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

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Pirates (35-23) at Braves (35-22)
Game: 3
Venue: Turner Field
Date: June 05, 2013 12:10 PM EDT


Having struggled against left-handed pitching for much of the season, the Atlanta Braves will be facing a particularly tough assignment as they look to sweep the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Braves will try for their fifth straight victory Wednesday when the Pirates send red-hot southpaw Wandy Rodriguez to the mound at Turner Field.

Andrelton Simmons extended the winning streak Tuesday with a game-ending double in the 10th inning as Atlanta came from behind in a 5-4 victory over slumping Pittsburgh (35-24).

"I made good contact," said Simmons, who is batting .356 during a 10-game hitting streak. "I made the adjustment to go the other way and fortunately I did it.'

Trailing by two runs in the sixth, the NL East-leading Braves (36-22) tied it on B.J. Upton's homer - his second in three games - off right-hander Ryan Reid after lefty starter Jeff Locke had departed.

"You're looking at what you feel is your best matchup at the time and it didn't work out,' said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle.

The Braves managed six hits in 5 2-3 innings off Locke, leaving them with a .177 batting average versus left-handers since May 28.

Atlanta hopes to reverse that trend as it looks for its sixth win on an eight-game homestand that concludes Wednesday against a Pittsburgh team that has lost four of five.

It doesn't figure to be an easy task with Rodriguez (6-3, 3.47 ERA) taking the ball in this finale.

Rodriguez was very good again versus Cincinnati on Friday, but had his four-start win streak snapped with a 6-0 loss. He limited the Reds to two runs over seven innings and is 4-1 with a 2.90 ERA in his past five outings.

The left-hander has been outstanding against the Braves, going 3-2 with a 1.58 ERA in his last nine starts. He yielded one hit over seven innings in a 6-0 home win April 19.

Although he's batting .163 versus lefties this season, Jason Heyward had the only hit off Rodriguez in that contest and is 5 for 11 lifetime in this matchup. Heyward also has four hits in his last two games after going hitless in 18 at_bats over his previous six contests.

Teammates Dan Uggla (4 for 25) and Justin Upton (2 for 13), however, have had far less success against Rodriguez.

Atlanta counters with right-hander Julio Teheran (3-2, 3.71), who is 3-2 with a 2.49 ERA in his last seven starts.

He had a career-high nine strikeouts and gave up three runs over 6 2-3 innings in a 3-2 loss to Washington on Friday.

Teheran, though, wasn't sharp in his only career start against the Pirates. He was reached for four runs and seven hits - two homers - over five innings before leaving without a decision in a 6-4 road win April 18.

Pedro Alvarez and Russell Martin took Teheran deep in the Pirates' only loss in that four-game series.

Alvarez is 7 for 19 with two homers and four RBIs in his last five games at Turner Field after homering for the second time in three games Tuesday.

Andrew McCutchen is 5 for 12 with three doubles and three RBIs in his last three against the Braves.

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MLB HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 4, 2013 Score ATS Results
PIT 4 Over: 9
ATL « 5 Cover: +100
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

Jun 3, 2013 Score ATS Results
PIT 2 Over: 9
ATL « 7 Cover: +100
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Indians (30-27) at Yankees (32-25)
Game: 3
Venue: Yankee Stadium
Date: June 05, 2013 1:05 PM EDT


After bouncing back from his roughest outing of the season, CC Sabathia gets another chance to dominate his former team.

Coming off his first victory in more than a month, the left-hander looks to continue his success against Cleveland and help the New York Yankees hand the Indians an eighth straight road loss Wednesday.

Sabathia (5-4, 3.71 ERA) was 0-2 with a 4.85 ERA in his first five May starts and allowed a season-high seven runs in seven innings of an 8-3 loss at Tampa Bay on May 26.

However, he ended the month on a high note, giving up a run and matching a season high with 10 strikeouts over 7 1-3 innings in Friday's 4-1 win over Boston.

His fastball hit 94 mph, something that has not happened often during his recovery from offseason elbow surgery.

"When I was younger, I (focused on velocity), I thought that was the way I was getting guys out," Sabathia said. "But as I got older I know it's more location than it is velocity."

Sabathia is 3-1 with a 2.70 ERA in six starts against the Indians (30-28). The only run he allowed in winning his last two matchups came on a homer by Asdrubal Cabrera, and he's struck out 20 over 14 1-3 innings in those outings versus the team he spent his first seven-plus seasons.

He won't have to worry about facing Cabrera, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a strained right quadriceps suffered during a 7-4 loss in the opener of this series Monday.

Cleveland remained competitive without its shortstop Tuesday, but Mark Teixeira's three-run homer highlighted a four-run third as New York won 4-3.

The Yankees (33-25) dropped seven of eight before winning the first two of this three-game set. New York has won 24 of 32 against the Indians, taking 12 of 14 in the Bronx.

Cleveland, which has lost 11 of 15, could see its struggles persist if Teixeira continues to find his form since returning from a wrist injury. He has recorded three of his four hits in 15 at_bats this season in this series, including both homers and all seven RBIs.

Teixeira hit a grand slam Monday.

"Big home run by Tex. That's two nights in a row," manager Joe Girardi said. "He's an RBI machine."

Drew Stubbs hit a three-run shot Tuesday and had two of the four hits for the Indians, who have been outscored 71-30 while losing five in a row and 10 of 11 at Yankee Stadium.

Ex-Yankee Nick Swisher went 0 for 4 for the third straight game and is 1 for 21 with seven strikeouts in his last six.

"I'm always up for the challenge of playing here and playing against the Yankees," Swisher said. "We aren't playing our best right now and we have to take a look in the mirror and turn things around."

Rain cut short scheduled Cleveland starter Corey Kluber's last outing after two innings Friday against the Rays. The right-hander was 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA in his previous three starts.

Kluber (3-3, 4.36) gave up a run and struck out six over five innings while not receiving a decision in a 3-1 loss in his only appearances against the Yankees on Aug. 24. Teixeira struck out twice in three at_bats versus Kluber.

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MLB HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 4, 2013 Score ATS Results
CLE 3 Under: 7
NYY « 4 Cover: +100
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

Jun 3, 2013 Score ATS Results
CLE 4 Over: 11
NYY « 7 Cover: +100
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[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Marlins (16-42) at Phillies (28-30)
Game: 3
Venue: Citizens Bank Park
Date: June 05, 2013 1:05 PM EDT


The Philadelphia Phillies have been scoring at a solid pace during their winning streak that has brought them to within a victory of reaching .500 for the first time since April.

Runs have been hard to come by, though, when Cole Hamels takes the mound.

Philadelphia seeks a season-high fourth straight win as Hamels looks to avoid a seventh consecutive defeat in Wednesday's series finale against the Miami Marlins.

John Mayberry hit a tying homer in the 10th inning before his grand slam in the 11th gave the Phillies (29-30) a 7-3 victory Tuesday. They've scored seven runs in each game during their streak after scoring 21 while dropping five of their previous seven.

``We're going to see if we can have a go at it. That's what we come to the ballpark for,' manager Charlie Manuel said as his team seeks to reach .500 for the first time since April 14.

Hamels (1-9, 4.86 ERA) sure could use that type of run support as he continues to suffer through what is on pace to be the worst season of his career. He's lost a career-worst six straight starts after giving up seven runs and a career-high 12 hits in five-plus innings of Friday's 8-5 loss to Milwaukee, becoming first Phillies pitcher to lose nine games before June since Kid Gleason in 1891.

The left-hander, who signed a six-year, $144 million deal last season, has posted a 6.45 ERA over his last four outings.

``No matter what the stats say, you want to try to win (for the team), and that's not happening,' Hamels said. ``That's kind of the difficult part.'

Philadelphia's offense isn't providing him much help, though. He hasn't received more than four runs of support in any of his 12 starts, and his 2.92 run-support average ranks among the worst in baseball.

Hamels has a 2.25 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 20 innings in three starts versus Miami this season, but he's 0-2 in those outings while receiving two total runs of support. He allowed two runs and struck out 10 in six innings of a 5-1 loss May 20 the last time he faced the Marlins.

"You have to keep understanding that you can only control so much,' Hamels said. ``The game of baseball is very funny. I don't have a lot of control over certain aspects of the game."

The baseball-worst Marlins (16-43), who have scored five runs while dropping the first two of this series after plating 24 during a three-game winning streak, will send Jacob Turner to the mound for his second start looking to avoid the sweep.

Turner (1-0, 0.00), acquired in July in the trade that sent Anibal Sanchez to Detroit, allowed five hits in seven scoreless innings to beat the New York Mets 5-1 in his season debut Friday.

After going 1-4 with a 3.38 ERA in seven starts for the Marlins last season, Turner was expected to be a part of the team's regular rotation. He began this year in Triple-A, though, after struggling in spring training.

"My last five or six starts (in the minors), everything has been coming together," Turner told the team's official website. "Obviously, it took a little bit longer than I would have liked (to return to the majors). I'm happy that it's here now."

The Phillies have won four straight overall and seven of the last nine home meetings versus the Marlins.

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MLB HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 4, 2013 Score ATS Results
FLA 3 Over: 10
PHI « 7 Cover: +100
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

Jun 3, 2013 Score ATS Results
FLA 2 Over: 9
PHI « 7 Cover: +100
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rays (31-25) at Tigers (30-25)
Game: 2
Venue: Comerica Park
Date: June 05, 2013 7:08 PM EDT


No matter how poorly the Detroit Tigers have played of late, they continue to fare well against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Tigers look for a fourth consecutive victory over the visiting Rays on Wednesday night.

Detroit (31-25) had lost five of six before it rolled to a 10-1 win over Tampa Bay on Tuesday. Prince Fielder homered for one of his three hits and had four RBIs as the Tigers beat the Rays (31-26) for the 13th time in 16 games.

They've won seven of eight at home over Tampa Bay, which had won seven of eight coming into this set. Jhonny Peralta had three hits and Omar Infante added three RBIs as Detroit scored six runs in three innings off Matt Moore, who suffered his first loss of 2013.

"It was a great night," outfielder Matt Tuiasosopo said. "(Moore) has some great secondary pitches - a great changeup and curveball - so we really wanted to just get after his fastball and not miss that when he threw it."

Fielder, who has a chance to homer in four straight games for the third time in his career, is batting .342 with seven RBIs during a nine-game hit streak. He's hit .326 with 11 RBIs in 13 career games against the Rays.

Teammate Torii Hunter's 11-game hitting streak ended after he went 0 for 4 on Tuesday. He hit .341 during the streak.

Doug Fister (5-2, 3.28 ERA) takes the mound for the Tigers looking to build on his best start of the season. He allowed four hits and struck out 12 over seven innings of a 1-0, 11-inning loss at Pittsburgh on Thursday.

"I felt like I was executing well," said Fister, who is 0-1 with a 1.93 ERA in his last two starts while receiving two runs of support. "I was able to keep the ball down, move the ball in and out and make them hit the ball on the ground, which is the name of my game."

The right-hander is 2-2 with a 2.88 ERA in four starts versus Tampa Bay.

Ben Zobrist is batting .357 (5 for 14) against Fister, and had one of the Rays' four hits in the series opener. He's 7 for 19 in his last five versus Detroit.

Tampa Bay's Alex Cobb (6-2, 2.66) has not pitched since May 26 because of a cracked fingernail on his right middle finger but appears ready to return to the mound Wednesday. Cobb is 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA in his last three starts.

"I just think the offspeed pitches, both of them, come off that finger," Cobb told the Rays' official website. "And I've been throwing a fair amount of those recently. I got a little crack there and kept throwing. And some of the rosin and stuff I use gets in there and dries it out and doesn't allow it to heal back up properly."

He is 0-1 with a 4.09 ERA in two starts against the Tigers, and Hunter has gone 6 for 9 in their matchups.

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MLB HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 4, 2013 Score ATS Results
TAM 1 Over: 11
DET « 10 Cover: +100
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Mets (22-32) at Nationals (28-29)
Game: 2
Venue: Nationals Park
Date: June 05, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


After earning another start with his best performance of the season, Dillon Gee hopes to solidify his rotation spot with the New York Mets against the banged-up Washington Nationals.

The right-hander will try to help the Mets snap a four-game losing streak Wednesday night when they visit a Washington team looking to build off its first late-inning comeback win.

Behind by one run heading into the ninth, the Nationals rallied for their first win when trailing after six innings in a 3-2 victory over the Mets (22-33) on Tuesday.

Ryan Zimmerman, Adam LaRoche and Ian Desmond each had hits off New York closer Bobby Parnell before Steve Lombardozzi came through with a game-winning sacrifice fly that ended Washington's two-game skid.

"Maybe this is something we were looking for,' said Jayson Werth, who went 1 for 4 after being activated from the disabled list because of a strained right hamstring. "Maybe this will get us going.'

The Nationals (29-29) can start by moving back above .500, though it might not be easy against Gee (3-6, 5.68 ERA).

The right-hander, who was 0-2 with an 8.36 ERA during a three-start stretch, responded in a big way after manager Terry Collins told him his rotation spot was in jeopardy.

Gee struck out a career-high 12 and limited the Yankees to one run and four hits over 7 1-3 innings in a 3-1 road win Thursday. He retired the last 15 batters he faced as the Mets completed a four-game sweep of the season series.

"I needed that on so many levels it's crazy," said Gee.

Gee has also pitched well against Washington, going 4-1 with a 2.93 ERA in seven career starts. He struck out six and scattered three hits over 5 2-3 innings in a 2-0 win over the Nationals on April 21.

Desmond (4 for 17), Zimmerman (3 for 15), LaRoche (1 for 8) and Roger Bernadina (2 for 11) haven't been able to solve Gee, though Werth is 6 for 18.

Washington would be best served getting into a New York bullpen that has a major league-worst 4.82 ERA. Parnell blew his third save opportunity Tuesday after converting his previous seven.

"They hit some decent pitches, but I could've been better," Parnell said.

Despite their rare late-game heroics in the series opener, the short-handed Nationals have totaled 10 runs while hitting .180 with 35 strikeouts over their last five games.

Danny Espinosa, who is hitting .158, joined star Bryce Harper on the disabled list Tuesday because of a fractured right wrist.

"We're trying to piece together a lineup to help us scratch out and score enough runs to win some games," general manager Mike Rizzo said.

Scheduled Washington starter Dan Haren (4-6, 5.09) has certainly been hurt by the team's lack of scoring lately.

The right-hander has lost three straight decisions over his last four starts, though he's allowed three runs or less in three of those outings. He's been given just five runs of support over that span.

Haren is 1-1 with a 7.41 ERA in his last three starts against the Mets.

Marlon Byrd should be happy to see Haren again - he's 8 for 16 with two doubles and one triple against him.

David Wright, trying to break out of a 1 for 18 slump, is 3 for 12 with a homer versus Haren since 2008.

Omar Quintanilla has given the Mets a spark, going 9 for 17 in five games since coming up from the minors.

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MLB HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 4, 2013 Score ATS Results
NYM 2 Under: 5
WAS « 3 Cover: +100
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rangers (35-21) at Red Sox (35-23)
Game: 2
Venue: Fenway Park
Date: June 05, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


The Boston Red Sox are among the best offensive teams in baseball, so having their recent winning streak powered by their lineup isn't much of a surprise.

While production from David Ortiz is expected, the Red Sox are getting contributions from several surprising candidates.

Daniel Nava, Jose Iglesias and Jackie Bradley Jr. look to continue their success as the Red Sox go for a fourth straight win Wednesday night against the Texas Rangers.

Boston (36-23) leads the AL East in part because it's hitting .272 and averaging 5.2 runs to rank among the most potent offenses in the majors.

The Red Sox have been even better during the win streak, batting .405 with nine homers and outscoring opponents 31-6. They collected season highs of 19 hits and eight doubles while hitting four homers Tuesday in a 17-5 win in the opener of this three-game set.

Ortiz, the team leader with a .333 average, drove in three runs while hitting a double and legging out his first triple since April 11, 2011.

"He's playing with a lot of life. He's playing with a lot of enthusiasm and I think that is the overriding attitude that is in that group downstairs," manager John Farrell said.

The same could be said of Nava, Iglesias and Bradley.

Nava is 8 for 13 with a homer, two doubles, five RBIs and six runs over the past three games, and Iglesias is 9 for 20 with one homer and five RBIs in the last five.

Bradley has a .167 average on the season, so he may be the biggest surprise during the winning streak. The rookie outfielder is 4 for 12 (.333) with two doubles, and his only hit Tuesday was his first career homer - a three-run shot.

Bradley may remain in the lineup despite Jacoby Ellsbury's expected return from a groin injury that has sidelined him for four games. The center fielder was 11 for 23 with seven steals in his last five games before getting hurt.

The AL West-leading Rangers (35-22) will be hoping Alexi Ogando (4-2, 3.08 ERA) can quiet the Red Sox's bats. He's scheduled to take the mound for the first time since a 6-2 win at Oakland on May 15 due to right biceps tendinitis.

Ogando was 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA over his three previous starts before his injury, a stretch that started with a 5-1 home win against the Red Sox on May 4. He yielded one run in six innings opposite John Lackey, who is scheduled to pitch Wednesday.

Ogando is 1-1 while allowing one run and one hit with five strikeouts and three walks in five innings over four relief outings at Fenway Park.

Lackey (3-5, 2.96) has won two of three home starts behind a 0.90 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 20 innings.

The veteran right-hander wasn't nearly that effective on the road last Wednesday, allowing three solo homers in six innings of a 4-3 defeat to Philadelphia. Lackey gave up two unearned runs and three hits over 13 innings in winning his previous two starts.

He's 0-2 with an 8.10 ERA in his last two outings against Texas and owns a 6.14 ERA in going 12-15 in 37 matchups. His ERA is his worst versus any team he's faced more than once, and the 37 starts are his most against any club.

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MLB HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 4, 2013 Score ATS Results
TEX 5 Over: 22
BOS « 17 Cover: +100
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Rockies (30-28) at Reds (36-22)
Game: 3
Venue: Great American Ball Park
Date: June 05, 2013 7:10 PM EDT


The Cincinnati Reds' winning streak over the Colorado Rockies is over.

Johnny Cueto could help them start a new one Wednesday night in the rubber game in Cincinnati.

After winning 3-0 on Monday, the Reds (36-23) were denied a club-record seventh straight win over Colorado (31-28), falling 5-4 on Tuesday. Troy Tulowitzki's two-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning helped the Rockies snap a three-game skid at Great American Ball Park.

"It doesn't get any more clutch than that," manager Walt Weiss said of Tulowitzki, who is tied with Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips among the NL leaders with 45 RBIs.

The Rockies go for their first set of back-to-back wins outside Denver since sweeping San Diego from April 12-14, but that could be asking a lot as Cincinnati has yet to drop two in a row at home all season.

The Reds, second to St. Louis in the NL Central, will try to prevent that from happening with Cueto (3-0, 2.17 ERA) before the Cardinals come to town Friday for a weekend set.

The right-hander is 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in three starts since missing five weeks with a strained right triceps.

"Every game is going to be a little bit iffy. We'll see how he feels the next day before we definitely say he's out of the woods," manager Dusty Baker told the Reds' official website after Cueto threw eight innings of one-hit ball in Friday's 6-0 road win over Pittsburgh. "He was definitely very good today. He looked like the Johnny Cueto of old today."

Cueto, though, went 1-1 with a 7.59 ERA in two starts against Colorado in 2012.

Michael Cuddyer, 1 for 3 with a double off Cueto in those games, will try to extend his hitting streak to nine. He's batting .424 during that run with two homers and seven RBIs.

Tulowitzki, who has hit safely in 17 of 19, is a .371 hitter in 18 games in Cincinnati.

Reds first baseman Joey Votto is 1 for 8 in this series, but he's batting .342 versus Colorado lifetime. The former MVP is 4 for 7 with a homer off Wednesday's starter Jon Garland (3-6, 5.81).

The veteran right-hander is coming off a tough May, going 0-4 with a 7.27 ERA in his last five starts that month after yielding five runs in five innings of Friday's 7-5, 10-inning loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"Right now I feel like I'm just bad, to be honest with you,' said Garland, who avoided matching a career-worst fifth consecutive losing start.

Weiss didn't want to talk about "the future or hypotheticals" regarding Garland's spot in the rotation, but a bad start Wednesday could force a change, especially after Roy Oswalt delivered another strong start at Double-A Tulsa on Tuesday.

Garland is 1-2 with a 4.56 ERA in four starts versus Cincinnati, none since 2010 with San Diego.

It's doubtful he'll face Phillips, who has missed the last three games with a bruised left forearm. Phillips, though, appears to be heading in the right direction after taking batting practice and grounders Tuesday.

"We don't want him to miss a Cardinals game," Baker told the Reds' official website. "But we want him right, too."

The Reds have two series wins and a split in the Rockies' last three visits.

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MLB HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 4, 2013 Score ATS Results
COL « 5 Cover: +155
CIN 4 Over: 9
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

Jun 3, 2013 Score ATS Results
COL 0 Under: 3
CIN « 3 Cover: +100
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Twins (25-29) at Royals (23-31)
Game: 2
Venue: Ewing M. Kauffman Stadium
Date: June 05, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


The Minnesota Twins have been on a nice roll since a lengthy skid last month.

P.J. Walters has been a nice addition to the club's rotation during that stretch.

Walters makes his first start at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday night against a Kansas City Royals team trying to end its longest single-season home winning streak in team history.

Since winning his season debut May 25 by beating Detroit 3-2 to help the Twins (26-29) end a 10-game skid, Minnesota has reeled off seven more wins in nine tries. The club ended a four-game skid at Kansas City, and handed the Royals (23-32) a franchise-worst 11th straight home defeat with Tuesday's 3-0 series-opening victory.

Ryan Doumit hit a solo homer and added a run-scoring single.

"I'm just getting back to basics,' said Doumit, batting .324 with four homers and 13 RBIs in the last eight games. "After a slow start, I watched some video and just tried to get back and simplify things.'

While Doumit and the Twins' offense are starting to heat up - the team is hitting .308 with 18 runs during a 3-0 start to June - Minnesota's starters have a 3.94 ERA over the last 10 games. It's a vast improvement from that group's 8.16 ERA during the 10-game skid.

Part of that improvement is due to Walters (2-0, 4.50 ERA) taking over for the demoted Vance Worley. Walters, though, has been knocked around at times in his two starts. He was tagged for 10 hits in six innings of Thursday's 8-6 victory over Milwaukee, with all four runs charged against him coming after the fifth.

"The way I felt tonight and through the first five innings, I should've gone deeper in the game, but our bullpen did their job," Walters told the Twins' official website. "It just stinks they had to throw tonight. But it's a win, so we'll go from there."

The right-hander's only start against the Royals ended in a 10-5 loss Sept. 12, when he allowed six runs in four innings.

Walters now faces a light-hitting Royals lineup that's plated three runs or fewer 13 times while losing 15 of 18. It's uncertain what it will take for Kansas City to snap out of its funk, as it's hitting .198 with 11 total runs in five games since Hall of Famer George Brett was named interim hitting coach.

"You can come up with all the reasons and all the excuses why, but we're just not producing offense for our pitchers right now," manager Ned Yost said.

That's unfortunate for the Royals, because their rotation has a combined 3.34 ERA in the last six games.

On Wednesday, Jeremy Guthrie (5-3, 3.84) will try to become the first Royals' starter in 19 games to post a win. The veteran right-hander threw six innings of two-run ball in Thursday's 4-2 win at St. Louis after posting a 7.91 ERA while losing his previous three starts.

Joe Mauer (6 for 13) and Justin Morneau (5 for 17) both have two homers off Guthrie, while Josh Willingham and Doumit each have gone deep off him once.

Minnesota is going for its first four-game road winning streak since May 16-19, 2012.

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MLB HEAD TO HEAD

Jun 4, 2013 Score ATS Results
MIN « 3 Cover: +128
KAN 0 Under: 3
Tools: Boxscores • Recaps

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Orioles (32-25) at Astros (21-37)
Game: 2
Venue: Minute Maid Park
Date: June 05, 2013 8:10 PM EDT


Freddy Garcia began his professional career 18 years ago in the Houston Astros' organization with a bright future ahead of him.

Now, the 36-year-old is grateful just to be part of a major league rotation.

Garcia looks to win his third straight start while helping the visiting Baltimore Orioles earn a sixth victory in seven tries as they face Houston on Wednesday night.

Baltimore signed Garcia (2-2, 3.57 ERA) to a minor league contract in March after he was released by San Diego. He made his first start May 4 and is coming off his best outing of the season, striking out six and allowing three hits in eight innings of a 2-0 win over Washington on Thursday.

The right-hander has posted a 1.89 ERA over his last three starts after tossing eight scoreless innings for the first time since a win over Detroit on Sept. 19, 2006, while pitching for the Chicago White Sox.

"I don't take it for granted," Garcia told the team's official website regarding being in the majors again. "Every five days I take the mound, I'm glad they gave me the opportunity to be here and pitch."

Garcia began his career in the Houston organization before being traded to Seattle in 1998 as part of the Randy Johnson trade. He hasn't faced the Astros since losing his only start against them in 2004.

He's had plenty of success against Houston's Carlos Pena, holding the slugger to five hits in 43 at_bats (.116) with 13 strikeouts.

Garcia will look to help Baltimore (33-25), which is 10-4 following a season-worst six-game losing streak, continue its hot stretch after it won Tuesday's series opener 4-1 to end Houston's six-game winning streak.

The Orioles' Nos. 7-9 hitters - J.J. Hardy, Ryan Flaherty and Danny Valencia - had five of the team's eight hits. Valencia has seven hits in 28 at_bats since being recalled May 19, with three leaving the park after he homered in the third inning.

``The more you're in there, the more you feel comfortable and you get your results and you feel better and better and better,' Valencia said. ``Hopefully I can just contribute when I'm in the lineup.'

The AL-worst Astros (21-38) were coming off a perfect 6-0 road trip but could muster only a Brandon Barnes solo homer in the sixth inning for their only run Tuesday.

Chris Carter's six-game hitting streak came to an end for Houston, which has lost five of its last six at home while finishing with only one run and five hits in each of the last two.

``I thought we had some pretty good at_bats,' manager Bo Porter said. ``It just seemed like when we were hitting the ball hard, (Baltimore outfielder) Adam Jones was running up Tal's Hill and making great plays.'

The Astros will turn to Dallas Keuchel as they try to get back on track Wednesday.

Keuchel (2-2, 5.10) has a 5.17 ERA while starting his last five appearances, though he's coming off his best outing after allowing two runs in seven innings of a 6-3 win over the Angels on Friday.

"Dallas did a great job," Porter said. "Overall great job to give us the amount of innings he gave us against an opponent like that."

The left-hander will be making his first start against Baltimore, which has won seven straight meetings with the Astros dating back to 2005.

The Orioles will be without right fielder Nick Markakis for the next two games while he attends the funeral of his grandmother.

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[StarDust Bum]

One of my worst days......POD's go 1-11 i think and the rest of the day was the shits.......But they will be day's like this......time to move on and look forward.....good luck !


Date WLT Pct Net Units Record

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 51-*56-*0 47.66% -*2605


Wednesday, June 5

Game Score Status Pick Amount

Pittsburgh - 12:10 PM ET Pittsburgh +112 500 POD # 2
Atlanta - Under 7.5 500

Cleveland - 1:05 PM ET Cleveland +154 500 POD # 3
NY Yankees - Over 8 500

Miami - 1:05 PM ET Miami +187 500 POD # 3
Philadelphia - Over 7.5 500

Oakland - 2:10 PM ET Oakland -120 500
Milwaukee - Under 8.5 500

Chi. White Sox - 3:40 PM ET Seattle -175 500
Seattle - Under 7 500

Toronto - 3:45 PM ET San Francisco -117 500
San Francisco - Under 7.5 500

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: White Sox (24-32) at Mariners (26-33)
Game: 3
Venue: Safeco Field
Date: June 05, 2013 3:40 PM EDT


If the Chicago White Sox are to end their current slide, they likely must find a way to get the best of the Seattle Mariners' next budding star pitcher.

Hisashi Iwakuma looks for a fifth consecutive victory while helping the Mariners try to send the visiting White Sox to their first nine-game losing streak in almost 22 years Wednesday.

Chicago (24-32) showed some life early against Seattle ace Felix Hernandez and again late in Tuesday's 7-4 defeat. However, the White Sox are batting .197 while being outscored 44-15 in the last eight games.

They haven't dropped nine in a row since Aug. 19-28, 1991. They're also in danger of losing 10 straight on the road for the first time since an 11-game slide Aug. 14-Sept. 1, 2007. That road drought also included the last time Chicago was swept at Seattle (26-33).

Things likely won't get any easier for the White Sox against Iwakuma (6-1, 2.13 ERA), who is 4-0 with a 2.22 ERA in seven starts since he lost at Houston on April 23.

He allowed seven hits in 7 2-3 innings of a 3-0 win at Minnesota on Friday.

"With what he's done in the past, I think we're coming to expect this from him,' Mariners shortstop Brendan Ryan said. "Whether that's fair or not, it's just a tribute to how good and how nasty he is.'

Dating to last season, the second-year right-hander is 4-0 with a 1.54 ERA in his last seven home starts.

"He knows how to dig deep when he needs to and he understands the game, and great heartbeat, like we've talked about so much,' manager Eric Wedge said. "He's able to slow the game down when he needs to slow it down and when he gets on a roll he gets in that nice tempo, which we've seen a lot of that this year.'

In his only start against Chicago on April 7, Iwakuma allowed three runs on homers by Alex Rios and Adam Dunn, plus two other hits in eight innings of a 4-3, 10-inning loss.

Seattle's Raul Ibanez, who turned 41 on Sunday, has two home runs and six RBIs in this series. He's hit a two-run shot in each game and added a two-run double Tuesday.

Kyle Seager is batting .313 in his last eight contests for the Mariners, who have won six of 10 since a season-high eight-game skid.

Chicago starter Dylan Axelrod (3-4, 4.04) gave up one run and three hits over 5 2-3 innings while not factoring in the decision of a 4-3 home win over Seattle on April 6.

In his last outing Friday, the right-hander suffered one rough inning when he allowed two runs in the eighth of a 3-0 loss at Oakland. He yielded two of his four hits in that frame and struck out a season-high seven without a walk.

"Baseball's funny,' said Axelrod, who has a 3.86 ERA while winning three of his last four starts.

Dunn connected for Chicago's first homer in eight games, and has hit safely in five straight games to modestly raise his average from .153 to .166.

He's 2 for 5 with two home runs against Iwakuma.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
White Sox at Mariners
Mon, Jun 3 Final 2 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
White Sox at Mariners
Tue, Jun 4 Final 4 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
White Sox at Mariners
Wed, Jun 5 - 3:40PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Athletics (35-25) at Brewers (22-35)
Game: 3
Venue: Miller Park
Date: June 05, 2013 2:10 PM EDT


Bartolo Colon is showing he's still capable of being a front-line starter with the Oakland Athletics.

Yovani Gallardo is trying to prove he's still the ace of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Colon and Gallardo will start opposite each other Thursday, when the A's attempt to re-establish their surge by taking two of three from the Brewers.

Colon (6-2, 3.33 ERA) is tied with Tommy Milone for the team lead in wins, and his ERA is the lowest among any of the A's starters.

The 40-year-old right-hander hasn't managed this many wins at this point in a season since 2005, when he won the AL Cy Young Award by going 21-8 with a 3.48 ERA with the Los Angeles Angels.

Colon was 10-9 with a 3.43 ERA in 24 starts with Oakland last year before he was suspended 50 games for a positive testosterone test in August, missing the playoffs for the AL West champion.

"There's still a little something in the tank," manager Bob Melvin said. "He's always out to prove that he can be a successful pitcher at the major league level and he can still pitch as a power pitcher, which he does. He'll never tell you that, but the reason that he's had the lengthy career that he's had is that he never lets down."

Colon has won three straight starts with a 0.78 ERA and carries an 18-inning scoreless streak into this game after throwing a five-hitter in Friday's 3-0 win over the Chicago White Sox.

Another strong effort may help Oakland rebound from Tuesday's 4-3 defeat to the Brewers after winning the series opener.

Colon last faced them in a win with the Montreal Expos on Aug. 9, 2002, in Milwaukee.

While Colon's re-emergence is unexpected, Gallardo's struggles have been alarming for Milwaukee.

The right-hander (4-5, 5.05) led the team with 60 wins and 815 strikeouts with a 3.68 ERA over the past four years, establishing himself as the Brewers' top starter.

That status has taken a significant hit, especially over the past month. He's 1-5 with a 5.97 ERA in his past six starts, serving up seven of the nine homers he's allowed on the season. That stretch includes going 0-2 with a 6.19 ERA in three home starts.

Gallardo snapped his five-game losing streak Friday, despite surrendering five runs - three in the first inning - and three homers before leaving with two outs in the sixth of an 8-5 win at Philadelphia.

Catcher Jonathan Lucroy, though, felt there were signs of improvement.

"I thought (Gallardo) pitched really well, considering he hasn't had his best stuff for a while," Lucroy said. "I saw some flashbacks of 'old Yo,' for sure."

Gallardo will have to contend with Yoenis Cespedes, who is hitting .333 during an 11-game road hitting streak. He had a career-high 16-game run from June 26-Aug. 10, and is 5 for 10 with four RBIs in this series after hitting two homers Tuesday.

The Brewers have won three of five, matching their total from the previous 16 games.

"We need to start winning some more games,"left fielder Ryan Braun said.

Braun is one of several subjects of an ESPN report claiming that MLB is looking to suspend players who have been linked to a Florida anti-aging clinic and its director.

"I've already addressed everything related to the Miami situation," Braun said. "I addressed it in spring training. The truth has not changed. I don't know the specifics of the story that came out, but I've already addressed it."

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Athletics at Brewers
Mon, Jun 3 Final 10 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Athletics at Brewers
Tue, Jun 4 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Athletics at Brewers
Wed, Jun 5 - 2:10PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Blue Jays (24-34) at Giants (31-27)
Game: 2
Venue: AT&T Park
Date: June 05, 2013 3:45 PM EDT


The San Francisco Giants haven't lost a home game started by Barry Zito in more than 10 months.

They'll try to keep it that way in Wednesday's series finale as Zito pitches opposite Toronto Blue Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey for the second time in three weeks.

After Tim Lincecum's seven strong innings helped San Francisco (31-27) win 2-1 on Tuesday, Zito (4-3, 3.88 ERA) gets the ball with a chance to give the Giants the two-game sweep and their longest streak since a 3-0 run that preceded losses at Toronto (24-34) on May 14 and 15.

The veteran left-hander was tagged for eight runs - five earned - and a season-high 12 hits over 5 2-3 innings of a 10-6 loss in the opener of that series. Zito is 0-3 with a 10.19 ERA in four starts outside San Francisco, but he's 4-0 with a 1.40 ERA in his seven outings at AT&T Park.

The Giants have won all of those, and including Game 1 of the World Series, they're 14-0 in Zito's home starts since a 9-1 loss to the New York Mets on Aug. 2.

The former AL Cy Young winner found a way to keep that streak alive Thursday, working around a season-high six walks in Thursday's 5-2 win over Oakland.

"It's a credit to Z for keeping his poise and making his pitches when he had to," manager Bruce Bochy told the Giants' official website of Zito, who struck out five and gave up one run in six innings.

Dickey (4-7, 5.18) hasn't been making his pitches of late, posting an 8.53 ERA while losing his last two outings.

"He's been battling that, trying to find (the velocity on the knuckleball),' manager John Gibbons said of Dickey, who permitted six runs and a season-high 11 hits over six innings of Thursday's 11-3 loss at Atlanta.

Dickey already has one more loss than last season when he won the NL Cy Young with the Mets, but he's confident he'll find his way out of this rough patch.

"I certainly won't (quit searching for answers)," he said. "And I'll find it."

Dickey hasn't found much success in day games, going 1-4 with a 6.96 ERA in five starts.

He's 1-1 with a 3.91 ERA in four starts against San Francisco after striking out a season-best 10 on May 14 while giving up two runs in six innings.

Former Blue Jay Marco Scutaro, who went 2 for 3 off Dickey in that contest, is 5 for 12 as the Giants have dropped two of three to Toronto in 2013.

Melky Cabrera is 7 for 12 in the season series after going 2 for 4 on Tuesday. It was his return to AT&T Park after receiving a 50-game suspension Aug. 15 for a positive testosterone test that effectively ended his career with the Giants, who didn't add him to the postseason roster when he was cleared to return for the NLCS.

"He was a good player for us, and now he's not, so you're going to hear (boos) here," Lincecum said of Cabrera, who went 3 for 4 off Zito last month.

Edwin Encarnacion is batting .341 with seven homers and 23 RBIs in his last 20 games after going deep off Lincecum on Tuesday.

Andres Torres hit a two-run homer in the opener and is batting .371 in 23 home games.

The Giants, who open a nine-game trip Friday against NL West-leading Arizona, are 6-1 all-time with the Blue Jays in town.

---------------------------------------------------------

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Blue Jays at Giants
Tue, Jun 4 Final 1 to 2
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Blue Jays at Giants
Wed, Jun 5 - 3:45PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Cubs (23-33) at Angels (26-33)
Game: 2
Venue: Angel Stadium of Anaheim
Date: June 05, 2013 7:05 PM EDT


With the AL's worst team out of town, the Los Angeles Angels got back in the win column against one of the NL's bottom feeders.

Giving the ball to red-hot Jason Vargas should put them in good position to start a winning streak.

Vargas will try to win his career-best sixth straight decision Wednesday night when the Angels look to complete a two-game sweep of the visiting Chicago Cubs.

Los Angeles (26-33) had won 10 of 12, including six in a row at home, before getting swept by a Houston team that was 20 games below .500 heading into that four-game series.

The Angels, though, took a positive step following that embarrassing showing Tuesday when Albert Pujols hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning of a 4-3 victory that snapped the four-game skid.

Los Angeles is hoping the home run - his first in 11 games - can get Pujols on a hot streak. The three-time MVP had been 3 for 21 with one extra-base hit in his previous six games.

"Numbers-wise, it's nowhere where I want to be. But I feel like I'm one swing away from turning things around,' said Pujols, who is hitting .244 with nine homers and 35 RBIs.

Now Pujols will try to help the Angels wrap up their eight-game homestand with a .500 record behind Vargas (5-3, 3.34 ERA).

After going 0-3 with a 4.85 ERA in five starts during April, the left-hander went 5-0 with a 2.30 ERA in his six starts in May - all Los Angeles victories.

"I faced Vargas for years when he was with Seattle, and you know what you're going to get,' said second baseman Howie Kendrick, who is 6 for 11 in his last three games. "I mean, the guy finds a way to get it done.'

Vargas is 2-0 with a 3.46 ERA in four career starts against the Cubs, though he hasn't faced them since 2010 while with Seattle.

David DeJesus, who is hitless in nine career at_bats against Vargas, is batting .195 in his last 11 games overall.

Teammate Starlin Castro hopes to break out of his own funk, going 1 for 19 over his last five contests.

Tuesday's defeat included another dismal performance by a Chicago (23-33) bullpen that has two losses, two blown saves and a 13.50 ERA during the team's three-game losing streak.

Scheduled starter Matt Garza (1-0, 3.38) will try to eliminate the bullpen from the equation as he makes his fourth start since coming off the disabled list with a strained back muscle.

The right-hander earned his first victory since July 15 when he allowed two runs and six hits over seven innings to beat Arizona 7-2 Friday at Wrigley Field.

"I'm pumped to get it out of the way,' Garza said.

Garza, who spent his first five seasons in the AL, has given up 10 runs and 13 hits - four homers - over 11 innings in two career starts in Anaheim.

He's limited Josh Hamilton to two hits in 15 career at_bats, while Pujols is 2 for 9 in their matchups.

Alberto Callaspo is 5 for 34 (.147) over his last 11 games, but has four hits - including a homer - in six at_bats against Garza.

The third baseman will have to clean up his defense after his fourth error in three games led to a pair of unearned runs Tuesday.

-------------------------------------------------------

SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Cubs at Angels
Tue, Jun 4 Final 3 to 4
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Cubs at Angels
Wed, Jun 5 - 7:05PM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

Preview: Diamondbacks (33-25) at Cardinals (38-20)
Game: 3
Venue: Busch Stadium
Date: June 05, 2013 8:15 PM EDT


Paul Goldschmidt's production at the plate tends to have a major impact on the Arizona Diamondbacks' success.

That's particularly true against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Goldschmidt looks to continue being one of the main catalysts behind the NL West leaders Wednesday night in St. Louis.

The 25-year-old has emerged as Arizona's top hitter, leading the team with a .335 average, 13 homers and 49 RBIs in his second full season in the majors, and his influence on games has been obvious. He's batting .413 with 11 homers and 41 RBIs in Diamondbacks victories compared to .221 with two home runs and eight RBIs in defeat.

His production is a big reason Arizona (32-25) leads the division by two games over second-place San Francisco. The Diamondbacks host the Giants for three games this weekend.

Goldschmidt will likely be key if they're going to pad their lead before that series. He's 9 for 20 with two doubles and two homers while plating five runs in four wins over the Cardinals, but 1 for 21 with a homer and two RBIs in seven career defeats.

That disparity in production has held true in this series. He went 0 for 4 in Monday's 7-1 loss to open this four-game set before getting three hits - two doubles - with two RBIs, while diving in the go-ahead run in a 7-6, 14-inning win a day later.

Goldschmidt is among baseball's leaders with a .451 average, six homers and 36 RBIs with runners in scoring position.

"I pretend there is nobody on base and just stick with my same approach," he said. "It's worked so far. We'll see what happens the rest of the year."

Wade Miley (3-5, 5.01 ERA) is more concerned with the immediate future as he seeks to end a career-high four game losing streak during which he's compiled a 9.14 ERA. He had been 3-1 with a 2.93 ERA in his first seven outings of the season after his 16 wins led the team last year, and his 3.33 ERA was the rotation's lowest.

The left-hander is trying to avoid over-analyzing his recent performances after surrendering seven runs and three homers in seven innings of a 7-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Friday.

"I don't want to think about it," Miley said. "I don't even want to talk about it until after. I just want to go pitch."

Miley was charged with a 7-2 loss his only start with the Cardinals on May 9, 2012, allowing three runs and 10 hits in 5 2-3 innings.

The Cardinals are expected to give Joe Kelly (0-2, 6.75) his first start of the season since Shelby Miller's scheduled outing was pushed back a day.

Kelly, though, may need to go deep after five relievers combined to throw 9 1-3 innings Tuesday. All 16 of his appearances this season have come out of the bullpen, and his longest lasted three innings and 62 pitches in a defeat to the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 25.

Kelly went 4-6 with a 3.74 ERA over 16 starts last year.

"I don't know if I'm that kind of guy where I need to be built up," Kelly told the team's official website. "If they ask for 80 pitches, I'll be able to give them 80 pitches."

He's 1-0 while allowing five runs and three homers in nine innings over one start and three total games versus Arizona.

Matt Carpenter is on a career-high 13-game hitting streak, compiling a .418 average. However, he became the first Cardinal to get plunked three times in a game Tuesday.

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SERIES AT A GLANCE

GAME 1
Diamondbacks at Cardinals
Mon, Jun 3 Final 1 to 7
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 2
Diamondbacks at Cardinals
Tue, Jun 4 Final 7 to 6
Boxscores • Recaps

GAME 3
Diamondbacks at Cardinals
Wed, Jun 5 - 8:15PM EDT

GAME 4
Diamondbacks at Cardinals
Thu, Jun 6 - 7:15PM EDT