who has permitted four earned runs or fewer for 29 straight starts for the longest active streak in the majors.

Cahill will face the Cardinals for the second time after giving up three runs over 5 2-3 innings in a 6-1 loss April 2.

Matt Holliday homered off him in that contest and is 3 for 9 against the right-hander with every hit leaving the ballpark.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Astros (20-37) at Angels (25-32)
Game: 4
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: June 03, 2013 10:05 PM EDT


In order to avoid the embarrassment of a four-game home sweep at the hands of the Houston Astros, the Los Angeles Angels are turning to a pitcher tied for the most losses in the AL.

Joe Blanton has already lost once this season to the Astros, who bring a season-high five-game win streak into Monday night's series finale.

Houston (20-37) is the worst team in the league, and the addition of the club with the lowest payroll in baseball to the AL would seemingly serve to benefit a Los Angeles team expected to contend in the West.

Instead the Angels (25-32) are now 3-6 against their newest division rivals after hitting .218 and scoring seven runs in losing the first three games of this series.

"I don't think they're playing over their heads against us," said the Angels' C.J. Wilson, who suffered Sunday's 5-4 loss. "They're a major league team,'

Houston, meanwhile, is seeking its first six-game run since winning seven straight July 27-Aug. 3, 2010.

"If we can compete with the Angels, then we can compete with anybody,' Astros reliever Hector Ambriz said. "We've attacked their whole lineup with fastballs, curveballs and off-speed pitches and haven't fallen behind in the count. You've got to respect what they can do, but we've got to respect our stuff, too.'

Los Angeles will give the ball to Blanton (1-8, 5.94 ERA), who is tied with Houston's Philip Humber for the league's most defeats. Humber was sent to the minors May 14.

Blanton has turned in two straight decent efforts, yielding two runs over 6 1-3 innings in a 5-4 victory May 23 at Kansas City and allowing three runs over seven in Tuesday's 3-0 loss to the Dodgers.

Another one of his better outings came May 8 against the Astros, as the right-hander gave up three runs over 6 2-3 innings in a 3-1 defeat.

Carlos Pena is 5 for 13 against Blanton. The Houston slugger has hit safely in five straight games, going 6 for 12 in this series with a solo homer Sunday.

J.D. Martinez is also red hot with 11 hits in his last 26 at_bats. Chris Carter is 10 for 29 in the season series with four homers and 10 of his 31 RBIs.

Some of the high-priced Angels' big names have come up small, in contrast, this weekend. Josh Hamilton is 2 for 12 in this series and Albert Pujols 2 for 7 after not starting Friday due to foot and knee problems.

Hamilton is 5 for 17 against Astros starter Erik Bedard (0-2, 5.32) while Pujols has never faced the left-hander.

Bedard is 0-4 with a 6.97 ERA over his last 11 starts dating to 2012. However, he has posted a 3.27 ERA and no decisions over his last four outings since returning to the rotation after a brief stint in the bullpen.

His 7.08 ERA at Angel Stadium is his worst mark at any park where he has started more than once.

Astros shortstop Marwin Gonzalez could return Monday after missing the last four games with a right hamstring strain.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: White Sox (24-30) at Mariners (24-33)
Game: 1
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: June 03, 2013 10:10 PM EDT


The Chicago White Sox are enduring their longest road losing streak in five years, so visiting the Seattle Mariners for a three-game series may be a relief.

Giving the ball to John Danks may also help.

With Paul Konerko expected back in the lineup, Danks and the White Sox look to continuing their dominance of the Mariners in the opener of this three-game series Monday night.

Chicago (24-30) has lost seven in a row on the road for the first time since a nine-game skid from May 30-June 22, 2008. The current slide is also part of six-game overall losing streak, and the White Sox haven't had a longer won since dropping seven straight from Sept. 11-17, 2011.

Their recent struggles continued as they were outscored 9-3 during a three-game sweep at Oakland, capped with a 2-0 defeat Sunday.

"Any time you lose, you feel like energy is part of it," manager Robin Ventura told the team's official website. "It can zap you when you go through stretches like this. You have to find a way to get it. Winning, there seems to always be energy in winning. You have to have it even if you go through a tough stretch, too."

The White Sox haven't had many issues when facing Seattle (24-33) - winning 26 of the past 31 games over the past three years - including two of three at home from April 5-7. They're 10-2 in their last 12 games at Safeco Field, winning eight straight behind a 1.73 ERA and .292 average.

Danks (0-1, 5.40 ERA) has played a key role, going 7-0 with a 1.31 ERA in eight starts versus the Mariners, including a 4-0 record in five visits to Seattle.

The veteran left-hander hasn't been sharp in two starts since returning from shoulder surgery. He lost the most recent one Wednesday, giving up four runs and two homers in four innings of a 9-3 road defeat to the Chicago Cubs.

"The fastball isn't quite where it was," Danks told the team's official website. "It's plenty, but it's not quite where it was. I anticipate that getting better. The more velocity I get, the better it makes my changeup and cutter."

Konerko may be looking forward to visiting Safeco after sitting out one game with a stiff neck. He's hitting .434 over his last 13 games there and owns a .381 average in 30 overall meetings with the Mariners.

The six-time All-Star enters this series 10 for 27 (.370) in eight games, raising his season average 23 points to .240.

Gordon Beckham may also be back in the lineup after Chicago activated him from the disabled list on Sunday. The second baseman was 6 for 19 through the first seven games before suffering a fractured hamate bone in his left hand on April 9 at Washington.

His return could mean the White Sox will have to find somewhere else to put Jeff Keppinger, who has filled in at second and is hitting .386 over the past 13 games.

The Mariners have dropped 12 of 16 after being held to five singles in Sunday's 10-0 loss at Minnesota.

Joe Saunders (3-5, 5.57) is expected to get the ball, and he's 9-1 with a 2.23 ERA in 14 starts at Safeco. The left-hander is 3-1 with a 2.41 ERA in five games at Seattle this year compared to 0-4 with a 9.00 ERA in six road outings.

Saunders has lost his last two starts against Chicago, allowing 12 runs in 11 innings.

Kendrys Morales is hitting .411 with seven doubles, three homers and 14 RBIs in 13 games, and he has a .444 average over his last 10 meetings with Chicago. However, he's 1 for 9 versus Danks.

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Padres (26-30) at Dodgers (23-32)
Game: 1
Venue: Dodger Stadium
Date: June 03, 2013 10:10 PM EDT


With their major leaguers struggling and banged up, the Los Angeles Dodgers are turning to the minors for some help.

Top prospect Yasiel Puig will be recalled prior to Monday night's contest, and pitcher Stephen Fife likely will start in place of the injured Chris Capuano as Los Angeles looks to avoid a fifth loss in six games against the visiting San Diego Padres.

The seemingly constant problems for the last-place, underachieving Dodgers (23-32) have been well documented as manager Don Mattingly's job security continues to be called into question.

Los Angeles fell 7-2 at Colorado on Sunday, giving up five unanswered runs following Skip Schumaker's two-run double in the second inning. Its 195 runs are second-fewest in the NL, and its .233 average with runners in scoring position ranks 26th in the majors.

Hoping to spark the offense, the Dodgers have decided to bring up the 22-year-old Puig, who signed a seven-year, $42 million deal last summer after defecting from Cuba.

Puig played well in spring training and was hitting .313 with eight homers and 37 RBIs for Double-A Chattanooga. Mattingly isn't sure if Puig will play right or center field, and it's unclear if he'll make his debut in this contest.

``He's got power. He's got speed. He's got an arm,' Mattingly told the team's official website. ``It's a tooled-up package, but then on the back side of that, you still say it's a young player. You don't want to build him up to the point where it's impossible to live up to expectations.

"The fact that we'll play him and he'll get at_bats makes it a lot easier for me."

Los Angeles also could need a second spot start from Fife (0-0, 7.71 ERA), who allowed four runs in 4 2-3 innings of Los Angeles' 7-4 win April 21 at Baltimore. The right-hander was scheduled to start for Triple-A Albuquerque on Sunday but was held back with Capuano bothered by a strained triceps muscle.

"As a player I want to be out there, but I don't want to put the team in a bad spot," Capuano said. "It's a very, very hard line to walk."

The Dodgers will look to avoid a fourth consecutive loss to the Padres (26-30), who had won four of five before falling 7-4 in 11 innings to Toronto on Sunday.

San Diego looks to bounce back behind Eric Stults, who has been solid of late.

Stults (4-4, 3.86) is 2-2 with a 2.66 ERA over his last six starts and is coming off his best outing of the season, allowing one run and three hits while striking out a career-high 12 in eight innings of San Diego's 3-2, 10-inning win over Seattle on Wednesday.

``Eric pitched brilliantly,' manager Bud Black said. ``Stults has pitched some very good games for us, but I don't know how you throw any better. All four pitches were effective and were thrown with excellent command. That was impressive.'

Stults spent his first four seasons with the Dodgers, going 8-10 with a 4.84 ERA in 24 starts and 11 relief appearances.

The left-hander has split two starts against his former team this year, giving up seven runs and 17 hits in 11 innings. He allowed three runs in six innings of a 6-3 victory in the most recent outing April 15.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Monday's six-pack

-- Marlins are 6-3 against the Mets, 10-38 against everyone else.

-- Elgin Baylor's 1972 Lakers NBA Championship ring sold for $132,000 at an auction this weekend.

-- Home teams are 78-44 in interleague play this season.

-- Braves' bullpen hasn't allowed a run in its last 20.2 IP

-- Eldrick Woods was leading PGA Tour in putting coming into weekend, but finished 71st out of 73 in putting stats at Memorial this weekend.

-- NHL playoffs are more fun to watch than the NBA's; its not even that close, and basketball is my favorite sport.


*****

Armadillo: Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up the sports weekend.........

13) Five years ago, Roy Hibbert was taken 17th by Toronto in the NBA Draft, behind such luminaries as Joe Alexander (8th), Brandon Rush (13th) and Marreese Speights (16th). Pacers got Hibbert in a trade for Jermaine O'Neal; its worked out pretty well for them.

12) Last five times the Astros were underdogs of +$200 or more, they won the game- Bo Porter is doing a good job making them competitive.

11) There is a 10th-grade high school QB in Jacksonville who committed to Florida State already; the kid has a brother who is three years younger, and this weekend, Vanderbilt offered the 7th grader a scholarship!!!

10) Coaching in the NBA has to be insane. Clippers/Memphis both won 56 games this year, Atlanta won 44, but all three teams are likely to have new coaches next year. Even George Karl is feeling uneasy with Denver's GM moving on to Toronto- the Nuggets were 57-25 this year, but failed to get out of the first round of the playoffs for 8th time in last nine years.

9) Jeremy Bonderman made his first MLB start in three years Sunday; if you read the book Moneyball, it was the A's drafting Bonderman with their first pick in the 2001 draft that caused Billy Beane to change how the A's do their business. Bonderman now has a 67-78 career record.

8) Dodgers brought up prospect Yasiel Puig from AA to take Matt Kemp's place in outfield; he was hitting .313 with 37 RBI in 40 games in the AA Southern League.

7) Minnesota hoop coach Richard Pitino poached a kid from Drake, Joey King, who scored 6.9 ppg as a freshman for the Bulldogs-- he's mainly an outside shooter right now. Bigger schools are doing this more and more to mid-majors. Supposedly King does really have a sick relative and wants to be closer to home, but Iowa isn't that far from Minnesota.

6) A store in Lawrence, KS is already selling Andrew Wiggins t-shirts, as colleges rake in money off of kids who might not even have graduated from high school yet. Landing Wiggins was a huge get for Bill Self.

5) Domonic Brown hit 12 HRs, knocked in 25 runs in May, all without drawing a single walk. He's hit eight homers in his last ten games.

4) Joey Chestnut polished off 25 pastrami sandwiches to win an eating contest Sunday; the Nathan's hot dog contest is only a month away!!!!

3) Why it was stupid for the Twins to build a stadium without a roof on it; they had a walk-up crowd of 2,400+ Sunday, since the weather was nice. If you have a domed stadium, all those people are buying tickets beforehand. If Milwaukee has a dome, why not Minnesota?

2) 31-year old rookie Ed Lucas went to that baseball factory Dartmouth; he had four hits in his second major league start Sunday, and is 5-8 so far with the Marlins, who seemingly have new guys every week.

1) Rutgers paid a consultant $35,000 in their coaching search that landed them former NBA coach Eddie Jordan, but Jordan is a Rutgers alum-- they couldn't have found him all by themselves?!?!?!?!
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[StarDust Bum]

MLB
Dunkel

Pittsburgh at Atlanta
The Braves look to build on their 9-0 record in Kris Medlen's last 9 starts during Game 1 of a series. Atlanta is the pick (-140) according to Dunkel, which has the Braves favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-140). Here are all of today's picks.

MONDAY, JUNE 3

Game 951-952: Miami at Philadelphia (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Miami (Koehler) 15.212; Philadelphia (Kendrick) 13.884
Dunkel Line: Miami by 1 1/2; 9
Vegas Line: Philadelphia (-165); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Miami (+145); Over

Game 953-954: Pittsburgh at Atlanta (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh (Burnett) 15.244; Atlanta (Medlen) 16.923
Dunkel Line: Atlanta by 1 1/2; 6
Vegas Line: Atlanta (-140); 7
Dunkel Pick: Atlanta (-140); Under

Game 955-956: Colorado at Cincinnati (7:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado (Chatwood) 15.022; Cincinnati (Arroyo) 16.963
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 2; 8
Vegas Line: Cincinnati (-150); 9
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-150); Under

Game 957-958: Arizona at St. Louis (8:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona (Cahill) 16.737; St. Louis (Lynn) 15.870
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1; 8
Vegas Line: St. Louis (-170); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+150); Over

Game 959-960: San Diego at LA Dodgers (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Diego (Stults) 14.641; LA Dodgers (Capuano) 15.642
Dunkel Line: LA Dodgers by 1; 7
Vegas Line: LA Dodgers (-120); 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: LA Dodgers (-120); Under

Game 961-962: Cleveland at NY Yankees (7:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland (Masterson) 15.186; NY Yankees (Pettitte) 14.200
Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 1; 9
Vegas Line: NY Yankees (-125); 8
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+105); Over

Game 963-964: Houston at LA Angels (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston (Bedard) 14.662; LA Angels (Blanton) 16.033
Dunkel Line: LA Angels by 1 1/2; 8
Vegas Line: LA Angels (-185); 9
Dunkel Pick: LA Angels (-185); Under

Game 965-966: Chicago White Sox at Seattle (10:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: White Sox (Danks) 14.477; Seattle (Saunders) 13.276
Dunkel Line: Chicago White Sox by 1; 8
Vegas Line: Seattle (-110); 7
Dunkel Pick: Chicago White Sox (-110); Over

Game 967-968: Oakland at Milwaukee (8:10 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oakland (Milone) 15.771; Milwaukee (Estrada) 13.522
Dunkel Line: Oakland by 2; 10
Vegas Line: Milwaukee (-110); 9
Dunkel Pick: Oakland (-110); Over